lip
MAC | Sneak Peek: Resolutely Red Lipstick from the Upcoming MAC in HD
Resolutely Red (pictured at left) is a lustre, but not a shy one. It gives great, buildable colour. It is quite similar to Dubonnet. Like Dubonnet it has a mahogany, brick-red undertone to it, but Resolutely Red is lighter and appears a touch more red. Additionally, Dubonnet is an amplified cream so by the nature of its formula, it will go on thicker than Resolutely Red’s lustre formula.
Resolutely Red screams fall, it screams classic and it screams sexy. Definitely worth checking out. Just remember that whilst Resolutely Red is a great colour, if you already have Dubonnet, weigh the differences carefully as they may be too close to justify a purchase.
- Swatches, L-R: Resolutely Red, Dubonnet
What do you think? Love? Like? Meh?
MOTD | MAC of the Day: Lychee Luxe Lipglass
It’s MOTD time again. Woot! Today’s feature is Lychee Luxe Lipglass. This is one that has been around for quite a bit, but seems to kind of stay under the radar. I thought it was time I kicked it out into the spotlight for you.
Lychee Luxe: Pinky-coral with golden shimmer
Lychee Luxe has a good amount of colour pay-off. As far as the shade, Lychee Luxe looks more orange in the tube than it actually applies. It goes on as more of a peach. The gold pearl is pretty apparent in this gloss and in my opinion is really what makes it a winner. The gold pearl just pops when you add Lychee Luxe over most lipsticks and liners. It is also a really flexible colour as it can bend into so many different shades with a little help from a lipstick or liner. Here are a few:
The colour, frost and gold pearl make it wearable on a good range of lip pigmentations and skin tones. This is great on skin with yellow undertones, but don’t let that rule it out for you if you are an NW. I am an NW20 and love this gloss. Here are a few of my favourite pairing suggestions (all MAC):
- Line lips with Magenta liner and blend in, then apply Lychee Luxe. By far my fave look. You will LOVE it!
- Line lips with Redd liner. Apply a coat of Brave Red lipstick then blot it with a tissue. Apply a coat of Lychee Luxe over your red-stained lips. They will look like they are on fire! The key to this look is a yellow-based red.
- For a nice, subtle pinky coral, apply Lychee Luxe over Sandy B lipstick
- For a warmer look, try Mahogany liner, Fresh Moroccan lipstick and Lychee Luxe lipglass. This is great for med-dark skintones.
- Nightmoth or Mahogany liner, “O” lipstick, then Lychee Luxe. This is a WoC stunner.
Who rocks Lychee Luxe? Tried it? Love it? Loathe it? How do you wear it?
Nude Up! | Nars Chelsea Girls and Bobbi Brown’s Cocoa
I had been considering NARS’ Lip Lacquer in Chelsea Girls for some time and during my last trip to Sephora, its gravitational pull finally landed it in my shopping basket. I am so glad it did.
Click “Read More” below for futher details, swatches and a lip swatch pic…
NARS describes the colour as a nude beige. I would also add that there is a kiss of pink in there. I think that really makes this wearable as a nude without looking too muddy. On its own, it pulls more tan than pink, but I like to wear it with a tan to med-brown liner to up the beige quotient. My fave liner is Bobbi Brown’s Coco Lip Liner, but good MAC substitutes would be Oak, Stripdown, Cork, or BBQ depending on your lip pigmentation.
Makeup artists, this is a great item for your kit as it skillfully tones down and nudes up any colour you add it too. Additionally, it would be super for a client who, surprise, has the worst chapped lips ever.
NARS Lip Lacquers are extremely comfortable and very moisturizing. The formula feels more like one of MAC’s Tinted Lip Conditioners than a lipglass. Chelsea Girls provides a sheer to surprisingly opaque texture. The fact that it builds so gradually makes it perfect a wide range of lip pigmentations.
There are a few downsides to this lip gloss. One is that there is a lot of lanolin in it (to give it moisturizing properties) and you can kind of smell it. It doesn’t bother me, but I know scent preferences are highly personal and can be a big influencing factor when purchasing. Additonally, I wore this with primer and it held up pretty well, but it’s not one that will hold up through dinner and cocktails. Oh, and these do lack any SPF.
Overall: Great texture, fantastic buildability, amazing colour, very moisturizing and a super multi-tasker.
Stats: $24.00USD/0.14oz/Sephora.com, Nordstrom.com, Beauty.com
Who likes the NARS Lip Lacquers? Any Chelsea Girls wearers out there? How do you wear it?
MAC | D Squared2 Package Details
Mmmm…mmmmm… yummy. Lookey there. DSquared2 package details showing…oh yeah….special LE packaging. I’m loving the red lipstick. WANT.
Thanks to Specktra member k0rn_Peachy for the pics!
Who has tried the MAC Pro Lip Erase and what do you think of it?
MAC | Lips from Makeup Art Cosmetics
I got my grabby little paws on a few of the lip products from the upcoming Makeup Art Cosmetics collection. Namely Hold the Pose lipstick and New Spirit lipglass. Not bad, people, not bad. I like. I will admit that both were “maybes” on my list, but…
Click “Read More” below for further details, pics and swatches
I was pleasantly surprised. Here’s the scoop:
Hold the Pose: I am always skeptical of any lustre lipstick until I put my hands on it and swatch up. I guess I have been burned by too many lustres that look sexy in the tube, but go disappointingly diluted when applied. Not so with Hold the Pose. It gives a good amount of colour due to the fact that it’s fairly dark. It applies as a nice wash of sheer, dark plum. The lustre pearls give it nice shimmer and texture. Not really like anything in MAC’s normal line.
New Spirit Lipglass:
At first glance, you think of MAC’s lipglass is in Enchantress and Honey Bee, but New Spirit is much more subtle and sheer than both of those. New Spirit is fairly transparent. It is a golden tan that has a whisper of peach. It would be fantasic over nudes to add depth. It does look brilliant over Hold the Pose lipstick, by the way. Dupeable? Yes.
What to you think? Yay? Nay? Any other Makeup Art Cosmetic collection lip products in your future?
Sephora | Fall Trend Video Tuts
I know that a lot of you, like me, have really been inspired by the fantastic artistry in the last few Sephora catalogs. The Fall Trend catalog was no exception. There were some really amazing looks.
Sephora has video tuts for a handful of the looks on their blog. Definitely check them out for some great tips. Here’s the link: Sephora Fall 09 Runway Trend Video Tutorials (or just click on the above pic).
Have any of you tried these? Which one is your fave?
New NARS | Best of Lips Palette and Essential Eyes Palette
- NARS Best of Lips Palette
Top: Copacabana Multiple, Chelsea Girls Lacquer and Dolce Vita Lipgloss.
Bottom: Orgasm Multiple, Eros Lipstick and Red Lizard Lipstick.$50.00/Nordstrom.com
- NARS Essential Eye Palette
Top: Unconditional Love, Night Star and Galapagos
Bottom: Nepal, Ondine and Thunderball$55.00/Nordstrom.com
I think the lip palette is a definite must if you want a good sampling of NARS cult faves. Anyone interested in these? Do you wear any of these colours? What do you think?
Illamasqua | Intense Lipgloss Review
Being the ever-curious cosmetic fiend that I am, I set my sights on trying out the new Illamasqua items as soon as I could. I have a HUGE crush on any type of lavender, lilac, purple or magenta lip products, so I decided to pop my Illamasqua cherry with their Intense Lipgloss in Petulant.
First surprise….
Click “Read More” below for further info, pics and swatch pic….
My first surprise was that Petulant, which is described as a hot magenta, is not really magenta at all, imo. It is a bright,cherry red-kissed, hot pink. So, whilst it wasn’t the colour I was expecting, it was smashing nonetheless. By the way, when I say this gloss is bright, I mean bright. Petulant, along with all of the Intense Gloss colours offered are really vibrant and amazingly pigmented.
The Illamasqua Intense Gloss is $19.00/.2 fl oz, whereas MAC’s Lipglass is $14/.17 fl oz. The Intense Gloss comes in a long tube with a plastic applicator. You just squeeze to push the product out of the applicator at the top. The applicator system worked fine and I don’t have any complaints there.
The formula is a bit slicker than lipglass and is definitely not as sticky as lipglass when applied to the lips. The Illamasqua Intense Gloss maintains fantastic colour, comfort and wearability. The glossiness is beautiful. The intense shine really highlights in the vivid colours. The scent is so subtle you hardly notice it. I can’t really put my finger on it. Maybe a slight fruit scent?
Bottom Line: I absolutely adore these and plan on trying more. I highly recommend them.
Who has tried these and who plans on giving them a shot?
New MAC | MAC in HD Product Sneak Peek
Hello my darlings. Here’s a quick peek at at a lipstick from the upcoming MAC in HD collection.
Full of basics to help achieve a perfected, sharp, yet basic face, the MAC in HD collection will launch on 10 Sep 09.
MAC | Trend F/W 09 Collection Product Sneak Peek
I know you have been bombarded by MAC info today, but strap on your seatbelts and pop a Dramamine, cuz here comes some more!
- Tone: Grey Quad: (LE) $36.00USD
- A Warmer White – Pale green grey (Satin)
- Tone:Grey – Mid-tone grey (Satin)
- Waft – Dark blue grey (Frost) (Repromote from Smoke Signal’s Gentle Fume quad)
- The Right Smoke – Rich blue with white pearl (Frost)
Click “Read More” for additional product pics….
L-R: New Berry Lipglass [Deep plum (Cream)], Faultlessly F/W Lipstick[Blackened blue violet (Amplified Creme)]
The lip colours scream dramatic. Love it! What are you guys looking forward to in the Trend F/W 09 collection?