MakeupBug.com

Clockwise from top left: Too Faced Candy Lips Lip Gloss Palette in Pink Taffy, Elf Elements Compact, Coastal Scents Smacks in Got Back?, Copper Flame, Monroe a Go Go, Near Peach, and Love Kitten, Annabelle Rouge Velours Lipstick in Twiggy, Annabelle Metallic Lip Liner in Berry Bijou, Annabelle Le Gloss Star Lip Shine in Electrique, Bath & Body Works Liplicious Tasty Lip Color in Cranberry Cocktail, Berry Blush, and Frozen Blackberry.

Clockwise from top left: Elf Elements Compact for Lips in crimson, berry brown, wine, peaches

So I’m still on a quest to find a mascara as good as Maybelline’s The Colossal.  I’m so close to just buying it again!  But I like trying new things and since the waterproof Lash Blast didn’t work out, I thought I would try Lash Blast Luxe… and there was a 40% off sale at Shopper’s Drug Mart so I got a few other products too!

Also, Wal-Mart had a 40% off Revlon products a few days later…

Clockwise from top left: Cover Girl Lash Blast Luxe Mascara in black platinum, Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in airy fairy, Annabelle Le Gloss Star Lip Shine in superstar, and Cover Girl Eye Enhancers Eyeshadow Trio in shimmering sands.

From left: N.Y.C. Matte Bronzer in sunny, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in red carpet, Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in cherries in the glow, Revlon Matte Lipstick in really red.

Above: Revlon Matte Lipstick in Really Red.

Initial thoughts: I haven’t tried the mascara yet, but I know I’ll love it because it’s just like regular Lash Blast but with bits of shimmer (“black platinum” has silver shimmer).  The eyeshadow trio is really pretty, I just wanted to pick up a nice neutral palette for everyday wear so I think this will work well.  The photo above does nothing for the Annabelle gloss, it is gorgeous! This was a total impulse buy, because I was just so taken with the color. It’s a light champagne shade and it’s very shimmery. Beautiful!!  Lastly, I caved and bought the Rimmel lipstick because it seems everyone loves this “airy fairy” shade. I thought it was going to be a much more neutral shade, but it’s more of a light mauve-y pink.  Very pretty, and I like the slight cinnamon scent too!

I love the matte bronzer; it’s really hard to find a matte bronzer in the drugstore, so this is a really great find.  I use it for contouring.  The nail polish is obviously gorgeous!!  A brilliant rich red color with red sparkles.  Cherries in the Glow is a really pretty berry-bordering on red-shade, I really love Revlon’s Super Lustrous glosses.  Lastly, the matte lipstick is amazing.  It’s incredibly pigmented and the truest red shade of lipstick I’ve ever seen.

All these products are awesome!~

When Elf had a 75% off mineral lip products sale, I went a little lipstick crazy. For those interested, the coupon code was “GETLIP” but I’m not sure if it still works. I bought nearly all of the shades and I’m really glad I did. These lipsticks feel more like a balm and go on sheer but they are quite buildable.  There’s a wide range of shades to choose from and they’re only $5 each so why not try them all!

My favorite shades are Royal Red, Barely Bitten, and Nicely Nude.

Also, while the lighting in these photos is quite dim, they are actually pretty true to color.

From left: Fiery Fuchsia, Bare Brown, Barely Bitten, Pouty Petal, Cool Coral, Cheerful Cherry.

From Left: Party Pink, Rustic Brick, Rosy Raisin, Nicely Nude, Royal Red, Prime Plum.

(These swatches follow the same order as above).

Clockwise from left: Bronzer in Golden, Eye Transformer, Complexion Perfection, Eyebrow Kit in Dark, Blush in Tickled Pink, Blush in Peachy Keen. (All from the Studio Line).

On the right: Elf Natural Lashes ($1 line). Clockwise from left: Studio Contour Brush, Blending Brush ($1 line), Eyeshadow Brush ($1 line), Mineral Lip Gloss in Trophy Wife, Mineral Lip Gloss in Pageant Princess, 2 in 1 Conditioning Gloss in Perfect Pink, 2 in 1 Conditioning Gloss in Va Va Voom, Eyelash Curler ($1 line), Mineral Lipsticks in Royal Red and Nicely Nude.

Mineral Lipsticks: Nicely Nude, Royal Red.

Initial Thoughts: I absolutely love everything! Except the 2 in 1 Conditioning Glosses, they’re a little sticky; but I’ll post actual reviews of some of the products soon!

I think red lips scare a lot of people, the thought of slicking on such a bright, vibrant color makes some people cringe.  But it shouldn’t!  I am positive that just about anyone can pull off the look, with a little tweaking.  When done right, red lips can look classic and sophisticated.  Here are a few tips for achieving the perfect red lip:

~ Line your lips!  Red lipstick is so bright that any feathering or smudging can become very noticeable, lining your lips is an easy way to prevent this.  Also, for extra lasting power, try filling in the lips with liner before applying lipstick.

~ Apply red lipstick with a lip brush, not straight out of the tube.  Again, because red is such a prominent color, it can look sloppy if not applied very precisely.  Painting your lips with a lip brush allows for better control.

~ Choose an appropriate color.  This has a lot to do with your skin tone; if you have fair skin, try a bright cherry red, if you have olive skin, try a true fire engine red, and if you have darker skin, deeper red/wine tones look best.

~ Anytime you’re wearing a bright lip color, pair it with a neutral eye to avoid looking clown-like.  A general rule of thumb for makeup is to emphasize only one feature at a time.  In this case, playing up the lips means that a smokey eye might not be the best choice.  Instead, subtly enhance them with neutrals so they’re not competing with your standout lips.

~ If you’re still absolutely terrified of the red stuff, opt for a red gloss instead and ease into it!

What I did:

- Applied foundation and powder as usual.

- Dusted a little light pink blush onto to apples of my cheeks (being careful not to overdo it).

- Opted for a neutral taupe eye; applied a light cool brown shade all over the lid, a darker taupe in the crease to create dimension, and added a white highlight to the brow bone.

- Brought some emphasis to the eye with black gel liner, only on the top lash line, and winged it out slightly.

- Applied a white pencil liner to the waterline to brighten my eyes and added mascara to the top and bottom lashes.

- Lined the outer edge of my lips with a neutral pink lip liner, applied two coats of CG Outlast Lipstain in Wild Berry Wink, and topped it with CG Wetslicks Lipgloss in Fire Fly (discontinued, sadly, its the perfect red gloss).

Some shades to try: MAC Russian Red, and Dubonnet, Revlon Matte Lipstick Really Red, and In the Red, CG TruShine Fire Shine, and Elf Plumping Lip Glaze Ruby Kiss.

A nude lipstick is something everyone should have in their makeup bags.  And while a good one may be hard to find, hiding in a sea of pinks, reds, and corals, you’ll soon appreciate this makeup necessity.  They can be worn with everyday looks if you wish to look a little more polished, but look especially good with smokey eyes.  Have you ever worn dark eyes with a pink or red lipstick and looked back on the occasion thinking you wore too much makeup?  You should’ve worn a  nude lipstick.

Here are some tips and tricks for pulling off a nude lip:

~ Prep your lips!  Make sure they are moisturzed and exfoliated.  Apply a lip balm a little before applying your lipstick and let it absorb into your skin.

~ Pick an appropriate color.  The easiest way to do this is to pick a lipstick one or two shades lighter or darker than your natural lipcolor.  Pay attention to tone as well: if you have pink lips for example, try a light pink shade of lip color.

~ If you find this look is a little too harsh for you, try topping your lipstick with a gloss, clear or colored.  The added shine will make your lips appear more healthy.

~ Remember to bring balance your face when wearing light lipstick, you don’t want to look like a corpse!  Think of wearing a nude lipstick as taking color away from that part of your face.  In order to balance that, color should be added somewhere else.  If your not wearing a smokey eye that day, try a brighter shade of blush or a little more brozer than usual.  Don’t apply too much, just enough to make you look heathly.

Some shades to try: Revlon Nude Attitude, Smashbox Charming, any Harlotte lipstick (shown above), MAC Blankety,  Cover Girl Queen Collection Shiny Cinnamon.

Products Used:

Revlon Illuminance Creme Eyeshadow: sea shells

88 Shimmer Palette: teal, purple, white with pink and blue reflects

88 Matte Palette: highlight color

Gosh Extreme Art Eyeliner: 01 purple

Colossal Mascara: glam black

Rimmel Eye Pencil: trendsetter

Scotch tape

Elf Contouring and Blush Palette

CG Wetslicks: mauvelicious

NYX round lipstick: margerita

Tip:  For a more precise eyeshadow look, apply a piece of scotch tape to the outer corner of your eye at an angle before applying eyeshadow.  After you’ve applied the shadow, remove the tape and voila!  A crisp, defined line!