Spring 2011 Trend: Orange Lips!

             When I saw the picture above of the girl with the super bold, glossy orange lips, I knew I had to run out and buy an orange lipstick!!  The color is so fun and screams SPRING!!  I saw this picture on Sephora's website, where I frequent daily.  (I even have the Sephora app on my iPhone 4!).  I immediately called Sephora and asked them what the model had on.  She is wearing Make Up Forever's Artist Intense Rouge Lipstick in #40, described as a "satin, bright orange" with Make Up Forever's Lab Shine Diamond Lip Gloss in D20 a "shimmering tangerine".  I wanted the exact products that the model used, because they looked so perfect on her.  However, I could not stomach dishing out $19 for a lipstick and $18 for a lip gloss!  I may spend a little more on my foundations and blushes, but I am pretty thrifty when it comes to lip products.  The most I've spent was $14.50 for a MAC lipstick, and most of mine are Viva Glam lipsticks and lipglasses that go to a good cause.  (I have no problem spending a little extra for charity.)  The beauty consultant that I spoke to at Sephora told me that I could achieve a similar look with the Sephora Collection Cream Rouge Lipstick in It Girl 06 (muted coral tangerine) for $12 and the Tokidoki Prisma Lipgloss in Burger for $15.  I was all ready to order those two products and rock the glossy orange lip, but when I had to stop at Walmart today for popsicles for my daughter, I ventured over to the cosmetics aisle.  I ended up with two orange toned lipsticks that didn't break the bank.  I wasn't sure which one would give me the desired color or finish that I wanted, and those were the only two that I could find.  I was unable to find an orange gloss that caught my eye.  The lipsticks that I picked up were Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Siren and Covergirl's new Lip Perfection lipstick in Temptation (both $5.94 a pop at Walmart).  (Yep! I scored 2 orange lipsticks for less than the price of one at Sephora!! Go me!!).  I tried out Revlon's Siren first, and I really love the consistency and the finish.  It's very pigmented and creamy, which is perfect for my dry lips.  It has a smooth, matte finish, without being drying.  The formula is nice and moisturizing and did not dry my lips out or flake.  (I have a problem with MAC lipsticks drying my lips out.)  Siren doesn't go on as bold or orange as the Make Up Forever lip colors look on the Sephora model's lips, but it definitely is orange and very wearable.  This is something that I can see anyone (fair and very dark skinned ladies) being able to pull off for everyday use.  Covergirl's Temptation isn't quite as pigmented as Revlon's Siren and the finish is different.  It's a frosty finish with shimmer through it.  (The shimmer is more visible when swatched on my hand than on the lips though.)  This goes on quite sheer when you first apply it, but the color can be built up as much as you want it to be.  It's a different shade of orange than Siren.  I'm glad I bought both of them, because I can create two different looks with these colors.  They are not identical by any means.  CG's Temptation is a really pretty orange that looks quite tropical.  It reminds me of a Summer day at the beach.  It's a nice change from the classic red or pink, and it looks quite natural on the lips.  Both of these lip colors get an A+ in my book.  The price is right, and if you want to try the orange lip trend without breaking the bank, I'd definitely recommend trying these.  Both of these colors can work for day or night, and neither of them are too bold that you can't wear them for everyday use.  Check those colors out at your local Walmart or drugstore! Happy Shopping! Let's get ready for Spring! :)

Orange Lips shown on the Catwalk with a bare, fresh face.

I'd recommend keeping all other makeup very minimal if you're going to rock a bold lip of any color.  The last thing you want to look is clownish.  Keep your face makeup simple by just using foundation or tinted moisturizer to even out skintone. If you must wear blush, choose a very light, soft peach shade or swipe on a light dusting of your favorite bronzer.  Keep your eye makeup nude and simple with nude or a pale pastel shadow and black mascara to make your eyes pop.  

Me Rocking Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in Temptation.

  I applied about three swipes of it to get the color above.  The pigmentation is not a bad thing.  This can be used for both a soft or bold look, depending on how much you layer it.

 Me Wearing Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Siren 

  I love how pigmented this color is.  This picture does it no justice.  It is more orange in person but very wearable.

Covergirl Temptation & Revlon Siren

New Nars Illuminators: Laguna, Copacabana, & Super Orgasm (Spring 2011)

Laguna, Copacabana, Super Orgasm

NARS released their new Illuminators for Spring 2011 late on Febauray 15th, 2011.  These are only exclusive to narscosmetics.com right now, but they will be hitting NARS counters early this summer around May.  If you want to get your hands on these before May, I'd strongly suggest heading over to NARS's website and checking these out.  These are $29 a pop, but since NARS orders ship free over $25, they're worth ordering online.  I purchased all the new colors for my birthday.  I couldn't decide which one I wanted; they're all beautiful!  Laguna is a really pretty bronze shade with slight shimmer.  Copacabana is my favorite.  It's a really pretty silver shade with a tiny hint of pink irredescence.  Super Orgasm is more pigmentated and peach toned than the original Orgasm illuminator which is more neutral toned.  All these of these new illuminators are more pigmented than the original orgasm illuminator.  They all have about the same amount of shimmer, just enough to light up your face without being a glitter fest.  These dry nice and give a beautiful sheen.  A+ for the new pretty colors.

Super Orgasm Illuminator Compared to Orgasm Illuminator

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Spring (Face of the Day)

Eyes:

Crease: Lancome Eyeshadow Duo *Pale Purple Shade* (any pale pastal shade will do!)

Lashes: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara Blackest Black (This mascara is nice for the natural look to enhance your lashes.  This is a daytime look, and we want to keep it looking soft and natural, not dramatic.)

Face: 

Benefit You Rebel Tinted Moisturizer (Your favorite tinted moisturizer or foundation will do.)

Cheeks: 

MAC Powder Blush Mighty Aphrodite (MAC & Wonder Woman Collection) (This is a peachy pink shade- any peachy pink blush will do just fine for this look.).

Lips:

Tarte Lipsurgence Lipstain Charmed (Any pink lip color of your choice will work for this look.)

There you go.  This look is feminine, soft, and very natural.  By adding soft, pretty colors for Spring, you're simply enhancing your natural beauty.  That is what we are going for here- a more polished version of your already gorgeous self.  (Save the dramatic makeup for nighttime!)

  Perfect for Spring! 

This look is also very quick.  Gorgeous in under 5 minutes. 

Nars Multiple Tint Turks & Caicos Review

As many of you already know, I'm a huge fan of NARS cosmetics.  I love their blushes (perhaps their most famous item). So far I have Super Orgasm & Taj Mahal powder blush and Enchanted creme blush.  The pigmentation of the powder blushes are amazing.  Enchanted isn't so pigmented (on my skintone), and it's glitter central.  I kept it as a peachy highlighter.  It doesn't work for me as a blush.  The more you try to build the color, the glittery it gets.  However, the consistency of the NARS creme blushes are amazing.  They blend like a dream and leave a somewhat powdery finish, which is really nice.  (They aren't sticky at all, unlike Stila's Convertible Colors.)  I also love NARS Sheer Glow foundation.  It photographs really well, and it feels weightless on the skin.  It looks amazingly natural too, and the formulation is perfect for my dry somewhat sensitive skin.  NARS is also known for their Multiples.  These are cream formula color sticks that are said to work on cheeks, eyes, and lips, and they are available in a variety of colors.  NARS also came out with something called the Multiple Tint, which is more of a cheek stain than a creamy cheek color.  These were released last summer (2010) and were limited edition.  They are no longer available from NARS website or Sephora, but they are still available from Barney's New York, Blue Mercury, Saks Fifth Avenue, Amazon, and Beauty.com (where I purchased mine with Birthday money).  They were previously retailing for $38 (& still available at that price at some places), but this year all the multiples and the blushes went up by a dollar.   I strongly encourage anyone who loves makeup, cheeks colors, and NARS to pick one of these up before they are gone completely.  My cheeks are on the dry side, and the Multiple Tint blends like a dream leaving a nice, natural looking stain of color that brightens up the face.  Turks and Caicos looks a scary shade of bright orange in the tube, but it's no where near that bright.  I've been wanting to try this shade for a while, and I was so excited when I was finally able to get it.  When I first applied it on my bare cheeks, it turned a bright hot pink.  I looked flushed! I was all ready to return this, because I wanted a peachy/apricot color.  That is what I thought it would be...beings that the tube is orange not pink.  I went and removed it and applied tinted moisturizer (Benefit's You Rebel) to my cheeks then applied the NARS Turks & Caicos over top.  It showed up a really pretty peachy/apricot shade, and it applied like a nice stain, without the dryness of a typical stain.  (Not sure why it showed up differently on my bare skin, but maybe it showed up on the pink side because my cheeks are naturally rosy.)  This is pretty buildable too.  It was so easy to blend, but not super creamy.  (I swatched the original Multiple in Orgasm at Sephora, and it was quite creamy.)  This looks more natural than a super creamy blush.  Overall verdict, these multiple tints live up to the high standards of NARS Cosmetics, and NARS Turks & Caicos Multiple Tint gets an A+ in my book.  This color is really pretty for Spring.  It's a warm shade, and I think it will flatter most warm skin tones.  It think that this would work for all skin types too.  It will look especially pretty on tanned skin.  I wore it twice, with both a nude and coral lip and pale purple eyeshadow.  Check this out while it's still available!

                                                Below is a swatch on the inside of my wrist.

*The Multiple Tints were released in Turks & Caicos, Beverly Hills, and Cadaques.  Check the internet for swatches of the others and product availability.  I wish NARS would rerelease these on their website.*


*Below is a link to check out more product info and purchase this from beauty.com*
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=304062&cmbProdBrandFilter=30000&mp=True&aid=337568&aparam=nars_multiple_tint_turk&CAWELAID=578769743

Valentines Day Look #1: Baby Pink Kisses

With this look, I kept the cheeks looking dainty and simple with a touch of MAC's Hang Loose Mineralize Blush (any pale pink blush will do for this look).  (For foundation, I used Benefit's You Rebel and Benefit's Playstick in Jump Rope.)  For my eyes, I used MAC's pigment in Melon on the all over lid and a pale pink eyeshadow (part of a Lancome duo) on the crease.  I finished my eyes off with Maybelline Falsies mascara.  For lips, I kept them soft yet bold at the same time.  I used baby pinks for my lips, but they definitely stand out.  I used MAC's Pink Friday Lipstick (Limited Edition Nikki Minaj), and I topped that off with MAC's Lady Gaga (1) Lipglass.  I'm not a fan of MAC's Pink Friday, because on its' own, it looks quite clownish on me.  However, the Gaga lipglass muted it out a bit.  I really like the mixture of these two lip products together. (YAY! for MAC)  There you go.  This is Valentine's Day look #1.  Quick & Easy, this look takes under 5 minutes. I love the shimmer that the melon pigment gives to the eye lids without looking overpowering.  This look is very feminine and girly, yet natural at the same time.  Enjoy :)

Pucker Up!!

Face of The Day: Mid Evil Princess

Quick, Easy & Fun Look. I decided to play up my pout with this one! 

Eyes:

Below Crease:

Shiseido Hydro Powder Eye Shadow H13 Clover Dew

CQ Duetto Shadow/Liner Stick Cool Green (Shadow Side) & Black Liner Side for Top Only

Upper Lid: Smashbox Eyeshadow Flamingo (amazing pigment and super smooth texture!!)

Mascara: Maybelline Falsies

Face: Benefit Playstick in Jump Rope (love this foundation. covers well so you don't need concealer, doesn't cake on my dry skin- blends seamlessly, & looks flawless yet natural like you aren't wearing any foundation at all! A+)

Cheeks: MAC Mineralize Blush Duo Hang Loose

Lips: MAC longwear lipstick Goes & Goes

Bobbi Brown Crystal Lipgloss

*Beauty Tip of The Day: When playing up your lips, keeps your cheeks subtile and simple.  This way you can see add a bit of drama to your look without looking clownish or like you're ready to perform in the theatre!*

70s Flashback for Spring 2011

70s fashions seem to be turning up a lot for Spring 2011, especially the jeans.  Now, I've been sick of the whole skinny jean trend for quite some time now.  I hated it when it first came out, but then the style kind of grew on me after I discovered jeggings. (I have a couple pair because they are comfortable, but I'm not 100% crazy about the skinny opening around the ankles.)  The skinny jean style is really not flattering on every single body type either.  I've seen my fare share of both gals and guy try to rock them, and it was all types of wrong! I've always loved flares, and flares work absolutely wonders for curvy girls because the flare leg slims the thigh and lengthens the leg.  I started really wanted to rock the bell bottom jeans long before I saw them back in action in the magazines.  I just read an article in Cosmo magazine that was dedicated to flare jeans! I thought to myself "Aha! I thought of this rocking this trend first!" I actually have a pair of flare leggings from Express, and they make my legs look so long. I love them.  I'm also a fan of the 70s fashions as well.  Bell bottoms and flare look great paired with a nice blouse for a polished looked.  The high waisted flare jeans should fit slim through the thighs and look great with a blouse tucked into them.  Add some high heeled boots or clogs to complete your 70s chic look with a modern twist!

 Below are links to some of the 70s inspired jeans that are out for Spring 2011.  Have a look!

http://www.gap.com:80/browse/product.do?cid=48607&vid=1&pid=804170



http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265384352593&c=Page&cid=1292979626329&pagename=vsdWrapper

http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?catId=cat90120&productId=0433_7090

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=18822700&itemdescription=true&navAction=jump&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS