Natural Lip Color Lipstick (Part Two)

My last post covered three lipstick colors that are close to my natural lip color. I have more lip colors to share, so let's jump right in!

(Note: I stuck mostly with lipsticks instead of liquid lip color or gloss.) I wanted to share how these colors look in a sunlit room as well as in direct sunlight, to show the finish.

(First photo is my nude lips, completely bare.)

1- Smashbox The Nude Lip Pencil. ($20)
Not great. This is a somewhat dry lip-lining pencil that is a bit darker than my actual lip color. I honestly don't use it often as I find it to be dry and the pigments aren't the most noticeable, so it doesn't improve my aesthetics.

2-Maybelline BabyLips 220 Cocoa Crush. ($4)
Amazing. I'm a big fan of Baby Lips. Although this is a tinted lip balm, Cocoa Crush is a very opaque, soft nude color. It has a soft cocoa smell to it. There are Baby Lips colors that are much more shiny than Cocoa Crush, but it is moisturizing.

3- Jane Iredale Sugar & Butter. ($25)
Amazing. One side of the tube is a sugar scrub in stick form, which exfoliates the lips, and takes away any icky dry skin. The other side is a plumping sheer-to-moderate-coverage lip plumper, which is a rosy-peach color with a subtle golden iridescence that is really flattering. I tend to shy away from lip plumpers, but this one is gentle with a kind of cinnamon-minty scent.

4- LOC (Love of Color) Tati First Kiss. ($8)
Pretty good. This is a super-opaque smooth lipstick. This formula isn't the most moisturizing, but as long as your lips aren't desert-dry, you should be okay. This isn't a long-lasting lipstick, but the colors of this line of LOC lipsticks are beautiful, and First Kiss really defines and makes my lips look perfect. The color is a bit light, so I tend to use it on medium-to-high coverage foundation days rather than trying to pair it with my sensitive, easily-reddened skin tone.

5- L'Oreal Freida's Nude. ($9)
Okay. The actual color of the tubed lipstick is a kind of dark lilac mauve, and I thought it would show up matte on my lips. I was disappointed to find that this lipstick has a shiny, almost metallic finish, causing a multi-color dimensional color payoff on my lips. That isn't nude. This lipstick was just a drugstore let-down for me.

6- Lancome Rouge in Love 307B Sweet Embrace. ($29)
Amazing! This has to be one of my favorite lipsticks ever. It's defining, lightweight, opaque without being cakey, with a subtle shine finish. I highly recommend Lancome lipstick. This particular color is perhaps a hair too cool-pink to be truly a daily nude color for me, but it's seriously one of my favorite "nude" lipcolors.

7- Kat Von D Painted Love Celebutard. ($20)
Good. The color is a bit pale for a nude look for me, but it is a decent formula, and I haven't personally had any real complaints about Kat Von D products. (I also haven't exactly been blown-away by them, but I do appreciate the wide variety in unconventional colors, including purples, greens and blues.)

8- Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy 410 Mischievous Rose. ($30)
Good. The packaging (tube) of this lipstick is high-quality, with a magnet to ensure it stays closed. The formula isn't quite as defining as Lancome, but it is a nude color with a little more of a peachy-tan tone that allows me to get away with wearing it on no-foundation, bare skin (except SPF!) days.

9-  MAC Mineralize Rich Posh Tone. ($23)
Great. This is one of my top nude lipsticks. It's a pretty long-lasting mineral lipstick in a warm nude color. It passes as a nude on my lips, but honestly the color isn't 100% opaque, so it isn't very defining. It is a nice lipstick that doesn't feel too dry, but doesn't impart a shiny finish. It had a subtle non-offensive sugary scent and it's a comfortable lipstick.

10- Urban Decay Revolution Liar. ($22)
Amazing. Easily one of the top lipsticks I've owned, up there with Lancome. While it's darker than a true nude, it defines my lips beautifully, has amazing color payoff, and-- well, if you haven't tried Urban Decay, you simply must. 

11- Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté #26 ($37)
Great! (Don't hate me, but I think this exact color is discontinued, and I am certain it is #26. But there are plenty of other colors!) Anyway, this is the most pigmented lipstick I've ever tried, ever. The texture is so luxuriously creamy, unlike any other lipstick I've tried. It's super buttery/silky, and this particular color is a darling pale peach that happens to be very flattering on my fair skin. Everything about this lipstick feels luxurious, right down to the design (and weight) of the tube. The only downside of the Yves St Laurent lip products that I've found is that they don't last on the lip. They're simply not long-wearing. It's also the most expensive lipstick in my arsenal (to date), and while it's worth trying out, this is simply not the best lipstick out there.

(From my hand swatches at the top of the post, #12, 13, and 14 are the colors from my last post: Bite Cava, Bite Sugarcane, and Bobbi Brown Pale Pink, respectively.)

I still haven't found that perfect nude lipstick, but I'll keep looking. I'm happy to share my first-hand experiences with lipstick, and I hope it helps inspire you!

Natural Lip Color Lipstick (Part One)

There are make-up trends, and then there are personal obsessions. My current focus has been the search for the most natural-looking defining lipstick. Sure, I could toss on some ChapStick® (or another lip balm that I may have talked about in a previous post) and call it a day, but sometimes I want to take my natural beauty (the way I see it) and amp it up. Cue my quest for the perfect nude lipstick!

Natural lips have different colors, especially in different states of hydration and in different lighting. Even one's inner lip is often a different color than what's visible with a closed mouth. It only makes sense that a lip's color is complex since it's made up of multiple layers of skin (and I'm sure with the current "contouring" fad, we'll see many more "lip contouring" tips spreading like wildfire). I personally like to try to get away with a one-step lipstick, especially on days at work. With this in mind, I look to the barely-inside part of my lower lip to compare my lip color, to find one that is closest to my natural pale-pink-brown-mauve color. Here's what I discovered:

A lot of "nude" lipsticks like to lean towards a bright pink/orange hue, which is flattering but not true to my natural lips. With a pale cool skin tone and hair that's frequently dyed shades of red/auburn, I was specifically looking for a lip color with more of a pale mauve tint to contrast. The three closest lipstick colors that I've discovered are Cava by Bite, Pale Pink (21) by Bobbi Brown, and Sugarcane by Bite.

Pale Pink is a creamy color very close to my natural lip color, with a, well, pale pink tone. This is the first Bobbi Brown lipstick I've bought and, while I do like the color and consistency, there's a certain unpleasant waxy scent that is enough to keep me from reaching for the tube often.

I'm a big fan of Bite lipsticks. Sugarcane is a sweet color that makes my lips look very natural with a little pop of pale rosy-apricot. (It's actually very close to the Bobbi Brown lipstick.) Cava tones my lips down a little with a pale, cool lilac color that isn't unnatural, but doesn't flatter my natural easily-reddened skin tone. (It works well with medium-to-full-cover foundation and dramatic eye make-up!) Bite lipsticks have little to no scent, and they're opaque and defining without being overly heavy. The only downside is that they aren't the most moisturizing lip products, so I tend to need a lip balm prior to application if my lips are extra-dry.

I still have yet to find that perfect swipe-and-you're-done nude lipstick, but my next post will share a few other natural lip colors that I've tried.

Mascara Part Two: Prestige Brands

In my previous post, I talked about some mascaras that can be found in drugstores. I will now continue on to prestige-brand mascaras I've tried first-hand.

BareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara.
Good. I like this mascara and I like the fact that it comes in a couple of different colors. (Check out the aqua blue!) It's a clean, long-lasting formula that doesn't have clumping issues. I just wish the bristles of the brush reached shorter lashes.

Benefit Bad Gal Lash and Benefit They're Real!
Great! These are both amazing mascaras, especially when you want unbelievably luscious, dramatic lashes. I haven't experienced any kind of messiness and minimal clumping from these prestigious formulas. The only downside is that it's a struggle to remove the makeup later (though eye makeup remover like Lancome Bi-Facil or Albolene work gently yet efficiently). These are highly recommended mascaras.

Clinique High Impact Mascara and Naturally Glossy Mascara.
Not Good and Good. Upon trying a sample of Clinique's High Impact mascara, I had a bit of eye sensitivity to the formula and the subtlety of the appearance of the formula didn't move me enough to be worth it. But I've enjoyed other products from Clinique, so I did a little research and found the Naturally Glossy mascara was getting decent ratings. It's a nice natural-looking mascara (that isn't shiny), which is highly-pigmented without feeling thick or heavy.

Not Recommended.
Dior Diorshow Blackout Mascara is a deeply black formula, but I found it to be messy and not long-lasting.
Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effect Mascara has a luxurious feel to it, but the formula is again messy, clumping and not long-lasting.
Make Up For Ever was very clumpy and not worth a second application (which is a shame considering their color options!).
I've tried these three mascaras only as smaller samples, so there is a chance I merely received a lesser-quality batch.

Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara.
Great! This is one of my favorite mascaras. The application is clean, dark yet not fiberous or overly thick, and it's very long-lasting without feeling heavy. I highly recommend this mascara.

Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara.
Okay. This is a lengthening formula that offers dramatic dark pigments. While I enjoy the drama of the pigments and the fiber extensions that this mascara builds, I find the formula to be a little on the messy side, enough to keep me from reaching for it often.

Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara
Great! This is a low-cost high-quality mascara that comes in a couple of different colors. The bottle has a smoothed-triangular shape to it that makes it comfortable to hold, and it's a clean formula. This is another one of my favorites.

Tarina Tarantino Fleur De Lash Mascara
Great! This is one more of my favorite mascaras. The brush is fantastic, the formula isn't too thick but adds just enough drama, and the packaging is luxe. My sister was actually the one to discover this mascara, and it remains one of my absolute favorites.

Kat Von D Immortal Lash 24 Hr Mascara
Good. This received its own review in my past post here. To sum it up, it's the blackest mascara that I've encountered and, while the brush is a little scary, it reaches even the shortest lashes. I don't recommend this mascara for beginners or those who are uncomfortable with mascara, but for the seasoned and the brave, it's worth that delicious dark payoff that lasts.

That wraps up my two-part mascara reviews.
If you haven't yet read part one, scroll down to read more mascara reviews.
Also, for easier and cleaner application, check out my tips on using a mascara application guide here.

Feel free to post comments and questions, e-mail me requests or suggestions, or say hi!
Until next time!

Mascara Part One: Drugstore Brands

I've tried a few different mascaras, some drugstore-brand and some prestige products, and I want to share some of my first-hand observations.

Let's start with some drugstore brands.

Almay Intense i-Color Volumizing Mascara.
Good. (You may recall from this post.) It's a decent, stay-put mascara that comes in a few subtle colors. It doesn't seem to add length, but it's one of the few drugstore mascaras that comes in colors. Additionally, Almay is a brand specifically catering to those with sensitive skin.

Covergirl LashBlast Volumizing Mascara.
Not recommended. The wand is thick, round and needlessly bulky; I've actually found the packaging a little difficult to grip while twisting it open. The brush is interesting, with a thicker inner wand, shorter plastic spike-like bristles that have a thicker base to them. This results in better separation of lashes, but less reach means less lashes are being coated. Finally, the formula is prone to lumping. Not recommended.

Maybelline Full'N'Soft Mascara.
Great! I love this mascara. It looks and feels far more natural than other brands I've tried, and it's easier to wash off. Additionally, I didn't have any issues with messiness-- and everyone who knows me knows I will put it through an 8-hour day. This is one of the best mascaras out there for a natural look.

Maybelline GreatLash Waterproof Mascara.
Okay. This is a tried-and-true mascara that's been around for a while. (This mascara in color Royal Blue has been my mom's go-to for as long as I can remember. Thus it was the first mascara I ever applied to myself!) It's a good little mascara, but after a few hours, it does start to flake off and get a little messy. The small brush is easy to apply safely (especially for those uncomfortable or new to applying mascara) but the shape does make it a little difficult to comb between lashes for thorough application.

Maybelline Illegal Length Fiber Extensions Mascara.
Good. This formula is specifically designed to extend the ends of your eyelashes, while defining and separating. It really does add length and definition to eyelashes. I do recommend this mascara if you want your eyelashes to appear longer.

Tune in next time for Mascara Part Two: Prestige Brands!

Physicians Formula: Shimmer Strips Kohl Eyeliner

Kohl eyeliner is a form of pencil eyeliner with a smoother formula, rendering it easyto blend for an awesome smoky eye look.

I recently tried Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Trio, which claims to be a 100% waterproof high-performance eyeliner.

I gave it the official test: primed my eyes, added preliminary pressed powder eyeshadow, and applied the black Physicials Formula kohl eyeliner. I loved the way it smoothly, effortlessly lined my waterline without tugging or feeling dry. Additionally, it had a slight shimmer to it that made my eyes pop. I set it with some setting micropowder to make sure it had the best chance of staying.

It didn't last an hour before marking the crease of my eyelid and dotting beneath my eyes. I touched it up before work, but needless to say, it did not survive an 8-hour work shift.

Physicians Formula is great for dermatologist-approved, sensitive-eye-safe, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, fragrance-free products, and this is a very comfortable dramatic eyeliner-- not sticky or thick or dry. It's just unfortunate that it's a messy product that doesn't last.

NYX: Soft Matte Lip Cream

One huge trend right now is using a pop of color in one's make-up look. I've been on the lookout for a matte lip cream that is highly saturated but comfortable to wear.

Cue NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. It is marketed as being a silky not-gloss-but-not-lipstick moisturizing lip cream. I bought "Monte Carlo", which looked like a deep red.

The application was fine (maybe one small clump of product while the rest was creamy). Within three minutes of being on my lips (undisturbed, no eating or dabbing), the cream looked like an opaque stain that resembled a light magenta rather than a deep vampiric red.

In the past, that bright magenta resulting from a deep red product tends to occur when the product is more of a stain, or a formula meant to react (to some extent) to one's body chemistry. At this point, I figured that reds tend to be difficult when it comes to such a formula. I would give NYX soft matte lip cream another chance; thus I exchanged that "deep red" Monte Carlo for the color Milan, which looked like a peachy buff, hopefully a more natural color.

This time I only painted my bottom lip to show my natural lip color by comparison.

So while the saturated cotton-candy-pink color was quite cute, it certainly didn't look like the natural buff color that was presented to me on the tube.

While the NYX soft matte lip creams are decently moisturizing and so temptingly cheap (about $5 when not on sale), I personally wouldn't trust the colors on the tubes. It is definitely not true to color. (Maybe it's a body chemistry reaction, or maybe these formulas just run a little vibrant-cool-pink.) Also, I should note that the color isn't "kiss-proof"-- it will rub off.

As a side note, NYX also disappointed me before with their NYX Butter Lip Balm in Marshmallow.

The butter lip balm is a little chalky, yet still a bit moisturizing. Once again, the color was just not what I was hoping for.

I won't give up on NYX products, but these NYX lip products have me a little wary about exploring further in their lip department.

Makeover: Marisa's Hair (Part 2)

I'm grateful for a sibling with long hair for me to dye, curl, style, cut, and enjoy. While I've been moonlighting as my sister's personal stylist for over half of my life, I've only just begun to dip into the world of ombre and highlights. This time around, I challenged myself with multiple colors in an ombre look.

You might remember Marisa from an earlier post back in March. Here, she has her hair stripped of color, resulting in a lighter, warmer color than her natural dark hair. I began with the ombre effect using some hair bleach without adding any extra streaked highlights.

The next step was the hard one: the dye. I used three colors: natural brown, vibrant violet, and aqua blue. I mainly went for an ombre effect, with a couple of steaks here or there to make the wild colors stand out more.

While Marisa had a moment's hesitation to transition from the blonde ombre to the wild colors, it was worth it in the end.

Now Marisa has some wild, amazing colors to match her butterfly personality!

Thank you, Marisa, for volunteering to be my beauty fashion model!

If you're interested in gorgeous jewelry, check out Marisa's blog!