Let’s Talk Lipcolor

As Spring approaches (hopefully the Weather Deities are considering my request), it’s time to refresh wardrobes and makeup bags.

Now, I’ve decided I’m living in all things breezy and comfortable for the warmer months (we’re talking maxi and swing dresses, and cheeky t-shirts and shorts), but I am always on the lookout for more shades of lipstick.

Honestly, it’s the quickest way to a makeover–add color, any color, and you’re sure to have people asking if you went to the spa or had a good night’s sleep or something.

Try not to wonder if you looked bad before you added the lipstick, though. You didn’t. Your coworker/best friend/boss just isn’t that observant sometimes.

🙂

Now, I’m a lover of all things bright, so for the most part my eye makeup stays neutral and I want to see the rainbow on my lips. Consider this look:

I swear this is my color (and t-shirt) of the year! So, this lip color (it’s a cross between a lipgloss and lipstick) is from BlackUp Cosmetics. It’s called a Lip Lacquer, and the color is VL06. It’s super creamy and shiny, but also highly pigmented. I was on my way to a shoot and didn’t have to touch my lips up once!

If you love the tee, it’s from Feminine Funk. 🙂 It’s out of stock, but maybe if you ask nicely, they’ll bring it back!

Now, besides bright purples and pinks, which are always in rotation, I’m all about oranges too. The issue I’ve had with finding a good orange is that it tends to turn pink on my skin tone. So coral is a waste of time for me, as all I see is the pink and none of the orange. But! I found some items that bring me joy:

Now I had to find a pic that made it look the proper orange color (depending on the lighting it can look red), but I adore this color from L’Oreal. This is Color Riche Extraordinaire in Orange Tempo. Another creamy, glossy, moisturizing lip color.

So, not into super glossy? I hear you. Just Sunday, I tried a demi-matte finish lip color. Here’s the final look:

So this was more neutral than I thought it would be but I still love it. This is OCC Metallic Lip Tar in Authentic. It goes on with a gloss, but it sets to this finish you see here. It’s sparkly, but not so shiny. The wear is also really nice. I had another shoot this past weekend, and it held up in the snow! It could feel a little drying if you did it alone, so I layered it over a lip balm first so that it wouldn’t dry out my lips.

Looking for a classic pink? Here you go:

I was going out to run some errands and have dinner. Felt like being foxy. 🙂

So, this lip color is from Maybelline. It’s Color Elixir in Mauve Mystique. Super pretty neutral, every day color that feels nice on lips. Shiny, but not overpoweringly so. The earrings are from Rachel Stewart Jewelry.

And there you have it! Some of my favorite lip colors and looks. If you aren’t sure what color to try, take some time to really play around at a counter and see what you love. If you can’t choose between two shades: pick the one you would NEVER do and wear it. Live on the wild side a little. 🙂

Glossybox Review: Yuletide Cheer

So I got my December Glossybox, all wrapped up like a precious gift:

Fancy!

🙂

And of course, so are the contents:

I was so excited I didn’t even want to move my laptop out of the way!

Do you see the wealth of goodies here? I keep telling y’all, go get yourselves a Glossybox, you won’t be disappointed! Here’s the lineup of products:

Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche De Beaute: I actually have heard of this before, and it’s lovely. It’s a moisturizing mask, and it leaves your skin very velvety. I have super oily skin until the dead of winter, so this helps to give my skin a drink of water.

Rituals Cosmetics Miracle Scrub: So, I actually hoped this was for my face (I LOVE a good face scrub), but this is for the hands. No worries, I like a good hand scrub too, especially before doing the weekly manicure. It’s a nice scrub, not too heavily scented. And it left my hands like butter.

Ciate Mini Paint Pot in Yule Rules: OMG BLUE SPARKLY POLISH. Which, ok, I need more nail polish like I need a hole in my head, but it’s so pretty!

Toni & Guy Leave In Conditioner: naturally I get this right after I’ve washed and conditioned my hair for the week. But a heads (heh) up: you can always use leave in conditioner as a styling aid (detangler) in between washings. So I’ll be using this before I twist my hair up this week. It smells really clean, which is nice.

And finally: BellaPierre Cosmetics Mineral Lipstick in Burlesque: This. Lippy. Y’all. Listen. A few Glossyboxes ago, I had a chance to try out their lip gloss, and I loved it. And I can tell you this lipstick is everything. Look:

It’s still on my hand at the time of this writing, and I did the dishes before I started writing. Serious staying power. Can’t wait to wear this out! It’s a semi-matte finish, very moisturizing.

And that’s the roundup for this month! I’m loving everything here, and I’m gonna have to track down the rest of BellaPierre’s products. I think I’m in love!

Perfect Red Lips—A Tutorial

Hi Folks!

So, this picture tutorial is being done at the request of the lovely Shecoul. She sent me a picture that she saw on the front cover of her Mary Kay book:

She wanted to know how to make her lips look so perfect: the definition and the fullness.

Now, my first response was going to be “Photoshop,” but then I thought about it. Ok, we can’t all have perfectly airbrushed lips, but we can definitely give beautiful definition to what we have already. It doesn’t take as long as you think, either.

These steps can apply to any shade of lippy you want to play with; I chose red because it showed up best in my pictures. Are you ready to see full closeup pics of my lips? Yes? Then, let’s get started!

Here’s what I used to create the look:

I have a lip brush, concealer, lip liner, lip gloss (optional), and lipstick. Colors and brands: Studio Makeup lip liner in True Red,  Vera More Liquid Concealer in medium tan, and MAC lip glass and lipstick in Rihanna Red (Viva Glam). If you don’t have a lip brush, a q-tip will work just fine–no need to purchase new stuff unless you want to.

Start with clean, oil-free lips. If your lips are a bit flaky, mix brown sugar and olive oil together to make a nice scrub that’s tasty. Rub gently, rinse, and dry your lips. Baby smooth!

Now, line your lips and fill with the same lip liner. Don’t worry about perfection, you’ll be able to fix it later. It should look something like this:

Take your lippy and pretend you’re in kindergarten: stay inside your line! I apply directly from the tube; if you’re more comfortable using a lip brush, feel free.

Normally, I’m done at this stage (and if you’re happy with the look, then go forth and be fierce!). If you want more definition, however, here’s how you do it. You’re going to take your concealer (it needs to match your skin tone, otherwise it will not look great) and line outside your lip line, right along the edge. If you decided on a q-tip for this, the ones with the pointy ends work the best for precision. This is how you create a crisp line. Here, I have outlined one side of my lips and not the other.

Left side is lined with concealer, right side isn’t. Right side still looks good, but it isn’t a sharp and defined as the left. Here’s what my whole mouth looks like when it’s fully lined (left), next to when it isn’t (right):

See how crisp the lines look now? If you ended up drawing outside the lines, this is when you’ll correct it. Now, if you don’t need your lips to look any fuller than this, stop here, and go be fierce. If you want them to look a bit plumper, you’re going to add a gloss on top. It can be the same color, clear, or another color if you’re into mixing shades like I am. Technique is key here: don’t swipe the gloss all over your lips. You’re going to dab it in the middle of both top and bottom lip and then rub together. You’ll get this:

Left is with the gloss, right is without. Again, both beautiful, just depends on the look you’re going for. If you’re doing a lippy that’s blue or yellow, you can use a clear liner (Studio Makeup has one) and still get the same fabulous results.

And there you have it! How to get the perfect lip. I hope this tutorial is helpful. If you try this, let me know! Tag me on Twitter @fashion_amateur and let me see your look. 🙂

Next week, I hope to share the premiere of my YouTube channel with you all. The subject is eyebrows…I’m excited!

Lastly, I hope all of my US loves have a wonderful, fun, and safe Independence Day!

See you next week!

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

In continuation of my going bold theme, I took some time to take a look at some things that scare me.

Things that scare me in both fashion and in beauty.

Things that I don’t do because I always have a set of rules that say why I can’t, but I ignore the one reason I can:

Because I want to.

So much passes me by because I think it won’t be flattering or that I have no business wearing it because I’m not “built properly” to rock it.

An example: I never really got on board with the whole jumpsuit thing. I kept seeing them everywhere, and I’m all “Someone like me with a belly has NO BUSINESS  wearing that!” And then I bought a bodycon dress for my birthday dinner. Technically, it’s along the same lines of what I “shouldn’t” be wearing: I have a belly. I should be dressing to camouflage my belly, cause that’s what conventional fat girl fashion wisdom says. At the same time, I have to understand that for as long as I’ve been on this earth, I have had a belly. It isn’t gonna disappear in a larger dress or shirt or whatever. So I can keep trying to hide it and let some good fashion pass me by yet again, or I could just rock the thing.

I felt amazing in my dress. No regrets.

So, by association, I ought to be able to wear a jumpsuit or romper and feel just as amazing, right?

This week’s postings will focus on trends that scare me. Either because it isn’t something I’d normally do, or because it’s something I’ve been trained that I’m not supposed to do.

And for fun, here’s a pic of me in a lipstick color most folks have trouble with: red!

This is the MAC Viva Glam Rihanna lipstick and lipglass.

See you tomorrow with a new Nail Adventure!

A Tale of Three Lipsticks

I normally stick to neutral lip gloss for my day to day looks, because at work most customers’ emphasis is on eye shadows.

So I’ll play up my eyes, and downplay the lips.

I’ve grown tired of that look for day to day, but it works for work. Since I had the last four days off, though, I went to put on some crayon colored lipstick before I went out…and couldn’t find any.

What? How does this happen?!

I had browns, my go to red, but nothing with some pizzazz. I have the BH Cosmetics 66 Lip Gloss palette and it’s awesome, but I wanted brighter. Like liquid Skittles.

So of course that means…shopping! 😀 I’ll look for just about any excuse, really.

So I shopped and shopped, hit up Macy’s and Ulta, came home, and spread out my spoils.

*sigh* Why do I do this?!

What you see here are three very similar colors. Granted, all three have very different finishes, but I probably could have gotten away with one and used some gloss or powder to come up with the other two looks.

But I’m not taking them back. Because, I really need all three, you see. 🙂

So, first up: the color in the shiny gold tube. I found this when I went to get some shampoo and came out with this lipstick as an addition. This is called Violet Volt by Milani. Creamy, shiny, and it has shimmer in it. If you are not a fan of the frosted, it is not for you. Here it is on me:

Next color in the neon colored tube is called Brazen Berry from Maybelline. I actually found this two minutes after I got home while digging for my phone in my purse. It’s a replacement tube–I lost the first one I bought. Had I found this beforehand I probably wouldn’t be in this dilemma. Now this one is glossy, but has no shimmer:

Often when I wear Hot Plum, it’s mistaken for this third color, clad in the iconic black packaging: Heroin by MAC. Here’s the thing. I don’t normally do matte lipsticks because they make my lips drier than they normally are. But I put this on and OMG. I didn’t even do a gloss after it…which is odd for me. But it works:

So, from a makeup artist to you,my wonderful readers if you have a lipstick at home that you love, but you see a similar one…okay, go buy it if you want. 🙂 But if you want to save a dollar, here’s how you spruce the one you have up easily.

If you want it frosted (glitter), add a sparkly gloss to it. You can do it with or without color, as the look you’re going for dictates. If you want it matte, tap (sparingly!) a little bit of translucent powder over the top of your lips. This will give you matte without having to search for matte colors.

Sidebar: if there was a way to do a matte gloss like they do a matte topcoat for nails, companies would make a killing. Just sayin’.

And of course, if it’s matte and you want it shiny, do a glitter free gloss over the top. Simple!

Or, you could do what I end up doing…buying the same color in three different finishes accidentally (maybe on purpose? *shifty eyes*)…and keeping them. Whichever works. No judgment here! 🙂

“Why Do You Put That Stuff On Your Face?” or, My History With Makeup

One day, when I was in high school, I was in the bathroom, getting ready to head to the movies with my friends. My little brother watched me put on my makeup, carefully doing my eye shadow and mascara (I hadn’t yet gotten into liner or brows.)

He looked at me and said: “Why do you put that stuff on your face? It makes you look fake.”

My response was to push him out of the bathroom and close the door.

Honestly, at the time I didn’t have much of a response outside of “I’m supposed to, right?”

My relationship with all things cosmetic started at 16, formally. Even when many young girls start to experiment with makeup, digging into their mother’s stash, I was hooked on Lip Smackers. Specifically, the Dr. Pepper kind because it left a slight red on my lips that I liked. Other than that, I couldn’t be bothered.

My mother would let me have all of the neutral colored lip gloss I wanted. I stuck with browns, mostly. I couldn’t do foundation or anything till I was older, so I was a tomboy with great manicures and lip gloss. Interesting combo, right?

When I was able to do full faced looks, I did foundation and eye shadow. Blue, mostly, because it’s my favorite color. Now, most girls my age were doing a single line of white on their lids, lining their lips with black eye pencil, and wearing clear gloss. I thought that was odd, so I did my lid with blue (lid only, no highlight under the brow) with no eye liner. I did like mascara, though. And I stuck with brown lip glosses.

I can’t say, looking back on it, I had the most savvy makeup sense. But I was supposed to wear it, right? I’m a girl!

By the time I left for college, I was still struggling to keep my skin clear, so I would do full makeup only a few times a week, sticking with a little powder and gloss the majority of the time. I kept it simple, figuring less was more.

And then? I started working, and makeup became my livelihood. And my makeup routine? Took a left!

So, I went from next to nothing to full face and loud eye shadow colors. I discovered Urban Decay and bought as much product as my small paycheck would allow me. Lips still neutral, rarely did a lip liner unless I had a bright color on (never.)

And now? I am a manager, and I do makeup consultations all the time. I tell my clients that I am the laziest makeup artist I know, because my face routine is so low key. These days, foundation, powder (if I remember), liquid liner, brows, and mascara. Lip balm if I have it on me, bright lipstick if I find it in my bag. I do the extravagant eyes when I am headed to see my bosses or training.

With all this history, I still find it hard to answer why I put this stuff on my face.

The honest answer? I love the idea of what makeup can do. It can build someone’s confidence, change an outlook, or give another means of self expression. I tell people that anyone can learn how to do makeup; while many of my coworkers have been formally trained, I have no training outside of getting to work and realizing my look is NOT the best. Makeup isn’t an exact science, and it shouldn’t be. It shouldn’t be an obligation either. It should be fun, a means to express yourself in yet another way, to add to one’s uniqueness. And that’s pretty awesome.

Also? I love showing off some of the looks I come up with now, too. For fun: me in an awesome dark lipstick (Cargo Cosmetics Bordeaux), wearing my dearly departed specs:

This is how you’ll see me at work, most of the time.

But off the clock? Naked face and lip balm. Old habits, you understand. 🙂

Quick Hit: Selfie in New Lipstick!

Hi Lovelies!

Expect a Thanksgiving nail look tomorrow. In the meantime, I wanted to show off my new lipstick I told y’all about a few days ago:

I couldn’t be bothered to edit out the lens glare from my glasses. 🙂  It amazes me how much I love this lipstick on my lips, and not as fond of the same color on my nails. But it’s definitely a color I’ll be rocking this winter.

Currently working on my manicure. Stay tuned to my Instagram for first pics! Until then, stay beautiful!

Quick Hit: New Lipstick!

Hi Lovelies!

I am typing this while sipping on my coffee, trying to figure out my makeup for the day.

And then I remembered: I have new lipstick!

I tend to not fool with lipstick so much, as I love to change lip color often. I tend to stay with gloss because that’s easier to switch out during the day.

And then, I met this:

That there is the new Cargo Essential Lip Color in Bordeaux and it is fabulous! High pigment, creamy feeling and moisturizing (I have the flakiest lips ever so this is a huge plus), and it lasts for hours.

Ok. I have to be out the door to work in about 10 minutes, so let me finish my coffee (and makeup) and get moving. Until next time, stay beautiful!

Disclaimer: the company I work for sells this item. However, I was not compensated for this review nor did I receive the product for free. It’s just that fabulous!