The Life of A Ladybug

Three Custom Color Specialists' Marry Me Collection

 

Dum, dum, duh, dum!  The season for weddings is upon us!  I remember, as a little girl, how many times I played "bride" and how much I thought of my wedding day.  It is the chance to be a pretty, pretty princess and be the center of attention, which was the dream of my young heart (and still, is, really).  As a makeup artist, I've had the fortune of beautifying quite a few brides for their Big Day.  What I've found is that almost all of them say they want to look their best on that day - like themselves, only prettier than usual.  Natural beauty is in!  What better way to look your naturally bridely beautiful best than through using one of my favorite products - the lip/cheek stain?  And, of those stains, my faves are Three Custom Color's Lip/Cheek Stains. They have come out with a new one called "Marry Me" in both cool and warm options.  The Marry Me Lip/Cheek Stain is part of an entire "Marry Me" collection which also includes lip liner and lip gloss.  I love it.  It gives a wonderful pop of red to the lips and cheeks, which, when paired with a bronzer, a lined eye and some banging mascara, will have you looking elegant, classy and sex-ay!  And what bride wouldn't want that?

The Body Shop Hot Brights Lip Shine/Cheek Stain

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: lip and cheek stains are my favorite things.  They are so awesome for multi-tasking when you don't have more than five minutes to spare, but still want to do some prettifying!  Here's another one I've added to my arsenal: The Body Shop Hot Brights Lip Shine/Cheek Stain, specifically in Shade 01 Pink.

Revolution Freedom Glow Beauty Balm

Recently, I've had the opportunity to try Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Beauty Balm in blushed.  The Beauty Balm is designed as a multi-purpose stick (sort of like NARS' The Multiple) that can be swiped on cheeks, eyelids, lips, and decolletage for easy and quick beautification.  Blushed is a very bright pink with subtle shimmer.  I haven't tried it on eyes or decolletage, since I think that bright pink isn't the best look on either of those areas, but as a creamy product for cheeks and lips, it's awesome!  I am oily-skinned, so cream blushes often don't last on me, but I applied this at 7 this morning and at 4:30 PM, it's still going strong with no reapplication!

It has no scent other than a faint lipstick-like odor (which I like).  It's free of synthetics, chemicals, parabens, sulphates, artificial ingredients and petrochemicals and it hasn't been tested on animals.  So you can look beautiful and feel beautiful, too!

Bobbi Brown Platinum Collection

 If you're a fan of Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Bricks, you're in luck!  Her new Platinum Collection contains a new edition of her highly coveted Shimmer Brick - Platinum Pink.  Contained in this lovely silver compact are stripes of soft pink, platinum, bright pink, golden coral, and rose.  When swirled all together, it leaves behind a frosty pink sheen.  If you use only the bottom three colors together, it offers a bit of a warmer pink flush, while still giving the shimmery effect.  Of course, each shade can be used individually as an eyeshadow, though I'm not a huge advocate of pink shades on the eyes, as it tends to make your eyes look tired.  However, the platinum strip looks wonderful on the eyes and the very lightest pink (the top strip) works well as a highlighter under the brows and on the tear duct.  At $40, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks are hardly a steal, however, they're totally worth it if you're a fan of shimmery shades.  I have owned almost every shade and continued to have and use Apricot, and Poppy quite often and I think this one will be added to the mix, as well.

Less pleasing is the Long Wear Cream Shadow.  I have had two shades of this and liked them, but the one I have from this collection, Steel, is not a fave at all.  I don't know what it is with this one, but it just doesn't apply smoothly and I don't really like the look of it, either.  It just kind of looks muddy to me.  Still, it didn't budge after a full day's worth of wear, even with no primer underneath, so if you like the shades offered, it's worth picking up.  And I think Steel would be good as a base for a smoky eye look.

I also tried the Shimmer Lip Gloss in Confetti and I love it!  It's a beautiful baby pink with just a touch of shimmer.  It makes my lips look full and lush.  I still hate the brush and the tiny little tube, but it's a good gloss.  Not sure it's worth the $20 price tag, though.

The Bobbi Brown Platinum Collection is on counters now!

Favorite Things 2008!

 

It's that time of year again!  I've been invited, once again, to share with you all my Favorite Things from the past year.  Now, not all of these products were released in 2008, however, 2008 is the year I became aware of them and fell in love with them.  I'll be adding a link to my previous review of each pick, so you can see my initial thoughts.

1. MAC See-Thru Colour in Not So Shy.  2008 was the Year of the Lip Stain for me, so you will see several of them on this favorites list.  This particular one is a bright fuschia gel and it is love.

2. MAC Cream Colour Base in Crushed Bougainvillea.  Okay, I just lied.  2008 was the Year of the Lip and Cheek Stain.  This past year, my normally uber-oily skin started having patches of dryness and I've had a great time finding more moisturizing products.  Cheek stains are awesome.  This one matches the above-mentioned See-Thru Colour and I almost always wear them together.

For the sultry goddess ... (Holiday Gift Ideas '08)

If you're looking for a suitable gift for a sultry goddess in your life (or if you are a sultry goddess yourself), look no further than Global Goddess.  This line of cosmetics was created by Shalini Vadhera to suit the beauty of women of darker hues, particularly Asian and Middle Eastern.  I am intrigued by this line, both for its global beauty aesthetic, but also because of the lush packaging and fabulous names for the products.

For sultry lids, try the I Divine Eyeshadow.  Infused with white tea (an antioxidant), these shadows supposedly give a firming effect to the ey area and can be used for daytime or layered for night.  I found the shadows to feel silky upon application, but I did notice a bit of a powdery effect on the lid - however, if you are careful to tap off any excess powder before applying it, that can be mitigated.  I did love the polished effect it gave to my eyelids and I found, with pleasure, that the I Divine Eyeshadow in Darjeeling also serves as a wonderful wine-colored blush when applied to the cheeks.  In fact, I sported Darjeeling as blush all last weekend.

To finish off your eye look, add a swipe of Cairo Eyes Liquid Kohl Liner in your favorite shade.  Of course, you can never go wrong wtih a basic black (Cleopatra), but I got to try Nefertiti (soft burgundy plum) and I was in love!  In fact, I got a wonderful compliment while wearing it: I was told that my (in my opinion, basic brown) eyes looked like they had been sprinkled with paprika - apparently, the plum shade of the liner brought out the tiny reddish flecks in my eyes!  How awesome is that!

To finish off the global seductive look, add a pop of glossy color to your lips with a Moroccan Mystique Lip Veil.  This lip gloss comes in six rich colors, but my very favorite is Marrakech, a sheer seductive wine.  I think I spent the whole weekend puckering my lips at folks.  My lips looked so darn smooth and kissable and they felt great, too!  No tacky stickiness to the formula and when the shininess of the gloss wears off, the color doesn't wear off with it, which truly impressed me.  The color stains your lips so you're not left with naked lips and an otherwise made-up face.

I am hoping that Shalini has much success with this line, as I am loving these products and want them to stay around for a good long time, not to mention that I'd love to see the color ranges expanded.

You can get Global Goddess products on www.globalgoddessbeauty.com.

For the wallflower ... (Holiday '08)

 If you have a loved one or friend who wants to look beautiful, but isn't exactly the most outgoing person alive, consider making a gift of the Three Custom Color Specialists Watercolour in Wallflower.  This product is designed for use on both cheeks and lips and gives a shimmering touch of color to both.  I was worried that, as a brown-skinned woman, the Wallflower shade wouldn't work for me, as it's described as "shimmering beige", however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the product is beautifully buildable and, with a couple thin layers, I achieved a wonderfully bronzed look on my cheeks and a sexy nude lip.  It's a great way to look naturally beautiful in a matter of seconds.

Bobbi Brown Copper Diamond Shimmer Brick

I have long been in love with the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick.  At one point or another I have owned, used and loved the Shimmer Brick in Bronze, Brownie, Peony, Apricot and Gold.  And now I've gotten the chance to try the newest shade - Copper Diamond.  I like it as much as I've liked the others, actually, however, I have to say that I'm not sure it's a beauty necessity.

The Copper Diamond Shimmer Brick comes in a beautiful faux leather case, that will look exquisitely frou-frou in your makeup bag and when you whip it out to look into the mirror to reapply your lipgloss.  If you're a sucker for beautiful packaging, this version of the Shimmer Brick will appeal to you more than others.  But, if you're like me and you've tried the Shimmer Brick in quite a few different shades, then I have to tell you that I find Copper Diamond to be redundant.  If you're a fairer-skinned lady and you already own the Beige Shimmer Brick, then Copper Diamond isn't necessary.  If you're a darker-skinned lady and you own the Gold Shimmer Brick, then Copper Diamond isn't necessary.  Copper Diamond is right in between Gold and Beige, in my opinion. 

I'm not sure if Bobbi's run out of ideas for the Shimmer Brick product.  Honestly, I guess there's only so many shades in which you can make shimmery metallic powders that will be flattering on both eyes and cheeks - I think the only thing that's left is probably silver.  Anyway, if you're new to the Shimmer Brick product, Copper Diamond is a good place to start.  But if you're a dedicated Shimmer Brick collector, unless money is no object, save your cash and use the ones you already have.

Proud member of Total Beauty, The Beauty Blog Network, and Glam!

Stila Holiday Palettes

Well, you know the holidays are coming when the beauty brands start rolling out their holiday collections!  If you're a girl who loves a good, basic palette, look no further than Stila for your holiday beauty needs! (Pictured at left: Stila Smoky Eye Palette in Platinum)

Adding to their fabulous, innovative Talking Palettes collection, Stila introduces the Paint Your Pout Red Palette, which includes a lip smoother, three tones of red lip color and a lip brush; The Purr-fect Cat Eye Palette, which includes a Ecru for the base, Kitten for the lids, Eden for the crease, and Black Cat to line, along with a slanted brush and liquid liner; The Complete Day to Night Look Palette, which includes base, crease, contour and lid shades, as well as a Convertible Color for lips and cheeks; and the Smoky Eye Palettes in Sapphire Collection & Platinum Collection, which include shades of either deep blues or shimmering platinums - they have base, lid, crease and liner shadows for creating a smoky eye look.  All these palettes give you audio and visual instruction to teach you how to look like a professional has done you rmakeup!  I have the Paint Your Pout Red Palette and Smoky Eye Palette in Platinum Collection and they are both fabulous.

If you're looking to share the fun and fabulousness of Stila with a friend, consider the Stila Surprise & Shine Record a Message Palette.  This palette allows you to record a message that can then be played back by the receiver.  If you're feeling all "ho, ho, ho, and mistletoe", you can wish the recipient a "Merry Christmas", "Happy Kwanzaa", or what-have-you.  If you are just a weirdo like my friend Wendi, you can record something crazy like "I am the Batman!" - I still have no idea what that exactly means, but it makes me howl with laughter, nonetheless.  (It's better than her previous message: "You suck!")

All the palettes are available at a variety of locations, including www.stilacosmetics.com, Sephora, www.sephora.com, etc.

Stila Cherry and Pomegranate Crush

I have fallen in love with stains.  They give you that perfectly sexy, yet carefree look of popsicle-colored lips and just pinched cheeks.  It's so effortlessly pretty.  And, in the case of the Stila Cherry Crush (and upcoming Pomegranate Crush) the look is chic and of the moment and quick as a snap, to boot.

The Cherry and Pomegranate Crush products come in a click pen, similar to Stila's Lip Glazes (which I also enjoy).  They are lightly scented with their namesake fruits and leave a long-lasting stain on lips and cheeks.  Cherry Crush is a bright, cool red, while Pomegranate Crush is more of a deep pink, almost fuschia.  I love to swipe them across both lips and cheeks - topping the cheek stain with a shimmery bronzer and the lip stain with a clear or sheer lip gloss (today, I've topped Cherry Crush with Kiehl's Light Lip Gloss in Golden Berry).

Cherry Crush is available now and Pomegranate Crush will be available soon!

Proud member of Total Beauty, The Beauty Blog Network and Glam!