Nicole Fraser-Herron

A Tarte-Ful Tuesday Face of the Day With the New Tarte Double Duty Beauty Collection, Makeup Revolution, Dior and More…

April 5th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 18 Comments

Today was one of those days when I sat down to get ready, and I wanted to switch things up but still keep it casual.

Enter: navy blue.

I’ve got a red-orange earthy palette happening naturally, and I really like how navy blue brings out the brightness in my eyes.

Maybe my jumper inspired it; maybe I just like to be two-toned. We may never know! 🙂

So right now we need to talk about the new foundations in the Tarte Double Duty Beauty collection at Ulta. I recently tried the Empowered Hybrid Gel Foundation ($39), a medium-to-full coverage foundation that promises to smooth, plump, blur, and moisturize for up to 12 hours. Recommended application is with this Double Duty Beauty Foundation Brush & Spatula ($30).

Tarte Double Duty Beauty Empowered Hybrid Gel Foundation (available in 10 shades) with the Double Duty Beauty Foundation Brush & Spatula

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With the MAC Versicolour Stain Collection for Spring 2016, It’s About Popsicle Pouts!

March 28th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 45 Comments

MAC Versicolour Stain Collection Spring 2016 — The MAC Versicolour Stain Collection for Spring 2016 ($24 each)

It’s officially spring! And it seems like El Niño (and Karl the Fog) got the memo here in the Bay, because we’ve had nothing but sunshine for the past few days.

Also, now that it’s warming up, I’m busting out the lip stains, which might be my favorite beauty items for the spring/summer months.

They’re crucial! They’re great for naked face days, no-makeup-makeup days, and basically all days that ends in “-day.” I like them because they’re low maintenance, and they last. One of my all-time favorite lip stains is the one I get from a cherry Popsicle.

But today I’m bringing you one of the latest launches from MAC, the MAC Versicolour Stain Collection, which is a gloss/stain fusion formula available in 16 shades ranging from nudes to peaches, oranges to fiery reds, and magentas to deep purples. There’s a shade (if not, like, three of them) for everyone, and they’re going to be permanent!

The formula is smooth and feels quite nourishing. These are also hella pigmented, with the exception of Long Live the Night, which is a nude. I wore Preserving Passion (a deep wine) one day last weekend, and it lasted all. day. long.

I started the day wearing it as a gloss, and the shine started to wear down about an hour or so later, but my lips retained a satin finish for most of the day after, progressively fading to a matte stain over the course of many hours.

Lip stains can be intimidating because if you mess up, well…you’re done for, but the Versicolour tube and applicator makes application a lot easier than usual. The applicator is a pointy doe foot that doesn’t pick up too much product (for me, anyway). The stopper is also a lot lower than the lip of the actual tube, which makes wiping excess product off of the applicator a breeze.

While I love the convenience of doe-foot applicators, they sure do load on the product sometimes, and that always gets me into trouble, so, needless to say, I’m a fan of lip stain reservoirs.

The collection has a flirty, summer-lovin’ color story that is only enhanced by the shade names. I wouldn’t call the collection groundbreaking…but I do think that these really are quite exquisite lip stains.

First, they’re very pigmented. Every swatch below is just one coat, and I blotted all of the excess away in the bottom rows to give you an idea of how each shade looks as a stain. I have a good feeling that these will perform well on a wide variety of skin tones.

Long Live the Night – Pale warm nude
Constant Craving – Mid-tone blue pink
Tattoo My Heart – Bright pinky coral
Let’s Stay Together – Mid-tone warm pink
Ceaseless Energy – Bright raspberry pink

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Power Colors! The Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipsticks

March 17th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 41 Comments

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte — Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte in Commanding

I was having a tough morning today, and by the time I sat down to get ready for the day, I needed a serious pick-me-up.

I remembered that one of my favorite professors in school shared her secret to getting over her nerves and insecurities.

Lipstick.

She says that everyone has a power color, and hers is pink. Whenever she has to speak in front of large crowds or finds herself in a situation where she may be nervous, she wears hot pink lipstick.

She says it gives her an edge, a decent dose of sass, and reminds her to be herself, because you can’t cower down when you’re wearing a bold lip. You have to own it.

So, today I wore a fur coat and a bold lip, because I can. 🙂

My power color changes, but today I went with the Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick in Commanding ($30), because on these particularly rough days, I need a bullet.

Like, a lipstick bullet.

Liquid lipstick and glosses don’t hold the same figurative power for me as a classic bullet.

Also, the packaging. How can you feel down when you’re holding lipstick made from actual goddess magic in your hands? It’s simple yet substantial with an engraved lid and navy casing with gold accents.

They also close magnetically, which is so satisfying.

Putting this lipstick on even feels like a power move.

My lips are always moderately dry, so prepping them is crucial for me. When adequately conditioned, these lipsticks glide on evenly and last between 3-4 hours (with no lipliner!), even through light eating and drinking.

The formula is smooth and richly pigmented. It’s hard to mess up application with these guys. They have a subtle vanilla scent, too, which doesn’t last, and therefore doesn’t bother me.

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The Aveda Indian Sunset Collection: These Sunset Shades Go Together Well

March 16th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 10 Comments

OK, as soon as I saw this collection, I knew it would be perfect for my friend Pearl. She and I went to art school together and have long since loved collaborating.

We basically just make pictures and push each other out of our comfort zones. She has impeccable style, and her makeup is usually just mascara and lipstick (if any at all). The limited edition Aveda Indian Sunset collection is perfect for gals like her who don’t generally wear bolder makeup but still want to experiment with some color.

Aveda Indian Sunset Collection — Aveda Nourish-Mint Sheer Mineral Lip Color in Sheer Clove $17, Nourish-Mint Lip Liner in Spring Rose $17, Petal Essence Single Eye Color in Desert Clay, Peach Nectar, Lilac Glow, and Amethyst Dawn $15, Petal Essence Face Accents in Tesserae and Apricot Whisper $24, Petal Essence Eye Definer in Violet Blossom and Sea Fern $17

The collection includes 11 new shades for eyes and lips, including four shadows — two purples and two orange shades. My favorites are Amethyst Dawn (a purple satin) and Desert Clay (a matte, earthy orange), which are the shades I used on Pearl’s lid and outer corner, respectively.
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100% Pure Cosmetics, or Makeup to Feel Like a Jungle Princess

March 15th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 19 Comments

100% Pure is an all-natural and cruelty-free cosmetic brand that’s also free of artificial colors, fragrances, synthetic chemical preservatives, and all other toxins. They were founded in Napa but are now based in Silicon Valley, so we’re basically neighbors (I live in Oakland).

Fruit Pigmented Pomegranate Oil Anti Aging Lipstick in Poppy ($28) is a bright classic red, very similar in color to Sephora’s Cream Lip Stain in Always Red. It makes me feel like I’m a jungle princess who makes her own lipstick from local berries.

I haven’t used it with a liner but have had zero signs of feathering. I don’t remember the last time I wore a lipstick that wasn’t matte, but I’ve been reaching for this one day in and day out because it smells absolutely divine and makes my lips look full. The formula is also moisturizing and fades evenly throughout the day. What more could you ask for?

Honorable mentions: Foxglove ($28) and Fig ($25). Foxglove is a good my-lips-but-better shade, and Fig is a mauve. The formula is consistent across every shade I’ve tried, and each color looks just as lovely as a stain and opaque color.

Big fan, big fan.

Using the Black Tea Long Last Liquid Eye Liner ($28) brings me great satisfaction. Not only is the packaging shiny and eye-catching, but the product itself is really exceptional. It’s pretty pigmented but did benefit from two coats on my eyelids. The pigment comes from crushed black tea leaves, how cool is that? Plus, it doesn’t make my eyes water and smells so wonderful (like tea). It’s marketed as water resistant, but I have a really hard time scrubbing swatches of it off of my arm. The staying power is incredible.

Honorable mention: Maracuja Mascara in Black Tea ($25). The mascara smells just like the eyeliner and doesn’t make my eyes water. I typically go for volumizing formulas over lengthening ones, so while this is a great lengthening mascara, I wouldn’t use it unless I was going to put on some falsies. If you have sensitive eyes and love lengthening mascaras, definitely give this one a go.

Luminating Créme in Starlight ($21) is a cream highlighter with a doe-foot applicator. The shade is a versatile white gold that creates a natural (but buildable) glow. I’ve been enjoying wearing it on its own and setting it with something like Lunch Money by Colourpop. On its own, it lasts on my skin all day long.

Fruit Pigmented Blush in Peach ($35) is a peachy shade that leans terracotta. The formula is silky smooth, blendable, and very pigmented. This shade is a staple, versatile shade that’s great for a healthy flush across a variety of skin tones. It lasts all day on my normal/combination skin, and the tin is totally adorable. A+.
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The New Deborah Lippmann Sweets For My Sweet Limited Edition Nail Polish Set

March 9th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 16 Comments

Pastel blue nails are my jam. I’ve had my nails painted the same shade (Sugar Fix by Sally Hansen) for about a year now, but when I saw the limited edition Sweets For My Sweet set, mainly that powder blue, My Boy Lollipop, I pretty much lost it.

Pastel blue is my idea of a neutral. I wear a lot of black, grey, and jewel tones, and it serves as a simple surge of energy for any outfit. I like the way it contrasts with red lips, and I think it makes me look slightly tan.

It’s a color that, in my mind, flows through every season. It’s akin to clear skies at the beach during spring and summer and those chilly, but sunny, days during the colder months.

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