Lips

A 60-Second Review: Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick in Vintage

November 1st, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

Haven’t we all rutted around in our makeup bags from time to time and wished for that one special lipstick? That one lipstick both professional enough to wear to the office (“Hey, new girl, have you filled out those TPS reports?”), and dynamic enough to dazzle a first date? A lipstick so resourceful, so transcendent, that it possessed the power to turn you into a one-lipstick girl?

If there ever were such a shade, it would be Vintage. The new $30 Hourglass Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick in Vintage.

One of four new winter neutrals in the long-wearing Femme Rouge Velvet Cream Lipstick line, creamy, rosy pink Vintage feels delightfully indulgent for such a lightweight lippie, like adding full-fat cream to your morning coffee (whatevs, you’ll just run it off later!). 🙂

The new Hourglass Femme Rouge Lipsticks in Icon (left) and Vintage (right)

hourglass femme rouge velvet creme lipsticks in fawn, peach, mural and vintage — The four new Hourglass Femme Rouge shades: Fawn, Peace, Mural and Vintage

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Peanut Butter and Jelly, Meet Black Liner and Red Lipstick (Another Power Couple): The New Hourglass Icon Collection and Film Noir Kohl Eye Pencil in Eclipse

October 30th, 2012 by Karen 35 Comments

Wearing the new Hourglass Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss in Icon and Film Nor Kohl Eye Pencil in Eclipse, and thinking about a PB&J sandwich…

The six or seven (no kidding) peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I ate last week got me thinking about other great pairings, like Bogie and Bacall, Hall and Oats, Nutella and anything, and red lips and black liner…

Red lips and black liner — a quick and easy, everyday combo that always hits the spot (much like, in my case, creamy peanut butter and raspberry jelly sandwiches on super soft, fresh bread).

But woman cannot live on sandwiches alone. No, this one also needs makeup! Like these pieces from the new Hourglass holiday collection — four long-wearing, blueish red lip products in a shade called Icon ($28-30 each), and a black pencil liner called Eclipse (the $28 Film Noir Kohl Eye Pencil in Eclipse, which is also available in a brown called Espresso).

Altogether, they’re like comfort food (but for your face). 🙂

Hourglass Extreme Sheen High-Shine Lip Gloss in Icon, $28, and Film Nor Kohl Eye Pencil in Eclipse, $28

Hourglass Panoramic Long Wear Lip Pencil, $28

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Icon, $28

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60-Second Review: MAC All For Glamour Touch Up Kit in Medium Dark

October 30th, 2012 by Karen 31 Comments

If the new MAC All For Glamour Touch Up Kit in Medium Dark ($39.50) were any cuter, I’d pinch its puffy satin cover and start speaking baby talk to it…

Who’s dat cute widdle kit?! Who’s dat cute widdle kit?! Wid da pwush widdle cubuh?! Is it you? Is it you?! YES, it’s you! You’re da cute widdle kit!! 🙂

The two products it protects, a colorless Blot Pressed Powder in Medium Dark and a pinkish neutral beige Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Bare Again, are products I would normally reach for any day of the week…

MAC All For Glamour Touch Up Kit Medium Dark — All For Glamour Touch Up Kit Medium Dark, $39.50

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A Quick Look at Bits From Bobbi Brown Holiday 2012

October 23rd, 2012 by Karen 30 Comments

Just a couple quick noms from the new limited edition 11-piece Bobbi Brown Holiday 2012 makeup collection.

Nom-nom-nom…

More pics and hard-hitting news to follow! (Hard-hitting, LOL! Not hardly.)

bobbi brown bellini lip eye palette- — The Bellini Lip & Eye Palette, $75

The Rich Caviar Eye Shadow Palette, $47.50

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The New Cargo Long-Wearing Lip Glosses: I Found Sheer and Shiny Somewhere Between Fresno, Nassau and Madrid

October 19th, 2012 by Karen 16 Comments

cargo fresno lip gloss — Wearing Cargo Lip Gloss in Fresno

Sometimes it’s all about the little things, ya know? Having a cookie, spending a Friday night at home with your cat, trying on some lip glosses. It doesn’t take a lot to make me happy. 🙂

Earlier today, as Tabs prepared for his regularly scheduled afternoon nap, I tried on three of the 14 new long-wearing Lip Glosses from Cargo ($14) — creamy pink Fresno (really, Fresno?), shimmery peach Nassau and shimmery berry Madrid.

tabs cargo glosses — From the left: Fresno, Nassau and Madrid

All three sheer beauties are members of Cargo’s permanent line, and they’re some of the most comfy glosses I’ve worn in a while. They feel a lot like MAC’s non-sticky Plushglasses to me, except without the tingling sensation, and with a faint green apple flavor and scent, instead of MAC’s vanilla.

Cargo Lip Glosses in Fresno, Nassau and Madrid

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Tired of Your Lip Look? Try a Two-Toned Matte Lip Twist on Brights

October 17th, 2012 by Karen 28 Comments

Wearing Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Raven on my top lip and Ballet on my bottom lip — Wearing Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Raven on my top lip and Ballet on my bottom

I saw this really cool two-toned lip look on Pinterest the other day with a bright, glossy red on the upper lip and a fuchsia on the bottom.

So, so cool! (But totally impractical.)

Well…I guess if I walked around all day long with my mouth half open, LOL!

Imagine forgetting that you’re wearing it and accidentally smacking your lips together…

Oops! Hello, hot mess! 🙂

I wanted to try something similar, but more practical and wearable, yesterday, so I rutted around in my makeup drawer for ideas…

I thought that a creamy lipstick would migrate and move too much, but what about a bright long-wearing lippie like the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks? They’re super saturated liquid lipsticks with a matte finish, and they absolutely refuse to budge.

Ding-ding-ding! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! An idea started to form…

I applied the bright red shade, Raven, to my top lip with a lip brush, following it up (after Raven dried), and using a different lip brush (a clean one), with hot pink Ballet applied to my bottom lip.

What do ya think?

I know it’s not for everyone…but I think it’s pretty neat, especially if you’re feeling adventurous.

You could try a subtler version, keeping the red on your upper lip, but swapping the hot pink for a reddish coral like Hourglass Opaque Rouge Lipstick in Muse on the bottom…

Wearing Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Raven on my top lip and Muse on my bottom lip

The effect’s not quite as obvious, but if you look closely, you can see the two different shades.

Eh, it’s worth a try, right?
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I Was Naive to Expect Anything Less Than Plum Perfection From Tom Ford Beauty Lip Gloss in Naivete

October 10th, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

tom ford beauty ultra shine lip gloss in naivete — Wearing the new Tom Ford Beauty Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Naivete

I think I’ve finally found THE gloss to wear on the off chance that I decide to make the jump from curmudgeonly pet assistant to sultry siren: Tom Ford’s new Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Naivete ($45).

I’ve been deeply committed to dependable my-lips-but-better glosses like MAC Ample Pink, Big Baby and Fulfilled for the past few months because, like flats with low heels, they may not be flashy, but they get the job done.

Tom, however, has me seriously rethinking that. Like a master chef, he seasoned this shiny, striking plum perfectly with a sprinkle of golden glitter and heaping spoonfuls of pigment.

POW!

I’m seduced… Naivete makes me want to play the role of tantalizing temptress. On my pout, it looks almost like patent leather, and when I see it, I want to purr (I can’t, but I want to).

Tom Ford Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Naivete ($45)

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You Know What They Say About Fuchsia, Right? It’s an Aphrodisiac: The Tom Ford Beauty Lip Color in Aphrodisiac

October 10th, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

tom ford beauty aphrodisiac — Wearing the new Tom Ford Beauty Lip Color in Aphrodisiac

Your favorite bakery. A bell dangling over the door jingles as you enter into a world of candy sprinkles and fresh baked bread. Like a character in a cartoon, your eyes practically double in size when they see the row upon row of full-size and miniature cupcakes, all of them decorated and carefully arranged, behind a glass display case.

An unintelligible noise escapes your lips as you drift into a trance. Nnngggh… Driven by the sights and smells around you, you lumber up to the counter, dragging your feet along the polished tile floor. You order a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting, and gobble the whole thing down, right then and there, before the salesperson can even hand you your change (um, yes, I have done this before).

“Oh,” she says, a little embarrassed for you.

Tom Ford Beauty’s new Lip Color in Aphrodisiac ($48) is kinda like the makeup equivalent of that.

There’s something about this intense fuchsia, with its creamy texture and satiny finish, that makes me think of an all-you-can-eat cupcake buffet, where I get to devour dozens of rich, indulgent cupcakes without upsetting my muffin top. 🙂

Vivid fuchsia lippies like this one always light my fire because they make bright, polished looks so incredibly easy. A little liner, some mascara, a bright blush (Tom Ford’s Narcissist, perhaps?) and one layer of lipstick, and I’m ready for almost —

HOLY MOTHER OF TABS! $48?! Are you kidding me?!

Yes, ma’am, in this case, that ease of use also costs an arm and a leg (seriously, Tom, have you ever heard of a sale?).

To its credit, though, Aphrodisiac does seem pretty special for a fuchsia lip product; it’s probably one of the smoothest, most pigmented lippies I’ve ever worn.

Somehow, even when my lips are dry, gnarly and totally ewww, Aphrodisiac still manages to look and feel smooth…

Smooth like Jeremy Renner pouring you a glass of red wine after a candlelit dinner at home and firing up his Jodeci mid-’90s slow jams playlist.

(Gurl, you know that would be pretty damn smooth.)