I love a good red lip.

Hey everyone!

So... anyone who knows me, knows I love a good, classic red lip. I am inspired by the vintage era of Marilyn, Audrey and Bettie and a girl can never have too many shades of red in her collection.

A while ago I received a Smashbox lipstick in an Ipsy bag and was immediately concerned. Nearly all the lip products I get from subscription bags are in colors that don't suit me, or I will not wear very often. This, however, was an exception.

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in the shade Infrared Matte.

I'll start with the packaging.

This is just simple. Classic. Black. But the packaging is very soft, almost velvety and actually has a nice weight to it, which I find can give a lipstick an expensive feel about it. The top clicks on heavy and tightly enough that I have never had an issue with it popping off in my purse, which we all know can be an issue with some products.

Next. The lipstick itself. It is definitely not a long-wearing formula and you will absolutely need a lip liner or it will creep out of line from time to time. This, although some may see as a flaw, I see as a benefit. This lipstick is extremely moisturizing and non-drying. It is formulated with shea butter and vitamins and you can definitely tell when you apply it. Seriously, so creamy it almost feels like a lip butter and I love it. This is very hard to achieve for a matte lipstick - kudos Smashbox.
The color is a very true red, and although it is matte, it still manages to leave a slight look of silkiness to it.
It's definitely a color that transitions well from daytime to nighttime and from the office to drinks (you'll just have to re-apply every now and then).

This is how it looks on the lips with natural light (props to mother nature on the sunlight lately). As you can see it is the truest of reds. There is no hint of brick, or orange, or pink. It is just simply red.
*(click pics for enlarged photo)*















Overall, this is one of many favorites of red lipsticks at the moment. Although, all red lippies have a purpose depending on their shade and texture ... hmm .. maybe another post perhaps?

Anyway - short post. Just wanted to pass along this fav of mine that I feel does not at all get the hype it deserves.

XOXO

-J

Too Faced Melted Liquified Longwear Lipsticks

Hey Everyone!

Today is all about the lippies. Specifically, Too Faced Melted Liquified Longwear Lipstick lippies. So far I have 2 shades and I cannot wait to pick up some more! (Side note: these are $25 each on the Sephora Canada website).

At the moment, we do not have a Sephora in my province and shipping sometimes deters me from buying just one thing at a time; HOWEVER, my lovelies ... Sephora is scheduled to open in August! (I better hide my credit cards or I'll have them maxed out). This will be an exciting day for all beauty lovers here in NL, and a sad day for our wallets.

Back to the lippies.

The packaging is in a squeeze tube with a golden plastic top. The applicator provides a very precise line and is soft (sorry for the messy applicator tip in the picture- I use this color a lot).
I find the formula to be great. It goes on smooth and it never bleeds outside of my lip line so its super easy to apply on the go and without a lip liner.

It feels very comfortable on the lips - it is not a dry formula. When you first apply it, its so smooth you almost want to keep pursing your lips together just to feel it. That feeling eventually goes away as the product dries a bit, but even after drying, your lips are never crying out for moisture; they do not feel dry throughout the day.

I am glad that these lipsticks claim to be longwearing and not a stain. When eating or drinking, I do find this lipstick comes off - I can see it on my cup or my sandwich (yeah, women eat their lipstick more than you know), yet even after it seemingly comes off, there is still an amazing amount of color still on your lips and you almost don't even really need to reapply. The main difference I have noticed throughout the day is that the finish starts off shiny and tends to turn a little more matte as the product begins to wear off, yet the color still remains.

The two colors I purchased were Melted Nude and Melted Fig. but I have to say, I really prefer the Melted Fig. While I do wear the nude color from time to time, I find that there is a bit of an almost orange/brown undertone to this nude, and almost looks like a concealer on the lips, making it a little hard to work with. Melted Fig however, has become an almost daily lipstick for me. It is a beautiful Berry color and is just so easy to work with. It looks like a color better suited for Fall and Winter, but I am definitely taking this to the Bonnaroo Music Festival with me this Summer (can anyone say freaking excitement!? - maybe I'll stray from the makeup and do some live blog updates while I'm there with some festival looks!)

                                                          

As you can see the two colors on my lips (even in bad lighting) the nude color comes off slightly orange and is hard to make an overall look with. Melted Fig, however, is a beautiful Mauve-Berry and is so versatile for day and night.
(Note: in the pictures, the swatches on my hand are more true to color than the lip tests - the light was fading by the time these were lip tested and bulb lighting did not do the colors justice).

Overall I absolutely love these lippies and I can't wait to purchase more of the colors! I am definitely a Too Faced fan, so my adoration for these lipsticks comes to no surprise.

If you guys have tried these, let me know what colors you recommend!

XOXO

-J

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette: Holy Grail.

My Goodness!

Thats how I have to start this. I know I'm late on the bandwagon on this one- but my gosh this palette is amazing!

So tiny and compact and yet delivers a nice range of daytime and nighttime looks.

Lets begin by discussing the quality of the actual compact. It is the high quality packaging we have come to love from Urban Decay palettes. It is heavy- not in an overbearing way, but in an "expensive" way, and has a softness to touch. Inside has a fair sized mirror and it clasps shut nicely, which is perfect for travel (think about the original Naked Palette - didn't clasp shut and was a nightmare for opening in my suitcase or carry-on).

So with these two pictures you can see the inside mirror and the color of the shadows. They are, again, as we expect from Urban Decay for quality. Buttery and soft and extremely easy to apply and blend out. All shades except the far left, Skimp, are matte; Skimp has some subtle sheen to it. All are beautiful and it has become my go-to palette to reach for daily.

Just to show you the color payoff - below I have them swatched on my hand without a primer underneath.

Seriously. So soft and the staying power has been immaculate - with a primer (I usually use Smashbox 24-hour photo finish eyeshadow primer), this stuff lasts all day or night without creasing or fading. Well worth the $34 at Sephora Canada.

On a basic everyday look I will put Skimp on my inner corner and brow bone. Stark all over the lid and then place Frisk in the outer corner and blended up into the crease. Then, I will add either my Black Kat Von D Tattoo eyeliner to my top lid OR smudge Frisk into my lower lash-line for a light beachy smokey eye.

For a night out, I'll stray more towards the darker end of the palette. Using Skimp in the inner corner and brow bone again. But then I will play around with Cover and Primal on my lid and crease, and finish off using Undone into the lower lash-line for a more intense nighttime smokey look.

Bottom Line: this palette is well worth the purchase. Can create daytime and nighttime looks in neutral tones, small enough to travel with and a high quality product. I can see this being a staple in my make-up routine for quite some time.

Let me know what you guys think of this palette. Have you tried it? Or do you have any other recommendations, please share!

XOXO

-J

Viva Glam: Miley Cyrus

Hey everyone!

My Viva Glam: Miley Cyrus MAC lipstick finally showed up yesterday and I am sooooo freaking excited. I did not order the lipglass (total fail on my part there).
The packaging, as always on these Viva Glam products, is beautiful. Iconic black MAC tube, pink on the inside, with Miley's signature across. Love it. And sure, it doesn't hurt that I'm a huge Miley fan.

On a side note: just in case you guys didn't know, every cent of the purchase price goes towards those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, so there is also a great cause attached.

On to the lipstick!

This color is described by MAC as a "super-sexy hot pink hue", and my goodness, is it ever. The formula is what we've all come to love from MAC lippies and goes on super smooth and feels creamy on the lips.

This is in no way a lip stain and this does come off easily with eating and drinking - but a quick touch up and you're good to go.
One thing I did notice about this color: although it does come off fairly easily (seriously, be careful wearing white), it does tend to leave a sheer stain on the lips once it has come off. I did not re-apply it after work and I didn't take it off before bed last night as it was pretty much worn off (another fail for me, I know - ALWAYS take off makeup before bed). Anyway, when I woke up this morning, there was a sheer pink stain still there on my lips that was actually a really pretty subtle color. Basically, if you don't have time to re-apply, it does not come off blotchy or flakey, it just kind of.... gently fades away; my kind of lipstick.

Here it is with me wearing it so you can get a sense of the color on lips. It is super pigmented, but you can definitely play with the application to get a more sheer look if you like.

Today I went super simple on the makeup:

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Concealer
Milani Baked Blush in Rose D'Oro
Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara
Anastasia Brow Pomade in Ebony
MAC VIVA GLAM: Miley Cyrus lipstick

This lipstick will be perfect for the spring and summer... and lets be honest, we all know I'm gonna rock this during the end of Winter as well.

As a good friend of mine once said "Once you go MAC, you never go back".

XOXO
-J

Winter Wonderland Nails

Heyyy!

So in this months TopBox, I requested the Essie Prive box and got my choice!
I love when this happens, although, usually I end up choosing to "surprise me with a regular TopBox", I couldn't resist trying to get my hands on these colors.

Essie: Find me an Oasis (I received a Full-Size bottle)

Essie: Jiggle Hi Jiggle Low (I received a Sample-Size bottle)

Find me an Oasis is a gorgeous icy blue color that is so light is almost looks white on the nails, yet has just enough light blue tinge to tone down the brightness.
Jiggle Hi Jiggle Low is a shimmery gold that sparkles. I thought at first this would be like a glitter overlay, but it definitely isnt. This color is very opaque and does not have flecks of glitter, but rather flecks of shimmer.

When applied separately, these colors can be used at any time of the year. Find me an oasis would be a lovely beach color in the summertime, or a pale Winter neutral in the colder months. Jiggle Hi Jiggle Low is similar, as the color would be great for a sunny party, or feel festive for Holiday time.

When used together, these polishes evoke a feeling of cool iciness that just looks amazing for January. (Note: my application was a little sloppy due to the Shepsky puppy trying to help me during application).

One thing I would like to note, is that I actually am NOT a huge Essie nail polish fan.
While I do absolutely love the range, choices, and collection of colors that come out, I really dislike the brush and the formula. The brush feels dated in comparison to the shapes that have some out recently that are designed to make application easier, faster, and less messy (such as the Rimmel Lasting Pro Finish). As for the formula, I find that all essie polishes take forever to cry, regardless of color or finish, and it is definitely the brand that chips the fastest on my nails.
On top of all that, sometimes I really don't want to pay $10 for a nail polish that I will never get to the end of.
 However; sometimes I obviously cave when there is that special color I cannot find matched elsewhere and absolutely "must" have. Again, these polishes came in my January TopBox, so while I did not actually go out and purchase them, I still paid what would have been regular price for them when you factor in the subscription box cost.

XOXO
-J