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Color Focus: Rosy Pinks for Lips and Nails

November 15, 2009

I will admit that I tend to associate rosy pinks more with spring or summer, but I feel that rosy pink lips can pretty much be worn year round. For lips, I tend to lean more towards more natural pinks since I already have a lot of pink in my natural lip tone, so these won’t be the rosiest pinks that are out there.

Rosy Pink Lipglosses:


1. MAC Sweet Strawberry Lipglass
2. MAC Bingo! Plushglass
3. MAC Creme Anglaise Cremesheen Glass
4. Le Metier Siena Lip Creme (GWP)
5. Becca Rosita Lip Gloss
6. Nars Stella Lip Gloss
7. Paul & Joe Limited Edition 001 Lip Gloss
8. Chanel Imaginaire Glossimer
9. Edward Bess Love Always

Swatches, same order:

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Rosy Pink Lipsticks:


1. Chanel Ischia #96 Aqualumiere
2. Chanel Tasmania #99 Aqualumiere
3. Bobbi Brown Ruffle Metallic Lip Color
4. Le Metier de Beaute Cannes
5. MAC Strawbaby Lipstick (Fafi label came off)
6. MAC Party Mate
7. MAC Skew

(The swatches didn’t turn out so well, I might try again later)

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Nail Polishes:


1. OPI California Raspberry
2. Essie Very Cranberry
3. OPI Grand Central Carnation
4. Dolce & Gabbana Rose (received as a GWP, but part of the regular D&G line)
5. Paul & Joe #13

For the swatches, the order is:

1. Thumb = Paul & Joe #13
2. Index = Dolce & Gabbana Rose
3. Middle = OPI Grand Central Carnation
4. Ring = Essie Very Cranberry
5. Pinkie = OPI California Raspberry


My blush collection has a lot of nude pinks, hot pinks, dusty pinks, peachy-pinks. I don’t have very many rosy-pink colors for cheeks other than my Bobbi Brown Raspberry Pot Rouge. Hence, no focus on the cheeks. I definitely do not have any rosy pink eyeshadows.

Would love to hear what your favorite rosy pink colors are!

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What’s Your Favorite Lip Balm/Lip Treatment?

November 13, 2009

Do you have a favorite lip balm? I’ve always had an obsession with tinted and flavored lip balms which started in high school (over 10 years ago) with Vanilla Lip Smackers, The Body Shop Kiwi Fruit Flavored Lip Balm, and SoftLips Lip Balms.

Trying out different lip balms has always been a relatively inexpensive and fun hobby for me with the different scents and flavors, but for years I could never find one that properly moisturized my lips. I have full lips that tend to dry easily with certain brands of lipsticks – but in recent years, thanks to some new product releases, I have finally found some that work for me.

Tried and true:

  1. MAC Tendertones $14.50 – these were limited edition, I hope they bring these back eventually
  2. C.O. Bigelow My Favorite Lip Balm $5.50 – soothing almond scent, from Bath & Body Works (there’s a promotion for buy 2 get 1 free right now)
  3. NARS Sabrina Lip Treatment $24 – a light milky pink with shimmer with a watermelon scent
  4. MAC Tinted Lip Conditioners $14.50 – the ones I have are in the older packaging and were part of limited edition collections like the Luella and Disney
  5. Aquaphor $6 for a 2-pack at CVS – thanks to a very sweet swapper who included this as an extra for me to try and got me hooked!

Trying out right now:

  1. Shiseido Water In Lip Sakura $8 – found this at my local Japanese supermarket
  2. Bobbi Brown Glitter Lip Balm in Pink Crystal – part of the Breast Cancer Awareness Set which is $40 for the lip balm and a creamy lip color
  3. L’Occitane Vanilla Fondant Lip Balm – from the Vanilla Hugs & Kisses Holiday set which is $18 for the lip balm and mini Vanilla Shea Hand Cream
  4. Paul & Joe Disney Milky Lip Treatment $18 – couldn’t resist the cute packaging
  5. C.O. Bigelow Lemon Pomegranate Lip Cream $7.50 – from Bath & Body works
  6. Korres Lip Butter $9 each or $19.50 for 3 at Sephora – I’ve heard a lot of raves about these, so I stopped by Sephora to check these out

What are your favorites?

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Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 5

November 6, 2009

Today’s looks are centered around pink eyeshadow. For me it’s hard to find a pink shadow that doesn’t make me look like I have pink-eye. These work for me because they aren’t too pink.

Look Day 5: neutral/warm pink eyeshadow with soft rose cheeks and rosey lips


Cheeks:
Chanel Tweed Rose Blush
Becca Angel Loose Shimmer Powder to highlight

Eyes:
Laura Mercier Pink Chiffon Satinee Cream Eye Color
Chanel Demure Quad
Urban Decay Bourbon 24-7 Eyeliner

Lips:
Trish McEvoy Bare Lipliner
Laura Mercier Pink Champagne Lipstick
Laura Mercier Pink Champagne Lipgloss (Nordstrom Exclusive, try LM Blush Lip Glace for a dupe)

Swatches, left to right: LM Pink Chiffon, Chanel Demure Quad, UD Bourbon, Chanel Tweed Rose, Becca Angel, Trish McEvoy Bare, Laura Mercier Pink Champagne Lipstick, Laura Mercier Pink Champagne Gloss

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Alternate 1: Cool pink with purple eyes


Cheeks:
MAC Stark Naked Blush

Eyes:
Dior Petal Shine Iridescent Quint
MAC Deep Purple Pigment (Pro)

Lips:
Laura Mercier Chestnut Lipliner
Chanel Naive #25 Rouge Allure
Chanel Imaginaire #84 Glossimer

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Alternate 2: Neutral light pink-gold sparkle with taupe and black

Cheeks:
Shu Uemura P Pink 30 Blush

Eyes:
Bobbi Brown Ballet Pink Cream Eyeshadow
MAC Naked Pigment
Urban Decay Stray Dog Eyeshadow
Shu Uemura ME Black 990 Eyeshadow

Lips:
Chanel Waikiki Aqualumiere
Bobbi Brown Brightening Pink Lipgloss

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Color Focus: Purple Nail Polish Photos & Swatches

November 6, 2009

Thanks to several e-mails and other blog recommendations, I checked out the new Hard Candy Mr. Wrong at Walmart and the new OPI Merry Midnight Nail Polishes. Hard Candy Mr. Wrong is very sparkly with a base similar to Dior’s Silver Purple but with chunky gold glitter mixed in. I was initially worried that OPI’s Merry Midnight would be too over the top, but when I tried it on at home, it turned out really pretty. The formula is super sheer though and required 3 full coats for me. Here are a few swatch pictures to compare.

Unique Purples: Hard Candy Mr. Wrong (Walmart), Dior Silver Purple (Holiday 2009), Dior Lemon Balm (Nordstrom Exclusive)


Plummy-Mauve Purples: Le Metier Violaceous Splendor, OPI Merry Midnight, Le Metier Black Orchid

* Note, the OPI Merry Midnight sparkle doesn’t show up so well in the swatch photo, I highly recommend you check out All Lacquered Up or Scrangie’s Blogs for better swatch pictures!

Light purple shades: Like purples, but don’t like darker colors? Check out Le Metier de Beaute Phlox, Chanel Violette, MAC Love & Friendship


If you want to see more purple nail polishes I’ve written about, check out these links:

* Color Focus: Dark Vampy Nail Polish
* I *HEART* MAC Baby Goth Girl
* A Few Alternatives to Super Dark Nail Polish . . .

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Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 4

November 5, 2009

Today’s focus is around silvery eyes with a few alternatives in case you can’t pull off silvers. I have warmer skin with olive tones and can’t always pull off silvery eyeshadows because they make me look tired, but the Dior Smoky Crystal Quint was a surprisingly pretty on! I hope this gives you a few ideas of what types of colors you can use. These may not work for everyone, but these are looks that I’ve done that work for me.

To recap (in case you haven’t read my About Me section), I have dark black/brown hair with red highlights, medium olive/golden skin and use Chanel Shell/Beige Teint Innocence, my eyes are dark brown.

Look Day 4: silvery eyeshadow with rose-pink lips/cheeks


Cheeks:
Dolce & Gabbana Desert Bronzer (not swatched)
Lorac Velvet Rope Baked Blush

Eyes:
Shiseido Rose Tulle H11 Hydropower Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Steel Cream Eyeshadow
Dior Smoky Crystal Quint
MAC Feline Eyeliner

Lips:
Chanel Tulip Lipliner
Trish McEvoy Pink Innocent
Le Metier de Beaute Cannes Lipgloss or Bobbi Brown Pink Lilac Brightening Gloss as an alternative

* Note the swatches for the eyeshadows look greenish on my screen for some reason. In real life they are close to what the product photo looks like in the picture near the top.

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Alternative if you can’t pull of silvers: try champagne, a soft taupe, a sparkley silvery-gold cream shadow and a smokey black eyeshadow


Cheeks: Giorgio Armani Blush #10

Eyes: Giorgio Armani Maestro Eyeshadow #30
Bobbi Brown Galaxy Cream Eyeshadow
Giorgio Armani Eyeshadow Maestro #32
Giorgio Armani Manta Ray Duo #1

Lips: Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink Lipliner
Chantecaille Oleander Lipstick
Dolce & Gabbana Nude Lipgloss

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Cheeks: Bobbi Brown Pink Sugar Shimmer Blush

Eyes: Chantecaille Quartz (top left)
Chantecaille Meteorite (top middle)
MAC Sunnydaze Pigment
MAC Cinderfella Mineralize Eyeshadow
Chanel Noir Le Crayon Kohl Eyeliner

Lips: MAC Dervish
Dolce & Gabbana Charm Lipstick
Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer #9

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Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 3

November 4, 2009

Today’s feature focuses on green eyeshadows and a few ideas on how to coordinate with other colors for the rest of your face.

Look Day #3 Focus: Green Eyeshadow Combinations


Cheeks:
Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer
MAC Pink Swoon Blush

Eyes:
Nars Mousson Cream Eyeshadow
Nars Taiga Eyeshadow Duo
Bobbi Brown Forest Shimmer Ink Liner

Lips:
MAC Whirl Lipliner
Chanel Tempt Hydrabase Lipstick
Chanel Bon-Bon Aqualumiere Gloss

* Please note that the bronzer and blush were applied with a heavy hand for swatches and do not look the same on the face, when applied with a bronzer/blush brush, these 2 mixed create a healthy soft glow

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Another combination: green/gold/brown eyes with peachy lips/cheeks

1) MAC Cash Flow Paint Pot
2) Giorgio Armani Eyeshadow Quad #3
3) Benefit Coralista
4) MAC New Vegas Mineralize Skinfinish
5) Chanel Black Jade Eyeliner
6) MAC Summerfruit Lipliner
7) MAC Shy Girl Lipstick
8) Giorgio Armani Lipshimmer #1
9) Giorgio Armani Lipshimmer #16

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Another combination: green eyes with pink lips/cheeks


Cheeks: Chanel Rose Petale

Eyes: Bobbi Brown Ballet Pink Cream Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Ivy Shimmer Gel Liner
Chanel Murano Quad

Lips: Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink Lipliner
Chantecaille Camelia Lip Chic
Edward Bess Bare Rose Lipgloss

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Looks I’m Loving Right Now: Day 2

November 3, 2009
Today’s color theme includes bronzey eyes and peachy lips/cheeks with three variations. (Note that Day 1 has been updated as well with a third look.) I would have to say this is my no-fail go to look. I always feel comfortable with a bronze liner and a soft peach lip (although I’ve been told that I look better in pinks and plums).


Look Day #2: bronze eyes with peachy lips & cheeks


Cheeks:
Chanel Fandango Blush
MAC Refined Mineralize Skin Finish

Eyes:
Bobbi Brown Sandy Gold Cream Eyeshadow
MAC Vanilla Pigment
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill #2 Brown Copper
Trish McEvoy Eye Definer Sparkling Bronze

Lips:
Make Up Forever Aqua Lip Liner 1C
Laura Mercier Designer Beige Shimmer Lipstick
Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer #3

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Alternative with a brighter lip:


Cheeks: Trish McEvoy Liquid Face Color #1 + MAC Superduper Natural Mineralize Blush

Eyes: Bobbi Brown Flesh Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Burnished Cream Eyeshadow
Nars Cordura Eyeshadow Duo
Laura Mercier Brown Copper Eye Liner

Lips: Chanel Exquise Rouge Allure
MAC Euro Beat Dazzleglass mixed with Paul & Joe Lip Lacuqer #8

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Alternative with a smokier eye & lighter nude-peach lip:


Cheeks: Chanel Tweed Sienna Blush
Le Metier Blush/Bronze Duo Sunkissed and Echo

Eyes: MAC Femme Fi Eyeshadow
Trish McEvoy Eye Definer in Sparkling Bronze
MAC Gilt by Association Mineralize Eyeshadow

Lips: Bobbi Brown Beige Lipliner
Giorgio Armani Rouge D’Armani Beige 101
Le Metier de Beaute Peche Creme

(Note you will most likely see a recurring trend with the Paul & Joe Lip Lacquers because I love them so much! For those who don’t have access to Paul & Joe, do not fear, I will include other brands too.)

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