Skin Fair as Snow, Lips Red as the Rose

Growing up I longed to look like Snow White. I had the white skin, but I wanted the black hair and the rosy lips. As tempting as the apple, I am continually seduced by a good red lipstick. And even though I don't wear it everyday, I still continue to buy them.

Especially when you see someone like Miss WendyB look so amazing in hers! (BTW Miss Wendy, I almost stopped by MAC yesterday to get a tube of your Lasting Lust... which I may still do. Darn you, seductress!)



On a day to day basis, however, I tend to stick to rosier berry shades. Of course, like everyone else, I wear Clinque's Black Honey, but I tend to wear Chanel lipsticks most of all. Sadly for me, nearly every color I fall in love with happens to be a seasonal limited edition color or something and I have to hoard my tube for ages. I also love their Glossimers because they don't taste funny and are not too gloopy.

But while I love my lipstick and glosses, I do fear them. I was told growing up, that if you wore lipstick a lot it would make your lips less pink. Now I don't know if that's true or not or what but I don't like the sound of it. Of course, as a young girl you'll have lovely rosy lips but is it just a natural part of getting older that they don't seem as lush?

So this myth, combined with my lack of major make-up skills (I'd love the make-up skills of Miss Doe Deere) results in my having a fairly basic make-up routine. I dot on some custom blended Prescriptives base in a few spots and brush on some translucent powder. My skin has so much pink in it, I never wear blush. I love it and have some, but really don't use it. I'd look like I had a fever or a sunburn if I did. I usually only wear a single eye shadow - lately a smokey lavender, grey, silver or taupe - but I love love love mascara.

And to get a mouth that looks just kissed, I have a love affair with lip stains. It's very hard for me to resist them. Right now I have three in my make-up bag, some better than others.

I gave Revlon's Just Bitten a try. It's not bad but it as a roller-ball applicator, which I don't find to be very effective. Plus it leaks into the cap when you lay it on it's side, as I do. I should just toss it because I don't really use it that much.




My new favorite for a pink mouth is the Pixi Lip Blush in Youth at Target. It has a marker/Sharpie-like applicator and gives a great color. But, it's $18. I don't think I realized that the first time I bought. It's too bad it's so pricey. I was going to try another color too. But I guess I'll stick with this one and decide if I'll repurchase when it runs out. But I really really like it. Dilemma!



An old favorite, which is more of a balm, is the well proven Benetint lip balm. And easier application than the original Benetint with a lovely rosy smell and which gives a great color.



I always had crummy luck with the original Benetint, especially when I tried it as a blush but I'm in love with it in my newest purchase, the Benetint Pocket Pal. I've been using this every day since I got it and it works great. Making sure your lips are bare and dry before you brush on the stain really helps and then, when the stain is dry, you have a nice clear gloss for shine. Plus it's easy to put in my purse.




As much as I aspire to more artful make-up, I find that I'm just not skilled. I need a good teacher, I think. Maybe the next time I'm in NYC I'll make the rounds of all my lovely friends and get them to give me a make over.

Infallible Choices

I am one of those people that get seduced by great colors in lip gloss. I don't buy a ton of it, but it does happen. I also get lured in by the possibilities but then I put them on and I either hate the taste or texture or the color just looks horrible on me.

But I was in Target on Saturday and saw these new L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail lip glosses and thought I would give them a try. I got two colors - Rebel Red, which is not too red, and Fiery, which looks brownish with gold flecks. Both of them look really great on although they do look different on than in the tube.





The wand is a little odd. It's in this kind of diamond shape which holds the gloss and applies it well on the bottom lip but is a little challenging for the top. I like to layer these colors as well.

I didn't realize they were long wear gloss but they really do work. I'm not sure about six hours but I wore them to a tea party yesterday and the color was still there at the end of the party. With all the sipping of tea and eating sandwiches that went on, that's pretty impressive.

The texture has some thickness but not overwhelmingly so. I hope they keep this product around, especially in these colors.

Smoochable

I just love red lipstick. I think it is the whole retro thing but it amazes me how in the 40's and 50's a woman would wear red lipstick with everything and it always looked great.

The problem is, red lipstick can be a pain. At least for me. But that doesn't mean that I don't still get seduced by a new color or formulation every so often. Despite the fact that they linger in my make-up case for months.


Photo source: brtsergio, Flickr

Don't you just love the contrast and don't her lips look so pretty?



I've bought red lipstick from Revlon to Chanel and then I just never use it. But I may have a new option that can convert me into puckering up more often.

It's NARS lip gloss in Bloodwork



They say this lip gloss is pigment-rich and they aren't kidding. I had no idea how bright this stuff was until I got it home and tried it on.

Whoa, Baby!

This is screen-siren red! What is great about it is this is not a sheer gloss. It is very opaque. And the color is described as red vinyl and that is spot on. Being a gloss helps it to go on very easily. You can just swipe it on and be all sex-ah or you can blot it to matte it down and give you perfect carmine lips.

I blotted it when I put it on this morning and then topped it with a sheer sparkly brown-ish gloss. It was very wearable.

It would also be great for leaving red lipstick kisses on collars, necks and sealed letters.

Available at Sephora- $23

Honey, Plum, Raspberry, Raisin

Just like everyone in the known universe, I love Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. It has that perfect sheerness and makes you look like you've spent the afternoon stuffing yourself on the ripest of blackberries.

Since I like to pump up my eyes but have pretty fair skin I need some color to my lips. If I do a nude lip color I look like the lower half of my face fell off.



So I was excited to see that Clinique was doing a line of three limited edition (my favorite words!!!) Black Honey-related colors: Black Plum, Black Raspberry, and Black Raisin. I needed a fresh tube of the Black Honey anyway and it was Clinique Bonus Time, I just ran down to the mall at got them all!

I can't wait to wear them and see which is my favorites and how well they work layered.