Do you wear lip liner? I don't know many who do but I have to with some lip formulas so the color doesn't seep into my lip lines. Don’t you hate that?

This post the other day got me thinking about one of the products I always keep at the ready. It's a clear lip liner. I can't believe I haven't covered this fully before as I discovered these quite a few years ago and I can't even remember the brand that introduced me!

What I like about them is that I don't have to match my lip color to it since they have no color. I really only use colored liner, it’s only for when I'm wearing a red as that shade is not as forgiving and you want a perfect outline of the lips when wearing it, like with any of these.

Since I'm using these colorless ones as a barrier against bleeding, instead of lining lips around the very edge of the lip, I'm lining where my lip line ends and skin starts, so just around the lips themselves. 

So what are these made of? Housed as a pencil, most are mainly a soft wax with some silicones/mineral oil for slip. 

Here are some I recommend that span the price points:

MAYBELLINE Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner in Clear ($7.99 @ walgreens.com, target.com)

URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone ($20 @ sephora.com, ulta.com)

MAKE UP FOR EVER Lip Line Perfector ($20 @ sephora.com)

SEPHORA COLLECTION Beauty Amplifier Universal Lip Liner ($12 @ sephora.com)

ELF COSMETICS Lip Lock Pencil ($3 @ elfcosmetics.com)

MIRABELLA Perfecting Lip Definer ($20 @ dermstore.com)

Every woman should have at least 1 great red lipstick they turn to when they really want to turn it up. And right now is such a great time to find your perfect red as there are so many choices – tints, mattes, creams, liquids, metallics. So what’s your go-to?

Here are some of mine:

FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color in Unsensored - $24 @ sephora.com – the newest one to be added to my heavily-trafficked reds. This is a long-wearing liquid lipstick. It does transfer so be wicked careful you don’t transfer it unknowingly, which is always my problem! It’s worth it for the shade and pigment this one

SEPHORA COLLECTION #Lipstories Lipstick in #26 All Washed Up, matte, $8 @ sephora.com - this is one of their mattes from the new #Lipstories collection. I thought this would be a faint red but wow, was I wrong! The intensity is about 2 steps down from a liquid lipstick. Nice job SC!

MAYBELLINE Super Stay Matte Ink in #20 Pioneer - $7.99 @ target.com - one of my favorite all-time liquid lipstick products! If you're going to wear red, it's got to be precise and stay on through eating and drinking and this one does!

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Liquid Matte Lipstick in #403 Deep Red - $20 @ sephora.com - another liquid lipstick that is bold in pigment. This one is more on the orange side of the red family. 

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red - $27 @ narscosmetics.com, sephora.com - this is a good red if you're not up for the time commitment of a liquid lipstick and it works as a two-in-one lip liner and lip color. 

RIMMEL Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour in Fire Starter - $5.49 @ walgreens.com - these liquid lipsticks from Rimmel are becoming a top pick from me. All the factors are covered - the color intensity, the way they wear, and the length of time I get out of them and of course, how comfortable they are. Big recommendation!

It seems like all the major brands are putting out huge lip collections these days! And MAKE UP FOR EVER is jumping on that bandwagon too with their Artist Rouge Lipstick ($22 @ sephora.com). The collection is 15 Matte Finish Lipsticks (color name begins with the letter ‘M’) and 30 Satin Finish Lipsticks (color name begins with the letter ‘C’).

What It Is: 45-show stopping shades packaged in new signature packaging and available in two simple, but beautiful finishes – 31 lustrous creams and 14 velvety mattes. The range only features the best reds, nudes, pinks, berries and artistic lipsticks, providing everyone with the most flattering shades for their skin tones.

Click here to read more

I think I’ve been around the liquid lipstick block a few times now and with the latest ones I’ve tried being on the indie side, I have some more observations. It seems that just about every brand is coming out with their own version these days, which is great, but not so great when you kinda know what formula works for you, and you don’t get it when you open the tube. If you’re on the liquid lipstick (will abbreviate to LL) bandwagon, do you know which form you like best? I think I do, now that I’ve tried quite a few different brands:

Chanel, Wet N Wild, Tarte, Buxom (part of BareMinerals), ColourPop, Motives, Cailyn Cosmetics, L’Oreal, Make Up For Ever, Stila, Laura Mercier, Merle Norman, NARS, Lime Crime, Ofra Cosmetics, Fyinnae, Maybelline, Ciate London, L'Oreal, Napoleon Perdis, Houglass Cosmetics, CoverGirl, LipSense by SeneGence, Giorgio Armani, Sephora, Kat Von D, MAC, Makeup Monster, LA Splash Cosmetics, Caked, Beauty Bakerie.

Brands on my list to try: The new ones from Smashbox, Anastasia Beverly Hills (I know, I know, I'm like the only one on the planet but I've read mixed reviews), Jeffree Star, Milani (drugstores are always out of the Amore Mattes!), Lonely Planet.

Click here to read more

I attended The Makeup Show in Los Angeles a few weeks ago and picked up some products I’m uber excited to try out! Some I had not seen before and some I had on my list to pick up.

Since it’s tax season, I had to really be watchful on my dollars this time around and thankfully the show had a blogger preview so some of the products that were on my list were in the bag the show gave us. Yeah!! I've just started trying some of them out so do you see anything you like?

1. ESUM Pro Finishing Sponges ($20/2 sponges @ musebeauty.com) – here’s a new twist on the makeup sponge – these combines the wedge and oval sponge in one so you can get every inch you’re trying to get to.

2. BÉSAME COSMETICS Boudoir Short Hair Contour Brush ($48 @ sephora.com) – this one is in the same category as those oval brushes that are blowing up everywhere. It feels so nice on the skin and is able to get into all the angles on the face … flawlessly!

3. SENNA COSMETICS Lash Detail Mascara ($20 @ sennacosmetics.com) – I’m really picky about my mascara and don’t like many. I’ve worn this one twice and what I like about it is the super skinny fine brush that seems to be able to maneuver color on ever lash. If you’re looking for natural looking lashes, this might be one to try.

4. NYX COSMETICS Soft Matte Lip Crème in Transylvania ($5.99 @ bedbathandbeyond.com) – I’ve been needing this shade in my life since it came out and has been sold out at my Ulta since it came out.

5. SEPHORA PRO Press Full Coverage Complexion Brush #66 ($36 @ sephora.com) – this seems to be Sephora’s answer to the oval brush craze and I can’t wait to see how it performs!

6. SMASHBOX Photo Finish Primer Water ($32/3.9oz @ smashbox.com and sephora.com) – there’s been quite a buzz on this primer water since it emerged recently. Can’t wait to try this out!

7. VERA MONA Color Switch Duo ($19.99 @ veramona.com) – a genius product! Stroke your brush against the black to remove the color so it’s ready to dip into the next shade. And the white middle part can be soaked in water if you feel like applying shadow with a wet brush.

8. KAT VON D Tattoo Liner in Trooper ($19 @ sephora.com) – from the queen of liner. Need I say more?

9. PUR Browder Perfecting Brow Powder in Medium Brown ($22 @ kohls.com) – this combines a powder with fibers to help fill in sparse areas. Interesting application pointer!

10. MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Sculpting Lip 2-in-1 Lip Sculpting Pen in #40 Carmine Red ($27 @ sephora.com) – quite a unique twist on giving lips a multi-dimensional look. Can’t wait to try this out!

Face it, getting any kind of Botox or fillers requires someone who knows what they’re doing. I mean, do Botox parties still exist? I wouldn’t be caught at one of those getting a treatment; too fly-by-night. So for me, it’s all about referral like a dermatologist or eyebrow waxer. Every person has their own style and you just want to make sure you get one that knows what they’re doing. But if you don’t know who or what to ask, how can you find a good one for you? This is why I wanted to write this piece; to take away some of the mystery.

I recently had to opportunity to experience Cosmetique Aesthetics in Culver City, CA. And it came around at the best time as I had been asking around to friends to see who they have been using. I have had some Botox and fillers in the past but not on a consistent basis and the one woman I had gone to like once a year for the past 3 years left where she was, so back to square one.

Click here to read more

MURAD Time Release Acne Cleanser ($32/6.75oz @ murad.com and sephora.com) – yup I’ve been struggling with hormonal acne for the last year or so and have not found anything to control it until this cleanser. I’m not sure if it’s the .5% salicylic acid or the technology that allows this one to continue working after it’s been rinsed off. Either way, I don’t care! It works for my skin and that’s the bottom line.

And this is the only product I’ve been using on my face and neck – no toner or face cream, just this.

The cleanser itself is pretty thick and there really isn’t any kind of foaming action, so don’t look for that in this one. My skin has been on this for almost 2 weeks and I saw a difference in the way my skin looked and felt in just a few days, which doesn’t happen often. Thank you Murad!

MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation ($43/12.5g @ sephora.com in September) – a big release for the brand with this and the Ultra HD Liquid Foundation ($43/1oz @ sephora.com out now). I assumed a stick would be too heavy for this time of year but thankfully it’s not and wow, did this give me an amazingly natural finish that lasted all day.

The technology behind this is called the 4K Complex – Amino Acid Coated Pigments (those reflected particles that blur imperfections), Hyaluronic Spheres (to hydrate and plump skin), and Sericite (a fine grained mica that adds light reflecting properties).

I love that the foundation category seems to always be introducing new technology and this is one that’s winning with it.

Have you tried the Liquid one yet? 

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

Kind of like this move, I’m so tempted to just throw out all my regular lipsticks. I mean, if they don’t last on my lips, what’s the point in putting it on in the first place? I guess this is a tiny bit different than the nail polish situation in that I don’t seemed to get as annoyed when my lippie starts to fade as when I chip a nail.

MAC Pro Longwear Lipcolour $25 @ maccosmetics.com

GIORGIO ARMANI Lip Maestro $33 @ sephora.com

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge $24 @ makeupforever.com

L’OREAL Infallible Lip Colour $11.99 @ lorealparisusa.com have been discontinued but they have the Lip Paint here

LIME CRIME Velvetines $20 @ dermstore.com, amazon.com

Are you ready to talk fall makeup yet? September issues and all that jazz? Now that my birthday has passed, I’m ready, so let’s start with some standouts … 

Click here to read more

I was able to get my bloody paws on the new MAKE UP FOR EVER 30 Years 30 Colors 30 Artists Palette today and wanted to share some info and pics with you on it.

What It Is: In celebration of their 30^th anniversary, MAKE UP FOR EVER partnered with 30 elite makeup artists from all areas of the industry including celebrity, fashion and beauty, TV film and theater as well as Brand Creator & Artistic Director Dany Sanz. The brand’s unique story is shared through the eyes of these artists who helped shape it into a cult favorite for professionals and the public.

The palette is divided into three black trays each carrying 10 shadows in the following 3 categories: smoky, brights, and neutrals…”

And as you can see here, I’m jumping on the brights in the box to show you them right now!

Click here to read more