Walk The Line- Fresh and Dior Lip Pencils

Talking about lip liners is a bit boring. The subject falls under "if there's something to say about it, you must be doing it wrong", but since lining mistakes would make one channel Pamela Anderson, it is worthy of discussion.

My all-time favorite lip liner is Gypsy Rose from Fresh. They have repackaged it into a double sided pencil together with Poppy Plume, but I'm just happy it's still available. I've been using it for at least five years, maybe longer. It's about half shade darker than my natural lip color and goes perfectly with every plum/rose/mauve gloss or lipstick in my wardrobe. It's easy to apply, says put for hours and does it job in keeping top coats in place.

Yesterday I reviewed the other natural color option, a rosy brown lip stain/gloss, so a good match for that would be Dior lip liner pencil in Natural Beige. The color almost disappears on my lips, which is exactly what I need most of the time. It seals the edges and keeps the lipstick firmly intact, and while it's not as soft as the one from Fresh, it does have a slightly better longevity.

There are other pretty colors in this range and I have my eye on the one in Candy Rose. Testing the shades can be a bit frustrating, as they appear darker on your hand than they'd be on your lips (I'm not the only one who first tries lip products on my hand before putting any on my face, right?), but since the Sephora swatches are a bit off you absolutely must try them in person before making your choice.

Walk The Line- Fresh and Dior Lip Pencils

Talking about lip liners is a bit boring. The subject falls under "if there's something to say about it, you must be doing it wrong", but since lining mistakes would make one channel Pamela Anderson, it is worthy of discussion.

My all-time favorite lip liner is Gypsy Rose from Fresh. They have repackaged it into a double sided pencil together with Poppy Plume, but I'm just happy it's still available. I've been using it for at least five years, maybe longer. It's about half shade darker than my natural lip color and goes perfectly with every plum/rose/mauve gloss or lipstick in my wardrobe. It's easy to apply, says put for hours and does it job in keeping top coats in place.

Yesterday I reviewed the other natural color option, a rosy brown lip stain/gloss, so a good match for that would be Dior lip liner pencil in Natural Beige. The color almost disappears on my lips, which is exactly what I need most of the time. It seals the edges and keeps the lipstick firmly intact, and while it's not as soft as the one from Fresh, it does have a slightly better longevity.

There are other pretty colors in this range and I have my eye on the one in Candy Rose. Testing the shades can be a bit frustrating, as they appear darker on your hand than they'd be on your lips (I'm not the only one who first tries lip products on my hand before putting any on my face, right?), but since the Sephora swatches are a bit off you absolutely must try them in person before making your choice.

Walk The Line- Fresh and Dior Lip Pencils

Talking about lip liners is a bit boring. The subject falls under "if there's something to say about it, you must be doing it wrong", but since lining mistakes would make one channel Pamela Anderson, it is worthy of discussion.

My all-time favorite lip liner is Gypsy Rose from Fresh. They have repackaged it into a double sided pencil together with Poppy Plume, but I'm just happy it's still available. I've been using it for at least five years, maybe longer. It's about half shade darker than my natural lip color and goes perfectly with every plum/rose/mauve gloss or lipstick in my wardrobe. It's easy to apply, says put for hours and does it job in keeping top coats in place.

Yesterday I reviewed the other natural color option, a rosy brown lip stain/gloss, so a good match for that would be Dior lip liner pencil in Natural Beige. The color almost disappears on my lips, which is exactly what I need most of the time. It seals the edges and keeps the lipstick firmly intact, and while it's not as soft as the one from Fresh, it does have a slightly better longevity.

There are other pretty colors in this range and I have my eye on the one in Candy Rose. Testing the shades can be a bit frustrating, as they appear darker on your hand than they'd be on your lips (I'm not the only one who first tries lip products on my hand before putting any on my face, right?), but since the Sephora swatches are a bit off you absolutely must try them in person before making your choice.

Would you try this at home?

A couple of very bold looks were seen on various red carpets last night.

Kate Hudson matched her eyeliner (lower lash!) to her electric blue dress for the L.A. premier of her new movie. She's gorgeous, but I'm getting so much 80s vibe I can practically smell Nancy Reagan.

Hayden Panettiere goes Dita Von Teese glam for an Old Navy event (that sentence alone is enough to raise eyebrows). Is it really a good look for an 18 year old girl?



Images: Faded Youth Blog

Would you try this at home?

A couple of very bold looks were seen on various red carpets last night.

Kate Hudson matched her eyeliner (lower lash!) to her electric blue dress for the L.A. premier of her new movie. She's gorgeous, but I'm getting so much 80s vibe I can practically smell Nancy Reagan.

Hayden Panettiere goes Dita Von Teese glam for an Old Navy event (that sentence alone is enough to raise eyebrows). Is it really a good look for an 18 year old girl?



Images: Faded Youth Blog

Would you try this at home?

A couple of very bold looks were seen on various red carpets last night.

Kate Hudson matched her eyeliner (lower lash!) to her electric blue dress for the L.A. premier of her new movie. She's gorgeous, but I'm getting so much 80s vibe I can practically smell Nancy Reagan.

Hayden Panettiere goes Dita Von Teese glam for an Old Navy event (that sentence alone is enough to raise eyebrows). Is it really a good look for an 18 year old girl?



Images: Faded Youth Blog

SAG Inspired Lips- Laura Geller Lip Stay

The makeup looks we saw on the red carpet last Sunday inspired a whole bunch of emails asking me to recommend neutral lip colors that would flatter the olive skinned and naturally pigmented lipped among us. It seems like I'm not the only one who thinks that Eva Longoria tends to choose lipsticks that are too pale for her (J. Lo also seems to make a similar mistake very often), unlike the flawless America Ferrera.

While I've already covered the subject in past posts, I do have a new favorite in the natural looking lip color category, and it's even a long-lasting one, that can survive an evening of smiling, kissing and careful champagne sipping.

Laura Geller Lip Stay is a two sided lip product. We've seen several of these in the last couple of years, from Chanel to Max Factor. Lip Stay is very reasonably priced ($13, compared to Chanel at $32, though the Geller one seems to contain less product), but doesn't compromise quality.

I tried it in Pout, a rosy brown color, a bit warmer than my favorite plummish colors (which are usually along the lines of what America Ferrera is wearing in the picture, Lancome's Raisinberry Le Lipstique with on of my most beloved glosses, Color Fever Gloss in On Fire. Scroll down the linked post for my review), but is still very flattering and completely neutral on my face, so it won't clash with a glamorous dress or eye makeup. In the tube there's more than a hint of shimmer, but it disappears on skin. The color is easy to spread, sits pretty, doesn't dry my lips or weigh them down and it stays on for quite a long time, as long as you don't challenge it with very hot beverages.

The clear gloss coat is pretty standard: not too shiny or sticky, not too resilient and smells of vanilla. You'll need to reapply this part throughout the day or night, but that's to be expected.

Tomorrow: A lip liner to match this look.

SAG photos: Just Jared

SAG Inspired Lips- Laura Geller Lip Stay

The makeup looks we saw on the red carpet last Sunday inspired a whole bunch of emails asking me to recommend neutral lip colors that would flatter the olive skinned and naturally pigmented lipped among us. It seems like I'm not the only one who thinks that Eva Longoria tends to choose lipsticks that are too pale for her (J. Lo also seems to make a similar mistake very often), unlike the flawless America Ferrera.

While I've already covered the subject in past posts, I do have a new favorite in the natural looking lip color category, and it's even a long-lasting one, that can survive an evening of smiling, kissing and careful champagne sipping.

Laura Geller Lip Stay is a two sided lip product. We've seen several of these in the last couple of years, from Chanel to Max Factor. Lip Stay is very reasonably priced ($13, compared to Chanel at $32, though the Geller one seems to contain less product), but doesn't compromise quality.

I tried it in Pout, a rosy brown color, a bit warmer than my favorite plummish colors (which are usually along the lines of what America Ferrera is wearing in the picture, Lancome's Raisinberry Le Lipstique with on of my most beloved glosses, Color Fever Gloss in On Fire. Scroll down the linked post for my review), but is still very flattering and completely neutral on my face, so it won't clash with a glamorous dress or eye makeup. In the tube there's more than a hint of shimmer, but it disappears on skin. The color is easy to spread, sits pretty, doesn't dry my lips or weigh them down and it stays on for quite a long time, as long as you don't challenge it with very hot beverages.

The clear gloss coat is pretty standard: not too shiny or sticky, not too resilient and smells of vanilla. You'll need to reapply this part throughout the day or night, but that's to be expected.

Tomorrow: A lip liner to match this look.

SAG photos: Just Jared

SAG Inspired Lips- Laura Geller Lip Stay

The makeup looks we saw on the red carpet last Sunday inspired a whole bunch of emails asking me to recommend neutral lip colors that would flatter the olive skinned and naturally pigmented lipped among us. It seems like I'm not the only one who thinks that Eva Longoria tends to choose lipsticks that are too pale for her (J. Lo also seems to make a similar mistake very often), unlike the flawless America Ferrera.

While I've already covered the subject in past posts, I do have a new favorite in the natural looking lip color category, and it's even a long-lasting one, that can survive an evening of smiling, kissing and careful champagne sipping.

Laura Geller Lip Stay is a two sided lip product. We've seen several of these in the last couple of years, from Chanel to Max Factor. Lip Stay is very reasonably priced ($13, compared to Chanel at $32, though the Geller one seems to contain less product), but doesn't compromise quality.

I tried it in Pout, a rosy brown color, a bit warmer than my favorite plummish colors (which are usually along the lines of what America Ferrera is wearing in the picture, Lancome's Raisinberry Le Lipstique with on of my most beloved glosses, Color Fever Gloss in On Fire. Scroll down the linked post for my review), but is still very flattering and completely neutral on my face, so it won't clash with a glamorous dress or eye makeup. In the tube there's more than a hint of shimmer, but it disappears on skin. The color is easy to spread, sits pretty, doesn't dry my lips or weigh them down and it stays on for quite a long time, as long as you don't challenge it with very hot beverages.

The clear gloss coat is pretty standard: not too shiny or sticky, not too resilient and smells of vanilla. You'll need to reapply this part throughout the day or night, but that's to be expected.

Tomorrow: A lip liner to match this look.

SAG photos: Just Jared

Skin Savers: Carol's Daughter Body Products

*** Winners of the Incense Extreme drawing, go back one post ***

And for today's fun:

My ongoing battle against the cuir de crocodile has been very successful this winter. Carol's Daughter body products have been a great asset in this war, and it looks like I have another holy grail cream: their Shea Soufflé. While they offer several other good options, the soufflé is perfect in a Goldilocks way: not too thick, not too thin, just rich enough to feel satisfying and nurturing.

The regular lotion would probably work for everyone who needs good moisturizing without coating the skin too much. Be careful if you also use the hair milk: the bottles look exactly the same and I ended up with lotion in my hair on a couple of dark mornings when I was primping half asleep, not remembering that the hair products are the ones on the left side of my dresser.

The body butter in the flat tin is amazingly rich, but quite greasy. It forms an excellent protective barrier that would work great for those who spend longer periods of time outside than my regular dash from door to car. You need to be careful if you apply it before dressing up, because it would get on your clothes. This is why I prefer to use it for a quiet night at home, before putting on thick PJs. The next morning my skin feels extra soft. Another word of warning: the butters are chock full of natural ingredients, including the color of whatever fruit they are made of. The Mango Mélange has stained my sheets with its orange color. It washed off easily, but you should not use it around your white satins.

The shea soufflé was the most perfect of the three products I tested. Rich, creamy but very absorbent, feels luxurious, pampers the skin and leaves it in a very happy condition for the whole day. With 47% of natural butters and oils, no mineral oil or petroleum (two ingredients that always end up making my skin feel dry), it's fast becoming my favorite skin saver.

Skin Savers: Carol's Daughter Body Products

*** Winners of the Incense Extreme drawing, go back one post ***

And for today's fun:

My ongoing battle against the cuir de crocodile has been very successful this winter. Carol's Daughter body products have been a great asset in this war, and it looks like I have another holy grail cream: their Shea Soufflé. While they offer several other good options, the soufflé is perfect in a Goldilocks way: not too thick, not too thin, just rich enough to feel satisfying and nurturing.

The regular lotion would probably work for everyone who needs good moisturizing without coating the skin too much. Be careful if you also use the hair milk: the bottles look exactly the same and I ended up with lotion in my hair on a couple of dark mornings when I was primping half asleep, not remembering that the hair products are the ones on the left side of my dresser.

The body butter in the flat tin is amazingly rich, but quite greasy. It forms an excellent protective barrier that would work great for those who spend longer periods of time outside than my regular dash from door to car. You need to be careful if you apply it before dressing up, because it would get on your clothes. This is why I prefer to use it for a quiet night at home, before putting on thick PJs. The next morning my skin feels extra soft. Another word of warning: the butters are chock full of natural ingredients, including the color of whatever fruit they are made of. The Mango Mélange has stained my sheets with its orange color. It washed off easily, but you should not use it around your white satins.

The shea soufflé was the most perfect of the three products I tested. Rich, creamy but very absorbent, feels luxurious, pampers the skin and leaves it in a very happy condition for the whole day. With 47% of natural butters and oils, no mineral oil or petroleum (two ingredients that always end up making my skin feel dry), it's fast becoming my favorite skin saver.

Skin Savers: Carol's Daughter Body Products

*** Winners of the Incense Extreme drawing, go back one post ***

And for today's fun:

My ongoing battle against the cuir de crocodile has been very successful this winter. Carol's Daughter body products have been a great asset in this war, and it looks like I have another holy grail cream: their Shea Soufflé. While they offer several other good options, the soufflé is perfect in a Goldilocks way: not too thick, not too thin, just rich enough to feel satisfying and nurturing.

The regular lotion would probably work for everyone who needs good moisturizing without coating the skin too much. Be careful if you also use the hair milk: the bottles look exactly the same and I ended up with lotion in my hair on a couple of dark mornings when I was primping half asleep, not remembering that the hair products are the ones on the left side of my dresser.

The body butter in the flat tin is amazingly rich, but quite greasy. It forms an excellent protective barrier that would work great for those who spend longer periods of time outside than my regular dash from door to car. You need to be careful if you apply it before dressing up, because it would get on your clothes. This is why I prefer to use it for a quiet night at home, before putting on thick PJs. The next morning my skin feels extra soft. Another word of warning: the butters are chock full of natural ingredients, including the color of whatever fruit they are made of. The Mango Mélange has stained my sheets with its orange color. It washed off easily, but you should not use it around your white satins.

The shea soufflé was the most perfect of the three products I tested. Rich, creamy but very absorbent, feels luxurious, pampers the skin and leaves it in a very happy condition for the whole day. With 47% of natural butters and oils, no mineral oil or petroleum (two ingredients that always end up making my skin feel dry), it's fast becoming my favorite skin saver.

Winners: Tauer Incense Extrême

The lucky winners in the Incense Extrême giveaway are:

Edwardian
Divina
Flora

Please email me your address.

Winners: Tauer Incense Extrême

The lucky winners in the Incense Extrême giveaway are:

Edwardian
Divina
Flora

Please email me your address.

Winners: Tauer Incense Extrême

The lucky winners in the Incense Extrême giveaway are:

Edwardian
Divina
Flora

Please email me your address.

SAG Awards Hair & Makeup

The good news: the smoky eye look seems to be on its way out (I have nothing against the idea of a smoky eye, but what you see on the red carpet is usually lost in translation once you encounter it face to face in the East Village or the Jersey malls). Faces looked fresh, eyes reasonably (unless you're Lisa Rinna) accentuated with black eyeliner and mascara, matte skin, neutral (but usually not beige, except for Eva Longoria who should have gone a couple of shades darker) lips, very little shimmer and no more goopy Paris Hilton mouths.



Christina Applegate's makeup stood out, and not necessarily in her favor. I was happy to see a bolder lip color, but that shimmer all around her eyes looked weird (click on the image to see what I'm talking about).

Teri Hatcher seems as always to have a little more eye makeup than most. And since I didn't have it last night, here's also a picture of her dress:


The bad news is that almost everyone looked like they had their hair and makeup done by the same people. Other than a few actresses (Debra Messing, Marcia Cross, Angelina Jolie) the ruling hairstyle was the soft, messy updo. The weather didn't help things. It rained in L.A during the day and made for a soggy red carpet and frizzy hair.

Another thing of note is the absence of necklaces. Instead, everyone seems to have opted for long, dangling earrings. there were also some pretty bracelets.

An overview of the dresses is in last night's post.


Images: Just Jared, A Socialite's Life

SAG Awards Hair & Makeup

The good news: the smoky eye look seems to be on its way out (I have nothing against the idea of a smoky eye, but what you see on the red carpet is usually lost in translation once you encounter it face to face in the East Village or the Jersey malls). Faces looked fresh, eyes reasonably (unless you're Lisa Rinna) accentuated with black eyeliner and mascara, matte skin, neutral (but usually not beige, except for Eva Longoria who should have gone a couple of shades darker) lips, very little shimmer and no more goopy Paris Hilton mouths.



Christina Applegate's makeup stood out, and not necessarily in her favor. I was happy to see a bolder lip color, but that shimmer all around her eyes looked weird (click on the image to see what I'm talking about).

Teri Hatcher seems as always to have a little more eye makeup than most. And since I didn't have it last night, here's also a picture of her dress:


The bad news is that almost everyone looked like they had their hair and makeup done by the same people. Other than a few actresses (Debra Messing, Marcia Cross, Angelina Jolie) the ruling hairstyle was the soft, messy updo. The weather didn't help things. It rained in L.A during the day and made for a soggy red carpet and frizzy hair.

Another thing of note is the absence of necklaces. Instead, everyone seems to have opted for long, dangling earrings. there were also some pretty bracelets.

An overview of the dresses is in last night's post.


Images: Just Jared, A Socialite's Life