Glorious Lips: Revlon's Lip Cube and Elizabeth Arden's Gloss

I have an unhealthy obsession with lip products.  Gloss, sticks, balms, tints - it doesn't matter the product, I still have to have it.

My family and friends are very aware of this which is why, for my recent birthday, I was lip-spoiled!

Among some other major awesome gifts, (a beautiful key necklace, gift cards, tea and some tear-worthy notes/cards) I was given the Elizabeth Arden Sunkissed Pearl Lip Gloss Trio and Revlon's Super Lustrous Lip Cube .  Both sets contain AMAZING colors I can't wait to show you.

Revlon's Lip Cube contains 9 different shades all of which give you silky smooth color.  I am addicted to wine and berry colors right now so am using about 3 almost everyday.  Here are the colors...

From left to right, the colors are Iced Amethyst, Coffee Bean, Blushed, Softsilver Rose, Love That Red, Blushing Mauve, Wine With Eveything, Rum Raisin and Champagne on Ice.

Look at the color though! Great coverage and gorgeous color.  I am currently wearing Rum Raisin, one of my favorites.

The Elizabeth Arden set has actually surprised me quite a bit.  I am not usually a wearer of Elizabeth Arden but Allan picked up this set for me and I was blown away by the gorgeous shades of gloss.

From left to right, the colors are Pink Pearl, Coral Pearl and Berry Pearl.  These colors are so multifaceted that they instantly glow and shimmer upon contact with your lips.  They also contain something called "Maxi-Lip" which instantly plump the lip to give the appearance of a more full pout.

I wanted to show you the Pink Pearl color.  Of course, my favorite one is Berry Pearl but for a true pink, this gloss is absolutely stunning.

What do you think of the colors?  What can you see as being a color you'd like to try?

    

Drugstore Beauty Must-Haves: Under $20

Drugstore Beauty Must-Haves by redlipgloss

I have slowly become a beauty product snob.

In my twenties I was MORE than happy to use drugstore beauty products for all my beauty needs.  However, since becoming a thirty-something gal, my skin is not as happy with cheaper products which can really put a dent on my credit card.  There are, though, some drugstore items I can not live without.

Batiste Dry Shampoo - This has been, and always will be, my go-to dry shampoo.  You don't need very much to have your locks smelling great and feeling less greasy.

Dial Coconut Water Body Wash - I love the smell of this body wash and how moisturizing it is.  But the smell, ladies.  If you like coconut, you will love this stuff.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation - I am a BB Cream girl but when I break out or need some extra coverage, this foundation has never steered me wrong.  So many colors to choose from, goes on silky smooth and just works for pale gals.

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer - I bathe in this stuff during the summer months.  How great is it that you can smell like the beach by spraying your moisturizer on you.  So convenient.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - I have been using this stuff over my BB Cream for years now.  It's light, matches my white skin and seems to last a good couple months.  Plus it's a bargain!!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Stain - Okay, so I call this a Chubby Stick because it reminds me of the Chubby Sticks that Clinique has, for half the price.  The colors are great and they wear well.  I keep about 3 on me at all times.

ELF Lipsticks -  The nude colors are brilliant especially when you have a smoky eye.  Plus, they cost about $3.  Amazing deal.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara - As you all know, I've raved about this mascara plenty and it's been in my roster for years (I've since discovered Younique and it's now my favorite).  This mascara though is perfect for traveling or if you are out of your go-to expensive brand.

L'Oreal Light Infusing Primer - Oh ladies, if you haven't mixed this with your favorite BB Cream or foundation, you have to. It gives you a bit of highlighting without looking like you're too made up.  I am such a sucker for shimmery things.

Soap & Glory Scrub of Your Life - I typically make my own body scrub as it's easy and natural but in a pinch, this is my go-to scrub.  It smells delicious and works like a charm.

ESSIE Nail Polish - Love this brand and the price point.  It's a polish that seems to last on my nails and the colors are brilliant.

What drugstore beauty products can't you live without??

    

The Greatest Lip Product Haul EVER!

Last week, I went crazy and purchased lipsticks and lip glosses galore.

It's not like I don't have enough lip products (I'll show you what I mean very soon) to be honest, but I'm always drawn to pink things. It's almost as if there was an invisible force MAKING me buy more pink lippies. It seemed to actually tell me "to buy all the pink lip products I could find". So, I of course, did just that.

I purchased the Coca-Cola Lip Smackers Collection (which I've been eyeing for quite some time), an Essence Lip Liner, 2 Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Lipsticks, an Essence Lipstick, a Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter and an Essence Longlasting Lip Gloss.  Whew, just wait till you see the colors.

So, my life isn't complete unless I have about 20 Lip Smackers glosses around my house, in my purse or at work.  Honestly, I use the Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers every day.  However, I've been wanting this pack for quite some time and bit the bullet, spent the $15, and am loving the package so much that I can't even open it yet.  I'm hoping to try them all out this weekend.  The package contains the following flavors/scents: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Vanilla, Barq's Rootbeer, Sprite, Fanta, Fanta Orange, Grape and Fanta Strawberry.  Yummy!

If I use a lip liner, it's always nude in color.  I find that it's easier to work with and goes with every lipstick tone.  So, purchasing a colored lip liner is completely out of my element, especially when it's this pink.  The brand is Essence and the color is called 07 Cute Pink.  I'm thinking this will work perfectly with all my new pink toned lippies.

Lately, I've been very impressed with Rimmel London's lipcolors.  Not only are the inexpensive, rich in color and longlasting, but they are extremely moisturizing.  I selected these two tones from the new "Kate" line, obviously inspired by the gorgeous Kate Moss.  The color on the left is called 05 and the one on the right is 06.  (No fancy names here!).  Both are beautiful colors and have already made their way to my lips this entire week.

The Essence lipstick is also a gorgeous red-pink tone.  I bought this, never having heard of the line before, because it was only $0.99.  Yes, you heard me right.  Not too sure if it's because the color is crap or just on sale.  Either way, as soon as I wear it I will let you know my verdict.  The color, in case you want to try it out, is called 49 Like a Lady.

Gorgeous gorgeous lip glosses!  I am loving the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters so I picked up a new shade called 075 Lollipop.  It's super bright and almost fuchsia-toned so it's perfect for a day when I'm wearing less makeup.  The other gloss is also from Essence, cost a whopping $1.99 and is called 09 Hottest Pink.  Honestly, you can't go wrong with a nice cheerfully bright gloss.

There you have it ladies?  Did I go overboard on the pink?

FOTD: Dramatic Eyes For a Boudoir Photo Shoot

Saturday was such a fun, and nerve-wrecking, day for me.  It was the day of my boudoir photo shoot AND the day that my fabulous friend, Ariella (a makeup artist), showed me her amazing skills and did my makeup.

The day began with me arriving at her house in the morning with absolutely no makeup on or my hair done.  She got to work immediately and transformed me from plain-Jane to model fabulous.  After I finished doing my hair, the look was done.  Check out the before and after photos...

Good Morning!  It`s 10 am and I actually left the house without makeup OR my hair done.  Definitely a first for me

A couple hours and a delightful straightening job later, the look is complete.

Makeup used on my face:

Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher (primer)

Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse Makeup in 010 Vanilla

Youngblood Ultimate Concealer in Fair

Clinique Perfectly Real Compact Makeup in Shade 102 N

For the cheeks:

L'Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer

GOSH Giant Sun Powder in 001

Physicians Formula Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in Natural 

Quo Minerals Matter Blush in Pink Petal 

For the eyebrows:

Youngblood Brow Artiste Palette in Dark

For the eyes:

M.A.C Prep and Prime Eye

M.A.C Silver, Black and Grey Eye Shadows Color Unknown (Must ask Ariella)

Smashbox Cream Eye Liner Palette in Cameo

Estee Lauder Magnascopic Mascara in Black

Ardell False Eye Lashes 

Quo Lash Adhesive 

For the lips:

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Rose Elixir

I am so fortunate to know such a fantastic makeup artist AND have the pleasure of saying how great of a friend she is.  I will say though, that she gave my quite a bit of slack about the shape of my eyebrow brush because according to her "it's completely bent out of shape and useless..."  All in all, it was a fantastic day filled with makeup, a few hours of photos, multiple lingerie outfits and tons of laughter.  

An Outrageous L'Oreal and Revlon Haul

A few days ago I walked into Shoppers Drug Mart about $65 richer than I was walking out.  And the funny thing about it was I only got a five items!!!

I'm sure I shared this tidbit already but I have a boudoir photoshoot coming up on January 28th.  Honestly, I don't think I've ever been as excited and nervous as I am about this.  For some reason, knowing that my body is about to be on display in a way it never has before has got me thinking about my pale skin, my extra 7 pounds and my facial expressions.  After I kick the little negatives out of my head, I realize how much fun I'm going to have AND how much Allan is going to enjoy them.  Plus, I get to buy some great cosmetics, hence my Shoppers run.

I seemed to gravitate towards Revlon and L'Oreal products this time and ended up selecting (from left to right) L'Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer, L'Oreal Color Riche Balm in Rose Elixir, Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse Makeup and L'Oreal Magic Lumi Concealer.

First up is the primer which is such a fantastic product.  I love anything that makes my skin glow and this really does the trick.  Not only do I glow but my skin feels smooth and it doesn't get oily during the day.  I have been using this since I bought it and am constantly getting compliments on my "dewy" looking skin.

Look how dewy my hand looks after the primer's rubbed in.

 Next is the lip balm.  Typically, I'm not a balm wearer unless my lips are horribly chapped but I liked this one because it will be perfect with all the lacy, feminine outfits I'll be photographed in and it keeps my lips extremely moisturized.

See how nice and pink it is on my wrist?

Thirdly is the mousse makeup.  I have used a mousse before (Sally Hansen) and wasn't the biggest fan.  I found the coverage to be too light and the product itself was not quite fair enough for my pastey pale skin tone. However, this new Revlon product was definitely created with the fair gals in mind. (Plus having Emma Stone as the spokesperson isn't too bad either.)  The cosmetician recommended it and said it will be great in photos as it's designed to make your skin look airbrushed.

Love this picture.  Not only can you see how perfect
the mousse matches my skin tone but specks of the light infusing primer is also poking through.

Last but not least, the light infusing concealer.  Just so you all know, a concealer that contains light-infusing particles is perfect for dark circles.  For some reason, it makes the sun bounce off your eyes and creates a more youthful appearance.  Having said that, it matches my tone well and I'm looking forward to seeing how it holds up in a camera lens.

Did I mention that my fab friend, Ariella (a makeup artist) is going to be doing my makeup?  Sigh, I can not wait for this to go down.  Just a couple more weeks.

Ladies, have you used any of these products before?  What are your thoughts?

The Revlon Suede Rhapsody Multi-Use Palette Is Mine....!!!

Photo courtesy of www.saleevent.ca

As you all know, I recently purchased the Revlon Limited Edition Lip Palette and blogged about it HERE.  In that post, though, I spoke about last year's palette called the Suede Rhapsody Multi-Use Palette and, after an active eBay search, found a new one and purchased it for only $7.95 (including shipping.)  I know, AMAZING.  And, guess what showed up at my doorstep on Friday????

How gorgeous is this right?  What's better than a tiny clutch-sized eye/cheek/lip palette?  This little palette has two eye shadows (the burgundy and grey in the bottom row), two blushes (the white highlighter and peach in the top row) and a gorgeous red lip gloss.  I was kicking myself last year for not buying this palette so the fact that I actually found an unused one is just amazing.  Sigh, such a good deal.

Now, for a little sneak peek into Christmas at my house.  I should begin by saying that Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year and if it wasn't frowned upon, I would begin decorating at the end of September.  But, since it IS frowned upon, I waited until the middle of November, instead.  So, this past weekend I put up my Christmas tree.  (Since Thanksgiving in Canada is in October, I guess we get into the Christmas spirit a bit earlier.)  Anyway, my Christmas tree is filled with tons of different snowmen because snowmen are my absolute favorite thing to collect over the holidays.

Isn't it adorable...

PS - Sorry for the strangely yellow pictures.  Allan used the camera for some bike pictures over the weekend and I have NO idea how to change the settings......boooo.

Fall 2011 Favorites: Lipstick!

Lipstick makes me happier than ribs slathered in my favorite BBQ sauce.  Honestly, I'm just sayin'.  As scrumptious as ribs (or any BBQ food) are there is a certain je ne sais quoi about a fabulous colored lipstick.  Well, for me anyway.  It adds a bounce to my step and can sometimes make me feel fabulous even on the worst day.  With that in mind, here's a list of my favorite lipsticks that completed my looks this fall:

Maybelline Fifth Ave. Fuchsia #160

I'm swooning just looking at this picture.  There is nothing sexier than rocking a fabulous fuchsia lip with some killer over-the-knee boots.  Honestly, this was my staple color for about three weeks.  I love this one by Maybelline because the color lasts a long time, the smudging is minimal and the actual color of the lipstick is divine. 

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Bouquet

I love the Bite line because it has an all-natural ingredient list.  Plus it's jam-packed with antioxidants that leave your lips smooth and moisturized.  This color is one I wear to the office a lot because of the sunny pink tone.  It's not too overwhelming as a color but gives your lips a nice pop color. I highly recommend this color and product line.

Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Berry, Berry Nice

I bought this by accident.  I thought I ordered a wine color but instead received a bright red berry tone which has actually taken the place as my favorite red over Youngblood's Crimson.  (I know, shocking.)  Either way, this color suits my skin tone to a tee because it's blue-based.  I have honestly been on the hunt for a blue-based berry red for so long and it's crazy to think I found it for under $4.  This lipstick is rich in color, wears well, doesn't smudge too much and looks great on.  I do wish that the color would last a bit longer on my lips though.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Love That Pink #435

I find the name of this color funny because, once on, it almost looks a bit orange.  Either way, this color is on the list for a reason.  I apply this color a couple times first thing in the morning and the color lasts all day, even through lunch.  I love the feel of it on my lips and my lips obviously love it since they stay moisturized all day.  Plus, it was on sale and I bought it for only $3.99...such a steal.

I should probably mention that I use a nude/natural lip liner with all my lipsticks, not a colored one.  I like nude lip liners because they hold the color of your lipstick in place and don't leave a horrible line around your lips when your lipstick fades.  My go-to is Rimmel London's 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Natural.  I definitely recommend it if you're on the hunt for a bargain.

What are your favorite lipsticks for fall?  Have you tried any of these before?

PS - It's time for another Wedding Wednesday Post so check it out at www.rubyna.com

Want It? Revlon's Limited Edition Lip Palette in Bordeaux in the Snow

Attempting to find the Revlon Limited Edition Lip Palette was about as difficult as my shopping excursions to Superstore for the Joe Fresh Fuchsia Lipstick.  However, back in September the lipstick was mine and as of this past Friday, and because of a friendly neighborhood Shoppers Drug Mart that's directly below my office building, the limited edition palette is also mine.  Yippee....

Revlon first came out with a limited edition palette back in 2010 with the Suede Rhapsody collection.  I'll be honest, I didn't pick up the original multi-use palette and have been kicking myself ever since.  However, since I need eye shadow like I need a hole in the head, I'm quite happy I waited for this little treasure. 

All the colors are absolutely stunning and definitely fit the color scheme for fall 2011.  My absolute favorite color is the fuchsia in the top corner, of course, but the deep plum tone at the bottom is completely smashing. Check out some of my swatches:

From left to right, Fuchsia, Nude and Deep Plum (excluded are the two light colors.

I picked this up for about $13 and it has been in my purse ever since.  I'm extremely happy with my purchase.  Next time you're stumbling through a Shoppers, you should definitely pick one up.

PS - On a different note, HAPPY HALLOWEEN my friends.  Did you get up to anything interesting over the weekend?  Allan and I did a walking murder/ghost tour last night around Vancouver and it was so much fun.  Best part of it was that it didn't rain!!!  HA.  Hope you all have a great day and eat lots of candy!

XO Christina