New Makeup For May

I realize it’s been a shamefully long time since I’ve posted anything. Sorry. I could get into the nitty-gritty, but let’s just leave it at: my health isn’t perfect. To compensate for feeling terrible, and being poked and prodded like a lab rat, I’ve been doing a little retail therapy.

I wanted to share my most recent YouTube video with you about what I’ve been loving! I still have lots more that I’ve recorded and need to edit and upload. So like I tell my kids, “Chop, Chop lollipop!” I’ve got lots more to share, just give me some time.

Thanks for taking the time to check this out. Enjoy!

Favorite Beauty Products for Spring

I wanted to show you what I’ve been wearing on my face on a fairly regular basis the last several weeks. I find that I’m reaching for these products quite a bit these days.

Beauty Favorites for Spring 2013 by thelipstickgal featuring tarte concealer

Lancôme matte foundation / Tarte concealer / Beauty product / Revlon Photo Ready Bronzing Kit, Bronzed and Chic, 0.4 Ounce / Exuviance Age Reverse Day Repair SPF 30, 1.75 Oz / Maybelline New York Dream Bouncy Blush, Peach Satin, 0.19 Ounce / Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm 05 Plushest…

Here’s what interesting about these products to me. I have a ton of products that are similar to these. I must have 5 bronzers, 9 blushes, 11 mascaras, 3 pressed powders, 8 concealers, and 12-15 black pencil eye liners. These are the ones I reach for the most. I do use the others, but when I’m pressed for time, these are the ones I know I can trust for a quick look.

I started using the Exuviance Age Reverse Day Repair SPF 30 in mid January. I love this stuff. It helps counter act hyper-pigmentation while it fends off free radicals and boosts collagen. I also love that as the product dispenses, no air enters the tube, keeping the product factory perfect. The tube just collapses on itself. Perfect to the last drop.

I usually skip foundation in spring and summer, and just dot this Tarte concealer where I need it. (under eye area, corners of my nose, hyper-pigmentation spots) This is my favorite. Out of all the many I’ve tried (including Benefit’s new Fake Up) nothing works as well as this. I also love that it doesn’t settle in the crinkles under my eyes.

Lancome Dual Finish Versatile Powder is great to have in my makeup collection. I use it mainly as a quick topping to my face with a brush for a soft focus look. It sets my concealer and gives my skin a bit of sheer coverage. You can also use it with a damp sponge for full coverage as a foundation. I haven’t tried it yet, but I might come fall.

Eye liner is tricky territory with me. I have greasy eyes, and even some waterproof eyeliners can become a mess. Add an eye cream, and it’s a loosing battle. As a 38-year-old, I need an eye cream. I have found that tight lining is the best way for me to define my eyes on a daily basis. I love to use Smashbox’s Jetset cream liner, but when I don’t have time for a brush, and precision, I just grab for my favorite waterproof pencil. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes is amazing. It’s truly the best. I like it better than Stila’s Smudge Sticks and Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil. (both are waterproof)

I’ve been on a mascara binge recently. I have 4 full size tubes of Lancome mascara, some Benefit, Make Up Forever, Clinique, and 4 faves from the drugstore. The one I can’t stop using is Cover Girl’s Clump Crusher. I have one at home in my collection, and one in my purse in my just-in-case makeup bag. Love this stuff!

I was late getting on the Mabelline Dream Bouncy Blush band wagon. I just picked some up at the beginning of this year, and I love the peachy color I got. I also love how easily it blends with just my fingers. It feels idiot proof. I say that because when I’m in a hurry, I can be sloppy. This is the perfect brush free blush for fast times.

Bronzer has been a scary cosmetic item for me for years. I say this because I’m really pale. So pale, that some high-end makeup counters don’t have a good foundation or concealer match for my skin tone. They’re too dark or too pink. I was always worried that bronzer would make me look orange, or like an Oompa Loompa. I realized that bronzer on my light skin was all about application. Using a light hand, and using a matte bronzer was what I needed. Revlon PhotoReady Bronzer is my favorite right now.

I have way too many lipsticks. Every spring I’m looking to update my look and go on a hunt for something new. This isn’t a new product, but when the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense came out, I got winter colors. Now that it’s spring, I needed something with a bit more punch. This is the perfect  bright pink for spring and summer. I’m sure it’s perfect all year long, but it’s just what I was looking for to wake up my face for spring. It’s called Plushest Punch.

Tell me what you’re wearing every day on your face. Do you have a beauty favorite? Is there one product you can’t leave the house without?

The French Kiss Lip

I’ll admit that my favorite look for lipstick is about an hour after it’s been applied. It’s had a chance to settle in, and not look too perfect. It looks like I care, but am not constantly futzing with my lipstick. A few hours or a meal later, and it’s definitely touch up time.

When I saw this story called The French Kiss from Into The Gloss the entire idea of what lipstick could look like changed for me. Maybe next time I’ll just let my faded lip go. Maybe it’s a low fuss idea of how to wear bolder colors this spring. It definitely gives it that lived in look. The good part, no lip liner needed.

Pat MaGrath makeup for Christian Dior Fall 2013 fashion show – The French Kiss Lip

Ugly Shoes and Why I Wear Them

I swear I hate ugly shoes! If I could have my wish, I would wear shoes like the ones I pin so lovingly to my “Beautiful Shoes” board on Pinterest. Of course real life gets in the way, and I can’t afford these beauties. As a mom of 2 pre-school age children, heel aren’t always ideal. I used to wear heels to work every day. Now, I only wear heels when I’m dressing up.

I find it strange that I have such an abhorrence for ugly shoes, but have owned so many of them over the years. If you were to open my closet, you would find several pairs. They have official functions. No, really they do. I promise.

During the early 90s I was the proud owner of a pair of Birkinstocks. My first pair of ugly shoes I purchased as an adult. I’ll admit they were all the rage. I got them because a hippy friend of mine told me how comfortable they were. And they were comfortable, amazingly so, but they just didn’t go with anything. I wore them all the time. Well, until the cold weather struck. I promise I never wore them with socks.

Birkenstocks – Navy Suede Birks in the style Arizona. Just like the ones I had

In years past I also had a pair of UGGs. I only wore them as after ski boots. This was before the UGG craze of the early 2000s. I had them a solid decade before I saw Samantha on Sex in the City wearing UGGs. By the way, I had the exact same ones. Same color and everything. I’m glad to say I no longer have a pair of UGGs and haven’t for years.

Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones in Sex in the City in UGG boots

Sadly, when Crocs came out, I picked up a pair. I wore them to the pottery lab, and then out gardening. I never went any place of consequence in them, but I still do have a pair of hot pink crocs. Now they live by the back door, and I use them when I’m taking out the trash. They are some of the ugliest shoes known to man, but oddly are cute on kids. My kids wear them all summer long.

Classic Croc Clog in Hot Pink

Several years ago I read an amazing book called Born to Run by Christopher McDougal. It was an inspirational book about ultra-marathon running, a small tribe of Mexican Indians who run for fun, and the idea of running with a minimalist shoe. Since Born to Run was published, there are many more options for a minimalist running shoe. I was so inspired by the book, I vowed to take up running, and got a pair of Vibram Five Fingers.

Vibram Five Fingers Classic in Black

The most recent pair of “ugly” shoes added to my collection were a pair of Dansko Professional Clogs. I have a long history with clogs. My first pair of shoes I remember loving were a pair of red leather and wood clogs I wore when I lived in Spain with my family in the late 70s. My mother still has those clogs on display on her hearth. They are worn down to the nub. The stitching is coming undone, the rubber sole is worn through on the heels, and the toes are all scuffed up, but I LOVED those shoes. I wore them every day for over a year. I cried when I didn’t fit in them anymore. Ever since then, my parents would buy me clogs whenever we happened upon them. I wore them through middle school, and high school. I had pairs in college and even in my early 20s. Now, my mother buys clogs for my daughters.

About 18 months ago, I was visiting my parents in Ohio and we stopped into one of my mother’s favorite shoe stores. She offered to buy a pair of shoes for me, and I ended up picking these. Mainly because I always let my parents buy me clogs for nostalgic purposes. As I was writing this blog, I only now realized that the clogs I chose were Limited Edition Dansko Professional 20th Anniversary Clogs. No wonder every Dansko lover I ever run into loves these clogs.

Limited Edition 20th Anniversary Dansko Professional Clog

I feel like I’ve let some ugly skeletons out of my closet. I’m not sure if skeletons or these shoes are worse. So here is where I need to know: do you own any ugly shoes? Have you ever? Has your fashion sense ever stopped you from purchasing ugly shoes,when your feet were screaming for comfort? Please tell me I’m not alone in my ugly shoe shame.

Featured Post on Beauty Expression by Luchessa

I’m so excited! I was asked to write a blog for my beauty blogger friend Luchessa, and it’s up today. I wanted to write about something I don’t frequently talk about: cleansing. I highlighted 3 of my favorite cleansing products that have made a huge difference in the way my face feels and looks. I hope you’ll check out my guest post today. If you do, make sure to subscribe to Luchessa’s blog. She writes about products I want to get my hands on, and gently reminds me to be good to myself in my beauty regimen. You can also find her on Twitter.  Just let her know I sent you.

Cleansers featured in my blog for Beauty Expressons by Luchessa

Drugstore Chubbies

You must know this by now, but I’m a sucker for a new lip product. In the past several months, I’ve been trolling the drugstore aisles becoming more aware of what is there, and falling in love with a few new items.

I initially fell in love with Clinique’s Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Color Balm many years ago when they first came out. It was the first chubby I ever got my hands on. I now have NARS Velvet Gloss pencils (essentially a fat pencil), Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint, and Urban Decay’s Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color. All of these are essentially lip crayons. Fat lip pencils/lip balms with beautiful color. I have been attempting to break out of my high end makeup love affair, and start discovering the amazing makeup that the drugstore holds.

I’ve finally gotten over my fear of getting the wrong thing at the drugstore. Over the last several months I’ve picked up some new lip “chubby” pencils. I love that these are twistable color lip products. These three products are new at the drugstore in the past several months.

Flower Sheer Up Lip Tint in Lacey Laurel, Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick in Fresh Papaya, Cover Girl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Berry Twist

Flower Beauty Makeup is a new line exclusively at Wal-Mart by Drew Barrymore. It’s supposed to be high end makeup at an affordable price. I’ve tried several other lip products from the Flower line, and the Sheer Up Lip Tint is a nice addition at $7.98. This lip tint has no odor at all. I love that. I normally expect drugstore products to smell either waxy or super sweet and candy like. The texture of this lip tint is creamy on the lip. It looks great with one swipe of color, and builds up nicely with several passes over the lip. There is no drag when applying it, but of the three in this review, it is the hardest of all the products. I don’t feel like it would snap off if I twisted it up a little higher than I needed to when applying.

Flower Sheer Up Lip Tint in Lacey Laurel

The Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick is so smooth going on. It almost feels like I’m putting butter on my lips. It does have a bit of fine gritty texture to it because of the reflective quality of the lip product. I only noticed it today as I was sitting down to review this product for my blog. I have several of these chubbies from Neutrogena, and I only just noticed it. What I really notice and don’t care for is the scent. It’s very strong and sweet. It reminds me of Fruit Loops cereal. Sugary, sweet and artificial. I know some people like the scent, but I’m not a fan. Over all, I love the color, the feel of it on my lips, the way it wears for at least 3 hours (sometimes longer) and the price.

Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick in Fresh Papaya

I was a bit hesitant to pick up the Cover Girl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm because I couldn’t see the actual color of the product. The cap was opaque and supposedly the color of the product. I had read great reviews of this product the first week it was out, so I took a step of faith, and got one. Recently, it’s been my favorite drugstore chubby and I use it all the time. I love how hydrating it feels on my lips, and how build-able the color is. Of these three chubbies, this one has the best texture. It’s amazingly smooth and creamy. It’s not heavy at all on my lips. They do have a slight waxy scent. I only smell it when I put the product right to my nose and sniff. If I didn’t already have a drawer full of chubbies, I would get the entire Cover Girl Jumbo Gloss Balm line. I might do that still.

Cover Girl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Berry Twist

Do you prefer a tube of lipstick over the chubbies? Do you have a favorite brand of chubby you swear by? What lip product is in your purse right now that you’re wearing for spring? I’d love to hear from you. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section.

Apply your bronzer the right way!

Reblogged from Fit For Fab:

From now on you can't go wrong with your bronzer. With this detailed guide you will surely succeed a perfect bronzed look for any occasion! Hope it helped you! :) :D xoxo

I like how easy these steps are for applying bronzer.

One Year Anniversary Blog Post!

It’s been an entire year of blogging! I was amazed when I opened up my blog today, and saw the “Happy Anniversary” bubble from WordPress. Truthfully, I completely forgot. I’m one of those people who doesn’t remember. I always joke that my husband is my extra brain. He remembers birthdays, special occasions, reminds me of obligations I’ve made and have forgotten. If he was a bigger part of my blogging life, he would’ve reminded me that my one year blogging anniversary was coming up. He’s not a regular reader, so he doesn’t know what’s going on here at The Lipstick Gal.

I wanted to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. This past year has been fun. I started this blog as a way to encourage myself to stop leaving the house looking like a Mommy Zombie. In the past year I have acquired not only lots of fun cosmetics, but I’ve finally rediscovered my inner glamour girl. I’ve learned to tight line my eyes, I’ve tried countless types of mascara, I’ve signed up for 3 different fashion and beauty subscription services, and so much more. When I look back at it all, if I hadn’t rediscovered my inner glamour girl, it wasn’t for lack of trying. I feel like I’ve been getting packages in the mail almost every other week from either Sephora, Ulta, Birchbox, Zoya, Ipsy, e-Salon and Little Black Bag. Throw in a little online clothes shopping and there is almost always a box arriving at the house with my name on it. The past year has been good to me. Good-bye Mommy Zombie!

Of all the things I’ve learned this year, the one that I’ve been enjoying the most has definitely been nail art. My polish collection has grown over the past year. I now have over 100 polishes.

Zoya Stripey Love Fest! Raven, Trixie, Ziv, Fei Fei

I wore this look last weekend and loved it. It wasn’t hard to do at all, I painted all my nails black with Zoya Raven, then used a striper brush to add the lines with 3 different metallic colors from Zoya. Trixie (silver), Ziv (gold), Fei Fei (metallic silvery blue).

After taking it off  to change my polish, I found a tear in my thumb nail. I was so sad I had to clip them all down to nubbins. Here’s what I did in my free time today as my kids napped.

Franken polish – my own light blue concoction using Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear White On and a drop or two of China Glaze Man Hunt, Essie Chinchilly, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls

Last week I started playing around with making my own nail polish shades. Since Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear polish isn’t terribly expensive, I picked up several bottles of White On. It’s a favorite white shade of mine. I started adding drops of other colors I had in my stash to make pretty pastel shades for spring. I put them all in empty Seche Vite top coat bottles. I stopped throwing them away months ago when I started thinking about making my own colors. I really like this pretty shade of blue. It seemed just right for a cloudy set of nails.

Although this year has been a year of falling in love with nail polish and nail art, I still have my first love: Lipstick. I’ll show you some new swatches in the next few days. Thanks again for reading!

Please tell me, what has been the best part of your last 12 months? I’d love to know.

Flower Beauty Lip Products Review

I’ve been waiting to share this review with you. I managed to take the pictures myself. You know those awkward arm’s length pictures people take of themselves on vacation, that’s what I did. Only I had a digital SLR camera with a flash at arm’s length. I should have put some of the epic photo fails here, but it’s already a photo heavy post. So here we go!

If you’re not familiar with Flower Beauty, it’s Drew Barrymore’s brand new cosmetic line. It’s available only at Wal-Mart. The idea is high-end products at drugstore prices. Of course I was very intrigued and wanted to see if the ideal held up in reality. I was interested in trying out more of the line, but my local Wal-Mart only had a 3-sided end cap display with nail polish, mascara, eye liner, and 4 types of lip products that will all be featured here in this post.

Princess and the Peony Lip Butter and Pretty in Petunia Lip Gloss

Flower Lip Butter in Princess and the Peony

This first lip swatch is the Lip Butter in Princess and the Peony. I like the way it feels on my lips. It’s very sheer in one swipe, but build-able. It doesn’t stay for hours on your lips because it’s a lip butter. I found that this lasted about 3 hours max on my lips before it looked like I wasn’t wearing anything. I would’ve re-applied long before, but I wanted to see how long before it was completely gone. I think that the darker shades might last longer. What I don’t like about his product is the packaging. It’s way too big. It’s enormous actually. The odd thing about it is, when you take the cap off, how small the bullet of product looks. It’s almost as if they are over compensating for such a small amount of product. I would like it much better in a slimmer package. I also have a difficult time getting the cap to snap back on properly. Of all the lip products in the post, the cap on this product gives me the most hassle. Over all, I like the product. I wish there was more of it in the package, and different packaging all together.

Flower Shine On Lip Gloss in Pretty in Petunia

This Lip Gloss in Pretty in Petunia is so wearable. It’s a lovely coral/pink shade that is easy to wear. I also love that it’s not sticky. It’s also one that leaves my lips feeling hydrated after wearing it. It’s not terribly long wearing, it’s a gloss after all, but I didn’t find myself reaching for it constantly. I like the formula of this gloss. It’s got enough pigment that you can see the color of it on your lips easily, and it’s smooth and easy to apply. It’s also a nice shine without being over the top.

Rose Bud Gloss Lip Color, Flamingo Flower and Petal Kiss Velvet Lip Color

Flower Velvet Lip Color in Petal Kiss

This lipstick was not in my initial haul. I went back for this shade. The two colors I got initially, I picked based on the colors on the bottom of the tube. They seemed like pretty, but not overly vivid colors. I was totally wrong. They are extremely vivid. I picked this one up a few days later to have a wearable shade for work and every day.  This is called Petal Kiss and is a matte lipstick. I like that it’s creamy when you apply it. Even though it’s totally matte, you still have a smooth and soft feeling on your lips. After a few hours it can be a bit drying. I find that to be true with most matte lipsticks, even the high-end ones. This one out performed all of my drugstore matte lipsticks. It also lasted for nearly 6 hours. I decided to wear it with a quick swipe of lip balm underneath and it’s perfect.

Flower Velvet Lip Color in Flamingo Flower

This is another Velvet Lip Color (matte lipstick) in Flamingo Flower. Basically a bright, pop pink. This is a great shade for spring and summer. I’m wearing it now with BB cream, skinny black eye liner, blackest black mascara, concealer an a hint of blush and highlighter. It’s so pretty and fresh. This one fades, but never seems to go away. It leaves a stain on my lips. Since it’s such an intense color, it’s so very obvious when my lips are chapped. They are a bit in the picture. (Oops) I make sure to exfoliate before wearing this shade, use a lip balm, and let it have time to sink in, then line my lips in a neutral shade before applying this color directly from the tube. It’s a fun color, but not one for every day, or every occasion.

Flower High Shine Lip Color in Rose Bud

I always love a red lipstick, but when looking for shades from the Flower line I specifically tried to not get a red lip color. I tried really hard. I looked at the bottom the tube where the color swatch is and this one looked more coral pink to me. Well, a deep coral pink, but anything but red. I also will say, I’m never one to swatch products in the store. All the drugstore products are sealed and for sale. I’d love it if they had testers, but those days are over. I don’t remember seeing testers in the drugstore since my mom was buying products there. So, I buy blindly. (and with hope) It’s a beautiful color, but not what I wanted. Beware the color swatches on the displays, and the colors on the bottom of the lipstick tubes. They aren’t always accurate.

That aside, I love the formula of this lipstick. This to me was the closest to a high-end lipstick for a drug store price. It felt so smooth and creamy on my lips. The shine was also amazing. I had a better picture showing the shine, but it was terribly out of focus. This lipstick reminded me of the Lancome Color Design formula or the Estee Lauder Pure Color formula. I was actually swatching this Flower lipstick alongside these two Lancome and Estee Lauder formulas to see how they felt. Texture, drag on the lip, shine, opacity, and it was amazing. This little $6.98 lipstick from Wal-Mart performs like a high-end lipstick. Lancome Color Design sells for $22, and Estee Lauder Pure Color sells for $25. I have several of both.

If you’re wondering if it’s worth it, I’d say give it a go. My only draw back is the inability to try the colors out first. Do some research online before going to Wal-Mart. Check with other beauty blogger and see their reviews of other colors. Look for real swatches. Make sure the colors you’re buying are the colors you really want. Even though I can wear all the colors I got, I wasn’t expecting what I got. I found the colors on the lipstick tubes to be misleading. They aren’t accurate all the time.

The Flower lipsticks have the color on the tube. Beware, it’s not a perfect color match to the product inside.

I’m excited to try some new Flower products when my local Wal-Mart starts to stock the complete collection. If I pick up anymore of them, I’ll let you know. What are you enjoying from the drug store these days? Have you tried any of the Flower products from Wal-Mart?

P.S. I have a YouTube review if you’re interested.

Flower Cosmetics – Nail Polish Part 2

I know, I know. I promised a makeup related post. I have 4 new lip products to share with you from Flower Beauty. (Drew Barrymore’s new cosmetic line) It’s hard to find someone to take the pictures of me wearing the lip colors. My normal partner in crime (husband) has been working late and when he comes home, I feel bad asking him to take endless picture of lipsticks. I could take low quality pictures from my phone camera, but that would just be awful. I’ll wait. Maybe I’ll just have to settle for a swatch on my hand.

Here’s another nail color I picked up at Walmart for $4.98. This one is called “I LavenDare You”. It’s such a pretty color. I was trying to see if it would look better with, or without flash. I still don’t think I quite caught the shade. It has more of lilac shade to it than these pictures show. Something else I couldn’t manage to catch in these pictures was the slightest sparkle I saw in the polish when I pulled the brush out and started to paint my nails. It’s not glitter, and I’m not sure quite how to describe it. Maybe I’m not enough of a technical nail junkie yet. It surprised me because I couldn’t see it while it was in the bottle, and it was so pretty and subtle on the nail.

These photos are with 2 coats. I think a 3rd might have helped the color show up a bit more. Next time I wear it, I’ll use 3.

Flower Beauty Polish in I LavenDare You – 2 Coats – No Flash

Flower Beauty Polish in I LavenDare You – 2 Coats – With Flash

I don’t have a lilac shade quite like this one, and I love how pretty and feminine it is. I think there is a good chance I’ll be getting more of these polishes. Especially since they’re $4.98 each.