You know, I just can't ever toss a beauty product. I find it hard to get rid of even the most terrible eyeshadow or cheap lip balm because I just might need it some day!
Well, this is one of those items. It's the C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint Pink Mint No. 1644. I don't really need to keep it around because I'm not terribly in love with it. Sure, it smells and tastes minty, but there just isn't really any color payoff.
I use this mainly to top off intense lipsticks that need a little bit of shine to them. I've had this tube for years and just never used it up.
You can purchase this lip tint on the Bath & Body Works website HERE for $7.50.
I pooled it up so you can see what I suppose the color is supposed to look like!
Photo taken from B&BW's website
(Looks much more pink! Plus I prefer this newer packaging.)
Don't lie - I know you must have some of these! They always seem so remarkably tempting in B&BW.
XOXO
-K
Email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com
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All items were purchased by Orange Lipstick for personal use and review purposes.
One thing I really love about makeup is its ability to conjure up memories. Often, that can take the form of a signature scent or look. For me, this Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio ($33) brings up memories of a trip I took to Washington DC.
I was dreadfully excited that there was Macy's nearby, as we don't have one near where I live. In all honesty, the store was a bit overwhelming but the cosmetics counters were spectacular!
My eye caught on the lovely trios sitting on the Shiseido counter. My wonderfully exotic looking saleswoman offered to do a makeup look on me with this trio, GD804 - Opera.
Does that middle color look a bit green to you? It does to me but it actually comes across as gold-ish.
I loved the look she created and just had to pick up this baby. This was my first piece of (what I considered at the time) very high-end makeup. However, this is actually a great amount of product and it's so creamy and pigmented that you hardly need to use any to have a great impact!
Plus, this was my "souvenir" for the trip! I felt big in a big city when I left Macy's and explored DC. Wonderful! (I even got compliments from a few strangers that day!)
Swatched Dry
Swatched Wet
I know what you're thinking: "What would I ever do with that baby blue color?!" I thought the same thing. Put the middle shade as a wash all over your lid and then use the dark green in your crease. Then, with a really light touch, take a bit of that blue and put it on the outer corner of your lid. The key is to go lightly!
I do love this trio and definitely recommend it! You can purchase on Shiseido's website HERE. I wouldn't mind having VI308 - Bouquet and PK403 - Boudoir in my stash!
PK403 - Boudoir Photo taken from Shiseido's website
VI308 - Bouquet
Photo taken from Shiseido's website
XOXO
-K
Email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com
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All items were purchased by Orange Lipstick for personal use and review purposes.
Today I’m being cruel and showing you a polish that you simply can’t get anymore! This beauty is Finger Paints Asylum and it was only available at Sally Beauty stores through the month of January this year. It was $5.49 but you can find a few on eBay for DRASTIC mark-ups. Please, please don’t pay $26 for this bottle, my friends.
However, it is incredibly glorious! If you’ve never heard of flakie polish, allow me to introduce you! The idea is to layer a flakie polish over a dark color, preferably black. I’ve used a dark eggplant color before but the effect was not nearly as nice as over black.
The effect is given off from tiny flakes inside a clear base. The bottle I have, Asylum, has red and blue flakes that flash different colors at different angles. I see purple, orange, and green. I liken the flakie effect to that of a beetle’s shell: shiny, iridescent, and captivating from all angles.
I started with a layer of my basecoat (Orly Bonder) and then two layers of OPI Black Onyx. Then, I did two layers of Finger Paints Asylum. Flakies take a little while longer to dry, so be patient between coats. Then, I topped it all off with a coat of Seche Vite.
See that green?!
I really love this effect and think it’s lovely as we head into fall. Unfortunately, not many polish brands have flakies yet. I do hope that more brands will get on the trend because I adore them!
(Oh, and trust that I would have picked up one or two more of these at Sally’s but they were already sold out when I got there THE DAY AFTER they released! Polish addicts were all over these cheap babies!)
XOXO
-K
Email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com
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All items were purchased by Orange Lipstick for personal use and review purposes.
I come from a Communication background and have journalism experience so I know that it’s really important to identify your sources. However, there are some beauty things that I know; things I’ve learned throughout the years. I can’t quote you exactly how I know these things – but I do. Let me share my wisdom. ;-)
NEVER EVER sleep with makeup on. I can’t even begin to tell you how bad this is for your skin. Google “sleeping in makeup” and you’ll find plenty of insight into why this is bad. Basically, makeup blocks your pores and while that’s okay for a little while, it’s really bad for overnight. Your skin needs time to breathe and release sebum from your pores. Also, leaving eye makeup on overnight can cause infections – ick! I know what you’re thinking, “But, K, sometimes I’m just too tired to wash my face at night!” Well, I’m here to tell you that there’s no excuse! Keep a pack of makeup remover wipes on your bedside table so that you can remove your makeup quickly. Know what else works well? Baby wipes! You must, must, must remove your makeup before bed.
I use the Equate Facial Cleansing Towelettes ($5.97)
Photo taken from Walmart's website
On that same note: You MUST wear SPF every. single. day. Excuses for not doing this range from “Well, I need some sun” to “I’m never outside!” to “I don’t like the way it smells.” Don’t make excuses for leaving off SPF. You’ll thank me 20 years from now when your skin looks more youthful and has less age spots and wrinkles. Oh, and SPF in your foundation is NOT enough. You need about the size of a shelled almond worth of sunscreen to adequately cover your face. Don’t skimp on the SPF, either. You need at least SPF 15, if not SPF 25. I recommend Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($9.99).
Photo taken from Walmart's website
In reference to number 2, the only time you SHOULDN’T wear SPF is when you have a big event where you’re going to be photographed a lot. Proms, weddings, photoshoots, formal occasions, etc. are all events where you might want to skip SPF, as it can sometimes give a white-ish cast to the face.
If you’re doing a dramatic eye, skip the dramatic lip. Makeup (like life) is about balance. You know the old rule that if you’re wearing exposed legs you should keep your arms covered? Same thing here. If you’re doing a ridiculously smoky black eye, you might want to skip the vampy lipstick. Too much makeup and you look clownish.
Photo taken from Target's website
You know that St. Ives Apricot Scrub that you have sitting in your shower? The one that you dutifully wash your face with? STOP. Stop doing that. Take the advice of someone who decimated the pores on her nose with St. Ives. The tiny apricot seed pieces that exfoliate are jagged and irregular, meaning that they can actually TEAR your pores. EWW! Despite the claims of many, many products, you cannot shrink your pores. (Unless you go to a dermatologist and have a chemical injection. I’m talking about at-home stuff here.) So once you tear your pores and stretch them out, you’re kind of stuck. I used to have large pores on my nose and I thought I was really going to clear them out with St. Ives. Lo and behold, I actually made them bigger and more noticeable. St. Ives is great for your skin, but STOP using it on your face. Instead, pick an exfolliator with spherical beads. Round beads don’t snag your pores and stretch them out. I recommend Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub ($7.45 for 5 oz).
Photo taken from Amazon.com
Don’t bite your nails. Not only is it a nasty habit, it puts germs in your mouth. Ick! And, it’s bad for the nails. Just stop, okay?! One way to prevent this is to keep your digits polished. Much harder to bite when they’re covered with pretty polish! You can also buy ill-tasting products to put on them to help you stop. One such product is Mavala Stop ($11).
Photo taken from Amazon.com
Don’t over-twease your brows. I’ve done it…it’s bad. Enough said.
Photos taken from Tweezerman's website
Popping pimples is bad – really bad. It can cause lots of scarring and make pimples worse. Nothing worse than a big infected place on your face. As tempting as it is, try to leave them alone.
If you can do it, please line your waterline. When I was first learning about makeup, my mom taught me how to line my waterline and then line along my lashes. Thank goodness! I thought everyone knew how to do this and was shocked when they didn’t. It’s called tight-lining and it makes your eyes look more defined and your lashes look fuller. Tight-lining also can involve going between each individual lash to make the eyes really pop. I only do that on special occasions when I have enough time; however, I find that lining the waterline and the lashline is normally enough.
I can tell you where a learned this tip. I told a salesman at Sephora that I was having trouble shading my crease – why didn’t it look right?! He told me that closing your eye completely and trying to fill in the crease is not the right tactic. Instead, close your eye about halfway. This will be a more natural crease than if you close them all the way. Buff in tiny circles with a blending brush and voila!
Sephora Collection Pro Crease Brush #10
Photo taken from Sephora's website
Don’t leave home without something on your lips. (That’s my mother’s advice! And she’s right – everyone looks a little better with some color on their lips!)
Find your best feature and highlight it. High cheekbones? Make sure you hit those babies with some bronzer to make them stand out! Beautiful eye color? Keep your eye makeup as your central focus. If you don’t know what your best feature is, ask someone close to you like a parent or best friend. They’ll tell you the truth! For me, I’ve always liked my teeth, so I think it’s fun to wear interesting lip colors. It draws people’s attention to my teeth and that’s where I like it!
If you don’t have oil-blotting papers with you, grab a paper napkin. The cheaper the better! Starbucks has some excellent napkins for blotting. (Dang, how do I know that?!) Click here to see Makeup Alley's review! 4.8/5!!!
Oily skin needs moisture, too. In fact, sometimes our faces produce oil in response to the fact that we aren’t getting enough moisture! Our face rushes to make up for our dried-out skin by producing oil. Make sure you moisturize each night! I recommend Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream ($6.71).
Photo taken from Amazon.com
Here are two lipstick tips for you. First, you can make your lip color really pop by applying your foundation over your lips. Then apply your lipstick and make sure to blot with a tissue. Just put the tissue between your lips and close down, pursing your lips. That’s an old, old tip but still worth sharing!
Like I’ve said before – I’m no expert. However, these are beauty tips that I think you’ll find useful!
Do you have any tips that you’ve learned along the way? What ones have I forgotten? I’m sure a bunch will come to me as soon as I publish this!
An O.L. reader hit up my inbox today and I was thrilled! I can’t tell you how much I enjoy answering reader questions. Keep ‘em coming!
Here’s what she asked:
“I just graduated and got a teaching job at a high school and need to update my make up look. I really just put something on and hope it looks okay! I saw that you had a lesson at Clinique and was looking into it, but I've heard that Sephora was a better place to learn. I just wanted your opinion to see where the better place to get a more sophisticated look and learn how to do it the best way.”
First of all – congrats on the graduation and new job! A new career move is always a good reason to update your look! (Of course, not that I need justification for more makeup!Lol!)
Honestly, I would consider trying both. It never hurts to look at multiple places. If you're going to go to Clinique, call ahead and ask them if there is a minimum purchase requirement. Some places require that you buy a certain amount in exchange for the makeover, so it may be good to find out their policy ahead of time. Clinique is good at creating really natural looks without looking ridiculously overdone, plus their prices are really good.
I will say that my preference with Sephora is that, if you ask them, they'll be happy to show you how to do something on one eye (or side of your face) and then have you replicate it on the other side. This is INCREDIBLY useful.
Also, they tend to do their makeovers in front of a mirror so you can see what they're working on as they do it. This is really useful because when someone does your makeup and then leads you to a mirror, it may look nice but you have no idea how to recreate it at home.
Sephora does not require a minimum purchase with a makeover. My guideline is this: only buy what you really like and what really looks good on you. A lot of times people get stuck with a crummy product because they felt pressure to buy. If they do your makeup and you don't love the products, don't feel bad about walking out empty handed. Also, don't be afraid to speak up as they're making you over. If you hate a product, just say so or say something like, "Green isn't really my preferred eyeshadow shade. What else might you suggest?" (But then again, be open-minded! You never know what might look good on you that you haven't tried!)
All in all, I'd probably start with Sephora just because they carry so many lines (including Clinique!) and can pull products from various different ranges. Ask if they can explain what they're doing and what tactics/brushes/methods they're using as they go along.
One other tried and true tip: Casually walk through the store and find a sales person who has nice makeup that fits your style. If you're looking for something more natural, don't pick the person with really dramatic makeup! If the sales person has a look that you'd like to emulate, she'll be experienced in creating that specific look. (I say “she” but the best makeup tips I ever got from a Sephora sales person were from a man!)
Lastly, it may be helpful to take in a few pictures of looks you like. Flip through a magazine or do an online search and save pictures of the things you like. Then, you can show them to the makeup artist. This will be very helpful for them!
Sorry for being so verbose but I hope that helps answer your question!
Thanks for reading, everyone!
XOXO
-K
P.S.
One more thing that I forgot. SOME Sephoras have "Customized Makeup Application" which is a full HOUR of help and that DOES require a $50 minimum purchase. I have NEVER encountered that problem at my local Sephora. And seriously?An hour? If the sales person tries to talk you into the "Customized Makeup Application," I would just politely decline and leave. But like I said, I've never even heard of such a thing at my Sephora.
A Breakup Letter to the Too Faced The Return Of Sexy Eye Shadow Palette
Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way: It’s not me, it’s you.
At first glance, you seemed perfect. I knew the minute I saw your first promotional pictures floating around the Internet that we were destined for each other.
See, you include 15 shadows grouped into three different looks: natural/nude, purple, and gray smoky. These are my three favorite looks so I really thought we could go everywhere together! (I even thought about leaving my long-time love, the Urban Decay Naked Palette for you!)
Plus, you came with the added bonus of a 0.04 oz Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black and a 0.17 oz Deluxe Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer. Your attractive and sturdy packaging sealed the deal: you were mine.
However, things took a turn for the worse the first time we tried to get together. I was trying the purple colors and was immensely disappointed. Let me list your offenses: dry, poorly pigmented, and not easy to blend. FOR SHAME! I tried brushes and sponge tip applicators, both wet and dry to no avail. I was surprised that you weren’t getting along with the Shadow Insurance Primer.
Then I tried to use your Eyeliner in Perfect Black with ridiculous results. You were overly soft and smudged all over my eyes. Back up, dude, a girl needs time to smudge you.
Which leads me to my next point: Imagine my surprise when, a mere four hours later, I looked in the mirror to see you jeepin' creasing!
Oh, Clueless. You never cease to delight!
I am a lady and as such, I’m used to my shadow sticking around and staying diligently in place. You, on the other hand, had bunched up and distributed color in all the wrong places. Who do you think you are?! (And unfortunately, it’s not just your purple shades but rather ALL your shades.)
Not only was the shadow creasing, my eyeliner had migrated to my lower lash line and tear duct in ridiculously unattractive fashion. Patchy, black goop everywhere? Yeah, I’m not feeling it.
Finally, your most egregious offense is this: You made me cry. Literally. My eyes are incredibly resilient but I found them tearing up when using your eyeliner. I also have red, puffy, sensitive areas on the inner parts of my lids. I don’t know if it’s the shadow, primer, or eyeliner doing it to me; however, the problem started when you came around.
So let’s get this straight: We are done. I thought we could make it, I really did. I lemmed after you and even told the world about it. How embarrassing. You’re going back to where you came from (Sephora) and I’m moving on with my life. Don’t call me.
No XOXOs for you, Return of Sexy Palette!
-K
P.S.
You also promised me mattes. What a lie. I don’t see any.
P.P.S.
Your shades looked frosty on ME, the palest of the pale. I can’t imagine how horrendous some of your shades would look on deeper toned ladies.
P.P.P.S.
I did appreciate the three instruction sheets with six totals looks; however, they aren't worth anything if the shades don't work!
Email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com
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All items were purchased by Orange Lipstick for personal use and review purposes.
