Collection| Fuchsia and Hot Pink Lipsticks

Shhh, you don't have to say a word. Just make yourself a cuppa tea, sit back and relax while I take you on this magic carpet ride across fuchsia lipstick land....It might not be a whole new world for you if you're as obsessed with fuchsias as I am. I can't get enough of the color. Light, bright, hot, dimmed, gloss, pencil, lipstick...I'll take it!

From left to right: Buxom Full On Lip Cream in Berry Blast, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Adis Ababa, MAC lipliner in More to Love, NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Yu, NARS Funny Face, Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in La Diva, Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Anarchy, MUFE Rouge Arrist Intense 36, MAC Girl About Town, Maybelline Fuchsia Flash. 

Indoor and indirect sunlight. 

Still indoors, closer to outdoors. It's gloomy and my front yard is disgusting and there's a dog just chillin' there but you'll have to divert your eyes to the swatches. 

And here they are indoors again, but I just wanted to show you their individual textures. 

I know these colors are always hot for spring and summer, and this year is no exception especially with Pantone declaring Radiant Orchid as the color of the year. Looking for the best shade for something slightly work appropriate? NARS Funny Face. If you're not afraid of scaring small children in broad daylight, Maybelline's Fuchsia Flash is the best choice. Of course, any of these colors may shift slightly but look amazing over MAC's More to Love liner. 

xo Be

Collection| Swap Star

After a month of solid dedication to swapping, I've managed to amass a few select staples, in sizable chunks, with the intention of taking my makeup stash to the grave in mind. Here is my cosmetics collection after swap (sounds like it goes with frizzy hair, a cigarette, and a balcony view to Paris, jeez) with a nod to the creme de la creme of what I've bargained, pleaded, whined, interrogated, and negotiated for.

Behold, my new couch! From general  order of guess and check and common sense:

Urban Decay All Nighter XL setting spray. While greatly revered by many others, I've yet to try a finish/setting spray that wasn't completely a gimmick of a water and "essential oil" turd grease droplet mixture (AHEM FIX+). This spray prolongs my foundation wear time from decent (8 hours) to deceptive (10 hours) without the powdery look of well, powder.

A quality finishing and setting powder to use for the undereye area and overall to give a slight healthy glow with no shimmer. I'm talking about Nars Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder. This sucker will probably last a lifetime.

A few foundations in NC20-NC25. Hopefully this LA sun will go away for about 2 months or so, at the least. I have finally gotten my hands on  MUFE's Face and Body foundation in #32 which is turning out to be amazingly lightweight and versatile.

Several blushes that will last me a generation. I've got MAC's Warm Soul and Happy Together on the way, but for now Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface and Natural Beauty have found their way back into my stash. I remember these were the first items I've ever swapped for way back when, and I miss their excellent staying power.

I've also managed to collect three brand spankin' new palettes, all neutrals! TheBalm Nude Tude, Bobbi Brown Navy and Nude, as well as BB's Ultra Nude Eye palette now sit pretty with the rest of my "boring eye" palettes.

Oh, did I mention that I'm currently on a quest to hoard cologne/perfume and bath myself in them to preserve my youth and increase my attraction pheromones, much like drinking sacrificial virgin blood inside of a moonlit pyre? No, not really. I don't have pictures because they've yet to arrive, but I've managed to find:

• Citron de Vigne/ Zesty.


• Versace Crystal Noir/Sexy Hooker.


• DKNY Be Delicious/Love Poetry Writing Teenybopper.


• Donna Karan Cashmere Mist/Elegant Grandma.


• Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue/Buff Shirtless Italian.


• And rollerballs of Coach Poppy, Marc Jacobs Daisy, Chloe, and Lavanila Vanilla Grapefruit. I really enjoy these because they are so easy to carry around for touch ups and isn't a forearm workout to pick up and spritz. Also, does anyone understand how to defy laws of physics and carry a full sized bottle of perfume in your handbag at all times?

For now, my collection is completely restored. I've thrown out (aka given out extras) of products I haven't touched in 3 months or more, replenished my stash of blushers, added more neutral palettes while giving away bold ones, and downsized my foundation stash to just the best. That is to say....easily a third of my makeup stash comes from the swap world and I've pared everything down to either essentials, basic variations, backups, backups of backups, and a few drugstore dupes. Most of my drugstore items were also donated away. It really does help with the mental clutter when you have less to work with in front of you every morning.

The only downside is how many sample cards and packets I have....my samples bag looks like Carrie's prom night.

That's all for today, the job search is slogging through. I've been to at least 10 interviews now with terrible callback etiquette and no success. Must be the butch haircut giving lesbopunkrock vibes *EYE ROLL* Bye!

Be

Collection| Drugstore Mascaras (Maybelline, L'oreal, Revlon)

As a common peasant suffering from Nolashatall syndrome (used to be Noassatall, but a healthy dose of squats took care of that...), I'm constantly on the look out for good mascaras. As the rule goes, mascara tubes harbor bacteria and biochemical weaponry faster than the speed of light, prompting you to throw them away every 3 to 4 months. That, or the formula dry out into oblivion and crust onto your lashes as easily as cornbread mix on a catfish filet.

Because of this, however, they are also relatively cheap at the drugstore and come in such a wide array of options that promise dazzling results. "Your lashes will be extended a million kilometers south!" "Lashes look as volumized as a spayed cat on a Fancy Feast diet!" And since so many mascaras get PR hype, it's very easy to get pulled in and pick up a few on your trip to the drugstore.

As for me, these mascaras will be decommissioned in another month or so, meaning I can explore other options or throw them out if I hate them! Here are a few that I've been using for the past 2 months and their results. I won't be including close ups of my eyeball, because camwhoring my face is hard enough. Keep in mind that I use either MAC's Cleanse Off Oil or Lancome Bi-Facils to remove all of these mascaras and have no problems with tugging or residue.

 

From top to bottom: Revlon Grow Luscious, Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express, L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes, Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express waterproof, and L'oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions (all are in the blackest formula available).

 

Revlon Grow Luscious is my go-to mascara when I don't want to deal with mascara or eyelashes in general. It gives a dark color to my lashes as well as a bit of length and a bit of volume. It does smudge slightly after a long day of wear. This is strangely my second tube, because it doesn't feel crispy on my lashes. It's easy to build because of such a wet formula, but I usually don't try to. Very basic contender.

Though hyped, The Rocket is also your average contender. It gives lashes a natural and somewhat longer look and doesn't feel too dry. It doesn't smudge, but it isn't extraordinary by any means. The large and hard bristled brush also means a higher risk of eye pokage if you're not careful. If you try to build up with this one, not much will happen except clumps.

Although I didn't have high hopes for L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes, it is actually one of my favorites. I'm not a huge fan of volumizing mascaras because they tend to clump and give me spider leg lashes. This one is very unnatural (in a good way) and would probably look great with long lashed gals. On me, it gives a great impact due to the intense black color and thickening effect. It's also great layered over a drier/curling mascara. This one doesn't smudge, but I wouldn't say you can build any more after 2 coats.

The Falsies is my favorite of the bunch because of its smaller curved brush shape that reaches into the inner and outer corners and dark waterproof formula. There is absolutely no smudging or flaking, and it gives lashes a very dark and feathery look and does a surprisingly great job at lengthening as well. This one can be built up to 3 coats. For every day looks where I want to amp up the drama, I will always reach for this one. I will repurchase only this one once all of these dry up.

In an earlier blog post, I gave L'oreal's Telescopic Shocking Extensions glowing reviews for its ability to lengthen my lashes. It won't add much in volume and it definitely doesn't smudge, but contact lens wearers need to be weary of this one. After a few hours, its fibers will flake slightly...into your eyeballs. What joy. Layered over Urban Decay's Canonball, it is the BEST look for my lashes. Sadly, I can never wear it when I have contacts in simply because it is too irritating. The small wand means you can build to your heart's content and reach everywhere. Still, I may only repurchase to use on my bottom lashes.

I hope that helps you on your quest to find the holy grail mascara. In all honesty, mascara doesn't have to be a life changer if you already have longer or thicker lashes. As for me, finding the perfect mascara is still in my 5 year plan. I have found some great mascaras in the mid and high end price ranges, but it is a little ridiculous to pay such an amount of money every four months. It really becomes an investment rather than a staple. Since I'm not a huge fan of false lashes for every day, I usually neglect my lashes anyway.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Be

Collection| YSL Rouge Volupte Lipsticks

Why hello there,
I am patiently waiting for my summer to pass and twiddling my thumbs to pass the time. My favorite thing to do these past few nights is to make a huge bonfire in the backyard and toast up some oversized marshmallows, but my depleted stash of marshmallows is also telling me stop. I love dozing off next to the fire next to Beau, especially since he lovesss watching the embers fly up from the fire. I think it's ingrained in his membrane that small flying things are viable targets of food. I've also been trolling the mall to pass the time. Now that the Nordstrom sale is over, the mall traffic has gotten a lot better and I love to eat lunch at the Boudin in the plaza. Butternut squash soup = my sad attempt to be a rustic countryside woman. Anyway...

Ever thought that the perfect lipstick in the market costs more than your average box of crayons?
Call me crazy, but I'm the type of girl who splurges on lipsticks. The main reason being that my lips are very sensitive, prone to chapping and flaking, and extremely resistant to looking symmetrical or pretty. While it's always fun to haul in DS lipsticks, many of them find their way to the bottom of my drawer for not living up to expectations. I have a criteria list for lipsticks that would make the Admissions office of Harvard look as fun as a slip n slide. Speaking of which:

- I prefer lipsticks that are moisturizing enough to slip onto my lips and do not dry them out. Having thin lips is already a boon, but having dry and crackly lips caked on with lipstick at 4pm in the workday is not okay. I often find myself reapply a balm over lipsticks simply because they are too drying and end up with bleeding color.

- However, my ideal lipstick is long lasting. This means no budging, feathering, bleeding, or disappearing halfway through the day. I am fine with touch ups after meals and layering over lip liner.

- The color selection must include reds, fuchsias, nudes, and dusty pink/beiges. I see no reason why a product line would have only three colors to choose from unless they were universally flattering. Though I prefer satin finishes, I also love a matte lip or even a sparkly sheen if it's the right shade. I also prefer opaque lipsticks that don't require multiple coats, since we're not painting barns here.

- No strong scents that remind me of either play-doh, perfume, grandmas, crayons, or death chalk. I love MAC's vanilla scent but abhor lipsticks that claim to be scentless only to smell (and taste) very artificial. You should never be able to "taste" a lipstick.

- The packaging should be practical, if not beautiful. I don't like caps that go missing in my black hole of a handbag or those that hide the color when I'm trying to make a quick decision in the morning. This would explain why all of my MAC and NARS lipsticks are stored upside down for easy ident. (Jeez, sounded a little superfuturistic-filmnoir there.)

- Not too expensive or cheap. There are several DS brands that out-perform my high end lipsticks, and several high end products I would repurchase despite the price tag. However, it's realistic to price lipsticks at 10 to 20 dollars, not 3 (suspicious) or 300 (made of human tears).

From left to right: Number 3, Corail in Touch, and Number 1.

In most cases, a lot of lipsticks have fallen short of all of this very high Asian mother standard. I am happy to say that YSL's Rouge Volupte lipsticks are well worth the price (34 dollars!) and prestige. I recently picked up two beautiful nudes, Number 1 and Number 3, in the original collection along a lovely orange/coral in their Rouge Volupte Shine range. I believe this is the shade 14 Corail in Touch. I cringed at the price, but all of those demonic reviewers were infiltrating my mind and whispering words of encouragement as I stood at YSL's counter.

In this case, the pictures speak for themselves about the beauty of the packaging. The sheer heft of their packaging would make your boyfriend jealous, and the colors are absolutely radiant. I feel like a rich b*tch just for taking these out of my bag for reapplication. The best part is how you can tell what color you're about to use just from a quick glance.

What's more important is their creaminess! I could not believe how well these glided on but stayed on without bleeding. Paired with a prepped and moisturized lip, the color stays for almost 4 hours without touch up. For the Shine color, it acts as an emollient balm that imparts a healthy color. In fact, it reminds me of a very good version of the coveted Revlon Lip Butters because it does the same job without bleeding outside of your lip line, a la The Joker.

These lipsticks all have a mango scent. Now, here is the tricky part. Some people will absolutely detest this because it smells very juvenile for such an expensive product. The good part is that it doesn't last too long after you put it on. I personally enjoy it and finds that it makes my day a little brighter. Others will find this too cloying. I'm just glad it doesn't smell like perfumed grandma playing in play doh. I've literally gagged after applying some cheap lipsticks due to the scent and taste.

Not to mention, I have many, many, many more colors to collect from YSL's lip product ranges. There is a great variety of selection from divas looking for the perfect opaque red to the girl new to makeup who tries a baby pink stained flush. I got bewildered and went with two nudes from their original collection, since I've always been let down by other nudes that are just too chalky. Number 1 is a dusty rose pink nude that would look absolutely beautiful on an NW10 to NW20 (on me, it looks like a dirty Miami vacation fling, which I like). Number 3 is my MLBB shade and subdues any smokey eye makeup. The orange Volupte shine is also very flattering on my tan skin at the moment and looks very summery.

Overall, I think that these lipsticks are very well rounded. They don't particular blow every other lipstick in existence out of the water, but they perform very well and are a luxurious joy to have on your vanity or in your purse. If they were priced at around 20 dollars, they would absolutely be holy grail in comparison to other lipsticks in that range (Makeup Forever, Buxom, Smashbox, etc...) I would love to collect a few more, specifically a bright classic red and screaming loud pink.

What do you think? Is 34 dollars a lipstick the same sin as 34 dollars for a great bra? Does the daily use overweigh the initial cost? I would love to hear your opinion on these!

Hope your week is going well. I am counting down the days 'til LA.

Be

Collection: Powder Foundations

Hey all!
For the past two months my powder collection has been steadily growing while my liquid foundation pile remains stagnant. Why? Blame it on the heat and general summer attitude. I have plenty of time in the world during the summer to apply makeup, but I don't want anything sliding or melting off my face two hours into the sun.

While I do have some setting powders (all are drugstore), I have been hauling in new MAC powders as well as some from Sephora. I'll give you a brief rundown of the mid-range powder foundations I have in my collection right now.

Warning! This post is picture heavy! Continue below to see just how much of a hoarder I've become...

Above is Benefit's Hello Flawless powder in "Petal."
Shade NC20-25

Pros:
- Very easy application with brush. Looks absolutely beautiful with a good moisturizer.
- Natural coverage or spot application. Very natural coverage.
- Yellow toned.

Cons:
- Price $35 for a very small amount in pan. Absolutely useless brush included for your convenience.
- Will kick up like any other powder. Be gentle!

Above is Makeup Forever's Pro Finish in 127 "Golden Sand."
Shade NC30-NC35

Pros:
- Can be used wet or dry, wonderful color match for my Asian skin tone.
- Nice finish, okay oil control for my t-zone
- Finely milled.
- Includes compact and sponge in separate compartment.

Cons:
- May be expensive for some at $36 dollars.
- Case is not sturdy for jostling handbags and won't protect against errant hooligan knick-knacks in your bag. Powder can come loose.

MAC's Studio Fix in C5.
Shade: NC40 equivalent, more yellow

Pros:
- Very long lasting and excellent oil control properties, enough to quell any evil thoughts from grease monkeys.
- Compact is iconic. Cult favorite product for many MAC users.
- Shade is very yellow toned in comparison to the orange-y NC shades (meaning if you are a special color, you can find your color match with studio fix.)

Cons:
- Cake face extraordinaire! Make sure you use a brush and spot conceal and not just apply this on wet unless you're trying out for King Lear.
- Powdery look, but can be solved with Fix+ and light application.
- Color still not right for me right now, but will be during the middle of summer.
- Some people have complained of breakouts. Wash your face correctly or check the ingredients for allergens.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus, Medium, Medium Plus
Light Plus: NC20-NC25
Medium: NC/NW 25-30
Medium Plus: NC 30-NC 40
Here is my ultimate favorite HG powder. You know I like something when I hoard it in three shades "just in case" to encompass every seasonal change to my skin tone. Sad.

Pros:
- Can be used as powder foundation or setting powder depending on application.
- Beautiful luminous glow to the skin after a few hours of wear.
- Very long lasting for a powder. Doesn't transfer.
- Forgiving shade range due to sheer coverage.

Cons:
- Low to no oil control. Great for dry skinned gals in this respect.
- Awful shade range if you're very very yellow. (Light plus or Medium Dark are your only options and they can be too light or too dark for you.)
- Flashback. I generally avoid getting pictures taken, so this is not a problem for me.
- No mirror for touch-ups. Again, I do not touch up with this powder and use it mainly as a very natural powder foundation.


So, that is all of the powder foundations that I currently have and covet. I've done a lot of research on these powders and they all look very fantastic, require little time and effort, and last throughout the day. I actually manage to look like a "natural" beauty with these powders as they are not noticeably "make-up", powdery, or cakey on the face.

Let me know your experiences with powder foundations and whether you like powder or liquid!
-Be

Collection: Bright MAC Lipsticks

The most eye-catching display at any MAC counter? The rows and rows of lipsticks in so many finishes and colors you want to replicate The Joker's colorful visage on yourself.

As far as high end lipsticks go, MAC's collection is affordable and smells like vanilla unicorn essence, meaning you could possibly replicate the entire display on your vanity and hoard five shades of pink and ten shades of "red orange" if you wanted to. Here are my top seven shades of the brightest and most flattering MAC lipsticks for divas. If you are anywhere near a wallflower type, stay away.

1. Candy Yum Yum: Matte
The most iconic hot pink shade for all women unafraid of standing out on the streets. Not quite Barbie and not quite Nicki Minaj, this blue-based color makes your teeth blindingly white to complement your blindingly pink pucker. This lipstick will most likely land you compliments from women but stares from men.
Men are thinking one of two things:
- My God, what a confident girl. She has the self-esteem of a feminist!
or...
- My God, she needs to realize her lips are glowing with sheer nuclear toxicity!

Most likely, if you are wearing any shade of lipstick besides red or natural pink, you need to drop all pretenses that you're doing it for the men. Because men will notice this shade. And they may call you crazy. And you will wear it.

2. Ruby Woo: Matte
This red is the ultimate compliment-mongering, long-lasting, non-flaking, bright and beautiful shade that lets you feel like Snow White, the fairest of them all. A lot of people will tell you to go for MAC's Russian Red for a true red, but they are wrong. If you have any sort of a tan or warm undertone to your skin, you may look like a transvestite Bozo the Clown. Unless that's the look you're going for, avoid. Ruby Woo is a very similar shade, but toned down just enough so that your lips will look classy and not crass. Furthermore, the dryer matte texture of Ruby Woo means that it will not budge or transfer even when you're scarfing down that sandwich with the voracious appetite of a female T-Rex.

Even better is the sheer magnanimity of old men that will pay you compliments when you're strutting your stuff down the street (or y'know, sitting at the front desk of an office minding your own business). This shade is the ultimate red, classic and flattering on all skintones. Even Rihanna had to model her new MAC lipstick, Riri Woo, after this color.

3. Vegas Volt: Amplified
As an amplified finish, Vegas Volt steals the show away from matte brights for a moment for its lovely color payoff AND non-drying texture. In the tube, this shade seems to be a coral-red with perhaps a hint of orange that wouldn't show up too bright on the lips. Do not be fooled.  For a crazy, "I don't really care what you think" type of look, Vegas Volt is as flattering as it is shocking. When you pat it lightly on top of lip balm, however, the end result is a much more subdued and pretty coral shade that completes your look - that is, if the rest of your look is a naked or cat-eye and coral/orange blush. For everything else, this shade contrasts completely and surely "amplifies" any garish intentions you may or may not have had when putting it on. This is the only shade I do not pull off in its pure form on the streets in risk of scaring small animals and children.

4. Betty Bright: Satin (Limited Edition)
When I say this is a limited edition shade, I mean you may have to barter most of your limbs, all of your soul, and even shell out thirty dollars to get this lipstick. Recently released in MAC's Archie's Girls collection, most of the lipsticks from the line disappeared from stores within a week and remains sold out/nonexistent online. The bullet design is different and quirky and the color is intense - I may pass this down as a family heirloom. Once in a blue moon, as I shed tears of sadness for a smidgen of lipstick soon to be taken away from the bullet, I put this color on to brighten up my complexion. It is a very similar shade to Vegas Volt, but just a smidgen brighter and lighter. I'm not sure why this doesn't translate to "looking for an application at Hooter's" for me, it may just be that I feel confident on the days I decide to rock this. The only downside is that, despite the satin finish, you may need to reapply lip balm over this as it flakes 3 hours into wear time.

5. So Chaud: Matte
This one is definitely a stand-out shade that flatters warm skin tones fantastically, due to its strong orange undertone in a bright red. For cooler toned girls, I wouldn't recommend this one unless you are a very very fair skinned or a box dye redhead. It will compliment your hair and perk up your face instantly. For anyone in the NC range (light to dark), pick this one out. The shade pulls orange just enough to brighten up your tone without looking full-on "orange crayola" like MAC Morange.

6. Viva Glam Nicki: Satin
Pink. Screamingly bright. Appropriate to its creator namesake. If you have the attitude to pull off this shade, I commend you. As for myself, I reserve this one for very special occasions where the dear husband isn't around to offer a sarcastic, "Oh hay Nicki Minaj" and receive a deserving slap on the face. Just kidding. But really, please don't try this around the presence of males who cannot handle your girl power.

7. Media: Satin
This one is not bright. In fact, it shouldn't even belong in this category. In the bullet Media is a dark, plummy wine/goth black/emo artist type of shade I would never pick out unless the costume party theme was The Undead or Nightmare on Elm Street. Fall of 2012, however, dark burgundy and wine lips were all the rage. As a devote worshipper of Jenn Im from YouTube's clothesencounters, I saw this shade on her lips and had to try it for myself. On the lips, it is a vampy purple that makes your complexion very milky and porcelain-like - especially in the winter when my skin is between NC20-NC25. As with any of my other shades, the best complement to this lipstick is flawless skin and minimal makeup elsewhere.

So there you have it, my top seven shades. As for any high-maintenance lipstick, it is imperative to prep your lips first to save the hassle of reapplying and fussing over it later throughout the day.
- Scrub off any dead skin (crusty lips are so not vogue at the moment).
- Apply a lip balm and let it sink in while you do the rest of your makeup.
- Line your lips with either a clear lipliner (I like Makeup Forever's clear one) or one somewhat matching your shade.
- Apply the color with a lip brush (for no sinking into lip lines) or straight from the bullet if you're feeling bold.
- Super brownie point step: Blot with a tissue, brush translucent powder over the tissue while it's on your lips, reapply another layer of lipstick, and generally waste 20 more seconds of your life just to look good.

Enjoy!
- Be

P.S.: For swatches, check out Karla's website.