Benefit Ultra Plush Gloss

To match their much adored cheek colors, Benefit recently launched coordinating lipglosses to match! Having a hard time deciding which shade I wanted to try, I opted for the Ultra Plush Glosses First Class Set which had baby sizes & will be perfect for when I travel abroad in the fall.

This collection features Bella Bamba, Coralista, Dandelion & Sugarbomb. They're all wearable hues just like the best selling cheek colors they coordinate with.  This set cost $26, versus the full sized versions ringing in each at $16.

From top: Coralista, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb & Dandelion.

The textures are interesting- there is no really tack whatsoever. If you've ever tried Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics' Lip Tar, that is what this reminds me of texture wise. Don't be afraid of the brighter shades, as these are all completely sheer. The slant tip applicator is convenient feature. On the swoon worthy scale, these glosses rate about 3 out of 5 stars.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Theatre of the Nameless

You girls know I feel naked without my cat eye. Ever forget your watch or your cell phone at home & you feel lost without it? That's sort of the feeling. I turn to my little black cake liner from Illamasqua every morning to finish my peepers. I've read articles about the line that say it's for 'after hours' wear- for those a little more on the wild side. I say bring it. Theater of the Nameless is their latest collection.

The collection includes their Intense Lipgloss in Facade(top) & Belladonna(bottom). The lipglosses remind me a bit of the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics' Lip Tars in their opaqueness- they are incredibly intense pigment wise, but feel light as air & super silky on the lips. Belladonna is a gorgeous pink that would brighten any complexion. Facade I could see intimidating most. A trick I use flesh colored glosses for is to tone down other lip shades. Professional Make-Up Artists often use concealer to soften shades or in steps to create the perfect nude lip, Facade would be perfect for this.

Theatre of the Nameless also includes their New Masquara in Raven & Precision Ink in Havoc. I'm quite picky about my mascaras{I know- shocker!} The brush on the New Masquara is fluffy & fabulous catching all of your lashes- lifting them up, as well as opening the eye.

The Precision Ink glides on quite effortlessly & boosts some serious staying power. Sorry for the lazy eye shot, but I had to take one for team because it shows the rich mahogany shade with a hint of plum. Auburns & redheads run, do not walk to get this liner. It was made for you! I'm smitten with line in general- it makes me feel a little naughty. I often hop over to their website just to get my creative juices flowing. Whenever I'm working with a client who says I can't do make-up well or I'm not good at it, I always remind them that make-up should be fun. It's a means of self expression. Besides they're very few mistakes in life that can be rectified with a simple swipe of cleanser! I say be bold.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

*Items gifted for review

The Make-Up Show

Well I'm back my beauties! NYC at the make-up show was a blur, but a great blur! The show just reinforced why I should be doing make-up for a living. I am in love with it. I must be if the train ride up didn't faze me. Gentlemen, when you are taking public transportation- you are not in your own home. Keep your shoes on!!! I'd also like to thank the woman who was on her cell phone the ENTIRE three hours. Kudos to your battery power sister, but take a breath & make it brief! But I digress... It's always after the show frenzy & the excitement dies down, that you realize you spent a wee bit too much money. Like your mortgage amount! So for the next several days, I'll be giving you a peek into what I picked up. First off Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. We have this line's airbrush make-up & compressor. They are very innovative & made the first water based airbrush make-up that was completely vegan. Other airbrush lines are alcohol based & can be tough on the skin.

I showed restraint on my purchases here, but I knew I wanted to pick up some of their Lip Tars. This product is a favorite of professional artists, especially for editorial work. The consistency is so interesting- incredibly light, yet intensely opaque. I picked up Conquest (L) that will be perfect for creating nude creamy lip shades & Hush (r) a pretty peach shade.

Sorry for the blurry image, but that's what you get I'm taking the picture myself in a rush to get the post up sans caffeine. I wanted to show the product on the lips, because it's so insane! It's such intense pigment, I'm going to have a blast playing with these! I also picked up a grey glitter of theirs called Slate, because even when I'm 80 I'm sure I'll still be rocking out the sparkle!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M