Fabulous Finds Friday: NYX

The Nude Lipgloss Diaries continue as we all know I am powerless to resist adding to my collection!  At the Ulta near me they are expanding their NYX offerings, which makes me quite happy. Add into it that all NYX is buy one, get one half off until the end of this month & there are bargains to be had!

I scooped up 1 of their automatic Lip Liners (regularly $4.50/ea.) MPL10 Nude (top) which is a nude pink beige & 2 of NYX's Lip Butter Glosses (retails for $5/ea.) in BLG05 in Creme Brulee (middle) &BLG07 in Tiramisu (bottom.)

I always fill my entire lip line in with liner. It anchors your color better, plus it also prevents the creepy clown like effect as your lip products wear off of just having an outline left around your mouth. A tip for making your lips appear fuller is to leave the very center bare of color or add a lighter highlighting gloss right in the center of the lip.

 In both pictures, Creme Brulee is on the top lip & Tiramisu is on the bottom lip.

 I know I mentioned in the past, that some of NYX's glosses smelled heavily of Cherry NyQuil...I made sure to do a sniff check before purchasing these & am happy to report that these glosses smell softly of caramels & actually of their shade names. Even at regular prices, NYX products are a great value, but with the current special- they are a definite steals & deals must!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

Yves Saint Laurent

Nothing says glamour like a little Yves Saint Laurent in your life. I picked up their Rouge Pur Couture during Sephora's VIB Beauty Event. I had wanted to try it for a while as it's in almost every  magazine beauty editor's purse.

I scooped up 19 Beige Aquarelle in my ongoing search to find the perfect nude stain. The glossy lip stain smells as how living life as a royal might. Like fresh roses & pure luxury- it's delicious. Swatched on the hand it looks like my dream color.

However, when on my actual lips, it's very sheer.  I'm afraid to say this shade washed me out in an almost lifeguard wearing old school zinc oxide sort of way. The formula is lovely though, I will definitely be picking up another shade. This is just a product that you should probably select in person versus online.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

The Lipgloss Diaries: Anastasia's Kisses On My List Vol. 2

It's the most wonder'ful' time of the year! How holiday lipgloss value sets make me swoon! Anastasia of Beverly Hills doesn't disappoint with her Kisses On My List Volume 2 Collection. This value set contains 6 Hydraful Lipglosses- 3 of those being Hypercolor Lipglosses.

Above & below - shades swatched from left to right: Moi, Maggie May, Sharona, Roxanne, Jolene & Lola.

The unique applicator resembles the oar of a paddle- which makes it easily deliver much more product than your standard sponge or doe foot applicator in one swipe.

There's something about Anastasia's Hypercolor glosses that I've never found with another gloss- how it doubles as a stain. Though the gloss wears off normally, after 5 hours & having soup for lunch- a vibrant pink stain lingered after wearing Lola. It's the best of both worlds! 

As of now it seems the Hypercolor shades tend to fall in the pink family, as these are 3 shades to the right that were swatched above. Though they look faint here, they pack a punch on the lips. I have my fingers crossed for when they create the perfect nude!  I adore these glosses & can't believe what a steal of a deal this kit is for $30! Break them up & rock out a bunch of stocking stuffers for $5 a pop.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.

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

Fabulous Finds Friday: Smashbox's Shades of Fame

How smitten am I with Smashbox's Shades of Fame Lipgloss Collection? Pretty smitten. I love these bite size samplings of color- which are perfect for travel. It's like a box of chocolates, but with this collection you won't take a bite of one & put it back in the box! I even like this slanted tip applicator & tube over their standard doe foot applicator. What can I say? Mama likes a lot of gloss.

Don't be alarmed by thinking any of the colors will be intense, as they might look in the tube- they're all beautifully sheer. Swatched shades listed from top: Star, Buff, Hibiscus, Papaya, & Candy. As always Smashbox's glosses are never tacky or sticky, so they're ideal to not have that oh-so-sexy-my-hair-is-seriously-stuck-in-my-lipgloss look.

My favorite of the bunch is Papaya. There's something about a soft peach that brightens your whole face, while still looking completely natural. These glosses are good for your pucker, too- they're packed with vitamins & hyaluronic acid.  So scoop up this limited edition collection while you can. With the kit coming in at $29- it's a steal of a deal getting 5 Smashbox glosses for under $6 a piece!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M
*Gifted for review

Jouer Cosmetics

Henri Bendel's has a crack like effect on me. Major addiction. I seriously cannot go into the flagship store in NYC without making something mine.  This go around I decided to try Jouer, a cosmetics company known for the ability to connect their individual compacts into customizable palettes.

I picked up the limited edition Blushing Beauty Palette, which consists of the Whisper Tint/ Feather Highlighter duo, Chocolate/Peach Eyeshadow duo, Sheer Matte Touch Powder & Bronzer duo + Cherish Lipgloss. In this picture all of the pieces are actually connected. Worth mentioning- I think I got a lot of prestige product for the price of $58.

Here I am sporting the shadows, powder/bronzer duo & gloss. The colors are neutral classics.  I could see a lot of brides sporting this collection for the summer wedding season now upon us. Though it's listed currently as out of stock on Jouer's website, I would call Bendel's & see if they can ship it to you. It's pure loveliness!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Make Up For Ever

Let's face it: most lips products, no matter how much they promise to say put- just don't. Often brides ask how to boost staying power & I offer a layering process of stains, lipstick, setting powder ,etc... However gloss, by its very nature & texture glides off the mouth. Think of how often the average female chats, sips her Starbucks & nibbles- it's asking a lot for a product to hang on through oil & vinegar salad dressing! Make-Up For Ever's aqua creams are impressive in that department. So when I saw an ad campaign featuring their Aqua Lip pencil I knew I had to try it out! The color in the campaign looked nothing like the photo in person- so I would look at these liners in the store to make your selection.

I ended up picking #2c, a nice neutral pinky nude. I always go with liners that are your lip color with a little bit more oomph. This is due to my kindergarden teacher Mrs. Carson who always had a magenta clown like outline around her lips that scarred me, but I digress. Unless you sport a signature red lip, nude liners will always take care of you! I fill in the entire lip & top with whatever gloss I'm feeling that day. This liner doesn't dry out your lips the way most long wearing do. I thought it held up very well. But the true validation of this was running into my sister & her commenting on the shade. It had been 4 hours after application & I had just finished lunch. Sold.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Custom Lipgloss

So Partner in Crime offered to make me a custom lipgloss the last time I popped by to say hi at her work. I know right, friendship has its benefits! I decided to build off of a classic lipgloss that I love- Mark's Pro Gloss in Splashy. The clear jar to the right was the lipgloss base to which we added pigments, flavors, etc...
The second step was to match my original gloss to a color chart. From finding the closest match, there is a color formula or equation for mixing pigments.
Adding peach pigments to the base, the jar on the counter contained loose mica.
Yup, I would be making custom glosses non stop like a mad scientist, if I had a gloss bar like this! Seriously, I already have a drawer of nothing but lipglosses in my office at work alone.

I picked Pink Champagne as my custom flavor for a nice pick me up when I can't be drinking actual champagne at work!

The mixed concoction is then gently microwaved for a few seconds to liquify it & enable it to be easily poured into a standard gloss container with doefoot applicator. Voila- here's the final product swatched! I wanted a little bit more of a peach pop of color than my original gloss & of course Partner in Crime couldn't help but add a little shimmer. Divine. If you are local to Baltimore, you can pop in here for your own or if you're dying to have your gloss or lip color matched check out Three Custom Color Specialists.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Make-Up Must Have Monday

You know this girl loves lipgloss- what gave it away? Maybe the name of my blog?!? Nothing makes me giddier & the glossier, the better! When it comes to my lips, I always say they're the one thing I want bigger on my body...{Not to be confused with mouth, I'm sure no one wants me to have a bigger mouth!}
Often I've picked up plumping glosses that end up irritating & chapping my sensitive lips- leaving me using Aquaphor to soothe them. LipSavvy Lipgloss promises to instantly & painlessly plump my pucker with hyaluronic filling spheres- an added bonus is that hyaluronic acid is know to hydrate & moisturize, as well. But what I love most about this product, besides being girly & glam, is that it offers serious skincare benefits to an often neglected area of our face. Lip provides their trademarked 'Complete Free Radical Protection Technology' in all of their glosses. This technology protects your lips from all three known types of free radicals.
Free radicals are what age us- so I'm always a fan of anti-aging beauty products!

Sho Bunny is gorgeous on its own (bottom), but also the perfect finishing gloss. Here it is topped on La Papillon's Lip Enhancing Liner (center) & on my beloved YSL Rouge Volupte in R8JAA (top.)

LipSavvy comes in 2 different color intensities: Star Studded Shine is sheerer, while ColorGlam is more opaque. I'm sporting Sho Bunny in this post.

Here's Sho Bunny on its own on my pucker- it's a beautiful soft shimmer. I must say my lips look nice & full in this shot:) It's not at all tacky & feels lovely on- without any burning or tingling. LipSavvy is launching this summer & will retail for $20.

Peace. Love. Lipgoss. M

*This gloss was gifted for review

Sara Happ Pink Grapefruit Lip Scrub

Those who know me know that lipgloss is one of my favorite things in this universe, hence my blog's title. But to wear lipgloss & have the perfectly glossy pout, one must properly exfoliate their pucker! Sara Happ Lip Scrubs are pretty much the cutest, yet most decadent treats out there! Adorably packaged, the scrubs leave your lips feeling like a baby's bottom, while tasting & smelling divine, too! When I saw the pink box for Sara's new limited edition flavor- I squealed with delight. Sara wants your lips to be at their most beautiful this summer, that's why she's giving away one of her new limited edition Pink Grapefruit Lip Scrubs to one lucky reader!

How to enter? Just leave a comment in the comment section of my blog.

Make sure to tweet about the giveaway mentioning @peacelovegloss & 'Like' us on our Facebook pages {both La Papillon's & PeaceLoveLipgloss's} as well for extra entries! If you do so- just please tally up your entries in the comments section! Good Luck Beauties!

Peace. Love. Lip Scrub. M

Make-Up Must Have Monday

Here are the 2 products I treated myself to for my birthday from Cle de Peau- the luxurious & quite pricey Japanese make-up line with the funny name. The brand is known for their award winning concealer & just scored Amanda Seyfriend as their new spokesperson. I picked up their Touche de Rouge Lipstick in new shade #130.
This extra silky lipstick is more like a gloss stick that feels like absolute butter on your lips- it is quite heavenly {as it should be for $52!} My shade gives a sheer wash of a peachy nude color & I do really enjoy it every time I put it on!

I bought this new #207 eyeshadow quad, as well. I bought it without the compact so I could pop it straight into my Z Palette (quad alone is $55, compact to house it is an additional $25.) The micro milled shadows give a very soft gleam to the lids, all of the colors are very sheer & luminous with all of the shades being very neutral- even the blue gray.

As you can see they hardly show up on my hand in photos, but layered on top of some shadow primer they have a little more impact. I'm fine with their subtlety since I can use them on a more every day basis & justify the splurge! So tell me beauties, what's the most you've ever splurged on a beauty product & was it worth it?

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Smashbox

Is it too early to be compiling my wish list for Santa? I have an excuse as my sister's baby is due in just two weeks & she wants to be done Christmas shopping this week! Annually Smashbox unveils their holiday WISH collection that benefits the Children's Miracle Network. This WISH kit is a steal of a deal with 6 lipglosses in it for $29. I always say lipgloss has healing powers & this WISH collection really does help those in need!

Have my girleens seen Burlesque's movie preview? It actually looks pretty amazing & has my much adored Kristen Bell in it. I guess I should admit that the uber delish Cam Gideot & McSteamy Eric Dane being in it is an additional plus, insert *sigh* here. Smashbox created this Burlesque limited edition kit with jewel tones that's perfect for fall.


While I was drooling, ahem, perusing the site, I also noticed this very wearable collection put together by Florence of Florence & the Machine ( run & download her debut, Lungs now!) I'm a big fan of Smashbox's kits, they're great deals & anything that's not my cup of tea makes a great stocking stuffer! Which is your favorite kit my beauties?
Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Hourglass Prodigy Hydrating Lipgloss

I'm a sucker for packaging. I know, I know. One shouldn't judge a book by its cover-blah, blah. We all do it. I'm also no wine connoisseur, but when giving a bottle for a gift I usually look for a cute label (but I can actually pronounce Gewurztraminer & it makes me sound like I know a thing or two & it's just fun saying it, but I digress.) There's just something about pulling a gorgeous product from your purse. It makes you feel glam. Hourglass' new Prodigy Hydrating Lipgloss is just plain hot. The tube is sleek and one of a kind. Whenever I pull it out of my purse to put on, a girlfriend's interest is piqued. The shade I picked, Eden is a soft, sheer nude enhanced with vitamin E to hydrate my pucker. What's good to know? The light texture glides on without being tacky(great for car windows being down in the summer) and is paraben, sulfate & fragrance free! Get your gloss on!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M