Bright Lips for Summer

There are so many beautiful blossoms out right now, as spring turns into summer. The trees and gardens are bursting with flowers in all kinds of colours. Beauty too - spring and summer always means bright lip colours. 

I thought I'd go through my lip collection and give you some inspiration for lipstick and glosses that will give you that bright pop of colour and take you through the warmer months.

Most of my lipsticks are featured here. Bright lip colours are a staple of my beauty look. There are only a handful I didn't swatch because they're neutrals or nudes. 

L-R: MAC Relentlessly Red lipstick (matte)
MAC Force of Love lipstick (matte)
MAC Made With Love lipstick (lustre)
MAC Costa Chic lipstick (frost)
MAC Love Goddess lipstick (satin).

I think I might have a problem. The first step is admitting it, right?

So how do you wear bright lips in the summertime?

Bright lips are an easy way to wear colour. In summer, makeup needs to look and feel lighter, so switch from a foundation to a tinted moisturizer or a BB cream, and use a cream or liquid blush. Go lighter on the eyes and use a primer to keep your eyeshadow from melting. Use water-resistant mascara. Keep everything other than your lip colour soft and neutral.

L-R: MAC Catharina lipstick (cream)
Lush Liquid Lipstick in Believe
NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Mexican Rose
OCC Lip Tar in Queen
OCC Lip Tar in Anime

So what lip colour should you wear?

It depends on your skintone what colours will give you the bright lip look. You can find bright lip colours in orange, coral, pink, red and purple and combinations of all kinds. Or if you're feeling adventurous, go with blue or green or yellow! Knowing your skin's undertone is the best place to start. You're either cool, warm, neutral or olive. Here's how to determine what your undertone is. My undertone is cool, so cooler colours look best on me. 

L-R: OCC Stained Gloss in Meta
OCC Stained Gloss in Jealous
OCC Lip Tar in Vintage
MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Red Dwarf
MAC Lipstick in Prepare for Pleasure (cremesheen)
MAC Lipstick in Absolute Power (matte)

If you are a bit shy about wearing a bright lip, brightly coloured lip glosses can give a pop of colour with far less drama than a lipstick or a lip tar. A bright lip colour brings light to your face.

L-R: OCC Lip Tar in Grandma
OCC Lip Tar in Trollop
Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Crush
MAC Plushglass in Plus Luxe
MAC Lip Glass in Aleydis
Bare Minerals Lip Gloss in Birthday Cake
Make Up For Ever Super Lipgloss #21 

I hope this has helped you get inspired! Wearing a bright lip colour makes you feel just as colourful and lively as the summer weather. Try it tomorrow!

C.

Beauty Squared Round-Up for August 18, 2013

Sunday, Sunday here again in tidy attire! (Blur 'Sunday, Sunday')
It's time for our weekly round-up of beauty links for your clicking and reading pleasure.
Let's go!

• This article isn't about beauty per se, but in the photos (WARNING: nudity) actress Lake Bell is wearing a large rose tattoo transfer, designed by her tattoo artist husband. You can learn more about Tinsley Transfers here.
  
• The amazing Toronto-based MUA Lucky Bromhead offers her tips for keeping your office-appropriate beauty looks stylish.
  
• The iconic look of the flappers of the 1920s was much more than a beauty and style statement, it was political. What does your style say?
  
• If you're into crafty stuff, check out these creative DIY hacks for your shoes.
  
• MYTH: Short hair is boring, since you don't have the options for styling like you do when you have long hair. So not true. Check out these styling ideas for shorter hair!

And finally, check out this adorable Lipstick Dance video. 

Put on some red lipstick...

Happy Monday! 

MAC Quite Cute Preview

“CUTE!” The most fanciful, fun and flattering compliment a young, modern trendsetter could ever want! Our version is the girliest kind of international glam possible, a style ride that combines postage-stamp-sized puppies with pixie swizzle-stick fashion and butterfly kisses for cute boys and even cuter shoes! Cupcake icing colours, vintage romance, an ATM card with Hello Kitty on it – and a way of life that says “yes!” to everything adorable! Come on, get happy, with the multi-culti cutie, from Tokyo to Toronto to Paris with love! Pastel shades for Eye Quads, Lipstick, Plushglass and Nail Lacquer…And, due to popular demand, we’re completely cute-ifying three favourite Lip Pencil shades from last season that will join the fun and frolic. Flash! You’ll ♥ the Mineralize Blush with the sweet heart baked right into it. If it shines, shimmers and pops it’s completely, contagiously, cute! 

#7 Lash
$17 CDN/$14 US

Cutie Eyeshadow x4
Goody Goody Gum Drop - Light white pink (satin)
Boycrazy - Pale lavender with silver pearl (lustre)
Moshi Moshi! - Pale white green gold (frost)
Azuki Bean - Mid-tone dirty violet (frost)
$43 CDN/$36 US 

Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare
Dirty red brown
$15.50 CDN/$13 US

Lip Pencil in In Synch
Bright yellow pink
$15.50 CDN/$13 US

Lip Pencil in Naked Liner
Light neutral
$15.50 CDN/$13 US

Lipstick in Candy Yum-Yum
Matte neon pink (matte)
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Lipstick in Playing Koi
Creamy white peach pink (satin)
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Lipstick in Play Time
Creamy intense violet (cremesheen)
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Lipstick in Quite Cute
Creamy bright whitened lavender (cremesheen)
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Lisptick in Saint Germain
Clean pastel ink (amplified)
$17.50 CDN/$14.50 US

Loud Lash Mascara in Noisy Black
$17 CDN/$14 US

Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoom Black
$17 CDN/$14 US

Mineralize Blush in Giggly
Light pink with pearly plum heart
$27.50 CDN/$23 US

Mineralize Blush in Miss Behave
Light beige with pearly minty heart
$27.50 CDN/$23 US

Mineralize Blush in Sakura
Lavender with pearly magenta heart
$27.50 CDN/$23 US

Nail Lacquer in Ice Cream Cake
Creamy blue pink
$17 CDN/$14 US

Nail Lacquer in Little Girl Type
Creamy pale lavender
$17 CDN/$14 US

Nail Lacquer in Mischievous Mint
Creamy pale blue mint
$17 CDN/$14 US

Penultimate Eyeliner in Rapidblack
True black
$21 CDN/$17.50 US

Plushglass in Bubble Tea
Creamy pale nude
$22 CDN/$18.50 US

Plushglass in Fashion Fanatic
Creamy pale pink
$22 CDN/$18.50 US

Plushglass in Girl♥Boy
Bright light blue pink
$22 CDN/$18.50 US

Plushglass in I♥U
Creamy mid-tone purple
$22 CDN/$18.50 US

I'm not totally sold on Quite Cute. Pastels and icy girly colours are not very me. I'll of course, check this out in person because the collections always look different in person. What do you think? Are any of these products calling your name? What should I check out? Tell me!


C.

LUSTING: Philosophy I Love Candy Corn 3 in 1

Have you ever tried Philosophy's 3 in 1 shampoo/shower gel/bubble baths? They're these fat, brightly colours bottles of bubbly scented joy. In scents such as Cinnamon Buns, Raspberry Sorbet, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Spicy Gumdrop, Mimosa and Blackberry Sauce, the bottles come printed with recipes of what yummy thing they're replicating the scent of. And I tell you, somehow Cinnamon Buns and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies somehow smell fresh-baked, as if the thick, rick, warmth of them has somehow been captured in a fragrance.

Just for Sephora and just for autumn and of course, Hallowe'en, Philosophy has come out with a special 3 in 1 called I Love Candy Corn. Look it's striped like a piece of candy corn too!!! I'm going to need a bag of the candy just within reach when I'm using this though!

C.

Smarties Colour Collection?

I was munching on one of my favourite snacks, Smarties, while at work one the other day and was struck by how lovely some of the colours were. For those of you who don't know, Smarties are similar to M&Ms - we Canadians think of them as our version of M&Ms - and they're colourful, candy-covered chocolate. Yum!

And check out the muted but lovely colours! This is a shot of the pink, red and purple M&Ms. Wouldn't these make lovely lip colours?

Food for thought!

C.