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#MakeupMonday – Top Lipglosses

Tarte Double Ended Lipgloss in Rhett and Scarlett

Tarte Double Ended Lipgloss in Rhett and Scarlett


Some women gravitate to eye makeup, some women to lip makeup. Without a doubt, I am a lip woman, specifically I am a lipgloss gal. No matter how many I own, I always buy more HOWEVER some do stand above the rest. Here then are my picks for Best Lipglosses;

5) Cargo Cosmetics – Lipgloss
This would be higher on the list save for the fact that Cargo changed the configuration and color selection of this item. They used to be lipgloss duos and they were the BEST ever. Now I see they are quads and they didn’t keep any of the same color names. I’m still going to recommend it, however, for a couple of reasons. First of all, the actual formulation of Cargo’s lipgloss was always fantastic; smooth and creamy and full coverage without being sticky or gloopy. Secondly, the amount of product was quite generous. Dunno if it’s still as generous now that it’s a quad, however, the tin is larger and deeper than most tubes AND you can scoop every last bit out. Not sure what the new colors are like but when you’re in Sephora, Cargo is always worth checking out. Continue reading →

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Latest Greatest – New Nars Lipglosses

As if I didn’t have enough already, Nars has introduced two new lip glosses and they both look fabtastic. Opelia is a high-shine gloss in a soft strawberry tone, and Easy Lover is a sheer, wearable Hot Pink. Yes I already own a zillion lip glosses, yes I’ll be adding these two to my kit immediately.

These glosses are part of Nars fantastic Spring 2010 collection. Look for a more in-depth review soon…

Ophelia and Easy Rider Lip Glosses from Nars

Ophelia and Easy Rider Lip Glosses from Nars

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Beauty Breakdown – Softer Side of Smokey

editorial outtake / © N. Horne

editorial outtake / © N. Horne

Makeup by Tania D. Russell/ Makeupwerks.com

Model: Cassidy/Ford Models

Not all smokey eyes have to be severe. With a natural brow, dewey skin and an otherwise neutral color palette, the smokey gives high impact without being harsh. Here’s how I got the look…

Foundation – Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX Foundation in Light 1 & 2
Stila All Over Shimmer in #1

Eyes – Tarte Lock n’ Roll Cream & Powder eye shadow in Sandstone
Smashbox Eyelights palette in Smokebox
Givenchy Magic Khol eyeliner in Brown.

Mascara – Maybelline Great Lash over individual false eyelashes

Cheeks – NYX Creme Blush in CB02 Natural
Givenchy Prisme Again Blush in Euphoric Orange

Lips – Nars Lip Lacquer in Chelsea Girl
Nars Lip Gloss in Striptease

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Holiday Makeup Shopping

It’s the Holidays! The holidays means so many different things; fabulous food, time with family, tradition, spectacle… and for the makeup fanatic = holiday makeup sets. Every year I go crazy buying 5 times more makeup than I normally would because of these delectably seductive little sets. Whether you keep them yourself, or give them as gifts they’re just the perfect little beauty Pick Me Up… here’s the best of the bunch for 2009 (IMHO ;) )
Continue reading →

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Best Blushes for Darker Toned Beauties

Iman Cosmetics Blushes in Peace and Allure

Iman Cosmetics Blushes in Peace and Allure

I did a job recently where I had to do makeup on an African American female model who was about Phylicia Rashād’s (mom Huxtable from ‘The Cosby Show’) complexion. Both Phylicia and this model are a rich brown color, but still more fair than myself. To my dismay, I did NOT have a blush that really, really worked on her. Well, I had one, but it’s shimmery and I needed matte/satin products for this shoot (pharmaceutical ad). When searching for colors for darker skin tones either for yourself or for your kit, the issue isn’t needing a darker color necessarily (although that’s obviously sometimes the case), the issue is needing higher pigmentation. You’re dealing with skin that already has it’s own measure of pigmentation so in order for color to show it needs to have a measure of potency. This led me to search for blushes for darker complexions, and let me tell you – it was a search. I thought I’d find some info online since there are always so many “Best Of” lists – nope. Searched some magazines – nope. I had to pull out the Do It Yourself kit and actually get in the car and hit the pavement to find the best blushes for darker toned beauties. Here’s what I found; Continue reading →

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Beauty Breakdown – Summer Beauty

© L. Ulrichova for Relate Magazine

© L. Ulrichova for Relate Magazine


Model: Bay/Ford Models

Soft color reflects the ease of summer beauty. Here’s how I got the look…

Foundation: Makeup Forever (MUFE) HD Invisible Cover Foundation (mix of 2 colors)

Eyeshadows: Urban Decay – Midnight Cowboy / Hotpants

Eyeliner: Makeup Forever (MUFE) Aqualiner #3L – Iridescent Navy Blue / MUFE Aqualiner 14L – White / Urban Decay 24-7 Pencil – Bourbon

Mascara: Givenchy – Phenomen’Eyes Mascara

Cheeks: Il Makiage – Spumoni / Playful Pink

Lips: NYX Cosmetics Lipliner – Natural
Nars Lipgloss – Stella

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I Love the Java Jive and It Loves Me… Best Coffee Color Lip Products

I am a big time coffee person. Not just a coffee drinker, I am an unabashed coffee connoisseur and snob. I’m a Twitterer ( follow me :) ) and I’m good for at least one tweet a day mentioning coffee. Last time I did so, my friend and business partner Kallah Maguire of Chic Shopping LA tweeted me back asking if there are any good coffee colored lip colors. I thought that was a great idea. Kallah, this one’s for you!

Brown can be a difficult color to pull off. There are many shades of brown some more cool, some with more of a red undertone, and some more neutral. In addition there are intensities of brown from the very dark to the softer more pinky brown. Coffee-brown in cosmetics tends to be more of a true, neutral, rich brown although there are some variations. I think where most women go wrong is going for a brown that’s too dark and is in too high a contrast for their skin tone which sucks all the color out of their skin and makes the skin look “cold”. Being the connoisseur that I am, here’s a selection of the best Coffees I’ve found… Continue reading →

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Top Ten Makeup Products Without Which I Would Die

As a makeup enthusiast and product junkie I love knowing what’s new in makeup-landia; what the trends are, what the hot new brands are, etc. As a makeup artist, however, I have to temper my enthusiasm with what works. Sometimes all you have 10-15 minutes to do the job and it needs to look like you spent an hour. This is where your Stand By products come in. No time for experimentation; I need to reach in, grab a product, and know exactly what it’s going to do. If you’re an aspiring artist, take note as many of these products are unilaterally loved by makeup artists all over. Makeup aficionados take note as many of these products are what artists are actually using, even when they say they’re using something else. ;)

Here then are my Top Ten products: Continue reading →

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Beauty Breakdown – iColor

makeup by Tania D. Russell/Makeup to Go!

makeup by Tania D. Russell/Makeupwerks.com

© Lenka Ulrichova
Model: Bre/Ford Models

Nothing shakes off the winter blahs like a jolt of intense color. Play with the hues of spring’s bloom and enliven your makeup palette. Here’s how I got the look…

Foundation: Smashbox High-Definition liquid foundation in Medium 2 (mixed with Medium 3)
Eyes: Lid – Nixie Cosmetics Cream Eye Shadow Stick in Apple Green
Crease – Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Baked
Contour – Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Loose Color in LaFayette
Mascara – Maybelline Great Lash over individual false eyelashes
Cheeks – NARS Cream Blush in Cactus Flower and Powder Blush in Zen
Lips – Smashbox Lip Enhancing (Full Color) Gloss in Aura

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