Summer Stained Lips.

I don't know about you peeps, but I hate the feeling of heavy makeup when it's hot!  My face feels like its suffocating!

There is nothing better in the summer than a bright lip though. 

What's a girl to do?

Well, as it would happen, I have the answer!  

A stained lip!  

I LOVE the lip to look as though you have just finished a Popsicle!  Slightly darker in the centre of the mouth, with a soft matte finish. 

I have a little step-by-step tutorial on how this is done. The pics below are in order of the steps.

This is my particular fave way to get this look. 

1-Smooth on a hydrating lip balm and pat it thoroughly into the lips. Line and fill in the lips with a bright berry tone lip liner. 

2-Apply a bright pink lip stain on the inner portion of the lips. Take a matte nude lip crayon or lipstick and apply that the outer portion of the lip. Smudge where the two meet so there is a nice soft ombré finish.

3-Apply concealer around the outer lip line and blend for a clean lip line. This prevents bleeding like a champ!

4-Put a creamy hilighter in the "cupid's bow" of the lip. (The "V" on the top lip). This gives the appearance of fullness. It's a great trick since the formula and technique used here are not adding volume to the lips. 

And, there you have it!  

I used four products for this, which may seem like a lot of work, but the payoff is worth it!  It will wear for hours, and if it feels dry, just press some lip balm on gently and you'll feel more comfortable without losing any colour!

This also looks fab in the cooler months with a deep wine shade!  

So many possibilities!!!

Don't you love some new tricks! If you guys have any, hook a sister up!!!

Donna Xoxo

Maybelline Vivids Lipstick Collection. Neon Coral Goodness!

 You may have heard, but I looooovvvveee lipstick.
 Lurve it!
The brighter, richer, or deeper the shade, the better!
Maybelline's new Color Sensational Vivids line fits that bill and then some!
They have released eight shades in this collection, which are all over the bright, neon trend. The formula has new pigments which give a brighter colour payoff, and honey nectar has been added for comfort and moisture.
Naturally, I ran out the door and bought one!
Shocking Coral found it's way into my hot little hand.
 It sells for $10.99ish most places.  I lucked out and got mine for $8.00 on sale.
This lippy applied comfortably, and opaquely.  The shade of coral is on the pinker side, but really flattering!  The texture is soft without sacrificing wear-time.  I go through lipstick like nobodies business.  I drink tons of water, and my lips are extremely dry, so not much lasts for more than an hour.  This one was comfortable for about two and a half before I had to reapply anything!  Which was awesome!
It didn't migrate outside the lipline too badly, and I really liked the staining effect it left behind. 
Did I mention that the packaging is ADORABLE!  Really pretty!
I'm planning on buying Shocking Coral a little lippy sister or two ASAP!
Have you guys tried the new Vivids yet?  What do you think?
 I'd love to know!

Donna Xoxo
 

The New Neutral Nail, With a Nod to Mod!

Hey Hey!

Hope everyone was good to their Mommies yesterday, and if you're a Mommy yourself, hopefully you were spoiled ridiculously!
If you were in Ontario, it was most likely and indoor affair seeing as it's winter again.  Snow on the roof of the house winter.
I've.  Had.  It. 
Now that I've vented, we're going to discuss a nail trend that's starting to grow on me.
I'm a little bit in love with the whole opaque nude/pale nail look.
It has an elegance that we haven't seen in a while.  It looks more finished than a bare nail, or translucent polish. 
When I was in my late teens, the whole mod thing was back with a vengance!  I loved it then, and I love it now.  I used to rock a graphic white nail with my black and white trapeze dress.  It was the 90`s!  It felt fresh! 
I took the stark white of my youth and made it softer and more modern by putting an opalescent white over the creamy polish.  As a base and top coat I used Sally Hansen Complete Care 4 in 1 treatment.  If your nails are brittle, this stuff is amazing on its own or with polish.  For the creamy white I gave the Lòreal French Tip a shot since this was what I had on hand.  Not the best idea I`ve had.  The brush is slanted and for these purposes it was awkward.  I had to do three coats to get a relatively smooth coverage while swearing like a sailor!  (Yeah, I`m classy like that.)  The next step was a Clarins Sheer Shimmer Nail Colour in 01.
I found the end result to be really pretty!  I dont look like I liquid papered my nails, but it`s completely opaque.  I get bored with nail colour quite quickly, but this feels like a keeper.  As for wear time, it`s been a couple of days now and I have no chips.  I`m quite hard on nail polish, so this is exciting! 
Check out the pictures, and let me know what you think!

Donna Xoxo

Tightlining. Much More Wonderful Than it Sounds!

Lately tightlining is popping up all over the place on the internet.
For good reason!
It is a great little trick that just adds a finishing touch to an eye look.
Tightlining is done when eyeliner is applied between the gaps of the eyelashes of the upper eyelid.  Waterlining is when the waterline of the upper eye is lined.
The two are NOT the same!
Tightlining is, of course, good for a smokey eye. I love this best however, when doing a really soft eye!  It adds a fullness to the lashline that mascara just cant give on its own.
Here's how it's done: 
Wiggle a sharp dark pencil in-between the upper lashes by gently lifting the lid, and working the liner into the root from underneath.
Try to get as little on the waterline as possible, otherwise the look is slightly more harsh
I've never tried it with a gel liner, but from what I understand, the results are great.  Be sure to use a nice thin, stiff brush under the lash so it goes in smooth.  I absolutely adore the brush that comes with the Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner!  The bristles are nice and dense, so you have great control.  I will say that gel formulas smudge on some people, regardless of the product claim, so find one that stays in place on you!  Courtney Love is not the best role model when it comes to eyeliner.  Or life in general.
Keep it clean ladies!
In the middle picture below, the eye on the left hasn't been lined.  See how the lashes look different on the right?  It's subtle, but it does add thickness. Add mascara and you're a lush-lashed vixen!
The word "Vixen" isn't used nearly enough in life, IMO!
Has anybody tried tightlining?  Is it great?  Not so Much?
Any other words that should be busted out in conversation more often?

Donna Xoxo