Which One?

I’ve never really been one to use lipstick, or any sort of lip color for that matter but for a while now I’ve been experimenting with different kinds of lip colors.  While I mainly focus on my eyes when I apply my makeup, I like to try something different from time to time as well.  I usually only ever put on lip balm on a daily basis but when I want to feel glamorous I opt for lipstick.  However, with so many different colors to choose for your lips, what’s the best?  In my opinion, it’s all about balancing the face when you’re putting on makeup.  If you plan to create a dramatic eye look, go for a more neutral, understated lip.  If you want to play up your lips with a bright color, create a simple look for your eyes using neutral colors.  This is probably one of the safest ways to keep yourself from looking like a clown, for a lack of better words.  However, I have seen girls rock an intense eye look with super bright looks and they look AMAZING, but it’s just not for me.  Remember, makeup is an expression of yourself, so if you’re feeling particularly  bold one day, don’t be afraid to go all out with your makeup.  Believe me, when I was taking pictures for this blog last week, Justin gave me a call asking me if I wanted to go out to get food and I had bright purple lipstick on.  I decided to take off the lipstick but when I did, my lips were stained purple! I ended up having to put on some red lipstick to cover the purple, which made my make up look a little more dramatic than I wanted to, but to be honest, I feel super fabulous with red lipstick on.  It’s not something I do on the norm since I hate having to touch up my make up throughout the day but I can deal with it once in a while.  So here’s some pictures of a few different shades I like to play with.  I’ll list the colors underneath!

From left to right: Viva Glam I, Shy Girl, Bust Out!

Viva Glam I is the first lipstick created for MAC’s Viva Glam program which was launched in 1994.  This program was created to help people all over the world who are suffering from HIV/AIDS.  All the money earned from every piece sold in the Viva Glam collection is donated to the MAC AIDS Fund.  It’s a great cause and now I don’t feel bad buying lipstick.  According to MAC, Viva Glam I is an “intense brownish blue-red”.  It is matte in finish so I always make sure to use lip balm before hand because matte lipstick always tends to make my lips look very dry and cracked.  I find that putting on lip balm beforehand and applying a lip gloss on top keeps the dryness away.

Yeah…I put a boo boo on my lipstick while I was taking pictures for this blog. x\

Shy girl is a coral beige color that is in MAC’s cremesheen finish.  I usually have to put on a few layers of the lipstick to make the color even.  I like using this lip color when I’m really playing up my eyes because it gives my lips a little bit of shine without looking too crazy.

Bust Out! is a gorgeous purple-brown color that is part of MAC’s current summer collection, Surf, Baby.  If you remember when I blogged about that collection, I kind of bought this impulsively and I must say I love how it looks.  I can definitely see myself wearing this color more often.  When applied, it isn’t as bright as it is in the container, but you can use a purple lip liner to bring out the color.

So don’t be afraid to wear a bold lip color! It’s a great way to change up your makeup routine when you want to go for a different look.

I’ve been getting a few questions about which type of eyeliner is the best and to be honest, each kind of eyeliner is good for their own reasons! Don’t worry, I’ll break down three different kinds of eyeliners and provide recommendations for you guys today so you can decide which one will work for you.

1. Pencil liners.

So what can I say about pencil liners, we’ve all seen them, and it’s usually what we think of when we hear the word eyeliner.  Pencil liner is great for a fast and easy application, and if you’re new to the world of eyeliner, then I would highly recommend this.  It is by far the easiest eyeliner to control, and easy to fix if you make any mistakes.  Pencil liners are easy to blend, so if you’re going for a smokey look then these are for you.  However, I find that pencil liners have a problem with smudging throughout the day, which can be a problem if you’re looking for a clean line.  Also, pencil liners are prone to giving you raccoon eyes which means if you’re going to be wearing makeup all day, you’ll probably have to touch up a couple of times.

recommended pencil liners:

NYX slim pencil liner
Urban Decay 24/7 liquid liner
MAC eye kohl

2. Liquid liners.

This kind of eyeliner is great for giving you crisp, clean liners which is perfect if you’re going for a cat eye or bat wing look.  It can be a little tricky to use at first so don’t get frustrated if it takes you a little while to get the hang of it! If you’re just starting out with liquid liner, I suggest drawing a few lines on your hand first before actually applying it to your eyes so you get a feel for how light or heavy the liner applies and to go from there.  I also suggest finding liquid liners that have a felt tip, because the brush tip applicators that come with the actual liner are usually flimsy and super hard to control.  If you do happen to get a liquid liner with a brush applicator, you can always use your own eyeliner brush to apply.  The nice thing about liquid liners is that it has great color pay off and it stays put for a while unless it gets wet, however, it does tend to flake throughout the day.  Also, liquid liner usually doesn’t do too well in the waterline of you eye, so if you want to line the inner rims of your eyes, you’ll have to look into a pencil or gel liner as well.

recommended liquid liners:
L’oreal Lineur Intense
NYX felt tip liner
Prestige liquid liner
MAC penultimate liner

3. Gel liners

This is probably an eyeliner that some of you may not have heard of before, but is actually becoming more popular with consumers.  Gel liners come in a pot, and require a brush to be applied.  Gel liners are applied the same way as liquid liners, but are much more unforgiving when it comes to mistakes.  Gel liners are pretty much water proof and they have great staying power, which is why I use this eyeliner not only on myself, but on my clients as well, especially brides.  If you decide to start using gel liners, I suggest that you practice practice practice, because I find that nothing is more annoying than finishing my makeup off with eyeliner and having to take off all of my work because I couldn’t get the liner to match on both of my eyes.  I’ve been finding more and more gel liners at the drug store, so it’s a lot easier to find these days.

recommended gel liners:
MAC fluidline
L’oreal H.I.P gel liner
Maybelline cream liner
Stila smudge pot gel liner

recommended eyeliner brushes:
MAC 209
MAC 266
Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush

Here is a picture showing how these different liners apply:

from left to right: liquid liner, pencil liner, and gel liner.

And here is a photo where I tried smudging the eyeliner to simulate how it would fade during the day.

from left to right: liquid liner, pencil liner, and gel liner.

As you can see, both the pencil and liquid liner had a good amount of smudging and fading but the gel liner held up pretty well with minimal wear.  However, deciding what liner is best for you just depends on what you need. I actually use each of these pretty equally depending one what look I’m going for for that day.  I hope this has helped you guys!