Mally High Shine Liquid Lipstick

I don't care what anyone says; there is no such thing as a lipstick that will stay on your lips all day through meals and coffee that is not drying. (I actually tore my lip the other day with one of those million hour lipsticks, but we won't get into that beautastrophe here.) So in the search for something shiny, and highly pigmented (in case I want to disguise my legendary lip freckle), and which lasts through all my events, this comes close.

Why this is genius: it's extremely shiny liquid lipstick that has the texture of gloss but at the same time not that horrible liquid goopiness......you know, where your hair gets stuck in it and the second the wind blows, your cheek looks like someone whipped you with lip colour? None of that.

Instead this has the same dispenser (twist the bottom, product comes out onto the brush) as other glosses on the market, but forget them, this is a thousand times better.

I first tried Tender Rose and was immediately amazed by how it was my lips, but better. It stays in place. It's shiny. It tastes amazing. And I didn't have to reapply every ten seconds as it vanished. Try for a colour that is similar to your lip colour, as that's when you will really see how well it pops. Whatever Mally has done with the shimmer, it's perfect.

What makes it right for this post though is it eliminates the need for lip pencil, eliminates the need for a bit of highlighter on the middle of the lip, eliminates the need for a stand-alone lip brush, eliminates the need for layering gloss on top of lipstick. I know Mally sells an amazing lip pencil as well as one that fills in the lip, which you can get, but with this one, if you're too lazy, you'll still be fine. The product just doesn't feather, doesn't bleed.

Best of all most of her colours look surprisingly good on all skin tones. So far I've also tried Mauve, slightly darker than Tender Rose (which is the colour I'd recommend for most Asian girls), and Sweet Berry, exactly as it implies, a shimmer-free shiny berry. And I have ready to go Super Natural, Perfect Pink and Cafe and suspect they will all work as well.

For my lighter skinned readers, I'd recommend Super Natural as your skin tone. And for my darker gals, Cafe might suit.

PROS:
finally a lip gloss and lipstick all in one
no lip brush needed
no lip pencil needed
pleasant taste
stays put
really shiny
a good range of shades
travels really well

CONS:
I didn't find the swatches which all look the same to be candid, to be particularly accurate. And this isn't a computer screen thing.
The tube is not quite full. Could be a bit more product per tube.
QVC used to carry this and recently discontinued this - don't know why as it's probably the best thing in her range


http://www.mallybeauty.com/store/category/lips/lipstick/item/LP0012/high_shine_liquid_lipstick_pens/

Sarah Potempa's The Wrap Up

I have slick hair. It's shiny, it's stick straight, and it is impossible to manipulate. You name the product, I've tried it. I've watched many a hair stylist dissolve into near-tears trying to give me an up-do.

To wit, during adolescence, I got a perm. Day one, I looked like a lion. Which is bad, in case you're wondering. But luckily for me (less so for my mom's wallet; it set her back $60, a fortune back then), by Day 14, it had fallen out.
 
Straightening fanatics are jealous of my wave of shiny straightness. In the hot New York summers however, I turn slightly homicidal as my neck heats up. Years ago, I remember walking through Bloomingdale's first floor and seeing a hair accessory that purported to make a French twist or bun, faster than you could say "bobby pin". I didn't buy it, probably because I was too busy dodging perfume sprayers. And always regretted it.
 
So for years, I watched late night infomercials, hoping the product would resurrect itself. Several instant-cook spaghetti makers (they don't work) and Spacebag sets later (they do work but pop holes), this nifty item appeared on QVC.

It works. I have yet to make a successful sideways twist, but even someone hair-challenged can make a bun from this puppy.

You put your hair in a ponytail. You pry open the wires, you shove your hair through, you smash the wires flat, pull the object down your hair and then start twisting up and tuck in the ends. (Don't worry, it comes with a handy illustration.)

In fact, if you wait till your hair is nearly dry, and rub in some mousse or balm, then twist your hair up, about ten hours later, you'll even have curls. (Well, I did. For about two hours anyway. Good enough for parties.)

Sarah Potempa, I love you.

PROS:
It's a bun for dummies. Really works.
Priced to move.
Life-changing for those of you who can't put your hair up.
Can give you curls; no curling iron or curlers required.

CONS:
Your hair has to be all one length for you not to have straw-like pieces poking out.
Doesn't really work for French twists or sideways dos.
After much wire-twisting, you probably will need a second one.
You can see it in your hair unless you're really good at moving your hair around it because it's biggish.

http://www.sarahpotempa.com/shop/products/the-wrap-up/

Origins Rain and Shine liptint w/ SPF 10

I'm a big believer in sunscreen. Lips burn easily because lip skin is very thin and has few melanocytes (mini science lesson). Those who know me know I have a freckle from the sun right in the middle of my lips which appeared after a trip to the Caribbean (yes, I've had it checked).

So if I leave the house with only one thing on? It's lipstick with sunscreen. I've tested hundreds, maybe more on myself. (We won't discuss how much lipstick I've eaten this year.)

Typically lipsticks with sunscreen seem to fail the year round test. They're too pale (dark lips need sunblock too!) or they don't come in colours for darker complexions or they're too red. Enter Origins.

I swear by their Rain and Shine SPF 10 lip tint (recently went up to $15). Sheer enough if you just dab it on, and nearly opaque if you go a couple layers. I happen to like Sugared Toffee, colour no. 1. Don't rely on their site for choosing your colour, which I find strangely off on swatches -- no matter what computer screen I look at it on (it isn't an RGB or CMYK thing) so do go to the store.

While the jury is out about sunscreen - is it better to eat a bunch of chemicals or risk skin cancer? Hmmm - I won't weigh in here. But I have read all the labels too. Incidentally, I couldn't get the latest - as I think they've reformulated, but here is the second to last Origins Rain and Shine label.

So you know what's in it.

And if I'm going to leave the house with one item this is it.

PROS:
Great coverage going both sheer and fairly opaque
Glides on softly with lots of emollients, never drying
SPF included!
Great day to night
Great everywhere from cities to the Caribbean
Wide range of colours
Nice minty taste

CONS:
That same minty taste bothers some people; they complain it tingles.
Not for those who don't want to eat SPF

http://www.origins.com/product/3848/11997/Makeup/Daily-Essentials/Lips/Rain-and-Shine/Liptint-with-SPF-10-Sunscreen/index.tmpl

Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips

I had tried the nail polish strips from another company. We won't badmouth them here. They were basically stickers. Didn't work. These are not those.

What these are are real nail polish strips but in a kind of sticker-like texture. The box comes with instructions, an orange stick and a three-surfaced nail file. You are going to want to read the instructions. Then you are going to want to forgive yourself if the first box doesn't turn out perfect.

You essentially remove all old polish, doing at least one clean sweep to make the nail surface smooth, buff it a bit, then open the nail polish packet and follow the instructions.

Some tips they don't give you:
1. you will need a nail clipper and it's easier to clip off what doesn't fit by following the edge of your nail. I don't care what it says, you simply cannot file off that much excess unless you have dragon lady nails, in which case I'm guessing, you are not my reader.
2. the nail strips are in size order, so start with your pinkie and then ring finger, but then skip your middle finger and use the next one for your pointer. Then go back to your middle finger. Because your middle finger's nail is bigger than your pointer.
3. These did not fit the shape of my finger perfectly -- they are all pretty big except for the pinkie -- and the easiest way around this for you, if you have the same problem - is once you've applied a strip, immediately  use the flat end of the cuticle stick to make perforations in the strip and peel away the excess. (After you've cut off the overhang.)

My thoughts. These last for ages. My first box (in a kind of bright red) only lasted about five days before the first two chips. However my second box (the black floral on white stencil) is still on, and I am going on ten days with this set, and they look pretty fresh.

Do what the box says in terms of pressing down the sides, and I personally would use a bit of caution and press down the tops and sides for a bit, essentially pressing your nails gently, after they've been put on for about five minutes.

I am now angling to try the denim and leopard ones next.

PROS:
I will probably never go to the salon again.
Takes less than ten minutes, no drying.
Lasts ages. AGES.
No messy polish.
Travels well as no liquids.
At about $8/9 a pack, cheaper than a manicure.

CONS:
Limited colours so they're highly recognisable and everyone knows you have the strips on. But then again, you're lazy, like me, so who cares. Better than sitting for six hours in some salon while someone makes play-dough Harajuku miniatures on your hands!
Not quite finger shaped.

http://www.drugstore.com/sally-hansen-salon-effects-real-nail-polish-strips-tattoo-much/qxp392829?catid=295521

Stila Travel Palettes

I love the idea of a good palette. It's flat. It's fuss-free. No pots to mess with and if credit card sized, travels very well.

So when Stila launched their Travel Palettes -- based on the names of cities (Wonderful in Waikiki, Striking in South Beach, Pretty in Paris), I was pretty psyched. It's a chance to try out a slew of Stila items, take your makeup on the go, with colours that work well together, and all for $9!

There's just one problem. As a limited edition, this isn't a permanent solution. For someone who sticks with a colour for years - once I find one that works - just ask me about Origins Rain and Shine colour 1 - I don't like the idea of anything that I will have trouble finding once I fall in love.

But Stila told me, they are coming out with these, for as many cities as they can, for as long as they're popular, and one every few months.

So within a couple of weeks of me loving the Pretty in Paris (shadows in Crepe, Cherie, Jolie, Chocolat, and a blush in Rosebud), it was sold out. Sigh.

Therein lies the rub. The colours are lovely, the compact is handy, the price is right, but not every city will suit every complexion. And some of the cities just have crazy colours -- check out the blue shadow in Trendsetter in Tokyo.

At the time of writing this, Make an Impression in Moscow and Striking in South Beach (above) were available. I would say the former suits very fair girls. And the latter fair - to light medium.

PROS:
$9, can I say again $9! And a chance to try several of Stila's eye shadows at once. They make the best eye shadows.
Easy to travel with.
Comes with a mirror.
No mess.
Slightly larger than a credit card, size can't be beat.

CONS:
No brushes so it means bringing your own or using your fingers (gross.)
Limited edition so beautiful today, gone tomorrow.

Sephora Stila palettes

Sephora Smoothing & Brightening Concealer

My skin tone is a strange colour. This is because I'm Asian. And while makeup companies seem to have figured out Caucasian complexions  - and I would say African American complexions as well, based on what my beauty friends tell me - they haven't figured out mine. During all those makeup touchups and makeovers, I take part in during fashion week, I am often told I'm "yellow" toned underneath. This is actually wrong. The result is a bizarre colour on my face after my makeup has been done, slightly jaundiced, resulting in me leaving events looking somewhere between a cast-off of The Mummy and as though I've been indulging in mustard masks on a nightly basis.

Add to this that I don't believe in a full face of foundation so I look for foundation or concealers simply to cover blemishes or imperfection.

Enter Sephora's delightful little wand of concealer.

The delivery is a twist brush applicator. You twist the nose of the pen and the product comes piping out into the brush. i.e. it's all in one. Brush. Product. No bottle, no fingertips needed, no spill.

A helpful Sephora associate in their Times Square store both got my colour right instantly and found me stock. She said you're probably (and no one ever gets it right) colour 08 (Medium). I was pretty shocked when instantly the product matched my hand and face. Perfectly.

PROS:
Asian girls, this one's for you. It's neither "yellow" nor some crazy shade of green.
It doesn't spill.
It doesn't require a brush or a sponge.
Fits in your tiny purse.
Goes onto airplanes without those pesky "fluid" restrictions.

CONS:
Not sure how long Sephora will keep this baby around. They seem to discontinue things. A lot.
In fact, as of the writing of this, the 08 is already called "Radiant Sand" online. Not sure if it's the same.

http://www.sephora.com/smoothing-brightening-concealer-P291910

Avon Makeup to Go palette

The problem with palettes is that there's always a bunch of colours you just can't use. Or don't want to. So the trick for me in finding a good travel palette is one that does a lot. This one is pretty good because it has a ton of options. It's eight shadows, four coloured glosses, and a blush in one. Plus a mirror. It's credit card sized (but about the thickness of a phone.)

The challenge for me with this palette was two-fold.

1. I suspect it's limited edition. Avon loves to do this. This is holiday product so you may never see it again.

2. It took me about an hour to figure out how to open it. And I scored top 1% on my standardized tests. So let me explain that one for you. The bottom slides out, like a puzzle box or one of those slide phones. The top snaps open if you tuck a fingernail in the slot and pull. Hard to say if I was having a brain fart day. Or if my compact was just particularly well-snapped.

Now to the colours. I was able to use most of the shadows, and impressed that they thought to include a contouring colour and a highlighter colour (for corners of the eyes etc.) However in lip, I could really only use the burgundy gloss. The others were much too light and who wears yellow gloss anyway? So that one, I'd say could be a center of lip highlighter if one wanted, but overall, the glosses are for a Georgia peach, and one who wants some very pale pink glosses. Ditto for the blush. I got away with it. But it's a bit.......shiny for me. A bit too pink, a bit too shimmery.

That said, between the shadows, and the one gloss, and the blush, I was able to make a complete look. The goal of any palette. As well, size can't be beat. I don't remember the last time I saw something so sturdy, so well-priced ($9.99) that does so much on the go. I took this with me to London for two months and was very pleased I had it as it was nearly all I needed. Nearly. It will be coming with me on my summer travels.

I am hopeful that Avon will bring this beauty back in the Fall and possibly think to add a palette for us darker girls. Maybe one for Asian complexions and one for my African American pals.

PROS:
Incredibly compact - size of a credit card, thickness of a phone, really small
Lots of colours for the size, including rarely offered highlight and contour colours
A very complete palette, I was able to make a whole look
Sturdy casing meant it traveled well
Less than $10, for a kit that can get you through two months? I challenge you to find something better

CONS:
Another limited edition item from Avon, I suspect
Shadows didn't really go with lip/blush colours - shadows were darker, lip was much lighter
No brushes included

http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?level1_id=300&level2_id=615&pdept_id=617&dept_id=0&pf_id=42962

L'Oreal One Sweep Eye Shadow

The L'Oreal One Sweep Eye Shadow seemed perfect for my first post as it's doesn't get lazier (and easier) than this!

Simply put, this is a compact of one shadow with three colours, an applicator and a mirror under the applicator, that purports to create a smokey eye with one sweep (well, two, if you want to do both eyes.)

It's pretty easy. You swipe the wand across the shadow on each side and one side for each eye. Presto, in five seconds you're done.

I bought it in 808 Smoky for Brown Eyes and 809 Natural for Brown Eyes and it's pretty excellent. The Natural is a bit less.....grey.....and therefore, nicer. Bit shimmery for daytime but a perfect look for evening.

PROS:
Easy as pie.
No brushes.
No pots to mess about with.
Comes with a mirror.
I was able to clean the applicator just with soap and water and it held up.

CONS:
It takes a couple tries for you to get your eyes to be evenly applied - unless you're ambidextrous. But I imagine you'd have this same problem with regular shadow. You just have a bit less control over the applicator here.

Here's hoping they keep making this one. http://www.target.com/p/L-Oreal-Studio-Secrets-One-Sweep-Eyeshadow-Collection-Smoky-for-Brown-Eyes/-/A-13521061