Lip Service: YSL Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain

I finally got away from work long enough to take a closer look at the new 'Glossy Stains' from YSL. I ended up with three:

#8 (Orange de Chine), #10 ( Rouge Philtre), and #16 (Pourpre Preview)

These colors stood out the most to me. The others are good, but these were the most unique in my  opinion.

The applicator is wide, and easily bendable. I had to be really careful using it because there's a danger of the stain going someplace you don't want it. It's not very precise. I had a lot more luck taking the product off of the applicator with a lip brush to properly get the high and low points of the mouth.

I switched the order of the colors here by accident. So #8 is first, followed by #16 and then #10

Now, because this is a stain, I could only do one lip swatch. I tried to take it off to do another, and found that the color would NOT move, even with makeup remover! These are really pigmented and have major staying power. Like the name suggests, they are also a 'gloss' -- so there's no drying factor as with other traditional stains.

#8 (Orange de Chine)

Love it.

You can find out more about YSL Glossy Stains HERE.

Smoke and BRIGHT Orange

Okay, we should probably file this look under 'Misses.' I don't really know what the plan was going into it. I wanted to use the new YSL Glossy Stain, but I'm not sure about it in the mix with the rest of this makeup. Anyway... here it is:

FACE

Sonia Kashuk Tinted Moisturizer (Tan)

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder (#2)

Chanel Blush in In Love

 EYES

Louise Young Eyeshadow in Ting (browbone)

Louise Young Eyeshadow in Black Bear (lashline)

MAC Metallic Crushed Pigment in Old Wine (lids)

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Zero (waterline)

Dior Blackout Mascara

LIPS

YSL Glossy Stain in #8 (Orange de Chine)

Chanel Giveaway: The Winner Is:

DawnBlaze!

Congratulations! You won the monetary equivalent of one bottle of Chanel Perfection Lumiere ($55). I've sent you a message via Google Friend Connect. Please respond by emailing me the pertinent information at shahada@habibibody.com

Congrats again!

FOTD: Kaska Burgundy?

Chanel's Quad in Kaska Beige is one of the most versatile of the bunch. Typically, when I use this palette, it's to use the gold or taupe color in it (both of which are nearly down to the pan). But today, I went for the burgundy color, which doesn't normally get a lot of love from me:

FACE

Guerlain Parure Gold (Beige 06)

Chanel Loose Powder (Dore)

Chanel Blush in Plum Attraction

Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight (Highlight)

EYES

Chanel Quad in Kaska Beige:

Burgundy color on the lids

Taupe color through the crease

YSL Shocking Liner Pen (lashline)

Chanel Eye Pencil in Grenat (waterline)

Guerlain Noir G Mascara

LIPS

Chantecaille Hydra Chic Lipstick in Willow

The 'Secret' to Laura Mercier

I went a little nuts recently in the quest for 'flawless finish' tools, and hit the Laura Mercier counter at my local Beauty Supply Store:

From the left: Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, Secret Camouflage, and Eye Canvas

 I got the Secret Brightening Powder in #2, which has more of a yellow hue. #1 reminds me of MAC Prep & Prime, because it is distinctly white. What's incredible is HOW finely milled this powder is. It's kind of like the MUFE HD Powder, without the flashback. Just the smallest dusting sets everything. This stuff is awesome.

The Secret Camouflage is a bit of a conundrum. It works... but I really think it's best reserved for professionals. Here's why: It's nearly impossible to match your shades without really taking your time. The colors appear completely 'off' at first glance: too pink, too bright, too yellow, to orange, too brown...
It took me longer than a little bit to get it just right. It turns out I'm #6. The shades go up to 8 (which is like an espresso color with red undertones) so I imagine that there's something for just about everyone. The other problem, however, is the consistency. This stuff is DENSE. Like, beyond 'using a concealer brush' dense. It does even out skin tones and highlight with a little work, but using anything other than a spatula turns out to be pretty labor intensive. I have to say, I prefer the Bobbi Brown Color Corrector... at least for the moment. Maybe I need to spend some more time with this stuff to get it right.

The Eye Canvas is supposed to be foundation for the lids. It reminds me a lot of a MAC Paint Pot, but it's not as dense, and blends a lot faster. It's a primer and a 'neutralizer' for your eyelids. Now, here's the thing. You can probably get the same effect with a regular Paint Pot or a neutral matte eye shadow. I like the Eye Canvas, but it's really not necessary. It's just nice to have. We'll see how much use I actually get out of it.

Now, I'm going to use all of these things together and see just how 'flawless' I can get this face of mine. FOTD's coming. Ciao for now!

FOTD: 10 Minutes (Sunday)

Another day... another mad rush to get everything organized and out the door. Just minutes for makeup... I went pink on Sunday:

FACE

Guerlain Parure Gold (Beige 06)

Chantecaille Loose Powder (Shadow)

Chanel Blush in Rose Temptation

Chanel Highlighter in Rose Merveille

EYES

Louise Young Eyeshadow in Ting (browbone)

MAC Crushed Metallic Pigment in Shifting Sands (lids)

Stila Smudgestick in Stone (under waterline)

Maybelline Falsies Mascara

LIPS

Chanel Lip Pencil in Nude

YSL Lipstick in Bohemian Rose

FOTD: 10 Minutes... (Saturday)

I worked all weekend, so I had no time for any real makeup on myself. When I have to move fast, I tend to reach for colors that I KNOW will work. For this look, that means bronzes, browns and black...

FACE

Sonia Kashuk Tinted Moisturizer (Tan)

Chanel Loose Powder (Dore)

IMAN Blush in Allure

EYES

NARS Eyeshadow in Galapagos (lids)

Louise Young Eyeshadow in Black Bear (outer crease/lashline)

Louise Young Eyeshadow in Pom Pom (brows/under waterline)

Stila Smudgestick in Onyx

Guerlain Noir G Mascara

 LIPS

Le Metier de Beaute Lip Gloss in Summerland

Oscar's Best: Head to Toe

Beyond nominations and awards, I'm always on the lookout for who pulled it off completely beautifully and effortlessly, head to toe.
My choices always surprise people, but I tend to be pretty strict. The Oscars are NOT the time to be experimenting with hair and makeup. I'm just saying.

First Place:

Sandra Bullock looked like she was born looking that way. Her hair (like SILK), makeup and dress were chic, effortless and simply stunning. I was impressed ... even as other folks were struggling to hold in bellys and keep their hair in place. She looked so elegant, with just enough of an interesting dress to pull it all together. She gets top marks for everything in my book: Hair, Makeup, and Styling.

Second Place:

Gwenyth would have taken first place, had it not been for the SHOULDER PADS in that dress. Her simple elegance always looks so effortless. But I have to tell you, I was so mad when she took that cape off and I saw those shoulder pads. It was nearly a theme for the night. Between her and Milla Jovovich, I was through. Perfectly beautiful dresses, ruined by shoulder pads. Gwenyth was wearing Tom Ford, who is a fan of the 80's. Apparently he infected this lovely frock with a trend that should have been left in that decade. Hair and makeup wise, she kept it simple. I was excited to see her with that hair style instead of her traditional bone straight bob (long or short). I liked the 'warmth' of her makeup too... she seemed to smile a lot more. I loved it.

Third Place:

I thought Cameron Diaz looked exquisite, but she could not get control of that hair. It was all over the place by the time the show was halfway over. I also took away from the structure and polish of  her dress. So close to effortless elegance, but the hair turned Haute into Haggard.

Those are my top picks. I wanted to love some of the other ensembles, but something always threw it off. A misplaced belt, the wrong hair color/style, or atrocious makeup.

I admit to being a stickler about this sort of thing... so please forgive the 'edge' to my criticisms. We do this once a year, so I feel that we ought to put a little more effort in looking 'put together' -- from top to toe.

Product Review: Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight

The highlighting powder in 'Candlelight' is probably considered the Crown Jewel of the Kevyn Aucoin Brand. It is one of the few highlighters on the market that translates by adding 'light' to the widest possible range of skin tones. Most highlighters fall into two categories: Pink/Cream or Gold/Bronze. Makeup artists switch back and forth as needed, depending on skin tone. But 'Candlelight' maintains a iridescent 'glow' on both fair and dark skins, without going gold or bronze on lighter skin tones, or ashy on darker skin tones.

The brush that it comes with is absolutely horrid. I tossed it right away. But the powder itself is extremely finely milled. I think that's its secret. You use the tiniest bit to highlight the areas you want, and it ends up looking like the light just sort of caught you that way... like 'candlelight.' I was surprised (and pleased) at how quickly it merged in with my natural skin color.

Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candlelight retails for $42 and is sold at Space NK.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Professional Grade: Perfect Foundation Application

Okay, this is probably the simplest video I've ever found on applying foundation. I was browsing Bella Sugar (love that site), and found it. In addition to Lisa Eldridge (who emphasizes 'thin' layers, no matter what kind of skin you have), I find Fiona Stiles' technique practical and cost effective. No million and a half products/tools required, and no complicated techniques strictly reserved for professionals.

Observe...

 Here's to a Flawless Finish!

FOTD: More Aloha

I really love these Crushed Metallic Pigments in 'Aloha.' This time, I used the pigment actually NAMED Aloha...

FACE

Sonia Kashuk Tinted Moisturizer (Tan)

Chantecaille Loose Powder (Shadow)

Laura Mercier Blush in Fresh Peach

EYES

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Emerveille (lashline to brow)

Lousie Young Eyeshadow in Maowi (creaase/under waterline)

MAC Crushed Metallic Pigment in Aloha (lids)

By Terry Crayon Kohl Terrybly in Black Print (waterline)

Armani Eyes To Kill Stretch Mascara

LIPS

IMAN Lip Gloss in Brownie Shimmer

NARS Radiant Tinted Moisturizer: Seychelles...

...is too red for me. :-( Looks like I'm going to have to go with Malaga anyway. When NARS International MUA Uzo did my makeup, she showed me how I tend to reach for 'redder' foundations as I correct 'down' -- especially when I feel like I'm in between shades. She's made me more conscious of paying attention to foundations that pull more 'yellow' on me. So I knew, as soon as I saw Seychelles against my skin, that it was wrong.

The tube is a decent size... about an ounce. And the product is very loose, so you don't need much to cover a large area. I learned, when I popped the top, that you need to be careful not to prematurely squeeze because the product will come rushing out. It's secured with a seal (to prevent it from popping open during shipment), but you'll need to be cognizant that the top is always securely shut when you're not using it because I can see this product getting everywhere.

That's a really little dot (I'm zoomed in). You'd be surprised how much that little bit covered on the inside of my arm (which is closest to the color of my face). Now, as you can see, the color is very warm... and too red for me.

I'm actually glad that there's such a disparity in color in this case, because you can really see the coverage of this tinted moisturizer. It's a solid medium coverage... .like a lot of foundations. It's also not really 'oily' so I can see this working on a wide range of skin tones (even my oily skin). I also don't think that dry skin girls have much to worry about, because this formula seems very balanced.

That's the full swatch. So yeah... this color is not for me. But the formula definitely is. I've already contacted NARS about returning it. When I get Malaga (fingers crossed that it'll work for me), I'll (once again) swatch it all to be damned, and let you guys know what I think!

*In case some of you are wondering why I haven't tested these in person, they don't appear to be available at any of my local retail outlets. I've found them online, but haven't physically seen them at a counter or in a store yet.*