Yes to Carrots C Me Shine Lip Gloss

One girl can never have too many lip glosses right?! I think so! Well, I've found yet another one to add to my arsenal. Best part is I can find it in a local drugstore. Yes to Carrots/Tomatoes/Cucumbers is actually a local company, based here in San Francisco, that specializes in Paraben-Free beauty and skin care products that combine the fresh, unadulterated goodness of organic fruits and vegetables with the purifying and moisturizing properties of minerals harvested from the Dead Sea.

Yes to Carrots C Me Shine Lip Gloss provides both shine and hydration along with a minty sensation. It feels like a soft lip balm, but gives a nice amount of color (depending on the shade) and lots of shine! I love the squeeze tube since its not messy and you can get exactly the amount of color you need. My only complaint on the packaging is the label is stuck on the tube, and after only one day, one corner at the bottom is coming off. So maybe they will improve the labeling, or maybe mine was just slightly defective. I really like the shade Carrot Shine for a neutral look, and Rose Shine for a more frosty pink look. The are made of 95% organic ingredients and I can actually understand each thing in them. Very comforting since I am sure I eat a lot of gloss throughout the day.

Gloss Lovely!

L'Oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments Color Presso Lip Gloss

L'Oreal's HIP high intensity pigments collections has been out in drugstores for quite awhile. I've tried some of there eyeshadows and been mildly impressed. But the Color Presso lip glosses are really cool. First of all, I've never seen any gloss container like these, they are very innovative. The idea of have two shades you can mix together or wear alone isn't brand new, but the shape and style of the case is certainly unique. I guess the loop at the top means you can put it on your key chain... though I don't think I'll be doing that. The gloss itself is not sticky at all and quite moisturizing. They have a nice shimmer to them as well and come in a variety of shades that, combined or not,m are bound to please everyone. The have a subtle taste of cupcakes, but its not sickly sweet like some. All in all a great addition to L'Oreal's fun, colorful HIP line of products

Squeeze Lovely!

Smashbox Untamed Summer 2009 Collection

Smashbox's new summer collection Untamed is definitely wild. It is inspired by the jungle and its untamed character. The colors are more on the neutral end, but the are not for the shy. The collection includes:

UNTAMED CREAMY CHEEK COLOR: This luxurious creamy cheek color instantly gives you a sexy summer flush.

UNTAMED LIP GLOSS: Two fierce new lip gloss shades with major bite. Glide over lips for luscious color and shine. Available in Raw (deep red-brown) or Flesh (creamy nude)

UNTAMED WATERPROOF SHADOW LINER TRIO: Take a walk on the wild side and create beautifully bold eyes with these waterproof shadow liners in vibrant shades of the tropics. Completely waterproof, crease-proof and ultra-bendable for fearless, all-day wear. Packaged in a chic mirrored animal print deco compact for touch ups anywhere. Airtight lid keeps product fresh. Available in Savage (green, cream, and brown) and Exotic (purple, champagne, and lilac)

DOUBLE-ENDED EYE BRIGHTENER: A portable pencil that instantly highlights and brightens for eyes that roar for attention.

I got to try the shadow liner trio in Savage, the eye brightener, and the lip gloss in Flesh. The gloss is a bit TOO neutral for me, but the shadow liner is really great. It doesn't crease at all and has a lovely bit of shimmer to it. The colors blend well together and create a fun, saucy eye... that will stay on even in the pool! The eye brightener is nice as well used in the inner corner of your eyes with any look, a great way to make your eyes pop!

Untame yourself Lovely!

Miss Oops Pucker Protector Lip Gloss

Freshen your breath, keep your lips smooth and soft, and protect them from the sun? Sounds too good to be true? Well Miss Oops has done it all! Miss Oops Pucker Protector is both a moisturizing balm and shiny, cute lip gloss. It moisturizes, freshens breath with its minty scent and provides you with protection of SPF 30. Keep Pucker Protector in your purse or beach bag all summer long. I used it all weekend long and it kept my lips soft and minty! Available at Target.com for only $14.99.

Lip Lovely!

Smashbox Limitless Long Wearing Lip Gloss

I'm soooooo excited that warm weather is here and here to say! I am about to head up to Lake Shasta and start summer right this memorial day weekend with tons of friends, fun and fabulous SUN! Although it will be hard, I probably won't be wearing much makeup on the lake, but I ALWAYS need lip gloss. Smashbox's new Limitless Long Wearing Lip Gloss with SPF 15 is a perfect choice for this trip ($21). I can have pretty, glossy lips and keep them protected from the harmful rays of the sun! And since the gloss in a tube and not a pot, it won't matter if it get a little hot in the sun and melts. The Forever shade is the perfect subtle pink and it goes great with no makeup and a little bit of a tan (faux of course).

Sun (and protect) Lovely!

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Lip Gloss

While I'm not big into lots of color on my lips, some days just call for it. And if I'm going to wear a color all day it has to last since I never remember to re-apply. But when it comes to gloss I love, love, love to re-apply all day long. So I think Rimmel London has come up with the perfect product for me. Their new Lasting Finish Kiss & Gloss gives me a nice lasting color on one side and then gloss I can apply and re-apply to my hearts content. The color and most of the gloss lasted through my morning coffee and lunch, which is more than enough for me. The gloss is a little sparkly and very shiny with the right amount of stickiness. I tried shade 200 "Enduring Love" and found it to be a good neutral pink for everyday lip wear, or a night out. I'm sure one of the 12 shades they have will make you as equally happy.

Lip Lovely!

Luxe Makeup by Rock and Republic

Clothing labels have been branching out into beauty and fragrance for a long time (think Chanel, YSL, Dior, etc.). So its not THAT weird that Rock & Republic has come out with their own line of beauty products. It is a little strange though that they think they can sell a bronzing/highlighting powder compact for $225!!! The first time I saw that it a magazine, I thought it was a mis-print. Thankfully the rest of their line is much more resonable, if on the higher end of the normal spectrum of prices. And from the few items I've tried, I'd say the quality lives up to the price tag.

The Luxe Lip Gloss ($28) is a great tasting gloss that gives a decent amount of color and lasts a few hours. I got it in Drama Queen, a fun candy pink with a good shine to it. My favorite though was the pressed eyeshadow compacts ($28). The pigment of the two shades I tried (wicked and envy) were absolutely amazing. Very deep colors that are great for using in the crease, and yet have the tiniest bit of sparkle too. There are also matte and satin shades available. The compacts are beautiful and well made, so I guess they are worth the price. They will probably last a long time as well. The line is currently available at select Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus stores.

Rock Lovely!

Smashbox Spring Muse Collection

It has been exceptionally beautiful and sunny here in San Francisco the past few days. I'm really hoping this means spring is here to stay, which makes me very happy since Spring is my favorite season. It means breaking out the bright and light colors again and showing a little more skin (even if at first it is stark white like my legs!) in cute dresses and flip flops.

Smashbox's Spring 2009 Muse Collection is all about unleashing your inner artiste and playing with the fun colors of spring. I love the white packaging on the compacts, with random splatters of color. Makes me excited to dip and dab into them. I got to try two things from the collection, a lip paint in artiste and the blush rush in masterpiece. Here is what I thought.

The muse lip paint ($21) is a pretty nice lip gloss; not too sticky and has a nice shine with a touch of glitter in it. The tube was a little frustrating at first, because when you pull out the wand, there is next to nothing on it. I dipped in like 5 times the first time I applied it. Ugh. But then I realized I could also squeeze the tube and push the gloss up out of the tube that way. This worked a bit better, since I got more gloss on the wand, but be careful not to squeeze too hard or the gloss will go everywhere. I liked the color of artiste as a nice neutral pink, but if you want a color with lots of pigment, look elsewhere. It seems to work best on fair skin tones or people who don't already have a colorful pout naturally.

The muse blush rush in masterpiece ($24) is a pretty spring blush. As I said, I love the packaging, but since it is made from paper, I don't think it will hold up for a super long time, especially if you carry it around your makeup bag everyday. The peachy coral pink color seemed a little on the pale side in the package, but I was surprised by how much pigment went on to my cheek. I actually had to wipe off a bit because I went overboard. Seeing that, I think it might work for darker skin tones as well as fair.

I would love to try the artiste eye palette ($48). It has a whopping 10 eye shadow shades and comes with a brush! I can just imagine all the fun spring-y looks I could come up with. The cream eye liner pencils also look like fun ($36 for set of 4). The collection is available now at smashbox.com, Sephora, Ulta, and Nordstrom.

Muse Lovely!

mark. Spring 2009 "Flip For It" Color Kits

I don't tend to be a big fan of multi-product palettes. I find then usually contain one too many products I'll never use (like dark red lip colors or pale blue eyeshadows). But I kinda like mark cosmetics Spring 09 set of "Flip For It" Color Kits in LA and Tokyo. They each contain two eye shadows, a blush, and 4 lip colors. Each one is suppsoed to mimic the style of the city they are named after, and being the California girl I am, I like LA (although I'm not always fond of that city... ugh the traffic!). Well smog aside, the eye colors in LA are pretty and very wearable. The blush is a little on the pale side. Then you flip the inside over to reveal 4 lip colors! The two ligher shades of gloss are very wearable, and the darker ones just have a hint of color. They actually superised me by being super moisturizing and having a subtle, sweet taste. So if you are a minimalist when it comes to what you throw in your purse, this little cube might work for you and its only $20. mark is available from a mark rep or at meetmark.com

Flip Lovely!

Kiehl's Valentines Gift Ideas

Trios of Kiehl’s “Simply Mahvelous” Lip Gloss and Scented Lip Balm #1 are dressed up for Valentine’s Day this year. For soothing color, choose between a Bright & Warm Set or a Neutral & Cool Set of our Lip Glosses, each featuring one of their brand-new shades, inspired by New York City. For nourishing moisture without the color, try the Scented Lip Balm #1 Trio of the three newest Lip Balm #1 scents: Mango, Coconut, and Vanilla. Each set is packaged in a special Kiehl’s heart box, just for the holiday. The boxed sets are available only in Kiehl’s free-standing stores and on Kiehls.com. So cute! These glosses are extra moisturizing and super smooth. A great gift for any gal.

Or, give the gift of roll-on fragrance. Kiehl's has re-launch of some of their classic essence oils – dating back to the early 1920s. These highly concentrated essence oils are packaged in an elegant amber glass combined with the ease of portability in a roller ball vial. Choose from essence oils of Musk 1921, Coriander 1946, Vanilla 1968 and Grapefruit 1976 Each date corresponds to the original essence’s formulation year created by Kiehl’s pharmacists for patrons who cherished an individual, enduring scent. These four classic essence oils are some of the 122 unique fragrant oils blended by hand in the original Kiehl’s Pharmacy. Very cool. And of course I just an in LOVE with the Grapefruit one.

Gift Lovely!

Michael Kors Lip Gloss and Rollerball Duo

I never thought I would be into a scent like Michael Kors. It is heady with white florals and would seem to be the type of scent that would go sour on me in no time. But I saw this adorable lip gloss/rollerball duo and I had to pick it up. For $22, you can try out the scent and have a great basic almost nude lip gloss to throw in your purse. To my surprise I rather enjoy the scent. It is a nice change from my usually bright, crispy, fruity scents. Definately romantic, great for a date or something. Though I have noticed a lot of people recognize the scent easily because it is so popular. Oh well, a small price to pay.

Notes include: Dewy Freesia, Tamarind, Chinese Osmanthus, Incense, Fresh Tuberose, White Wings Peony, Blue Orris, Arum Lilies, Cashmere Woods, Musk, Vetiver Haiti.

Roll Lovely!

Lavanila Gift Sets for Her This Holiday

I know you are running out of time to shop for your loved ones! So here are some great ideas by Lavanila. They use only 100% natural and healthy ingredients. Their vanilla-based products soothe and protect your skin with a healthy dose of 30 essential vitamins and minerals, 19 amino acids, and anti-oxidants. Anyone on your list will love them since they smell yummy and are good for your too!

The limited-edition Vanilla Spice Healthy Fragrance is a blend of Nutmeg, Sandalwood, Cardamom and Madagascar Vanilla essential oils. This warm scent just screams holiday memories and cosy winter nights. The fragrance is housed in an elegant gold package, the perfect pampering present for the holidays.

The Healthy Lip Shine Trio and Healthy Body Butter Trio make the perfect stocking stuffers. The Healthy Lip Shines put all concerns to rest with 100% chemical-free, naturally effective formulas that deliver a sheer wash of color and a natural, luminous glow while unique powerful antioxidants and skin-soothing oils nourish and hydrate. The Healthy Body Butters blend skin-soothing botanicals and powerful anti-oxidants in this non-greasy moisturizer that instantly melts into your skin for luxurious hydration and softly scented nourishment. How that for stuffing your stocking with goodness?!

Gift Lovely!

Stila Shine on Gift of Glaze

Can a girl ever have too much lip gloss? Um, the answer would be no! These Stila Lip Glaze click pens are a great thing to have around in multiples. Through one in each purse, bag, and a few at your desk! The set of 6 available just during the holidays is only $22 and it contains some of Stila's best selling shades and a few new ones. They taste as good as they sounds, promise!

Set includes:
- Vanilla (pearly nude)
- Brown Sugar (shimmering golden nude)
- Raisin (shimmering golden plum)
- Grapefruit (frosted pink)
- Apricot (melon nectarine)
- Gumdrop (vibrant pink)

Gift Lovely!

Jaqua Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

I have found a way to indulge in deliciousness without indulging in the calories that usually go along with it: Jaqua Raspberry Buttercream Frosting Shower Creme. This body wash wraps you in the yummy scent of raspberries and cream, while moisturizing every part of you with fruit and aloe extracts, macadamia and evening primrose oils, and vitamins B5, A and E. It is certainly not a replacement for yummy sweets you eat, but it might delay your craves for a time.

I'm not usually a fan of sweet, dessert smelling body products, but their packaging is so girly and cute, which is great for gifts. I gave the set of 3 Lip Whips - Cocoa Buttercream Frosting, Pink Buttercream Frosting and Raspberry Buttercream Frosting to a friend as a little gift. The hydrating formula contains vitamin E and other nourishing ingredients, so they taste good and keep your lips kissable soft.

Buttercream Lovely!

YSL's Golden Gloss No. 27 Shimmer Lip Gloss Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness

This October, YSL is supporting the on-going search for a cure for breast cancer with one of their fabulous lip glosses. When you buy their Golden Gloss No. 27 30% of the sale price will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund.

The National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund (NBCCF) works to end breast cancer by increasing federal funding for research, making sure all low income and uninsured women have access to care, and educating and empowering advocates to play an active role everywhere breast cancer decisions are made. Visit the official website: www.stopbreastcancer.org

This gloss is super sparkly, with mother of pearl and real gold! It is also nourishing with nigelle and cameline oils to moisturize and protect your lips. My friend swears by this lip gloss, and up until now I wasn't quite willing to drop the whole $28 to try it, but now I have a great reason. Don't you love BCA month?!

Lip Lovely! and don't forget to Comment4aCure

bbnbca

Striptease Lipgloss by NARS is HOT!!!

Nars has a knack for naming their shades scandalous phrases that evoke sex and glamour. Anyone who has done any beauty reading online or in magazines has heard of Orgasm blush. The have done it again with the lip gloss called Striptease. It is a super sexy nude gloss that lasts and lasts! They call it a "candlelight nude" which I love. It will be absolutely perfect to pair with a dark, smokey eye. SO HOT... can you tell I'm excited?!

Lip Lovely!

This Summer Love Your Lips With Stila

I'm sitting here being lazy while my mom and aunt pick, pit, and prepare cherries fresh from the garden tree. Yum. I should go help but instead I'm blogging away. So when I came across Stila's Cherry Crush, I thought "How fitting?!" This click pen doubles as a lip and cheek stain. I love the idea of staining yourself with cherries, just not on your clothes. And it happens to be a part of some great deals on stilacosmetics.com

You can get Cherry Crush with free shipping by using the code CHERRYCRUSH at checkout. Or, if your looking for some new lip looks to add to your life, check out their Summer Lovin' deal to get your lips a different look each day of the week. Order one of each of the following and use the code LIPDEAL at check out for a free lip brush and free shipping:

Monday: Lip Glaze, Stila's ever popular lip gloss in a pen brush. Each color has a different flavor, so pick your pout color carefully! I'd go for the Grapefruit, a frosted pink, myself!

Tuesday: Lip Pot: These light tints provide a hint of color with a ton of moisture in a cute little pot. I'd get Madarine for sure!

Wednesday: Lip Polish: If you like one step makeup, this is for you. A lip color and gloss in one, you get your look taken care of in one fell swoop. I just love Glisten, a shimmering pink nude.

Thursday: SPF 20 Shine Lip Color: This summer you need protection, without sacrificing your look. This will give you the shine you want with the protection you need. They are scented with vanilla to make you as kissable as ever. I want Anna, a medium sheer antique rose.

Friday: Cherry Crush: This multipurpose stain actually reacts to the pH levels in your skin to give you the perfect flush. Yum.

Saturday: Plumping Lip Glaze: Perfect for when you head out on the town, this gloss packs a punch of vitamins and peptides to give you a big sexy pout while freshening your smile with a variety of minty flavors. I am dying for Minty Mint, a soft gold color.

Sunday: Long Wear Lip Color: Housed in a handy no-sharpen pen, this lip color is made to last without drying out your lips. A kind of combination lipstick and gloss in one, it is so easy to apply because of its small pen-like tip. I'd get Serenade, a gold red.

See the promotion for full details, but most importantly this offer may expire at any time to act fast!!!

Lip Lovely!

MAC Tendertones Lip Balm: A New Favorite Gloss!

I mentioned a bit ago I ordered some things during MAC's friends and family sale. Well, lucky me I grabbed up a winner! I am absolutely in love with my new Tendertones Lip Balm in Sweet Tooth. It looks lovely and lighty shiny pink on, actually keeps my lips moisturized, and even has sunscreen in it! I also enjoy the yummy flavor. It's supposed to be a strawberry-kiwi flavor but I think it's more like watermelon. The glass pot it comes in is a bit heavy, but I think it is such a nice looking pot, I'll let it slide. Try one out yourself before they all sell out, 'cause they will!

Gloss Lovely!

Cool Gelato On a Hot Spring Day

This past weekend was the warmest weather we've had in San Francisco in  months. The hot sun baked down on all of us so as we shed our winter coats and boots for t-shirts and flip-flops, and sought fun in the sun. I headed to the gelato shop for a cool refreshing treat, but not before I popped into Sephora for some gifts. And to my surprise, I found a new kind of gelato.  

I've always loved Philosophy's Lip Balms. They are a fabulous stable that really moisturizes. Their new lip gelato collection is equally as pleasing as the original but they have 5 delicious flavors to choose from: tangerine, lime, grapefruit, lemonade, and pomegranate. I got Soul Mates in my favorite scent/flavor, Grapefruit. It has great shine and adds a bit of a plump to your lips.  But the best part is how not sticky it is! This one is staying in my purse for sure!

Gelato Lovely!

Cheapy Lip Gloss From Sephora

Found a great cheap lip gloss with excellent color the other day and I thought I should share it with ya! Sephora's Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss is a great addition to any lip gloss addict's collection. I picked up one in Silver Raspberry 07. It's a fun color but I have little doubt I'll pick up more down the road.

Lip Lovely!