Switching to Festive Mood – Welcome back Red Lipstick!

Tags

chanel, Charlotte Tilbury, dior, festive reds, NARS, red lipstick, swatches, Tom Ford, Tom Ford Lips&Boys

One thing you’ll be seeing a lot in my upcoming blog posts is a red lip. Yes, I finally ditched my dark lipsticks in favour of the festive colours! But it’s THAT time of the year… and I can’t help it! 

The fact that I love a good red lip it’s not an actual surprise for anyone at this points and if you’ve been with me for at least one year, you definitely know that I absolutely love my reds all year round… But especially at this time of the year I do think that a gorgeous red lip can easily switch you into the festive mood. It happens to me, at least…

Well, the fact that I own quite a few red lipsticks, which I love to death sure ailments constantly my red lips obsession! It seems to enter into some sort of a hibernation state with the first signs of Spring but it makes a strong comeback at the beginning of December!…

I do feel that Christmas is the perfect time of the year to really done a red lip and it’s been a tradition of mine for the past couple of years to scout for “the perfect holiday red”… that I always end up wearing until the first signs of Spring! 

Here you have a couple of the reds I already own in my collection, some of which will be featured in an upcoming Blog Sale… a Blog Sale I’ve been “menacing” you with since last Summer ( ?!?!???!!!! ). Well, it will be up soon, I promise and I sure hope you will help me find new homes for some of my beloved lippies! 

In the meanwhile here they are! Some of my favourite reds of last festive season and some that I discovered this year too!…

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See you soon, Beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROMANIA!

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Re(a)d – My lips! feat. NARS Audacious Lipstick in Lana

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fotd, NARS, NARS Audacious Lana, NARS Audacious Lipstick Lana, orange-red, red lipstick, review, swatches

Whoever said that only porcelain skins can pull off a bold, bright, red lip was terribly wrong!!!

I, myself, was one to think that the “Marylin Monroe look” suited pale skins better! But now that I have gained some ( unusual for me! ) tan and I finally managed to work with it in terms of makeup, I’m absolutely mesmerised by how well a bright red lipstick looks on paired with a simple, summery eye and a bit of a black liner! 

So here you have it! THE red lipstick that will always be on my lips this Summer: the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Lana!

Now, I won’t bother you with all those technical details as I had a “marathon week” of blog posts dedicated exclusively to all the NARS Audacious Lipsticks I own ( and I only own 7?!, one for ebery day of the week! ), plus a resume with overall thoughts which I will link here for you to check out.

I will do tell you that Lana is the most beautiful “vivid orange red”*, the excellent bright orange-red lipstick with warm undertones and a satin finish, as you can hopefully see in these pictures.

And I’m thankful to my lovely friend Michelle for being so kind and generous and getting this one for me! See lovely?! I’m rocking it! Haha! 

What’s your favourite red to wear in Summer?

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

*description taken from NARS website

Seasonal Favourites – Winter 2014-2015

Tags

Burberry, candle, Charlotte Tilbury, dior, Elemis, Escentric Molecules, eyeshadows, favourites, Laura Mercier, Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist, Penhaligon's Malabah, red lipstick, Smiling Shoes, stiletto shoes, tea, Tom Ford

Since I can finally say that I can see major signs of Spring after such a long Winter, I thought I’d do a Favourites post!

Now, I’m not the one to do these kind of posts on a regular basis, mainly because once I discover a product that I really love and I know it works for me, I totally stick to it for the longest time. So a monthly makeup favourites, or skincare favourites would be kind of repetitive and unnecessary. Plus to form a decent opinion on a new product, especially with skincare, it might take a lot more than one month.

But this past couple of months I’ve tested a good few new products that instantly stole my heart and made it to my Favourites…

Here you have my absolute Seasonal Favourites for the Winter of 2014-2015:

– festive red listick was THE thing for me this winter. I particularly loved these Tom Ford shades – Crimson Noir ( permanent ) and Alejandro, from the Lips&Boys Collection. I also loved the iconic Dior Rouge 999, the orange-reds Estée Lauder Pure Colour Envy in shade Impassioned and Wild Ginger also from the Tom Ford permanent line and the Burberry Lip Cover in #18 Ruby. Later on I’ve discovered the new, reformulated Chanel Rouge Coco in Arthur, which made me dig out it’s matte correspondent, the Tom Ford ( again! ) Flame.

– Tom Ford Lips&Boys Alejandro – Burberry Ruby – Chanel Arthur– Tom Ford Crimson Noir– Dior Rouge 999

– for skincare, I don’t change it too much, I’m only adjusting it to the needs of my sensitive skin. But the products I loved the most were the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Anti-Ageing, the Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator, the First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser which I like to use combined with the Diptyque Radiance Boosting Powder for a deeper cleanse, my holy grail mask – the Oskia Rainessance Nutri-Active Brightening & Resurfacing Mask and the new addition, the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel Mask and of course, my beloved Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist. Mostly cleansing products now that I take a closer look! No wonder though! because I firmly believe that a clean skin is a good, healthy skin. And a flawless “canvas” also means an easier makeup application, with less products! I also have to mention my hands and lips saviours this Winter: the By Terry Baume de Rose and the Laura Mercier delicious gourmet hand creams.

– my favourite Winter home scent for the past two years has been this Byredo Bibliothèque Fragranced Candle. I can’t even tell you how much I love this candle and how many I have burnt down. This year I went for something different, something more smokey and warm, with comforting notes of patchouli, birch tar and guaiac wood – the Burberry Smokey Embers Fragranced Candle. It’s the perfect candle to “recreate the mood of an English fireside afternoon”, as they say on their website. Definitely give this one a sniff if you’re in a Burberry store.

– for fashion items I absolutely lived in my Smiling Shoes heels! You might think that I went bananas, especially if you know what winters are like in Continental Excessive Climates, but stay assured I still had boots on for walking outside, in the snow. But for work and going out, and winter parties these shoes never left my feet!

– for random favourites, I really got into tea which I think it warmed my body as well as my soul. I particularly loved the combination of strong, aromatic tea ( mostly from the Teapigs company ) and coconut milk.

Also my love for clementines went to another level of obsession, and I always found myself munching on them and these Milka cookies…

And I totally hated 50 Shades of Grey – simply because I can’t get excited about someone else’s sexual fantasies… No offense!

I hope you enjoyed my favourite things for the Winter months and please be kind and share yours!

Also, should I make this Seasonal Favourites a regular entry on my blog? What do you think?

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

Red Lips, Dark Lips – DO’s and DONT’s…

Tags

Burberry, Charlotte Tilbury, dark lips, dior, DO's and DON'Ts, lips, red lipstick, tips and tricks, Tom Ford

As many of you might know by now, I am a self-acknowledged and confessed lipstick addict. Who’s with me on this one too?

The obvious pattern when it comes to getting a new lip product – either I go for the reds or the nudes, with slight variations of darks and peachy pinks! Way to go Annie! Such original colour choices!

So today I decided again, to go for a different post than the usual reviews! Still a lip/lipstick related kind of post, since little by little this month is turning into a lip dedicated month, here on annie’s beauty… . And if you’re curious to verify that, simply take a look at my previous posts and you’ll see Tom Ford Lips&Boys lipstick reviews, Charlotte Tilbury MATTE Revolution lipsticks… We’re only halfway through this month and I still have quite a few lip-related posts scheduled!

– wearing Dior Rouge #999 ( review here )

– wearing Estée Lauder Pure Colour Envy Lipstick #450 Insolent Plum ( review here )

 – wearing Tom Ford lipstick in #11 Crimson Noir ( review here )

– wearing Burberry Lip Cover #18 Ruby ( review here )

 – wearing Charlotte Tilbury MATTE Revolution Walk of Shame ( review here )

Getting back to today’s post ( finally! ), let me add just one more thing I firmly believe in… The time to wear bold and bright reds or deep dark lip colours is… well, whenever you feel like! They say wear bright, glossy lips in summertime, dark plummy tones in autumn and “virgin”-like pinks in spring! I say wear your reds, and brights, and plums and pinks whenever your heart desires, if not for anything else just to break “the rules”! Ha!

For such a long time I used to be one of those women that thought they couldn’t wear a richly pigmented lip without looking ridiculous, but as long as you know what you’re doing these kind of lipsticks can look remarkably chic and be really empowering! So I’m not shy anymore when it comes to colour and I hope this post will be your guidance and inspiration to embrace the statement-making side of the beauty. Because a beautifully depicted lip can really make a statement!

Here is what to do to achieve such gorgeous lips!

DO make sure you prepare your lips before the application. As you take care of your skin before you apply your makeup, you have to make sure the canvas for your lipsticks is as well taken care of. Like this the colour will go on smoothly and it will last longer. So remember! Exfoliate and moisturize your lips before application!

DON’T by any mean, apply a beautiful red or a dark lipstick on a dry, chapped, peeling off lip! The color will “crack”/gather anaesthetically in all your lip lines and flake off, which will only accentuate the poor condition your lips are in.

DO use a lip liner to draw the contour of your lips. The pencil helps hold the lipstick colour in place, stopping it from “bleeding”.

DON’T go for a darker contour than your lipstick! It will make you look cheap! Keep in mind that we’re not in the ’90 anymore! So use a lip pencil similar in color to your lipstick or use an universal lip colour like this one from Dior I’m loving!

DON’T apply your lipstick directly from the bullet! Not even Pat McGrath, Andy Rowe, Charlotte Tilbury or Peter Philips do that, so why should you?! Invest in a good lip brush which will definitely make easier to apply the trickiest lipstick colour. Read about my favourite Tom Ford lip brush here.

DO retouch any mistakes with a bit of concealer! You’re not a pro remember!? And any smearing on such lip colours tend to ruin the dramatic effect these impact on a look!

DON’T exaggerate with the makeup on the rest of your face and keep the focus on your lips! Keep your eyeshadows subtle, pair them with a winged liner and lots of mascara! Don’t forget to also define your brows! This will confer symmetry to the entire look.

DON’T leave the house without checking your teeth… You know what I’m talking about, right?!

And DO always use the shade of lipstick you love!

Here you have it, my/everyone’s DO’s and DON’Ts when it comes to wearing a bold lip… Be it a classy red or a daring dark lip!

If you have other tricks you want to share, please feel free to do it in the comments below!

See you soon, Beautiful!

xx, Annie

Don’t forget that this month I’m celebrating One Year of annie’s beauty…, so I’m having a giveaway every Tuesday; the current one is with Diptyque. So check it out here!

 

 

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Dark, deep red lips for Autumn 2014 feat. Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Estee Lauder and Shiseido

Tags

Autumn, Burberry, Estee Lauder, Giorgio Armani, red lipstick, review, Shiseido, swatches

In a previous post I was telling you how much I love dark nails for Autumn and Winter ( … and any other occasion, actually *wink*wink* ). Well, I’m also loving a dark, deep red, burgundy, bold, statement lip.

And here you have some of my favourite lipsticks and most used at the moment…

The first one is the Shiseido Laquer Rouge in #RD 501 Drama. It’s a true red, well, the one closest to an actual red lipstick from the whole bunch anyway. It also has the shine of a gloss which makes it even more interesting and less pretentious! Makes your lips looking sensual and I’m easily wearing it during the day with a simple eye makeup, but also for a dinner out!

The Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy in #403 Downtown is a deep, rich red-brown. Lots of the red lipsticks that come out in the Autumn are either very berry toned, or they have pink or or purple hues to them. Sometimes I’m simply sick of that pattern! Sometimes I want a lipstick with warmer, brown undertones. And I think Downtown is the perfect choice! It’s the perfect balance between a deep and dark burgundy and red, but with a little extra something added by the brown hues. It’s not one of those lipsticks that drags down your face though! If that makes any sense…

The next one is the simply gorgeous Burberry Lip Cover #33 Oxblood! It may seem similar to Giorgio Armani’s Downtown in the bullet but believe me, when swatched, it’s a whole other story. It is in fact another burgundy, wine colour with berry undertones. It definitely is a very nice dark lip still, without being too dark. What I really appreciate when it comes to Burberry lipsticks is that they have the easiest formula to wear. It can be build up to the intensity you want, according to the look you’re going for, from a sheer wash of colour ( that “stained lips” effect ), to some serious colouring, with maximum of pigmentation.

My next pick was a true revelation! I couldn’t believe all the hype around the Estée Lauder Pure Colour Envy lipsticks when they first launched them, this early Spring. The formula is so luxurious, that makes my lips feeling like the lipstick is”hugging” them. Maybe because they contain Hyaluronic Acid! Besides the formula the biggest selling point for me was the selection of colours. My first pick was not a nude, for once, but the glorious #450 Insolent Plum. A deep, vivid plum that glides into the lips quickly and evenly, coating them in full opaque coverage.

Here you have all the lipsticks swatched, from left to right: the Estée Lauder Pure Colour Envy in #450 Insolent Plum, the Burberry Lip Cover #33 Oxblood, the Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy #403 Downtown and the Shiseido Laquer Rouge #RD 501 Drama.

My absolute favourite from all the four lipsticks above has to be Envious Plum. I love the bright plum colour, yet it is dark enough to get the vampy lip effect. And even if the formula on this one is so creamy and hydrating, these lipsticks are not prone to bleeding, feathering, nor they cling to any dry areas I might have on my lips.

What are your favourite lip colours this Autumn?

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

 

LOUBOUTIN Does Makeup! Have you heard that news yet?

Tags

Christian Louboutin, Louboutin Beauté, news, red lipstick, red nail polish, red sole

This is definitely the summer of the big launches! And when I say big, I mean really BIG beauty lines launches!

I have noticed lately that all the big fashion houses ( see details about the new Gucci makeup line here ) release a beauty line. Now it is Christian Louboutin‘s turn to come on the beauty market with a beauty product line called – what else than Louboutin Beauté, which will clearly have the grand maître’s unique mark on.

Of course, the main focus is going to be around the iconic Louboutin RED we can see on the sole of his shoes.

For now we have a launch of a RED nail polish, in the shade Rouge Louboutin, available already on pre-order on Saks Fifth Avenue‘s, Nordstrom‘s Bergdorf Goodman‘s websites and, of course, on Louboutin‘s official website.

But rumors say that a few shades of RED lipstick are going to be released pretty soon.

The retail price for the the nail polish is 50 $. US dollars that is!

What else can we say?! Welcome to the makeup world, Monsieur Louboutin!

So what do you guys think? Is the Louboutin red going to be THE RED for you?

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie