3 Valentine's Day Lip Looks

 Valentine's Day Lip Looks

Valentine’s Day – the official holiday of smooching - is nearly here, so it’s time to think about your luscious lip plan.

Today I am giving you 3 date night lip options combined with a little color theory class, breaking down some color options for those of you with a cool complexion and those of you with warm undertones.

Read on and pucker up!

Valentine's lip number one is for those of you who don’t want to do a big lip, but feel like more than just chapstick. Try using a lipliner to shape your kisser, and top it off with a colored lip gloss. In these images we've left the liner where you can see it, but in real life blend through it with your lip brush and make it invisible.

Icy and pink glosses such as Nars lip gloss in Striptease

 look fabulous on girls with a cool toned complexion, while soft peachy tones like Nars lip gloss in Giza

 are beautiful on a warm toned girl. 

Valentine's lip number two is all about your pink game. Moving into a full lipstick our warm undertone gets a lovely coral based pink which compliments the olives and golds in her skin. Try MAC "Flamingo Park" lipstick in Flocking Fabulous

Our cool undertone model got a blue based pink, breathing magic into her complexion and making her teeth look super white. I love MAC lipstick in All Fired Up

Valentine's lip number three is a feisty bold red lip – the ultimate Valentine’s lip! Girls with a cool toned complexion look amazing in a blue based red, I'm obsessed with Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Red Carpet Red

 

while warm toned girls are best in a true red or an orange based red. (pictured here in a true red).

If you are looking for an ornage based red lipstick you cannot go wrong with MAC lipstick in Lady Danger

The lip models in this story were actually 2 of my makeup assistants! Whitney is our cool toned girl, and Therese is my warm complected model. 

Here are a couple of bts shots.

Therese in the makeup room getting a soft, glossy lip

Whitney on set getting a muted red lip

This story was originally written for Phoenix Bride and Groom Magazine.
Check it out here:

Photography by Jessica Savidgewww.SavidgePhotography.com

 

6 Fabulous Thanksgiving Lipstick Shades

Do you have your Thanksgiving makeup plan thought out yet?

When I'm planning the outfit and the makeup there are a couple of things I take into account. 

Firstly I don't want to diminish the power of the run-up-to-Christmas makeup and it's fierce red lips by bringing them out at Thanksgiving. All the colors surrounding you at Thanksgiving trend toward the harvest, with burnt oranges, sage greens and deep cranberries and aubergines, so a red lip is at best wasted and at worst really out of place. I feel the same about my favorite magentas and fucshias. I save them for a better outing.

Secondly I think about what the event is doing. If your role is just to swan around glamorously with a glass of champagne in your hand, a bold lip is killer. But if the event is primarily about food, such as sitting down eating Thanksgiving dinner, hopefully with a table full of great people, a bold lip may just be the enemy.

Even if you are wearing a long-wear formula. Long-wear's may hold color, but by nature they are drying, and if you've ever sat opposite someone at dinner who is wearing a long-wear lipstick you've probably noticed that their mouth looks kind of icky and their lip looks pretty unappealing by the end.

So what to do this Thanksgiving?

Here is the Thanksgiving makeup plan:

Start by focusing on your skin. Get glowing, dewy skin by using a silicone based foundation.
Next add in a cream blush. Cream blushes are lovely. They make the skin look alive and healthy. Choose a shade that is warm, complements your skin tone and works with what you are wearing.
Cold, blue based pinks may not be your best bet.
Try Laura Mercier Creme Blush which you can order online at Nordstrom

With your complexion looking gorgeous, draw attention upwards to your eyes. Give yourself a well defined brow, a slightly smokier eye, and tons of mascara. I'm back to being obsessed with DiorShow Blackout mascara
Instead of a grey, black or navy smokey eye look for a copper bronze. I love working with cream shadows like 
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerize in Marie Antoinette.
Cream shadows can give a beautifully satin finish without being too reflective like many shimmery powder shadows.

Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerize in Marie Antoinette

While writing this post I've been clicking around on the Charlotte Tilbury website, and just ordered her Colour Chameleon Eye Shadow Pencils, and just ordered two shades, Gold Digger and Enchanting Indigo. They will be here in time for Thanksgiving, so I guess I have my eye game sorted!

Finally, it's time to work your lip game. Opt for something with a nice sheen to it, but not a super gloss. Satin finishes look luscious and are really friendly to chapped, dry, sore winter lips.

6 Fabulous Thanksgiving Lipstick Shades

Chanel Fall 2015 Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Pensive, available at Nordstrom.com

Chanel Rouge Allure in Pensive

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey available online at Nordstrom.com

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G in So Marilyn, a gorgeous vermilion velvet that is totally Marilyn Monroe. Available at Charlotte Tilbury.com

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in So Marilyn

Chantecaille Lip Chic in Daphne, available online at Nordstrom.com

Chantecaille Lip Chic in Daphne

Nars "Fantascene" Killer Shine Lipstick in No Shame, available online at Nordstrom.com

Nars Killer Shine Lipstick in No Shame

MAC Creamsheen Pearl Lipstick in Sweet Sakura will give you more of a color pop to your lips, but keep you feeling hydrated and fresh. This one is also available at Nordstrom, my main online shopping hub.

Sweet Sakura

Keep Your In-Flight Beauty Game - Strong! beauty Tip Of The Week #25

Have you ever watched an international flight deplaning? Especially a good, long flight?
It's like watching a real live episode of The Walking Dead, without the bloody bits.
Passengers tend to look a uniform shade of ashen grey, their hair is all over the place - in general they look like hell.

When my plane lands I'm always either bouncing straight into work or into some fun social engagement, so I need to have my game face on. Or at least not look like a vampire. for me it's all about which beauty products I take on board with me. This morning I'm packing for the Glam Italia 2 Tour which takes off tomorrow, so today we are looking at some Cabin Baggage Beauty.

Here is what is coming on board with me:

Beauty products going in my cabin baggage

Starting with skin care. I always fly with no makeup on. Makeup looks ghastly at the end of a long flight, so I work my skin care game throughout the flight and then either put on makeup an hour before landing, or in the restroom after we de-plane.

Read my post about beating Jet Lag here

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist is a lifesaver. I spritz this on before the flight and then as needed during the flight for extra hydration and nourishment.

I give my skin a liberal coating of both Tatcha Ageless Revitalizing Cream and Tatcha Ageless Revitalizing Eyecream to bind in the moisture. I either buy them in travel size, or get them in sampler boxes from the Tatcha website. These items are from the Mother's Day Gift Set I received this year.

Tatcha Gold Camellia Lip Balm keeps lips from drying out and cracking and also feels incredibly luxe.

Don't forget your hands - they suffer from the lack of water in the air too. Keep your hands looking lovely with Tatcha Indigo Handcream (also available in travel size).

Instead of looking ghostly when you land, apply a sheer coat of Makeup Forever Skin Equalizer primer to give your skin an even surface, followed by Makeup Forever Lift Concealer (if you have dark rings under your eyes) and a little MAC BB cream to bring back some color into your complexion and get rid of the long flight pallor.
I love Inglot AMC Liquid Blush. If you don't have access to Inglot grab a Nars Multiple Stick in a warm tone like Portofino.

A full face of makeup isn't necessary, just focus on your brows, cheeks, lashes and lips. Givenchy makes a good brow pencil, I've used the Shu Uemura lash curler for years, and I'm a die-hard fan of Diorshow Blackout Mascara. I use a flesh toned pencil from Philosophy in the water line to brighten my eyes

When you are looking washed out your best friend is a pair of dark sunglasses and a bright lip.
Reds can be a little too fierce so I always go for the vibrant pop of color you get from bold pinks and fuchsias. Try MAC lipstick in Impassioned after shaping your pout with MAC lip liner in Vino.

Everyone smells awful after 8 hours+ in a cabin with recirculating air. More importantly your hair smells stale. 
Oribe Cote D'Azur Hair Refresher Spray smells like heaven and totally refreshes your locks. (you can buy it in travel size too)

All these items fit easily into my see thru Miami Blue cosmetics pouch from Stephanie Johnson.

Can you believe Katy Perry got the Carine Roitfeld treatment? I'm going to read all about it in the September issue of Harpers Bazaar during my flight.

10 Fantastic Lipsticks For Fall Weddings ~ Bridal beauty Tip #24

Is your fall wedding fast approaching, and you haven't figured out your lip game yet?

original image via bridalmakeovers.com

Check out these gorgeous options for luscious looking lips on your big day:

10 Fantastic Lipsticks For Fall Weddings

The Corals

Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Coachella Coral.
Charlotte's K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks come in 10 modern and chic shades, and make your lips look absolutely luscious. This shade is perfect when your wedding has autumnal orange accents, but you don't want a full orangey mouth. Corals are also wonderful against pinks when you don't want a blue based shade, giving you a little color pop without being overwhelming.

Another great coral lip choice for your wedding day is 
MAC Cremesheen Coral Bliss

The Nudes

One of the easiest lips to wear on your wedding day is a nude lip.

The rules are: don't go paler than your own lip color, and balance the nude lip with a bolder eye so that you don't look washed out.

My favorite nude lips for fall are

Christian Dior 'Nude Rouge' in Charnelle 459

Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Lip Color in Pensive

Winter Pinks

Pink lips are lovely, but for a fall wedding you need to step away from the perky, summery pinks and choose instead a pink with more depth and resonance.

Try Lipstick Queen Sinner lipstick in Pink

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Yu or in Hyde Park

The Reds

A red mouth can be incredibly alluring. Winter reds have extra depth and magic. They can make your complexion look like it is glowing, can make your eye color spark, and are incredibly beautiful and sexy.

For your wedding day avoid glossy reds, opting instead for matte reds and longwear reds that your groom isn't scared to kiss!

My favorite red lipstick at the moment is Charlotte Tilbury's

Matte Revolution in Red Carpet Red. 

Charlotte's matte lips aren't that heavy, flat, dull finish that you find in so many red lipsticks, instead they have a luminous vibrancy that makes the lip look alive and exciting.

Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipstick in Scarlet Red

MAC Matte Lipstick in Chili

Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy Lipstick in 404 Spice

What are your favorite lipsticks for fall? Tell me about them in the comment section below.

xo