Beauty Product Reviews | Page 3

Maximum sparkle for pouty lips

KissKiss Strass delivers lots of sparkle and shine - super pouty lips are yours with these colors. I'm especially in love with the shimmery Rouge Broderie 321 shade (dark raspberry, slight metallic finish) and the Rose Strass 361 (very light, sheer brown-pink). This formula replaces the Maxi Shine lipstick as well. They are part of the permanent collection so you don't have to worry about the brand pulling them off the counters anytime soon.

Even though they just introduced it for Spring, jewel tones are popular for Fall 2010 so the Rouge Broderie shade will last year-round. Like KissKiss Baby, this is another luxe lip color purchase at $31. Of course, it's not as expensive as the Rouge G lipstick!

The best lashes in the world.

I love these lashes so much that I have a special makeup carrier to store them. I've tried the MAC lashes and another brand's fancy squirrel hair lashes, and they just don't compare at all. If you're super careful with them, you can make them last several times. I recall one of the former Shu makeup artists telling me they can manage to use one pair up to 7-8 times.

It really depends on the thickness of the lash band. The thicker it is, the more times you can use it. Be sure to remove the lash adhesive carefully with tweezers and you're good to go. I love the Khaki Mini, Smoky Layers, Luxe Brown, Luxe Black, Slant, Black V, and Dazzling Diamante. They're all just so beautiful - you'd be surprised how natural most of these look when you put them on. They're not as far out as you'd think they'd be.

My fave everyday lip color

This super duper moisturizing tinted lip balm is always in my purse (it contains wild mango butter and luffa oil). The slightly sheer Red Nude 220 is my fave shade – it gives off a nice shimmer but it’s not too blingy-looking, if you know what I mean. When I'm running late or if I'm too lazy to primp on weekends, I just swipe a couple layers of this and it almost looks like I’m wearing a regular shiny lipstick.

Plus, how decadent is this tube? It looks like an expensive lipstick on the outside. Granted, this is not cheap at $31 each. I wouldn’t blow your money if you’re on a budget but I love it to bits.

Creamy, easy to blend and portable

The new Palladium shade was just introduced for Fall 2010, but I hope it will stick around for a long time. Named after the iconic NYC hot spot, this bright, sparkly turquoise shade will totally let you stand out wherever you go. The formula is extremely smooth and very blendable. You can use it alone on the lid or use it as an eyeliner accent (on top of your base liner). You can also layer it with other eye shadows for an interesting effect. I like to use it with the new NARS Tzarine eye shadow duo- it’s a verrrry pretty look. I was initially worried that this will be hard to use but you'd be surprised to see how well it matches other eye shadow colors. It won’t fade off and if you’re careful, it’ll last for several hours. Use a primer to lock it down, as if will rub off eventually.

Great everyday liquid liner

I absolutely adore this refillable liquid liner pen - I've been using it for over 5 years and I always have refill cartridges on hand. It goes well with the shu uemura lashes and the brush tip is firm but not too firm. It doesn't leak at all and the screw-twist cap seals in the moisture. f you happen to not use it for a long time, it might dry up a bit so just add a few drops of water and it'll work properly.

The only thing that might annoy folks is that it will flake off a bit by the end of the night if you were out sweating on the dance floor. I personally don't mind because it's much easier to clean off with a q-tip than the other highly pigmented waterproof liquid liners. Who wants to spend another 5 minutes cleaning off the eyeliner? I sure don't.

Uber luxe lipstick for your evening purse

For something that will truly attract some attention, the uber luxe Rouge G lipstick delivers on both color payoff and looks. Crushed lab-synthesized ruby crystal powder is added to reflect light off your lips while Wild Mango Butter adds that beloved creamy moisture to the skin.

If you don’t mind the heaviness of the white gold 'bullet' case, this gives off a mysterious air of a James-Bond-meets-Catwoman adventure. All you have to do is pull gently and the magnetic case flips open to reveal a mini mirror and lipstick tube. Use it as part of your beauty arsenal if you can afford it, but it’s not cheap at $46. I get compliments on the shimmery Bella and Bianca shades all the time. A worthy splurge for sure!

Smooth as butter!

The Color Design line launched five matte shades earlier this spring and I was pleasantly surprised to see just how super creamy and moisturizing the matte formula is. I tried Plum Show, a deep wine berry, and Bronze Show, a medium reddish brown. Both colors were absolutely gorgeous on the lips - very wearable for many skin tones and quite long lasting. You only need one coat to get the full coverage so don’t swipe too much product on – it’d be a waste if you do. Feel free to kiss others on the cheeks, as I found this formula to be fairly transfer resistant too. A big bonus in my book. Also love the Lancome rose logo on the bottom of the tube - very classy.

Not a gimmicky package - it works.

I thought this was another gimmicky product but the Oscillation Powerfoundation works. In general, I don't like loose mineral powder foundations simply because many brands are quite messy to use. Who wants powder all over the bathroom counter and floor? If you're curious and need to get some new mineral makeup, this is worth a try. It also has SPF 21 and is supposed to last 14 hours but I never wore it for that long.

The finish is super natural - it just looks like your skin, only healthier-looking. The vibrating applicator is not messy at all. I dunno if there’s really 7,000 micro-oscillations per minute, the applicator's gentle buffing action gives an even coverage. I love the Beige 10 shade as it really matches my skin tone. This foundation is also great for sensitive skin.

Lamu shade is an all-year fave for healthy looking skin.

Living in a city with infamous foggy summers, I never get enough color on my face. The NARS Lamu Multiple saves the day by adding a much-needed healthy glow to the entire visage. The micro-shimmer provides a sheer kiss of sparkly color across the cheeks. I also love to use it on my eyes – I layer on a couple layers for a casual daytime look, or you can vamp it up with another eye shadow or eyeliner. Darker skin tones might like using it as a lip color – just mix it with your fave lip balm! If you have pale legs, try rubbing some of this with your body lotion and rub it on before donning your shorts.

Summer's Coup de Coeur is love at first sight.

I've tried the new Coup de Coeur shade from the current summer launch and I'm in love with the sheer apple brandy shade. It's just perfect by itself, or you can pair it with a neutral lip liner. Maybe I have drier skin during the summer from dehydation, but I usually need to outline my lips first (or moisturize really well), or else the gloss will feather all over my lip line. It's a bit inconvenient to fix the feathering before the end of the day is over. Overall this color is a great buy because it's wearable on many skin tones and it will last you for a while if you don't use it everyday. Or, wait for a special makeup event and get it as a special gift with purchase or special mini kit/palette.

A couple of the older shades I've used in the past had pretty sticky textures (example: Revolt). I was at a makeup event at Neimans years ago and the makeup artist said this tacky feel was from their original formula.