I don’t remember how many months ago I bought the Lola Psychedelic Lip Art gloss pot but I know the picture has been sitting on my BlackBerry forever. I took a picture of it in the pot because I knew it would never look this cool or magical ever again. And immediately after I took the picture I stuck my finger in it and the perfection was lost forever. Sigh…

I bought Purple Haze and it comes off as a lovely gold flecked purple/pink shade on my lips. You can wear it sheer or keep applying to build up a bit more color but it isn’t as heavy as lipstick. This is a gloss I keep tossed in my bag because sometimes I just like to change my lip color up randomly during the day and I think it’s so pretty in the pot. I’m a sucker for packaging, I really am.

I also am a sucker for any gloss that isn’t sticky on my lips or feels dry and this doesn’t. I also think I love that the makeup line is called Lola, so you automatically think anything you buy from them will make you a sexy siren.

Am I the only person who has bought something just because it was so pretty? Please tell me I’m not alone…

My bag is packed and I’m ready for a road trip! The husband and I are heading up to NYC for the 4th to visit his family for the weekend. I always have a lot of fun on our weekend visits to NYC. That city is full of so much, you never feel like there is enough time.

When I think about the 4th I think of red, white and blue, fireworks, popsicles and BBQs. That of course made me think I have to do a fabulouness that would go well with any of your 4th of July festivities. That’s why I chose Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain for my fabulousness.

Summertime makeup can be a bit tricky. You want things that last, won’t disappear if you start to sweat and that you don’t have to think about when you’re outside having fun. I love lip stains but so many of them can be drying. What I love about Just Bitten is that they add a tube of balm at the end so that you don’t have to worry about it drying out your lips and it adds a great bit of shine. I picked the color Crave, a dark berry/purple shade that’s very juicy on the lips but for the 4th I’d suggest Flame – a red! I found this at my local Walgreens and I’m sure you can find it at any major drugstore chain in your neck of the woods.

Yes, I’m one of those cheesy people who has no problem wearing red, white and blue on the 4th. I show a little spirit! So I’ve tossed Just Bitten into my makeup bag, the car is gassed up and I’m ready to go.

I hope you all have a happy and safe 4th. I’ll be taking Monday off so I’ll see you back here on Tuesday!

xoxo,
dwj

There is nothing in this world that seems to make me more giddy than makeup. That’s why I was like a kid in the candy store at The Makeup Show. I know I haven’t talked about the show YET, but I bought something that isn’t in stores yet but is so PHENOMENAL I want everyone to own it.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams are about to be the most used thing in my makeup kit, especially for summer and I think you will love them as much as I do. These are waterproof colors for eyes, lips and cheeks and they LAST, LAST, LAST, LAST.

Don’t believe me? I decided to test them out, I own colors 1 – Anthracite, 7 – Fuchsia and 15 – Taupe. They all have a gorgeous shimmer to them that is subtle and not over the top but they are loaded with pigment.  A little goes a long way which means these jars will last you a long time and will be totally worth the $22 price tag. I decided to try out taupe on my eyelids without any primer or foundation on the lids. I wanted to see how long it would wear and I was going to the gym on a heavy cardio day so I knew I could really put it to the test. Through my work day and then a heavy sweating session my eye makeup did not budge. It didn’t smudge, fade or run a single bit. I was sold. A product that looks amazing and seriously lasts and will last through a humid day?! I’m all over it.

I dabbed the fuchsia on my lips and cheeks and had the most radiant flush the entire day and I’ve used the smoky black/grey as a liner and it was insane how long it lasted. I got to pick these up at the Makeup Show at a discount and I’m kicking myself for not buying every single color they have. The green, blue and teal and insanely gorgeous.

If you are a Sephora Beauty Insider you can order them now (link above) and I promise you, you will not be disappointed. This is one of the most phenomenal beauty products I’ve gotten my hands on in a long time and I’ll definitely be wearing them all summer long. This was just too good to not share now, especially if you can order them online before they hit the stores in June. You will definitely see these in my Beauty Challenge photos over and over again because I am in serious love with these. They are BRILLIANT!

Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo,
dwj

I took this picture yesterday when I was taking photos for the Fashion Frontline Challenge (have you checked it out yet?). I started the Beauty Challenge to push myself out of my standard pink lipstick or gloss and make an attempt to go bold,  but this picture got me thinking about why so many other people I know have told me they don’t like to wear red lipstick:

• I don’t like my smile.
• I want to get my teeth whitened before I do it.
• It attracts too much attention.
• Red is too much maintenance.
• I don’t think it will look good on me.

Those are just a few of the reasons I’ve heard people give for why they don’t wear red lipstick. My biggest excuse is that I have a gap that has gotten bigger over the years and I don’t want to emphasize it. Then I realized, well everyone has already seen it, so it can’t be any worse with red lipstick. HA! Sometimes you just have to get over yourself and realize your flaws really aren’t that bad, besides they’re what make you, you.

My gap was just an excuse because I was a bit intimidated by the color and I decided to stop being envious of people who always wear red lipstick with perfection (my blogger idol Jennine from the Coveted always comes to mind when thinking of red lipstick).

Here’s the thing about red lipstick, when I wear it I feel 10 times chicer than I did before. It makes me feel confident and a bit sassy. And without fail, whenever I wear red lipstick a man gives me a compliment on my lips. Every time.

This red is my absolute favorite, it is Maybelline’s Color Sensational lipstick in Red Revival. It is creamy, richly pigmented and it lasts a really long time without drying my lips out. Oh and it’s like $8 at the CVS and I bought it with a coupon, so it was even less – LOVE IT! Putting it on feels very old Hollywood and glamorous and I think it will be staying in my makeup bag all summer long because I plan on doing eyeliner and bold lips as long as it’s hot and humid outside.

So am I helping you get over your fear of red lipstick? Or is there another color that you’re a bit too intimidated to try. Do tell. Maybe I’ll talk about that color too…

Lately, I’ve been into the color orange and I mean bright vivid orange like a juicy Valencia orange. For a long time I used to avoid orange makeup because I felt it was always the only option for women of color in makeup (or red) and I’m more of a pink and lavender kind of girl myself. I was rebelling against the standard I guess. Then when I bought a townhouse and created this bold color scheme that included apple green and orange I guess orange started to seep into my subconscious and filter into my makeup routine and accessories. Plus, orange is a pretty flattering color with my skin tone. I guess I could only fight it for so long.

I like orange more than red for that bright pop of color or accent color with accessories, it’s a bit unexpected but goes so well with green, blue, brown, yellow and even pink! I totally ran out of the house the other day forgetting to grab a wristlet or clutch for my evening plans so at lunch I popped into Filene’s Basement to find an inexpensive alternative. I found this super cute envelope clutch for $12 and I grabbed it. There were tons of color options but this orange was calling my name and I was wearing a dark purple dress and thought this would be a great burst of color to brighten up my look. I’ve paired it with pretty much everything in my wardrobe now and it makes me so happy when I see such a bright and happy color. Perhaps I’m using it to help lift my mood.

I’ve also been obsessed with orange lips instead of red lips lately. My favorite combination is a drugstore buy (who doesn’t love inexpensive yet fabulous makeup?).  I’ve been wearing Revlon’s new Colorburst Lipstick in Coral and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Firecracker, part of their summer color series I recently saw in CVS. If you asked me to describe this bold lip combination I’d say it was orange patent leather, totally glossy and fully concentrated color. I love it. It makes me feel a bit flirty and fun. I own 3 of the Colorburst lipsticks and I have to say I really like the formula. It is definitely long lasting without that tacky feel a lot of the other long lasting lipsticks claim. I also like how rich the color is. My only negatives are that when you first buy it, it smells a bit weird and that I wish it was more moisturizing but it definitely doesn’t dry my lips out like other formulas have.

So I’m obsessed with orange right now, what’s your favorite color?