The NARS Trinity

Yes these are old news but when the news is sooo good I think its ok we talk about them again. 

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils!

These are the favorite matte lipsticks in my modest stash ( I use the word modest liberally as you might guess). They are long lasting, don't bleed, beautiful matte finish, super pigmented, dont make my lips feel like desert..I could go on and on.

The range is vast in color choice but as I wear red lip most often mine are all from that color family. However they are all "totally" different as you will see below.

So starting from the left we have the darkest of the trinity called Cruella (Link). Described as scarlet red by the brand this is "prepare to be seen" kind of lip color. Blue based deep red that is so "sexy" if that can be used as a color description. I would say this is a color not for the faint hearted. If rocking a red is your thing then this is a must have for fall-winter especially.

Next up is my latest addition and one I had been chasing for a while. Dragon Girl (Link) seems to be constantly sold out in various online stores so it was a long time coming. Boy was it worth the wait! Vivid siren red is how NARS describes it. This one is also blue based (we all know those are the best to make those pearly whites shine) but with strong pink undertones- a proper bright cherry red. The shade just lasts and lasts for a good 5-6h through the day. If I would describe Cruella as "sexy" then Dragon Girl would be my more "glam" option.

Lastly comes Red Square (Link) which was actually the lipstick that converted me into the red-lips-during-day-time business. I bought this years ago when visiting my sister in London and it was a random purchase to be honest. Little did I know it will start a whole red lipstick hording episode of my life. If someone asks for my favorite red lippy the first one that comes to mind is Red Square. Bright orange red is what the official description reads. I think this is such a day appropriate shade. Red Square is proper orange based warm-toned and pretty bright. I love that it isn't neon but more of a "retro" shade that makes me feel like a vintage vixen ( I have good imagination okay!)

L-R: Cruella, Dragon Girl, Red Square

So there we are. 

My favorite NARS reds all lined up for you. 

Have you tried the Velvet Mattes? Whats your favorite shade? 

Maybe I should be branching out from the red category?

High maintenance much?

I got nothing to say to defend myself.  I am high maintenance and in beauty related subjects there is two that need to be perfect. Nails and lips- thou shalt not go out of home with a chipped nail or a smudged lipstick. Its just how it is for me.

For this reason I never used to wear bright lipstick. I would wishfully stare at women who wore full on red or fuchsia pink in the middle of the day. For me it was always about the fact that every damn lipstick I bought would sweep into the fine lines around my lips in a matter of a hour- lipliner or not. At that time I was in university so I couldn’t afford to try out Tom Ford and the likes but still. For example no red formulation of Mac lipstick would ever stay put. If I tried wearing it I would have to constantly check my lips and sure enough they would be a mess at some point. Oh those days of struggle..

So about 3 years ago I figured its time to give this bright lip thing another go and picked up NARS Red Square while in London. It actually looked flawless hours later and I couldn’t belive it. As my love for reds grew I started looking more into other products that would help me make any brand lipstick look perfect and stay without bleeding.

Nowadays I wear a full on red or pink lip to work most days of the week. I totally get if this is way to much hassle for most but I use the following products to make it perfect.
My lips are always dry so I make sure to scrub them twice a week. My favorite being the Lush Mint Julips Lip scrub. Its made out of caster sugar, jojoba oil, vanilla extract, tagates oli and peppermint oil and its lovely. I am soon out of it and next my eyes are on the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish.

Nuxe Reve de Miel is one of those cult products everybody loves and I can't fault it either. Best lip balm I have ever used and I dont go to sleep without a thick layer of this on. Its not sticky and has a thick matte consistency so works well under a lipstick as well. I will never be without it!

Mac Prep + Prime Lip is my main secret weapon and something I always wear under bright statement lipstick. This is a color free base that smooths lips and stops the lip color from bleeding. Its very lightweight but feels a bit sticky once applied, however once I put on lipstick you never feel it. It makes the color go on much more evenly and I think it helps with the longevity as well.

Too Faced Borderline Anti-Feathering Lip Pencil- this one is the latest addition to the lineup and I am so happy I decided to give it a go. Its a waxy colorless pencil you use as liner and it "creates a resistant barrier around the lips to perfect the shape and provide precise definition".  The pencil comes out when I want to wear the creamier reds as those are the fastest to bleed. I kind of half expected it not to work but it does exactly what it says. The barrier is there and no color bleeds past it.

Needless to mention I almost always wear a lip liner as well. You see..high maintenance.

Is there something you have tried that I dont know about? Another secret weapon?
Do you wear brights during day time at all?

FOTD- My Everyday Bold Lip Look

Do you have a signature "look"?
I dont think I do.

But one look I will never grow tired of- the bold lip. Let it be a screaming fuchsia or any red from orange to dark, I'm always willing to give it a try. 

I especially love wearing a bold lip during the day but in order to pull that off without looking over done I have always paired it with practically no eye make up.

More often than not I dont even wear blush just a good swipe with a bronzer to make me look alive.

Its minimal effort in the morning. On my eyes I have two coats of Benefit They're Real and a bit of Benefit High Beam in the inner corner of my eyes. That is it! And a good coat of Benefit Gimme Brow combed through the brows.

I do spend a bit longer to make the base as flawless as I can. Clinique Superprimer Universal and Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet take care of that on my good skin days. For this look I will usually add a bit of Collection 2000 concealer (that stuff is the bees knees!) around my nose and blend some Clinique Airbruch concealer under my eyes.

 Now on the days there is a pesky blemish and I still want to rock this look I tried something my makeup artist friend Diana once suggested. Try drawing a beauty spot on it! You see that little one on my cheek- yep that's the drawn one. I have to say I felt all sneaky and great with this fun addition. I dont know why it makes you feel all different but I really loved having one for the day! Give it a try and see how you feel.

On my lips is my current love from Chanel. The Rouge Allure in Pirate is a great addition to your collection if you are on a lookout for classic long lasting red.

I have red options plenty but really want to add a great orange lipstick into my routine for this summer. Something with a slightly red undertone but still orange. Do you have any suggestions?

Chanel Rouge Allure- Pirate #99

I have been itching to share this beauty with you but I felt like I wouldnt do it justice taking pictures with my iPhone. So I had to wait til I got to use the camera again.

 This lipstick became mine on a tiny little Duty Free haul on our way to Sri Lanka last month. If you saw this post from February you know I have had my eye on Rouge Allure Pirate for ages. And as my first pick from lipstick wishlist was TF Spanish Pink second one had to be a red offering.

However they never seemed to have Pirate at various Chanel counters so imagine my excitement at Duty Free. Double fun as Duty Free is a grey area in shopping and always makes me feel less guilty about spending money.

 

This is as classic as a red can get. Blue undertones and flattering on everyone.

Very pigmented and creamy and the little black and golden bullet makes me feel like such a grown up when applying the lipstick. Well the fact that it says Chanel on it probably also has something to do with it.

 Pirate is one of those excellent reds that makes your teeth look whiter. I will attempt to make a teeth bearing photo for you soon but until you can just take my word.

If you are in search of a truly classic and luxurious lipstick I say take Pirate for a spin. Or maybe you have already found one and only true love classic red. If so let me know which one?