Saturday, April 5, 2008

love/hate for my girls

There's a lot to dislike about NARS Lip Lacquer. It smells like plastic, the texture is incredibly tacky, and it's difficult to get the product out of the pot. But somehow all these sizable flaws make lacquer in the shade Chelsea Girls one of my few indispensable products.
Unlike most lip products, the tacky formula never looks like anything more than a little sheeny balm is on the lips. And while it may smell like plastic, you'll never find yourself absentmindedly eating it off your lips and the color lingers on lips after eating and drinking.
Above all, I love how this product lets me live a little Bond Girl fantasy. This shade turns my normally rosy lips into the perfect, effortless Bardot beach babe soft nude. Although the pot is kind of a pain, it's so much fun to whip out and swipe on lips in public in a very blase kind of way.

Lip Lacquer is a little steep at $24, but the pot contains more product than a tube of lipstick and I've found that it lasts for a year with regular use.

Is there any product you find to have major issues but still can't live without?

spring is in the hair

Last night I had a blast lurking around backstage at the fashion program's annual spring show here at Syracuse University, where freshmen, sophomores, and juniors have the opportunity to send their designs down the runway. While this year's theme was freedom of expression, as a part of the Newhouse School's yearlong celebration of the First Amendment, the hair concept created by Professor Jeff Mayer was pure spring.
Jeff and a crew of fashion students slicked hair back into a bun, clipped on a bed of moss, and arranged sprays of flowers and butterflies on top. The effect was gorgeous from the audience, it looked like the models were a sort of ethereal flower garden.
The look isn't at all practical for every day, but clipping a flower onto the side of a loose bun is a fast and easy way to dress up hair. Flower clips are widely available, or you can make your own from silk flowers, hot glue, and a clip as Mayer did for the show.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

road test: Fresh face palette

There's nothing more frustrating than getting stuck in transit. After work yesterday I raced off to a master's program social, only to get stuck with the slowest bus driver of all time. Fortunately I had Fresh's A Kiss is Just a Kiss palette in my bag, so I took the opportunity to see just how easy the cream blush, lip gloss, and pearly highlighter are to use on the go.
Even through potholes and abrupt stops, the petite 4.5x2.5 case was easy to hold with one hand without compromising mirror size. The blush went on beautifully, using two fingers to dab it onto the apples of my cheeks. I skipped highlighter on my cheekbones, but a swipe on my brow bones and the inner corners of the eyes made me look like I just got up from a nap. I even used a little on my upper lip just below the cupid's bow, a maneuver favored by makeup artist Dick Page. After a swipe of gloss I looked fresh and glowy, even if my mood was barely improved.

Overall, this is a good investment- all the color cosmetics you need are housed in one slim package. The textures are not only totally effortless to work with, but the lasting power was good too- I had to retouch the gloss after eating and drinking, but the rest lasted until bedtime. Plus, the colors are perfect for a cloudy spring day (i.e. almost every day in Central New York). Definitely check this out if you find yourself regularly doing your makeup on the go.