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?

Going Red: effortless bold

I've always wanted to love full-on red lipstick, but something about its retro Old-Hollywood glamour just isn't "me."  I had just about given up ever wearing anything but a red stain, balm, or gloss when NARS introduced Manhunt Lipstick as a part of Spring's Shanghai Lily collection.  While this shade is definitely not for the cosmetically shy, it's the most modern-meets-effortless reinvention of a classic like red lipstick I've seen a cosmetics company make in living memory.

Manhunt is set apart from other reds by its coral undertone, which unlike its blue and orange based compatriots will never turn fuchsia on you or make your teeth look yellow.  Described as a sheer poppy red on the NARS website, this shade is also probably the brightest color I've ever put on my lips.  While the almost neon quality of Manhunt is more than a bit intimidating at first, it brightened my whole face and somehow made my pale skin glow (read: not ruddy in any way).

I've had this lipstick for two weeks and it has become my go-to on early mornings, coupled with nothing more than a swipe of mascara, a bit of white highlighter on the inner corner of the eye, foundation, and a light dusting of golden bronzer on the apples of my cheeks.  Significant bonus: this shade is anything but high maintenance.  The lasting power is not only incredible, but the formula wears down comfortably and evenly into a beautiful reddish pinky coral stain.

 

Although pricey at $24, it's so utterly worth it to wake up exhausted, throw on a white sweater, be done with makeup in less than two minutes, and roll out the door looking incredible.

Get the Look: "Gray's Anatomy"

Although I'm by no means an avid watcher of "Gray's Anatomy," I've been a huge fan of the makeup used on the three lead female characters- they have the epitome of that perfect "no-makeup" natural glow that I strive to recreate. Until recently I wasn't quite sure how to replicate the look, but after stumbling upon a drugstore treasure and watching the season finale (um, cliffhangers much?) I think I've got the key basics down.

LIPS- The girls lips are slightly glossed with just a hint of peachy pink color that looks fresh but utterly natural. Neutrogena MoistureShine tinted lip balm in Glow is the best thing I've found to mimic the color- it's a shiny peach with a touch of pink, beige, and golden shimmer that lets your natural lip color show through enough so that the color doesn't look fake. The formula is similar to Vincent Longo's Baby Balm line in slickness and the SPF 20 is a huge bonus for summer (the shade range is limited, but this is a really great product and worth checking out). If your lips are naturally very rosy, you can neutralize them a bit further with either a pale nude lip liner like Stila Glaze Liner in Nude or a thin layer of an opaque pale nude gloss or lipstick like NARS Lip Lacquer in Chelsea Girls. The idea here isn't really to change your lip color, but rather to mimic the nude peachy pink glow while working with your natural lip tone, so don't coat your lips too much or it will spoil the effect.

SKIN- Keep things fresh and clean- cover any spots or under eye circles with concealer and go light on foundation but cover any redness. Pat over any concealer or foundation that you put on very lightly with a damp cosmetic sponge to blend it all into your skin. The girls don't wear noticeable blush or bronzer, but dusting a little glowy highlighter on your cheeks will again help to mimic their natural glow. There are tons of great highlighters out there, but choose on that's very finely milled (read: not glittery) in the peach to pink range- whatever is most flattering on your skin. I like Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks in Rose and Apricot, they reflect light in an almost dewy way and don't show up as noticeable sparkle even on those of us with large pores while providing a hint of color. Sweep it on the tops of cheekbones from the apple of the cheek towards the temple. If you want a little more dewiness in the look, use a pearly liquid highlighter like Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer.

EYES- If lids are oily prep them with a dab of Urban Decay Primer Potion, then smooth on a light coat of foundation regardless. The idea is to even out the skin of the eyelid and cover up darkness and tiny veins. If you like, sweep on a subtly pearly eyeshadow similar to your skin color (probably in the champagne to cocoa range), but don't use anything too shimmery or frosty- it's texture overkill considering lips and cheeks. Bobbi Brown, Stila, and Tarte are great brands to look at (I like Tarte's Champagne Brunch). If you feel naked without eyeliner, use a damp liner brush to push a blackened brown eyeshadow like Stila Espresso (shown center) into the lash line, which defines the eyes without making an obvious line. Follow with a brown black or soft black waterproof mascara on curled lashes.