Lipstick Rules

Bring on Spring! Lise Watier's Vintage Moderne Palette

2010-03-17T16:42:00.000-04:00

Pastels are everywhere it seems for Spring. I am not usually big on pastels but I'm actually liking the way they are being presented this year in fashion and in makeup. There's something very fresh about the colours this year. Lise Watier's Spring 2010 Vintage Moderne collection features a number of pastels in its line-up, including the Vintage Moderne palette of shadows and blush. The palette

MAC See Sheer Lipstick Makes Me Feel 'Springy'

2010-03-17T00:00:00.001-04:00

It's MAC lipstick ruling my world this week as I rediscovered another old favorite today: See Sheer. This lipstick is a Lustre finish and is described as 'pinked grapefruit.' The colour looks orange in the tube but as a lustre, it is a pretty pinky coral -- perfect for Spring. The weather in Toronto is indeed finally Spring-like -- it's been great not having to wear lined boots and parkas! We

Battle of the Lipliners: Annabelle's Demure vs. MAC's Boldly Bare

2010-03-16T08:00:00.005-04:00

A little while ago on Twitter, there was some chat about Annabelle Cosmetics' Demure lipliner being a close dupe to MAC's Boldly Bare (a.k.a. in my world as the liner that made me squeal 'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!') Of course I had to see for myself and share with you. Here is a swatch of the two liners: Demure on the left, Boldly Bare on the right. Pretty close eh? Boldly Bare has a hint more pink I

MAC's Blooming Lovely Lipstick: How I Made it Work..at least for today

2010-03-15T15:31:00.000-04:00

I had some regrets buying MAC's Blooming Lovely but today I did find a way to wear it -- and I actually liked it. I wore it with a smokey eye, cool toned blush and layered the lipstick with MAC Boldly Bare liner underneath the lipstick. Might have been a bit dramatic for disco bowling with the kids today but hey, I felt happy wearing it! Here what I used: Face Diorskin Nude foundation MAC

Why did I buy these? MAC Liberty Of London lipsticks

2010-03-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

I fell for the hype around MAC's Liberty of London this week. I had tested out Birds & Berries prior to the launch and really loved the colour and packaging. And when I saw the rest of the collection, I have to admit that aside from the packaging, nothing jumped out at me at first. But as I played with the colours and started swatching, I started to feel that pull...you all know what I'm

Lipstick Loving: Estee Lauder's Red Apple

2010-03-14T11:00:00.001-04:00

I loved the dark lips that some actresses like Sandra Bullock wore to the Oscars. It inspired me to whip out a few of my darker lipstick colours out of hiding. Today, I brought out an old favorite, Estee Lauder's Red Apple. This is one of the Pure Colour Crystal Lipsticks, which feels very moisturizing on the lips. The colour has a sheen to it and is actually not opaque. It can go on sheer or

Side by Side FOTDs: Beaute's Wanted and Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle

2010-03-13T11:04:00.003-05:00

Ever since my visit to LIFT Beauty Boutique, I've been experimenting with my hair a bit. Emily gave me a more bangs that I can wear to one side, or even parted in the middle. Love it. My previous hair cut only allowed me to part to one side like I did above. It seems like a subtle change but the cut has made it so much more versatile. I don't know why I'm posting this really. I'm just happy

QOTD: What's your take on makeovers? Yay or Nay?

2010-03-13T00:00:00.003-05:00

I've had many a makeover in my life and ever since I've been blogging I've done many more. I call it 'research' for the blog. For the most part I have had very positive experiences, especially at NARS and YSL, where I feel the makeup has been beautiful but still 'me'. On the other hand, MAC has been hit or miss. Sometimes I like the 'after' but other times, I feel the look is too much for what

Bring on the Colour -- Annabelle Eyeshadows (Custom Quad palettes)

2010-03-12T08:09:00.005-05:00

Turquoise. Bright Pink. Mustard Green. It's not often that I feature such bright colours on Lipstick Rules but here you go -- Annabelle Cosmetics' Limited Edition eye shadows for its Custom Quad Magnetic Compacts. Pretty, yes? Annabelle's Custom Quads are unique in the market -- I have yet to see any other brand in Canada that offers consumers the opportunity to build their own palette with '

Take me to The Hamptons and then to the Swiss Alps! Vasanti's Spring collection

2010-03-11T11:00:00.001-05:00

I can't get enough of neutral colours, and it continues to amaze me how many variations there are for browns, peaches, nudes, whites, and so on. Vasanti Cosmetics' Spring 2010 collection offers such neutral colours that are right up my alley. The Hamptons eye shadow palette ($40 Canadian) is a five-colour palette containing a soft beige, peachy pink, periwinkle grey and rich navy. All of these

Beauty Blogging -- It's not a Popularity Contest People!

2010-03-10T22:17:00.001-05:00

Ready for another Lipstick Rules rant? Beauty blogging politics. It's so not cool in my books -- and I try to steer very clear from it. But it creeps in every so often and it really gets under my skin. I have come to realize that the politics, the competition felt by some bloggers, comes with the territory. I accept that but I don't have to like it. I blog because I love to write and I love

On Assignment at the MAC Warehouse Sale

2010-03-10T10:24:00.001-05:00

I was lucky enough to get tickets for the recent Estee Lauder/MAC sale this past weekend. A big thanks to Kate! But I decided not to go because my weekend was already super busy with my daughter's birthday party and I needed some R&R. Instead, I asked my friend Emilija to go on assignment as a Lipstick Rules Roving Reporter. Here is Emilija's take on the day and the sale: This Sunday morning

NARS Makes Me Swoon...Again

2010-03-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

If you've been reading my blog for a while you all know my ongoing love affair with all things NARS. There's something about this makeup line that makes my heart palpitate just a little faster. Last week I attended a spring event at Holt's where once again I was made over by one of NARS' makeup artists. The focus of the look were the eyes, and ironically I didn't want them to use the spring

How to Wear Tarina Tarantino's Ribbon (Eye Dream Hypershadow)

2010-03-09T11:00:00.001-05:00

There's a new girl in makeup town and it's Tarina Tarantino. The famed jewelry designer recently launched her new makeup collection exclusively at Sephora and has many a beauty blogger a buzz, including this one. The line is geared for women of all ages (hooray!) and is being promoted as "makeup-as-accessories." From glosses to blushes to primers, the extensive collection comes in super-cute

I got a LIFT - and a new 'do at LIFT Beauty Boutique

2010-03-08T06:00:00.003-05:00

New 'do, new makeup and fun times with 'girlfriends'! In a nutshell, this describes my experience at LIFT Beauty Boutique in Toronto on Friday. Emily and Lauren, the owners of LIFT, invited me to come in for a complimentary blow dry, a mini-manicure and makeup application. On top of this, I recently won a Twitter contest run by LIFT (@LiftBeautyGirls) to guess the name of their spring makeup

"Come Home to Mama" -- Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle

2010-03-07T16:33:00.002-05:00

I had a serious lemming for Chanel's newly launched Rouge Coco lipsticks. I mean serious. (Why do we say lemming when we want something?) But the price (and last week, a scary looking sales associate) kept me at bay. These beautiful lipsticks are priced in the same range as my beloved YSL Rouge Voluptes ($38 Canadian...I know, yikes!). But the lemming continued..and intensified. After

This week's Beauty Blog Link Love

2010-03-06T20:33:00.007-05:00

Over at theNotice, Rae talks about the "LOL Scarf" (aka the MAC Liberty of London scarf,) and wonders why the heck anyone would spend $115 on it! Head over to Beautifully Glossy to read what GlossQueen has to say about Diorshow's Iconic Mascara. Curious to see how the Purple Lab Silk Sheets Luxe Foundation measures up? Blaq Vixen Beauty has the scoop! Arianne of Glitter Geek is still in

Three things about me!

2010-03-05T21:22:00.000-05:00

The ever so gorgeous Michelle from M Up North tagged me to do this fun tag -- thanks Michelle! (I'm so bad at doing tags and awards so apologies to anyone who has tagged me over the past few months. I really do appreciate being tagged! Sometimes I find it hard to keep up with it all but believe me I am trying) Three names I go by: 1. Michelle 2. Mama 3. Mommy Three jobs I have had: 1. Public

Thoughts on Marcelle's Anti-Wrinkle Makeup

2010-03-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

As my age creeps up, I am seeing lines on my face that weren't there before. Rather than running screaming into the night at the thought, I've become more proactive with my skincare and makeup regime. So, I know that there are literally hundreds of anti-wrinkle creams on the market but had not heard about anti-wrinkle foundation until recently. Enter Marcelle's New Age Anti-Wrinkle Foundation.

I'll have some "Caviar & Champagne" please - NYX Review

2010-03-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

If I was a normal person who owned a normal amount of makeup, NYX's Caviar & Champagne eyeshadow palette would be the answer to all my eyeshadow needs. Well, we know that's not the case for me in reality...but nevertheless, I have been reaching for this pretty palette quite often lately. Caviar & Champagne is a neutral palette contains 10 shadows, dark mattes to light shimmery highlights -- a

Let's Talk about the Birds & Berries (MAC's Give Me Liberty of London collection)

2010-03-03T06:00:00.015-05:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a sucker for cool packaging. And when cool packaging also involves pretty makeup...let's just say I'm in makeup heaven. Next week (in North America), MAC is launching yet another Limited Edition collection, Give Me Liberty of London -- and based on what I've read and seen I'm intrigued. Here's a little blurby on the collection: The very latest in a

Rediscovered: Pandora's Lipgloss in Happy and Ciao!

2010-03-02T06:00:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling lipglosses this first week of March. Say hello to two glosses from up-and-coming Canadian brand, Pandora's Makeup Box. The glosses are Ciao, described as a "perfect monitone taupe shine," and Happy, described as an "Earthy coral for daytime, shine no frost." These glosses are very pretty, give a great shine to the lips, and are quite different in the effect they give. It's hard to

Rediscovered: Chanel Aqualumiere glosses

2010-03-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

I've been ignoring the only Chanel I have in my life. Bad makeup junkie. This weekend I shopped my stash and rediscovered my beloved Chanel Aqualumiere Glosses. I have #65 Party Red, #66 Freeze, and #69 Glass Quartz. The lipglosses (priced at about $30 each) are smooth, feel light on the lips and appear as sheer glossy washes of colour on the lips. They come with a brush applicator and are

Let's do the MAC Arena

2010-02-28T15:07:00.000-05:00

Oh MAC Arena, where have you been all my life? I can't believe in all the years I've been a MAC maniac, I've never purchased this colour before. Arena is one of those colours that is easy to miss. But while it might look uninspiring in the pan, on the lid it is a different story. Arena is a shimmery golden peach that has really great depth of colour. I use it mainly as a wash of colour or as a

QOTD: Does a sales associates' makeup influence your purchase decision?

2010-02-27T00:00:00.009-05:00

The other night I paid a visit to my local Chanel counter to swatch the new Rouge Coco lipsticks. While I hate to the use the word 'lemming,' that is what happened to me when I saw how gorgeous those lippies are. But that is another post, and for those wondering, for once I didn't haul right away. Ok. Next. The sales associate who was at this counter at the time had the most awful makeup on in