jordana incolor pretty shine luxury gloss: gotta catch 'em all!

whew, what a mouthful of a name. i bet you guys have tried these lipglosses before, because they're only 2 bucks at walgreens. the first one i ever tried (like 2 years ago... ha!) was "dazzling", the bright tangerine shade. the formula is awesome! it's smooth, pigmented but still a little sheer, shiny, and smells like apples. this is a perfect gloss for spring and summer:

the next one i tried was "adorable", a pale nude gloss. i figured the formula would be the same. nope, not so. it's thicker, stickier, and very frosty. BUT, i've found that if you apply clear balm first, it goes on really smooth and sheer. it's pretty to pair with bold eyes:

my newest addition is "lovely", which is really true to its name! it's like a beigy pink, mostly beige. this gloss has a lot of shimmer to it, but isn't sticky like "adorable." 

i like this shade because it's slightly darker than my natural lip color and is really neutral. which means i finally found something to wear with my teal shirts! see? 

yay! plus because of the shimmer, it doesn't wear off as quickly as the other two. here are some pics of the actual tubes. you'll see that "dazzling" is actually a tangerine color, not blood orange like it looks in the first picture.

 top: dazzling

middle: adorable

bottom: lovely

of course, they have other shades available too. the bright red looks interesting.... anyone else tried these?

review: wet 'n wild megalast long-wear lipstick

so i'm frantically memorizing lines for "oklahoma!" which is coming up soon.... and of course i get distracted and wonder.... how should i style my hair on stage? what shade of long-last lipstick should i wear?

so when i went to walgreens the other day to get a new wide-tooth comb, of course i HAD to hunt for a good lipstick for the play. i wanted something that was kind of berry-hued for my character (i think red is too dramatic.... berry is nice and innocent, i think. she is a country girl after all, not that i know anything about being a country girl.... ha!). and it definitely needed to be kiss-proof (*ahem* sorry, husband). in the past i've used many different shades of covergirl outlast lipstick, but i didn't really wanna shell out $8-9.... so this is what i picked!

photo: wnwbeauty.com

the color i picked is "eternal", which i thought has pretty flattering, and still visible from stage. unfortunately, when i tried to apply the color, it felt really strange on my lips! it had a mousse-like texture.... which is great for my maybelline dream mousse blush, but looks kinda funny on your lips.... i let it dry for a long time, then applied the clear balm. now the balm did feel good. but after applying it, i tested my lipstick, and it rubbed right off! it had the staying power of gloss! weird....

"First, apply the rich, liquid color, then seal it in

with the ultra-conditioning topcoat for satiny color that lasts."

ummm, i'm missing both the "liquid" and the "satiny color" part.... it was kind of gritty.... i did test the balm with a different brand of long-lasting lipcolor, and it works! plus it feels good on its own, too.

so unfortunately, i'm still looking for a good lipstick for stage.... i may ask kasmira from whatiwore2day, because she acts a lot, and always has a bright lipstick on.

updo of the week

so, i didn't actually go to play practice this week, because it's spring break. but i decided to do an updo anyway, mainly because i was scuzzing today and didn't feel like washing my hair. i did sprinkle in some baby powder though! 


this is pretty simple. it's just a little bit of french braid, tucked in and pinned:

snip 'n save

even when you think you've used up all of a product, there's probably still some skulking around at the bottom. bottom-dwellers, if you will. my foundation was running low the other day, and i decided to snip open the container to see exactly how much i still had. and behold:

tons! this will last me for about a month, i'm guessing. pretty cool, huh? i wonder what else i can break open and search for treasure- toothpaste, concealer, face wash.... crab legs. mmmmm, crab. (i started a diet today, so i'm SUPER hungry).

what to pair with your bright lipstick

this is what i slapped on my face for a friend's wedding today. it was really dreary outside, and i wanted to counteract that with bright lips. plus, i secretly (oops, not anymore!) want to someday be known as the crazy old lady in the garish lipstick. i'm well on my way, you know.... i already have the lipstick and i'm half-way crazy. now i'm just waiting to get old.... which is happening a lot quicker these days! .....eep.

maybelline moisture extreme lipstick in "wine and roses"

umm, it looked brighter in real life. but keep in mind, this is after i ate 2 chicken salad croissants, some pineapple, and drank nasty wedding punch! this lipstick does not claim to be long-lasting, only moisturizing. but trust me, it's both! it feels like no other lipstick i've ever tried. suuuper smooth. this is *probably* my favorite lipstick, as far as formula goes. the only problem is that they sort of have wonky shades. oh well. if i ever happen to find my perfect shade and my perfect formula in one little lipstick, i'll die a happy woman (in garish lipstick).

so anyways, it's hard to know what to do with your statement lips. if you eat too many chicken salad croissants, your lipstick will wear off, and you'll be left with a boring and lackluster face. if you go too crazy with your other makeup, though, you end up looking too theatrical. this is my solution. 

pair bright lipstick with:

1. nude, shimmery shadow- just enough to make your eyes sparkle (today it was gold)

2. a subtle amount of brown eyeliner- not black! unless you're doing a black liquid cat eye with your bold lipstick, in which case i say you're awesome!

3. black mascara- waterproof, if you're going to a wedding! i swear i cry every time....

4. defined eyebrows- it kind of balances your lips. otherwise it's like hellooooo lips.

5. blush just on the apples of your cheeks- just a little bit to complement your lipstick. and you can always blend some of your lipstick into your cheeks. then you always know the colors will go together.

6. nooo face powder! unless you have extremely oily skin. i think this is a relatively new makeup trend. magazines always say it looks "fresher" to pair bold lips with "dewy" skin, whatever those words mean. does anyone else get sick of reading the same descriptive words in magazines these days??

things i'm not supposed to do that i do anyway

1. sleep in my eye makeup
really, what is it gonna do? my eyes never get infected. i wash all the other junk off.
 

2. put q-tips in my ears

um, how else do they get clean? you just gotta be careful, that's all.

3. pick at my face
hey, you just gotta do it sometimes. this is the only item on the list that i would want to change. sometimes it leaves little red marks for a couple weeks..... yes, weeks.
 

4. use a scrub almost every day

i've tried to cut back, but my skin just never looks as good. i say, if it looks good, do it!

5. sleep on wet hair

can i help it that it looks wavier and better that way?

6. never use conditioner

when i use, my locks go as limp as an over-cooked spaghetti noodle.

7. twirl my hair.... constantly

it supposedly weakens your hair and makes it more susceptible to breakage. the good news is i don't bite my nails anymore.

there are probably more.... i'm just too braindead right now to think of any. 

another new favorite nail polish: "mint apple"

my husband saw my nail polish stash the other day and proceeded to ask, "um, why do you have 5 of the exact same color?" to which i replied, "shows what you know! they're so different!" no, but seriously, i need to lay off of the teal polish.

here's my favorite, though, that i just bought a week ago:

isn't it beautiful?? it's like the perfect cross between teal and pastel green. it's sinful colors in "mint apple". and if you look carefully, it has a little bit of shimmer in it, but now enough to get my hands confused with my 7-year-old piano students' hands. plus, i think the shimmer makes it last a little longer. i painted them sunday, and they're still going strong today (thursday)!

uhhh, have i mentioned it's $2 at walgreens?? definitely looks like a lot of those pricier pale greens that are so "trendy" right now. (bahh, i hate the word trendy. i have a family member, who will remain nameless, who I SWEAR says "trendy" in a conversation every time i see her!)