How To Get Out of a Style Rut: Switch Up Your Color Palette

I love me some peaches. In fact, my fixation with all peach-colored makeup is borderline obsessive-compulsive. But I noticed that most of my photos were starting to look the same. I suppose that is one of the disadvantages of taking my own photo every morning to show you my makeup. The fact that a Dior makeup artist, who kindly said I looked vaguely like Katy Perry (?), told me I couldn't wear the Clinique Black Honey Gradient Blush I was admiring. Not one to be deterred, I decided to switch up colors and move out of my comfort zone with some cool colors (not peach).


 

I've always maintained that you shouldn't subscribe to saying you are only a warm or a cool or worse, a season. It's fine if you want to use those as a guideline to help you make decisions, but don't be afraid to break those rules, especially if you feel like you are stuck in a style rut. Anyone can wear anything. It's all about how you do it and how strong you make the colors.




I skipped my usual peachy tones and opted for a cooler look, using the potentially universally flattering Black Honey color from Clinique. In the picture below, it looks slightly warmer than it actually is. It's definitely more in a neutral to cool tone.




On my eyes, I used Bare Escentuals High Shine Eyecolor in Moonshine and Flash. I lined my eyes with Stila's Smudge Stick Waterproof Liner in Purple Tang. On my cheeks is the new Black Honey Gradient Blush. On my lips is Black Honey Superbalm Moisturizing Lip Gloss.




I am really in love with this Black Honey Gradient Blush. If you are careful how you hold the brush, you can apply contour, highlight and color in one stroke - for real!

Do you switch up your colors or are you stuck in a rut?

Some makeup was sent for review. I bought most of it. Bare Escentuals, Clinique and Stila do not test on animals.

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COVERGIRL NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara

While mascara seems to be one of the easier products you can skimp on (after all, you should replace it after three months) I have a hard time finding mascaras in the drugstore that live up to my expectations. I like them extra dark, extra long and they should be able to make it through a full day without flaking under my eyes. Now that my lashes are extra long thanks to RevitaLash, I can actually wear a variety of lash looks. Some days, I like to go for the extra glamour and some days I prefer a natural, feathery look.




COVERGIRL recently launched the new NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara. It's kind of amazing, for a lot of reasons. First of all, it's made with beeswax, which adds volume without flaking. This mascara is very light and feels almost weightless on the lashes. According to their scientists, it's actually 20% lighter than traditional mascaras. It's made with Tapioca Polymers that keep lashes curled while allowing them to feel flexible. Finally, it lives up to its green packaging. Compared to other similar mascaras, NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara is created in a way that reduces emissions, water consumption, energy use and package waste.




The brush on this is a simple plastic bristled brush that gets into the base of the lashes and encourages them not to clump. This tool provides a nice combo of stiff bristles to control the mascara and a medium thick brush (diameter-wise).





It's not so thick it goes all over my eyelids, but is thick enough to coat all of my lashes evenly. 




But how does it look? Gorgeous! Light, shiny and feathery. My lashes looked perfect all day long, even though I was walking around outside in the heat and humidity. This mascara didn't budge or flake, at all. If you are looking for lashes that look naturally very pretty without being overdone, heavy or super thick, Natureluxe Mousse Mascara is for you!





(Wearing NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara and Rapture Lip Perfection Lipstick)

It's available officially in July, but I've seen it everywhere already.  It's selling for about $9 and is available in a waterproof formula as well (I tested the regular formula).


Product was sent for review. COVERGIRL tests on animals.

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COVERGIRL LipPerfection Lipcolor is Lush, Bright and Lovely!

I recently got the chance to check out several of the new COVERGIRL LipPerfection Lipcolor. These new lipcolors are formulated to give you a high shine, beautifully pigmented, hydrated pout. What makes these lipcolors differ from the zillions of others at the drugstore, besides the pigmented color,  is the silk moisturizing complex.

COVERGIRL's exclusive silk moisturizing complex includes olive, avocado and aloe oil, shea butter, white tea and silk protein, all of which gives your lips a hydrating treat that I usually equate with more expensive lip products.

One of my gripes with drugstore lipcolor is that it normally falls a little flat. It's either really pigmented and very dry feeling or super hydrating and has no color. I am also not usually happy with the color selection. Sure, there are hundreds of colors to choose from, but they almost always seem flat and uninspired. And mauve-y or pink seem to make up the majority of the colors.





(Wearing Soulmate)

On the other hand, I've also been known to wear a lot of nude lip glosses and light peachy tones, so maybe I should be branching out.





(Wearing the uber-trendy Impassion, a lovely orange)

I decided to try several shades from the new LipPerfection collection and see if I could break my streak of wearing a nude lipcolor with a peachy lip gloss.




(Wearing Rapture)

Pictures don't lie (although most of the time, I'd give my long lashes if they did!), so check out how much a strong lipcolor can help change your look and balance out your features!




(Wearing Enthrall)

I found that all of these colors wore for a long, long time (starting with a few hours without needing a touch up), which is way longer than my usual glosses last.




(Wearing Enchantress, totally for scientific purposes. This is not my color, but it could be yours.)

I also found that after people stopped saying, "Wow. You are wearing lipstick," that I got a lot of compliments.




(Wearing Dazzle, that elusive pink that reminds me of Julia Roberts pink lips in My Best Friend's Wedding.
Redheads never forget a great pink!)

I'm not sure why wearing a bright color on my lips is what brings out the comments from people who normally don't speak to me.





(Wearing Temptress)


It's not feathered hair extensions, a wig or hot pink eyeliner, so it must be the gorgeous COVERGIRL's Temptress lipstick.




(Wearing Kiss)

With so many colors to choose from, a few have to be right for you. These are just as nice, if not better, than the majority of lipsticks I've paid department store money for. So save your pennies for something else and check out LipPerfection!

COVERGIRL tests on animals. Some lip colors were sent for review. And some were purchased by moi.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews and more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

The All Nighter Styling Powder: A Live Review

I was recently asked by my friends at DryShampoo.com to give some popular dry shampoos a try. Since I am a noob when it comes to dry shampoos, I thought, "this sounds like a great way for me to have a misadventure." I have friends like my stylist who are practically dry shampoo professionals, who know the ins and outs of dry shampoos backwards and forwards. Not me. I just want to find something that doesn't make me look like I have dandruff, doesn't make a mess when I apply it and doesn't make my hair feel glunky. And if I can avoid extra shampooing to preserve my color, than I'll love it. Then they asked me to make some videos about my experiences with dry shampoos, most likely because I am such a noob. I don't usually make videos, but I thought, why not make a fool of myself? Plus, I've never used a shake-on dry shampoo, only ones that are aerosol based, so it's even more of a learning experience.




The first dry shampoo I tried is called The All Nighter Styling Powder in brunette, a blend of vegetable starch, kaolin clay, silk powders and essential oils. This dry shampoo is the one Rachel Zoe is addicted to and it gives your hair a matte finish. If matte is what you are going for, feel free to use it on squeaky clean hair and that is the look you will get. It's available in almost any color you would need (provided you have a hair color that occurs naturally in nature.) Everywhere on the package are clues that you only need a little bit to get the job done. It's true. You do. This is a fact I missed, despite even reading it out loud.

Most Vloggers do video posts showing you how adept they are at creating a certain look or hairstyle - clearly something they have done previously. I decided to be different and check this out for the first time while recording. So enjoy, and then be sure to read below for further thoughts after I had lived with the product in my hair for a bit.


(I'm glad this still frame makes me look like a singer enjoying the musical breakdown, instead of someone having a seizure, which is what normally happens.)

Here are some thoughts after I tried All Nighter for the first time.

1. I need to follow the directions, since someone took the time to write them on the bottle. A little goes a long way and truer words have never been spoken. I was thinking, "I'll use a modest amount because I want to see if it will cover my roots". In reality, I should have been thinking, holy hot mess, Batman, I'm putting on entirely too much for one head of hair. So use it sparingly. It'll last longer that way, too.

2. You should only apply at the roots. Don't try to apply to the top of your head and work it into the roots (I'm such a noob, sometimes!). I don't know what I was thinking and I swear I do know better. This has amazing drying powers and that will only make your hair ultra matte if you apply it to the outer layers. However, if that is a look you are going for (like whichever Olsen twin sometimes looks dirty), then by all means, apply it to the outer layers of your hair. If that isn't the look you are going for, section your hair and apply at the roots only.

3. If you feel like your hair has that matte look and you want to add some shine, go for it. The Kendi Oil Dry Spray will do a nice job without making your hair greasy again. In fact, this absorbs so much oil, go nuts. I don't think you could make your hair oily after using this if you tried.

Despite my initial over-application, I really like this product. Just read the instructions first and remember, a little goes a long way! I love that it wasn't messy, didn't come out too fast and added color to my roots.

The All Nighter Styling Powder is available from www.dryshampoo.com for $18.

If you are curious, I'm wearing Tarte's new Amazonian Clay Cream Eyeshadow in Slate, along with their new Indigo Amazonian Clay Liner on the upper lid. I lined the inner rim with Tarte's Amazonian Clay Waterproof Black Eyeliner (pencil). I'm also wearing a COVERGIRL LipPerfection lipcolor in Eternal which I had previously considered to be "obnoxious" in the tube. However, I think I am starting to dig a darker/more pigmented pout!

What is your favorite dry shampoo? More importantly, do you like the ones that spray or the ones that apply like a loose powder? This is the first loose powder one I've tried and it's nowhere as messy as I had expected!

Product was sent for review. TANSP does not test on animals.

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CoverGirl NatureLuxe Liquid Silk Foundation

CoverGirl recently launched their new NatureLuxe line, which includes some really nice lip balms and a foundation, NatureLuxe Liquid Silk Foundation.

Made with cucumber, rose hip extracts and jojoba it is formulated to glide on like silk and give you a healthy glow with a polished finish. It's available in 14 colors and available at all drug stores and chains for around $12. This foundation is creamier and slightly lighter than previous CG foundations I have tried. I immediately liked the texture and feel!



But how did it wear?



I've had mixed results with this foundation (and I am admittedly hard on drugstore foundations). I've worn it on several days with no oxidation and I've worn it on other days where it did go slightly yellow on me after an hour or so of wear. I'm not sure what the difference was but clearly, it's related to my body chemistry.


I love how it looks when I first put it on. It looks luminous, smooth, even and really pretty, with just a bit of light coverage. I've been applying all of my foundation with a brush lately and love how this looks when I use a brush.

The issue I have comes up around 30 - 60 minutes after application. It does start to settle into fine lines slightly and on some days, oxidized slightly, leaving me with an obvious line of demarcation between my chin and neck. That is a bit of a deal breaker for me, but again, I am super, overly, picky to the point of possibly having a diagnosis on the DSM-V about foundation matching me correctly.

So who would I recommend this for?

If you are looking for a light foundation with some coverage and a radiant finish, this might be for you, providing you aren't trying to cover fine lines. This is probably a really nice foundation for anyone under the age of 30 and it is certainly priced right!

Have you tried NatureLuxe by CoverGirl? Let me know what you thought in the comments!


This product was sent for review. CoverGirl does test on animals.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm

In winter months, my skin, cuticles and lips dry out faster than a normal person would think possible. So I'm game to try anything that helps keep my bits hydrated. If it looks good, then it's a double score I can't pass up.


I recently tried CoverGirl's NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in Grenache and Sandstone. These lippies are filled with mango and shea butter and even have an SPF of 15. They feel hydrating and smooth like a balm, but also have a slightly shiny texture. What more could you ask for?


(Sandstone is on top. Grenache is on the bottom.)


The two colors I tried don't pack a powerful color punch, but look natural, make my lips feel moist (there has to be a better word) and really pretty. Plus, the color lasted longer than I had expected. Some lip balms "over-hydrate" the lips, making them flake; opening the the door for chapped, more dried out puckers. (Am I the only one this happens too? It also happens to my cuticles.) This balm is moisturizing in just the right way - leaving my lips feeling soft and comfortable.


(Grenache)


(Sandstone)


It's available in 16 hydrating colors and if you aren't sure which color is right for you, their website can take the guess work out with the ColorMatch tool. Although honestly, all of the colors are sheer and seem very wearable, so it would be hard to go wrong.



(Grenache)


(Sandstone)



I think it's perfect for a quick way to keep your lips feeling lush on the go. This isn't going to do it for a night on the town, but for running errands or even going to the gym this is just right. Have you tried this? Let me know in the comments!

This was sent for review. CoverGirl does test on animals.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2009-2010, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.