Ciccone – Just Another Lippy In Your Bag?

This post was written by the gorgeous and irrefutably talented Katie Found, who just so happens to be my Beauty Writer at Onya Magazine (where this first appeared), and also my room mate. We were both looking for a place, got along soaringly and neither fancied a cardboard box, so here we are – a lovely apartment in Melbourne and far too many beauty products! PS. Can definitely vouch for Ciccone lippies, I adore their glitzy tubes, and Oceanus, being a perfect peach-pink, is not often off my lips!

Whoever posited the above question is either deluded, male…or just giving a bit of lip! If I were to rank the ridiculousness of this question, it would sit neatly between ‘Chanel No. 5: Just Another Scent to Offset Your Sweat?’ and ‘Hermes Scarf: Just Another Square of Material to Warm Your Neck?’. You get my point!

The Onya Beauty Department is a happy little family, so it puts a smile on our lips to hear about other happy little families, such as the Ciccone’s. Helen and Frank gave life to Ciccone Cosmeticsin 2001. Ten years on, their bright-lipped baby is quickly growing into a boisterous, force-to-be-reckoned-with teen. CC is certainly holding its own in the battle with the lipstick heavyweights – watch out Chanel Rouge Coco, Ciccone is coming! Ciccone lippies come in a range of unmissable and oh-so kissable colours. This lippy-obsessed gal is pouticularly taken by Hera, and no, not just because she was the Goddess of women…although that does sound like quite the fabulous role.

Combine hot pink, diamante-laden packaging, Greek Mythological figures, and some naturally beautifying ingredients such as jojoba oil and evening primrose oil, and you’ve got Ciccone Cosmetic’s pout-inducing line of lippies. Used by makeup artists, paraded by celebrities, and adored by all worldwide, it is no wonder why CC is taking the (beauty) world by storm. And, if its staying power in the global makeup market is as strong as its staying power on the lip, then this liptastic range is here for good. Xx Kiss Me Katie Words: Katie Found

http://www.cicconecosmetics.com/

Bloom Has THE Perfect Nude.

Originally published at Onya Magazine.

Ladies, ladies, you can stop looking – I’ve found it. No, not your car keys, or your dignity from Two Dollar Tequila Tuesdays, you can keep looking for those.

I’m talking about the nude. The perfect, utterly kissable, enhancing, natural, complimentary nude lipstick. The Urban Myth has officially and completely been debunked; it does exist, and I have been wearing it for days on end with elation.

Well, only up until recently when Bloom Cosmetics launched their Gypsy Glamour Winter 2011 collection. The crystal ball has spoken, and this Autumn, embrace warm, earthy tones to help you reach your sophisticated hippy best. Not a bad way to exit bright and floral Summer and transition into Winter, methinks.

The Gypsy Glamour collection contains a Kohl Eyeliner pot, Cream Bronzing Duo, Bronze Eyeshadow, Nude and Peach Lipstick, Gypsy and Wanderlust Lipgloss, with nothing ringing in at more than $40.

“Gypsy Glamour is all about a natural sensuality,” explains Natalie Bloom, founder of Bloom Cosmetics.

“It is about being confident in an effortlessly, individual look.”

Have you found your perfect nude?

Lipstick Love: Clarins Rouge Prodige

A good lipstick is a real thing of luxury, don’t you think? One look at the brand new (launched just this Monday) Clarins Rouge Prodige range tells you you’re going to be spoilt.

From the luxe gold packaging, with the subtle dint on the side which features a ‘C’, to the Clarins branding that runs up the tube to the lipstick, you know that this is going to be something fantastic.

RRP $42

I received two shades for consideration, 121 Red Prodige (the reddest of classic reds) and 118 Clementine (a bright red-coral orange).

Red Prodige and Clementine

The formulas are divine, so creamy and thick without drying my lips out. If I could personify it into bedclothes (strange, I know) it would be the thick, luxurious cashmere dressing gown you’ve always wanted.  The formula contains marine algae extract for nourishment and a bevy of ceramides and waxes to prevent lip dehydration. It’s super long lasting – I think I touched it up once on a 9 hour shift, and that was after eating.

I love the high intensity pigment, one or two swipes is all that’s really needed, and the colour has a fantastic subtle shine without glitter or sparkle, thanks to Clarin’s High Fidelty Pearl which they explain to be “a polymer composed of multifaceted molecules which trap colour pigments”. Alright then, I would have thought it was a happily married sea creature. If I could have my way with everything, I’d have the formula just a touch softer, so that it easily blended right up into the corners of my lips. Minor whinge, though. (Update: After wearing Clementine again today, I’ve changed my mind – I think it’s softer than the red!)

Left: Red Prodige Right: Clementine

Even though it’s only an iPhone photo, you can see what I’m talking about. Strong pigment (this is one heavy handed swipe), subtle shine and the shades are gorgeous.

If you’re a lipstick lover, this is a must-try for your list. Winner!

Benefit Full-Finish Lipstick: Saucy!

 

Those nifty Benebabes have got it so right again with their Full-Finish lippy, with 9 new shades. I was offered the sparkling tangerine shade, Saucy, and it’s won a spot in the black hole that I like to call my handbag. Alright, so there may be 8 lipticks/glosses aready in there but it’s with esteemed company. Plus, sometimes I like to switch shades halfway through the day!

After conquering a bold red lip over a year ago, the next shade on my Lipstick List was orange. Mavens of the beauty world, such as Zoe Foster, had shown me that yes! An orange lip is totally wearable and no, you won’t get stared at in the street. Well maybe, but for all the right reasons.

I was the proverbial kid at the side of the pool dipping her toe in. Excitement in her eyes but a little reserved about jumping in the deep end. Until Full-Finish in Saucy came along just the other day, I had not yet puckered up in orange. The closest I’d been was Bobbi Brown’s Treatment Lip Shine in Nectarine.

Pillow Talk, Shy and Saucy. RRP $34

If you are at the same stage I was pre-Saucy, then I think you and Saucy need to become acquainted! It’s the perfect shallow-end-of-the-pool orange. I imagined orange lipstick to be scarier, say like a full-pigmented, matte-finish bright orange – not with Saucy. She takes your hand and guides you to Trend-town, all the while making sure you look fabulous as YOU, and not a clown.

The formula is ultra-creamy and hydrating, with a slight glossy-sheen to it. This means it comes off on glasses a lot, at least you’ll know which is yours! My lips didn’t get dry once when I was wearing it all day, and the sheerness means the pigment is buildable to your taste. Perfect for beginners! However, if you’re not a fan of any glitter or sparkle, Saucy may be just a little too saucy for you. There’s quite a bit of gold shimmer throughout each swipe, but I think it looks great when teamed with bronzer and a swipe of mascara – burnt orange and gold is so summery, non? I also think it helps to tone down the ‘orangeness’ of it.

How cute is that little card?! It came in the lippy box. This is two swipes of Saucy. So, do you think you could wear her?

To see swatches of the hot pink Pillow Talk shade (one I have my keen eye on getting) pop over to Kim at Plastic Diaries to see her review.

 

 

Late Night Lippy Run

It was Saturday night, which meant yet another 21st, and after a late Friday night prior and 10 hours of work that day, I was feeling less than inspired when it came to pulling together an outfit and make up look.

Every image conjured up in my over-tired mind failed to impress the toughest judge. Myself, not Heidi Klum. She was kinda busy with some show of hers…

Suddenly it hit me. All I needed to take my outfit from drab to fab (thanks Carson Kressley) was a few swipes of candy pink lipstick! In a certain shade I was introduced to by the beauty queen herself Zoe Foster. While on a bout of work experience at Primped, Zoe wore it one day and I’ve meant to get it ever since. Why not at 7.30pm on Saturday night as I’m getting ready to go out?

The shade? L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Anti-Age Serum in Freshly Candy. It’s the perfect super-pigmented matte musk pink, and I needed it to complete my outfit. So much so that I drove 20 minutes out of my way and handed over $26.95 (a serious soul killer considering I had just returned (broke) from the US; the land of dirt cheap cosmetics.) In my defence, I only own one lipstick. So naturally I am allowed to add to the lone lippy; it’s being picked on by the army of lip-glosses on my dresser.

While I did feel a little crazy as I drove to the late night chemist on my one-woman mission, it’s no different to a late night Macca’s run right? Shit, that happened later too…

I’m more than pleased I did it though, apart from the dollars of course – phone bill, I’ll get to you soon! I love the colour and wore it constantly all weekend. With vitamin E and Omega 3 it didn’t dry my lips out, was long lasting and only a few swipes were needed to get an opaque matte finish. Also made my teeth look whiter. Good one!

Another cool element of this lippy is the different coloured core, which contains the anti-aging serum – sure to garner a few inquisitive comments!

See? The core! Ooo and there's that American Apparel nail polish I'll be blogging on soon...

I’ll pass this one off as dedication to a love of beauty, but if it starts to happen regularly, please intervene.

Freshly Candy, you are the musk stick of my adulthood.

Revlon® ColorBurst™Lipstick

As part of my role as a PRIMPED VIP member I have to use, test and review products sent to me – such a tough gig!

And I must say, I was super stoked to receive Revlon® ColorBurst™Lipstick in shade #025 Carnation. I had always wanted to try a bright lip (which you can read about here) so having this pretty-as-punch lipstick delivered right to my door was perfect.

The formula is creamy yet light and with almond oil listed as one of the moisturisers, it’s definitely kind to your lips. I wouldn’t count on it being touchable and creamy all day though, I found I did have to reapply every hour or so to sustain the finish and moisture that I wanted. (That may have just been a reflection of the condition of my lips at the time though.)

I loved the colour, Carnation, which was a super pretty pinky-red with just the right amount of pop. I would definitely recommend this colour to anyone (like me) who loves the bright lip look but doesn’t want to dive straight into the deep end with some radical in yo’ face pigment. I found that it was easy to build and blend until you found the perfect intensity, and also faded evenly. It also looked great after just one swipe with a thin layer of gloss over the top. Multitask-er!

For only $23.95, it’s definitely an option for entry into the lipstick league. The packaging and look of the lipstick had a vibe of luxe, and the black quilted case and Revlon stamp on the stick itself channeled Chanel in my mind.

ColourBurst™ has definitely got my vote, as an affordable lipstick that delivers everything you need, including a pretty pout.

To read the other VIP members reviews, click here.

Bright times ahead!

For those of you who read PRIMPED, you may have come across Ed Zoe Foster’s post on her thoughts that bright lips are no longer a trend, but a classic.

In the third paragraph, Zoe mentions a lovely young girl who likes cupcakes and is also worried about the fact that while she thinks a big bangin’ bright lip looks faaantastic, she is worried that you need crystal clear skin to pull it off. You know, ‘cos the lips and the surrounding area are the focus, pinky/reddish tones in the skin (aka blemishes) might be highlighted by the colour on your lip.

Well, that girl was me. It’s true; I love cupcakes, bright lips, yet am worried that my ‘problem area’ (nice way of saying hideous hormonal war-ground) won’t allow me to wear said lip. Nothing worse than looking like my lipstick has smudged all around my chin into some kind of pash rash outbreak. Hang on, is that better or worse than a breakout?!

So, desperate to be a bright lipped girl (having always been a pale gloss kinda gal) and lamenting my skin, I decided to heck with it! I received a beautiful shade of Revlon lipstick from my last batch of PRIMPED VIP Club goodies, (review to come) which was the decider – this pink is pretty, I will put it on my lips.

Today was the day, and knowing that luminous clear (as possible) skin is essential when going for the bright lip, concealer and a bit more concealer was needed over my foundation, some illuminator on the cheekbones and then a dusting of bronzer. Reminder – keep the eyes light and fresh, it’s the lips turn to hold the mike. Lipstick applied….and this is the result!(Hrm, picture darker than real life sighting…)

Please excuse the bad lighting, slighty fuzzy image and my got-rained-on hair.

What do you think?

I like! After applying and walking out the door I felt…fun, and almost cheeky! Wearing an outfit of black top and jeans, I thought the pink gave just the right amount of ‘pop’. I think a few second glances were thrown my way too, Ms. Revlon ‘Carnation’ tells me not to be alarmed, this is a common side effect.

So props to me, breaking out of my ‘appearance rut’, one change at a time!

The colour in question: Revlon #025 ‘Carnation’

Revlon's Carnation pink. Lovely!

Do you like bright lips? Would you? Do you?