The Long Lasting Lipcolor and Gloss: Milani Lottawear Product Review

I am a lipcolor and lipgloss junkie and I go through tubes and tubes of them almost as often as I change my underwear because I am constantly having to apply and reapply, so I went product searching for a color that has strong staying power and would not require frequent applications. I initally tried to Cover Girl Outlast All Day Lipcolor and I was quite dissappointed with their color selection, I found them to be too pink and ill fitting for my skin tone. Also, the color went on very uneven and started to peel off rather quickly. Then I discovered the Milani treasure, the Lottawear Stay on Lipcolor, and as far as the price goes, it is fairly inexpensive and can be purchased at CVS, Walgreens and some other department stores and beauty shops.

The Milani lottawear comes with a tinted lipcolor on one end and a clear gloss on the other end. The color goes on quite evenly and very naturally. My favorite shade is the Timeless Tawny, a milk chocolate brown with very slight pink tint that complements my skin so well and goes on very natural. And the beauty of this product is the lasting power. This lipcolor lasts for hours, and hours and hours. And that is after drinking three cups of coffee, having a Chinese takeout for lunch and a pasta dinner. The color lasted and I was impressed by how smudge-proof this product is. The trick is to apply the color and wait about (2) minutes to let it dry and then apply gloss. The downside is that it can be a pain to take off, you will literally need tissues and vaseline to get it off. My soap cleanser could not even get it off.

If you are looking for a lipcolor with great color selection that lasts for hours, then this product will deliver just make sure you have a tub of vaseline for take off. Here a picture of my lips coated with Milani Lottawear stay on lipcolor in Timeless Tawny. (Sorry for my bushy upper lip, I am having it lasered very soon.)

Enjoy!

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Holiday Glam Look, Courtesy of Michelle Phan

Tis' the Season to be jolly! Here are a couple of  makeup application videos from the legendary Michelle Phan doing a holiday look tutorial.

Enjoy!

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The Best Inexpensive Mascaras

I love Maybelline's The Colossal Volum Express Mascara and right now it is one of my favorite mascara. One of my biggest beefs with mascaras in general is that there is usually hardly enough mascara in the tube to have drastic effect! However, the colossal has a good amount in the tube and it also lengthens and thickens your lashes without the dreaded clumps. After the one or two coats, I noticed a difference immediately with my lashes. The mascara is available at most drug stores.

I also love Kiss New Yorks's Pure Fiber Lash Extension Mascara. This mascara is so inexpensive, I believe I paid $3.99 (American) for it and it comes in such a pretty, fancy tube. However, I was very impressed with the results of the mascara. It tripled the lenght of my lashes and there were no clumps. For the price, this is an excellent mascara and I definitely recommend. I purchased mine at a local, beauty store. The company website is http://www.kissnewyorkusa.com/prod_m_pfl.php. Here is a picture with the results of the Kiss mascara.

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Iman Perfect Response Oil Blotting Pressed Powder Review

I was surprised when I accidentally spotted Iman makeup collection at Walmart several years ago and at a prices ranging from $8-$15, I was even more excited. The Iman Makeup Collection is by world, renowned, African born supermodel, Iman.



The Iman Perfect Response Pressed Powder currently comes in five shades, Light, Light Medium, Medium Deep and Dark. I purchased the pressed powder in Light Medium. Since her makeup line is designed to cater to darker skin tones, many of the colors tend to run darker than it looks when applied on the skin.

The powder went on very matte and smooth which is ideal for my oily skin and the coverage can range from medium to heavy depending on how much is applied. I would advise against applying too much because it can looked very caked on and heavy. I like my makeup to look natural and the Iman pressed powder can have a very obvious makeup look. Something else that I noticed with Iman pressed powder is that it does leave an unnatural, orangey tone to my skin.

I have used the Iman oil blotting pressed powder for years now and I can happily say that it does not break me out. It is ideal for oily, acne prone skin and perfect to achieve the matte finish. My advice is to apply with a powder brush to prevent the cakey, obvious look, however this will give a light coverage. If you are looking for medium to heavy coverage, apply with a powder puff and using a powder brush feather away to blend color or you can dust on translucent powder over the makeup, this will also counter the orangey color.

Good Luck.

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The Mineral MakeUp Experiment

Several months ago when I bought my first mineral makeup from a mall kiosk, I was hoping that it would be an end to my never ending quest to find the ideal foundation, makeup that was natural and light while providing the coverage that I needed. The sales lady had selected the skin color that closely matched my skin and meticulosly applied it to my face and the results were amazing! It looked and felt so natural like second skin. However, when I got to my vehicle and looked in the mirror, I almost screamed at the ghastly pale image in the mirror. Under the mall lights, the makeup had blended flawlessly with my skin but in natural light, my skin appeared ashy and very unnatural, like a bad bleaching accident.

I purchased other popular brands and experienced similar issues. I did research and discovered that there are two main reasons for the ashy appearance, the first is applying makeup that does not match the skin's undertone and the second reason can be attributed to the presence of the popular ingredients titanium dioxide and bismuth oxychloride found in many mineral cosmetics. Titanium dioxide is often added to mineral makeup for sunscreen and light reflecting effect and bismuth oxychloride is added for the shimmer effect and to reflect light as well. The ashy problem lies in the proportion of these ingredients used in the makeup. A well blended mineral powder targeting chocolate toned women should match the skin's undertone and look flawless and natural.

Two brands to check out are Valana Minerals and Ada Cosmetics, both brands carry mineral powder foundation formulated to naturally match the colors of darker skin tones. There is also the completely vegan line, crushgroovecosmetics formulated by African American cosmetic artist, Jenique Bell.

I tried Valana Minerals and I fell in love with their colors, it went on a smooth and the color blended very naturally with my skin tone. Please share other mineral makeup brands formulated for darker skin tones or testimonials of any of the brands mentioned above.

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