The Color of my Summer: Hot Pink

Summer 2014: The summer of hot pink, at least for this girl. Last summer I was obsessed with orange toned hues for my lips and cheeks, and I do still love a great orange-red lip, but this summer my favorite tone has been a bright, almost neon, fuschia-pink hybrid. It's brightening, flattering, and always makes me feel a little bit less dead at 7 am when I leave for work. I've found products for my nails, lips, and cheeks in this color and I figured I would share my newest obsession.

First on the docket, one of the only lip glosses I'll use. This is the Revlon Lip Gloss in Pink Pop, and it's actually not a recent purchase. I've re-discovered this beauty from when I picked it up at my homeland of Target a year or so ago. It's glossy, a little sticky, and has a good color payoff, especially for a drugstore gloss. All in all, I would say it's worth a try.

Ahh, the lipstick that sparked the movement, Lorac's Highly Pigmented Cream Lipstick in Vixen. This is a matte, bright fuschia pink that goes on easy and stays on forever. I love this formulation but unfortunately the other colors seem to come off as dull and a little boring. Maybe that's just me though. Overall this is a must have lipstick for me and I've used it a bunch this summer.

Another oldie but goodie, this is Maybelline's Vivid Lipstick in Fuchsia Flash. This color is insanely bright and beautiful. My only problems with it are the smell, that awful Maybelline cheap makeup smell, and also the fact that it's not matte. For brights like this I prefer them to be matte but I usually dab this in after I apply and wear it that way. It gives a nice stain afterwards and I often get compliments on it. If you're looking for a drugstore option, I would give this a try. 

Oh yes, I bought another bright pink lipstick. And this one, is my favorite. Thanks to the beautiful program that is Back2Mac (6 empty products for a lipstick or eyeshadow), I didn't even have to pay for my new favorite lipstick. This is MAC's Pink Pigeon. This was special edition a while ago and I remember being mad that I missed it, but back then I was scared of lipstick and just oogled them from a far. But it was recently re-promoted and released permanently so I'll never be without this gorgeous, matte, bright pink lipstick ever again.

Yes, I did include non-lip products. This is MAC's Beauty Powder Blush in Bred for Beauty. It came out with the Moody Bloom collection so it may be hard to get ahold of, but if you can, do it. It's a bright, reddish pink that comes off on the cheeks as a great natural flush and pairs well with all of the lip products I talked about earlier in the post. I highly recommend it.

My last addition to my bright pink collection is an overpriced but beautiful nail polish by Nails inc. in Sloane Street.It's the same bright pink hue in an acceptable, standard formula. The reason I say it's overpriced is that it does take a few coats and it is a dollar more than an Essie and has less product. However,  when I bought this at Ulta I spent a good 15 minutes taking it around with me and comparing it to all other nail polishes from every brand I could find and I couldn't find another exact dupe. So I bought it, and it's gorgeous.

Here are the lipsticks and blush swatched, starting from left to right it is MAC's blush in Bred for Beauty, the Revlon lipgloss, the Lorac Pro lipstick, the Maybelline Vivid lipstick, and my all time favorite, the MAC lipstick.

What is your favorite color to don this summer? Do you like pink or are you more prone to corals or orange? 

Until next time!

NYX Butter Lipsticks: A Review

Ahh, the sheer lipstick. What a fickle, fickle friend the sheer lipstick is for me. If you read this blog or know me at all you know that I usually love an opaque, matte lipstick. I rarely reach for glosses or even my creamier lipsticks that leave a sheen. I don't know why but it's just what I gravitate away from. Cue the hype surrounding the NYX line of "butter" lip products, specifically the Butter Lipsticks. I was sucked in and I am not afraid to admit it. But, I have three and I didn't return any, so stay tuned to hear words that I didn't think were even possible.

I like these sheer lipsticks. There, I said it. The world didn't end and pigs aren't flying, although that would be completely awesome. These lipsticks are creamy, moisturizing, pigmented, and shiny. They're everything you could ever want in a sheer lipstick. 

Ok, I'm getting way ahead of myself. The colors that I have are "Little Susie",

"Razzle", and "Fun Size" left to right. "Little Susie" is a beautiful strawberry red, a perfect choice for lips that look like you just ate a pound of Bing cherries, (that's a shout out to my fellow Michiganders). "Razzle" is just what its name suggests, it's a fuschia toned bright pink that fits in perfectly with my favorite summer lip color: neon pink. Finally, "Fun Size", which was my first purchase, is a wonderful peachy orange nude that I can apply without even looking in a mirror.

Back to the review. As a whole, these are wonderful and I want more colors. I still find myself reaching for more matte lipsticks but for days that I want to wear less, be more subtle, or if my lips are just dried out from constant matte lip stains and crayon-like lip lipsticks, these are perfect. They are true to the colors that are in the tube just slightly more sheer with a healthy shine, but not a true gloss. Because we all know I am not a huge gloss girl. 

I definitely recommend these, from lipstick addicts like me to beginners there is a shade for anyone and everyone. And for the price, about 5 dollars without the almost regular buy one, get one 50% off deal at Ulta, they are a must buy.

Are you into the sheer lipstick trend? Are you splurging on Chanel or sticking to NYX like me? 

Summer FOTD!

Tonight I was going out to dinner and drinks with my friends from high school. I had plenty of time to get ready because Mondays are my day off and I had little else to do other than apply for writing jobs and hope someone hires me. So I figured, let's apply a ton of makeup and see how it turns out.

And here it is! As you can see I went for a golden, bronze eye with a bright orange-red lip. It's my go to look in the summer and I think it's season-appropriate while staying true to my makeup taste.

Here are all the products I used:

For my eyes I started off with a recent purchase, MAC's Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Rubenesque. It's a beautiful peachy bronze champagne hybrid color that works well with my brown eyes and also the summery look that I was going for. 

For my eyeshadow I used my new Lorac Pro Palette. I resisted the temptation to buy this palette for months but I finally caved. I'm so glad I did. The shadows are creamy and blendable. They're also all wearable and I find that I can get just about any look out of this collection of shadows. I used Light Bronze all over my lid then put Gold over the outer 3/4 of my eye. I worked Taupe into my crease, a beautiful warm brown shade. I then packed a little bit of Sable onto the outer third of my eye and blended like my life depended on it to create a bronzed, golden eye look.

I used my the deluxe sample of the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer that I have to warm up my face. I placed it primarily under my cheekbones, on my temple, and along my jawline. I then dusted a light amount of it over my entire face just to give my translucent skin a little bit of color. Ya know, so I don't glow. Then I added my new baby, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion. A rave post about these blushes is definitely forthcoming. For an even better highlight I added The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer highlighter to my cheekbones, cupid's bow, and brow bone. 

For my signature red lip I used MAC"s Proenza Schouler special edition lipstick in Mangrove. It's a matte red-orange that I'm completely obsessed with. I mean am atte red, come on. It had my name written all over it.

And here's the complete finished look complete with a smile and awkward hand gesture. 


I really enjoy making my skin appear glowy and tanned (for me) in the summer so this is the kind of look I do every day, obviously switching up the colors. I hope everyone's summers are starting off well, I know mine is a bit of a bummer so far. The boy is far away in our college town and work is boring at best. Oh well, it's time to find a pool on my days off, save up money, and keep applying for jobs using my degrees.

Until next time!

My No Makeup- Makeup Look

Contrary to popular belief, some days I don't work and I don't apply a full face of makeup. For some, what I slap onto my face on these days would be more than enough for a daily basis. As we all know, I don't feel complete unless I have mascara, blush, and a lipcolor on. Now, I don't do this on days I have off and I don't go anywhere. If I'm spending the day in my house with my kitten and a mug of coffee I look like a homeless fourteen year old complete with my boyfriend's sweatshirt and yoga shorts. This is what it looks like when I have things to do on a day off and I don't want to get all dolled up. 

And these are the products that I used:

I started off by covering up the red spots and undereye circles that I have with my MAC Studio Finish Concealer because let's be real, that shit isn't cute. I then dusted a light layer of Rimmel Stay Matte powder over my entire face, focusing on my t-zone (nose and forehead) because that's where I get the most oily. To warm up my face a little I put my NYC Smooth Skin bronzer in Sunny under my cheekbone, up on my temple, and under my jaw in the motion commonly called the "3-S shape". I put some life back into my cheeks with Revlon's blush in "Haute Pink". For my eyes I used MAC's Painterly Paint Pot to even out the colors, then I used my Naked Basics palette from Urban Decay. I used the cream shade over my eyes and then shaded in my crease with a blending brush dipped in the light brown shade. I finished it off with a coat of Tarte's Lights, Cameras, Lashes mascara. For lips I put on some Benetint and then when it dried I applied some Vaseline Rose Lips Salve. 

Overall I feel like this look is about as basic as I get if I'm going to apply makeup. If you looked at me quickly it might actually look like I woke up like this, not like a vagabond, which is how I usually look when I wake up.

What's in my Makeup Bag

While it's probably not necessary to bring around a bunch of makeup items in a little pouch on a daily basis, I do it. And odds are, you do it too. I'm one of the most nosey people I know and I love youtube videos and blog posts where people show what's in their various bags so  I figured I could show you guys exactly what I tote around with me to attempt to keep my face looking presentable.

First off, this is my makeup bag. It came to me courtesy of my best gal Leanne. She sent it to me as a surprise for my graduation, (THANK YOU LEANNE IT'S STILL TOO MUCH YOU'RE TOO GOOD TO ME). It's a red leather pouch by Jouer Cosmetics and it says "Paint the Town Red!" in gold script. It's roomy and utterly perfect.

So these are the contents of my daily makeup bag. In it I always have a powder and a chapstick. Those are the most important because my lips are often dry from my tendency for matte lipsticks and my face gets shiny, a lot. I hate when my face gets shiny, it's a thing. Currently I have Maybelline Fit Me Powder in the lightest shade for my translucent skin. I also pack my Eco Tools retractable kabuki brush (which is no longer retractable because it broke and I had to hot glue it together), to apply the powder. I have an array of neutral lipglosses and two mini travel sized Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Pencils (also gifted by Leanne like who are you and why are you so nice?). They are travel sized so why not travel with them, amiright? I also have blotting papers (see hatred of personal shine), a Mac Bare Study Paint Pot in case I need an eyeshadow, a mini of Benefit's Boxed Powder in Dandelion, a mascara (Clinique's High Impact), Nyx's eyeshadow pencil in Milk, an old Revlon eyeliner, two perfumes (Marc Jacobs Daisy and an Aerie scent that is apparently nameless), and whatever lipstick I have on that day. Phew. That was exhausting and no, there probably isn't a reason for me to have all of this but hey, at least I'm prepared.

Thanks for reading guys, I'll be back soon! 

Ok I Have a Problem: Lip Product Addict Tag

Recently I watched Essiebutton and Amelia Liana's collaboration video where they created the Lip Product Addict Tag. Once I watched it I knew I had to put my own red lipstick obsessed stamp on it. So, here we go. The tag post where I admit my addiction and own it. Also, most of these are red lipsticks and you need to just accept that now.


So here are the questions:

TAG QUESTIONS
1. Favourite balm/treatment?
2. Best eye-catching red?
3. Best luxury & best drugstore?
4. Best MAC lipstick?
5. The most disappointing?
6. Liner - yes or no?
7. Best gloss?
8. Something extra!

And here are my answers!

1. Favourite balm/treatment?

The Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cocoa Butter is my favorite lip balm, especially for night. It is super moisturizing, stays on, and is only $1.79. You really can't beat it.

2. Best eye-catching red?

MAC's Ruby Woo lipstick is my favorite eye-catching red. I wear a lot of red lipsticks, as you know and as you will see in this post, but this is my go to classic red. It's matte, long wearing, just blue toned enough to pop against my pale skin, and is wearable all year round. It's well loved as you can tell and I'll always have this in my collection.

3. Best luxury & best drugstore?

For my best luxury brand lipstick I chose the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Lipstick in Icon. This happened a bit by default because it's my only luxury lipstick brand and I do think it's a little bit overhyped, but  I really like it on days I want a super dark red that will stay on all day or night. My only issue with it is that I can't reapply after it sets without causing creasing and bunching; not cute on the lips. Overall it's very long lasting and that is worth the price itself.

My favorite drugstore lipstick brand is Revlon and specifically their Revlon Colorburst matte balms are amazing. They're matte, easy to apply, and relatively long lasting for a balm. I can reapply without thinking twice about it and the color range is wonderful. I have many, this one is in Striking.

4. Best MAC lipstick?

By far most of my lipsticks are MAC but this was still shockingly easy. Diva is the perfect dark red matte that I wore most days this autumn and winter. With a red lip liner it's much more red and with more of a currant colored lip liner it evolves into a fantastic deep cognac color. It's just...ugh. So great.

5. The most disappointing?

I didn't take an individual picture of this but it's pictured in the top image and also swatched in the last image. It is MAC's Creme Cup. This lipstick turns grey/pink on me and was a disappointing second or so MAC lipstick purchase. I have tried to make it work so many times because it is so hyped up but it just never works for me.

6. Liner - yes or no?

With the amount of dark lipsticks I wear, liners are key. This is my favorite because of its versatility, MAC's Brick. I have many though. Let me tell you, I have many.

7. Best Lip Gloss?

I'm the opposite of a lip gloss girl usually, opting most often for crayola-esque dark matte shades, but this benefit gloss is just gorgeous. It's their Ultra Shine gloss in Wild Child. I got this in a set and it's just a gorgeous pink with a purple duo chrome. I put it on its own or over a pink lipstick for a multidimensional, very pretty lip look for the summer or spring.

8. Something Extra!

For my extra I chose the one nude I have found that works on me. This picture makes it look more rosy than it is. It is Benefit's Full Finish Lipstick in Lady's Choice. I wrote an entire blog post about this baby. Just know, it's awesome. 

The lipsticks pictured go from right to left in order of the questions, annoyingly I did it backwards. It's obvious the kinds of colors I gravitate more toward, aka reds. It's what I wear on a daily basis so it's only fitting that it is the backbone of this post.

I tag everyone and anyone who loves lip products. I know I'm addicted, what are your favorites?

The Perfect Peachy Nude for Me

Well, hello again my beautiful and lovely readers. Sorry again for my absence, I was busy GRADUATING COLLEGE, moving back home with my parents and sister, and even more importantly, adopting a kitten. Her name is Junie B. and she is everything. If you want to see pictures of her here is my instagram, let's be real it's completely devoted to her and pictures of beer these days.

To get back into the swing of things here on Kylie's Vanity I wanted to share with you guys my newest holy grail lipstick. Now, you're probably thinking it's going to be a red because red lips are kinda my thing. Weirdly enough, this one is a nude. GASP. I have FINALLY found a nude that doesn't completely wash me out, make me look dead, or make me look as if I have slathered concealer across them.

This is Benefit's Full Finish Lipstick in Lady's Choice. I got this at Ulta in a kit with a lip gloss and an eye shadow. The deal couldn't be passed up and I rarely buy nude lipsticks on their own. I don't find myself reaching for nudes on a daily basis but that's mainly because I've never found a flattering one for my pale neutral skin. This one takes the cake.

I felt like I had to do a swatch on my lips so please ignore my tie dye shirt and weird lip modeling. 

So this formula is creamy, highly pigmented, and has a satiny finish. It's not matte, my normal choice, but it is perfect for a nude. It's a darker peachy nude that is about one shade darker than my natural lips. It's all around the best natural lipstick or gloss I've ever found. There will always be a spot for this in my collection for those nights when I'm going out and I put way too much eyeshadow on and if I add red lipstick I risk looking like a goth hooker. (It's happened and I got great looks at the college bar I frequented this year). 

My goal this summer is to build my blog so I have a bunch of posts planned. You'll be hearing from me soon!