NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

We have written before about how we've always wanted to be a lipstick girl, despite the challenges of upkeep and finding the perfect color. Recently inspired by one of our favorite fashion trend-setters - Taylor Swift - and her gorgeous,bright, red lip, we ventured back to the make-up counter for another round of lipstick roulette.                             

In the past we've consistently defaulted to the easy shades of pale pinks and nudes; those colors that don't really look much like Lipstick to begin with.  In an emboldened mood though, we decided we wanted a Statement Lip, the kind of shade that could be the *one* thing thrown on before leaving the house and still making you look and feel like you are completely pulled together, ready to tackle the day.  

After multiple samples and many "close but not quite" contenders, Cruella has become our  own personal ultimate choice of color and we could not love it more.  Whenever a red lip mood strikes us now, we've got our go-to. Beyond finding a shade we adore, we have also fallen head over heels for Nars's Velvet Matte Lip Pencil - in every color.

Soft enough to go on with ease unlike other, harder lip pencils, the beauty of this product is its amazing staying power.  So long as you don't add balm or gloss and apply directly to your naked (exfoliated!) lips, your shade will last and last and last - through meals, sips of coffee or wine or water, yoga class, and...maybe even an end of a date goodnight kiss or two.  

Plus, we can't exactly argue with the random stranger who approaches us one day at the farmer's market curious to know what brand of lipstick we are wearing...Statement Lip, indeed.

Average Price: $26

Rating: 5 out of 5!

Living Luminizer

Earlier this spring one of our favorite blogs, did a feature that was right up our alley.  We are a lover of all things J.Crew; have been for years.  You can imagine our delight at getting a quick sneak peek backstage at a J.Crew fashion show - particularly if we were going to be told makeup tricks to boot.  (Seriously, how does J.Crew manage to pull off that effortless I woke up like this look with each and every one of their models?)

One of the products recommended - and apparently used quite frequently among the J.Crew makeup team is the Living Luminizer from RMS Beauty.  Tempted, we decided to give it a go.  TOTAL GAME CHANGER, dear readers.  It's pricey, we know, but you use so little of this stuff every day that the pot is going to last for forever.  Each morning we spread the tiniest of tabs on the tip of our cheekbones, sweeping gently upward in a crescent moon shape and voila! an instant, easy, natural, and healthy looking glow.  Purchase justified.

Now, if only we could say the same thing about every single item in the J.Crew catalogue when it arrives each month...

Average price: $38

Rating: 5 out of 5!   

Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder

Here at The Pink Mixer, we have gone back and forth about whether or not we should write about Laura Mercier's Mineral Pressed Powder.  One the one hand, it does everything a powder compact should  - providing clear and even coverage, smoothing skin tone, and even includes the bonus of having an SPF 15.  So we can't really say we don't like the product.  And over time, we've gotten used to just how little powder is actually needed during our daily application (perhaps because we were used to cheaper make-up products that didn't go on as well before we got our hands on this option?) Either way the first few applications were a little trial and error.  It's one thing to not have a shiny face, but quite another to feel like you're walking around with a matte cover that looks completely fake and unnatural.  Which we sort of learned the hard way...

In the end, we're going to stick with our LM compact, seeing as it will likely last us for forever anyhow, but we're not entirely sure it's our favorite.  Makeup should be neither seen nor felt in our humble opinion.  And this powder just goes on a touch too heavy and leaves one feeling, well, sort of...pressed.

Average Price: $39/compact

Rating: 3 out of 5

Chantecaille Lip Chic

We have the greatest aspirations to be one of those girls.  You know the ones we mean - their lipstick is always (always!) perfectly applied and the color matches their skin tone completely.

One of the ways we measure our quest for lipstick perfection (and know that we haven't quite attained it yet) is the fact that we have never once actually used up an entire tube of lipstick.  Without fail we'll select a color that we think is IT, so perfect and right that we'll never look at another shade again. Until we get home and try it out again, away from the department store or drug store fluorescent lights.  Then the disappointment sets in.

Earlier this year though, for the first time in our lipstick wearing adulthood, we actually used up a tube of Chantecaille Lip Chic in Camellia.  Stumbling upon this lipstick - the one we fell in love with and actually miss now that it's gone - was a total fluke, as it was a gift given to us by a friend after she purchased it for herself and decided it wasn't for her.  (See? It happens to all of us.)

While each woman will likely gravitate toward a different color of the Chantecaille Lip Chic options, what makes this brand stand out above so many others is sheer quality.  Finally, a lipstick that truly glides on smoothly, moisturizes, lends color, and ...wait for it...actually stays put.

We'll definitely be treating ourselves to another tube.  Just as soon as we use up all these other mildly disappointing lipsticks we've purchased on our quest...which will probably only take another 80 years or so. 

Average Price: $35

Rating: 4 out of 5

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

We've always been a touch enamored with the look of liquid eyeliner.  It's bold, chic, and timeless.  And..it can also be a bitch to apply just right.  (Cut to a failed attempt where we ended up looking more raccoon than sexy bombshell.)  Earlier this year, we happened to bump into a friend on the subway on our way into work.  Her eye makeup looked so perfectly put together we couldn't help but comment on it.  This became the moment when we learned about a magical project that has sinced changed our lives...or at least our eye makeup application.

Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner makes it look like you've applied a liquid eye liner but without all the drama and application missteps that can accompany a liquid eye liner.  The gel goes on smooth as butter with an application brush and you can easily control how much or how little you want to apply.  It dries quickly - and doesn't budge once it is dry; but somehow the whole quick application, you can get it right just in time, and then it goes into untouchable mode just works.  

We purchased our first pot in Black Ink and have been smitten ever since.  So much so we're even considering investing in the other colors available.  Really, how can we not now that we know this eyeliner secret?  

Average price: $23 (it'll last forever!)

Rating: 5 out of 5!

Smashbox Camera Ready Full Coverage Concealer

You know how some girls say they won't ever leave the house without having applied a few strokes

of mascara and a dash of lipstick?  We've always sort of felt that way about concealer.  If you can cover up a few dark under-eye circles or an unsightly pimple with a couple of swipes?  Well, what's not to love? 

The key, of course, is finding the *right* concealer.  We've been though a bunch over the years, so naturally we've found both winners and some losers.  Because we've been pleased with other Smashbox products, we decided - when our most recent tube of Neutrogena concealer (just an "eh" on our rating scale) ran out - earlier this spring we decided to give Smashbox's Camera Ready Full Coverage Concealer a chance.  Our shade is 2.0, but there are a lot of different natural looking colors to choose from.   

While a stick might not be for everyone, we really like the level of application it allows -- the liquid stuff is much harder to control and always feels wasteful.  Two thumbs up for it's blending (and staying put!) capabilities as well.  She's not the cheapest concealer on the shelves, that for sure, but we've always thought it's better to drop your $20 on one product you love versus spending multiple dollars on multiple products that are all just okay...

Plus, in today's world of social media and regular cell phone photos, doesn't everyone want to camera ready all of the time?

Average Price: $20

Rating: 4 out of 5

Laura Mercier's Caviar Stick Eye Colour

We can be a tad skeptical about pricier makeup here at The Pink Mixer. We usually wonder if that steeper price tag is really worthwhile or if, in the end, we're just paying extra for the name and department store experience. While we can't speak for all upscale makeup, we've found we can make a pretty solid case for justifying the purchase of Laura Mercier's Caviar Stick Eye Colour. After a month or so of using this product we've found you actually end up getting a whole lot of color (er, bang) for your buck.

Not being a fan of the time it can usually take to apply a lot of dramatic makeup, we fell in love with the Caviar Stick the minute we realized it cut our smokey eye prep time in half. The application can take a little getting used to - we've found it's easiest to apply the color stick right to the eyelids versus using a make-up brush...but once you make it over that learning cover you'll most likely fall in love with this little tool as fast as we did.

Seven color options in all, we're using the "jungle" color right now and love the subtle change the green can make in our everyday look. Plus (and this is probably thanks to that higher price tag) this stuff goes on and stays on all day long without the need for a touch-up. Which is something our time-crunched selves are more than happy to bat our eyes at.

Average Price: $24/stick
Rating: 4 out of 5

Ice Breakers Ice Cube Gum

For most, gum is gum. We're a bit more picky than that over here at The Pink Mixer which is why we're taking a minute to tell you about our new favorite minty blast of chewing gum - Ice Breakers Ice Cubes.

Maybe it's their fun ice cube like shape or their minty flavor crystals. Perhaps it's the cute container these gum cubes come in or maybe it's the fact that, unlike a lot of other minty gum, these don't lose their flavor in the first five seconds of chew-time.

Whatever it is, we dig this combination. Plus, doesn't having a favorite go-to gum make you feel like you're a little kid in the candy aisle again?

Average price: $1.00/10 piece pack
Rating: 5 out of 5!

Covergirl Outlast Lipstain

I want to be a lipstick kinda-girl. I love the shades, the colors, the different packaging. I think the perfect shade of lipstick can make a woman’s look go from basic to sharply pulled together in a heartbeat. But. I’m just not good at keeping up with the stuff. Sure, when I get dressed in the morning I swipe some color on my lips, but by the time I’ve had my first sip of coffee, it’s worn off and I am, frankly, just plain, no good at the upkeep.

This weekend however, I believe I discovered the perfect solution to my quandary in CoverGirl’s Outlast Lipstain. I know, I know, I didn’t believe the claims about how long it would last either until I tried it. The thing about this product is it’s just what they say it is – a stain. It looks like a felt tip marker and honestly, works in the same manner. I highlighted, er, I mean brushed a few strokes on in the morning and my lips took on a healthy, natural looking red shade. There’s no shimmer, no gloss, no wax. It’s not particularly fancy. But! It adds the color I’m always on the hunt for and not only stayed on through my morning coffee ritual but also lasted almost an entire day. At the beach.

That’s what I call a stain.

I went with the “Flirty Nude” shade myself, but there are several options to choose from. Now go forth and stain, you lipstick girl!

Average price: $7.99

Rating: 4 out of 5

Beauty Fix

The Pink Mixer was recently given the opportunity to check out BeautyFix.com. The concept behind this site is simple. Once you've signed up and filled out a profile - your skin type, hair style, etc. - you're able to "shop" (with just the simple click of a mouse! Behold the power of the internet!) and pick out beauty items to be delivered right to your door.

Here's what I liked: Well, it's shopping for beauty products! What product junkie doesn't enjoy that? It's fun to peruse the "shelves" of products and decide what items you might like to try.

Here's what I didn't like: The majority of the products stocked at the site are brands with which I was unfamiliar. While I'm all for finding new lotions and potions (clearly) there's something that makes me a tiny bit wary about selecting creams and makeup and products without having the chance to pick them up and decide in person if they're right for me. Call me old-fashioned but I enjoy a tangible product when I shop.

The flip side, is when I did receive my box o' hand-selected goodies from Beautyfix, I was pleasantly surprised by all of its contents. The colors and shades of make-up I selected were true to what the website showed and I've been nothing but pleased with the products I've been using thus far.

But here's the best part of my review. For once you DON'T just have to take The Pink Mixers word for it! You can, ahem, get your OWN fix...and try BeautyFix.com yourself and if you can enter the code: BFIX1 you'll receive $30 off the $49.99 price and get free shipping! (And really, who isn't a sucker for free shipping these days?)

Average Price: $49.99 (Before discount)
Rating: 3 out of 5

Laura Mercier Eye Basics

Earlier this summer I got a makeover at the Laura Mercier counter. As you might expect, they suggest a lot of product, and those suggested products are not exactly cheap. One of the things the woman used on my eyes that night was Eye Basics, an item I initially dismissed as not necessary, thinking it was more a concealer than anything else.

Last week however, while looking to burn a gift card at Sephora, I decided I’d give the product another glance. I remembered the makeup artist telling me I could use it as a primer before adding more eye shadow (it seems to help the color stay on longer) OR if I was in a hurry or feeling lazy – two things I seem to be feeling a lot as of late – on its own for a hint of eye brightening color.

Surprisingly, I’m enjoying this tube of Eye Basics far more than I anticipated. I use the color Linen, and there are six other shades to choose from should you prefer a different tint.

Kind of makes you appreciate the idea of giving things a second chance, doesn’t it?

Average Price: $24.00

Rating: 4 out of 5

Maybelline's Line Express Eyeliner

The number one thing we hate in an eyeliner? Stubborn application. It is no fun to pull, tug, rip at the rims of your eyes and eyelids and don’t even get us started on what that does to encourage wrinkles! What could provide a myriad of makeup options (eyeliner, smoky smoldering upper lids, eyebrow definer) won’t do squat if the eyeliner in use won’t glide on so if that’s the case you may as well toss it. Yes, we know. We hate to waste make up and money too.

Thankfully, Maybelline’s New Line Express Eyeliner is smooth and creamy, allowing for easy on and easy off application. We love the built in smudge tip on the opposite end of the pencil as it allows for no hassle touch-ups and blending and we’ve found we’ve used this pencil almost daily since we purchased it. It works great for light eyebrow shaping, intense smoky eyes on our upper lids, and the one fell swoop application from inner to outer corner of our eyes that’s part of our daily “day face” routine.

Personally, we’re partial to the brownish-black color, but the line is so inexpensive we don’t see why you can’t splurge and treat yourself to a few different shades. After all, sometimes a girl just needs a great eyeliner to remind us that good things really can come in small packages.

Average Price: $4.69/pencil

Rating: 5 out of 5!

Sonia Kashuk's Powder Partners Eye Shadow Duo.

We are hard at work behind the scenes here at The Pink Mixer, doing our best to recreate that Neiman Marcus makeover that we mentioned getting last week. Of course, the catch is, we want to do it again – we want to do it right - but on the cheap.

We spent a good part (longer than we’d like to admit actually) of a recent rainy Saturday browsing the beauty isles of Target. During our make over, the stylist at Neiman Marcus had added a purple Laura Mercier eye shadow, a look we ended up liking much more than we’d initially thought we would.

Of course, buying that Laura Mercier eye shadow would have meant shelling out another $22. So instead, dollar signs in mind, we opted for giving the $7 option - Sonia Kashuk’s Powder Partners Eye Shadow Duo a try.

So far so good on this one. We still add the (pricey) crème eye colour we referenced here earlier and then we dab a bit of the shadow on top. (Our personal color pick was Secret Admirer, but there are many options in your nearest Target for a gal to choose from.) The color goes on smoothly with an eye brush – we stayed away from those foam applicators – and it lasts for the majority of the day.

And we saved $15, which is a total feather in our cap. Or, at least $15 that can go toward another item at Target. Seriously. Have you seen their shoe collection lately?

Average Price: $7.00/set

Rating: 4 out of 5

Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colour

Earlier this week, my boss and I randomly decided to treat ourselves to a makeover at the Laura Mercier counter.

Being a gal on a budget I rarely splurge for department store makeup and I hardly ever let the makeup mavens behind the counter offer suggestions on "my look." This time round though, I was surprisingly pleased with the results. In fact, I was deeply saddened at the end of the day when I had to wash all that lovely makeup off before bed.

Seeing as the budgetista in me will never truly die I only purchased two Laura Mercier items at the counter, rather than the 200 items they seemed to use on my face. I shelled out the extra cash for items I didn't think I'd be able to duplicate (for much less) at CVS or Target and I plan to try and recreate the rest of the look for less in the coming days. Updates forthcoming, of course.

The Metallic Creme Eye Colour was one of the items I went ahead and splurged on. It's a creme based eye product, one that can be worn alone - providing a nice, sheer, light shimmer - or it can start as a base on the eye, allowing you to gradually build your color with a shadow on top of it. (Which is what my makeup girl did, something again, I hope to recreate more on a Pink Mixer budget.)

A few days in and I'm really digging this stuff. It goes on smooth and easy and wears throughout the day like a champ. I think in this case, you do get what you pay for, as I've used similar (less expensive) products like this in the past only to have all signs of a shimmer gone an hour after application.

The color I chose was Alloy as I felt it gave me a lot of variety but I like the other colors too. They all seem to happily provide that little eye "pop" we girls are all so fond of.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Average Price: $22/tube

CoverGirl LipSlicks LipGloss

A couple of years ago, we were let in on the secret of Cover Girl LipSlicks Lipgloss. See, if we’re going to come right out with it, we’re not the biggest lipstick fans. Sure, we like makeup as much as the next girl and we agree that a pretty mouth can do wonders in lighting up a face. Still, lipstick always seems like such maintenance what with the constant application and the worrying about lipstick on teeth and the leaving a mark on your water glass. More than anything else, we’re really into just a subtle lip stain – no fuss, no frills. And that, dear readers, is exactly what Cover Girl LipSlicks delivers.

The name of the shade originally recommended was Daring, which we like well enough. However, the color was still a tiny bit too bright cherry for our tastes, so the other day – feeling Hipsterish – we picked up the shade Hipster. This one we really, truly love and we think you’ll like it too.

Still, even if you don’t? Well there are plenty of other color options to choose from. And if you really can’t make up your mind? Well, one of the best things about these LipSlicks is that they’re inexpensive enough that you can try every shade without feeling all that guilty. We think that's called LipSlicks Heaven.

Average Price: $3.99

Rating: 4 out of 5

Maybelline: Great Lash Mascara

Here's a fun fact about yours truly: the first piece of makeup I purchased in my life was a tube of Maybelline's Great Last Mascara. Somehow I came up with a rather convincing argument - one that eventually won my mother over - about how at 13, a girl should be allowed to have one make-up essential. Since I'd decided (at the wise old age of 13, remember) that my eyes were my best feature I begged and pleaded to be allowed to purchase the classic pink and green tube on a trip to the local drugstore. Finally, my mother gave in.

I carried (and used) that tube of mascara incessantly. I was so proud of my grown up lashes! I felt a sense of pride whenever a Maybelline commerical came on tv because now, I too, was part of the "maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline" eternal question.

And yet, here's the rub:
My tendency to review and scout out the best products started at an early age. While I was pleased as punch to be touting a mascara's pros and cons to my girlfriends at the start of 8th grade, I knew even then, that other mascaras could do more for my lashes than this one. I could have even thicker, fuller, plumper lashes if I just kept searching. (16 years later and I'm still searching for the mascara to end all mascaras.)

The pros love this mascara. It's called the inexpensive, hidden gem. Make-up artists and celebrities have been known to refer to it as the 8th wonder of the world. Yet I remain unconvinced. I find it clumps quickly and rarely spreads onto my eyelashes evenly and without fuss. Of course, I always wanted to be a green and pink tube believer. Since that fateful makeup purchase years ago, I've come back to the Great Lash tube a few times over the years, always ready to give it another chance. To this day though I always end up disappointed in the product.

Just goes to show that every once in awhile, teenagers do actually know what they're talking about.

Average Price: $4.49
Rating: 2 out of 5

Almay Bright Eyes: Eye Base & Concealer

Out of the normal go-to Clinique concelear I usually use, I decided to give Almay's Bright Eyes Eye Base and Concealer a shot, mainly because I had a coupon. (And we all know how much The Pink Mixer likes her coupons.)

The results were pleasing and for $9 (ahem, $7.50 thanks to the above mentioned coupon) I'm impressed with how well this stuff works. The coverage is easy, smooth, and not at all clumpy like other concelears I've tried.

While the idea of "brushing" the concealer on through the bristles at the end of the tube doesn't exaclty work, and a little dab goes a long way, I've been able to blend under my eyes just fine with the use of my ring finger. (A gentle reminder from The Pink Mixer family - always use the ring finger as it pulls at your delicate under-eye skin the least.)

Average Price: $9.00/tube
Rating: 3 out of 5

Tarte FRXtion Lip Exfoliant & Balm

A dear friend recently sent the type of email that is usually one of my favorites to receive. Products and their pros and cons were a large part of her electronic letter and if you’ve learned one thing, here at The Pink Mixer, we do love our product discussions.

I have not yet used Tarte’s FRXtion lip exfoliant and balm personally but have been quickly swayed to give it a go myself the next time I’m at a locale where I can pick up a tube.

My friend’s opinion on con’s for this lip balm? None. Not One. And I quote: “It is perfection.”

Average Price: $11/tube
Rating: 5 out of 5!

NARS Blush

Eureka.

Seriously.

I have found the perfect blush. And it only took me seven years at that.

Shockingly, I never, ever wore blush in high school or college. My face gets flushed easily thanks either to embarrassing episodes or too much alcohol consumed too quickly (What? That only happened once, obviously.) so I swore off rogue thinking it would make me look like a circus clown. Then on a whim one afternoon, I swung into the closest Sephora to play with makeup. I gave one of their sample blushes a swipe over both my cheeks and when I returned to my apartment both of my roommates gushed over how pretty my cheekbones looked. Thus began my hunt for a blush that would last all day, accent cheekbones, give a rosy glow, and never – ever make me look like I’m auditioning to be Rosie the Clown.

After shelling out $7 here and $10 there for blushes that left me with nothing more than a meh? feeling I finally decided to go for broke and give the more expensive Nars Blush a shot. Personally, I opt for the shade Orgasm (tee hee!) and love its peachy, subtle pink tone with just a touch of sheer. It goes on smooth as butter and provides a very nice, natural all around glow - making it kind of look like you did just have…oh, well, never mind.

Average Price: $25/compact
Rating: 5 out of 5!

Clinique Quick Corrector Concealer

Didn’t get enough beauty rest? Pulled an all-nighter? No longer 20, when all nighters didn’t seem to affect us or our skin as much? Bags under your eyes look like they’re ready to travel to Europe for three months?

Let Clinique Quick Corrector come to the rescue! A dab under your eyes and blended around the eye lids will do wonders. This concealer is a must-use product for after my own wild and crazy (usually sporadic) late nights. The one day I didn’t use it before heading into the office after catching a red eye in from the West Coast? Four different people asked me if I was feeling okay and commented on how exhausted I looked.

Case officially rested.

Average Price: $14.00
Rating: 3 out of 5