Cover Girl Blast Pre-Sale Today!

Hey Bombshells! I've got great beauty news! Cover Girl will begin an exclusive online preview of the new Blast Collection featuring Smoky ShadowBlast, ShineBlast Lip Gloss and LashBlast Length Mascara.

The line was created under the direction of uber-makeup artist and Brown Bombshell, Pat McGrath. Which comes as no surprise, as I LOVE Lash Blast volumizing mascara, and only a beauty genius could give me such lush lashes!

Now for the fab part! My fabulous Brown Bombshell Beauty readers can be some of the first to try the new products! Just log-on to covergirl.com/blastpresale to order these exclusive new products before they're released in January!

Check out the new Blast collection!


ShineBlast Lipgloss

• The patented ShineSculpt™ is a uniquely shaped applicator that delivers more shine in a single swipe than the leading gloss
• Flexible scoop applicator with built in product wells designed to hug the contours of lips to help deliver a fuller, more sculpted look
• Lip hugging applicator for 4X more noticeable shine vs bare lips
• Tapered tip enables precise shaping and control
• Polymer- and oil-rich formula delivers high shine with a lightweight feel
• Luminescent droplets of pearlized pigment form a perfect amount of shimmer behind the shine

• Embedded pools of shine add brilliant depth
• Non-tacky formula removes “high-shine vs. sticky” trade-off, typical of traditional lip glosses.

Smokey ShadowBlast

It’s a smoky eye tool plus makeup artist all in one shadow stick! Available in six expertly coordinated shade duos with uniquely desgined ends, Smoky ShadowBlast lets you create a traditional or colorful smoky eye in two easy steps.

The new, double-ended stick features expertly coordinated shades and two precision applicator tips – one for base, one for liner/crease – so you can easily apply, smudge and blend shadow to a smoky perfection.

We all love the dramatic, smoky eye look that makeup artists create for celebrities, but getting it right without expert help requires a lot of technique and practice.

I love the the fact that these eyeshadows come in so many different and unique colors. Who needs a boring black smokey eye with these!

Sounds pretty fab, right? These items aren't available until January, so head over to covergirl.com/blastpresale to create a custom look and order these exclusive products now!

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Beauty Review: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar

I had the good fortune to receive some Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar, $12.50 while at The Artist Summit the other weekend, and I'm super hyped to share them with you! I've been hearing about Lip Tar for months now and my curiosity was seriously piqued.

Lip Tar is minty fresh and SUPER pigmented, so you can wear them in various finishes. Right out of the tube, they are super opaque and shiny, like the glossiest, richest lipstick ever. If you blot your lips you can attain a matte or a stain finish, depending on how much you blot. One word of advice: use a lip brush! A lip brush is the only way to keep the color from going everywhere, and will give you the best application.

Now, on to the swatches!

Lip Tar in Plum. A really pretty lavender shade. I like this for a more natural look with just a hint of trendy color.

Lip Tar in Pageant. This color is HOT! Not for the shy, this color is perfect for a wild night out with the girls!

The great thing about Lip Tar is that you can easily mix and match colors to create new ones. Here I mixed Plum and Pageant to create a mauve color.

Lip Tar in NSFW (Not Safe For Work) has got to be one of the sexiest lip colors I've ever worn! This bright, sexy red is sure to bring you attention. Love it!

I'll be wearing Lip Tar in Vintage all season! This is also a very sexy color, and I love how vampy it is. Very film noir!

This is a great wine color I created by mixing NSFW and Vintage. Very sophisticated, no?

I think I'll be picking up the other colors in the collection for my kit, because I think my clients will love these as much as I do! Give these sexy little Lip Tars a try, your lips will thank you!

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MAC Posessed by Pink Lip Kit

I opened my inbox this morning to see a email from MAC, debuting their much anticipated holiday collection.

What stood out for me were all the palettes MAC is offering this holiday season. Palettes for the face, eyes and lips fill the collection, but I was most excited to see the Possesed by Pink Lip Kit, $22.50.

These luscious berry shades were made to be worn on deeper skin tones! From caramel to cocoa, I guarantee that any brown skinned babe will look amazing in these fabulous colors! I can't wait to get my hands on this adorable kit. I'll be wearing it out with the girls, to holiday parties, and everywhere in between!

Photos: MAC.com and Temptalia.com

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The Best Inexpensive Lip Balms

After my last post about my disappointment with EOS Lip Balm, my BFF and Brown Bombshell Beauty reader Arionne left a comment asking me what were some good, inexpensive lip balms. Check it out:

Q: Who has really great lip balm? My lips get dry very easily and need a balm that can keep me moisturized--that is affordable! Any advise? Please share. I like to moisturize before putting on gloss. - Arionne

I can totally relate to her dilemma. My lips are dry year round, so I'm constantly on the lookout for lip balms that will provide real moisture. Most cheaper lip balms are made with inexpensive ingredients that can actually sap lips of moisture. But I've found some great lip balms under $10 that have high-end ingredients that will keep your pucker super-moist! Here they are!

Korres Lip Butter, $9. This lip butter was my introduction to Korres products, and what a fabulous introduction it was! This creamy lip butter is made with uber-moisturizing shea butter and literally melts into your lips! It comes it six shades from clear (Guava) to deep red (Wild Rose), and it smells good enough to eat. A little tub lasts forever, so if you want a great lip butter Korres is a great place to start.








Smith's Rosebud Salve, $6. If you prefer a glossier lip balm, then Smith's Rosebud Salve is for you! This cult favorite can be found in many a makeup artists kit, and for good reason. It's ability to instantly moisturize and glossify your lips is uncanny. Which is why I've purchase more of these than I can count over the years. It gives you lips a glossy sheen and the slightest pink tint, while delivering lots of moisture. Give it a go (Stick with the Classic version. The newer versions are only so-so), and you won't be dissapointed.





Yes to Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butter, $3.79. This is the best drugstore lip balm I've come across. Not only is it super-portable, but it's moisturizing without being too greasy or caked up. It just sinks right into your lips. This 95% organic lip butter is made with shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil and vitamin E. Whew! Is there any wonder why I love it?

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Beauty Review: Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gloss

It's been a long time since I've had this adverse of a reaction to lip gloss (Actually, that's not true. You'll see in an upcoming review). Maybelline's new Color Sensational Lip Gloss was disappointing and gross.

First, the taste. Oh, the taste. It was like pure castor oil! And it wasn't like I was licking my lips or anything, the taste was just too strong to miss!

The texture was also disappointing. It was grainy (thanks to all that darn glitter) and slightly tacky. I mean, it just felt cheap. Not only that, but unless you're wearing one of the bolder colors, the shades I tried looked the same ashy color on my lips!

I would definitely recommend passing on this gloss. There are just too many other lip glosses out there to waste time or money on this. Try again Maybelline!

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Would You Use This? Battery Powered Beauty

I'm starting to think this whole battery powered beauty thing is getting a little out of control. First mascara, now this!

When I opened an email from Sephora this morning, I was a tad surprised (but not really) to see that Dior is releasing a new lip gloss with a spinning wand. Dior Addict Lip Polish, $30, is available in three shades, and only at Sephora to Beauty Insiders. Dior says that wand spins to give a perfect makeup artist application. Um, okay...

I like Dior glosses but I don't know about this one. Would you be willing to try a spinning gloss?

-- Sent From My iPhone

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MAC Cremesheen Glass

I can't believe I didn't write about this sooner! I bought MAC's new Cremesheen Glass lip gloss several weeks ago, and have been loving it. I'm kinda over lipgloss in general (The goopy, greasy, I-just-ate-fried-chicken look? Not feeling it.), but this is perfect.

Cremesheen Glass is creamy and moisturizing like a lipstick or lip balm, but gives you a nice, grown-up, shiny gloss. Plus, it stays put, and doesn't run all all over your mouth. I'm telling you, all lip glosses should aspire to be this good. I have it in Creme Anglais, a sheer pink shade that's perfect for brown skin.


Here's a swatch (ignore the color in the pic above):

Sadly, this glossy wonder is Limited Edition and will be leaving MAC counters soon (I finally find something from MAC I like and its leaving!), so get there soon.

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Beauty Q&A

After writing about my current obsession with red lip color, reader Arionne wrote in with a beauty Q&A!

Q: Okay...so I think I might try this out. My only concern about red lips, which I also love, is finding the right look. I love glossy lips on me. And I find it really hard to switch back to a more matte red lip color. When I have tried to do a glossy red lip, it tends to be a bit too much. Is it possible that red matte lips or red lips period just don't work for some folks? And if I choose to go for a glossy look, how can I make that work and not do too much? -Arionne

A: Thanks for writing in Arionne! I can definitely help you with your beauty quandary! When wearing red lip color there are two things you have to keep in mind: shade and texture.

First, the shade of red. The thing I loved about the Stila compact was the fact that it came with a few different shades of red, so you can mix and match to create your own perfect shade. Since you're new to the whole red lip thing, I would suggest trying a deeper shade like burgundy, berry or wine, and work your way up to a full blown red. Once you're ready for a true red, try on several shades with varying undertones to find the right red for your skin tone. Just because it looks cute in the tube, doesn't mean it will look cute on you!

Secondly, and maybe most importantly, is texture. You mentioned that you're not really fond of matte lips. No problem! This is totally a matter 0f preference. If you prefer glossy lips, then glossy lips you shall have! I like a semi-matte red because I feel that it's more toned down than a bright, super-glossy red lip. As you mentioned, ultra-glossy red lip gloss can be too much for some tamer brown beauties.

So here is what I recommend: a deeper shade of red in a sheer, see-through texture. Here are some of my faves, just for you!

1.If you like the shine of a gloss, but not the bold in your face color it can provide, try L'Oreal HIP Jelly Balm in Delectable. This little gem goes on with the creaminess of a lip balm, with a sheer burst of red color. It's perfect if you want a pop of color with just a hint of shine.

2. For a sheer and shiny hit of berry color, try Lipstick Queen's Lipstick in Saint Wine. As a bonus, this creamy color fades down to a soft red stain as it wears off.

3. Laura Mercier's Lip Stain in Mulberry will stain your lips with a gorgeous deep red. Your kisser will look like you've just eaten a Popsicle, but better!

With these options, you'll be sure to find your perfect red, just in time for spring. Try these out and let me know what you think!

P.S. This is the last post on red lip color, I promise!

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Red Lip Redux

I am sooo not over my obsession with red lipstick. Which is great since red lip color will be in this spring, in all its fabulous incarnations! This probably explains why I got so excited when I came across Stila's Paint Your Pout Red-The Talking Palette in the February issue of People Style Watch.

This adorable little compact comes with three different shades of red lip color, a lip balm and a lip brush. And if that wasn't enough, the compact actually walks you through creating your perfect red lip! I think I'll be popping by Sephora (aka my Mecca) this weekend to pick this little beauty up. Fabulous!

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Red Hot!

It's happened. It has finally happened! I have finally found the perfect red lipstick! Any woman will tell you that finding her perfect red lip color is darn near impossible, and for us brown-skinned beauties it can be even more difficult. I believe that every woman must have a classic red lipstick or gloss in her makeup arsenal to help her conjure up her inner bombshell or uptown sophisticate. When classic stunners like Dorothy Dandridge , Eartha Kitt or Dianne Carroll needed to up their glamour factor, their trusty red lipstick was what they always reached for.

I though I had found my perfect red in Kevin Aucoin's TheLiquid Lipstick in Aquarougue after I happened past his counter in Henri Bendel last spring. Don't get me wrong. Aquarouge is a shade of red so deep and rich and sexy, I swear, makeup artists from other counters gathered 'round to admire my crimson pout. I immediately purchased it, of course, but later felt that the overtly sexy glossiness that Mr. Aucoin's was giving me wasn't exactly what I had been looking for; I had been looking for something a little less flamboyant. A little more classic. I had been looking for matte.

I intensified my search efforts over the last few months, so imagine my delight when on (yet another) recent trip to Sephora I happened upon my perfect shade of red lipstick. I don't know what made me make such a beeline for the Nars display, but I am so glad I did. I was instantly drawn to Nars Lipstick in Fire Down Below. I usually avoid trying on the lipstick/gloss testers at Sephora (maybe I'm some kind of hypochondriach, but I swear I get an instant sore throat), but in my excitement I threw caution to the wind. After dousing the tester with alcohol and slicing off a chunk with a q-tip, I hastily applied the color to my lips. It was the most fabulous shade of deep, true, blood red I'd ever worn. I could barely contain my excitement. I made for the register like a parent holding the last Cabbage Patch doll circa Christmas '83, and fought the urge to double back for a second and third "back-up" tube. Fire (yes, that's what I call her) and I are getting along famously. I'm sure she will be making many appearances in '09!

Happy New Year!

Kevin Aucoin The Liquid Lipstick and Nars Lipstick are both available at Sephora.com

UPDATE: Check out Essence.com's photo gallery of Black Hollywood celebs rocking ruby lips!

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