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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Red Lips & Tips In The White House

A crimson pout is quickly becoming one of style icon Michelle Obama's fave beauty looks. And for good reason, she looks totally glam, yet classically polished in a creamy red lip color at the Medal of Freedom award ceremony last week.

Justice Sonya Sotomayor got in on the glam at a White House reception held in her honor. Not only did she rock red lips, but she upped the glam factor with fire engine red nail polish. LOVE it!

These political powerhouses make me want to pack up my red lipstick and move to Washington!

What do you think? Do you like the fresh glamour being brought into Washington?

For more, check out my other posts on red lips!

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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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