Tag: red

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earth friendly lipcolor

There are a number of great organic beauty ranges out now, many with respectable lip products. Here’s one I’m liking for spring, the Ilia tinted conditioner in Crimson & Clover (impossible not to hear the song in my head when I think of this, either the original or the Joan Jett rendition..I go back and forth).

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This formula has a lot of pigment for a “tinted conditioner” but it has a sheerness that makes it more casual (and friendlier to apply) than true opacity. The shade is limited edition I believe, a bright red with a hint of pink. It’s a little waxy and hard at first but improves significantly as it warms up. I didn’t find this especially conditioning but it was light and unobtrusive on the lips (I forgot I was wearing it a number of times the first run) and faded evenly. I like! Straight into the bag it goes.

Other organic brands I’ve liked for lip stuff include RMS, Bite Beauty, and Josie Maran (there are a lot more I haven’t tried yet – let me know if you have recommendations!). Korres isn’t entirely organic but is extremely eco-conscious as well, and their lip butters and mango lipsticks are great.

 

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Exhibit A

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Behold NARS Exhibit A, a vivid red blush with burnt sienna tones. The first time I saw this in person was a few years ago now and it was a total coup de foudre. Instant affinity. It’s scary in the pan but is to be applied in sheer layers with a light hand, to which task the NARS yachiyo brush (still loving it) is well suited. NARS is known for their uniformly beautiful blushes*. Excellent pigmentation, fine, high quality powders. I cannot imagine that I will ever use it all, so fractional is the amount needed. This is the blush that, for me, follows (more or less) the prescription to wear a color that matches the color you naturally blush. Goes wonderfully with red lipsticks, too.

*Their eyeshadows (and their eye primer) and certain of their lipsticks are supposed to be good, too, though I confess they do not tempt me, velvet matte lip pencils aside.

I am wearing this blush in the previous post and think it does look fairly realistic, especially as I am outside in the snow.

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It does look like I’m wearing blush (though maybe it wouldn’t if I weren’t wearing lipstick…) but I don’t mind that effect (the conspicuously made-up effect) in moderate doses, or even in immodest doses, if the context is right. The existence and use of makeup is no secret.