Christian Siriano for VS Makeup

It is so nice having a brother who is a celebrity, especially when he sends free stuff! I have to say that he really takes care of me and mom and hooks us up with plenty of goodies. This fall, my brother is launching a line of cosmetics with Victoria Secret. This weekend, mom and I got his line in the mail! It is still surreal to see his name printed on packaging of things that I would buy in a store, but I guess I’ll get used to that in the coming months since his name is going to be all over the place. He has his line of shoes coming out for Payless in September, his clothes in Saks and other stores for fall, the VS cosmetic line in August and his book coming out. This kid is blowing up! It couldn’t happen to a more deserving and hard working person. I am so proud of my little bro and thrilled to wear his cosmetics. I can’t wait for someone to comment on my lip gloss shade and be able to respond with, “It’s my brother’s cosmetic line. Coming to a Victoria Secret store near you.”

Glossy Glossy

I was cleaning out my bag the other day and I realized something that I never noticed before. I am a collector of lip gloss. I am actually not very good about keeping my lips glossed, but I always have good intentions. I apply in the morning, throw my gloss in my bag and forget about it. This is why I had 12 different glosses in my bag. That’s a lot of lip stuff.

I am not a connoisseur of make-up, by any means, but I thought that I’d put together a quick review of the glosses that I regularly use for something fun. Keep in mind that this is only an opinion of a girl who likes to be glossy. I am going to rank from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best and give a little explanation.

L’Oreal Infallible Lip Gloss, Color – Barely Nude
Rating – 4
I like this gloss and the neutral color. (I keep this one in my desk drawer at work for emergencies.) I got the L’Oreal Infallible in the swag bag at the Project Runway, Bryant Park fashion show. The gloss did last 6 hours (at least) as promised in the commercials. It does leave a lip print on your glass and there is no way you could kiss someone’s collar without it coming off. Amazingly, it didn’t dry my lips up, which is usually the case with all day wear. The downside was that it felt more like liquid lipstick than lip gloss.

Bobby Brown Lip Gloss, Color –Tangerine
Rating – 2
I like the orange color of this lip gloss, but that is about it. The applicator is a bristled brush which is difficult to get in an out of the tube. I prefer a spongy applicator. It is probably the stickiest liquid that I have ever put on my lips. It’s the kind of lip gloss that you know not to wear on windy days unless you want all of your hair stuck to your face. If you run out of crazy clue, this is a close substitute.

Chanel Rogue Allure Lipstick, Color – Rubis Siam
Chanel Lip Gloss, Color – Spark
Rating – 3.5
I always wear these two together, so I figured I should review them together. In case you couldn’t tell what colors are from the names, they are RED. I bought these at Bloomingdales in New York, right before the Project Runway, Bryant Park fashion show. I knew it was possible that I could be on camera, so I wanted to make sure I had ruby red lips. As you probably know, Chanel is a bit pricey, but at the time I wasn’t concerned about budget. I was concerned about close-up. I really like the color and the lipstick doesn’t dry out my lips. The negatives are that I have to reapply (what feels like) every thirty minutes. You can not drink, smooch or even press your lips together without a big red mess. This type of lip stick and lip gloss combination is for special occasions only, not every day wear.

Clinique Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine, Color – Glamour Full
Rating – 4.5
This is one of my favorite lip glosses. I think I got in as a gift when I purchased some Clinique skin care. The color is a soft pink that is pretty and neutral. It also has a sort of glimmer affect making your lips look moist and healthy. I don’t know if it really “pumps” up my lips, but it does feel nice when you wear it. It lasts for hours, which is not something that is advertised, but I noticed the first time I wore it.

Stila Lip Glaze, Color – Spiced Pumpkin
Rating – 3
I got this gloss from my brother when he was working for Stila Cosmetics. The colors are really rich, but still look neutral and glossy when applied. My problem with this gloss is the applicator. It has a twisting mechanism that (supposedly) forces the gloss into the brush. I never seem to get the right amount of gloss. Either, I twist and twist and nothing comes out or I twist once and I have a gloppy mess. I am all for innovative packaging, but it has to work.

MAC Lustreglass, Color – Beaux
Rating – 3.5
MAC is usually my go to brand for good colors and quality make-up. This color is a pink/tan everyday color. I have a few different colors, but mostly the neutrals (if you couldn’t tell, neutral is my favorite for lip gloss). This gloss is another one that you can’t wear in the wind. It’s not nearly as sticky as the Bobby Brown, but still is hazardous in a breeze. I wear these often, but do find myself needing applications throughout the day. Sometimes I need a good round of chapstick after a day of continuous application of this gloss.

Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm, Color – None
Rating - 5

Ok, ok. I know this isn’t a lip gloss, but it is a must have in the bag at all times. I can’t live without my lip balm and I love the tingling feeling of Burt’s Bees lip healing.

YouTube Make-Up Tutorials

I am just now realizing how much I don’t know about YouTube. I watch the funny videos that are forwarded to me and sometimes search for memorable TV performances that I have missed (like the Britney Spears MTV Awards). There is so much more!! I never would have found this out if not for a fan of my brother who contacted me via Myspace. AlexReedThompson has a YouTube “channel” where he posts some really witty stuff. Alex is a very talented make-up artist who posts about make-up, his love of the Dresden Dolls and other miscellaneous topics. I am totally enamored with this guy. My favorite video so far is his slide show tutorial for sunset eyes. It has a great song in the background by Despina Vandi, an artist I’d never heard of who is fabulous. Alex has 1,683 Subscribers and 47,446 Channel Views (not sure exactly what that means). This is big time! How do I not know anything about this? While viewing his make-up how-to’s, I came across some other great videos by make-up artists. I love the videos by Leesha a.k.a Xsparkage, especially this one for simple brown eyes that is anything but ordinary. Another gem I discovered was Sara a.k.a. jjacks48. She is really fun to watch because she reminds me of a friend of mine. Although I’ve only had the opportunity to watch a few of her takes, I have her on my “must watch when I have more time” list. jjacks48 seems to be the most experienced in the world of YouTube tutorials with 124 videos posted. I’m sure that there are tons more great videos for learning fabulous skills and one day I will have time to search through them all. I am running out to buy new make-up for myself this weekend with a little Birthday money courtesy of my Grandparents. (My birthday is Thursday!) Thanks to Alex for introducing me to this great new world of videos on YouTube. How will I ever leave my computer again?