Every Boxing Day MAC brings out a new colour collection. The idea is to give their customers something new while most other lines are selling marked down gift sets. Not a bad idea really. The collaboration with artist and couture collector Guinness, is comprised of cool mauves, plums, and greys. Hyperion nail lacquer is a stand out for me, I love a blue/grey cream texture polish.

Available now in store and online at www.maccosmetics.com

Theatrical Brit designer Gareth Pugh, has collaborated with MAC Cosmetics on a limited edition collection. One of the best things about special edition collections is the packaging, and this one is particularly good! The shiny black cases with X’s, especially on the pigment pots looks very strong and dramatic.

The colour palette theme seems to be eggplant, navy, and champagne. I’m quite interested in the iridescent nail lacquers because those might be quite good for layering on top of opaque colours. The lashes are insane and look fabulous in the image. I’m currently shopping for a new makeup bag and this one might just do the trick.

The collection is available in North America November 23  and internationally in December.

The latest addition to the Chanel lipstick category is Rouge Allure Velvet. The texture is a very lightweight matte that feels smooth and not dry on the lips. I have to say that even myself a self professed gloss girl, have converted to a less reflective pout as of late. My only complaint is the colour range is quite limited with only 8 shades to choose from. As the trend for a strong mouth with minimal shine continues to show up on the runway, this velvet texture will have you recreating the look to a tee.

Cream shadow is often shied away from, but really it’s a brilliant multi-purpose product that every girl should have. Here’s why:

1. Quick and easy to apply with fingers, brush or a sponge.

2. Can be used on the eyes, cheeks, or lips

3. Make powder eye shadow more intense by applying cream shadow first.

4. Can be mixed with other products like gloss or loose pigment to create new colours or textures.

5. Adds dimension to the skin for shading and highlighting because of it’s natural sheen.

The stained lip is a not only a modern take on the dark lip, but for many it’s an easier way to wear the trend. There are a few ways to achieve this new dark lip here are some key tips:

1. Use a lip primer or a bit of lip balm to prep the lips.

2. Press the colour into your lips with your fingers rather than directly from the lipstick tube. You can use a pencil to touch up the cupids bow.

3. Blot with a tissue in between applications of lipstick, and brush on a bit of loose powder to seal the colour in.

4. For a stain with a sheen apply lipstick first then blend the colour out with lip balm.

5. For the deep dark berry look of Dior, start in the centre of the lips with the lipstick and brush out towards the edges. The intensity will be be in the centre and the edges are left kind of imperfect

While in Paris last week, I kept seeing the stunning ads of Ginta Lapina for Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick. I hadn’t had a chance to see the colours so I took a quick trip to Le Bon Marche to check them out. The lipstick collection is new and was designed by YSL Creative Director Stefano Pilati. Based on orange, red and fuschia, the colours have been reinterpreted to create shades that will suit all skin tones. There are 18 in total. Included is a frosty white and a very dark almost black shade-perfect for customizing colours. In true YSL luxury the texture is silky, the colours are well pigmented, and the packaging is beautiful.

Image from Design Scene

Dark lips and red lips are mandatory for Fall. If you can’t handle the colour full on, first apply a sheer amount of lip balm and then dab your dark lip colour on with your ring finger for a subtle look.

I just tried these new lipsticks from Make Up Forever. They really are quite nice. They come in 3 different textures-matte, pearly, and satin. I enjoyed the matte and the satin, I’m never a huge fan of overly frosty textures. All 3 textures are packed with pigment, apparently 50% more than traditional lipstick. The pay off is excellent, and they wear very well. What is most exciting is the fact that there are 50 new colours to choose from! A make up kit overhaul is in my near future, and these new lipsticks will be great new additions to my lip palette.

Available at Sephora

For nude lips that complement dark skin tones choose a warm caramel lipstick with gold undertones. My favourite is Dolce & Gabbana Cashmere lipstick. Avoid anything that has an undertone that is too white or pale.

Image from allure.com

The Burberry Beauty collection is as chic and sophisticated as it’s clothing line. Starting with the beautiful packaging with signature Burberry check, to the lipstick cases that close magnetically. After trying the majority of the line, I found the foundation, powder, eyeshadow, and gloss to be quite sheer. Everything feels very smooth and silky thanks to the silicones, and glides on for effortless application. Makeup Artist Wendy Rowe, responsible for the make up direction at Burberry’s runway makeup for the past nine years, says the line is “effortless and relaxed, but sophisticated.”

I purchased the gloss in nude beige No.9. It is sheer and very smooth, not at all sticky. Oils and ceramides that leave the lips hydrated, supple and naturally plumped. The shadows come in a variety of neutrals as well as some blues and purples inspired by England’s stormy weather. I picked up the eyeshadow in gold trench No.4 the colour is a pretty golden beige and it looks great on my lids or as a highlight colour.

The lipsticks come in a nice range of easy to wear colours from nude tones to darker reds. It’s very light on the lips and quite moisturizing while leaving just the right amount of pigment on the lips. Lisa got the No.3 cameo pink which is a light-medium warm pink colour.

Update: (From Lisa) After wearing this for a while I decided that I don’t love the smell of the lipstick and foundation. I find that a lot of the products smell like perfume — maybe even baby powder which is a bit off putting. But if you’re okay with the smell then its a pretty nice lipstick. Leah has been using the lipgloss and it has no smell.

Scarlett Johansson has been on the media circuit a lot  lately  (Iron Man 2 release) looking gorgeous. Never one to go to extremes with her make up, the key features she focuses on are: brows, lips, and cheeks.

For perfectly groomed brows Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil has a pencil on one end to fill in gaps and create definition, and a brush on the other to make sure your brows are in place. To get glowing cheeks with a hint of pink, try YSL Blush Variation is a combination of matte and shimmer that adds colour and shine to your cheeks. Scarlett Johansson is of course the face of Dolce and Gabbana The Make Up. I love their lipsticks. Really creamy and smooth they also last a longtime on the lips. For a pink similar to the one Scarlett wears try Dolce and Gabbana Velvet.

Images from justjared.com

Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper are out and about a lot lately as they promote their MAC Viva Glam Lipsticks. Both ladies have their own shade, Gaga’s is a cool pink and Cyndi’s is a coral red which I wear and love. These two make a brilliantly outrageous couple and draw attention to an in important cause.

For more information on the MAC Aids Fund visit macaidsfund.org

Over the past decade lip gloss has dominated over lipstick, and therefore the lip liner has been somewhat forgotten. As we start a new year and new season lipstick’s making a major comeback. Precisely applied lipstick requires well executed lip liner. The benefits of using a liner are that it creates definition for lips, helps lipstick stay on longer, and prevents lipstick from feathering or bleeding. Here are our tips for lining lips:

1. Apply a lip conditioner or primer to lips before applying lip liner for smooth application.

2. Dab a small amount of concealer along the lip line with your finger to create a blank canvas for lip lining.

3. Choose a lip pencil colour that matches or is slightly darker than your lipstick.

4. When lining follow the shape of your lips as a guide, making adjustments to balance.

5. Hold the pencil at an angle when applying rather than straight on with the tip. This will give a softer line that blends in easily with the lipstick instead of leaving a hard edge.

6. Rest your pinky on your chin when drawing your liner to stabilize your hand.

7. Fill in your entire lip with liner and apply lipstick over the top for increased wearability of the lipstick.

8. For fuller looking lips extend the lip liner just past the natural lip line. Use a light to medium shade lip pencil.

9. To decrease the size of lips line within the natural lip line using a medium to dark shade of lip pencil.

Image from trendland.com

The Beaute Weightless Lip Creme is exactly that, weightless. This liquid lipstick feels like nothing on your lips. It goes on really smooth and even, and delivers an opaque semi matte  finish. I don’t find it extremely long wearing, but touching up is easy as it comes with a doe foot applicator. Mango Butter and Vitamin E mean that your lips feel moisturized. There’s also an ingredient that stimulates collagen for plumper looking lips. I wear the colour Severine which is the perfect yellow based beige brown. Another fabulous addition to my nude lip collection!

We all know make up does not last forever. Many cosmetics products have a small picture of an open jar with a number on it, on the primary or secondary packaging. This indicates how long a product is good for once it’s been opened. This is very useful especially for products that have SPF or other active ingredients as these have a shorter shelf life. Use your judgement. If something looks or smells funny, err on the side of caution and do not use no matter how long you have had it.  I generally follow this rule of thumb: powder products like eyeshadow, face powder, and blush are fine for up to 3 years. Lipsticks about 2 years, and glosses 18 months. Liquid foundations and concealers I would use for up to 2 years. Be careful with products that are used around the eye area and have a wand applicator like some liquid concealers. Don’t keep these products past the recommended expiration date.

The number one product that should definitely be discarded after 10-12 weeks is mascara. Bacteria thrives in dark moist places like the inside of a mascara tube. Since this product comes into contact with the eyes it is imperative that it’s changed frequently to avoid anything like this happening: A friend of mine used an old mascara that was laying around in her make up kit for I don’t know how long. Soon after applying her eyes started to burn and weep uncontrollably. She ended up in the hospital where they found tiny bugs in her lashes! Fortunately for her she received medical attention in time and is not blind! Don’t let this happen to you.

Red lips are everywhere! It seems like every beauty ad, tv show and award show are featuring women wearing red lipstick. With all of the 80′s trends that are so hot right now, the red lips make total sense. I don’t know if it’s because red is on my radar, but Blake Lively’s gorgeous red gown and Philip’s Lim’s Spring Summer 2010 collection — just to mention a few — make it seem like we’re going to be seeing a lot more red in the upcoming seasons. My 2 favourite red lipsticks this season so far are: Nars lipstick in Red Lizzard and MAC’s lipstick in Lady Danger. For a longer lasting red lip make sure you line your lips with a long wearing or waterproof liner like Givenchy’s lip liner in #07 Blackberry or MAC Cremestick liner in Red Enriched.

Images from style.com and justjared.com

It’s a season of metals: gold, silver, copper and bronze.  Everything from eyelids to leggings has been cast with glitz and glimmer.  The application and the warm brown tones of the make up seen at Alessandro Dell’ Aqua was reminiscent of the eighties. Recreate the strong shading under the cheekbones with a bronzing powder that has a copper undertone, and top it off with the Bobbi Brown limited edition copper diamond shimmer brick.  For molten liquid looking lips look no further than Make Up Forever’s metallic sand lipstick with just a touch of clear gloss on top.  Keep your look modern with flawless matte foundation to contrast the shine and tie the look together.  All that glitters isn’t gold!

Images from style.com and netaporter.com

Italian luxury, absolutely gorgeous packaging, who wouldn’t want to carry this in their make up bag?  It is Dolce & Gabbana‘s signature glamour translated into cosmetics. Developed under the watchful eye of make up artist Pat McGrath, this line promises to be more than just beautiful packaging. Available exclusively at Saks.