NARS new lip gloss gives long wearing shine, colour, and plumps the lips. All 9 colours are creamy in texture without any sparkle! The only down side in my opinion is the brush. It’s very short and has barely any bristles. Apparently this is supposed to enable precision with the application, but I find it takes too long to apply the product.

Obviously it’s all about the pastels for spring according to the cosmetic brands. I adore the NARS campaign particularly the red lip and contouring. I was also very inspired by the Givenchy ad, and I wore a very similar pistachio coloured eyeshadow to work today.

From top to bottom: Dior, Givenchy, Anna Sui, Jill Stuart, NARS, Chanel, YSL

P.S Ginta appears in 3 of these campaigns!

There are gift sets galore this December so we have put together seven of our favourites based on uniqueness and value. The top 2 for me are the NARS brush set because it’s beautifully packaged, and the brushes really are amazing. The Shu Uemura palette is for eyes and lips but what I like best about is the packaging. The lid is a hologram so the eye opens and closes when you move it!

1. Shu Uemura WKW Burning in Water Palette 2. Make Up Forever  Wild & Chic Aqua Eyes 3. Bobbi Brown 20th Anniversary Lip Palette 4. Illamasqua Midnight Decadence Lash Duo 5. Dior Holiday Deluxe Face Palette  6. Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer set 7. Nars Nagauta Kabuki Brush Set

It’s time to update your makeup bag for the new season. The glossy bright lips, and pop coloured eye shadows can take the next few months off. This fall it’s all about the red lip, lined eyes, and spidery lashes. You’ll also want to invest in eye shadows in caramel and toffee shades, and of course a few sooty greys and blacks for the smokey eye. Finish your look with perfectly groomed brows, and flawless skin and you are set for A/W 11.

1. Nars Duo Eyeshadow in surabaya 2. Nars Duo Eyeshadow in paris 3. YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils 4. MAC Cremestick Liner in red enriched  5. Giorgio Armani Maestro Liquid Eyeliner  6. MAC Mineralized Blush in pressed amber 7. Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in la rouge  8. Chloe cosmetics pouch 9. Shu Uemura Hard Formula BrowPencil

The latest fall collection from Nars is exactly what we need for the new season. The entire collection is perfect for my personal makeup bag, and for my kit. Absolute must-haves will be outremer eyeshadow–the bright blue, mascate lipstick–the bold red, and I really need galion nail polish. Out with the old and in with new…

Available at narscosmetics.ca

It is virtually impossible to recreate some of the looks we have shown on our blog without the right tools. I love brushes and as a make-up artist I own hundreds, but for most people a starter set of five will do quite nicely. One thing I will say about brushes is that they are worth the investment. While you can often get away with spending less on a lipstick or eyeshadow a cheap brush will not perform, or last as long as one you spend more money on.

Brushes can be natural or synthetic or a blend of both. The important thing is the shape and texture, soft brushes pick up and apply less product and are good for blending. Stiff brush pick up and apply more product these are good for powder and cream products.

From left to right:

1. Powder or Blush-a medium size dome shaped brush made of goat hair is the perfect size to double for powder or blush.

2. Tapered Eyeshadow-a soft haired paint brush shape is ideal for blending eyeshadow through the crease of the eye. Or dusting eyeshadow all over the eye for a subtle blended look. It’s also very good for blending away hard lines so your eyeshadow looks more diffused.

3. Flat Shader-This type of brush is good for powder or cream products. Most companies carry a small or large version, choose according to the size of your eyes. It can be used on the eyes to create intensity because of the shape and density of the hairs. For example to achieve strong colour on the eyes you would pick up the colour on the flat side and press it against the eyelid.

4. Angled Brush-This brush is a definite must have. It can be used with powder, cream, or liquid products to define eyebrows or for eyeliner. Make sure you examine the angle on the brush before buying. The hairs should be tight together along the angle and not too wide.

5. Foundation Brush-This flat brush is for applying liquid or cream foundation. Because it is quite dense it will pick up alot of product, if you are heavy handed use with caution. You can achieve a very flawless finish with this type of brush, and unlike a sponge it will not soak up the foundation.

For tips on how to care for your brushes go to September 9th post on How Often Should I Wash My Brushes?

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 comes around every season. Can be seen on runways in all four of the fashion capitals. It’s the smoky eye. This seasons adaptation is imprecise, melted, and pillow smudged. Always dark, sooty with a lived in look. At Cavalli the melted look was achieved by applying Nars Cream Eyeshadow in Zardoz over the top of a pencil. Waxy kohl liners are perfect for recreating a slightly imperfect look. Backstage at Temperley London we used MAC Smolder Eye Kohl, and cream based shadows to give the girls an edgy yet glam look. Finish the look with flawless skin and a beige nude lip as seen on Mary Kate Olsen. This is your recipe for a hot summer look!

Images from style.com