Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss (809 Rubis Rose)

Guerlain Kiss Kiss lip gloss in Rubis Rose might be my favorite item from all of this year's holiday collection. Between the pretty tube with the black lace design and the absolutely perfect dark rose color, it was one of the best impulse purchases.

Rubis Rose is shimmery and very pigmented- what you see in the photo is what you get on your lips. It's a rose with a brown-mauve depth. The texture is smooth, not sticky and feels very moisturizing on the lips- it's the kind of gloss that makes your lips look and feel good- healthy and plump. It's a great after dark shade, but I admit to wearing it during the day lately. It's not over-the-top and is just so pretty against winter paleness.

Bottom line: Big, fat love.

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Gloss in Rubis Rose ($29) is one of three limited edition items for Holiday 2010. It's available from top department stores and also online. I bought it at Bergdorf Goodman.

All photos are mine.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Iceblush Lip Shine

Lip Shine from Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics is basically a shiny tinted lip balm. I've had it for months but only started to fully appreciate it when it dawned on me to actually follow the Youngblood instructions and apply it with a lip brush either over a lip pencil/liner or over a liner+lipstick that you want to both cement into place and make them shine. That was a serious lightbulb moment.

As it is, Lip Shine is a fabulously comfortable-to-wear product, full of extracts, emollients and other feel good ingredients that make it very soothing even for my very picky lips. Its stick factor is minimal and it has very nice glossy sheen. What makes it outstanding is the way it stays in place and doesn't budge. Still, I didn't reach for it as often as I should have because the color I was sent, Iceblush, is completely invisible on me. It has some pigment, as you can clearly see in the swatch, but my natural lip color is much darker. But once I've started using it as directed over other (and usually dry) lip products, Lip shine has become an easy choice. I especially like it over chubby lip crayons (Bobbi Brown, Trish or Shiseido) because they are softer and quicker to fill up the lip.

I've had a quick look at the darker shades of Lip Shine while at Henri Bendel in NYC. Crush is a dark plum and Jubilee is a red raspberry. I didn't test them on my lips but they seem to have a good amount of pigment so I can see them joining my arsenal at some point.

Bottom Line: definitely worth your time (as long as you don't mind the strong vanilla scent).

Lip Shine by Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics ($17) is available from Henri Bendel (in store only) and ybskin.com. This review is based on a free press sample sent by the company.

All photos are mine.

Dolce & Gabbana Ruby (#110) Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss

I have a thing for bright red lip glosses, often in particular shades of red I wouldn't dare wear as a lipstick. The sheerness of most glosses allows my natural lip color balance the red, so the result is quite fetching (and easier than a true red lipstick). Ruby (#110) by Dolce & Gabbana is almost too much of this good thing. Like all other D&G glosses I've tried so far, it's very pigment, almost like a liquid lipstick.

Ruby isn't shimmery, which makes it even more lipstick-like. I use it sparingly, keeping it as sheer as possible- it has more than enough coverage even in small servings. It can also be built for a gorgeous dramatic look, but I'd suggest priming the lips and using a sheer/nude liner, since one testing found me with quite a bit of this lip gloss on my teeth.

Dolce & Gabbana Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss ($29) is a Saks exclusive. Available online and in select locations.

All photos are mine.

Dolce & Gabbana Passion (#120) Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss

Dolce & Gabbana lip gloss in Passion (#120) has become a dear favorite over the last few months. There's something about this red plum color that is perfect for me- from the actual shade that I find very balanced through the pigment intensity and the amount of shimmer. It's cheerful and pretty without looking juvenile, over-the-top or off in any way. I find that it perks up the face on a gloomy day and works with many makeup looks, especially my favorite soft taupe eye.

Another advantage of Dolce & Gabbana lip glosses is their pleasant texture. They feel luxurious, aren't very sticky (at least the shades I have) and they stick around and look fresh for a couple of hours. The color is rich enough one can easily skip the lipstick and only wear the gloss without looking too casual. That alone is worth the price if you ask me.

Bottom Line: I'm more than half-way through my tube.

Dolce &Gabbana Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss ($29) is exclusive to Saks 5th Avenue. Available at select locations and online.

All photos are mine.

Dolce & Gabbana Dahlia (150) Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss

Dolce & Gabbana Dahlia lipstick has been a favorite of mine for more than a year now. It's a great color that walk the line between nighttime and elegant days very successfully. I hoped the matching lip gloss, Dahlia #150, will have a similar quality, but surprisingly it is a lot more dramatic than I expected.

One of the nice things about Dolce & Gabbana lip glosses (other than the excellent non-stick texture and an impressive lasting power) is their rich pigments. They are high-quality and elegant, a delight for serious makeup lovers. Dahlia lip gloss looks almost like a liquid lipstick and coats the lips in a shiny dark wine color. As you can see, in full sun the red undertones are more visible. When worn indoors, though, it's a lot more purple, almost grape-like. It's very dramatic and I feel more comfortable toning the color down by mixing it with a nude or a pink lipstick.

Dolce & Gabbana Ultra-Shine Lip Gloss ($29) is exclusive to Saks 5th Avenue. Available at select locations and online.

All photos are mine.

Chanel Wild Rose (119) Glossimer

The same day I lost my mind and bought the oddly pink Courtisane Glossimer I also went the opposite direction and got the very demure Wild Rose (no. 119). I hoped it would be along the same line as Summer Plum (#90), a color I love and actually finished two tubes since it came out. Summer Plum is a sheer and shimmery purple, very light with just enough pigment to keep things interesting. Wild Rose definitely looks this way in the tube and when swatched on my hand. However, on more pigmented lips like mine, the color just about disappears and becomes an almost clear shimmer. It's not that one doesn't need a sheer nude with shimmer to help perk up the face or a matte lipstick, but I hoped for something more exciting.

Bottom Line: I should have bought another Summer Plum instead.

Chanel Glossimer ($27) is Wild Rose and other colors can be found at most decent department stores and chanel.com.

All photos are mine.

Giorgio Armani Lip Shimmer Lip Gloss 66 Deep Burgundy

Considering my deep love for Giorgio Armani lipsticks, it's a little weird I never got around to testing and buying any of the lip glosses until now. Hopefully I can make up for that and not have my beauty blogger badge revoked. Let's start with this one- Deep Burgundy (#66).

Texture-wise, Armani lip glosses seem to be as fabulous as the lipsticks (unlike the over-hyped lip wax. That one was a dud for me). They feel wonderfully comfortable on the lips without being sticky hair magnets. They're shiny and maintain the glossy appearance for at least a couple of hours. Deep Burgundy has enough pigment to be great on its own without a lipstick layer underneath (=quick and easy touchups), and as you can see, it's gorgeous, rich and dark.

My favorite way to wear it is paired with black eyeliner (either thin and glossy  or a thick but muted line) and a pale matte skin. A little dramatic, but a lot of fun.

Giorgio Armani Lip Shimmer Lip Gloss ($27) is available from select department stores as well as online.

All photos are mine.

 *By the way, swatches of the newest ones from the Uptown Mauve collection are coming later this week/early next week)

Hourglass Cosmetics Prodigy Hydrating Lip Gloss (Eden)

The first thing you notice about Hourglass Prodigy lip gloss is the unique packaging. It was designed to slide right into one's back pocket, which makes me think the target audience might not be those of us who carry nice purses or an evening clutch. Then again, high schoolers don't usually pay $26 for a lip gloss, so what do I know?

In any case, the packaging would have been a lot cooler had the cap been easier to open. You need to pull it straight up but there's a bit too much resistance for my comfort.

The gloss itself is very nice, though. While not very long lasting, it applies smoothly and feels hydrating and nourishing. By the end of the day (after several touch ups and reapplications) my lips feel quite pampered. Eden is a warm pink caramel, sheer enough not to look too brown and neutral enough to go well with fall colors. I prefer to wear it over a more pigmented lipstick, but someone whose lips (and complexion) are pale would probably be able to pull it off easily.

Bottom Line: I'd consider buying Prodigy in Legend, Opium and Pulse if it weren't for the packaging.

Hourglass Cosmetics Prodigy Hydrating Lip Gloss ($26) is available from Barneys and Sephora. A press sample was sent for my consideration.

All photos are mine.

Chanel Glossimer 138 Courtisane

Even beauty bloggers get the blues (and buy the weirdest stuff).

When Chanel Fall 2010 collection came out two months ago I chose several items (Rose Temptation blush and the two single eye shadows) and passed on the new Glossimer colors because they didn't look special or pigmented enough. All was good and well until one gloomy summer afternoon when I decided I actually needed a new Glossimer (or two) and decided on last fall's release, Courtisane (138). The problem? It's pink.

Very pink.

Barbie pink.

And I don't do pink.

I look horribly trashy when I try and then I get jealous of people with mainstream skin tones who can wear pretty colors. Of course, this being a Chanel with a nice shine and pleasant texture I can wear it to tone down a variety of my plum lipsticks or mix it with other colors. But I just can't pull off Courtisane by itself over naked lips.

Bottom Line: What were I thinking?

Chanel Glossimer 138 Courtisane is available from your favorite department stores and chanel.com.

All photos are mine.

Is This What We do Now?

Maybe I'm showing my age. Maybe I'm a prude and have lost my sense of humor. But is this really how we sell lip gloss now? I don't know about anyone else, but I just want to feel pretty when I buy and wear makeup.

And don't even get me started on the barely single use sample size. It's not Sephora's fault and they're being more than generous with their VIB and Beauty Insiders perks, but do brands (Buxom by Bare Escentuals and Urban Decay in this case) really think a smeared foil is enough to make us run and buy their glosses? When I'm testing something I like to give it at least 2-3 tries. In the case of lip gloss one usually needs to reapply after a couple of hours, so if the original sample is already gone I will just reach for whatever else is in my bag, and forget all about these ridiculous samples.

Photo by me.

Guerlain KissKiss Essence de Gloss Grenat (421) Fall 2010 Champs-Elysees Collection

Yes, I know everyone wants to see and read about the real star of Guerlain Fall 2010 Champs-Elysees Collection, the eye shadow palettes, but I like to take my time playing and testing all the colors, so give me a few more days for that. In the meantime, KissKiss Essence de Gloss in the Grenat (no. 421) is proving to be an excellent purchase. Between the easy to wear, goes-with-everything shade and Guerlain's excellent texture and quality, I can't get enough of this lip gloss.

KissKiss Essence de Gloss has more pigment than the regular KissKiss glosses I've tried. The finish is shiny and glossy but in a grownup way, it can be worn alone and doesn't require a stain or a lipstick underneath, and the best part is the moisturizing formula that isn't sticky or gooey in any way. Grenat is a sort-of red with strong warm mauve-to-brown leanings. On naturally darker lips it ends up as a mostly neutral color that adds some polish to the complete makeup look. The lasting power is about average for a gloss, but some pigment is left even after the shine wears off.

KissKiss Essence de Gloss is available from Guerlain counters that carry the new Fall 2010 Champs-Elysees Collection. I didn't keep my receipt and can't see it for sale online, but here in North Jersey both Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus have it.

All photos are mine.

Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss 522 Intimate Bronze (Nordstrom Exclusive)

I picked Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss 522 Intimate Bronze from Nordstrom's beauty exclusives as an addition to the Ready-To-Wear palette, figuring the tiny pans of lip color in the compact will run out first and because I wanted an additional color that goes well with the bronze theme of the set.

Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss in Intimate Bronze is a perfect fit. It's a delicate color, somewhere between a light pink bronze and rosy mauve, depending on the light. With my coloring it looks like a warm nude, something to wear when I want to neutralize the pink tone of my natural lip color. The shimmer is very fine and reflects the light more than actually adding fire.

The gloss is soft and moisturizing, making for a comfortable wear and helping keep the lips soft and moisturized. Its staying power is average minus, but someone with pale lips might see more of the pigment after the shine is gone.

Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss 522 Intimate Bronze($26.50) is a Nordstrom exclusive, but rumor has it this color was seen at some airport duty-free stores in Europe. It's no longer available online, as the pre-sale is over, but Nordstrom stores are still supposed to have it in stock.

All photos are mine.