Tube Time: The Most Popular Lipsticks of 2011

You probably have a go-to lipstick right? I personally don't but then again I have beauty ADD and can't settle on anything when it comes to products. Have you noticed that lipstick-wearing is on the rise? A shiny tube of color isn't reserved for special occasions anymore. It's certainly still totally glamorous to wear perfect red lips, black liner and your best Mad Men outfit with pearls, of course, but today everybody seems to be rocking bright, punchy colors for a day or night look. Lipsticks are way more versatile and have become more creamy, wearable and moisturizing. The consistencies range from sheer, stained, matte and glossy which make them more appealing to the strictly gloss-wearing consumers of the past. These new characteristics have lured scores of younger customers who in the past stayed away from the overly matte, overly done-up look of lipstick. Now a celeb can't be seen on the red carpet without a perfectly filled-in pout and red isn't just reserved for the winter. A splash of cherry, crimson or coral-rouge can consistently be seen on your fave starlets.

So with all the choices out there, which tubes have been ruling the roost so far? According to the NPD Group, (think Billboard Top 100 for beauty) MAC grabbed the top-earning spot. Having a mega-superstar (Lady Gaga) as your spokesperson probably doesn't hurt. Gaga did look pretty fierce at the recent CFDA Awards with crimson lips and heavy black brows with of course a blue wig. The woman knows how to do color.

Featured in an article from Stylelist.com, the rest of the top five tubes include Lancôme, Estée Lauder, Clinque, and Chanel. No big surprises there. NPD Group VP, Karen Grant explained that people love to play with products and color despite the recession. "Coming out of the recession, it seems that the consumers' thirst for color and play was reawakened. In 2010, we saw the preference for rich as well as retro colors and in 2011 we are seeing new neutrals come to the fore. As the fashion industry increasingly features bold as well as understated lip statements on the runway and in advertisements, lip color appears to be getting its groove back."

So in conclusion, don't be afraid to throw on some Gwen Stefani red and prance out of the house-ready to conquer the world or at least look Coco Chanel glamorous during an otherwise boring work day! 

Kisses,

Blake Lively Goes Red-Love it or Hate it?

Ooh gotta say I'm not loving Blake Lively's red hair transformation. She's a beautiful girl but I'll be honest a big part of that beautiful look, for me, is in her blond tresses. The 23-year-old attended Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People In the World party in New York last night. Lively scored a spot on the list for her fashion and style influence-a pretty impressive honor for the young actress. Luckily, the red locks are for a movie role ("Hick") and not the beginning of a Lindsey Lohan reverse dye job obsession.

Lively has been a fashion trendsetter since her supremely stylish show, Gossip Girl premiered. She's become a fashion darling becoming super chummy with Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld and becoming the new face of Chanel. She's made some amazing fashion and beauty choices in the past including one of my fave looks at the MET Costume Institute Gala last year. She worked her gorge peacock blue Marchesa mini dress and looked flawless in a pulled back ponytail and smoky eyes. Her Time 100 party attire was way too Little Mermaid for me. The contrast between her aqua Zuhair Murad gown and long red cascading curls was reminiscent of Ariel.  

Here's hoping the movie will wrap quickly and she'll be back to her beach blond self soon.
What do you think of Lively's new locks? Love it or hate?

Golden Globes 2011-Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite starlets. Her charm and warm energy really do radiate through the screen. The girl has definitely had a tough year, but looking gorgeous and feeling great is always the best revenge when it comes to a cheatin' hubby. The Golden Globes winner wore a light pink, heavily embellished Jenny Packham gown that some people loved and some people hated. I loved it and thought her new blunt bangs, dark chocolate hair color and smoldering smokey eye makeup made her look soft and edgy at the same time.

Chanel makeup artist Angela Levin used a combination of colors from the Ombres Perlées de Chanel Eyeshadow Palette ($65) to create her look.

-Levin used the dark shades on the outside and worked her way in to the lightest.

-She lined Bullock's sparklers with Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ebene ($29), and then applied two coats of black mascara.

-Levin then used Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Tweed Pink ($45) on the apples of Bullock's cheeks and Rouge Coco Lip Colour in Chintz ($32) for her lips.

Images from Getty Beauty Breakdown from Bellasugar

Think Pink for Spring

Pink lips are a fun, flirty Spring trend that's been popping up all over the red carpet lately. You don't have to be a 13-year old girl experimenting with makeup for the first time, or need to throwing your annual cheesy 80's costume party to wear it either.

  Dancing With The Stars pro turned country singer, Julianne Hough sported a sweet light pink pout at the Country Music Awards last week and looked amazing.

Celebrity makeup artist, Troy Surratt, created the girl-next-door glamour. "I lined the lips with Shiseido Smoothing Lip Pencil in Sakura then dabbed the lips with [the new Summer 2010] Chanel Rouge Allure in Genial (not available in stores till May) for a stained effect," he says. Surratt then placed Clark's Botanicals Lip Tint in Carlotta Pink in the center of the upper and lower lip to create a 3D highlight.

If light pink lips won't work on your skin, try a more pigmented color. Julie Hewett, makeup artist and creator of one of my favorite lipstick lines, Julie Hewett Noir Lipstick Collection, shared her lip tips with cosmopolitan.com. "The darker your skin tone, the more pigment you can wear," she said. According to Cosmo darker-skinned women look fantastic in darker pinks with a purple cast. Try Lipstick Queen's Rose Sinner, a deep beautiful pink with a matte finish. Fair-skinned women should go for a sheer hue without any blue cast to it like a mauve or pale rose. Cosmo recommends trying Clinique Different Lipstick in Heartfelt.

Also try for a gloss or stain first if you're not ready to commit to a lipstick. Try Dior 'Smoothing Lacquer" Lip Polish in 002-Fresh Expert Pink. Gloss lover and D.C. resident, Rachel Quintner says it nurtures and softens your lips has a handy roller brush for smooth application.

Thanks to Stylelist.com and Cosmopolitan.com for the additional information. 

Will Chanel's Temporary Tattoos Be All The Rage This Spring?

I've always been a fan of temporary tattoos and it looks like that affinity has put me right ahead of the fashion curve. In the past I've looked for any opportunity to wear these not-so permanent accessories under the "being silly" guise or "it's for my Halloween costume" excuse, despite the beloved holiday being months away.

Tattoo-inspired body art has been seen all over the Spring 2010 runways and I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda excited by this out-there trend. I mean c'mon, if high fashion houses tell you it’s the new craze to embody next season, won't you gladly listen and follow!? Maybe not, but odder trends have caught on to mainstream fashion. Remember when bejeweled body art stickers was the it thing to wear? People couldn't leave the house for a night out without some fake crystal stickies that were strategically placed in the shape of a heart or star on your shoulder blade or arm. Not me, of course! I rose above that trend.

Rodarte and Jean Paul Gautier were among the fashion forward that featured the tats and body paint in their collections. It wasn't until Chanel models strutted down the catwalk emblazoned with the label's unique body-art vision, that the trend became supremely buzz-worthy.
The haute couture house adorned their clothes-hanger ladies with double layer bracelet and garter tattoos that resembled Chanel chic chains and jewelry. The occasional tat had the delicately dangling signature double C's, only making this whimsical beauty trend, a classically Chanel exclusive, impossibly stylish indulgence. The brand is now planning on selling this skin art for retail.

The package of five sheets with 55 designs total will be sold as Les Trompe L'Oeil de CHANEL Temporary Skin Art and based on the exact designs that creative director, Peter Philips used for the shows. Don't think you won't be paying Chanel prices though, you will. A set will set you back $75. Look out for these gorgeous yet over-the top body add-ons in mid February at select Chanel boutique locations.




I'm not so secretly hoping the trend will catch on, and some Chanel-inspired designs will pop up at a more affordable retailer. Or perhaps the trend will be as temporary as the tattoos themselves. Stay tuned!










Thanks to @StyleListSays for the info!
Chanel Photos Courtesy of AP and Chanel Courtesy Photos via Stylelist.com and thefrisky.com