Favorite red lipsticks

Currently listening to old 2000 pop songs as I type this post. What a time for bad fashion but really catchy tunes that you had to sing with all your heart.

Anyway, tonight I share my favorite red lipsticks. I have a problem. I constantly feel like I need new red lipsticks in my collection because of the different finishes or undertones. Red lipstick is definitely not in everyone's comfort zone but I do believe there's a red color out there for everyone. I feel like I instantly have a boost of confidence with a red lip and a little more confidence to conquering the day. 

As I de-cluttered some makeup this week in preparation for imats, I've picked my top 6 red lipsticks that I always seem to go back to. I also wanted to de-clutter because..well... I'm probably just going to buy more red lipsticks at imats. Like I said, I have a problem. 

Those are my babies. Just perfection. It's a good mix of drugstore and high end but I personally think they are all worth it. 

Revlon lip butter in Red Velvet: Really bummed out because i think they discontinued this one which is disappointing because this is such a beautiful low maintenance deep blue based red. I loved wearing this for occasion when I had to look put together but I wanted the comfort of a lip balm and the pigmentation of a lipstick. So comfortable and easy to maintain. It also fades away gracefully during the day and leaves a nice natural red tint. Also this was my first lip butter from Revlon and I think the formulation on all of them are fantastic. I mean, you hear lip butter and how could you not want to put that on your lips. 

Sephora lip cream in 01 Always Red: This is hyped on the internet for a good reason. First, the price is $14 which is right in between high end and drugstore. This is everything you want in a matte liquid lipstick. It has the pigmentation of a true blue base, Hollywood classic, red, doesn't budge and is kiss proof! I can't tell you how many times I have put this lip color on and stared at the mirror just mesmerize by how flawless the application looked. I really would love to try their other colors (such as the deep purple of course). I think everyone should have this staple in their collection. 

NARS Audacious lipstick in Audrey: Ok so this was a splurge. However, if you have the opportunity to splurge (maybe during the Sephora's Beauty Insider coupon week that happens in April) get yourself this lipstick. Honestly any color will do because this lipstick is incredible. I'm obsessed with how this is a deep red with a berry/maroon undertone. I just feel like it's such a unique color. I was all about this color this past winter. Comfortable on the lips and pigmentation is all there. Also magnetic closure packaging. I'm a sucker for that. 

Maybelline creamy matte in Divine Wine: Don't let the color fool you online. This is a deep color with some maroon and slight brown undertones. But if you're feeling vampy, this color is perfect. It's comfortable on the lips but you will want to add a lip liner to this since it can be really easy to mess up such a pigmented and deep shade. I'm really impress with the formulation for how creamy it was for a matte and I definitely want to try more colors.

NARS velvet matte lip pencil in Cruella: Yup this was the birthday gift from Sephora last year!. I love this lip color for, of course the deep blue base red matte color but also for how multi-functional it is. You could wear this alone or use it as a liner. This pairs perfectly with the Sephora lip cream I mentioned earlier. It gives just a little bit of a deeper tone to the classic red that the lip cream gives off. Sometimes Sephora will have a deluxe size product available as a 100 point perk. But from what I heard, Sonia Kashuk's Velvety Matte lip crayon in 03 poppy nude might be a possible dupe for the NARS. I can't confirm on this since I don't own the Sonia Kashuk product but maybe that will be a future post? 

Burt's Bees lip crayon in Redwood Forest: YOU GUYS. I love all of the products I mentioned above. But this my be my favorite and I feel like it doesn't get talked about a lot on the internet. This runs about $9 but I'm so happy I got it. It's a brick red but it's soft enough where it doesn't look too striking so it's comfortable to wear during the day. You can also layer it up it get a more intense color. Although in the swatch below it appears shiny, it comes off mostly matte on the lips. This is so comfortable to wear during the day but you still look like you put yourself together. And because the red is not as striking but has a "little something" to it, I think it would be a great product for those who are trying to get into the red lipstick zone without being uncomfortable.

From top to bottom: Burt's Bees - NARS lip pencil - Maybelline - NARS audacious lipstick - Sephora lip cream - Revlon lip butter

So those are my favorites. What are your favorite reds or lipstick colors that give you confidence?

How to prepare for IMATS 101

Yes this is a post that doesn't relate to everyone, but if you're going to IMATS New York or any IMATS show this year, here are some pointers for your experience to be awesome. I mean it will already be great. but these tips make it a lot better.

Make a List:
        List are just great in general to make yourself feel like you got something together. Make a list of the booths you want to visit, what products you want to get, and where the booths are located in the venue. Another tip is to put down original prices and the discounted prices so you can space out your budget if you can. Best way to figure out the possible discounts is a bunch of youtube searching for current IMATS videos or even older ones just to get a general idea. If you really want to get wild, use colored pens to indicate the products you really want and others in black so that way if you have to spread out your budget and don't really need a certain product, you can pass up the item.

Creating a budget: 
      This is a tough one for me because when I went to IMATS for the first time with my best friend, I spent money like it was no one's business. But it should be my business because you can easily go overboard and realize that half of the stuff you bought you really didn't need or the discount wasn't that incredible. Pick a budget that you think is going to work for you. Right now for my current situation, I would like to stick to the $300-$350 range. Some people do $500. It all depends on what you feel right with. Do your research. See if certain products are worth the discount. For example. Tarte last year had their blushes for $10. They are normally $28. Like what? That's amazing yes please. But even though it's a great discount, don't go overboard! you wanna have enough money to get other products.

Be comfortable and prepare with other necessities:
        It's going to be a long day. Don't lie to yourself, you're not staying there for 4 hours. You're probably going to stay there the whole day because the whole event is so magical. Wear what you're going to be comfortable in. For me, sneakers or cute flat boots are the way to go. It's also the city so I just prefer something enclosed. Bring a decent sized bag as well so you can bring lunch and water instead of leaving the venue and missing time. Last year I brought some kick ass sandwiches and Emma and I sat in the morphe line for 2 hours eating our sandwiches. And just as important as the sandwiches, BRING MAKEUP WIPES. It's going to be a major swatch fest.

Shop Smartly: 
       When shopping try to stick to the list. Sometimes that can be difficult because you'll see something great that you didn't know they had before and it's just all down hill from there and you're brain says "what list??" But remember the key is that you don't want to go overboard. For Emma and I, it was overwhelming seeing all these incredible makeup brands that we felt like we needed to get everything. Meanwhile, in reality, half of our products that we bought from imats we didn't use. Another thing to make note of is to not repeat similar colors of similar products. So if you bought a lipstick from one booth and you find another one that looks similar but forgot about buying the other lipstick, you'll be wasting money on products that you could be spending on other stuff. And finally if you can, check to make sure the packaging of the products are intact. Emma bought a setting spray and it wasn't until we came home that we realized the sprayer didn't work properly. SO, that sucked..


Enjoy the experience, the people, and have fun:
      One of the reasons that I loved imats besides the discounts was the people. I loved that you're able to talk to someone in line and learn about the products they got and how they have the same passion for makeup as you do. How you watch all the makeup artists creating art right in front of you and in awe from their dedication. How sometimes these people come from different parts of the country to be there. How you're able to do a crazy eye look and no one will judge you but instead applaud you for doing it.To be confident and to do what makes you feel beautiful. I think that's the main reason I loved imats so much. I would say it's worth going at least once for that kind of experience.

Review: Conair True Glow Cleaning Skin Beauty Treatment

Good Evening! I have my review on the Conair True Glow Cleaning Skin Beauty Treatment to tell you if it's worth getting or something to pass up on. I've been using mine for about 3 months and developed some thoughts on the product.

For the start of the new year, I knew I wanted to take better care of my skin. As much as I wanted to get a Clarisonic since I heard positive results from others, I still couldn't justify the price it is to replace the heads every 3 months (about $27). So I discovered this neat brush from Conair which ranges from $48.99- $49.99 compared to the Clarisonic which is normally $99. The Conair brush heads also range from about $9.00-$15.00 which I think is much more reasonable than $27.

       However, I can not make a complete comparison review since I don't own the Clarisonic but I will say, I've been enjoying my Conair brush a lot. It comes with 3 different speeds (low, medium, and high). For the first month I started off on low to have my skin get use to the system and then I gradually moved up to medium. I've been using for my morning and night routine and I feel like I can't do my routine without it. I definitely have noticed that cleans more than just using my hands. It removes all makeup and dirt even the stuff that's not visibly there and my face feels incredibly clean. Lately I've been using the brush with the Clean and Clear Continuous Control Acne Cleanser and it has work out so well for my breakouts. Something about going to bed with a face that I know is fully cleaned helps me feel like I have somewhat of my life together.

You do get 2 different brush heads with the original purchase; a sensitive brush and a regular brush. You also get a charging dock as well.

Some pointers though if you do get this. When using the device, it beeps every 10 seconds to let to know to move to the next portion of your face. The beep is decently loud so that's my only complaint about the device.

Another tip is to the clean the brush head with something other than a cleanser that was used on your face. Even though these products recommend changing the brush head every 3 months, I started to notice I was breaking out again after a month and a half. I did some research and started to clean it twice a week with a clear shampoo and the brush was good to go. If you're curious the shampoo I use it's the Vita Berry Shampoo I received from a Memebox a while back. It smells like candied strawberries and gets the job done to clean the brush.

Final verdict, I think this is worth the money to purchase if you're looking to add a beneficial component to your skin care routine. I noticed a change in my skin as far as it being clearer from blemishes and cleaner then from regular face washing.