Most of you, if not all, are probably very familiar with this scenario. You plan on having a great Saturday night out on the town with your girls.  Maybe dinner, followed by dancing.  You get all dolled up, the hair, the outfit, the makeup are flawless and you just know you’re going to look amazing in pictures.  At the beginning of the night you’re completely psyched because, you in fact do look pretty great, but as the night wears on you have to make it a point to approve anything before it gets posted to any one of the gazillion social networking sites because you’ve noticed your makeup has started to melt and wear off and you’re bordering on “hot mess” territory.  I’ve definitely been there and yes making multiple trips to the ladies room for touch ups is always an option, but unfortunately the only thing you can touch up is your powder and lip because that teeny clutch only has so much room. Besides, who wants to take a break from dancing to “Single Ladies”  to go touch up their makeup?

Well now, thanks to an awesome product from Skindinavia, you can continue tweaking out on the dance floor with your girls.

The product is called Makeup Finishing Spray and it is amazing.  It extends makeup wear, maintains color and prevents your makeup from slipping, melting and creasing and feels really refreshing on your skin.  I decided to test the spray out by applying my makeup then  hitting the gym (I know not good for my pores, but I wanted to see how it would hold up.)  The spray definitely held up to it’s claims. My workout sessions are pretty intense and I sweat like crazy but my makeup did not budge, it was pretty insane.

I know if it helped my makeup to stay put through an intense workout session it will definitely keep it flawless for a night out on the town.  I love this spray so much I use it even when I am not wearing any makeup because it prevents my skin from looking overly oily.  On my next night out, my friends will be free to snap and post to their hearts content and I won’t mind one bit because I know Skindinavia will have my back. Have you used this product?

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

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From the time I was allowed to wear makeup…actually even before then, I have always longed to wear red lipstick.  I have always associated red lipstick with being a  grown up as well as as being sophisticated.  I have been experimenting with red lipsticks since I was sixteen years old and have never found a shade of red that I truly, madly, deeply loved and could not live without.  Either they were too light or dark, sometimes after a while the red would start looking bright pink on my lips or worse yet, orange. Sometimes they just had too much shine and I am not particularly keen on shiny red lips…my lips are not Angelina Jolie’s size, but they are still pretty full. Shiny red lips have a tendency to make me look cartoonish or worse yet, like the female Gremlin in Gremlins 2 (just Google it and you’ll see what I mean!)

So for about a decade into my makeup wearing stage I have tried numerous red lipsticks without success and had given up until just recently.  With red lipstick seemingly being the item du jour lately, my longing for that perfect shade of red returned, plus Valentine’s Day is right around the corner so visions of myself in a pink dress with red lips were swimming in my head. I decided to visit my happy place…also known to many as Sephora.

Before heading to Sephora I decided to do some research and Googled the best red lipsticks for my skin tone.  I had already tried a lot of the red lipsticks that came up in my search results, but for some reason had never given NARS a try. I wanted a matte red lipstick that would look great on my brown skin.It actually did not take me very long to find the lipstick I craved…OK actually it ended up being a lip pencil.  Once I tried NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella I knew my search was finally over.  The Velvet Matte Lip Pencil is a lip pencil and lipstick combined into one very easy to apply crayon.  The color is absolutely beautiful and I do not need to line my lips before applying it nor does it bleed.  I love that there is absolutely no shine to this lip pencil so my lips end up with a velvety look and texture…almost like a rose.

Since I bought the lip pencil I have been wearing it on a consistent basis…not just out at night, but also during the day with just jeans and a t-shirt and my red lips never manage to look out of place.  I cannot wait to wear this on Valentine’s Day…with or without the pink dress I had in mind.  Oh and did I mention that I have since returned to Sephora and purchased the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama and Dolce Vita…methinks I have finally been cured of my addiction to lip glosses! If you have been struggling with finding the perfect red lipstick, I highly suggest to head to your nearest Sephora and give any one of the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in red a try.

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

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I have mixed feelings about Bobbi Brown’s new ‘Neons & Nudes‘ collection. Mainly because I do love wearing nude makeup shades, but just about every beauty brand right now already has the same obsession (with Urban Decay knocking it out of the park with their 2-part Naked palette of course!) In other words, it’s hard for me to be impressed by yet another series of not-so-blah neutrals.

The neons, on the other hand, totally intrigue me. I’m not one to regularly incorporate many not-seen-in-nature colors into my daily beauty routine, but I’m always open to experiment, and the more “adventurous” side of Bobbi’s new collection is definitely inspiring me to dabble outside my comfort zone! Some of my favorite collection highlights include the three punched-up lip gloss additions – now in Citrus, Cosmic Pink, and Ultra Violet – which are fun and spring-festive but sheer enough to not appear costume-y or kitschy.

I also adore the new eyeshadows, in Ultra Violet Shimmer Wash and the stunning cobalt Blue Bell. Of course, I realize that these shades aren’t for everyone (and they require a very skilled hand to wear them chicly), so what do you think – gorgeous or gimmicky?

- Alexandra Gambardella

*Guest beauty post from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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 It’s been said by passionate careerists time and time again – if you love your job, you’ll put your blood, sweat, and tears into it. Now, beauty lovers can apply the same mentality (well, maybe not literally) to their beauty regime thanks to Rain Cosmetics.

The Vegas-based beauty brand has a lot to live up to. The line was inspired by the city’s glamorous nightlife, and they even refer to themselves as “The Sexiest Makeup in the World”….so when I tested out their Blood, Sweat, and Tears lip trio, I was hoping to be nothing less than amazed.

Naturally, each product in the trio serves a different purpose. While you can definitely wear each of the shades alone, I prefer using the three together for the best effect.

Blood: Blood is a red lip stain. Stains can be tricky, but this one is an awesome product for first-time users because it isn’t too dark upon first application. I prefer a darker lip, so I put on about 2 or 3 coats. TIP – Make sure you exfoliate your lips before applying ANY lip stain! If your lips are dry, you’ll wind up with uneven color that is hard to remove.

Sweat: A shimmery champagne sparkle, Sweat adds some needed dimension to Blood. I found that when wearing alone, this product wears off pretty quickly…so for best results pair with Tears to lock the sparkle in.

 Tears: Tears is a standard, slick high gloss. The sheen lasted longer than other clear glosses and added the finishing touch to Blood and Sweat  that will make your lips pop.

Here I am testing out Blood, Sweat, and Tears lip trio from Rain Cosmetics.

I was very pleased with the collection and it has officially been added to my daily beauty routine – a girl can never have too many red lip stains! The set retails for $30.00. Check out  www.raincosmetics.com to learn more about other products in the collection.

Have you tried Rain Cosmetics products before? What was your experience?

Amanda Huggins

Amanda is a PR and communications girl living and working in the NYC area. She is a firm believer in the powers of a strong cup of coffee and fire-engine red lipstick.

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That’s sarcasm of course. Normally I wouldn’t make fun of a PR pitch here on my blog (I use Twitter for that.) But the one I received this morning had me going both WTF? and is it April 1st today? I’m going to re-post it here (with my own commentary in bold), but since the girl I was pitched about is only 16 years old, I’m going to remove her name/YouTube name, et al.

Philadelphia, PA, January 31, 2012 – Vlogger’s  love affair with makeup and beauty products started long before she reached her teens. (Sign one from above that you are meant to be a guru.) One of her first words, spoken at 9 months, was “lipstick.” (Since that is practically impossible for a baby to pronounciate, why are we not calling her a freaking PRODIGY?)  By age 9, she had a critical eye. (Because she is the Tim Gunn of beauty.) Her mother, she confides, was not good at applying her lipstick. “I had to put it on her,” Vlogger says. “She didn’t know that it would last longer—and look better—with lip liner as a base.” (Insightful.)

Today, the 16-year-old is dispensing makeup advice via her video “channel,” on YouTube. (I love how the PR person puts channel in quotes. I can see her rolling her eyes and saying out loud “quote unquote channel” with a big sigh.)

A high school junior in the Philadelphia area, Vlogger started doing videos in 2010. “I knew kids in school who made great videos of themselves singing, but I wanted to teach people a skill,” she says.  She liked makeup, and since she also knew a few application tricks (that she likely learned from the beauty counter of her local department store) and do-it-yourself makeup recipes (Dr. Google is also good for this too), she decided to specialize in beauty application and products. (This is where I want to put specialize in quotes. She knew a handful of tricks so at 15 she wanted to “specialize” in beauty.)

In a single month, she gained more than 850 subscribers (i.e. everyone in her high school and their friends). To date, she has over 215,000 uploaded views and over 5,800 subscribers. Her goal is to top 10,000 subscribers. “When I reach 20,000, I want to open an online store with my own makeup line,” she says. (So knowing a handful of beauty tricks + reaching 20K subscribers = the ability to have the skill and know-how to launch a business. DUDE sign me up. If that’s all it takes, why didn’t I attempt that sooner?!)

Vlogger, who with other beauty gurus was featured in a Wall Street Journal article on teens who make makeup, initially faced some skepticism from schoolmates. “Some of them thought it was weird,” she says. But then a girl on the bus told her she loved the videos. “She said, ‘Keep doing it—don’t care what anyone says,’” she recalls. (Advice from A GIRL ON THE BUS = Lucy setting up shop to dish out advice for 5 cents to Charlie Brown.)

An attractive brunette with long, wavy locks and dark eyes, Vlogger has an easy conversational style. “Don’t mind my little frizzy hairs,” she says in a video made on vacation. “It’s, like, legit really hot here.” (Too legit to quit, in fact….Hammer time!)

Made with the camera she bought herself, the videos are fun to watch.  The camera zooms in to show the products and her expert application.  (As opposed to a camera her mom bought her that does not zoom. ) The action is quick and MTV-like (OMG I didn’t know MTV-like was a camera style now), often with a voiceover instruction. She frequently takes a whimsical approach. A video on New Year’s Eve makeup, for instance, begins with an eye-catching graphic:  a clock and then a countdown. (A creative genius!) It takes her three to five hours just to plan the tutorial and pinpoint the camera angles. (because that’s how it is for all gurus, dontchaknow?)

Her tutorial on how to tackle blackheads has landed more than 44,000 hits. “Every single teenager has blackheads,” she notes. Tips for making your eyelashes longer have garnered more than 21,500 views. Other topics include pumpkin masques, summer nails and “How to Make Press-on Eye Shadow.”

Her YouTube fans would approve. As one watcher commented: “i just want to say that you inspire me so much. you are amazing in everything you do and i love how much effort you put into your videos just to please us. thank you for being by FAR the best makeup guru on youtube. love, your greatest fan.” (like, omg, you are the bestest!)

Ok, before I die from laughter…this was a SERIOUS press release sent to me and a bunch of my fellow beauty bloggers. It also completely falls in line with how this generation seems to think that if you slap up a YouTube channel you are suddenly entitled to three things: 1. the title of guru, 2. free stuff  and 3. a PR-blitz on just how awesome you are. No, that comes from hard work, longevity and being truly amazing. I’m a veteran beauty blogger and have been doing it for 7 years now…and I am NOT a guru. I’m not sure why this was newsworthy enough for someone to pitch to me, but I think I am more appalled at the pitch itself.

Have your say…

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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Over the years I’ve come to learn that amazing beauty products are not only found in traditional beauty/cosmetics stores, but in out of the way places you wouldn’t normally consider.  My most recent great findis Mitsuwa Marketplace.  This place was recommended to me by Ji Cho, owner of Nami Restaurant in Minneapolis, MN and beauty product guru…seriously the woman is insanely knowledgeable about every and anything beauty related.  Mitsuwa Marketplace is the largest Japanese Supermarket in the U. S. They are mostly located in California with one in New Jersey and the one I visited in Chicago. This place is awesome and carries a wide variety of Japanese groceries, general items, electric appliances and beauty products.  They even have a bookstore as well as a food-court with fantastic Japanese food.

I went to Mitsuwa Marketplace with the intention of getting a deep conditioning treatment and a cream for my ends…I came out with shampoo, conditioner , conditioning hair treatment, cleansing face oil and brow pencil and this was after I decided to put some products back on the shelf!  The selection of cosmetics and beauty products were just amazing.  They had products for your hair that I never even knew existed.  The shampoo and conditioner that I bought were both from Shiseido and they’re absolutely wonderful, very moisturizing and an absolute steal!  I paid just $18.99 for both 550ml bottles (they were on special that day.)  The conditioning treatment is also pretty amazing, the brand is called IchiKami and that is about all I can decipher because everything else is in Japanese.  I love the cleansing face oil, it’s very gentle on my skin but still thoroughly cleans my face without making it feel dry.  I keep the brow pencil that I bought from there in my make-up bag at all times.  It has two sides, one side is your traditional brow pencil with a much finer tip for a really precise application and the other side is more like a liquid liner…but for your brows.  The pencil  fills in my brows, but they never look overdone and I have to wash my face to remove it because I’ve been to the gym a few times after having applied the brow pencil and it stayed put through my entire workout…and my workouts are pretty intense ones that produce buckets of sweat.

I regret not getting some of the other products I had my eyes on, like the liquid liner (my beauty guru Ji said that the Japanese liquid liners have a finer more precise tip than their American counterparts, she also suggested the fake eyelashes which are apparently pretty great.) I did discover that  Mitsuwa Marketplace does have an online store which made me pretty ecstatic, but the selection of beauty products available online is kind of limited compared to the store, lucky for me I will be spending this summer in Minnesota which means I will have plenty of opportunity to try every product  I had my eye on. Have you been there and discovered some great beauty brands yourself?

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

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I have a friend named Felicia who can rock a red lipstick like nobody’s business. Have you secretly always wanted to wear red, but just didn’t think you could pull it off? I sure have. So when someone from Cake Plate Boutique approached me to review a line of cosmetics they carried in their Napa Valley store, I took the chance to ask her to pick a color she felt would best suit me. I was told 29 Cosmetics’ Wine Critic, a red, would look great on me. I took a big gulp and felt worried.

Wine Critic, from 29 Reserves Moisturizing Lipstick Collection (SPF20), utilizes grape seed extract, an anti-oxidant that smoothes, softens and prevents aging, straight from regional grapes. More powerful than Vitamin E and 20 times more efficient than Vitamin C, the extract is said to have the ability to keep lips looking young, vibrant, and stylishly smooth. Although, for me, the lipstick didn’t feel very moisturizing. Additionally, the colors are named in honor of the Napa Valley region–hence Wine Critic.

Wine Critic is rich and vibrant. I personally love it and there is something about wearing this color that just makes you feel sexy. Like most lipsticks, the color doesn’t stay put very long if you are eating/drinking.

Here’s a shot of me wearing it, what do you think?

29 Cosmetics can be found in-store at Cake Plate Boutique at 1000 Main Street in Downtown Napa.

*Disclosure

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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Oh how I love me some sparkly lip gloss. With the UV rays not as intense in the winter as they are in the warmer months, I think it is safe to break out the shine on my lips.

Pleasure Principle, Glitter and Ice, Spanking Rich, Love Alert

MAC Cosmetics Dazzleglass, Glitter and Ice, is just what I need for some shimmer…especially since this winter has practically been snow-less and nothing else seems to be glistening around here. OK, maybe the lake in front of my house is…but I don’t want to make you jealous.

The colors in Glitter and Ice are just small pops of color with lots of dazzle and naturally, most of them are currently sold out on the website with the exception of Love Alert. Did you scoop them up before they disappeared? You can also call your local MAC store to see if they have them in stock local to you. Love the colors? Let me know in the comments!

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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Holiday party season is officially here, and if you’re opting to go the subtle route fashion-wise by avoiding ultra-sparkly cocktail dresses and glitter heels at all costs, there’s still plenty of ways to add some celebratory glitz to your seasonal party look! Instead, try focusing the festiveness on your makeup. Metallic silver liner adds just the slightest dash of holiday vixen appeal that makes a surprisingly gorgeous impact. It’s like tinsel for your eyes… which is way less painful than it sounds!

Try not to go too 90s-fabulous with the trend (that whole frosty lid look might make you look dated), and instead stick to just the corners of your eye and the inner rim. Similar to how white pencil makes peepers appear wider and brighter, silver liner will make eyes sparkle with a sexy metallic sheen. Also, make sure you pick an easy-glide, extra-bright chrome silver – darker gunmetal shades just won’t have the same tinselly effect!

Pictured above: Milani Liquif’Eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil in Silver, L’Oreal HiP Chrome Eyeliner in Silver Lightning, Stila Smudge Stick in Silverdollar, and Bobbi Brown Dual Ended Eyeliner in Jet/Chrome.

Guest post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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by makeup artist and TIA contributor, Kristen Arnett

Red lipstick looks amazing on women of all ages and complexions.

No matter where my makeup brushes have landed, in whatever country or on whatever occasion, women will often lean in to ask about how to wear red lips. I don’t blame them because it’s the one classic makeup staple that will never go out of style, because it makes women, all women, look hot.

While confessing a desire to wear red, women often follow with hesitation, usually accompanied by the pervasive phrase, “I want to wear red, but I don’t want to look like a hooker.”  For extra emphasis sometimes they’ll say, “an old hooker.”  Oh, you all are so funny! No worries, hooker red isn’t what we are aiming for, and unless you have the outfit to match, don’t concern yourselves with being confused with a lady of the night.

The truth is if you aren’t used to red, it can seem terribly audacious, as if you are asking to attract a lot of attention.  But what fun is life if we are always playing it safe?  It just takes some guts and spunk to pull off a bold red mouth. Think of pinup bombshells like Dita Von Teese and Marilyn Monroe, and rocker Gwen Stefani, who are all elegant, sexy and empowered in their own ways.

What’s even better is this vibrant hue has no age limit. Last year I had the privilege of doing Zelda Kaplan’s makeup for a portrait commemorating her 94^th birthday.  As a famous New York socialite, party-goer, and do-gooder, Zelda’s incredible spirit and her signature red lips are her accessories for every outfit. She refuses to be seen without them and they may just be the secret to her looking young, fabulous and being the life of every party.

Zelda Kaplan: proof that red lips know no age

No matter how light or dark your skin, or what tone your hair is, there is a red out there for you! It’s just a matter of deciding which type of red you like, and trying a few on until you get it right.

The sales people at the department store aren’t going to know what “your” red shade is unless you first decide on your “red style.”  Everyone in retail knows that most women say they want change, but they just buy a different version of their safe color over again.  So no sales person is going to push, because she doesn’t want to lose a sale or have you come back to return it.

Let’s figure out your red style.  What sort of reds are you attracted to?  Are you a classic gal who needs a brighter red, like a bathing beauty from the 50s? Are you a more vampy type that steers towards something more sultry and dark? Which type of women have you seen with red mouth who you admire?  Mine tends to be a fantastical image of a graceful Parisian woman riding around on her bike with a baguette in the basket, wearing a cream colored coat and a silk scarf blowing in the wind.  Once you have the style of red you’d like to wear, you then have to do the legwork and apply a variety of shades until you find the one that works for you.

Red lipstick rules:

1. The more fine lines you have around your mouth, the more you need to use a lip liner.  (See the Lip liner is your frienemy article).

2. You must be willing to conceal ALL redness on your face (other than on the cheeks) and blue under the eyes, and powder your t-zone well.

3. Wearing red is high maintenance so you will have to do touch ups throughout the day/night.

Once you have that perfect red tube in your hands, put it on!  Give yourself a bit of time to get used to it, wear it around, feel empowered and sexy – just because you can!  After all, it’s just a little makeup. You can wipe it off and be back to your safe self anytime you please. Life is short.  Have fun!

For more honest reviews and information about beauty and personal care products, visit Truthinaging.com

Marta Wohrle

I was born in England in 1960. A former journalist and recovering consultant, I now work in the online and digital media space. I have never tried Botox. I founded Accord Media in 2008 to publish Truth In Aging with a mission to offer truthful and unbiased guidance to people seeking to improve their physical health and appearance through skin care, hair care, health and beauty products, and salon and clinical treatments. A publishing industry veteran, I try to bring a uniquely curious, honest voice to consumer journalism through my web sites.

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