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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

I am so excited about this brand that I am just going to start off by saying I have found my new obsession and it is called Eyeko.  I have honestly not been this excited about makeup in a really long time…if ever.  Normally when it comes to makeup I am all about the lip glosses, but I am excited about EVERYTHING from Eyeko.  I have actually only tried their Fat Balm for lips and cheeks, the Liptastik Glossy Lip Pen and the Graffiti Eyeliner Pen, but if these three are any indication of how their makeup  perform then I want to try every single product from Eyeko.

In my experience, whenever a product is touted as a lip or cheek anything, it normally works best on either the lip or the cheek, but never both…not true of the Eyeko Fat Balm in Strawberry.  The balm looked great on my cheeks (it’s a sheer pink that gave my cheeks a really natural looking flush)and managed to stay put after a walk down Lincoln Road in South Beach, Miami on a 96 degree day.  When applied to my lips, it felt very moisturizing, not heavy and also stayed on my lips in the Miami heat and humidity.  The color on my lips was a natural shade of pink with just a touch of gloss…not super shiny at all, just very soft and pretty…I guess dewy and fresh would be good words to use.

I have been dying to try one of the brighter shades of pink glosses and lipsticks this summer but have not been able to find one that was flattering on my skin tone until I came across the Eyeko Liptastik Glossy Lip Pen in Loud Mouth.  The lip pen is a lip liner, color and gloss all in one.  Loud mouth is a vibrant pink that very weirdly manages to look both vibrant and soft on the lips.  It is a great blend of a gloss, liner and a lipstick…not as heavy as a lipstick, but also lasts much longer than a gloss.  I am sure it is not intended to be used as a blush, but I did use it as such and I loved it. I love that it functions as so many different things because I can definitely leave my entire makeup bag behind and just carry the lip pen around in a teeny clutch.

I normally shy away from liquid liner…or eye liner for the most part, unless a professional is doing it because it is such a pain for me to apply.  I can never seem to get both eyes to look the same and will normally remove everything and forgo the liner altogether, which is a huge bummer because I love the Sophia Loren/Eva Mendes bombshell/cat eye look, I just can never get it right with the liquid liners I’ve tried.  This struggle is all over now because the Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen in jet black was really easy for me to use. I managed to control the eyeliner pen during my entire eye lining application…a first.  The liner also stayed put (again in the Miami heat and humidity) until I used makeup remover.  I loved that on the Eyeko website they give tips on how to best apply the eye pen because I definitely needed it and it made things a lot easier for me.

On the Eyeko website it says that Eyeko means love in Japanese so here’s my stab at speaking Japanese…with a bit of English thrown in, I absolutely eyeko Eyeko! I forgot to mention how incredibly affordable every product from Eyeko is…so go forth and get the love, spread the love and maybe…big maybe, share the love.

Gail Lewis

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

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

I absolutely love lip glosses. They are the one beauty item that you will never find me without.  For  someone like me, who struggles with most types of  makeup application, they are just so easy and foolproof.  Application of glosses does not require absolute precision (like eyeliner and mascara), it does not require much blending (yes I am referring to you foundation, eyeshadow and blush) and usually does not require that you have a mirror handy; lip glosses are just so user friendly.  So most of you can of course understand why I would have multiple lip glosses in the same shade of pink…or nude…or berry, okay you get the idea…I am insane about lip gloss. So it’s no surprise that whenever I find out there is a new lip gloss on the market, I just HAVE to get an introduction.  The most recent introduction occurred between me and LipSavvy Star Studded Shine Lip Gloss in Sho Bunny.

Based solely on appearance, I liked LipSavvy immediately. The design of the LipSavvy gloss pen is really fun and girly, it’s a colorful cheetah print (purple, white, lavender and gold), that stands out from most gloss pens I’ve seen lately, which are for the most part just a single color or clear.  I also love how the gloss smells, sort of like fruity bubblegum, which briefly took me back to my high school days.  The LipSavvy lip glosses are supposed to be anti-aging, plumping and hydrating.  It was definitely hydrating, but without feeling really heavy and sticky.  My lips did appear fuller after I applied the gloss, but I am not sure whether this was from how sparkly the gloss is or from the plumping ingredients it contains…maybe it was both. While the gloss felt great on my lips and smells great, I unfortunately did not like how sparkly it is.  After using it, sparkly residue kept showing up on different places on my face.  My boyfriend also was not a fan because after kissing me he ended up with sparkly stuff all over his lips and chin which was a pain to remove for some reason.  I was pretty bummed because I loved everything else about the gloss.

I think this is one of the times I chose the right brand, but just the wrong product.  The LipSavvy glosses do come in two formulas, ColorGlam and the one I chose, Star Studded Shine.  I am hoping that ColorGlam will have everything I loved about the Star Studded Shine gloss in Sho Bunny with the exception of all that “star studded shine.” Have you tried this product?

Gail Lewis

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

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

New makeup…I don’t know if there exists two words in the English dictionary (when combined together of course) that elicits  more minor shivers…and goosebumps than the prospect of trying out new makeup for the first time.  Usually whenever I purchase a new item I can barely wait to get home and rip off the tags…or rip open that bag of chips or cookies in the car, but with new makeup, opening the packaging is a ritual.  No ripping open anything here, I relish the moment when I can sit quietly and slowly open each item, test it on the back of my hands and the inside of my wrists and sniff it before actually applying it where it’s really supposed to be applied (I said ritual.)

So why when I received my brand spanking new package of Rain Cosmetics did I forgo my ritual and revert to ripping it open like it contained boxes of Girl Scout Thin Mints. Simply put, I had not encountered a line of cosmetics (not since Tarte anyway) with such a fun, simple name.  I am also kind of  insane about rain (as in the kind you go singing in) and the packaging is very chic…I love the metallic baby blue color of the containers. New makeup called Rain in pretty packaging….it was just too much.

The first two items to make their debut in my ritual were my two new lipglosses, the Gloss Of Fame in Berry Manilow and the Sexy Extreme Gloss in Magic.  They are both very pretty, flattering, soft pinks but the Magic Gloss has a lot more shine and shimmer and they both smell heavenly.  The Berry Manilow Gloss has a faint vanilla scent and the Magic Gloss has a very light berry scent.

Next up was the Glam Lipstick in Showgirl, a dark wine colored long-lasting lipstick that doesn’t really smell like anything besides…well lipstick, but the color is very glam indeed…definitely a “night out” shade.  For a lipstick it feels very moisturizing …probably because it contains mango butter, grape seed oil and vitamin E.  I loved that it  felt like I was wearing a balm instead of lipstick.

Lastly to conclude my ritual, I tried the Glowing Blush in Burlesque, a tan/peachy shade that did in fact make my cheeks look like they were glowing.  I did have a moment of confusion with the blush because for some odd reason I assumed it was a cream to powder blush so at first I applied it with my fingers…it worked but did not look as good as it did once applied with a brush.

I enjoyed my ritual so much, I was pretty bummed once I had tried my products.  The only two negatives were that I wish there were descriptions of  colors for each product on the Rain Cosmetics site and also…there I was sitting on the couch with glam lips and glowing cheeks with absolutely no place to go…

Gail Lewis

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

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

I am addicted to lip glosses.  At any given moment if one were to inspect the contents of my purse, they would be sure to encounter at least six lip glosses…sometimes in different colors but mostly in varying shades of the same color.  I love how easy they are to apply, just swipe and go, to me there is no other make-up product that is as user friendly as a lip gloss.  I don’t have to be too precise with the application process, there is no blending required…basically there is no way I can go wrong with applying  lip gloss (I just wish this were true for eye shadow, eye liner…eye anything.)

However, as much as I adore lip glosses, there are some attributes of a gloss that are  major turnoffs.  Scent is a big one for me, overpowering aromas have the tendency to become irritating throughout the day (especially since someone decided to place  lips  right below the nostrils.)  Goopy, heavy glosses are also a pet peeve, especially when your hair gets stuck to your lips and removing it leaves gloss residue on varying parts of your face (I once greeted clients with a line of berry gloss on my cheeks.)  There are also a few other attributes such as; taste, container shape and size and hydration factor, but texture and scent will usually determine right away whether a gloss gets added to the collection or not. 

At first whiff beautyAddicts SweetLips Lip Gloss was a “HECK YES!”  The gloss has a very subtle taste and scent of vanilla, not at all overpowering but extremely pleasant.  It’s also amazingly light with just the perfect amount of shine.  Also, unlike a lot of glosses that tend to leave lips feeling dry, this gloss actually contains Vitamin E and Jojoba Butter, so it hydrates as well as moistens and heals dry lips.  On a recent road trip from Orlando to Miami (with the A/C blasting in the car), I was out of my lip balm so I had to rely on the gloss to keep my lips hydrated and it did not let me down.  I am absolutely in love with the Sheer Peach shade, called Express.  On my lips it looks more nude than peach, but it is a perfect everyday shade that I think would be flattering on just about any skin tone because it is so sheer.  Another plus of this lip gloss is that the container is very “Evening clutch friendly” (it’s also pocket friendly…I sometimes find myself in situations where a purse…even a coin purse, is just not practical, so I have to resort to stuffing I.D, cash and gloss in the pockets of whatever I’m wearing.)  Because it tastes, smells, feels and looks so great, it will definitely occupy space in my bag, clutch or pocket on Valentine’s Day…..what can I say….I’m ADDICTED!

Find it at www.beautyADDICTS.com.

~Gail

Gail Lewis

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

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Celebrity makeup stylist AJ Crimson and model/TV personality Keisha Whitaker (wife of actor/director Forest Whitaker) are the co-creators of a line of luxe lip-gloss, Kissable Couture. The glosses have high shine appeal with the perfect amount of shimmer as well as wearable moisturizing formula without the stickiness of most lip-gloss. Sold at stores including Fred Segal Apolthia, Louis Boston and Henri Bendel.

The collection of glosses includes a custom shade inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama, named aptly “First Lady” and part of the Kissable Collection. It is a nude gloss and is perfect for all complexions. We haven’t heard if the First Lady has tried the gloss, but we love the tribute to her. Our fave from the collection is the “Smooches” gift set. It’s a five-pack of mini glosses, which includes Kissable Couture’s best selling shades. Included in this pout’-of-this-world set are shades including Dreams, Johnny, Dylan, Honesty and Forest. The full sized glosses retail for $22 and the Kissable Couture Smooches gift set retails for $32.

Guest beauty post from my friends at TheFind.

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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Everyone who knows me will automatically assume that this review is biased off the bat. Why? Because ever since my boss handed me a fabulous book called “How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less” a year ago, I have been a Karen Robinovitz fan ever since.  I completely identified with her personality right off the bat and it was only kismet that a few months ago our lives crossed paths (thank you Twitter!) So I was completely excited to try out the lip plumper she is launching this month because it not only promises to plump without stinging (thank the heavens for that!) but also has Hoodia in it to assist in curbing those sugary cravings–thus the name Huge Lips Skinny Hips.

The colors Karen created are quite universal, so no matter your skin coloring, their neutral tone will be a perfect fit. Each of the glosses are actually pretty sheer with a slight pop of color. My favorite is Worship Kate. And let me tell you, these glosses smell and taste delish with absolutely no stinging at all.  My lips didn’t become insanely huge, which is good because Angelina Jolie is hot but I don’t really want to replicate her lips, but there was a noticeable difference in their size; I want to say it was more of a natural looking plump. The gloss isn’t tacky or thick because Karen aimed to avoid the hair-sticking-to-your-lips-in-the-wind debacle we have all encountered. The formula is also quite silky, almost like a moisturizing lip balm.

Now did this lip plumper actually help me to lose weight? That’s hard to say, and they don’t claim to do that, however I can say when I reflected back on wearing this gloss that I don’t recall ever once eating. Psychological perhaps? Or was the Hoodia really working to suppress my appetite? I really can’t say, but to be honest, I don’t care either way because I love the look of this lip plumper and everything about it. It’s definitely worth the money and I cannot wait to find it in stores because I’ve already run out of my sample (yes I used it that much!) It launches this month at Space NK and Scoop.

Photo Credit: The Vogue City

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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts