The Lip Product Addict {Tag}

Happy National Lipstick Day! 

I was recently tagged to do this Lip Product addict tag from the beautiful MJ from MJ in the Sky with Glitter and I thought no better way to celebrate today than with a lipstick related tag; that and a bold lip of course!

1. Favourite Balm / Treatment?

Oh, Burts Bees.  I love their Grapefruit "Refreshing" balm and am nearing the end of my third tube!  One treatment that I'm interested in trying is the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Champagne... It's rose gold, need I say more?

2. Best Eye-Catching Red?

I love reds.  But I have to say my most eye-catching would be Viva Glam Rihanna, I talk a little more about it here but the frosted finish is stunning.  Paired with the Viva Glam Riri Lipglass and were talking ruby-red perfection.  

3. Best Luxury & Best Drugstore?

When I think "luxury" cosmetics I think Chanel, I think Tom Ford, Dior and YSL.  None of which I own... So as for my most expensive lipsticks (which also happens to be one of my favorites) I have Too Faced La Creme Lipstick in Bumbleberry.  It's formula is incredibly buttery and moisturizing and fades of evenly and naturally.  Bumbleberry is a deep "my lips but better" shade that I love for everyday.  Not to mention the sleek gold packaging feels very luxurious.  

Too Faced Bumbleberry

Best of the drugstore is easy!  Revlon Matte Balms have one of my favorite formulas; matte but not drying and extremelyyyyy pigmented.  Plus a lot of the colors in the Matte Balm line are dupes for popular MAC mattes as well.

Revlon Matte Balms (L) swatched next to popular MAC mattes.  More information here. 

4. Best MAC Lipstick?

Fabby is my most used color.  It's a mauve pink with pink frost- and a little transformer.  Put a nude colored gloss on it and it's the most beautiful neutral.  Put a pink toned gloss on it and you have a wearable light(ish) pink lip.  If you love the look of light pinks on others but aren't exactly comfortable wearing them yourself Fabby is definitely a shade you should look in to.  Perfect to live in your purse. 

Fabby swatched next to, then layered with Revlon Colorburst in Crystal Violet, taken from my Lip Duo Tag

5. The Most Disappointing?

For this category MJ chose the EOS lip balms, and I think I have to agree.  They're so cute and my favorite scents (Honey Dew and Sweet Mint) are always on my bedside table and in my bathroom but they aren't nearly as moisturizing as they could/ should be.  

6. Liner - Yes or No?

I love liner, but is it ideal for everyday? Probably not.  So as a general rule if I'm wearing a bold red, or deep berry color I will always have liner because it makes it more low maintenance and prevents the color from bleeding.  For more natural colors I usually skip the liner but do have a fav nude for those days when I want to take the extra step.  

7. Best gloss?

Yummmm, NYX Butterglosses, everybody's favorite gloss.  My favorite shade is Tiramisu (especially over Fabby)  I don't think theres anything I can say that hasn't already been said; they're buttery, soft, non-sticky, and affordable.  

8. Something extra!

Not everyday, not every week, but every so long my lips desperately need a good scrub!  I did invest in the Fresh Cosmetics sugar lip scrub but then did a little DIY science experiment and found that I could make a great one in my own kitchen.  So although I won't be repurchasing the Fresh one, I do enjoy using it in the meantime.  

Scrubbing and exfoliating your lips will remove any dead skin from the surface of your lips which will allow them to absorb moisture better, your lipstick to apply smoother and improve the overall condition of your lips.  Which we all need every once in a while!  If you're interested in my DIY pursuit you can read it here.  

Aaaand that's all I have to say! Thank you for reading, hopefully you learned something or discovered a great new product that you're curious to try now! Remember to bust out a bright pink or red lip this afternoon and celebrate National Lipstick day with a fun color choice!

If you're interested in doing this tag, please do so! I tag the following ladies and all of you as well:

Karen (KP Says)

Krystal (Little Beauty Bug)

Jasmine (Jasmine McRae)

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xoxo

The Girl Behind the Blog {Beauty Blogger Tag}

I've read quite a few "Beauty Blogger Tag"s and thought it was such a great idea as a blogger to introduce yourself better to your readers and for readers to get to know you a bit better behind the screen.  I've found a couple different variations all of which tagged the reader to participate if they were interested (yay for me!), but I couldn't decide which version I preferred... Problem solver that I am- I merged three and came up with a "customized" version.  

... The Girl Behind the Blog:

Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

Naturally I have a relaxed wave- but not the cute kind.  I usually throw it up in a "sockless" sock bun for school or run a straightener through it for 5 minutes if I don't have a lot of time to devote to styling.

Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

Ha. Haha. Woops.  Long story short is I had a very bad DIY experience which has made me vow never to box dye my hair again.  So yes and no; I used to but not any more.

Do you DIY mani/pedi or go to a salon?

Every once in a while I'll treat myself but for the most part I DIY at home.

Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?
All year round! Toe nails without polish just look so naked!

How long does it take for you to put on makeup?
For school? Maybe 5-15 minutes. 

A night out of special occasion? Any time between 15 and 40 minutes.

Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

Define full face.  My bare minimum is usually BB cream or a light foundation, bronzer, blush- I rarely skip mascara though!

Will you leave the house without makeup?

Not unless I am running extremely behind. 

What are your Top 5 beauty products?

Arg, as if I can pick five. Currently I would say:
MAC Mineralize Products (blushes and skin finishes)
MAC Lipsticks
Revlon ColorBurst Matte Lip Balms
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder aaaaand
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Fragrance

Name a beauty routine you barely do

Do fake eyelashes count as a beauty routine?

 
When going out somewhere do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not?

If I'm being honest, it depends how excited I am about where I'm going.  If I'm not into it, I'll put it off until the veryyyyyy last minute

How organized is your makeup and nail polish collection?

I'll admit my makeup and nail polish is not as organized as I would like it to be but this just has to do with the fact that I currently live in such a small apartment.  I have big plans for a vanity once I get a larger place and would love an Original Beauty Box.  They're beautiful, high qualify, large acrylic drawers that I would invest in in a heart beat, however I'm having a hard time justifying her $60 flat shipping rates to Canada.   

How often are you on Blogger? 
I check at least once a day!

How did you come up with your blog name?

I don't really know. It's so hard because when you're trying to start a blog it feels like every great idea you have was somebody else's first.  I wanted something short and sweet... Lipstick is my favorite beauty product thus The Love of Lipstick.

Do you read comments posted on your blog?
Yes, absolutely.  I read every single one and get excited that people have read/ taken the time to comment on something I have written.  I always try to reply to every comment and appreciate every bit of feedback that I recieve.

Why did you start blogging and how long have you been blogging for?

I would say I started blogging for a number of reasons.  First, would be my love for makeup and beauty and not really having an outlet for it- boring my boyfriend and roommate to death wasn't really doing it for me (or them) so getting involved with the beauty blogging community and interacting with people with similar interests seemed like something that I would really enjoy doing (also maybe a way to justify my beauty "budget").

Second, there are so many girls on YouTube that I love to watch and inspire me. I love what they do via vlogging and thought I would take some baby steps to get involved.

Lastly was my need for a hobby, something other than my studies or work for me to enjoy during the day. I'm a newbie blogger. I've been blogging for about 4 months now!

What is you favorite thing about blogging and being a Beauty Blogger?

Like I mentioned above, my favorite thing about blogging so far is having an outlet to share my passions and interests within a community of people who are genuinely interested in not only what I have to say but also very similar things.  I also love how much I learn from others.   

What kind of camera do you use for you photographs?
Some might kick me for this, although I have a Nikon DSLR I actually prefer to take photos for my blog using my iPhone or iPad.  It makes it so much easier to shoot, edit, and upload.


If you've been thinking about participating in a Beauty Blogger Tag I encourage you to do it! You're welcome to use my "mash up version" or take a look at one of the three I used for inspiration: Novarellie , Chloe's Way, and Beauty and Things.

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xoxo

Lip Duos! {Tag}

 A few weeks ago on Instagram I did my first ever photo challenge! It was created by @ahxo0209 and simply asks you to pick a different pair of lipgloss/ lipsticks everyday for a week! I loved that it challenged me to dig through my lipsticks to find/ rediscover some beautiful combos.

I thought it would be fun to do a recap and include swatches of each of my picks from the week as well as a swatch of them layered together! 

Day One: Nude

In the past I haven't been very comfortable with nude lips- but I finally found something that works with my olive skin tone.  MAC's Naked Bud is a lustre finish neutral that is easy and comfortable to wear.  MAC Nymphette layered on top gives it a pinkier- golden sheen.  Both of these swatches photographed a little oranger than they appear in person.  I consider them to be peach-y. 

Left to right: MAC Naked Bud, MAC Nymphette, both layered

This being said I usually prefer a darker nude! Revlon Sultry is a beautiful rosey- brown "my lips but better" color that when paired with NYX Tiramisu butter gloss (another perfect my lips but better color) creates an amazing day time color suitable for class, work, running errands, and everything else in between.  Tiramisu is one of those glosses that is just an all around star- it pairs well with almost every peach, pink, brown, and nude lip color in my collection.

Revlon Sultry, NYX Tiramisu, both layered

Day Two: Light Pink

Light pink is a little out of my comfort zone but this lip duo is perfection.  MAC Fabby has a frosted finish that the MAC website describes as a mauve. However, I feel like its a true golden- pink.  It's almost Nymphette in lipstick form (although that doesn't really translate in these photos).  I usually layer it with Revlon's Color Stay lipgloss is Crystal Lilac.  This color is so unique- a light pink with tiny purple micro shimmer within it that catches in the light.  

Mac Fabby, Revlon Crystal Lilac, layered

Day Three: Coral/ Orange

MAC Coral Bliss is one of my favorite lipsticks, it's the perfect balance between coral and pink.  For the purposes of my Instagram photos I paired it with my well loved Arbonne lipgloss in Posh, which pulls out the pink undertones.  But after I posted the photo I stumbled across my Maybelline Color Elixir Gloss in Breaktaking Apricot, which looks very pink when swatched alone however when layered with Coral Bliss they create a true coral color.

MAC Coral Bliss, Arbonne Posh, layered, Maybelline Breathtaking Apricot, layered with Coral Bliss

Day Four: Bright Pink

I included a lip swatch of MAC Pink Nouveau on my Instagram so I really felt like this Elizabeth Arden gloss deserved the spot light.  It brightens any lipstick and is gorgeous all on its own (which is not something I say about many glosses).

Elizabeth Arden Pink Pout

Day Five: Red

I talked about these two colors recently in my "Secret to Long Wearing Comfortable Red Lips" post so you won't be surprised about why I chose to include them in this tag. They're my favorites! Both are blue based reds. Rihanna's Viva Glam is frost finish and Viva Glam I is matte. 

MAC Rihanna Viva Glam, MAC Viva Glam I

Day Six: Purple/ Berry

Shameless is perfect on it's own.  It does tend to bleed so I usually line my lips with MAC Currant lipliner.  For the odd time I want to pair it with a gloss I found two options for two different looks.  Revlon's Sugar Violet isn't very pigmented on your lips therefore it gives a beautiful sparkle and shine without altering the color beneath it drastically.  My other gloss is Maybelline's Color Elixir Raspberry Rhapsody which lightens Shameless and pulls out fuchsia tones in the color.  

Revlon Shameless, Revlon Sugar Violet, layered, Maybelline Raspberry Rhapsody, layered with Shameless

Day Seven: Your Most Unique Color

Finally, my most unique color.  I love these matte lip crayons by Bite Beauty (I feel like I've said that about every product I've mentioned).  The shade Grape is a violet shade but in the right light or layered with the right lipstick or gloss is can be such a pretty pinky-purple.  I mentioned on Instagram that I don't usually pair this with a gloss- but if I were going to Sugar Violet plays with the pink undertones in Grape and adds a beautiful sparkle.

Bite Beauty Grape, Revlon Sugar Violet, layered

What are your favorite lip duos? Leave a comment down below or tag me on Instagram!
@theloveoflipstick

xoxo

The Liebster Award

Recently, I was nominated (3x !!) for the Liebster Award from bloggers from Natalie Simm at Big Society Girl, Jenna from Beautician Views, and Jen from Hello-Dreamer!  And while I was both flattered and excited I'm being honest when I say I also had no idea what it was... Oops.

So I tried out the ol' Google machine and this is what I learned:

The Liebster Award is an unofficial online award given to bloggers from bloggers who are new and have a following of under 200 people-ish (I definitely fit this category).  It's sort of in the form of a chain letter as you are nominated, then in turn nominate others.  Sounds kinda fun right?  It's a great way to network; be introduced to other bloggers and meet others as well. 

The "Rules"

Link the blogger(s) who nominated you.

Answer 11 questions written by said blogger.

Post 11 facts about yourself.

Nominate 5- 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers to accept the award next.

Here we go...

11 Facts: Get to Know Me A Bit Better

1. I live in Victoria, the beautiful capital of British Columbia, Canada where I attend University in order to become an elementary school teacher.
2. I have a pet fish named Charlotte who has been with me since I moved here (almost 2 years)
3. I've travelled internationally to Mexico (3x) and Europe (2x).  My most recent trip last summer took my roommate and I to London, Paris, and Barcelona for 3 weeks at the end of our summer.
4. I spent one short school year after graduation living off the Island (in the Okanagan) but returned quickly after.  I love the ocean.  
5. I spend a lot of time watching TV shows on Netflix or beauty vlogs on YouTube.  My recent addictions are Lost, Dragon's Den, and I just finished the 8 seasons of How I Met Your Mother that are available on Canadian Netflix.
6. I procrastinate in the worst ways (see #5), but as a result I seem to work well under pressure (silver lining?)
7. If I wasn't in the Education Program I would love to be a wedding planner or bridal consultant- involved in the wedding industry in any way really.  
8. I have one beautiful younger sister.
9. I collect Starbucks city mugs.  I buy them when I travel and family and friends now gift them to me as well... I have more mugs than any one person could ever need.
10. Speaking of Starbucks, I am most productive in busy coffee shop environments aaaaaand
11. I am a lover of country music !

Dying of happiness at EuroDisney

Since I was tagged by two lovely ladies I chose to do Natalie's questions (just because she was first):

What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever done?

Define outrageous.  I'm unsure how to even answer this question.

Are you a cat or dog person?

Cat probably but I could never say no to a puppy.

What’s your motivation behind your blog?

The motivation behind my blog was to connect with like minded people and share something I have a passion for- and honestly I never even imagined anyone would read my blog!  I chose to being blogging because I was so inspired by the girls I watched on YouTube but wasn't quite ready to go there.  I thought The Love of Lipstick would be a great way to dip my feet in and test the water.  I've been blogging for about a month now with no regrets. 

What’s your favourite app?

Oh AppWorld.  I would say my favorite app would be Instagram but if that's too easy then I would say Rookie, it's what I use to edit my photos before I post them.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

In five years time I see myself graduated with my teaching degree (hopefully) working in my own classroom but if not I'd be happy floating around on the TOC list for a while.  I will be a healthy, stable relationship ready to settle down but not necessarily start a family. 

Name your top 3 products you can’t live without.

Generally speaking: BB cream, blush, aaaaand mascara.

What’s your go to hairstyle?

My infamous sockless sock bun.  

What’s the most expensive item of clothing you own?

I don't know if it counts as clothing... but my large, black leather, Coach purse.  I'm kicking myself because I can't remember what line it's from but  I've been using it for a year and I absolutely adore it.  It's large enough to fit my computer or a textbook or two.

Quick tip: If you're interested in Coach handbags- subscribe to their email list! Quite regularly- about every few weeks- they send out a 25% off coupon which can be applied in store or online.  This is what I did and I got $100 off my purse.

Which subject during education has been the most interesting for you and why?

The most interesting? Probably Psychology 1100 in my first year and now the Ed. Psych course I'm currently enrolled in.  It's focus is on Leaner's and Learning Environments; how to motivate your students, different way children develop and learn, etc.  

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?

At this very moment I would die to be on a beach somewhere along the coast of Spain again. 

If money was no object, what kind of lifestyle would you have?

Right now in my early 20's I would travel a lot- let's say every two or three months and have a beautiful home to come home to.  And I'd eat really good organic food all the time.  Yum.

There you have it !  These are the beautiful little blogs I've chosen to nominate:

Everybeauty Talks  

Graceyblossom 

Lucy Jane 

The Girl Called Jay 

Laura Elizabeth 

Questions: 

1. What's your favorite season? And why.
2. Where do you consider "home"?
3. Salty or sweet?
4. If you had an extra hour in every day what would you do?
5. What is the last movie you watched in theatre?
6. What inspired you to start your blog and how long have you been blogging?
7. Where do you find your inspiration?
8. Do you wear toe nail polish all year round or just in the warmer months?
9. Are you a coffee drinker?
10. Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
11. Do you have a favorite genre of music?

If I've nominated you and you chose to participate please send me your link so I can read your response! Thanks again Natalie, Jenna, and Jen!

xoxo