lipstick – The Sol Compass

November Lipsticks

(Bite Beauty ‘Fig’, NARS ‘Catfight’, MAC ‘Kinda Sexy’, Urban Decay ‘Barfly’)

Hey guys! I know it’s been a while since I shared some beauty products with you guys, so today I thought I would post my four favorite lipsticks this month.

Bite Beauty ‘Fig’ This rosy nude shade is unbelievably hydrating, as I’ve come to expect from Bite Beauty products. It’s incredibly pigmented-just one swipe gave a perfectly even satin lip color.

NARS ‘Catfight’ ‘Catfight’ is a semi-matte mauve color that retains a bit of a sheen on your lips. Since it’s a nude mauve, ‘Catfight’ is a great way to bring some color into your look without being overpowering.

MAC ‘Kinda Sexy’ ‘Kinda Sexy’ is a warm nude that has slight coral tones in it. This is the perfect subtle shade to add that effortless je ne sais quoi to pull literally any makeup look together without looking too try hard. (Kinda Sexy is the perfect name for this shade).

Urban Decay ‘Barfly’ This peachy nude is loaded with nourishing oils which help the creamy, buttery formula glide on with ease. The cream finish is hands down my favorite of the six new Vice finishes and they are packed with pigment and deliver a really rich payoff.

Bite Lush Lip Wipes Between shots, I used these wipes to take off my makeup. They’re formulated specifically for your lips and infused with melon fruit for hydration. Since Bite Beauty is focused on using natural ingredients, you don’t have to worry about accidentally ingesting any chemicals from using them on your lips.

(To keep the rest of my makeup simple and let the lipstick do the talking, I created this soft pink eye look with the Anastasia Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette. I used the shade Buon Fresco for my crease and lower lash line, Tempera to highlight my brow bone, and Vermeer on my lid and inner corner).

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!

xo, C

July Beauty Haul

Hi everyone! Welcome back. I feel like I haven’t blogged in so long, when in reality it’s only been a week since my last post. Unfortunately my laptop hasn’t been working, so my outfit photos are MIA this week-but I’m praying to the Apple Geniuses that they’re able to fix it when I bring it in tonight!

In the interim, I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of my recent beauty purchases. My sister Michaela will attest to the fact that I am definitely not the first to jump on indie beauty brands or celebrity trends-in fact, I am usually the last. Most of this has to do with the fact that I like products to be tested by pretty much everyone under the sun before I’m willing to put it on my face. With that, I usually do an extensive amount of research before buying beauty products and am reasonably confident that I will like them before I even try them, and so far these ones have not disappointed.

These amazing sticks are the only item in this haul that you can’t find at Sephora. If you live in Boston you can find W3ll People at the amazing and reliable Follain, and if you don’t you can find them online and at Target! I first heard about W3ll People from one of my favorite bloggers, Grace Atwood, whose opinion on beauty products I always trust (I may be biased because we went to the same college, but alas). I had kept them on my radar for a while before I finally pulled the trigger but oh my goodness. I can’t believe I didn’t have these in my life earlier. The sticks are so fun and easy to use, they make contouring and concealing an absolute breeze. This all natural brand’s motto is “Hippie Tested, Diva Approved” and there may be no greater beauty sentence ever said.

The reason I went to Sephora in the first place was to pick up the coveted Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette. It’s true that I’m a sucker for a good limited edition (hello, Gwen Stefani and Ellie Goulding collabs), but this one is definitely worth the hype. The colors are just unbelievably versatile, the packaging is so glamorous, and you really can’t argue with getting two highlighters and three blushes for only $52. To get such beautiful shades created by Jaclyn Hill combined with the luxurious Becca formulas is totally worth it. (The palette is sold out online, but you can use the store locator to find one near you!)

As I mentioned in my lip products post, I am always on the hunt for new lipsticks and glosses to try. I don’t really change much in my makeup routine on a daily basis, so different lip products are sort of my way of experimenting and changing up a look. Since Anastasia Beverly Hills has been having so much success and hype amongst experts, aficionados, and newbies alike; I figured I couldn’t go wrong with one of these lip glosses. My shade of choice was Dainty-a soft peach hue that is just beautiful paired with tan summer skin. Urban Decay never lets me down, so I also picked up two pretty pink lipsticks from their new Vice collection. These shades are ‘Native’ and ‘Weirdo’, and it’s actually kind of embarrassing how similar they are. But when they make such a smooth and creamy lipstick, what else do you expect me to do?!

Korean cosmetic brands are receiving their fair share of hype these days, so when I stumbled across one that had two products I desperately needed I didn’t think twice. Too Cool For School is a self processed “rule breaking” beauty brand full of fun and artistic packaging of makeup and skincare products. During the summer I desperately need transportable blotting papers that leave my makeup intact after running to catch a subway or getting into my hotbox of a car when it’s 95 degrees outside. This adorable Dinoplatz case fit the bill perfectly and so far has not disappointed my skin, my makeup, or my wallet. Next up, I have been dying to get my hands on some makeup-remover-infused-cotton swabs to touch up pesky mascara that forces its way onto my carefully blended eye shadow, and this ready-to-travel case is the perfect answer to my prayers.

Thank you all so much for stopping by! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

xo, C

Spring Makeup Updates

Happy Friday! I hope you all had an awesome Cinco de Mayo yesterday! I know Cinco de Mayo isn’t one of the blockbuster holidays in Mexico, but I’m down to celebrate anything that commemorates the underdog while allowing me to consume copious amounts of tacos.

While spring wardrobe updates are obvious (and required), something I think about less is updating my makeup routine. By the time the weather starts to change I desperately need a change though. Whether it’s adding a coral lip or bright warm toned nail polishes, here’s a quick roundup of some of my latest beauty buys!

I usually stick with nude and pink nail polishes, but all this gray weather has gotten me into a major slump, and I needed to shake things up and some unconventional nail polishes seemed like the perfect way to do that! The nail salon I go to uses OPI hand lotion and it is the bomb.com. I love these mini versions that are perfect to keep in your purse or car! Winter wreaks absolute havoc on my skin, so I’m constantly putting on lotion and OPI is one of my favorites.

Nail Polishes: OPI Got Myself into a Jam-balaya, OPI Purple Palazzo Pants, OPI I Cannoli Wear OPI, OPI Hand Lotion Set

95% of the time, I’m wearing either Burt’s Bees lip balm or a pale pink on my lips (a la these ones from the Lip Product Lineup). But spring does weird things to me and I suddenly felt much more adventurous then I usually do with my lip makeup. I ordered Caitlyn Jenner’s ‘Finally Free’ from MAC (100% of the proceeds are going to the MAC AIDS Fund Transgender Initiative), and the rosey nude mauve color is so universally flattering I think everyone needs this in their makeup bag!

On one of my weekly Ulta trips, I went on the hunt for a coral color to liven up my spring wardrobe, and saw that the Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks were 50% off this month. Without hesitation I scooped up the Sheer Streak and am loving the result-the sheerness makes the coral slightly more palatable than the conventional hue!

Lastly, old habits die hard, and I couldn’t resist adding another pink lipgloss to the repertoire. You’ll find this Naked ‘Liar’ shade nestled in my purse right between the old reliables.

Lip Products: Naked ‘Liar’ lipgloss by Urban Decay, ‘Finally Free’ lipstick by MAC, Sheer ‘Streak’ Revolution lipstick by Urban Decay (50% off this month!)

I am by no means a mask expert. I’ve only started recently using them because my tired skin needs some extra love. As someone who isn’t super willing to drop half of my paycheck on makeup and skincare products, these Sephora masks are the perfect price and do a great job of giving my face the extra boost that it needs. Between the harsh dry winter and just overall lack of sleep, I find that there is a mask solution for pretty much everything! I’ve been loving alternating them and seeing the magic come to life!

Masks: Sephora

Face Products: bareMinerals ‘Complexion Rescue’ in Opal | W3LL PEOPLE Contour Kit (also available here)

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!

xo, C

Lip Product Lineup

I am extremely (sometimes irrationally) picky about lip products. I am constantly applying lip balm, so I have to really love a lip product to be willing to give up the Burt’s Bees for an hour or two (seriously, it’s a problem). Luckily for you all, this means that I have found la crème de la crème of lip products over the years and today I will be sharing those products with you! It may seem like there are a lot, but it’s nothing compared to how many I’ve tried and disliked!

Leading off, we have the MAC x Ellie Goulding collab. I fell in love with it before I even saw it in person. For starters, I love Ellie Goulding (her voice is electric and her personality magnetic), but more importantly we have similar skin coloring so I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about color matching too much. The colors are all colors people actually wear in real life, which is what really sealed the deal for me. I’m not a fan of purple lipstick or green eyeliner or some of the crazy celeb collaborations MAC has produced in the past (looking at you, Ariana Grande), so makeup that works for every day use is a home run in my book. The attention to detail that was paid in this collection (down to the logo embossed lipstick) is something I can greatly appreciate. I picked up these three pink shades at Nordstrom, but I also loved the golden shimmer of the Explosion lipgloss that I tried (the store was out, so I had to order it online. Yep, tester was THAT GOOD). Timeout: I desperately wanted to try the Halcyon Days/Halcyon Nights palettes, but I had just loaded up on eyeshadow before the holiday season and, ya know, money. So if anyone wants to bring back a full report on those that would be swell!

Lipstick: Without Your Love | Lip Crayon: Innocent | Plushglass: Goodness Gracious

(I linked to Nordstrom, since I love their easy navigation and free shipping, but you can shop the collaboration at MAC and Macy’s, too!)

On deck, we have my reliable every day lip glosses: NARS’ Turkish Delight and Bobbi Brown’s Petal. You can find one of these in my purse (or car) at any given time. Any lipgloss that’s in contention for daily use with me has to be light pink, not sticky, and have just the right amount of shine. I love these two formulas, and the colors are perfect for every day use.

NARS lipgloss: Turkish Delight | Bobbi Brown lipgloss: Petal

In the hole, Spice Spice Baby. This Too Faced lipstick comes recommended by my friend Kelsey (she’s an aesthetician and I treat her recommendations like gold), and it came recommended to her by one of our friends who works at Ulta. So yeah- it’s kind of a big deal. The creamy and rich formula cannot be beat. It’s so hydrating that I don’t even miss my lip balm when I wear it! A lot of the colors are too rich for my personal every day taste, but there are quite a few pinky and nude ones I have not yet tried, and Spice Spice Baby is universally flattering. Or so I’ve been told, I haven’t accosted random pedestrians on the street to test that theory. Yet. Stay tuned.

Lipstick: Spice Spice Baby (also available at Sephora)

(I have officially run out of baseball expressions).

After spending a bit too much money at the MET Bar, my friend Amanda and I spent a rainy day at the mall googling MAC dupes for Jenner-worthy lips. Our favorite result was NYX Ever lipliner and NYX Tiramisu butter gloss. It’s possibly the darkest I’ve ever had my lips while still liking the results! You can sort of see how they look in this post. My sister also loves the NYX butter gloss in Crème Brûlée! It’s a really soothing and creamy formula that’s perfect for every day, and you can’t beat the price.

Lipliner: NYX Ever | Lipgloss: NYX Tiramisu

The last batter in today’s lineup is this little Buxom rockstar. Also highly recommended to me by a friend, it acts like a balm, liner, and lipstick all in one. All my friend needed to do was tell me it was owned by bareMinerals (though sold exclusively at Sephora) to get me on board instantly (bareMinerals addiction last expressed here and here). This stick is crazy hydrating, and I love how it looks like a lipstick but has the precision of a liner- especially useful with someone with inferior makeup application skills like myself! I’m dying to try Amsterdam and Bombay next!

Lipstick: Buxom Dolly

Do any of you use these products? Are there any that I need to add into the cycle? Sound off in the comment section!

Thanks so much for reading!

xo, C