Enter to win a MAC Lipstick in Hibiscus from the Summer 2011 Limited Edition Surf, Baby! Collection

This coral shade of lipstick is sold out on the MAC web site, but you can win it from Great Lashing. To enter you must complete one of the following:

1. Follow Great Lashing via Google Friend Connect and leave a comment on 2 separate blog posts. If you are already following, simply leave 2 comments.
2. Send Jen Monopoli (jenmonopoli@gmail.com) a friend request on Facebook and, once you've been accepted, share 2 Great Lashing blog posts to your wall. If you're already my friend on FB, simply share 2 posts to your wall.

Terms and Conditions:

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Only legal residents of the US age eighteen (18) or older are eligible to win. No family members or personal friends (you know who you are!) of Jen Monopoli are eligible.
2. Deadline to enter is Monday, July 11, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.
3. A maximum of two (2) entries per person is allowed—one by each method of entry. Comments made to blog posts must be deemed relevant and appropriate by Jen Monopoli.
4. 1 winner will be chosen at random within 48 hours of the close of the contest. Winner will be announced at greatlashing.blogspot.com and notified by Jen Monopoli via Gmail or Facebook message.
5. Prize is non-transferable. No substitutions or cash redemptions. Other conditions and restrictions apply.  

My Mini-Haul from Fruits & Passion

I made a stop at Fruits & Passion while I was at the mall today.

I picked up 3 items on clearance and managed to get a $5 non-clearance mini shower gel free due to a current promotion. I don't know the details, but the receipt says “Discount Code: #TRAVEL” under the shower gel. Great mini-haul for just $4.40 plus sales tax!!

Here's what I got:

• Travel size Volume Shampoo
• 2 Polyester Reusable Shopping Bags
• Travel Size Blackberry & Musk Shower Gel
  
  
  

My Haul from the Bath & Body Works Hello, Yellow Sale

I made a trip to the Natick (Massachusetts) Mall today and hit the Bath & Body Works semi-annual clearance sale. Admittedly I was a little late to the party (the sale is almost over), so I wasn't able to get the 2 strawberry scented items I'd pre-shopped on their website. But I got 2 other strawberry items and I'm extremely happy with my haul.


Here's what I got for a total of $10.87 plus sales tax:

• Hand soaps in 2 scents: Fresh Picked Strawberries & Vanilla Pistachio
• 2 cherry-gingham print nail files (just 25 cents each)
• 2 Red Berry Metal Candle Sleeves—the strawberry & cherry pattern is adorable!
• Summer Vanillas Shower Gel in Berry scent
• Mini Slatkin & Co candle in Fresh Picked Cherries

Bubble Gum Makeup

One more day of “National Candy Month!” It's been a while since I bought bubble gum, and I was surprised that the color is not quite the true pink I remember—it's pink, but on the coral side.

The three brands of bubble gum from top to bottom are:

• Bubble Yum Original
• Bubblicious Bursts
• Original Bazooka
  
  
  
  
  
  The matching shades I found are:
  • Sinful Colors Nail Enamel in 314 Beautiful Girl
  • Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gloss in 955 Coral Glow
  • NYC Ultra Last Lipwear Lipstick in 409 Fragile Pink
  • Top blush is Maybelline Dream Mousse in 20 Peach Satin
  • Bottom blush is Nars O (yes, I abbreviated the shade name—this is a G-rated site!)
  
  
  
  

Discontinued Hall of Fame: Maybelline Wet Shine

Before Maybelline's current lipstick/lipgloss hybrid (Color Sensational), there was Wet Shine. The lipsticks were sheer and glossy with a brilliant color selection. The nail colors were fun, youthful and funky. Both the lip and nail palettes had amped-up versions in the Wet Shine Diamonds line, and the seasonal colors were divine. Maybelline deserves a lashing for discontinuing this great collection.

I was especially fond of the lipstick shade Berry Wet, but as you can see from this picture of my remaining stockpile, I had other favorites as well.

Nail Colors from left: Burgundy Brocade, Golden Flamingo, Heirloom Red, Bubble Bath, Sparkling Champagne

Lipsticks from left: Loveshack, Brilliant Amethyst, Watermelon, Bee Stung, Berry Wet, Wine Shine, Strawberry Ice, Eternal Flame

Candy Makeup: Starburst Royal Berry Punch

This flavor is actually a very pretty shade, somewhere between lavender and pink. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted it for my next manicure. I found a sweet iridescent match in Sinful Colors.

Shades

• Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain in 05 In the Buff
• Sinful Colors Nail Enamel in 858 You Just Wait

Candy Makeup: Starburst Fruit Punch

There are four more days of “National Candy Month” left and I plan to celebrate with more candy/makeup matching! Here are the shades I found for this punchy red:

• Confetti Long Wearing Nail Color in 047 Last Dance
• 
  Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain in 75 Cherry Pop

Discontinued Hall of Fame: Revlon Shine Control Mattifying Foundation

It's been well over five years since Revlon discontinued this gem. My sister and I stockpiled it as if it were liquid gold, and we've never found a replacement. It had a thin, liquid texture that applied like a dream and didn't dry too quickly to blend. Once applied, it stayed put and controlled shine all day. Not to mention it was fragrance-free and ridiculously cheap (about $7). What was Revlon thinking!?

Blockbuster Makeup: What's Hot Now

What's trending right now?  Here are the current #1 selling makeup items as reported by 5 different web sites:

OPI Black Shatter Nail Lacquer ($5.30) - amazon.com

dandelion brightening face powder ($28) - benefitcosmetics.com

e.l.f. Studio Endless Eyes Pro Eyeshadow Palette ($10) - eyeslipsface.com

Amazonian clay 12-hour blush ($25) - tartecosmetics.com

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation ($25) - sephora.com

Strawberry Fever

It's strawberry season and I'm craving strawberry scented products! Here are my picks:

• Slatkin & Co. Strawberry Patch wallflower (on clearance at Bath & Body Works right now!)
• Tarte Cheek Stain in Dollface (strawberries & cream scented)
• The Body Shop Strawberry Shower Gel
• Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm
• C.O. Bigelow Organics Moisturizing Lip Shine in Strawberries & Cream
• Bath & Body Works Strawberry Lemonade Body Splash (also on clearance right now!)

Summer Palette: Under the Sea

Teals, aquas and bright blues are ideal for summer—they're the perfect complement to tan and bronzed skin. Here are some beautiful examples. The color swatches, from top to bottom, are:

• Maybelline Express Finish Nail Color in 899 Timely Turquoise
• Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in 25 Lime Lights
• Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color in 02 Blu
• Maybelline Eye Studio Marbleized Eye Shadow in 50 Tantalizing Teal
• Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Royal Blue
• Revlon Grow Luscious Lash Liner in Emerald
  
  
  

Pretty in Pink for National Pink Day

June 23^rd is National Pink Day and I've chosen 5 pretty pinks to celebrate. The color swatches, from top to bottom, are:

• Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color in 06 Digital
• N.Y.C. In a New York Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish in 242 Uptown
• N.Y.C. Lip Stain in 490 Persistent Pink
• Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstain in 45 Bitten Berry
• Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in 10 Pink Frosting

Candy Makeup: Cherry Starburst

Shades

• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 860 Rosette
• N.Y.C. Long Wearing Nail Enamel in 130 Classic Coral Creme

Hard-to-Find: Gel Blushes

Just a few years ago there was a wide variety of brands and shades of gel blushes to choose from. For some reason they've disappeared from shelves en masse. Brands that have discontinued them include:

• Clinique
• L'Oreal
• Philosophy
• Stila
• MAC

I favor gel blushes, particularly the shimmer-free type in squeeze-tube containers, because I think the texture provides a more natural look than other forms such as powders and creams. Also they're not sticky like some cheek stains (Stila, Tarte).

If you're a gel blush fan like me there are still a few options. Origins offers three shades; Bonne Bell offers eight shades (some with shimmer) on their web site but not in US stores. 

Candy Makeup: Strawberry Starburst

My food-matching frenzy continues. Here's the first entry in my Candy Makeup category.

Shades

• Bonne Belle Blush 'n Glo in Petal Pink
• Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Camelia

Same Old Product/New Name: Maybelline Line Stiletto Liquid Eyeliner

As a makeup historian I keep a large collection of vintage beauty magazines, and I've noticed two previous incarnations of this marker-type eyeliner. A 90's version was called Eye Express Easy Lining Pen. In the 80's it was called Perfect Pen Eyeliner. Of course this is common practice for makeup lines, it's just fun to call them out on it. Maybelline, could you at least bring back that blue shade you had in the 80's?

1998 Print Ad

Bring back the blue!

1987 Print Ad

Nail of the Week: Surf's Up

For this metallic striped pattern I used three shades from the Sally Hansen Hi-Definition collection:

• Hi-Def (Green)
• Pixel Pretty (Aqua)
• Blu (Blue)

Many thanks to my gracious and patient hand model Aryana!

Summer Fruit Makeup: Strawberry

Shades

• N.Y.C. Lip Sliders Tinted Lip Balm in #512A Sugar Baby
• Maybelline Express Finish Nail Color in Racy Red
• Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Red Revival

Summer Fruit Makeup: Raspberry

Still looking for a matching lip color. Suggestions welcome!

Shades

• Revlon Nail Enamel in Raven Red
• Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Natural Beauty

Summer Fruit Makeup: Blackberry

Shades

• Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in #410 Purple Rain (another close match is Wet n Wild Nail Color in 417F Eggplant Frost)
• N.Y.C. Lip Stain in Forever Mine Wine

Nail of the Week: Bouquet of Nails

This floral look was inspired by a print ad from the April 2011 issue of Lucky.

Shades are:

• Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color in Hi-Def
• Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in Sugar Plum
• Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps Acrylic Gel in Heartbeat Creme

Popsicle Makeup 3: Grape

The grape flavored color is not as vibrant as cherry and orange, but these matching goth-like purples are great for any season! Note: I've updated my original nail color shade (OPI Nail Lacquer in Yes...i Can Can!) with what looks to be a better match.

• N.Y.C. Lip Sliders Tinted Lip Balm in #514A Sugar Rush
• Wet N Wild Megalast Nail Color in #217 Disturbia
  
  

Popsicle Makeup 2: Orange

So far I've only found one shade to match the orange Popsicle: Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Color in #405 Sunny Side Up

Meanwhile I'm still looking for a sheer lipstick and/or gloss—suggestions welcome!

Popsicle Makeup: Cherry

For a fun summer look I've matched makeup shades to different Popsicle flavors. Here are my results for cherry flavor:

• Milani Neon Nail Lacquer in Techno Red
• N.Y.C. Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss in Red Hot

This Brand is History: Skinmarket

This store was a beauty playground aimed at the teen-to-twentysomething market. Fans of the store remember it for the lounge-like interior (the founder was inspired by his teenage stepdaughter's bedroom), the low-pressure sales environment and the unique makeup and skincare products. Their line included black-light-sensitive makeup, a holographic lip gloss called Lip Lava and an extensive selection of exotic nail polish shades. They also carried a small selection of boutique brands including DuWop. The first store opened on the West Coast in 1999. Over the next two years they expanded into malls across the country, then suddenly closed all 33 stores in 2002.

I believe Skinmarket had a great concept and they probably would have thrived if not for the post 9/11 economic downturn that claimed so many great chains and brands. I would love to see Sephora open a spinoff chain that caters to their younger shoppers, looking at Skinmarket as a model. Other chains have successfully achieved the youth-market spinoff including Crate & Barrel (CB2) and The Limited (Justice—originally called Limited Too). Since Sephora is a biblical name, it would be fitting for their spinoff to have one as well. Any suggestions?

Hard-to-Find: Magnetic Nail Polishes

Okay, the novelty of shatter & crackle nail polishes has worn off, bring on the magnetic nail polishes already. L'Oreal's Star Polishes were gorgeous, but the line was never sold in the US. Their sister company Lancome also made some, but only one measly shade was sold in the US, limited edition to boot. Now some Ulta stores are carrying an Essence collection but they (as well as the sold-separately magnet) are selling out quickly. Comments welcome—please let me know when and where you've spotted these—any brand—in US stores. 

This Brand is History: Revlon Street Wear

Revlon's answer to Urban Decay was sold in US drugstores from 1996 until the early 2000's. Fortunately I still have a few items in my stash, including this nail polish in the shade Blood, an awesome deep goth-like red with a sheer jelly finish.

Discontinued Hall of Fame: Caboodles Eye Shadow in Smooth

Caboodles' short-lived makeup line included this gem of an eye shadow. Smooth was an affordable dupe of Shu Uemura's legendary (and pricey) shade ME Silver 945 which, by an unfortunate coincidence, is also discontinued.

Discontinued Hall of Fame: Jane Eye Shadows in Twilight Zone and Magical Mushroom

Jane Cosmetics has survived three owners including Estee Lauder and Sassaby. Each change of ownership involved a major revamping. Many of the line's cult favorites have fallen by the wayside, including these two shades of eye shadow.  Twilight Zone was a dark green with an olive-gold shimmer.  Magical Mushroom was a shimmery golden brown with a touch of olive.

Old Skool: Four Decades of Lip Smacking

Bonne Bell introduced Lip Smackers in 1973 which means this product has been on the market for nearly 40 years.  Early flavor names included "Sugar Plum", "Root Beer Soda" and "Orange Pop".


Vintage Lip Smacker Circa 1980's

You can still buy some of the same beauty products your Mom and Nana used!  Stay tuned for more Old Skool classics.

Hard-to-Find: Tokidoki Gelato Lip Balm Stain in Donutella

Donutella swatch

This sheer melon shade has been sold out for months at my local Sephora stores as well as their web site. And Sephora is the only US store that carries this brand. Toki did an hour segment on QVC recently but the Gelatos didn't make an appearance. Here's hoping I can score this sweet shade before the summer is over....