Smooth it out

I was browsing through the nail care isle at my local CVS, when I noticed that Sally Hansen, my favorite nail care company, now makes lip glosses. Interesting. I debated with myself about whether it would be a good product (because their nail products are great), or a bad one (because they just recently moved into lip care). So, of course, I had to try it. I chose Sally Hansen Line Smoothing Mineral Lip Treatment in "Kunzite."

Now, I was not aware that lines on your lips were a problem, but apparently they are. Maybe this is because I never wear regular lipstick, so I've never noticed lines before. Or, maybe it's just because beauty companies like to convince us that normal things (like lip lines) are not normal and instead are a sign of...gasp...age.

That being said, I have to say that I actually like the gloss- sorry- mineral treatment. I did not notice any difference in any lines on my lips, but it did plump them a little. I just wish the company would have named the product what it actually is- a lip plumper. Nothing crazy like DuWop Lip Venom (a personal favorite), but a little. They did tingle slightly, and the taste is pretty good.

Now, maybe they were smart in naming it what they did, since most of us (especially myself) are all about the word "mineral" in our products. And truthfully, I probably did buy it because it said "mineral," but all in all, I'm pretty happy with it. At under $10, why not?

Set the foundation

I have tried just about every foundation out there. I used to use Neutrogena's SkinClearing Oil- Free makeup and swore by it. It is pretty light-weight and has salicylic acid to help fight blemishes. However, the coverage isn't so great and like all liquid foundations, it's feels pretty gross in the summer. Plus, with the salicylic acid, you have to be careful around the eye area.

Then last summer, on my first visit to Ulta (now one of my favorite stores), I discovered Pur Minerals' 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup. This stuff is amazing. I haven't been back to liquid foundations since. The coverage is great, but it doesn't feel heavy during the summer. And, since it's a powder rather than a liquid, it's less clogging to your pores. And you really can control the amount of coverage. The foundation can be used as a concealer, and since it's a powder, there's no need for a separate powder...or a sunscreen for that matter- it's SPF 30. I love it so much I've been pushing my friends to get it.

Another great foundation is Philosophy's the Supernatural. It's also a powder/mineral foundation, but unlike Pur, is loose powder. In that it's loose powder, it does sometimes leak from the container, which is unfortunate, because the applicator would be great if it wasn't for that one small flaw. Other than that, it gives great coverage, and like Pur, there's no need to use those annoying pressed powder compacts. I'm loving the extra space in my makeup bag. My only problem with it is that it's all-or nothing. Unlike Pur, which you can either use for light coverage or, by just applying a little more, go for full coverage, and use as a concealer, the Supernatural does not have those options. There's no 'light' coverage about it. But other than that, I would definitely recommend it.

Lipgloss Maven

As most of my friends can tell you, I am a lip gloss fanatic. At any given time, you can look into my purse and find at least half a dozen different lip glosses. Probably closer to a dozen. It's really hard to pick favorites, but I do have a few that stand out in my mind:

Urban Decay XXX Shine Gloss
This one's great, but be careful with the application. It is uber-shiny, so you need very little- that is, unless you want your lips to look like a solar panel. My favorite color is 'Quickie,' a hot pink. Have no fear about the colors- most of the brighter ones are sheer, so even the brightest only adds a small amount of color.

Estee Lauder Pure Pops
For some reason, these are not on Estee Lauder's site, so please excuse the amazon link. All of the flavors are delicious, but I've been on a peppermint kick lately, so right now the peppermint flavor is my favorite. The 'Blush On Color' is cool, and I like having an applicator brush attached to the tube, but I will warn you- the cap comes off very easily, and after tossing around in your purse, the brush gets very gross. All in all, though, a great product.

Borghese B Gloss Lip Gloss
Now, I had never heard about this company, but I always enter the monthly drawings on Luckymag.com. This was the first time I won anything and received a bag full of Borghese makeup and skin products (which I will definitely be reviewing soon). In the bag was a lip gloss (as if I need any more of those). Lo and behold, I'm a convert now. I love the stuff. It has just the right amount of shine, but without getting that solar-panel effect I warned you about with the Urban Decay. It also tastes great, and is one of the few lip glosses in my purse that don't go on sticky. I highly recommend it.