Themommykelly is an almost-forty glamor mama to two girls under
four living and loving life on the Gold Coast of Connecticut. Fueled by
her passion for writing, she blogs on her website takenwithagrainofsalt.com
to stay sane.
Already involved in helping to run her hubby’s home
improvement contracting business from home, she is in the process of
gestating baby number three and preparing to launch of her own design
site this fall. Ever interested in beauty, she hopes to provide her
customers with simple luxury in the form of elegantly
personalized announcements, cards, invites, digital graphics and
website customization.
I’ve always been a fix it and forget it kind of woman. “Do it once, do it right” is my motto, and I am not one to abandon that rule when it comes to my daily makeup routine. For a woman who absolutely refuses to step out the door without her face on, and a stay-at-home/work-from-home mama of two girls under four (three in August) who often applies makeup even when she has no intention of leaving the house at all, I can never seem to find more than five to ten minutes to get my glam going. So for me, quick, easy and lasting are a must.
In my opinion, however, the need to rush is by no means an excuse to skimp. A face is simply not complete without the powerful pop of that luscious crowning glory: one’s pout! As a woman who loves to pout almost as much as she loves to smile, I’ve spent a lot of time and money over the years searching for the best lip loving lacquers with which to color my kissable.
Now while others are content to apply and reapply lipstick throughout their day, I am not. I have wasted dollars on numerous tubes of colors only to find that none were as “long-lasting” as promised. Then one day, not too many years ago, I discovered the beauty of lip stain. Oh, joy to my heart and my pout!
Lip stain has been the perfect solution. Apply it once and forget about it. It’ll be there throughout the day even if you might have to reapply for your nights. Oh yes, this IS something to get excited about. With or without lip liner or gloss to seal the deal, lip stain has proven the best lip color, hands down, in my duration tests. Here are two of my favorites.
LORAC Co-Stars, while technically not sold as a lip stain, probably should be. The color is comfortable, non-drying, and forever flattering with or without its glossy companion. Somewhat on the pricey side, it is well worth the cost. One tube of this creamy color will keep your lips in fashion for months, even with daily application.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that these hues actually stayed on once applied and that there wasn’t often a need to reapply them at all. Of course, I did find some special moments for which to primp and apply another generous coat, which always went on as smoothly as the first. The Co-Stars are just a tad too creamy to do double time as a lip liner, so you’ll want to find a liner to coordinate with your shade. But overall, for a first time lip stain wearer/lipstick convert, Lorac Co-Stars does the job far better than any lipstick I’ve ever used.
My current favorite in the world of lip stain is Vincent Longo’s Lip & Cheek Gel Stain
These fabulous colors-for-keeps are lip stain in the proper sense of the word and not for the timid. Purely liquid pigment (I’m not sure why they call them gel), they glide on with ease, and a little goes along way. I’ve been using a tube of Longo Lip Stain for months now and I haven’t even begun to put a dent in it.
The liquid consistency allows them to be applied with great precision, so they can also be used as a lip liner. I usually begin by outlining and then carefully filling in the rest of my lips with dabs and sweeps, being sure to get the most coverage and giving the color a few seconds to absorb and dry. Sometimes I follow with a gloss. Most of the time, I do not. Sans-gloss can be a tiny bit drying, although not as much as other stains I have tried.
With Longo stains, I can boast fabulous long-lasting coverage and layerability without alcohol-chapped lips. I must admit that I’ve not been brave enough to try Longo on my cheeks, but the manufacturer suggests that they can be used as a blush. If you are ready to move on to unmovable lip color, Longo’s Lip & Cheek Gel Stain is for you.
Fortunately, both the Lorac and Longo lines are available at your favorite cosmetics corner, Sephora, where you can try them both, compare, and decide for yourself.
Colorful kisses from this lip-stain lovin’ Mama,
themommykelly
Don’t forget the Blog Your Face carnival going on now, right here at Chic Critique!
About Jo-Lynne