New Fall Lipsticks

Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons, and this year is extra special because we're finally back "home" in DC. I love to usher in the the colder months with a new lip, and with several new launches this year I couldn't pick just one.

The Nude Gloss

Big surprise, this is my favorite.  The gorgeous gloss from Bluemercury CEO Marla Beck's new makeup line Lune+Aster is creamy, offers great coverage, and is not sticky or goopy at all.

These glosses are good for you and for the environment, and come with empowering titles like CEO and Soccer Mom - I chose the shade PhD.

The Fancy One

Pat McGrath is one of the greatest makeup artists of all time, and I was so excited to get my hands on one of her launches.

Sorry, it's not a great picture of the product...let's talk about the fact that the lipstick comes in a package of PINK SEQUINS. The lipstick is pretty exciting, too. I purchased the color Flesh 1, and even though it's matte, it slides on beautifully and has a satin finish - it's also long-wearing.

Subtle Pop of Color

Many a beauty editor raved about the new Yves Saint Laurent Vynyl Cream, and the color 404 Nude Pulse is lovely.

It's not nude in the sense that it makes your lips look like your skin, but it's very neutral while still adding a pop of color. This is super long-wearing, and has a velvet consistency that lies somewhere between lipstick and lip gloss. Definitely worth the splurge.

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With the exception of the Lune+Aster gloss, I usually apply a lip liner for definition and contour but wanted to show these lipsticks in their natural state.

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Earned It

While I am not affiliated with or sponsored by any of the beauty products I feature, I do receive a professional makeup artist discount on several of my favorite brands. There are a few items that I've found, though, on which I do not get a discount, and they are worth every penny.  And they cost a lot of pennies.  For me, the La Mer The Treatment Fluid Foundation, the YSL Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual Lipstick SPF 15, and the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum are are game-changers, and I'm so excited to share why I think they've earned their price tags.

La Mer The Treatment Foundation

At $85, one would expect this to be a miracle product.  It is...IF it's right for your skin.

Before you get mad at me, remember that the best foundations out there - the ones you continuously hear about being used on red carpets (like Armani Luminous Silk) - are very sheer.  Real talk?  If you want everything on your skin covered up, you must use a full-coverage foundation, and it will be very noticeable.  I always say that there's no such thing as good makeup without good skin, and if you want the best skin you can have, you MUST drink lots of water, keep sugar/dairy (which is sugar)/processed foods at a minimum, and have a proper skin care routine.  It's science.  Some people will have better skin than you, but some will have worse skin than you.  Embrace what you have because no amount of makeup will make wrinkles/pimples/dullness/uneven skin go away.  Only caring for your skin and a healthy diet will do that.

Also (and if you're still with me...thanks), this product needs swatched in person because the shade range is very limited and has yellow undertones.  But that's why it works for me - I have a hard time finding a *perfect* match since my skin has so much yellow in it.

I can justify this purchase because not only it is perfect match, but the stuff that directly touches your skin is the best area to spend your dollars.  If this sounds like it would work for you, know that it is the perfect lightweight, long-wearing foundation for every day wear that positively makes skin  G L O W  while protecting it with lots of good-for-you ingredients and SPF 15.  Just 1/2 of a pump covers my whole face and somehow transforms my skin into a bright, alive, awake base for the rest of my makeup (which you can see here and in the photo below - and remember that I'm still recovering from surgery where my skin really took a hit).  This is also an excellent product for mature skin as it is so light and hydrating that it won't settle into creases.

I've used it for five years, and it's still my favorite.

YSL Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual Lipstick SPF 15

This one took me a while to buy.  Years.  Because I absolutely could not justify the $37 price tag.  After reading and hearing and seeing so many success stories, I bit the bullet (no pun intended) and purchased this in the color 1 Nude Beige.  And after the first swipe, I sent one my BFFs a text talking about how life-changing this was. This color is magic.

At first glance, I was worried that I'd run out of product pretty quickly, but it is so pigmented that a quick swipe is all I needed for the next several hours.  I'm not going to claim this is super long-wearing - if you have lunch, it will mostly go away - but with properly prepped lips and no eating or drinking, you're golden.  Just like the beautiful packaging.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum

Remember all that ranting about a great skincare routine above?  This is one of the best additions to that routine I've found.  I've used a vitamin C serum for some time thanks to its gazillions of amazing properties (Goggle it), but the one I was using, the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, wasn't perfect.  As soon as my bottle was empty, I decided to try this - it exceeded expectations.

Since we're talking about price tags, the SkinCeuticals  serum sells for...wait for it...$162.  This one retails for $80, so that made me really happy.  Other wins: it doesn't really have a scent while SkinCeuticals smelled like hot dogs (so awful), it soaks into my skin so much quicker, the ingredients are better, and my skin is clearer and brighter.  So basically, it does everything my old serum did but much better - on my skin and my wallet.

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I'm like Noah from The Notebook - when I love something, I reaaaaally love it.  These are three of my forever loves, but I'm completely aware you might hate them.  And that's okay.  Because skincare and makeup is such an individualized thing.  Snap me (ElectraLane) or let me know in the comments section of Instagram (@ElectraLane) what your makeup and skincare loves are, and have a great week.

Luscious Lippies

In the almost decade that I've painted faces, no client has asked me to make his or her lips look smaller; and while I tend to highlight my eyes instead of lips, I know lips are the main facial feature many focus on. Since there are about 72 million or so videos/tutorials on how create a larger lip line, I'm specifically showing how I fake fuller lips that a) look natural and b) work even if you don't have perfect lips.  If you're a visual learner like me, check out this video (yes, I broke down and started a YouTube channel).

1 - Prep Lips

Apply a little lip balm, then blot with a tissue so your lips are hydrated but not slick.  If they're really dry and flaky, mix a couple drops of olive or coconut oil with 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar, then gently exfoliate your lips with this paste.  Wipe it off using a damp wash cloth, then apply the lip balm and blot.

2 - Apply Concealer

Using a small dot of concealer, apply to lips and the skin around them.

3 - Fill In

Using a flesh-toned lip liner, fill in your lips making sure to draw just outside the natural lip line.  If you have uneven lips like I do, this would be the time to even them out.

4 - Lipstick

Apply a matte lipstick with a brush over the entire area where you applied lip liner.

5 - Contour

To start adding dimension, line your lips just on the created lip line with a pencil that's slightly darker than the lip color.  Blend gently with the lip brush.

6 - Highlight

In just the center of the lips, apply a matte lipstick lighter than your original lip color and tap with your finger to blend.

7 - Brighten

Unless you like the matte look, top your highlight with a small amount of gloss in a similar color.

Spring Pink

One of the many perks of doing makeup is that you have a lot of stuff to play with.  With all of those different products on hand, there is quite a bit of mixing to get the color of something just right.  Since Spring is officially upon us, here’s a little trio I combined for a perky lip.

1. Apply a pale pink, matte lipstick (Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Milkshake)
2. Line with a muted pink pencil (Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands)
3. Top with a hot pink gloss (Jouer Cosmetics Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Peony)

Happy Twenty Fifteen

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with spending time with loved ones and eating lots of good food.

At Electra Lane, we’re busy finding ways to make you feel as beautiful as you are by helping you master your beauty resolutions.  My personal goals include a renewed focus on skincare as well as streamlining my makeup routine, so here are a few things I picked up over the holidays to help me achieve those goals.

Just before Thanksgiving, I purchased Urban Decay’s Naked on the Run palette.

Thinking it would be a great travel palette, I found I wanted more variety and it ended up being too bulky with my other items.  Where this palette fits best into my routine is for touch-ups: it’s perfect for adding some color to your features throughout the day when all you have time for in the morning is tinted moisturizer, concealer, and mascara.

It’s probably psychological but RIGHT after turning 30, I noticed some things drooping changing on my face, specifically around my eyes.  I switched from my Kate Somerville exfoliator to a gentler version and added a retinol-infusing eye mask to my weekly at-home facial.

For a little, no pun intended, fun, I purchased these adorable, limited-edition Charlotte Tilbury mini lipsticks.  As a huge fan of trying something before committing to it, this was a great introduction into the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipsticks.  And they fit into the tiniest clutch.