NEW IN // Bobbi Brown Art Sticks

Finally! A chubby pencil to fill the void. Not only does Bobbi Brown's newest lip offering provide a bold answer to the hoards of chubby sticks cropping up on the market, but also a tip of the hat to gals who love lipstick. Count me in!

Bobbi Brown's Art Sticks are masterful multitaskers, not unlike the makeup artist who created them. They're waxy enough to act as useful lipliners, unlike some others I've tried, while still being moisturizing enough to wear comfortably all over the lips. Make no mistake--these guys don't budge. Transfer a bit, maybe, but your lips will be embraced in a semi-matte, satiny finish in your choice of eight shades until you decide to call it a night. I liken the look to Chanel's Rouge Allure Velvets or to Givenchy's Le Rouge Sensuously Mattes (my review on the latter here).

As I mentioned, Bobbi launched this lovely new product in eight shades, all of which I swatched in-store so you don't have to.

And with flash, so you get a sense of how they photograph:

Of course, such beautiful, wearable and on-trend shades are always ready for their close=up!

I immediately gravitated towards Dusty Pink, an unsurprising move considering that pinky nudes are a go-to for my everyday lip look. It is a fabulous, understated everyday pink that would make a lovely MLBB for some people. For my über-pale complexion, Dusty Pink's somewhere between an MLBB and a work-appropriate pink. A bit more dramatic than a true neutral, but not "electric" like its sister shade, Electric Pink. As you might be able to tell from the close-up, the pigmentation is stellar across the board, with one unfortunate exception: Cherrywood. The swatch you see above is after three or four determined passes, as opposed to the breezy swatch-and-go nature of the other shades. I was disappointed, as, I could see Cherrywood having great potential for darker skin tones or porcelain-skinned gals going for a Lorde-y look. Maybe it was just one bad egg...with the track record of the other shades, I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt!

Here's the best part: even though the pencil's not retractable like Tarte's and Revlon's offerings, a handy, sturdy sharpener designed especially for the Art Sticks comes with each pencil. No obnoxious "sharpener sold separately" gimmick. Thank goodness!

I have to say, as someone who lines her lips for almost every lipstick application, I am incredibly impressed with this recent release. So impressed, in fact, that I had to run out and buy Electric Pink the day after I purchased Dusty Pink! I've still got my eye on a few others, and I can see these becoming a pretty big hit, so grab 'em while they're hot (and in stock!) I purchased both of mine from Bloomingdale's, but you can also find the Art Sticks online and in stores at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bobbi Brown (of course) and now--just in time for Chic Week--Sephora, too!

Katy xx

THE REVIEW // MAC Viva Glam Rihanna

Who doesn't love a good red for a good cause? (Red lip, that is, not wine ;))

Recently--21st January, to be exact--MAC unveiled the much-anticipated Viva Glam Rihanna collection, comprised of a lipstick and a lip gloss, each described as a "blue-red with a frost finish". For those who missed out on the coveted Riri Woo, another stunning red that came and went sooner than you can say "Stay", this duo certainly does not disappoint!

This time, MAC chose to place Rihanna's name on the packaging, rather than the product. They also surprised MAC devotees with a departure from the iconic black bullet, opting instead for a frosted metallic red worthy of Rihanna's seal of approval. The packaging alone makes these collector's items!

I've always loved lipstick. I usually hate lip gloss, but in an effort to expand my cosmetic horizons in 2014, I purchased both. They were too pretty not to! Here are some swatches, with flash, indoor and natural lighting, respectively:

To the left, we have a swatch of the lipstick. In one pass, it's not perfectly opaque, but as you can see from the middle swatch, a few coats builds this baby up to maximum power. To the right, we've got the lipgloss. Stickier than I'd prefer, but I was sort of expecting it. The formula looks stunningly reflective on the lips, but beauty can be sticky, I suppose! I think that the flash captures the gloss most accurately in terms of color, but the natural and indoor lighting better conveys the frost in the lipstick. Here's how the lipstick looks on:

It really is a lovely red. Now, you could stop here, and wear it alone, but--and this is coming from a gloss hater--I truly think that the lipglass takes this look to a whole new level. The difference is akin to a red delicious apple next to a candied one.

Boom! Even despite my lip gloss embargo of sorts, there was no learning curve for me on this one. It looked like patent leather on my lips, and I loved it immediately. Only after I purchased these beauties did I think to try the gloss on its own. After putting any venus fly trap-esque, hair-eating images out of my mind, I went for it. And hey, the stickiness isn't so bad. It might even be *gasp* worth it!

The MAC Viva Glam Rihanna collection is available in stores and online at MAC, Nordstrom, Macy's and Bloomingdale's.

xx Katy

THE REVIEW // Besame Cosmetics Lipstick in Besame Red

When was the last time you saw an advertisement boasting an old formula, rather than a new one?

With its vintage-inspired line of lip, cheek and eye products, Besame Cosmetics does just that. Known for its lipsticks, Besame is celebrated among vintage enthusiasts for formulating shades that perfectly emulate retro chic. Red Hot Red, for example, is described as "Marilyn's favorite" (yes, that Marilyn). According to the site, Besame focuses on creating "modern reproductions of classic luxury makeup from the 1920s, '30s, '40s and '50s, designed to make women feel elegant, inspired, and empowered by their beauty." And, despite its 21st century launch in 2004, the brand does does the job admirably. Years ago, I'd seen these lipsticks in action in the skilled handed of a very talented makeup artist. She swore by the brand. More recently, I came across them again, in a lovely rockabilly/pinup boutique called Enz's. After much back and forth, I decided on the namesake "Besame Red".

The above swatch was captured in indoor lighting. Yes, that is with one swipe. No, I'm not kidding. This is the good stuff! Here's a swatch with flash, so you can see the blue undertones in this luscious red:

Honestly--and you probably already know this--these swatches aren't perfectly true to color. Personally, I think that the better the product, the harder it will be to do it justice in a photograph. Maybe I keep telling myself such things to evade confronting my amateurish photography skills. ;) In real life, Besame Red falls in between the swatches pictured above. It is certainly a blue-based red, but it's not quite as pink as it appears to be in the flash photo. Then again, the indoor lighting barely shows any blue at all.

What I can promise is that this lipstick will be as creamy and opaque in one pass as it appears to be in the photos. I love it, and I can certainly see another Besame purchase in my future. At $22, they can't beat MAC, but considering what you get (the adorable packaging, complete with velvet pouch (not to mention a truly solid product), Besame's signature color certainly gets my stamp of approval. You can purchase your very own nostalgic gem on the site, which conveniently ships through Amazon (it's Prime Eligible, too!)

Happy shopping!

Katy xx