OCC Lip Tar in Lydia

Confession: I haven't figured out a shooting setup at my new apartment, which is why the pictures you've been seeing have been more, uh, guerrila. The good thing is I scrambled to get the new iPhone when it came out, so my on-the-go snaps enjoy a (hopefully) crisper quality. Some pictures are better than no pictures, right?

Anyway, I seem to be very very late jumping on the bandwagon that is Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. Considering my penchant for mixing colors, this is very surprising. The first Lip Tar I had the pleasure to try is the one photographed above – Lydia. A darkroom plum according to OCC, a pinky mauve according to me. The formula is incredibly light, non-sticky, and fragrance free.

OCC Lip Tar comes in deceptively small tubes, as in you might think you got the short end of the stick until you realize that a little product truly goes a very long way. These things are pure pigment – I never apply anything more than a dab of color to my lips, otherwise I'll find very quickly that I've squeezed out too much.

Although each tube comes with a short-handled lip brush, I prefer to spread the color on my lips with a finger (produces a more natural finish) and then use the excess on my cheeks. This way, I get rosy blush and have a fuss-free way to clean my fingers (I had to say it!).

Without careful prep (primer + primer pencil), the darker OCC shades usually feather on me, but I'm happy to report that Lydia doesn't have the same effect. That said, while OCC is known for long-lasting color, Lydia fades within 3-4 hours on me. I suspect it's due to my application method more than anything.

OCC Lip Tar - Matte: Lydia retails for $18 and is available at Sephora and occmakeup.com.

Lipstick Bandits: Vamp

I swear we've been planning for this topic since July. Larie and I have certainly been through every. vamp. lipstick we could get our hands on to find the perfect one. I thought I've already found mine in Chanel Rouge Allure Rouge Noir, but who ever said I could only have one?

The other lipstick in question is Le Métier de Beauté Kona Lipstick, a deep burgandy plum.

Smiley picture! (Well, I was actually laughing at the camera here)

I have been known to cheat in my Bandit assignments, but this time it's out of necessity! Whether it's the cold weather or I'm not rigorous enough with my lip balm application, my lips have been peeling so badly I look like I have lip dandruff.

Suffice to say, dark lipstick on patchy lips isn't the best scene, but I found Le Métier de Beauté La Belle Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss to be a great topper for vamps. The sheer sparkly brown (don't be fooled by the swatch below, it's really sheer when on the lips) deepens the base shade just a little, and in some cases, make it look just right.

L-R: Kona, La Belle, MUFE #13C

Le Métier de Beauté Kona and La Belle can be found at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and of course, Bergdorf Goodman.

On to the best part of Lipstick Bandit days! Make sure you check out what my fellow masked cohorts are sporting:

• Beauty Reflections
• Call It Beauty
• Eye Heart It
• Getting Cheeky
• Glitter Geek
• Makeup Morsels
• Musing on Beauty
• My Funny Valentine
• My Women Stuff
• Rocaille Writes
• theNotice: a beauty blog‎

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample products sent by PR or the manufacturer for editorial consideration.

Becca Ultimate Colour Gloss in Berry Twist

I first caught a glimpse of Becca's fall promo pictures in July (if you didn't catch it, mosey on over to their website) and was smitten by the dark berry gloss featured on one of the models. It caused a frenzy among a few of my beauty blogger friends as we dug around for a comparable shade, and just couldn't find one quite like it. Now, it's finally available, and in my possession. I've waited three months to try this, you guys. That's pretty high on the expectation front.

Becca Berry Twist Ultimate Colour Gloss swatches nothing like what you see in the tube or on your lips. It's kind of a weird creature, if you ask me. What you see on your arm is what I think of as a happy berry shade, while on lips it's a deep plum, even with one swipe. I'm glad, because it's exactly the color we were looking for.

This is the first time I've tried a gloss from Becca, but I feel like it's the start of a happy new relationship. The gloss smells like melted marshmallows in the tube but the scent dissipates when applied to the lips. It's moisturizing, long-lasting but weightless, highly pigmented but doesn't stain or bleed - what's not to love?

Becca Ultimate Colour Gloss in Berry Twist retails for $24 and is available at beccacosmetics.com. In case you missed the announcement, Sephora recently started carrying Becca Cosmetics as well.

On a side style note, I've been enamored with cowl necks this season! I haven't done my fall wardrobe update yet but I can't wait to get a few new sweaters to keep warm in what I predict will be a ghastly winter. I'll need things with major neck protection with my new haircut.

Also, I tried, but turns out I can't stop harping about Chanel Notorious (sorry). I used it on my eyes because the cat-eye felt bare paired with the intense lip, and turns out it looks pretty good there too. Seriously, do I need a back up?

Products Used:

Face -

Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Light

Korres Cheek Butter in Eros Coral

Eyes -

Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks

Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liner in Noir

Le Métier de Beauté Anamorphic Lash Mascara in Jade

Lips -

Becca Ultimate Colour Gloss in Berry Twist

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Lipliner Pencil #13C

This post features products that were provided by the company for editorial consideration

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Black-Tie Plum #982

In case there is any confusion, I took the pictures below before my haircut. I know, I look like a totally different person.

While I am definitely enjoying the myriad of new lipstick offerings we have this season, I feel the need to shower some love to its glossier counterparts. If you can believe it, Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Black-Tie Plum #982 was one of the first few glosses I owned. 

I think it was my second semester at college. At that time I barely read beauty blogs and use little makeup (what I did to pass time, I wonder). The Dior SAs were friendly enough, and seeing my noobishness, plied me with every product they could sell me. I glanced through, nodding to be nice but wasn't committed until I saw this gloss. The SA told me they were the first and only high end brand that had such a deep gloss in its permanent collection. I don't know if that was true, but I will say till this day I haven't found a dark plum to rival this.

L-R: Dior Black-Tie Plum, Chanel Rouge Allure Rouge Noir

The eye look is basically LMdB Plum Eyeshadow layered above look 1 in this tutorial

On its own, Black-Tie Plum is a glossy wine-berry that can be layered to full intensity or sheered to a bare stain. Three years ago I thought it was the boldest shade ever (I wore it to college and felt like everyone was staring at me); now, I'd wear this to the market without skipping a beat. Ah, growth.

In the above pictures, I layered it over Chanel Rouge Noir to make it "seasonally fashionable." Dior's glosses are super comfortable and moisturizing, which is the unfortunate codeword for not long-lasting. It will come off with any food or drink, or even a simple swipe of tissue (you don't even have to rub). 

A rudimentary Google search shows that there really isn't a ton of permanent edition dark plum glosses lying around, so if you're the glossy kind of girl and want the extra polish over a dark, vampy lip, this is it.

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Black-Tie Plum #982 retails for $28 and is available at Nordstrom.

Also, two Friends & Family sales happening now:

Shopbop - WEAREFAMILY at checkout for 20 percent off. Till 11.59PM tonight.

Saks Fifth Avenue - FRNFAM2 at checkout for 20 percent off. Till October 21 (starts in-store Oct 18).

I'll get a (minuscule) commission if you purchase through my links. Any support is much appreciated!

Guess What Wednesday

Welcome to the first - well, third - of Guess What Wednesday! I feel like this is a more entertaining way to feature nail polish on the blog, and I hope it is as much fun for you as it is for me. So far my (very observant and smart!) readers have gotten it right within the first guess. Let's see if the streak holds up!

No clues this time. Correct guesses get a virtual monthlong supply of Emergen-C, a current daily staple for me (eep!).