As a little girl, lipstick was always the first item I’d reach for in my mom’s purse. I always watched her swipe a little across her lips and look instantly beautiful. I wanted to look beautiful, too.

And now that I’m actually old enough to be wearing the stuff…well, lipstick scares me. Although it defined icons like Marilyn Monroe and Christina Aguilera, I find the whole thing a bit stressful. There is a very fine line between looking glam like Gwen Stefani and looking like you’re just trying too hard to look glam like Gwen Stefani. And I always worry I’m in the latter category.

But I still want it! Lipstick is classic. And if it’s done right, it’s glamorous.

So how does one do it right? How do we college girls find the right lipstick to enhance our lips without making us look like a clown? I’ve been doing my research (OK, so it was for my own selfish reasons, but I’m sharing it with you now!) and I found some general lipstick guidelines for choosing the best shade and wearing it well.

Picking a Color: For everyday wear, choose a color that is only a few shades darker than your natural lip color.  Remember, your lips are naturally a few shades darker than your skin tone so if you’re testing a color on your hand (you know, to avoid germs…I’m a freak) keep that in mind.  Choosing a color this way will enhance your lips naturally and not scream, “I’m playing with my mom’s makeup bag!” In general, the lighter your skin tone, the lighter shade you should choose.  Read More »

Makeup is supposed to help your look out and enhance beauty, but what happens when you mix makeup with humidity, sweat, and waves? Raccoon eyes, that’s what.  Raccoon eyes aren’t even a good look for raccoons, so they definitely won’t add to your summer style.

Luckily there are tons of waterproof makeup products out there to prevent this problem, whether you’re hanging out in the ocean or laughing-so-hard-you-cry at The Hangover. And here are a few of the very best ones  to keep you from sporting a Hamburgler look this summer. Read More »

Let’s face it—chapped lips are neither comfortable nor pretty. I don’t know about you but I’d rather sport a perky pout than a shriveled set of lips. So whether you’re in need of some major lip hydration or you’re just looking for a shiny tint, here’s a list of 5 poppin’ lip products (in price order!). Read More »

I hate lipstick. I hate the way it wears off about two minutes after you put it on, I hate how it leaves stains on your coffee cup or your wine glass, and I really hate how my hair always ends up sticking to my lips on a windy day.

I had pretty much resigned myself to a life without lip color–I’ll play up my eyes, I thought–and figured I’d just never be as glamorous as those gals with a deep slick of ruby red on their lips.

But then, like a blessing from heaven, beauty companies everywhere introduced me to my saving grace: the lip stain. Neither lipstick or lip gloss, the stain does as promised–it actually stains your lips, so you get a really deep color that says “oh yes, I just wake up looking like this.“

The color sinks into your lips and doesn’t rub off, plus it rarely needs re-applying. Sound too good to be true? It gets even better–most lip stains can double as cheek color as well, for a really natural flush that stays put. Read More »