Beautylish beauty director, Ning Chao reveals her favorite product of the moment

Last night at the Beautylish 2011 spring trend preview event in New York City, I caught up with beauty director Ning Chao (left) to dish about the hottest beauty trends of the season -- the pastel smoky eye, bright lips and slicked back hair. Unfortunately, most of our interview got cut off, but I did manage to capture one awesome tidbit -- her favorite beauty product of the moment!

Want to know what it is? Check out the video below:

In keeping with the bright lip trend, her favorite product of the moment is Dolce & Gabbana Ultra Shine Lipgloss in #136 Secret, a gorgeous bright orange shade. The color looks super intense in the tube, but actually comes out really wearable, Chao said. I can attest that the color looked fabulous on her!

I'm officially inspired to ditch my neutral lipstick and experiment with some fun, bright lip shades this spring. If you plan on wearing bright lips this season, just remember that the key to pulling off this look is to keep the rest of your makeup neutral.

Have you ever tried Dolce & Gabbana lipgloss? What do you think about this shade? Will you be rocking bright lips this spring?

Five festive New Year's Eve makeup looks

Whether you're going to a casual house party or out to a fancy restaurant, here are five great makeup looks that will help you ring in the New Year gorgeously!

What are you doing for New Year's Eve? Will you try out any of these makeup looks? Which one is your favorite? I am going to try the Boho Chic look!

Getting to know... Shaylee of Cosmetically Curious

It wasn't until I started blogging about three months ago that I discovered that this whole world of beauty bloggers that I never knew existed. I am so happy to have found this massive online community of people like myself -- who love to talk about beauty products, share tips and learn from each other!

In this brand new regular feature here on Prettied Up, I'll be introducing you to some of the fabulous beauty bloggers I have come to know. First up, we'll be getting to know Shaylee of Cosmetically Curious! I caught up with Shaylee the other day to ask her some questions. Keep reading for our interview. 

How many lipsticks do you own? Not too many. I'm more of a balm/gloss girl. If you want a number -- five, and I don't use any of them!

Current favorite type of mascara: I have two: Revlon Grow Luscious and Ojon Restorative Lash Treatment & Mascara Duo.

Most essential makeup product and why: Concealer, concealer, concealer! If I have nothing else but concealer I'm happy! (You don't want to know how many of those I own!)

No. 1 beauty item on you’re currently lusting after: I can only choose one?! In that case, anything from 100% Pure's line! Preferably a kit of some sort. I'm really into natural products right now.

Biggest regret purchase: I do a lot of research before I purchase things so I (hopefully) rarely fully regret things. That being said, I hated my Tarte 4-Day Lash Stain, wow terrible! My lashes felt like sticks. They wouldn't bend, move and you cannot get it off no matter how hard you try.

First makeup memory: This is funny! My first makeup memory is this silver lip gloss I had and absolutely loved! I just saw a picture of me with it on and oh my god, terrible! I remember everything about that gloss - the taste, the smell, the color! Ack!

Thanks so much to Shaylee for participating! I'll make sure to steer clear of that Tarte 4-Day Lash Stain. Have you tried any of the products she mentioned?

C.O. Bigelow lip glosses - a must try!

Yesterday I had so much fun reviewing Maybelline's Color Sensational lipstick, I figured I would continue the same theme with a review of one of my favorite lip glosses ever -- C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint in Violet Mint No. 1646. I first discovered this gloss two years ago, when my friend gave it to me for Christmas. I have been stuck on it ever since. This is my go-to gloss that I put on every single day. I absolutely love it.

To me, the best thing about this gloss is the taste. It is infused with peppermint oil and designed to freshen your breath! The second you put it on, you can taste the mint and feel a cooling sensation on your lips. 

C.O. Bigelow's Mentha Lip Tint line comes in various shades of pinks, plums and nudes. The Violet Mint shade is a sheer mauve that gives just the slightest hint of color. It looks great on its own or layered over lipstick. It gives a nice shine but is not sticky on your lips.

 

Another great thing about this gloss -- it's only $7.50! 

Also, it has a pretty cool history. C.O. Bigelow is a pharmacy that has been a mainstay in New York City's West Village for more than 150 years. Story has it that Mark Twain bought his toothpaste there! These days, the store, located at 414 Sixth Avenue, sells many different beauty lines including its own, C.O. Bigelow Products. If you're in the Big Apple, you should definitely check out the store for its unique products and old school charm. 

Photo courtesy C.O. Bigelow

Fortunately, those of you who are not close to NYC can also find C.O. Bigelow products online, and at Bath & Body Works. 

Have you tried anything from C.O. Bigelow? I think I am going to try their Mentha shampoo and conditioner next!