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?

New York Fashion Week Fall 2011: Wine-stained lips and 70s glam rules the runways

New York Fashion Week is in full swing with designers showing their Fall 2011 collections and providing us beauty junkies with some hard core inspiration. At the Porter Grey presentation on Thursday, models wore wine stained lips and wavy hair with a deep side part.

Meanwhile, over at the Farah Angsana show on Friday the look was all about 70s glamour, featuring smoky eyes, red lips, beehive updos and sleek bobs. I guess it's time to re-think the old rule that a statement eye and lip shouldn't be worn together.

Photos courtesy: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

What do think of these two looks? I'm inspired to duplicate the Porter Grey look right now! And the ultra glam look Farah Angsana would be perfect for a special Valentines Day date.

Getting to know... Celebrity makeup artist and YouTube beauty guru Kandee Johnson

I am so excited because today I have a special treat for all of you lovely Prettied Up readers. I was lucky enough to score an exclusive interview with celebrity makeup artist and You Tube beauty guru extraordinaire, Kandee Johnson!

She's done makeup for celebrities such as Janice Dickinson and Conan O'Brien and worked for big name television networks like MTV, CNN, and ABC but Kandee is probably best known for her insanely popular YouTube channel and beauty blog. With hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers and followers on Blogger, it's safe to say most of you already know and love Kandee.

I caught up with Kandee the other day to ask her some questions. Keep reading for our full interview.

How many lipsticks do you own? 5 gillion (ha ha ha) A ridiculous amount of nude shades!

Current favorite type of mascara: L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes (love it!)

Most essential makeup product: Oh golly. . . probably my Laura Mercier foundation. That and smolder eyeliner from MAC.

No. 1 beauty item on you’re currently lusting after: Oh man, I don't know. . . that's a tough one! Maybe some some Cle De Peau concealer (I've never tried it but everyone that uses it has raved about its amazing-ness!) ha ha ha

Biggest regret purchase: The Amazing concealer. I spend like $40 on it . . . and it was soooo not amazing! ha ha ha

First makeup memory: Either watching my little sister draw red lipstick on the underside of the dining room table . . . or staring with amazement at my moms makeup desk! ha ha ha

Thanks so much to Kandee for participating! I definitely have to try the Laura Mercier foundation and L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara! Have you tried any of the products Kandee mentioned?

Trend to try now: Burgundy lipstick

Burgundy lip colors have been spotted all over the runways and on stylish celebrities such as Lauren Conrad, Charleze Theron and Mischa Barton. Burgundy is a great alternative to a traditional red lip and will give you a unique, French-fashionista-meets-grunge-rocker look. When paired with neutral eyes and cheeks, a burgundy lip looks effortlessly chic and sophisticated.

When rocking a burgundy lip:

• Keep the rest of you makeup minimal and let your lips be the star of the show! If you wear a bold lip with bright blush and eyeshadow, you may end up looking clownish. 
• Apply your lipstick before you put on eye makeup and blush. That way you'll be able to build your makeup look around the lipstick and you won't accidentally overdo it with blush and eyeshadow.

For Christmas I was lucky enough to receive Ben Nye lipstick in "Passion Flower," a deep reddish brown hue with a gold sheen. I typically wear lighter lip colors but I find this shade very flattering.

Here are some other great burgundy hues:

1. Nars lipstick in "Viridiana" - $24
2. L'Oreal Color Riche Lipstick in "Pure Burgundy" - $5

3. Shiseido perfect rouge tender sheer lipstick in "RS628 Natural Wine" - $25

What do you think of these burgundy shades? Do you ever wear daring lip colors like these?

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... Meli of Style by Meli

Today's featured beauty blogger is Meli, a talented makeup artists who I actually know from high school. Her blog is called Style by Meli, and it's packed with tons of advice about makeup and style. I find her blog so informative and fun to read - she's always reviewing products and giving me new ideas! I highly recommend checking it out! 

I caught up with Meli recently to ask her a few questions about, what else -- makeup! Keep reading for our full interview.

How many lipsticks do you own? Honestly, I have never counted. If I had to estimate, about 100! Sounds crazy but I'm a total lip junkie!

And she has a ton of glosses too. Check out her amazing lipgloss bar!

Here she is! 

Current favorite type of mascara: I'm actually one of the few people you'll ever meet that is not a huge mascara person. However, when I wear mascara, I always prep the lashes with MAC's Prep + Prime lash for extra volume and length. There is a dramatic difference and it's totally worth the extra step!

Most essential makeup product and why: BLUSH! I cannot live without it and my heart seriously drops when someone tells me they never wear it. Besides giving life to the face, it just makes the face look soft and pretty!

No. 1 beauty item on you’re currently lusting after: Josie Maran Argan Oil. I have been dying to try this! I'm obsessed with face oils and believe they are the secret to beautiful, ageless skin.

Biggest regret purchase: Anything with sodium laureth sulfate. I had read that it is harmful to the skin, hair, and body and try to avoid it at all costs. I ended up having to throw out a handful of products that contained it, even brands that are classified as "all natural."

First makeup memory: I started to dabble with makeup on an everyday basis around age 14. My everyday look at that time was a black shimmery shadow on the whole lid. I remember thinking, "Wow, this makes me look so pretty!" I obviously had no idea what I was doing and going through a very experimental stage of my life.

Thanks so much to Meli for participating! I have never tried a face oil but now I feel like It's a must! Also, thanks for letting us know about the danger of sodium laureth sulfate.

Have you tried any of the products Meli mentioned? Do you also avoid sodium laureth sulfate?

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?

Review - Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick

After seeing the most amazing Maybelline ads in the New York City subway last week, then reading some good reviews of their makeup online, I high-tailed it over to the drugstore to see for myself what all the fuss was about. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd bought anything from Maybelline!

Lately, I've been wanting to branch out and try some lipstick colors that are bolder than the light pink and nude shades I generally stick to. I figured it was the perfect opportunity to test out a new color since Maybelline is relatively inexpensive.

I ended up picking up two lipsticks from Maybelline's Color Sensational line. Not that it really matters, but the packaging for this line is super cute. Check it out:

I chose Yummy Plummy, which is a deep mauve/plum color and Pearly Pink, a very light pink with loads of shimmer in it. They were about $10 each, which I thought was actually pretty pricey. I looked online though, and others said they found the Color Sensational line for around $6 each at Wal Mart. I got mine at CVS. 

Yummy Plummy is much darker than the colors I generally wear so I was unsure whether I would like it. On the other hand, I was almost positive I would love Pearly Pink because it fits into my "safe" lipstick zone of nude or light pink. Also, on display there was a photo of model, Christy Turlington wearing Pearly Pink and it looked divine on her. Here's the photo: 

To my surprise, I actually like Yummy Plummy better! I'm still getting used to it, but do think the color is very pretty. 

On the other hand, Pearly Pink, the color I thought would be a sure thing, is just okay. Since it is so light, I almost feel like it washes me out a bit. I am thinking it will look better in the summer when I get a tan. Also, I am somewhat turned off by the amount of shimmer in the lipstick. I didn't realize it would be so shimmery until I put it on. 

Both of the colors feel very nice and moisturizing, especially the Yummy Plummy. 

One thing I should mention - at first, I did not like the taste and smell of the lipsticks at all. This is weird, but you know how something can taste the way something else smells? Well, at first, I thought these lipsticks tasted (and smelled) like Play-Doh. Note: I have never eaten Play-Doh! I checked out some other reviews and many people actually like the way the Color Sensational line tastes and smells, so maybe it's just me. I think I am just used to my Aveda lipstick, which has the most amazing minty taste and smell. 

Anyway, it was a fun little experiment to try something new. Have you tried anything new lately? 

The lip product I've become addicted to

I went out to dinner last week with two of my dear friends at a great Italian restaurant uptown called Uva Wine Bar. If you're looking for an incredible meal in and cute setting this place is on point.  But this blog isn't about food ... 

My new favorite thing

While out to dinner, one of my lovely friends gave me a little present that I've since become addicted to! It's the DuWop IcedTeas translucent lip treatment in White Peach. 

Here's what the DuWop website has to say about its IcedTeas line:

Like a tall fruity beverage on a hot summer day DuWop's latest lip innovation, IcedTeas, are a refreshing addition to any makeup collection. Translucent lip treatments that pack the punch of exotic fruit flavor, a subtle cooling effect and the slightest hint of color. IcedTeas hydrate with jojoba oil, aloe and green tea extract and also contain sunscreen to protect lips.

I got this lip product about a week ago, and I've already used half the tube!

What I really love about this product is how it tastes, smells, and feels! It has a very light, peachy smell that is just divine. And, it is so silky smooth that I just want to keep pressing my lips together when I have it on. Also, it goes on with a slight cooling sensation, which I also like very much.

Though the DuWop website says the IcedTeas line gives the "slightest hint of color" I somewhat have to disagree. To me the White Peach color goes on completely clear, which is actually fine by me.

My major qualm with this product is the price. I was lucky enough to have received this product as a gift, and while I do love it, I'm not sure that I would purchase it for the $19 price tag. I would have no problem paying that much for a lipstick with color, but I just don't think this product, which is essentially a glorified chapstick, justifies the price. I just wish it was closer to $10 rather than $20. I guess I'll enjoy it while it lasts!

Have you tried the DuWop IcedTeas line?