Leave it to the French to do 'beauty' so perfectly.
The skin looks polished but still dewy. The bold lip is confident while remaining fresh and clean. The pairing with the natural eyes and brows, accentuated by highlighter, cream shadow and probably brow mascara is sheer perfection. Even the pink eyeshadow around the whole eye glows in a subtle way. Nothing looks over done or Friday night ready, which is key for the work place.
Images from French ELLE, March 2014, via Visual Optimism
Pre New York I was a lipstick girl. I wouldn't leave the house without it. Anyone who has lived in New York knows that NYC isn't exactly a lipstick kind of town. Also, try wearing lipstick and a scarf at the same time in your first NYC winter...impossible. And so I adapted.
Then, over the past 2 years I started to sporadically wear lipstick. Mostly on the weekends, throwing a bold lip on, and you know, I liked it.
What I found myself really wanting was something that I could wear day to day that gave my lips a bit of life. I was not born with pretty pink lips, straight out of the shower my lips are dull and lifeless with no real natural color to them. But what could I use other than lip balm that didn't dry them out while I sat at my desk for 10 hours and didn't look cakey when I reapplied after eating lunch or drinking that 3rd cup of coffee?
On my last trip to NYC I enlisted the help of Bourbon & Gloss' Deenie Hartzog as I have a horrible track record at color picking and we found this guy. YSL's Rouge Volupte in Beige Ultimate, number 3, available at Sephora. It is just enough color to make me look alive with just enough shine to give me a bit of a polished look. It isn't sticky or tacky feeling on your lip, it is actually amazingly smooth and moisturizing. I am wearing it now almost everyday, you might call me a lipstick girl again.
Image courtesy of Sephora