Clinique It Girl: Post 2

My latest Clinique post is live on Clinique Australia's Facebook page. It includes a wee bit of fashion in the form of Karen Walker (yippee!)
Click here to check it out.


UPDATE: Pink is the new Red

When Clinique sent me my latest assignment I almost movie star fainted with overwhelming delight (I believe the term is swooned) The first reason being that I was going to review some gorgeous lipsticks AND one of the colours (aptly named Runway Coral) was first debuted at New Zealand fashion designer, Karen Walker’s New York Fashion Week show last year. I happen to be a huge fan of her designs and a huge fan of lipstick; hence the swooning! As you will see in the photos, I’ve had ‘the chop’ and changed my hair after 5 years of flowing locks. It has given me a whole new playground when it comes to fashion and make up, and one of my new favourite accessories is lipstick! I used to steer away from it in the past because I didn’t want to look vampy or overdone, like most lipstick newbies I thought a bright red was the way. How wrong I was…. Pink is the new red! Clinique sent me 3 gorgeous pink shades; the Runway Coral, Pink Style and Spanish Rose. Pink is much easier to wear in my opinion and adds an instant pop to any winter day.

First things first, with all lipstick, you should always prep your lips. ALWAYS. If you have dry flaky lips it won’t matter what colour you have on, it’s pretty hard to see past that! Besides wearing moisturising lip balms start exfoliating. In winter I suffer from dry lips much more so I include my lips when I exfoliate my face twice a week with Clinique’s 7 Day Scrub Cream. It doesn’t have to be a chore you set time aside for; use an exfoliator, a loofah, an old toothbrush, or your current toothbrush (if you don’t mind the ick factor) and get scrubbing!

After your lips are looking sexy, soft and pouty, start applying your favourite shade! I’m no expert and I don’t use lip liner but if you are more comfortable using one I would opt for a clear so you don’t have to worry too much about matching the colours exactly. I usually start from the middle and work outwards, pressing my lips together to get even coverage. I try not to go into the corners too much as that’s where I find it goes out of the lines and looks ‘heavy’. I like to imitate an Angelina Jolie pout by concentrating the colour in the middle and adding a dab of Clinique’s Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator in the cupid’s bow to add definition. This is also a good trick for lighter shades, like the Pink Style, if you dab some highlighter in the middle of your bottom lip.

Don’t be scared off by the Barbie factor, it really can work for everyone (check the undertone of your skin against different shades though). I snuck my way into some cute shirts from Karen Walker’s latest collection to show you how versatile the shades can be and how great they match up with clothing accents (I suffer for this blog…truly ha ha).