Fashionable Friday: Kyoto Red

I'm blogging for Galen again today, but your trusty guide will be back doing her thing on Monday.

The first time I got to wear red lipstick was when I was in baby ballet. My mom let me play with her make up sometimes, but didn't let me wear it outside of the house (Unlike Morgan's mom, who let her kindergardener wear full make up at age 5). An exception was made for Ballet Recitals, when all of the little ballerinas wore our hair in tight buns slicked back with handfuls of Dep, sparkling tutus, and Kyoto Red lipstick. They were bizarrely specific about the shade...

Working that pose H to T

Many years later, I still have an infatuation with red lipstick.

I don't wear it every day, but the Snow White look is my go to for simple glamour. I am constantly on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick.

No one has yet created one that will truly last all night without crumbling or smearing (Which is how I define perfect), but I do have a few that are favorites. The three red lipsticks that I use the most all happen to be by Bare Escentuals , and I thought I would share them with you.

This picture is artistic.

This first one is from the Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polish line, in Bella. It is the perfect mix of sheer and bright color. It changes the color of my lips, but in a much more subtle way than a regular lipstick. Plus, being a part of the Buxom line, it has lip plumper in it too! It has a refreshing tingle but doesn't feel like your face is going to burn off, which I have experienced with other plumpers. Unfortunately it was a part of a special edition kit, so you can't get this shade any more, but if you are looking for a light weight pop of red, try this product in Candi.

B.E. should hire me as an art designer.

Next up is my latest purchase, the Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Tarnish in Busted. (Traditionally, the Buxom colors have saucy girl names that end in "I", and as a stripper spelled Mandi, I prefer this, but "Busted" is a funny word, so I'll let it slide) This is categorized under a stain, but it goes on like a lipstick, which I fully appreciate. I love the creaminess, and it does last a long time, which is one of my criteria. I also like that it looks more like a lipstick on my face than a stain.  I always look like I just won a Kool-Aid chugging contest in stains. It is also more light weight than my other more traditional red lipsticks, so its very daytime friendly. My biggest problem with it is the crayon packaging. It comes with a sharpener in the cap, with which I immediately crushed the tip of the lipstick upon opening. Also, the cap tends to fall off in my purse, and then the tip breaks off, so I have to re-sharpen every time I want to put some on. However, the color is great, like a Russian Red, and it has a little mint in it, which makes me feel extra kissable.

This picture is also sexy.

I've saved the best (IMHO) for last. This is bareMinerals Pretty Amazing Lipcolor in Strength. It goes on like a thick gloss, and has the best applicator for a lip product I've ever used. It looks like your average lip gloss sponge, but handles like a paint brush. I blot once or twice after painting my lips, and then I will have BRIGHT (perhaps Kyoto) red lips for hours and hours. It doesn't dry out my lips like a stick does, and if I have to re-apply after eating and drinking, it doesn't self implode like second coats of stains are apt to do. It is definitely a bold look, but I'm a bold gal, and this stuff makes me feel like the Film Noir Femme Fatale I desperately want to be.

Obviously

Well that's all I have to say about that, so I shall leave you now. Enjoy your weekend, and tell Galen your favorite red lipstick, and she will pass on the good news to me!

XOXO,

Roomie

Thrifty Thursday: Shoehorned In

Hi Blogland!

A woman of her word, Galen is not blogging the rest of the week. She has quit the rest of February, and is lost in a delightful time warp where Hugh Jackman still hosts the Oscars and her hand doesn't look like the end of The Departed. While she's away, as her loyal Roomie and Mama Mandi, I have offered to fill her big (And yet, IRL, incredibly small) shoes and blog for a day or two.

Today is Thrifty Thursday, and so I thought I would talk a bit about a second hand taboo: Shoes.  I won't go bowling because I'm scared of wearing someone's old sweaty shoes, but that fear goes away when I see a great pair of heels at a thrift shop. I can't explain this other than the fact that I have an unquenchable thirst for shoes, but live on the meager salary of an actor. Behold, a stunning pair of red patent leather pumps that I acquired while on an educational tour in South Georgia at the Thomasville Goodwill.

If you click your heels three times in these you end up in Carrie Bradshaw's closet.

They have a slight marble effect to them, and are gorgeous with an LBD and pearls.

As much as I love a great pair of used footwear, I'm not the marathon deal hunter that Galen is. I'd rather sing along to Mackelmore while sitting on my couch, surfing the internet pantsless. And so, I have found another great way to get second hand shoes in Ebay. I've gotten into some epic bidding wars over a great pair of used designer heels. Here are two of my favorite Ebay shoe success stories.

The first is a pair of faux lace up boots that I bought to be a costume piece, but they ended up having too high a heel for the show, so I kept them for personal use.

NSFW

They have both a zipper and stretchy material around the boot, so they have the benefit of a lace up without the time and effort it takes to put them on.

I Love the 70s: Volume Shoe (Don't hate me)

I bought these as show shoes as well, and they worked perfect for the role. (Not to mention the fact that they look like a Donna Summers song in shoe form) Alas, they are not real vintage, but who cares? I am obsessed with the colorful straps and the floral print on the heel and insole.

The final thing I want to share today is not a pair of shoes that I thrifted, but a pair that you, lovely reader, might find in your friendly neighborhood second hand store soon.

And lately, I've been wondering. Who will be there to take my place? 

I bought these shoes new (On sale at Marshalls) a few months ago, to match a previously unmatchable dress that I've had for years. I wore the ensemble to an opening night gala.

Boyfriend, boyfriend, I have a boyfriend

I was really pleased with how the outfit looked, but the shoes are really too small for me. They are a small size 7, and I have the same shoe size as the incomparable Dolly Parton- "I wear a size 6, but a 7 feels so good I buy an 8". I suffered through them for a night, but when my plans to cut off part of my foot a la the ugly stepsisters in an effort to wear them again was deemed "extreme", I had to come up with another plan for them. The next time I make a donation to the Salvation Army, these suede beauties will leave my closet forever. If one of you finds them someday, know that they come from Roomie with Love.