I sent ThisThatBeauty Star Contributor Christene Carr (@cnicholac) on fun little assignment that promised fabulous, plump, enviable lips…Uhm, sounds interesting! Take it away, Christene:

When I think spa treatment, never before has the thought been on lips, but at a recent Bliss event at the W Hotel, I was introduced to a spa treatment that is intended just for lips! “Fabulips” by Bliss, is a four step process to soften, smooth and dare I say — encourage kissable lips. The treatment goes a little something like this:

Step 1: Refresh with the Foaming Lip Cleanser – This first of its kind lip shampoo with cocoa butter, shea butter and rice bran extract, foamed and expanded when I applied it to my lips. To test the efficacy of this lip shampoo, I applied a lip stain moments before applying the cleanser and it did a good job of cleaning my lips.

Step 2: Retexturize with Sugar Lips Scrub – What better way to polish your pucker than with an oil and sugar based scrub, formulated with almond and walnut shell? I can’t think of any.

Step 3: Rejuvenate with the Lip Plumper – This step uses peptides and cork tree extract to plump the lips and prepare them for pouting perfection.

Step 4: Replenish with the Softening Lip Balm – This is the final step to the perfect pucker. It contains shea butter, ultra moisturizing jojoba oil and vitamin E.

At the Bliss event after my lip treatment, I wasn’t convinced that Fabulips really made a difference. However, once I got home and was able to apply the Refresh and Retexturize steps with my finger tip, (rather than the cotton swab used at the event) my lips were super soft and I was happy with the results. Bliss, I am a believer! *taps bible*

Products are available at Bliss Spas, www.blissworld.com, www.sephora.com and bliss catalog 888 243 8825

Confession time: When it comes to unique packaging — I am an all day sucker. Whether its slick and shiny or ornate and antique inspired, my heart never fails to skip a beat when I’m in the presence of great packaging. Generally eye catching packaging means a deep dive into one’s wallet…fancy packaging aint cheap! Enter Urban Rituelle Sweet Treats Lip Balm. These tiny affordable treasures ($8) are packed with soothing Beeswax, Sweet Almond oil, Olive oil, and Shea Butter, and packaged in the world’s cutest little feminine floral tins. The pocket sized indulgence keep lips soft and nourished…leaving a natural soft matte finish. Urban Rituelle Sweet Treats Lip Balm provides sunscreen and is available in eighteen lightly tinted shades. What’s ThisThatBeauty’s crush du jour?….Ginger Apple. It is refreshingly sweet!

Available at b-glowing.com and shopnaturalselection.com.

Allow me to set the scene: You’re going to bed but not, ahem, to sleep (wink wink) — POP Minty Goodnight Kiss is a refreshing night time lip treatment for both you and your snuggle bunny. Enriched with Shea butter for moisture, and vitamin E to nourish, Minty Goodnight Kiss is the ultimate lip balm for plump kissable bedtime lips. The balm is non-sticky and comes in a slim click-able pen with brush tip for seamless application. Turn on your night time sex appeal and surprise your boo with a Minty Goodnight Kiss that is certain to get the party started…if you know what I mean

POP Minty Goodnight Kiss is free of sulfates and synthetic dyes. The generous click-able pen of minty lip balm goodness is retail priced at $18 and available at  Ulta, DermStore, Amazon.

Mwah!

It is widely known that Lipstick Queen is my most favorite lipstick brand EVAH!….so when I came across this spectacular offer to try the best of LQ for a ridic low low price, I HAD to share. If you’re dying to know why I go gaga for LQ, try the Discovery Kit (PS: For previous LQ reviews on ThisThatBeauty, simply search my site using the term “Lipstick Queen” and prepare to be amazed!!!)

Introducing: DISCOVERY KIT from LIPSTICK QUEEN
Get Back to Wearing Lipstick After Years of Gloss!

Just in time for spring…discover your inner lipstick queen.  Perhaps you have been wearing your nude lip gloss for too long and are ready to experiment with a little more color?  Don’t know where to start?  Lipstick Queen is making it easy for you with the introduction of the new DISCOVERY KIT.

Poppy King has selected 3 of her best selling lipsticks and packaged them into a stunning little box to get you gorgeous for spring.  It’s a lipstick wardrobe, hand picked by the Lipstick Queen herself!

With each one more delightful than the last, inside you’ll find:

• Medieval – A sheer red that is super light on the lips to give you just a sexy hint of red.  This stain is packed with Vitamin E to help condition and soften lips.
• Saint Nude – From Poppy’s original Saint collection this is that perfect 60’s nude that looks super chic on the lips.  Infused with Shea Butter for extra hydration.
• Butterfly Ball in Fly – A fun and flirty sheer fuchsia with a fabulous hint of iridescence.  Features a hint of blue shimmer to make teeth look brighter and whiter.
  

What better way to come out of your winter cocoon and spring ahead then with smooth, moisturized lips and brighter smile!

DISCOVERY KIT (SRP: $48.00) will be available in March 2010 at Space NK, Barneys New York, Henri Bendel and online at www.lipstickqueen.com.  For other boutiques and apothecaries that carry Lipstick Queen products, check out the site.

Faithful ThisThatBeauty readers know that the Arise African Collective show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is one of my personal favorites. For the last two season, I have had the pleasure of covering both backstage and the runway.

For the Fall/Winter 2010 season of the African Collective, unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts, I was not able to attend…and boo it up with Tyson…

(Season One)

(Season Two)

I also missed out on the likes of Alek Wek, Liya Kebede, Stacey McKenzie. Boo hoo! *real tears*

Season one of the African Collective was ushered in with a sonic boom. I confess I nearly wet myself with excitement when the iconic, often imitated, but never duplicated, Grace Jones hit the runway. The normally reserved press and celebs in attendance went absolutely bananas. You could hear folks yelling – Strange’! (Those who remember “Boomerang will get my Strange’ reference)

Even though I was not  able to attend the African Collective this season, I was able to get the rundown on the makeup. Iman Cosmetics was the makeup sponsor. I simply adore Iman and the inspiration behind her brand. I respect that the line speaks to an under represented demographic AND is frugalista friendly. March on over  to your local Wal-Mart, Duane Reade, or Tar-jay of choice, and you will find Iman Cosmetics. For a while, in my humble opinion, the brand had fallen off and did a less than satisfactory job of keeping drugstore shelves stocked with product. Over the last year I’ve been sneaking up on Iman Cosmetics in random drugstores, and it makes me very happy to observe that the company is much improved in the areas of plentiful stock, swatching samples, and new products. For these reasons, I am giving Iman Cosmetics a well deserved “atta boy”…or girl, i guess. *smile*

While I love presenting the backstage makeup run down for shows that I cover, I particularly enjoy offering my readers the run down on makeup looks that are affordable. May this montage of runway looks from The African Collective inspire and encourage you to visit your local drugstore, purchase the products, and recreate the looks! Go on…channel your inner model!

BLACK COFFEE

Fashion Inspiration was organic, un-constructed, and earthy in natural tones of sand, stone, and putty popped with muted turquoise and apricot

• Makeup Concept: Soft, ethereal, sun-blushed and feminine
• Eyes: Mixed Metals Eye Shadow Duo, Wicked Eye Defining Powder, Platinum Luxury Liquid Eye Liner
• Cheeks: Afterglow Sheer Bronzing Powder
• Lips: Rapture Luxury Lip Stain

DEOLA SAGOE
Fashion Inspiration was a precise, no-nonsense, geometric, mixed-media feel in military tones of black, pewter, grey and navy.

• Makeup Concept: Emphasis on bold dramatic brows with sheer neutral contoured face, eyes, and lips
• Eyes: Blackest Brown Perfect Eyebrow Pencil, Bewitched Luxury eye Defining Powder, Perfect Mascara
• Cheeks: Sable Luxury Blushing Powder,
• Lips: Tan Perfect lip Pencil, Crystal Luxury Lip Shimmer

LOINCLOTH & ASHES
Fashion Inspiration was a fusion of soft and architectural textures in putty, charcoal and black popped with touches of lapis blue

• Makeup Concept: The emphasis is on bronzed skin and soft earth toned eyes and lips
• Eyes: Bronze Goddess Eye Shadow Duo, Jet Black Perfect Eye Pencil, Perfect Mascara
• Cheeks: Clay Sheer Bronzing Powder & Sunkissed Luxury Blushing Powder
• Lips: Exposé Luxury Lip Shine

Which look is you fav?

Smashbox’s spring 2010 color collection, Heartbreaker, is a fun and flirty offering that is filled with bold and vibrant spring shades. This is precisely the energizing jolt of Spring makeup you seek after a cold dreary winter of subdued tones. Heartbreaker (which makes me hum this lil ditty by everyone’s favorite Meltdown Diva) embodies trends and looks that I wholeheartedly welcome when the weather breaks. Spring time encourages makeup risk taking….have at it with a pop of bursting color, soft washes of shimmery shades, slick lips, and flushed cheeks.

Heartbreaker is tastefully youthful….pouts painted in glossy hot pink….lilac and ballet pink shadow softly frame the eyes….Pretty pink shimmer powder creates a warm glow.

The collection flaunts a diverse color palette with a rich assortment of shades. Bright azure, mint, hot pink and deep violet colors balance out warm tones like chestnut, champagne and charcoal. Pinks, coral orange, berry and beige are main focus for plump kissable lips.

The full collection rundown:

• Eye Shadow Palette: Two new palettes featuring six shades: Hot Date (crème brulee, shimmering chestnut, champagne, shimmering azure, mint and taupe) and Kiss n’ Tell (ballet pink, hot pink, icy white, deep violet, charcoal and peony)
• Fusion Soft Lights: A color wheel of shimmering powders arriving in pinks and neutrals in one shade suits all, Baked Starlight
• Liquid Liner Pen: Liquid eyeliner pen in Jet Black
• Lip Shine: Two new lip formulations in Berry Hot, a berry pink and Melon-Drama, a coral orange
• Roller Gloss: A new roll-on lip gloss in Pink Sugar, a glittery pale pink

This collection screams “spring makeup investment”, so start stacking your chips. Heartbreaker is money well spent, for reals.

In honor of our current crappy snow condition, I have decided to dig in the crates and re-publish a FACE OF THE DAY piece I published during a really big snow storm in 2008. Enjoy!

[Rewind.......]

Happy Snow Day folks -

And here’s what I’m wearing:

If cool brights float your beauty boat, Spring promises to send your heart sailing. This season we’re seeing bursts of cool vivid brights. The key tones include lavender, lilac, turquoise, violet and aquamarine blues. YSL, Guerlain, Dior, and The Body Shop all deliver cool bright palettes that are sure to please. See for yourself!

Nars’ spring 2010 collection exudes elegance and style with a versatile colour palette made up of hot pinks, electric sky blue, lilac and rose gold. Created and photographed by François Nars, the Nars Spring 2010 make-up is “confident, cosmopolitan and polished.”

Featuring supermodel Amber Valletta, the look is glamorous and sophisticated with picture perfect skin and contoured cheekbones. The eyes light up in soft rose gold tones while lips are injected with a dose of pink for a sheer glossy finish.

The colours

Inspired by Catherine Deneuve’s role as Lucille in La Chamade, the colours are light, sexy and elegant. Nars said: “The shades are soft, sexy and light – like springtime. The formulas are transparent, so they allow the skin to look natural and fresh.” Light tones of nude, pink and peach are important for the lips, while hints of purple are key for eyes and nails.

The products

• Single Eyeshadow: A dusty lilac powder eye shadow with a crease-resistant matt formula in D.Gorgeous
• Duo Eyeshadow: One new powder duo eyeshadow in Kuala Lumpur comes in a gold-infused rose and boysenberry colour
• Duo Cream Eyeshadow: A new duo cream palette paired with Golden Moss and Sienna.
• Glitter Pencil: A bright sky blue and silver coloured sparkling pencil to line, accent, illuminate and highlight the eyes
• Lipstick: New shade in Cruising, a sheer pink tone
• Lip Gloss: Two lip glosses in Easy Lover, a sheer hot pink and Ophelia, a high-shine strawberry nectar
• Nail Polish: An intense gothic purple called Purple Rain

Finally a return to one of the biggest trends of my early makeup wearing years…orange! Back in the day, I swear you couldn’t tell me nothing. I boldly rocked semi matte orange lips and never once apologized. The return of this trend for Spring is ushered in in a refined and wearable fashion. Bobbi Brown, YSL, The Body Shop, Lancome, and Chantecaille are all taking me back…waay back! Who’s going down memory lane with me?What’s your take on the return of orange? Leave a comment…I want to hear from you!