I know Lowe did a post about red lips before, but because it is such a hot trend for fall I thought I would do another and let you in on a few little red lipstick secrets I use.

Coco’s tips for super saucy red lips!

1.If you tend to have dry lips make sure to exfoliate before wearing matte lipstick.  Matte lips are supposed to look dry but dry with cracking peeling lips is so not cute!  

lip scuff from The Body Shop

2. Make sure you prime your lips with your face primer

Make Up For Ever Primer

3. Line and fill in your entire lip with liner.  I’m in love with ‘Cherry’ from Mac.  The reason I fill in my whole lip with the liner is that it insures the matte look and makes your lipstick stay on alllllll night (even till the next day).

PLS NOTE: This tip makes it quite tough to take off your lippy after you’re over it with just soap and water… But If you use just a little make up remover you’re golden!

4. Go over your lips with your matte red lipstick.  Ruby Woo is my all time fave! Iit’s the only red lippy that I’ve tried that gives you that wicked 1940’s super glam matte pout.

5. Sharpen your liner and go around the edges of your lips one more time to ensure a sharp rim and to try to prevent bleeding. 

And optionally (if you can find the right shade) I like to line the outer rim of my lips with Make Up Forever’s concealer pencil.  It helps to stop your lipstick from bleeding but if you can’t find the right shade it’s totally not a must, just an added bonus.

6. Don’t forget to pack your lipstick and liner in your clutch for the evening because after a few bevvies it will start to rub off on the inside of your lips and look like this:

outer lip matte, inner lip not so much. time to reapply!

And that’s it!  Don’t be afraid of red lips!  It took me an entire year from the time I first purchased Ruby Woo to the time I first wore it because I was all freaked out about the boldness of the colour.  Now I can’t stop wearing it!  The best thing about red lips is that you have to wear little to no other make up and you look totally put together!

xoxo,

coco

I always feel so dressed up whenever I wear coloured lipstick. I’m a weirdo though. My go-to colour for all day everyday is Mac’s C-Thru Lip Glass. It cancels out my lips, matches my skin tone and stays on forever! I think I’ve gone through well over 1000 bottles! My obsession with nude lips stems from my love of the smokey eye and the cat eye but red lipstick is so sexy!! You could leave the house with pj’s on, frizzy hair, a pair of shades and red lips and still look sexy, just like MK:

Some of our Spring Miss contestants were chosen because of their trendy use of red lipstick:

Casual, daytime, partytime!

On many different occasions, Coco has pulled it off so well! 

I decided it was time to commit to red lips and wore it out to Tuesday night’s festivities at Atelier. I can now say I have fully embraced the coloured lip!

Lowe & Lola

I discovered with red lips that you can leave your mark!!

There are many types of red tones for lipstick so make sure to try a few to see which one matches your skin tone the best. I suggest getting a good lip liner, lipstick and a gloss to put on after. Many lipsticks get dry after a couple of hours so the gloss finish helps keep it moist.

My faves are Mac’s Redd pencil, Lady Danger lipstick and the Lip Gelee

Check out our party pics from Tuesday at Atelier here:

SLIDESHOW

Lowe

While at the photoshoot for Coco & Lowe’s Spring Miss ‘09 Contest winner, I made sure to ask the pros their perspective on trends and tips having to do with hair and make-up:

Dream team busy at work in the studio kitchen

HAIR

Maria, who has a salon called Kasnique let us all in on certain terminology and trends to follow when describing how you want your hair cut.

Layers—

-If you’d like to ‘keep the length’ but want layers make sure to have the hair dresser only cut ‘long layers’ in the ‘middle of your head’ (aka crown)

-facial features: whether its cheek bones or a beautiful nose, make sure your stylist accentuates your fave features by directing the cuts towards them. (they’ll get it)

Colour—

-Make sure to protect your hair!!! When you put chemicals (ie hairspray, alcohol products etc) or add heat to your hair (ie blowdrying, straight iron etc) the hair swells. Just like a balloon, the more swollen it is, the better chance it will pop and it’s the same concept with hair. The more heat, the better chance it will swell and break. The objective is to bring the hair back to it’s natural state (through a treatment) before adding colour. Make sure everytime you colour your hair, you even out the ‘porosity’ before colouring. This is a term the stylist will understand.

Teasing—

Maria suggests a Comare Comb

Teasing isn’t the worst thing you could do to your hair but please, for me, be gentle. If you tug and pull at your hair, it’s bound to break and fall out. This comare comb is great because some of the bristles are shorter than others. Also, hair is more vulnerable when it’s wet, so make sure to brush out teased hair before getting into the shower. Brush your hair starting from the ends of your hair and finishing at the root.

Extensions—

A lot of people ask me if extensions are worth it and here’s what Maria said:

Fusion—

These look great but need a lot of maintenance. If you aren’t willing to brush your hair and dry it before bed, these aren’t for you. The cost of maintaining them is high too especially if your natural hair is curlier than the extension. Even if you have millions of dollars and a personal hair stylish on hand, the committment you make to maintaining them is necessary.

I love Britney, but she didn’t commit to maintaining her fusions…

…Or clip-ons. Not cute.

which brings me to my next topic...

Clip Ons—

Jessica Simpson and Ken Paves’ hairdo is a great example of good clip on. Maria suggests that if you dye your hair, to bring your clip-ons with you and get them to custom colour them so that they match your dye job exactly. The way to ensure they’ll stay in tact is by teasing the root of your hair a little and clipping them into the teased area. Check out hairuwear.com for more clip-on extension tips.

MAKE-UP

Great make-up artists are hard to come by and I have always been really impressed with Stephanie Flores’ work! When asked her perspective on trends and buying habits, here’s what she had to say:

Skin—

People are focussing on their skin. “This season, everyone is taking a more natural approach and are more focussed on enhancing one’s natural beauty.” says Stephanie. The fresh face look everyone is looking for starts with skin. Make sure to moisturize, rehydrate, use SPF and Drink Lots Of Water!!!

Night on the town—

Stephanie has noticed a change in women’s effort when it comes to party time!! Make-up is like a fashion accessory and can add so much to an outfit. If you want to learn a few pointers and get your make-up done at the same time, there are services that cosmetic companies offer, such as MAC, where with a purchase you are able to get your make-up done! This is a great idea if you aren’t confident with your make-up skills and want to look fab for an event or outing!! Check maccosmetics.com for more info.

If you have any questions for our fabulous pros, leave a comment and I’ll make sure to get you an answer!

xoxo, 

Lowe

Have you EVER cleaned your make-up brushes? I haven’t and I think if I told a make-up artist that, they’d take it like I never shower. Although, when I think about how many things my brush has touched and places it’s been, I am now feeling the urge to throw them away and start fresh.  Brushes are super expensive but a quick wash of your existing set can not only keep them sanitized but maintain their condition. Coco suggests MAC Cosmetic’s brush cleaner but even vinegar and warm water can do the trick. Here’s a little tutorial brought to you by Coco on how to clean your brushes:

 
beauty tip: brush care from coco lowe on Vimeo.

p.s. she calls it a ‘blush cleaner’ but she meant to say ‘brush cleaner’ LOL!

If you’re like me, I always wonder what all those brushes are for in a make-up artist’s pouch.  Here’s the breakdown of what’s what:

-EYES-

-FACE-

CONCEALER AND FOUNDATION BRUSHES: 

Precision for applying/blending concealer/foundation formulas

BUFFER BRUSH: 

Flawlessly blends powder onto the skin for an immaculate polished finish

CHEEK CONTOUR BRUSH: 

For expert application of cheek contour

REGULAR POWDER BRUSH:

This is probably the only brush i own lol

BLUSH BRUSH:

Tapered for shading and highlighting cheeks and face with blush.

For more MAC brushes or brush sets, check out www.maccosmetics.com

What’s your favorite brand for brushes or do you mix and match your brands? We’d love to know!

xoxo, 

Lowe

Do you wear too much makeup? Moisturizer, concealer, foundation, powder, bronzer….Oh My!!!

I find myself applying more and more layers as the years go by and sometimes the best solution is to downsize. This is why I was so thrilled to be introduced to Tinted Moisturizer! I learned about it through the Stila professionals and you all know my obsession with radiant skin, so this product is such a great idea. This product will give you a natural glow, keep your face hydrated and many brands of tinted moisturizers even have SPF which can save you from future skin damage regardless of your tone.

Here are some brands that Sephora offers: 

Another unconventional option (aka another one of my improper uses of makeup) if you want a little bit more coverage/colour and love the idea of wearing little makeup but don’t think it’s possible, is MAC’s water based Face and Body Foundation.

OMG!!! It makes you look tanned, radiant and gives your complexion an even tone. There are tones for many different complexions and I apply it just the same way I would apply my moisturizer: with my hands.

Compliments of KarlaSugar

I use C6 which is too dark, but because I apply it as a moisturizer and not a foundation, it spreads evenly and acts as a tint for a healthy looking, even glow.

This may not work for everyone but it’s definitely worth a try!!

xoxo, 

Lowe

This week was a busy one!! Coco is reporting from Scotland and Lowe has lived up to the term “socialite” having gallivanted the streets and clubs of Toronto, covering fashion week and looking for stylish contestants for Week 2 of our Spring Miss ‘09 contest, not to mention the addition of our gold and white bow necklace!!

Here are some highlights of this week’s entries:

CONTEST

Week 1 of Coco & Lowe’s Spring Miss ‘09 was launched this week!!

Read more…

EVENTS AND PICS

Ula Zukowska Show at LG Fashion Week

Betsey Johnson at Brant House

Strellson at Ultra

Fashion Showdown at The 5th

STYLE

FRINGE and SEQUENCE 

Coco’s always on point with style. She made me buy these dope glads last summer in NY:

Jeoffrey Campbell Fringe Glads

And wore a Blue sequence tuxedo jacket similar to the D&G one she talks about in her sequence blazer post to the our launch party back in December!! 

BEAUTY

This week Lowe professes her love for MAC Zoom Lash Mascara and gives tips on application and lash maintenance.

TUNED-IN

-Blogs we love: 

Founder of Politics & The City, June Sarpong, happens to be the sister of our great friend, Sam Sarpong. He is such a talented actor, producer, rapper and model based out of LA. Lowe he!!

June and Sam Sarpong

-Lissa’s the Shiizzz!

Click Image to download

-Lowe went to visit Tika Simone on The City aftershow at MTV

-Click Here to see Coco’s movie recommendations

TRAVEL

-Rachie Babie Does Miami!!

and Coco’s Scotland/England Adventures!!

CAKE

Coco provides us with some great information on Compound Interest! 

Read Here…

Have a great weekend y’all!! I’m off to New York until Monday!

xoxo, 

Lowe

I was in Starbucks yesterday and the lady behind me asked me what mascara I use so I thought I’d share it with the world through beauty tip #5!

3 Words: Mac Zoom Lash

LASH MAINTENANCE: DO NOT

-Use waterproof unless absolutely needed

-Use a dirty lash curler (be gentle and cautious as they can cut your lashes)

-Rub your eyes vigorously in the morning after waking up with a full face of makeup on

-Use baby oil on a regular (it gives you those little white bumps under your eyes)

-Use old dry mascara. It does your lashed no justice

APPLICATION

-Gently apply a black pencil to the base of your lashes on the under part of your eye line so to give your lash line a solid dark foundation

-Take applicator out of mascara bottle pressing on one side of the bottle so the other side of applicator is full of product

-Apply the clump side of applicator to the base of your lashes and work your way to the tips of the lashes

-Zig-Zag Effect: If you move the applicator back and forth and slowly work towards the tips of your lashes, you may not even need to use a lash curler (This is my secret to never using a lash curler!)

-Build Your Lashes: When your lashes are almost dry, apply a little extra to the tips, building the product on the tips of your lashes. This will make it appear that your lashes are longer.

Et Voila!

When looking at the pic, the eye to the left (my right eye) has just mascara on. See the dramatic difference a little line does to the right lash (my left eye)

If you have any comments or would like to contribute, leave a comment!

xoxo, 

Lowe