Lip Service: Latest Lipstick Trends Pt. 3 - Burgundy

The red lip still lives just in a deeper hue. When dealing with burgundy go bold or go home. Make sure your lips are exfoliated and moisturized and you fill in your lips with a lipliner to make the intensity of the colour last for as long as possible. This lip look speaks volumes so keep eyes and cheeks minimal. Keep the skin looking fresh and your brows groomed to polish off this look.

My pick:  MAC Cosmetics Cremestick liner in Red Enriched.

Lip Service: Latest Lipstick Trends Pt. 2 - Fine Wine

That red wine stain after a glass of Shiraz doesn't have to be embarrasing. Do it on purpose this season with a wine coloured lipstain. Lipstains have a more natural finish than lipglosses and lipsticks and in most cases are more longwearing too. If long lasting liquid lipsticks that dry out your lips are not your thing, reach for a lip stain.

Go ahead! Enjoy that glass of Bordeaux--just make sure its on your lips and not your teeth.

My pick: Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain in Plum Pout.
(Available at most drugstores)

Lip Service: Latest Lipstick Trends pt.1 - Fierce Fuchsia

Fuchsia makes a comeback from the '80s this season. This pink should stand alone so try to avoid pairing it with a fuchsia-toned blush or putting a sparkly gloss over top.

Keeping it matte makes amps up the sophistication of this bold hue--unless you are going as Barbie this Halloween.

Going out? Smudge a little black eyeliner across the upper and lower lashline for a lived in look--just keep the hair neat or even pulled back to avoid looking like Courtney Love.


My pick: Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick in Backstage Bambi
(only available at Sephora)

MIT T-Shirt Design Contest Entries

Fashion and beauty go hand in hand and although I am no Style Ranger, but I figured I would take a break from my curlers and lipsticks and design a little something for the MIT T-Shirt design contest. Let me know what you think. And if you decide you like/love one/all of them tell the world and help me win a free t-shirt. 

Top 3 Drugstore Mascaras

1. Great Lash by Maybelline ($6)
This old classic has been around forever for good reason. Its formula is smooth and conditions while it thickens. Also comes in a waterproof formula which has won tons of beauty accolades.

2. Voluminous Carbon Black by L'Oreal ($10)
One coat of this formula provides instant glam. Two coats is like wearing a pair of lush false lashes.

3.  Sexy Curves by Rimmel London ($8)
Even if you forget to use an eyelash curler Sexy Curves' unique spikey rubber applicator makes up for it.

Top 10 Getting Dolled up Songs

I'm no music aficionado but here are my top 10 fave tracks for getting all dolled up. I warn you that some of them are quite dancey so L&L won't be held liable if you poke yourself in the eye with your mascara wand. If you have any other getting-ready worthy tunes send them my way.

So you wanna be a vampire?

The vampire this Halloween is going to be everyone's go-to costume when it starts getting down to the wire.  Edward Cullen (or any of the Cullens) from Twilight or Stefan Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries are easy alternatives to Count Dracula and Bella Lugosi costumes which call for a tuxedo, slicked back hair, and high-collared cape. No matter what vampire you decide to be don't skimp on the fangs. Even if you don't have fake blood dripping from your mouth getting the right chompers is essential. Scarecrow Fangs come with a custom dental adhesive that mold to the shape of your teeth so they stay in place.

For around $26.00, Scarecrow fangs are reusable, and look like natural fangs and allow you to talk naturally too. Check out this fang application tutorial.

Butterfly Mask

 

Inspired by the new MAC Halloween face charts, I attempted to do a butterfly mask of my own. For those of you looking for a costume this halloween elaborate makeup is the way to go. Ghoulish or gorgeous, makeup is an easy costume solution. For this look, you can wear all black and wear butterfly wings that can be found at any costume shop or if your crafty you can make them yourself.

The key to this look is using vibrant colours and making sure you trace out your design carefully before filling it in with coloured shadows.

MIT 2412: Response Post

 This particular post is for my class MIT 2412: Blogging for Politics and Profit. 

The online documentary, Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism discusses public’s lack of participation in how the media is bought and distributed. The media is supposed to be an outlet to foster democratic practices but the Fox News model showed in this documentary exemplifies that this is not the case. David Brock, President and CEO of Media Matters America stated that the media is undermining democracy as a whole. On the other hand, the monopoly of large media conglomerations has given way to citizen journalism. Today, the blogosphere has exploded and people turn to blogs like The Huffington Post and TMZ to get their news. Major media outlets have become a propagandistic tool full of marketing ploys. This has forced people to turn to smaller media outlets in order to corroborate mainstream news and get details that major outlets leave out.

The difference between reporting and reporting an opinion are very different. Outfoxed demonstrates that the line between news and commentary is blurred.  Large media conglomerates are assumed by the public to use credible sources. However, reporters for these outlets abuse the line “Some people say “ and use the general public as a source. In this respect, they are reporting news from a “source “while masking an opinion.

Your probably asking, how does this relate to L&L? Similarly, fashion consumer magazines are supposed to be authorities and report the best products in beauty and hair. How does the public know these products are the best ones or they are just featured because a cosmetics company has given the magazine sponsorship.  Even if magazines say they do a poll of their readers to find the best products its hard to believe that method of collection of this information is entirely “fair and balanced”.

(photo: fashionmagazine.com)

Halloween L&L Series

MAC does Halloween like no one else! Check out their new halloween face charts at a MAC location near you or online. This video has got me thinking about what I should be for halloween. Any ideas? Comment below if you have any costume tutorials you can suggest or you want to see featured here.

Purple Pride pt.3: Bridal Beauty

This weekend my dear friend Kathleen got married and I had the pleasure of doing her hair and makeup for this occasion. Purple was in full force at this event. Everything from the flowers to the table settings was a opulent shade of aubergine...that's dark purple or eggplant for some of you. Because she was wearing all white, she opted out of the traditional french mani-pedi and used a dark purple polish instead. Also for her makeup we used plum tones and to go with the overall theme and bring out those beautiful brown eyes. Congratulations Kath&Andrew! xoxo

Faves in this look:

MAC Eyeshadow in Crème de Violet 

•  Pinkish-violet with a slight gold shimmer

MAC ProLongWear lipcolour in Loyal 

• Eat, kiss, drink, repeat...and no reapplying.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light 

• Underwear for your makeup - Don't leave home without it.
  

Split ends? Get a haircut.

The criteria for a healthy head of hair is shine, lack of frizz and no split ends. Split ends can be caused by excess brushing, heat styling and touching. If you thought the home airbrush machine was ridiculous then get a load of the newest "must have" hair tool, The Split Ender. It claims to take the split ends off and not cut length off from your tresses. This product is marketed to girls with long hair who think that if you cut off their hair, you cut off your overall attractiveness. Don't fill your bathroom cabinet with another tool you won't need. Get a haircut. Don't worry, it will grow back.

Purple Pride (Pt.2) At Your Fingertips

Put down your purple cup of poison and pick up Give Me Moor, Pamplona Purple, Lincoln Park After Dark by OPI. When wearing dark polishes keep nails trimmed short for a more modern look. No one likes long, dark talons...save that for your halloween costume.
 (Photo: nailpolishdiva.com)

Purple Pride: A Post HoCo Guide (Pt. 1)

Purple short-shorts, cocktails, pancakes, eyeshadow, body paint, hair dye: this Homecoming weekend, the colour purple was definitely used and abused. This majestic hue can be worn well after homecoming without having to dip your entire body into purple dye (Sorry, engineers there is a time and a place for that kind of thing). In this series I'm going to share my picks for keeping purple pride alive...the Locks&Lashes way.

Purple Gaze - Eyes

Purple makeup isn't just for writing UWO across your forehead at the football game, brown-eyed girls can make their their chocolate peepers pop by using a swipe of purple eyeliner. Though pastel lilacs are safe and pretty, deep eggplant and royal violets rule this fall. Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Liner Shadow in Amethyst or Legit.  Apply it dry for a soft look and for a deeper,  more intense aubergine apply it with a damp brush. Going out? Add black eyeliner over top the purple for a subtle smolder.

(Photo: shop.bareescentuals.com)