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Lipstain isn’t a new concept, nor are Outlast Lip Stains new to Covergirl, but we recently got our hands on a few shades and we’re converts.

The water-based colorants of Outlast Lip Stain give lips a beautiful, lightweight flush of color that won’t come off, lasting for hours without the heavy look or feel of an ordinary lipstick. Its easily applied like a marker (it has a marker tip) that makes it easy to define your lips- just draw on color without any hassle.

Tip- Stains can be drying, so make sure to moisturize lips beforehand. Apply lip balm before doing the rest of your face, and let it sink in. Blot off prior to applying stain. We alos lipe to press the stain into the lip with a finger to give it a softer, more natural look. Just press and roll with index or ring finger.

Now, on to the review! We tried Lipstain in 402 Scarlet Pucker, 427 Nude Kiss, and 450 Saucy Plum. Here’s what we thought:

Nude Kiss is amazing, and the biggest surprise of the three. The tube is an odd, pumpkin/rust/brown color that we would’ve never even glanced at in the drugstore. THIS IS WHERE I STRESS TO TRY NEW THINGS…you never know. We rolled our eyes at it when we took it out of the package, but it’s become a daily staple. On lips it tints just a smidge, and reads a brown, “belle du jour” type nude. It really adds a bit of “something” to a basic, every day face, Like our own lips…but better.

Scarlet Pucker was a bit bright for us, a true candy apple red, but is great if you’re fearless and want fire engine lips. WARNING: This is a BOLD lip look.

Saucy Plum is THE BEST EVER. The name is deceiving, as is the color of the tube that contains it. It’s a dark, cranberry brown case, another color we wouldn’t have dared try. However, once applied it becomes the most perfect red lip in history. No joke, this shade is holy grail status. More blue based than warm, but completely gorgeous. Our search for the perfect red is OVER!

Outlast Lip Stain comes in 7 other shades, and we cannot wait to try them all!
$8, Target.

The Clarisonic Mia face brush is the “compact” of the Clarisonic brand of facial brushes. Retailing for $149, it’s a bit smaller in size and pricetag compared to the Classic, which retails for $199 and the Plus, for $225. The Mia comes with a sensitive brush head, a charger and a 1 oz. Gentle Hydro cleanser but you can use the Clarisonic with your own cleanser, or whatever cleanser is handy.

For Nordstrom’s Anniversary sale, Clarisonic created a special Mia kit, that comes in three new limited edition colors: turquoise, lavender, and berry. The set includes the same sensitive brush head, charger, and hydro cleanser, with the addition of a normal brush head as well….all for the same price as the original. (Get one before they’re gone!)

As for the benefits, according to the site the Mia:

* Removes 6x more makeup than manual cleansing
* Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother
* Cleanses so well that products absorb better
* Gentle enough for twice daily use
* Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
* Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores
* Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

We can attest to all of the above claims.This is seriously like an expensive skin treatment in a box! We weren’t expecting miracles, but after using it our skin looked and felt like we’d just had a facial: smooth, bright, radiant. skincare products did really seem to sink in better, and we woke up with soft, glowing skin.

Don’t believe it? Try it for yourself!

$149, Sephora, or $149 for limited edition shades during Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale.

Once in a while, a product comes along that is so amazing, it quicky gains a cult following and icon status. The Shu Uemura curler, MAC’s infamous 187 “skunk” brush, and Eve Pearl’s Salmon concealer are just a few of the must-haves that come to mind.

One of our favorites is the beautyblender. This hot pink, egg-shaped, latex free super sponge has revolutionized the way we apply our foundation. A staple in many a top artist’s makeup kit, the sponge’s elliptical shape allows for reaching every crease and contour of your face, eliminating streaks and ensuring a flawless finish.

The beautyblender has it’s own special cleanser, which smells AMAZING, and prolongs the life of the sponge. Blendercleanser is a lightly lavender-scented cleanser that’s free of dyes and skin irritants. It’s soothing soy-based, low-suds formula breaks down rapidly, making it earth-friendly and fun to use.

To ensure the best application, it’s recommended that you dampen the sponge, squeeze out the excess water, and lightly tap and roll, or “bounce” the sponge over foundation to smooth it out and blend into the skin. Whether cream, liquid, cake, or tinted moisturizer, the beautyblender’s suede texture gives a perfect finish every time.

Try it once, and you’ll see why celebrity makeup artists are never without it (One of our personal heroes, Mary Erickson, carries at least two at all times).

$9.95 - $39.95, beauty.com

A good scrub can be hard to find: this little scrub is too grainy, this little scrub is too gentle, and this little scrub will take your face off if you aren’t careful.

When it comes to exfoliation, it’s hard to know which end is up with all of the contradictory chatter— peels vs grains, beads vs shells, it’s enough to drive you up a wall. The best scrubs are gentle enough for everyday use, tough enough to give you a really smooth result, and most importantly, make your skin glow.

One of our new faves does just that. Lierac Microabrasion claims to help deliver “brand-new skin” in just 2 minutes. The cream works to exfoliate the skin deep-down and prevent and correct the appearance of visible signs of skin aging, such as loss of radiance and tone, fine lines, and dehydration. Results are visible from the very first session: skin feels smoother, toned and moisturized; the skin’s texture appears more refined, the complexion more radiant and fine lines diminished.

The smoothing cream definitely delivers on it’s promise. Our skin was amazingly smooth and glowing after our first use. We have a winner!

$38, Skinstore.com  

Now that summer is officially here, and we all know that tanning is a BIG no-no, we sun smart gals try our best to fake the bake. Sunless tanners can give you a golden glow, but sometimes we just don’t have the time to apply and dry.

Tarte’s Park Ave Princess may be an oldie, but it’s definitely a goodie. A few swipes on the face, décolleté, and even down the front of the legs yields a believable bronze. Not too ruddy, not too muddy - PAP is perfect for fairer skins that need a touch of “sun”.

Tip: For a believable glow, lightly dust over the points where sun would naturally hit—cheeks/bridge of nose, forehead, chin, swell of chest, and front of the shins.

$29, Sephora.