Our mothers tried to placate us with fake plastic makeup, then later fruity lip glosses, but to no avail. Nothing satisfied like smearing on a tube of grown-up Mary Kay lipstick, or upending a jar of Cover Girl foundation over our eager little faces. It opened up a new world of changing our appearance. We have our own make-up now, and only occasionally do we need to dip into our mothers’ stashes. To my surprise, that little-girl excitement came rushing back when I tested two new professional-grade products.
OC Cosmetics Lip Tar
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar ($12.50 at occmakeup.com) wowed me with its rich, dense pigment. As a true high-density product, makeup artists uses this line and others like it to achieve the lush, lasting makeup looks seen on runways and magazine spreads. Only a small dab of this gloss-lipstick hybrid in Grandma (an old-fashioned coral) stained my lips and lasted for hours. The color wears so strongly, I can take it easy on the rest of my makeup and let the lips steal the show – an easy summertime look. Very few of the other lip tar shades stand alone – most of them need tempering with other colors. I imagine it would take time to learn to do it like the pros, but I’m willing to learn.
Loose Color Concentrate
Naked Cosmetics Naturally Nude #6 ($59.99 at nakedcosmetics.com for a set of six shades) came as an even bigger shock. These tiny pots of nothing but oxidized mica pigments can morph into any makeup product you need. Mix with clear nail polish or lip gloss to customize a shade to your taste. Eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush, bronzer, highlighter – you name it, and it will work. I combined Naturally Nude #6, a pearly lilac, with my peach lip balm and got a deep rose mouth. The possibilities, while not literally endless, are many more than I’ve previously considered.
Naked Cosmetics Naturally Nude Collection
The ‘big girls’ of the cosmetic industry turn to these products to make an impact. When I got my hands on these products, previously used only by serious makeup artists, I felt a thrill, like I had tried on really nice product for the very first time. Lucky for me, my coordination has improved. I might feel like a little girl dressing up in high-class makeup, but I managed to avoid the clown look so many of us favored in our early single digits.
