Nude Lipsticks

As I've stated before, my loyalties have been with red lipstick for the better part of the last ten years. I'll occasionally toss in some hot pink, too, but red is where my heart is. But seeing as I'm going to try to go more natural with my makeup in 2010, I'm going to have to cut down wearing my red lipstick to maybe three days a week. That sounds reasonable, right? For the other four days, I'm going to wear natural, nude lips, I promise! I did this yesterday, and I got so many compliments on the lipstick I was wearing (I'll tell you later on!). A lady actually bought the lipstick I was wearing because she liked it so well. So maybe that nude lip that I've always liked on other people and hated on myself looks a lot better than I realized. I've researched some nude lipsticks and lip glosses and tried out a lot of them recently in my quest to go more natural, so here are some of my top picks.

First up is Lancome's Color Design Lipstick in Natural Beauty ($22). This is the lipstick that I was wearing yesterday when the lady decided she liked it so well, she wanted a tube for herself. It's a creamy nude that has great staying power. I apologize that I can't find a picture of it, but just so you know, it's perfectly nude without being too pink or too orange, and it's got the perfect amount of color payoff. With Natural Beauty, I wear Lancome's Le Lipstique Lipliner in Bronzelle ($23.50) and for a little sparkle and shine, Lancome's La Laque Fever in Gold Glimmer ($26.50). Bronzelle is a nude liner that's just a touch deeper than Natural Beauty, so it's perfect for giving just a little bit of definition to the lip line. Gold Glimmer is a clear long-wearing lipgloss that has tons of pretty gold sparkles in it.

Another nude lipstick I found that I really like is Clinique's High Impact Lipstick in Nude Beach ($14). It gives a full-color payoff that's creamy and lasts all day. It's got a touch more brown than Natural Beauty, making it a good choice for deeper skintones.

I'm already a fan of Nars Lipstick ($24), but I've found that Belle du Jour is my new favorite shade. It's a sheer beigey nude that looks good on just about everyone.

Look closely - the model below is wearing Nars Belle du Jour.

Lorac's Breakthrough Performance Lipstick in Nude Scene ($22) is a perfect, shiny nude that looks amazing on Debra Messing.

My last pick is Too Faced's Lip of Luxury Lipstick in Totally Nude. It's another creamy nude that looks good on everyone, and it's super shiny all by itself. An added plus: the case is so pretty, with a giant rhinestone on top.

Is there a nude lipstick you love? Let me know - I want to try it out!

Ravishing Redheads

I love red hair, from natural coppery red to dark burgundy red that obviously came from a bottle (a color I wore for about two years). One thing I've noticed when looking through some pictures of some of my favorite redheaded celebrities is that they all define their brows perfectly, wear their foundation smoothly, and keep it pretty natural with a soft glow. They don't over do any crazy colors or anything that clash with their bold hair color, their makeup is just soft and neutral, often warm tones that compliment their hair. The finishing product on all of these ladies is just beautiful :)

First up is the one and only Lucille Ball, comedic legend. She was insanely bold, always wearing her signature red lips with her orange-red hair. Surprisingly enough, it doesn't clash - it just looks classic and perfect. In a time when men really ruled the world, she stood out not like a sore thumb but like a beacon of light, paving the way for other unique women who just wanted to have a good time and make people laugh. So she gets a double-whammy beauty award from me - not just amazing for her looks, but amazing for standing out. I love Lucy!

Next up is Marcia Cross, star of Desperate Housewives. I'll be honest, I think I've only watched two episodes of the show, but I'll always remember her from Melrose Place. I love how she plays up her beautiful eyes by sometimes adding a touch of either purple or green, two colors which always look good on a redhead. Her alabaster skin is always perfectly flawless - she's gorgeous!

Now we come to Kate Walsh, who plays Dr. Addison Montgomery on Private Practice (love that show, and her character). She has unbelievable bone structure and isn't afraid to try different looks (like the dark burgundy lips with her dark red hair). I don't know that I've ever seen Kate look bad!

Next up, I've got Julianne Moore. She's another redhead who isn't afraid of purple (she actually got married in a pale lavender dress!). Her hair is always shiny and smooth, and she finishes her face with soft, perfectly matte skin and smoldering eyes. She's definitely someone I wish we saw more of.

Another actress I wish we saw more of (she's insanely funny, like her husband, Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen) is Isla Fisher. She switches her hair up from her natural red to soft brown sometimes, and either way she looks great, although I'm partial to the red. Her makeup is always absolutely flawless, just accentuating her beautiful eyes. Love her!

One of my all-time favorite actresses is is Debra Messing. She really has followed in the footsteps of Lucille Ball by being incredibly beautiful and outrageously funny. Will and Grace is my favorite show that's ever been on TV, and a lot of it has to do with Debra. She never fails to look fabulous, always emphasizing her unbelievably gorgeous eyes and accentuating her brilliant smile with natural lips. It's a crime to be this beautiful.

Mad Men star Christina Hendricks has to make my list, of course. She's got these beautiful eyes and a full, pouty mouth and that fiery hair. Of course, everything from the neck down is pretty incredible, too - she's extremely voluptuous and curvy, which she's very proud of and shows off, another thing I love about her. How sexy!

And finally, we come to British singing sensation, Adele. A curvy woman (gotta love that) with an unbelievable voice. She often goes for the old Hollywood look with dramatic black eyeliner, which I adore. She's gorgeous, and you should check out her music, too!

Is there a redhead you think is beautiful? What does you think makes her beautiful? I want to know!