Laura Mercier Gel Lip Colour

I was up late when this email from Laura Mercier about new Gel Lip Colour hit my in-box. Being a fan of Laura Mercier, I was excited at the prospect of something new. Quite frankly, other than replenishing my concealer, I haven't been compelled to purchase anything since they introduced a few new shades of lip liners last spring/summer. I was quite happy to see the addition of a new lipstick formula.

Looking at the swatches online (which by the way are actually pretty decent), I could not decide on a color. So I bought all five. When they arrived, the first thing I noticed was that they were in the shorter tubes,like the Stick Glosses. They are all very pretty and very wearable. No shimmer or glitter bits. Just lots of shine. They are sheer enough to see your lips through the lipstick with one coat. But at the same time they are very vivid. With a few swipes they really pack a punch. I love them. They are juicy and remind me of popsicles. They feel great on - very light - just what I was looking for for Spring. They are easy to wear, and give me about four hours of beautiful color before needing to be touched up.

Pictured Below, from left to right: Dollface, Hibiscus Bloom, Sweet Cherry, Clementine, Rosette.

Dollface: Dollface is a soft, yet bright cool pink. It is a cotton candy shade of pink. It's the most sheer of all the colors, as well as the most cool. If you have a hard time pulling off cool pinks you might want to choose one of the other colors from the collection.

Hibiscus Bloom: I would describe this as a true rose color. Rich and shiny. Neither cool, nor warm. It will suit most anyone who likes to sport a fresh rosey lip. Not exactly original but definitely pretty, none the less. This particular color gave me the longest wear out of all five colors at around four hours.

Sweet Cherry: The website describes this one as a sheer burgundy red. I see the exact color of fresh cherry juice. The way the tips of your fingers looks after pitting a bowl of cherries. I don't see burgundy. I see red with a touch of purple. To me, burgundy is deep and dark. This is neither. Its very rich. Yet light.

Clementine: The website describes it as a sheer red-orange. I would describe it as a sheer orange-red. Not dark like a blood orange but bright and juicy. This will be a very pretty and easy way to wear this seasons orange lips trend.

Rosette: A pinky red. More pink than red. It almost looks like a "Hot" pink but with a layer or two you can see the red tones. I feel that Hibiscus Bloom should have been named Rosette and Rosette should have been Hibiscus Bloom. But that's just me. Rosette has the same great shine and comfortable wear as the other colors.

Bottom line: While the colors are not "new" they are fresh and pretty. The gel formula is nice. Compared to her other lipstick formulas, the gels are lighter than her creams and less slippery and sheer than her Stick Glosses. They have a very pretty sheen that keeps the darker colors, like Sweet Cherry, looking fresh, rather than fussy. They are scented, and they seem to retain their "cookie-ish" scent for awhile after application. If you are sensitive to smells you might want to check these out in person before purchasing.

These retail for 22.00 each and can be purchased at lauramercier.com and should be at counters soon.

Hello and Welcome to The Concrete Brunette

I am a 36 year old wife and mother. We share our home with 3 cats and the occasional fish. I've been a beauty junkie for as long as I can recall; with my first real beauty memory being of a summer in my pre-teen years, when I'd spent a lot of time out in the sun. I fell in love with the flush of color on the apples of my cheeks and bridge of my nose. Back then I had never heard of bronzer. I remember standing in my Mom's bathroom putting Cover Girl Cheekers blush on my face in secret. Blending it in across my nose and cheeks to maintain my sun-kissed look. I never divulged my secret. I was 11-years old and have been hooked ever since.

Prior to starting The Concrete Brunette, I ran a website called Freshfiles.net dedicated to the cosmetic brand Fresh. It contained reviews, photos, tips, and general information about Fresh. If you're familiar with the brand, you know they have a very limited amount of cosmetics. They are more well known for their fragrances and skincare. Back in the day, they carried a full line of makeup, from lip liners and lipsticks to cream eyeshadows and blushes. And while I loved most of the skin care, body products, and fragrances, I was mainly interested in the makeup. So, naturally, when the makeup was discontinued the site was shut down.

I've wanted to start a blog for some time now, but did the world really need another beauty blog? I thought, in order to have a successful blog I needed to come up with a new concept or idea to set my blog apart from the rest of the beauty blogs floating around in cyberspace. Basically, I thought I needed to reinvent the blog. Not being able to come up with some seemingly brilliant idea to have the internet's most original and purely awesome blog, I gave up.

The desire to have a blog of my own kept nagging at me until one day it hit me. I don't have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. Each blog I follow is unique because each person is unique. Each writer has his or her own style and goals. And I can read 20 reviews of the newest Chanel gloss and not one will be the same. I'll get some piece of information that will be original to that blog. And so The Concrete Brunette was born.

What will you find on The Concrete Brunette?

This is a beauty blog. So obviously you'll find information on all things related to beauty. But you will also find bits of fashion, food, humor, and anything else that I am loving and want to share with my readers.

I have A LOT of things planned for you guys so I hope you will come back and visit me often.

Here is a look at whats coming up in days ahead from The Concrete Brunette:

Giveaways! NARS Lip & Cheek palette, Chanel Nail Color in Nouvelle Vague, Riviera, and Mistral. Lip balms from By Terry, Shiseido, and lots more. Check back for more information of the upcoming giveaways planned for the month of April.

• Spring Colors from Deborah Lippmann: Zombie Glitter Party and Nude Perfection
  
  Chanel Summer 2011
• Edward Bess adds two new eyeshadow colors to the line up. (I am not sure how I feel about these!)
• Bobbi Brown Tibi Python Palette
• Paul & Joe Spring 2011
• Chanel Rouge Coco Shines: I was pretty "meh" about Boy. But, was WOWED by some of the other colors!
• Burberry has put out three new lipsticks,blushes, and brushes. I passed on the brushes until I can test them out in person. But the blushes and lipsticks are right up my alley.
  
  
• The magic of Le Metier de Beauty: My favorite products from one of my long time favorite brands. And a look at the three new Creme Fresh Tints!
  
  
• Laura Mercier introduces a new gel lipstick formula. Check back to see all five colors and find out if they are truly something new or just another lipstick.
  
  
• Trend Alert : Orange. Orange everywhere. See how choosing the right shade or formula can take it from runway to everyday.
  
  
• A look at several of the new shades of Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Shadows. Smooth shimmer,creamy application, terrific wear. How about Eyes To Love??
  
  
• Dior brings us some of the prettiest new nail lacquer colors I have seen in ages. As well as a mini collection of five colors (Rock Your Nails) that are so special they have their own top coat(Rock It).

Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you back!

-TCB