Bit By the Beauty Bug

It’s so hard to resist the pun here because, well, NYX’s new Butter Glosses are just like butter. And if The Beauty Bug, a born and raised Bostonian, had a Boston accent, She would say that they are like buttah. But She doesn’t. Thankfully.

The velvety forumla glides on lips soooo smoothly and feels so buttery, that you may just want to use it the next time you’re baking sugar cookies. Coverage is creamy and buildable – not at all sticky. Lips feel as though you’re just wearing a light balm, but look as though you’re wearing a medium coverage gloss. The glosses are available in twelve dessert-themed varieties – see swatches below.

The Beauty Bug’s favorites include  Apple Strudel, Cherry Pie, Tiramasu and Creme Brulee. And while at first glance the Cherry Cheese Cake  isn’t the most desirable color, it’s actually a *very* close dupe to the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Riviera that Jessica Alba wore on the red carpet at the Golden Globes. Fellow pale girls need not apply – the tangerine shade is best for those with complexions a la Ms. Alba.

In closing buttercups, at $4.99 these glosses are a steal. Buy them at Ulta now and get their buy one, get one half off deal.

NYX Butter Glosses are available now on NYX.com and Ulta.com for $4.99. 

Edith prefers that all her products be paraben-free, like this new elave Intense Moisture Surge.

First thing’s first. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and one of the best features of these babies are that they leave the most perfect ‘kiss on the cheek’ marks. Exhibit A – the Beauty Bug Husband is pictured to the right with a Berry Ready kissed cheek.  Just enough color, they don’t have a greasy finish, and the natural flush that it gives your lips is sexy yet demure. And, it’s a ‘barely there’ product that the significant other in your life will approve of. Maybelline takes home the gold just for that.

Available in 20 shades, you won’t be able to just buy one. Or two. Or three for that matter. Like The Beauty Bug, you’ll most likely find yourself driving from drug store to drug store looking for that one color that seems to be sold out everywhere. For The Beauty Bug it was Lust for Blush and Made-it Mauve – two universally flattering colors.

The darker colors (the reds and Berry Ready) have a bit more color payoff, but you can get decent color coverage from any shade by building. The product feels amazing on, and the nourishing honey and nectar keeps lips feeling soft and hydrated. Compared to Revlon Lip Butters, the Whisper Collection is a little less thick (texture is weightless) and a bit easier to build color.

Ladies, you need at least three Color Whisper lipsticks in your makeup bag for Spring. So, pucker up and get ready to plant on a cheek of the one you love!

Maybelline Color Whisper by Color Sensational is available at mass market retailers nationwide for $7.49. 

Of course Edith is has a natural radiance, but a little NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator never hurts!

Beauties – we’re all nosy when it comes to makeup. You wouldn’t be reading this site if you weren’t. There are few things more enjoyable to The Beauty Bug than peeking into someone else’s stash. The latest belle to let The Beauty Bug unzip her makeup bag:  Sabrina Soto. You may know the thrifty design aficionado from one of her many HGTV shows (her latest endeavor is the ‘The High Low Project’) or as Target’s Style Expert. Those lucky enough to have Sabrina in their homes see her transform an inexpensive, discarded element into a ‘wow’ piece.  Take those ribbon scraps waiting to be thrown out. Sabrina would use a ready-made frame and turn them into a piece of art. Here’s how she glams:

Cetaphil Face Cleaner – I use this every day, sometimes three times a day! I love how gentle this is on my skin.

Olay Microdermabrasion & Peel System – I don’t have the time to visit a dermatologist often, so I use this once a week to exfoliate my skin. I am glowing afterwards!

La Roche-Posay SPF 60 UltraLight Sunscreen – This stuff soaks into my skin and feels great. I searched for so long to find a powerful sunscreen that didn’t turn purpleish on my skin. This stuff is wonderful!

Sonia Kashuk Perfecting Transparent Mattifier - I tend to have an oily T-zone, especially when I’m working on set for 10 hours. I apply this after my foundation and my skin stays shine free for hours!

L’Oreal Paris Infallible Lipgloss – I have this in almost every color. The colors stays on without having a thick, tacky feel.

Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick – This lipstick is powerful! It needs to be applied very carefully, but once on… it won’t come off all night. I actually had to buy an oil based makeup remover to take this off. Perfect for anytime you don’t want to constantly reapply your lip color.

Ardell Individual Long Lashes – For some reason I can not apply strip lashes on myself, but have an easy time with individuals. These look very natural!

Benefit Cosmetics High Beam - I use this on my brow and cheek bones. It’s the easiest way to look fresh and dewy!

Maybelline Lots of Lashes Great Lash Mascara – LOVE LOVE LOVE! The shape of the wand is brilliant and allows me to get my corner lashes easily.

Cle de Peau Pressed Powder – This powder is ultrafine. I use it on set and it makes my skin look absolutely flawless.

Shiseido & Shu Uemura Makeup Brushes – I’ve found these brushed to be the best on the market! They last years and are definitely worth the investment.

Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer – This foundation is so thin and light, I have no idea how it covers so well, but it does!

Kate Somerville Tan Towels – I never sit in the sun anymore, though I always like to look sun-kissed. These towels are easy to apply and I am never left with streaks.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - These little palettes are incredible. Great colors to choose from and glide on without creasing in my lids.

Complex 15 Face Cream – This cream is my little secret. It absorbs so quickly in my skin without feeling greasy at all. No need to spend so much money on face cream!

Doll Cosmetics THE Pencil - These pencils make professional contouring a breeze. I have them in both shades and wear daily.

Deep down, Pearl the bulldog is just a Party Parrot.

So…The Beauty Bug’s not saying that the new Vidal Sassoon Pro Series is the best thing to happen to Her this month, but it’s close. Not only because of it’s star smoothing power, but also because it’s wallet-friendly prices ($2.49-$8.99) and generous bottle sizes.  The new launch includes a lineup of five care collections including Color, Moisture, Repair, Volume and Smooth, as well as the accompanying styling products to finish the look. While all products think and perform like they belong in a high-end salon, their real home are the aisles of your local CVS.

The Beauty Bug tested their smoothing line. The duo is definitely the pièce de résistance of the collection. For those who straighten their hair, these products are a necessity. The shampoo and conditioner smoothed, tamed and eliminated frizz flawlessly. But it wasn’t the limp, flat type of smooth – The Beauty Bug’s hair had texture, shine and life! Just like that, in the time that it took The Beauty Bug to spritz the Repair and Finish Spray, it was as if The Beauty Bug’s bathroom had transformed into a salon. Smooth-city!

The Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Collection is available now at mass retailers. 

Little Globes – It’s hard to hate on Anne Hathaway as much as The Beauty Bug does when we’re talking about this little Fantine. Check out the stars, down-sized and adorable, as they walk the red carpet in what NY-based artist Tricia Messeroux calls, Toddlewood. It sure looks like little Taylor Swift (pictured right) could teach the real crooner a thing or too about some sass and swag.

A BB Cream for Your Hair – Ladies, head to your purses and break out your CC’s, and do it fast. The Beauty Bug is willing to bet that this new BB cream from KeratinPerfect FOR YOUR HAIR could be the next holy grail product. It’s a 3-in-1 balm that protects (all-day frizz protection), repairs (helps to prevent breakage) and perfects (promotes shine, etc.).

Lashing Out – This Etsy user has given a new meaning to ‘batting your eyelashes’. Not sure what occasion one would wear these pieces to, or how heavy they would feel on your eye (just seems like a pain in the lash to The Beauty Bug), but one thing is for sure – it looks like there’s a caterpillar on your eyelid. Not the look that The Beauty Bug is going for. Prices range from $15-$45.

Boxed Beauty – Who What Wear provides the Cliff Notes for all of the beauty subscriptions on the market, but leaves out the very first one that started the trend – New Beauty’s Test Tube.

Aniston & Aveeno - Aveeno wants us to believe that Jennifer Aniston doesn’t spend her money on high-priced facials and procedures containing rare ingredients like Swiss apples, snails and synthetic snake venom – but that instead, she uses their  mild, earthy-crunchy line. Aniston has reportedly cashed in big time, earning an eight-figure salary to be the face of the brand.

The beauty world is buzzing blooming over Drew Barrymore’s latest venture, (no, she’s not just hanging out being quirky, but for a good laugh check out the video below) Flower Beauty. The line touts that it’s ”formulated with the same quality ingredients found in department store luxury brands, but sold for a fraction of the price” ($12.98-$6.98).  One standout product from the line is the mascara. The former COVERGIRL has put her on twist on it with her 3-in-1 magic wand offering 3 different brushes.  The Beauty Bug went to Her local Walmart and snapped the photos below.

The Beauty Bug is putting some muscle behind Her makeup this weekend with MAC’s fierce and feisty STRENGTH collection on counters now. She first told you about it here and will be bringing the below look with Her this weekend as She escapes to Cape Cod for a little winter weekend getaway.

The collection is the perfect way to start off the year  - an excellent vibe and theme to set the tone for a fresh start. It’s balanced yet striking; dramatic yet muted. The cool quad is rich and smokey and the lip offerings bring just the amount of color needed to brighten up a winter’s day. The blush, Taupe Shape, provides the perfect swipe of sun on Her cheeks, but isn’t too overbearing or bronzed for Her pale skin.

Products include the Inner Strength Eye Shadow Quad, Taupe Shape Blush, and Absolute Power Lipstick.