Guest Blogger: Shine on, summer!

Please welcome my makeup guest blogger and real-life writing aficionada, Suzanne Cohen! She is mad over makeup, especially lipsticks and glosses. This season, she is sure to motivate you to try a new color, help you reminisce over long-lost favorites of the past and show you how to keep your current line-up in your makeup bag (long after it has left the shelf) with her trade secrets. If you like makeup, she's a good friend to have! :)

 

Hallelujah - it's lipgloss season.

Dear readers, let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a young girl who fell smack dab in love with Maybelline Kissing Potion and (almost) never recovered. In liquid form with rollerball applicators, this gloss came in the most delicious flavors: cherry smash, juicy watermelon, bubble gum, orange squeeze and more.

To refresh your memory, here's a vintage ad featuring Kim Basinger:
 

I've been enamored with lip color since my first purchase of the now-discontinued Clinique Mauve Crystal, a slightly shimmery frosty clear color tinged with mauve. Half my junior high classmates begged their parents to let them buy it or asked for it as a gift. I felt like a princess when I swiveled the silver-ridged lipstick tube and applied my favorite color. I wore it for a couple years, before I graduated to pinks and purples and more grown-up colors. Recently, on a regular sweep through Sephora - nirvana for makeup addicts like myself - I felt a pang of regret for my adolescence when the sparkly mauve crystal was absent from the shelf.

Fast forward to my teenage through adult years, during which mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner and blush made their appearance. Still, lip products remain my favorite. With one swipe of a magic wand, lip color can change a mood, alter a color when layered, add glamour or innocence.

And now, for my favorite "adult" lipglosses and lip sheers. Drum roll, please...

Chanel Sensuelle Glossimer

a fantastic layer-over-lipstick color or perfect on its own

Chantecaille Heirloom Lip Chic

dreamy texture, non-stop shine

Delux Beauty Norris 

the perfect subtle color, also nice to layer over a lipstick such as Mac "O"

T. LeClerc Rose Paillettes 

 creamy texture, subtle sparkle and vanilla scent; looks better layered

Alas, Sensuelle and Norris are discontinued. But never fear, I have stalked the Web, not altogether in vain. Although dwindling, my supply remains intact.

My pet peeve is when my favorite colors, in any cosmetic product, are discontinued, usually without advance notice. What's a lass to do? To the rescue: Three Custom Color Specialists. They'll produce discontinued shades for lips, cheeks, eyes and face or help you create your own. You can search their archives for a no-longer-made shade (they'll even keep the replacement formula on file), send a dime-sized sample of your color for them to copy or create your own shade from scratch. I tried the service when I lived in NYC, where they're based. I was able to choose a scent for my lip color. The process was costly, and while the result came pretty close to my original beloved Delux Norris gloss, it was not an exact match. {Alternatively, you may wish to scour eBay, StrawberryNET or Good Deal Beauty.}

Color me beautiful

If your skin color darkens in the summer or you prefer a more natural lip look, you may wish to dab on a neutral color. As a fair-skinned, dark-haired girl, I look too washed out to venture into neutral territory. However, I can offer a few trusty recommendations if you gravitate toward these. Please keep in mind that your skin's undertone and lip pigmentation determine which nudes will work best for you. The colors look less intense on your lips than they do here. Some crowd favorites include:

MAC Twig

also called "your lips but better" color

Maybelline Color Sensational in Warm Me Up

Rimmel London's Nude Delight Moisture Renew Lipstick

works well on medium-toned skin

How do you feel when you find a new color? Does it break you out of your routine or the doldrums? We've love to hear what your favorite colors are!

Kiss kiss, darlings.

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Writer's Bio
I've rarely met a word I didn't like. A lifestyle and corporate writer who specializes in snappy copy and interviewing people, I'm passionate about writing, social media, health and wellness, tennis and exploring the world and our fair city. After a decade in the Big Apple, I'm excited to be back in Chicago. Please feel free to ping me!

Thank you, Katie, for indulging my need to share beauty secrets on your blog. I love to read your cooking, entertaining and travel tips!