On left: Dr. Hauschka Lipstick in Mezzaforte (04) On right: NVEY Eco #356

Last Friday I wrote about my burgeoning love for lipstick. Yet, and this is just my opinion, to fully embrace the lipstick-love one needs a couple high drama colors on hand. For me, that means busting out of my “warm brownish pink realm” and into the red zone.

Finding a red lipstick that compliments your skin tone is quite a challenge. Those of you who have gone on the perfect-red-lipstick-hunt already know this. If the red has too much orange it can leave you looking clownish and if it’s got too much purple or blue, it can wash you out faster than pulling an all-nighter. The key is finding a red that has subtle nuances of warm or cool tones that essentially looks neutral on your lips.

Since I have warm/olive skin, lippies that lean warm with orange or brown are best for me. (If you have cool skin with pinkish or reddish undertones, red lipstick with blue or pink are best). Dr. Hauschka Lipstick in Mezzaforte has a warmth that is spot on. It’s a deep orange-red with a hint of copper which steers it away from over-the-top drama. There’s no shimmer, and it’s not matte or glossy, just creamy perfection that I now expect from Dr. Hauschka. As I mentioned in the last post, Dr. H’s lipsticks have the same formula as their lip care stick which provides excellent hydration and feels soothing.

NVEY Eco also makes fabulously pigmented lipsticks, but unlike Dr. H lipsticks, they do necessitate a dab of balm for added moisture. Of course that’s just my preference and I know many of you would be thoroughly pleased with its ample hydration from ingredients like organic castor oil, jojoba oil, beeswax and vitamin E. My red color pick from NVEY Eco is #356, a brownish ruby color with a subtle shimmer. I do need to be careful not to apply too much of #356, as its rich brown-leaning tone creates a garish look on me if applied with a heavy hand. Luckily, one swipe gives light to medium coverage, no blotting necessary. On my lips, #356 is a stunning berry that I have been enjoying on evenings out.

My favorite look with both of these red lipsticks is a nude blush (Alima Bisque), lots of mascara (Dr. Hauschka and Gabriel are my current faves) and a touch of champagne eyeshadow (NARS All About Eve or Alima Jacquard from their “Perfectly Tailored” collection for fall). Dr. Hauschka’s Lipliner in 02 works well with both Mezzaforte and #356. Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite red lipsticks and what you like to pair it with.

My swatches left to right: NVEY Eco #356, Dr. Hauschka’s Mezzaforte (04), Dr. Hauschka’s Lipliner (02)

Dr. Hauschka Lipstick in Mezzaforte is  $22.90 at Saffron Rouge. NVEY Eco is $27.95 and is available at SaffronRouge.com and SkinBotanica.com. All items in this review were purchased by me.

Posted by ~Trish

Photos by ~Trish

There seems to be two camps of lippie-wearers, lipgloss people and lipstick people. Since I was 10 years old I have had both feet firmly planted on the lipgloss side. In the spirit of being a good sport, I have made attempts at the more glamorous feel of lipstick, yet I must confess they were feeble. But something has recently changed in my adulthood- I finally feel grown up now that I have two kids in school- and I have made a shift. One foot still resides in the lipgloss camp, but I’ve got my other one firmly planted in the lipstick zone.

From the left: Dr. Haushcka Lipstick in Dolce (09), Primitive Corsica, NVEY Eco 362

I have been a devout fan of Dr. Hauschka’s lip care stick for a couple years as its smooth and soothing texture is beyond compare. When a sales associate at Whole Foods informed me that the Dr. H lipsticks have the same formula in their base, I was sold. I picked my favorite of the bunch, a warm pink, and was good to go. Dolce (09) is a nude to medium pink that leans brownish-bronze with a hint of shimmering peach. It’s highly pigmented, smoothes on effortlessly and feels great on the lips. Unlike the majority of lipsticks, Dr. H’s are very moisturizing making gloss or balm unnecessary to increase its hydration. In fact, the Dr. H lipsticks feel like a pigmented version of their lip care stick. My only gripe is I wish this lipstick were available in more colors.

Another lovely all-natural lippie is made by Primitive, a cosmetic line you’ve probably passed a hundred times at your local health food store. I know that’s exactly what I had done. But with my newfound desire to become a lipstick gal, I got one. Aside from the vanilla scent- I do not like my makeup scented- this lippie is darn near perfect. Corsica rides the line between red and pink with enough brown to keep the color neutral and day/work appropriate. You can see in the above picture (Corsica is in the middle) that it’s on the warmish side, but neutral enough to look good on most skintones. In contrast to Dr. Hauschka’s lipstick, Primitive’s feels drier, but nothing that a little swipe of balm over the top can’t fix. Most Whole Foods carry the Primitive lipstick line, so give them a try and let me know if the vanilla scent is a deal breaker for you.

Luckily, NVEY Eco’s lipsticks are unscented and gorgeous! Their No. 362 is probably one of the prettiest lip colors I have ever come across. In the above photo, No. 362 is on the right and the photo is quite true to the color. It’s a vibrant warm pink that takes it up a notch from my usual “your lips but better” colors.  While it gives me a shot of bright color that I normally don’t go for, I feel really comfortable wearing it. NVEY Eco’s lipsticks are as pigmented as Dr. Hauschka’s but not as hydrating. I find a swipe of my lip care stick necessary, but it’s worth it for such a gorgeous color and it lasts several hours before a touch-up is needed.

Check back in a few days as this post will continue. I will feature two more Dr. H and NVEY Eco colors that are usually outside my comfort zone.

My swatches.  From the left: Dr. Hauschka Dolce (09), Primitive Corsica, NVEY Eco No. 362

All of the above lipsticks are 100% natural. Dr. Hauschka Lip Stick ($22.90) is available at Saffron Rouge. Primitive ($16) is available at Whole Foods. NVEY Eco ($27.95) is available at saffronrouge.com and skinbotanica.com. All items in this review were purchased by me.

Posted by ~Trish

Photos by ~Trish

I’ve always had a preference for pink blushes. Pink is one of my favorite colors and when it comes to blushes, they’re hard for me to resist. This spring, I decided to branch out into the world of peach blushes, and have found four fabulous ones to choose from.

An easy place to start was in the soft peachy pink realm so I chose Alima Pure Satin Matte Blush in Mimosa, which means there is no shimmer but yet it imparts a subtle glow. Mimosa is slightly warm, on the apricot side of peach, but has enough neutral pink to create a soft, pretty flush that never leans orange. NVEY Eco’s #953 looks slightly lighter in the pan than Mimosa, but it gives the identical effect. The only difference between the two is that Mimosa is a loose powder blush and #953 is a pressed pan blush. I love both of them equally, but do reach for NVEY Eco more frequently since the pan is so convenient. (It also costs twice as much as Alima’s blush). Since Mimosa and #953 are my go to blushes when I want a natural, healthy look, I highly recommend them both.

The deeper peach blushes I tried were Dr. Hauschka’s (01) Warm Terracotta and Everyday Minerals’ Rhapsody in Peach. Warm Terracotta is the perfect name for Dr. Hauschka’s blush as it’s a matte, burnished apricot with a hint of brown. It is highly pigmented, therefore I only apply it with a skunk brush. With a light touch, Warm Terracotta brightens your cheeks with a warm peachy color that would move into bronzer territory if it had a bit more brown in it. Rhapsody in Peach is not a terracotta color, but rather a bright pinky peach with fine gold shimmer. It differs from Mimosa not only because is has a shimmery quality, but mostly because it is a much deeper color and would not be suitable for light skin tones. Again, I use this with a light hand and achieve a peach flush that is more intense than either Mimosa or NVEY’s #953 but still looks natural.

Left: Everday Minerals Rhapsody in Peach.   Right: Alima Mimosa

All of these blushes are 100% natural and contain no petrochemicals, phthalates or parabens.

-Alima Pure Satin Matte Blush in Mimosa is available at Saffron Rouge, $16.95 for a 5gm jar.

-NVEY Eco #953 blush is available at SaffronRouge.com for $28.95

-Dr. Hauschka Rouge Powder in Warm Terracotta is available at SaffronRouge.comfor $29.95

-Everyday Minerals Rhapsody in Peach is available at EverdayMinerals.com in their On The Reef Collection for $34

Posted by ~Trish

Photos by ~Trish

Disclosure: All of the blushes are from my own collection, except for Rhapsody in Peach which was sent to me by Everyday Minerals. The opinions in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review or any other.

At this time of year, we’re all feeling a little pasty aren’t we? I guess I should qualify that and say here in the Northwest we certainly are. I’ve got an extra pallor at the moment as I am recovering from an unexpected surgery last week. All is well, but I will be counting on the above blushes to do their job by giving me a pop of pretty springtime pink.

My newest pink blush is Dr. Hauschka Rouge Powder Duo. When I first opened it, I fell for its sheer prettiness. I love the two-toned pan and the embossed floral design. The product is large enough to pick up one of the colors with your brush, or swirl over both to blend. The lighter pink is very subtle and perfect for a hint of color. The warm rose gives a deeper color, and both have more peachiness than the above photograph. Rouge Powder Duo is somewhere between the swatches to the left and the above group shot. This duo is matte and provides a natural flush, especially when applied with a “skunk brush”. I use the one from Lancome that I have had for years. Eco Tools includes one in their set if you prefer a greener option.

NVEY ECO #955 blush is a warm baby pink that is similar to the blended color from the Dr. Hauschka Rouge Duo. #955 might be your preferred choice if you like a subtle shimmer in your blush. NVEY Eco uses jojoba oil as their blush binder, so it goes on smoothly and creamy and never looks dry or chalky. Again, it’s difficult to get the exact color from a photograph, so imagine #955 somewhere between the close-up at the right and the group shot above.

Everyday Minerals has so many pink blushes that it’s hard to decide which one to pick. I have a few them including Walkie Talkie, Nick Nack and Soft Touch. But Apple is the one that escapes from my blush drawer most frequently because its warm, reddish pink color is really flattering on my light-medium olive skin (MAC NC30 for reference). I always use my skunk brush when dusting Apple on my cheeks because it is intensely pigmented. A little bit goes a long way and my full-sized pot will last me forever. And for $8, it’s an incredible bargain. Like the Dr. Hauschka and NVEY Eco blushes, Everyday Minerals blush is all natural, cruelty free, and highly recommended for adding beautiful, pure color to these last days of winter.

Everyday Minerals Blush is available for $8 at the Everyday Minerals Website.

Nvey Eco Organic Powder Blush is available for $29 at Saffron Rouge.com 

Dr. Hauschka Rouge Powder Duo is available for $29.95 at SaffronRouge.com

Posted by~Trish

“Group Shot”  and Nvey Eco close-up are my photographs. The other two are stock, manufacturer photos.

On rainy days with a lack of agenda, I often find myself clicking through old photos on my macbook to kill time and relive precious moments from the past, blah blah blah.  The problem becomes that, when looking back at photos of myself, I tend to be highly critical, and overly eager to jump into the frame immediately and begin damage control.  For your information the euphemistic illusion of damage control equates to an extensive self-loathing session that leads to exhaustion and frustration in the overall appearance of my face; and the utter un-preparedness in the candid that captures all my secrets. Let the nit picking begin. I usually kick things off with the disastrous amount of shine lighting my T-zone up as if I were staring at a disco ball during a solar eclipse. Next I proceed to shed a few tears over my androgynous bone structure that leaves me with no cheekbones to speak of. As I continue to marinate in the self deprecating depression-filled session with self, I decide to lead up to the climactic finale. Yes, with none other than the lips…or lack thereof in most of my photo ops, unfortunately.  Out of everything mentioned above, I would have to say that “lip presence” is a make or break phenomenon when it comes to the successes and failures of snapshots in time, caught forever on film.

For me, when a lack of lip color is the apparent problem in my overall appearance and general state of mind, I find that it hovers over my psyche like a cloud of doom from the cosmetic underworld of darkness. With that said, if I could list the top 10 most important factors of my balanced day, lip color on my yapper would rank right up there with the big boys.  It takes my whole person from drab to fab in one swift swipe of the tube and a few delicate strokes of a brush…pucker up and be changed.  As you can imagine, lipstick and lipgloss are a huge part of my everyday existence.

When picking a lipstick/gloss I usually try to consider at least three factors: texture, color, and wearability.  When preparing for this review…I would deliberately think in these terms on a daily basis while sporting NVEY’s Organic Lip Lustre in Amour Rose all over town. I am a fairly tough sell when it comes to trying new things out on my lips. I have established a norm of color fusion for my everyday look, which consists of a liner, about 4 different lipsticks, and maybe a gloss or two depending on the weather, my mood, etc.  Surprisingly enough, NVEY did not disappoint my lips and exceeded my expectations with fervent success.

I enjoyed the application process mostly due to the silky nature of the substance, and also the soft applicator wand.  Sometimes with lipgloss you have to take the applicator tip and press it down on your lip hard enough to get a liberal amount of gloss to pop out onto your lips just so that you are able to work with it and spread it around enough to make a noticeable statement. Do you hate that as much as I do?  Needless to say, this was not the case with the NVEY applicator. I had more than enough to work with after just one coat.  The gloss was usually used in an icing on the cake type of scenario, where I would apply a finishing coat of gloss to my already lipsticked lips. The texture of the lip gloss added instant surface area, clandestinely drizzling into each crack and crease in the folds of my puckered pout, birthing an evolution of multi-dimentional wearability. The traction formed by this combustion of consistencies was pure magic. And the funniest part? How quiet the whole process was. NVEY Organic Lip Lustre is a silent warrior, a timid yet bold superforce with which to be reckoned. With a muted shade oozing vivid pigment and fiery chroma, Amour Rose became the be all end all gateway to hue harmony.  I must have tried it with over 10 different lipsticks and each time it gave my lips new life. I felt like I was in the chemistry lab every morning in my bathroom. I would sit and watch the lustre conservatively merge with the lipstick creating an explosive partnership on my pout for me to enjoy all day. The muted pink with hints of mauve, was sheer enough to pull off the whole  ”I’m not trying thing,” but substantial enough to make a presentable, polished statement.

I would recommend this product for the young and the old, the shy and the bold. And remember, next time you take a walk down memory lane and realize that you have no lips to speak of in any of the photos…think of me and capitalize on my words. A woman’s lips dressed in variations of colors, degrees, and textures have the ability to speak poetic justice to the masses. But if bare and alone, they can go unnoticed and forgotten. A missed opportunity to be avoided at all costs.

Posted by ~Katie: Katie is a guest contributor for Scent Hive. She spends her time traveling, writing, and obsessing about the latest trends in the fashion and cosmetic industries. Her favorite pastime is honing her knack for popular trend cosmetics. When Katie needs to pay the bills she writes, blogs, and freelances as a make-up artist. She is also an adventure seeker around her home of the Pacific Northwest.

NVEY ECO Organics Lip Lustre is certified organic and made without parabens, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes. petro-chemicals, or phthalates. It is available at Sephora and Saffronrouge.

Also please note that Amour Rouge is a brighter pink than the picture shows above right.