Images provided by RAFW 2011

1. At Rosemount Australia Fashion Week (RAFW) this month, lips were painted in staple shades of bold red, deep wine and nudes (nothing new here).  So you can imagine when I saw coral tint and creamy ginger – it was like a breath of fresh air & guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd. Here are my top picks that will help you achieve these looks:

• Coral tint - MAC Lipglass in ‘Viva Glam Cyndi’ or Benefit Cha Cha Tint (coming soon)
• Creamy ginger -Tom Ford Lip Color in ‘Ginger Fawn’

2. Tine gives her verdict on whether the Chanel Hydramax + Active Nutrition Lip Care is a must-have or just hype.

3. Ponikuta swears by her new favourite lip balm – Ella Bache Great 30+ Lipsaver

4. Hottest lip swatches on the blogsphere

• Top Shop Glisten Gloss Stick – You’ve Got Nail
• Joe Fresh Matte Lipstick in “Fuchsia” - Glitter Geek
• Chantecaille Lip Chic in “Tea Rose” - Keeping Up With Me
• OCC Lip Tar in “Hush” - Emily’s Anthology

5. Victoria Beckham tweeted that Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Shine Lipstick SPF 15 is “the perfect lipstick”.  With 15 shades to choose from, I’m hoping she tweets me back with which shade she’s got!

(Source)

Livia Marin - Ficciones de un uso, 2004

1. No lipstick looks the same on every woman.  It was this fact that led Livia Marin (Chilean born, UK based sculptor) to explore lipsticks in her sculptural work to emphasise individuality and uniformity.  2214 lipsticks were presented in an arc, and no lipsticks were the same – proving that endless differentiation was possible within even a narrow product category.  The message is subtle yet poignant on how society defines beauty and individuality. (Source)

2. Livia, Helen & Miss Chew share their list of lip products they simply cannot live without

• Some Lip Products I’ve Been Loving Recently – Princesa Livia’s Beauty Blog
• 14 Lip Balms, Lipglosses & Lipsticks I Can’t Live Without – Sassy Bella
• Lip Products I Cannot Live Without – Miss Chew

3. Ena roadtests Sisley’s Eye and Lip Contour Balm which proved to be just as amazing on lips too.

4. London Makeup Girl compares Lipstick Queen in “Saint Pink” vs. No. 7 Poppy King Lipstick in “No. 3 Glamour”

5. Hottest lip swatches on the blogsphere

• Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour in “Soft Coral” and “Bikini Pink” - Princesa Livia’s Beauty Blog
• Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani in “Plum 604″ – Dempeaux
• Inglot Sleeks Cream Lip Paint – Indian Vanity Case
• MAC Lipstick in “Chatterbox” – Makeup & Macaroons
• Lipstick Queen in “Pink Sinner” - My Funny Valentine

If you’d like to contribute links to my weekly round up, please email or tweet me the deets @BeautySwatch!

[Image source]

1. The thought of white lipstick sounds scary & retro!  But did you know that white lipstick is useful for mellowing out intense shades & creating ultra nude lips?  Check out Jung Saem Mool’s tutorial below & if you’re game, here are some brands that have a white lipstick in their range.

• Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited – #000
• YSL Rouge Pur Couture – Blanc
• NYX Round Lipstick – Opal or Hello

2. After a highly successful Red Month, Stef has started Pink Month on her blog The Lip Print! If you missed her Red Month series, here’s her link round up page.

3. Find out which product Holly (Lip Balm Collector) has discovered is an affordable dupe of La Mer Lip Balm!!

4. Latest Lip Swatches on the Blog Sphere:

• Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Colour in “Nectar” - Miss J Shopaholic
• Addiction Lipstick in “Super Woman” - Worship of the House of Blues
• NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in “New Lover” - Make Me Blushhh
• Estee Lauder Pure Colour Gloss Stick in “Nude Almond” - Fables in Fashion

5. YouTube Clip of the Week: Jung Saem Mool shows us how to transform vivid pink orange and warm brown lipstick into pastel pink peach and ultra nude lips by mixing with white lipstick.

[Image Credit: Aspinal of London]

1. Remember the lipstick case? I thought these had gone extinct, but it seems people who are content with just carrying ONE lipstick at a time are keeping these endangered species alive.

2. Roseanne Tang & her friend switched lipsticks with each other for a Nude vs. Bold Lip Show Down. A fun, must-read blog post!

3. If you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms from Stef’s The Red Month series on The Lip Print, leave a comment on her blog on which shade you’d like her to feature next month!

4. Hottest Lip Swatches This Week on the Blogsphere

• OCC Lip Tar Swatches – Glamourous Makeup
• Top Shop Lips in “Daredevil” – Red Luscious Lips
• Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour in “Plum Rose” – Things I Love
• Maybelline Water Shiny Volumy Lipstick #021- Make Me Blushhh (Asia exclusive)

5. YouTube Clip of the Week: Goss Makeup Artist shares with us a dupe for MAC Pro Longwear Lip Color!

(I haven’t embedded the YouTube clip as I feel somewhat guilty when the clip belongs to a blogger or makeup enthusiast… would you agree?)

1. Why kiss a piece of paper when you can use a lip print rubber stamp! Available at ATYPYK. (Confess now!! Who HASN’T created their own lipstick print at some time in their lives..)

2. Holly from Beatideas knows lip balms like no other & has a blog dedicated to lip balms, covering everything from high end to drugstore brands.  A must-read for fellow lip balm lovers!

3. Stef shows us 3 easy-to-wear red lipsticks, so there’s no more excuses for shying away from a red lippie~

4. Here are some of the hottest lip swatches this week on the blogsphere:

• NYX Black Label Lipsticks – Frmheadtotoe
• Dupes for MAC Hue – Makeup & Macaroons

5. And lastly… Catalina has done one of the best lip swatch videos on YouTube & you MUST check it out!  It’s an epic series split into Parts 1, 2 & 3 with detailed reviews & close ups, featuring brands from MAC, YSL, Chanel, Dior, NYX, Bobbi Brown, Missha, Shiseido & Lancome!