Kiss Me, Kate

A review of Kate Spade Supercalifragilipstick
By Jessica M and Angie W

Poppy King, the Lipstick Queen, is sharing her talent and knowledge in several collaborations this year. She has created a signature lipstick for J. Crew, a range of seven lipsticks for the Boots no. 7 makeup line (soon available in the U.S.!), and a set of four lippies for the design house Kate Spade.

The four shades in Poppy’s “Supercalifragilipstick” line for Kate Spade are Pop Art Pink, Fuchsia Fete, Bashful Blush, and Adventurous Red. They all strike a nice balance between classic and trendy, just like Kate Spade’s clothing and accessories.

Angie has been wearing Bashful Blush, a versatile "your lips but better" shade. This is the perfect color for anyone who wants a muted, slightly brownish pink for daytime wear. It goes on with just the right amount of pigment and a subtle sheen, right out of the tube. It looks especially beautiful with Angie’s coloring: she is a pale brunette with blue-gray eyes.

Jessica has been trying out Pop Art Pink, a richly pigmented shade that looks almost hot-pink in the tube. It can be dabbed onto the lips and patted in with a fingertip for a sheerer look, or applied in a stronger swipe for bolder color. Jessica, who has dark brown hair, brown eyes, and pale skin, has been complementing Pop Art Pink with a little bit of rosy blush.

Thanks to Poppy King’s expertise in lipstick formulas, Supercalifragilipstick has a creamy texture and good staying power. Last but not least, its packaging has a fun mechanism: you press the top down gently, instead of pulling it, and then the tube pops open by itself! The swivel-up section is marked “PUCKER UP,” which makes us smile...all the better for applying lipstick.

Supercalifragilipstick will be released in early September and will sell for $24 at Kate Spade stores and the Kate Spade website.

Image: Kate Spade Fall/Winter 2011 ad campaign featuring Bryce Dallas Howard, via Storemags.com.
Product photographs by Jessica and Angie.
Disclaimer: Samples were provided for review.

(Many thanks to the one and only Poppy for sharing this new product with us!)

I just met a girl named Blue Jean

Lipstick Queen Jean Queen Lipstick and Lip Gloss
A review by Angie W and Jessica M

Jean Queen is the latest stroke of genius – or “jean-ius” – from Poppy King and Lipstick Queen: a set of matching lipstick and lip gloss designed to complement denim and other casual looks. Poppy says, "I was inspired by downtown's urban-chic style to create Jean Queen. Like New York, it teams the pretty with the tough." As usual, we couldn’t wait to try these new products and tell Annie and Blogdorf Goodman about them.



We’re happy to report that the Jean Queen shade is about as universal as a lip color can be. It’s a neutral peachy pink that would flatter any skin tone we can imagine; it falls midway between Lipstick Queen’s Saint Pink and Saint Coral. It’s incredibly easy to wear, because it gently warms up the face without looking too bright. Both the lipstick and the gloss are sheer, but they still have enough color to be flattering and noticeable in a “your lips, but better” way.

Jean Queen gloss is contained in plastic squeeze-tube with a brush applicator (like Lipstick Queen Fired Up), and it's formulated to stay put on your mouth, instead of sliding away within minutes. The lipstick is a moisturizing formula (similar to Lipstick Queen Medieval) that doesn’t even need lip balm underneath. It has a healthy-looking sheen without any shimmer or frost. (Our dear friend Cavewoman, who recently bought her own Jean Queen set, had one request: she wishes that this shade was also available in a second, “Sinner”-like lipstick with a matte texture.)

Lipstick Queen’s packaging for Jean Queen is perfect, as usual. The lip gloss cap and the lipstick tube are both deep, shiny blue-jeans blue, and the cardboard box and backing are printed to look like actual denim with stitching. Ironically, neither of us ever wears jeans. But we’re both trying to add a little variety to our all-black New York “uniforms” this fall: Angie is looking at tailored navy and cobalt pieces and has already received endless complements on her new navy Jil Sander trench coat, and Jessica is keeping an eye out for soft scarves and feminine cardigans in rosy-pink tones. Jean Queen would fit into either of our updated color schemes.

And, even if we don’t own jeans ourselves, we can appreciate them for being casual but classic, and totally versatile. In this way, no matter what the rest of you is wearing, Jean Queen really is the cosmetics equivalent of jeans. If you're shopping for fall basics, Jean Queen would be the ideal choice for a daytime lipstick or gloss that will take you anywhere.

Lipstick Queen's Jean Queen lipstick and lip gloss ($18 each) are available at Barneys, Space NK, Henri Bendel, and the Lipstick Queen website, http://www.lipstickqueen.com .

Disclaimer: press samples were provided by Lipstick Queen
Title lyric: David Bowie
Images: product photos by Jessica M; “Teenage Girls Wearing Blue Jeans,” Nina Leen for LIFE magazine, 1944

Like a butterfly, a wild butterfly, I will collect you and capture you...

Review of Lipstick Queen Butterfly Ball Shimmer Treatment Lipstick
By Angie W and Jessica M

Poppy King, the creator of Lipstick Queen, always combines unexpected inspirations in the “stories” behind her products. For her past releases, we’ve heard about Andy Warhol, Roman Polanski movies, symbolism in medieval art, and the Big Bang theory of the universe. Now, for Butterfly Ball Shimmer Treatment Lipsticks, Poppy refers to a boxer and a children’s book. The boxer is Mohammed Ali, who boasted that he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” The book is The Butterfly Ball and The Grasshopper’s Feast by Alan Aldridge, with its whimsical, detailed illustrations in psychedelic colors. There might also be a nod to Edward Gorey in the spooky-cool drawing of a butterfly on these new lipsticks’ packaging.

Butterfly Ball lipstick is available in five flattering tints and it’s infused with vitamins B, C, and E plus aloe vera for an extra-smooth, emollient application – perfect for lips that have the winter blues! Speaking of the blues, this product also incorporates “a hit of turquoise,” like the gleam of iridescent blue in butterfly wings, to make teeth appear whiter. We’ve tried three shades so far, and we’re all a-flutter to tell you about them (pun intended).

Fly is described as “hot shimmering pink.” Its application is very smooth and feels almost as moisturizing as a lip balm. The color goes on as a relatively sheer, wearable pink when it’s applied with a light hand, and it shows up as brighter, strawberry-sorbet pink with layering or heavier pressure. It’s similar to Saint Rose, but it’s even less opaque and it has a slight shimmer.

Moment, the line’s “sexy shimmering red,” is a versatile red with an underlying cranberry hue. It’s a perfect red for daytime, because it’s semi-translucent and not too intense. It’s still more strongly pigmented than Medieval, for example; you’ll definitely feel like you’re wearing lipstick, but it’s not overwhelming, even on soft features or light skin. Again, the shimmer is subtle.

Goodbye, a “deep shimmering wine,” looks almost too trendy in the tube, like a deep brownish purple with green-blue sparkle. Surprisingly, it applies as a black-currant stain.
It’s quirky-chic on pale skin, and it would harmonize well with darker skin tones. It can also be worn over other colors, to add a little depth and mystique. It should appeal to fans of Mystery from the Chinatown line.

As a perfect finishing touch, the Butterfly Ball lipstick cases are a unique dusty purple shade with black lettering, and they have a matte finish that feels almost rubberized (something like NARS lipstick tubes). These lipsticks would make ideal holiday treats for women of any age. The Fly shade would be especially fun for a teenager or a woman in her early twenties, Goodbye would make a trend-setter smile, and Moment is a great way for a color-shy woman to spread her wings, cosmetically speaking.

Have you attended the Ball yet? If so, let us know what you thought of these colors and others!

Butterfly Ball lipsticks are available for $20 each at http://www.lipstickqueen.com/, Barneys, Henri Bendel, and Space NK boutiques.

Product photos by Angie and Jessica.
Illustration by Helen Dryden from VOGUE, July 1914.
Song lyrics from Animotion’s “Obsession.”
Disclaimer: press samples of this product were provided by Lipstick Queen

Get it while it’s hot!

Fired Up Lip Gloss from Lipstick Queen
By Jessica M

Just a reminder: Fired Up lip gloss is now available at the Lipstick Queen website (http://www.lipstickqueen.com/)! It’s a sheer, wearable candy-apple red, packaged in a tube with a brush applicator, and it sells for $14.

In addition to looking chic and modern, Fired Up is a beauty product with a mission: 100% of its profits will be donated to the organization Count Me In For Women’s Economic Independence and its Make Mine a Million program (see http://www.makemineamillion.org/ For more information)


Fired Up was officially launched one night last week at Castor & Pollux, a charmingly hip boutique in Manhattan’s West Village (check out their website and blog at http://www.castorandpolluxstore.com/ ). Poppy King, the Lipstick Queen herself, and Nell Merlino, the founder and CEO of Count Me In, spoke about their collaboration and offered some inspiring thoughts about being female entrepreneurs.

Buy it, wear it, feel stylish and confident, and know that you’re helping other women achieve their business goals.

Photo Credits: Jessica M

Catalog Lemmings

My Current Lemmings from the Barneys Fall Beauty Catalog.

She's a Killer Queen

Lipstick Queen's Fifteen Minutes of Fame Pop Art Gloss in 11 minutes

Shes a killer queen
Gunpowder, gelatine
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow your mind
Anytime

This is a punchy plum. It is wonderfully wearable and on the bright side. At first glance, I thought it could be a good match for MAC's Violetta or Stiletto. 11 minutes has more dashes of red violet pigment. This might be a more work friendly less vampy plum shade for fall.

This lip gloss is shimmer free. There is not a speck of glitter or a peppering of sparkle. (Keri: You will love this lippie!)

11 minutes retails for $16.50 and can be found at Barneys and Henri Bendels in NYC. It can be ordered directly from Poppy King's website @ http://www.lipstickqueen.com/product_frame.htm

Credit: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom from the Reigning Queens Edition by Andy Warhol

Pop! goes the lip gloss

Review by Angie W and Jessica M

The two of us recently paid a visit to Lipstick Queen headquarters in New York, where the Queen herself, Poppy King, welcomed us and gave us an update on everything happening at her company, including a preview of Lipstick Queen’s new products for fall.

The latest product, released a few weeks ago, is Fifteen Minutes of Fame Pop Art Gloss. It was inspired by the Pop Art movement of the 1960s and by artist Andy Warhol’s prediction, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.” His words are more timely than ever, and Lipstick Queen’s Fame gloss is a stylish way to feel famous without having to embarrass yourself on a reality show, appear naked on YouTube, or give birth to octuplets.

Fame Pop Art Gloss is not, Poppy stressed, the typical sparkly-nude lip gloss that so many young women have been wearing for the past decade. It has no shimmer. It has no scent. It’s offered in a full-color wardrobe, ranging from a delicate ballet-slipper pink to a rich merlot shade, so it’s an easy way to experiment with color. Best of all, it has a smooth, non-sticky consistency.

Angie was surprised by the wearability of 11 Minutes, a vibrant, blood-red purple that is a perfect romantic fall shade. She also loved Minutes 7, 8, 9, and 13. Jessica was drawn to 12 Minutes, a dusty rose, and to 8 Minutes, a fresh, pinky-red strawberry tone.

The next product Poppy discussed was Fired Up, a brilliantly tinted gloss that wears as a soft, sheer red. It’s packaged in a tube, and the lettering on its box was inspired by “FIRE HOSE” sign in the hallway of Poppy’s office building. She recalled standing in the hall one evening, waiting for the elevator and dreading a crucial work meeting the next morning, and looking at the sign while she stood and worried. She decided to turn that feeling of “emergency” into an opportunity, and she created this product around it.

Fired Up is meant to be a lip color with the same “super-powers” that Poppy felt when she was a little girl and she tried on her mother’s lipstick. It represents women’s need to rise to challenges at work, at home, and everywhere else, particularly in the current economic downturn when they have to juggle even more demands than usual. It’s like a cosmetic secret-weapon for the 2009 version of Rosie the Riveter! Best of all, when you wear Fired Up, you’ll be bringing out your own confidence while contributing to other women’s success. All the profits from this gloss will be donated to Count Me In, an organization that supports female entrepreneurs by providing financial resources, business education, and a supportive community.

As an entrepreneur herself, Poppy is wonderfully welcoming to women who admire her work—including the two of us. She even allowed us to examine the collection of antique lipstick cases and other vintage lipstick paraphernalia that she keeps in her office. Someday, we hope, we’ll have a chance to tell you more about that!

We’ll also be back with more details about Butterfly Ball Shimmer Treatment Lipstick, a new product for October 2009. According to the press release, this moisturizing lipstick “recreates the effect of butterfly wings on the lips,” in five sheer, iridescent shades that have a hint of turquoise blue to make your teeth appear whiter. We say, sign us up!

So, to sum up, whether you’re seeking fame (and fortune), playing with fire, or just want to have a ball this autumn, Lipstick Queen is offering something new to make you feel beautiful inside and out.
Fame Pop Art Gloss is available for $16.50 at Barneys, Henri Bendel, Space NK, and the Lipstick Queen website. If you’ve had a chance to try the glosses, tell us your favorite shade! Fired Up will be available for $14 at the same locations; you can join the waiting list at http://www.lipstickqueen.com .

Credits: Warhol '15 Minutes' poster, Andy Warhol Museum, Lipstick Queen photos by Jessica M. “Lips” by Andy Warhol, c. 1959. “ Woman Aircraft Worker,” 1942, Library of Congress.

Forget it, Jessica; It's Chinatown

China Girl: A review of Chinatown Glossy Pencils from Lipstick Queen
By Jessica M

Earlier this summer, Lipstick Queen released its “Chinatown” collection of glosses in pencil form. In creating these pencils, Poppy King (the Queen herself) had two main inspirations. One was New York’s Chinatown, and all the unexpected items sold by its gift shops and sidewalk vendors. Another was the movie “Chinatown,” directed by Roman Polanski. The five shades are named for different elements of film noir: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Genre, and Chase.

These pencils are thick but sleek; they look like black lacquer, and they’re labeled “LIPSTICK QUEEN” in English and Chinese. Each shade has a different illustration on its box, and a special sharpener is included. I actually didn’t rush right out to sample the Chinatown glosses, because I’ve had bad experiences with other lip crayons that looked, and felt, harsh on my mouth. However, the last time I visited Henri Bendel, a nice makeup artist named Andrew persuaded me to give them a try. I sat down in the makeup chair and closed my eyes for a second when he was about to apply one of the pencils. I had to open them again because I was surprised: the Chinatown pencils have a completely smooth application, with no drag, no waxiness, and no splintery scraping.


I liked several of the colors, which look very bright in the pencil but apply as more wearable fruit-punch shades. I ended up choosing Chase, described as a “sheer lush watermelon” on the Lipstick Queen website. I’m pale, and I tend to wear a lot of black (even in summer), but this shade gives my face a quick, flattering “lift.” For daytime wear and a sheer, fresh look, I’ve been dabbing Chase onto my mouth over lip balm and spreading it around with a fingertip. For more intense color in the evenings, I apply it directly and more firmly. Either way, it looks dewy but not shiny-wet. And the pencil is modern, a bit glamorous, and definitely fun to use.


Polanski’s movie closes with violence and disillusionment, and with the famous line, “Forget it, Jake; it’s Chinatown.” Chinatown Glossy Pencils, on the other hand, are another story, and one with a much happier ending.

Lipstick Queen’s Chinatown Glossy Pencil sells for $20. To purchase, or for more information, go to http://www.lipstickqueen.com.

Lipstick photos by Jessica M.
Film still of Faye Dunaway in Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown,” 1974.

Lipstick Queen's Black Tie Optional
by Ceil

"Even though I have the type of coloring that is suited by warm tones and nude lippies...I am secretly attracted to unusual and vampy colored lipsticks and glosses. So, it is not really a surprise to me that when Lipstick Queen came out with Black tie optional, marketed as "sheer black stockings for your lips"....I was fascinated!


You know...I've tried other blackish lip glosses before and found that when I looked in the mirror...I pretty much looked like I was going to come down with an illness soon.But...I hadn't tried a "lipstick" that was black...so I caved and ordered it.
Black tie optional has turned out to be one of the most useful things in my cosmetic arsenal. Used alone...it gives your lips a soft greyish-purple hue that is-- what I might have to describe as rather unflattering...at least on me. But where this product really shines is how it reacts with other colors when used over and under other lipsticks and with glosses.

It's consistencyis slightly waxy, but not at all sticky. It feels almost powdery soft and smooth on, but has that "drag" that a little more waxiness in products like a lip conditioner would have.What this does so magically if worn underneath another color is that it act as almost as a primer and keeps other dark vampy lip colors in place. I personally have big-timeissues with dark colors bleeding and looking sloppy or swollen and this product eliminates this for me. And...it also slightly deepens medium to light colored lipsticks and turns them into very arresting shades. I also have very pale lips and when worn underneath it holds up better to losing all of my color from drinking my morning coffee.

Black tie optional also does something else very very fun when worn over another lipcolor. It can change a "too garish" or too dark color and turn it into somethingwearable and gorgeous. With my fair colored complexion...those vampy fun colors that I love often just don't look right on me. Those lipsticks can stand out like a flag sometimes.When worn on top, this Lipstick Queen black shade mattifies and tones down, but doesn't reduce any saturation of color. So I end up with a softer version of a vampy or striking shade.I end up with a fun look that I can wear...one that doesn't wear me."

Day 2: She Blinded Me With Science: Lipstick Queen Big Bang Illusion Gloss
A review by Jessica M





The original Big Bang Theory is a scientific hypothesis that explains the origin of the universe. Lipstick Queen’s Big Bang, on the other hand, is a line of glosses designed to create the illusion of fuller lips. These glosses don’t include any stinging, itching “plumping” ingredients; instead, they give the impression of fullness through color and light effects.

Inside each of the Big Bang see-though containers, which look like test tubes from some very beautiful laboratory, you can see the “futuristic formula” of this gloss. It has a gleamy, iridescent finish without any detectable particles of shimmer or glitter. This is the kind of sheen you see more often in high-end nail polishes, or in nature: in mother-of-pearl, for example, or on a hummingbird’s feathers.

All the Big Bang shades are tempting to the eye, but I limited myself to purchasing two. Cosmos (third from the left in the photo) is a “glittering cherry red.” It’s a true red that reminds me of Chinese lacquer or ruby slippers. It looks sheerer on the lips, without losing its luster or its depth. I’ve been using it alone, and sometimes over a swipe of Lipstick Queen’s Medieval, and I’m working up to trying it over a more opaque red or berry lipstick for a more dramatic look.

Creation (sixth from the left) is defined as a “sparkling rose.” It’s a slightly cool-toned, medium pink with a dreamy pearly cast. This is my newest favorite lip color for everyday use. I’ve been wearing it on its own, for a soft, springtime glow, or as a second layer to give my Minor Crisis Oxymoron or Saint Rose lipstick some extra brilliance and intensity.


When I was shopping for these glosses, I was also intrigued by the Space shade (at the far left in the photo). The Lipstick Queen website describes Space as a “sparkling lilac,” although it struck me as more of a silvery taupe. It’s reportedly created by mixing black and pink pigments. (Annie definitely needs to try this one!)

On the lips, Big Bang Illusion Gloss feels satiny, without any stickiness or slipperiness, and it gives a luminous tint without an overly “wet” appearance. This is a sophisticated way to wear color and shine; you could even say it takes lip gloss into a new dimension.

Lipstick Queen Big Bang Illusion Glosses are sold for $20 each at Barneys New York and through the Lipstick Queen website, http://www.lipstickqueen.com/.

Product photo courtesy of Lipstick Queen. Photo of a student nurse by H. Armstrong Roberts (1947), via Corbis.

A Visit with the Lipstick Queen
By Angie W and Jessica M

Poppy King, the creator of the Lipstick Queen cosmetics line, appeared at Barneys New York on Madison Avenue this past weekend, and we two lipstick addicts had the opportunity to chat with her about Lipstick Queen and other lipstick-related topics. At Annie’s invitation, we’re here to tell you all about it!

Both of us admired Poppy’s stylish attire, which mixed feminine elements with unexpected details: her vintage dress of wine velvet was cinched with a tough-yet-elegant leather belt, and she combined a feminine, antique purple ring and a delicate, vintage bracelet with a chunky, oversized men's watch.

The influences that Poppy brings to Lipstick Queen are similarly romantic and eclectic. Her packaging, for example, blends artistic styles from all her favorite periods and sources. She has reinterpreted Art Nouveau floral motifs (including her namesake flower!) for the Saints and Sinners lines, Aubrey Beardsley drawings and Tarot cards for the Oxymoron glosses, black lace reminiscent of vintage stockings for the Black Tie Optional products, and the intricate religious-moral symbolism of the Middle Ages for her Medieval lipstick. All the products are unified by bold Arts and Crafts lettering; basically, this is not the stereotypical swirly, pink, pin-up ornamentation that many companies would have automatically chosen for a lipstick line.

As for the lipsticks themselves, their colors and textures are inspired by classic Hollywood glamour and European standards of chic beauty. In recommending products to us, Poppy emphasized that her own makeup preference is to wear very little eye makeup or any other makeup besides lipstick. Lip color definitely plays the starring role in her beauty aesthetic.

Angie’s “lip reading’: Poppy recommended a rich wine shade for fall. Wine Sinner and Saint Wine were tested, and Angie ultimately chose the Saint. (The Sinner was gorgeous, but it’s a stronger lip than she’s accustomed to.) Poppy's advice for trying an intense new color is to wear it around the house until it feels second nature, so that you are comfortable wearing it out. Poppy said that Saint Wine was very “Ophelia” on Angie, and since John Everett Millais’s Ophelia (see image) is one of Angie’s favorite Victorian Pre-Raphaelite paintings, she had to cave! Poppy also suggested Saint Rouge for a subtle pop of red, since Angie already owns and enjoys Saint Red and Medieval. Angie loved both new lipsticks because their texture is so moist and sheer, and both colors are wearable, neither too bright nor too dramatic for a pale brunette to wear in daytime.

Jessica’s “lip reading”: Jessica had brought along her mini-collection of brochures from the original Poppy cosmetics line (see photo), dating back to its launch at Barneys in the early 1990s. Poppy reminisced about past products and designs for a bit, and then she approved Jessica’s current love for Saint Natural lipstick and recommended a few other items. Jessica ended up joining Angie (and Annie!) in the Medieval fan club, since it’s the only sheer red lipstick she’s ever tried that’s sufficiently pigmented yet doesn’t overwhelm her round face. Then she was smitten with Oxymoron Matte Gloss in Minor Crisis, a soft, dusty rose. Poppy also dabbed Minor Crisis on Jessica’s cheeks as cream blush for a fresh-faced “Jane Austen” look (and Jessica couldn’t resist that concept, since Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet is one of her beauty icons!).

Jessica and Angie were both eager to hear about future Lipstick Queen products, and Poppy indulged them by mentioning special talc-free blotting papers for lips, accessories including a Lipstick Queen mirror, and Big Bang Theory lip gloss, which will have subtle “fish scale” iridescence and a lip-plumping effect. A second book, on the subject of lipstick (of course!), is also in the works.

Overall, Poppy was wonderfully engaged in our conversation and seemed so pleasantly excited to speak with some of her customers. If you have the opportunity to meet her at a Lipstick Queen counter, don’t miss it!

Credit: Angie and Jessica for Blogdorf Goodman

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this review were purchased by the reviewer.

NYC Trip Review: Poppy King's Medieval Lippie

I always make a point to visit a Poppy King counter while I am in NYC. She is a personal hero of mine.
She created a lipstick empire.
From the goth girl packaging to the quality lippie formula, it is all genius and fun.

The latest from the mind of Miss King is Medieval. This is a red tinted treatment inspired by the look of lips in medieval art. The women used lemon to sting their lips to look flushed and blood red. Poppy King eliminates the zing of a lemon and instead gives us just a sheer pigment with vitamin E.


The texture is soothing and surprisingly creamy. This lippie delivers a rich yet sheer shade of red. Color delivery depends on your lip pigment along with your application. Layering delivers richer more noticeable results. The bonus of this lippie is that it keeps lips hydrated and flake free. Plus it leaves no messes or trails.

It retails for $20 and is available at Barneys and Henri Bendels.
Poppy King will be reading "lips" this Saturday(November 15th 2008) at Barneys in NYC. Call and make an appointment at 212-833-2017.

If you attend please tell her that we would love for her to make a glittery gloss.
Pretty please.
Lots of glitter, sprinkles and shine.



http://www.lipstickqueen.com/


Credits: Blogdorf Goodman
Disclaimer: I purchased this lippie in NYC at Barneys.

Lipstick Queen's Oxymoron Matte Lip Gloss in Honest Politician

Oxymoron: A rhetorical device in which two seemingly contradictory words are used together for effect.

An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought.
Simon Cameron

One of my favorite counters to visit in Barneys is Lipstick Queen. I love everything from the Aubrey Beardsley packaging to the satisfying snap of her lipstick tube. This company founded by the ultra glam Poppy King focuses on lippies. This year she launched one of the coolest lip products ever.

The Oxymoron line is her first step into the wonderful world of gloss. It applies like a standard lipgloss but leaves the lips with a matte finish. Matte finishes can often be drying and messy. Oxymoron manages to be creamy and moisturizing. It feels and looks amazing. The lasting power is also impressive. I did not have to do a touch up until the end of the day. That is remarkable for any kind of lippie.

The shade I caved on was Honest Politician.
This shade is like MAC's Spice liner and Nars Foul Play. It is the perfect fusion of brown and pink.
The other shades are Minor Crisis(a subtle pink), Deafening Silence(a beige nude), and Free Ride(a peach). Each gloss comes with a handy purse sized lip brush.

It is available at Barneys.com and retails for $20.

Disclosure: I purchased this product at Barneys in NYC.

Lipstick Queen

The only difference between saints and sinners is that every saint has a past while every sinner has a future.
Oscar Wilde

I visited NYC two weeks ago and spent some time loitering in front of the Lipstick Queen counter at Barneys. The SA was very helpful and let all three of us try the entire collection. Tbone caved on the red sinner shade while I opened my wallet to purchase the sinner shade of Rose. We stayed away from the saint shades because deep in our hearts we are very naughty girls.
Actually...the sinner shades are opaque while the saints are a sheer formula.
This shade concept is genius. Each of the ten colors has a sinner and saint counterpart.

The standout shades are the Red(think Dita Von Teese) and the Rose. The sinner's formula is heavily pigmented with no hint of shimmer or frost. It is a matte-like formula that is easy to wear. It does not dry out your lips or require around the clock maintenance. The saint shades give you just a hint of color.

Poppy King is a lipstick fanatic.
She is obsessed with lipstick and vows that her line will only be about lipstick. She sounds like someone that I could be friends with.
The SA dished on a future gloss product called Oxymoron.
I swore that I would not blog about it so all I say is.....I can not wait to get my hands on it.

This is a company that will be creating lippie lemmings for years to come.

Visit the site at http://www.lipstickqueen.com/hompage.htm or call the Barneys in NYC to make an order.

View other reviews at:
http://offtherack.people.com/2007/03/beauty_obsessio.html
and
http://fashiontribes.typepad.com/la_story/2007/02/all_hail_the_qu.html

Tbone's Red Sinner Tube photographed in Chinatown.
Photo: Annieytown
Disclosure: The product was purchased by the reviewer.