a few favorite summer lip colors, vol. i: coral

In the name of summer, I made a mess on my arm for you.

Coral, whether of the orange or the pink subspecies, is a quintessential summer shade that looks good on so many skin tones. Just like there is a red for everyone, there is a coral for everyone (in contrast, there doesn’t necessarily seem to be an orange for everyone – or perhaps orange is more polarizing, and people are less open to finding that perfect orange). It can look quite natural sheered out. Then, too, with good opacity it can look awesomely unnatural.

It also goes so well with what are for me the other quintessential summer colors; white, gold, turquoise, cream…

The line between coral and red-orange/orange-red (which will be next) is blurred, so this selection is slightly arbitrary.

IMG_4861

IMG_4855

Kate Moss Matte Rimmel lipstick in 110, Korres Mango Butter lipstick in Coral (sheer), Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Coral Crush, Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid lipstick in Shocking Coral.

These are showing a tiny bit too orange…better to look at a variety of swatches and sort of deduce the color. […best to see it in person] I have no ambition to be a great swatcher (so many blogs do it better than I ever will, with my attitude) but I often find comparisons like this useful.

The Korres Mango Butter lipstick is maybe my favorite here. It is sheer, similar to all of the tinted balm-type options every brand has come out with now, but smoother and more moisturizing than any of the other versions I’ve tried.

The Kate Moss lipsticks are such great value, and the pigmentation, particularly in the matte line, is solid.

x

into: hot pink…evidently

I don’t think of myself as having a special affinity for pink but I seem to have kind of a lot of it. Where by pink I do not mean pink at all. I mean hot pink.

IMG_4565

How do these things happen? Many of these items are by no means new, either. This is an old, slowly developing pattern that I am only just recognizing. A few items lined up in my field of vision and there was just no denying it: nothing out of control, nothing unhealthy, but a definite pattern. Well. What can I say? I am not against neon at all, in certain contexts. More certain contexts than I thought.

Some combination of always wanting to have been an 80’s aerobics instructor and Marc Jacobs, I guess.

Huh.

And this is not even getting into coral. We still need to talk about coral. Just wait until you see the swimsuit I found, it is nearly blinding.

Roxie plaid bikini, unknown hoop earrings, Steve Madden P-Heaven flats, Color Club polish in Warhol Pink, Vivitar card reader, Korres lip butter glaze in Pomegranate, OCC lip tar in Anime, Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in Vivid Rose and Shocking Coral, Wet ‘n Wild MegaLast lipstick in Don’t Blink Pink, Loop NYC Audio Couture Boombox Bag