In Search of Maskproof Lipstick, Part 2: Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink in Cocoa Connoisseur

This is the second post in a series of three. In each post, I’ll wear a supposedly indelible liquid lipstick throughout a day of teaching and track its performance under a New York Times-approved double mask: a surgical mask, ear loops tightened and ends tucked in, with a cloth mask on top. Check out the first post… Read More In Search of Maskproof Lipstick, Part 2: Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink in Cocoa Connoisseur

October 9, 2021December 26, 2021 auxiliarybeauty8 Comments

Glossier Ultralip in Ember and Trench

After releasing Skywash liquid eyeshadow in early 2020, Glossier went pretty quiet for about a year. The only products it debuted during the remainder of 2020 were a new flavor of Balm Dotcom, two new shades of Cloud Paint, and some highly questionable merch, including a $75 set containing a lip gloss and a gold-plated… Read More Glossier Ultralip in Ember and Trench

June 7, 2021November 25, 2022 auxiliarybeauty3 Comments

2020 Lipstick Chronology #5: Bite Beauty Molten Chocolate

Product: Bite Beauty Crystal Crème Shimmer Lip Crayon in Molten Chocolate Date Purchased: April 2020 Grade: A- Can someone tell me what the hell happened to Bite Beauty? For close to a decade, everyone knew them as the brand that produced food-grade, food-themed lip products. Then it was like we collectively glanced away for a… Read More 2020 Lipstick Chronology #5: Bite Beauty Molten Chocolate

May 8, 2021October 10, 2021 auxiliarybeauty3 Comments

ColourPop Blur Lux Lipstick in Slow Dance

Here, as promised (look at me, keeping a blog-related promise!), is my review of the second item from my recent ColourPop order: the Blur Lux Lipstick in Slow Dance. Early in 2019, ColourPop introduced sixteen shades of Blur Lux Lipstick, a “matte lipstick formulated with soft blurring pigments.” This semi-sheer formula was designed to replace… Read More ColourPop Blur Lux Lipstick in Slow Dance

October 30, 2020March 12, 2022 auxiliarybeauty1 Comment

ColourPop Spring Haul, Part 2: Super Shock Cheek in Aphrodisiac and Super Shock Shadow in Truth

Now that I’m winding down my blog, I’ve entered a reminiscing frame of mind. I’ve been thinking about my favorite aspects of the beauty community, one of which is our appreciation for the nuances of color. I’ve always had a good eye for color, but following makeup and beauty for so many years has taught… Read More ColourPop Spring Haul, Part 2: Super Shock Cheek in Aphrodisiac and Super Shock Shadow in Truth

June 9, 2019March 8, 2022 auxiliarybeauty4 Comments

Bite Beauty Spice Things Up Collection: Smoked Za’atar and Star Anise

Oh, Bite Beauty. The intensity of my love-hate relationship with this brand is second only to that of my love-hate relationship with Glossier. On paper, Bite is my ideal beauty brand. It makes nothing but lip products, offering a wide range of complex, well-balanced colors. It releases thoughtful, interesting limited-edition collections, most of which are… Read More Bite Beauty Spice Things Up Collection: Smoked Za’atar and Star Anise

July 23, 2018March 8, 2022 auxiliarybeauty16 Comments

Reverse Lipstick Chronology #1: MAC Whirl

SPRING BREAK WOOOO …oh, right. The weather may suggest otherwise, but I’m now on spring break. That doesn’t mean very much in ABD world, since I should technically spend every waking hour chipping away at my dissertation, but I’m still planning to use my extra free time (or the illusion thereof) to write some reviews… Read More Reverse Lipstick Chronology #1: MAC Whirl

March 18, 2017May 4, 2021 auxiliarybeauty10 Comments

FOTD: #SummerGoth

My tastes in makeup have shifted recently. I’ve noticed myself gravitating toward different colors, textures, and undertones, and caring less about “seasonal” makeup. Spring was so cold and dreary this year that I didn’t feel like making my usual switch to coral and pink tones. But even now, with the hot, swampy Mid-Atlantic summer in… Read More FOTD: #SummerGoth

July 16, 2016March 9, 2022 auxiliarybeauty15 Comments

Revlon Matte Balm in Fierce

I kept reasonably good tabs on new makeup releases last fall (self-destructively good tabs, even), but there were a few that escaped my notice. One new development was the addition of four shades to Revlon’s line of Colorburst Matte Balms. The new colors are Enchanting, a pinkish beige; Fierce, a warm cinnamon brown; Fiery, a… Read More Revlon Matte Balm in Fierce

February 7, 2016May 5, 2021 auxiliarybeauty19 Comments

AB Insists on Antique Velvet

Yesterday looked like this… (yes, I wore Cherries in the Snow in the snow) …so I think it’s a good time for another winter story: Like many girls, I grew up reading Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series. One of the most memorable chapters in the first book, “Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves,”… Read More AB Insists on Antique Velvet

January 24, 2016March 8, 2022 auxiliarybeauty28 Comments

Auxiliary Beauty

Dress, Paint, Patches, Setting of Eye-brows, and licking the Lipps with Red.

Tag: brown