Lip of the Day: Chanel Paris + Bare Minerals French Toast

This week has been really hot. I mean, really hot. As a matter of fact, if you look closely at the picture above, you'll see that even my lipstick is sweating! So with summer making it's appearance in such blistering fashion, I decided I wanted bronzey lips. The only problem is, bronze isn't really my color. It isn't bad on me, just not really my thing, given that my skin is roughly the shade of copy paper. I mean, who am I trying to kid here? Summer really isn't my season, after all. I do much better during the winter when deep berries and vibrant reds are totally acceptable. So although I have a beautiful bronze lip gloss in Bare Minerals French Toast, I decided to amp it up a bit with something a little more my style.

First, let's start with swatches of the two colors I chose. I went with Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick in Paris. Paris is an absolutely stunning blue-based red that turns just the tiniest bit raspberry on me. It's my favorite red at the moment. I'm also going to be using Bare Minerals 100% Natural Lip Gloss in French Toast, which came in a bronzing set I bought a few weeks ago, and which I think is LE, but you can use any good opaque, shimmery bronze with similar effect. First, swatches of the colors side-by-side:

As you can see, they're very different. However, things are going to work out well, just give me a moment. Now, my lips with Chanel Paris:

Yes, that's a pin-up girl red, is it not? I love this color! I just don't feel right walking around in 94-degree weather sporting a full-on red pout. Now for Bare Minerals French Toast:

As you can see, it's a very bronze color that pulls almost orange on me. I do love the shimmer, though, as well as the fact that it's opaque on the lips and gives a very glassy shine. Finally, the piece de la resistance---the layering!

By layering the French Toast on top of the Paris, I was able to create a beautiful, shimmery, pale garnet effect that's almost jewel-like. The finish is like glass, the lasting power is extreme due to two superior formulas, and the color, rather than being overdone or trying to hard to look like a bronze goddess, is just perfect for my skin tone. It gives me a lot of color and works fabulously with browns, tans, and whites. Add a touch of bronzer to my cheeks, and I actually have a bit of color for a change, and feel ready for those lazy, hazy days of summer!

This post is from the Lipstick Musings Blog at http://www.lipstickmusings.com. Stop by and visit me!