My name is Alissa. I like lip gloss.

Hi! I'm Alissa. I'm originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, where Fashion Bug was the most stylish clothing store within 45 minutes of my home. I always liked clothes and shopping, but I don't think I really knew what that meant until I got to college. That's where I met the BarStars, all of whom grew up in much more glamorous towns and possessed much better fashion sense than I did. But I am a quick study, so after years of tagging along on shopping trips and pouring over fashion magazines, I've overcome my farmgirl beginnings and have turned into a fairly fashionable city girl.

I now live just across the Chicago city limits in Oak Park with my foodie husband, Jon, and our adorable Westie, Nico. I love high-heeled shoes (the higher the better), lightweight merino wool sweaters, stylish winter coats, flouncy summer skirts and slightly gaudy, trend-tastic jewelry. I'm on a never-ending quest for the most flawless foundation, the prettiest pink lipgloss, the best hair volumizer, the perfect bra and jeans that will make my legs look like they go on for miles. I'm also kind of a techie dork, so I'm always scoping out the latest camera/computer/DVR/stereo gadgets. And I'm on a pretty serious workout kick, so I'm constantly on the lookout for cute-but-functional workout wear. So if you have a product that you just can't get enough of, be sure to let me know :)

-------

The first product that I want to rave about it something that Caro turned me on to. Actually, she got it for me for Christmas!

Stila Lip Glaze is, in a word, awesome. But I should preface this by saying that up until the second I tried it, I was hopelessly devoted to Mac Lipglass and had been since I bought my first tube of Dreamy a few years back. It's sticky, which may turn some people off, but I need my lip gloss to have serious grip to it. I am a compulsive lips smusher (you know, when you rub your lips together to redistribute your lip gloss to less-glossy parts of your lips), and glosses that are too slick don't stay put for more than an hour. Plus, Mac Lipglasses tend to be sparkly. And I love me some sparkle.

But Lipglass also tends to be fairly pigmented, so it's hard to find colors that look natural. And a lot of the time, their best colors are limited edition, forcing you to stock up if you want keep using your favorite color.

I was intrigued when I saw the Stila Lip Glazes that Caroline picked out from me, because, well ... they looked kinda bright in the tube. Bright and garish. Bright, garish, and not visibly sparkly. And I thought, boooo. These aren't going to work well at all.

But I put on Starfruit and ... wow. It looked so natural! But so pretty. And very subtly sparkly! It looked like I was wearing clear gloss on top of phenomenally pretty lips. And while I was even more skeptical about Apricot -- I NEVER buy cosmetics that fall into the peach/apricot category -- it looked gorgeous as well. It was more subtle, but still very feminine and luscious and pretty. I went out and bought another color (Raisin, which is currently only available in Japan, unless you're a Sephora Beauty Insider like me), but I'm actually not that happy with it -- it's a lot brighter than I'd anticipated. I guess I should stick to having Caroline choose my colors for me :)

The texture is pretty fabulous as well. It doesn't quite measure up to Mac when it comes to staying power, but it's a close second, and it's prettier, so I'm willing to reapply more frequently in order to obtain The Pretty. And each color has a slightly different mild flavor (or maybe it's just a scent? Now I'm not sure...) to it. It's not like Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers, where you put it on just to eat it back off again, but it's not waxy and gross like some lip glosses.

My only major complaint is the applicator. While I far prefer the brush to a sponge wand, I haven't quite mastered the turn-click system that slowly pushes gloss up from the container into the brush. I tend to click ... and click ... and click ... and then when nothing comes out I clickclickclick and, out of nowhere, my brush is saturated in three applications' worth of lip gloss. I try to reapply the lid and leave the gloss on the brush for later, but it will often drip into the cap, wasting precious, pretty drops of glossy perfection. And that makes me sad. But I'll deal in order to have such glamorous, lovely lips. This former Mac addict is a total Stila convert.

The Little Ant That Played

Unlike Caroline, I don't feel like I'm on the Mickey Mouse Club, mostly because my parents didn't get cable until a month ago and I was deprived the normal childhood of watching such television gems like the MMC. However, I do feel like a celebrity who is being interviewed for Teen Beat.

My name is Katie and I am the born and raised Texan. I live in the great city of Austin, home of the University of Texas and me. I too traveled East for undergrad and fell in love with the Bar Stars. I am back in Texas and taking a break from graduate school. I am a lover of pickles, Prada purses, sleep, high heels, and vodka. I LOVE tv and celebrity gossip - I'm convinced this is why Caroline and I get along as well as we do. I don't claim to know what you should buy, but I know what I like and I like to rant about it. I tend to like classic styles and I enjoy primary colors and jewel tones. I don't look super great in pastels, so I tend to steer clear of them. I don't care what anyone says, I think burnt orange looks great on me (hook 'em). I also like a lot of random stuff and for my first post, I will be delving into my love for a singing toothbrush, just you wait.

I think C.O Bigalow Ultra Mentha Lip Shine is great - it tastes good and makes you kiss ready. I tend to wear more silver than gold, but probably because I am prone to losing things and I would feel terrible losing something expensive. On that note, I strongly advocate all party people and aspiring Bar Stars to invest in a party phone. There is nothing worst than going out, having a banger of a night, and then realizing you lost your cell phone. The party phone is a great alternative to taking out your real phone. It will save you much heartache. I love candles, especially Tocca and Tyler Candle Company from here in Texas. I love all things philosophy and am an avid user of their makeup, body wash, lotions, and skin care.

I love the finer things in life and don't mind going through periods of famine to feast. I enjoy good food, nice clothes, and treating my friends and myself. There was that fable about the ant that played all summer while the grasshopper slaved away working to save food for the winter. I'm the ant. Perhaps it's not the best way to live, but for now, it's good times. I might be considered the indulgent Bar Star, but you'll have to ask the others :) I look forward to sharing some of my favorite things here on BarStars Buy !

Why? Because we like you...

First, I should mention that I feel like I am on the Mickey Mouse Club. When they all jumped in front of the camera with their super hot MMC letterman jackets and with a great smile told the world their name. Maybe I just feel like that because it was always my dream to be on the show. But anyway, I digress.

So, I am Caroline. I am a Midwestern girl who transplanted to the East Coast for college. Which, by the way, is where I met all these fabulous girls. We grow them tall and judgey in the Midwest, which is why I am qualified to tell you what to buy. Actually, I am not even a little bit qualified to tell you what to buy, but I buy lots of stuff and would love to tell you about why it rocks. Also, sometimes I will tell you about why things don’t rock. Because sometimes, products you think are going to be truly awesome… well, they suck. And I am anti buying products that suck. Mostly, because I work in non-profits and don’t have time or money to waste on products that just sit on my shelf. Quite frankly, I don’t have that much shelf space.

So, right off the bat, what do I love? I love Essie nail polish, Maybelline mascara, BE makeup removing Q-tips and Stila Lip Glaze. I will tell you all day long about how TiVo changed my life, how a switching to a Mac made my year and how the right cell phone can brighten your day. I don’t wash my face regularly. I am a tooth whitening addict. And I know first hand how MySpace can morph into an addiction. I love celebrity gossip and other people’s blogs. Oh and Target. I love Target. Because Target is the best place in the world. Seriously.

Finally… I love my friends. They are the coolest people I have ever known and I am so glad that I know them and they like me. Because without them, I would have far fewer people to gossip with, to tell stories to and to support me in everything I do. So, trust their judgment. Because they truly have only your best interest at heart. Why, you may ask? Because we like you...

Once upon a time...

It is time to get this party started… and no one knows how to party like the BarStars. We are a group of five girls who know how to have fun and look good doing it. We all bring something different to the table… which is obviously what makes us experts on what you should be buying too. So, sit back, relax, and let us tell you all about things we love, products we buy, shows we watch, music we listen to, places we go, shoes we lust after and fun we have.