Archives for November 2007

MAC Liquidlast Liner Mini-Rant

November 30th, 2007 by Karen 20 Comments

Feast your eyes upon the bane of my eyelining existence this past month, the dreaded tube of MAC Liquidlast Liner ($16.50) in Inkspill.
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I’m usually a Fluidline/Technakohl kinda gal, but I’ve heard many wonderful things about MAC Liquidlast Liner and was stoked to pick up a tube. Plus, I couldn’t say no to the pearly deep green color.

Little did I know the world of hurt this tube would unleash.

The 266, the 209 – I’ve tried applying Inkspill with several different brushes but for some reason couldn’t draw a straight line to save my life. Every time I put it on I end up looking like a crazy, cracked-out circus clown! I briefly thought about posting pictures of one of my many bad Liquidlast experiments, but I am so not ready to go there.

After every ill-fated attempt I had to take off all my eye makeup and start over again because this stuff requires a strong oil-based makeup remover; otherwise, this liner stays put through your next few lifetimes.

But I’m not ready to give up the fight. There’s gotta be a way to make this work!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup Gift Ideas from Lancome – Pure Platinum, Part One

November 29th, 2007 by Karen 27 Comments

If you obsess over sleek, silver packaging, then Lancome’s got a few holiday products you can’t miss.

My favorite is Lancome’s Colour Focus Palette in Black Tie Affair ($40.00), a fantabulous purple eyeshadow quad.

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If you’ve followed this blog for a while you know I sometimes feel too purple to function when working the shades o’ eggplant. But, alas, all four colors in Black Tie Affair are so creamy and buildable that even the clumsy (ahem, like yours truly) can easily use them to do a purple smoky eye.

Mad crazy big hearts for:
– Hot chrome packaging! Love it!
– Shadow texture. All four shadows are finely milled, smooth and soft. They also have *fantastic* color payoff. These shadows remind me of my beloved shadows from the Chanel Garden Party Quad.
– Blendability.
– Color Flexibility. The colors are matched well, giving you plenty o’ combination options. For a daytime work look, I’d apply the white color on my browbone, take the light purple from the lash line up into the crease, wet a MAC 266 brush and apply the black shadow on the top lash line. It would also work for a light smokey eye! I’d do the same browbone and lid colors and then apply black shadow on the lashline, fading the black into the darker purple color as I moved into the crease. Many looks await you in this quad, oy!

Itty bitty hearts for:
– Brushes. Honestly, why do cosmetics companies even bother? I feel like applying these shadows with lil’ plastic sponge brushes would be a travesty.
– Price. Oui, oui, it’s pricey but you do get a lot of eyeshadow for your money.
– Fingerprint factor. I know this is kind of knit-picky, but the cool silver packaging, unfortunately, picks up all of my fingerprints, which makes it look dirrrty.

Um, not that kind of dirty.
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You might heart it if:
– You want to try more adventurous eye looks but need help coordinating colors (hey, I know I do!).
– You like Chanel quality shadows but not Chanel prices.
– You’ve been wanting to do a purple eye but have been too intimidated to try. The Black Tie Affair quad makes it really easy.

A girl’s best friend

Got a girlfriend obsessed with gloss? Get her Lancome’s Precious Carat Lip Gloss Jewel ($40.00). This cutie pie is cut like a precious diamond and made from Swavorski crystals. The color, Diamond Splendor, is a clear gloss with big glitter sparkles.

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Mad crazy big hearts for:
– Packaging. The diamond packaging and crystal top give this gloss elegance. There’s also a very handy mirror on the inside of the cap, useful when you’re admiring your bad self glossing it up.

Itty bitty hearts for:
– Sparkle. I’m very particular about my glitter. Although I like the color of the glitter in this gloss — peach, pink, green and gold — I find the chunks of glitter too big for my taste.

You might heart it if:
– You like a “big glitter” look.
– You collect cute gloss.
– You want to hint to your significant other that you’re ready to get engaged!

Get the look: Purple smokey eye and neutral lips
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Hallelujah! Finally, a purple eye that doesn’t make me feel like a drag queen. I used both the Black Tie quad and Precious Carat gloss to get this look.

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Eyes

All the shadows I used are from the Black Tie Affair quad.

Browbone – white shadow
Lid and crease – light purple shadow
Outer crease – dark purple shadow
Lash line – black shadow
Lashes – three coats of MAC Plushlash
Lower waterline – MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

Cheeks and Lips

To keep the emphasis on the eyes I kept the cheeks and lips soft.

Cheeks – Neutrogena Soft Suede Blush
Lips – MAC Honey B. Cremestick Liner
Lipgloss – Lancome Precious Carat Lip Gloss Jewel in Diamond Splendor

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Did I mention that this look is easy? Makeup newbies, you gotta try it!

Misery, all alone in the moonlight

Remember the MISERY GRIN from yesterday? Well, it was in full force today. At work our internet connection was out, and it took three hours and eight phone calls to a call center half way around the world to get it up and running. The entire experience was about as pleasurable as gouging my eye out with a blunt, rusty nail.

So glad tomorrow is Friday. I’m going into SF to peep MAC’s new Stylistics collection and attend a Chanel event. Yeah, my wallet’s throbbing.

I hope your day was technologically sound … and that your brows looked extra cute.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Red Lips and Gold Eyes: The MAC Antiquitease Queen’s Sin Look

November 28th, 2007 by Karen 60 Comments

My MAC Antiquitease love just keeps growing and growing. Here’s the Queen’s Sin look, which features red lips and gold eyes.

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Where to work it?

The red lip look is strong, but at the same time versatile. You get lots of mileage out of this look because you can work it in many different settings.

A classic look for work. I’ve been wearing the Queen’s Sin look to work a lot lately. Yes, the colors are bold, but the overall feel is conservative because you’re not sporting bright jewel tones or lots of glitter. The look would suit lots of different work environments – a buttoned-up law firm, a creative advertising company, or even a laid back office.

A gala night. If you need to dress to impress, you can’t go wrong with red lips, gold eyes and a great formal black dress. Don’t forget to throw in some pretty gold accessories and a dainty clutch.

Rober Palmer (RIP) back up singer. Remember the girls from the “Addicted to Love” video?
When I was a kid I got in so much trouble when my friend and I dressed up as the backup band! My mom was not happy about us “borrowing” her expensive red Clinique lipstick!

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Get the look!

Beginners, don’t be intimidated by this look. It might seem complicated but it’s really easy to do!

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I had most of the products featured on the Queen’s Sin face chart but had to do just a few replacements.

MAC face chart: Brown Down eye shadow in crease (teddy bear brown)
Replaced it with: Soft Brown Matte eye shadow (soft golden peachy brown)

MAC face chart: Plum Foolery blush (faintly plum)
Replaced it with: Fab blush

MAC face chart: Burgandy lip pencil (brownish burgandy)
Replaced it with: Rimmel Indian Pink lip pencil

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To turn the look up a notch, I’ve also topped these fab red lips with a layer of Chanel Myriade Glossimer lipgloss.

And if red lips are too vavoom for you, you can always do a toned down version by doing a light stain and leaving out the gloss.

One more face of the day

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I like to call this the MISERY GRIN. It comes out when people (El Hub, family members, random annoying people) ask me to do something when I’d rather just be sitting on the couch in a state of vegetation.

The key to the MISERY GRIN is moving that bottom lip directly downward to expose all of your bottom teeth! That way the misery can’t be missed from a mile away.

The MISERY GRIN is especially effective when you are wearing lipstick that draws attention to one’s pout, like in the can’t-miss red lips from the Queen’s Sin look! 🙂

YES! Wednesday. I’m happy that the week is almost over. Got anything exciting happening today? I’m going to dance class tonight for the first time in a month so I’m really looking forward to it.

I hope you’re having a good day so far!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Support a Great Cause with MAC Kids Helping Kids Greeting Cards

November 27th, 2007 by Karen 10 Comments

My Christmas confession: I’m guilty of sending out last minute Christmas cards. Last year I ended up buying a pack of cards I found at the bottom of the 75 percent off bin at Walgreen’s three days before Christmas. I highly suggest not doing this as your choices may be limited to boxes of drunken cartoon snowmen telling lame Christmas jokes (Really, I couldn’t make this shizz up).

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This year I intend to avoid the last minute budget card bin because I just picked up a few boxes of Kids Helping Kids Greeting Cards from MAC! These brightly colored cards are designed by kids living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, and sale proceeds go to the MAC AIDS Fund to help support pediatric AIDS organizations around the world.

A pack of six cards with envelopes is $6.00 and features six festive designs. My favorite is the red card with the crayon reindeer drawing.

In addition to greeting cards, MAC also has Kids Helping Kids Gift Cards, smaller versions with the same designs. They’re perfect stocking stuffers. A pack of 12 of the smaller gift cards with envelopes is also $6.00.

Please help support the MAC AIDS Fund and make a difference by picking up some cards during your next MAC counter visit. Got your card bases covered? If you’re lucky enough to live by a MAC store, then you can still help by purchasing a roll of Kids Helping Kids Gift Wrap. There are three different designs, and each roll is $10.00.

I can’t wait to give out these cards! I feel good about sending out my cards on time this year, but I feel even better knowing it’s also supporting a great cause.

How’s your afternoon been? I’m currently craving brownies, chocolate chip cookies and green tea! If only we could go on an afternoon cookie break together! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

New York’s Makeup – Work Those False Lashes, Girl

November 27th, 2007 by Karen 14 Comments

Monday used to be my favorite night for television, but unfortunately things have taken a dark turn. Seeing New York’s crazy makeup is the only thing I have to look forward to now, since the remaining boys on VH1’s I Love New York 2 are proving to either be REALLY BORING or REALLY FRICKIN’ NUTS.

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Ahhhh, yes. I don’t have solid proof but I’m pretty convinced New York is a MAC girl. Check out her not-to-be-missed lashes. I’d put my money on those bad boys being a set of MAC #37s.

Does anybody else with a pulse find this man alarming?

Why was The Entertainer constantly seeing pictures of devils in those ink blots? I honestly thought I could get behind TEAM ENTERTAINER, ’till I figured out that he’s probably a warlock skilled in the ways of the dark arts.

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I can’t even get myself to join TEAM BUDDHA, ’cause he’s so boring he puts himself to sleep.

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I keep waiting for the guys to get all Lord of the Flies on each other but nooooooo! Even stupid Tailor Made’s been playing nice with everybody.

Somebody please save us all from dying a slow, boring, reality TV death!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Holiday Gifts for Less than $60.00: Lancome Miracle Forever Eau De Parfum Spray

November 27th, 2007 by Karen 11 Comments

The scenario: Hello, stress. You’re meeting your significant other’s family for the first time, and you’ve got to get a gift for his/her mom, OY!

The solution: Score mega mom points with Lancome Miracle Forever, a sophisticated scent. It’s not a cheap, cheesy body splash or a scratch ‘n sniff sticker.

“I want you to meet my mom.”

So, your significant other finally utters the words that simultaneously excite and terrify women all over the globe.

Ohhh, girl, don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll love you! I hope you realize, though, that she’ll probably be the most important arse you’ll be kissing this holiday season, so while I’m positive your smile and sparkling personality will win her over, it never hurts to come to the homestead bearing a little somethin’-somethin’ to grease the wheels a bit.

Hey, I have no shame when it comes to pre-emptive mom bribery! Every bit helps, especially if there’s a chance she’ll make your life heaven or hell should you ever become legally bound to her via marriage.

To earn some sweet mom points, bring her a bouquet of her favorite flowers along with a fantastic gift, like Lancome’s Miracle Forever perfume ($52.00)!

A Universal Scent for All Women

Miracle Forever is one of those universal scents every woman will love, with notes of black currant, star anis (a fruit grown in southern China, who knew?) and almond cream. It’s definitely not stuffy, too “old lady” or too in your face, and will appeal to lots of different fragrance personalities.

The best thing about this perfume is how the notes mix in such a subtle way. I sometimes find food-based perfumes overly sweet, especially when fruit scents are involved, but Miracle Forever mingles the fruit and cream well; one scent never dominates the others. You get just a touch of black currant, not a whole basket up in your grill. The result is warm and chic.

On my skin I get mostly cream notes with just a suggestion of black currant. The perfume has a lot of staying power, too, and as I sniff my wrist throughout the day I really like smelling how the scent evolves. It’s complex enough that it doesn’t smell the same throughout the day.

The single 1.7 fl oz bottle of Miracle Forever pictured above is $52.00, but for the holidays you might want to spend two bucks extra for the Miracle Forever Necessities Set, which includes body lotion and shower gel along with a 1.7 oz bottle for $54.00.

Do you remember your first time meeting your significant other’s mom? What was it like?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

43 Things I’m Thankful For – The Non-Makeup Edition, 2007

November 26th, 2007 by Karen 51 Comments

Yesterday, I did a post on 43 makeup-related things I’m thankful for. As much as I can go on and on about eye liner, there are other things in life that I also cherish. Here’s the non-makeup edition of my list.

43 Things I’m Thankful For

1. My family, especially my brother. We’re not as close as we used to be when we were younger, but we still share the same sense of weird humor and artistic spirit. Here’s a video of him in action at one of his shows. Warning: if you like easy listening music then this clip might be a little too much metal for you.

2. El Hub. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but one thing I did get right was marrying the coolest boy I ever met.

Me and El Hub on our wedding day.
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3. Clear, crisp fall days perfect for an afternoon run.

4. All of the neighborhood dogs who stroll by my window while I’m writing. I love watching them walk by with their people in tow; they look like the happiest creatures on earth.

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5. Showers. It’s strange, but I get my best ideas in the shower. I could just stay in there all day and think of wacky stuff to blog about. Sure, I’d be a waterlogged prune, but hey, creativity comes with a price.

At least I don’t have to cut off my ear.
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6. Friends who make you laugh and who will hold your hand through anything and everything.

One of my best buds, Nblack.
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7. Dancing. Dancing feeds my soul and always makes me feel closer to the powers-that-be. I love it.

8. Modern medicine and dentistry. It’s kind of a weird thing to be thankful for, I know. But last night I watched an episode of the HBO TV show, Rome, and one scene showed an ancient Roman guy getting operated on. The process included straps, a saw and a filthy kitchen table. I have only three words to convey how I feel about ancient medicinal practices: SO NOT COOL.

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9. Sleep. Lots of it.
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10. Opportunity.

11. Being healthy. Sure, I creak a little bit more than I used to, but for the most part everything works as it should. I cherish being able to work out, lift weights and go running, because I know that someday I won’t be able to anymore.

12. Music, especially songs that always make me cry, like Ave Maria.

13. The entire frozen foods section of Trader Joe’s.

14. My rock collection (aka small, portable reminders of happiness). I always keep a rock or two with me in my purse; they’re kind of like security blankets of happiness. On days when something special happens to me, I like to pick up a rock and add it to my rock collection. Right now the rock riding around with me is from Spain. I picked it up off the ground on top of a hill in the dry Spanish countryside on the day El Hub asked me to marry him.

15. Modern bathrooms, plumbing and toilet paper. Nuff’ said.

16. Dental floss.

17. The petite section at Banana Republic.

18. The Internets. Not only can one buy a purse on the Internet, you can also find a husband! Damn, that’s progress. How did people pass the time in their cubes back in the day? I can’t even imagine it.

The Lauren Merkin Bianca bag from Shopbop.com, aka too little sleep plus a coupon code for a hundred bucks off equals UH-OH!
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19. MP3s.

20. The joy of writing. There are many things I can’t do, like calculus, woodworking or the dark arts. But one thing I can always count on is the ability to string a few words together to make myself laugh. I’m gonna ride this one for as long and as far as it will take me.

I wear this pin (by Wm Spear Design) every day.
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21. The desire to learn. On the learning list so far for 2008: a martial art, fashion photography and acoustic guitar.

22. Finally paying off my car. The last payment goes down this Tuesday. It’s paid for, b*tches, WOOT!

23. The miraculous marriage of Tivo and reality television.

Looking for love in all the wrong places.
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24. All of the books that changed my life: The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien), The Toughest Indian in the World (Sherman Alexie), To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemmingway) …

25. Coffee.

26. Cupcakes.

27. My day job.

28. Having access to clean drinking water.

29. Time.

30. Living relatively close to my parents. They are only an hour away, should they ever need me for an emergency.

31. Being able to appreciate the weird things that people do. Today, I saw two teenage boys at the bus stop dressed up in gorilla suits. It made me strangely happy.

32. The trees that line the street outside my window. I love the sound of their leaves crunching beneath my feet when I walk around outside in the fall.

33. Random acts of kindness.

34. Surfing without a wet suit.

Puta de Mita, Mexico.
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35. Vacations.

36. Shoes that don’t hurt my feet.

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37. Cheesy vampire and sci-fi movies.

38. Workout clothes that wick the sweat right off ya.

39. All things MAC…computers, that is. =)

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40. Good allergy medicine.

41. Strawberry Frosted Pop Tarts.

42. The sound of El Hub’s snoring on a rainy, stormy night — loud, yet comforting.

43. Getting to know all the cool folks who read this blog!

What are you thankful for?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

43 Things I’m Thankful For – The Makeup Edition, 2007

November 25th, 2007 by Karen 19 Comments

Have you heard of 43 Things? It’s a Web site where people make lists of 43 goals they want to achieve — learning French, building a better mouse trap, reading War and Peace, etc. It’s pretty fun to read the different hopes and dreams that people have.

I’ve been in a contemplative mood all weekend. When I haven’t been stuffing myself beyond maximum capacity, I’ve been thinking about all of the things I’m thankful for.

So, what happens when you think about what you’re thankful for while staring at your makeup for too long? Well, the Makeup and Beauty Blog version of 43 Things, of course.

Here’s my list of 43 makeup and beauty things I’m thankful for this year!

43 Things I’m Thankful For – The Makeup Edition

1. The magical power of the MAC 266.
2. Chanel Glossimer lip gloss is almost too sexy for this blog.
3. MAC Mineralize Eye Shadows, aka my newest obsession.
4. Celebrity Perfumes that surprised me: Covet, CAN CAN and Midnight Fantasy.
5. The perfect red lipstick: MAC Dubonnet.
6. Eyeliner for dummies #1: MAC Fluidline.
7. Eyeliner for dummies #2: MAC Technakohl.
8. Eyeliner for dummies #3: Rimmel Jungle Green.
9. The Barbie Loves MAC limited edition collection: WOOT!
10. Foot Petals save my feet from getting TOW UP.
11-14. Finding products that finally helped cure my adult acne: Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser, Clinique Mild Clarifying lotion, DDF Benzoyl Peroxide Gel, and Clinique Moisture On-Line moisturizer.
15. Meeting makeup artist Billy B. was inspiring and fun.
16. MAC Soba never lets me down.
17. Kick-arse pedicures from San Francisco’s Bliss Spa rock my world.
18. Shiseido Face & Body Sunscreen, the only sunscreen that doesn’t leave my neck feeling sticky and gross.
19. Micellar cleansers: feeding my inner lazy beast since October 2007!
20. The Clinique Pink Truffle Quad was love at first sight.
21. MAC Smoke Signals Collection is my favorite MAC collection this year (so far!).
22. Wet Ones Wipes make cleaning my makeup brushes easy.
23. MAC Pink Treat Cremestick Lip Liner doesn’t dry out my lips and goes with everything!
24. Trips to the MAC Pro Store are fun.
25. You never know what you’re gonna get when you’re in the mood for makeup experiments.
26. MAC Viva Glam
27. MAC Lychee Lux Lipglass
28. San Francisco Fashion Week
29. Seche Vite Top Coat RULES.
30. MAC Plushlash makes my lash life so easy.
31. My Chanel obsession started with a lil’ thing called the Garden Party Quad.
32-35. I’d look like a zombie if it weren’t for Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer, Biotherm Forget It! concealer and Make Up For Ever Lift concealer.
36. I can’t live without Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer.
37. There’s only one word to describe Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream — HALLELUJAH!
38. Just say no to living a life of mustache hell on earth with Sally Hansen Hair Remover Wax Strip Kit.
39. Alberto VO5 Tea Therapy Clarifying Conditioner in Vanilla Mint Tea saves my hair from dry destruction.
40. Because nobody wants Austin Powers teeth —Crest Vivid White Toothpaste.
41. I always have a few DHC Olive Virgin Oil Swabs in my purse.
42. One of my favorite drugstore mascaras: L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black!