Sometimes all I need to be happy is a blank journal page, a pen and some sweet treats.
What’s making you happy this afternoon?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
by Karen 36 Comments
Sometimes all I need to be happy is a blank journal page, a pen and some sweet treats.
What’s making you happy this afternoon?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
by Karen 50 Comments
Fall is my favorite time of year in San Francisco. It rarely gets either cold or hot in the city, with the Bay keeping the climate pretty much the same year ’round, but the brief summer we do get usually occurs in what would normally be the fall, which means t-shirts in October and sometimes even November.
It’s when autumn colors drench the city — grey buildings contrast against streets carpeted with maroon autumn leaves, as buttery autumn sunlight weaves through the high rises downtown. I love it.
I suppose my love for the city in fall explains why I’ve fallen for Sally Hansen‘s new nail collection, inspired by 10 fall colors created in collaboration with clothing designer Tracy Reese. The industrial grey, black and blue shades contrast well with maroons and neutrals, as do the streets of my favorite city in the fall.
At $6, these drugstore polishes are a downright steal! You get a little bit less product than you would from a Lippmann Collection shade (0.45 oz for a bottle of Sally Hansen versus 0.50 oz for a Lippmann Collection bottle), but you’re paying half the price. These colors are also durable like Lippmann polishes, clinging like that ex-boyfriend you wish would just go away.
I painted my nails with three layers for these pics, and five days later they had nary a chip. And that’s without topcoat, yo. If your nails take a beating like mine do, then definitely put one of these in your basket on your next trip to Rite Aid or the House of Tar-ghay. Update: These Sally Hansen colors will hit the shelves in September. 🙂
by Karen 9 Comments
My hands have now officially made it onto the “Body Parts I Wish I Slathered Consistently With Sunscreen At a Younger Age” list. Also on this list: neck, chest and feet.
I just recently started thinking about wrinkles on my hands. When I see women at malls and grocery stores who’ve obviously had some “work done,” the one thing that always confirms my suspicions is the appearance of the skin on their hands. The hands tell no lies, girlfriend.
Now I’m FREAKED OUT about all the years of sun damage my hands have endured. I know I can’t turn back the clock (sigh), but at least I can do the right thing now. Lippmann Collection Rich Girl ($24), a moisturizing hand cream with SPF 25, has entered my life at just the right time. Its active ingredients (oxtinoxate, octisalate and avobenzone) protect hands from UVB and UVA damage, the two major types of sun radiation.
While I don’t have age spots (yet), Rich Girl is also supposed to gently fade these tell-tale signs of aging with a “botanical lightening complex” of grape, mulberry and saxifraga (a perennial plant) extract.
I think it moisturizes my perpetually dry hands just as well as Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Hand Cream ($17, but no SPF) does, but Rich Girl makes my palms feel a little greasy — not annoyingly so, but still. Good thing I don’t walk around on my hands, lol! I think the light powdery fragrance makes up for the slightly slick feel.
Price: $24
Use: To protect and moisturize hands
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B
Lippmann added a small, but nice touch by attaching the twist cap to the tube. Just turn the cap, give the bottle a squeeze, and then turn the cap back in the opposite direction to close it. I seem to have a knack for losing hand lotion caps, and I really appreciate this one.
The 3-oz tube will set you back $24, which is way, way out on the expensive side. I’ve been going through this stuff pretty quickly, too, because I wash my hands a lot. Because it is so pricey, I’ve supplemented it with the far cheaper Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion with SPF 15 ($8). The big problem with Lubriderm’s lotion, though, is the gargantuan 16-oz bottle it comes in — perfect for a counter at home but not ideal for a purse.
Also consider Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Age Shield Hand Cream with SPF 30 ($6 for a small 2-oz tube), another inexpensive alternative (although it doesn’t make the same anti-aging claims) to Rich Girl.
You can find Rich Girl at Nordstrom stores, or check it out online.
[Continue reading…]
by Karen 19 Comments
Inevitably, every season there’s at least one makeup trend that’s great in theory but not so easy to pull off in real life. Right now, my big beef lies with the dark plum, brown and berry lip shades that keep popping up in the fall collections. I like dark lip looks (the more vampire-y the better), but I don’t always like having to go through the steps involved to get them, nor am I always up for the maintenance required to keep dark lips looking their best.
It can be exhausting!
I’ve long searched high and low for an easy way to get dark lips looks and found comfort at la casa de Chanel (where else?), thanks to a sexy plum-gold lipgloss sporting the oh-so-clever name, Ironic Tonic.
A beautiful plum with subtle flecks of gold, Ironic Tonic looks great even after a single layer. It delivers a hint of purple with lots of gold shimmer. I like to think of it as a watercolor dark lip look with the shine turned up to the max.
A quick change artist, Ironic Tonic flashes from purple to gold depending on the light and the angle of view. The gold in it dominates right after application but fades to more purple as time passes between applications. I really like how it looks after about an hour. By then the gold has diminished somewhat and what you’re left with is a sexy, deep flush — like you’ve just engaged in the most excellent makeout session with ya’ boy toy (woot!).
OH, and sidenote, MAC lipglass fans — Ironic Tonic is the plum version of Nymphette, a pink shade with gold shimmer. If you like Nymphette, you’ll probably dig this shade, too.
Price: $26
Use: To add shine and a plum-gold color to lips
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
Aqualumiere glosses do have a limited wear time (for the full deets, check out this earlier review), but it’s easy to reapply. Ironic Tonic is sheer enough to make liner optional; plus, the brush that comes with the gloss works like a charm. I found one layer was just enough to give my lips adequate ZAP! BAM! POW! And, unlike really dark colors, which I have to constantly worry about, the sheer plum-gold doesn’t stand out when stray streaks accidentally end up on my chin.
So far I’ve only worn Ironic Tonic by itself, but I think it might look pretty on top of plum or gold lipstick (try Chanel’s Formentera or Plum Rouge lipstick shades from the fall 2008 release). The combination possibilities are endless.
Last, but not least, I’m thinkin’ whoever named this shade either majored in English Lit or has a weird sense of humor. What, exactly, is an Ironic Tonic? Is it tonic you’d take to cure an excess of irony, or does it bring out more of the irony in life? Hmm…
[Continue reading…]
by Karen 19 Comments
OH. SO. EASY. Now get your mind out of the gutter, dirty birdy. I’m talking about lip looks! A new lipgloss or lipstick shade is the easiest way to switch up your makeup look. Red, pink, coral, gold — the possibilities are endless for the canvas that is yo’ sexy pucker. 🙂 Try a few of these looks on for size, won’t cha?
The gods o’ speed were on my side this afternoon. I just got back from a run and felt like I was flying! Other than my run, today was ok. I was busy at work doing a lot of number stuff, which my brain finds quite exhausting.
What was the best part of your day?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
by Karen 42 Comments
MAC’s Love Connection Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo ($14) makes me nostalgic for the olden days (um, like, 2003), when one pan of eye shadow, a primer, eyeliner (if I was feeling adventurous) and some mascara gave my eye makeup itch all the scratch it needed. Ahh, take me back!
One of nine eye shadow duos from MAC’s recent Electro Flash release, Love Connection’s shades — a peachy bronze and a pink-beige — may not instantly dazzle like some of MAC’s flashier duos (Fresh Green Mix and Odd Couple come to mind), but I’m glad I took a chance with this Love Connection because the neutral, pastel colors work wonders.
One side of the pan of Love Connection glows like the inside of an abalone shell, with a luminescent, peach-beige with hints of blue. The other side shines like a new penny. Like all of MAC’s Mineralize Eye Shadow Duos, this one is all about big shimmer. You’ll either love or hate it (those in the “hate it” camp may find it too chunky or flashy). I love it because the shimmer reflects a lot of light, making it a great brightener. Just a quick swipe on my lids makes me me look as though I’ve slept for hours. Trust me, girl — this is no small feat. I’ve slept a maximum of 10 hours over the course of two days, and it takes a minor miracle to make me look wide awake.
Price: $14
Use: A shimmery pastel shadow for easy looks
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
Although Love Connection contains lots of big shimmer, the pastels keep it subtle enough to wear to work or on low-maintenance makeup days when all you need is a little oomph. I’ve worn it to work, on dates with El Hub and on the weekends when I’m running errands. It’s a low key look, but it’s still very pretty (oh, and when worn on top of Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer, the shadow lasts for hours).
Here’s the look I’ve been wearing for the past few days. I applied Love Connection on top of Too Faced Shadow Insurance, layering the peach shade on top of the bronze on the lid area and just slightly into the crease. I added a little definition with Lancome Le Stylo Waterproof Eyeliner on the upper water line and smudged into the lower lash line, and finished the look with two coats of MAC Mascara X.
Here I am just before I ran out the door for work yesterday! I had about 10 minutes, total, to get ready. And, yup, I wear glasses when I don’t have time to put in my contacts.
Don’t think you’re limited because you only have two shades to work with. There are so many different ways to wear this duo! Try applying the…
To get even more lovin’ from Love Connection, you can also try these five looks using a wet brush head to get even more intense color payoff and shimmer. That’s ten looks with just one duo, baby!
The texture of Love Connection and all of the Mineralize Eye Duos differs from that of MAC’s other shadows. These don’t apply as densely as MAC’s regular pan shadows do, and working with them reminds me of working with loose eye shadows like the MAC Pigments. Don’t be surprised if you find shadow flyin’ all over the place.
To create the looks above, I relied on just a few brushes. To cover large sections of the eye I like really flat, stiff brushes like the MAC 252, and for detail work I like flat brushes with smaller heads like the MAC 239. Even though Love Connection’s pastel colors don’t create harsh lines of color like bold blue, purple or green shades would, I still like to keep a blending brush with a soft head like the MAC 217 handy to create the effect of the shadow going from intense to desaturated colors.
[Continue reading…]
by Karen 73 Comments
Your turn! Just copy the list, insert your answers and leave ’em for me in the comments. 🙂
Le list
Mood:
Eyes:
Fragrance:
Breakfast:
Lips:
Eye Shadow Lemming:
Outfit:
Two cents of advice (makeup related):
Two cents of advice (non-makeup related):
Goals for the week:
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
by Karen 10 Comments
Daily Beauty Reporter: allure.com
Former Allure Staff Writer Jessica Matlin knows how to represent. They should call her Scoop Matlin. I love Allure, and the Daily Beauty Reporter rocks. Gotta love the hawt site layout, too. I swear it looks and feels more like a beauty print mag than anything else in beauty blogging today.
Pandora Radio
Where have you been all my life, lover? I only have eyes for your free Internet radio (and my boy toy C. Bale.) Pandora is a music lover’s dream come true; search for an artist or song, and Pandora will create an entire radio station of songs in the same style.
Naturally Curly
YaaAAAargh! Take a deep breath, curly haired beauties. NaturallyCurly.com has come to your rescue. With tips and testimonials for girls with naturally curly hair, the site has tons of useful info on curl products, salons and curly celebrities.
Perfume Posse
One’s taste in fragrance is a personal thing, but you know when you’ve read a good review. It makes you close your eyes, tilt your head back and breathe it all in. Good reviews smell like the real thing. Those are the kinds of reviews the gang at Perfume Posse writes on a regular basis.
[Continue reading…]
Copyright © 2022 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.