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Archives for February 2009

Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup, Feb. 1-8

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Easy like Sunday morning.

Good afternoon, ladies!

How goes it today? I hope you’re having a good weekend so far.

It has been a leisurely one for me. I slept in today, and now I’m drinking coffee and turning my mind into mush with a few Tivo’d episodes of Paranormal State, a “reality” TV show about a group of collegiate ghost busters.

If you’re looking for some gentle brain liquification, may I suggest a few of last week’s freshly squeezed Makeup and Beauty Blog posts?

Glitter Is Good: The Bobbi Brown Blushed Pink Collection
“I can’t hang when it comes to big ol’ teeny bopper chunks of glitter (aye, I’m 33!), so any eyeshadow that makes me look like a Hot Topic refugee just isn’t an option.”

Heavy Hydration on the Cheap: Johnson’s Body Care 24-Hour Moisturing Body Wash and Lotion
“In winter my legs get so dry that iguanas envy me, but after using both the 24-Hour Body Wash and Lotion for a week things changed.”

The Ecotools Retractable Kabuki Brush Will Sneak Up on Ya
“Okay, so it’s not a flame thrower or a pocket super computer, but the Retractable Kabuki exudes awesomeness in other ways. It’s built for travel, fitting snugly into my makeup bag.”

Sheer Is In Bloom at Prescriptives
“For the new In Bloom collection, Prescriptives borrowed heavily from one the GREATEST painters of all time: Mother Nature. To my eye, the palette draws inspiration from sunflowers, marigolds, petunias and lilies. The look itself features sheer eyes, cheeks and a rich, shiny lip.”

Just Call Me Doe Eyes: Tarte Bottoms Up Mascara
“If you took away my Tarte Bottoms Up lower lash mascara ($14), I’d probably get the shakes and start rocking back and forth. Maybe drool a little bit too. Tarte made it special for lower lashes. It’s a water-resistant (not quite waterproof) black, and even though I’ve only been using it for a week, I’m already hooked. ”

10 Awesome Workout Tips and Tricks
I’m hoping these tips will help me get in fightin’ shape before summer, *crosses fingers*. I got a long way to go, LOL!

A’ight… I’m off to the gym for a quick workout, and then it’s homework time for me. Have a great Sunday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Paint Your Pout Pink and Red with Smashbox Cosmetics for Valentine’s Day

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I still haven’t made plans for Valentine’s Day… The closest I came to thinking about it was last week, when my classmate interviewed me for a Valentine’s Day story he was writing for the school newspaper.

Classmate: What’s your idea of the perfect Valentine’s Day date?
Karen: The perfect date would start with my husband cleaning the house without me having to ask him to!
Classmate: Really?
Karen: Yeah, really. Then we’d go to a restaurant that served really garlic-y food. I’d order shrimp scampi with hella garlic and then ask him to make out with me as a test of his devotion. Ideally, he’d say yes.

This morning, to get myself in the Valentine’s spirit, I ate a few candy hearts for breakfast (Mmm) and tried on these pink and red Photo Finish Lipsticks ($22) and Lip Enhancing Glosses ($18) from Smashbox Cosmetics.

Valentine’s Day Lip Looks by Smashbox

If you want to shine for your V-Date, consider a shimmery lip look using Electrify (pictured up top), a hot pink with silver sparkles.


Scoop’s a subtle pink with shimmer and has a casual feel to me, like something I’d wear with browns and taupes on a lunch date.


Pop, a creamy, peachy pink, looks like something I’d wear with smokey eyes to dinner.


If you and your date plan to hit the red carpet, give Starlit (a shimmery deep red) try.
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MAC Lavender Whip Cremesheen Lipstick and Ever So Rich Glass: This Purple Lip Combo Reigns

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Lavender Whip lipstick and Ever So Rich gloss are two products that don’t reveal their true colors until they’ve been applied.

And in this case, like the Spice Girls sang way back, magic happens when the two become one.

Purple lipstick and gloss aren’t colors you see every day, so at first I was a little intimidated. But I found layering Ever So Rich on top of Lavender Whip creates a shiny mauve lip that looks natural and NOT scary at all.

Here’s one layer of Lavender Whip lipstick…

This lipstick by itself is a little too purple for me, yikes!

It becomes much more wearable after I add a layer of Ever So Rich. The gloss tones down the purple lipstick color and infuses it with a hint of pink.

The combo’s gonna be a nice alternative to a nude lip look when I don’t feel like wearing a beige or peach. I can’t wait to wear it with smokey gray eyes.

If you’re heading down to the counter to check out Creme Team and feeling adventurous, I hope you give it a try! 🙂

Obey the kitty


Even though Tabs is on my shizzlist right now I can’t help but marvel at what that cat does in his spare time. He joined this new group and now claims to be part of Chairman Meow’s feline revolution.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Freida Pinto’s Blue and Brown SAG Eye Look, Version 1

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Good morning, girls! Happy Friday. 🙂

It’s raining cats and dogs this morning! I’m just sitting here twiddling my thumbs while the coffee brews… I need it desperately this morning because Tabs went totally apesh*t last night, jumping on top of furniture, pawing at the walls and meowing at himself in the dark. I dunno. He gets like this when it rains. First, he meows to go out; then meows to come back in. Over and over, all through the night, ack!

Despite only getting two seconds of sleep, I’m in a pretty good mood. Not only is it Friday, but my attempt to re-create the blue and brown eye Freida Pinto wore to the SAG awards didn’t turn out half bad.

In the picture up top, Freida’s wearing a warm brown in the crease and a bluish gray shadow on the lid. I don’t know the exact products used for her look, but for my version I layered L’Oreal HiP Duo in Magnetic Fields on top of MAC Jadeye Fluidline.

It’s a little more teal than I wanted, but I like how it turned out.

For the rest of the eye, I used MAC Painterly Paint Pot as a base, MAC Soft Brown and MAC Brown Script in the crease and MAC Brule on the brow bone.

To line the eyes, I added MAC Blacktrack on the upper lash line, and to finish, layered Blacktrack and Magnetic on the lower.

I’m going to keep trying this look with other blue cream and powder shadows until I match the same smokey gray blue shade in Freida’s look.

Christian F*#$*@ Bale… The drama continues

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The Girls of MAC Creme Team Arrive, Rivalry Ensues

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The girls of MAC Creme Team arrived at MAC counters today to sign autographs, give interviews and talk strategy before the big game.

First, the eight members of the Cremesheen lipstick squad sauntered in with plenty of attitude, dressed in black and ready to rumble.


Top row: Lavender Whip, Lickable, Creme in Your Coffee, Hang-Up; bottom row: Creme Cup, Shy Girl, Crosswires, Spice is Nice


Top row: Creme Cup, Creme in Your Coffee, Crosswires, Hang-Up; bottom row: Lavender Whip, Lickable, Shy Girl, Spice is Nice

“Expect a good matchup,” said Cremesheen Lipsticks captain Shy Girl, “but the real winners are the fans. They love our creamy texture and shiny finish. The competition better bring their A game because we’re bringing lip moisturization like it’s never been broughten before!”

Crowd favorite Creme in Your Coffee flashed a reverse peace sign to fans before taking a seat on the counter. “Neutral pink brown lips in the hizz-ouse!”


From top to bottom: Ever So Rich, Fashion Scoop, Creme Anglaise


From left to right: Boy Bait, Petite Indulgence, Partial to Pink, Melt in Your Mouth (for pics and swatches of Looks Like Sin, check out this previous post)


Top row: Boy Bait, Creme Anglaise, Ever So Rich, Fashion Scoop; bottom row: Melt in Your Mouth, Partial Pink, Petite Indulgence

Not to be outdone by the veteran lipstick squad, the gloss girls of Cremesheen Glass stood tall and regal, their creamy colors glowing with rare intensity.

“Yeah,” said Boy Bait, Cremesheen Glass captain, “it’s gonna be a good game. We’re sheer and creamy, but so what? We might not have the pigmentation, but we don’t need it. We have what it takes to shine.”


From left to right: Caramellow, Pink Treat, Sublime Culture, Velvetella

Which team will win the hearts and minds of MAC lovers? Fans are split. Will it be Cremesheen Lipsticks or Cremesheen Glass?

“Sheer’s pretty,” said Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog, “but a lot of women wanted more pigmentation. The lipsticks have the shine, better coverage and the moisturization I crave.”

Then, pulling a slightly overweight tabby from her purse and pointing at the lipstick between the cat’s teeth she added, “Even my cat prefers the Lipsticks.”


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GHD Thermal Protector Spray Beats the Styling Heat

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I’ve been flat ironing my wavy hair a lot since the Sedu Revolution (aka The Miracle Worker) entered my life, but all that hot styling can lead to split ends, blech!

What’s a girl to do?

Right now I’m using GHD Thermal Protector for Dry, Coarse Hair ($25). It’s a spray-on liquid styler designed to moisturize hair and protect it from heat damage. I spritz it on dry hair before flat ironing and then run the Sedu iron from root to tip.

It smells wonderful (like rose and sandlewood), enhances shine and even makes a difference in how my hair reacts to humidity.

If I’ve flat ironed and it begins to rain, my waves spring back — unless I’ve used Thermal Protector. This stuff keeps my hair stick straight, making it lay flatter and look straighter than the Sedu alone, no matter what the weather’s like.

I haven’t noticed any new split ends or broken pieces of crispy hair in the month I’ve been using Thermal Protector, and I sure hope it stays that way. I’ll keep you posted. 🙂

GHD Thermal Protector for Dry, Coarse Hair

Price: $25 for a 5.1 fl-oz spray bottle
Use: A moisturizing styling spray to fight frizz and protect hair from heat damage
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

One more thing — if you’re interested, GHD makes a couple more formulas, one for Normal to Fine Hair and another for Weak and Damaged hair ($25 each).

MAC attack!


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