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Archives for February 2009

Go Crazy Bold with Make Up For Ever Faux Lashes

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Don’t pull any punches this Valentine’s Day, and GO FOR THE BOLD! Try on a pair of crazy bold false lashes like Make Up For Ever’s Alexandra Faux Lash ($15). Her thick black fringe and dramatic length demand your full attention.

I did this look with Alexandra yesterday, pairing her with demure pink cheeks and a strong red lip.

If you’re hitting the clubs with friends on The Big V, this could be a fun look to wear. It’s playful and says to the world, “Hey, ya’ll! You can’t stop this love machine!”

The key to the look is the lashes — the bigger the better. Here I’m wearing Make Up For Ever, but you might also look at falsies from other brands like Shu Uemura, Revlon or Ardell.

  1. Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in #0L, $17: matte black eyeliner
  2. Smoky Lash Mascara, $22: black mascara
  3. Faux Lash Alexandra #110, $15: dramatic false lashes with lash glue
  4. Sculpting Blush #8, $24: matte, bright pink blush
  5. Aqua Lip Pencil in #8, $17: true red lip liner
  6. Lipstick #205, $18: bluish red lipstick
  7. Mist & Fix Make-Up Fixer Mist, $27: makeup fixing spray

Eyes: Not to steal anything away from the lashes, I kept the eyes simple, starting by lining my upper and lower lash lines with (1) Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in #0L. Then, I curled my lashes and applied two coats of (2) Smoky Lash Mascara. Finally, I glued (3) Faux Lash Alexandra lashes on my upper lash line, aligning the shorter end of the lashes with the inner corner (the side closest to my nose).
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How Closely Do You Follow Makeup Expiration Guidelines?

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It’s easy to tell when a quart of milk goes bad, but what about a pan of cream eyeshadow?

When it comes to the shelf life of cosmetics, there are no hard and fast rules, no FDA mandated regulations or requirements. Just general guidelines.

I have to admit that I don’t follow them to a “T”. I can’t bring myself to toss a $27 tube of Diorshow Iconic Mascara just because I’ve had it open for three months.

But, sadly, all of the makeup we love so much will eventually expire. No one wants to waste expensive beauty swag, but creams and oils go rancid, preservatives break down and bacteria can breed after a product has been open too long.

Some cosmetics companies clearly have expiration in mind. Cargo just announced a line of glosses called blu_ray Lip Gloss with Timestrip that incorporates a tiny strip embedded in the cap to keep track of how long a lip gloss has been open.

Some General Makeup Expiration Guidelines

Oil-free foundation: 1 year
Cream or compact foundation: 18 months
Concealer: 12-18 months
Powder: 2 years
Blush and bronzer: 2 years
Cream blush: 12-18 months
Powder eyeshadow: 2 years
Cream eyeshadow: 12-18 months
Eyeliner: 2 years
Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months
Mascara: 3 months
Lipstick: 2 years
Lip liner: 2 years
Lip gloss: 18-24 months
Nail color: 1 year
Fragrance: 2-5 years

How closely do you follow makeup expiration guidelines?

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For more on makeup shelf life…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Hello Kitty On Sale Now at Nordstrom Stores

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Hey, ladies! It looks like MAC couldn’t wait. They bumped up the release date for MAC Hello Kitty at Nordstrom stores. The collection is on sale now, at least at some Nordstrom stores nationwide. Call your counter just in case to make sure.

I stopped by the mall after dance class and took these stalker-y pictures with my phone. I almost melted when I saw the product packaging. It’s even cuter in person!

I’ll put up a face of the day tomorrow featuring a few goodies. 🙂

Hope you are having a great night! It’s time for me to catch the new episode of The City.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Clinque Fresh Bloom: At First Blush, No Surprises

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The model for Clinique’s First Blush collection looks so fresh and dreamy, doesn’t she? I can totes see her running through dewy fields barefoot on a spring morning.

So those of us at home can get the eye look (sans dewy field), Clinique gives us four Fresh Bloom Eye Shadow pans ($16.50) with First Blush, each with two shimmery pastel colors: Cherry Blossom (a light and dark pink), Tiger Lily (a light and dark copper), Maple Blossom (a light and dark taupe) and Apple Blossom (a light and dark green).

I’m a sucker for embossed flower patterns… That gets me every time.

I did the eye look using each of the four shadow combinations, placing the lighter color from each on the lid and brow bone, and the darker shade in the crease.

After applying the shadows for each of the four looks, I added two coats of Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara on the top lash line and lined the lower lash line with the darker shade from Maple Blossom.


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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Feb. 9

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  1. Mood:

    2. Serene

  2. Best part of my weekend:

    3. Going for a run outside on Saturday afternoon. It was sunny and warm for a few hours; instead of having to bundle up in layers, I got to wear shorts (it’s the small things that make me happy)!

  3. Eyes and lips:

    4. Clarins Nature Temptations Eye Palette on the eyes and Smashbox Stunning lipstick on the lips

  4. Sometimes I wish I could ____:

    5. Sometimes I wish I could be more cutthroat when it comes to work.

  5. Outfit:

    6. Light blue wide-legged jeans, light blue sweater, white tank top, red trench coat and Adidas Shell Toe shoes

  6. My favorite facial feature:

    7. My eyes!

  7. The story behind my name:

    8. My mom named me after the actress Karen Black after seeing her in the movie Airport 1975. Mom thought she was “sexy,” LOL!

  8. Face product I can’t live without:

    9. Shiseido 55 Sunscreen

  9. What’s for dinner?

    10. Well, I haven’t even had breakfast yet, but I’m craving a cheeseburger BIG TIME.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Do a couple loads of laundry, find a new freelance writing gig, make an appointment to get my hair cut, call my bro

It’s that time again, ladies! Just copy the empty list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
Best part of my weekend:
Eyes and lips:
Sometimes I wish I could ____:
Outfit:
My favorite feature:
The story behind my name:
Face product I can’t live without:
What’s for dinner?
Weekly goals:

For whatever it’s worth, we don’t have to vanquish Monday altogether; all we have to do is keep it at bay for 24 hours! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Feb. 8

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Tabs is freakin’ OBSESSED with Hello Kitty and can’t wait for MAC’s Hello Kitty collection to go on sale this Thursday.

Earlier today I even caught him pre-ordering the Lucky Tom eyeshadow palette ($38) from Nordstrom.

I pre-ordered the Beauty Powders last week, but Tabs will have to get his own.

Are you excited about the collection? Do you know what you want yet?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Smashing Giveaway: Enter to Win $80 in Smashbox for Valentine’s Day

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Update: The giveaway is closed! I’ll be contacting the winner shortly. Thank you for entering!

When I was a kid, Valentine’s Day always stressed me out.

I liked to give out V-Day cards to my classmates, but before I’d sign the cards I’d separate them into two piles. The first contained the “lovey dovey” cards — the ones reserved for the boys who were less yucky than average — and the other pile contained the “strictly platonic” cards.

Smashbox O-Gloss Intuitive Lip Gloss ($22) gives me grade school V-Day flashbacks.

Almost like magic, it turns a different shade of pink based on the wearer’s skin chemistry (think Hypercolor for lips!).

There was a time when the thought of kissing a boy totally and completely grossed me out, but taste- and scent-free O-Gloss turns my lips a shade of rose I like to call, “I’ve been making out with C. Bale El Hub for hours!”

Take O-Gloss home for Valentine’s Day!

I think it’s time for a giveaway! 🙂

The Prize

Thanks to Smashbox Cosmetics, one luck winner will take home a tube of Smashbox O-Gloss and a set of Smashbox eyeshadow duos and brushes, just in time for Valentine’s Day ($81 value).

How to Enter

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both to double your chances to win!

  1. If you haven’t already signed up to receive Makeup and Beauty Blog daily email updates, then enter your email in the pink box below (or click this link).
  2. You may also enter by completing the following sentence and leaving it in the comments section at the bottom of this post (be sure to use a valid email address):

This Valentine’s Day I plan to kiss _______.

A few examples to spark your imagination…

  • This Valentine’s Day I plan to kiss the hot guy who sits three cubicles down from me at work.
  • This Valentine’s Day I plan to kiss my cat.
  • This Valentine’s Day I plan to kiss Detective Stabler.
  • This Valentine’s Day I plan to kiss my pillow … because kissing frogs is totally played out, yo!

Enter your email address:

I’ll choose the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 PM PST on Tuesday, February 10. The giveaway is open to all US and international readers. Good luck!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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