Archives for June 2009

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: What a Difference a Spray Makes

June 17th, 2009 by Karen 19 Comments

nuxe huile prodigieuse or 2009

Summer just isn’t summer for me without my bottle of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR ($67) dry oil spray.

For years I’ve used this moisturizing dry oil spray to make my arms, shoulders and legs shimmer and glow.

Not only do I love the way it smells — like almonds and honey — but the ultra fine golden flecks never rub off on my clothes. That, and the oil never leaves my skin feeling slick or greasy.

It’s one of my favorite ways to accessorize a strapless dress (or anything else that shows some skin).

This summer, to commemorate the product’s tenth anniversary, Nuxe doubled the size of the regular 50-ml bottles to 100 and — get ready to be blinded with science — added a spray pump, LOL!

It normally comes with a plastic stopper, the kind with a small hole to dispense the product.

The stopper works fine but takes more effort to use…

How lazy am I? 🙂

First I’d have to shake product into my palms, rub them together and then apply. Yah, so tough.

The spray top’s just a packaging change, but I think it equals a big improvement. The mist covers a large area, making the product much faster and easier to apply. Just mist, rub and go.

Added bonus? The spray never clogs, and even works upside down — love that!

A bottle should last through at least a couple summers (maybe more)… so even though it’s not cheap, it’s almost a long-term investment.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Want to show off your abs o’ steel? Skin misted with Huile Prodigieuse is the hotness when paired with a white bikini!

Hands on with Les Naturel De Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadows

June 17th, 2009 by Karen 34 Comments

chanel les naturels de chanel eyeshadows final

Summers always *glow* with shades of bright teal, purple and gold, leading the four Soft Touch Eyeshadows in Chanel Les Naturel De Chanel ($28.50 each) to seem kinda ho-hum by comparison, like khaki work pants or bland food.

True, these neutral beige, brown, taupe and pink shades aren’t the flashiest colors on the block — I first thought they might not work well with tan skin — but after playing around with them this week, I think they’re actually kinda hawt!

They looked timid from the in-store swatches, but it was all a ruse. These colors are highly wearable on lighter and darker skin tones alike.

I’ll post eye pics in an upcoming post. For now, here are some thoughts on the shadows and a few ways to wear ’em.

Lotus

Shimmery Lotus, a peachy golden beige, has just a hint of pink; it’s my favorite of the bunch! 🙂

Like the love child of MAC Shroom (a shimmery, pinkish beige) and Ricepaper (a shimmery, peachy beige with a hint of gold), it’s surprisingly pretty in person.

Girls who love complex beige shadows should appreciate the buttery texture and her hints of peach, pink and gold. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

One way to wear Lotus…

Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Lotus

Lotus looks bangin’ on top of shimmery champagne Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit.

After applying both products from the lash line up into the crease, smudge some Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof Liner along your upper lash line, and finish with a dark mascara. The result? A fresh but not fussy look that’s sophisticated at the same time.

Swatches from left to right: Chanel Lotus, MAC Shroom, MAC Ricepaper

Slate

Slate, a cool, matte taupe, hides hints of purplish gray. The texture melts into my skin and feels smooth… like hip hop slow jams. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

One way to wear Slate…

Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Slate

For an easy yet elegant eye, try it in the crease, with MAC Satin Taupe (a shimmery, purplish taupe) on the lid and Clinique Black Honey Kohl (a matte, plummy brown) along the lash lines.

Chanel Slate, MAC Satin Taupe

Mahogany

At first Mahogany reminded me of MAC Showstopper, a chocolaty grayish brown, but when I looked closer I saw that the shades are worlds apart. Showstopper applies much darker, with more black and less purple than Mahogany.

I think that makes it easier for clumsy girls like me to apply; since it isn’t as dark as something like Showstopper, there’s more room for error. 🙂 Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Ways to wear Mahogany…

Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Mahogany

I’ve been using Mahogany mostly as liner (applied either wet or dry) with purple or taupe eyeshadows.

I also like it in the outer corners of the eyes, where I think it adds a subtle, smokey effect…

MAC Showstopper, Chanel Mahogany

Lily

Lily, a cool, matte beige, is infused with pink, and I think it really brightens up my eyes.
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What’s Your Favorite Drugstore Beauty Product?

June 17th, 2009 by Karen 83 Comments

pink-piggy-bank-drugstore-beauty-product-1

Mine must be Sally Hansen’s Hair Remover Wax Strip Kit ($7). Without it my upper lip would look just like this guy’s!

It’s easy to use and vanquishes upper lip hair faster than you can belt Beyonce’s Halo (love ya, B!). Plus, each box (a three-month supply) costs barely *half* as much as one sesh at the wax salon. 🙂

What’s your favorite drugstore beauty product? Please share with your fellow recessionistas in the comments!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Birthday Flowers

June 16th, 2009 by Karen 21 Comments

Two bouquets from El Hub; one bouquet from Tabs.

Little Red Corvette

June 16th, 2009 by Karen 14 Comments

Baby, you’re much too fast. Yes, you are.

(Red high heel shoes by Christian Louboutin)

Add Chanel No. 5 Essential Bath Oils to Your Nordstrom Beauty Exclusives Lust List

June 16th, 2009 by Karen 28 Comments

chanel-no-5-essential-bath-oils

It’s always been my master fragrance plan to wear Chanel’s classic No. 5 perfume — a floral aldehyde with notes of neroli, jasmine and vanilla — when I turned 55.

By then, I hope to own a small army of Chanel tweed suits, quilted pocketbooks and “sensible” flats. Of course in this fantasy I’d also live in mansion on Lake Como (complete with a hot pool boy), but I digress.

Right now I’m tempted to abandon the master plan because the No. 5 Essential Bath Oils ($75), one of the Chanel exclusives available at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale next month, look too frickin’ cute.

Forget being all up in the club; I want to be all up in my tub! Scented with Chanel No. 5, the three layers of pink-hued bath oils contain Ylang-Ylang (a small flower native to the Philippines and Indonesia) and almond extract to moisturize and scent the skin. Heavenly!

Bottles of No. 5 Essential Bath Oils are currently available now for pre-order at Nordstrom fragrance counters. If you buy it now you can pick it up when the Nordie’s Anniversary Sale kicks off on July 17.

I love the pink oils and the minimalist packaging, but the $75 price tag hurts. It might be a nice treat if you’ve got some gift cards laying around, though. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Clarins Instant Sun Light Collection: Bronze Me, Baby (Aww, Yeah)

June 16th, 2009 by Karen 25 Comments

clarins instant sun light colour collection

Remember last summer’s bad ass Clarins Summer Fever collection? Gawd, I loved that release! It had a beach party vibe that felt very young and fun, and it was *so* poppin’ with its bright teal, purple, hot pink and orange colors.

With this summer’s Instant Sun Light collection, Clarins took a completely different route. Available now, the nine-piece release ($20-36) features a subdued palette of warm brown, coral, pink and gold shades in matte and shimmer finishes.

clarins instant sunlight bronzers summer glow shimmer palette

There’s a ton of powder blushes and bronzers in this collection, as the look focuses on glowy bronze skin rather than bright pops of color.

clarins instant sunlight lips eyes

The look is elegant and mature (it totally screams Chanel!), and it brings up images of sophisticated little black dresses, crystal champagne flutes, yachts and tuxedoed high rollas.

Initially, I was a little bummed that Instant Sun Light wasn’t as bright as last year’s Summer Fever, but after playing with six of the products I found there’s still a lot of great stuff here. It’s not as blingy, for sure, but it’s pretty, natural makeup, and I can totes get behind that.

Soleil Irise Shimmer Palette for Eyes, Cheeks and Decollete, $36

clarins instant sunlight soleil irise shimmer palette

Soleil Irise’s three shimmery shades (pink, coral and gold) look like sunrise in a palette. You can swirl the colors together and apply the mix as a highlighting powder on the cheeks and body, but I prefer to apply the colors individually as single washes of sunny color on my lids. It’s a tiny compact for $36, but the fine texture and rich color payoff make up for the steep price. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

clarins instant sunlight swatches soleil irise shimmer palette
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What Are Your MAC Musts Haves? Friends & Family Sale Starts Today

June 16th, 2009 by Karen 62 Comments

mac-must-haves

Fellow MACaholics, is your wish list ready for MAC’s latest Friends & Family sale?

Good online only, the promotion runs today through June 18. Use coupon code SUMO (or try SAVE25 if SUMO doesn’t work), et, voila — 25% off purchases made on maccosmetics.com (valid in the US and Canada).

If you’re not able to take advantage of the sale this time around, no worries; MAC holds these sales a few times/year.

Not sure what to get with your discount? Well, it’s the trying to decide that’s my favorite part. 🙂

Here are some ideas among products that are currently available…

My MAC Must Haves!

MAC Russian Red Lipstick ($14; $10.50 after discount): “When I finally got my hands on MAC’s Russian Red lipstick, I had a minor Madonna fan freak-out moment. Madge rocked the Russian Red in her late-80s Blonde Ambition era. Remember the Express Yourself and Vogue videos? I taped them on MTV and replayed the sh*t out of both until my mom yelled at me to ‘turn it off!’ Parents just don’t understand.”
MAC Wipes Take it All Off ($24.50; $18 after discount): “These wipes work great. As usual, MAC’s got game. A single MAC Wipe removes all of my makeup, even waterproof mascara, and smells fresh and clean (like flowers and soap). The wipes don’t leave a sticky film on my skin, either, like Pond’s Clean Sweep wipes do.”
Cork, Soba, Brun and Concrete aka a Few Great Non-Orangey Brown Eyeshadows ($14.50 each; $11 after discount): “I can’t live without my MAC browns, so I raided my stash and found a couple non-orangey options.”
MAC Fix+ Rose ($17; $12.85 after discount ): “MAC took spring and rose waters and infused them with minerals, and the resulting face spray feels about as refreshing on my skin as anything I could imagine.”
MAC Blot Film ($12.50; $9.30 after discount): “It cuts down on the shine and leaves skin looking super matte without leaving a powdery residue.”
MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder ($21; $15.75 after discount): “Prep+Prime Finishing Powder looks natural when I dust it on my face with a powder brush. The finely milled powder melts right into the foundation. It never looks caked on or heavy and doesn’t leave one of those white, ashy casts.”
Two of my favorite MAC Greens — Humid Eyeshadow ($14.50; $11 after discount) and Golden Olive Pigment ($19.50; $14.60 after discount): “When I wear green eyeshadow, I usually try to work it into some sort of smokey variation, but for St. Patrick’s Day today I thought I’d try something with a little shimmer.”
MAC Amber Lights Eyeshadow ($14.50; $11 after discount): “Have you met MAC Amber lights? She’s a shimmery peach and bronze eyeshadow from MAC’s permanent collection.”
A few Mighty MAC Crease Brushes: “The 217 Blending Brush ($22.50; $17 after discount), the 219 Pencil Brush ($22.50, $17 after discount), and the 224 Tapered Blending Brush ($22.50; $17 after discount)>.”
MAC Club and Woodwinked Eye Shadows ($14.50 each; $11 after discount): “I could write sonnets on both of these colors, as they’ve seen me through a lot over the past few years. Club, a shimmery duochorome, flashes from green to brown, and Woodwinked is a warm, shimmery gold. Today I paired ’em for this easy, breezy, work-friendly daytime eye.”
Get Eyes That Pop with MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50; $12.40 after discount): “MAC’s Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50) makes colors really pop, taking eyeshadow to a brighter, bolder, and more diva-superstar level. With Cream Color Base, your eyeshadow is like an A-list celeb; without it, it’s like Jen Bunney from The Hills.”

What are your MAC must-have products, and are you stocking up for the Friends & Family sale?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Still need help making a decision? This article suggests maybe some brushes. 🙂