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Archives for March 2010

And The Winner of the MBB Gwen Stefani Makeup Challenge Is…

by 50 Comments

Can I just start off by saying how much I’ve been Harajuku lovin’ all of your fantastic MBB Gwen Stefani Makeup Challenge looks? You guys are so talented, and dagnabbit y’all made it hard for me to pick just one. ALL of your submissions were Gwen-worthy and great. 🙂

But after much deliberation, Tabs and I have chosen a winner.

And the winner is…

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The MAC Pro Longwear Lipstain Markers: Answers to Your Questions

by 20 Comments

Hello, young lady. How was the rest of your Monday? Downright spectacular, I hope. 🙂

Mine was aw-ite, I guess, with the exception of the weather. The rain is back in a big way this week, and dark, scary rain clouds are parked overhead. One of them HAS to have a silver lining, though, and I’m determined to find it. I thought it might be somewhere hiding among the coral lippies of MAC’s Pro Longwear Lipstain line from the MAC Art Supplies collection, so today I took a close look.

We talked about ’em last week, but I still had a couple more shades to show you — Tomorrow’s Coral (a reddish coral) and Full of Flare (an orangey coral).


From left: Tomorrow’s Coral, Full of Flare


Tomorrow’s Coral


Full of Flare

The last two turned out to be my favorites of the line! Before these, I felt most of the red and brown Lipstains looked too much alike, but these stand out. I’m even drooling over the prospects of layering them beneath a reddish coral gloss like MAC Liglass in Lychee Luxe. I get the feeling that’s gonna be the hawtness!

Today I also wanted to follow up and address some of your questions from the first Longwear post. Here’s one from reader Rae:

Aside from being gorgeous, how do these wear? — Rae

Hi Rae,

I get about two hours of rich color intensity before the color starts fading. Even after it fades, my lips still remain stained.

One day last week I’d put on A Classic (a dark red) at five in the afternoon. Three hours later, after a workout, the color was still holding strong, even after I’d chugged a ton of water from my water bottle.

After dinner and a shower, my lips still had color when the clock struck 9:30, and when I finally hit the haaay at 11, there was still some red hanging around.

All in all, that’s about six hours of pretty decent color.

The next question’s from reader Makeupmorsels who asked…
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The $3 Glossy Mascara: Wet ‘N’ Wild’s New Mega Length Is MEGA Affordable

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Here’s what may be a strange observation, but doesn’t it seem like mascaras are more expensive than they used to be? Around the time DiorShow turned up, I started seeing more and more costing $30+, and now they even top $10 at the drugstore all the time.

You can imagine my surprise, then, when I heard about Wet ‘N’ Wild’s new $3 Mega Length… THREE BONES, PEOPLE! Of course I had to give it a try. 🙂

At the risk of sounding like a cranky old lady — wait, I *am* a cranky old lady — these days, you can’t buy much for $3!

The brand’s always been affordable, but now they can add their sophisticated new packaging to the list of things that makes them tempting.

Mega Length is billed as a lengthening/lifting mascara and comes in a single, simply-named shade called Very Black. My wimpy lashes and I took it for a spin last weekend, hoping to find the “Three Buck Chuck” of the mascara world.


Nekkid lashes

First things first — Mega Length gets extra gold stars for pigment, imparting a deep, glossy, rich look to lashes that takes it well beyond the meager price.

And it also resists smudging and flaking like a champ, while remaining surprisingly easy to remove.

But how does it do as far as length and lift?
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Mar. 29

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  1. Mood:

    2. Pretty good. I managed to roll out of bed, so that’s always a good start.

  2. Describe your favorite bag and why you love it.

    3. It’s a black (goes with everything) nylon number that I found at Old Navy about five years ago. It’s not particularly stylish or sexy, but it’s big enough to hold two Vitamin Waters and a shizzload of candy — great for sneaking food into the movies! 🙂 And it’s lightweight, too, with an adjustable strap, so I can wear it cross-body or shorten the strap and tuck the purse beneath my arm. Oh, and did I mention I got it on sale for $10??

  3. Popcorn-flavored jelly beans — yay or nay?

    4. A big fat YAY!

  4. What makes up the makeup in your five-minute makeup routine?

    5. Tinted moisturizer, concealer, cream blush, powder, mascara and lipgloss

  5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:

    6. Nothing yet, but I’ve got my eye on Dolce & Gabbana Midnight Bloom.

  6. When did you realize you were officially a grownup?

    7. Well, I’ve felt like a 20-something trapped in the body of a 30-something for a while now, but since 1) my friend’s father passed away and 2) we purchased the townhouse, both of which happened within the past six months, I’ve started to feel more like my age.

  7. Were you stoked or annoyed to get your first bra?

    8. SO annoyed. I was a tomboy at the time and not into girly stuff at all.

  8. Your sweetest pet?

    9. A tie between Tabs and Shauna the Wonderdog (Shauna lives with my parents in the East Bay).

  9. Outfit:

    10. I’m actually wearing workout clothes in the hopes that I’ll actually work out over lunch. The ensemble includes gray yoga pants, a black tank top and a hot pink zip-up hoodie.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Put to good use the organizational accouterments I got at Target yesterday, cultivate my inner optimist daily, and make time to exercise!

Hello and Happy Monday, ladies. 🙂 I hope you’re well rested and rearing to go.

I’ve got a hot mug of green tea here with me while I write down my to-do list for the day. It’s raining lightly, but that hasn’t scared the neighborhood birds away; I can hear them chirping outside.

Tabs, that lazy bum, is fast asleep on the couch. Damn, I hope I come back in my next life as a spoiled, chubby, pseudo-famous tabby cat.

Before your day gets going, take a second to let me know what’s shaking out your way. You know how we do it. Just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

1. Mood:
2. Your favorite bag and why you love it?
3. Popcorn-flavored jelly beans — yay or nay?
4. Your five-minute makeup routine?
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
6. When did you realize you were officially a grownup?
7. Were you stoked or annoyed to get your first bra?
8. Your sweetest pet?
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:

Remember, ladies — no piddly Monday is going to stand in our way! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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