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Archives for July 2010

Fusion Beauty LipFusion Lip Conditioning Sticks Make $22 Almost Seem Like a Bargain

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Fusion Beauty LipFusion Conditioning SPF 15 Stick Review
Fusion Beauty LipFusion Conditioning Sticks SPF 15 clockwise from left: Berry, Butterscotch, Buff

Ya know, it’s true what they say — there’s nothing like two Eggo waffles, a cup of coffee and a heaping scoop of Amplifat to start your day.

Yes, boo, Amplifat.

It might sound like something muffin tops contract (blast you, Nutella!), but it’s actually the star plumping ingredient in Fusion Beauty’s new LipFusion Conditioning SPF 15 sticks ($22).

I’ve tried three of the five little tubes of plumping pigment — Buff, Butterscotch and Bitten — and each one feels like moisturizing heaven on my lips, gliding on with a creamy, non-sticky texture that reminds me of oiled fingers on Alcide’s obviously waxed werewolf chest…

Wait — what was I talking about?


Seriously, a werewolf with a hairless chest?

Fusion Beauty gave them a light minty flavor and scent to go with their subtle (read: barely noticeable) plumping action. Speaking of that, they just barely tingle, unlike other plumping lip products that hurt like bee stings!

I also dig how relatively pigmented they are for conditioning lip balms, which isn’t to say they’re bright as heck, but the colors do — GASP! — actually show up on my lips.
[Continue reading…]

Two Final Ways to Win 6 MORE Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams for Eyes & Cheeks (a $132 Value)

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  • The giveaway is now closed, and the winner is being contacted. Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

The scheduled festivities at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week: Swim may have ended earlier this week, but for makeup lovers like us, the show must go on!

Before we say “later!” to the bikini-clad hotness that stalked Miami’s runways, here’s one last peek at a look the artists from Make Up For Ever created for the Tyler Rose show. Once again, the Aqua Creams were in full effect.

The final Aqua Cream MBB giveaway of the week starts in three, two, one…

Giveaway Time!

Make Up For Ever hooked us up with a doozy to end the series, this one larger than the rest. The prize includes SIX of the Aqua Creams for eyes & cheeks (a $132 value).


Pink Beige


Plum


Purple


Intense Blue


Turquoise


Emerald Green

The Prize

One lucky lady (or gent) will win ALL of the following six Aqua Cream Shadows:

One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Pink Beige, a shimmery pinkish beige for eyes and cheeks ($22)
One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Plum, a shimmery, plummy burgundy for eyes and cheeks ($22)
One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Purple, a shimmery lilac for eyes and cheeks ($22)
One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Intense Blue, a bright blue sheen for eyes and cheeks ($22)
One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Turquoise, a shimmery turquoise for eyes and cheeks ($22)
One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Emerald Green, a golden green sheen for eyes and cheeks ($22)

How To Enter…

2ways2enterEntering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

  1. First, you can enter by retweeting (RT) the following message:

    Follow @karenmbb and RT to win $132 in Make Up For Aqua Creams http://bit.ly/bAhIVR

  2. Second, enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all — the name of the song stuck in your head, the highlight of your summer so far, the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen, or the name of the MUFE product from today’s prize that looks the most interesting to you.

    The song that’s stuck in my head? I’ve been listening to Phoenix’s Sometimes in the Fall on repeat all morning long!

  • Oh, yeah. This giveaway IS also open to international folks and readers living overseas (YAY!); entrants must be at least 13 years of age or older at time of entry.

Recap…

  1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
  2. Retweet the following message on twitter:

    Follow @karenmbb and RT to win $132 in Make Up For Aqua Creams http://bit.ly/bAhIVR

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Wednesday, July 21 (that’s today).

Chúc may mắn!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

  • The giveaway is now closed, and the winner is being contacted. Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

Subscribe to Makeup and Beauty Blog

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Subscribe to Makeup and Beauty Blog

Each morning at 11 a.m. my time (Pacific Standard), the veil between our world and the world of magic lifts for the briefest of moments, and in that moment — no longer than the blink of a fairy’s eye — an email goes out to Makeup and Beauty Blog subscribers everywhere.

Okay…maybe it doesn’t work exactly like that, but an email does get sent, and it includes my latest posts in ready-to-read format. You’ll get peeks at upcoming makeup collections, alerts about product giveaways and ideas for makeup looks to try at home — all washed down with a spoonful of crazy cat lady (sorry… I can’t help myself when it comes to Tabs).

Subscribe now to let Tabs and I lift your spirits every day (we’ll keep doing our best!), and never miss another post. Thanks for visiting. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Follow Makeup and Beauty Blog on TwitterP.S. Remember chat when chat was fun? Twitter’s kinda like that. Follow me on Twitter @karenmbb for up-to-the-second makeup news, Nutella cravings and cat sightings.

NARS Mangrove: A Green, Gold and Teal Tuesday Face of the Day

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nars mangrove

man•grove |ˈmanˌgrōv|
noun
1 a tree or shrub that grows in muddy, chiefly tropical coastal swamps that are inundated at high tide. Mangroves typically have numerous tangled roots above ground and form dense thickets.

2 a grove of shirtless hot dudes : Ooooh, gurl, check out that mangrove over there!

Even if someone at NARS had foliage in mind when they named this golden green eyeshadow, I can’t help but picture something else. 🙂

nars fall 2010 swatches review photos mangrove
NARS Mangrove eyeshadow

Mangrove bloomed as an eyeshadow single with the NARS Fall 2010 collection. Francois (first name basis, yo!) loves unexpected colors and textures, and Mangrove fits the bill.

My first impression? — pureed vegetable baby mush. As an eyeshadow, it doesn’t jump out of its pan as something traditionally pretty, but like the plant from whence it draws its name, it just needs a little time to grow.
[Continue reading…]

Neutrals Galore! Two Ways to Win 5 MORE Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams for Eyes & Cheeks (a $110 Value)

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  • The giveaway is now closed, and the winner is being contacted. Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

Do you have a willpower weakness when it comes to a certain kind of makeup? Something that always makes you weak in the knees? I’ve got quite a few, truth be told, and one happens to be shimmery neutrals. They’re like the Nutella of my makeup world; I just can’t get enough!

As soon as I saw pics of what the Make Up For Ever artists did for the models at the Aqua Di Lara and Qiss Qiss shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week: Swim — those glistening gold, bronze and brown eyes! — I let out a “WOW!” worthy of double rainbow proportions.


The look at Aqua Di Lara


The Qiss Qiss look

Straight up, neutrals don’t have to be boring. Not at all. Here I think they look sexy AND sassy.

If you think you’d like to give looks like these a try, the Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams can help.

Giveaway Time!

To turn up the temperature on this lovely Tuesday, Make Up For Ever‘s sponsoring another sizzling Miami Fashion Week prize package for us featuring FIVE MORE of the Aqua Creams for eyes & cheeks (a $110 value).

The Prize

One lucky lady (or gent) will win ALL of the following Aqua Cream Shadows (check out my review here):

One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Gold, a shimmery yellowish gold for eyes and cheeks ($22)
One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Golden Copper, a shimmery copper for eyes and cheeks ($22)
One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Warm Beige, a shimmery champagne for eyes and cheeks ($22)
One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Satin Brown, a shimmery warm brown for eyes and cheeks ($22)
One (1) Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in Taupe, a shimmery brownish taupe for eyes and cheeks ($22)


Gold


Golden Copper


Warm Beige


Satin Brown


Taupe

How To Enter…

2ways2enterEntering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

  1. First, you can enter by retweeting (RT) the following message:

    Follow @karenmbb and RT to win $110 in Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams http://bit.ly/9Fyqvh

  2. Second, enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all — tell me what you’re wearing on your feet today, describe your first kiss, walk me through your neighborhood, or tell me about the first Make Up For Ever product you ever tried.

    My first Make Up For Ever product? This one’s easy! It was their lovely Lift Concealer!

  • Oh, yeah. This giveaway IS also open to international folks and readers living overseas (YAY!); entrants must be at least 13 years of age or older at time of entry.

Recap…

  1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
  2. Retweet the following message on twitter:

    Follow @karenmbb and RT to win $110 in Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams http://bit.ly/9Fyqvh

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Tuesday, July 20 (that’s today).

Good luck!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

  • The giveaway is now closed, and the winner is being contacted. Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

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