Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
Givenchy just launched a line of six long-wearing, vibrantly pigmented eyeshadow quads called the Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartets ($56).
That’s Khaki Egerie pictured above. Call me a CCL (crazy cat lady), but I like this mostly because the colors remind me of Tabs.
Would you rock this?
The Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipsticks I won from the Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Contest arrived today.
I can’t wait to swatch these bad boys for ya!
Picture a beautiful woman with blackened teeth and shaved brows. Nope, I’m not talking about some crazy runway look at New York Fashion Week. In old school Japan, both were common makeup looks among women (and some men, too).
Ohaguro, the practice of dyeing teeth black, was a common beauty treatment in Japan through the late 1800s. To darken their smiles, men and women applied a savory blend of acetic acid (the compound that gives vinegar its sour taste and scent), iron and fushiko powder, a powder made from the sap of the urushi tree, also known as the lacquer or varnish tree.
Ohaguro also doubled as a dental treatment, protecting teeth from cavities and periodontitis, and its popularity began to wane in the 1870s after the Japanese government banned the practice among aristocrats.
Hikimayu, the practice of completely shaving or plucking eyebrows into oblivion, is still seen today. After removing the brows, Japanese women will sometimes draw them back in a little higher on the forehead using black ink (or mascara).
I’d always thought American flappers pioneered the look, but forms of it were popular in Japan well before the 1920s.
More vintage Japanese beauty bits from back in the day…
Interesting, isn’t it?
I’m thinking about doing a series of these posts on the changing face of beauty in different cultures over the centuries. Let me know if you like the idea, and please comment if you know of any other interesting Japanese beauty trends from days gone by.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. If you’re new here, thank you for visiting. Makeup and Beauty Blog is a makeup blog with daily product reviews, beauty tips, giveaways and the random shenanigans of a crazy cat lady/makeup enthusiast named Karen (that’s me!). 🙂
The universe is filled with things I do not understand, things like Justin Bieber fever, Crocs, and why NARS chose not to include a lip brush in the Beautiful Life Lip and Cheek Palette ($55).
At first blush, it looks like a traveler’s makeup dream come true — compact, cute, with a convenient zippered case. The included mirror works well for on-the-go touchups, and by leaving out powder products (it comes with four lipsticks and two cream blushes), NARS eliminated annoying product cross pollination (when your powders spill all over your cream products). So smart!
They thought of everything — almost. I know NARS doesn’t usually include brushes with their palettes, but I wish they would have found room in this one for a lip brush. Beautiful Life is just so obviously designed for travel; a brush would have been a great addition. Of course, I’m a stickler when it comes to packaging.
That aside, what’s a palette without pretty colors, right? These go great together. NARS included a versatile mix of business and party shades here, and the blushes even double as highlighters, too.
I’m a little bummed about one of the products in the palette — Honolulu Honey lipstick. Honolulu is one of my favorite cities, but this Honey looks kinda cakey on my lips. It seems to do a bit better, though, when I use very little and apply it with my fingers. I may also just mix it with other lip colors to help it along.
It’s the eye of the tabby, it’s the cream of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye…
Of the tabby!
Just having a little fun with macro photography. 🙂
Wet n Wild’s been setting drugstore aisles on fire 
lately! If you liked their Icon Eyeshadow Singles (I thought they were the bee’s knees), take a look at these $3 Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios.
They’re available in six palettes of three matching shadows each — enough to use a different shade on the eyelid, in the crease and along your brow bone.
Because Wet n Wild did the color matching for us, these should help make tough mornings a little easier to bear.
I’ve been using two of the trios lately — Cool as a Cucumber and On Cloud Nine — and despite their diminutive size, I’m still finding a lot to love…
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I’m still waiting for my tea to kick in, but other than heavy eyelids I’m doing just fab. 🙂
I haven’t lately because out here in the burbs I rely on my car to get around, but I did it often when I lived in San Francisco and spent half of my time on buses and trains. Zzzz…
I’d “disappear” the gray roots peeking through.
For now, just Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blossom lotion on my hands.
My Strawberry Shortcake roller skates. They were white with red wheels and laces, and I loved ’em to pieces. I remember the day when I realized that they no longer fit my feet, and what a sad day it was…
The nap I took yesterday on the couch. MAN, it felt great! I swear, I could write sonnets about how much I love naps, ha ha!
Yes, but I’m not sure why. It’s not like it ever helps me get where I need to go on time. 🙂
The salad bar at Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck), getting to bed early, my stretchy dark gray yoga pants, having a clean kitchen floor, and green tea.
Said stretchy gray yoga pants, a white tank top and a coral pink wrap sweater.
Write a list of positive affirmations every day, and post them someplace visible; read a few articles on time management; be kind whenever I critique myself; and use small treats as rewards whenever I’ve met a goal.
I usually cling to the last vestiges of every weekend, but last night I decided to just bite the bullet and look forward to Monday. To set the right tone for the week, I wrote brief lists of positive affirmations (I’m having a great day, I’m creative in my own way, I’m a good friend, etc.) on Post-It notes and put them around the house — on the mirrors, in my daily planner and on my computer screen (see above).
Speaking of kicking weeks off to good starts, do you have a minute to take the Monday Poll? If you’re new to MBB, the poll is just a quick way to touch base and to tune our mental motors.
All you do is copy the list below, and paste it with your answers in the comments. Easy, peasy. 🙂
1. Mood:
2. Do you ever fall asleep on public transportation?
3. If you could wave a magic wand and instantly change one thing about your hair this morning, what would it be?
4. Fragrance?
5. One of your favorite childhood toys?
6. Last thing that made you really, REALLY happy?
7. Do you wear a watch?
8. I’m loving…
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:
Keep on truckin’, and let’s kick some serious @ss this week!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
