Tabs chillin’ on the top level of his cat tower.
The View from the Top
Archives for October 2010
A Few Reasons to Fall in Love with Sonia Kashuk Fall 2010
Clockwise from bottom right: Nail Colour in Tauped, Nail Colour in Stop Whining, Nail Color in Taunting Teal, Nail Colour in Rock Star, Nail Colour in Starry Night, Eye Shadow Quad in Brown Eyed Girl (yes, that pan in the upper left is broken!) and Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Rosey Nude
Think about it: there was a time before Sonia Kashuk (B.S.K.). Dark days, those were. We had to apply our makeup by torchlight in caves and used reflective pools of rainwater instead of mirrors.
Okay, no, that’s not how it was, but the drugstore beauty landscape did dramatically improve when Target started carrying Ms. Kashuk’s stuff.
She made drugstore beauty cool again, and judging by her massive 22-piece winter/fall 2010 collection of makeup bags (the majority of the collection) and makeup for eyes, lips and nails, she’s still going strong.
Let’s pretend we’re walking through Target together, and we stop in the beauty aisle. Ooh! Look at those Nail Colours, that Brown Eyed Girl Eyeshadow Quad and the Velvety Matte Lip Pencil in Rosey Nude (available at Target stores now).
What do ya think? 🙂
NAIL COLOUR IN TAUPED, STARRY NIGHT, TAUNTING TEAL, ROCK STAR AND STOP WHINING ($5)
These polishes feel even better than they look with a thin, cooperative texture that’s easy to apply. They pack a lot of pigment, too, requiring just two layers to reach opaque. While the colors themselves aren’t necessarily groundbreaking, I think they’re very pretty overall. Starry Night, a shimmery silver glitter polish in a smokey black base, has, however, been speaking to my soul. It’s saying, “You’re a rock star, baby.” I haven’t been wearing these long enough to gauge wear time, but based on ease of use, price and pigmentation, these are big time bargain stars.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A-
EYE SHADOW QUAD in BROWN EYED GIRL ($11)
Hello, glitter! If you like the Urban Decay Stardust Shadows, then here’s a quad for you. Each of its four shades — a taupe, an espresso brown, a mahogany brown and a moss green — scream “I LOVE GLITTER!” followed by a whisper of color. I like how well the glitter adheres to the skin on my eyes without any annoying fallout, but I do wish these weren’t so sheer. A little more pigment wouldn’t hurt.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-
VELVETY MATTE LIP CRAYON IN ROSEY NUDE ($8)
This matte pencil is like the love child of a lipstick and a crayon. Its shape makes it easy to wield, but I’m not quite sure why SK named it Rosey Nude, since I think it’s more of a bold rosey red, but I’m not complaining; the color’s hawt! It’s also a wee bit drying on my lips, but at least the formula lasts all day long.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B
Nail Colour swatches clockwise from lower left: Tauped, Starry Night, Taunting Teal, Rock Star, Stop Whining
Swatches from left on NC35 Skin: Eyeshadow Quad in Brown Eyed Girl (first four swatches), Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Rosey Nude (fifth swatch)
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Chanel Les Tentations de Chanel: A Friday Face of the Day
What’s up, ladies? It’s Friday, WOOT WOOT!
Okay…that little outburst actually spent the last of my energy. Now I’m plum tuckered out because, like a doofus, I stayed up too late last night watching the Jersey Shore. Lame, I know, but I just couldn’t pull myself away. Needless to say, coffee and I have been BFFs today (err, coffee and makeup).
Before I crashed and burned this afternoon, I tried the new Chanel Le Tentations de Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection on for size, and ooh, baby! — I’m lovin’ these chocolate browns and playful pinks.
Sure, the collection doesn’t exactly fit your standard holiday fare, but who cares? If you like it, you like it. And besides, it’s not like early October is the dead of winter, right?
Dolce & Gabbana Rose the One Shower Gel and Body Lotion
If you were planning to pick up a dozen bottles of Dolce & Gabbana’s new Rose the One body products this month, I hate to break it to ya, but the Saks website says “No can do,” (in so many words).
Because of high demand, they’re limiting customers to just six (!) bottles of either the Body Lotion ($38 for 6.7oz) or Shower Gel ($38 for 6.7oz) every 30 days.
Yep, six bottles every 30 days.
Why anyone would need six bottles of this or any body lotion or shower gel is neither here nor there. 🙂
Both new products are scented with softened versions of the company’s Rose the One fragrance, with its notes of pink grapefruit, Mandarin orange, peach, lily of the valley, Bulgarian Rose, peony, geranium, plum, Ambrette seed, vanilla, amber and musk.
It’s a light fragrance — modern, youthful and fresh — and not heavy or matronly.
The Body Lotion feels thin, and while I usually prefer thicker creams, I like this reasonably hydrating, fast absorbing formula. It doesn’t leave a greasy residue, either, which is nice.
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Have You Ever Taken a Bad ID Picture?
“EXCUSE ME SIR IS THIS COSTCO!?”
I’ve taken some gnarly ones in my day, but the WORST was my very first driver’s license picture.
The year was 1994… I was rocking an awful triangle haircut at the time, and because I’d been driving with the window down before the picture, the left side of my head was a frizzy eruption of hair!
The obnoxious houndstooth print shirt I was wearing probably didn’t help either…coupled with my expression — a mix of wide-eyed shock and confusion at actually passing the test. 🙂
Loading ...Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
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Deep Thoughts… By Tabs the Cat
Turkey. Gravy.
Turkey in gravy.
YES.
Chanel Les Tentations de Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection: Holiday Is the New Spring
In case you didn’t get the memo, Holiday is the new Spring. Well, at least it is according to Chanel. To the traditionalists out there, the new Les Tentations de Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection isn’t your typical holiday fare — you know, reds, golds and plums — but this isn’t the first time Chanel’s decided to mix it up.
Last year they celebrated summer for Christmas with blues, greens, golds and corals over the holidays. With a mix of pinks, fuchsias, browns and beige, this year they’re all about spring.
Like last year, lips are again light and carefree, shimmering and sheer. Rouge Coco in Magnolia ($30) looked like a pigmented shimmery pink in her tube but applies surprisingly sheer; even the Glossimers get in on the act, with the exception of Pleasing ($27), which does look opaque.
Cheeks are bright this time around (they were more golden last year) with the release of the super pigmented Les Tissages de Chanel in Tweed Fuchsia ($45), which, I’m happy to report, packs enough pigment and shine to show up on light AND brown-skinned babes (unlike the Too Faced powders we looked at yesterday), but lighter lovelies will only have to apply a little.
The eye products are kinda blowing my mind, particularly Ombres de’Eau in Splash ($32), a liquid shadow. It’s a shimmery pewter — a perfect combination of brown, gray and taupe. I’m also moved by the pink, beige, medium brown and dark brown shades in the Tentation Cuivree eyeshadow quad ($56). The colors lean toward the warmer end of the spectrum, and if you get a chance to check it out in person, take a close look at the medium brown (LOVE!). It’s got the cutest little bits of gold and pink glitter!
Chanel may have rewritten the traditional holiday color story again, but they certainly aren’t repeating themselves. Les Tentations de Chanel feels quite different from last year’s holiday release. It’s still Chanel, but where last year they took us to a fancy five-star resort, this year it’s a black-tie benefit all the way downtown.
Here’s are pics of 10 of the 16 items in the collection. Take a look, and let me know what you think. 🙂
Les Tissages de Chanel Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Tweed Fuchsia, $45
Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Tentation Cuivree, $56
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Will Your Lips Love $31 Guerlain KissKiss Strass in Rose de la Reine?
Please tell me there’s room in the Lovely-Luxury-Lipsticks-That-Don’t-Last-Long-But-Have-Kick-Ass-Packaging Hall of Fame (or LLLTDLLBHKAPHOF for short), because I may have found their next inductee.
Llimited edition KissKiss Strass in Rose de la Reine ($31) is one of nine luxe ladies in the new Guerlain Les Ors holiday collection, pricey products from a line that’s been all about the bling since 1853.
Napoleon III’s wife loved Guerlain, so, ya know, budget’s not exactly their thang.
Like their $84 Écrin 6 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palette, this KissKiss (there are other shades in the KissKiss line) won’t break any records for bargain beauty, but compared to some of the other products in the collection — namely the $73 Midnight Star Extraordinary Radiance Treatment and $85 Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder for Face & Body — it’s a total steal!
Too bad it disappears quicker than a $20 bill on the sidewalk (lasts about three hours on the lips), but dayum — at least while it lasts it makes me feel like a million bucks.
A sheer and shimmery beige pink, Rose de la Reine reminds me of the Chanel Aqualumieres and Dior Addict High Shines. It has a similar mirror-like finish, smooth texture, a hydrating formula and, yes, suffers from a limited wear time, too.
Everything about it says, “luxury,” even the light rosy lavender taste and scent.
