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Archives for December 2010

You May Need a Hand with the Sonia Kashuk Dripping in Diamonds Travel Brush Set

December 17th, 2010 by Karen 14 Comments

The seven long-handled makeup brushes tucked within the lovely limited edition Sonia Kashuk Dripping In Diamonds Travel Brush Set ($24.99) may not get a lot of use this holiday season…

…because opening the stylin’ silver clutch is like trying to crack a safe!

I swear, Rubik himself would have struggled to figure it out. The latch, which is set flush against the side, looks the same from the top/bottom. It takes a good deal of force to pry open. Poor El Hub looked like a gorilla with a Gameboy when I asked him to give it a try, and after pawing, growling and clawing at it for about a minute, he finally figured it out (still lovin’ ya, babe!). 🙂


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There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Tools, Product Reviews Keywords: sonia kashuk

Chanel Extrait de Gloss in Emoi Made Me Emo in the Best Possible Way

December 17th, 2010 by Karen 39 Comments

For the life of me, I could not take a good picture with Chanel Extrait de Gloss in Emoi ($32) this morning, gah! I don’t know what happened… Maybe it was just the Friday crazies, but whatever it was, I looked either shocked or constipated in every single shot.

But I did learn a valuable lesson about Chanel Emoi during this exercise in photographic futility: no matter what else might be happening, when you wear this shimmery berry gloss, at least your lips will look dignified.

Emoi’s one of nine permanent members of the Extrait de Gloss line, a recently released line of non-sticky, unscented and unflavored lipglosses designed for high shine and long wear (about four hours). It’s the third one of the colors I’ve tried, and just like the other two, Insolence and Imaginaire, its pigmentation is off the frickin’ chain!

While Tyra and Tabs may have been disappointed in my inability to WERK IT this morning, I gotta say — it’s so nice to find a berry gloss that looks great no matter what.

chanel emoi extrait de gloss
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There are 39 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: chanel

Macaron Monster!

December 16th, 2010 by Karen 13 Comments

I ate them all! And I keep staring at the pictures I took last week because I still want more!

I may need a bumper sticker on my car that says “Powered by macarons” very soon.

There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

Pretty in Pink

December 16th, 2010 by Karen 5 Comments



Just a pretty pink flower I found in my yard the other day!

I would love a pair of high heels in this color. A lipgloss would be nice, too.

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty

Opulent Opalescence: The Chanel Les Perles de Chanel Collection for Spring 2011

December 16th, 2010 by Karen 55 Comments

chanel les perles de chanel spring 2011 collection on karen of makeup and beauty blog jersey rose and aragonite glossimer
Chanel Les Perles de Chanel Collection for spring 2011

Don your best tweed jacket and pearls, ma chérie (and dab No. 5 on your pulse points), because it’s time to say bonsoir to the new Chanel Les Perles de Chanel makeup collection.

There’s plenty of photographic evidence that proves our girl Coco wore a lot of pearls. In point of fact, she practically dripped in them because she believed their delicate glow enhanced a woman’s natural beauty.

Her heirs apparent at Chateau Chanel must agree. Remembering how much Coco loved pearls, they created the Les Perles collection for spring 2011, with its preponderance of pearly finishes destined to impart natural-looking luminosity to cheeks, eyes, lips and nails.

Since he joined the team — nay, the movement! — Chanel Global Creative Director Peter Philips has done a fantastic job (in my opinion) keeping Gabby’s spirit and her iconic style alive, and, with Les Perles de Chanel (just look at those shades of black, gray and white!), he’s done it again.

Les Perles is coming next month to Chanel counters but is available now on chanel.com.

Chanel Les Perles de Chanel Spring 2011

Here’s a brief look at a few items from the collection, with more to follow over the coming days. 🙂

Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Espiegle ($42) — A warm peachy pink blush with a subtle golden sheen. It reminds me a little of NARS Orgasm in the pan but applies lighter, with a less frosty finish, and it gives my cheeks a soft, candlelit glow.

Rouge Coco Lipstick in Jersey Rose ($30) — Is it wrong to refer to this lipstick as The Jersey Shore? Yes…Yes, I think it is. Terribly wrong. Jersey Rose is a long-lasting, moisturizing peachy pink with a sultry satin finish, and it lends a lovely hint of shine to the lips.

Rouge Allure Lipstick in Flamboyante ($32) — As soon as I slipped into Flamboyante I said, “Wow! That’s a straight-up red!” Chanel describes it as an intense pink, but it looks more reddish pink on me.

Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in Aragonite ($27) — What it lacks in pigment, Aragonite makes up for in sparkle. This glittery gloss, with a name Jason (of the Argonauts) would love, looks like crushed pearls in a tube! Look closely, and you may see flecks of purple, pink, blue and gold.

Le Crayon Yeux in Gris Scintillant ($28): A gunmetal gray with silver glitter. I think of it as a naughty alternative to a basic black liner.

chanel spring 2011

chanel spring 2011

chanel espiegle joues contraste blush spring 2011 closeup
Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Espiegle ($42)
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There are 55 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: chanel

Kissing You Again: The Benefit Ultra Shines Lipgloss Line Brings Back a Cult (and Personal) Fave

December 16th, 2010 by Karen 17 Comments

Do you hear that…? That whispery voice? It sounds like it’s saying, “Kiss you, Karen.”

“Kiss you, Karen.”

There! Did you hear it?

Soon-to-be-released Kiss You, a reformulated reincarnation of Benefit’s old Kiss Me gloss, has been calling my name for days, and who am I to deny a tube of glossy pigmented purple goodness?

The new version will be joining the Benefit Ultra Shines Lipgloss line for spring 2011.

benefit kiss you ultra shines gloss
Benefit Ultra Shines in Kiss You

Purple has long been one of my go-to lip colors when it comes to glosses because it’s a great alternative to pink (not to take anything away from pink, which you know I love).

Kiss Me/You and I go way back.

How far back? Well, it’s a long story…

  • Pre-2009 — Before 2009, Kiss You was known as Kiss Me, and it was part of Benefit’s The Gloss line. It was a clear fuchsia, not very pigmented, that I reached for whenever I wanted a just-kissed lip look. It quickly became a cult fave (and a favorite of mine) and underwent a name change, becoming Kiss You. Seriously, I could sing sonnets about that shade…or perhaps an ode.
  • Summer 2009 — Benefit discontinued The Gloss line and released a reformulated version of Kiss You in the new Lip Gloss line. Milkier and less pigmented, it was nothing like the original. Disappointed fans huddled in dark corners and held one another tightly while rocking back and forth and mumbling, “Safe place! Safe place!” Okay…so maybe that was just me.
  • Spring 2010 — The Lip Gloss line was joined by the smooth and shiny Ultra Shines. Among them, a shimmery, purplish pink called Wild Child, which looked/s a little like a slightly pinker version of the Summer 2009 Kiss You.
  • Today/Spring 2011 — Kiss You is reborn! Once again, it will grace Benefit counters, where I’ll be waiting with bells on, as one of three new-ish Ultra Shines for spring. 🙂

Why are they just new-ish? The other two shades joining Kiss You — Life on the A List (a light bubble gum pink) and Who Are You Wearing (a passion fruit pink) — are also repromotes blasting in from the past.

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There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: benefit

The $13 Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set Is Perfect for Party Mode

December 16th, 2010 by Karen 20 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set

Where my party girls at? If you’re booked with back-to-back holiday fetes this year, freshen up your look between bashes with the Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set ($13).

The sparkly silver clutch contains four mini versions of classic Sonia brushes — a powder blush/brush, a blending brush, a small eyeshadow brush and a wee little brush for concealer.

Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set brushes and purse open

Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set purse
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There are 20 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Tools, Product Reviews Keywords: sonia kashuk

NYX Soho Glam Collection

December 15th, 2010 by Karen 13 Comments




The NYX Soho Glam Collection, $30.

What say you?

There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo Keywords: nyx

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