Archives for April 2010

MAC Lychee Luxe

April 8th, 2010 by Karen 7 Comments

I’ve lost track of how many tubes of MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass ($14) I’ve gone through over the past few years. LOVE this shimmery coral!

It’s Time for a Summer Romance with Clinique Brandied Bronze

April 7th, 2010 by Karen 34 Comments

Unconventional?! Avant-garde? A breakthrough in color palette technology?

Well, not exactly… Yep, we’ve seen colors like these in palettes like this before, but that hasn’t stopped me from falling for Clinique’s new Brandied Bronze Eyeshadow Palette ($25). When I think “classic summer eyeshadow shades,” this bad boy has six of the colors that regularly come to mind.

Clinique Brandied Bronze

A limited-edition summer collection with products for eyes, lips, cheeks and face. Prices range from $14-25.

Brandied Bronze’s beige, bronze, gold, teal, purple and pink are so spot on that if Ryan Reynolds asked me to go on a three month surf vacation with him, I could foreseeably make it through the entire trip with just this palette, a single cream blush, waterproof mascara and a tube of MAC Nymphette. 🙂
[Continue reading…]

I Only Have Eyes for Clinique All About Eyes Serum

April 7th, 2010 by Karen 29 Comments

I believe El Hub has officially resigned to his fate as the partner of a beauty-addicted weirdo. We’re at the stage now where nothing fazes the boy, not even beauty products in the fridge. 🙂

Case in point: I’ve been storing my latest skincare obsession, Clinique All About Eyes Serum ($26), next to the yogurt and cat food (yes, I said cat food)…

El Hub: Babe? Uh…why is there lipgloss in the fridge?
Karen: That’s not lipgloss; it’s Clinique All About Eyes Serum. Don’t touch.
El Hub: So…why is there eye serum in the fridge?
Karen: It feels better on my eyes when it’s cold.
El Hub: Okay… Can I put it with the cold cuts so it’s out of the way?

LOL!
[Continue reading…]

New in Beauty, April 7: Tarina Tarantino’s Fashion Collection and Chantecaille’s Homage to Big Cats

April 7th, 2010 by Karen 8 Comments

New in Beauty

The packaging for Tarina Tarantino’s Tokyo Hardcore, Electric Butterfly, Candy Cameo, Victorian Punk and Bibarucci Fashion Collections ($19-36 each) is so bright, you might have to wear shades
After seeing Chantecaille’s White Tiger Compact ($85) and Bengali Bronzer Compact ($85), Tabs believes he should be the next big cat to be immortalized in a pan of powder
Burberry’s new Summer for Women Eau de Toilette ($65) boasts notes of black current, pomegranate, mandarin orange and white peach
What do you think of MARC by MARC Jacobs’ Pretty Nylon Cosmetic Bag ($98)?
Shu Uemura’s Eye Light Pencil ($18) does double duty as an eyeliner and a highlighter
Giorgio Armani’s Face Fabric Radiance ($48) is now reformulated with “Micro Fil,” a light fluid that creates a luminescent glow
Le Metier de Beaute’s Magic Lustre Cream ($24) transforms powders into sheer stains and glosses for cheeks, lips or eyes
the stripes on Laura Mercier’s Bronzing Pressed Powder ($32)
For their new scent Bianca ($68), Tocca drew inspiration from tea time in Italy
Enter to build or revamp your school’s garden in the Yes to Carrots Garden Challenge
Help John Frieda raise funds to benefit the Children’s Hospital in Boston by participating in a HAIRraising Cut-A-Thon
Bay Area babes, meet Bryan Meehan, the founder of NUDE skincare at Barneys San Francisco on April 17; call (415) 268-3542 to make an appointment

What’s for lunch, homie? It’s just about time to take a food break here on the West Coast, so I’m going to grab a salad and then go for a quick walk. Yes, I remembered to take my allergy meds. 🙂

I hope your Wednesday’s going swimmingly!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Two Ways to Win a Beautiful Bottle of Balenciaga Paris Perfume

April 7th, 2010 by Karen 371 Comments

The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner, Jan! Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

Good morning, glory. 🙂 I hope you’re ready for hump day, but just in case you aren’t, maybe the light and fresh star of today’s giveaway can help.

Have you been looking for a new scent for the season? If the answer’s “Hell, yes, woman!” then…

The prize

One lucky lady will win a 1.7-oz bottle of Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum (a $95 value).

Long-time Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquiere of the Balenciaga fashion house says a wide range of everyday scents, among them wax and flowers, inspired Balenciaga Paris.

Perfumer Oliver Polge, winner of the coveted 2009 International Fragrance Prize and the nose behind Burberry The Beat, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb and Clinique Happy Heart, infused the fragrance with violet, pepper and mossy wood, dressing it in a beautiful glass bottle with simply elegant, smooth curves.

How to enter…

2ways2enter Entering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. In it, tell me your favorite thing about spring.

Finally! The longer days! I love that El Hub still has some sunlight left when he gets home from work in the evenings. And then there’s all of the blooming flowers, of course (thank goodness for allergy medicine!).

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to win Balenciaga Paris Perfume (a $95 Value) http://bit.ly/dzBdGE

Recap…

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.
Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to win Balenciaga Paris Perfume (a $95 Value) http://bit.ly/dzBdGE

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Friday, April 9.

Ð£ÑÐ¿ÐµÑ…!!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. You also have until 11:59 PM tonight to enter the MAC Prep For Colour giveaway, so head over and mention your favorite color if you haven’t already. 🙂