Tabs looking slightly menacing in the early morning sunshine.
I’ll Crush You with My Personality and My Girth, Human!
Archives for February 2011
The Tarte Achiote Cheek Tint and Lip Luster Duo and the Legend of the Lipstick Tree
Like the Yeti of my makeup dreams, I thought the lipstick tree was a figment of my imagination. Many, many times I’ve dreamt of having one strategically placed outside my bedroom window (right next to the money tree, of course), so I could easily pluck a tube off its branches whenever I wanted a new color.
Funny thing about dreams — sometimes they come true, albeit indirectly in this case. It turns out there really is a lipstick tree! It doesn’t sprout lipsticks (DAMN!), but bright red fruit instead.
Apparently I wasn’t paying close attention in upper division botany, because today I found out achiote is a small tree grown in tropical regions of the Americas and Southeast Asia. It bears spiny fruit which contain bright red seeds used to color food, body paint and lipstick, hence its nickname, “the lipstick tree.”
That’s achiote, yo!
I owe this new beauty wisdom to Tarte’s Achiote Cheek Tint & Lip Luster Duo ($35). A two-piece QVC spring exclusive, Tarte packed it with a cream blush and a sheer lipstick, both in the shade Achiote, a shimmery reddish peach.
Did I mention that I love this color because it looks like a universally flattering shade that could work on light, medium and dark skin?
Lighten Your Load this Spring with the Road-Trip Ready Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Sticks
The new Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Sticks ($18 each) make me wanna holla ROAD TRIP! New for spring, the line of eight twist-up shadow sticks sports uber-lightweight packaging perfect for throwing into a makeup bag filled with just the bare essentials (there’s even a hidden sharpener tucked away at the bottom of the pencil).
Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Sticks from the left to the right: Bow & Arrow, Nunchucks and Silver Sword
Buxom designed the long-wearing shadows to line and shade eyes in flash. I tried three of the eight colors, Bow & Arrow (a shimmery dark green), Nunchucks (a shimmery blueish black) and Silvery Sword (a smokey graysish black), and, using the new Smoky Eye Brush ($17), followed “The Buxom Method” tutorial included with the product.
The Buxom Method
- Gently brush the Smoky Eye Brush against the eye stick tip, then sweep color back and forth on the lid near the lash line and into crease.
- Line the lash line with the pointed tip.
- Soften the edges with brush to get down and smoky.
Buxom Smoky Eye Brush, $17
Buxom Smoky Eye Sticks, $18 each
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The Forecast Calls for Gray in Dior Vernis Gris City
The new Dior Vernis Gris City polishes were built with busy urban babes in mind. Not only is the included brush so wide that I can cover an entire nail with it in three swipes, but the formula dries quicker than a fast-paced city life — two coats take me less than 10 minutes, tops.
Dior says that each of these $21 shades was inspired by fashion-forward cities around the world. Cities like…
- NY 57th: A shimmery dark gray named after Dior’s New York boutique
- Bond Street: A creamy deep bluish gray inspired by London’s famous fog
- Gris Montiagne: A creamy dark gray named after the Paris address where the first Dior boutique opened back in 1946
NY 57th
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Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soleil Collection for Summer 2011
Well, hello again, bronze goddesses. For the forth straight year in a row, Estee Lauder’s doing a — wait for it! — Bronze Goddess-themed collection for summer.
This year’s promotional pictures gave me some serious de ja vu. Doesn’t the Bronze Goddess Island Oasis Eyeshadow Palette ($42) look similar to 2009’s Sand & Sea Eyeshadow Palette?
I was hoping they’d bring back 2010’s Bronze Goddess Liquid Eyeshadows (that teal was so killer!), but it looks like they’ve replaced them with two new ShadowStick Duos ($20 each).
What I’m really looking forward to is the new Bronze Goddess Soleil Eau Fraiche ($55). I wear the Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skin Scent from 2008 all the time, even in the dead of winter, because it reminds me of going to the beach.
Anywho, take a look at the promotional pictures and the collection listing below let me know if you see anything you like.
The Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soleil Makeup Collection
EYES:
NEW, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Island Oasis EyeShadow Palette, $42
NEW, Limited Edition ShadowStick Duo in Gold Bronze, $20
NEW, Limited Edition ShadowStick Duo in Pink Teal, $20
LIPS:
Pure Color Gloss in NEW, Limited Edition Sun Burst Sparkle, $20
Pure Color Gloss in Blazing Coral Sparkle, $20
Pure Color Gloss in Plum Divine Shimmer, $20
Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Tiramisu, $24
TIPS:
Pure Color Nail Lacquer in NEW, Limited Edition Shimmering Bronze, $19
FACE:
NEW, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Sea Star Bronzing Blush, $34
Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer, $30
Bronze Goddess Soft Shimmer Bronzer, $30
Bronze Goddess Soft Duo Bronzer in Amber Bronze Medium and Amber Bronze Rich, $30
Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Luminous Liquid Bronzer, $28.50
FRAGRANCE:
NEW, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Soleil Eau Fraiche, $55
Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche, $55
What Are You Wearing on Your Nails?
I’m ready for you, Vampire Eric!
Well, pardner, I’m wearin’ NARS Desperado ($17) now, but I reckon I won’t be for much longer.
I thought it would look more like the Forever 21 necklace in the picture at the top because of how it looks in the bottle, but on my nails it looks more orange than that.
The more I think about it, the more Desperado reminds me of the antique brass spitoon my parents have in their living room (allegedly there for decorative purposes).
And yes, that’s a Hello Kitty 
bandage. I spaced out for a sec while making a smoothie the other day and, like a numbnuts, reached into the blender when it was off to rearrange some fruit chunks. Needless to say, I cut myself. 🙁
‘Twas not one of my smartest maneuvers…
At any rate, what are you wearing on your nails today?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Strike It Rich with the New Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12 Lipsticks
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Plum Rose
I like to think of Bobbi Brown’s newest spring release as the lipstick equivalent of a DVF wrap dress and a pair of Jimmy Choos. A combination of opaque color and subtle shine, the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12 Lipsticks ($22 each) create a dressed-up lip look that’s neither too formal nor too stuffy — like business casual for your lips (with just a smidgen of sex appeal for flava).
The 12 Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color shades
Lightweight and smooth, these unscented, unflavored lipsticks provide the kind of full color coverage more common of creams and mattes with thicker textures, and they do it at a pretty good price (for a department store line).
Today I tried four of the 12 shades in Bikini Pink (a cool pink), Sweet Nectar (a pinkish coral), Plum Rose (a plummy rose) and Old Hollywood (an orangey red), and judging by these, Bobbi wasn’t messing around in the pigment department. These are intense!
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colors from the left: Old Hollywood, Sweet Nectar, Plum Rose and Bikini Pink
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Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow in Husky: Because Chunky Pets Need Love, Too
I know this shade of Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow ($17) is named after the breed of dog, but I like to think it’s named after my favorite husky tabby.