Archives for March 2011

The Becca Halcyon Days Palette Softly Shimmers Like Sunset at an Expensive Beach Resort

March 31st, 2011 by Karen 54 Comments

becca halcyon days palette

When I opened the new Becca Halcyon Days Palette ($65), sunbeams shot out of the pans directly into my gold, bronze and coral-lovin’ heart. BAM! This palette is almost everything I could ever want from summer makeup. Just thinking about it fills the air with the scent of sunscreen, my mouth with the taste of orange Creamsicles, and my ears with the sound of surf pounding on a beach.

Take unseasonably warm weather like we’re having here in the Bay Area this week (this, after last week’s downpours and freeze-your-butt-bones weather), add Halcyon Days, and you get one happy Karen. 🙂

Here, let me show you! Grab my virtual hand because the journey to summer, summer, summertime is just a hop, skip and a Becca palette away…

becca halcyon days palette

Becca developed Halcyon Days exclusively for Henri Bendel stores to coincide with the addition of the line to Bendel’s beauty department. For now, it’s only available at the Fifth Avenue store in New York City and online at henribendel.com, but Becca plans to roll it out to other retailers on May 1.
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The Urban Decay Rollergirl Summer 2011 Palette and the Case of the Missing Roller Skates

March 31st, 2011 by Karen 17 Comments

Urban Decay Summer 2011

Of course, the ONE TIME I’m actually in the mood to roller skate I can’t find my skates (story of my life). They’ve gotta be around here somewhere!

Until they turn up, Urban Decay’s new Rollergirl Summer 2011 Palette will have to do. 🙂

Oh yeah, remind me someday to tell you the story about the steep hill, the roller skates, the slow moving/hard of hearing elderly lady and the flock of ducks.

P.S. Do you know how to roller skate?

What’s the Story, Morning Glory? The Tale Behind Bare Escentuals BE Cares Sweet Smile Eyecolor

March 31st, 2011 by Karen 32 Comments

be cares sweet smile

One thing I’ve always liked about makeup is the story behind the product, and how when you see a piece of makeup, you’re not just looking at a lipstick or an eyeshadow. Sometimes, you’re also seeing someone’s hopes and dreams.

Who was that someone at Bare Escentuals who, when they first saw the opalescent purplish grey that would later become limited edition BE Cares Sweet Smile eyeshadow, thought they would release the color to honor Jessica, one of their customers, and her sister, who underwent 24 operations to correct a cleft palate?

Through the sale of special limited edition makeup in the BE Cares line, Bare Escentuals helps to fund and raise awareness for various causes like The Smile Train, a non-profit group that works to make free corrective cleft lip and palate surgeries available to impoverished children around the world.

In this case, a portion of every Sweet Smile sale goes toward a $50,000 donation to Smile Train — an amazing thing, for sure, but I would politely encourage the company to go even further by announcing the percentage of proceeds that go toward their donations to this and other causes (like MAC does with Viva Glam).

I’ve been wearing Sweet Smile as a light wash over my lids this week for a hint of color and blue sparkle that don’t look too overdone. The color isn’t incredibly pigmented, but applying it with a wet brush helps (makes it more intense).

be cares sweet smile
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Strike a Pose (There’s Nothing To It) with JK Jemma Kidd In Vogue Perfect Blush

March 31st, 2011 by Karen 33 Comments

jk jemma kidd in vogue blush south beach
JK Jemma Kidd In Vogue Perfect Blush in South Beach on cheeks

Don’t just stand there, let’s get to it, strike a pose, there’s nothing to it —

Aw, man! It was only after I took these pictures that I put two and two together. I should have done Vogue poses for these pics! Oh, well… Next time. 🙂

Have I ever told you about the time my friend Cindy and I went to Madonna Night at a club in San Francisco? Yep, the DJ played Madge hits all night long. It was awesome! — except for one thing, and that thing had nothing to do with the music and everything to do with my height.

I’m a little shorty, and every time the DJ played Vogue, which he did several times, I spent the entire song dodging sharp Vogue elbows to my temples and long arms to my face. I left the club happy that night, but I looked like a to’ up rag doll with a mild concussion.

Please, if you find yourself striking poses after trying on the new JK Jemma Kidd In Vogue Perfect Blush, watch your surroundings, and keep your elbows in close. There might be a little blogger person dancing beside you (you never know).

These three new powder blushes are apt to trigger quite a few happy dances, but they carry a hefty cover charge of $18. They’re named after shopping and fashion hot spots like South Beach (a bronze), Rodeo Drive (a pink) and 5th Avenue (an apricot), and Jemma designed them to work with all skin tones.

Doesn’t the packaging have a Shu Uemura vibe? The pans each have five colors which can worn individually or swirled together with a brush.

jk jemma kidd in vogue blush south beach
South Beach
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Becca Halcyon Days Palette: Hello, Gorgeous

March 31st, 2011 by Karen 5 Comments

The new Becca Halycon Days Palette, a Henri Bendel Fifth Avenue store exclusive available now ($65).

With it, you get three powder shadows in light, medium and dark golden brown tones, a bright orangey red lip/cheek cream and one lipgloss for good luck… Bendel’s takes credit card purchases over the phone. They’ll ship to any U.S. address for $12 (takes between five to seven business days), and will ship internationally as well, although, as you might expect, those shipping costs are higher. If you’re interested, the number to call is (212) 904-7959. Ask for Rusty (’cause Rusty rocks!).

Thierry Mugler Makeup, Comic Sans and Fashion Don’ts for Dudes

March 30th, 2011 by Karen 72 Comments

Hey, friend. How’s Wednesday treating you? Sorry if it seems like I haven’t been around as much as usual, especially in the comments, but I’ve been a little out of sorts. It started with a bad case of writer’s block yesterday, which I think I’m still recovering from. I feel much better today, but it still wore me out.

I feel selfish complaining with everything going on in the world, but who else can I tell if not you? Unless it involves gravy, Tabs isn’t concerned.

Even though I haven’t been able to express myself, I’ve been dying to tell you about some of the weird things that have crossed my path lately, like…

Comic Sans! You know how much I like typography, right, and can’t stand Comic Sans? Well, for some reason, I’ve been getting almost one e-mail per day written ENTIRELY in Comic Sans. Like, paragraph after paragraph of bold 18-pt Comic Sans, usually in violet, orange or pink. 🙂 I kid you not! The universe is having a free-for-all font field day at little old moi’s expense. It makes me want to laugh and barf at the very same time.

And then there’s this: apparently, I haven’t been paying enough attention to men’s fashion because somewhere along the way, the sh*t hit the fan. Not only are boys wearing Uggs now, but they’re wearing them with bedazzled booty shorts!

Technically, I believe they’re called “Brazillian cut” swim trunks with Swarovski crystals on the bum. Technically, that is (ha!). That’s according to Rockstar, the indie swimwear company that sells ’em for $89 a pop.

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The Urban Decay Rollergirl Nail Kit: Because Everything Is Better With a Cat

March 30th, 2011 by Karen 8 Comments

Tabs workin’ the new Urban Decay Rollergirl Nail Kit, $28.

Urban Decay Rollergirl Nail Kit

Urban Decay Rollergirl Nail Kit paws

Urban Decay Rollergirl Nail Kit
WERK!

Sonia Kashuk’s New Spring 2011 Nail Colours Have a Formula That’s Right on Target

March 30th, 2011 by Karen 31 Comments

sonia kashuk tutti fruitti
Tutti Frutti

If Sonia Kashuk’s new Nail Colours were any easier to apply, they’d be called Nail Polish for Dummies — or, in my case, Nail Polish for the HELLA Sleep Deprived.

I barely slept at all last night, which, as you can probably imagine, isn’t conducive to good decision making. For reasons I won’t even try to understand, I decided to do some swatching this morning…at 3 a.m. (aka the witching hour). Yes, I know. Crazy, right? Well, I was awake, and it just seemed like a good idea at the time. Despite the ridiculous hour and this little thing called “poor hand-eye coordination,” Sonia’s polishes still did a remarkable job.

I tried three of the four new colors released for spring — khaki green Fatigued, creamy purple Violetta and bright reddish coral Tutti Frutti. I also really wanted to try the fourth shade, hot pink Jammin, but I haven’t been able to track it down. Like another one of Sonia’s popular products, her Flat Top Brush, it’s always sold out at the store.