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Archives for May 2011

With the New Becca Automatic Eye Pencils, the Extras Make the World Goa Round

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Not gonna lie, after feasting my eyes on the delicious nail polishes and blushes from the Becca Halcyon Days collection, I didn’t have much of an appetite left for the Automatic Eye Pencils in Goa and Majorca ($23 each). The two twist-up makeup tools were way down at the bottom of my “I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it!” list.

But then I noticed the value-added extras Becca thought to include, like the sponge-tip applicator, hidden pencil sharpener (sweet!), and effortless texture — so smooth that it would give any silk worm a complex. In this case, it was the extras that made me stop and take notice, and I figured, heck, with summer right around the corner, I can always use a couple of new long-wearing, waterproof eyeliner staples.

Becca kept both of these colors conservative, opting for basics to complement the coral, peach and pink shades from Halcyon Days. Goa, a shimmery golden brown, reminds me of a mellower MAC Teddy, and it sits in stark contrast to starless Majorca, a pitch black devoid of green or blue undertones.

I wore both of them a few times last week, and while I like them well enough, I’m not convinced they should be called long-wearing or waterproof.

Majorca

Of the two, Majorca’s my fave. It kicks it all day long on lash and water lines, but unlike Urban Decay’s long-wearing 24/7s, it never fully sets after it dries, so it stays creamy and, I guess you could say, a little too light on its feet (it tends to move around). The consistency makes it fabulous for soft and smudgy eyeliner looks, but I think it also holds it back from being completely waterproof. I suspect it wouldn’t handle 30 minutes on the treadmill or a day at the pool, but it’s a brilliantly black liner for running errands, even considering that it costs some coin. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A-


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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, May 23

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  • You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”
    Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past three years, which I guess makes this somewhere around Vol. 170. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    2. Super excited! So much so that my heart is beating like a hummingbird’s. Next week I’ll finally be able to share the so-far secret details about that Toronto trip I took earlier this spring, and I seriously can’t wait!

  2. What are you wearing?

    3. My black skinny jeans; a black floral print top with a gray, khaki and beige print; a gray button-down cardigan; black platform sandals; a black Dakine purse that I got from Marshalls for, like, $15 (SCORE!); and gold heart-shaped hoops.

    Oh, and I know it’s not technically part of the outfit, but I’m also toting around a lint brush to periodically pull kitty fur from the black pants. They’re like magnets for the stuff!

  3. What’s one song you absolutely cannot stand?

    4. Ugh, Birthday Sex. As soon as I hear the first few bars, one of my eyelids starts to twitch.

  4. Are you happy with your height?

    5. I wouldn’t mind being a little taller… Forget that — I wish I was a baller! Okay, so maybe not a baller, but I’d take a few extra inches if they were offered. 🙂 I’m only 5’1”, but in my mind I’m epically tall, like 5’6”, LOL!

  5. Of all the places you’ve been, what are some of your favorites?

    6. San Diego for the mellow vibe, comfortable climate and beaches; Paris for…well, just about everything — the museums, the romance, the food (!); New York for many of the same reasons as Paris; and Hawaii for the beaches, the people, the trade winds and the rainbow of colors everywhere.

  6. Something that comes easily to you?

    7. Hmm…buying shoes? But seriously, maybe writing, at least most of the time, except for bouts of writer’s block (when they hit, they hit HARD). Oh, and running isn’t too hard for me, not that I run very far or fast, but once I get going I’m like a hamster on a wheel!

  7. Big, gaudy cocktail rings — yea or nay?

    8. I used to think they were tacky, but not anymore. They make great conversation starters at gatherings and parties.

  8. What are the keys to success?

    9. You tell me. I don’t know if there really are any skeleton keys that work the same way for everyone. I like to think that there are lots of different ways to reach goals, but tenacity, kindness and occasional episodes of good luck rarely hurt.

    Also, as I’ve gotten older, and this is just as disappointing as it is true, but it also seems like the whole “It’s not what you know, but who you know” thing comes into play more often than not.

  9. Imagine you’re at an awesome summer barbeque. Describe what we’d find on your perfect lunch plate.

    10. Roasted, salted corn on the cob topped with melted butter (NOM!), potato salad, Hawaiian-style macaroni salad, chips and a veggie hot dog with lots of ketchup and relish…and maybe also a scoop of steamed rice and a few grilled shrimp (ya know, if there’s any room left on the plate).

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. To stick to my deadlines (something I wasn’t very good about last week); to run at least four miles, three times before Saturday; and to carve out some extra play time with Tabs every day. According to that Jackson Galaxy guy, play is very important for happy kitties.

Hello, hello, and happy Monday, pretty. 🙂 Wow, I feel weirdly great today. Almost manic. I think it might have to do with the stretching I started doing first thing in the morning, but I don’t know. I’m not naturally a flexible person, and I don’t do any upside-down crazy yoga poses or stuff like that, just a few basic leg, arm and back stretches for a few minutes before I get out of bed. It really gets the blood flowing.

  • To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.



1. Mood:
2. What are you wearing?
3. What’s one song you absolutely cannot stand?
4. Are you happy with your height?
5. Of all the places you’ve been, what are some of your favorites?
6. Something that comes easily to you?
7. Big, gaudy cocktail rings — yea or nay?
8. What are the keys to success?
9. Describe what we’d find on your perfect barbeque lunch plate…
10. Weekly goals:

Sending you positive vibes through the intertubes right now… To receive them, just place your hand on the monitor for five seconds. Trust me, it works. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 140

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Cat whisperer Jackson Galaxy is kind of an odd dude. He’s big, bald, covered in tattoos, and communes with cats for a living. He also has a show on Animal Planet called My Cat From Hell (thanks for the recommendation, gals!).

Jackson GalaxyTechnically, he’s a cat behaviorist/therapist. Frustrated cat owners hire Jackson — who with a name like Jackson Galaxy must have been a Vegas lounge singer in a past life — to help them understand why their kitties act out.

Like a doctor who does house calls, he carries the tools of his trade, things like cat toys, treats, black lights (to detect where cats have been “spraying”, eww!) and motion-sensitive compressed air cans (useful for training kitties about off-limits areas), in a big black case, except that his case was originally designed for guitars, and he treats a variety of kitty conditions, ranging from domesticating feral scaredy cats to teaching cat owners the fundamentals of feline psychology.

After watching a few episodes filled with kitties clawing their owners, shredding the furniture and peeing on beds (eek!), it reinforced my appreciation for Edward Scissorpaws Tabs. He’s not always the easiest cat to work for (the late night parties, rides to the airport, midnight gravy demands), but he could be a lot worse! 🙂

The show got me thinking about pets in general and all their funny quirks.

Do your pets have any strange habits? Tabs has quite a few…

1. Specific “cat” rules concerning use of the bed

Although he doesn’t sleep through the night with us, Tabs does like to hang out in bed while we read, but he can’t just hop casually on/off the bed. He’s very specific about his bed entry and exit.

First, he has to circle the bed counter clockwise to the side furthest from the bedroom door. Then, without fail, he hops to a specific area about 18 inches from the head of the side on which El Hub sleeps, from there walking across El Hub’s chest directly to my left side.

No matter what, he always takes the exact same route.

I’ve tried and tried to lure him up a different way — from my side and the foot of the bed — but he just won’t do it. Sometimes I wonder if he’s a little OCD.
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The Becca Halcyon Days Mineral Bronzer/Illuminator Duo in Serrana Serenades Skin with Warmth or Helps You Highlight Your Best Features

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Like the Becca Halcyon Days Mineral Blushes, the powders in the new Mineral Bronzer/Illuminator Duo in Serrana ($43) look and feel flawless on the skin.

On one side, a warm matte bronze that should sing on light and medium skin tones (and add a whisper of warmth to darker ones); on the other side, a warm peach with a sheen finish. Both showcase finely milled powders that practically blend themselves, making contouring and highlighting with them a breeze. I know it’s a little late in the year to be thinking about winter, but I have a feeling Serrana would have been a fantastic bronzer to wear in the middle of winter, not that it isn’t still a great one now.


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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

Good morning, glory. 🙂 The other day I noticed a headline on a news site that said that Amazon.com now sells more e-books than printed ones. Isn’t that incredible? The times, young lady, they are a-changin’.

Considering the news, I’m almost a little embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve never read an e-book from start to finish. Not once. Sure, I’ve read some hella long emails on my phone before (LOL!), with word counts up in the short story/novella range, but no e-books in the stricter sense of the term.

I don’t know… I think I might be a little old fashioned when it comes to books. I can’t imagine not being able to flip through paper pages or feel the weight of a new hardcover in my hands. But then there’s also the space printed books take up, the stacks and stacks of them that with very few exceptions I rarely read more than once or twice.

I think I’d like to give e-books another try. Do you have any recommendations for e-book readers? What’s the Kindle like? I hear so many good things about that one.

So, what were the makeup and beauty (and fashion) highlights of your week? The very best things. Did you try any new looks, find any good deals or learn any new tips? Inquiring minds want to know.

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

NYX Slide-On Eye Liners SHOULD YOU SLIDE FOR $8 OR GLIDE FOR $17?
THE CHOICE BETWEEN THE NYX SLIDE-ON EYE LINERS AND URBAN DECAY 24/7 GLIDE-ON EYE PENCILS

I used to get really grumpy back in school when kids would copy my style. It’s not that I thought of myself as a fashion visionary or anything, but I took pride in my penchant for offbeat things and fancied myself as different. So when Angela showed up to band one day wearing a baby poo green plaid vest eerily similar to the one I’d been rockin’ for most of that fall, carrying her sheet music in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles folder a lot like mine, I couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed.

I vented about it to my friend Cindy, expecting a sympathetic ear. “Just chill out and be flattered,” she said. It was only worth tripping about if things got creepy and Single White Female (which, thank goodness, they didn’t).

Cindy was right, of course. After all, I’d copied/borrowed a few ideas from other kids, too, and looking at it that way, I thought perhaps that old saying about imitation and flattery was true. Read more…

Becca Halcyon Days Mineral Blush FLOWERCHILD, YOU’LL LOOK LIKE A FLY DAMSEL
IN THE NEW BECCA HALCYON DAYS MINERAL BLUSH

The more time I spend with the Becca Halcyon Days collection, the more I fall in love love. It’s fast becoming one of my favorite summer releases so far and OOH! — do you hear that? It sings sonnets — no, more like an epic volumes! — to my peach/coral/pink/gold-lovin’ heart.

If your skin turns a toasty brown over summer, or you’re just fond of the way you look in warm pinks, peaches and corals, don’t be surprised if you catch yourself making grabby motions in the air the first time you see the Halcyon Days Mineral Blushes ($32 each) up close, or when you open the sturdy compacts, with, what is that on the outside? A rubberized texture? How cool is that!? It keeps them from slipping out of my grubby little hands.

Flowerchild (a golden peachy pink) and Damselfly (a golden coral) deliver serious, hard-to-ignore pigmentation. One swirl around the pan from my powder blush brush grabs just enough color for one cheek — no layering necessary, unless I want a brighter look. Read more…

Buxom Lip Tarnish THE NEW BUXOM LIP TARNISH PLUMPING & MOISTURIZING LIP STAINS
WANT TO WOW YOU IN 4 DIFFERENT WAYS

I don’t remember much from my brief stint in community theater as Misc. Shark Girl #3 in West Side Story, but I do remember how during auditions people would whisper about the “triple threats,” and how it was, like, a big deal to be one.

Sounds thuggish, right? — a triple threat! In theater parlance, it’s what they call someone who can sing, dance and act. Of course, I was barely able to do one of the three (I could dance a little)…but I also had long black hair that from far away helped me pass for Puerto Rican. Score! 🙂

Like multi-talented stage stars, Buxom’s new Lip Tarnish Plumping & Moisturizing Lip Stains ($18) want to do it all. Blackmail (a blackberry truffle), Busted (a cherry red), Caught on Tape (a hot pink) and Wardrobe Malfunction (a candy pink) go on sale exclusively at Sephora this August, and they hope to lavish lips in not three but FOUR different ways, tinting like a lip stain, shining like a gloss, hydrating like a lip balm and plumping like…something that plumps. Read more…

NYC New York Color Smooch Proof 16H Lip Stains NYC NEW YORK COLOR SMOOCH PROOF
16H LIP STAINS: DATE NIGHT APPROVED

They were just a blip on my drugstore radar screen a few months ago, but now I’m tracking NYC New York Color full time. Before I even knew about the company’s cruelty-free philosophy, I was impressed by their prices and interesting colors, and after their awesome Ultra Last Lipsticks and Liquid Lip Shines buzzed my tower, I assumed the Smooch Proof 16H Lip Stains ($4.99 each, available in 10 shades) would too.

These unflavored, lightly fruit punch scented liquid lip stains come in a tube with a stiff felt-tip applicator. The 16H in the name refers to 16 hours, which is how long they’re supposed to last. They apply wet but dry to a finish that resembles the way lips look after a Popsicle or a glass of Kool-Aid. I wouldn’t exactly call it matte because it isn’t full coverage or thick like a matte lipstick, but it’s not at all shiny either. One layer leaves a light stain; two or three, a brighter, richer color. Read more…

Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara SHOULD YOU TAKE THE PLUNGE WITH
URBAN DECAY’S NEW CANNONBALL ULTRA WATERPROOF MASCARA

I wish I could say I field tested the new Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara ($20) by leaping from the rock at Waimea Bay on Oahu, but the methodology I used was a little less glamorous than that.

To put the new lengthening, waterproof mascara to the test, I pit it against two super soaking challenges. First, I charged headlong into a downpour to run some errands without an umbrella-ella-ella. Then, I pushed a heavy vacuum around my house for more than an hour.

As soon as I applied two layers first thing last Saturday morning, I noticed a very cool doe-eyed effect. Not only does Cannonball dramatically lengthen and separate lashes, it also cures the curl from my Shu Uemura lash curler, locking it into place. It made my peepers look crazy big, like an anime puppy’s eyes when it begs for bacon. Read more…

NYC New York Color Mono Eyeshadow EYE LOVE THE SUBTLE SHEEN OF THESE SATIN FINISHES
THE $3 NYC NEW YORK COLOR MONO EYESHADOWS

Thanks to NYC New York Color’s 10 new limited edition Mono Eye Shadows ($2.99 each), I’m a little less freaked out about my birthday next month (I’m turning 36, oy vey!). I’ve been on the market for eye makeup that doesn’t draw attention to my fine lines, so these comfort colors could not have come at a better time.

Most of them have this sophisticated, soft satin finish that’s one of the most attractive, forgiving satins I’ve ever seen from a drugstore line (there are also a couple of mattes and frosts).

In terms of shine, satiny shadows broadcast a subtle sheen that sits somewhere between shimmers (or frosts) and mattes, and unlike hi-shine shimmers, they don’t appear to actively seek out the tiny wrinkles on my lids.

I feel like NYC’s satin shades turn back the clock to a kinder, gentler time — let’s call it 26, LOL! — when my eyes looked all bright and glowy most of the time. Read more…

Burberry Beauty Lip Mist WILD ROSES COULDN’T KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE NEW
BURBERRY BEAUTY LIP MISTS

Burberry Beauty is making a move on the must-have category with a line of $30 luxury lipsticks that look almost like bargains in spite of the price.

As soon as I saw Burberry Beauty’s Lip Mists, I wondered if I was witnessing a case of corporate espionage aimed at Chanel. These nine shiny, hydrating lippies share more than a few characteristics in common with the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines ($32).

First, there’s the finish, which has a similar subtle shine — a dewy, creamy sheen that pairs perfectly with a summertime tan. The colors themselves are rich, lightweight, long-lasting and loaded with pigment, and like the Shines don’t look heavy like a matte. Both of these lippies tread a lovely line somewhere between slightly sheer and fully opaque, but Burberry bests Chanel here in a few key areas. Read more…

Becca Halcyon Days Nail Colour THE NEW BECCA HALCYON DAYS NAIL COLOURS
ARE ON LIKE DONKEY KONG, QUICK LIKE MARIO KART

Ten weeks. I’ve been salivating over the thought of the Becca Halcyon Days Nail Colours ($15 each) for roughly ten weeks.

From those first PR pics back in March — the warm, summery pink, peach and coral — I couldn’t wait to get these on my claws, and I’ve been drooling like Pavlov’s dog ever since.

As far as I know, this is Becca’s first foray into nails, but it seems like everything the boutique-y Aussie brand does is pretty much on like Donkey Kong, and, in this case, fast!

Manis and pedis with the three creamy shades take almost no time (well, very little) because the polishes apply and dry wicked fast. Not as fast as it takes to get my attention with shirtless pictures of Channing Tatum, but still. Fast. Read more…

Kerastase Paris Chroma Sensitive KERASTASE CHROMA SENSITIVE CLEANSING BALM 3-MONTH FOLLOWUP
COLOR-TREATED GALS, THIS ONE’S A KEEPER

If I freak out a little when I realize I’m almost out of a product, it’s usually a pretty good indicator of how I feel about it. Yesterday in the shower when I reached for my hot pink bottle o’ Kerastase Chroma Sensitive Cleansing Balm ($42 for a 6.8-oz. bottle) and noticed how light the bottle felt, I let out a sad little mewl. “Noooo.”

It was almost gone. 🙁

I started using the stuff, a silicone-free, low-foam and low-friction cleanser for color-treated hair, back in March. Unlike regular shampoos designed for color-treated hair, it adds special deep conditioners to the mix of mild cleansing agents. The blend is 1/4 cleansing agent, 3/4 deep conditioner, and Kerastase claims the brew gently washes hair while preventing pigments from escaping, thereby keeping your color intact. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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