Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
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Super quick look at the new Buxom True Hue Blush line!
Details:
Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise…
Wait — no they’re not. This isn’t a voyage. It’s actually a review of the new MAC Nebula Pigment ($20). I guess I just had a random Trekkie moment, like that time at the gym back before I’d met El Hub. I was running on the treadmill when a cute boy climbed up on the one next to me, turned my way and said, “Hi.”
My witty response: “Live long and prosper.”
Oh, yeah. It was smooth… 🙂
Seriously, though, I might not have had game, but I did know a lot about Star Trek.
Of course, something tells me that neither MAC nor Daphne Guinness were channelling Starfleet when they dreamed up this particular loose eyeshadow, even though I can picture makeup-loving cadets reaching for it faster than you can say, “Prepare for warp speed.”
So far, my warm skin tone and I haven’t fallen for many of the cool-toned colors we’ve tried from Daphne Guinness for MAC, but shimmery grayish brown Nebula toes the line between cool and neutral in a way that makes it mighty wearable for both warm- and cool-toned babes.
Plus, it’s called Nebula, and how cool is that? I was starstruck the first time I saw the color twinkling back and forth between gray and brown.
Nebula reminds me of a longtime MAC favorite of mine, Club, except without the teal and blue. Yes, the formula is loose and messy, and it’s only a matter of time before I spill it on the carpet, but I do love how complex and smokey it appears.
In these pics, I’m wearing it by itself all over my lids and along my lower lash lines. Just a very simple smokey look.
I also tried something a bit more dramatic with it, adding a dark gray liner along the water line, and liked the way it turned out. If you decide to give that a try, I recommend Laura Mercier’s Kohl Eye Pencil in Stormy Grey, a gunmetal gray that flashes a subtle blue from some angles.
Pretty good, as of right this moment, but it’s a tenuous good. The first thing I felt this morning when I opened my eyes was overwhelmed (got a lot to do today), but after writing my worries down in my journal, I felt much better.
Sometimes you just need to get everything out on paper, ya know? It’s like getting it out of your system.
A Christmas Story and Love Actually are my absolute faves, but I finally sat down to watch Miracle on 34th Street last weekend and loved it! That one’s definitely going into my regular holiday rotation.
Oh! I almost forgot another one, the old stop-motion Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. That’s a classic.
MAC Strobe Cream, MAC Cleanse Off Oil and Bumble & Bumble Super Rich Conditioner
Probably around 24. I used it a little in college, but it wasn’t until a few years later when I worked at a law firm that I was logging on very often. Now, of course, I’m pretty much always connected.
I still see two of my BFFs from childhood all the time, Jen and Cindy, and I saw them both a few weeks ago at Jen’s son’s baptism.
I think it was June of 2008, for the annual Kamehameha Day Floral Parade on Oahu. I was told it’s the second oldest parade in America (and the only one to celebrate a king!). Wow, 2008 feels like a lifetime ago…
I rented Our Idiot Brother and really enjoyed that. It’s just a sweet, funny story — no big surprises, but I gotta hand it to Paul Rudd. I don’t know what it is about him, but he always makes me laugh.
Gunn’s Golden Rules, by Tim Gunn.
Tim Gunn is like my Yoda, for real.
I had a handful of Trader Doe’s Dark Chocolate Stars last night… Yum!
To wrap up my Christmas shopping and everything else by Friday, and to work out at least 30 minutes every day (or more, depending on how long it takes me to finish that box of Dark Chocolate Stars).
Happy Monday, friend. We’re not even two weeks away from 2012; I just can’t believe it. Time really does fly when you’re having fun.
Well, it flies either way, but the trip feels better when it’s fun. 🙂
How’s it going this week? Are you still at school or work? Or do you have some time off? Whatever you’re up to, come say a quick hi in today’s Monday Poll.
1. Mood:
2. What are your favorite holiday flicks?
3. What are three beauty products you find yourself buying over and over again?
4. How old were you when you started using the Internet regularly?
5. When was the last time you saw someone from high school?
6. When was the last time you went to a parade?
7. Did you do anything fun last weekend?
8. One of the best books you’ve read this year?
9. What’s the last holiday snack you had?
10. Weekly goals:
May your week be filled with good fortune and extra servings of pre-holiday joy. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Just having fun and foolin’ with my camera…
Tabs still hasn’t stopped talking about the last Sunday Pet Poll. He quite enjoyed reading about your pet companions and furry (and fur-less) friends, and when I asked him if he thought we should do it again, he immediately replied, “Mrow!”
Tabby gets what tabby wants, so here we go. 🙂
Same idea as the Monday Poll. Just copy/paste the list at the bottom into your comment.
Who is Tabs the Cat? About three years ago I befriended a stray, flea-bitten tabby cat with a bad case of worms. I could see he’d fallen on hard times, but his profound knowledge of high fashion and department store cosmetics led me to believe that he was more than meets the eye. We became fast friends, and now he’s actually my boss (and a successful kitty model). 🙂
Tabs is a 5-year-old 18-pound American Shorthair kitty supermodel, image consultant and blogger with gray, black and orange tabby markings.
He rolls on his back, flashes his tum and meows up a storm! After 15 minutes of that, he generally won’t let me out of his sight for at least a full day.
Does kitty modeling count? 🙂 Or how about looking stylish in jewelry? Other than modeling, he’s not big into tricks. He does like to play fetch with El Hub, but that’s more of a game than a trick, and it has to be his idea.
He didn’t for the longest time. For years he was content with Fancy Feast in Gravy and Science Diet (and the occasional piece of sliced turkey), but over the past few months he’s become more brazen at the dinner table. Now I can’t leave any food unattended, because if I do he’ll jump on the table and explore. So far he’s employed this approach to taste test wheat bread, smoked salmon and yogurt. Sigh…
In about 10 different places around the house. There’s at least one in every room. Lately, he’s all about sleeping on the treadmill, draped across El Hub’s stinky running shoes, at the foot of the bed, at the top of his cat tower in the living room, in the laundry basket (but only on top of clean clothes, which is weird considering how much he likes dirty shoes and socks) and in the bathroom sink.
I wish he’d sleep on the bed with me at night, but he only does that once in a blue moon.
Possibly a new cat tower, because his current one is falling apart. Maybe that or a heated pet bed, but the kitty-sized ones I’ve seen all look too small for him. If I upgrade him to doggy-sized and he finds out, there will be hell to pay.
Oh, yes. Right now it’s the neighbor’s Russian Blue. Ever since Tabs caught him bogarting the catnip plant in the front yard, the two haven’t been on good terms.
He’s standing up on my lap, with his body draped over my right arm. Kinda hard to tlype ligke thjis, but watcha gonna do? 🙂
He actually does! He likes to hide things, especially eyelash curlers, which he’ll bat around until he gets them good and stuck under a dresser. I’ve yet to catch him messing with my brushes, though (knock on wood).
1. How would you describe your pet in a Twitter tweet (140 characters max)?
2. How does your pet respond when you get home after a long trip?
3. Can your pet do any tricks?
4. Does your pet like people food?
5. Where does your pet like to sleep?
6. Is your pet getting anything for the holidays?
7. Does your pet have any sworn enemies?
8. Where’s your pet at this very second?
9. Does your pet ever mess with your beauty products?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I have a love/hate relationship with Sonia Kashuk’s new Diamond in the Brush Kabuki Brush ($12.99). In the love corner, it couldn’t be any cuter. I mean, just look at that sparkly handle, and I think the brush head is all kinds of fabulous.
But just like the similarly blingy brushes in the Prepping for the Party Lip & Eye Palette ($19.99), I don’t know if this one’s very well constructed. As a matter of fact, the bottom fell off the first time I used it.
Um…what’s up with that?
And then there’s the overall attention to detail, which just seems to be lacking here. Despite the blinding bling, I can’t help but notice the stray bits of glue peeking out from between the gaps where the metal bands wrap around the handle.
Annoying — because I like this limited edition brush’s swagger, size and how hefty it feels in my hand. It’s like a bigger, wider, slightly fluffier version of Sonia’s classic Flat Top Brush but with a shorter handle. The soft bristles feel good, too, neither scratching nor shedding, and the head applies face powder, blush and bronzer perfectly.
My issues with the brush are isolated to its handle, but that’s, ya know, a rather important part.
NARS Cyprus Eyeshadow ($23). Available now at NARS counters and also online.
Do you ever read through your old journals and think, “Wow, was that really me?” A few nights ago I was rifling through some boxes and found an old journal of mine from 2003. At the time I was working at a job I despised and filling page after page in journals with things like, “I feel as though everyone I know is moving forward, but I’m standing still.” I hadn’t yet figured out what I wanted to do about my job. All I knew was that I wanted to make a change, and I was caught in that unhelpful loop of constantly comparing myself to others.
I wrote that “many irrational feelings are rushing through my half-dead veins. Everyone seems to be catapulting toward their beautiful, amazingly bright future, while all I’m doing is sitting on my @ss complaining about how tired I am.”
Brings back a lot of rough memories, but whatcha gonna do? It happens…
I wish I still had more of my journals from high school, even though I’m pretty sure I’d be mortified to read them now. I came across this book that sounds like it summarizes what reading them would be like: Cringe: Toe-Curlingly Embarrassing Teenage Diaries, Love Letters and Bad Poetry.
Isn’t that a great title? Kinda hits the nail on the head. 🙂
In other news, I hope you’re having a nice weekend so far, and if, per chance, you plan to paint your nails today, be on the lookout for this loathsome beast:
FREQUENCY: Common
SPEED: Normal
ARMOR CLASS: 10+
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Can cause seemingly sealed bottles of nail polish to thicken overnight into a useless goopy mess. Its breath is also able to induce chips in brand new manis and pedis.
SPECIAL DEFENSES: The Lacquer Leviathan’s tough hide is covered in thousands of layers of built-up lacquer and top coat, making the creature almost invulnerable.
INTELLIGENCE: Not so much, but they do know the names of every nail polish ever created.
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: Huge (9′ tall)
REMOVE GLITTER NAIL POLISHES QUICKER
WITH THIS LITTLE TRICK
I love glittery nail polishes, and I suspect that you may love ‘em, too. Lately, I’ve been having a blast with glittery ombre manicures, which have taken my lacquer love for glitter to whole new levels, but they’ve also opened my eyes to a downside of having so much glitter on my nails…
It can take forever to remove!
I can usually remove non-glittery polishes in 2-3 minutes, tops, but getting the glittery ones off can easily take me 10 minutes or more.
Until last weekend, my technique for removing glitter polishes involved soaking a cotton pad in an acetone nail polish remover, wrapping the wet pad around each nail, and then massaging the moistened pad around the nail for a minute or so before firmly sliding it from the base up to the tip. Sometimes, I’d have to repeat the process three or four times per nail to get them nice and clean. Read more…
NARS UNSUNG HEROES
NIGHT STAR EYESHADOW
It’s holiday party time! — but if you’re a busy gal with too many emails to answer and a to-do list longer than your arm, getting ready to party may be the last thing on your mind. If it is, perhaps NARS Night Star Eyeshadow can help.
Now, you know me when it comes to wearing color on my eyes — I love it! But I also like the versatility of neutral shades, and that’s the side of me that $23 Night Star excites. An eyeshadow single in the NARS permanent line, it’s a sheer peach with a golden glitter kick — a perfect pick for office parties this time of year.
When I want to brighten my lids and give a golden sparkle to my eyes, this is the color I grab. Read more…
MAC DAPHNE GUINNESS FOR MAC COLLECTION
PRODUCT PICS AND SWATCHES
What up, MACaholics! Here’s a quick peek at product pics and swatches of some items from the new Daphne Guinness for MAC collection. The mostly cool-toned launch hits MAC counters and stores December 26 in North America and January 2012 internationally.
Have a look at these swatches and pictures, and let me know what you think. Read more…
WITH THE ESSIE LUXEFFECTS COLLECTION,
GLITTER IS A SHINE OF THE TIMES
The other day at the grocery store, I got to chatting with the cashier who was helping me. She was sporting one of the cutest sparkly manicures I’d seen in a while, and when I told her how much I liked it, she replied, “Aw, thanks! Since I have to wear a uniform every day, I like to do something to spice it up.”
Amen to that! Working for Tabs, I also have to wear a uniform of sorts — you know, sensible shoes and clothes that show I’m responsible enough to handle midnight gravy runs, and other crucial cat-assigned tasks. To spice things up this week, I plan to wear something from Essie Luxeffects.
The new collection of nail polishes launched earlier this month with five glittery shades ($8 each), and WOW! — what a surprise. I think of Essie as a pretty conservative line, so it’s neat to see them take a detour down a sparkly path. Read more…
WITH THE MAC DAPHNE GUINNESS INTERIOR LIFE QUAD,
THERE’S A STORM BREWING, BUT IT’S COOL
I love it when life imitates art, or seems to, like it did yesterday when a storm passed overhead while I was contemplating the Eyeshadow X4 quad in Interior Life ($38).
The gray clouds came out of nowhere — clear skies one minute, a downpour the next — and when a blast of thunder roared, I was clutching the quad and its four cool-toned shades.
Looking up at the sky and then down at the quad, I realized that both of them were cut from the same cloth, a shawl of moody grays, purples, blues and pinks…
Now, I like these colors. I do. They’re just not the easiest shades for me to wear, and if you’re a damsel with a darker skin tone like mine, you might find that these shadows appear quite sheer when applied. Read more…
NARS UNSUNG HEROES
TAOS BLUSH
NARS Taos Blush ($27) belongs to an elite battalion of blushes in my beauty brigade called the One Swipers, a group of blushes able to deliver all-day color from a single swipe across the pan.
What makes it special?
These One Swipers pack a lot of pigment, so a little goes a long way — which is great when they’re as expensive as a NARS blush. Taos, here, should last until forever, or at least until Bella and Edward break up (whichever comes first).
A platoon leader in the NARS permanent collection, Taos is one of those vibrant colors that I always notice when I walk by an open pan. A bright rosy red with golden shimmer and a wisp of coral, it’s like NARS Torrid’s darker red doppelganger. Read more…
SKINCARE FOR THE CHANGING SEASONS
PAMPER YOUR SKIN WITH THESE 3 DIY RECIPES FOR SKINCARE TREATS
I have a love/hate relationship with my kitchen…
Sometimes, like when I have a long, lazy Saturday afternoon stretched out in front of me and very little on my plate, I enjoy cooking and preparing meals from start to finish. Other times, though, like after a busy day on an average Wednesday night, even the thought of tearing open a bag of baby carrots is enough to wear me out.
Last Saturday wasn’t exactly a lazy day, but I did have a little time to explore the culinary arts. While rooting around the cupboards, I realized that my pantry contained the fixin’s for more than good eats. It also had some great ingredients to make a number of do-it-yourself skincare treats.
All three of these recipes rely on ingredients you may already have in your kitchen at home, and the best part? — they only call for two ingredients each. Read more…
MIXED METAL MANI
A NAIL TUTORIAL STARRING TWO-TONE SILVER AND GOLD
Earlier this year when I met with Rob, a personal stylist at Nordstrom, one of the things we chatted about was metal — that is, mixing metal accessories.
I was drooling over a pair of shoes with silver accents at the time and wondered about incorporating gold and silver jewelry into the outfit. Rob said, “Sure!” He thought that mixing silver and gold was a cool and modern way to update a look.
I remembered Rob’s metallic moxie this week while trying to figure out something fun to do with my nails. I wanted something festive that wasn’t red and green, so I figured, how about silver and gold?
It’s a little quirky, but that’s one of the things I like about it, and I can see myself wearing this with various shiny baubles all year round. Read more…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
