Archives for March 2012

Springing Up on Dolce & Gabbana Counters Now: The Sheer and Pretty Bouquet Collection Lipglosses

March 22nd, 2012 by Karen 9 Comments

dolce gabbana raspberry
Wearing Dolce & Gabbana Bouquet Collection Lipgloss in Raspberry on my lips

I have a confession to make… I had a blast wearing that crazy blue lipstick around the house yesterday, but I didn’t have the guts to wear it out in public.

I know! Me — the gal who’s always bugging you to try new colors and break out of your comfort zone. Well, I tried to take my own advice, but I only made it as far as the garage.

Yep, there I was, sitting in the car with the engine warming up, and me in my blue lips, when I succumbed to the urge to check myself in the rear-view mirror.

“Holy crap, Karen!” I said to my cerulean self. “You look bat sh*t cray.”

It was bad enough that the errand I intended to run already involved me having to do something of potential embarrassment in rush-hour traffic (stay tuned for tonight’s post!), but the blue lips just took it to a whole new level.

I mean, I’m all for trying new things when it comes to makeup — why not, right? It washes off — but sometimes the desire to feel pretty trumps my cosmetics curiosity.

Good thing I always keep makeup wipes in the car (you never know when you’ll get the urge to swatch).

After I wiped my blue lips clean, I went rutting around in my purse for something else to wear, and the new Dolce & Gabbana Bouquet Lipglosses were the first things to catch my eye.

I’ve been wearing these sheer, softly shiny glosses ($29 each) a lot lately to balance out looks with bold/smokey eyes.

dolce gabbana bouquet collection lipgloss
Lipglosses from the top to bottom: Acqua (repromote), Raspberry (new), Innocence (repromote), Shimmer (repromote) and Pink Diamond (repromote), $29 each

dolce gabbana bouquet collection swatches
Swatches from the left: Innocence, Raspberry, Shimmer, Pink Diamond and Acqua

dolce gabbana pink diamond
Pink Diamond
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The Dolce & Gabbana Bouquet Collection Nail Lacquers Sure Look Pretty in Pastel

March 22nd, 2012 by Karen 28 Comments

Dolce & Gabbana Bouquet Collection

There’s something very soothing about these six new Dolce & Gabbana Nail Lacquers from the limited edition Bouquet Collection, isn’t there? How they look all pastel and springy, like a row of Jordan Almonds, Easter eggs or frosted mini-cupcakes…

Yum.

I’m wearing three coats in the swatches below (because they looked a little streaky after two).

dolce gabbana rose petal
Rose Petal

dolce gabbana lemon
Lemon

dolce gabbana mint
Mint
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Purple and Blue

March 22nd, 2012 by Karen 6 Comments

Two of the new Lancome Liner Design Gel Eyeliners, $24.50 each. That’s Violet Stylista on the left and Indigo Darling on the right.

It Brings Out the Color of His Eyes

March 21st, 2012 by Karen 8 Comments

Tabs is all about green ribbons.

What’s Your Favorite Small Makeup or Beauty Brand and Why?

March 21st, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

Wearing Sunday Riley Eyeshadows in French Press, Siberian Sable and Little Black Dress on my eyes, and Sunday Riley Blush in Intimate on my cheeks

Favorite? I couldn’t pick just one because I’ve been into a few lately. 🙂

For makeup — Sunday Riley. It’s a smaller luxury line, currently only carried at Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman stores. They make both skin care and cosmetics, but it’s their color products, in particular their shadows and blushes, that I really like.

Sunday’s $26 Prismasilk Eye Colors remind me of NARS. They’re super pigmented, a breeze to blend and stay put all day long.

sunday riley prismasilk eye color

And the blush? Sonnets could be written in its honor. In almost all of my pics lately, I’m wearing Sunday’s Intimate Blush ($30).

Something about it just glows.

I also gotta give props to a couple of my indie faves, Becca and Hourglass.

Great textures, pretty packaging, and their products are consistently elegant and approachable.

BECCA Cosmetics balearic love
The new Becca Balearic Love collection is so hot!
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Beauty Revelations, March 21, 2012: Blue Lips, Green Eyes, a Tiny Wand and Tata Harper

March 21st, 2012 by Karen 40 Comments

illamasqua apocalips

1. There’s something very Hunger Games about blue lipstick

illamasqua apocalips

I wonder what Katniss’s prep team would say about Illamasqua’s Lipstick in Apocalips ($24.60, and part of the new Human Fundamentalism collection). Something tells me it would appeal to their Capitol sensibilities.

(Yes, I have a bad case of Hunger Games fever…)

illamasqua apocalips

2. I like to call it “Illamasqua’s Eye Shadow in Kermit the Frog”

illamasqua pivot

But that’s its unofficial name. Officially, this matte yellowish green Powder Eye Shadow is called Pivot ($24.50, and also part of the Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism collection), and it only looks like my favorite amphibian.
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Mellow Out With Aveda Stress-Fix

March 21st, 2012 by Karen 16 Comments

Aveda Stress-Fix

I spend a large portion of my days trying to relieve stress…

No, seriously. A lot of people don’t understand the high stakes nature of pet assisting for a world-renowned international kitty supermodel. Most days, I’m chained to my desk for 12-14 hours.

No, really. I’m chained to my desk. I have to ask permission to use the restroom, and when I go, Tabs follows me in (cats are such pervs!).

So, yeah. Girlfriend is stressed out…

I know it’s not healthy, but I’ve been trying to turn things around lately. I exercise now about an hour a day (those endorphins really help) and try to make it to yoga in the evenings when I can.

But is it enough? I really don’t know. Just the other day, I was plucking my eyebrows and found another white hair, and I keep finding new ones on my head, and in places where they never used to show up.

I can’t say I’m surprised, as a lot of people in my family started going gray at a young age, but I can’t help but wonder if in my case the long hours have had anything to do with it…

I know, I know. Hard work is a part of life, but so is the need to relax.

Cue yet another excuse to work a new beauty angle into my life (the sign of a true addict)! 🙂

The hunt is on for new stress-relieving products, and this week I’m taking a look at three new ones from Aveda’s Stress-Fix line.

Their new Soaking Salts ($40), Body Lotion ($28) and Concentrate ($22; it’s in a cute rollerball!) just launched at Aveda stores and salons, and they’re scented with lavender and sage, which Aveda says are clinically proven to help relieve feelings of stress.

aveda stress fix