China Glaze Crackle Glaze Nail Lacquer in Glam-More, $9.
China Glaze Glam-More
Archives for April 2012
Grapes, Cheese, Bread and Salad
It’s what I’ve been craving lately.
How about you?
Is That a Shimmery Plum Mirage? Or Is It the NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Calabria?
Wearing NARS Calabria Soft Touch Shadow Pencil softly smudged along the lower lash line
The day I married El Hub was a pretty great day, but the day I try a new NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil ($24) and can say, “Wow! NARS finally made one of these that lasts all day without fading or creasing!” will rank pretty high up there, too.
These multitasking morsels are creamy makeup triple threats! — rock star chic shadows, primers and eyeliners rolled into one — and NARS likes releasing them in gorgeously luscious shades with a glossy, shiny finish.
Thing is, all of the ones I’ve tried before haven’t lasted long on my lids. They’ll look great for about 20 minutes but then start to crease and fade. It’s a bummer, because I love the colors so much that I keep anticipating every new one in the hopes that one of them, one of these days, will last longer.
Will it be Calabria, the new shimmery plum shade released with the Summer 2012 collection? Will it be THE ONE to finally last all day long on my lids? Ah, the places we’d go together… Trader Joe’s, the movies, Petco — you know, all of the glam spots up here in Novato, LOL!
Let’s find out. 🙂
Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($24), Calabria Soft Touch Shadow Pencil ($24) and Buenos Aires Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil ($24)
Additional makeup worn in this look: CK One Color Cream + Powder Blush Duo in Happiness and NARS Laguna Bronzer on my cheeks, Becca Anniversary Palette in Dusty Rose on my lips and MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash on my lashes
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Celebrating 10 Years of Makeup With the Multi-Use Becca Anniversary Palettes
Wearing the Becca Anniversary Palette in Vintage Jewel on my cheeks and lips
Oh, Starbucks Soy Chai Latte… You’ve powered me through countless first drafts. But sometimes you can be sooo demanding! Sorry, but isn’t it better to hear bad news from a friend?
It might not always be obvious, but when we meet at Starbucks in the mornings, I’m usually…asleep. Or very nearly. It’s often terribly early, but I look forward to our visits, and so I’ve made some time-saving adjustments to my regular makeup routine in order to make our appointments.
I know you’ve wondered about my cheeks…and how they can look so fresh and flushed, and how my lips can look so glossy, so early in the morning.
You see, I have a secret, and I’m about to share it with you (because that’s what BFFs do). The credit goes to Becca’s new Anniversary Palettes.
Becca recently released two $36 limited edition palettes to commemorate their 10-year anniversary (makeup-versary?), and they’re both really great for creating quick makeup looks without a lot fuss.
Both Dusty Rose and Vintage Jewel come with four cream products each (a Lip & Cheek Crème, a Crème Blush, a Lip Gloss and a Crème Highlighter) in a mix of new and old shades, which I usually use my fingers to apply (because I lack the coordination for brush work so soon after dawn). The palettes are about the size of a regular powder compact, and they come with what looks like a makeup Snuggie — a cute chocolate brown zippered pouch.
Vintage Jewel includes 1) Lip & Cheek Crème in Snapdragon (a bright orange pink, new), 2) Crème Blush in Hyacinth (a bright watermelon pink, repromote), 3) Lip Gloss in Cosmopolitan (a deep berry shimmer, new) and 4) Crème Highlighter in Beechnut (a golden bronze, new)
One thing I admire about Becca is how well they seem to understand girls on the go, because the last thing I have time for when I’m rushing out the door at 6:30 in the morning is a smokey eye and a layered lip look with liner, lipstick and gloss. And maybe I don’t want to spend 15 or more minutes on my makeup. With the Anniversary Palettes, I can look refreshed and put-together in less than 5.
Say it’s the crack of dawn… I splash some water on my face, apply sunscreen, fill in my brows, swipe a little concealer under my eyes, and curl my lashes. Then, I grab one of the Becca Anniversary Palettes, blend a bit of Crème Blush and Crème Highlighter on my cheeks, and pat either the Lip & Cheek Crème or the Lip Gloss on my lips.
The blushes and highlighters last a good 6-8 hours on me, and the lip products, about 2 (I also have to reapply them after meals).
Dusty Rose includes 1) Lip & Cheek Crème in Tuberose (a coral pink, repromote), 2) Crème Blush in Turkish Rose (a rosy nude, repromote), 3) Lip Gloss in Cassini (a pink, new) and 4) Crème Highlighter in Narcissus (an opalescent peach, repromote)
Swatches from the left: Vintage Jewel Palette with 1) Lip & Cheek Crème in Snapdragon, 2) Crème Blush in Hyacinth, 3) Lip Gloss in Cosmopolitan and 4) Crème Highlighter in Beechnut; Dusty Rose Palette with 5) Lip & Cheek Crème in Tuberose, 6) Crème Blush in Turkish Rose, 7) Lip Gloss in Cassini and 8 ) Crème Highlighter in Narcissus
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Mother’s Day Gorgeous Gift Ideas: La Petite Patisserie Trio From Laura Mercier
Mark your calendars! Here in the States, May 13 is Mother’s Day (click here to find out when it falls in your country). Want to get Mom something special this year? Looking for gift ideas? Check back over the next few days for a different Mother’s Day gorgeous gift idea (a new special something with which to spoil Mom). 🙂
When I was growing up, I used to love sitting in the kitchen and watching my mom bake sweet treats (she makes a mean banana bread!).
This year, treat Mom to something almost (but not quite) as sweet as she is with the limited edition Laura Mercier La Petite Patisserie Trio ($45), a decadent trio of scented body products baked with pastry chefs and foodies in mind.
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Givenchy Été à Fleur de Peau Collection for Summer 2012
Just a quick look at one of the six pieces in the new Givenchy Été à Fleur de Peau collection for summer 2012. The collection arrives at Sephora in June.
That’s Ombre à Fleur de Peau in Pearly Rose ($34; also available in Pearly Nude), a cream eyeshadow that also doubles as a primer, pictured above. Review to come.
Kitty at Sunset
Remember the cross-eyed kitty? I saw her today. In the spring and summer, she likes to sit in front of her garage and watch the sunset.
Have you Met Marie-Galante? She’s the NARS Duo Wearing Sheer, Sparkly Blue and Purple on Her Eyes
If sheer, sparkly shadows aren’t your thing, the new NARS Marie-Galante Eyeshadow Duo probably won’t be your cup of green tea, or if there’s a bumper sticker on your car that reads, “Addicted to pigment,” you may not find a lot to like here.
But if you have a thing for nuanced shades, feast your eyes on this…
Wait — did she/I just say “nuanced”? Because it looks pretty pigmented in these pans.
Yup, you’re right. It does, but there’s a little more to it than that. The Marie-Galante Eyeshadow Duo is one of my favorite things from the NARS Summer 2012 collection.
On one side, a sheer violet brimming with bits of purple glitter; on the other, a rich, royal blue bursting with blue and purple glitter. The blue shade, the darker of the two, contains a smidgen more pigment than its purple partner, and it flashes on me from blue to purple in the light.
Neat!
The small flecks of glitter in both of these colors spread across my lids like stars on a clear night. Imagine purple and blue versions of NARS Night Star (one of my go-to shades), and you basically get Marie-Galante.
Last week I tried turning up the volume of these colors by layering them on top of the Calabria Soft Touch Shadow Pencil, but then I tried Marie-Galante all by herself.
Love! 
The sheer shadows tint my lids, while the glitter, which goes on evenly and smooth, makes ’em glow, almost like they’re wet. And when the light catches my eyes just right, the darker blue shade looks purple!
I like patting a layer of the lighter purple all over my lids and applying the darker blue along my upper lash line. Then, for some extra definition after blending both colors together, I line my upper water line with a black eye pencil and my lower water line with a nude liner.
Business lunch, anyone? I like both of these colors because they clearly have some personality, but they’re still reserved enough for work. Let me just do a quick curl with my Shu Uemura lash curler and apply a layer of MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash, and I’ll meet you at the restaurant.
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