Archives for November 2012

MAC Unsung Heroes: Nice Buzz Plushglass

November 9th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

I wonder if MAC was referring to a short haircut when they gave this shimmery, light golden pearl member of Club Plushglass its name.

Hmm… Probably not!

While gorgeous all by itself, I think this $19.50 workhorse purse gloss really looks fetching with smokey eyes.

It’s yet another great member of the always dependable Plushglass family. I love that I can just plop ’em on without a mirror, on account of how sheer they are. No muss, no fuss. And they fade over time without leaving one of those funky white lip lines behind…

[Continue reading…]

Brush Crush

November 9th, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

Current brush crush: the MAC 163 Flat Contour Brush ($35). I use it to apply cream bronzer and liquid foundation. 🙂

It’s no longer on the MAC website, but you can still find it at counters and online at nordstrom.com.

Bond Girl Makeup Looks Inspired by the OPI Skyfall Collection: From GoldenEye, Xenia Onatopp

November 8th, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

bond girl looks xenia onatopp 1 — A Xenia Onatopp Bond girl makeup look inspired by the OPI Skyfall collection nail polish in GoldenEye

“M, what on earth is this contraption?”

“That, Bond, is a Thighmaster. Google it.”

“My thighs need no mastering, M.”

“Famous last words, Bond. Famous last words.”

. . .

Can I just say how hard it is to find a frickin’ Thighmaster these days? Because really, if you’re gonna dress up as Bond girl Xenia Onatopp, you want your thighs to be like BAM! — straight-up killing machines!!

I’m not kidding either. In 1995’s GoldenEye, Xenia, played by the gorgeous Famke Janssen, is the Bond babe who famously kills by crushing people to death with her thighs (wha?!).

(Keep in mind, this was before MMA was popular, LOL!)

In fact, Xenia almost takes out Pierce Brosnan’s Bond in one of their encounters…

I sure love Xenia’s makeup in the movie. She smolders in a smokey eye and rich red lips while she seduces her prey.

Psycho on the inside, but she keeps it classy on the outside.

Nice. 🙂

This afternoon I thought I’d pattern my makeup after hers — not literally copying it, but I tried to capture the same feel, with the biggest difference being that I used a rich gold eyeshadow to play off the OPI GoldenEye polish on my nails.

opi goldeneye — OPI GoldenEye, from the new Bond-themed Skyfall nail polish collection

bond girl looks xenia onatopp 3 — Wearing three coats of OPI GoldenEye

[Continue reading…]

Change Your Pants, Change Your Life: Slip Into a Pair of Comfy, Kitty Model-Approved KUT from the Kloth Diana Skinny Corduroy Pants

November 8th, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

kut from the cloth diana skinny corduroy pants — Wearing the Diana Skinny Corduroy Pants by KUT from the Kloth

FACT: the time has finally come to officially take out cold weather clothes here in the Bay Area.

FACT: international kitty models will always out-pose you, no matter how hard you try.

FACT: the KUT from the Kloth Diana Skinny Corduroy pants I’m wearing today could possibly be the best damn pair of corduroy pants on the planet. Maybe even the universe…assuming the aliens out there actually wear pants (most of the aliens I see in movies like to go au naturel).

Sometimes I squirm when companies ironically spell “C” words with a “K” (because using a “K” automatically makes something “Klassy,” like having a grilled cheese sandwich with a glass of red wine…which I was THIS CLOSE to doing last night, not gonna lie), but it seems totally appropriate in this case (kase?).

Pants, to borrow a phrase from that old-school Run-D.M.C. song, can be tricky. Unless you’re genetically blessed with perfect proportions, it can be really difficult to find a pair that fits. Most of the ones I try on are a little off in one way or another. They’re either too long, falling off my butt or making my muffin top look even more…muffiny. 🙂

But these are perfect! They embrace my curves without bear hugging ’em.

At $70, they’re a little pricey, but they’re so well made that I want to wear them every single day of the week.

Why these pants?

So comfy! They’re like the Pajama Jeans of corduroy pants! The material (98% cotton and 2% spandex) has just the right amount of give to it (so I can eat that extra scoop of mashed potatoes), but it’s not so elastic that it’s all stretched out by the middle of the day. Oh, and the corduroy feels as soft as my tubby tabby’s tum. 🙂
A forgiving fit. I usually find something that bugs me about most pairs of pants (I’m short with long legs and a short torso!), but these are just so forgiving and easy to wear. They have a mid-rise that sits up pretty high on my waist, covering my muffin top, and my bum doesn’t hang out when I’m bending or kneeling. I also don’t have to constantly hike them up or keep adjusting.
Quality construction. I’ve had mine for about a year, and they’ve held up really well. This is some sturdy corduroy here, and I haven’t had any problems with holes or unraveling seams. The color also looks as rich as ever.

I brought them home in basic black because I wanted something I could wear with lots of different tops and sweaters, but they come in some other colors, too, like this here hot pink…

The price is on the steep side for a pair of pants, but compared to higher-end skinnies, which often go for $200 a pop (crazy!), $70 doesn’t seem too bad…

If you’re interested, stalk the Nordstrom site, because I do see these on sale every once in a while (that’s how I found them last year).

[Continue reading…]

Tabs Versus Pants

November 8th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

Tabs wins every single time.

I can’t even remember the last time I left the house without any bits of tabby fur on my clothes, le sigh.

For Heavenly Lips, Lashes and Skin, Try the Four-Piece Korres Goddess Beauty Color Collection

November 8th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

Abracadabra, presto chango, bippity-boppity-boo!

Ask any good (or bad) wizard, and they’ll say the same thing: “Some words are just more magical than others.”

And when you string some words together, they form phrases even more magical than the sum of their parts, like “Korres Goddess Beauty Color Collection.”

Now that’s some serious magical energy right there… 🙂

The new limited edition $42 holiday set packs potent skin-, lip- and lash-transforming power. We’re talking power worthy of an ancient Greek (or modern) goddess. Just add toga, laurel wreath and shirtless Jeremy Renner.

LOL! But seriously, just apply one or more of the four pieces from the kit.

One 0.34-ounce sample-size tube of Korres Quercetin & Oak Anti-Aging Primer, a silicone-free primer designed to smooth the appearance of wrinkles and extend the wear time of face products
One full-size Korres Magic Light Contouring Trio in Santorini with blush, bronzer and highlighting powders for sculpting and adding dimension to the skin
One full-size tube of sheer, non-sticky Cherry Lip Gloss in Pale Pink, a smooth gloss with a faint cherry flavor and scent
One 0.12-ounce sample-sized tube of Volcanic Minerals Volumizing Mascara in Obsidian Black, which Korres claims is able to increase lash volume by mythic proportions (600%!)

korres goddess beauty swatches — Swatches of the Goddess Beauty Kit

[Continue reading…]

Bond Girl Makeup Looks Inspired by the OPI Skyfall Collection: From Skyfall, Savarine

November 7th, 2012 by Karen 34 Comments

bond girls severine skyfall look — A Savarine Bond girl makeup look inspired by the OPI Skyfall collection nail polish in Skyfall

“Bond, I’m going to need you to be on your toes for this next assignment. This group is very dangerous.”

“Whatever you say, M.”

“I’m serious, Bond. Cat ladies are the real deal. They’ve been known to actually persuade spies to abandon their missions and join the cat crusade. They will not stop until the world goes full-on feline!”

“So…does that mean I have to keep my paws to myself?”

. . .

Yeah, so if the curmudgeonly cat lady thing doesn’t pan out for me over the next couple of years, I might just become a full-time, self-employed Bond girl. Seriously! I’d have no problem slinking around the house by myself all day long looking all mysterious and sultry like Savarine, the Bond girl from Skyfall, the latest installment in the series.

I’d be totally fine with that.

In the movie, which opens this Friday across North America, Savarine is played by French actress BÃ©rÃ©nice Marlohe. I’ve forbidden myself from reading any spoilers, even though I desperately want to (just two more days!), but movie stills are okay, especially when the makeup, hair and nails are to die for, like they are in these pics of Savarine.

Ooh, I that gray eye look… It’s kinda smokey, and I dig the cat eye shape.

See how the shadow slightly wings out at the ends? I feel like it elongates the eye. Oh, and peep the inner corners, and how her eyeshadow tracks her tear duct, ending in a slightly pointed tip. Makes it look even more feline, meow! 🙂

I was really inspired today by Savarine’s look, so I thought I’d give it a try this afternoon and wear it with OPI’s dark plummy red Skyfall nail polish.

The eyes: step by step

[Continue reading…]

I See in Liu a Grand Opera of Rich Reds, Golds, Plums and Taupe: The Guerlain Liu Holiday Collection for 2012

November 7th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

Guerlain’s new Liu holiday collection causes what I like to call, the “Tiffany Effect.”

You know when you’re flipping through the pages of a glossy magazine and come to a Tiffany advert, and suddenly the world gets very, very quiet, except for your heart pounding in your chest, and your pupils nearly triple in size? Beads of perspiration may or may not form on your upper lip (totally guilty of this), and you may or may not unconsciously drool or dribble?

If you’ve experienced the Tiffany Effect before, proceed with caution. Similar symptoms have been reported by subjects peeping the pics below… 🙂

Be warned! — the nine limited edition pieces in Guerlain’s new Liu collection are luxurious and addictive, and the recommended treatment is expensive.

FUN FACT: The new Guerlain Liu collection has roots dating back almost 100 years. It was named after a perfume first released in 1929. That perfume, in turn, was named after a character named Liu from an opera first performed in 1926 called Turandot.

The composer was an Italian named Giacomo Puccini… Yes, the same Puccini behind La BohÃ¨me.

Cool, yeah? That was like a fun fact wrapped in a fun fact! Dude, you’re gonna be so ready for Final Jeopardy now.

Liu looks like the stuff of champagne wishes and caviar dreams, and it’s priced like it, too, with pieces ranging from $23 for a bottle of nail polish to $170 for a pressed powder compact. The delicate Perfumed Shimmer Powder bottle (you can use the powder on your face, hair and body) and weighty MÃ©tÃ©orites Wulong compact would look right at home sitting on an empty seat beside you on your private jet, surrounded by matching Louis Vuitton luggage containing several pairs of Jimmy Choos (and a big box of See’s Candies…just because).

Tabs would also be there, of course, draped in diamonds and wearing a tiara.

This is a cat lady makeup fantasy, after all. 🙂