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Archives for February 2013

New Sephora Exclusives From NARS and Make Up For Ever, One of Them in Technicolor and the Other Inspired by Eve

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Make Up For Ever Technicolor Palette
The new Make Up For Ever Technicolor Palette ($45), available now exclusively at Sephora

Seriously, dude, I go to Petco so often that when I see the Friskies delivery guy there restocking the gravy display, he gives me the “What’s up?” nod in the cat food aisle.

Like we’re buds. Because we see each other so often. 🙂

In my town, one of the upsides of frequenting the local Petco on behalf of my famously demanding feline employer is that there’s a Sephora right next door.

I know! It’s makeup/cat lady heaven…

So whenever Tabs sends me on a gravy run, I try to swing by Sephora (but please don’t tell Tabs, because I don’t want to hear his speech about personal errands on company time, blah, blah, blah…).

Yesterday Miss Thang (Tabs) was running low on Science Diet, Gravy and Greenies, so after restocking at Petco, I wandered next door to the Sephora to quickly look around, and check if the new Hourglass Ambients had arrived yet (nope!).

It was weird… Most of the time when I visit Sephora, I usually see a few guys either trailing their girlfriends/wives or waiting up near the front of the store with their noses buried in their phones, but yesterday, they were everywhere! — wandering the aisles like lost cattle, most of them with blank looks on their faces.

That’s when I realized: Valentine’s Day. I think there was some present shopping going on there…

Most of the dudes, bless their hearts, looked completely clueless, too. I thought, “Let me help you!” LOL! But I was under a tight schedule and had to get back to the office to give Tabs his daily full-body shiatsu massage.

If I had been able to offer assistance, I would have steered the dudes toward the new $45 Technicolor palette from Make Up For Ever first, with its eight powder shadows, four of them brights and four of them neutrals.

Make Up For Ever Technicolor Palette 1

My inner film buff likes the inspiration behind it — the era in cinema when movies were transitioning from black and white to color, circa the 1930s — while my practical side loves that MUFE included classic black, brown, beige and white shades to go with the electric yellow, green, blue and purple.

So flexible! Plus, it comes with a step-by-step tutorial and two eye brushes.

Make Up For Ever Technicolor Palette 2

Make Up For Ever Technicolor Palette Box front
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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Bobbi Brown Jet Long-Wear Eye Pencil

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Bobbi Brown Jet Long-Wear Eye Pencil
Bobbi Brown Jet Long-Wear Eye Pencil ($24), the most rocking black pencil liner to ever line yo’ lids!

I panic a little when I can’t find my stick of Bobbi Brown Jet.

Okay, a lot. I panic a lot. And based on the fact that Jet is almost always out of stock when I stop by a Bobbi counter, I’m probably not the only one.

Jet, a deep, true black long-wearing gel liner in pencil form, has a flat matte finish and sells for $24 as part of Bobbi’s permanent line.

That may sound like a lot for a basic black eye liner, but seriously — Jet is anything but basic. I think it’s easily the best black pencil liner available on any counter now.

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands. 🙂

Why do I like it so much?

Because it gets great, great mileage. Like a Prius times 12. We’re talkin’ crazy good wear time on my lash and water lines.

Over the years, I’ve worn (and stockpiled) dozens of black liners, and Jet is the only one that consistently lasts 16 or more hours for me (yes, some days are REALLY long) without getting patchy or breaking up throughout those infernal, eternal days. When it’s on, it’s on like Donkey Kong.

Whenever some cruel twist of fate/scheduling forces me to start my day well before dawn (when even the chickens are still snoring) I grab Jet.

Sometimes I’ll see some very minor smudging around hour 12 (!), but still — hour 12? That’s impressive.

And it’s super easy to apply. Jet’s silky, soft formula coasts along my lash and water lines like a private jet at 30,000 feet, and one swipe delivers a dark, dramatic black line.

For smudgier looks, I’ll buff out the edges before Jet sets, which usually takes around 3-4 minutes.

Where Jet doesn’t rock my boat is in super blended looks with powder eye shadows; for instance, when I use an eye pencil as a base for smokey eyes. In those cases, when I need maybe 10-15 minutes to manipulate my products, Jet simply sets too fast.

Bobbi Brown Jet Long-Wear Eye Pencil Swatch
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These Super-Sized Pinkish Purple Pearls Sparkle With Silver Shimmer: Guerlain Météorites Perles du Paradis Illuminating Sparkling Powder

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Guerlian Météorites Perles du Paradis
Wearing Guerlian’s Météorites Perles du Paradis ($70) all over my face

I like big cats and I cannot lie (those other brothers can’t deny)…

I also like huge hoop earrings, XXL scoops of ice cream (really, if you’re gonna indulge, might as well go all out) and the super-sized shimmery pearls in Guerlain’s $70 spring highlighter, Météorites Perles du Paradis.

Guerlain Météorites Perles du Paradis closeup

Don’t these look almost good enough to eat? You might want to keep them away from young children and, um, inebriated adults, because not only do they look pretty tasty, they also smell like those yummy rose and violet hard candies they sell at the Asian grocery store, om nom nom…

And I like their name, Perles du Paradis, oui, oui! Pearls of paradise, I think. When I swirl a brush in the jar (I prefer a brush, but the product comes with a pink puff), the pearls tinkle like wind chimes.

I think these pearls look, smell and even sound great, but what, exactly, are they designed to do? Guerlain says the six shimmery skin-toned and pastel pearls that come in the jar brighten dull skin by reflecting light and boosting radiance, and they work with all skin tones.

Guerlain Météorites Perles du Paradis small

Guerlain Meteorites Perles du Paradis packaging 3

Guerlain Meteorites Perles du Paradis packaging 2

Guerlain Meteorites Perles du Paradis packaging 1
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Sneaking Chic Into Your Day, Guerlain’s Spring 2013 Automatique Lipsticks in Flirt and Ballarde Unleash Your Inner Lipstick Ninja

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Guerlain Rouge Automatique 600 Ballarde
Here I’m wearing Guerlain’s $35 Rouge Automatique in 600 Ballarde, one of four Automatique Lipsticks from Guerlain for spring 2013

Did I have to try very hard to feel fancy with shimmery pink Rouge Automatique in Ballarde and creamy berry Shine Automatique in Flirt, two of four $35 full-coverage Guerlain Automatique Lipsticks for spring 2013, in my makeup bag last weekend?

Nope, not at all. Actually, it was Automatique. 🙂

Good thing, too, because $35 is a lot for a single tube! Heck, for $35, these better be like little lipstick versions of extra tall, diamond-studded tiaras.

So, just how do these elevate your day (and your lipstick game) to make you feel fancy? Let me count the ways…

1. The Transformers-style gold tube

Whenever I slide the little “G” button on side of the tube, and the lipstick emerges from the trapdoor top like a rabbit from a magician’s hat, wow! — that’s makeup magic.

From top to bottom, these are dressed to the nines, and I also love the little details, like the scripty Guerlain font at the top of the cap and the base of the bullet.

2. The tea rose flavor and scent

Light and fresh, like fragrant petals strewn across a satin pillow, the fragrance and flavor are just little touches, but they enhance the whole, “You’re being pampered,” experience.

3. The moisturizing, long-lasting formula

I’m hesitant to use these in a sentence with “stretchy pants,” since Guerlain positions itself several steps above that, but dang if these don’t feel that comfortable to me. My dry winter lips love the moisturizing formula.

And I almost can’t believe that non-matte lipsticks as slick, smooth and lightweight as these can last as long as they do — from 3-5 hours. That’s kind of epic.

4. They make me feel like a straight-up lipstick ninja!

I’ve been sneaking around with two of these Automatiques for days, stealthily slicking my lips on the sly, and no one’s been the wiser.

You know how sometimes when you go out to dinner and want a touch-up after the meal but don’t want to make a big production out of it? I’ll pull one of these from my purse, flick the switch on the side with my thumb to engage the lipstick bullet, slide a single layer on my bottom lip, rub my lips together, and check my reflection in the reflection on the side of the golden tube. Ninja style. Takes all of about five seconds.

Guerlain Rouge Automatique 600 Ballarde Product Shot
Rouge Automatique in 600 Ballarde ($35)

Guerlain Shine Automatique 761 Flirt Product Shot
Shine Automatique in 761 Flirt ($35)

Guerlain Rouge Automatique 600 Ballarde Guerlain Rouge Automatique 600 Ballarde Swatches
Swatches of Rouge Automatique in 600 Ballarde on the left and Shine Automatique in 761 Flirt on the right

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 258

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The Makeup and Beauty Blog monday Poll for February 11, 2013

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 four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

  1. How do you feel today?
    Like a Corvette Stingray firing on all cylinders (for once, LOL!), so pretty darn great for a Monday. Wish I could say I felt like this naturally, but I can’t deny the high-octane power of coffee.

  2. Do you prefer to go out for breakfast, lunch or dinner?
    How ’bout brunch!? 🙂 Ideally on a sunny Sunday mid-morning with mimosas.

  3. Do you have any hobbies?
    Surfing, knitting, photography, cat watching and gardening.

  4. If you had to do one or the other…would you rather talk like Yoda or breathe like Vader?
    Talk like Yoda, I would. Sometimes now I do already.

  5. What color is your car/bike?
    Gunmetal grey, dusted with a light layer of road grime.

  6. What’s one movie you watched a million times (or thereabouts) as a kid?
    Dirty Dancing! It was the summer of sixth grade…and I watched it every single day. Sometimes twice! Even now, whenever I’m clicking through the channels and it’s on, I’ll stop and watch.

  7. What’s one thing you’re always really glad you did?
    I’m really glad I went on that second date with El Hub. I’m also really, REALLY glad I took typing and public speaking classes in high school.

  8. You must choose: would you rather be trapped in a broken elevator or on a broken ski lift chair?
    That’s a tough one…but I’d go with the broken ski lift chair, because I’m claustrophobic, and the very thought of being trapped in an elevator makes my heart pound in my chest!

  9. What was your last impulse beauty purchase?
    A package of Ole Henriksen face wipes, which I dropped in my based at the last minute on a trip to Sephora a couple weeks ago to stock up on skin care.

  10. What are your weekly goals?
    To stick to my deadlines, to give myself little rewards along the way for accomplishing tasks, and to take Tabs outside for more walks now that it’s getting a little warmer. 🙂

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

Le List

1. How do you feel today?
2. Do you prefer to go out for breakfast, lunch or dinner?
3. Do you have any hobbies?
4. If you had to do one or the other…would you rather talk like Yoda or breathe like Vader?
5. What color is your car/bike?
6. What’s one movie you watched a million times (approximately) as a kid?
7. What’s one thing you’re always really glad you did?
8. Would you rather be trapped in a broken elevator or on a broken ski lift chair?
9. What was your last impulse beauty purchase?
10. What are your weekly goals?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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