Archives for May 2013

9 Disco-Driven Things You Might Want To Do When You Wear the Products in Benefit’s New The Rich Is Back Set

May 24th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

Benefit The Rich Is Back — Turn the beat around with Benefit’s The Rich Is Back ($34)

9 Disco-Driven Things You Might Want To Do When You Wear the Products in Benefit’s New The Rich Is Back Set

Strike a pose on a flashing disco dance floor, Staying Alive-style, while wearing the new disco-inspired limited edition Rich Is Back set, available now exclusively at Sephora stores and sephora.com.
Track down a mirrored, multi-faceted disco ball for your condo, and contemplate how you’re going to talk your boyfriend/boo into hanging it from the ceiling in the dining room for you…
Read up on English fashion designer Matthew Williamson’s career, and then visit matthewwilliamson.com, and add a redonkulous amount of stuff to your cart (without necessarily checking out).
Do the hustle! — as you daydream about the tiny tube of They’re Real Mascara in the set (so cute!)
Listen to Donna Summer’s Last Dance while you bang out a gold, beige, brown and teal eye with the set’s four powder shadows, which range from moderately to highly pigmented, and nod to yourself in approval at the absence of fallout.
Awww freak out! — when you can’t find your box of Hoola, which you feel like you need to wear with the frosty pinkish peach blush that comes with the set (if you feel like it makes your pores look like lunar craters, go easy on this one).
Belt out “Burn, baby, burn…DISCO INFERNO!” at your cat right after you slick sheer red Inferno Gloss on your lips, and then laugh maniacally as he darts away in disgust. 🙂
The first time you finish your makeup with this set, turn a fan on high, stand right in front of it, start playing Super Freak, and dance like you’re on Soul Train!
Wonder if you could have held your own with the party people at Studio 54 way back when, and then realize, “Yeah, probably not. I’m too much of a square,” but then think, “Who cares? With Benefit’s The Rich Is Back, I’ll just pretend…”

The set includes…

One 0.14-ounce tube of They’re Real Mascara
One 0.22-ounce tube of Lip Gloss in Inferno
One 0.07-ounce Gimme Fever Cheek Powder
Four 0.03-ounce Eyeshadows in Solid Gold, Get Down Brown, Disco Dust and Feel So Teal
One miniature cheek brush
One step-by-step tutorial booklet

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Brighten Up: 3 Bold Summer Makeup Looks, Step-By-Step

May 24th, 2013 by Karen 63 Comments

Brighten your lids, your look and your summer days with these three bold summer makeup looks

This summer inspiration is brought to you by Target. Find more fun and surprises all season long on Target’s #SummerUp Pinterest board.

“No fear!”

I think we should make that our summer makeup motto… After all, it’s only makeup, right? Nothing to be afraid of (we can always wash it off).

And summer is a perfect time to shine. The longer days, the warmer nights, flip-flops and loose-fitting clothing.

Why be daunted by daring, dynamic duos and multidimensional eye looks? In the spirit of adventure! — let’s kick off the season and face our fears right now. 🙂

Flashes of teal, shimmery oceans of blues, gleaming golds and juicy pinks and corals crank up the heat and fun-factor in these three bright, bold makeup looks.

Everything I’m wearing on my eyes, cheeks and lips in these looks comes from Target, so it didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Your beauty assignment today: nothing! And you will not be graded.

We only have one goal here: no fear! Just have fun.

Purple, Teal and Fuchsia

A look featuring purple lids, with shimmering teal on your lower lash lines, bronze cheeks and hot pink lips. This one’s for fearless felines unafraid of color. In other words, you.

Begin by applying a shimmery beige cream shadow, like Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Metal in Barely Branded ($6), all over your lids and along your lower lash lines.
Next, sweep a matte brown eye shadow in a shade close to your natural skin tone into your crease. I ended up mixing two shades from the Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Palette ($20) to create a custom color (just for the heck of it).
Then, sweep a shimmery coral shadow just above your matte brown. If you’re stuck for ideas, try Pacifica’s Coral Sand from the company’s new Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette ($12). I’m lovin’ it so far.
Pat a dark black matte shadow, like the black matte from Sonia Kashuk’s Eye on Neutral Palette, into the outer corners of your eyes, and then blend away any harsh lines you see.
Blend a gray matte shadow directly on top of that to create a soft gradient of color by dragging the gray into the middle of your lids. I used Sonia Kashuk’s Eye on Neutral Palette again here. 🙂
Now, wet a flat eye shadow brush with water or a makeup setting spray, and use it to pat a bright purple shadow in the center and at the inside of your lids (the side closer to your nose). Aim for blending the purple into the black and gray gradient from the previous two steps. I used Urchin, the purple shade from the Pacifica Enlighten Palette in step 3.
Next, line your upper lash lines with a black gel liner, like L’Oreal’s Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner in Blackest Black ($7).
Then line your lower water lines with a vibrant teal blue pencil, like Pixi No. 6 True Teal Endless Silky Eye Pen ($15).
To intensify the effect, sweep a bright teal shadow along your lower lash lines. I like L’Oreal’s 24HR Infallible Eye Shadow in Endless Sea ($7) for this…
Lift your brows a bit by drawing a line beneath them using a flesh-toned matte liner like Rimmel’s Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude ($5), and blend.
Buff a beige shadow just beneath the arch of each brow to appear to lift them even more. I chose Skinnydip, a shimmery beige from the Pacifica Enlighten Shadow Palette.
Finish your eyes with a couple coats of black mascara. I’m using COVERGIRL LashBlast Clump Crusher Mascara ($7) here.
Now for your cheeks and lips! Blend a shimmery bronze blush, like Bronzed from Pacifica’s Radiant Shimmer Coconut Multiples Palette ($12), on the apples of your cheeks, and tie a ribbon around the entire look with a bright fuchsia gloss like Physicians’ Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Glossy Stain in Hot Pink ($9).

Cat lady says “meow!” to these white cat eye sunglasses, which are only $12 at Target

Blue, Teal and Pink

Mermaid eyes! A blue and teal gradient will dance across your lids like dolphins dancing across a beautiful blue lagoon, while coral and pink serenade your cheeks and lips.

Begin by blending a shimmery peachy pink cream shadow like Pixi Lid Last Shadow Pen in Shell Sheen ($18) all over your lids.
Next, darken the outer corners of your lids with a matte black shadow pencil. I used Rimmel’s Scandal Eyes Eye Shadow Stick in Blackmail ($5) here.
Deepen your outer corners by patting a black eye shadow, like the black shade from Maybelline’s Eye Studio Palette in Sapphire Siren, directly on top of the black shadow pencil.
Pat a shimmery blue in the center of your lids and at the inner corners, and then drag a small amount of it into your crease to connect the two areas.
Then, creating a gradient with the blue from step 4, pat a shimmery bright teal in the center of your lids. I used a teal from Maybelline’s Sapphire Siren Palette.
Soften the edges of the blue and teal on your lids by sweeping a matte brown shadow, like the lid shade from the ELF Beautiful Browns Flawless Eyeshadow quad ($2), into your crease.
Now, give your brows a lift by lining the arches with a flesh-toned matte liner like Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude ($5), and blend.
Dust a beige on top of that, like the pearly base shade from ELF Beautiful Browns.
Line your water lines with a black liner (can’t go wrong with L’Oreal’s $7 Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Black, a true black without any blue or green undertones), and give it some depth by lining the outer third of your lower lash lines with the same pencil.
Line your lower lash lines with the same shimmery blue shadow you used on your lids (layering it directly on top of the black liner from the previous step).
Make your eyes the focal point of the look by lining the inner corners along your lower lash lines with the teal shadow you used a moment ago on your lids.
Coat your upper and lower lashes with a good black mascara like COVERGIRL LashBlast Clump Crusher Mascara ($7).
Now, get cheeky by blending a bronzer just below your cheekbones for definition, and then buff a coral blush on the apples of each cheek for color. I used Sonia Kashuk’s Chic Luminosity Bronzer/Blush Duo in Glisten ($13).
At this stage, I was going to say, “Don’t gloss over your lips,” but that’s exactly what we want. Slick a pink gloss like Sonia Kashuk’s Ultra Luxe Lip Gloss Prettiest Pink ($9) on your lips to wrap things up. 🙂

Mint green glasses! These are the Gelato Sunglasses in Mint ($12), available now at Target stores and target.com

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Lazy Girl Lunch: Lemon Basil Fusilli with Tomatoes

May 24th, 2013 by Karen 9 Comments

This is a quick meal that only takes 10 minutes to make from start to finish.

Chop 1 shallot, peel and smash 1 clove of garlic, and mix both with 3 tablespoons of really good extra virgin olive oil (my favorite is Ascolano Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil by Lucero) and the juice of 1 lemon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chop a few leaves of fresh basil into thin strips.

Chop 2 tomatoes.

Toss the lemon and olive oil mixture, basil and tomatoes with cooked fusilli or your favorite pasta o’ choice. DONE.

Gobble it all down, but don’t forget to Instagram that ish first!

If you want, you can let it sit overnight in the fridge to marry the flavors even more. This is one of those dishes that’s even better the next day.

You can also easily modify it by adding cheese (fresh mozzarella, feta or parmesan would be tasty) or grilled chicken or salmon.

Pacifica’s Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette

May 24th, 2013 by Karen 9 Comments

Pacifica Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette 1

Pacifica’s Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette ($12). Available now at Target stores and online.

Pacifica Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette 3 — Skinnydip (left) and Coral Sand (right)

Pacifica Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette 4 — Golden (left) and Urchin (right)

Pretty Hot Bag: The MAC Temperature Rising Makeup Bag

May 23rd, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

Recently added to the rapidly growing list of ways I’m turning into my mother (a list that also includes hits like “#25: Washing bars of soap so they look nice and clean in the soap dish” and “#18: Writing lists for everything”) — “#37: Putting bags within bags.”

My mother is notorious for doing this. 🙂

At any given moment, there are at least five or six smaller bags inside her purse, each dedicated to storing something different, like medication, snacks, office supplies, first aid, gadgets…

And wouldn’t ya know it? Slowly but surely, I’m going that route.

Never mind that the roomy Poverty Flats Perforated Satchel I’ve been toting around already has three deep pockets on the sides (what is it with me and deep pockets lately??), I’m also putting other bags inside it…

…like the new $34 MAC Temperature Rising Makeup Bag, which has been holding some of my beauty booty essentials.

This slim zippered bag looks deceptively small, but it actually fits a ton of stuff.

Things I need quick access to go in the front pocket — iPhone, tubes of gloss, stuff like that.

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10 Things You May Find Yourself Doing After Trying the MAC 109 Small Contour Brush for the Very First Time

May 23rd, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

Standing in the spotlight on a massive stage in front of thousands of adoring fans, with your cheekbones contoured like WHOA! — as confetti, balloons and glitter rain down upon your glorious form
Wondering how you ever lived without it
Marveling at how perfectly the diminutive, rounded brush head fits into pans of MAC Eye Shadow singles and the hollows of your cheeks
Contemplating how strange it is for you to want different 109s for bronzer, blush, another one for powders, highlighters, two more for foundations (one for liquids and another for creams, both of which it easily applies) and another one strictly for buffing…
Considering time travel, specifically going back in time 10 years to gift yourself with a 109 and a pan of MAC Refined Golden, and while you’re there, reassuring yourself that you’re doing just fine, so keep up the good work
Singing Debbie Gibson’s Only in My Dreams at the top of your lungs in the shower (using a bottle of shampoo as your microphone, of course) and yelling, “That was for you, 109!!” at the end of the song
Blurting out, “Whoa there, cowgirl!” to no one in particular after you get a look at how many bristles it leaves on your face, because it sheds A LOT — more than any other MAC brush you’ve ever tried
Questioning your sanity after spending $35 on a makeup brush, good or not, that sheds as much as the 109…
Sighing with relief after washing and drying it for the first time, which dramatically cuts down on the future shedding
Gushing to all your girlfriends and makeup-lovin’ guy friends about how great the 109 is, but also warning them about the shedding and suggesting that they give it a good washing beforehand

MAC 109 Small Contour Brush with 116 129 — From the left for size: 109 Small Contour Brush, 116 Blush Brush and 129 Powder/Blush Brush

MAC 109 Small Contour Brush with shadow — The brush head perfectly fits into pans of MAC Eye Shadow singles as if it were designed for ’em

PRICE: $35
AVAILABILITY: A permanent collection product available now at MAC counters, stores and also online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+ (an A if it didn’t shed so much at first)

Pretty stoked about…

This purple cauliflower. 🙂

Stopped by the farmers’ market yesterday and picked it up on a whim.

Have you ever tasted one of these before? I haven’t, but I’m going to steam it and toss it in some lemon vinaigrette and capers tonight.

It’s supposed to be sweeter than regular cauliflower… We shall see!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Golden Bronze on Board! MAC Nude On Board Pro Longwear Bronzer Sets Sail to the Land of Lazy Bronzing

May 23rd, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

While I’m willing to give up some things in the interest of streamlining — spare toothbrushes (do you really need more than one of them?), clothes that no longer fit me and that fourth half-empty jar of Tiger Balm — I refuse to relinquish any all-important necessities like shoes, handbags, earrings, jeans, lipsticks and, in the summer months, bronzer because, I mean, you just never know, right?

You just never know…

You just never know when a freak cold front will blow through town in the middle of August (well…), and you’ll want to warm up with MAC’s Nude on Board Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder.

It’s perfect for times when I need a little extra warmth and contouring — but less than full-on “tiara and feather boa” levels.

A golden tan powder, Nude on Board leaves my skin lightly toasted, and like MAC’s Refined Golden Bronzer (from the same Temperature Rising collection), its micro-fine flecks of golden glitter, much finer than grains of sand, give skin that extra something-something.

It’s a subtle effect, but I think that’s the beauty of it.

To apply, first find a fainting couch… Then, leisurely lower yourself down onto it, and languidly apply the satiny smooth powder just below your cheekbones.

It won’t take much muscle at all, as the application is darned-near effortless.

Yeah, it brings out yo’ lazy like that! 🙂