Archives for 2013

Zombie Preparedness 101: In Case of Emergency, Grab Chanel’s Rouge Allure Lipsticks From the Printemps Precieux de Chanel Spring 2013 Collection

January 11th, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

Chanel Rouge Allure Fantasque 112 — Wearing Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Fantasque ($34), one of six lipsticks from the Chanel Printemps Precieux de Chanel Spring 2013 Collection

After much thought and deliberation about the inevitable zombie apocalypse — because we all know it’s only a matter of time — I’ve come to the realization that when the sh*t goes down, my zombie transformation will probably come sooner than later.

So, instead of wasting time honing skills like wilderness survival and close-quarters combat, and instead of squirreling away baseball bats and brain-slashing instruments under my bed, I’m going to stuff my “In Case of Zombie Emergency” kit, not with canned foods and medicine, but with Chanel.

Lots and lots of Chanel. 🙂

First thing to add? The four Rouge Allure lipsticks ($34 each) and two Rouge Allure Velvets ($34) from the Printemps Precieux de Chanel Spring 2013 collection.

Chanel Printempts Precieux de Chanel Spring 2013 — From the left: Captivante, Envoutante, Fantasque, Precieuse, La Favorite and L’Eclatante

chanel printemps precieux de chanel lip swatchesa — Swatches from the left: L’Eclatant, La Favorite, Fantasque, Precieuse, Envoutante and Captivante

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in L'Eclatante 42 — Rouge Allure Velvet in L’Eclatante 42

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Chanel’s Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliners in Beryl and Santal

January 11th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

chanel stylo yeux waterproof santal beryl big

chanel stylo yeux waterproof santal beryl small — Chanel’s Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliners in Santal on the left and Beryl on the right ($30 each), two of three liners from the Printemps PrÃ©cieux de Chanel spring 2013 collection

Both have a soft, smooth texture, and the shades work perfectly with the rest of the spring collection (especially the Raffinement quad), but the wear time’s just “eh.” Along the lash lines I get between four and six hours. Water lines, about three.

chanel stylo yeux waterproof santal beryl — Santal on the left and Beryl on the right

PRICE: $30
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Chanel counters and chanel.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

Chanel’s Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Merveille

January 11th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

chanel merveille rouge allure extrait de gloss

chanel merveille rouge allure extrait de gloss k — Wearing Chanel’s Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss Pure Shine Intense Colour Long Wear Lip Gloss in Merveille ($32), from the Printemps PrÃ©cieux de Chanel collection

Plummy, shiny, long-lasting and hydrating. Perfection!

PRICE: $32
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Chanel counters and chanel.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A (wish it was $10 less)

For Spring 2013, NARS Is Putting Peppy Pigments on a Pedestal

January 10th, 2013 by Karen 42 Comments

nars spring 2013 makeup collection — A gander at the new NARS Spring 2013 collection…

3 things that brightened my day…

1. The realization that I’m finally, again (since I watched the show once before), on the last season of The Hills.

I KNOW! Allegedly, Kristin and Brody have decided to get back together…

Whatev. I haven’t really been paying attention since LC left (and I also remember what happened from watching it the first time), but I feel like I’m in so deep that I can’t stop now.

2. Tabs has been so totally into me all day long! 🙂

He had been ignoring me most of the week but for some weird reason today decided I was worthy of his presence, so he’s been following me around the house and sleeping on my lap.

Yeah, I knew Tabs was big…but he looks ginormous in this picture (they say the camera adds 10 pounds). I don’t know, maybe it’s the angle? That, or he’s just a frickin’ huge-@ss cat.

3. And lastly, the NARS Spring 2013 collection! 🙂

No, literally, it brightened my day. See the blue eyeshadow there in the Mad Mad World Duo…?

That’s bright. Like Katy Perry’s blue wig bright.

And that green is no joke, either. After I swatched and photographed it, I cleaned up, and then a few minutes later noticed that my finger had a green stain!

This collection has some serious Roy Gee Biv action happening — red, orange, yellow, green, blue and — not exactly a violet, but more of a purplish pink.

I have a feeling this one’s gonna drive the color-lovers wild, and because of the amount of pigment these pieces pack, I bet they’ll rock the house on darker divas.

Eyes, nails, lips and faces (there are two face powders in the release, both called Translucent Crystal, one pressed and one loose) have something to look forward to here.

nars mad mad world — Mad Mad World Duo Eyeshadow ($34)

nars bouthan — Bouthan Duo Eyeshadow ($34)

nars persia — Persia Single Eyeshadow ($24)

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A Tasty Trio Tempts Too Faced Fans Who Flush at the Thought of a Perfect Blush: The New Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow

January 10th, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

too faced perfect flush blush — Wearing the new Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow ($29)

I can’t stop thinking about that slumber party on Saturday…

I know, I know — what’s a 30-something-year-old woman doing talking about slumber parties? Well, it was probably the most fun I’ve had in months.

Sorry! I keep re-living it over and over in my mind. Please bear with me a little longer before we get to the new $29 Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush from Too Faced…

That night, Jen and I had a conversation about babies. She has a son, Nico, who’s a little over a year old now. Jen says he has a sixth sense where he’s able to detect whenever she’s nearby.

Even if she’s hidden from view (like behind a wall), he’ll shoot his arms out in her direction, like he’s sending out invisible baby radar waves to pinpoint her exact location, and I’ve been wondering if a sense like that might exist for makeup.

Here’s my theory: beauty gals/guys give off a signal that alerts all makeup artists within a 2-mile radius to their presence, letting them known that “easy prey” is approaching.

It’s like, I walk up to a beauty counter, and a silent alarm goes off — beep, beep, beep! “She’s coming! Hurry, everyone! Get ready!”

When I’m vulnerable like that, all I have to do is see something cute at a counter, like the Too Faced Sweetheart Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow, a tasty trio of pink, coral and peach colors all striped together like Neapolitan ice cream, and I’m like, “Sold, bitches!” 🙂

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The YSL Spring 2013 Makeup Collection: Satisfy Lemmings for Light Green Lacquers by Layering Jade Imperial on Your Nails

January 10th, 2013 by Karen 36 Comments

Doop-da-dooo… Just sitting here in my car in the rain, swatching and thinking about the new Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2013 makeup collection.

Yesterday, on the way back home from lunch in the city with my friend Kate, I stopped by the mallÂ for, ya know, “educational purposes.” While there, I fell under a brief trance in front of a YSL display…

GURL, ever since Chanel’s Jade polish rocked my world, I’ve had weak knees for light green nail polishes, like this limited edition one (Jade Imperial) from YSL.

It’s creamy, and just bright enough to steer it safely out of baby poo khaki territory. 🙂

I even love its name: Jade Imperial. I walked out of Nordstrom without it, but then in my car in the parking lot, looking at it on my nail (notice how I said, “nail”? LOL!), I came this close to going back in for it, but it was getting late in the day, and I wanted to beat traffic, so I drove away empty-handed (except for the one nail…).

BAY AREA FUN FACT: here in Marin county where I live, the one main highway is called the 101. It runs north-south from Washington State down to Southern California, about 1,550 miles, along what was once the old trail which linked the Spanish missions, pueblos and presidios along the U.S. West Coast.

Oh, and if you’re on it between the hours of 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., you’re probably not moving faster than 20 miles per hour.

The kinda bright, pastel-ish quad in the display pic also caught my eye. I tried to track it down, but it wasn’t on display yet for some reason.

Among the things I did spy from the collection while I was there were two $55 quads — Pure Chromatics No. 5 and No. 19. Both reminded me of the Smashbox eye palettes I swatched the other day from the new Love Me collection, because, like those, these were super creamy, soft and shimmery.

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MAC’s Mineralize Tinted Lip Balm in Pure & Tender

January 10th, 2013 by Karen 4 Comments

mac mineralize tinted lip balm pure tender

Hello, hydration! Non-sticky and comfy, too. I like the sheerness, but it might not be enough pigment for some gals/guys.

PRICE: $19.50
AVAILABILITY: Available now at MAC counters, stores and maccosmetics.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A- (some may want more pigment)