Archives for 2014

The New Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Plastic Passion Spring 2014 Collection, and an Important Announcement

January 23rd, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

Wearing OCC Pool Boy Lip Tar, one of six new shades from the spring 2014 Plastic Passion collection

It is with a heavy heart that I must share some sad news…

The OCC Plastic Passion Spring 2014 collection

I learned today, moments after swatching the Plastic Passion spring 2014 collection by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, that I am not nearly cool enough to pull off bright blue matte lips.

And worse still, I probably never will be. 🙁

I introduce exhibit A — a picture of me smiling while wearing Pool Boy, one of six new Lip Tar shades in the release.

I look like a demented clown plotting ways to season and eat a small child for lunch, LOL! I feel like a citizen of the Capitol in Panem…

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The Halogen Katrina Bootie: Because You Can Never Have Too Many Pairs of Black Shoes

January 23rd, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

Booty, booty, booty, booty rockin’ everywhere!

(Side note: I rue the day Bubba Sparxxx released that song.)

I finally put the Nordstrom gift card I got for Christmas to use (thank you, El Hub!). When I saw these Katrina Booties by Halogen on nordstrom.com, to paraphrase Liz Lemon, yes, I had to go to there.

Never mind that I needed another pair of black shoes about as much as Tabs needs an extra serving of gravy tonight.

You can jazz ’em up with a cute black dress for a night on the town, or dress them down with skinny jeans or leggings and a t-shirt.

They’re practical, yo! At least that’s what I told myself when I put them in my cart…and then again when I hit the checkout button. 🙂

A Pink and Bronze Face of the Day Using the NARSissist Eye Palette, With Help From MAC and Urban Decay

January 23rd, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

A few things…

First, this morning I tried on a pair of skinny jeans I ordered online and got stuck in them.

Seriously.

Apparently, I wasn’t paying close enough attention and ordered the wrong size.

Yeah…

I’d managed to shimmy into them up to my thighs when I realized that something was very wrong, and if I’d kept going, I’d need prayer and the Jaws of Life to get out of them.

Lesson learned here, kids. If you’re going to purchase the Citizens of Humanity Avedon skinny jeans, go up at least one size.

Second, SWV lives!!!

I found them while channel surfing last night. SWV Reunited on WE. The combination of early ’90s R&B and reality TV gets me weak in the knees… I can hardly speak. I lose all control. Then something comes over me… 🙂 Hahaha!

Third, I realized this afternoon that pinkish bronze metallic eyes are totally fun. And not too hard to create, believe it or not! I got the idea from a pink and bronze eye look I saw on UD’s website.

For this face of the day, I went with a few products from MAC, NARS and Urban Decay.

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If You Could Only Wear One Eye Look For an Entire Year, What Would It Be?

January 23rd, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

This one’s easy. 🙂 That would be smoked out brown shadows on my lids with a shimmery gold in the inner corners (’cause I need all the help I can get with the whole “bright eyed” thing), a black kohl pencil on my water lines and black cat liner on my upper lash lines.

Oh! — and copious amounts of mascara, of course, on both my upper and lower lash lines.

In the pic at the top I’m wearing MAC Ricepaper Eye Shadow (my brow bones), MAC Cork Eye Shadow (crease and lower lash lines), MAC Mulch Eye Shadow (crease, lids and lower lash lines), MAC Femme Fi Eye Shadow (inner corners), Tom Ford Eye Defining Pen (upper lash lines), Urban Decay 24/7-Glide On Eye Pencil in Perversion (water lines) and Guerlain Cils D’Enfer Mascara (lashes) and MAC Brun Eye Shadow (my brows).

MAC Mulch Cork Bamboo FOTD — Wearing a few all-star brown eyeshadows from MAC’s permanent collection

For daytime, to keep it casual, I’d pair it with a glossy nude lip. Side note: my current No. 1 nude lip combo is MAC Boldly Bare Lip Pencil topped with Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss in Liar. I’m wearing it in The Fab 5: BECCA Cosmetics and Hourglass Cosmetics videos. Try it some time!

And for a date night/going-out version, just add bright pink, coral or red lips. 🙂

Now what about you? If you could only wear one eye look (every day) for an entire year, what would it be?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Good morning, gorgeous! Since we’re on the subject of eye looks…I’m obsessed with this one I saw on urbandecay.com.

Check it:

I’m all about that metallic shimmer, those “BA-BAM!” brows and those long, luscious lashes…

So quiet. So bold.

Wait — quietly bold…?

Anywho, I’ve been awake since forever (roughly 5:00 a.m.) on account of this particular thug:

I have NO idea what’s going on in that little kitty brain, but every day this week, he’s jumped up on the bed, plopped down on my chest, and kicked on the purr machine at exactly 5 o’clock.

And if I fail to start petting him immediately, he repositions himself with his tum across my neck…like a 20-pound tabby scarf, LOL!

It’s funny now, but it wasn’t very funny at 5 a.m.

Yep, you know cats. There is no method to their madness.

I hope things are most excellent on your end of the keyboard. How’s your week going so far?

Be a Doll, and Hand Me One of Those Seven Recently Revamped Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliners

January 22nd, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

The recently revamped Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliners

Next time you watch Project Runway (if you watch Project Runway), keep an eye on Heidi Klum’s lower water lines… She uses a trick with white liner to make her eyes look brighter, and it works!

I’ve been looking for a white gel liner to wear on mine for what feels like centuries. I’ve tried MAC’s Fascinating Eye Kohl, off and on, but have never really been happy with the wear time, and on me, unfortunately, it smudges.

All this is to say that I have soaringly high hopes for these recently revamped Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliners — in particular, one of them, a white matte shade called Yang. I’m crossing my fingers that it won’t wiggle or scoot shortly after I get it on my water lines.

Yang is one of seven shades in the line. Napoleon nixed the parabens, which had been in the formula before, and added four new shades to the line in golden Double Happiness, navy Dynasty, blackened gold Forbidden City and pewter Lotus.

These are designed to be worn on lash lines, water lines, as cream shadows, or as bases for powder shadows, and they’re billed as long-wearing and smudge-proof.

We shall see (she said, rolling her hands together conspiratorially). I’m gonna try Yang on my water lines tomorrow. Bright eyes, here I come! 🙂

All seven China Doll Gel Eyeliners are available now at Napoleon Perdis stores, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and online at napoleonperdis.com for $25 each.

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner in Double Happiness — Double Happiness

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner in Lotus — Lotus

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner in Yin — Yin

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner in Dynasty — Dynasty

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner in Tao — Tao

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner in Yang — Yang

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner in Forbidden City — Forbidden City

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner Pots

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner Swatches from the left: Yin, Yang, Tao, Double Happiness and Dynasty — Swatches from the left: Yin, Yang, Tao, Double Happiness and Dynasty

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner Swatches from the left: Lotus and Forbidden City — Swatches from the left: Lotus and Forbidden City

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner Boxes — The gold boxes

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner Ingredients — Ingredients

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner Line and Define — Line and Define

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner Pro Tip — Pro Tip

Dry Lips Will Love Le Metier de Beaute’s Drought Defying Hydra-Creme Lipsticks

January 22nd, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipstick in Butterfield 8 — Le Metier de Beaute’s Hydra-Creme Lipstick in Butterfield 8

I am so hungry right now…

Frickin’ PMS. It’s turned my tummy into a bottomless pit [INSERT RUMBLING TUMMY SOUND HERE]. Right now, I could easily eat an entire pizza, and a half, and then have dinner.

LOL! The only thing stopping me — well, I mean, the main thing — is makeup.

Surprise! 🙂 I’m wearing Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipstick tonight, and every time I smack my lips and mush them together while thinking about the aforementioned pizzas, with their gooey, cheesy goodness, yummy tomato sauce and crust (OH, THE CRUST!), I’m temporarily distracted by how great my lips feel, and momentarily forget about my hunger.

Two of the 25 Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipsticks

So, these Hydra-Cremes launched in the fall, but I didn’t truly appreciated them until recently, as a result of my lips being incredibly dry.

Ugh… Winter.

I haven’t been able to tolerate any lip products lately that aren’t highly moisturizing, and these are like reservoirs!

Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipsticks in Grenadine (left) and Butterfield 8 (right) — Hydra-Creme Lipsticks in Grenadine (left) and Butterfield 8 (right)

They slide across lips, leaving behind a lightweight layer of medium-coverage color with a soft shine.

Totally reminds me of the MAC Lustres but, like, hella fancy. No flavor or scent.

Le Metier de Beaute Hydra-Creme Lipstick Swatches in Butterfield 8 (left) and Grenadine (right) — Butterfield 8 (left) and Grenadine (right)

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The Fab 5, Vol. 5: Hourglass Cosmetics

January 22nd, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Hourglass may not be a gargantuanly huge brand, but they’re one of my faves (yes, I know, I have many faves).

The luxe little line hails from down the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), in sunny Southern California.

I like a lot of their products, but here are five of my “must-haves” from the line. Next time you’re cruising the aisles at Sephora, check ’em out! If you decide to give one (or more) of these Fab 5 a try, let me know how it goes. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Products mentioned in this video…

Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light ($45)
Oxygen Foundation Mineral Powder ($46)
Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Prism ($38)
Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Ballet ($28)
Foundation/Blush Brush No. 2 ($58)
Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil ($32)

Thank you very much for watching, and if you enjoyed this video and want me to keep doing them, please give this one a thumbs up on YouTube and subscribe. Because when you get fired up, it fires me up to do more! 🙂

Thank you, as always.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

These New $19 DHC Premium Lipsticks Look and Feel Like $50 Lippies

January 22nd, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

More makeup morsels from DHC!

Next month the Japanese brand releases a new line of six smooth, creamy lipsticks, like kisses being blown from Japan (mwah!)… They’ll be available here in the States through the company’s catalogue and online through their website at dhccare.com.

The Premium Lipstick GEs, as they’re called, cost $19 each and aim to prettify your pout while simultaneously turning back time…

“Lips look more youthful with Premium Lipstick GE, the latest cosmetic innovation from DHC USA. This brilliantly pigmented lipstick comes in six sophisticated hues and features Pure Color Technology with micronized pigments for a smooth, completely even surface. No clumping, just satiny color with light-diffusing pearls for a c-D plumping effect. Lips get a kiss of emollient moisture from macadamia, olive and rice bran oils. Collagen and sodium hyaluronate help lips hang onto hydration. Oat kernel extract minimizes the look of lines. Vitamin A and germanium encourage revitalization.”
— DHC PR

These smooth, gloriously pigmented products do a helluva job staying out of the vertical lines that grace my lips, and I only need one layer for opaque coverage. My dry lips (it’s flake city, yo!) also appreciate the amount of moisture they contain.

I really like these… Guerlain’s $50 Rouge G’s ain’t got nothin’ on ’em.