Archives for 2014

Whether You’re Kissing Cats or Mirrors (or Someone Else), the Sephora Endless Kisses Lip Gloss Set Will Be There For You

November 12th, 2014 by Karen 54 Comments

You know, I realized today while applying one of the lip glosses in the new $28 Endless Kisses Lip Gloss Set by Sephora that I’ve never left a kiss mark on a mirror.

This shocked me, as it’s something that seems like it would be both cute and kinda psycho, which is totally my style. 🙂

Only the universe knows why I haven’t gotten around to it yet…

Should I decide to rectify this situation anytime soon, I’m sure this new lip gloss set would be up for it.

Most of the glosses in it, like the fuchsia, the purple and the golden peachy pink (which is kind of like NARS Orgasm), are so pigmented that they could totally star in their own movie and play liquid lipsticks. I mean, if I were to smooch a mirror with one of these on, yeah, you’d definitely be able to tell that Karen was here.

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For the Undercover Makeup Lovers: The New $38 Bobbi Brown Mini Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio

November 12th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

For the record, I do not recommend living a secret sneaky makeup double life.

Bolting out the door to school without so much as a stitch of lipgloss on your lips, only to covertly cosmeticize yourself from start to finish before the first bell rings, is initially a thrill, but it gets old fast…

Trust me on this. Half the time I’d be in algebra class with one sloppy purple-rimmed eye and little else. I did this for three years until, at age 14, I was given the official “OK” by my mom to wear makeup to school.

I did learn a few things, though, during those secret squirrel makeup days, like how to appreciate makeup that’s easy to sneak in and out of the house. It’s one of the reasons I was interested in the eyeshadow sticks from Bobbi Brown’s new $38 Mini Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio.

Bobbi Brown Mini Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio from the left: Smookey Topaz, Pink Sparkle and Espresso Bean — From the left: Smokey Topaz, Pink Sparkle and Espresso Bean

Each of the little minis fits nicely in the palm of my paw.

Perfect for covert makeup application. 🙂

There’s a shimmery pastel rose called Pink Sparkle, a shimmery heather mauve called Smokey Topaz and a shimmery blackened charcoal that goes by the name, Espresso Bean.

Bobbi Brown Mini Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio — Wearing Smokey Topaz on my lids

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What Are You Wearing on Your Nails?

November 12th, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

Ding! Thank you for flying Uslu Airlines. Have a colorful day. 🙂

Today I’m wearing two shades from upstart Berlin beauty brand Uslu Airlines. The dark creamy oxblood shade is called NMA Namangan, and the metallic rose gold is BGX Brazil.

The names are kind of funky, right? They’re actually airport codes, like SFO is for San Francisco International. Isn’t that cool?

So, Uslu Airlines, their thing is that each of their pieces takes you on a different trip to a different virtual destination, except without the delayed flights, baggage claim and narrow airplane aisles.

Ooh! I would love a collection baed on places I’ve been. Hello, note to Uslu Airlines — whom do I talk to about that? 🙂

The brand has their own makeup (lipsticks, glosses, powders and concealers) and nail polishes.

They’re also damned hard to find here in the US right now, which is both a blessing and a curse. It makes them more exclusive, which, ya know, I like, but then there’s whole not being able to find them thing…

They do have a few shops in Europe (Colette Paris, Departmentstore im Quartier 206 Berlin, Apropos Cologne, 10 Corso Como Milan, and Stefano Saccani Parma), but that doesn’t exactly help me, LOL!

 And they also sell their products through their website. The nail polishes go for €19,00 each, or about $23 US.

There is another option. Some of their polishes and lipsticks are available from netaporter.com for $16 and $25 each, respectively, although I don’t see the two shades I’m wearing here…

Happy hump day, my friend. Tell me — what are you wearing on your nails?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Golden Givers of Gorgeousness in the MAC Prabal Gurung Collection Are Priced Like Precious Metals

November 11th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

The gold that graces each product in MAC’s new 14-piece Prabal Gurung collection doesn’t just make the packaging gorgeous. It fashions a world! It creates an experience! These pieces look so fancy that they could pass for pendants hanging from a famous rapper’s gold chains.

They could also probably pass for real gold bars.

No, seriously. These little bricks are heavy! — so heavy, in fact, that if I were to drop one on my foot, I’d probably need stitches.

Or, to put it another way, if I were to put all of them in a purse and swing it around, it would make one hell of a fine medieval weapon.

MAC Prabal Gurung Light English Red Lipstick — Wearing Lustre Lipstick in Light English Red on my lips

That the pieces could potentially double as weaponry is just one of many things I like about this new collaboration between MAC and fashion designer Prabal Gurung…who, I should say, was probably aiming more for elegance, sophistication and grace than hip-hop jewelry.

MAC Coral Lumineux Cream Colour Base — Cream Colour Base in Coral Lumineux

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Bobbi Brown’s New $45 High Light Powders in Pink Glow and Bronze Glow Work Like a Portable Fireplace in Powder Form

November 11th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

Bobbi Brown High Light Powder in Pink Glow — Wearing Bobbi Brown’s High Light Powder in Pink Glow ($45) on my upper cheeks

What’s that? A new highlighter? Yeah…sometimes when it comes to highlighters, I feel like I’ve seen and worn ’em all, from your subtle sheens to your full-blown glitter-fests, so when a new one comes along (you must whip it!) that successfully combines some of my favorite things about highlighters, I sit up, tie my hair into a high pony and get down to business.

Ms. Bobbi Brown, friend to women who like to wear makeup while still looking like themselves, recently revealed two of the snazziest highlighters I’ve seen in a while, her High Light Powders in Pink Glow and Bronze Glow ($45 each), which combine some of my favorite things about MAC’s Mineralize Skin Finishes and Chanel’s Highlighting Powders.

Bobbi Brown High Light Powder in Pink Glow and Bronze Glow — Bobbi Brown High Light Powder in Pink Glow (left) and Bronze Glow (right)

Almost creamy, like a MAC Mineralize Skin Finish powder (which makes them a breeze to blend), Bobbi’s High Light Powders do not, however, have the same glazed high-shine finish. Instead, they exude an ethereal, dreamy luster with a finespun finish that totally reminds me of Chanel.

Bobbi wanted to recreate the look of skin illuminated by a cozy fire (ahh…), with the same warm, buttery colors, and that’s what I see when I wear these highlighters.

Bobbi Brown High Light Powder in Pink Glow (left) and Bronze Glow (right) — Pink Glow (left) and Bronze Glow (right)

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Delicate Deluxe: The New $80 Bobbi Brown Deluxe Lip & Eye Palette Is a Double-Decker of Delicate Glamour

November 10th, 2014 by Karen 36 Comments

A couple weeks ago my friend Jen and I were chatting about makeup when one of us brought up Bobbi Brown.

Now, Jen’s a recent convert to the cult o’ Bobbi, so I asked her what she liked about the brand, and she said, “When I wear it, I still feel like I look like me, and not like I’m trying to be someone else,” which I totally get. I think it’s why Bobbi’s makeup strikes a chord with so many women, myself included.

I know that when I don’t want to fuss with five different colors blended into my crease, there’s always Bobbi Brown.

For her latest foray into holiday makeup, Bobbi created a double-decker palette designed to flatter all skin tones. The new limited edition Deluxe Lip & Eye Palette ($80) contains two tiers of makeup in lovely tortoiseshell attire, with one tier filled with neutral brown, gold, pink and beige shades for eyes, and another tier with pink, mauve and rose lipsticks for lips.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 346

November 10th, 2014 by Karen 43 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for November 10, 2014

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

If you were an instrument in a symphony, which instrument would you be?
I’d really want to be a cello, because the cello is kind of moody, but there’s still a sweet sadness to it.

But I’d probably end up being a piccolo… They’re small, and sprightly, and high pitched, and you really can’t ignore ’em.

Have you ever driven or been a passenger in a motor home?
Driving a motorhome is basically my nightmare, so no to the driving! — but yes to being a passenger. My parents had one, and when I was a teenager they went through this phase where they wanted to drive all over the United States with the whole family in it.

I just remember the constant motion in that enclosed space and not being able to get out FOR HOURS. Needless to say, I listened to my Walkman a lot.

How do you feel about psychics and fortune tellers? Have you ever been to one?
I’m open to the possibility that there are legit people out there with psychic abilities.

The only time I’ve been to a psychic was when I was working at a law firm. I was in my early 20s, and the office I worked for did this fun thing where they’d hire a bunch of psychics, and then all of the employees would go to them.

The first thing the lady said to me when I walked in was, “You’re not meant to do this.” LOL! She was talking about me someday becoming a lawyer.

Yeah, deep down, I already knew that…but it was nice having her confirm it.

What was your best (and worst) job interview or audition?
Not to toot my own horn, but I usually do OK in interviews. People tell me I can be quite charming (when I’m not driving them crazy).

As for my worst interview ever? Well, it didn’t start off badly, but it got there in a hurry. It was for a job as a legal assistant in a building’s basement with no windows. I just remember being taken down there and seeing these stacks of documents up to the ceiling and hearing a menacing hum, like some force was telling me to stay away. I don’t know if the hum was from the air conditioning or just the building itself, but I couldn’t breathe! It was terrible.

I did not take that job, by the way.

If you could hang out with the teenage characters in any movie or TV show, which show or movie would it be?
Gilmore Girls! Rory and Lane, the early years.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. If you were an instrument in a symphony, which instrument would you be?
2. Have you ever driven or been a passenger in a motorhome?
3. How do you feel about psychics and fortune tellers? Have you ever been to one?
4. What was your best (and worst) job interview or audition?
5. If you could hang out with the teenage characters in any movie or TV show, which show or movie would it be?

What’s the recipe for a good Monday? For me, it usually involves getting a good night’s sleep, waking up to a fresh pot of coffee, and then saying hi and doing the Monday Poll with you. So, hi, and good morning! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 321

November 9th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Acclaimed kitty supermodel and business mogul Tabs the cat sat down with me for a very special interview this morning (he was paid in treats), and we covered important topics like pet peeves, bucket lists and zodiac signs.

We didn’t have time to get to all of your questions this time, but keep ’em coming because Tabs definitely wants to do it again. 🙂

This post is sponsored by Purina Pro Plan #proplancatpartner. For information about my posting policy, please see my Disclaimer.

About Purina Pro Plan Cat food

Whenever I fill his bowl with Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care dry cat food, Tabs comes running from wherever he is in the house, even when he still has some food left. I guess he prefers it fresh…as in straight out of the bag! Purina Pro Plan’s wide range of dry and wet cat foods and snacks, sold exclusively at pet specialty stores, can be found in three unique nutritional platforms — Savor, Finesse, and Focus — with each formula designed to provide advanced nutrition to help bring out the best in your cat. For more information about them, visit www.proplan.com, and follow Purina Pro Plan Cat on Twitter @proplancat.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addicts,

Karen and Tabs