Archives for 2014

The $59.50 Make Up For Ever Studio Case Looks Like Something for Pros, But It Has a Lot of Help for Beginners Inside

December 4th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

The intimidation factor with Make Up For Ever’s Studio Case ($59.50) is high…

If I were unable to tell the difference between a domed brush and a shader brush, or the words “lid” and “crease” made me immediately think of mason jars and those ubiquitous pressed khaki pants worn by tech dudes, I may have just cruised right by the sleek black Studio Case and thought, “That is some scary sh*t.”

But not “scary” as in The Taking of Deborah Logan, which scared the living bejeezus out of me, but scary as in daunting as all hell — as in, you can only be allowed in its presence if you wear a brush belt around your hips at work.

The question is, does one require an advanced certificate from the Tabs the Cat School of Makeup Artistry (est. 2007) to beat major face with this kit?

No, I don’t think so… Not after seeing it up close.

In fact, the products in the case are surprisingly user-friendly, thanks, in part, to the way MUFE organized the 12 shadows (you can also pop the palette out of the case if you want).

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The Two New Limited Edition Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Kaleidoscope Palettes Deliver Fun, Form and Function at an Extravagant Price

December 4th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

The new limited edition Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Kaleidoscopes Palettes

Layers. They’re not just for onions, cakes and Godfather movies anymore. (No kidding! It took me years to figure out what was really going on with the Tattaglias and Barzinis.)

Layers are also for makeup — which are sometimes on your face, and sometimes in the construction of your palettes, like what Le Metier de Beaute does with their signature stacked Kaleidoscope pans.

So fun! I love how they float in and out of their compacts like silent kitty cat paws/covert makeup ninjas…

The brand’s two latest layered limited edition Kaleidoscope holiday palettes are a trip. For warm, smoldering gold, copper, pink and/or blue eyes and shiny pink and red lips, there’s the Obsidian Odyssey Lip and Cheek Kaleidoscope Palette ($125) and Obsidian Odyssey Eye Shadow Kaleidoscope Palette ($95).

Le Metier de Beaute Obsidian Odyssey Eye Shadow Kaleidoscope — Wearing the Obsidian Odyssey Eye Shadow Kaleidoscope Palette on my eyes…

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Give Your Hair a Hand Fighting Frizz in High Humidity With Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidealiste

December 3rd, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Set — That’s Kerastase Discipline Bain Fluidealiste hair, yo!

Try to ignore for a second the bright lips in this pic (it’s Kat Von D Bachelorette), and focus instead on the hair.

The hurr!

Note how well-behaved it is…like a previously unruly child who gets suddenly very still and quiet when you mention taking her to Baskin-Robbins if she stops misbehaving.

It’s been raining more or less non-stop here for more than a week, and that means high humidity, which in turn usually means horrendous frizz.

But a few products from Kerastase’s new Discipline Bain Fluidealiste anti-frizz line are helping to keep my hair from throwing any wild fits.

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The Curvy, Creamy, Dreamy MAC Ultimate Lipsticks

December 3rd, 2014 by Karen 39 Comments

What’s gray, curvy and totally luxurious?

Um…good guess! But not quite. 🙂

Yeah, the new MAC Ultimate Lipsticks ($23) and Tabs definitely have a few things in common; both are gorgeous, and curvaceous, and look like they were sculpted by Michelangelo.

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For an Untamed Fringe, Try These Eyelure Texture No. 117 False Lashes

December 3rd, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Eyelure Texure 117 — The Eyelure Texture No. 117 false eyelashes

The mac dad will make ya jump, jump!
The daddy mac will make ya jump, jump!
Kris Kross will make ya jump, jump!

Now you’ve got that song stuck in your head, haha!

My work here is done. 🙂

OK, not really… First we have to talk about lashes. False lashes, to be specific.

I like the messy criss-cross action of Eyelure’s Texture No. 117s ($3.99 a pair). The lashes are bundled up into little…bundles (?) that sort of overlap each other to create a wild, untamed criss-cross pattern, for an informal lash look with lots of bulk and a gentle lift at the outer corners.

They come with their own pre-made (heavy, uncomfortable) glue strips, but I skip them and use plain ol’ lash glue instead.

Regularly $4.99 a pair, they’re on sale now at Ulta for $3.99, which I think is a dang good deal for lashes this good.

Eyelures also tend to hold up pretty well. I can usually reuse them at least a few times, as long as I’m careful when I peel them off.

Can I haz this tee??

El Hub makes fun of me all the time for that saying, “I can’t.” I use it when I hit my limit and need a break from something, like when I’m marathoning a show on TV. I’ll say, “I can’t. I just can’t. I can’t. I can’t.” It’s one of my catchphrases. 🙂

So I may have to break my “no more shopping in the juniors section” rule for this shirt by Ten Sixty Sherman ($24) at Nordstrom.

Gah! And I might also need that plaid scarf (the BP Heritage Plaid Square, $24).

I’m a sucker for a cute plaid print.

Oh, Hello, Cutie! The Hello Kitty “The Red Bow Beauty Diaries” Holiday Set Is a Hello Kitty Fangirl’s Dream

December 3rd, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Dear Diary,

I have a confession to make…

I don’t know if the limited edition $25 Hello Kitty “Red Bow Beauty Diaries” holiday kit was made for kids or grownups.

But, uh, I don’t really care.

Is that wrong…?

I love this damned thing! And I don’t give a crap if I’m wearing the same makeup that little Susie is rocking to Brianna’s ninth birthday sleepover because — and here’s the kicker — there’s a bonafide letter from Hello Kitty inside the set!

Yeah, the actual kitty HERSELF.

For real though, I get the feels every time I read it, and I actually think it was written directly to me — Karen from Union City, California.

Or not.

Diary, I think this set was made special for people who grew up loving Hello Kitty, because, truth be told, the makeup isn’t great. I’d say it’s just a step up from the pieces in a little girl’s toy makeup set.

While pigmented, the glitter liners rub off easily, and the lipsticks, gloss and cream eyeshadows are woefully sheer.

As for the pink hair mascara, it feels smooth when I put it on but turns crusty when it dries.

Weird.

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Matte Madness: MAC Matte Lipstick in Fashion Revival

December 2nd, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

Items on my Recently Revived Pieces of ’90s Fashion list that make me kind of cranky…

Clunky Timberland boots (to their credit, I remember them being quite warm and good at keeping my feet dry on rainy days)
Plastic choker necklaces (no explanation needed)
Floral slip dresses (when worn with white baby tees)
Overalls (when worn with one strap up and one strap down)

As you’ll notice, matte lips are not on the list. 🙂

That’s because I’m so feelin’ ’em, dawg!

But the flakes on my lips aren’t…which is why I’ve been rolling with Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil lately (note to self: this hella hydrating lip balm totally deserves to be an unsung hero).

So, MAC Fashion Revival Lipstick — is there anything it doesn’t go with? I honestly don’t know.

I love pairing this deep, rich matte raspberry (it’s $16) with warm golds and coppers on my eyes, but it really seems to work with just about everything.

It’s only available for a couple more days until December 4 here in North America, so if you’re interested, better jump!

Available through December 4 at MAC counters, stores and also online.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Fashion Revival — Wearing Fashion Revival on my lips

On a wholly unrelated topic…

Monogrammed Christmas Stockings from Target, $13 each — These monogrammed Christmas stockings from Target ($13 each)

Tabs insisted on helping with the Christmas decorating this year, but in exchange for his listless, halfhearted help, he demanded that I get him a monogrammed stocking.

It’s Pottery Barn’s fault… He paws through their catalogue at night and dog-ears the pages with holiday looks and room arrangements he wants to recreate in “his” living space (also known as the house).

Anywho, I’ve been looking for ways to get similar holiday looks for less and found these cute monogrammed stockings at Target. They’re $13 each, and I think they’re available in every letter of the alphabet, including “T” for Tabs.

Conveniently, the green for “T” also matches his eyes. 🙂

Um…yeah, that was a very crazy cat lady thing to say, but since I went there already, does your pet have a stocking? Inquiring minds want to know.

The Matte Madness series features some of my favorite matte products as of late

The Clinique Nutcracker Suite Act I Three-Piece Holiday Collection Is Totally En Pointe

December 2nd, 2014 by Karen 33 Comments

Even though the pink and glitter in The Nutcracker Suite, Clinique’s new ballet-inspired holiday collection, are totally en pointe, they will not help you pirouette your way to ballet greatness.

Clinique Nutcracker Act 1 — Wearing the Eye and Cheek Compact, Chubby Stick Baby Tint and Blended Face Powder from the Clinique Nutcracker Act I, part of The Nutcracker Suite holiday collection

But I can see why you might think they should…

After all, it does make a certain kind of sense to think that since your makeup looks like a ballerina’s from The Nutcracker, you should probably be able to dance like one, too, and then you bust out some pliés on your creaky knees and scowl at your ballet teacher when she says something snarky about your butt sticking out too far!

Er, well…maybe that’s just me and my childhood dance trauma.

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