Archives for July 2015

Neat and New to Me: For the Love of Ginger! MAC Sheertone Blush in Gingerly

July 17th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

Ginger!

I am surrounded by ginger…

I’ve been drinking a lot of ginger ale this week because my tummy’s been obnoxiously gurgly, and I’ve also been, at times, simultaneously wearing MAC Gingerly Blush ($22).

Maybe this is more than a coincidence…or maybe it isn’t, and I just have a need to find deep connections between totally unrelated things (story of my life).

My fridge has an entire shelf dedicated to ginger ale. THANKS TUMMY TROUBLES. — My fridge has an entire shelf dedicated to ginger ale…

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Trendsetting Made Easy (SPONSORED)

July 17th, 2015 by Karen 6 Comments

Brought to you by L’Oreal Professionnel.

Advertorials like this one are brought to you by my sponsors. They’re carefully chosen based on what I think you might like; however, this post was entirely written by the sponsor.

Create the latest hairstyles and get the ultimate “fashion week” look with L’Oreal Professionnel Tecni.Art products. Take your styling skills to the next level and learn how to recreate the latest trends with L’Oreal’s How To Styling videos featuring products from the line. Inspired and loved by hairdressers, this ultimate backstage collection features a variation of styling items for different hair types.

The Tecni.Art collection helps you master voluminous curls and provides your hair with the perfect amount of density. Get the desired hairstyle you’ve always wanted and learn tricks from professionals for the perfect look using key products, such as Volume Envy Extra and Densite.

For more information and tips to creating flawless hair, visit lorealprofessional.com.

Fri-Yay Makeup Fun: Repurpose Your Daytime Makeup With a Quick, Colorful Pop

July 17th, 2015 by Karen 37 Comments

Sometimes — OK, all the time — when I’m doing my makeup and getting ready to go out, especially after a long week, I don’t like to start from scratch, so to make it a little easier on myself, I’ll repurpose whatever I’m wearing that day, and just freshen it up and add a slight twist, like this colorful green lower lash line.

It takes two things: 1) a colorful eyeliner and 2) a complementary eyeshadow. For this look here, I chose two shimmery green shades — MAC Eye Shadow in Steamy and MAC Eye Kohl in Minted.

I lined my lower lash line with the liner, then smudged out the edges with a pencil brush. Then, I patted the eyeshadow directly on top of the liner to intensify the color and shimmer.

After an additional coat of mascara and some gloss, it’s done and Fri-yay ready! 🙂

(Note: also approved for evenings at home spent chilling on the couch with Tabs.)

mac steamy minted — MAC Eye Shadow in Steamy and MAC Eye Kohl in Minted

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Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Brush-On Brow Gel Has a Brush for Bushy Brows

July 16th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

dior brow styler gel review — The new Dior Brow Styler Gel in #003 Brown ($29)

Check out the tapered tip at the end of the brush on Dior’s new Diorshow Brow Styler Gel ($29). I’ve never seen a brow gel like this before.

The whole design is very futuristic. It has a click brush applicator, and when you twist the bottom of the pen, the brow gel comes out from the sides. Then you just run the brush through your brows to shape, tame and polish them.

It’s so very Bladerunner! Of course, in the not-too-distant future when we have robots for mundane tasks like filling in our brows, things like this will be rendered irrelevant…so we must get our brow thrills while we can. 🙂

So I was thrilled to try this doohickey on Raul (also known as “the bald spot in my left brow”).

dior brow styler gel — Wearing Dior Brow Styler Gel in #003 Brown

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The New Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow All-In-One Professional Eye Palettes in Amber Design and Taupe Design: Why, Yes, Darling, These Palettes Are Designer

July 16th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

dior 5 couleurs designer eyeshadow 1 — Two of the new Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow All-In-One Professional Eye Palettes in Amber Design and Taupe Design ($62 each)

My posh feline pal/employer is currently going through a “shoo-shoo frou-frou” phase today where he insists that everything — and I mean everything! — within his kitty line of sight be high end, from the Dior ribbons he exercises with to the Dior 5-Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow I’m wearing.

He’s so fancy!

"I only play with Dior ribbons." — “Dior makes the best training ribbons.” -Tabs the cat

Since I know better than to protest (the consequences are always dire), all I can do is put up my paws in surrender, submit to his demands, paint my lids with one of these new $62 (!) palettes, and go on my merry way.

Amber Design and Taupe Design are two of Dior’s six recently revamped Dior 5-Couleurs Designer All-In-One Professional Eye Palettes available now online and at Dior counters.

If you’re into pearly, shimmery shadows and don’t mind the price, these might interest you.

dior amber design — Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow in Amber Design

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Just Like a Single Strand of Pearls, the New MAC Cremesheen Pearl Lipsticks and Cremesheen Glasses Should Stand the Test of Time

July 16th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

Why is it that I know I’d be utterly destroyed — as in completely heartbroken and shattered into a zillion tiny pieces — if my favorite strand of pearls were ever to be crushed, but I’m thrilled by the idea of there being actual crushed pearls in my MAC Cremesheen Lipsticks and Cremesheen Glasses?

I guess it’s just one of life’s many mysteries. I guess.

Of course, there aren’t actual crushed pearls in the MAC Cremesheen Lipsticks and Cremesheen Glasses that launched online today with the MAC Cremesheen Pearl collection (also coming to MAC stores and counters July 23).

I just like to pretend. 🙂

Naaaw, girl! The new collection of 10 lipsticks and five glosses, all in shades of pink, coral and red with Asian-inspired names, only appears to have been sprinkled with tiny bits o’ pearl so that your lips look lusciously lacquered and luminous like a strand of pearls, and the effect is — ooh-la-la! — so classy.

mac cremesheen pearl lipstick — MAC Cremesheen Pearl Lipstick in Pickled Plum

For the collection, MAC put a pearlescent twist on their familiar Cremesheen Lipstick and Cremesheen Glass formulas. With these shades, “pearlized pigments” give the classically creamy, luscious Cremesheen finish a subtle, shimmery glow.

Subtle is the key word, too. This ain’t no drag queen disco diva glitter (although that definitely has its time and place). These Cremesheens have more of an effervescent glow.

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It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Blush in Je Ne Sais Quoi Has That Special Something

July 16th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

Oh! I’ve been meaning to talk to you about It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Blush in Je Ne Sais Quoi ($24), but I haven’t been able to put my thoughts into words.

There’s just something…indescribable about it. I wish there was a phrase to describe things like that…

Sorry, I know, that was bad! 🙂 But I couldn’t resist. It’s called Je Ne Sais Quoi, for crying out loud! What did they expect!?

The marvelous mix of ombre neutral pinks in this blush range from light to dark, and they create a lovely glowing sheen on cheeks that me and mah pores like. Je Ne Sais Quoi absolutely lives up to its name.

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With New NARS Audacious Mascara, What’s the Hook?

July 15th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Raise yo’ paws to the heavens/roof! — NARS has a new mascara, which is quite a rare occurrence in NARS Land. It’s new NARS Audacious Mascara in Black Moon ($26), and it has an outrageous hook.

Actually, hooks.

No, really, it literally has hooks. See the bristles on the red brush? Those are little hooks…

BANANAS, right? I know! The hooks are supposed to catch lashes to better lengthen, lift, thicken and separate them, and I think it actually works.

I see satiny black lashes with nice length at the tips, and it pulls the lashes upward to keep a good curl. You can also add another layer as the day wears on, because everyone knows that nothing beats the 3 p.m. work blahs like an extra layer of mascara. 🙂

No, seriously, this mascara layers really well. No clumps, bumps or flakes. Just loads of seamless length, separation, lift and volume. It goes from cube mascara to club mascara like *that* (snaps fingers).

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