Dolce & Gabbana

What Are You Wearing On Your Nails?

October 7th, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

I’m wearing deep, creamy red Dolce & Gabbana Nail Lacquer in Fiamma. It’s an LE lacquer in D&G’s new fall collection.

These pics are circa two days ago, with two layers of Fiamma sandwiched between Guerlain base and top coats. I see a little bit of slight, barely noticeable chipping and fletching at the tips now, but it’s held up well so far!

Deep reds like this usually show every bit of wear and tear, but Faimma has already held up to probably 10 solid hours of typing and half a dozen dish washing sessions (not to mention the opening of at least 10 cans of gravy). 🙂

It’s $25 and available now with the rest of the fall collection from Dolce & Gabbana.

Oh, and public service announcement based on personal experience: if you buy one of those cute pie pumpkins from Trader Joe’s with the intention of baking an actual pie with it, you might not want to name it.

Because I did. I named it Hal, and then when I got ready to make the pie, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I looked at the knife…then at Hal…then at the knife…then at Hal.

Couldn’t do it. So no pie for me.

Especially not with Marguerite watching. She’s Hal’s small, spunky friend. 🙂

What are you wearing on your nails?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Unsung Makeup Heroes: The Dolce & Gabbana Desert Quad

September 5th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

It was hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.

That’s how how hot it gets in Davis, California, where I went to school. I can’t believe I’d go jogging in the middle of the day back then at the height of summer. It would be 110 degrees outside, with waves of heat rippling off the sidewalk and vultures circling high overhead, and there’d I’d be, jogging my steaming buns off between classes.

In parts of the California Central Valley, it gets hotter than Death Valley. I’m serious. A whole swath of the state basically turns into a desert every summer, which reminds me…

I’ve liked Dolce & Gabbana’s Eyeshadow Quad in Desert ($60) ever since I started wearing it off and on in 2010, but I only recently fell Beyonce-crazy-in-love with it.

I noticed that I was bringing it with me on all of my trips this summer. I literally wasn’t leaving the house without it, and I think the mattes have everything to do with it.

Dolce & Gabbana Desert Eyeshadow Quad — The Dolce & Gabbana Eyeshadow Quad in Desert ($60)

There are three of them in this quad — a beige, a golden brown and a dark chocolate brown, all of which are the freakin’ ish — as well as a hit-the-pan worthy golden shade, which we’ll get to in a minute.

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Dolce & Gabbana’s New Bronzer Duo Asks, “Are You a Natural Bronze?”

August 19th, 2014 by Karen 7 Comments

Dolce Gabbana Bronzer Duo Natural Bronze (1)

Smokey eyes, red lips, jet black nails (mmm, Dior Bar)…

I’m sitting here in my office right now wearing a sweater and long pants. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was November.

That’s just craziness…

Scientists are saying that the odds of an El Niño happening this year are dropping, but maybe they forgot to tell Northern California because it already feels like fall!

Weather-wise, I’m not ready for it yet. Makeup-wise, it doesn’t really matter, especially when it comes to bronzers.

Because i’m always down for bronzers. 🙂 Bronzers like the Bronzer Duo in Natural Bronze ($66) by Dolce & Gabbana. The finely milled powder practically melts into the skin.

The compact houses two pans of bronzer — one lighter than the other — which sort of share a beauty bunk bed, with one on top of the other. You can use the shades individually, or mix them together.

Both bronzers have warm golden reddish undertones and delicate sheens. I like ’em more for adding light veils of warmth all over my face than for sculpting and contouring, since the reddish tones can look a little muddy and funky when I concentrate them below my olive cheekbones.

If, however, your skin has prominent reddish undertones, you should be able to use both of these for adding warmth and/or for contouring, and it would probably look effortless and natural (and who doesn’t want that?).

If you’re interested, say ciao to the Bronzer Duo next time you see it. It’s available now online and at Dolce & Gabbana counters.

Giving Thanks for an Epic Summer Glow With the Dolce & Gabbana Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Tangier

July 29th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Dolce Gabbana Tangier Eyeshadow Quad — Wearing the new $60 Dolce & Gabbana’s new Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Tangier and dreaming about corn…

Mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, buttered corn…

CORN! Mmm, corn.

I’m trying to get a grip on myself, but my body is acting of its own accord (*tummy rumbles*). Every time I open the new Dolce & Gabbana Smooth Eye Color Quad in Tangier, I immediately think “Happy Thanksgiving!”

It’s not my fault. It’s the orange, man. Seeing it there next to that brown and gold, and I momentarily forget that it’s not fall. I feel like busting out my boots with the fur (with the fur) and jumping into a pile of autumn leaves.

Funny thing is, it’s not a fall quad. Tangier is one of two limited edition quads in the new Dolce & Gabbana Summer Glow collection, available now at counters and online.

With its rich amber and gold, it’s perfect for sexy screen siren looks, whether now in the summer, or later in the fall.

Sixty bones is a lot for an eyeshadow quad, but at least this one is remarkably easy to use. I’ve been wearing it for the past few days, and I’m surprised. I can’t believe how easy it’s been to incorporate into casual and dressy looks — even that cray-cray matte orange.

For these first pics I tried to think outside the box, so I’m wearing it in the crease with a hazy orange smokey eye.

Only semi-cray. 😉

But I’ve also used the quad in more causal ways. Like, the other day I buffed the light peach, which has just the perfect amount of sheen so it isn’t too shimmery, from my lash line up to my brow bone, blended the matte brown into the crease, and then lightly dusted the shimmery gold in the inner corners, before finishing with a bit of black liner and mascara.

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A Summery Reddish Orange Lip With Dolce & Gabbana’s Classic Cream Lipstick in Fire

June 25th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Wearing Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Fire ($33)

OK, so my next door neighbor has these flowers in her front yard, and there’s this orangey red one. Every single time I walk by it I have to stop and stare for a few seconds because it’s so vibrant and eye-catching.

Reddish orange flower from my neighbor's front yard — Hello, beautiful!

I was under its spell yesterday and thought, “I need to find a lipstick like that…”

Then I thought, “And I need to wear that lipstick…”

Then I pictured dream Karen throwing her arms up in the air, twirling around in circles and screaming, “It’s summer, world! HAAAAAAY!”

OK, that last part didn’t happen. 🙂 But maybe if I’d had a glass of wine first…

Anyways! The flower looked exactly like Fire, one of the reformulated Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipsticks I mentioned yesterday.

An opaque electric orangey red, Fire sometimes borders on coral, depending on what I’m wearing (it’s kind of a chameleon), like this reddish coral shift dress I’m wearing today.

Today I think Fire looks more coral, but when I wear a black or white shirt, I think it looks more red.

Now, about the formula, my lips aren’t in the best shape right now. They’ve been very dry lately (I think they got wind burned in Redding), and there’s some flaking along the edges, but not when they’re on Fire!

LOL! Sorry, bad pun. I just wanted to write “…not when they’re on Fire!”

I meant, not when I’m wearing Fire. 🙂

It applies smoothly and incredibly opaque, and here I’m only wearing one layer.

YEAH!

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The Recently Reformulated Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick Line

June 24th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Dolce & Gabbana Lipsticks from the left: Petal, Devil, Dahlia, Fire and Mandorla

Upgrade! 🙂

Oh, as if anyone could actually improve upon the perfection that is the Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipsticks. They were/are some of my favorite high-end lipsticks around, in large part due to their categorically creamy and righteously rich formula (sorry, adverb overload).

They’re everything I could ever want in an expensive lipstick…except a lower price, ba-dum-tss!

But seriously, they’re packed with pigment, last a really long time, and they’re smoother than a tabby’s tum. Plus, there’s that gorgeous golden tube… I always feel fancy when I take one out of my purse.

But, apparently, Team Dolce & Gabbana did think there was room for improvement, because they recently reformulated and revamped the entire Classic Cream Lipstick line. They also added 20 brand new shades, bringing the new total to 42 (!), divided into six categories — reds, oranges, purples, corals, pinks and nudes.

The five here are just a smattering from the line, but I’m wondering — would you like to see more? I wore Petal the other day, but if you’d like to see more of the others, holla at yo’ girl.

They’re $33 each and available now at Dolce & Gabbana counters at Saks Fifth Avenue stores, Macy’s, Nordies, Sephora and online at saksfifthavenue.com and sephora.com.

Dolce & Gabbana Lipsticks Swatches from the left: Petal, Devil, Dahlia, Fire and Mandorla — Swatches from the left: Petal, Devil, Dahlia, Fire and Mandorla

The 42 Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick shades



Amethyst
Ballerina (NEW)* 
Bellissima (NEW)* 
Black Magic (NEW)
Bonbon (NEW)
Cashmere
Chic (NEW)
Coral
Cosmopolitan
Dahlia
Daring (NEW)
Delicious
Delight (NEW)*
Devil
Dreamy (NEW)*
Fire
Glam
Goddess
Gorgeous (NEW)
Guilty (NEW)*
Honey (NEW)
Iconic
Immaculate (NEW)*
Luscious (NEW)
Mandorla
Nude
Petal
Plum Sapphire
Princess (NEW)
Purple Pearl
Red
Ruby (NEW)*
Sassy (NEW)
Scarlett
Seduction
Shocking
Star (NEW)*
Tease (NEW)
Tender (NEW)*
Traviata (NEW)*
Ultra
Venere

* Exclusive to Saks Fifth Avenue and saksfifthavenue.com.

There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours. Categories: Daily Beauty

`Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2014, and a Heads-Up About Possible Changes to Their Lipstick Line`


March 12th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments











  
	  
                    
  Dolce & Gabbana spring 2014
I was a picture-taking madwoman at Saks in the city last Friday afternoon. I must have taken 200 pics, including these of Dolce & Gabbana’s new spring collection…
Lots of golds, browns, peaches and pinks — nothing too crazy here — but I like the color choices. 
Alex (hi Alex!), the makeup artist I spoke to there, said that almost everything in the collection is re-promoted from the permanent line. The only new pieces are the two lipsticks.
Also, secret squirrel FYI, but Alex mentioned that about half of the line’s lipsticks are going to be discontinued soon (sad face!). He didn’t say exactly which ones or when, but he said that several of the bolder colors will be replaced by nudes. I know that’s kind of vague, but just something to keep in mind if there are any shades you can’t live without.  (Update as of March 13: I just heard from Dolce & Gabbana, and they won’t be discontinuing shades. They plan to add 20 shades with a revamped formula to the existing Classic Cream Lipstick line. Expect to see reds, pinks, nudes, oranges, purples and corals.)
The spring collection is available now at Dolce & Gabbana counters and online at saksfifthavenue.com.

The Smooth Eye Colour Quads in Golds and Desert ($59 each)
Classic Cream Lipsticks in Traviata on the left and Belissima on the right ($32 each)

Crayon Intense Eyeliners from the left: 10 Chocolate, 18 Candied, 9 Nude ($30 each)
Swatches on my NC42 skin…
Another shot of the swatches, this time without the labels…
There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours. Categories: Daily Photo

`Dolce & Gabbana Rosebud Luminous Cheek Color and a Current List of Obsessions…`


February 28th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments


  
	  
                    
  Dolce & Gabbana Rosebud Luminous Cheek Color, $45
Currently enamored with…

Chocolate chip pancakes for dinner
Anything on Bravo (it really doesn’t matter what the show is, as long as it leaves my brain quivering like a piece of flan)
Rooibos tea
Spring sandals
Rainbows
Faux leather leggings (just picked these up from Nordies) 
Grapefruit-scented anything
Soft, sheer peach blushes like this Luminous Cheek Color in Rosebud by Dolce & Gabbana

How about you? What are you currently enamored with?

Rosebud on my NC42 skin

Rosebud on a good samaritan’s NW25 skin
There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours. Categories: Daily Beauty