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A Shimmery Green Chanel Spring 2016 Makeup Tutorial

February 19th, 2016 by Karen 16 Comments

There should be a video right up here in this post, but if it isn’t appearing for any reason, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

Green.

Like the coat of moss the oak tree outside my window is wearing, and the color of the tiny buds springing to life on the tips of its beautiful branches.

Green means spring is coming! 🙂

Aaand green also happens to be the color of baby poo…which is neither here nor there, but you can’t really blame me for mentioning it because, SERIOUSLY, I am so ready for this baby to check out of Hotel Karen already.

Ugh. Still. So. Pregnant.

Yup, greens: they aren’t just for smoothies anymore. Green is good, and I thoroughly support wearing green eyeshadow, especially in the spring.

Green gets top billing in this shimmery, springy makeup look I’m wearing with a bunch of products from the Chanel spring 2016 collection, which is brimming with bright shades of green, teal, purple and pink, but they’re handled in that elegant Chanel way.

I think that if my granny saw me wearing this look, she’d still recognize me, ya know what I mean? I feel like I still look like me, because sometimes, when I’m experimenting with colorful makeup, I look into the mirror and think, “WHOA! Who is that girl?”

To subdue some of the bright green intensity on my eyes, I incorporated a satiny pink, and then also a black liner on my lower water lines to sort of neutralize some of the intensity of the purple and bright blue. Then, to balance, instead of compete, with my eyes, I’m wearing soft peach, pink and tan on my cheeks, and pink lips.

chanel griffith green — Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Griffith Green

chanel might moonlight pink — Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Mighty (left) and Illusion D’Ombre in Moonlight Pink (right)

chanel sunkiss ribbon blush — Chanel Sunkiss Ribbon Blush

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Life’s a Beach of Champagne Peach With the NARS Hot Sand Collection

February 18th, 2016 by Karen 16 Comments

Billed, first and foremost, as a celebration of a NARS cult classic, the brand’s Illuminator in Hot Sand, the new NARS Hot Sand collection is that and more, like, it’s also an opportunity to say, “Oh, hello! It’s you again?” to two popular NARS re-promoted regulars, Orgasm and Laguna, except that this time they aren’t in the same duo…which does make them kindasorta different (I guess?).

The collection also gives us a glossy, creamy highlighting stick in a peachy champagne shade and a good excuse to take the new Hanamachi Kabuki Brush and rub it all over yo’ face like a cat all up in your grill…

Nothing in the collection, however, feels like walking on actual hot sand, which is a good thing, because that, my friend, would be absolute misery.

Because have you ever trekked barefoot across a sweltering beach?? It’s not fun at all… It’s right up there with cleaning a dirty toilet (bluh) or trying on skinny jeans in terrible lighting when you’re feeling extra bloated.

No, this release is all about peachy, highlighted eyes, cheeks, skin and lips. And good old reliable (or, played out, depending on your point of view) Orgasm and Laguna.

So, yeah, I wouldn’t recommend walking across hot sand under any circumstances, but I can recommend giving a few things from this five-piece collection a try.

The NARS Hot Sand Illuminating Multiple ($39)

If someone turned one of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders into a creamy stick, it would be a lot like the NARS Hot Sand Illuminating Multiple. It has that same gorgeous, subtle ability to highlight skin without leaving it looking greasy or frosty, and I think you’ll like it if your pores and fine lines are often an issue (because it doesn’t highlight either of them for me), or, if you just like highlighters that don’t put it all out there, if you know what I mean.

Like, if this highlighter were your secret admirer, it would write you a sweet poem in iambic pentameter and slip it under your door, instead of texting you an unsolicited dirty picture of its naughty bits.

Anywho…for a very subtle highlight, I like layering it beneath my foundation. I’ll swipe the stick directly on my cheekbones, then blend it out with the Hamanachi Kabuki Brush, also from this collection.

The Hot Sand Duos ($42 each)

nars hot sand duo — NARS Hot Sand/Laguna Blush/Bronzer Duo ($42) on the left and NARS Hot Sand/Orgasm Blush Duo ($42) on the right

With the Hot Sand/Orgasm Blush Duo, one side has a peachy champagne powder version of Hot Sand, and the other has an Orgasm blush… I like this one mostly because of Hot Sand, which shines more intensely than the Hot Sand Illuminator, but by no means would I call it frosty. It’s still subtle and on par with something like the new Hourglass Ambient Strobing Powders.

I think it’s very pretty and very beachy, boho glam, and it lasts all day long.

As for Orgasm blush…yep, it’s a classic, and I love how my face looks lively and fresh when I wear it, but how many pans of Orgasm blush does one person really need? I kinda wish NARS had released Hot Sand all by itself, instead of pairing it with Orgasm…

And in the Hot Sand/Laguna Bronzer Duo, you also get the same Hot Sand powder, except with NARS Laguna, instead of Orgasm. Aaand again, I’m still wishing that Hot Sand were sold individually, even though Laguna is a bronzing favorite of mine. It isn’t too cool toned or warm, so I can use it to bronze and/or contour.

The Hanamachi Kabuki Brush ($42)

nars hot sand lip gloss hanamachi kabuki brush — NARS Hot Sand Lip Gloss on the left ($26) and the NARS Hanamachi Kabuki Brush ($42) on the right

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The Guerlain Spring Glow 2016 Collection: For Ladies (and Lords) Who Love Luminous Looks

February 8th, 2016 by Karen 20 Comments

You know what? Eff it! Let’s play hooky this afternoon. Whatdya say?

COME ON! Let’s do it. 🙂 The sun’s out; we could drive into the city, go to the Japanese Tea Gardens, walk around, check out the cherry blossoms, have a cup of tea and watch the pink petals glide in the wind… Doesn’t that sound nice?

I would love that, actually, and by the way, I’ll be wearing the Guerlain Spring Glow 2016 collection, because this collection is all about that laid-back spring lifestyle.

No, not like you’re hiking up a mountain or, like, parasailing or doing X games. More like just enjoying a sunny day outside at the park, or kicking it in the city with your girlfriends.

guerlain spring glow 2016 packaging — Highlights from the Guerlain Spring Glow 2016 collection…

guerlain spring glow 2016 — A few pieces from the Guerlain Spring Glow 2016 collection

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MAC Flamingo Park Collection | Overview, Swatches

January 21st, 2016 by Karen 28 Comments

There should be a video right up here in this post, but if it isn’t appearing for any reason, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

GIRL, you know how I feel about flamingos! Those beautiful pink and coral feathers…that graceful neck…those long legs…that stylin’ beak! They’re my second favorite animal behind teh kittehs, and if there were such thing as a “Crazy Flamingo Lady,” I’d qualify, no doubt.

I’m happy to report that said beautiful bird is front and center in the new spring MAC Flamingo Park collection.

Behold…

mac flamingo park powder blushes — MAC Flamingo Park Powder Blushes

mac lifes a picnic blush — MAC Flamingo Park Powder Blush in Life’s a Picnic

mac pink swoon blush — MAC Flamingo Park Powder Blush in Pink Swoon

mac lets be friends blush — MAC Flamingo Park Powder Blush in Let’s Be Friends

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Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Collection Blush Palette, Lipsticks, Lip Pencils and Brow Box: Review and Observations

January 11th, 2016 by Karen 18 Comments

Wearing the UD Gwen Stefani Wonderland Lip Pencil and Lipstick, and the Blush Palette — Wearing the UD Gwen Stefani collection Blush Palette and Wonderland Lip Pencil and Lipstick

I could go on and on about my super fangirl crush on Gwen Stefani, but I think you and I have already done that dance before, haven’t we?

Yes, I love her — love her look, love her music, love her makeup, LOVE HER. (Note to self: consider dressing up Baby Girl as Gwen Stefani next Halloween, and try to find some red plaid baby pants, ASAP.)

Part two of the Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani collection drops online tomorrow, and very soon at stores and counters, so grab your L.A.M.B. stilettos (the ones you can barely walk in but love anyways), and let’s do this. 🙂

Like she did with the eyeshadow palette from part one of the release, Gwen put together a selection of shades that she said she’d want to have with her in her makeup bag. I’ve been wearing the lipsticks and blush palette for the past few days, including that two-day birthing class I think I mentioned, and I think the stunt baby was impressed…

Chillin' with the scary stunt baby — Chillin’ with the scary stunt baby

Er, well…maybe not.

So which of these are worth your time?

UD Gwen Stefani Collection Blush Palette ($45)

ud gwen stefani blush palette — The UD Gwen Stefani Blush Palette

How cool is that packaging for the Blush Palette? I definitely think this one is worth considering, but ideally for lighter lords and ladies.

In the palette you get two powder blushes (a shimmery cool pink and a shimmery golden plum), three powder highlighters (a shimmery golden beige, shimmery peachy beige and an opalescent peachy pink) and a warm matte orangey brown powder bronzer, and while I like how soft the powders feel and how they last all day long, a couple of the colors look — how should I say this? — a tad wonky.

ud gwen stefani blush palette packaging — Packaging for the UD Gwen Stefani Blush Palette

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Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Collection First Look and Swatches

January 7th, 2016 by Karen 38 Comments

I realize that the “L.A.M.B.” in Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. line stands for “Love, Angel, Music, Baby,” but can we please pretend for a sec that it stands for “Love, Angel, Makeup, Baby”?

Because, makeup? Pretty please? It makes sense when you consider Gwen’s new collaboration collection with Urban Decay, UD Gwen Stefani.

Think of it as a part deux extension of last year’s UD Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette. There are lipsticks galore (and, hello! — it wouldn’t be a G.Stef collab without rockin’ reds), lip pencils, a blush palette and a brow box.

Here are swatches and pics of the whole kit and caboodle, but I need a little more time with these products to canoodle (!), then I’ll holla back, girl (haha, you know I couldn’t resist), with some looks and the full scoop.

I’m lovin’ the reds, especially the matte red, 714. Very bright. And I like the packaging. That gold and black seems very Gwen.

I was a little bummed when I swatched Ex-Girlfriend, one of the Lipsticks, because it was so creamy that the lipstick bullet broke. 🙁 And I won’t be able to use the Brow Box, because it’s for blondes…so in this case, I guess blonde’s really do have more fun.

The Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Collection

(1) Blush Palette — $45

(8) Lipsticks — $18 each

(6) Lip Pencils — $20 each

(1) Brow Box — $30

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NARS Spring 2016 Collection First Impressions & Swatches

January 6th, 2016 by Karen 16 Comments

There’s a video review in this post, but if it’s not appearing, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

Ya know, I never would have thought to wear icy mint with rose gold — never in a million years! — but because NARS is NARS, for some reason, they go together. Who knew?! I sure as heck didn’t.

I really appreciate how NARS gets me out of my usual color comfort zone, and it’s their unexpected color combos that I think make their seasonal collections some of the most interesting ones around.

This year for spring 2016 we get a small, succinct NARS launch of nine products — about half of them eye products, half lips products, and a powder blush — mostly in sweet rosy and beige tones.

There’s also that icy mint up in the mix and a shimmery blue for a fun, springy touch.

I tried something a little different with this video by filming my first impressions as I use each of the products.

Um…please excuse mah crazy hair! It’s been raining cats and kittens here in NorCal this week, and I haven’t wanted to bother, LOL!

The NARS Spring 2016 Nouvelle Vogue collection…

Tarvos Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow, an icy mint ($29)
Cressida Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow, a shimmering midnight blue ($29)
Kari Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow, a soft rosy pink ($29)
Hammamet Duo Eyeshadow, a matte beige and a bronze rose ($35, limited edition)
Impassioned Blush, a pink orchid ($30)
Instant Crash Lip Gloss, a soft shimmering apricot ($26, limited edition)
Vida Loca Lip Gloss, a guava ($26, limited edition)
Rosecliff Lipsticks, a soft rose ($28)
Banned Red Lipstick, a mulled wine ($28)
Available January 15 at NARS boutiques and narscosmetics.com, and February 1 at NARS counters

As always, thank you for watching!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Faerie Whispers Collection: First Look

December 8th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

mac faerie whispers collection foiled eyeshadows 1 — MAC Faerie Whispers collection Foiled Shadows from the left: In Your Eyes, Feminine Wiles and Sweet Illusion ($20 each)

What do fairy (or faerie) whispers sound like?

I think it’s safe to assume they aren’t incredibly loud. Because of the whispering. Obvs… And I imagine they’re also high pitched and chipper, kind of like a piccolo.

A well-played piccolo, because a badly played piccolo is… NUH-UH. Trust me, as a former flautist, I know this.

I think that if a MAC Faerie were to flitter along — and this isn’t the first (or second or tenth) time I’ve fantasized about MAC fairies before, LOL! — she’d likely land on your shoulder and softly say into your ear, “Hello! Ooh, I love eyeshadow! Would you like to talk about it?”

Clearly, I spent too much of my childhood in an imaginary world…

Actually, I’ve also spent most of my adulthood in an imaginary world, LOL!

mac faerie whispers collection foiled eyeshadows 2 — MAC Faerie Whispers collection Foiled Shadows in Fairy Land (left) and Enchanted Forest (right), $20 each

mac faerie whispers beauty powder — MAC Faerie Whispers Collection Beauty Powders in Pearl Sunshine (left) and Sparkling Rose (right), $22 each

MAC regularly releases a collection shortly after Christmas each year, and this year, that collection is the very spring-like, glowing, ethereal MAC Faerie Whispers.

Most of the time, their post-Christmas collections lean sort of cool in terms of color temps, but this one has a lot of warm tones in it. It arrives December 23 on the MAC website and flutters into stores and counters December 26, where it remains through February 6 next year.

MAC Faerie Whispers Collection Powder Blushes in Cheek Pollen (left) and Spellbinder (right), $22 each — MAC Faerie Whispers collection Powder Blushes in Cheek Pollen (left) and Spellbinder (right), $22 each

mac faerie whispers lipsticks — MAC Faerie Whispers collection Lipsticks from the left: Lustre Lipstick in Gossamer Wing, Frost Lipstick in A Sprinkle of Magic, Cremesheen Lipstick in Midsummer Night and Cremesheen Lipstick in Among the Fireflies ($17 each)

This is just a quick overview while I continue testing the products, and I’ll have a more detailed review in a few days.

But my first impressions? Shine. Various degrees of it, from subtle sheen to lustrous metallic.

As for the big news, it’s probably the new Foiled Shadows, a completely new formulation. I popped a couple of them on my eyes this morning… Incidentally, I’m wearing two different eye looks right now! One eye is completely purple, and the other one is golden brown, and so today will probably be the day when at least 10 different people knock on my door and I have to answer it this way.

But I digress…

mac faerie whispers cremesheen glass — MAC Faerie Whispers collection Cremesheen Glasses from the left: Softly Lit, Calypso Beat, Just Superb and Enchanter ($20 each)

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