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5 Ways To Go From the Office to Your After-Work Party With the RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Collection

October 28th, 2013 by Karen 47 Comments

MAC RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Collection — Go straight from work to your after-work party with the new RiRi Hearts MAC holiday collection

It’s almost that time…

Yup, it’s almost — GASP! — the holidays! YIKES!

If your calendar includes after-work fetes, congrats. But how ya gonna get to all those shindigs on time?

Between the TPS reports piling up on your desk (you and me both, babe) and your overflowing email inbox (with tasks like “organize feather toys for feline employer” marked as, “URGENT”), who has time to transform herself from cubicle cutie to party hottie?

Not to worry, fellow MAC mavens and makeup lovahs. The new RiRi Hearts MAC holiday collection has you covered.

The New RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Collectiono, coming December 2013 to all MAC locations in North America and internationally except China — Ten of the 11 pieces from the new RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Collection, coming December 2013

The new 11-piece limited edition collection is loaded with products perfect for going from the office to your after-work parties.

You can even employ these quick and easy party prep tricks from your desk. Just make sure your office crush isn’t lurking…because it’s kind of weird when someone you like hangs around to watch you line your water lines.

Trust me on this.

1. Swap that daytime nude lipstick for a bright, bold shade.

MAC RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Collection: RiRi Woo, Pleasure Bomb and Badgal RiRi Lipsticks — Lipsticks from the left: Pleasure Bomb (a matte fuchsia with a Matte finish), RiRi Woo (a matte cool red with a Retro Matte finish), and Badgal RiRi (a taupe-y nude with a Matte finish); $16.50 US and $20 CAN each

Nude lipsticks like taupe-y nude Bad Gal RiRi keep you looking polished and professional throughout the day, even when you’re this close to beating the crap out of that prehistoric copy machine (why is that thing always broken!?).

MAC RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Bad Gal RiRi Lipstick — Rockin’ the cubicle with Bad Gal RiRi Lipstick on my lips…

But when quittin’ time rolls around, swap that nude lippie for a brighter shade, like cool red RiRi Woo or fuchshia Pleasure Bomb.

BOOM! Just like that, you’re one big step closer to a party-ready look.

MAC RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Pleasure Bomb Lipstick — Getting ready for the party with Pleasure Bomb Lipstick; Nail Lacquer in RiRi Woo ($17.40) on my fingertips

A bright lip pumps up the jam but takes very little effort. Plus, this one’s long-wearing matte finish photographs very well, and it’ll last through dinner and drinks, so you won’t even have to touch-up throughout the evening.

MAC RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Collection Lipstick Swatches from the left: Bad Gal RiRi, RiRi Woo and Pleasure Bomb — Lipstick swatches from the left: Bad Gal RiRi, RiRi Woo and Pleasure Bomb

RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday Bad Gal RiRi Lipstick — Bad Gal RiRi

MAC RiRi Hearts MAC Holiday RiRi Woo Lipstick — RiRi Woo

MAC RiRI Hearts MAC Holiday Collection: Pleasure Bomb Lipstick — Pleasure Bomb

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There’s Lots of One-Coat Color To Love in the New China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection, Part 2

October 23rd, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

The new China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze collection is so good…

(How good is it?)

It’s so good that you just might lose yourself while painting your paws and forget to remove your hot rollers.

LOL!

Please forgive the above picture. It started as a two-minute makeup look (brows, concealer, gloss), but I didn’t make it through the rest of the process before being distracted by all the one-coaters (ONE COAT!) in the second half of this new 12-piece holiday collection (if you missed it, here’s part one).

It’s the chrome finishes, man!

Glitters and textured polishes usually steal the spotlight, and yes, there’s gobs of glitter and show-stopping textures among the six shades here, but if you’re the kind of gal/guy who loves mad pigment from a single layer, you have lots to look forward to in this limited edition release, which lands on shelves next month.

For pics of the first half of this collection, check out May Your Days Be Merry and Bright With the China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection, Part 1

China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection: Elfin Around — Elfin’ Around, a red rust with a shiny chrome-like finish

Elfin’ Around, a bright red polish with a hint of copper, only needs a single layer. It should look lovely on paws/claws attached to lacquer lovers with warm skin.

China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection: Just Be-Claws — Just Be-Claws, a red, also with a shiny aluminum-like/chrome finish

I really dig the fine flecks of glitter in Just Be-Claws, another one-coater from the collection. It’s subtle in the way that Chanel is. Save it for toes and your most festive strappy sandals.

China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection: Santa Red My List — Santa Red My List, a pinkish red with the same aluminum-like finish

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May Your Days Be Merry and Bright With the China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection, Part 1

October 22nd, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

Bells will be ringing and fingernails will be blinging when the new China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection arrives next month.

Glitters and shiny chromes twinkle, twinkle like little stars in the limited edition 12-piece release, so if it’s the sparkly stuff that stokes your fire, BLING!

Here’s a sneak peek at the first half of the collection. Stay tuned for the second six very soon (tomorrow).

China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection: Your Present Required — Your Present Required, a multicolored glitter-fest of glittery hexagons

Teal and purple flecks fill Your Present Required, a multicolored glitter-fest with a clear base.

I’m wearing three coats in the pic above…

China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection: Bells Will Be Blinging — Bells Will Be Blinging, a blue and gold multicolored glitter

Glitter comes in all shapes and sizes, from little bits to longer bars, when the Bells Will Be Blinging. They almost create a speckled egg effect, don’t you think?

In that pic above, I’m wearing two coats.

China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection: All Wrapped Up — All Wrapped Up, a midnight purple and blue glitter

Purplish blue All Wrapped Up looks downright Zoya-esque with its fine gritty finish. If you like tactile treats and textured nails, give this one a whirl. I’m wearing two coats here.

China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection: This Is Tree-Mendous — This Is Tree-Mendous, a green with fine golden glitter

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The MAC Divine Night Collection Makes It Easy To Stay Frosty

October 21st, 2013 by Karen 20 Comments

The last time I felt this frosty was about 10 years ago when I almost finished an entire jar of Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting during an all-night Sex and the City-watching marathon.

What can I say? The Aiden years make me stress eat. Carrie should’ve ended up with him…

Anywho, the frostiness. There’s lots of it in MAC’s new Divine Night holiday collection — lots of frosty finishes.

MAC Divine Night Eyeshadows — MAC Divine Night Mineralize Eye Shadows ($25 US and $27.50 CAN)

The MAC Divine Night Mineralize Eye Shadows, clockwise from the purple pan in the lower left:

Past Midnight — blackish purple with a violet pearl base on the outside, and a soft white with pink frost on the inside
Gilded Night — bright gold with a silver pearl base on the outside, and a black with pearl on the inside
Captivating — a bright white gold base on the outside, and a deep gold on the inside
Tonight’s Temptation — black with pearl base on the outside, and a royal blue on the inside
Exquisite Ego — bronze base on the outside, and soft white champagne on the inside

MAC Divine Night Mineralize Skinfinishes ($33 US and $38.50 CAN)

Clockwise from the light pink pan in the lower left:

Centre of Attention — a pastel peach pink with pink shimmer on the outside, and a 24K gold shimmer on the inside
Perfectly Poised — a bronzy coral with golden tones on the outside, and a creamy beige with a pinkish purple sheen on the inside
Scene to Be Seen — a mauve with a pink sheen on the outside, and a brick rose with golden reflects on the inside

MAC Divine Night Blush — MAC Divine Night Mineralize Blushes ($27.50 US and $32.50 CAN)

The MAC Divine Night Mineralize Blushes, clockwise from the plum pan on the bottom:

Lavish Living — a violet with a silver pearl base with golden pearl and a Satin finish
Talk of the Town — a warm brown base with yellow bronze and a Satin finish
Lured to Love — a coral pink base with pink frost and a Satin finish

The MAC Divine Night Fluidlines, clockwise from the purple pot:

Macroviolet — a deep smoked violet with reddish pearl
Deliciously Rich — a shimmering dirty taupe
Stares & Speculation — a dirty olive with golden pearl

MAC Divine Night Lipsticks ($16.50 US and $20 CAN)

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The Illuminati Doesn’t Stand a Chance Against the Orly Secret Society Holiday Collection

October 15th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

Pssst…

Come here. NO! Don’t look. Keep your eyes down. Walk toward me, but don’t look like you’re walking toward me. Act like you’re examining the sidewalk, but then mosey on up next to me.

There, that’s it. Shh… Act cool. Now I have a proposition for you…

Before you answer, you should know something, though: it’s a Voyeuristic Adventure.

Orly Voyeuristic Adventure — Two coats of Voyeuristic Adventure, a cool-toned rosy golden chrome

I was going to do it alone, but then I thought, whom do I know who likes secret societies and masquerade balls?

Oh, yeah! You. 🙂 Care to accompany me? It’s a Masked Ceremony…

Orly Masked Ceremony — Two coats of Masked Ceremony, a glittery black and silver with big square bits of silver glitter and hexagonal flecks of purple glitter

As far as what we should wear, it’s a Macabre Masquerade.

Orly Macabre Masquerade — Three coats of Macabre Masquerade, a glittery multicolored royal blue with gold, red, green and purple glitter (I’m wearing three coats here, but I think two coats would have been enough)

Yup, it’s supposed to be quite the Lavish Bash, so I’m thinking formal attire and painted paws.

Orly Lavish Bash — Two coats of Lavish Bash, a sheer golden glitter with multicolored rectangular and hexagonal glitter. Incidentally, this one looks much more colorful in real life than it does in this pic. The colors create an almost holographic rainbow effect.

If we walk in with bare nails, the host may wonder if were even invited. We don’t want anyone asking us, “What’s the Password?” Because I actually forgot it in my car (my bad).

Orly What's the Password — Two coats of What’s the Password, a glittery golden orange

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Glitz, Glitter and Glam Steal the Spotlight in the OPI Mariah Carey Holiday 2013 Collection

October 11th, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

You don’t have to admit to watching Glitter, Mariah Carey’s cinematic tour de force, to love the new OPI Mariah Carey Holiday Collection, but an appreciation for sparkly stuff certainly helps.

The new limited edition collection glistens with glitter, and gobs of it. Fifteen of the 18 bottles blaze brighter than the twinkle in Mimi’s eye when she’s in the spotlight, as giant stage fans whip her hair into full-on diva mode, and she does that thing where she sings along to the high notes with her hands.

You know what I’m talking about. 🙂

Yeah, I’ll come clean. I saw Glitter in the theater…ON OPENING DAY! And yes, I’ve seen Mariah in concert (I even wore jeans that were frayed at the waistline, coupled with a crocheted crop top, BAM!), and I own most of her CDs. Even the hard-to-find remixes.

Team Mimi, y’all! — is all I have to say.

So yeah, I’m a Mariah fan, and I hummed Dreamlover when I heard about the new collection (available now at professional salons, Pure Beauty stores and Ulta, and coming soon online, for $9 a bottle, or $10.95 CAD).

The rich reds, golds and burgundies in the release made me feel plenty of Emotions as I swatched them in my bathroom today…

And because we’re talking about Mimi, of course there’s a healthy dose of glitz and glitter here, which the gals/guys who like to sparkle should welcome with Open Arms.

If, rather, you prefer textured polishes, you might find the six Liquid Sand shades Irresistible.

Take a peek down below, and let me know which of these is your number one. I’m wearing two coats of each.

OPI All I Want For Christmas (Is OPI) — All I Want For Christmas (Is OPI), a maroon

OPI Cute Little Vixen — Cute Little Vixen, a deep reddish violet

OPI In My Santa Suit — In My Santa Suit, a pearly red

OPI Warm Me Up — Warm Me Up, a dark brown-gray with pearl

OPI Sleigh Ride For Two — Sleigh Ride For Two, a dark chocolate burgundy with pearl

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A Closer Look at the Lovely NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Collection

October 10th, 2013 by Karen 35 Comments

NARS Exhibit A Blush — Wearing Exhibit A Blush, Mississippi Cinematic Eyeshadow and Goodbye Emmanuelle Cinematic Lipstick from the new NARS Guy Bourdin collection

Earlier this week, the day after I posted a quick look at this collection, I learned that the release, specifically the tie-in to Guy Bourdin’s sometimes dark, disturbing photography, sparked a controversy. I’ve decided to cover the collection because I see this as an issue of art, personal preference and freedom of expression. As someone who was in an abusive relationship, I could say more, but I don’t intend to say anything further about it in public.

The Blushes ($29 each)

The first products I ever fell in love with from NARS were their blushes (can I get a what-what for Amour?!), and the blushes in this release reminded me of that. The brand has some of the best blushes around. In classic NARS fashion, the three here in the Guy Bourdin collection last all day long, look natural, and I don’t have to load a dozen layers on my cheeks to see them.

NARS Exhibit A — Blush in Exhibit A, a matte vivid red

First, there’s Exhibit A, a re-promote from the permanent line. It’s a vivid red with a matte finish…

NARS Coeur Battant — Blush in Coeur Battant, a magenta

Then, there’s Coeur Battant, also a matte, but this one’s an intense magenta.

NARS Day Dream — Blush in Day Dream, a peachy pink

Lastly, there’s Day Dream, a peachy pink with an opalescent, almost angelic shimmer.

The big theme here? Pigment. One or two swipes across each of these pans is all it takes for bright color on both cheeks. For reals! Even Day Dream, which I thought I’d have to layer, only requires a couple swipes.

But because these blushes lay down lots of color, they can be very tricky to use. Even with a light touch, it’s easy to go overboard with them (at least for me). If you’ve never worn blush before, you might want to go for something sheerer. There are lots of great beginner’s blushes out there, but I don’t think these three are among them.

If, on the other hand, you’re already comfortable with blush (or if you’re just an adventurous beginner), you should be totally fine.

And yeah, I know you’ve got mad blush skills, yo! — but still, I’d opt for either a skunk brush or a fan brush, instead of a regular blush brush, to avoid over-applying. Might as well make it easier on yourself, ya know?

MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

NARS Day Dream Blush — Blush in Day Dream

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With a Bold Performance, the Inglot Pippin Collection Puts on Quite a Show

October 9th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

A long time ago (the ’90s), in a galaxy far, far away (high school), I proudly wore the badge of “Musical Theater Nerd.”

Still do, actually. It was one of the best times of my life, and I think that when you still know the lines to West Side Story after 20-something years (that’s what a few hundred hours of rehearsals will do to you), they should send you a “Musical Theater Nerd” lifetime membership card…

Memories of old rehearsals came flooding back to me when I’d heard that Inglot was collaborating with the Broadway musical, Pippin.

The brand is currently sponsoring the makeup for the Tony-Award winning production, which is running now in New York (I’ve never seen it but would love to), and the new nine-piece Pippen collection commemorates the show.

If bold blues, reds and golds — and gobs o’ glitter — make you belt show tunes, you can wear these pieces for eyes, cheeks, lips and bods while you perform. 🙂

Inglot AMC Pure Pigments Eyeshadow 19 — AMC Pure Pigments Eyeshadow in 19, $14

Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadows 155 426 — Freedom System Eyeshadows 426 Pearl (blue shade) and 155 Shine (gold shade), $6 each

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