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Makeup

The NARS Audacious Collection for Fall 2016, and Apoline, My New Favorite Pink Lip

August 23rd, 2016 by Karen 26 Comments

nars audacious collection
The five new NARS Audacious Lipsticks from the Audacious Collection

François, homeboy, I know you’re busy — what with selling your Bora Bora island and working to create the best lipglosses on the planet — so you’ve got, like, NO spare time, but couldn’t you have squeezed in a few minutes to name one of your five new Audacious Lipsticks “Karen”?

I mean, it’s not like I’m asking you to get a prison tattoo of my face on your forearm. ALL I WANT IS A LIPSTICK NAMED KAREN.

Is that too much to ask?

nars audacious collection lipsticks
The five new NARS Audacious Lipsticks from top to bottom in Apoline, Mona, Kate, Stefania and Shirley

I’m not the only Karen, and I suspect that most of us would love to have our name on our very own Audacious Lipstick. I imagine that having one would feel really great, like discovering that you’ve been made an honorary member of Salt ‘n’ Pepa and En Vogue.

This time around, Apoline, Shirley, Stefania, Kate and Mona get the honor, and they’re part of the new NARS Audacious Fall Collection, which launched August 15 at NARS boutiques and the NARS website and arrives September 1 to Sephora.

I’d lipsticks could talk, I’d ask these, “Why are you so creamy and opaque? Why don’t you ever settle into my fine lines? WHY DO I LOVE YOU SO MUCH?”

From this batch, I’m all about Apoline (the pink rose) and Stefania (the deep fuchsia), because they’re pink, and I’m predictable that way, haha.

But I also think that Shirley (the crimson), Kate (the purple orchid) and Mona (the mahogany) are pretty, too.

The NARS Audacious Collection also includes a completely new line of potted brow creams called…the Brow Defining Creams.

Available in four colors, they feel drier than a MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme to me and are slightly less pigmented, but in this case, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, because if I had a dollar for every time I tried a product like these and accidentally “Instagram browed” myself beyond oblivion, I’d have enough money to buy that Bora Bora island from François myself.

I usually steer clear of brow products like these for that reason — because of how intense they usually are — but these are just pigmented enough to fill in the sparse spots without leaving my brows looking heavy or overdone. The results look very natural, which makes me want to kiss François on both cheeks. 🙂

They’re $23 each and available in Sonoran (a blonde), El Djouf (a light brown), Tanami (an auburn) and Danakil (a dark brown).

nars brow defining cream
The NARS Brow Defining Creams from the top to bottom in Sonoran, Tanami, El Djouf and Danakil

There are also two new dark, pigmented Unrestricted Eyeliner Stylo liquid liners. Both are black and $27, but one has a matte finish and the other is satin.

The only thing is, I’m a flexible felt tip gal, and these have a stiff tip, so my lines end up with shaky, mousey, unsure edges, and I prefer my lines to say, “If need be, I will cut a b*tch.”

nars unrestricted eyeliner stylo
NARS Unrestricted Eyeliner Stylo in Matte and Satin

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There are 26 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Collections, Makeup, NARS, Product Reviews

Too Cool for School Artify Max in Pocket Lip Balm

August 20th, 2016 by Karen 19 Comments

too cool for school artify max in pocket 1
$12 Too Cool for School Artify Max in Pocket Lip Balms in #1 Kiss Kiss (top) and #2 Pink Pink (bottom)

“Girl, you are lookin’ FLY today in those dope-@ss earrings.”

These are the new $12 Artify Max in Pocket Lip Balms from Too Cool for School. They’re available in three shades, and the one I’m wearing is #2 Pink Pink.

too cool for school artify max in pocket k2
HAAAAY

I wore these everywhere yesterday, and I got SO MANY compliments on my jewelry…

Haha, totally kidding. 🙂 But far be it from me to deny one’s inner diva urges to over-accessorize. I LIVE to over-accessorize.

Cute in a “DAMN, is that cat rockin’ a monobrow?!” sort of way, the Too Cool for School Artify Max In Pocket Lip Balms are actually lip glosses.

too cool for school artify max in pocket 2
Too Cool for School Artify Max in Pocket Lip Balms in #1 Kiss Kiss (top) and #2 Pink Pink (bottom)

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There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Collections, Lips, Makeup, Product Reviews, Too Cool for School

Dior Parisian Sky Eyeshadow Palette #506

August 19th, 2016 by Karen 17 Comments

dior parisian sky
The $63 (!) Dior Parisian Sky Eyeshadow Palette

Hair flips ? and air kisses ??? to reader Tatiana for pointing out to me that the design on the pans in the new Dior Parisian Sky Eyeshadow Palette look like the frame of the Eiffel Tower’s arches.

Seriously, how did I not see that??

Actually, wait — I know how. I’ve had a sh*t ton on my mind lately! And there’s only so much space up there between the makeup and the cats and the crawling, teething baby…

Hoh! But Dior’s attention to detail is a surefire recipe for lusty-lust.

dior parisian sky
Details, details!

First things first, feel free to call me whatever you want — whether it be “hoarder of all the brown shadows” or “neutrals, sucka!” or “last person on earth who needs another palette of earthy golden browns.” Seriously, call me whatever colorful nicknames you can come up with to describe someone who loves browns because…what can I say? I love browns. 🙂 And this palette doesn’t have just one or two of them. It has three, and they make me wanna do the Snake, and the Robot, and the Running Man. At the same time.

THEY ARE RESPLENDENT!

I mean, who gets emo about browns? THIS CHICK RIGHT HURR.

dior parisian sky swatches
Dior Parisian Sky swatches

Even though I like them both equally, I think I’ll get more use out of this palette than the purple-powered Dior Capital of Light Eyeshadow Palette #806 we looked at a few days ago.

There’s a dark warm reddish brown that looks like an eyeshadow version of MAC Teddy liner; a glossy, medium golden brown similar to a supercharged version of MAC Soba eyeshadow; and a light and juicy peachy gold brown.

All three glow with Dior’s signature finish that goes easy on the fine lines, and they feel smoother than the sound of LL Cool J whispering “I need love” in yo’ ear…

I mixed all three of them on my lids for a smoky brown eye fest today.

Oh, and FYI, that darkest brown shade? It’s SO not playin’.

dior parisian sky

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There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Dior, Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews

Get Glossy Gorgeousness AND a Creamy Finish With the NARS Velvet Lip Glides

August 17th, 2016 by Karen 32 Comments

nars velvet lip glide
The $26 NARS Velvet Lip Glides

You know what happens when you say to Siri, “Yo, Siri, take me to the nexus of liquid lipstick and gloss!” and you hop into your Honda Civic (that you lovingly refer to as “Murray”), and Siri keeps saying nonsensical things like, “Keep right, then keep right,” and even though you’re thinking, “Siri, you WACK, girl,” you listen to her anyway, because you have a feeling that you’ll still end up someplace good?

And then you roll up to this little slice of NARS heaven known as the NARS Velvet Lip Glides, and you think to yourself, THANK YOU, LAWD, FOR HOOP EARRINGS, PIZZA SLICES AND THE NEW NARS VELVET LIP GLIDES?

nars velvet lip glide doe foot
The NARS Velvet Lip Glide doe-foot

Yup, NARS did it again.

Just plunge an arrow — and don’t even bother with the bow — straight into my makeup-loving heart, because these liquid lipsticks (Or are they glosses? It’s hard to tell…) are true love. Like, I could dance with them at a wedding, and I’d see our entire future together.

nars velvet lip glide danceteria
Wearing NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Danceteria

Basically, these are… Honestly, I can’t figure out how to classify them. They feel like medium-weight, non-sticky glosses similar to the MAC Cremesheens, but they pack a lot of pigment and look like liquid lipsticks…except that they have a creamy finish, so they don’t dry up like liquid lipsticks, which means that your lips don’t end up looking like a cat butt. 🙂

They start off moderately shiny and stay that way for about an hour before wearing down to a soft matte finish. I find that I usually have to reapply them after about three hours.

nars velvet lip glide bound
Wearing NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound

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There are 32 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, Makeup, NARS, Product Reviews

Dior Capital of Light Eyeshadow Palette #806

August 16th, 2016 by Karen 43 Comments

dior capital of light
Dior Capital of Light Eyeshadow Palette ($63)

You can tell that your to-do list has exploded when you LOVE wearing smokey eyes — and it’s a love so massive that it makes stars collapse on themselves — but you can’t remember the last time you actually wore them.

Was it June? Wait, no — July?

I honestly can’t remember.

But I had to go there today when I opened the Dior Capital of Light Eyeshadow Palette #806.

THAT KHAKI THOUGH!

dior capital of light
Dior Capital of Light Eyeshadow Palette

It’s from the new Dior Fall 2016 Skyline collection.

But before I get to that…how’s it going? I miss you. 🙁 What’s new in your neck of the woods?

I’ve still had my face buried in that secret project I mentioned last week (was it last week?), and it’s been taking up most of my non-Connor Claire time. But now it’s almost, almost done.

Almost.

I’m putting the finishing touches on it, and I’m very excited. I’ve never done anything like it before.

But it has been taking a lot of time, so I haven’t had a lot of time left to experiment with makeup.

Except for this limited edition Dior palette, of course. I found the time for this palette. 🙂

I’m wearing a mix of the khaki shade and the gold shade on my lids with the dark purple on my lash lines as liner. And I also dabbed a tiny touch of the beige in my inner corners.

dior capital of light

As for the price, it’s Dior, so brace yourself… It’s $63 (it’s Dior), and if you can stop your hoop earrings from quivering due to the sticker shock right now, take a second to admire the flawless Dior shimmer. I think it’s one of things the brand always does well.

dior capital of light k

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There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Dior, Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews

Guerlain Terracotta Pause d’Eté for the Crème de la Crème of Bronzing Bad-@ssery

August 11th, 2016 by Karen 22 Comments

guerlain terracotta pause dete

I don’t know which is more breathtaking — the intricate braided design on the Guerlain Terracotta Pause D’Ete Bronzing Powder Duo pan or its breathtaking price.

$86.

I KNOW.

Both are equally able to knock the wind out of you.

When I think of high-end, crème de la crème bronzing bad-@ssery, Guerlain is the first brand that comes to mind (Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder Duo in 03 Naturel Brunettes is always in my makeup bag). Whenever I wear their easy, effortless, beautifully buttery bronzers, I feel like I’ve been kissed by the sun…even when I haven’t spent any time in it.

Unfortunately, they’re also expensive.

guerlain terracotta pause dete 1

This summer their Terracotta Pause d’Eté bronzer pan has three powder parts — a brown powder ring of Guerlain Terracotta shade in 03, and a golden braided overspray (which blends away after a few uses) surrounding a peachy blush center.

Mixing the three together creates a warm peachy brown with a hint of golden pearl that reminds me a little of MAC Gingerly Blush, which is probably why I’m into it. I’ve been into barely-there cheek color lately (it’s a phase), but you can build up the intensity.

guerlain terracotta pause dete swatch

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There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, Guerlain, Makeup, Product Reviews

I’m Stuck on the Totally Cute Too Faced Totally Cute Palette

August 4th, 2016 by Karen 12 Comments

too faced totally cute
The $36 Too Faced Totally Cute Palette (WITH STICKERS!)

Is this supposed to be for adults, or for children? Or adults who act like children?

I don’t even care because it’s totally cute. The $36 Too Faced Totally Cute Palette is…totally cute.

It comes with two sheets of stickers — not one, but two! — which are adorable to the Nth degree.

too faced totally cute stickers
Sticker time!

The 10-year-old version of Karen (the one who hoarded ALL THE LISA FRANK) only wishes there was also a unicorn.

Oh, wait…

too faced totally cute unicorn

too-faced-totally-cute

And if you ever get past the stickers, there’s also a palette (haha!) with nine brand new powder eyeshadows shades — three warm matte neutrals (yay!), two shimmery beige highlighting shades and four jewel tones, all of which blend with the preternatural smoothness of a silky unicorn’s mane.

too faced- totally cute inside

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There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Too Faced

What Are Your Winged Liner Woes?

August 4th, 2016 by Karen 37 Comments

too-faced-sketch-markers

I’ve been thinking a lot about winged liner (a.k.a. cat eyeliner) lately.

More than usual.

Maybe it’s because of all the liners that’ve been launching lately, like the colorful Too Faced Sketch Marker Liquid Art Eyeliners at the top.

How often do you think about winged liner? How often do you wear it? And what are your winged liner woes and struggles? I’d like to help.

Are your wings always uneven? Are your lash lines always a different thickness? Whatever your winged liner woes, tell me about them in the comments. Maybe I can help. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 37 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup, Too Faced

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