Makeup

The NARS 413 BLKR Cheek & Lip Palette

June 21st, 2016 by Karen 24 Comments

Another lovely day, another lovely NARS cheek palette.

Whoops! I misspoke. I meant to say, “another lovely NARS cheek and lip palette,” because the new NARS 413 BLKR Cheek & Lip Palette doesn’t only contain blushes. It also comes with a gorgeous matte lip pencil.

So what is heck is a 413 BLKR? Is it a secret pager code, or the code to a hidden door at NARS headquarters, where if you type it on the keypad, François Nars answers the door and says, “Bonjour ma chère! Have a macaron, and let me do your makeup, you gorgeous girl”?

Um…no, although that would be dope, wouldn’t it?

413 BLKR is the physical address of the NARS flagship store in New York, and it’s also the name of a special collection of NARS products inspired by New York.

The NARS 413 BLKR Cheek & Lip Palette also contains three brand new cheek colors and, if you have a thing for rosy, plummy tones, you just might freak out. But in a good way.

Starting from the left, there’s a light opalescent pinky rose blush that can also double as a highlighter on darker skin tones, then a mid-toned satiny rose with hints of plum and gold, then a satiny deep plum, and finally, on the far right — sigh! — good old golden tan Laguna. Because, obvs, it just wouldn’t be a NARS blush palette without Laguna up in the mix…

Side note: The cheek powders in this palette have that traditional NARS powder formula, unlike the formula of the powders in the Dual-Intensity Palette I reviewed yesterday.

So these blushes aren’t as compressed into their pans as those Dual Intensity Blushes, and you should see more powder particles partying (moving) when you swipe your brush atop the pans.

As you know, Laguna has been around since the Cretaceous Period (can anybody even remember a time before Laguna?), and the 413 BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil has been kickin’ it old-school since 2012, so the fresh and summery rose and plum blushes are the new recruits.

If you wear many rosy purples, plums or cooler-toned hot pink lip colors, these cheek colors should go really well with any of them. I bet you’d get a lot of mileage out of this palette.

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Reflections on the Eminently Blend-able $59 NARS Dual-Intensity Cheek Palette

June 20th, 2016 by Karen 28 Comments

narsissist dual intensity cheek palette — NARSissist Dual-Intensity Cheek Palette shades from the left in I Soft Tulle, II Damask with Gold Sheen, III Peony and IV Titian

Mirror, mirror on the wall…

OK, I was about two seconds away from quoting De La Soul right there.

Where was I going with this?

Oh, yeah! Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the cheekiest NARSissist of them all?

Why, it’s you, my dear, because when you marvel at the NARSissist Dual-Intensity Cheek Palette packaging, you see yourself. 🙂 You’re the star because there’s a mirror right there on the packaging.

You can use it to check your teeth for bits of food, or stare at your gorgeous mug all day long. It’s up to you.

I mean, it’s just a mirror, but it never hurts to have an extra mirror around, ya know? As long as you don’t get so caught up in your reflection that you forget to eat (see: Narcissus).

Anyways, enough prattle! Have you noticed that NARS has been churning out palettes like WHOA for the past few years? With old-school NARS, it was all about the individual pieces from their limited edition collections, along with an occasional palette sprinkled in here and there, but somewhere along the way they became all about the palettes, which is also cool.

This one is new and arrives July 1st at NARS boutiques and online at the NARS website, and then at Sephora and NARS counters in department stores August 1st.

It’s $59 and holds four fresh, new Dual-Intensity Blushes, with a highlighter, a blush and two contouring shades. From left to right, you’ve got Soft Tulle, Damask with Gold Sheen, Peony and Titian. And on the back of palette, the blushes are named with Roman numerals — I, II, III and IV.

The thing about the Dual-Intensity Blushes is that they’re kind of, like, packed down…so when you run your brush across them, your brush doesn’t kick up a bunch of big ol’ powder grains, like what happens with most powder products. The powders are very finely milled and smooth.

narsissist dual intensity cheek palette damask — Wearing I Soft Tulle on my upper cheek bones and II Damask on my cheeks

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A Bad-@ss Blush Saves the Essence How to Make Your Face Glow Makeup Box for Me

June 17th, 2016 by Jen Clark 7 Comments

Essence Makeup Boxes in How To Make Your Face Glow and How To Make Bright Eyes — Essence Makeup Boxes in How To Make Your Face Glow ($9.99) and How To Make Bright Eyes ($9.99)

What up, people! Let’s talk about some affordable makeup today. I’ve been low-key obsessed with Essence for the past little while. I mean, this is only like my third post about them in the last couple months.

I’ve already reviewed the Essence All About Bronze Eye Shadow Palette and the Liquid and Sheer & Shine Lipsticks, and SPOILER ALERT! I love them both.

Next up, a couple of the Essence Makeup Boxes — How To Make Your Face Glow, and How To Make Bright Eyes ($9.99 each at Target). I have lots to say about these, so let’s get started, shall we?

My favorite of the two, by far, is the How To Make Your Face Glow Makeup Box. It’s got a blush, bronzer, and highlighter, and it also comes with cute little instruction cards to teach you where to place the products. That’s always nice for beginners!

I am OBSESSED with the blush, and I would totally spend the $9.99 just to get it by itself.

You know how when a blush is just the most perfect color for you in the world and it makes your face look so bright and awake? I feel like this one does that for me!

The Essence How To Make Your Face Glow Makeup Box ($9.99)

Can you see that blush? Mmm.. so dang good! — Can you see that blush? Mmm… So dang good!

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I’ll Save the First, Last and Every Dance in Between for the Tom Ford Last Dance Eye Quad

June 16th, 2016 by Karen 29 Comments

It’s totally fine if you don’t know the words to Donna Summer’s disco classic, Last Dance, right now, but just know that from this moment onward, whenever I open the Tom Ford Last Dance Eye Quad to marvel at its golden taupe, beige, forest green and glittery midnight blue deliciousness in your presence, you’re going to have to sing the song with me.

Sorry, those are the rules! 🙂

So you’re gonna have to learn the words. Here, you can practice with the video…

When I’m bad, I’m so, so baaaaad!

P.S. When I was in high school, my friend Jen and I would sing Donna Summer songs all day, every day (especially in the car). Yes, I’m a not-so-secret Donna Summer fan.

Now back to the quad!

Somewhere between that first month with Connor, when I was getting, like, no sleep and would go to Panera Bread in my pajamas just to get of the house for 15 minutes (by the way, I was the lady with the unkept hair and dark circles eating the salad and crying), and today, the Tom Ford Last Dance Quad became my go-to Tom Ford eyeshadow quad.

I can’t say that it’s my favorite Tom Ford quad of all time, because upon that pedestal sits the regal Cognac Sable (which, I’ll never understand why, was discontinued!), but it’s definitely up right there.

I love it.

If you lean toward neutrals but also like fun pops of color, you’ll wanna literally AND figuratively dance with this quad.

With higher-end/designer/expensive makeup, in particular, I always feel like if the brand’s charging as much as they are, the makeup had better pass muster.

I ask myself, “Self, is this something I know I’ll be able to wear at least three times a week without getting tired of it?” Because, as you know, there’s a lot of great makeup out there that costs less than $80, and just because something is expensive doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s good.

With pricey products like an $80 Tom Ford quad, OK isn’t good enough. It should be so good that I swoon on my fainting couch!

Thankfully (or, perhaps, unfortunately), the Tom Ford Last Dance Eye Quad isn’t just OK. It’s great. I think it’s fantastic for everyday neutral makeup.

That golden taupe? Oh, gorgeous! Whenever I get it on my lids, I feel like I’m discovering golden taupe for the first time. And the beige? It’s that kind of shiny that isn’t frosty, which is one of Tom Ford’s strengths when it comes to eyeshadow. He’s really good at that glistening, high fashion, glossy (but not frosty’80s-style) look.

Yeah, the two neutrals might not be as dramatic as a crazy rainbow glitter duochrome, but there’s no fallout, they’re hella pigmented, they’re a breeze to blend, they last all day long and, to top it all off, they’re abso-freakin’-lutely gorgeous, and I could wear them every single day.

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How I Strobe With Pur Strobe/Highlight Palettes

June 16th, 2016 by Adia Goss 20 Comments

If you’ve read some of my posts, then you probably know that I LIVE for a good highlight. I am all about that glow! — whether it’s super intense or a bit more subtle.

I’ve been looking forward to trying these two strobe/highlight palettes from PUR Cosmetics since the very first time I heard about them. I’ve been a fan of the brand since I discovered their Hydrafluid Water Serum Foundation.

First up is the Moonlight Glow Strobe Palette, which is the lighter, cooler-toned of the two. From left to right, the colors are Twilight, Lunar and Eclipse.

pur-strobe-palette-moonlight-glow — The PUR Cosmetics Moonlight Glow Strobe Palette

pur-strobe-palette-moonlight-glow-swatches — Swatches of the PUR Moonlight Glow Strobe Palette (L to R): Twilight, Lunar and Eclipse

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The Edgiest Kohl Shadowstick by The Estée Edit Is Certainly Edgier Than Most

June 15th, 2016 by Karen 30 Comments

estee edit edgiest eye kohl — Wearing The Edgiest Kohl Shadowsticks in Iced and Grounded from The Estée Edit ($22 each)

I don’t know if I’d call these “The Edgiest,” because I don’t see Khal Drogo or Robert Smith, who are in my mind two of the edgiest makeup-wearing peeps around, rolling up to a Sephora and making a beeline for The Edgiest Kohl Shadowsticks from The Estée Edit (I see them more as NARS guys), but I’d certainly call them “Edgier Than Most,” or “Somewhat Reasonably Edgy…”

I mean, they aren’t so edgy that I feel tempted to use them to color in my adult coloring books, which, doesn’t that sound funny? As if you’d open a coloring book and see, like, “adult” (airquotes) things in there? Haha, nasty…

FUN FACT: Adult color books are actually just regular coloring books, except they’re for adults, and they’re currently very trendy. And yes, sometimes I’m tempted to color mine in with makeup.

But I digress…

So, these aren’t your standard-issue chunky-monkey shadowsticks, because you can use them on your lids like an eyeshadow or along your water lines and lash lines like a liner (except for the purple shade, which says that it’s only for lids and lash lines), so they’re two-for-one products for $22.

I’m hooked on three of the nine shades — Violet Taboo (a glittery, shimmery violet), Grounded (a pearly brown with a hint of grey) and Iced (a stark white).

All of them feel smooth against my skin, kinda like when you leave ice cream out on the counter for a while and it gets all soft and runny… Thank goodness they’re not like those hard kohl pencils that feel like I’m poking my eyes out with a rough piece of plastic, because those are never fun.

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5 Bright Pink Lipsticks to Brighten Your Complexion and Mood This Summer

June 15th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 33 Comments

Bright Pink Lipsticks Summer — My favorite bright pink lipsticks

My very first lipstick was a bright fuchsia-pink from Maybelline… I can’t remember the name now, but I think it was supposed to have diamond powder in it? (Yeah, right!)

I was 16 at the time, and my best friend Giorgia gave it to me before I left to go to school on the French Riviera for a month. She had the same lipstick, and we used to share it before going out on Saturday night.

Ahhh, good times… 🙂

Since I was a little sad to leave her for a whole month, she gave it to me and said, “Never underestimate the brightening power of bright pink lipstick.”

You know what?

She was totally right!

Not only is bright pink lipstick one of my favorite ways to brighten up my complexion, it also never fails to brighten my mood!

Seriously, try it sometime, and if you need some ideas, here are five of my bright pink lipstick summertime faves.

1. YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in Fuchsia Fetiche ($37)

YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats 208 Fuchsia Fetiche Swatch — What’s my all-time favorite lipstick? It’s YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in 208 Fuchsia Fetiche.

So, in my Orange Beauty Edit post I mentioned that Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame is the one lipstick I’d keep if I had to give up all of my lipsticks but one, but can I take that back? LOL!

Just kidding! I think I’d still choose that one, as not only is it a great lipstick, but it also has sentimental value for me, because I got it last time I was in San Francisco, which is a city I’ve been completely in love with since I spent a year at Cal as an exchange student.

But my favorite, favorite lipstick of all time is YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in 208 Fuchsia Fetiche.

I absolutely adore EVERYTHING about this lipstick. I love how luxuriously long-lasting, beautiful and extremely comfortable it is.

Not to mention, I love the shade! It’s the brightest, most gorgeous raspberry fuchsia I’ve ever seen.

Seriously, gurl, if you’ve never tried the YSL Rouges Pur Couture The Mats, I highly, highly recommend checking them out next time you’re at a counter.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Lost Cherry ($32)

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick Lost Cherry Swatch — Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Lost Cherry has such a lightweight texture that I usually forget I’m even wearing it!

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The Dior Milky Dots Collection for Summer 2016 Is Making Pastel Dreams Come True

June 15th, 2016 by Anna Oh 13 Comments

dior shimmering loose powder 001 — Diorskin Nude Air Summer Glow Shimmering Loose Powder 001

Before I became an illustrator/designer, I worked at Dior. It was one of my part-time jobs in college and a rewarding experience that sparked my love for fashion, luxury, and well…Dior.

I’ll always have a soft spot for the brand. I feel like they do everything with an understated (or, an amazingly dramatic!) elegance.

dior polka dots eyeshadow bain de mer 366 — 5 Couleurs Polka Dots Eyeshadow Palette in Bain De Mer 366

Their Summer 2016 Milky Dots Collection has a playfully elegant edge that I find refreshing for the classic brand, and here’s a look at some of my favorite pieces from the launch.

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