Makeup

The Bobbi Brown Telluride Collection: If You Like Your Makeup Elegant and Easy to Wear, Check Out Telluride

June 23rd, 2015 by Karen 33 Comments

Do you know the way to [SAN JOSE] Telluride?

Getting there is actually quite easy from what I understand. No matter where you are, you can literally get there in minutes.

No, really! Would I ever pull your leg?

Nawww, of course I wouldn’t, because there’s never any joking here. Not on MBB. Not ever. Everything on MBB is completely serious all of time. 🙂

No, really though. You will not have to endure a five-hour plane ride seated next to an extra chatty dude who won’t stop talking about Colorado mining rights. All you’ll have to do is roll on over to your favorite Bobbi Brown counter when the new Telluride collection arrives this July.

[Continue reading…]

MAC Dazzleglass in Boys Go Crazy From the MAC Le Disko Collection, and a Sticky Situation

June 22nd, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

mac boys go crazy — Wearing MAC Dazzleglass in Boys Go Crazy from the new MAC Le Disko collection ($20)

If getting your hair stuck in your lipgloss ever becomes a thing — and since we live in a world where teenagers dye their hair gray and mascara wands vibrate, I feel like this is a distinct possibility — gimme a tube of MAC Dazzleglass, and I’ll be sooo set.

Seriously, these glosses are mad sticky! — like stickier than a MAC Lipglass even.

I’ve worn Dazzleglasses before, and they always get stuck in my hair, even when I wear my hair up in a pony or braid it.

Shoot, I could shave my head a la Charlize in Mad Max: Fury Road, and I bet that random strands of hair would still find their way to my lips. The stickiness is that serious.

But dat glitter tho!! Here I’m wearing MAC Dazzleglass in Boys Go Crazy ($20) because I wanted to see how the eye look I did earlier with the Dazzleshadows from the new MAC Le Disko collection would look with an intense, sparkly lip.

[Continue reading…]

A Friday Date Night Face of the Day With Some Classic MAC Eyeshadows (Saddle, Wedge, Brun, Mulch and More)

June 19th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

I’m counting down the seconds to date night tonight with El Hub. We’re going to watch the new Pixar movie, Inside Out, which I’m very excited about because I’ve read great reviews. Plus it takes place in the San Francisco…Bay Area represent! 🙂

I was in the mood to wear a little makeup tonight, but I wasn’t in the mood to think too hard (such is the case most Fridays), so I fell back on a classic combo of neutral MAC Eye Shadows from the permanent line that I always like wearing — Saddle and Wedge on my lids and in the crease, Brun and Mulch in the outer corners, Ricepaper to highlight the inner corners and brows, and Feline Kohl on my water lines.
[Continue reading…]

Fans of Frost and Bright Color Will Break Hearts Wearing the LORAC Alter Ego Eye Shadow Palette in Heartbreaker

June 19th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

lorac alter ego heartbreaker — LORAC Alter Ego Eye Shadow Palette: Heartbreaker ($24)

I wonder if Sasha Fierce (Beyonce’s not-so-secret alter ego/identity) would like LORAC’s new Alter Ego Eye Shadow Palette in Heartbreaker ($24).

I’m guessing she would…and it wouldn’t surprise me to also find out that she insists that every item in her makeup bag have the exact same hot pink packaging.

Heck, that’s what I’d do if I were Sasha! 🙂

This limited edition summer season palette of 10 powder shadows is available now exclusively from Ulta.

Within the hot pink packaging (LOVE IT) you’ll find a surprising number of colorful eyeshadows…

A satiny tan
A satiny peach
A shimmery reddish plum
A shimmery bronze
A satiny warm beige
A shimmery bright blue
A frosty gray
A frosty light blue
A shimmery deep purplish brown
A frosty light blue

I’d probably wear one or two of the colorful shades together, and then ground them by working in a combination of the tan, peach, beige and/or bronze.

I think you could totally incorporate more than two of these colorful shades in the same look, of course, but for me, between the shimmer and the frost, and with the intensity of the pigments, it could easily turn into a whole lotta look, you know? If you like wearing a lot of color on your eyes and you’re completely comfortable with high-shine frosts and shimmers, you could do it up with this palette and go shimmer/color crazy!

Considering the amount of shine here, the shadows are easy to work with, and they range from moderately to highly pigmented. I haven’t noticed any problems with fallout, either.

[Continue reading…]

MAC Matte Lipstick in Dangerous, and a Few Thoughts on Red Lipstick

June 16th, 2015 by Karen 27 Comments

mac dangerous lipstick — That’s MAC Matte Lipstick in Dangerous ($16), available now online and at MAC stores and counters in the MAC permanent collection

From whence, I wonder, does red lipstick derive its magical power? That’s what I’d like to know. It’s the rainbow pegasus of lipsticks, and whenever I wear it, I feel like a magically imbued, larger-than-life version of myself.

Like, if I were flying off into the sunset on the back of a giant dragon, a la Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, I would not be wearing pink lipstick, or coral lipstick or — gasp! — a nude gloss.

HELL NO. I would definitely be wearing something red. 🙂

As a kid growing up in the East Bay suburbs (which wasn’t exactly a high-fashion hot spot), I didn’t have much direct contact with red lipstick. My mom was/is more of a Chapstick gal, so the closest I ever got to red lipstick was when I saw it on the models in the pages of the fashion magazines at the dentist’s office.

I didn’t know anything about makeup at the time, but I did know that I wanted what those ladies had on their lips.

And I wanted it badly.

And now, even after all these years, I still love red lipstick, and I have a drawer filled with them — blue-based reds, creamy reds, neutral reds, glossy reds — enough to satisfy my every red lipstick craving.

One of those cravings that never stays away long are matte reds. Like a 1940s screen siren, they’re timeless and beautiful, and I love how they can look elegant and bad-@ss at the same time.

My current crush/matte red in rotation is MAC’s new warm orangey red Matte Lipstick in Dangerous. It makes me feel like I’m in charge and runnin’ sh*t, you know? Like when people hear my heels click-clacking down the hallway, they get a little scared.

Dangerous is one of the new $16 Matte Lipstick shades recently added to the MAC permanent line, and you can find it now (and hopefully eternally) online and at MAC stores and counters.

PRICE: $16
AVAILABILITY: Permanent, available now at MAC counters, stores and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Speaking of Game of Thrones…

**SPOILER ALERT**
**SPOILER ALERT**
**SPOILER ALERT**
(I’m serious! — don’t read ANY further unless you’re OK talking about the last episode.)

[Continue reading…]

7 Things You Should Know About the $54 Nicky Hilton + Smashbox Cosmetics NY Classic Cat Eye Kit

June 15th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

nicky hilton smashbox cosmetics-2 — Wearing the new Nicky Hilton + Smashbox NY Classic Cat Eye Kit ($54), available now exclusively online at smashbox.com

7 Things You Should Know About the $54 Nicky Hilton + Smashbox Cosmetics NY Classic Cat Eye Kit

You don’t have to be a cat lady to appreciate it (although you may appreciate it more if you like the look of classic black cat eyeliner)
Wearing all of your cat lady accoutrements (your shirts, jewelry, cat ears, etc.) with the kit’s eyeshadow, liner and mascara qualifies as a strong “do”
When you open the bag that comes with the kit, you may catch a whiff of something that smells like fish-flavored cat treats (I do with mine, which is weird!).
I, myself, am unsure if this is a good thing, but Tabs seems perfectly OK with it.
Cat eyes aren’t the only thing you can do with the kit’s eyeshadow trio, gel pen liner and mascara (although they are the obvious choice, right?). You could also use ’em for smokey eyes.
Be prepared. Due to this kit, your cat may experience severe jealousy when he sees you rocking thick, fatty-bo-batty cat eye liner, meow!
While wearing these pieces, you may find yourself spontaneously purring.
While carrying this kit, you may also start carrying cat treats in your purse. (Oh, wait. I already do that.)

[Continue reading…]

Paul & Joe Summer 2015 Midnight Sangria Collection: A Lack of Cat Action Doesn’t Hurt These Products

June 4th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Paul & Joe, those purr-veyors of pretty products for makeup-loving cat ladies, have a new summer collection out, and in a shocking development, it features absolutely no cats (other than the one I hired to model for the top picture’s background).

As in NADA GATOS.

Wait — what?

That’s right! The theme for the limited edition summer 2015 collection is Midnight Sangria.

Obviously, this is throwing off my internal crazy cat lady barometer…so I have supplemented these photos with additional cats. 🙂

The collection includes five nail polishes, three eyeshadow duos, three lipglosses, five mascaras and again, zero cats.

[Continue reading…]

The Chanel Les Beiges Summer 2015 Collection: This Kind of Beige Makes Everything Better

June 3rd, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

There’s beige…a color which is often associated with drab hospital walls, sensible shoes and cat barf.

And then there’s Chanel Beige. 🙂 Also known as yaaaaaas.

I have no idea how Chanel turned a color as historically boring as beige into something so covetable, but they did it with the new Les Beiges Summer 2015 Collection.

The Chanel Les Beiges Summer 2015 collection includes…

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Multi-Colour Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Sunscreen in Mariniere No. 1 and Marinimere No. 02 ($65 each)

Les Beiges Blush Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Sticks in No. 20, No. 21 and No. 22 ($45 each)

Le Vernis Nail Colours in Beige Rose, Beige Pur, Precious Beige and Lovely Beige ($27 each)

Levres Scintillantes Glossimers in 204 Rose Tendre and 206 Beige Star ($30 each)

Les Beiges Healthy Glow Hydrating Lip Balm ($36)

Retractable Kabuki Brush ($70)

Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour SPF 15 in No. 10, No. 20, No. 30, No. 40, No. 50, No. 60 and No. 70 ($58 each)

Les Beiges All-In-One Healthy Glow Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Sunscreen in No. 10, No. 20., No. 30, No. 40, No. 50 and No. 60 ($45 each)

For the hardcore Chanel-ophiles among us, I’ll get to that striped face powder in the above picture and what it’s doing there in a minute, but first! — what is Les Beiges?

Well, it’s two things. One, it’s a line of sheer face powders in the Chanel permanent collection, and two, it’s also a collection of sun-protected and healthy glowing skin-themed annual summertime products released by Chanel for summer over the past couple years.

Think polished but not overly perfected, and picture sheer tinted moisturizers, cream blushes and sheer face powders. All very summery.

This year’s Les Beiges Summer 2015 release follow that same idea, and it includes multicolored face/cheek powders, stick blushes (these are new!), nail polishes, a couple of glosses, a balm, a retractable kabuki brush, face powders and tinted moisturizers. The only things listed on the Chanel website as “limited edition” are the tinted moisturizers, so here’s to hoping that most of these items stick around a while.

[Continue reading…]