Makeup

Is Urban Decay’s New Naked Flushed Palette Poised to Take the Throne?

January 4th, 2013 by Karen 18 Comments

Absolutely not! The new Urban Decay Naked Flushed face palette ($30) has nothing to do with the loo…or with sitting naked on the toilet and flushing, although dirtier minds than mine would probably put those things together. 🙂

Now that I think about it, in Naked Flushed, Urban Decay might have been trying to evoke that whole afterglow effect…ya know, where you’re… Nevermind.

Gees, I hope my mom isn’t reading this.

Just released, the new Naked Flushed face palette combines three products — a sheer, matte golden brown bronzer; a dark reddish pink blush with a matte finish (so super, SUPER dark that it takes some buffing to appear natural); and a shimmery, peachy beige highlighter (this one’s a tad grainy).

urban decay naked flushed swatches — Swatches from the left on my NC42 skin: bronzer, highlighter and blush

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According to LancÃ´me, Hypnose Star Holds the Secret to Betty Boop’s Glamorous Lashes

January 3rd, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

Years ago, I made a pact with myself to grow into one of those stylin’ 80-something-year-old women who wear Chanel suits.

It’s my ultimate goal — to be a tiny elderly lady in tweed clutching a quilted Chanel bag as I shuffle around the beauty department telling stories that start with, “Back in my day…” 🙂

I’m serious! — but I’d gleefully ditch that goal to be able to rock a miniskirt half as well as Miss Betty Boop does at her age. I mean, she’s 83 years young!

Fun fact: Betty made her first appearance in 1930 in the cartoon, Dizzy Dishes. Although silent movie-era actress Clara Bow and singer Helen Kane are often regarded as being the inspirations for Betty, the character was originally created as an anthropomorphic French poodle.

Wow, right? ‘Cause Betty keeps it tight! Just look at those legs and that black sequined dress! Not many octogenarians can pull off that look, for real.

So I happened upon this LancÃ´me display for the new Star Collection on my trip to Nordstrom a couple days ago, and that pic of Betty caught my eye.

It definitely got me to check out the makeup (to the marketing team: mission accomplished!). I spied a red lipstick, three sparkly eyeshadows, a liquid liner, a lash curler and a jet-black mascara for volume (“…the secret to Betty’s glamorous lashes”) — everything in the seven-piece release.

Judging by the level of pigment, this one’s for the girls who love dramatic eyes and lips.

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Dior’s Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara Has Some Serious Curve Appeal

January 2nd, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

Even icons, like Dior’s Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mscara, like to brush up on their skills from time to time, with “brush” being the key word here.

What’s the biggest difference between the new Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara and the original Iconic Mascara first released in 2008? Two words: the brush.

The 2008 incarnation (which is still available) features a plasticky brush with short, stubby nubs, while its upstart offspring, codename Overcurl, has more traditional mascara bristles.

Overcurl’s new curve also helps it reach my lashes better at the roots, for thicker lashes around the base.

According to Dior, Overcurl, which is new for spring, delivers “spectacular volume and curl.” I’ve been putting that claim to the test for about two weeks now, and ya know, the darned thing does hold a curl really well (great for that doe-eyed effect). Plus, it doesn’t smudge, smear or flake, and it’s been a breeze to remove.

I like it, although maybe not as much as, say, the new Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Mascara (which I’m still super obsessed with).

Because Overcurl doesn’t thicken or lengthen as much from root to tip, it’s good for a completely different, less dramatic kind of lash look than I get with Le Volume.

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I’ve Got a Brain Filled With Cheese Whiz and a Chanel Quad Filled With Plums: The New Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Raffinement

January 2nd, 2013 by Karen 48 Comments

chanel raffinement — Wearing the new Chanel Les 4 Ombres Quara Eye Shadow in Raffinement ($59) on my eyes, from the new Printemps PrÃ©cieux de Chanel Spring 2013 Collection

Thanks to the 20-something hours (at least) of The Hills I watched on Netflix over the Christmas break, my brain is now cheese fondue.

Even though I could see my faculties deteriorating, could feel the brain cells evaporating, and even though I must have spent half of that time rolling my eyes and exclaiming, “OH, PUHH-LEASE!” whenever Spencer and Heidi were on screen, I simply could not look away.

And now, I feel like I’m in so deep (at the end of Season 4, right after Speidi got “married,” air quotes, in Mexico) that if I were to give up now, all of those 20-something hours would seem wasted…

Or, more wasted. More of a waste. LOL! 🙂

What does this have to do with the new Chanel Les 4 Ombres Eye Shadow Quad in Raffinement, you may ask? Well, pretty soon, at the rate I’m losing brain cells, I may not be able to handle any makeup looks that require the blending of more than two eyeshadows.

Good thing this spring collection quad, with its mix of plum, mauve, taupe and purple, is really great at two-color eye looks…

I actually brought it with me when I visited my family last week over the holidays and did a number of quick looks with one of its lighter colors on my lids and one of the darker colors along my lash lines. And that was it.

If you’re one of those gals (or guys) who likes a little color, as in looks with far fewer than 18 blended shadows, and plums and purples that don’t scream “PUNK ROCK, 4EVER!” take a closer look at Raffinement.

Normally, when it comes to punk rock colors, I think of brands like Urban Decay. They do vibrant, sparkly punk rock plums and purples really well, and it’s a very distinct, eye-catching look that I like. Sometimes.

Chanel, on the other hand, excels at things like this quad, where they execute colors like purples, blues and greens in ways that make them blend so beautifully into your overall outfit and look.

Like, when you’re watching The Hills, and you see LC carrying a classic black Chanel flap bag (SWOON!), and you can tell that it was meant to be a part of her outfit, but not the only part — that’s how I feel about the way Raffinement looks on the eyes.

When I’m wearing these colors and see myself in the mirror, I see the color there, but I don’t feel like I’m wearing two tons of eyeshadow.

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A Day at the Mall and a Look at the Bobbi Brown Pink & Red Collection

January 1st, 2013 by Karen 31 Comments

I always stop for vibrant pinks and reds. 🙂

I’m at the mall right now. Just finished a late lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and wanted the first day of the year to be filled with fun things, as in malls and makeup.

My mom gave me a Nordstrom gift certificate for Christmas. Not sure what I’m gonna do with it yet, but I’m having fun looking for ideas.

Like maybe Bobbi Brown’s new Pink & Red Collection.

It’s barely even January, and this collection’s already channeling Valentine’s Day!

I guess you can never be too early (hint, hint, El Hub)…

Bobbi’s got some pieces here for cheeks, lips and nails, divided into pink products and red products.

Makes it easy for significant others to give gifts. Just send your partner to the counter with instructions like, “You can get me all the pink (or red) stuff.”

Here — hold my purse while I snap some pics with my phone.

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New Year’s Eve Looks in 5, 10 and 15 Minutes

December 29th, 2012 by Karen 56 Comments

Ahh… Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas — done, done and done. We’re almost through another holiday season, babe, and from here on out, as Tabs loves to say, it’s all gravy.

Next up, New Year’s. Do you have any plans yet? More specifically, do you have any New Year’s makeup plans? 🙂

None yet for me. I mean, none that I know of, but El Hub might be planning something special behind the scenes, and I hope that he is (hint, hint!), because I’m in the mood to get gussied up.

I like taking my sweet time with my makeup on New Year’s Eve, just buffing and blending for hours. That’s my idea of a perfect start to a perfect New Year’s night, but sometimes, like when your demanding, diva kitty employer sends you on a last-minute Petco run for feather toys and catnip at 9 p.m. on Monday, December 31, things don’t always work out. You see, diva kitties can throw even the best laid beauty plans completely out the window.

Luckily for us, there are lots of ways to pull together a last-minute New Year’s Eve look when you don’t have all night to get ready.

Whether you’ll be chilling at home, watching the ball drop on TV, or braving the elements and the rowdy crowds with your crew, you can still look pretty and primped with these 5-minute, 10-minute and 15-minute New Year’s Eve looks.

A casual 5-minute makeup look

Plan to ring in the new year with a comfy, cozy group at home? Expect impromptu camera phone pics, and be ready for them with this easy, natural-looking 5-minute makeup look.

For this look, I started by using my fingers to work a sheer tinted moisturizer, Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting CC Cream ($22.99), all over my face to even out my skin tone. Then, on the areas where I needed a bit more coverage, I dotted and blended concealer.
Next, for a natural-looking matte finish, I dusted powder lightly on my oily areas to cut down on shine. Here, I used COVERGIRL + Olay Pressed powder in Medium ($11.99) on my forehead and nose.
Then, for a healthy hint of a glow, I blended a pink blush (COVERGIRL Cheekers Blush in Golden Pink, $3.99), on the apples of my cheeks.
To open up my eyes, I filled in my brows, curled my lashes and coated them with a tinted mascara. COVERGIRL LashBlast 24HR Mascara in Blue Black ($7.99) adds a little color without going over the top.
To complete the look, I slicked a moisturizing, peachy pink lip balm on my lips.

nye-products-look-1 — From the left: Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting CC Cream, COVERGIRL LashBlast 24HR Mascara in Blue Black, COVERGIRL + Olay Pressed Powder in Medium and COVERGIRL Cheekers Blush in Golden Pink

A casual 10-minute makeup look

Got a few more minutes to get ready? If you have 10, then you can spend one or two on your skin, incorporate a little more color, and do a quick hairstyle to embrace 2013 in more polished, yet casual style.

The winter winds strip every ounce of moisture from my skin and leave me with dry patches, so I started this look by prepping my face first with moisturizer, which also makes blending my foundation easier. One to try: Olay Age Defying Instant Hydration Day Cream ($12.99). It absorbs quickly and doesn’t feel like a heavy wool blanket on my face.
A medium-coverage foundation like COVERGIRL + Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation Base ($16.99) helps even out my skin tone. I applied the Golden Tan shade all over my face with my fingers and, so that the finish didn’t look too “done,” gently blended everything together by going over it all with a skunk brush. Then, to set the foundation and bring down the shine, I dusted powder on my oily areas.
To kick up the color content a little more, I applied a shimmery golden bronze eyeshadow on my lids (COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers in Golden Sunrise, $2.99), a nude blush (COVERGIRL Cheekers Blush in Soft Sable, $3.99) on my cheeks and a nude lipstick (COVERGIRL Outlast All Day Lipcolor in Forever Fawn, $8.49) on my lips.
To finish the look, I filled in my brows, curled my lashes and added three coats of COVERGIRL LashBlast 24HR Mascara in Very Black ($7.99).
With the couple extra minutes I had left, I ended with a quick hairstyle. I gathered my mop into a low ponytail, sprayed a small amount of hairspray (in this case, Pantene Pro-V Stylers Shaping Extra Hold Hairspray, $5.99) on my fingers, and then used them to guide my bangs and tame flyaway and stray hairs on the top and sides of my head.

nye-products-look-2 — Clockwise from the bottle of hairspray: Pantene Stylers Anti-Humidity Hairspray Maximum Hold, COVERGIRL Outlast All Day Lipcolor in Forever Fawn, COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers in Golden Sunrise, COVERGIRL Cheekers Blush in Soft Sable, COVERGIRL LashBlast 24HR Mascara in Very Black, COVERGIRL + Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation Base in Golden Tan, Olay Age Defying Instant Hydration Day Cream

A casual 15-minute makeup look

Got a few more minutes to play? If you do, you could start with the 10-minute look above, and incorporate a few extra touches in step 3 to take casual to the next level.
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A Highlight in the New Printemps PrÃ©cieux de Chanel Spring 2013 Collection: The Limited Edition Chanel Poudre SignÃ©e de Chanel Illuminating Powder

December 28th, 2012 by Karen 16 Comments

A few things I firmly believe that all women should have:

Access to funny movies after a long, hard day (some of my favorites: Clueless, Blue Crush and The Wedding Singer)
A friend or family member who will always pick up the phone, even in the middle of the night, when you just need someone to talk to
At least one piece of makeup so breathtakingly beautiful that it comforts you every time you see it, and for this, might I suggest the new Poudre SignÃ©e de Chanel Illuminating Powder?

I know there are far, far less expensive comforting treats out there than a $68 highlighter, but let me tell ya, when I’m feeling extra agitated/orange alert/ready to shank strangers at the drop of a hat, there’s just something to be said for Chanel.

With Chanel’s seasonal collections, they typically release one really expensive signature piece, and it’s the piece that many collectors and die-hards look forward to the most.

Sometimes, I think these extra extravagances are way too overpriced, or just kind of “meh,” but in the case of this warm peachy beige powder, Coco and crew did us a solid.

Check out the design on that pan… I mean, really!? It’s like a work of art! See the camilla flowers (Mademoiselle’s favorite!) and the tiny little makeup tubes??

I love those little details…

Once you get over the heartbreak of disrupting the design for the first time, you’ll feel better about using this rare gem, and before you know it, you won’t even want to leave the house without the soft luminosity its satiny finish gives to your skin. 🙂

chanel poudre signee de chanel — Chanel Poudre SignÃ©e de Chanel Highlighting Powder ($68)

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Wearing the New Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Frivole Is More Satisfying Than a Box of Animal Crackers

December 28th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

chanel frivole — Wearing the new Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Frivole ($43) from the Printemps PrÃ©cieux de Chanel Spring 2013 Collection

Oh, the sweet, sweet joy of the animal cookie/cracker…

I know it’s so 37-going-on-13, but I derive great pleasure from biting off their heads. 🙂

It’s just so satisfying!

Sometimes I’ll start by nibbling off their toes, tails or tums, but it never feels quite as right as a swift beheading.

Um…hold on a second while I add that to my list of “Sentences that inadvertently make me sound like a serial killer.”

You know what else is really satisfying? Chanel’s new Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Frivole ($43) from their spring collection.

My goodness, lovie! Wearing it has been almost as satisfying as the feeling I felt when I finished decapitating an entire tin of shortbread scottie dog cookies!

It’s the only blush in the new 22-piece Printemps PrÃ©cieux de Chanel Spring 2013 Collection, and granted, it is expensive, but if you’re 1) already tanned, 2) tan easily, or 3) love bronzer so much that if you were down to your last pan, b*tches would have to pry it out of your cold, dead hands before you’d ever give it up, you’ll love how this looks on your cheeks.

chanel joues contraste frivole — Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Frivole ($43)

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