Makeup

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Fizzy Jade Is an Icy Cool Pastel With Flavor

July 10th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

by terry fizzy jade

Call me crazy, but sometimes I think an icy cool pastel shadow can be just as refreshing as an ice cream cone.

And by that logic, By Terry’s creamy, long-wearing Ombre Blackstar in Fizzy Jade would feel right at home on the menu at my favorite soda fountain/ice cream shoppe.

Fizzy Jade — it even sounds like a fancy flavor of soda. “Can I please get a Fizzy Jade and a double scoop of pistachio in a waffle cone?” 🙂

The catch: at $43, it would be a very expensive flavor.

by terry fizzy jade

by terry fizzy jade
Swatch built up on the left and buffed out on the right

by terry fizzy jade swatch
That hulking figure in the background is Tabs, LOL!
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This Stila Smudge Crayon Waterproof Primer + Shadow + Liner Is Turning on the Sprinklers at Midnight Blue

July 9th, 2012 by Karen 47 Comments

stila smudge crayon midnight blue

You used to see it a lot in movies that took place in Brooklyn, New York, where on a blisteringly hot day, one of the so-called dog days of summer, someone, most of the time you didn’t know who, would crank open a fire hydrant on a busy street, and all of the kids in the neighborhood would laugh and play in the spray.

Back when I was a kid, since none of the houses on our street had a swimming pool, and fire hydrants were deemed off limits and impenetrable, we did something similar with sprinklers.

It never seemed planned, but on some of the hottest days, one of the moms or dads would turn on the sprinklers in the yard, and all of us kids would converge on the house like a swarm of butterflies, buzzing and darting through the spray.

My thing was cartwheeling, which I’d deftly do directly over one of the sprinklers, up close like to thoroughly soak my hair.

Big sigh… That was always one of my favorite things about summer.

Ya know, someone should pass an ordinance making it socially acceptable for adults to leap and frolic through sprinklers in their bathing suits. I’d strongly support something like that.

Among the selling points: sprinklers cost less than swimming pools, they’re a very efficient way to cool off, and you can use the opportunity to try out some waterproof eye makeup at the same time.

LOL! Don’t even front. I know you were thinking it, too. It’s one of the reasons I love ya.

Not wanting to miss a millisecond of fun, I’d look for a smooth-as-silk liner with lots of pigment, ideally one that I could quickly apply, like Stila’s Smudge Crayon Waterproof Primer + Shadow + Liner in Midnight Blue ($22), a chubby, twist-up waterproof crayon able to draw thick, rich lines that dry in less than a minute.

It’s one of eight Smudge Crayons that recently made their way onto Stila shelves last spring, each one promising to prime, shade with shadow, and line.

stila smudge crayon midnight blue

Okay, but what makes it worthy of one those great summer sprinkler sessions?

I’m glad you asked. 🙂

The answer: intestinal fortitude! Also known as durability. On my bare combination dry/oily lids, as long as I’m careful not to rub my eyes, it won’t budge for a solid 6-8 hours, 5-6 on my water lines, and it’s totally fearless around water, and that includes perspiration.

When I’m in the mood for thick swipes of dark blue, I like to use it as a liner…

stila smudge crayon midnight blue
Stila thoughtfully tucked a sharpener into the base of the liner, making it a snap to sharpen

stila smudge crayon midnight blue swatch
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These Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadows Could Teach a Class in Perseverance, But Could Use Some Help Blending In

July 6th, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

essence stay all day long lasting eyeshadow

“Calling all cars! Calling all cars! Be on the lookout for cheap makeup thrills. Repeat, cheap makeup thrills.

“Suspect was last seen shimmering on eyelids for $2.99. I repeat, $2.99. Over.”

With the Essence Stay All Day Long Lasting Eyeshadows, shimmery, long-lasting color is just 299 pennies away.

These pigmented cream shadows are great for quick washes of shimmery color, and they cling like crazy to my skin. On my combination dry/oily lids, I get from 7-8 hours with primer and 5-6 without.

Not bad for $2.99, but I think they’d be even better if it weren’t for a few things…

The texture

Seems a little hit or miss. Of the four shades I’ve tried, 09 For Fairies feels the best — almost like a mousse. It’s soft and fluffy and just glides across my lids.

The other three shades, however, 01 Coppy Right (great name!), 02 Glammy Goes To, and 07 JM-ME Blue, feel denser and drier to me, which makes them a tad tougher to blend and apply.

Blending

I’d hoped to be able to easily blend a few of these colors together in the same looks, but they have a tense relationship… The colors don’t transition well, or at least easily, into each other.

If all I’m doing is softening the edges of a single shade on my lids, no problem — the blending goes a little better — but they’re still not as easy to blend as a MAC Paint Pot or Benefit Creaseless Cream (although they’re an awful lot less expensive).

Layering

Tricky! Apply a milligram too much, and these begin to appear heavy and caked, and almost too metallic. For me with these, one thin, single layer works best.

essence stay all day long lasting eyeshadow
From the left: 02 Glammy Goes To, 09 For Fairies, 01 Coppy Right and 07 JM-ME Blue

essence stay all day long lasting eyeshadow swatches
From the left: 01 Coppy Right, 02 Glammy Goes To, 07 JM-ME Blue and 09 For Fairies

essence stay all day long lasting eyeshadow
Wearing 01 Coppy Right
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Need a Lift? Score Lashes That Soar Sky High With the New Too Faced Lash Injection Extreme Tubing Mascara

July 6th, 2012 by Karen 9 Comments

too faced cosmetics lash injection extreme volume tubing mascara

It occurred to me this morning as I was dressing up my lashes with a layer of Too Faced Lash Injection Extreme Volume Tubing Mascara that I could (and often do) spend entire days playing with eye makeup.

Entire days.

A few hours patting primer here, a few more drawling liner there, shadow blending, blending, blending, and then the sun sets behind Novato’s verdant hills in the distance…

Of course, I do take breaks for tabby play time and pasta (of course!). 🙂

Naturally, good chunks of time are devoted to applying mascara, since my natural lashes are a little on the uninspiring side, and I feel like my eyes look much bigger and brighter when I’ve lifted, curled and lengthened my lashes.

My latest lash love stars Too Faced Lash Injection Extreme Volume Tubing Mascara.

Whew! Now that’s a mouthful.

Too Faced reformulated their old-school mascara of the same name and gave it a new outfit. It’s $21 and available in a single shade called Black.

If you’re unfamiliar with tubing mascaras, no, they are not named after the popular pastime that usually involves bodies of water and coolers filled with adult beverages. They’re named after the way the formulas encapsulate lashes forming tubes that surround each hair to extend and thicken them.

Brands often claim that tubing mascaras are particularly great for humid climates as they resist flaking and smudging.

I never gave the original Lash Injection a try, so I don’t know how it compares to the new one, but Too Faced says that it’s much improved. Version 2.0 is supposed to stretch and lengthen lashes better than before.

How does it fare? Well, like a push-up bra for my fringe! Two coats of the waterproof formula applied with the included brush (in the style of a DiorShow brush) boosts my lashes with lift and length.

The formula does a pretty good job holding the curl, too, keeping it firm but flexible, and I don’t detect any smears of flakes, not even at the end of the day.

too faced cosmetics lash injection extreme volume tubing mascara before and after
Before (top) and after two coats (bottom)
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It’s My Latest Love’s Time to Shine: L’Oreal’s New Paris Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner 24H in Blackest Black

July 5th, 2012 by Karen 43 Comments

LOreal Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner

Not to get all Real World confessional on you, but can you keep a secret…?

I’ve been holding it in so long that I’m going to explode if I don’t tell someone!

Here goes… Deep breath, Karen.

I’ve been cheating on the love of my life, and I don’t plan to stop any time soon.

Wait — did you think I was talking about El Hub? Oh, gawd no. I’m stuck on that man like cheese on macaroni. I’m referring to my other love, my favorite black gel liner in the whole wide world, also known as MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.

I don’t know why I did it… Boredom, perhaps. Blacktrack and I have been rolling deep since 2007, and despite dalliances with many other gel liners along the way, I’ve always, always come home to Blacktrack. I think it’s just the smoothest, longest-wearing, darkest black gel liner around.

But then my eyes wandered to a new gel liner last week called L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner 24H in Blackest Black ($9.95), looking all mysterious in its little pot, and I couldn’t restrain myself.

It actually reminds me of Fluidline in some ways. Both of them deliver smooth, dark lines, either sharp or smudgy, on my lash and water lines in just a swipe or two.

L’Oreal claims Blackest Black is able to last 24 hours, but after spending time with it for a while, I sense a bit of beauty bravado there. I get more like 6 hours along my water lines and 9-12 along my lash lines when I wear it without a primer on my combination dry/oily lids.

Not too shabby, cocoa tabby, and again, comparable to Blacktrack.

So what’s the attraction? Why haven’t I been picking up one of the five pots of Blacktrack scattered around the house (no, seriously!)?

Two words: glossy finish.

LOreal Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner
Each pot of Infallible Lacquer Liner comes with a brush, which works surprisingly well!

LOreal Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner Swatch
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Edging Closer to Cat Eyeliner Perfection With the ELF Studio Eye Makeup Remover Pen

July 4th, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

ELF Makeup Remover Pen

Yes, Tabs, I’m well aware that you and your feline friends laugh at me behind my back whenever you see me drawing thick cat eyeliner on my upper lash line and flicking out the ends.

I’ve watched you, laughing at me… “Haha!” you say. “Look at her trying to look like us. Haha! Silly human. We wake up like this!”

Well, you better watch your six, kitties, because this human is getting closer and closer to cat eyeliner like yours thanks to the ELF Studio Makeup Remover Pen ($3).

It’s a moisturizing liquid makeup remover made with a meow mix of Vitamin E, cucumber and chamomile, and it comes in a felt-tip pen.

I’ve been using it to correct minor mistakes, smudges and smears with wayward mascara, liner or eyeshadow (even the waterproof stuff) without messing up the rest of my eye makeup. It’s quick and easy and works without the need to rinse.
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It’s All About the Essentials This Fall at Chanel: The Chanel Fall 2012 Les Essentiels de Chanel Collection

July 4th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

Chanel Sweet Beige
Chanel Fall 2012 Les Essentiels de Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in 297 Sweet Beige on my lips

Okay, so I think I’ve finally figured out my plan, and I have to thank the new Chanel Fall 2012 Les Essentiels de Chanel collection for this bit of inspiration.

It’s not “The Plan for the Rest of My Life,” which I’m still working on (I get the feeling this one will take quite a while), but my fashion plan for the rest of the year. The one-sentence summary: hunt for iconic Chanel-esque pieces to up my wardrobe game.

The plan is just a first step, I know, but seeing as how I can’t even commit to a dining room table, it still feels like I’m making progress on something.

The idea hit me like an airborne canvas shoe at a middle school dance when I was thinking about how Chanel Makeup Creative Director Peter Philips translated Coco Chanel’s timeless fashion sense — quilted handbags, two-toned shoes and little black dresses — into the 27-piece collection.

Strutting its stuff now on Chanel counters and chanel.com, the elegant release features a mix of limited edition and re-promoted pieces for lips, eyes, nails and cheeks. Classic pinks and natural beige shades softly define faces and lips while fuchsia and black accessorize nails.

Pish-tosh, you might be thinking. More basics?

Well, don’t hit the snooze button quite yet. I think there’s some pretty interesting stuff going on here from what I’ve seen so far.

Secret micro-glitter, subtle color shifts and sheen finishes spice up these seemingly everyday shades.

The four pieces I looked at today seem every bit as classic to me as a black quilted Chanel purse. They’re understated, and yet able to make a statement without having to shout.

Chanel Lumiere D'Artifices Beiges Illuminating Powder
Lumiere D’Artifices Beiges Illuminating Powder