Makeup

I Blush So Easily With Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics Illuminating Powder Blush

June 16th, 2012 by Karen 10 Comments

simply vera vera wang cosmetics illuminating powder blush

With so many starring roles in big budget blockbuster movies coming out this summer, Tabs has practically been living on the red carpets for weeks, which has meant that I’ve barely had 10 minutes to breathe, eat or blend out my blush.

Problem is, someone’s gotta field the phone calls from reporters inquiring about Tabs. “Is he seeing anyone?” “How much fur does he show in Magic Mike, and did he waive his nudity clause?”

Good grief…

Still, busy or not, even though I’ve been totally swamped doing tasks for Tabs, I will not leave the house without at least a little blush on my cheeks. No way, no how. That, my dear Tabs, is non-negotiable.

When I’m having one of those completely cray days, I like sheer blushes that are easy to apply, like the pinkish beige Simply Vera Vera Wang Illuminating Powder Blush in 315 ($19.50). It’s one of six Powder Blushes in Vera’s new makeup line now available at Kohl’s.

No need to pinch my cheeks when I’ve got 315 around. I just pop a little on my cheeks using the “bounce technique” and a blush brush. Very little blending required. I can be out the door at a moment’s meow. 🙂

simply vera vera wang cosmetics blush
Illuminating Powder Blush in 315, $19.50

simply vera vera wang cosmetics illuminating powder blush
[Continue reading…]

Easing Your Way Into Color Is Simple With Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics’ Smoothing Lip Color

June 15th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

simply vera vera wang cosmetics smoothig lip color 709
Wearing Simply Vera Vera Wang Smoothing Lip Color in 709

If bright, bold lipsticks like MAC’s Dear Diary are the lipstick equivalent of a towering feathered headdress and a bedazzled rhinestone bikini, then the new Simply Vera Vera Wang Smoothing Lip Colors ($18.50 each, and available in five shimmery and matte shades) are like a sleeveless LBD that skims your curves — elegant, classic and feminine, yet not overly schmexy.

With a thick consistency and fully opaque coverage, these unscented, unflavored lippies remind me of the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colors. All it takes is a single layer for sophisticated color that lasts through a cup of coffee (but not a meal!) and lips that whisper, “I’m more hottie librarian than flashy Vegas showgirl.”

I’ve been getting cozy with two of them this week, shimmery brownish pink 702 and shimmery rose 709. Both apply smoothly without feathering or catching on to those annoying wayward flakes on my sometimes dry lips, and I think they deliver just enough color to balance well with the neutral eyeshadows from Vera’s Transforming Shadow Duos.

simply vera vera wang cosmetics smoothig lip color 702
Wearing Simply Vera Vera Wang Smoothing Lip Color in 702

simply vera vera wang cosmetics lipsticks
Smoothing Lip Colors in 702 (left) and 709 (right), $18.50 each
[Continue reading…]

OlÃ¡, Brilhante! The EstÃ©e Lauder Brasil Dream Collection, a Macy’s Exclusive

June 15th, 2012 by Karen 23 Comments

estee lauder brasil dream

Do you ever dream in black and white? Apparently, some of us do. My dreams are always in color, usually vivid color, but I think a black-and-white dream in a film noir style would be hella cool.

Methinks someone over at EstÃ©e Lauder was definitely dreaming in color when they brought the Brasil Dream collection to life (available now exclusively at Macy’s). My Brazil dreams usually involve beans and rice (Mmm…), but hey, I’m down with the bright blushes, glosses, lipsticks and nail polishes in this collection, too.

How about fragrances in your dreams? Do you ever wake up breathing in the scent of fresh baked bread, your partner’s perfume/cologne or the salty sea? The collection also features a fragrance called Brasil Dream, which I haven’t seen or sniffed since Milan in 2010.

If you haven’t tried the Pure Color Blushes yet, give ’em a swipe when you can. I think they’re great! Super pigmented, and the pans are HUGE.

estee lauder brasil dream

estee lauder brasil dream
[Continue reading…]

With the Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection, Bobbi Serves Brights for Dessert

June 14th, 2012 by Karen 30 Comments

bobbi brown desert twilight fall 2012

It all started with a trip to the Grand Canyon…

No, no, that’s not right.

However it started, Bobbi Brown’s new fall 2012 collection is conjuring images in my mind of Vampire Edward skulking amongst the saguaro.

According to the friendly Bobbi Brown sales associate I spoke with at Nordstrom today, the new Desert Twilight collection was NOT inspired by vampires, contrary to the concoctions of my active imagination.

But can’t you see it? — Edward, with that familiar look of tortured malaise, his pale skin glistening in the late afternoon light as he fluffs his tousled hair and mutters in his moody way, “Bella…we should run away together. You, me and Renesmee, our half-human child who ages in dog years.”

The Bobbi Brown sales associate said that the 15-piece release for eyes, lips, cheeks and nails (yup, nails) was inspired by a photo shoot Bobbi had in the desert and represents a new direction for her, something outside of her comfort zone.

Along with the wearable neutrals we usually see from her, the release also features a bright turquoise cream shadow, a shimmery purple eyeliner, and two nail polishes, also in the same turquoise and purple, and all four of them are TO DIE. The gal from the YSL counter even walked over, and we gushed over them for a good 10 minutes.

The bright blue shadow and polish are so intense that they practically reached out and grabbed me by my eyes.

Oh, and the purple liner and polish? A complex blackened purple with tiny flecks of multicolored glitter. Very Chanel.

A couple of tiny black tubes also caught my eye… I thought they were black lip glosses or lip conditioners at first, but they were actually a combination cream product called the Cream Lip Colors for Lips & Cheeks.

They double as blushes and lip colors — like Becca Beach Tints, but thicker, with more pigment and a glossy finish.

Here are pics and swatches of the release. Let me know if something catches your eye. 🙂

bobbi brown desert twilight fall 2012

bobbi brown desert twilight fall 2012
Nail Polishes in Twilight (left) and Turquoise (right)

bobbi brown desert twilight fall 2012
Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Blue Moon (left) and Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink (right)
[Continue reading…]

Here Comes the Bride! Say “I Do” to Sophisticated Shades and Soft Textures With the Simply Vera Vera Wang Transforming Shadow Duos

June 14th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

simply very vera wang transforming shadow duos

Most of the time when I put on my wedding gown to watch Law & Order: SVU reruns in the living room, I’m bare faced with my hair up in a scrunchie.

Now, though, when I’m feeling extra bridal (like “bust out my veil” bridal!), I’ll know where to turn.

“Vera!”

I’ll turn to one of the 14 new and natural-looking Simply Vera Vera Wang Transforming Shadow Duos ($19.50 each).

Do I really like these buttery soft powder eyeshadows?

Ya know, “I do.” 🙂

Each compact contains a matte and a shimmer, and I think they’re very easy to use. A few pats and swipes from my eye brushes, and I’m transformed from curmudgeonly cat-lover in stretchy pants to belle of the ball (or, of my living room).

Vera’s Shadow Duos prove that fallout-free formulas aren’t exclusive to ultra-expensive department store brands; I love that the grains of these finely-milled powders don’t just look like they’re sitting on top of my skin.

At the same time sophisticated and demure, they practically ooze je ne sais quoi. These are eyeshadows I’d wear when I want to highlight my features but don’t want to draw attention to the fact that I’m wearing any makeup at all.

The two shades I’m wearing in these pics just might be neutral enough for most skin tones. The first, 402, reminds me of a sleepy MAC Satin Taupe. It houses a purplish sheer matte beige and a shimmery taupe; the second, 404, reveals a brownish beige and a nutty brown with flecks of golden glitter.

simply very vera wang transforming shadow duos

simply vera vera wang cosmetics eyeshadows
Transforming Shadow Duos in 402 (left) and 404 (right), $19.50 each
[Continue reading…]

Hey, What’s the Big Idea? Oh, It’s the Sephora Collection 12HR Wear Waterpoof Jumbo Liners

June 14th, 2012 by Karen 44 Comments

sephora collection waterproof jumbo eyeliner swatches
Sephora Collection Jumbo Liner swatches from the left: Taupe, Brown, Purple, Khaki, Violet, Turquoise, Green and Black

I wish we were all rewarded more often for the little, everyday things we accomplish, like when we make it through a difficult day, or hit the gym after work (even though we really didn’t want to), or manage to drive all the way home through rush-hour traffic without flipping anyone off (I never experienced road rage until I moved here to Marin), or for being just plain awesome on an average day.

Last night I felt like treating myself to a little something for making it through Wednesday (yes, I’m setting the bar quite low). It came down to a choice between froyo and a trip to Sephora, and this time Sephora won. 🙂

I was just cruising around the store when something HUGE blocked my way — actually, they were jumbo. They were these bright $12 Sephora Collection Jumbo Liner 12HR Wear Waterproof Pencils.

These fatty-bo-batty pencils double as eyeliners and eyeshadows for quickly adding bold, shimmery color to lids and lash lines.

Gotta love the waterproof action this time of year. It’s been hella hot up in my ‘hood lately, well into the 80s and 90s, and that has meant perspiration, glamorously referred to as “glistening.” And lots of it.

On one particularly scorching day last week, I “glistened” all over town, and by the time I got home after running my errands, the teal eyeshadow I’d applied earlier that morning had all but disappeared. (NOTE: I do not recommend standing in the middle of a Trader Joe’s frozen food aisle with rivulets of blue pigment streaming down the sides of your face. It’s not a great look.)

I don’t imagine glistening would be a big problem for these Sephora 12HR Waterproof Pencils; they seem pretty resilient to me. The swatches I did on the back of my hand resisted three vigorous hand washings, which is pretty impressive considering the price.

And I suppressed a squee! when I noticed the Pantone numbers on the display beneath each of the colors…

sephora collection waterproof jumbo eyeliner taupe
[Continue reading…]

The Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Glosses in Coralista, Dallas and Sugarbomb Are Making Makeup Dreams Come True

June 13th, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

benefit dallas ultra plush lip gloss
Wearing Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Dallas on my lips and Dallas Boxed Blush on my cheeks

Sometimes, it’s good to match…

Like with your shoes when you go to class.

There’s nothing like that moment one morning when you glance down at your feet in the middle of your botany final and see a pink shoe on your left foot and a blue shoe on your right.

“What the what?!”

FCS, or Falsus Calceatus Syndrome (Wrong Shoe Syndrome), strikes thousands of young adults each year, many of them after all-nighters spent studying C3, C4 and CAM photosynthesis.

Sometimes, it’s not good to match…

Like last night, when I dreamed that Tabs had an identical kitty twin.

In theory, one might think, “OOH! Matching bookend tabbies would be so awesome!”

Except it wasn’t.

The twin tabbies did everything together. They whined for gravy together, launched off my tum at 3 in the morning together, and collectively draped across my right shoulder while I tried to blog (that’s 40 pounds of cat, yo!).

They also demanded that I push them around town in a tricked-out Louis Vuitton kitty carriage, complete with spinning chrome rims, and I’m pretty sure they were also plotting to crush me. To death.

So which of these two cat-egories do the new $16 Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Glosses fall into?

I’d say the first one. When it’s good to match.

Benefit designed this new line of six sheer glosses to match their bestselling Benefit Boxed Blushes, and color my lips thrilled! 🙂

Most of the time when it comes to lip products, I think I’m pretty easy to please. Gimme a tube of Benefit Sugar Cookie Lipstick, and we’ll call it a day.

But I’ll never say never (Bieber-style) to a gorgeous gloss, especially one I openly wished for back in 2008, when I wished for a lipgloss that matched Benefit Coralista blush (or Dallas, or Sugarbomb).

With these Ultra Plush Glosses, Benefit delivers exactly that.

benefit dallas coralista sugarbomb ultra plush lip gloss tubes

benefit dallas coralista sugarbomb ultra plush lip gloss swatches
Swatches from the left: Dallas, Sugarbomb and Coralista
[Continue reading…]

What’s Your Current Favorite Lip Product Combo?

June 12th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

mac youre perfect already in synch

Lately, my lips and I have been loving this little pink combo here. It’s a combination of three different products, pale neutral pink MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in You’re Perfect Already, bright yellowish pink MAC Lip Pencil In Synch (in In Synch?) and baby pink bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Show Off.

I dunno… I feel like I’ve been more adventurous than usual with my eye makeup lately (than usual for me, LOL!), and so I like my lips a little mellow so that they don’t end up overwhelming the rest of my look.

This combo here? Pretty mellow, and I like that it’s neutral enough to wear with warm or cool eye colors.

First, I line with In Synch, feather out the edges with a finger, and apply a layer of MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in You’re Perfect Already directly from the tube.

Then, after blotting with a tissue or, sometimes, with the back of my hand, I apply one layer of bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Show Off.

That’s it! And one of my favorite things about this triple play? None of the products dry out my lips.

mac youre perfect already in synch

mac youre perfect already in synch swatch
Swatches from the left: MAC Lip Pencil in In Synch, MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in You’re Perfect Already and bareMinerals Moxie Lipgloss in Show Off

How about you? What’s your current favorite lip product combo?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen