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Makeup

Long Lasting Luxury By Terry: By Terry Blush Veloute Sheer Cream Blush in Ginger Glaze Goes the Distance

June 12th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

by terry blush veloute in ginger glaze

If/when French makeup artist Terry de Gunzburg’s friends ever kid around with her, she can always reply, “Oh, yeah? Well I invented Touche Éclat.”

Wow. Touché.

By Terry Blush Veloute Sheer Cream BlushThat was for Yves Saint Laurent, but Terry also has her own makeup line called By Terry, and I think at least one of its products, the $46 cream-to-powder Blush Veloute Sheer Cream Blush, deserves a cult following of its own.

What is it exactly?

It’s expensive, for starters, only available in three shades — Peach Nude, Ginger Glaze and Apple Glow — and not widely carried (I’ve only seen it online and at Barneys in SF).

But I think if it were more widely available, many makeup lovers would consider it a department store star.

Not only does this luxuriously silky cream blush have an incredibly natural-looking matte finish, but it also goes the distance with remarkable wear time.

How remarkable?

Well, it could outlast a parental lecture on responsibility (Zzzz…), an awkward family function, the director’s cut of Apocalypse Now, that painful community theater version of Hair that your BFF dragged you to (“holy sh*t…everybody’s naked!”), and STILL end the day with wear time to spare.

by terry ginger glaze
By Terry Blush Veloute in Ginger Glaze

by terry blush veloute swatch
[Continue reading…]

There are 29 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews

Get the Chanel Look for Less With the $18 Charlotte Ronson Starry Eyes Liquid Eyeshadows

June 12th, 2012 by Karen 40 Comments

Charlotte Ronson Starry Eyes Liquid Eyeshadow swatch
Charlotte Ronson Starry Eyes Liquid Eyeshadow swatches from the left: Alison, Sky, Kelly and Shiri

Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight…I wish I may, I wish I might, have the Chanel wish I wish tonight…

Any and all liquid-to-powder eyeshadows stamped with the Chanel double C’s on the cap are pretty much rad in my book.

Too bad they always cost 8 million bucks… Or thereabouts. Okay, well $32. But that’s still pretty steep, considering you could snag 32 Taco Bell tacos for the price of a single lovely tube of Chanel Ombres D’Eau Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow.

Sad panda.

But wait! — have the heavens heeded my call…? Is that a more affordable option, I see?

Yes, I believe it is. Thanks to Sephora and Charlotte Ronson.

The four lightweight liquid-to-powder Starry Eyes Liquid Eyeshadows, available now at Sephora stores and sephora.com, are priced at a much more palatable $18, and from here they look heavily inspired by Chanel.

From their gorgeous glass tubes, to their dainty doe-foot applicators, all the way down to the colors themselves, these crease-resistant eyeshadows glow and shimmer very much like their pricier Chanel counterparts.

“Fashion ‘it’ girl Charlotte Ronson is best known for combining her effortless sense of style with her chic downtown designs. Fun and trendy, though wearable, Charlotte is bringing the same sensibility to her new beauty collection.”

— Sephora.com

Golden beige Kelly reminds me of Chanel Delta, silvery pink Sky resembles Chanel River, golden olive Shiri could stunt double for Chanel Torrent, and bronzy taupe Alison is like Chanel Splash’s kissing cousin.

They’re kinda fun to use. Just shake the bottle to mix the powder and liquid formula, swipe the doe-foot applicator across your lids, and blend with a finger.

Voilà!

For a more intense effect, wait for the product to dry before applying additional layers. Work quickly, though, because these babies dry fast.

Charlotte Ronson Starry Eyes Liquid Eyeshadow
[Continue reading…]

There are 40 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Charlotte Ronson, Eyes, Makeup

Clark’s Botanicals Ultra Rich Lip Tint in Carlotta Pink, and Hello From Jury Duty!

June 11th, 2012 by Karen 31 Comments

clarks botanicals ultra rich lip tint

Greetings and salutations from the courthouse in the Marin County Civic Center! I’m writing this from a folding chair in a waiting room filled with other citizens awaiting the chance to do our civic duty, a.k.a jury duty, and for the record, the natives are getting restless…

Jeopardy Fun Fact

The Marin County Civic Center, a futuristic spaceship-looking structure with beige walls, a sky-blue roof and a 172-foot-tall golden tower, was the last building commission by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

If the picture makes you feel a little woozy, you might need a doctor — Dr. Dre, that is. The building makes an appearance at the very beginning of Dr. Dre’s video, I Need a Doctor.

The room is hot, stuffy, and we’ve been here for hours, just waiting to see if the court will need us today.

Judging by the grumbling around me, which is steadily increasing in volume, it’s about to get Lord of the Flies up in here!

If we get cut off…assume one of two things: 1) either I got picked to serve on a jury, or 2) the thin veil of decorum that feebly keeps society from collapsing has fallen, and I’m dodging staplers and paperback copies of 50 Shades of Grey being hurled through the air.

If it’s scenario No. 2, hopefully I’ve managed to escape with my laptop and lipgloss!

Today, that lipgloss is Clark’s Botanicals Ultra Rich Lip Tint in Carlotta Pink ($19; one of six shades), and it’s probably the only court-appropriate thing I’m wearing…

But before we get to that, first, some background about the brand. 🙂

Like this: they love their skin-balancing botanicals. Products in the small NY-based niche skin care and makeup line are mostly carried at fancy schmancy stores like Fred Segal and Saks Fifth Avenue, and every product in the line contains jasmine absolute, an essential oil with, they claim, “immuno-stimulating and antibacterial properties.”

Carlotta Pink, a sheer, shimmery rose, is one of six Rich Lip Tint shades in the line, and today it’s the only thing keeping me from looking like a waitress in a tiki bar.

I was running late this morning (and low on caffeine) and trying to beat the traffic, so I left the house wearing a sleeveless tropical print romper and knee-high green boots, an outfit that doesn’t exactly scream, “jury duty.”

clarks botanicals ultra rich lip tint tube

At least I had the good sense to grab Carlotta Pink…

clarks botanicals ultra rich lip tint swatch
[Continue reading…]

There are 31 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, Makeup, Product Reviews

Well, Hello Kitty. I’ll Go to Paris With You and the Soft, Pigmented Powders in the Hello Kitty Mon Amour Palette

June 10th, 2012 by Karen 9 Comments

hello kitty mon amour palette

What if Sanrio and Sephora merged, like a Mighty Morphin’ Power Ranger, to form a new superstore called Sephrio? And what if the new store carried a much larger selection of Hello Kitty-themed accessories and makeup?

Yeah…that would be cool.

As a 30-something beauty fanatic who still remembers making mix tapes from songs on the radio and blowing all of her birthday money at the Sanrio store at the mall (OMG! The pens with the dangling charms on the end!), I almost dropped my phone when I bumped into the limited edition Hello Kitty Mon Amour Palette ($21) at Sephora the other day.

hello kitty mon amour

Paris? Kitty…? Cute!

The little drawings and the balloons filled with pans of powder shadow (eight) and blush (two)? Nope. No way. That’s just too cute.

Not gonna lie, though, I expected these to be annoyingly sheer and chalky — just not up to snuff compared to brands like MAC and NARS — but wow. That wasn’t the case at all. They felt surprisingly smooth and looked beautiful, I thought, in the swatches.
[Continue reading…]

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Sephora Keywords: sephora

New at Kohls: Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics

June 9th, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

simply vera vera wang cosmetics

I wonder how many brides out there have made Vera Wang a part of their wedding experience. Hundreds of thousands? Maybe even millions?

Let’s see… There are her wedding dresses, perfumes, fine china, jewelry, apparel, accessories — wow, that’s a lot of Vera!

Just now, I remembered being a bridesmaid in Jen’s wedding and getting ready in the suite at the hotel on her wedding day. I remember a bottle of Vera Wang Perfume sitting on the bathroom sink that Jen’s mother-in-law had given her for her wedding day (how sweet!).

Oh, and then there’s Vera’s fine china! I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I have a not-so-secret obsession with fine china, thanks in part to Vera Wang’s Wedgwood Lace collection.

The first time I saw it was at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki, right before my wedding in 2006. I hosted tea there for all of the girls, and Vera Wang Wedgwood Lace was the china used in the tea service.

I’ve been lusting after it ever since…

Still haven’t gotten any because I’ve been wanting to finish the dining room first (at least get a table), but one day…

Mark my words — one day I will enjoy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and serve myself a cup of tea on my very own set of Vera Wang Wedgwood Lace china!

With so many different projects and products, Vera could probably rest safely on her laurels. But she isn’t. As a matter of fact, she recently expanded her empire to include makeup, with Simply Vera Vera Cosmetics, introducing even more babes and brides to Vera’s simply modern, feminine aesthetic.

The line, available now exclusively at Kohl’s stores and kohls.com, includes 16 different makeup products encompassing 74 shades, with prices ranging from about $16-40.

Inspired by Vera’s personal philosophy on makeup, the neutral-heavy palette feels fresh and modern to me, yet timeless and conservative.

Here’s a closer look at some of the pieces from the new line. Let me know what you think. 🙂

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

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

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

There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Vera Wang

Sheer, These Benefit Ultra Plush Glosses Are Ultra Easy to Apply

June 8th, 2012 by Karen 28 Comments

benefit ultra plush gloss bella bamba
Wearing Benefit Bella Bamba Boxed Blush and Bella Bamba Ultra Plush Gloss

Ever get a hankerin’ for easy-to-apply sheer glosses in shades that match your favorite Benefit boxes blushes?

If you do, Benefit’s latest launch might be of interest.

Why? Because it’s Ultra Plush. 🙂

The six $16 shades that comprise the Benefit Ultra Plush Glosses match some of the lines bestselling boxed blushes.

The Benefit Ultra Plush Glosses

  • Bella Bamba: a sheer, bright watermelon
  • Dandelion: a soft pearly pink
  • Coralista: a sheer coral
  • Hoola: a shimmering golden nude
  • Dallas: a dusty rose
  • Sugarbomb: a shimmering pinkish nude

Officially, they arrive at Benefit counters, stores and Sephora next month, but I’ve heard whispers about it being stocked at some Sephora stores early.

Here’s a brief look at three of the upcoming shades…

benefit ultra plush gloss boxes

benefit ultra plush gloss bella bamba
Bella Bamba

benefit ultra plush gloss hoola
Hoola
[Continue reading…]

There are 28 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Benefit, Lips, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: benefit

What Makeup Makes Up Your 10-Minute Summer Makeup Routine?

June 7th, 2012 by Karen 42 Comments

10-minute summer makeup

Summer!

Almost, but not quite…

It is getting close, though, and I’ve already started using my 10-minute summer makeup routine.

It really does take 10 minutes, too. No kidding (I’ve timed it from start to finish). 🙂

In summer (and sometimes even in late fall, haha), I like my makeup lightweight. I also like the beachy, bronzed look I get with these products from MAC and NARS, all of which have saved me many times when I’ve been running late, like when I’m getting ready and hear El Hub yell from downstairs, “Babe! We need to leave NOW!”

“Uh…” (Don’t panic.) “I’ll be down in 10 minutes!”

The products in my 10-minute summer makeup routine

    NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

  1. NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 PA +++ — Please tell me you’ve tried this tinted moisturizer before! Two words: awesome sauce. It’s lightweight, easy to apply and covers darn near everything. I like to mix two of the shades, Cuba and St. Mortiz, for a good match to my NC42 skin tone, and apply that with my fingers.
  2. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer — My number one concealer love love for two years running. I mix the NC42 shade with a dash of MAC Careblends Essential Oil, and pat the mixture wherever I need extra coverage on my face. Then, I do the same thing with a lighter color in NW25 (the peachy tones in NW25 help to counteract the purple) under my eyes using a MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush.
  3. MAC Pro Longwear Bronzer in Nude on Board — For some extra warmth and definition, I sweep this across my forehead, along my jawline and beneath the apples of my cheeks.
  4. NARS Madly Blush — Probably like thousands, if not millions of us, I’m mad about Madly. It’s a peachy beige with pink undertones and subtle shimmer. One of my most coveted NARS must-haves. I really do think it flatters a wide range of skin tones.
  5. MAC Concrete Eyeshadow — MAC Concrete Eyeshadow is like American Express (don’t leave home without it). I almost never leave the house without filling in my brows with it and almost always use the MAC 266 Small Angle Brush for the job.
  6. MAC Eye Kohl in Powersurge — If Goldilocks made a kohl liner, it would probably be called Powersurge (because it’s just right). I love this golden bronze liner so much that it hasn’t left my makeup bag in five years. It’s epic, I tell you! And I can’t remember the last time I took a trip without it, much less forgot it at home for a day.
  7. MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara — Okay, so the more I’ve used this mascara, the more I like it. It won’t clump, and the skinny brush doesn’t leave any unnecessary product on my lids. I think it’s also super easy to use. A single layer lengthens and defines while simultaneously glossing up my lashes.
  8. MAC Nymphette Lipglass — This last piece of this 10-minute puzzle is a worldwide superstar. A lot of the time, I grab whatever gloss is within reach (or inside my purse at any given time), but because of its uncanny flexibility (it’s like an Olympic gymnast/gloss), Nymphette is one of my old-school faves.

How about you? What makeup makes up your 10-minute summer makeup routine?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 42 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup

The Surf Was Up at Sephora This Week With Beachy Keen Products From NARS, Hourglass, Dolce & Gabbana and More

June 7th, 2012 by Karen 24 Comments

nars beach lover box

I wonder if the airlines have done studies on how much the temperature on the mainland affects demand for flights to the tropics, because it sure seems like there’s a relationship to me. The colder it gets, the more I long for the tropics.

And wouldn’t ya know it? We went from upper-80s here two weeks ago to a week of 60-something-degree days, with a very chilly breeze, and so, of course, I can’t stop thinking about warm beaches…

You know that old saying about missing the beach, right? — “A trip to Sephora heals all wounds.”

Okay, so maybe that’s not a real saying…but it should be! 🙂

Can’t you see it across the front of a Roxy rash guard? Or cross-stitched on a big beach towel hanging on the wall of a surf shop?

Because not even Tabs can change the weather (lord knows he’s tried), I headed to Sephora yesterday looking for beach-themed beauty…

And I started at NARS! — with the new $49 limited edition Beach Lover Set.

It comes with a Medium Laguna Illuminator, a Mini Orgasm Blush/Hungry Heart Highlighter Duo, a Skorpios Mini Soft Touch Shadow Pencil and a Medium Laguna Lip Gloss.

nars beach lover in hand
From the left: Laguna Illuminator, Skorpios Shadow Pencil, Laguna Lip Gloss and the Orgasm/Hungry Heart Highlighter Duo

I’ve been meaning to swatch Laguna Lip Gloss for a while (every time I hear the name, I think Laguna Beach and say “Stephen!”). It’s a bronzed brown with golden shimmer.

nars beach lover swatches
Swatches from the left: Hungry Heart Blush, Orgasm Blush, Skorpios Shadow Pencil, Laguna Lip Gloss, Laguna Illuminator unblended and blended

It’s pretty, isn’t it? Kind of a less disco version of MAC Oh Baby Lipglass?

I hope NARS releases a full-size tube…

On the topic of glosses, a couple others also caught my eye — the two new shades of the Larger Than Life Lip Glosses in Gold Digger (a sparkling peach shimmer) and Born This Way (a light lavender pink).

nars gold digger
Gold Digger (top) and Born This Way (bottom)

nars gold digger swatch
Gold Digger on the left and Born This Way on the right
[Continue reading…]

There are 24 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Dolce & Gabbana, Hourglass, Makeup, NARS Keywords: dolce & gabbana, hourglass cosmetics, nars

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