Makeup

Tarte Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-Hour Smoothing Eye Primer Makes Eye Makeup Stick Around

May 28th, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

tarte clean slate 360 creaseless 2 hr smoothing eye primer 1

Skipping eye primer always seems like a good idea when I’m in a hurry, but yeah, sometimes it’s not.

Like when I’m taking some much-needed “meow time” to unwind at Sephora, decide to do some swatches, and what starts out as a 15-minute trip turns into two hours.

Or when a coffee break with Channing Tatum starts out as a brief 15-minute chat about the bulging biceps and hair/accessories/shirtless-ness in his upcoming tour de force, Magic Mike, but inevitably turns into a detailed six-hour discussion on the pros and cons of soft and crunchy hair gels (I like soft; crunchy gel seems so early ’90s to me) and the stylishness, or lack thereof, of camo capris (careful) and button-down shirts (yea!).

Okay, so maybe that second example happened, to quote ’80s teen chanteuse Debbie Gibson, “only in my dreams.” 🙂

As real as it may seem!

One thing’s for sure — my days usually last longer than I expect them to, hence my love for long-wearing eye primers that help keep my shadow, liner and concealer in place.

Tarte’s new Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-Hour Smoothing Eye Primer ($19) promises to do just that. A smudge-proof base designed to make eye makeup stay on task, it’s supposed to prevent fallout and postpone eye makeup migration for a full 12 hours, so you can say, “g’bye!” to disappearing eyeshadow and creasing color.

A recent study involving my butt in a pool chair and an issue of US Weekly concluded that the waterproof eyeshadow and liner I layered on top of Clean Slate, which is also water-resistant, did sparkle and shimmer for a very long time. The subjects also exhibited no adverse effects after taking a quick dip.

No fussing over finding a base color that matches your skin tone, either, as Clean Slate’s colorless universal shade should work for most everyone.

Tarte Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-Hour Smoothing Eye Primer ($19)

Came out with the summer 2012 collection and was added to Tarte’s permanent line
Made with beeswax (used as a natural waterproofing agent), mineral pigments (as opposed to artificial colors and dyes) and vitamin E (a natural preservative with anti-inflammatory properties)
Made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMO’s or triclosan
Has a thin consistency, like a light lotion, and it absorbs quickly into my skin
It layers well beneath eyeshadows (powders and creams) and liners (pencils, liquids, gels and cakes)
Being from Tarte, it’s also eco-friendly, cruelty-free and ~~vegan~~ vegetarian (it does contain beeswax, which many do not consider vegan)
Sure does last a very long time for me; I get between 12-13 hours, with very minor fading starting around hour eight

tarte clean slate 360 creaseless 2 hr smoothing eye primer 2

tarte clean slate 360 creaseless 2 hr smoothing eye primer 3
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Milani Crystal Gloss for Lips Might Be Making MAC Jealous

May 26th, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

milani crystal gloss for lips 1
Milani Crystal Gloss in Cotton Candy on lips

At a quick glance, I might assume that this brownish pink gloss with golden pearl, creamy brownish plum and soft, shimmery neutral pink were all members of the MAC gloss family, but the $4.99 price tag is all Milani.

Yup, the Milani Crystal Glosses have a rep for being drugstore MAC gloss dupes, and I can definitely see the similarities in the three new shades Milani recently released for summer.

Take Milani’s shimmery pinkish brown Fascination. Now, is it just me, or does Fascination look like a shy, sheerer, less golden version of MAC Viva Glam V Lipglass?

And then there’s shimmery pink Cotton Candy, which reminds me of a bookish tween version of MAC’s Creamsheen in Right Image.

And if MAC Spite wasn’t so intense, I’d call it Precious, as in Milani’s Precious.

milani crystal gloss for lips in fascination, precious and cotton candy
Crystal Gloss for Lips in Fascination, Precious and Cotton Candy, $5.45 each (three new shades available at select CVS/Pharmacy stores)

milani crystal gloss and glitzy glamour gloss swatches
Glitzy Glamour Gloss in High Status and Show Stopper; Crystal Gloss in Fascination, Precious and Cotton Candy

milani crystal gloss for lips 2
Precious
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Milani Introduces Two New Glitzy Glamour Glosses, Fresh From the Watermelon Patch

May 25th, 2012 by Karen 10 Comments

milani show stopper
Wearing Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss in Show Stopper on my lips

A gloss with a creamy consistency and a formula that feels as light as a feather? — where?

Right here? You’re saying both of the two new additions to the Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss line have both, and they only cost $7 apiece?

Tell. Me. More. 🙂

Between both of these shades — High Stats (a shimmery warm pink a la MAC Nymphette) and Show Stopper (a bright rosy pink) — and my MAC Cremesheen Glasses, I may never have to pick cat fur out of my gloss ever again (#catladyproblems).

Glitzy Glamour feels almost like a liquid lipstick! So smooth and buttery…

Applying a single silky coat with the included doe-foot applicator is almost as satisfying as a Snickers bar (or kissing Tabs’ tum).

If you can, though, sniff it first, because the sticky sweet scent is the subject of intense debate (like the eternal question — vampires vs. werewolves?). Folks seem to either love it or hate it.

My basset hound-like sense of smell detects some unusual scents behind an iron curtain of watermelon hard candy, like heart-shaped diaries, Justin Bieber’s hair clippings and sparkly purple gel ink pens.

Yeah…not my favorite.

Thankfully, for sensitive sniffers, the formidable fragrance and faux watermelon flavor fade after about 10 minutes.

milani glitzy glamour gloss
High Stats on my lips

milani glitzy glamour gloss in high status and show stopper
Glitzy Glamour Gloss in High Stats (left) and Show Stopper (right), $7.49 each (both new shades; available at select CVS/Pharmacy stores
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Plush Pigments for Peanuts! The New Milani Powder Eyeshadows

May 25th, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

milani powder eyeshadow

I’m all for a bargain, but the budget versions of some things can be all sorts of wrong, like “discount laser eye surgery” and “bargain basement tattoos.”

Not good.

My favorite deals are on products I lust after and love, like Kate Spade bags, those $20 passes for 20 classes at the yoga studio down the street, and 2-for-1 specials on Tuttimelon fro-yo.

And now, thanks to Milani’s long-lasting and intensely pigmented new Powder Shadows, I can add a new line of drugstore eyeshadows to the list.

milani powder eyeshadows 1 Powder Eyeshadows, $5.99 each

milani powder eyeshadows 2
More Powder Eyeshadows

With these new Powder Shadows, Milani combined two of my favorite-est things — punchy pigments and killer wear time (8-10 hours for me) — and they managed to do it for less than the price of a soy chai latte.

Not bad.

Available in 12 shades and a mix of shimmery and matte finishes (I think the mattes steal the show), the line even features a few possible MAC dupes, like Pitch Black, which kinda resembles MAC Print to me, and French Vanilla, which reminds me of Brule.

Pearl could probably pass for Ricepaper, and Caramel Brown resembles a slightly nuttier version of Woodwinked.

And two of the brightest shades in the group, Shocking Pink and Olympian Blue, could have come out of Dolce & Gabbana based on how silky smoove they feel.

milani powder eyeshadow swatches 1
Powder Eyeshadow swatches from the left: White Lie, Pitch Black, Shocking Pink, Brown Stone, French Vanilla and Tickled Pink

For a quick hit of color, I like to pat a peck of Shocking Pink and Olympian Blue along my lash lines with a small, flat eyeshadow brush (love the MAC 239), but if bold eyes are more your thing (go on with your bad self, girl!), you could sweep either color into the crease, and blend, blend, blend.

If you decide to bring these home, you might want to pick up some extra makeup wipes. With these I do notice some fallout, particularly from the shimmers.
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A Thursday Beauty Break With Starbucks and Summer Makeup From Tokidoki, Korres, Smashbox, Laura Mercier and More

May 24th, 2012 by Karen 50 Comments

thursday beauty break chai latte

Tabs is quite the taskmaster, as you well know, but every once in a while, about as often as a solar eclipse, he takes pity on his lowly assistant and grants her (me) a break.

Today was one of those days. I was given a break from my official feline assistant duties and two hours of company sanctioned “me time,” or “meow time,” as Tabs likes to say.

He’s a big fan of meow time. 🙂

Behold the face of a kitty dictator!

Today, I decided to spend my meow time on a beauty break — ya know, some noms, a little window shopping and, of course, makeup.

Join me! It’ll be fun.

First order of business: Starbucks. Grab a seat, and I’ll get us some tasty beverages. Gotta fuel up before we browse.

Where should we start? How about Sephora? There’s one just down the street.

Don’t worry about spending money. We’re just going to look around. Promise.

Well…unless we come across a completely awesome life-changing color. In that case, all bets are off.

Lately at Sephora, I’ve been starting in the Tokidoki section. The cheerful packaging gets me every time, like this new limited edition Love From London Palette…

tokidoki love from london open

tokidoki love from london front

Isn’t it cute!? Eight eyeshadows, a bronzer and a keychain for $42. That’s not bad. And the pans look pretty big, too.

I like the mix of neutrals and blues — oh, but they swatch pretty sheer…

tokidoki love from london swatches

I think I might like it more for the cute factor than anything else. Let’s keep moving…

Ah, some new stuff from Korres!

korres cheek butter

The Cheek Butter cheek tints ($25 each), which are supposed to be hydrating and long-wearing, feel surprisingly thick and creamy.
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Dueling Naked Strangers, Exposed! The Illamasqua Naked Strangers Collection Is Thunderdome Approved

May 24th, 2012 by Karen 40 Comments

illamasqua naked strangers collection

Preparing for the Thunderdome is a pain in the @ss.

There, I said it.

So many things to consider! First, there’s the whole post-apocalyptic desert thing, with the lack of potable water and modern dentistry, and the roving mutant gangs. Then, as if the mutants weren’t bad enough, I spend half my time collecting enough pig poop to fuel my ride!

Ridiculous…

Oh, and on top of everything else, I have to stay fit and makeup ready at all times, because I never know when I’m going to be called up to fight in the Thunderdome.

Seriously, who wants to go toe-to-toe with a giant mutant wearing black studded-leather chaps without at least looking the part?

Right?

Needless to say, I’m pretty stoked about the new seven-piece Illamasqua Naked Strangers collection for cheeks, lips and nails…

Illamasqua Naked Strangers Collection

The futuristic warrior princess modeling makeup for the Naked Strangers campaign looks all kinds of fierce! — like she’d be all, “Thunderdome? Sure, sign me up.” Her makeup mixes nude, pink, gold and beige shades for cheeks, lips and nails with a pair of seriously smoldering smokey eyes.

Illamasqua Naked Strangers Collection

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to this whole Thunderdome thing…and I’ve mapped out a plan that utilizes tactics that usually worked for the girls who got into fights back in middle school.

Remove any dangling jewelry, like hoop earrings and necklaces, to maximize combat efficiency
Grease up with Vaseline, so that my opponent’s claws can’t get any purchase on my arms/cheeks
Trash talk, trash talk, trash talk
Apply Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss in Intimacy (a nude pinkish brown) and Cream Blusher in Zygomatic (also a nude pinkish brown) from the Naked Strangers collection before, during and after the fight

Generally, one never wants to look too overdone for a Thunderdome duel (it’s just not professional), and both of these two neutrals should be perfect for that.

illamasqua zygomatic intimacy
Sheer Lipgloss in Intimacy and Cream Blusher in Zygomatic

Cream Blusher in Zygomatic

See those dots of gold on the top? Purely for decoration. I dug into the pan to see if there were more pieces hiding beneath the surface, and as far as I could tell, there weren’t.

As much I like seeing them on the blusher itself, I ended up flicking them off… I just couldn’t get used to seeing myself with one random piece of gold on my left cheek.

I really like this pinkish brown because, unlike death matches, it’s pleasantly easy. The slick, thin texture melts into my skin, lasts between 6-7 hours, and I think it looks natural on both a bare face or atop foundation.

The finish also has a hint of shine to it that gives it some extra dimension, which I
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Sheer Lipgloss in Intimacy

Tame by Illamasqua standards (remember Human Fundamentalism’s teal and purple lips?), this sheer pinkish brown gloss, which has a sprinkling of shimmer and comes with a brush applicator, has everyday color written all over it.

Thick and sticky, the consistency reminds me a lot of MAC Lipglasses; I clock the wear time at between 4-5 hours.

I’m not crazy about the fruit punch flavor and scent…but both are faint and fade within about a minute. They definitely don’t ruin the color for me, and I fully expect to finish this tube.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

illamasqua zygomatic
Cream Blusher in Zygomatic
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Tempting Tuesday Cat Treats, and Swatches of Yves Saint Laurent and Laura Mercier Summer 2012

May 22nd, 2012 by Karen 56 Comments

feline greenies

No, I’m not eating cat treats. 🙂 I may be a crazy cat lady, but I’m not quite there yet.

Tabs ran out of his favorite treats last week, Turkey Temptations, so I thought we’d try something new.

He’s very picky when it come to his treats (I’m sure you’re overwhelmed with surprise, haha), but he really likes these Feline Greenies Dental Treats I found at Pet Food Express.

He even follows me around the house when I walk around with the bag…

annies cocoa vanilla

That’s how I am about these Gluten Free Cocoa & Vanilla Bunny Cookies from Annie’s.

When Annie says, “You can’t eat just two!” she is NOT kidding around. They’ve got that addictive crunch, the taste of vanilla and cocoa, and a single serving is just 120 calories, which is about 24 of the tiny cookies.

I don’t really go out of my way to eat gluten free, but the lack of gluten sure isn’t hurting these. YUM!

Tasty or not, however, they can’t satisfy my appetite for makeup…

Neither can the 15-piece YSL Summer 2012 collection, but it’s giving it the old college try!

ysl summer 2012

Now that Majorelle Blue mascara and I are like *this*, I’m tempted to pick up the purple version, Signature Violet.

I swung by the YSL counter over at Nordie’s this afternoon to take a closer look and get some swatches…

yves saint laurent summer 2012 swatches 4
The Terre Saharienne Poudre de Soleil Bronzing Powder SPF 12 in #1 Sun-Kissed Touch and #2 Healthy Glow ($50 each); Golden Gloss in #3 Golden Shell, #4 Golden Pebble, #5 Golden Pearl and #6 Golden Sand ($30 each); Dessin du Regard Waterproof Eye Pencils in #7 Luminescent Gold and #8 Azure Blue ($28 each); Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara in #9 Charcoal Black, #10 Burnt Brown, #11 Signature Violet and #12 Majorelle Blue ($30 each)

yves saint laurent summer 2012 swatches
Pure Chromatics Wet & Dry Eyeshadow Palette in Shell, $52
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Yves Saint Laurent Majorelle Blue Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara Makes Sad Lashes Happy About Blue

May 21st, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

yves saint laurent majorelle blue

Some things are just made to be together, ya know, like chubby cats and costume jewelry, pink feather boas and plastic tiaras, stretchy pants and pints of ice cream (again, the whole no-dairy thing = not happening), blue mascara and naked butt cheeks…

Wait — what was that last one again?

Oh, yeah. Blue mascara and bare bottoms. 🙂 So about that, I wore the new Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effect Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara in Majorelle Blue ($30) to the Bay to Breakers yesterday, and over every inch of the 7.25-mile course and after many, many bare booty sightings, Majorelle Blue held the curl from my lash curler and refused to flake or smudge.

More importantly, the color, a bright electric blue, and the formula’s fringe-fattening powers, fit right in with all of the funny faces I made during the race. 😯

It began at the starting line…

My friend Marisol’s workout buddies asked me to take a picture of them. “Sure!” I yelled over the crowd, which was steadily growing around us.

Time was of the essence once the tortillas started flying through the air! (It’s a tradition; folks throw them like Frisbees.) One second, I’m composing the camera and telling the girls to “Say ‘cheese’ in 3-2-1…” The next, a guy wearing nothing but body glitter (and running shoes) is brushing past me down the street, whoosh!

The camera shutter clicked.

I’m thinking, Uh oh… Did I get the right shot? And the girls started cracking up. “Your eyes got SO BIG!”

This happened several times during the race. One or more naked butt cheeks would cross my path, I’d make a funny face, and my eyes would double in size! One might conclude that this wide-eyed effect was due to good old fashioned shock, but I say it was Majorelle Blue.

Yeah, it was mostly shock. But I do think Majorelle’s intense bright blue contrasts with my brown eyes in a way that makes my peepers look just plain HUGE!

yves saint laurent majorelle blue

yves saint laurent majorelle blue eye

yves saint laurent majorelle blue
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