Makeup

Good Taste? These Clarins Spring 2012 Joli Rouge Lipsticks Have It

January 27th, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

Wearing Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick in Poppy Red

Quick! — your three favorite flavors of fruity candy and gum?

If grape is on your list, these Clarins Joli Rouge Lipsticks from the new spring 2012 Colour Breeze Collection ($24) were made ~~to chew~~ for you.

Especially if you like your grape candy with extra servings of shiny, moisturizing lipstick on the side.

Available in four faintly grape-scented and flavored shades, Poppy Red, Baby Pink, Sheer Pink Magnolia and Sheer Pink Coral are more than just delicious. They’re also creamy and — no, not nutritious. 🙂 I was gonna say rich.

I can’t get enough of the two shades I’ve tried, Poppy Red and Sheer Pink Magnolia. Luckily, I like the flavor and scent, which fade after about 15 minutes of wear, and I don’t find them cloying, too artificial or overwhelmingly strong.

Joli Rouge in Pink Magnolia

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Joli Rouge Lipstick in Poppy Red, $24
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When the Boy Notices Your Skin, That’s Illuminating: New EstÃ©e Lauder Illuminating Perfecting Primer

January 26th, 2012 by Karen 45 Comments

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Oh, El Hub… Bless his heart. As much as I love that man, it took him three days to notice that I had pink streaks in my hair.

THREE DAYS.

And those streaks are not subtle.

So when he turned to me one day last weekend said, “Your skin looks really great today. Did you do something different?” I figured that the product responsible deserved a shout-out.

All hail the new EstÃ©e Lauder Illuminating Primer!

Designed for normal, combination and dry skin types, this lightweight $32 liquid primer, which I apply after moisturizer but before foundation, smoothes the skin to downplay fine lines and imperfections, imparts a soft opalescent sheen (like a mellower version of MAC Strobe Cream) and moisturizes with vitamin E and shea butter.

I like the lightweight, lotion-like texture, among other things, which reminds me of Laura Mercier’s Primer, and my nose likes the faint floral scent.

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Unblended (left) and blended (right)
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These Burberry Beauty Lip Glow Glosses Drench Lips in Moisture and Shine

January 26th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

Wearing Burberry Beauty Lip Glow Gloss in Nude Rose No. 14

If the punchy pink Lip Covers Burberry bestowed upon counters for spring/summer 2012 were a little too pigmented for ya, not to worry, Burberry beauty. The line’s added two new long-wearing Lip Glow glosses ($27 each) that sheer look neat.

Semi-sheer Hibiscus No. 13 and sheer rosy pink Nude Rose No. 14 are like tropical waterfalls, drenching lips in moisture and shine, and what they may lack in pigment (say, compared to the epic holiday Lip Glows), they make up for in casual elegance.

I like wearing them on top of the Lip Covers for added shine and to extend the staying power of both products, but I also like how uncomplicated and pretty they look on their own.

Hibiscus No. 13

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Lip Glow Natural Lip Gloss in wands in Hibiscus No. 13 (left) and Nude Rose No. 14, $27 each
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This Spring, EstÃ©e Lauder’s Big Plans for Pigment Involve the Pure Color Blushes

January 25th, 2012 by Karen 39 Comments

Wearing EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Blush in Electric Pink

Holy frickin’ rad, Batgirl! I almost don’t know where to start…

The new EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Blushes are so packed with pigment that they might even make seasoned MAC addicts shed glittery tears of joy.

EstÃ©e Lauder went BIG with these new $28 blushes. Literally. The oversized pans are huge!

To put them in perspective, a husky tabby’s butt barely rivals their size. 🙂

And the powders? Let me put it this way: softer and finer than powdered sugar.

The 16 new powder blushes dance onto EstÃ©e Lauder counters, and into EL’s permanent line, next month. This week, I’ve been getting acquainted with one of the shades from that launch and three from a limited edition collection coming in May.

Clockwise from the red pan in the lower left: The Siren, Fearless, Naughty and Electric Pink

Carnation-colored Electric Pink is the shade bound for the permanent line. Soft and wearable, it kinda reminds me of a chillier version of MAC Blushbaby.

Reddish orange Naughty, bright red The Siren and hot pink Fearless, the bright limited edition shades, comprise a three-piece Pure Color Blush Collection By Tom Pecheaux, and when they arrive in May, they’ll be exclusive to Macy’s.

All four blushes apply with vibrant color that stays true from morning till night, and only one thing stands in their way of cheeky domination…

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Swatches from the left: Fearless, Electric Pink, The Siren and Naughty

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Wearing EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Blush in Siren
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The Burberry Lip Cover Lipsticks: 3 New Pinks for Spring and Summer

January 25th, 2012 by Karen 35 Comments

Wearing Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink No. 27

You know you’ve seen one too many episodes of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills when the first words out of your mouth after seeing these new Burberry Lip Covers are, “Man! Lisa Vanderpump would cut a b*tch for these pinks!”

If you don’t watch the show (it’s like Twinkies for my brain), Lisa is the resident Queen B, and she happens to love everything .

As do I (but not quite to Lisa Vanderpump’s level). 🙂

The color plays a major part in Burberry’s new Spring/Summer collection, which, by the way, I’m currently lurving (have you met Pale Barley yet?). Three of the four silky new Lip Cover Lipsticks ($30 each) in the release are shades of playful pink, while the fourth is a peach called Golden Peach No. 29.

If you like your pink lippies light, smooth and moisturizing like a fine silk slip, ding ding, ding! — we have a winner here.

The Burberry Lip Cover Lipsticks: 3 New Pinks for Spring and Summer

Tulip Pink No. 27 — To my eye, Tulip Pink No. 27 is the lightest of these pinks and has the coolest tones, but Burberry was careful not to lower the color temperature so far that warmer-toned gals (like moi) wouldn’t be able to pull it off. I think it’s a perfect pink nude lip to pair with smokey eyes.
Devon Sunset No. 28 — Compared to Tulip Pink, Devon Sunset burns hot. It’s a creamy pinkish coral with a dash of warming yellow, and I swear I feel brighter when I have it on my lips. Cuties who love coral may want to add it to their list.
Primrose Hill Pink No. 30 — While bright for Burberry, I still think this hot pink stays true to the collection’s overall aesthetic. It has a soft shine that keeps it from overstepping its bounds, and I think the finish gives it an air of elegance. Plus, it matches my hair. 🙂

Devon Sunset No. 28

Primrose Hill Pink No. 30:
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Bucking for Best Dressed of Spring 2012: Tarte Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss

January 24th, 2012 by Karen 35 Comments

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And the award for Best Dressed Lipgloss goes to…

The Tarte Maracuja Divine Shines ($21), yay!

[INSERT RAUCUS APPLAUSE]

How exciting! 🙂 I love it when something really girly and pretty wins.

The 10-piece release of moisturizing lip plumpers just launched with Tarte’s spring 2012 collection, and I can’t get enough of that floral design.

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But what about the other categories, like Best Hydrating Lipgloss, Best Lipgloss with a Funny Name and Best Wear Time? Does Maracuja deserve any of those nominations?

Well, perhaps one of them…

But first, what the heck is maracuja?

The answer to that: passion fruit. MaracujÃ¡ oil is derived from the seeds, and it’s added to Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss. Tarte claims that it makes these glosses highly moisturizing with a high dose of essential fatty acids and vitamin C.

RANDOM FUN FACT — While Cujo, the rabid St. Bernard from Stephen King’s book of the same name, bears no resemblance to these glosses, it is very easy to mistakenly type “maracujo” instead of “maracuja.” In fact, I’ve done it at least 10 times.

These do feel fairly moisturizing to me, but after wearing them for a few hours, I notice some flakes…

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The Story of Burberry Beauty Pale Barley Eyeshadow No. 22

January 24th, 2012 by Karen 48 Comments

Their love was forbidden, but they could no longer deny their passion.

By day, they sat across counters from one another, so close but yet so far, sneaking glances here and there whenever no one was looking. But at night, after the store lights dimmed and while the other eyeshadows slept peacefully in their pans, MAC Pro Longwear Eyeshadow in Sweet Satisfaction would sneak over to the NARS counter to meet Cyprus Eyeshadow, her one true love.

It was a clandestine affair, and it continued until Sweet Satisfaction started showing signs of a telltale bump…

Knowing that their families would never accept their cross-counter love, they boldly left the worlds they knew and sought refuge in a place called Burberry Beauty.

Burberry Beauty’s family had only settled the region in July of 2010. They did not yet have a competitive wall like the older, more established lines, but they greeted Sweet Satisfaction and Cyprus with open arms, making them feel at home.

Several months passed, and then, in the spring of 2012, Sweet Satisfaction gave birth.

She and Cyprus decided to raise the lovechild as a member of the Burberry Beauty clan, dressing the little one in Burberry Beauty’s distinctive family garb — a gunmetal case with a check pattern — and when they asked the Burberry elders to christen her, they agreed.

They named her Sheer Eye Shadow in Pale Barley No. 22 ($29) and added her to the spring/summer 2012 collection.

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Burberry Beauty Sheer Eye Shadow in Barley No. 22, a new shade from the spring/summer 2012 collection

From the left: MAC Sweet Satisfaction, Burberry Beauty Pale Barley and NARS Cyprus

Swatches from the left: MAC Sweet Satisfaction, Burberry Beauty Pale Barley and NARS Cyprus
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Summer in Britain Is Burberry Beauty’s Bright Idea for Spring/Summer 2012

January 23rd, 2012 by Karen 42 Comments

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Slip on your favorite belted trench, Burberry beauty babes, and walk with me while we take a peek at Burberry Beauty’s collection for Spring/Summer 2012.

Since entering the beauty biz in July of 2010, Burberry’s beauty products have emulated their iconic fashion sense with clean, classic, timeless colors and packaging that smacks of class. Look elsewhere for crazy Kesha glitter, because this look is all about natural beauty with elegant pops of panache.

This season, the brand celebrates summers in Britain with shiny, bright, warm shades for lips, neutral colors for eyes and dewy finishes for faces and cheeks. The 12-piece collection showcases seven new shades and three re-promoted colors, and it’s available now online and at select Nordstrom stores.

FYI, San Francisco Bay Area Burberry fans, a new Burberry Beauty counter is coming to the Walnut Creek Nordstrom store, opening in mid-to-late February, so you won’t have to trek all the way to Union Square in San Francisco to get your Burberry on, yay!

Here are pics and swatches of six of the seven new shades. If you frequently fancy Chanel and Trish McEvoy, you may find yourself craving these products as well, especially if you like neutral eyes and pretty pink lips (that here seem a little bit brighter than usual for the brand).

Stay tuned for looks and detailed reviews over the next few days, but for now, let me know what you think.

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Lip Cover Soft Satin Lipsticks from the left: Primrose Hill Pink No. 30, Tulip Pink No. 27 and Devon Sunset No. 28, $29 each
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