Makeup

Hello Kitty Sephora Beauty: Meow or Hiss?

January 18th, 2011 by Karen 64 Comments

hello kitty sephora beauty display

Sephora is expanding into the kitty herding business, but I know at least one cat lady who isn’t furtastically impressed.

Their new Hello Kitty makeup line, called Hello Kitty Sephora Beauty, is available now in stores and online. Products range from $5-55, and the line covers makeup, fragrance, makeup brushes and accessories, too (there’s even a shower cap).

I caught a brief glimpse of two of the palettes and some of the fragrance items at my nearby Novato store the other day when the cute display caught my eye. Most of the makeup is packaged in white with silver accents.

hello kitty sephora beauty packaging

Say “Mrow!” (Hello) to Super Fun and Happy Fun ($35 each), two of the humungous palettes. Seriously, they’re bigger than my palm! Each one contains four fairly pigmented, soft eyeshadows — not as soft as Shu Uemura shadows or Dolce and Gabbana’s — and four lip glosses, which you can’t really see from here (I couldn’t snag the lip swatches in the store).

The Super Fun palette includes:

Raindrop (gray) eyeshadow
Sugar Plum (pale lilac) eyeshadow
Sweet Plum (purple) eyeshadow
Goodnight Dreams (black) eyeshadow
Sweet Plum (purple) lip gloss
Pink Confetti (pink) lip gloss
Strawberry Cookies (brownish pink) lip gloss
Snowflake (white) lip gloss

The Happy Fun palette includes:

Ice Cream (pearl white) eyeshadow
Airplane (taupe) eyeshadow
Chocolate Milk (brown) eyeshadow
Peppermint (sage green) eyeshadow
Baby Pink (pink) lip gloss
Peach Pudding (peach) lip gloss
Strawberry Jam (dark pink) lip gloss
Springtime (apricot) lip gloss

hello kitty sephora beauty compact

hello kitty sephora palette
Sorry about the Blair Witch sequel (poor pics), but I had to take these on the ‘low with my phone; that’s the Super Fun palette at the upper left and the Happy Fun palette at the upper right.
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Swatch Me I’m Falling for Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden

January 17th, 2011 by Karen 41 Comments

Greetings, young lady. I wanted to show some swatches of the Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden collection this afternoon (lip, eye and face shots are coming soon).

Some observations from the swatches…

The white eyeliner, one of two liners in the collection, feels harder than usual for Dolce & Gabbana. It’s much creamier than most of them are, but the purple one’s just as tough as usual.
Platinum, the one solitary nail polish, looks much greener on NW20 skin than than it does on me (I’m an NC35). I think it’ll look straight up silver on yours truly, but on NW20 it’s more of a greenish gray.
There are just two lipsticks and glosses in the release. The coral-ish lip gloss seemed very out of place to me at first (straight out of Mad Men), but, um, after I thought about it a little, I think I can see what Dolce & Gabbana was going for. I like the way it contrasts with the pale pastels. As for the other gloss, the pale pinkish violet, it has micro bits of silver glitter that you have to look closely at to see.
Of the lipsticks, one’s a shiny light violet, and the other’s a shiny pink. Oh, and did I mention they’re shiny. I mean VERY shiny. I can’t tell much from my arm (I have yet to try ’em on my lips), but I do detect a scent. I haven’t tasted them yet, but they do smell pretty good… It’s that classic rose lipstick scent.
And then there’s the Illuminator in Eva, a powder highlighter. It may be too light for me, but on NW20 it looks like a lovely gold. It might be better for lighter lasses than brown gals. I think it’s just gonna look chalky on me. I mean, I suppose tanned lovelies could use it underneath the arch of their brows (the brow bone) as a highlight color, but that’s really a limited use.

Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden Swatches on NC35 Skin

Swatches from the left to the right: Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Eden (first four); Eye Colour Duo in Romance (fifth and sixth); Crayon Intense in White (seventh) and Crayon Intense (eighth)

Shine Lipstick in Romance, Shine Lipstick in Love, Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Bon Bon and Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Secret

Illuminator in Eva on the left and Intense Nail Lacquer in Platinum on the right

Swatches with the flash
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Visitors Are Welcome in the Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden Today

January 17th, 2011 by Karen 18 Comments

Dolce Gabbana Secret Garden

Dolce & Gabbana’s newest collection may have been inspired by Sicilian gardens, but from where I’m sitting today, I’m getting more of an overcast San Francisco vibe. The release contains more gray than I expected (see it in the eyeshadow palettes and nail polish?). Not that I mind, of course.

It reminds me of when I used to live in the city and go jogging in Golden Gate Park. There’s a beautiful rose garden there, and I’d try to raise my body temp on the way to it so I could stop and stare at the pretty flowers for a bit before the cold set in. The roses looked so rich against the gray sky, and no matter what I might have been struggling with at that time in my life, the roses always cheered me up.

Anywho, maybe that’s what Dolce & Gabbana was going for with the Secret Garden collection for spring — gray skies, so to speak, and how it contrasts with the pinks, violets and greens for eyes, cheeks, lips and nails.

The product photos below show the 10 new pieces in the release. There are also two repromotes, Luminous Cheek Colour in Delight ($44) and Volumized Lashes in Black ($29), which aren’t shown (here they are).

For more on the collection, check out It’s No Secret: I’m Looking Forward to the Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden Collection This Spring, and stay tuned for swatches and looks in the coming days.

Dolce Gabbana Secret Garden all open
Clockwise from the light colored gloss on lower left: Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Bon Bon, Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Secret, Illuminator in Eva, Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Eden, Eye Colour Duo in Romance, Shine Lipstick in Romance, Shine Lipstick in Love, Crayon Intense in Lilac and Crayon Intense in White

Dolce Gabbana Secret Garden Eden Smooth Eye Colour Quad
Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Eden, $59

Dolce Gabbana Secret Garden Eden Smooth Eye Colour Quad

Dolce Gabbana Secret Garden Romance Eye Colour Duo
Eye Colour Duo in Romance, $36
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The New NARS Velvet Gloss Pencils Look Sharp but Don’t Always Feel That Way

January 16th, 2011 by Karen 21 Comments

NARS Frivolous Velvet Gloss Pencil
NARS Velvet Gloss Pencil in Frivolous

Wait up, guys! I gotta sharpen my gloss first…?

This spring NARS draws the lip gloss out of its shell by putting it into a chubby pencil/crayon.

The six new glosses in the soon-to-be-released Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil ($24) line contain vitamins E and A to moisturize and protect lips while imparting a subtle shine. The six shades launch February 1, but here’s a brief look at one of them.

Frivolous, a rosy, peachy pink with golden pearl, goes on smooth and non-sticky. Neither scented nor flavored, it feels refreshingly light on my lips, but consequently when used alone it only manages to last a couple of hours per application. Francois recommends lining the lips first, and then filling them in.

NARS Frivolous Velvet Gloss Pencil
NARS Velvet Gloss Pencil in Frivolous

NARS Frivolous Velvet Gloss Pencil
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Warming Up to the NARS Spring 2011 Collection

January 15th, 2011 by Karen 26 Comments

NARS spring 2011
Lip Gloss in Nana atop Pure Matte Lipstick in MadÃ¨re

I got so fired up playing with NARS’ new Lip Gloss in Nana, Pure Matte Lipstick in MadÃ¨re and Soft Touch Eye Pencil in Celebrate that I momentarily forgot just how cold it is outside.

The three are from the NARS Spring 2011 collection we looked at the other day, and right now they’re keeping me warmer than toe socks, turtlenecks and argyle blankets do.

A few bangin’ brights bring the shy neutrals in the new NARS Spring 2011 collection out of hibernation. The 11-piece release for eyes, lips and nails features earth tones with shimmery metallic finishes, cool purples and pinks, and a couple of unexpected blues and greens. Find it now on NARS counters and narscomestics.com.

Lip Gloss in Nana, $24

No, this wasn’t named after grammy. 🙂 It’s a French slang for “chick” or “girl,” and it’s the only new lip gloss color in the collection (the other two shades, Angelika and Super Orgasm, are repromotes). The deep creamy purple is much more pigmented than I thought, and a little goes a long way. I feel like it might be a little too dark for me, so I’ll probably layer it on top of lipsticks more often than I use it by itself.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Pure Matte Lipstick in MadÃ¨re

WOW! This matte pinkish beige couldn’t be much lighter. I have a hard time wearing it by itself because the pale, cool tones look ashy on my warm NC35 skin (hello, zombie girl ). It might work better on girls who wear cooler pinks well. Oh, I think it’s also a bit more drying than the other Pure Mattes I’ve tried.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Celebrate, $24

Celebrate makes me want to bust out the Kool & The Gang, yo. This creamy matte neon green appears to borrow its color from Kermit the Frog, but that’s a huge plus in my book. When I wear it worn alone on my lids without a primer, however, it migrates like crazy, homing in on my fine lines. I LOVE the color, but the way it wears? Not so much.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

nars spring 2011 lip gloss in nana lipstick in madere
Lip Gloss in Nana on top and Pure Matte Lipstick in MadÃ¨re on bottom

NARS spring 2011 madere-nana-closeup
Pure Matte Lipstick in MadÃ¨re on left and Lip Gloss in Nana on right

nars spring 2011 celebrate soft touch eye pencil
Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Celebrate

NARS spring 2011 Celebrate Soft Touch Shadow Pencil-closeup

NARS spring 2011 Celebrate Madera Nana swatch arm
Swatches from the left with a flash: Celebrate, MadÃ¨re and Nana
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Urban Decay Spring 2011: Uzi or Gunmetal? You Be the Judge

January 14th, 2011 by Karen 35 Comments

If you’ve been waiting patiently for Urban Decay’s recently released spring 2011 collection to appear online here (urbandecay.com) and here (sephora.com), your wait is over.

If you haven’t yet perused UD’s latest wares, well, what are ya waitin’ for, boo? The collection’s a doozy, and it introduces a handful of new products to the line — products like the Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tints ($24 each; LOVE THESE!), Greed Eyeshadow Primer ($18), the 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencils ($20) and the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil 15-Year Anniversary Set ($92).

That reminds me — Jess had a question about Uzi, one of the shimmery liners in the Anniversary Set.

“I was lusting over the swatches you showed of the Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Set and was wondering if there was any significant difference between, say, Uzi and Gunmetal?

I already have several of the colors in the set and am trying to figure out if the new colors are really different or not.”
— Jess M

Funny you should ask, Jess, because I happen to have both shimmery grays close at hand. I’ve been going through a may-jah gray liner phase lately.

Uzi looks a little like Gunmetal to me, but I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect match. I think it’s darker and more taupe, whereas Gunmetal’s more of a classic silver.

Uzi (left) and Gunmetal (right) with the flash
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Take an Early Spring Break Down the Laura Mercier Silk Road

January 13th, 2011 by Karen 37 Comments

laura mercier silk road

Yesterday, my journey along the new Laura Mercier Silk Road led me to four items from the collection — the Eye and Cheek Palette, the Kohl Eye Pencil in Stormy Gray, the Lip Plumper in Ruby Glaze and the Stickgloss in Pink Jewel — and it was quite a trip, let me tell ya.

All four of them are JUST. SO. GOOD! As I was applying the new products yesterday I kept shouting, “Oh, my gawd!” I’m pretty sure I sounded either like I was 1) seeing a double rainbow or 2) having a bonafied makeup-gasm.

The Laura Mercier Silk Road Collection

For her latest collection, foundation phenom Laura Mercier went WAY back — almost 3,000 years back — to the ancient Han Dynasty and the trade routes ancient merchants from China, India, Tibet, Persia and the Mediterranean used to sell their silk, satin, perfumes, spices, medicines and jewels.

Available now on Laura Mercier counters and online, the 13-piece Silk Road collection was inspired by the precious gemstones and raw silks that moved along those ancient routes.

laura mercier silk road all
Laura Mercier Silk Road products clockwise from the palette: Eye and Cheek Palette, Stickgloss in Pink Jewel, Lip Plumper in Ruby Glaze and the Eye Kohl in Stormy Grey

Do if you feel up to traveling the Silk Road again with me (don’t worry, I remember the way). 🙂

The $48 Eye and Cheek Palette…

…is the frickin’ bomb, especially the eyeshadows. I’m very picky about palettes with purples on account of how many times I’ve been traumatized by them. It seems like many of the purples that make their way into palettes suffer from some terrible affliction, either too much contrast, fallout or something else, and I can’t even count the number of times I’ve ended up looking like a cross between Elvira and Barney.

Laura handled these violet, pink, taupe and lavender shades well. Each of them is distinct enough to stand on its own yet related enough to work in looks using multiple shadows from the palette.

Blending like a teenage dream, they go together without leaving any harsh lines behind, and I had absolutely no issues with fallout — not even from the glitter in Regal Violet or Golden Sands.

Oh, and those blushes? Dreamy. Persian Rose contains a little more pigment and shimmer than I thought it did last week. It’s not quite the NARS Orgasm dupe I figured it would be. I think it’s darker, more intense and more golden than Orgasm is but still very pretty. Lighter skinned ladies might want to apply it with a fan brush for a natural-looking flush.
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Is the NYX Haute Model 10-Color Palette a Perfect 10?

January 13th, 2011 by Karen 45 Comments

nyx haute model

If NYX had their druthers, we’d all be shimmering like angelic fiends right about now. Their budget conscious 10-Color Palette in Haute Model ($11), one of four new palettes in the extensive 10-Color Palette line, houses a bevy of bestselling NYX shadows in dark green, blue, purple, gray and bronze, as well as two lighter pops of pink and teal.

The lighter shades seemed out of place to me at first, but I wouldn’t turn them away. Now I like the nice contrast they provide.

The shadows in this bargain beauty have a bold, hi-shine finish that demands attention, and every one, with the exception of the pink in the top row, apply with NYX’s signature buttery texture (the pink doesn’t feel as finely milled as the others to me).

nyx haute model

nyx haute model swatches with flash
Swatches of the top row on NC35 skin (with a flash)
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