• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To MakeupMakeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

Makeup

$7 Almay Intense I-Color Trios Take the Guesswork Out of Eyeshadow Matching

November 18th, 2010 by Karen 43 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog reviews almay intense i-color review browns 001 2

Gosh, I haven’t worn any Almay makeup since — when was that? 1992?

I vaguely remember buying something from the line at a Thrifty’s where I cruised for makeup after school. There was something about the products looking kinda stiff and serious that I still remember today. It wasn’t the kind of makeup my friends and I were wearing to school. It was the stuff “grownups” were wearing to work in tall gray office buildings downtown.

But that was literally decades ago, and the line’s changed a lot over the past few years, becoming, dare I say, cooler. Or, maybe I’ve just gotten older, heh. 🙂

I like the new Almay’s easy, breezy vibe. Think Rite-Aid meets Trish McEvoy at the Bobbi Brown counter. It’s a “we take the guesswork out of it for ya!” approach to drugstore makeup, and apparently the line is also hypoallergenic and cruelty free, which Tabs describes as “hella dope” (his words).

Almay stepped up their color game, too, adding groovy shades like the purple from the Almay Intense I-Color Powder Shadow Trio in Browns 001 ($7).

Browns 001 is one of 12 Almay trios with coordinating, reasonably long-lasting shades handpicked to intensify different eye colors. It has a shimmery, sheer purple for lids, a shimmery brown for the crease, and a frosty beige for highlighting — the three of them picked to enhance chocolate peepers.

almay intense i-color review browns 001
[Continue reading…]

There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: bargain

These Chanel Cote D’Azur Rouge Coco Lipsticks Are Beachy Keen

November 18th, 2010 by Karen 41 Comments

chanel cote d azur collection taffetas rose chintz perle rouge coco lip swatch open
Rouge Coco lipsticks from left: Perle, Chintz and Taffetas Rose

I know it’s wrong and crazy, but it’s taking all of my willpower to resist painting Tabs’ claws with Chanel Riva Nail Colour.

And it’s a good thing cats don’t have lips…because if they did Tabs would already be wearing one of the four Rouge Coco Hydrating Lip Colours from the new Cote D’Azur Collection. 🙂

Despite the season, the small five-piece release (four lipsticks and the one polish) is actually a resort collection for Chanel, which explains why it feels so beachy and tropical.

Here are swatches of three of the four shades (I’m missing coral Sari Doré), Taffetas Rose (a shimmery magenta), Perle (a shimmery pinkish golden beige) and Chintz (a shimmery pinkish coral). All of them have the same smooth, moisturizing texture and plush pigments that define the Rouge Coco lipstick line.

Have we met before?

You might remember Perle. She was also one of the original Rouge Coco launch lipsticks early this year, and Chintz debuted with the stunning Chanel Les Contrastes de Chanel Collection in fall.

chanel cote d azur collection taffetas rose chintz perle rouge coco lip swatch open 2
[Continue reading…]

There are 41 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: chanel

Ready, Set, Save! The $2 N.Y.C. New York Color Ultra Last Lipsticks

November 17th, 2010 by Karen 43 Comments

karen from makeup and beauty blog reviews nyc new york color ultra last lipstick in sugar plum
Wearing N.Y.C. New York Color Ultra Last Lipstick in Sugar Plum

I seriously cannot believe these NYC New York Color Ultra Last LipWear lipsticks are just $2. TWO DOLLARS!

Like Trader Joe’s Two-Buck Chuck, (I think) these are worth way more than their price implies. I’m talkin’ hidden drugstore gems.

I didn’t expect much from the three tubes I bought on a whim last weekend, but what a pleasant surprise. Opaque, pretty colors, a smooth texture, a hydrating formula and a high-shine finish? WOW!

Wear time’s been pretty good (about five hours), and they’ve been able to withstand gin-n-juice sips of water, but they don’t really tolerate meals.

Tabs gives ’em two paws way up for being both drugstore AND cruelty-free, and I give them two thumbs up for not having an (ob)noxious taste or scent (I’m talking to YOU, NYX Beautiful).

To top it all off, they come in 20 shades! The perfectly named Berry Rich is my favorite of the three I got. It makes lips sing sonnets paired with purple eye looks.

But here’s the thing…the bullet’s gotta go. It doesn’t screw all the way down, so the sticks jut out of the tubes; consequently, I keep nicking the sides of the bullets when I put the caps back on, grrr…
[Continue reading…]

There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: bargain

Cover Yourself in MUD with the Make-Up Designory All That Sparkles Holiday Collection

November 16th, 2010 by Karen 38 Comments

Sometimes I don’t feel like going all out with my makeup. I don’t want to do anything with it — blend, shade, nada. I just want a look that’s simple and easy, and preferably still pretty.

That’s where the new MUD Make-Up Designory All That Sparkles Holiday Collection ($55) comes in.

MUD Make Up Designory All That Sparkles Holiday 2010 Collection review swatches photos with bag

MUD Make Up Designory All That Sparkles Holiday 2010 Collection review swatches photos open all
Clockwise from left: Lip Glaze in Cupid; 4-Hole Eye Color Palette with Eye Colors in Cashmere (a shimmery pink), Tinsel (a shimmery silver), Onyx (a jet black matte) and Voodoo (a shimmery violet); Cheek Color in Rose Beige and Eye Pencil in Vintage.
[Continue reading…]

There are 38 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: mud

Does the New NYX Eyebrow Marker Score High Marks?

November 16th, 2010 by Karen 35 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog reviews the nyx eyebrow marker
Wearing NYX Eyebrow Marker in Deep

“NYX wants to mark their territory on your eyebrows…”

Wait, did I really just write that? 🙂

Ouch! Okay, let’s try that again. How about, “Does NYX deserve high marks for their new Eyebrow Marker ($9.75)”?

Available in two shades — Medium (a light brown) and Deep (a medium brown) — the new felt-tip pen lives to fill in sparse eyebrows with a liquid/ink that dries to a matte finish.

Since I have dark hair, I went with the Deep shade, but after the first time I brought it to my brows, I almost set it right back down. Why? Because it’s so sheer — like surprisingly sheer.

Thankfully, it layers well, getting progressively darker with each one. For me, four layers results in a shade that pretty closely matches the color of my hair.

NYX bills Eyebrow Marker as a long-wearing product, and I’ll go along with that, although I wouldn’t wear it to a spinning class. Overall, I think it holds up fairly well under normal conditions and very light sweating (NOTE: it turns slightly gray as it fades), especially if multiple layers are used.

Once it’s dry, it doesn’t smear at all, and I rubbed at it pretty well to test. When it comes time to remove, a little soap and water does the trick.

Now that Eyebrow Marker and I have gotten to know each other, we probably won’t hang out every day. Don’t laugh :), but for the life of me I can’t evenly fill in my left eyebrow with it. Doing my right brow is easy enough (maybe because I’m right handed), but the left is a different story — and it’s an awkward, uncomfortable tale. If you’re more coordinated than I am, and there’s a good chance you are, you’ll probably have better luck with it than I did. Or perhaps if you have better penmanship, LOL!

nyx eyebrow marker review pens
NYX Eyebrow Maker in Medium (top) and Deep (bottom)

nyx eyebrow marker review felt tip
Deep (left) and Medium (right)
[Continue reading…]

There are 35 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: nyx

The MUD Cares Palette Is Making a Difference One Quad at a Time

November 16th, 2010 by Karen 41 Comments

Would you like to give a gift this year that really makes a difference in someone’s life? How about one that also happens to look as pretty as the new limited-edition MUD Cares Palette ($25)?

Every last cent (that’s 100%) from the sale of the new powder eyeshadow quad goes to the NextAid organization, a nonprofit assisting children in Africa who have been orphaned by AIDS.

Make-up Designory (MUD) stocked the palette with four warm, summery shades from their permanent line — Spanish Gold (a rich golden bronze), Dulce de Leche (an iridescent beige), Cashmere (a sparkling rosy beige) and Moss (a shimmery khaki green with golden undertones). Individually, the pans usually retail for $10 each, making $25 a great deal for the quad.

The shadows themselves are all highly pigmented, soft and silky to the touch and apply with hardly any fallout.

MUD Cares Palette review swatches photos front of box

MUD Cares Palette review swatches photos open palette
Shades clockwise from lower right: Spanish Gold, Cashmere, Dulce de Leche and Moss
[Continue reading…]

There are 41 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: mud

Ultraflesh Panthera Mascara Makes Lashes Roar Like a Jungle Cat!

November 15th, 2010 by Karen 53 Comments

karen from makeup and beauty blog reviews panthera mascara before after

Take your seats, everyone, so we can call to order tonight’s meeting of the Feline Enthusiasts Club. 🙂

Okay, I won’t deny that the real reason I wanted to try the new Ultraflesh Panthera Mascara ($26) is because of tube. I don’t know if Ultraflesh designed it with cat ladies in mind, but it sure as heck worked on me.

panthera mascara review

The product is currently Ultraflesh’s (seriously, what’s up with that name?) one and only item, which I guess we could say recently “pounced” on the makeup scene, LOL! For now it’s available exclusively at Sephora.

Have you seen the company’s website? Pretty creative, huh? But what’s up with that lady in the leotard, and why is she stretching?

It doesn’t have anything to do with mascara, but neither do panthers, so whatever, right?

It’s must be a color thing (panthers = black, like the mascara). That, or maybe someone at Ultraflesh really liked Thundercats.

The company claims, although not in feline terms, that Panthera is a cat of all trades, addressing most of the major mascara desirables like length, volume, definition and…

ultra flesh panthera mascara review
[Continue reading…]

There are 53 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews

Comment to Win a New Windows Phone 7, and Do More with Less

November 14th, 2010 by Karen 459 Comments

THANK YOU: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is being contacted by email and will be announced here on this post no later than Saturday, December 4, 2010. Before you jet, click here to enter any ongoing giveaways.

Do more with less using Windows Phone 7
Doing more (makeup) with less; here’s a full face — eyes, lips and cheeks — for $9.85



To promote the release of Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7, Federated Media Publishing, Inc. (my advertising partner) is sponsoring a giveaway for us. One lucky reader will take home the new Windows Phone 7 (a $500 value), and all it takes is a comment on “doing more with less.”

Today I did more with less by doing my makeup for less than $10! 🙂

  • One lucky reader will take home the new Windows Phone 7 (a $500 value).

  • Click here for the official rules, but to summarize…
  • Leave a comment at the bottom of this post describing how you “do more with less.” You could describe how you use your favorite multitasking makeup product, how you do your hair and/or makeup when you’re in a huge rush, how you save money on beauty supplies — basically anything related to doing more with less (and, contrary to my examples, it doesn’t have to be beauty related).
  • Deadline to enter is Monday, November 29, 2010.
  • The winner will be chosen at random.
  • You may enter one (1) time per day until the end of the giveaway, but your entries must be substantially different each day.
  • No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.). 18 years and older. Void where prohibited. Click here for official rules. Sponsor: Federated Media Publishing, Inc., 2 Harrison Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105.

Oh, I mentioned at the top that I did more with less today by doing my makeup for less than $10. It was actually $9.85. All of the color products are from N.Y.C. New York For Color.

They aren’t gonna win any awards for slick packaging, but I love the quality of their textures and colors (for $2-3 each). Honestly, I can overlook a lot for that price, and get this: their products are also cruelty free!


N.Y.C. New York Color products clockwise from bottom right: Cheek Glow Powder Blush in Park Avenue Plum ($3.04), Lipstick in Caramel ($1.89), Eyeliner Duet in A Place in the Sun ($1.89), Brow/Eye Liner Pencil in Dark Brown ($1.14), Lengthening Mascara in Jet Black ($1.89)

Here’s how I did this $9.85 look featuring bronze/black eyes, plum cheeks and bronze lips

Eyes: Apply the bronze liner from the N.Y.C. New York Color Cheek Eyeliner Duet in A Place in the Sun ($1.89) to the lid, crease and lower lash line; use a finger or a brush to soften and blend out the edge of the lines. Then, with the black liner from Duet, line both the upper and lower waterlines to add some drama. Open up the eyes with two coats of N.Y.C. New York Color Lengthening Mascara in Jet Black ($1.89) on lashes, and then frame eyes by filling in brows with N.Y.C. New York Color Brow/Eye Liner Pencil in Dark Brown ($1.14).

Lips: Add color to your pucker with the shimmery bronze N.Y.C. New York Color Lipstick in Caramel ($1.89).

Cheeks: Wrap up the look by sweeping N.Y.C. New York Color Cheek Glow Powder Blush in Park Avenue Plum ($3.04), a sheer matte plum, on the apples of the cheeks.


Swatches from left: Lengthening Mascara in Jet Black, Brow/Eye Liner Pencil in Dark Brown, Black liner from A Place in the Sun Duet, Bronze liner from A Place in the Sun Duet, New York Color Lipstick in Caramel and Cheek Glow Powder Blush in Park Avenue Plum

I can’t wait to read your comments. 🙂 Good luck!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

THANK YOU: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is being contacted by email and will be announced here on this post no later than Saturday, December 4, 2010. Before you jet, click here to enter any ongoing giveaways.

There are 459 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup Keywords: giveaway

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 389
  • Go to page 390
  • Go to page 391
  • Go to page 392
  • Go to page 393
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 502
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

Recent Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 878

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 894

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 893

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 892

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 891

/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things – do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 771

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.