• 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

Halloween Hair and Makeup from 1988: 10 Ways to Rock a Totally Legit ’80s Costume

October 28th, 2010 by Karen 77 Comments

It’s fun to think of the ’80s as a series of John Hughes films where cool kids cruised high school hallways in preppy sweaters, chunky cable-knit vests and Members Only jackets.

Yeah…it soooo wasn’t like that (well, not all the time).

For some of us who grew up in the decade, it was also about obnoxiously big hair, Esprit sweaters, Michael Jackson zipper jackets and scrunchies.

LOTS of scrunchies.

If you’re thinking about dressing up like an ’80s girl for Halloween this year, you’ve come to the right place!

Break out your Aqua Net and Guess jeans because it’s time for…

10 Ways to Rock a Totally Legit ’80s Costume!

By the time we’re done, it’ll be 1988. 🙂

1. The Scrunchie

The ’80s were a hair-raising decade. The bigger, the better, and elastic was a girl’s best friend.

Short on time to get ready for the big Halloween fete? No prob. That’s what scrunchies are for. First, pump up your bangs with a firm hold hair spray. Then, put your hair up in a high side pony with a ponytail holder, and decorate with a scrunchie in the color of your choice.

2. OPTIONAL: The Banana Clip

The banana clip works like a combined ponytail holder and scrunchie in one, but nowadays they can be a little hard to find.

3. Find a Shirt That Matches Your Scrunchie

IMPORTANT: Ideally, it should be button-down, oversized and hang down just above the knees — anything longer, and you risk concealing your tight acid washed jeans.

4. Don’t Forget the Big Broach

For true ’80s legitimacy, secure an obnoxiously huge broach to the top button of your shirt. CAUTION: Move slowly to avoid accidentally poking yourself with the pin (yes, I speak from experience).


[Continue reading…]

There are 77 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), Hair, Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To Keywords: halloween

Would Metallica Rock the Metallic Shades in the $36 Make Up For Ever Rock For Ever Aqua Eyes Kit?

October 28th, 2010 by Karen 43 Comments

Make Up For Ever Rock For Ever Aqua Eyes Holiday Kit

According to my very un-scientific research, which involved one sidewalk James Hetfield sighting and 10 minutes of Googling, it’s hard to say. James might not, but Kirk Hammett has been known to sport the guy-liner.

Perhaps the limited edition Make Up For Ever Rock For Ever Aqua Eyes Holiday Kit ($36), with its five mini-sticks of Make Up For Ever’s famous Aqua Eyes liner in mostly metallic finishes (there’s one lonely matte), would be worthy of the stage.

Once dry, the vibrant colors should have the wherewithal to stay put through even the longest, sweatiest, most epic guitar solos.


Make up For Ever Rock For Aqua Eyes Liners from top to bottom: Gold 9L (a metallic yellow), Bronze 10L (a metallic bronze), Dark Grey 21L (a metallic gunmetal gray), Mat Black 0L (a black matte), Silver 8L (a metallic silver)

make up for ever rock for-ever aqua eyes
From left to right: Gold 9L, Bronze 10L, Dark Grey 21L, Mat Black 0L, Silver 8L
[Continue reading…]

There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: make up for ever

A Sexy [INSERT PROFESSION HERE] Halloween Makeup Look

October 27th, 2010 by Karen 86 Comments

karen from makeup and beauty blog wearing mac a tartan tale moonlight night pigment 3

So is your sweet tooth ready for Halloween? I’ve been working mine out with caramels this week to get it in shape for Sunday.

For the first time in ages I actually have Halloween plans that don’t involve stuffing my pie hole with mini-Snickers at home. El Hub and I are going to a party on a big @ss boat! — well, technically, it’s a decommissioned aircraft carrier called the USS Hornet, and the party’s called the Monster Bash.

Now I just have to decide on a costume, and I did some brainstorming today…sexy brainstorming. 🙂

As a fallback, if I haven’t come up with something better, I may swing by the Halloween store to pick up one of those sexy [INSERT PROFESSION HERE] outfits — sexy nurse, sexy librarian, sexy devil or sexy dental hygienist (sexy bee keeper?).

And if that’s the case, I’ll need makeup to fit the part, makeup like this smoldering, shimmery green smokey eye with glossy hot pink lips.

karen from makeup and beauty blog wearing mac a tartan tale moonlight night pigment

It says, “Hey! I’m in costume! Pay attention to me!” But it’s not too complicated to throw together in a sexy rush.

I used products from the new MAC A Tartan Tale and Chanel Les Tentations holiday collections, with a dusting of makeup from Make Up For Ever, NARS and Fred Farrugia. If you have any similar colors haunting the corridors of your makeup stash, now’s your chance to put them to work!

mac a tartan tale swatches moonlight night teal undercurrent black swan pearlglide liner chanel tweed fuschia nars easy lover fred farrugia
Clockwise from left: Chanel Les Tissages de Chanel in Tweed Fuchsia, MAC Pigment in Moonlight Night, MAC Pigment in Teal, Fred Farrugia Matte Lip Duo in 06, NARS Lipgloss in Easy Lover, Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eye Liner in Mat Black 0L, MAC Pearglide Liner in Black Swan, MAC Pearlglide Liner in Undercurrent
[Continue reading…]

There are 86 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), MAC Makeup, Makeup Keywords: chanel, halloween, mac, make up for ever

Dark Under-Eye Circles Hate This Power Couple

October 27th, 2010 by Karen 35 Comments

Reader Anna made my day week when she recently had this to say about one of the banes of my existence:

Your under-eye circles are virtually invisible! What concealer have you been favoring these days?

Hi Anna,

OOH, GURL, that’s the new MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ($16.50)/Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener ($18) combo (Longwear applied on top of Photo Op).

I don’t remember what prompted me to try the two of them together, but let me tell you — they’re frickin’ rad, especially when my dark circles look extra dark and purplish.

First, I blend in a few dots of Photo Op (a golden peach liquid with a hint of shimmer) under each eye to prime them for concealer. I’ll give them about a minute to dry and follow up with MAC Pro Longwear Concealer patted and blended right on top.

I’m normally an NC 35 in MAC foundation, but I’ve been using Longwear Concealer in NW 30 because I think its peachier tones do a better job on my dark circles.


Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener and MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in action

The combo diligently conceals my dark circles for a solid 12-16 hours before showing any signs of fatigue (smudges or migrating).

I haven’t gotten anywhere near this kind of coverage since timeBalm.

This two-fer is totally kicking @ss, and I hope your dark circles loathe it just as much as mine do. 🙂

Products mentioned in this post…

  • MAC Pro Longwear Concealer Is Catching Up to TimeBalm in the Polls
  • Don’t Gloss O-ver the Smashbox Wish List Kit
  • Time Balm Concealer Blows Dark Circles Away

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 35 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To Keywords: mac, smashbox

Aren’t These L’Oreal Midnight Muse Collection Shadow Duos Kinda HiP?

October 27th, 2010 by Karen 82 Comments


The L’Oreal Midnight Muse HiP Studio Secrets Professional Shadow Duos, clockwise from bottom left: Moon Goddess, Luna Noir, Enchantress, Dark Wave

It’s not like I needed another reason to swing by the drugstore, aka my home away from home, but these limited edition $8 L’Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Professional Shadow Duos gave me one anyway.

Here are four of the six HiP (High Intensity Pigments) Studio Secrets from the Midnight Muse collection that arrived on counters in September.


Clockwise from bottom left: Moon Goddess, Luna Noir, Enchantress, Dark Wave

I love their names…Moon Goddess, Luna Noir, Enchantress and Dark Wave. Don’t they sound like a coven of witches (BOO!)?


Clockwise from bottom left: Moon Goddess, Luna Noir, Enchantress, Dark Wave
[Continue reading…]

There are 82 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Keywords: loreal

Korres Lip Butter Glaze Made My Lips Look and Feel Better Today

October 26th, 2010 by Karen 45 Comments

karen from makeup and beauty blog reviews korres lip butter glaze
Korres Lip Butter Glaze in Pomegranate

Blue skies may have been smiling at me yesterday, but my face of the day left me with lips like the Sahara. My kisser needed TLC today, and Korres Lip Butter Glaze ($14; available in five shades) came to my rescue.

The mad moisturizing, non-sticky formula is surprisingly thin and lightweight, but Korres still found room inside it for a subtle vanilla fragrance, which I like (it is unflavored, though). I put Pomegranate (a pinkish coral) on this morning, and by mid-day my lips already felt and looked a lot better.

Both of the colors I’ve tried, Pomegranate and bright red Wild Rose, could almost pass for Jello from afar (peach and fruit punch, respectively!). They create a semi-transparent, shiny layer of goodness on my lips, ahh… 🙂

Korres Lip Butter Glaze review pictures photos
Pomegranate (top) and Wild Rose (bottom)

Korres Lip Butter Glaze review box
[Continue reading…]

There are 45 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup Keywords: korres

The Make Up For Ever Rock For Ever Eyeshadow Palette Rocked Me Like a Hurricane

October 26th, 2010 by Karen 62 Comments

karen from makeup and beauty blog reviews make up for ever rock for ever eye shadow palette

Oh, gawd! So I have another bad TV addiction, and they call it Dancing with the Stars. Why they call it that I’ll never know, since said “stars” include third string reality TV-ers like The Situation from MTV’s Jersey Shore and Audrina from The Hills, but I digress…

I was just channel surfing one night a few weeks ago when I randomly stopped to watch. I swear it was like when Britney had her breakdown and shaved her head. I desperately wanted to look away but couldn’t. The show had me by the eyeballs and would not let go!

Maybe it was the sparkly costumes or the pyrotechnic displays (seriously, on stage fire is like the oldest trick in the “you gotta watch this!” book), but now I’m hooked. And who knew that Jennifer Grey would still be such a kick @ss dancer after all these years, or that 6’8″ Rick Fox would have to work on pointing his toes?

Last night’s episode had a rock n’ roll theme, which means flames, a weird appearance by Bret Michels and his blonder than blond weave, and an awkward pasodoble danced by former NFL champ Kurt Warner (El Hub is totally rooting for him!).

None of it really rocked and rolled to me, but the Make Up For Ever Rock For Ever Eye Palette ($45), on the other hand — that’s another story. Now THAT to me is ROCK. N. FRICKIN’. ROLL!

make up for ever rock for ever eye shadow palette review small product photo picture

This limited edition studded eyeshadow palette from the Rock For Ever Holiday 2010 Collection could probably pass for jewelry, yet it’s so much more! It comes with four shadows designed for sultry, sexy smokey eyes.
[Continue reading…]

There are 62 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: make up for ever

L’Oreal Wants You to Millionize Your Lashes with Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara

October 25th, 2010 by Karen 72 Comments

karen from makeup and beauty blog wearing loreal voluminous million lashes

L’Oreal wants you to “millionize your lashes,” and I guess they’re just assuming you’ll know what that means.

Go on, millionize them! I dare you. 🙂

If you’re confused, so was I when I heard the slogan for L’Oreal’s new Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara ($9).

Would I grow a million new lashes if I used it? Because if so that sounds like potentially too many… Or would my lashes grow in volume by a million times?

And why stop at a million anyway? Why not billionize your lashes? Let’s face it… A million just doesn’t go as far as it used to.

Overlooking 1) the silly slogan that doesn’t tell me anything about the product and 2) the fact that I’m a total word weirdo who obsesses over turns of phrase, I really tried to keep an open mind when I took Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara in Black out for a test drive.

The first thing I noticed about it: great brush. You know how some mascara brushes just don’t know when to stop? They grab too much product. Well, this one gets it right. I don’t even feel like I have to swipe it against a paper towel to remove any excess before applying.

How is that possible, you might ask? The Clean-Sweep Wiper System, BAM! The brush passes through a “web-like structure” and comes out of the tube loaded with the right amount of product for a single layer.

loreal voluminous million lashes review tube
[Continue reading…]

There are 72 comments on this post. Leave yours.

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

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 393
  • Go to page 394
  • Go to page 395
  • Go to page 396
  • Go to page 397
  • 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.