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Makeup

Don’t Gloss O-ver the Smashbox Wish List Kit

October 16th, 2010 by Karen 12 Comments


Wearing Smashbox O-Gloss Gold on lips, Fusion Soft Lights in Baked Stardust on cheeks, Photo Finish Foundation Primer on face, Photo Op Under-Eye Brightener and Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner along my lashlines

Smashbox hopes to make wishes come true this year with the new five-piece $49 Wish List kit ($108 value). A buck from every purchase goes to the Children’s Miracle Network (I would have liked to have seen them give a little more than $1, but at least it’s something).

It comes with five smashing products — Photo Op Under-Eye Brightener, O-Gloss Gold, Photo Finish Foundation Primer – Travel Size, Fusion Soft Lights in Baked Stardust, Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner.

Smashbox wish holiday 2010 collection wish list wish-wish-list-box

O-Gloss Gold: As soon I put it on, I thought, “Wow, sure is gold!” But it quickly mellows out to a pretty peach. It’s a long-lasting golden peachy pink, smooth but not sticky, with a light peppermint flavor and scent.

Photo Op Under-Eye Brightener: A warm, shimmery peachy pink liquid highlighter designed to be worn under concealer. I’ve been applying it in the hollows at the inside corners of my eyes. It delivers a subtle brightening effect, not an “Oh, my, gawd! I look 10 years younger” kinda thing.

Fusion Soft Lights Powder: One of the prettiest little pinwheel pans I’ve seen in a while (the shades are all supposed to be swirled together). It gives a soft, peachy pink glow. I like that the shimmer isn’t overly frosty and doesn’t settle into my pores like some shimmery blushes do.

Photo Finish Foundation Primer: I’ve said it before, but I’m not the biggest fan of this. Perhaps because it contains silicone, it feels heavy on my skin, and I feel like my skin can’t breathe with it on. It doesn’t ruin the kit, though, because I know how many women love this primer, so I’d probably just give it to someone who’d love it more than I do.

Jet Set Waterproof Liner: Just a basic black waterproof liner in a tiny jar barely the diameter of a nickel (but I’ve never even finished a jar of eyeliner before, so it probably doesn’t matter). I do wish they’d managed to squeeze a liner brush in the box… That would have come in handy.


O-Gloss Gold

Smashbox wish holiday 2010 collection wish list swatches
Swatches from left: Fusion Soft Lights in Baked Stardust, Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner in Midnight Black, Photo Op Under-Eye Brightener, O-Gloss Gold, Photo Finish Foundation Primer

PRICE: $49
AVAILABILITY: Sephora and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: smashbox

Saturday Surfing (and NARS Holiday 2010 Color Comparisons)

October 16th, 2010 by Karen 7 Comments

Good morning and happy Saturday to ya! How was your night? I didn’t do squat, thank you very much. 🙂 But then I never leave the house anymore except to visit Tuttimelon in the middle of the night. I spent the evening on the couch with a bucket of taro root frozen yogurt, watching a Jersey Shore marathon… I don’t know when I turned into a Cathy comic (“Ack!”).

Before we dive into the joys that are Saturdays and surfing, here are comparison swatches of a few pieces from the new NARS Holiday 2010 Collection (with some bits thrown in from fall).

The purple shade in the Melusive Duo versus the Daphne Eyeshadow Single from fall 2010:


Melusine Eyeshadow Duo on left, Daphne Eyeshadow on right


Swatch of Melusine Eyeshadow Duo on left, Daphne Eyeshadow on right

The purple shade from Melusine looks a little plummier than the blue-violet Daphne Eyeshadow Single, which also looks sheerer than the purple in Melusine.

Oh, I got a couple of requests to see Bougainville Lip Gloss beside Strawberry Fields from fall 2010…


Bougainville on left, Strawberry Fields on right


Swatches of Bougainville on left, Strawberry Fields on right

Both shades sure are pigmented, aren’t they? I dig ’em both a lot.

Saturday Surfing: Sites I Surfed Today

  • Stylecaster’s got a story on four DIY projects to try at home this weekend, and it includes my lip gloss organizer!
  • This Sephora Halloween Minx Manicure looks like fun.
  • No creasing and they’re cheap, too? Sounds like I need to pick up a few of these cheap drugstores liners from E.L.F.
  • These crazy paper heels aren’t designed for walking, but they sure look hella cool.
  • For all my fellow time strapped peeps, here are 30 ways to save 30 minutes a day.
  • What an adorable black and white kitten. He’s listening to music! Aww… This made my morning.
  • Ooh! I think I’m gonna try this sophisticated pin-up look!

I hope you have a lovely Saturday. Rest up if you can! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup Keywords: nars

A MAC Lipglass Dupe for $4.50? Try Milani Crystal Gloss

October 15th, 2010 by Karen 44 Comments

Makeup Morsels

Written by Makeup Morsels

Which sounds better for a lovely Lipglass — $4.50 or $14.50? Blogger Makeup Morsels found just such a deal on a dupe of MAC Nymphette, and she shares it with us now in today’s guest post.

Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby
$4.50 Milani Crystal Gloss tubes are actually a little larger than $14.50 tubes of MAC Lipglass; Milani Summer Baby and MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass to show size

I remember seeing pictures of MAC Nymphette on Karen’s blog for the very first time and instantly falling in love love. The gorgeous pink gloss, chock-full of golden shimmer, went straight to the top of my lust list. Of course, the bargain hunter within me decided to go on a dupe-search before I made any final commitments.

And I’m so glad I did! Browsing the Milani section at my local CVS, I found Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby for a mere $4.50.

I did a quick size comparison with a tube of MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass I had on hand, and although the Milani gloss looks smaller because of its cap, it actually contains more product (4.86g compared to 4.8g for MAC). Summer Baby also has the exact same sticky texture and vanilla scent as the MAC Lipglasses.

Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby
Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby
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There are 44 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup Keywords: guest post, mac, milani

NARS Holiday 2010 Collection: Have a Berry Francois Christmas and a Happy NARS Year

October 14th, 2010 by Karen 60 Comments

nars holiday 2010

Holy wow, pumpkin! All I have to say is werk!

I’m not talking work like cubicles, time sheets or lame vacation requests, but the neck swerving, hair flipping, three snaps in z-formation kinda work — the kind of work NARS obviously put into their holiday 2010 collection.

For the holidays, it’s nice to see something almost traditional — with lots of golds, silvers, berries and plums — from such an untraditional brand.

But I did say “almost.” 🙂 After all, this is still NARS we’re talking about. The colors are a casual affair, many of them shimmery and saturated but not heavy or foreboding.

Francois usually likes to throw in a few quirky shades, but this time he shows some restraint to tell a tightly woven color story. He still cuts loose, of course, with unexpected pops of taupe, peach and blue, but it all just fits together.

With the exception of sheer Sex Appeal Blush and Little Darling Lipstick, the lip, eye and nail products burst with color. Francois, inspired by Irish heiress and fashion icon Daphne Guinness, aimed for seductive, audacious and bold, and dagnabbit, homeboy nailed it.

The company’s trademark quality is evident throughout the release, from the pigments to their application and smooth textures.

Oh, yeah. The new eyeshadow trio in the pic at the top is a first for NARS. They’ve never done an eyeshadow trio before, and I like it (doesn’t it look like a Rothko painting?).

If you’re afraid the eye colors might be too intense, don’t worry; I think they’re still work friendly. Just use a light touch when you apply them, and dilute, dilute, dilute.

nars holiday 2010 swatches review photos all

nars holiday 2010 swatches review photos okinawa trio eyeshadow product shot
Okinawa Trio Eyeshadow (limited edition), $45

nars holiday 2010 swatches review photos melusine duo eyeshadow product shot
Melusine Duo Eyeshadow, $32
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There are 60 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: nars

Bobbi Brown Holiday 2010: A First Look

October 14th, 2010 by Karen 26 Comments

bobbi brown holiday 2010 cases

Super cute! I’m totally feeling the festive black and gold cases in the new Bobbi Brown Holiday 2010 collection. Isn’t the crest design divine?

The 11-piece limited edition collection just launched this month. Enjoy the pictures and swatches of four of the kits below, and let me know if there’s anything here you can/can’t live without. 🙂

bobbi brown holiday 2010

bobbi brown holiday 2010 boxes

The Bobbi Brown Holiday 2010 collection

  • Day to Night Eye Palette in Cool, $45
  • Day to Night Eye Palette in Warm, $45
  • Pink & Gold Lip Palette, $45
  • Sparkle Glamour Quad, $40
  • Modern Classic Lip & Eye Palette, $75
  • Lip Gloss Trio, $40
  • Crystal Eye Palette, $45
  • Deluxe Travel Kit, $115
  • Deluxe Beauty Trunk, $350 (available exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman)
  • Essential Brush Set, $250 (available exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman)
  • Deluxe Mini Brush Set, $90 (available exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman)

Crystal Eye Palette, $45

bobbi brown holiday 2010 crystal eye palette shadows
Crystal Eye Palette Eye Shadows from left: Metallic Eye Shadow in Amethyst, Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Diamond, Sparkle Eye Shadow in Star, Metallic Eye Shadow in Peacock

bobbi brown holiday 2010 crystal eye palette shadows left
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There are 26 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup Keywords: bobbi brown

Have You Seen These Sonia Kashuk Pink Products for Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Target?

October 14th, 2010 by Karen 15 Comments

When I popped by Target and Tuttimelon last night to get a few cans of gravy for Tabs and a pint of “premium frozen yogurt” for moi (I love the taro flavor), I spied these cute Breast Cancer Awareness products from Sonia Kashuk.

Sonia’s a breast cancer survivor, and every year she releases something cool for BCA. Last year I got this makeup case (cute, huh?).

This year the company’s donating 15% (a sizable chunk) of the purchase price of these BCA products to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.


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There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Keywords: bca2010, sonia kashuk

Dior Holiday 2010: A Five Golds Face of the Day

October 13th, 2010 by Karen 42 Comments

dior five golds

“Hey, you gotta try some of this tres leches cake. It’s hella good!”

“No thanks.”

“Seriously? The last time you turned down desert was, like, never. Come on, have a bite.”

“No, I don’t want any. I’m not into goat milk.”

“What?”

“I’m not into goat milk.”

“Uh…I don’t think there’s goat milk in it.”

“Really? Isn’t it one of the three milks? — cow milk, goat milk…”

“Dude, really? They mean regular milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk — get it?”

“Ohhhhh…”

So went one of the many odd conversations I’ve had with my good guy friend N. Black. Playing with Dior’s new Five Golds quint today reminded me of that conversation. What would N. Black have thought if it had been five milk cake instead of three??

The $58 quint also goes by the more marketable stage name, the Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Five Golds #001, and it’s one of two new Dior eyeshadow quints for holiday 2010.

dior holiday 2010 makeup swatches review 001

dior holiday 2010 makeup swatches 001 on nc35 skin
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There are 42 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: dior

Smashbox Wish For The Perfect Pout Swatches: Don’t Sweat the Technique

October 13th, 2010 by Karen 42 Comments


Wearing Radiant Lipgloss from Smashbox Wish For The Perfect Pout

Er, can you guess who’s been listening to Eric B. & Rakim?

I’m still auditioning songs for The Ultimate ’90s Hip Hop Playlist (keep those recs coming!), and today, while listening to Don’t Sweat the Technique and swatching the new Smashbox Wish For The Perfect Pout ($29), it hit me — this hip hop classic kinda reminds me of this limited edition holiday kit.

Smashbox wish holiday 2010 collection wish for the perfect pout box
Smashbox Wish For The Perfect Pout Lipglosses from left: Luster, Candid, Baby Pout, Ecstasy, Divine and Radiant

Smashbox wish holiday 2010 collection wish for the perfect pout wands
From left: Luster, Candid, Baby Pout, Ecstasy, Divine and Radiant

Have you ever tried putting on an opaque, bright gloss without a mirror? It’s hard, right? It requires sweating over one’s lipgloss technique, so to speak. You gotta get the color even and if it goes beyond your natural lip line you look all kinds of crazy… Yes, I’ve totally done this before, and it’s not cute.

But with the glosses in Wish For The Perfect Pout, it’s all gravy, as Tabs would say. The six shimmery shades go on with different degrees of sheerness, so if I accidentally apply too much, the contrast doesn’t look as stark as it would with a full-coverage gloss. Shoot, I could probably put these glosses on while doing the butterfly (remember that dance?) and still come out looking semi-sane. Don’t sweat the technique, indeed. 🙂

Luster, Candid and Baby Pout apply with the least amount of pigment; Ecstasy, Divine and Radiant (LOVE!) the most. They all have a light vanilla scent and flavor, a medium-weight thickness and a non-sticky texture.

Check out the colors below let me know if anything moves ya.

smashbox wish for the perfect pout swatches review radiant
Radiant
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There are 42 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup Keywords: smashbox

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