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YSL Eyeshadow Duo in Oatmeal/Petroleum Blue: Splurge or Steal?

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At $41, the Yves Saint Laurent Eyeshadow Duo in Oatmeal/Petroleum Blue from the spring 2009 collection isn’t exactly recessionista material.

But overlooking the price for a moment, take a gander at the color.

Here it is worn around my boring UPS brown peepers…


The color’s a matte slate blue. I love the way it exaggerates the edge between the eyelid and the whites of the eyes. Doesn’t it enhance the contrast between them?

Oatmeal, the second shade that comes with the duo, is a basic matte beige. While pretty, it didn’t give me makeup-gasms like Petroleum Blue, LOL!

Both products in the duo feel finely milled like Dior’s eyeshadows yet creamy like Shu Uemura’s.

And they have all-day staying power, too, even when applied along the waterline.

The problem is the $41 price, ouch.

It’s a lot to ask for a duo, even one with an exceptional color like Petroleum Blue. Maybe if Oatmeal had blown me away… Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Steal the look for less

I was thinking today about how to recreate this look for less when I stumbled on L’Oreal HiP Shadow Duo in Magnetic ($7).
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Pretty Pastels with Yves Saint Laurent Spring Look 2009

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Think you could pull off the pastel eye featured in the Yves Saint Laurent Spring Look 2009?

The model’s wearing a delicious trio of pink, purple and mint shadows, each stacked one on top of the other like Neopolitan Ice Cream! It think it’s gorgeous, but I’m not sure I could pull it off.

Pastels are tough for me, but they sure look perty…

I really love the conservative colors in this release, too.

I’ve just started testing a few of them, starting with the Eyeshadow Duo in Oatmeal/Petroleum Blue ($41).

Not having had much time to use them yet, it looks like Oatmeal (a matte cool beige) and Petroleum Blue (a matte slate blue) apply with high pigmentation, and something tells me they’ll look great together, with Oatmeal as a wash over the entire lid and Petroleum as a liner.

What do you think?

And then there’s the new Gloss Pur lipglosses in Pure Fuchsia and Pure Nude (each $29).

I bet Pure Nude could be fun layered on top of a hot pink lipstick like MAC Girl About Town, but I think I’m leaning toward Pure Fuschia.

Both glosses have a faint, interesting scent that smells of licorice and watermelon. I know — strange combo, but I like it.

I hope they’re long lasting, too! I’ll report my findings a little later.

Pure Lipstick in Tea Rose ($30) brings up the rear. This creamy pink beige looks like it’ll pair perfectly with my favorite MAC Cremestick liner in Pink Treat and some clear gloss.


Swatches from left to right: Tea Rose, Pure Nude, Pure Fuchsia, Oatmeal, Petroleum Blue

YSL costs a pretty penny, so here’s to hoping for good wear time and pigmentation. 🙂

Calm down, Lover!

I finally heard C. Bale’s f-bomb-filled tirade yesterday, and all I have to say is WHOA. Two words, C. Bale: anger management.

Shoot! He broke my heart… I’m gonna need another virtual crush to take away the pain.

Maybe Detective Stabler, aka Law & Order: SVU’s Christopher Meloni, is up to the task.

Funny, but I just realized that all of the celebrities I get crushes on look kinda like El Hub. Hmmm…

How ya handling hump day, ladies? I hope things are going your way!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Just Call Me Doe Eyes: Tarte Bottoms Up Mascara

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If you took away my Tarte Bottoms Up lower lash mascara ($14), I’d probably get the shakes and start rocking back and forth. Maybe drool a little bit too.

Tarte made it special for lower lashes. It’s a water-resistant (not quite waterproof) black, and even though I’ve only been using it for a week, I’m already hooked. *I LOVE* how this mascara makes my eyes look bigger and more alert, like I’m actually awake, even when I’m dog tired.


Tarte Bottoms up mascara brush on top, Clinique High Impact Curling mascara brush head on bottom

Don’t let the tiny bottle fool you; Bottoms Up packs some serious makeup juju. Even though the brush head and bristles are about half normal size, they work mad, crazy good. I think the smaller head helps to thoroughly coat each lash evenly because it can sneak into all the crevices. It works better at coating and separating lower lashes than any mascara brush I’ve ever used before.


No mascara on the lower lash line


One layer of Bottoms Up on lower lash line


Swatch of Bottoms Up
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Sheer Is In Bloom at Prescriptives

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For the new In Bloom collection, Prescriptives borrowed heavily from one the GREATEST painters of all time: Mother Nature.

To my eye, the palette draws inspiration from sunflowers, marigolds, petunias and lilies. The look itself features sheer eyes, cheeks and a rich, shiny lip.

It brings out my inner spring blossom … and she’s been shy ever since I hit my 30s, LOL! 🙂

The collection includes the limited edition Eye Color Duo eyeshadows ($24 each), Color Duo blushes ($24 each) and Lip Shine lipsticks ($17.50) in a mix of warm and cool shades. I tested three products from the collection: Cheer Color Duo in Warm 01, Eye Color Duo in Marigold and Lipshine in Posy.

Eye Color Duo in Marigold

Think fresh cut spring flowers. That’s what I think of when I see the shimmery gold and coral peach eyeshadow shades in the Marigold Eye Color Duo.

Both colors apply sheer with medium pigmentation because the powder’s finely milled and blends like a dream.

They should work great for semi-responsible occasions, as in work or school, but I’d think twice about using these shades for pictures.

To get the color to show well for this face of the day I had to apply three layers. Luckily, the creamy texture makes it uber easy to layer, which is why I’m keeping this duo close by this spring. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Cheek Color Duo in Warm 01

OOH! Check out the embossed flower design on the Cheek Color Duo. Pretty, yah?

What do you think of the Cheek Color Duo in Warm on my cheeks? It packs a shimmery coral blush on one side and a shimmery golden highlighter on the other. Each shade works when used separately or with its partner for a natural peach flush.

Though the colors themselves in the duo are gorgeous, I don’t think the powders are as finely milled as blush powders by Mac or Nars. Matter of fact, I can see some of the grains sitting on top of my skin, eek! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Lipshine in Posy

I think I’m in love with Posy’s rosy coral color and her shiny finish… The taste- and fragrance-free formula feels ultra soft and hydrating on my pucker, and it’s an easy to wear shade that I know I’ll reach for often. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A


Swatches from left to right: Posy, Marigold Eye Duo, Warm Cheek Duo

How do you feel about sheer shades this spring?

In how sheer some of the products are, the In Bloom collection reminds me of the Givenchy Sari and Bobbi Brown Blushed Pink collections.

Aren’t sheer washes and transparent colors all over the place right now??

I mean, I don’t mind because I’m not always in the mood to wear loads of color, but a girl expects good pigmentation when a product costs department store prices.

What do you think? Are you down with In Bloom?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Glitter Is Good: The Bobbi Brown Blushed Pink Collection

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This spring, Bobbi Brown is going beyond her famous “I’m not wearing makeup” bag o’ tricks and taking a chance on glittery pastel eyes with the Blushed Pink collection.


From left to right: Sparkle Eyeshadow in Mica, Ballet

The limited edition Sparkle Eyeshadows ($24 each) take glitter and make it sophisticated, age appropriate and totally not scary. For me, these four shades are the highlights of the release! 🙂

Bobbi also included a lovely spread of pink lip and cheek colors in her trademark classic style — colors that look natural (read: no hot pinks or fuchsias with blue reflects, yo!) and enhance, rather than disguise, one’s features.

Sparkle Eye Shadow takes center stage in Blushed Pink!

I can’t hang when it comes to big ol’ teeny bopper chunks of glitter (aye, I’m 33!), so any eyeshadow that makes me look like a Hot Topic refugee just isn’t an option.

You know those liquid shadows filled with fine grains of microscopic glitter (like Givenchy Precious Sari Glittering Eyeshadow)? The Sparkle Eyeshadows apply like that.

Seasoned makeup junkies might find them a little too sheer, but glitter shy gals (like moi) who prefer subtler looks might want to give ’em a try. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Today’s Blushed Pink Look: Shimmery pastel eyes with pink cheeks and lips

The Blushed Pink model in the promo pics inspired my look today.

The eyes

For the eyes, I started with a thin layer of MAC Paint Pot in Painterly applied over the entire lid, followed by Mica (a shimmery gray) and Ballet (a shimmery pink) in the crease and on the brow bone.
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Givenchy Sari Spring 2009 Face of the Day: Orange You Glad It’s Almost Spring?

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Givenchy’s new Sari collection takes bold Bollywood glamor and blends it with sheer shades for spring.

Yesterday, I wore some of Sari’s apricots and oranges, daydreaming about spring. I went for a look with bright lips and sheer eyes, and now I can’t wait for warmer weather to wear these colors with a white cotton dress, gold baubles and dark brown strappy sandals, ooh! 🙂

Here’s a breakdown of the steps I took with my look…

A subtle brown and orange eye with black eyeliner

I start with Precious Sari Glittering Eyeshadow in Maharani Gold, a liquid eyeshadow with small flecks of gold glitter suspended in a clear gel. It gives the eyes a shimmery gold base.

To apply, I sweep Maharani Gold onto the eyelid with the included doe-foot applicator, and then use my finger to spread it around evenly. It dries fast, so I make sure to bust a move and do this quickly!

Next, I add a subtle smokiness to the eyes by drawing a thick black line on the upper lash line with Magic Kajal Liner in Magic Black.

Magic Kajal Liner is an emollient and highly pigmented pencil liner. It’s easy to smudge and ideal for layering beneath power eyeshadows for smokey looks.

I then line both the upper and lower water lines with Magic Kajal. It smudges like crazy and tends to migrate onto the skin beneath the lower lashes after I apply it on the waterline. Because I want to keep the liner on the lower lash line looking sharp and crisp, I grab a Q-Tip soaked in Lancome Bi-Facil, and then clean up any smudged liner before moving onto the next step.

Almost done! Now for a few colors from the Prismissime Compact Powder in Maharani Apricots.

Using a MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush, I pat the center color (a shimmery golden brown) from Maharani Apricots directly on top of Magic Kajal on the upper lash line, drawing the color up into the crease.

Prismissime Compact Powder in Maharani Apricots contains nine mini-pans of sheer orange, brown and beige powders. Swirl a blush brush over the entire pan to mix the powders if you want to apply it combined color as a blush or highlighter. Or, use an eye brush to apply the colors separately.

To finish the eyes, I add some color into the crease by sweeping a matte orange brown shade (the color in the lower right-hand corner of the Maharani Apricots palette) into the crease with a MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush.

That completes the eyes. 🙂

Glowy, orange cheeks and bold coral lips

The cheeks and lips are just as easy.
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Smashbox Muse Spring 2009: Bionic Mascara in Black Violet

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Before Smashbox’s Bionic Mascara in Violet ($19) entered into my life, my favorite violet was Ms. Violet Beauregard of 1971’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1971) fame.

I’ve always wondered how the Oompa Loompas de-juiced her after she chewed that gum and turned into a berry, and whether or not her eyelashes turn violet, too. Hmm…

Well, it only took 38 years, but scientists at Smashbox Cosmetics have finally duplicated Willy Wonka’s secret violet process, huzzah!

Behold: Black Violet! It’s one of those elusive purple mascaras that actually looks purple on the wand *and* the lashes.

Several cosmetics lines have recently released purple mascaras (Benefit, Dior, Clarins to name a few), but most failed (I liked the Dior) to really deliver color.

Black Violet, on the other hand, delivers loads of juicy color. In the pics below I’m wearing three layers.

And the purple tint shows up in both natural…

…and flash lighting.

Pretty, yah?

Aside from the intriguing hue, Black Violet’s just slightly above average in terms of lash thickness, length and curl, but the color… ooh, the color…
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