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Makeup

Sonia Kashuk Creme Blushes: Natural, Flushed Cheeks on the Cheap

May 7th, 2008 by Karen 40 Comments

sonia-kashuk-creme-blush-ginger-petal-rosey

Sonia Kashuk’s new Creme Blushes are like buttah, baby. These highly pigmented blushes ($8.99 each — hello, bargain!) feel so soft and creamy to the touch that I’m tempted to grab a knife and spread ’em on toast. I think all three shades are truly bee-yoo-tiful. They pack plenty o’ color for my cheeks and produce a fabulous dewy finish.

Sold exclusively at the House of Tar-ghay (aka Target), these shimmer-free blushes are surprisingly wearable considering how highly pigmented they are. I used a single layer to give my cheeks a natural flush and two layers to creates a bolder pop of color.

I wore two layers of Rosey for my look today.

The three shades, from left to right:

  • Rosey: pink-coral
  • Petal: cool rose-pink
  • Ginger: warm orange-brown

sonia-kashuk-creme-blush-ginger-petal-rosey-swatches

I’ve been wearing these blushes separately for the past few days. To apply them I’ve used Sonia’s Flat Top Blusher Brush ($14.99). The synthetic fiber brush head grabs just enough color and fits nicely onto the apples of my cheeks.

sonia-kashuk-flat-top-blusher-brush

First, I applied foundation followed by a layer of Creme Blush and a dusting of loose powder. I followed it up with a second layer of Creme Blush atop the loose powder.

A layer of powder blush will set Creme Blush, giving it a bit more staying power. On my combo oily/dry skin, Creme Blush by itself lasts about four hours, comparable to how long other cream blushes that I’ve tried have lasted.

To push Creme Blush beyond its limits, I’ll reapply around halfway through the day, swiping a finger across the pan and dabbing and blending a little more product onto my cheeks. The compact comes with a small sponge brush, which certainly works in a pinch, but I ended up throwing mine out because it seemed to cause some streaking.

If I’d tried to use Sonia’s Creme Blushes a few years ago when my skin was oilier than it is now, I doubt I would have liked them as much as I do. They’re emollient-rich, and I have a feeling they would have slid right off my uber-oily skin.

sonia-kashuk-creme-blush-ginger-petal-rosey-2
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There are 40 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Product Reviews

Lip Look: Avon Glazewear in Juicy Apricot, On Sale Now

May 6th, 2008 by Karen 30 Comments

avon-glazewear-juicy-apricot

When did Avon get cool, ya’ll? Did it happen while I was in the potty? As far back as I can remember, Avon was something that “mature” women wore (aka my grandma), but lately I’ve come across a number of Avon products that are well, kinda awesome. Take the Glazewear lipstick pictured above. Pretty, yah? That’s Juicy Apricot.

Not quite a lipstick, not quite a gloss, this shimmery peachy-coral shade delivers shiny, sheer color that feels light on my lips. Avon calls it feather-light and says the non-sticky texture has to do with their Color-gel formula.

The formula stays put for about 3-4 hours and comes in a sleek, slim black tube. Lately, I’ve used Glazewear as an alternative to traditional, thick, goopy lipglosses. They pack plenty ‘o shine without the thick gloss look.
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There are 30 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup

Stila Strikes Again with Stila Silk Shimmer Gloss in Kitten, Silk Eye Shadow Wash

May 5th, 2008 by Karen 27 Comments

stila-product-shot

Fellow Stila fans, I just let out a big ol’ MEOW! Guess what? The company has just introduced two new products in Kitten, their cult classic shimmery shade of pink.

  • Silk Shimmer Gloss ($22)
  • Silk Eye Shadow Wash ($22)

Kitten is one of those pinks that looks good on a range of skin tones. Kitten’s flexibility helped make Stila’s original Kitten eyeshadow the company’s best selling product.

Both of these new Kitten products appear light on my skin, delivering just a hint of color. On lighter skin, they’ll look a little more pigmented than this.

While I adore both the shimmer gloss and the eyeshadow wash, I fell hardest for Kitten Silk Shimmer Gloss.

A light makeup look with Stila’s new Kitten lip and eye products…

Stila Silk Shimmer Gloss in Kitten

Subtle color and smells yummy!

I’m a little touchy about scented and flavored glosses, but Stila got the fragrance perfect with Kitten Silk Shimmer’s really sophisticated, non-cloying vanilla scent. It’s rich and smells almost good enough to eat.

And because it smells flat-out delicious, I thought it might taste pretty good, too.

It doesn’t. Matter of fact, it doesn’t taste like anything at all, and now that I think about it, that’s a good thing.

As for the packaging, Stila deserves props for including a handy brush applicator with the wand. They also did a great job with the texture, as it doesn’t feel sticky at all on my lips.

stila-kitten-silk-eye-shadow-wash

How do you feel about the tiny multi-colored flecks of glitter? I think they give my lips a subtle, natural-looking sparkle. In these pics I’m wearing the gloss without liner or lipstick, and it feels like that was just enough to show a little color without trying too hard.

Silk Eye Shadow Wash

A lil’ challenging to work with, but makes a great cheek highlighter

Like the gloss does for lips, the Silk Eye Shadow Wash delivers a subtle, there-but-not there shimmer on the eyes. Not long ago I tried and fell in love with Clinique’s Quick Eyes Cream Shadow. I praised Clinique for including a doe-foot brush applicator. Maybe Stila heard my cheers because they included a doe-foot brush with Silk Eye Shadow Wash, yes!

But the doe-foot applicator is where any comparison to Clinique Quick Eyes Cream Shadow ends. Being water-based, Silk Eye Shadow is thinner than Clinique Quick Eyes, making it a bit more difficult to apply.
stila-kitten-silk-eye-shadow-wash

I layered it directly onto my lids with the doe-foot applicator, and then used a finger to smooth it around. Unfortunately, it ran all over my eyelid and resulted in uneven, splotchy color. Eventually, though, after trying several different eye brushes, I worked it out.

How to Apply Stila Kitten Silk Eye Shadow
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There are 27 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews

A Kryolan Makeover, aka Adventures in Theater Makeup

May 3rd, 2008 by Karen 125 Comments



Every girl deserves a makeover from time to time. My last one was ages ago. I’d been itching to try a new look, so yesterday I made the short trip into San Francisco hoping to find inspiration.

I hit my usual haunts — MAC, Dior and Chanel — but I was in the mood for something, well, kinda different, so I kept looking.

I was almost ready to throw in the towel when a sign on a building caught my eye: Kryolan Professional Makeup. Curious as ever and not wanting to head home defeated, I decided to check it out.

Jake, the Kryolan showroom manager, gave me a tour of the place and described their products and services.

The company offers a full line of professional and consumer beauty products but specializes in theater makeup and makeup education. I was immediately drawn to their Aquacolor wet cake makeup — pans of highly pigmented, glycerin-based face and body makeup available in 250 different shades ($6 each).

Once I spotted their beautiful brushes (high quality, and generally more affordable than department store lines), body paints and, um, fake blood, I knew I was in for a different kind of makeover. Sign my booty up!

Dominic, Kryolan’s director of education, got me ready for my makeover, sitting me down beside a counter covered in Aquacolor pans. I told him to go nuts! I didn’t know what to expect, but I got a little suspicious when he glued a prosthetic cat nose to my face.

That’s when it dawned on me: homie was probably not going to do a simple smokey eye.

After all, Kryolan is known for extreme movie and theater makeup. You’ve probably seen their makeup at work in Hollywood films, and their credits include the makeup for The Chronicles of Narnia, Collateral and Pirates of the Caribbean.

With my new prosthetic cat nose in place, Dominic started layering different colors to develop the look. “The painting process is fun,” he said. “This is the most time consuming part of the whole process.”

The entire Karen-into-cat transformation took about 45 minutes, but here’s the condensed version…


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Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To

Random Acts of Beauty: Makeup, Brilliant Thoughts and Such

May 2nd, 2008 by Karen 31 Comments


What a busy, makeup-filled day, girls! I had quite the adventure this morning in San Francisco. Oh, it’s a doozy. It all started with an early morning meeting at a cosmetics company in the city. The full story won’t be ready until tomorrow, but for now let’s just say it involves dramatic makeup and TLC.

When I got home from the city this afternoon I was spent and tried to take a cat nap, but my hair was stinky as a result of said adventure in the city, so I decided to take a long shower instead. I reached for my new super shampoo and conditioner combo — Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moistruzing Shampoo ($10.95) and Conditioner ($11.95).

I’m a die hard Bumble & Bumble girl, but lately I’ve been trying a few other hair brands on for size. I’m on a lavender kick because I’ve been a little stressed lately, and lavender has helped me to relax. Tea Tree Lavender Mint’s clean, lavender scent doesn’t smell powdery or perfumey at all, which I love, and the combo leaves my hair feeling soft to the touch.

After my shower I took another shot at a cat nap. Within minutes I drifted off to sleep, breathing in Tea Tree Lavender Mint’s soothing scent. I woke up from my nap feeling totally refreshed. Not only does Tea Tree Lavender Mint smell yummy, it moisturizes and makes my hair shiny, too. Loving it!

Tonight, after answering e-mails and running a few errands, I did what I do best: surfing the internets for a new makeup obsession. I’m hunting for the right shade of blue mascara. I searched high and low on Sephora.com today but couldn’t make a decision. I narrowed it down to these five:
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There are 31 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Hair, Makeup

Chanel Aqualumiere Lipgloss: Sheer and Shiny

May 1st, 2008 by Karen 43 Comments

chanel-aqualumiere-beauty-shot

Chanel’s Aqualumiere Glosses ($25) debut this month, and boy are these bad boys built to shine. All nine of the shades deliver loads of sheer, super shiny color.

They don’t feel sticky at all on my lips. Unlike Chanel Glossimer lipglosses, Aqualumiere Gloss wands are tipped with a brush. I appreciate that. For me the brush makes Aqualumiere easier to apply than other products with doe-foot applicators.

Top row (from left to right)

  • Bonbon
  • Vanilla
  • Freeze
  • Candy Glow

Bottom row (left to right)

  • Diamond Rose
  • Ironic Tonic
  • Party Red
  • Glass Quartz
  • Bubble Plum

chanel-aqualumiere-glosses-2

chanel-aqualumiere-lipgloss-swatch-2

chanel-aqualumiere-lipgloss-swatch-3

I got these swatches a few hours ago at my local Nordies, and Candy Glow (sheer, peachy pink with tiny golden flecks) came home with me.
chanel-candy-glow-aqualumiere-lip-swatch

What I like about Candy Glow…

  • Subtle color (perfect for pairing with bold eye makeup looks)
  • High shine
  • Not sticky
  • Moisturizing
  • Brush applicator

What I don’t like about Candy Glow…

  • Not long lasting (I had to reapply after two hours)
  • Fades faster than Chanel Glossimer, MAC Lipglass and Clinique Glosswear lipglosses
  • Expensive ($25)

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There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews

MAC Makeup Tips: MAC Does Makeup for Music, Too

April 29th, 2008 by Karen 41 Comments


You probably already knew that MAC provides makeup and makeup artists for fashion shows all over the world, but did you know that MAC does makeup for music tours, too? If you have tickets to rapper Kanye West’s Glow in the Dark North American tour (April-June, 2008), expect to see MAC in action. The MAC team is creating the looks for several of the dancers, backup singers and accompanying musicians on the tour.

And Glow in the Dark isn’t the first MAC/Kanye partnership. They’ve been at it for years, with MAC working on a number of Kanye’s tours, special performances and videos.

To find out more about how MAC works with performers on large concerts and events, I spoke with MAC Senior Makeup Artist Jennifer Karsten. Jennifer worked on Kanye’s Touch the Sky tour, his 2007 MTV Music Video Awards appearance and the Flashing Lights video.

Jennifer did the makeup for the girl in this video. Yo, shuttle the kids into the other room before you watch this because the end is kinda graphic.

Unlike the full-time singers, dancers and musicians who travel with an artist on tour, MAC artists are usually assigned at each stop along the way. How do all these different makeup artists in different cities maintain a consistent makeup look throughout a lengthy tour? “We all communicate through the senior artists and global communications,” Jennifer says, “so everyone knows what the look is and to keep the continuity going.”

MAC artists working on high-profile music events face challenges that makeup artists working fashion shows don’t often face. Large concerts are complex productions. “When you’re dealing with someone more high profile,” says Jennifer, “you have a lot more channels to go through.” It can be more difficult or challenging to really get the look correct because you’re filtering an idea through someone else.

For one of his performances at the 2007 MTV music video awards, Kanye wanted a futuristic, glamorous, high fashion makeup look. The MAC team envisioned a glossy, futuristic cat eye (ooh, me likey!). MAC artists created a “test look” on one of the orchestra performers. It then took six hours, several calls, and pictures taken with cell phones to get the test look approved. That left the team with only 20 minutes to replicate the look on the rest of the orchestra.

And, ultimately, fashion show makeup isn’t meant to overshadow the clothing. That’s not always the case in a concert, where the makeup often defines the look.

mac-foundations-mineralize-satinfinish-hyper-real

MAC Makeup Tips – Concert Makeup

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There are 41 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Makeup, News

Lancome Star Bronzer Plus Clinique Fireberry Glosswear Equals 3-Minute Makeup

April 26th, 2008 by Karen 42 Comments

lancome-star-bronzer-sun-cherub

That cherub’s got junk in his trunk!

Not only does Lancome’s new limited edition Star Bronzer ($50) for face and body work like a charm; it looks like one too.

Doesn’t it look like the cherub in the pan is hugging the sun?

Star Bronzer gave my cheeks a warm glow, and, coupled with Clinique Fireberry Glosswear, helped me do this easy summer look.

Lancome obviously had fun with this compact. Within the image in the pan are three different bronzing colors. I love the golden brown matte from the cherub’s bum.

Here are swatches of the three most distinct shades from different parts of the compact:

  1. A shimmery bronze with golden sparkle swatched from the sun to the left of the nekkid cherub
  2. A warm golden brown matte from the cherub’s arse
  3. A shimmery yellow gold from the cherub’s wings

lancome-star-bronzer-swatches

What a great bronzer for summer! Too bad it’s a little on the expensive side. I do love how it looks with Fireberry Glosswear. I discovered how compatible the two products are by accident this morning.

I wanted a latte from the coffee shop across the street, but I didn’t want to leave the house without minimal makeup (I don’t want to scare the local children with my dark circles).

3-Minute Makeup

I grabbed my MAC 116 blush brush and swiped Star Bronzer onto the applies of both cheeks. Then, I added Dior Concealer to hide my dark circles and curled my lashes with Shu Uemura’s Curler.

I used a MAC 266 brush and MAC Concrete eyeshadow to fill in my brows and finished the look with Clinique Fireberry Glosswear lipgloss. Done in less than three minutes.

lancome-star-bronzer-sun-cherub-fotd

Don’t you love it when you find cheek and lip colors that complement each other? I like how the bronze and gold tones in both Star Bronzer and Fireberry work together.

Lancome Star Bronzer

Price: $50
Use: A powder bronzer
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B
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There are 42 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews

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