Daily Beauty

Dolce & Gabbana’s New Bronzer Duo Asks, “Are You a Natural Bronze?”

August 19th, 2014 by Karen 7 Comments

Dolce Gabbana Bronzer Duo Natural Bronze (1)

Smokey eyes, red lips, jet black nails (mmm, Dior Bar)…

I’m sitting here in my office right now wearing a sweater and long pants. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was November.

That’s just craziness…

Scientists are saying that the odds of an El Niño happening this year are dropping, but maybe they forgot to tell Northern California because it already feels like fall!

Weather-wise, I’m not ready for it yet. Makeup-wise, it doesn’t really matter, especially when it comes to bronzers.

Because i’m always down for bronzers. 🙂 Bronzers like the Bronzer Duo in Natural Bronze ($66) by Dolce & Gabbana. The finely milled powder practically melts into the skin.

The compact houses two pans of bronzer — one lighter than the other — which sort of share a beauty bunk bed, with one on top of the other. You can use the shades individually, or mix them together.

Both bronzers have warm golden reddish undertones and delicate sheens. I like ’em more for adding light veils of warmth all over my face than for sculpting and contouring, since the reddish tones can look a little muddy and funky when I concentrate them below my olive cheekbones.

If, however, your skin has prominent reddish undertones, you should be able to use both of these for adding warmth and/or for contouring, and it would probably look effortless and natural (and who doesn’t want that?).

If you’re interested, say ciao to the Bronzer Duo next time you see it. It’s available now online and at Dolce & Gabbana counters.

WARNING: The Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Pied De Poule Could Trigger Full-On Fall Makeup Madness

August 18th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Between all the lusciously dark NARS Audacious Lipsticks and this sumptuously smokey Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Pied De Poule ($60), I think I’m starting to seriously entertain the notion of leaving behind minimal summer makeup, and embracing full-on fall makeup madness.

BRING ON THE SMOKEY EYES! 😀

Who’s with me?

Get Down With Brown: $7 Maybelline Downtown Brown ColorTattoo Pure Pigments Eyeshadow

August 15th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Maybelline Downtown Brown ColorTattoo Pure Purigment Eyeshadow

Yeah, the last thing I need in my life is one more brown eyeshadow (rolls eyes), but this one is just so pretty — and it’s only $7!

It’s Maybelline’s Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eyeshadow in Downtown Brown, a loose eyeshadow with a magical golden brown, taupey glow, and for only $7, I think it looks much more expensive than it actually is.

I’ve mostly been wearing it by itself on my lids with a black liner on my lash and water lines, but I think it’s also really pretty layered on top of creamy gold shadows like Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Mirage and Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colour in Gold.

Um…did I mention that it’s only $7??

That’s less than I had to pay Zac Efron to show me his abs (wishful thinking). 🙂

You can get down with Downtown Brown now wherever Maybelline is sold (like Ulta).

PRICE: $7
AVAILABILITY: Permanent, and available now
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Howdy, Highlights! It’s the New Bobbi Brown Sandstone Shimmer Brick

August 15th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Give me bold highlighters…or give me cats!

Or both! Give me both, preferably!

I’m on a bold highlighter kick right now — bold as in high-shine, borderline disco diva shimmer.

It’s because I’ve been wearing a new foundation by Laura Mercier, which is super matte, and when I wear it, unless I’m rockin’ a strong highlight, I feel like my skin looks flat.

I’m really into this limited edition one by Bobbi Brown called Sandstone Shimmer Brick ($45, from the new Smokey Nudes collection coming September to Bobbi Brown counters and neimanmarcus.com). It’s like a slightly peachier version of BECCA Opal.

Sandstone’s shiny finish is probably visible from low Earth orbit, but that’s what I like about it. 🙂 You have to be careful not to go overboard with it, though, because it’s very easy to go there, especially if you’re in a hurry…or if you have Hulk hands.

I try to be very careful and use a small tapered eyeshadow blending brush (Laura Mercier’s Ponytail Eye Crease Brush) to precisely place the highlighter on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid’s bow, and then I buff out the edges, just slightly, with the same brush. That way, I get the impact from the shimmer, but I don’t get it all over the place.

Bobbi Brown Sandstone Shimmer Brick Swatch — Sandstone is like a slightly peachier version of BECCA Opal

A Mish-Mash Midnight Mani With the New FABY Italian Nail Couture Line

August 13th, 2014 by Karen 8 Comments

Considering that I did this bizarro mish-mash of a manicure tired in a dark room late at night…it didn’t turn out half bad! 🙂

Even the darker shades, like the creamy black and burgundy, turned out pretty well, especially around the edges.

These are just a bunch of different shades from FABY, a cruelty-free Italian nail line now available in the U.S.

From the left, that’s Faby’s Red (a creamy red), A Perfect Day (a glittery rose gold), Hollywood Party (a creamy pink), Black is Black (a creamy black), Winter Garden (a shimmery dark teal), The Most Beautiful in the Realm (a shimmery red; and I love this name!), Metropolis (a creamy gray), Not Another Pink (a creamy, peachy pink), Pepper & Cloves (a shimmery burgundy) and Footprints on the Beach (a creamy tan; another great name).

There’s so much potential here. The full 400-bristle brush cuts a crisp edge around the nail, and the formula applies very smoothly. Reminds me of OPI.

The collection covers — get this — 175 shades (!), plus a complete nail care treatment line.

They’re available now for $18 each at high-end salons, boutiques and fabyusa.com.

OK…I just figured out that it would cost $3,150 for all 175 shades.

Wow. I actually think that’s more than my car is worth, LOL!

Everything Is Better in Hot Pink, and a Note About Awards Shows…

August 12th, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

Like flowers…

These are currently growing in front of Blue Barn Marin, home of the greatest salad in the entire world (the tostada salad, if you get it with extra shrimp and avocado).

I saw the flowers the other day, and they got me thinking about this Badgley Mischka dress, because I need something to wear to the Emmys…

Fluorescent Chiffon Gown by Badgley Mischka, via Rent the Runway

Wait — what?

Did she say Emmys..?

Yeah, she did. 🙂

Kind of random, but I’ll be there at the show in Los Angeles later this month (Very excited! You know I’m a huge TV fan.). Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict/cat aficionado is going to be in the audience at the Emmys.

Needless to say, I feel like I probably shouldn’t wear a cat t-shirt to this kind of thing, hence the dress, which I’m actually renting from Rent the Runway.

Now I’m trying to decide on the accessories, like, do I totally bling it out? It is an awards show, after all, but I’m afraid that too much sparkle will look too pageant-y, if you know what I mean.

What do you think? How should I handle the earrings/necklace/bracelet/tiara situation? The show is Monday night, August 25.

A Hole In One, and Some Sushi

August 11th, 2014 by Karen 8 Comments

Lake Tahoe dinner date and miniature golf

Question for you: Who waits until they’re 39 years old to play miniature golf FOR THE FIRST TIME?

Answer: This girl (*points at self while doing the cabbage patch*).

Yes, friend. Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict played miniature golf for the very first time ever last weekend in Tahoe.

And…

Wait for it…

She won.

BOOM! 🙂

Yup, miniature golf wasn’t a thing where I grew up (Union City, CA). We were more into roller skating. #datingmyself

Apparently I missed a lot, though, because it was tons of fun! I thought for sure I’d be awful at it because it involves two of my least favorite things — fast-moving projectiles (if you hit the ball too hard), and sticks/clubs, also known as things my clumsy self could possibly harm others with.

But as it turned out, I’m actually OK at it.

I even got a hole in one! — which, according to Official Miniature Golf Expert El Hub, isn’t something that beginners do all the time.

WATCH OUT, LPGA TOUR!

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OMG! Kittens

August 8th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

OMG! Kittens is the new Kitty Glitter.

So the first thing I did when I got to the casino tonight was look for an old friend of mine called Kitty Glitter, a penny slot machine with, like, kittens and fireworks and white ragdolls wearing tiaras.

It’s the pinnacle of cat lady casino game dreams. 🙂

But they didn’t have it.

What they did have was a game I’d never seen before called OMG! Kittens. And I played it. And I loved it (I won five whole dollars…but then I lost it all).

It features, among other cats, gray tabby babies, which remind me of a certain iron-fisted employer…

While you’re playing, the top screen shows videos of kittens chasing balls, stalking fish — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are also kittens in baskets, kittens rolling around in grass, sad-eyed kittens, kittens posing for portraits, and much, much more. It’s as if someone went into the mind of a cat lady and designed a casino game just for them.

It literally makes you say, “OMG! Kittens!”

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