Daily Beauty

Try These $21 Too Faced Melted Metal Liquified Metallic Lipsticks for an Updated ’90s Metallic Lip

April 16th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

Did somebody accidentally turn on my hot tub time machine? ‘Cause, dude! — these Too Faced Melted Metal Lipsticks are taking me back to 1996…

I was wearing big hoop earrings almost every single day while wearing out my Missy Elliott Supa Dupa Fly CD (I still remember the first time I heard The Rain; boom, mind blown), and I never left the house without metallic violet lipstick on my lips either.

Yes, I wore a dark plum lip liner with ’em. I’d trace around the edges of my lips with the liner, and I NEVER BLENDED IT INTO THE LIPSTICK.

So tragic.

All I have to say is thank goodness selfies weren’t a thing back then. 🙂

These Too Faced Melted Metals ($21 each) are liquid lipsticks with a metallic finish and a wear time of 2-3 hours. They came out earlier this spring in eight shades and are now part of the permanent collection. Just squeeze the tube, and liquid lipstick comes out of the angled sponge tip. Then apply directly to lips.

These actually feel like thin, non-sticky glosses to me, because they’re so lightweight, smooth and “wet.” You know how with some liquid lipsticks, after you’ve been wearing then for a few minutes, they take on sort of a dry finish? Well, these don’t. They stay slick the whole time.

They also taste and smell a little like buttery sugar (or sugary butter), but when I smack my lips together, I also detect faint notes of plastic…

It’s not strong, though, and as long as I don’t overthink it, I don’t mind. Plus, with tastes and scents, one gal’s plastic is another girl’s Dulce de Leche.
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Urban Outfitters Beauty Haul: Tony Moly, Hair Therapy and The Gnarly Whale

April 15th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

I’m really hoping that including Tabs in this picture is enough to distract you from the fact that 1) I’m in my pajamas, 2) I’m not wearing any makeup, and 3) I’m wearing this totally weird hair treatment cap by Kocostar Hair Therapy.

If it isn’t, here’s a T. rex claw for good measure…

I’m not purposefully going for milkmaid chic in this look. 🙂 The hair cap is one of the things I picked up at Urban Outfitters a few weeks back.

Dude! If you haven’t been there lately, you have to go. There’s a lot of cool sh*t and neat brands in their beauty section.

Like this cap by Kocostar Hair Therapy ($8). It’s pre-moistened with conditioner. After shampooing and towel drying, you stick your hair inside the cap, seal it shut with the sticker on the back, and wait 15 minutes for your hair to absorb the product (I’m thinking/guessing that the heat from your head is some kind of activator).

Then rinse it all out.

Now, OK. First of all, it was really hard to get all of my hair up into this cap. I tried putting it into a loose bun at the top of my head, and then sticking the cap over it, but my hair kept falling out, so I ended up holding the cap upside-down and diving into it.

Of course, then I couldn’t get the sticker thingy to stay stuck…

Eventually, I figured it out (but it wasn’t incredibly easy).

After letting my hair sit inside the cap for 15 minutes, I removed the cap and rinsed my hair. It felt coated with a thick, heavy goo, which took a really long time to rinse out, but I do think my hair looked a little shinier than it did before…

I dunno. At least my head smelled good (like Gummy Bears).

About some of the other things I picked up…

The Gnarly Whale Thai Coconut Beach Waves ($14) — Wow, this is really lovely! I get soft, beachy waves without stickiness or crunchiness. Totally like a softer hold version of Kerastase Spray a Porter. Smells great, too (like coconuts).
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Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Matte Lipstick: Season Doesn’t Matte-Er to These Timeless Matte Reds

April 9th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

I feel like I’ve barely dipped a toe into the summer makeup season, but talking about this new line of Dolce Matte Lipsticks by Dolce & Gabbana right meow is like fast-forwarding all the way to fall.

But hey, they’re matte red lipsticks. That’s the definition of timeless. 🙂

Yup, these are all about red, as in various shades o’ vermillion. There are 13 of them in all, every one matte, and each one is $37.

Rather than wearing Dolce & Gabbana’s standard gold ensemble, these tubes are wearing black with gold bands, which is very Chanel-esque, methinks.

On the outside, they may look different, but they’re pure D&G lipstick through and through. They have the same rosy Dolce & Gabbana lipstick flavor and scent.

And the colors…? It’s as if a cement truck dumped a ton of pigment into each tube.

So. Much. Color. All five of the shades I’ve tried bring it. They’re opaque and crazy pigmented. One swipe is good.

If you like drier matte lipstick formulas with a thick texture, you might really like these. The formula’s firmly on the thicker side, which helps them last on my lips a long time (five or six hours).

I do feel like they could benefit from a little more moisture, because even after 20 minutes, my lips start craving balm, but even so, I like ’em. I can’t remember the last time I said no to a lovely matte red lip. I’ll just prep my lips first with balm.

Neutral matte red Dolce Heart 531 is my favorite of these five. I think it looks great with warm and cool blushes.

All 13 shades are available now online, at Dolce & Gabbana counters and in Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Which reminds me — if you happen to be out this way in the San Francisco area tomorrow (Friday) or Saturday, swing by the Dolce & Gabbana counter at Saks in Union Square, and say “Wassup!” to Dolce & Gabbana National Makeup Artist Christian McCulloch, one of my favorite makeup artists around.

Christian’s work has graced the pages of many glossy magazines. He’s a brilliant artist. He’ll be at the store to introduce the new Dolce Matte Lipsticks and do makeovers (which are free) April 10-11 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

He’s a lot of fun, and bonus! — just talking with him for a few minutes, you’ll learn a lot. If you go, please tell him I said hi. 🙂

To schedule an appointment, call the Dolce & Gabbana counter at the SF Union Square Saks to book a time. (415) 986-4300 ext. 5224.

Currently Reading…

April 8th, 2015 by Karen 43 Comments

How does this sound?

Huge pile of magazines
Big comfy bed
Sunshine streaming through large windows

Yeah, that’s going to be my self-imposed reward this afternoon. Quality meow time with myself, perhaps a husky tabby companion and magazines!

Honestly, how do these things pile up so quickly? I subscribe when I see a really good deal, usually after I buy an overpriced $4 issue at the bookstore and then 20 of those postcard subscribe thingies fall out. “Get 12 monthly issues for $12!”

OK, Mr. Marketing Guru, I will. 🙂

I think I’m up to seven subscriptions now…

Entertainment Weekly — I LOVE their movie, TV show and book reviews. Plus the writing’s really good. I also like their graphic design style. I get a lot of ideas from them for my posts and pictures on the blog, like the way they style their titles for articles and use colorful shapes. This is probably one of the longest subscriptions I’ve held. Must be 4-5 years already.
Nylon — Just really cool style. I like the sassy writing, and they have an extensive beauty section.
Allure — A good in-depth beauty mag.
Glamour — Got a little of everything. The traditional glossy.
Popular Photography — Gotta get the gear!
Better Homes and Gardens — Good source of inspiration for interiors and recipes.
Real Simple — Just everyday life things.

Whenever a new one comes in, I set it on a stack in the corner of my room, and before I know it the stack is 12 feet tall and about to fall over!

This month I’m loving on that coppery red blown-out eyeshadow Julianne Hough is sporting on the cover of Allure.

Dude, if I had her eyes, I’d be rockin’ that makeup every single day. I love the contrast of the coppery tones and her blue peepers.

I’m also digging the graphic design on this cover of Nylon…

And try to peel your eyes away from hottie Mr. 50 Shades of Grey for a second to appreciate Dakota Johnson’s bangs on the current cover of Glamour. It just may be my next hair style. 🙂

How about you? Do you subscribe to any magazines? Which ones are your faves?

Get Jouer Delivered Right to Your Door! Jouer Launches Le Matchbox, a New Subscription Box Service

April 2nd, 2015 by Karen 8 Comments

Chic SoCal casual makeup brand Jouer is jumping into the subscription box ring with a new quarterly service of their own, and the twist is a quiz.

Each selection (the boxes are $45 each, sent out four times/year) they send is determined by your answers to a list of questions. You take the online quiz (questions about eye color, things like that), and then based on your answers, they fill each box with a different set of products and colors to best suit you.

Each box comes with both full-sized and sample/mini items — all from the Jouer brand — and a mini magazine with product details and application tips.

Subscriptions are $45 per quarterly box, or you can also make a one-time purchase to try one for $65.

What do you think about beauty/makeup subscription box services? Do you subscribe to any of them?

I don’t at the moment, but I like the element of randomness and the surprise, depending on the price and the overall value, especially if I’m exploring a new line. In the case of this service, the $45 boxes are definitely less expensive than purchasing the products on their own would be.

For example, this Jouer Le Matchbox includes…

(1) full-size bottle of Daily Repair Treatment Oil
(1) full-size Creme Eyeshadow Crayon in Renaissance
(1) full-size Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Hamptons
(1) full-size Mineral Powder Blush in Blossom
(1) Eyelash Curler
(1) Flat Kabuki Brush
(1) tiny sample-size bottle of a nice perfume (smells like gardenia)

Just the full-size blush, the creme eyeshadow crayon and the gloss, for instance, would cost $74 (vs. $45 for the whole box).

As with some of these services, though, it also depends on whether you already own products from the brands (so you don’t get any dupes, unless you don’t mind).

On a completely unrelated topic…

Flamingos.

Yes, more flamingos.

This video makes me so happy. 🙂

A Poppy for Your Thoughts

March 27th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

There’s an outdoor path that takes you through a small wooded area and a park right outside the salon where I got my bangs trimmed today, and the flowers were too pretty to pass up, allergies be damned.

I missed what I think were either gladiolas or daffodils (all that were left were the leaves), but the poppies (they’re our state flower) were in full force. Man, they were putting on a show!

So much bright orange… I also managed to capture a bee doing his/her bee thang in one of ’em.

I love this time of year, even if my itchy nose doesn’t. Did I ever tell you about the time I went to an allergist to find out what I was allergic to and the doc did a skin test that left my arm completely lit up like a Christmas tree? Because apparently I’m allergic to every kind of tree, plant and grass.

When it’s sunny and beautiful like this, though, I don’t really care. I’ll deal with the allergies. It’s worth it.

Are there any flowers blooming yet in your neck of the woods?

P.S. Happy Friday night, my friend. I have the best view right now. It’s of a huge bowl of microwave popcorn (mixed with TJ’s caramel popcorn), which I’m about to devour while watching Top Five.

Devouring starts in 3-2-1… 🙂

Cookies for Breakfast = Awesome

March 24th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

Flourless Thumbprint Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Oh, these vegan flourless thumbprint oatmeal cookies are so good!

So good that when I made them last weekend (for the third time in the past two weeks, mind you), it was the first time I was actually able to successfully exert enough self-restraint to take pics of them before gobbling them up. This batch has a raspberry jam center.

I think they’re good any time of day, but especially at breakfast with a big cup of coffee/tea.

I got the recipe from ohsheglows.com, a vegan recipe site, and it’s blissfully easy to follow.

Warning: you may not want to share these at all with anyone (they’re that good), not even your significant other.

That’s why I recommend making a double batch and hiding them. 🙂

I Can’t Get Enough of Molton Brown’s Body Washes in Gingerlily and Orange & Bergamot: It’s Like I’ve Opened a Spa in My Bathroom Upstairs

March 18th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot Body Wash

Leave it to Molton Brown to turn the act of scrubbing away all of the schtuff that gets stuck to your skin throughout the day (tabby fur, glitter, Nutella…) into a full-on spa experience.

A shower is more than merely a shower when you lather up with one of their luxurious body washes. They turn shower time into a mini spa session, and they’re hundreds of dollars cheaper than a five-star Tahitian resort (although at $30 a bottle they aren’t exactly cheap).

I’ve been bouncing back and forth between their Gingerlily gel (fragrance family: floriental; has notes of ginger oil, tuberose, cedar and white lily) and the Orange & Bergamot (fragrance family: citrus; a zesty scent with notes of bergamot, neroli, musk and Seville orange). Both build into a luscious, sudsy lather, and when I’m done using one, my bathroom smells like a garden.

If you’re a sucker for fancy body washes, give ’em a sniff one of these days. For me, they hit the spot. A 10-oz. bottle goes for $30 (the bottles pictured here in this post are the smaller 3-oz. samples; the regular bottles are much larger).

Gingerlily and Orange & Bergamot are available now at Neiman Marcus stores, Molton Brown counters and moltonbrown.com.

P.S. On my walk this morning with Tabs, guess who stalked a mouse (or perhaps another rodent)?

No, it wasn’t me. 🙂

We were walking behind the house on the hill under some tall trees where the ground is covered by a thick layer of leaves, when Tabs saw something moving under the leaves and pounced! He dug both paws into the pile and darted around, and then his entire head plunged into the leaves like he was diving under water. I freaked out!

I tugged on his leash a little because I didn’t know if it was a snake, and we do have rattlesnakes around here. Whatever it was must have gotten away because Tabs came out empty-handed/pawed, but it was close.

Just another exciting episode in the life of an acclaimed kitty supermodel/hunter…

P.P.S. Happy hump day, my friend! Did you do anything fun for St. Patrick’s Day night? El Hub and I made tacos (yes, I know they aren’t Irish), but we did go to our favorite Irish pub earlier for lunch.