Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana The Illuminator in Eva From the Holiday 2014 Collection

December 5th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Dolce & Gabbana Illuminator in Eva — Wearing Dolce & Gabbana’s The Illuminator in Eva on my upper cheekbones, and MAC Satin Lipstick in Toxic Tale from the MAC Red, Red, Red Collection on my lips

To think that once upon a time, many, many moons ago, gorgeously glowing skin was just something that happened sometimes on one of Mother Nature’s whims.

“Ooh! My cheeks are a little oilier than usual today? Woot! That means my skin will glow like Sheila’s, the cave-girl who lives down the way.”

Well, OK, that’s probably not exactly how it went down back in prehistoric days…but throw a girl a bone here please! I had awful insomnia last night (stayed up too late watching TV), so it’s the best I can do under the circumstances.

I did have a point though…

Now that we’re modern women living in modern times, we have access to a much wider range of illuminators than ever before, from frosty highlighters that leave your cheekbones lookin’ like Rihanna’s in a video (shine bright like a diamond!), to shimmers so soft that you can barely see their candlelit glow on your skin, and everything in between.

Dolce & Gabbana’s new six-piece holiday 2014 collection has a very interesting illuminator named Eva ($51, called The Illuminator in Eva; there’s also a bronzer in the collection called Desert), a creamy beige face powder blended with tiny flecks of gold glitter. It has a soft, sheen-like finish that reminds me of the Hourglass Ambient Powders, only the sparkly flecks seem finer…

They create a slightly different effect that’s flat-out gorgeous.

Available now in a limited edition holiday version with a pretty design on the pan (but also available in the permanent line) online and at Dolce & Gabbana counters.

Dolce & Gabbana Holiday 2014 — Three of six pieces in the Dolce & Gabbana holiday 2014 makeup collection

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What Are You Wearing On Your Nails?

October 7th, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

I’m wearing deep, creamy red Dolce & Gabbana Nail Lacquer in Fiamma. It’s an LE lacquer in D&G’s new fall collection.

These pics are circa two days ago, with two layers of Fiamma sandwiched between Guerlain base and top coats. I see a little bit of slight, barely noticeable chipping and fletching at the tips now, but it’s held up well so far!

Deep reds like this usually show every bit of wear and tear, but Faimma has already held up to probably 10 solid hours of typing and half a dozen dish washing sessions (not to mention the opening of at least 10 cans of gravy). 🙂

It’s $25 and available now with the rest of the fall collection from Dolce & Gabbana.

Oh, and public service announcement based on personal experience: if you buy one of those cute pie pumpkins from Trader Joe’s with the intention of baking an actual pie with it, you might not want to name it.

Because I did. I named it Hal, and then when I got ready to make the pie, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I looked at the knife…then at Hal…then at the knife…then at Hal.

Couldn’t do it. So no pie for me.

Especially not with Marguerite watching. She’s Hal’s small, spunky friend. 🙂

What are you wearing on your nails?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Unsung Makeup Heroes: The Dolce & Gabbana Desert Quad

September 5th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

It was hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.

That’s how how hot it gets in Davis, California, where I went to school. I can’t believe I’d go jogging in the middle of the day back then at the height of summer. It would be 110 degrees outside, with waves of heat rippling off the sidewalk and vultures circling high overhead, and there’d I’d be, jogging my steaming buns off between classes.

In parts of the California Central Valley, it gets hotter than Death Valley. I’m serious. A whole swath of the state basically turns into a desert every summer, which reminds me…

I’ve liked Dolce & Gabbana’s Eyeshadow Quad in Desert ($60) ever since I started wearing it off and on in 2010, but I only recently fell Beyonce-crazy-in-love with it.

I noticed that I was bringing it with me on all of my trips this summer. I literally wasn’t leaving the house without it, and I think the mattes have everything to do with it.

Dolce & Gabbana Desert Eyeshadow Quad — The Dolce & Gabbana Eyeshadow Quad in Desert ($60)

There are three of them in this quad — a beige, a golden brown and a dark chocolate brown, all of which are the freakin’ ish — as well as a hit-the-pan worthy golden shade, which we’ll get to in a minute.

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Giving Thanks for an Epic Summer Glow With the Dolce & Gabbana Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Tangier

July 29th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Dolce Gabbana Tangier Eyeshadow Quad — Wearing the new $60 Dolce & Gabbana’s new Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Tangier and dreaming about corn…

Mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, buttered corn…

CORN! Mmm, corn.

I’m trying to get a grip on myself, but my body is acting of its own accord (*tummy rumbles*). Every time I open the new Dolce & Gabbana Smooth Eye Color Quad in Tangier, I immediately think “Happy Thanksgiving!”

It’s not my fault. It’s the orange, man. Seeing it there next to that brown and gold, and I momentarily forget that it’s not fall. I feel like busting out my boots with the fur (with the fur) and jumping into a pile of autumn leaves.

Funny thing is, it’s not a fall quad. Tangier is one of two limited edition quads in the new Dolce & Gabbana Summer Glow collection, available now at counters and online.

With its rich amber and gold, it’s perfect for sexy screen siren looks, whether now in the summer, or later in the fall.

Sixty bones is a lot for an eyeshadow quad, but at least this one is remarkably easy to use. I’ve been wearing it for the past few days, and I’m surprised. I can’t believe how easy it’s been to incorporate into casual and dressy looks — even that cray-cray matte orange.

For these first pics I tried to think outside the box, so I’m wearing it in the crease with a hazy orange smokey eye.

Only semi-cray. 😉

But I’ve also used the quad in more causal ways. Like, the other day I buffed the light peach, which has just the perfect amount of sheen so it isn’t too shimmery, from my lash line up to my brow bone, blended the matte brown into the crease, and then lightly dusted the shimmery gold in the inner corners, before finishing with a bit of black liner and mascara.

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A Summery Reddish Orange Lip With Dolce & Gabbana’s Classic Cream Lipstick in Fire

June 25th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Wearing Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Fire ($33)

OK, so my next door neighbor has these flowers in her front yard, and there’s this orangey red one. Every single time I walk by it I have to stop and stare for a few seconds because it’s so vibrant and eye-catching.

Reddish orange flower from my neighbor's front yard — Hello, beautiful!

I was under its spell yesterday and thought, “I need to find a lipstick like that…”

Then I thought, “And I need to wear that lipstick…”

Then I pictured dream Karen throwing her arms up in the air, twirling around in circles and screaming, “It’s summer, world! HAAAAAAY!”

OK, that last part didn’t happen. 🙂 But maybe if I’d had a glass of wine first…

Anyways! The flower looked exactly like Fire, one of the reformulated Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipsticks I mentioned yesterday.

An opaque electric orangey red, Fire sometimes borders on coral, depending on what I’m wearing (it’s kind of a chameleon), like this reddish coral shift dress I’m wearing today.

Today I think Fire looks more coral, but when I wear a black or white shirt, I think it looks more red.

Now, about the formula, my lips aren’t in the best shape right now. They’ve been very dry lately (I think they got wind burned in Redding), and there’s some flaking along the edges, but not when they’re on Fire!

LOL! Sorry, bad pun. I just wanted to write “…not when they’re on Fire!”

I meant, not when I’m wearing Fire. 🙂

It applies smoothly and incredibly opaque, and here I’m only wearing one layer.

YEAH!

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A Glammed Up Face of the Day With Lancôme’s Color Design Shadow & Liner Palette in Dancing Rose

February 27th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

First thing this morning I told myself, “Karen, take note of the little things today,” and I’ve taken note of some wonderful little tidbits throughout the course of my day (a hot cup tea, seeing a rainbow, catching Tabs looking extra cute), but I have to say…

Even though I didn’t really plan to go anywhere fancy today, I thought it might be fun to glam it up a little — ya know, for Tabs, and because it’s Thursday.

Lancome Dancing Rose Color Design Palette — Lancôme Dancing Rose Color Design Palette

It all started with the Lancôme Color Design Shadow & Liner Palette in Dancing Rose ($50) from the French Ballerine spring collection. One glance at that deep, plummy reddish purple in the middle, and I just had to get it on my lids, ASAP!

I used the sparkly light purple as a base all over my eyes, patted the pink shade on my lids, swept the plummy shade in my crease (creases?), and then highlighted underneath my brow bones with the light opalescent pinkish beige.

Then, I added a fatty-bo-batty wing on my upper lash line with the deep blackish plum, woo hoo!

Katy Perry Eylure Lashes in Banging Beauty

Glam eyeshadow deserves glam lashes, so I brought out the big guns, Katy Perry Lashes in Banging Beauty ($6.99). These falsies are cray, yo! I could barely lift my eyes because they were so big and so over the top. Definitely not for the faint o’ heart.

Since the eyes were so shimmery, so purple, so BAM! — I tried to keep my cheeks and lips soft to balance things out.

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Dolce & Gabbana PassionEyes Duo Mascara: Lash Passion Now Comes in Blue, Brown and Black

September 26th, 2013 by Karen 6 Comments

Dolce Gabbana Passioneyes Mascara — Dolce & Gabbana PassionEyes Duo Mascara ($32)

Brown mascara, wha!?

Ain’t nobody got time for that!

That’s the first thing I thought when I saw Dolce & Gabbana’s new PassionEyes Duo Mascara ($32).

It comes in three shades — black, blue (referred to as Blue Indigo online, but it’s called Blu Indaco on the tube) and brown — the least exciting of which, for me, is the brown, mostly ’cause the tint is almost indistinguishable on my dark lashes.

A brown mascara could come in handy if you’re very fair, or if you don’t want your lashes to look too dark or stark, so if that sounds like a good fit for you, haaaaay! — now you’ve got a PassionEyes option.

Dolce Gabbana Passioneyes Mascara wands from the left: Nero, Terra and Blue Indaco — Wands from the left: Nero, Terra and Blue Indigo

According to D&G, PassionEyes gives a double boost to lashes, amplifying lash length and curl, which is why they bill it as a “Duo Mascara.” Tapioca polymers lock lashes into place, while beeswax enhances flexibility and glycerin conditions.

The look? How about feminine and curvy (they say they were inspired by a classic Dolce & Gabbana dress)?

Today I tested Nero, the black shade, and Blue Indigo, the blue one, and they reminded me of mellower versions of YSL Faux Cils because most of the volume-enhancement occurs at the roots and slowly tapers toward the tips.

Both colors have a gorgeous glossy finish — very shiny and smooth — without any bumps or clumps.

Dolce Gabbana Passioneyes Mascara swatches from the left: Nero (black), Terra (brown) and Blue Indigo (blue) — Swatches from the left: Nero (black), Terra (brown) and Blu Indigo (blue)

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Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald and Topaz: A Jeweler’s Inventory, or the New Classic Cream Lipsticks in the Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Jewels Collection

September 16th, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

The four new Classic Cream Lipsticks from the Dolce Gabbana Sicilian Jewels Collection, available in November — The four new Classic Cream Lipsticks from the Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Jewels Collection, coming this November. From the left: Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald and Topaz.

In the event you were wondering how it feels to wear green lipstick late on a Monday afternoon…

Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Emerald — Straaaange!

Emerald, one of four new Classic Cream Lipsticks in the eight-piece Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Jewels holiday collection, is one of those colors that can look edgy and cute if you’re a teen or in your early 20s…but fast-forward a decade or two and it’s “Hello, Helena Bonham Crazy!”

The four jewel-toned lipsticks in the release ($35 each) are joined by four matching nail polishes, so yeah, while you’re sporting your funky green lip, you can also rock green claws/paws.

I think Emerald’s the most fashion-forward lippie in the collection by far (I’ve yet to see the nail polishes up close and personal), and to truly pull it off, you either have to be a villain from the Harry Potter movies or a 6-foot-tall model stomping down a runway in Milan.

Or something like that.

Who cares though? It’s still fun. 🙂

The other lipsticks seem pretty tame by comparison. Red Ruby, purple Amethyst and amber Topaz take a more classic route.