Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
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I call the Eylure Naturalites Superfull Triple Pack No. 100 lashes my B.D.Q. falsies (“Baby Drag Queen”).
These lightweight, wispy wonders are long and lush enough to elicit Z-snaps in the air, but they aren’t so cray that I feel like I have to peel them off before heading out to run errands…like going to Sports Authority to buy Bodyglide, which, incidentally, is good to have if you’re going to be running more than eight miles.
Yup, lesson learned…
As far as successful rebellion campaigns go, the long-running one being waged by my brows has been quite successful…from their point of view. If I had a fat tabby for every sparse spot or stray brow, I’d be living the cat lady high life, I tell ya.
Lately my forces have been attempting to squash the rebellion with L’Oreal’s new Brow Stylist Sculptor ($8.99, and available in Blonde, Brunette and Dark Brunette), a dual-ended product that comes with a pencil for brow filling on one end and a clear, matte setting wax on the other.
But that’s not all. You also get a stiff brush for combing through those unruly brow hairs, which is quite handy. It’s built right into one of the caps.
Just fill in any sparse spots using the brow filling pencil, comb through with the brush, and set the hairs in place with the wax.
I won’t go so far as to say that I’ve squashed the rebellion with these, but we’ve made progress…
I wear Deep Brunette, the darkest shade. It’s a dark neutral brown with a slight gray undertone. The brow pencil end feels waxy and soft, much like Benefit’s Brow Pencils. When I use it, I think my brows look great for five or six hours, but the formula breaks up slowly as the day wears on. On top of that, the wax only offers light control, and the bushiest parts of my brows could use something with stiffer hold.
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If I skip using moisturizer on my body for one day — just one day — my arms, legs and feet take on the rich patina of a fake crocodile handbag.
In other words, they get bad.
Not fire and brimstones bad, but pretty gnarly, nonetheless.
Big sigh…
There’s never enough time to do everything you need to do, you know? That’s why efficiency is so important, as are products that help you save time, even products I kinda sorta already have, like body lotions.
El Hub would probably disagree with this statement: I really do need another body lotion on my bathroom shelf.
Too bad for El Hub. 🙂
New cruelty-free Kiss My Face Air Kiss 2 in 1 Light Moisturizing Lotion in “aah…” Lavender Shea ($9.99) is unlike any of the other moisturizing lotions in my stash.
It’s a lightweight, continuous spray body lotion that shoots out in a fine mist, almost like an aerosol hairspray.
Moisturizing sunflower seed oil, glycerin, shea butter and aloe vera are near the top of the ingredient list, which is free of parabens and phthalates, and like all of the Kiss My Face brand’s products, Air Kiss isn’t tested on animals. It’s also eco-friendly, as the spray is powered by compressed air. Not chemical propellants.
Hold the bottle about four inches from your skin, and give it a few good spritzes (the bottle even works upside down!). Then rub the fast-absorbing lotion into your arms, legs, bootie, boobies, etc.
Unlike most oil-based body spray moisturizers (which are also pretty quick to use), Air Kiss doesn’t leave a greasy or sticky residue.
This stuff is lightning fast, and I can literally be done moisturizing in less than 30 seconds. By far, it’s the quickest body moisturizer in my bathroom right now.
L’Oreal’s been dropping balms, baby!
They recently unleashed three new lines of lip balms, each offering a different level of coverage. There are the Balm Nudes for sheer color, the high coverage Glossy Balm Crayons — your tickets to full-on pigment paradise — and the Balm Pops (four of the six available shades shown here) for medium coverage.
First, that’s a lot of lip balm…
Unless you spice them up with lip liner, lipstick or gloss, at some point, some of the shades start to look the same.
At least they do on my pigmented lips, but since my frequently dry, flaky pout can use all the moisture it can get, I can’t help but make crazy Jan Brady eyes whenever I spot a new lip balm on a store shelf.
L’Oreal’s new Balm Pops ($7.99) are pretty cool… Smooth and non-sticky, with a faint brown sugar flavor and scent, they feel a lot like Benefit’s $18 Tinted Lip Balms.
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It’s only a matter of time before Ryan and Eva call and ask me to babysit this “alleged” fruit of their loins, and when they do (Guys, seriously, call me. Ryan, I mean you. Please call me.), I could show up dressed like a responsible citizen, perhaps wearing one of these Milani Constellation Gel Eye Liners ($6.99 each and available in three shades) in a thin, tasteful cat eye with a dainty flick at the end…but why would I do that?
I don’t want to look responsible… I want to strike fear into Eva’s heart! Girlfriend needs to know that we, as in all of womankind, are on to her.
Gurl, we know that baby isn’t his! Stop playin’ already. 🙂
But seriously, word on the street is that these limited edition liners are flying off the shelves at CVS and Walgreens stores (I haven’t seen them on the Milani website), and I can see why. They exude personality. Technically gel eyeliners, they have a glittery overspray on top, and they sure are eye-catching, aren’t they?
So sparkly! Like gazing at a newly formed galaxy…but, like, in a pot.
When you get through the overspray, you’re greeted by complex, interesting colors. Take the Enchanted Emerald shade, which from some angles looks like a deep, glossy black, and from others, a peacock blue with an undercurrent of tropical teal…
Super pretty!
I’m into all three of these, but not just because of their dynamic colors. I also like the creamy, almost wet texture and the astronomically shiny finish. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it before.
Dear Karl Lagerfeld,
Look, I get it. I do. I totally understand why you feel so strongly about sweatpants. I feel the same way about wearing pajamas in public.
When I grew up, pajamas were strictly for use at home, and I still hold on to that belief. No one should have to see a grown man wearing red plaid pajamas on a Tuesday afternoon at the mall. I mean, really? You couldn’t spare 10 seconds to put on jeans? Please…
Sweatpants, however, I don’t know… I really love some of mine, and they’re not all bad, Karl. I have a killer pair by Zella that does great things for my bum. Makes me look like I spend all day doing squats with J. Lo and cutting carbs.
Plus, I wouldn’t know what else I’d wear with my L’Oreal Colour Riche Glossy Balms.
Come on, Karl, don’t act like you’re too good for the drugstore. *Snaps in a Z formation.* I’m telling you, I really think you’d like these balms. They have as much pigment as any of the other lippies in my makeup bag and an elegant, soft shine worthy of the House of Chanel.
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As a participant in the Totally Her program, I’ve received product samples and/or compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
To the millions of makeup lovers trapped in cars for long, grueling hours on trips (I feel your pain!), horror is the very thought of forgetting your makeup bag.
But seriously, whether it’s a 14-day late-summer dream vacation or a quick weekend jaunt, chances are you will not be leaving home without your makeup bag.
I’m always looking for ways to lighten mine, to which end multitasking makeup products like these Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Eyeshadow Quads definitely help.
Available in a dozen color configurations with sturdy, travel-friendly packaging, they’re just $5.97 each at Walmart.
The two I’m using here, 505 Decadent and 520 Brazen, are both conveniently neutral, which means I can do a lot of different looks with them. Plus, they also double as powder highlighters, which saves a few precious cubic inches in my makeup bag.
To use them as highlighters, I’ll swipe a finger across one of the lighter shades (and when my neurons are firing and I feel extra creative, I’ll mix two of the light shades together, ooh-la-la!), and sweep that wherever I want more light to catch, which for me usually means blending down the bridge of my nose…
My Cupid’s bow…
My upper cheekbones…
And just above the highest points on Mt. Eyebrows.
The ColorStay formula gives a soft glow to my skin and lasts all day long.
Gotta love multitasking makeup! 🙂
Both Brazen and Decadent (and 10 more quads) are available now at Walmart.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
As a participant in the Totally Her program, I’ve received product samples and/or compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Looking for a new full-coverage, layered makeup look to wear during the last days of summer?
Uh…wait.
That’s not right. How ’bout this instead?
Looking to simplify your late-summer/early fall looks with something light and fresh? The Revlon Rose Glow 02 Highlighting Palette ($9.97) can help. It works well as a highlighter, blush and an eyeshadow, all rolled into a single useful palette.
Here’s the simple step-by-step:
After filling in my brows and applying foundation and concealer, I apply the shimmery taupe shade (it’s the one in center of the palette) on my lids with a flat eyeshadow brush.
Next, I load a fluffy tapered eyeshadow brush (because a regular blush brush would be too big, and would also pick up the neighboring colors) with the pink shade, second from the top, and buff that on the apples of my cheeks for a fresh wash of summery color.
