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Eyes

I Won’t Keep You in Suspense: That’s the New Laura Mercier Eye Colour Duet in Suspense on My Eyes

July 18th, 2012 by Karen 47 Comments

laura mercier suspense

Oh! — about the eye makeup I wore in yesterday’s NARS Foreplay review, that’s the new limited edition Laura Mercier Eye Colour Duet in Suspense ($22), part of Laura’s fall 2012 Cinema Noir Collection.

The cute case houses two powder matte shadows — a neutral beige and a plummy brown. Before I tried them on, based on how they looked in the pan, I wasn’t expecting to be thrilled, but then I got ’em on my eyes.

WOW! The texture of both of these shadows? Kind of amazing. They’re so soft that they almost feel creamy. Super easy to blend, too, and not a lick of fallout, either.

I think both colors go really well with bronzed brown and plummy brown eyeliners, like MAC Teddy and Becca Cabrera.

For my lips and cheeks in that look yesterday, I borrowed the idea from some of the fall campaign looks I’ve been seeing from NARS and YSL, pairing a strong eye with a bold lip, in this case a warm, shimmery brandy.

With the eyes and lips serving as focal points, I wanted to keep my cheeks more subdued, so I went with a matte peachy pink blush (all the deets are down below).

If you like the idea of looks that combine bold eyes and lips but feel like they can go a little overboard, you could opt for a nude lip shade instead (the Too Faced La Crème lip cremes have lots of nude shades to choose from), or skip the darker liner I’m wearing here on my lower water line entirely.

Or, you could use a lighter white or flesh-colored liner along your lower water line to create a wider-eyed look, and for something like that you might try MAC Eye Kohl in Fascinating, NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte, Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in Champagne or Dolce & Gabbana Khol Pencil in True White.

laura mercier suspense product shot

laura mercier suspense swatch

laura mercier suspense
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There are 47 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Laura Mercier, Makeup Keywords: laura mercier

MAC Unsung Heroes: Kohl Power Pencil Liner in Feline

July 16th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

mac feline
Wearing MAC Kohl Power in Feline with MAC Eyeshadow in Soba on my eyes

MeowFelines — they’re feisty, they’re fun, and they make a mean smudgy eyeliner.

Er…come again?

You heard me. Say meow to MAC Kohl Power in Feline ($15), a blacker-than-black eyeliner, and no, I don’t purr over it just because it’s catty, although that aspect of it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Yes, it’s true that I get a cat lady thrill every time I put my paws on this creamy, pitch-black pencil, which works out to about every other day, but part of that’s because I think it’s fantastic for drawing soft, smudgy lines.

MrowIts claim to fame? Color — or rather, the absence of it. Like the blackest of nights, Feline is very dark. Shoot, it almost makes MAC Smolder Eye Kohl look bright!

Feline is part of MAC’s permanent collection now, but when it was a limited edition product, it was like a rare breed of cat, and the fact that it wasn’t available everywhere, all the time, elevated it, at least in my home, to cult status.

Each time it made an appearance in a limited edition collection (remember it from D Squared?), I’d be like, “I gotta go to the mall! Add to my Feline stockpile!” — words that trigger panic in poor El Hub every time he hears them.

MeowPerhaps rightly so, he fears that my feline affliction will someday spiral out of control. I’ll start wearing my bathrobe 24/7 and won’t be able to leave the house for fear of my 10 cats getting into trouble. Truth be told, he is a wise man to plan for such a scenario. 🙂

mac feline swatch

MrrowThere are many great black liners to choose from in MAC’s permanent collection, and each is special in its own way.

Like Graphblack, which excels at drawing precise, skinny lines; Blacktrack, which makes quick work of crisp cat lines and sails through tight lining water lines; and Smolder, which loves being layered and smudged beneath eyeshadows.

PurrFeline’s fame rests on its absence of color. It lacks the blue, purple or green undertones that we often see, making it darker, richer and moodier than its MAC counterparts…kinda like the Dark Knight of MAC black liners.

It’s easy to lose oneself in these deep, rich Feline eyes. Wearing Feline, brown eyes appear browner, green eyes greener; it really seems to emphasize the natural color of your eyes.

PfftFeline is also categorically creamy, creamier than Smolder, even, and that soft texture allows it to create softly blurred smudgy lines.

I use it all the time for undone liner looks, like smokey looks and soft cat eyes.

Often I’ll smudge and layer it beneath a neutral eyeshadow. It’s one of my favorite things to wear with Soba or Woodwinked for quick daytime smokey eyes.

mac feline
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There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

I’ll Take A Blended NARS Vent Glacé Duo Eyeshadow To Go, Thanks

July 13th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

nars vent glace eyeshadow

What if Starbucks started selling makeup?

“Good morning! What can I get you?”
“Hi! Oh, uh…could I please get one of those Artisan veggie sandwiches, a lemon scone and a NARS Vent Glacé?”
“Blended with room for whip cream?”
“Does a cat snore in his sleep?!”
“…”
“Yes, please.”

Some of the nuances differentiating the cool-toned platinum and silver shades in the NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Vent Glacé ($34; it’s French for “icy wind,” who knew?), are probably lost on my NC 42 skin tone, but man! — I sure do love how they look blended together on top of black eyeliner.

That’s how I’m wearing them here (also with the NARS High Society Trio, from the very same fall 2012 collection, on my lids), smudged on top of black liner along my lower lash line.

They merge to form a silvery greenish gray gradient that’s all kinds of awesome.

nars vent glace eyeshadow product shot

nars vent glace eyeshadow swatch
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There are 25 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, NARS, Product Reviews Keywords: nars

Are You Cool Enough for High Society? The New NARS Eyeshadow Trio in High Society

July 12th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

nars high society trio eyeshadow

I think I just saw a glimpse of my future this fall, and in it I was wearing purple smokey eyes.

The new NARS Eyeshadow Trio in High Society ($45) has been one of the coolest things I’ve come across in a while — cool because of the color temp of its shadows, and cool because it’s a quick-change artist able to go from demure to diva in seconds with a little help from a black pencil liner.

High Society hails from the new NARS fall 2012 collection, a nine-piece release that couples cool jewel-toned eyes with pink or rose cheeks; warm brandy, auburn, burgundy or red lips; and moody gray nails.

Flexibility without fallout — that’s the deal here. I don’t detect a speck of fallout and hardly any creasing, even after wearing these lavender, greenish gray and amethyst powder eyeshadows for a full eight hours. They range from sheer to medium opacity and blend like a good smoothie.

Say I’m in the mood for a soft purple look. I might (and probably would) start with NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, followed by the trio’s lavender shade swept on my lids with a domed shadow brush. Then, I’d push one of the darker colors along my lash lines with a small angle brush.

Abracadabra! A soft and smokey purple eye. 🙂

To crank up the smokey effect and give more depth to the look, I used a black eyeliner as a base, which I think also brings out the richness of the colors.

nars high society trio eyeshadow product shot

nars high society trio eyeshadow swatch

nars high society trio eyeshadow
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There are 26 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, NARS, Product Reviews Keywords: nars

To the Chanel 51 Montaigne Ombres Matelassées Palette I Say, “You’re Golden”

July 11th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

chanel 51 montiagne

I guess if I were being completely honest with myself, I could probably dupe the gorgeous golden shades in the characteristically expensive new $80 Chanel Ombre Matelassées Eyeshadow Palette in 51 Montaigne with colors already in my makeup drawer, but that wouldn’t be fair to my eyes.

Few dupes could also duplicate the thrill I feel clutching the black-and-white compact in my claw, its surface catching the light like a polished black pearl, its quilted colors luxuriating in their little slots as I breathe a single word, “Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaanel…”

What kind of witchcraft makes seemingly sane women drop $80 on a palette of five eyeshadows?

Oh, yeah, I remember. The kind from Coco.

Chanel cooked up this limited edition cutie to celebrate the opening of their newest boutique in Paris, not coincidentally named 51 Montaigne, after the street on which it lives. The palette comes with five profoundly smooth powder eyeshadows ranging in pigment from sheer to medium.

Yes, 51 Montaigne is on the pricey side of the street, but once its shadows set up shop on my lids, they absolutely do not move!

When I’m wearing these shades, I almost feel like hot stuff, all smokey and whatnot, like I’m getting ready to go shopping for Choos, as opposed to Fancy Feast and butternut squash.

chanel 51 montaigne

chanel 51 montaigne swatches

chanel 51 montaigne
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There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Chanel, Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews Keywords: chanel

Whether Flawless Like a Diamond or a Cubic Zirconia, ELF’s Flawless Eyeshadows in Golden Goddess and Party Purple Look Great for $2 Each

July 11th, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

elf golden goddess

Just a few pics of the ELF Flawless Eyeshadows in Golden Goddess and Party Purple, $2 each (!).

LOVE the color combinations in the quads — so bangin’!

elf golden goddess
Golden Goddess

elf golden goddess

elf party purple
Party Purple

elf party purple flawless eyeshadow
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There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, elf, Eyes, Makeup Keywords: elf

Eye Have a Crush on Hue, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink

July 10th, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner

The dress code recently changed here at work — mandatory cat eyes every Tuesday and Thursday — and the edict came straight from the top (in other words, per Tabs).

I’ve been doing my best to comply with the new policy, but there are only SO MANY TIMES I can wear a basic black cat liner before I start craving something new and different.

And I think I may have found it. 🙂

It’s a sassy new user-friendly liner with a finish more thrilling than a James Bond movie! It’s called Bobbi Brown’s new Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink, and it sells for $22.

Remember L’Oréal’s Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner 24H in Blackest Black? That glossy finish?

Well, Twilight Night’s finish just might have it beat.

A deep purplish black with microscopic glitter, it’s almost like looking up on a clear night at a sky filled with stars. Breathtaking, and better yet, the color should complement a galaxy of skin tones.

Whether you’re seeking soft, smudgy lines or crisper edges, Bobbi’s gel formula delivers, and it skates across my lids without skipping or dragging.

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner swatch
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink on the left (also from the Desert Twilight collection) and the Bronzer/Blush Duo in Bahama Brown and Pink Peony on the right

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner
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There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Bobbi Brown, Eyes, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: bobbi brown

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Fizzy Jade Is an Icy Cool Pastel With Flavor

July 10th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

by terry fizzy jade

Call me crazy, but sometimes I think an icy cool pastel shadow can be just as refreshing as an ice cream cone.

And by that logic, By Terry’s creamy, long-wearing Ombre Blackstar in Fizzy Jade would feel right at home on the menu at my favorite soda fountain/ice cream shoppe.

Fizzy Jade — it even sounds like a fancy flavor of soda. “Can I please get a Fizzy Jade and a double scoop of pistachio in a waffle cone?” 🙂

The catch: at $43, it would be a very expensive flavor.

by terry fizzy jade

by terry fizzy jade
Swatch built up on the left and buffed out on the right

by terry fizzy jade swatch
That hulking figure in the background is Tabs, LOL!
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There are 25 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: By Terry, Eyes, Makeup Keywords: by terry

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