Eyes

NARS Unsung Heroes: Cyprus Eyeshadow

January 4th, 2012 by Karen 27 Comments

nars cyprus eyeshadow (2)

Things of which one can never have enough…

Good friends
Cozy sweaters
See’s Candies (well…)
Come-hither jeans
Kitty hugs
Black shoes
Love notes
Power-nap eyeshadows

Power-nap eyeshadows are like soft white lightbulbs for your eyes — shades that instantly brighten up tired peepers after a late night or an insomnia attack.

Some people yearn to scale Mount Everest; I yearn to amass a collection of power-nap eyeshadows so vast that it would scare the hosts of Hoarders!

My latest power-nap love, NARS Cyprus Eyeshadow ($23), is a shimmery bronze with a golden whisper. The morning after a rough night, I apply one layer over my lids and mellow out the edges with a finger.

“Ah!” Instant relief. 🙂 And quicker than a shower and mani.

I’m also fond of using Cyprus as a base for bronzy looks using colors like the dark bronze shadow from NARS Star Sailor, a combo I could happily wear every day for weeks.

nars cyprus eyeshadow (1)

nars cyprus eyeshadow (3)
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Picture Sheer Pastels, and You Get a Snapshot of the Smashbox Be Discovered Eye Shadow Palette

January 4th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

Lipgloss, keys, cat food, camera — I never leave home without ’em! They’re my essentials, especially the camera.

Oops! And my phone. Can’t forget that…

Gotta be ready to go paparazzi at a moment’s notice, because you never know when you’ll cross paths with a 1-pound tub of neon orange cheese balls or when you’ll find a cute kitty stowaway in the back of your car.

I’ve gotten so used to feeling the weight of a camera strap around my neck that I feel totally and completely weird without it (well, weirder than usual), and I’ll catch myself reaching for it from time to time, my fingers fooled by a phantom photography limb.

When I spotted the lights and photography umbrellas gracing the new photography-themed Smashbox Be Discovered Eye Shadow Palette ($44), my first thought was, “This was made for me!” The umbrellas are used to direct and diffuse light, hopefully, I assumed, like the palette’s colors.

Now that I’ve spent some time with these shadows, I see how they resemble photography in at least a couple of ways. First, they require time and effort, just like learning how to use a new camera or lens.

Over the past few seasons, I’ve felt like Smashbox’s eye palettes have moved toward sheerer and sheerer levels of pigment, and the Be Discovered palette continues that trend. Lighter lovelies who like less intense shadows, holla! This palette’s eight pastel and brown powder shadows were made for you.

If, on the other hand, you’re a darker diva and/or prefer bolder eyes, brace yourself for a workout; I find I have to apply a lot of layers with these (a minimum of five!).

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I’m Feeling Catty About the New Smashbox Be Discovered Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner & Brush

January 3rd, 2012 by Karen 47 Comments

Ooh, Tuesday morning cat drama! Guess who just sauntered across the front yard with a twitchy tail and her little kitty nose raised up in the air? — the Russian Blue from next door, exuding tons of cattitude.

It’s been a while since the last time she visited, and when Tabs caught a glimpse of her through the window in my office upstairs, he hissed like a fiery cobra!

The window overlooks a row of overgrown rosemary bushes and what’s left of a large catnip plant, the same plant that Tabs caught her snacking on before their last altercation.

Judging by Tabs’ reaction this morning, tensions are still running high. I actually think he might be a little jealous, too, which is understandable, since I’m always gushing about the other cat’s dreamy grayish blue coat.

It’s just so gorgeous… I’ve been trying to build a collection of eyeliners in the exact same shade, or as close to it as possible (sorry, Tabs).

For the longest time, Laura Mercier’s Stormy Grey was the closest I could find, but now there’s a new contender in town, Smashbox Be Discovered Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner & Brush in Intrigue ($22).

It’s a gel liner, one of two shades in the new Smashbox Be Discovered Collection for spring 2012, and in kitty terms, it’s great like a Costco-sized case of gravy.

If you go gaga for gray liners, or if you’re just looking for a softer alternative to good ol’ black, you might just fall in love.

smashbox be discovered spring 2012 (12)
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Retrospeck Eyeshadow

November 23rd, 2011 by Karen 25 Comments

These days, getting the family together for the holidays is like planning a trip to the moon. There are so many machinations involved in getting everyone under one roof that I’ve considered getting NASA involved.

Things sure were easier when I was a kid… On Thanksgivings, all my brother and I had to do was open our eyes, most of the time around noon, and lumber down the hall toward the kitchen and the aroma of great food.

The hallway outside my old room in my parents’ house that leads to the kitchen

This year we couldn’t get the whole family together for the day tomorrow, and it makes me a little sad. With El Hub’s parents having just moved here to California earlier this month, we’ll be driving out to see them. It’s about a four-hour drive to a town close to the Oregon border called Redding, and I’m a little nervous because I’ll be meeting a group of the family there that I’ve never met before, some of El Hub’s cousins, aunts and uncles. I’m sure everyone will be very nice, but I’m really going to miss spending the day with my brother and parents.

You know how it is… These are the kinds of things that people deal with over the holidays when family members live far apart.

Whatev, Shauna the Wonderdog still thinks it sucks…

Since we’ll be hitting the road early tomorrow, I’ve drawn upon my vast experience as a makeup nerd/control freak to lay out a beauty plan, because the last thing I want to do on Thanksgiving is scare the relatives, BOO! 🙂

The plan involves today’s Unsung Hero, MAC Retrospeck Eyeshadow ($15 for a pan; $11 for the Pro Palette Refill at the top of this post).

Like MAC Phloof!, Restrospeck is one of my favorite get-out-the-door products. It brightens eyes in just a few quick swipes.

MAC describes it as a bleached blonde, but on my skin I see a warm and shimmery mix of silver and gold — a surefire way to look wide-eyed and bright.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Eyeshadow in Phloof!

November 7th, 2011 by Karen 30 Comments

mac phloof eyeshadow (4)

Officially, MAC’s moniker for today’s Unsung Hero is “Phloof!” ($15, exclamation mark included), but because of this eyeshadow’s uncanny ability to brighten tired eyes, I think it looks more like a “POOF!” instead.

As for how we met, credit for that goes to my pal, Amara (thanks, girl!).

It was an early morning last spring after Amara and I had gone out to a late dinner the night before. While I looked like a zombie extra on the set of The Walking Dead, she, on the other hand, looked wide awake, glowing and totally refreshed. I couldn’t believe my eyes!

But as tired as I was that day, at least I had the good sense to ask Amara what she was wearing.

Her answer: “PHLOOF! And it’s magic.”

MAC Phloof Eyeshadow

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Swatch of Phloof! with MAC Shroom (center) and MAC Vex eyeshadows (far right) for comparison
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The Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Eyeshadow Palette Takes It Easy on Eyes and Glitter

October 10th, 2011 by Karen 44 Comments

bobbi brown black ruby sparkle

Do you remember the last time you wore glitter? Hey now, your answer better not be, “I don’t do glitter.” And did I just see you roll your eyes? 🙂

Even if you’ve never been a glitter girl before, or if you have but just haven’t had the time lately to rock it often and well, Bobbi Brown’s new Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette ($45) contends that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time (or shimmer) to sparkle.

The limited edition eyeshadow palette hails from Bobbi’s new holiday collection and comes with glittery powder eyeshadows in shades of pink, silver, ruby and onyx.

Don’t worry too much about going overboard with this particular breed of glitter. Bobbi generally takes a restrained approach to makeup, one that won’t leave you looking like a dancer in a Vegas revue (although, I must say, despite wearing pounds of makeup, those ladies usually look smokin’ hot). You get just enough color and sparkle for brighter eyes with a subtle glow.

bobbi brown holiday 2011 black ruby sparkle eye shadow palette

bobbi brown black ruby sparkle eye palette swatches
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MAC Unsung Heroes: Melon Pigment

September 26th, 2011 by Karen 71 Comments

mac melon pigment

Here in Marin County — how should I put this? — tie-die is the new black. 🙂 I joke, but this area is a mecca for different ways of thinking, and while my younger self probably would have giggled at some of the self-improvement techniques I’ve been trying lately, my older self has more of an open mind.

One of my new favorite things is to sit on my deck at sunset and mentally list all of the good things that happened that day. Some days the list is shorter than others, but I can usually come up with at least one or two things.

Plus, there’s a great side effect of catching a good sunset: makeup inspiration.

Yesterday, right as the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky turned a golden cantaloupe that looked just like today’s Unsung Hero, MAC Melon Pigment ($20 for a 0.15-oz. jar).

Sometimes the mess factor keeps me from playing with loose pigments. Maybe I’m just a klutz, but I always find a way to get loose shadow in the sink, on my clothes, on the cat and in my hair. Even so, I regularly make exceptions for Melon.

Like a slice of sweet, ripe cantaloupe sprinkled with golden glitter, it looks peachy gold from some angles and pure gold from others.

Delish!

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Sumptuous Olive Eyeshadow

September 23rd, 2011 by Karen 29 Comments

mac sumptuous olive

Adulthood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There are bills to be paid, work to be done and calories to count (lame). On top of everything else, it becomes harder to meet up with your friends. Getting together with my gal pals used to take a quick phone call (on a LAND line) or a five-minute walk. Now, lunch with the girls requires weeks and sometimes months of planning, eight e-mails, a few Twitter DMs, GPS (or Google Maps), babysitters and bridge tolls.

Yup.

But there are, of course, perks to getting older, like learning when and how to improvise. After stumbling and bumbling enough, you start getting better at rolling with the punches, and figuring out how to “make things work.”

I like to think of today’s Unsung Hero as a master of improvisation. Shimmery golden khaki MAC Sumptuous Olive ($15 for a regular eyeshadow; $11.50 for the Pro Refill Pan shown here) is one of my favorite “improv” shades.

mac sumptuous olive

Like, if I were to withdraw a handful of random colors from my eyeshadow drawer, Sumptuous Olive would probably go well with any of them. I love the way it looks with gold, brown, bronze, beige and black, but I also think it works with many brighter colors, too, like purples, pinks and blues. I feel it’s one of the most versatile shades in the MAC eyeshadow line.

mac sumptuous olive swatch
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