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Eyes

The Urban Decay Troublemaker Palette: This Fabulously Flexible Palette Is on Sale Now

February 26th, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

urban decay troublemaker palette
You’re a Troublemaker, Urban Decay!

I liked the Urban Decay Troublemaker Palette when it came out for $39 last fall, but it’s on sale for $19 now! Are you kidding me?! I love it at that price, which is how much it is now on sale (as we speak at Sephora and the UD website). I think it’s a great “going out” palette, and you get hella serious bang for your buck at that price.

When you open it up, it looks like there are nine shades, because there are nine pans, but there are actually 10, because two shades share Clash, the center pan. It’s split between black and white, and I don’t quite understand the rationale behind that because the black gets into the white, and the white gets into the black, but both of them are useful, so I can live with it, especially at $19.

The palette also comes with a miniature Troublemaker Mascara, which excels at thickening, but is just OK at lengthening and curl hold (I usually end up layering it underneath a separate lengthening waterproof mascara).

urban decay troublemaker palette

Now, the three warm-toned brown mattes in this palette are what bump this bad boy up to bad-@ss level. None of them are overly orange-y or reddish, which are big trends right now, and all three are eminently useful day/night colors. The lightest one actually reminds me of MAC Bamboo, while the mid-toned one looks like MAC Soft Brown, and the dark brown could almost pass for MAC Brown Down dupe.

They’re colors that I know I can wear in the daytime and at night. Even at 2 o’clock in the morning…not that I have much cause to wear eyeshadow at 2 in the morning (anymore).

There are also four metallic jewel tones that double as sparkly, shiny eyeliners. They feel a bit chunkier than the browns and exhibit a bit of fallout — more than the browns (which don’t have any fallout) — but at the sale price, I’m OK with that.

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There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews, Urban Decay

The Urban Decay Petite Naked Heat Palette

February 23rd, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

urban decay naked petite heat swatches
Just a little heat…

Hey, girl. 🙂 Yeah, what am I wearing on my lids? I’m wearing new Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat, which I keep wanting to call “Peh-TEE Heat.”

It’s just a little bit of heat… Get it? Petite? Like adding one or two drops of Tabasco or Sriracha, as opposed to submerging your burrito? LOL.

Urban Decay is famous for their O.G. Naked Eyeshadow Palette and the different incarnations of it, like Naked2, Naked Smoky, Naked Ultimate Basics…lots of nakedness, as you know. There’s also the one they launched last fall, Naked Heat, with its beautiful bevvy of warm orange and reddish browns, which are super trendy colors in eye makeup right now and for the past couple of years.

Chances are, if you’re a UD collector, or even if you aren’t, you may already have something like Petite Naked Heat in your stash now.

In fact, as I think about it…the Kristen Leanne Daydream Palette UD released in January has similar tones…

My point is just that orange-y browns are (still) having a moment, and you’ve very likely seen many of these colors in other palettes and pans before.

Just off the top of my head, Vibrate looks like MAC Soft Brown, Hot Spell like MAC Saddle, Wild Thing’s a little like MAC Texture, and Strike looks like MAC Swiss Chocolate.

The MAC Mischief Minx Palette and NARS Wanted aren’t exactly completely different either.

urban decay naked petite heat
Wearing Petite Heat on my lids with MAC Style Blush on my cheeks, and MAC Velvet Teddy and Fenty Gloss Bomb on my lips.

For $29 you get six new matte powder eyeshadow shades based in some form or fashion on the colors in the original Naked Heat palette, and the pans, by the way, are the same size as the pans in the larger Naked palettes.

urban decay naked petite heat swatches
Inhale, Vibrate, Hot Spell, Wild Thing, Heist and Strike

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There are 16 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews, Urban Decay

The MAC Jeremy Scott Eyeshadow X 29 Lo-Fi Palette: 3 Jazzy Ways to Work It

February 15th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

mac jeremy scott low fi eye shadow
The new MAC Jeremy Scott Eyeshadow X 29 Palette in Lo-Fi ($75)

The beatbox-lookin’ MAC Jeremy Scott collection centerpiece Eye Shadow X 29: Lo-Fi palette contains 29 (!) powder eyeshadows, and LOTS of them are colorful.

It’s like someone poured a bag of Skittles into it.

mac jeremy scott low fi eye shadow
Cute names!

First things first, swatched on my arms…this palette looks like a HOT mess. Several of the shadows swatch unevenly, which is kind of disconcerting (it’s $75 after all). One might logically assume that the rough arm swatches imply patchy application problems on lids, too, but that hasn’t been the case for me.

mac jeremy scott low fi eye shadow swatches
Patchy on arms, not so much on lids

So far I’ve done three different looks with this palette, and the shadows applied fairly evenly in all three. Blending hasn’t been bad either, and most of the shadows I’ve used look more pigmented on my lids than they do in arm swatches (weird!). I’ve also noticed very, very little fallout. Like almost none.

It would be easy to dismiss this palette based on arm swatches alone, but you really gotta get in there and work it to see what it can do. You gotta drive the car first, so to speak.

(FYI, when I wear some of the brighter shades, like the matte pink, red, purple and green, my eyes have been watering a little, which happens to me sometimes when I wear bright colors, so I’m not surprised by it.)

mac jeremy scott low fi eye shadow

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There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Collections, Eyes, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews

Benefit BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara

February 13th, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

benefit badgal bang before and after
$24 Benefit BADgal Bang!

If I could go to Mars, but I could only bring one tube of mascara with me… LOL! It’s a variation on the “deserted island” theme.

Anyway, would I bring new Benefit BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara?

Hmm… Maybe? Perhaps for the poetic irony, because according to Benefit, BADgal BANG! does incorporate space-age technology, so there’s that… Benefit says that they used lightweight aero-particles, which were first developed by the space industry, to lift lashes to gravity-defying heights.

“BADgal BANG! 36 HOUR* FULL-BLAST volumizing mascara creates MASSIVE volume without weighing down lashes. The gravity-defying formula contains aero-particles, one of the lightest known materials, derived from space technology. This innovative intense pitch black mascara layers easily for bigger & BIGGER impact. It’s custom big Slimpact! brush is streamlined to reach root-to-tip, corner-to-corner, upper & lower lashes for BIG VOLUME WITH 360° REACH!”

— benefitcosmetics.com

My lashes definitely look lifted when I wear it…but seriously, not nearly lifted enough. In fact, the formula relaxes a lash curl a bit and leaves the ends of my lashes pointing out rather than sticking up (I prefer the latter look because I think my lashes look curlier that way).

benefit badgal bang closeup
Two fresh coats on my upper and lower lashes

Not that I dislike the way my lashes look when I use this mascara. I like how much longer and thicker they look, and I like the lightly glossy finish, like they’ve been dipped in lacquer. It’s a similar look to the gorgeous NARS Audacious, sans the curl hold and with slightly less volume.

On my average lashes, I’d call the overall lash look a few steps above natural but a few steps below glam — so somewhere right in the middle for length, volume and lift — and I also like that BADgal BANG! doesn’t flake or smudge. It’s also easy to remove, and I don’t need a separate long-wearing eye makeup remover to do it.

But…I want MOAR DRAMA (she roars for the millionth time)!

If your lashes are already naturally lush and long, you might like this and, heck, you might even love it enough to take to Mars. I, on the other hand, am more likely to wear it on a slow Tuesday on Earth. I mean, it’s pretty, but it isn’t nearly dramatic enough for me to pack in my Mars “go bag.”

And let’s get real — if I’m willingly hurtling my body through the Earth’s atmosphere into space for any reason, I’m gonna do it with glamorous drag queen lashes OUT TO HERE, no doubt!

benefit badgal bang full size mini

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There are 10 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Benefit, Eyes, Makeup, Product Reviews

A Glamorously Grungy Makeup Tutorial: Smoky Reddish Brown Eyes and Vampy Matte Lips

February 7th, 2018 by Karen 24 Comments

reddish brown smoky eye tutorial top pic 1

I’m warning you now — ONLY wear this makeup when you want to feel like a total bad-@ss capable of capturing, and then breaking, all of the hearts in a room within the span of 5 minutes.

This beauty buddy movie pairs two bold focal points together — a messy reddish brown smoky eye and a crisp blackened red matte lip — to create a jammin’ juxtaposition of grungy and glam, and you know I’m all about the contrasts in makeup.

To keep the overall look approachable and well out of Insta-glam territory, I paired the eyes and lips with moderately matte skin (there’s a semblance of a sheen), casual, messy brows and a warm bronzed mauve cheek.

red brown smoky eye tutorial top pic 2

red brown smoky eye tutorial top pic 3

Are you ready to rock?

What you’ll need

FACE PRODUCTS

  • Face Primer with pearly sheen (BECCCA Backlight)
  • Medium coverage liquid matte foundation (NARS Natural Longwear Radient Foundation in Stromboli and Valencia)
  • Concealer for your under eye area, if you want (MAC Matchmaster Concealer in 4)
  • Face Powder (MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Golden Tan)
  • Warm pinkish mauve powder blush (MAC Extra Dimension in Faux Sure!)
  • Peachy tan bronzer (MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Give Me Sun)
  • Matte blackened red lipstick (MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick in Carnivorous)
  • Reddish brown lip liner (MAC Mahogany)

EYE MAKEUP

  • Brow gel, either clear or a color that matches your brows (Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Gel in Warm Brown)
  • Two powder eyeshadows: a warm reddish brown powder eyeshadow (MAC Swiss Chocolate) and a glittery bronzy peach (MAC Honey Lust)
  • A warm reddish brown eyeliner, ideally something creamy which you can buff out and blend (MAC Costa Riche)
  • Mascara (Benefit BAD Gal Bang!)

TOOLS

  • Smudge brush (MAC 219S)
  • Fluffy angled eyeshadow brush (MAC 275S)
  • Blush brush (MAC 127S)
  • Flat eyeshadow brush (or, you can just use a finger)
  • Something to blend your foundation (BeautyBlender)

red brown smoky eye tutorial products

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There are 24 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Becca, Benefit, Eyes, Hourglass, Lips, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To, NARS, Top Posts

NUDESTIX Rock N’ Roller Easy Eyeliner Ink: 3 Things You Need to Know

February 6th, 2018 by Karen 9 Comments

nudestix rock n roller easy eyeliner ink review
Wearing the new NUDESTIX Rock N’ Roll Easy Eyeliner Ink in Golden Rosé

There’s an unwritten but not-so-secret rule in the Makeup Codex (which is an official-sounding book I just made up…but it’s real, though!) that says that if you’re in a hurry, don’t even think about attempting liquid liner, because you will regret it — we’re talking certain disaster — and generally, I agree, because whenever I’ve tried to do a cute cat eye flick with liquid liner while I was rushing, I’ve ended up with a pterodactyl wing instead — one that spreads from the corner of my eye up into my hairline.

But there’s an exception to this rule when you’re using the new NUDESTIX Rock N’ Roller Easy Eyeliner Inks ($24 each and available in three shades). I’ve been using them in 10-minute-makeup looks lately, and I’m able to draw dainty cat eye flicks with them every time.

nudstix bronze patina
That’s Bronze Patina on my upper lash lines.

1. They’re easier to use than the MAC “pizza cutter” liner.

When it comes to liquid liners with a roller wheel applicator (commonly known as a “pizza cutter liner”), I’d previously only tried the MAC one, and I thought it was quite challenging (and ticklish!) to use. Not only did/does the applicator tickle…but the liquid tightens up on my skin when it dries.

Not the case wit hNUDESTIX Rock N’ Roller.

nudestix rock n roller swatches
The “pizza cutter” applicator

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There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, NUDESTIX, Product Reviews

Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel

January 19th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

hourglass arch brow volumizing fiber gel
T-minus 30 seconds to big, bushy brows…

Oh, beauty gods, how fickle are ye! One minute you make skinny, barely-there brows en vogue, and the next minute it’s wall-to-wall wild, bushy brows.

Speaking for myself, I hope the wild, untamed feather brow stays in style a little longer…

OK, a lot longer.

’cause I love the look, and because then I can use this new Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel to its fullest potential.

Hourglass just added this new line of long-wearing (10+ hours for me) tinted brow fillers to their permanent line. They’re $28 and available in six shades — Blonde, Warm Blonde, Auburn, Soft Brunette, Warm Brunette and Dark Brunette.

I bounce back and forth between preferring the lighter Warm Brunette and darker Dark Brunette shades, depending on how intense I want my brows at any given moment, although realistically I know that $28 for a brow filler is redonkulously expensive. Still, these little cherubs save me so much time.

They’re also really easy to use — even easier than similar ones I’ve used from Tarte and MAC.

Homegirl got NO time for fussy brow gels! Give me all teh tools! Every minute saved is another minute I can sleep in. 🙂

hourglass arch brow volumizing fiber gel before after
Before and after Dark Brunette

I’m usually a brow pencil-clear brow gel combo girl, and that combo usually takes me 2-3 minutes to use (yes, I’ve timed it), but Hourglass Arch is a one-stop shop where I can fill and set my brows in 30 seconds or less. And they don’t end up looking cray when I’m done, LOL!

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There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Hourglass, Makeup, Product Reviews

The Urban Decay X Kristen Leanne Collection Daydream Palette

January 17th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

urban decay kristen leanne daydream 3
I vote cake frosting.

So what do you think that is there on the front of the $26 Urban Decay X Kristen Leanne Daydream Palette?

Is it…

A. Cake frosting (*nods enthusiastically*)
B. Body lotion
C. Shaving cream

Because it looks like all three to me.

But if I can only choose one (Monday Poll flashbacks), I’ll go with cake frosting because — hi! — I’ve been watching The Great British Baking Show for five days straight.

Incidentally, that show is like chicken soup (with baked homemade crackers) for the soul. It’s almost a cure for the common cold, but I digress…

urban decay kristen leanne daydream
Got a Daydream on my lids and lash lines…

Isn’t this palette cute? When you open it up, there are five warm neutral powder eyeshadows inside.

Daydream is part of the new Urban Decay X Kristen Leanne collection, which is available now. It’s a collab between UD and spunky, cruelty-free makeup-loving YouTuber Kristen Leanne. In a nutshell, she has colorful hair, she loves rainbow looks, she’s got tattoos, and she owns a hair color company called Arctic Fox that’s all about mermaid and unicorn colors…so she’s all about color.

There are two eye palettes in the collection — a colorful one and a neutral one. The latter, of course, is the one I wanted to try first.

urban decay kristen leanne daydream 3
Warm neutral prettiness

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There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews, Urban Decay

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