Eyes

NARS Eye Paint in Black Valley, Cat Eyes and a Growing Crisis Among Cat Ladies

September 9th, 2013 by Karen 35 Comments

NARS Black Valley — Wearing the new NARS Eye Paint in Black Valley ($25)

According to recent research in the field of cat lady psychology, incidents of Kitty Stockholm Syndrome among humans held hostage by cats is at an all-time high.

A random sampling of cat ladies between the ages of 22-65 indicates that the rate of Kitty Stockholm Syndrome, or KSS, a trauma that occurs when humans empathize with their cat captors, affects a staggering 99.9% of women held hostage by their cats.

Because of the stigma attached to KSS, and fearing retribution at the paws of their feline captors, many cat ladies are reluctant to publicly discuss the phenomenon. But a few brave souls, like blogger Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog, have been willing to speak about it on the record.

Karen recently sat down with us for this exclusive interview to reveal what goes on in the mind of a cat lady KSS sufferer…

“Oh, sure,” said Karen, a veteran beauty blogger and cat lady who’s lived with KSS since 2007. “I’ve got KSS, big time, but it doesn’t really manifest itself until I actually leave the compound.

“Take last week. My captor, Tabs, stayed at home while I went to Las Vegas for a conference. Now, you might think I would have used the trip as an opportunity to escape, but the entire time I was there, I kept thinking about Tabs — wondering if he was watching birds through the windows, or sleeping, or eating the potted catnip plant he forced me to install before leaving.

“I thought of him so much that it even came through in my makeup!

“I wore cat eye liner over the entire trip, exactly the way Tabs likes it, too — in a true black shade, dark and dramatic, with a flirty, feline flick at the end — using the new NARS Eye Paint in Black Valley ($25).

“By the way, NARS Black Valley? All sorts of rad.

“Wait! — you haven’t tried it yet? I know this interview is supposed to be about KSS, but seriously, we have got to get you on the Black Valley train, ASAP.

“It’s from the new NARS Eye Paints line of long-wearing potted gels that do everything — almost like MAC Fluidline/Paint Pot hybrids. You can use ’em to line your eyes (both lash and water lines), as cream shadows, or as bases for powder products.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner

September 5th, 2013 by Karen 4 Comments

About the Author
The following guest post was written by Taylor Leigh of mylucitedreams.com. You can also find Taylor on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

When Karen asked me to review just one item, a ‘Holy Grail’ item, from my own personal makeup collection, it wasn’t a task I took lightly. When I think HG products, I don’t think favorites, but I think of a product that is a tried-and-true staple, and one that has been around for some time. A product that I can’t do without, nor one that could be be swapped out for another. I considered a very select few and ultimately decided upon the Aqua Liner from Make Up For Ever.

My favorite makeup look is undoubtedly the ‘cat-eye’. It is a look that has become my signature, and the product in which I can rely on time and again is my HG liquid liner, the Aqua Liner from Make Up For Ever. As someone who suffers from seasonal allergies, or just plain everyday itchy, watery eyes, I need my liner to last. The Aqua Liner delivers a budge-proof, smudge-proof and waterproof line in an easy flick. Clean-ups are easy with any water-based makeup remover before the liner dries. Although, once this baby sets, it won’t even fade until you remove it with an oil-based cleanser. I personally recommend coconut oil and a warm muslin cloth.

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For Makeup That Goes the Distance, There’s the New Long-Wearing MAC Retro Matte Collection, Pro Longwear Paint Pots and Eye Liners

August 29th, 2013 by Karen 24 Comments

The New MAC Pro Longwear and Retro Matte collections

Forget flash-in-the-pan and fly-by-night colors that disappear faster than you can say, “I’m going to need years of therapy to recover from that Miley Cyrus performance.” The new Retro Matte and Pro Longwear collections are built to last with long-wearing lipsticks, lip liners, cream shadows and pencils ready and waiting to go the distance this fall.

The MAC Retro Matte Collection

Down-and-dirty deets on the new MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks, Pro Longwear Paint Pots and Eye Liners

Permanent or limited edition: Limited edition
Availability: Next week! They’ll be online starting the week of September 3, in North American MAC stores/counters September 12, and available some time in September at all international MAC locations.
Inspiration: Actually? Ruby Woo Lipstick’s matte texture and finish. MAC decided to increase the number of shades available in Ruby Woo’s ultra-flat matte finish.
Includes: eight matte Lipsticks ($15 US, $18 CDN each) and eight Pro Longwear Lip Pencils ($19.50 US, $23 CDN each)

As someone who experienced the ’90s firsthand and owned several MAC mattes over that time, I have mixed feelings about this encore of matte lips…

To their credit, they last a looong time, which I like. They barely break a sweat after six hours, even through meals, but dayum! — what’s with all the flakes?!

At least these new MAC Lipsticks don’t seem as drying as the old-school versions, based on the couple I wore today, but they definitely aren’t heavy with hydration. I probably won’t be wearing them daily, no matter what, because matte formulas like these usually leave my lips drier than the Sahara.

I gotta admit, though, that flat finish looks really cool…

Can. Not. Wait. to wear the bright pinks and reds with cat eyes this fall.

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots and Pro Longwear Eye Liners

MAC Pro Longwear collection — All four of the Pro Longwear Eyeliners and four of 12 MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots from the new Pro Longwear collection

Permanent or limited edition: Permanent
Availability: Available now online, and coming to North American stores and counters September 5; internationally some time next month.
Inspiration: Vibrant colors and long-wearing cream shadows and liners.
Includes: 12 Pro Longwear Paint Pots ($20 US, $24 CDN each) and four water-resistant Pro Longwear Eye Liners ($19.50 US, $23 CDN each). There’s also a 242 Shader Brush ($25 US, $30 CDN)

Oh, boy! I’m stoked about the liners and Perky Paint Pot, in particular. Remember it from 2008’s Fafi? Yeah, good times… (Wow, can you believe we’ve been together that long? HOLY CANNOLI!)

The MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks…

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Keep Your Eyes on Neutral Shimmer With Sonia Kashuk’s New “Eye on Neutral Shimmer” Eye Couture Palette

August 28th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Shimmer — The Sonia Kashuk Eye Couture palette in Eye on Neutral Shimmer

Should you ever wake from a moment of reverie with your eyes closed and a big grin on your face as you cradle the new $19.99 Eye Couture palette in Eye on Neutral Shimmer to your bosom in the Sonia Kashuk section of your favorite Target store, I completely understand.

You see, I too have a weakness for shimmery taupes, grays, golds and browns.

Sonia Kashuk Eye Coutre in Eye on Neutral Shimmer — It’s easy to keep your eyes on a palette this sharp…

Sure, duochrome pink-to-purple shadow singles with rainbow glitter seem more exciting at first, but they’re like quick sugar fixes (the novelty wears off fast). Unlike Luna Bars and the Eye on Neutral Shimmer palette, they aren’t really designed for long-term sustenance.

That’s why I hold neutral palettes like this near and dear to my heart.

New for fall with 12 pans of powder shadow in shimmery neutral shades, these color temps are just right — neither too cool nor warm, and should flatter a wide range of skin tones from light to dark.

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How Do You Line Your Eyes?

August 28th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

Clarins Intense Black Crayon Khol — Wearing Clarins’ Crayon KhÃ´l Eye Pencil in Intense Black ($25) on my lash and water lines, and contemplating eyeliner…

Applying eyeliner seems like one of those vastly personal things, ya know? Like fragrances, or buying skinny jeans. I have gal pals who always apply from the same direction, some who draw dots they then smudge, buddies who do both eyes at the same time… There are just so many different ways to go about it.

I was drawing my liner this morning with a new crush, Clarins’ splendidly smooth and dark Crayon KhÃ´l Eye Pencil in Intense Black ($25) when I started thinking about all the different ways we line our eyes.

I usually apply pencil liner one eye at a time following this approach…

Bottom water line, working from the outside (the side closer to me ear) inward toward my nose
Top water line, working from ear-side to nose
Roots of my upper lashes (gotta get between the base of those hairs!)
Upper lash line, again from ear to nose
Lower lash line, yep, from ear to nose
Then I’ll smudge when I want/feel I need to

It depends a little on the formula. I have a slightly different routine for liquid, gel and cream liners, but generally the steps are the same, except for how I handle my upper lash lines. I’ll line then from the opposite direction, working from the inside out (from nose side to ear). I don’t know why, but for some reason that’s just easier for me with liquid and gel liners.

How about you? How do you line your eyes? Do you have a time-tested technique, and what products have you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Fabulously Disco Divalicious MAC Antonio Lopez Collection’s Eye and Face Palettes Will Draw You In

August 27th, 2013 by Karen 42 Comments

MAC Antonio Lopez: 6 Eyes/Bronze and Face/Coral — Wearing the new MAC Antonio Lopez 6 Eyes palette in Teal on my eyes and Face palette in Coral on my cheeks

I am a girl. I am a girl with dreams.

Makeup dreams.

BIG, BOLD makeup dreams. Dreams of getting all dolled up exactly like the gal on this new MAC Antonio Lopez 6 Eyes palette, and then going to Petco to buy kitty litter.

SO FABULOUSLY DISCO DIVALICIOUS.

Let’s see… I think I have a blue scarf around here somewhere, and some black earrings, and I’m thinking I could probably imitate the hair. Maybe.

Oh, but that crazy-@ss earring?! I’ll definitely have to improv that, since something tells me I probably wouldn’t be able to find it (easily) at Claire’s.

The makeup, though, I’ve got that covered, boo-boo, thanks to the MAC Antonio Lopez collection’s mix of eye, lip and cheek palettes.

The MAC Antonio Lopez collection

The new collection struts into North American MAC stores, onto counters and online September 12, and arrives at international locales the same month (international babes, you might want to swing by your local counter to ask your fave MAC artist for a firm date).

Soooo…who IS this dude?

Fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez — From left: Eija Vehka Aho, Juan Ramos, Jacques de Bascher, Karl Lagerfeld and Antonio Lopez. Photo credit: The estate of Antonio Lopez & Juan Ramos, via Rizzoli, nytimes.com

First thing I thought when I saw these palettes was, “Oh, hell yes!” The second thing was, “Who is Antonio Lopez?”

Antonio Lopez (February 11, 1943 — March 17, 1987) was a world-renowned fashion illustrator who’s work appeared in many top-tier glossies like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle, as well as the style pages of papers like The New York Times. In addition to his artwork, he’s known for discovering many famous models, too, including Grace Jones and Jerry Hall.

The new MAC Antonio Lopez collection features some of his drawings, with each of the palettes decorated with one of his muses (MAC calls the ladies “Antonio’s Girls”).

An afternoon with Antonio

This afternoon I told Tabs that I could only work a half day because I had a prior engagement with three eyeshadow palettes and the two face palettes. He grumbled and bit my nose. 🙂

Then, I crossed my fingers, did a disco dance (the Hustle, IF you must know), and hoped to find just as much beauty inside these palettes as out.

MAC Antonio Lopez: 6 Eyes Palettes in Bronze, Violet and Teal ($43.50 each US and $52 CDN)

The MAC Antonio Lopez 6 Eyes Palettes clockwise from the left: Violet, Teal and Bronze — The 6 Eyes Palettes clockwise from the left: Violet, Teal and Bronze

What did I find?

Well, the one eye palette I felt kind of “eh” about at first, Teal, turned out to be much more interesting than I thought.

MAC Antonio Lopez 6 Eyes/Teal Palette — 6 Eyes/Teal Palette

The first time I saw its colors, they didn’t quite make sense to me, but after I started buffing and blending, the mix of bright blue and green played well with the smokier olive, black, gray and light violet shades.

Now if I could only get rid of the fallout… Thank goodness, there’s only a little. If I were forced, cruelly, to choose just one of these three eye palettes to get down with, I’d choose Teal quicker than you could say “boogie-oogie-oogie.”
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A-

As for fallout issues with the other two eye palettes, Violet and Bronze, nope. None.

MAC Antonio Lopez 6 Eyes/Bronze Palette — 6 Eyes/Violet Palette

Violet’s pink and purple give it a foxy ’80s vibe, and I think that bottom row of gray, silver and black should satisfy my lust for smokey eyes (kind of reminds me of Prism by Hourglass). The cream shade in the upper right-hand corner, though? Not that inspiring, but I appreciate the contrast.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

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12 Pans of Shimmer Shine in the Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition “Jewel of an Eye” Eye Couture Palette

August 27th, 2013 by Karen 55 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Jewel of an Eye — The current apple o’ my eye: the $19.99 Eye Couture Palette in Jewel of an Eye from Sonia Kashuk

With autumn about to make its big debut, what’s one way to stay on trend without breaking the bank?

The Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition “Jewel of an Eye” Eye Couture Palette

Perhaps you’ve already stocked up on fall staples over the summer — a chic red lipstick, a black liquid liner, a deep plum (and) or berry gloss — and are saying to yourself, “Whee!” and asking, “What else can we put in there?”

Throw some jewel-toned shadows into the mix

Ya know, for emerald, amber, amethyst and sapphire smokey eyes. All are so, SO apropos with knee-high boots, tweed blazers and snuggly, chunky knits.

Ah… I can almost hear the leaves crunching beneath my feet and Tabs whining because of how chilly it is outside (too chilly to go for his daily walk). Maybe we should get matching turtlenecks — my cat and I — because that’s what I really need — to give my neighbors another reason to think I’m a crazy cat lady. 🙂

As far as fall makeup, I suppose we could hunt and peck for jewel-toned duos and trios, or spend an arm and a leg searching for “the perfect combo,” but who has time for all that?

Try this: tell your hubby/honey/Ryan Gosling that you’ll be back in 10 minutes, because we’re going to Target to check out Sonia Kashuk’s new “Jewel of an Eye” Eye Couture Palette ($19.99).

Okay…make that 30 minutes. We both know that Target is a time warp. We’ll never get out of there in less than 15.

12 pans of shimmer

This 12-pan palette of intense, shimmery shadows pulsates with possibilities for trendy jewel-toned looks, and it’s RAD.

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The Secret to Exceptional Lash Length, Curl and Definition Resides in Every Tube of Clarins Be Long Mascara

August 23rd, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

I gotta give credit to Clarins for getting straight to the point when they named new Be Long Mascara. Just one coat of this stuff on my fringe, and I’m yelling “My lashes be hella long!!” at the top of my lungs in the bathroom.

That’s usually how I know a mascara has crossed over from pretty good to great. 🙂

Be Long banishes jet lag even better than melatonin! You might not think that a three-hour time difference could throw off your sleeping schedule, but it totally can.

I look and feel tired…and over the years, after many mascara trials, I’ve learned that one of the easiest ways to look perkier/less exhausted is to apply a layer of a lengthening, curling mascara to your lashes.

Clarins Be Long Mascara before and after — On the left: no mascara; on the right: one coat

Nothing fakes a bright, doe-eyed look like a little extra lash length and curl. I think the extra length and curl work even better for this than specialized lash volume/thickening mascaras.

And formulas that also separate and define every lash work even better. When the goal is looking less tired, I don’t want bundles of long, clumpy lashes (which, yeah, do have their time and place, like at night when I’m feeling a little artsy).

Be Long delivers the exceptional length, curl and separation that work together as a tonic for sleepy eyes.

I’m totally enamored with this stuff and how it stretches, grabs and defines even the shortest stubs. One coat after a quick curl from my Shu Uemura Lash Curler, and my fringe looks fabulously full and lifted all day, no flakes or smudges.

The brush, which picks up a perfect amount of product (no need to remove any excess by wiping it across a paper towel), must be the secret sauce. It gives each lash the special treatment, coating it individually from base to tip and combing through every hair without leaving behind any clumps or bumps.

Clarins Be Long Mascara brush — It’s all about the brush, ma!

Clarins Be Long Mascara tube — The elegant gold tube…

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