Face of the Day (FOTD)

My HiP Face of the Day with the L’Oreal Midnight Muse Eye Shadow Duos

November 4th, 2010 by Karen 39 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog wearing loreal midnight muse collection 1

As much as I love a good bargain, budget beauty doesn’t always deliver. With some drugstore beauty products, you just don’t know what caliber of quality you’re gonna get.

The HiP Eye Shadow duos we looked at last week from the new L’Oreal Midnight Muse collection showed a lot of promise, and you showed a lot of interest, so I took two of them (Enchantress and Darkwave) out for indoor test drives today.

Now I know why these HiP shadows have so many fans. 🙂

The matte and high-shine shimmer shadows in both duos are easy to blend and exhibit very little fallout. These are top-shelf drugstore beauty products. We’re talking glass case material here, like the kinds of products that deserve their own display at the very front of the beauty aisle.

loreal midnight muse review swatches photos fotd eye2
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The Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Palette Helped Me Face My Neighbors (and the Day)

November 3rd, 2010 by Karen 40 Comments

Okay, methinks it’s time to stop scaring the neighbors. With last week’s beehive and that other blast to beauty’s past, I got more than a few sideways glances every time I went outside.

I don’t really know my neighbors very well, but I’m sure they know me — as the crazy lady who walks her cat on a leash while wearing lots of eye makeup and bathrobes, ha! I love it. 🙂

I kept getting that look. You know the one, where they’re afraid to make eye contact, but their glassy, straight-ahead stares betray what they’re really doing, which is watching you from the side with their peripheral vision… I do it a lot at restaurants to see what everyone else is eating, haha.

This morning I decided to give ’em a break and go back to wearing something a little less shocking in public. Out came the new Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Palette ($45).

The Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Palette from left: Eye Shadow in White, Metallic Eye Shadow in Tin, Eye Shadow in Storm, Long-Wear Eye Paint in Onyx

Have you seen it yet? One of three new kits in the just-released Choose Your Glam collection, it comes with four powder eyeshadows perfect for black/gray smokey eyes.

I’ve been chomping at the bit for this one, specifically for the sparkly black Long-Wear Eye Paint in Onyx.

Bobbi makes a pretty big deal about how it can be worn either wet or dry, but isn’t that true of most powder shadows?

Eh, with glitter like this, who the hell cares!? They can say whatever they want as long as they catch me when I swoon. 🙂
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Halloween Hair and Makeup from 1988: 10 Ways to Rock a Totally Legit ’80s Costume

October 28th, 2010 by Karen 77 Comments

It’s fun to think of the ’80s as a series of John Hughes films where cool kids cruised high school hallways in preppy sweaters, chunky cable-knit vests and Members Only jackets.

Yeah…it soooo wasn’t like that (well, not all the time).

For some of us who grew up in the decade, it was also about obnoxiously big hair, Esprit sweaters, Michael Jackson zipper jackets and scrunchies.

LOTS of scrunchies.

If you’re thinking about dressing up like an ’80s girl for Halloween this year, you’ve come to the right place!

Break out your Aqua Net and Guess jeans because it’s time for…

10 Ways to Rock a Totally Legit ’80s Costume!

By the time we’re done, it’ll be 1988. 🙂

1. The Scrunchie

The ’80s were a hair-raising decade. The bigger, the better, and elastic was a girl’s best friend.

Short on time to get ready for the big Halloween fete? No prob. That’s what scrunchies are for. First, pump up your bangs with a firm hold hair spray. Then, put your hair up in a high side pony with a ponytail holder, and decorate with a scrunchie in the color of your choice.

2. OPTIONAL: The Banana Clip

The banana clip works like a combined ponytail holder and scrunchie in one, but nowadays they can be a little hard to find.

3. Find a Shirt That Matches Your Scrunchie

IMPORTANT: Ideally, it should be button-down, oversized and hang down just above the knees — anything longer, and you risk concealing your tight acid washed jeans.

4. Don’t Forget the Big Broach

For true ’80s legitimacy, secure an obnoxiously huge broach to the top button of your shirt. CAUTION: Move slowly to avoid accidentally poking yourself with the pin (yes, I speak from experience).

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A Sexy [INSERT PROFESSION HERE] Halloween Makeup Look

October 27th, 2010 by Karen 86 Comments

karen from makeup and beauty blog wearing mac a tartan tale moonlight night pigment 3

So is your sweet tooth ready for Halloween? I’ve been working mine out with caramels this week to get it in shape for Sunday.

For the first time in ages I actually have Halloween plans that don’t involve stuffing my pie hole with mini-Snickers at home. El Hub and I are going to a party on a big @ss boat! — well, technically, it’s a decommissioned aircraft carrier called the USS Hornet, and the party’s called the Monster Bash.

Now I just have to decide on a costume, and I did some brainstorming today…sexy brainstorming. 🙂

As a fallback, if I haven’t come up with something better, I may swing by the Halloween store to pick up one of those sexy [INSERT PROFESSION HERE] outfits — sexy nurse, sexy librarian, sexy devil or sexy dental hygienist (sexy bee keeper?).

And if that’s the case, I’ll need makeup to fit the part, makeup like this smoldering, shimmery green smokey eye with glossy hot pink lips.

karen from makeup and beauty blog wearing mac a tartan tale moonlight night pigment

It says, “Hey! I’m in costume! Pay attention to me!” But it’s not too complicated to throw together in a ~~sexy~~ rush.

I used products from the new MAC A Tartan Tale and Chanel Les Tentations holiday collections, with a dusting of makeup from Make Up For Ever, NARS and Fred Farrugia. If you have any similar colors haunting the corridors of your makeup stash, now’s your chance to put them to work!

mac a tartan tale swatches moonlight night teal undercurrent black swan pearlglide liner chanel tweed fuschia nars easy lover fred farrugia
Clockwise from left: Chanel Les Tissages de Chanel in Tweed Fuchsia, MAC Pigment in Moonlight Night, MAC Pigment in Teal, Fred Farrugia Matte Lip Duo in 06, NARS Lipgloss in Easy Lover, Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eye Liner in Mat Black 0L, MAC Pearglide Liner in Black Swan, MAC Pearlglide Liner in Undercurrent
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Blue Skies Smiling at Me: A Face of the Day with the Bobbi Brown Crystal Eye Palette

October 25th, 2010 by Karen 40 Comments

karen from makeup and beauty blog wearing the bobbi brown crystal eye palette top

You know you’re from California when you’re already complaining about the weather after the first rains of the season. You see, I’m a certified weather wimp, and I was over the moon this morning when I looked out the windows and saw blue skies.

Tabs was even happier than I was because it meant he’d be able to go outside again after being cooped up all weekend long, and the first thing we did was go for a nice, long walk.

While he mouth mowed his favorite patch of grass, I gazed up at the sky and thought, “blue…” I know! — I’ll do a blue eye look with maybe a dash of purple to celebrate the day.

karen from makeup and beauty blog wearing the bobbi brown crystal eye palette 2

Right away I knew I wanted to use the Bobbi Brown Crystal Eye Palette from the Holiday 2010 Collection.

bobbi brown holiday 2010 crystal eye palette shadows
The Bobbi Brown Crystal Eye Palette

She’s the party girl of the release and the brightest of BB’s holiday eye sets, with four fun, shimmery powder shadows in purple, lilac, off-white and teal.
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Dior Holiday 2010: Be a Peach with the Endless Shine Quint

October 20th, 2010 by Karen 24 Comments

karen from makeup and beauty blog wearing dior holiday 2010 endless shine 529

What up, buttercup? How was hump day? Mine was pretty peachy, thank you very much, and I owe it all to Dior Endless Shine.

We spent the afternoon together, you know, just frolicking like cherubs with cameras. Turns out the holiday quint, one of two in Dior’s Holiday 2010 Collection, is quite the budding photographer.

“Karen,” it cooed, gently petting the peach shade in the upper right corner, “look at me.”

“Huh?”

“Now look away!”

“Wha?”

“Now look at me. LOOK AT ME!”

“Are you sure?”

“LOOK AT ME!”

“Okay, okay, I’m looking!”

“Yes! Like that. Look, LOOK!”

“I’m looking, dude. Are you okay?”

“Now look away!”

dior holiday 2010 makeup swatches review 529
Dior 5-Colour Iridescent Eyeshadow Quint in Endless Shine #529, $58

Hmm, is it bad when you hear voices coming from eyeshadow palettes?

I hope not. 🙂

karen from makeup and beauty blog wearing dior holiday 2010 endless shine 529

With the peach shade demanding so much of my attention today, it only seemed right to build a look around it, so I picked out some complementary bits o’ holiday makeup from Chanel, NARS, MAC and Dolce & Gabbana and put together this here face of the day.
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Dior Holiday 2010: A Five Golds Face of the Day

October 13th, 2010 by Karen 42 Comments

dior five golds

“Hey, you gotta try some of this tres leches cake. It’s hella good!”

“No thanks.”

“Seriously? The last time you turned down desert was, like, never. Come on, have a bite.”

“No, I don’t want any. I’m not into goat milk.”

“What?”

“I’m not into goat milk.”

“Uh…I don’t think there’s goat milk in it.”

“Really? Isn’t it one of the three milks? — cow milk, goat milk…”

“Dude, really? They mean regular milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk — get it?”

“Ohhhhh…”

So went one of the many odd conversations I’ve had with my good guy friend N. Black. Playing with Dior’s new Five Golds quint today reminded me of that conversation. What would N. Black have thought if it had been five milk cake instead of three??

The $58 quint also goes by the more marketable stage name, the Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Five Golds #001, and it’s one of two new Dior eyeshadow quints for holiday 2010.

dior holiday 2010 makeup swatches review 001

dior holiday 2010 makeup swatches 001 on nc35 skin
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Chanel Les Tentations de Chanel: A Friday Face of the Day

October 8th, 2010 by Karen 39 Comments

chanel les tentations de chanel holiday 2010 collection face of the day karen from makeup and beauty blog 2

What’s up, ladies? It’s Friday, WOOT WOOT!

Okay…that little outburst actually spent the last of my energy. Now I’m plum tuckered out because, like a doofus, I stayed up too late last night watching the Jersey Shore. Lame, I know, but I just couldn’t pull myself away. Needless to say, coffee and I have been BFFs today (err, coffee and makeup).

Before I crashed and burned this afternoon, I tried the new Chanel Le Tentations de Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection on for size, and ooh, baby! — I’m lovin’ these chocolate browns and playful pinks.

Sure, the collection doesn’t exactly fit your standard holiday fare, but who cares? If you like it, you like it. And besides, it’s not like early October is the dead of winter, right?

chanel les tentations de chanel holiday 2010 collection face of the day karen from makeup and beauty blog 1
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