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Face

Lust in Translation: A Scandal Lust Journey of Glitter, Shimmer and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lust

July 1st, 2013 by Karen 9 Comments

MAC Lust Mineralize Skin Finish
Looking more girl next door than lusty, despite wearing MAC’s $30 Mineralize Skin Finish in Lust

Lusty, lusty, lusty.

Don’t even think about wearing MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lust just to sit in your cube and fill out TPS reports.

Bo-ring!

Save this pink cheek powder for a fun-filled Saturday night instead. Pour yourself into that skintight dress and those frack-me pumps you can barely walk in (but dayum, you know they look good! *snaps*).

MAC Lust Mineralize Skinfinish
Lust Mineralize Skinfinish, $30

As you and your crush sip martinis and get cozy in a quiet booth, he (or she) won’t be able to keep his eyes off of your glistening cheeks, or your smile, which hints at where the night could lead if he plays his cards right.

While we’re at it, let’s assume that your skin is on its best behavior in this scenario, with mellow pores and no dry patches to speak of, since Lust’s mirror-like shine can highlight imperfections. Of course, you don’t have to have skin as smooth as porcelain while you’re getting your swerve on, but to be honest, with Lust, it helps. It’s totally and completely unforgiving, like wearing a rhinestone-encrusted spandex unitard (which is actually quite a feat if you can pull it off).

Lust shines like Ryan Gosling’s eyes in the moonlight… Subtle, it’s not, especially compared to the other MSFs I’ve tried so far from MAC’s Tropical Taboo collection (Adored and Rio), but I think that’s what MAC was going for with Lust. They created a showcase shade.

MAC Lust Mineralize Skinfinish Swatch
Lust on my NC 42 skin

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There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews

For a Light Coral Flush You’ll Adore, Try MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Adored

June 28th, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

MAC Adored Mineralize Skin Finish
I adore MAC Adored…Mineralize Skinfinish. Here I am wearing it on mah cheeks!

Abso-friggin’-lutely gorgeous. That’s how I feel about the way MAC Adored Mineralize Skinfinish looks as a highlighter or as an all-over face powder, but if you’re going to try wearing it either of those ways, steer clear of flash photography. The pearl in this makes my skin look crazy shiny when I use a direct flash in pics (I turned the flash off for the pic up top).

MAC Adored Mineralize Skinfinish
MAC Adored Mineralize Skinfinish, a coral with light beige pearl ($30)

It’s also a good-looking blush (try buffing one or two layers on the apples of your cheeks), but no matter how you wear it, layering coaxes out more of the coral, so you get a natural-looking flush — not too bright — with a soft-focus effect from the luminous beige pearl.

You’ll look like an angel with it on, or like you got all creative and mixed Benefit’s Coralista Blush with MAC Ricepaper Eyeshadow, liked what you saw, and put the mixture on your cheeks before you left the house.

Yesterday Adored stayed on my cheeks for a full nine hours… NINE HOURS! Think of all the candy you could eat in that time, or the neighborhood kitties you could pet (it’s a lot).

Charlize, the tabby who lives down the street, sends her regards and best wishes for a good weekend…

Pale princesses and light-skinned gents, Adored should look divine on you! I love it on my NC42 skin, but I get the feeling I’ll be wearing it more often as a highlighter than a blush as I tan over the summer.

MAC Adored Swatch
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There are 11 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews

A Magical Potion of Pink, Bronze, Pizza, Shimmer, Matte and a Highlighter/Blush: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Rio

June 28th, 2013 by Karen 24 Comments

MAC Rio Mineralize Skinfinish
Cheeks, meet MAC’s Rio Mineralize Skinfinish ($30)

LET THIS PROCLAMATION SHOW THAT MAC RIO MINERALIZE SKINFINISH SHALL HENCEFORTH BE KNOWN AS THE OFFICIAL CHEEK POWDER OF PIZZA AND WINE WEDNESDAYS FOR THE REMAINDER OF SUMMER, SO HELP ME GAWD!

Oh, snap! Please pardon my overuse of caps. My pinky got stuck on the CAPS LOCK button (no, it didn’t), so I decided to just roll with it, since it pretty much also summarizes how I really feel about MAC Rio.

We fell in love! — when I wore it a couple days ago out to dinner with El Hub. That day it got hot in hurrr. I mean, it was like over 90 degrees, and I didn’t want to cook, so we went to this Italian place nearby called Tavola for dinner.

Who knew that mixing wine, pizza and MAC Rio on a hot summer night could add up to something so cool?

Pizza from Tavola restaurant in Novato, CA
The Neopolitana pizza from Tavola restaurant in Novato

I don’t know what laws of physics were involved, but there was something magical about biting into a hot slice, washing it down with a sip of chilled white wine and wearing MAC Rio… It electrified all of the pleasure pathways in my brain. Perhaps it was just a convergence of so many awesome things at once — carbs, cheese, wine and a bright, opalescent bronzed pink highlighter/blush. 🙂

MAC Rio Mineralize Skinfinish
Rio Mineralize Skinfinish, $30

Yeah, blush! You could wear Rio as a highlighter (tops of your cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose, your Cupid’s bow and chin), but my favorite way to wear it’s as a blush.

Say we bumped into each other at a MAC counter today and you said, “But, K-Dawg, all I want from a blush is that it’s easy like Sunday morning,” I’d steer you away from Tropical Taboo’s blushes, and point you in Rio’s direction. “Let’s do this, babes,” I’d tell you. “Trust.”

MAC Rio Mineralize Skinfinish swatch
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There are 24 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews

You’ll Look Like You’ve Been Dancing All Night Long Wearing One of the Three Bright New MAC Tropical Taboo Mineralize Blushes in Exotic Ember, Simmer and Sweet Samba

June 26th, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

MAC Simmer Mineralize Blush from the Tropical Taboo Collection
Simmer Mineralize Blush from the MAC Tropical Taboo collection

Guess who just got cast in a new reality TV show!?

I know! It’s called So You Think You Can’t Dance, and it’s still pretty new, so it only has a small following of just one husky tabby cat.

For now. But I’m sure it’s going to catch on soon. It has a winning formula.

The season premiere was last night…in my living room. Yeah, it aired while El Hub and I were watching So You Think You Can Dance, when after every one of the show’s dance routines, we danced around our living room, hootin’, hollerin’ and twirling around like reject ninjas.

“Okay,” one of us would say in complete seriousness, “now it’s time for our contemporary routine!” Then, no matter what type of dance we were supposed to be doing, El Hub would end up doing the robot, and I’d do the cha-cha.

Being the only contestants on the show, the odds of us winning this season are good. 🙂

It’s fun, but I really just want to practice my Latin dance moves so that I could keep up with the three new $25 MAC Tropical Taboo Mineralize Blushes…

MAC Exotic Ember Mineralize Blush
Exotic Ember Mineralize Blush, an orange with bronze pearl

Exotic Ember, Simmer and Sweet Samba shimmy onto MAC shelves and into hearts and stores tomorrow (but they’re available online now!), and they’re ready to lead MAC girls (and guys) through a glamorous and tropic-themed routine on the dance floor.

Just don’t be surprised if they try to hog the spotlight, because they’re hella pigmented.

MAC Simmer Mineralize Blush
Simmer Mineralize Blush, a burnt rose with peach and gold pearl

Hips grind, skirts twirl, heels spin and skin glistens as you work yourself into a frenzy on the dance floor. These blushes are a flurry of intense pigment and luminous, opalescent shimmer, and with any of them on your cheeks, you’ll look like you’ve been shaking what your mama gave you all night long.

MAC Sweet Samba Mineralize Blush
Sweet Samba Mineralize Blush, a dark pink with tan pearl

With MAC’s Mineralize Blush formula, there’s always the chance you’ll run into a shade with chunky glitter that flies all over the place or an uber-frosty finish that acts like a foghorn for your pores (WE’RE KAREN’S PORES! CHECK US OUT, Y’ALL!!), but that hasn’t been the case for me with any of these shades.

All three have a shiny finish, which is typical of the Mineralize Blushes, but their shine comes from fine pearl particles that create flushed, bright cheeks that catch the light without appearing metallic or frosty.

MAC Tropical Taboo Swatches Mineralize Blush
Mineralize Blush from the left: Exotic Ember, Simmer and Sweet Samba

These blushes are also pigmented, so if you want very dramatic, flushed cheeks for, say, a stage performance (which I think these would be awesome for!), then a regular ol’ blush brush should suffice, but for everyday looks, I’d opt for a fan brush.

MAC Sweet Samba Mineralize Blush from the Tropical Taboo Collection
Sweet Samba

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There are 11 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Too Faced Sweet Pink Full Bloom Ultra Flush Blush

June 24th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

Too Faced Sweet Pink Ultra Flush Powder Blush
Now that’s a sweet pink! Too Faced Sweet Pink Ultra Flush Powder Blush ($19)

Chances are, you will not want to start a riot or cut a b*tch while wearing Too Faced Sweet Pink Full Bloom Ultra Flush Blush ($19).

You could, however, roll with a motorcycle gang…but only if your Harley and your helmet are completely covered in Hello Kitty stickers. 🙂

Might as well leave your tough girl boots at home tonight because this blush really is sweet.

A sweet neutral pink with a golden shimmer, to be exact, and it’s that shimmer that makes it a star. The soft glow it imparts, which is much subtler than shiny metallics, is very forgiving of my Lake Superior-sized pores.

Too Faced Sweet Full Bloom Pink Ultra Flush Powder Blush

It’s a little like layering a matte pink blush on top of a shimmery golden highlighter.

Have you ever tried that? It’s really cool. You can see the shimmer peeking through the blush, and it gives the look more life.

Too Faced Sweet Pink Full Bloom Ultra Flush Blush Swatch

With Sweet Pink, you get the effect with one pan for $19.

It’s perfect for streamlined makeup bags. 🙂

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

Oh, and I love wearing it with matte lipsticks in bright berries, fuchsias and hot pinks. Hells, yeah!

I’m a sucker for looks with subtly shiny cheeks and matte lips. I think it’s very flattering. Give it a try if you have MAC Heaux or Impassioned around. Both look really great with Sweet Pink.

Too Faced Sweet Pink Ultra Flush Powder Blush
That’s Sweet Pink on my cheeks and Too Faced Sun Shines Gloss in Watermelon Ice on my lips

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There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, Makeup, Too Faced, Unsung Heroes

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Too Faced Who’s Your Poppy Blush

June 19th, 2013 by Karen 24 Comments

Too Faced Whos Your Poppy Blush
Too Faced Cosmetics’ Who’s Your Poppy Blush

I’m this close to putting my beloved/beat up pan of NARS Orgasm out to pasture for the summer and replacing it with Too Faced Cosmetics Who’s Your Poppy Full Bloom Ultra Flush Blush ($19).

Too Faced Who's Your Poppy?

More than just a’ight, this peachy pink’s a powder blush hidden gem! — and if you haven’t tried it yet, I hope you will, ’cause I believe it’s the bomb.

It’s as if some intrepid makeup lover at Too Faced HQ took a pan of NARS Orgasm, added a little more pink to it and gave it a softer golden shimmer.

BOOM! Take that. Who’s Your Poppy now, blush!? 🙂

Too Faced Who's Your Poppy?

Sometimes with NARS Orgasm, I think its pearly golden shimmer takes over my looks. It’s like, dayum, Gina! You got hit by the glitter truck.

Too Faced Who's Your Poppy?

Who’s Your Poppy isn’t like that. Instead of kicking down the door with steel-toed boots screaming, “HEY, Y’ALL, LOOK AT MY PORES!” its golden pearl tip-toes through the tulips on ballet slippers. It’s still shimmery…but think brunch shimmer, as opposed to bachelorette party.

Too Faced Who's Your Poppy Blush Swatch
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There are 24 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, Makeup, Too Faced, Unsung Heroes

MAC and Second Acts, Where Opposites Attract: The RiRi Hearts MAC Summer Collection Makes a Reservation Online, Party of Five

June 17th, 2013 by Karen 43 Comments

MAC Heux Lipstick
MAC Heaux Lipstick, a matte berry from the new RiRi Hearts MAC Summer collection

What it do, RiRi Woo? The lipstick MAC remixed for Rihanna is back for a second act, and she brought along a few friends.

If you wanted (but missed) RiRi Woo the first time around, you’ll get a second chance to scoop it up, along with the rest of the five-piece limited edition RiRi Hearts MAC Summer collection, online starting tomorrow, June 18.

I had a play date with the collection this morning and had magnetic field day…

By magnetic, I mean opposites that attract, because for me, opposites permeate these products. Intense lip colors contrast with the sheer blush on cheeks, and the matte lipsticks and blush sit in stark contrast to the shimmery, sparkly highlighter.

I like it. The whole dang idea.

Sure, the collection is short and sweet, but you get a lot of juxtaposition here. The look doesn’t seem flat at all, which can be an issue with some collections that feature this much matte.

Maybe it’s just a flashback to my English Major days, but I also like to think that MAC and Rihanna intended for the opposing elements to be symbolic of RiRi, whose stage persona seems both raw and vulnerable at the same time.

That, or perhaps I’ve listened to Stay one too many times…

Lipsticks in RiRi Woo, RiRi Boy and Heaux ($15 each)

MAC Riri Hearts MAC Lipsticks Drops
From the left: Heaux, RiRi Boy, RiRi Woo and Lustre Drops in Barbados Girl

Far and away, I think the most popular pieces from this collection are going to be the lipsticks ($15 each). The core girls/guys on Team MAC love intense color, and red RiRi Woo, lavender RiRi Boy and berry Heaux deliver it in droves.

But gosh, these sure feel dry… They tug at my skin and feel like I’m wearing a thick layer of cornstarch on my lips.

That said, the mega matte way these look is still pretty bangin’. They’re chic and oh! — photograph very well.

I like these for their looks, because they’re definitely not the most comfortable lip products or the easiest to apply. If you don’t mind suffering for your fashion, you’re in luck. These are like 5-inch spiked heels in lipstick clothing. Plus, the whole matte thing is so hella ’90s, which I love.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Powder Blush Duo in Hibiscus Kiss ($26)

MAC Hibiscus Kiss
Hibiscus Kiss Powder Blush

Cheek this out, babe!

I flipped a sprocket when I saw the neutral bronze and coral in this Hibiscus Kiss Powder Blush Duo ($26), but my fever waned when I swatched it for the first time.

The blasted thing feels hard to the touch and applies very sheer.

It shows up a little better on my skin when I apply it with the brush (which, unfortunately, also takes longer), but still — not by much. I have to really build this up in layers to get a look I like. Sorry, no intense flushes here, but this might light your fire if you like super sheer cheeks.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

Lustre Drops Liquid Highlighter in Barbados Girl ($20)

What a nice surprise! From the Lustre Drops in Barbados Girl, I expected a clone of Pink Rebel, but it’s actually a different deal. This liquid highlighter contains more bronze, and there are tiny flecks of glitter swimming around in it.

The effect’s flashy enough to notice from a few feet away, but it’s not gonna hit anyone over the head and say, “LOOK AT ME!!”

I’d call this perfect if it wasn’t so easy to over-apply. The glitter can get a little goopy if you use too much (yep, like I did at first).
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

MAC Hibiscus Kiss Lustre Drops Swatch
Swatches of Hibiscus Kiss Powder Blush on the left and Lustre Drops on the right (unblended and blended)

MAC Riri Boy Riri Woo Heux Swatches
Lipstick swatches from the left: Riri Boy, Riri Woo and Heaux

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There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Collections, Face, Lips, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews

Among the Many Splendours of the Sun-Kissed Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact, Fooling Your Mom Into Thinking You’ve Lost Weight

June 11th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact
Love is a many-Splendoured thing, as evidenced by the Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact ($35)

Introducing the $35 Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact — not to be confused with Splenda, the artificial sweetener, despite the fact that the faux tan I get from it looks completely real, and that is pretty sweet. 🙂

Can’t say whether it actually tastes sweet, though…but I’m guessing, probably not.

Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact 4

When I used it last weekend to contour my cheeks, my mom, who I hadn’t seen in a few weeks, asked if I’d been eating enough and if I’d lost weight.

Yes, Mom, I have been eating enough, and no, I haven’t lost weight (said the girl who just had two slices of leftover birthday cake today after lunch).

It must be Splendours’ fault. A matte, medium-dark peachy golden brown, it resides on the darker side of the powder bronzing spectrum. Brushing it beneath my cheekbones sculpts them into sharp wedges of RuPaul/Tyra-style cheddar cheese.

Perfect for when I’m air quoting and don’t want my long, E.T.-like fingers (E.T. phone home!) to be distracting…

Just stare at mah cheeks, man!!

Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact K air quotes
“Air quotes”

Among the many splendors of Splendours, the 0.7-ounce pan is HUGE! It’s a tabby toe-size bigger than Guerlain’s 0.67-ounce pan of Terra Nerolia Bronzer ($69), which till now had been my default bronzer for the past two months.

That reminds me, I keep meaning to mention that Splendours might be a good alternative to paying almost 70 bones for a bronzer from Guerlain, since the colors are quite similar.

You might even like the Clarins one more, especially if you aren’t wild about tiare flower scents. I find Terra Nerolia’s fragrance intoxicating, albeit heavy.

Color-wise, Splendours, which has a faint tea rose scent, is slightly darker and less golden.

If I were also being super nitpicky, I think Terra Nerolia’s grains look and feel a tad finer, but really, unless you’re bucking for a spot in the bronzer edition of Ultimate Makeup Hoarders, I don’t think that’s reason enough to justify the difference in price.

Clarins Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact Swatch
Swatches from the left: Peach center of Splendours, outer section of Splendours, both the peach and tan mixed together (yup, from Splendours) and a comparison swatch from Guerlain’s Terra Nerolia Bronzer

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There are 16 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Clarins, Face, Makeup, Product Reviews

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