Face

This Spring, EstÃ©e Lauder’s Big Plans for Pigment Involve the Pure Color Blushes

January 25th, 2012 by Karen 39 Comments

Wearing EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Blush in Electric Pink

Holy frickin’ rad, Batgirl! I almost don’t know where to start…

The new EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Blushes are so packed with pigment that they might even make seasoned MAC addicts shed glittery tears of joy.

EstÃ©e Lauder went BIG with these new $28 blushes. Literally. The oversized pans are huge!

To put them in perspective, a husky tabby’s butt barely rivals their size. 🙂

And the powders? Let me put it this way: softer and finer than powdered sugar.

The 16 new powder blushes dance onto EstÃ©e Lauder counters, and into EL’s permanent line, next month. This week, I’ve been getting acquainted with one of the shades from that launch and three from a limited edition collection coming in May.

Clockwise from the red pan in the lower left: The Siren, Fearless, Naughty and Electric Pink

Carnation-colored Electric Pink is the shade bound for the permanent line. Soft and wearable, it kinda reminds me of a chillier version of MAC Blushbaby.

Reddish orange Naughty, bright red The Siren and hot pink Fearless, the bright limited edition shades, comprise a three-piece Pure Color Blush Collection By Tom Pecheaux, and when they arrive in May, they’ll be exclusive to Macy’s.

All four blushes apply with vibrant color that stays true from morning till night, and only one thing stands in their way of cheeky domination…

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Swatches from the left: Fearless, Electric Pink, The Siren and Naughty

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Wearing EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Blush in Siren
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Easy Does It With NARS Makeup Removing Water

January 24th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

Ahhh… If my dry skin could talk, that’s what it would say about new NARS Makeup Removing Water ($29).

Gentle. That’s the figurative word here and what I like most about the product, thanks to soothing botanical ingredients like cucumber, chamomile and hyaluronic acid. It works without any soaps, oils, fragrances or alcohol to remove makeup while, according to NARS, toning and moisturizing the skin.

And, even better, it’s supposed to work without scrubbing/rubbing.

MAC Cleanse Off Oil/Tranquil and I have been in a hot-and-heavy relationship for a while now, but when I heard that FranÃ§ois was releasing a new makeup remover that wouldn’t require rubbing, I was intrigued…

When I turned 36, fine lines seemed to crop up overnight! — so things like being able to remove my makeup without having to tug at my skin are suddenly a lot more important to me now.

And to remove long-wearing eye makeup, like waterproof mascaras, eyeliners and highly-pigmented eyeshadows, there’s NARS $25 Eye Makeup Remover. Described as a “high-performance, extremely mild makeup remover that removes all types of makeup, including waterproof,” the non-greasy, oil-in-water formula glides across skin, leaving a silky, smooth feeling without leaving a residue behind, and it contains soothing natural ingredients like aloe and cucumber to calm sensitive skin.

When I’m out running errands and wearing a moderate amount of makeup — maybe a primer, a little bit of tinted moisturizer, powder, eyeshadow, blush, gloss and mascara — I’ll soak one cotton round with Makeup Removing Water, and that’s enough to do the job (without my having to scrub/tug) in between 1-2 minutes.
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If You Like Long-Wearing Blushes, You May Want to Spring for These Amazonian Clay Blushes From Tarte

January 23rd, 2012 by Karen 52 Comments

Wearing Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Glisten

Daily revelations, January 23, 2012

“Isosceles” and “Camembert” are two very dignified words.
The retail pet products world discriminates against cats (at Target, dogs get both sides of an entire aisle for toys and canine accessories, but cats just get one small section of wall!).
What does it mean when you’re no longer embarrassed about saying things like this out loud: “The kitty appetizers with the shredded pieces are way classier than the ones with cubed bits.”
ZOMG! Tarte’s four shimmery, glittery Amazonian Clay Blushes for spring 2012 are totally great!

I’m still trying to track down whether these four new $25 blushes are limited edition or permanent, but I’m really hoping that Tarte decides to keep ’em around, because I can easily see myself wearing Adored (a cool pink with purplish glitter), Frisky (a red with golden glitter), Buff (a nude peachy brown with silver glitter) and Glisten (a shimmery peachy gold from last year’s QVC-exclusive 8th World Wonder kit) all year round.

Like their older siblings, these four new shades also contain (you guessed it!) Amazonian Clay! — an ingredient that Tarte claims is able to adapt to different skin conditions, both moisturizing dry patches and absorbing grease in oily areas at the same time.

My dry cheeks have yet to feel a sudden surge of moisture when they wear these, but I can say that the blushes haven’t made my alligator skin situation any worse.

Also like last year’s blushes, these pigmented powerhouses have amazing grip strength! They latch onto my cheeks and don’t let go for nothin’, not even after multiple trips to and from my car yesterday in the rain. They stayed put all day long until I removed my makeup around 9 at night, so if you need or want a long-wearing blush, you could do a lot worse than these.

But, you might be wondering, what about the glitter? Well, I think Tarte handles it well. It’s definitely not glitter ala Claire’s/Hot Topic. Tarte appears to be using a semi-matte blush base for Adored, Frisky and Glisten that tones down the party effect, so it’s visible from an arm’s length away, but the glitter flecks are so tiny and subdued that I think they look refined. We’re talking classy glitter here, babe. 🙂

Frisky

Adored
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Life and Cheeks Are Sweeter With Fresh Honey: MAC, Naturally Mineralize Blush in Fresh Honey

January 21st, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

If I were to swipe MAC’s $22 Mineralize Blush in Fresh Honey on the back of my hand while standing next to Ryan Gosling at a MAC counter, where he’d be getting replacement pads for his eyelash curler, the part of my brain still paying attention to the swatch would think, “Now that’s a pretty matte.”

(The rest of me would be plotting ways to get Ryan to remove his shirt.)

One of three blushes in the MAC, Naturally collection, Fresh Honey appeared to have a matte finish the first time I saw it on my hand, but when I got it on my cheeks, I saw that it actually has a very soft sheen.

Back at the MAC counter with Ryan… 🙂

After applying two layers of Fresh Honey on my cheeks, I’d turn to Ryan, smile, bat my lashes and say, “Would you like to see a picture of my cat?” Then, since this is my fantasy, he’d be so smitten and charmed by both Tabs and my fresh, healthy-looking cheeks, that he would immediately call Eva Mendez and break up (sorry, girl!).

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Clarins Coral Tonic Is a Light Pick-Me-Up for Cheeks

January 18th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

If delicate, diaphanous cheeks are on your spring wish list, make a note about the new Clarins Instant Light Blush in Coral Tonic ($28) in the margins before you send your list to the Easter Bunny.

Everything about this shimmery golden coral blush says “sweet.” Picture yourself waiting at the curb for the ice cream truck on a sunny spring day (order me a Drumstick, please!). That flush of color on your cheeks? That’s Coral Tonic. 🙂

One of three limited edition blushes in the new Clarins Spring Collection for 2012, Coral Tonic couldn’t be a whole lot easier or quicker to apply.

Not quite a liquid or a cream, it has the consistency of a sheer, fluffy whipped mousse, and it melts into my skin within seconds of blending. Because Clarins dialed back the pigment, the applicator doesn’t draw any high contrast edges that would take a lot of time to smooth.

For a dainty flush, I brush a quick 1-inch swipe on each cheek with the sponge applicator, blend out the edges with my fingers, and wait a few seconds for it to dry. I’ve been repeating the process a second time, but one layer should suffice if you’re much lighter than I. The color lasts on me between 5-6 hours.

Clarins also snuck in an extra touch, a light freesia scent that lingers on my fingers after application. It’s subtle enough that I don’t smell it on my cheeks while I’m wearing it, but the boys in my life (El Hub and Tabs) should get a nice surprise the next time they come in for a cheek kiss.

I tried Coral Tonic in combination with a bunch of different products (atop bare skin, primer, tinted moisturizer, foundation, powder, etc.), and I think the less it’s worn with, the better it looks.

When I want a fresh, dewy look, I start by applying Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer all over my face. Then, I add a layer of MAC Strobe Cream (also all over my face), and finish with one or two layers of Coral Tonic, just on the apples of my cheeks.

Easy, dressed-down and casual — purrrfect for lounging around the house and, say, watching a Real Housewives marathon, or making a quick run to Trader Joe’s for Mango Bars.

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Benefit’s Featherweight Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation Wows on Several Fronts

January 17th, 2012 by Karen 91 Comments

Bid bon voyage to thick, heavy masks and farewell to suffocating skin. Benefit’s new featherweight oil-free foundation would like to say hi.

Or hello, that is. 🙂

Coming in March to Benefit counters, new Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow ($34), Benefit’s new line of light-to-medium coverage liquid foundation, barely feels like anything at all (cotton candy kisses come to mind).

It’s so lightweight that when I apply it, I can almost feel my pores taking deep yoga breaths in and out, ohm and ahhh…

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Of the nine available shades, which isn’t a lot for an entire foundation range, All the Rage Beige comes closest to my skin tone (I’m an NC42 in MAC). Very close, but not perfect, and I find myself yearning for the same shade with a little more yellow. I think it’s only obvious, though, when I really pack it on.

The pump dispenser, on the other hand, is perfect. I’m serious. This thing kicks so much @ss!

I know it sounds silly to obsess over a pump, but a good one like this means wasting a lot less of a $34 product. It offers so much control that I can easily squeeze out half a drop.

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The foundation itself feels very thin and watery, and the first time I used it I was sure it wouldn’t provide enough coverage. But it did. I used half a pump and applied that over my entire face with my fingers, and then used a few more drops for some trouble spots on my chin. It’s mid-level coverage, so it’s not fully opaque, but I think it looks very natural, like tinted moisturizer turned up a notch (with the added benefit of SPF 25 PA+++).

Swatches from the left: I’m Pure 4 Sure Ivory, I’m Plush & Precious Petal, Cheers to Me Champagne, and I’m So Money Honey

From the left: I’m All the Rage Beige, Warm Me Up Toasted Beige, and I’m So Glamber Amber
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Benefit Says, “Why Wait for Summer?” Try Sun Beam Liquid Highlighter Instead

January 17th, 2012 by Karen 39 Comments

Benefit Sun Beam (5)

Just because it’s winter (for most of us) and our calendars are flipped to January doesn’t mean we can’t talk about spring, sunshine and sunbeams — or Sun Beams, if we’re talking highlighters — because when it comes to makeup seasons, cosmetics companies dance to the beat of a different drummer.

Benefit Sun Beam Benefit says their new Sun Beam liquid highlighter ($26) is like sunshine in a bottle, and while I’ve heard that about other products a time or two before, when I wear this warm bronzed gold along my upper cheekbones and beneath my brow bones, I think I do look like I’ve just returned from a tropical vacation.

A great highlighter can do for faces what a great bra can do for an outfit (a lot), so I’m always on the market for great ones. Great, though, is a relative term, and one gal’s great is another gal’s mediocre.

As luck would have it, that’s where Sun Beam stands out. I think its flexibility is what sets it apart. When I want a soft, radiant glow, like that look after a good facial, I’ll dab a couple dots and blend, but I can also add a few extra drops for more dramatic shimmer.

And speaking of shimmer, Sun Beam’s is gold, and so it might be a better fit for gals who like warmer shades and golds. Ladies who love cooler colors, however, might still fall for Sun Beam, but if not, there’s always Benefit’s other highlighters, like High Beam or Watt’s Up.

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Benefit Sun Beam (1)

Sun Beam unblended
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An Inside Look at the New Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation With Benefit Global Beauty Authority Annie Ford-Danielson

January 13th, 2012 by Karen 59 Comments

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Benefit babes, brace yourself for a bodacious treat. 🙂

Yesterday Benefit Global Beauty Authority Annie Ford-Danielson took a few minutes to chat with me over the phone about their newest product, Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation ($34), which arrives on counters this March.

You may remember Annie and her sister Maggie from last year’s B.Right Skin Care launch. Together, they travel the world, working as global ambassadors for the brand.

This marks Benefit’s latest leap into liquid foundations, and Annie, who also works in product development, gave me an inside look at the development process and what we can expect from Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow when it arrives.

The following is an interview with Benefit Global Beauty Authority Annie Ford-Danielson about the brand’s new Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation.

So why did Benefit decide to do a liquid foundation?

Well, I think that at Benefit, as you know, we have kind of a small number of products. We’re not like the MACs or Make Up For Evers, where we have 1500 SKUs, so we have to choose our launches super carefully.

We kind of realized that we’ve done concealers, we’ve done highlighters, Fake-Its, brows, skin care, so the next step to really becoming a one-stop shop for beauty was to create a new liquid foundation.

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Our girls, our customers, were coming to us for all of these beauty dilemmas and needs, and the fact that we didn’t have a full assortment of foundations was sending them off to other brands, and of course we want our girls to stay with us.

Annie Ford-Danielson, Benefit Global Beauty Authority

I think that really sparked our interest in making a new line. In true Benefit fashion, I’m sure as you know, we’re all about just quick, easy, instant beauty solutions, and I think that foundation can be hard for a lot of women. It can be super intimidating; it can be laborious, so we wanted to create a formula that was really easy, hydrating and brightening.

When you say brightening, does that mean shimmer?

There’s no shimmer in the foundation itself. It’s called Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow, and the really kind of “Fake It” quality that we’ve given this foundation is that it has an oxygen hydrating complex.

What does this mean? It means it’s going to help boost your cellular respiration, giving your skin a really nice plumping effect, so it’s going to make those fine lines, those little crevices, kind of plump up, giving you that healthy-looking skin. And it also helps protect against environmental stresses. It has vitamin C and E derivatives, which are known to prevent the signs of aging.

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My favorite part about this is that it’s oil free but has an SPF 25 PA+++. So what does that all mean? It’s very technical. First of all, the Oxygen Wow complex is completely exclusive to our brand. We created it for our liquid foundation, and basically, what it means is that this is not your traditional liquid foundation. It goes on and has the consistency of a really nice, kind of lightweight tinted moisturizer, but it has the coverage of a foundation.

Can you describe the coverage a little bit?

It’s interesting that you asked. It really depends on the method in which you apply. For example, I apply — I wear it, and I’ve been wearing this foundation because I have connections here and I get it early (laughs). I’ve been traveling so much this year, and everyone’s like, “What’s your favorite product?” and I’m like, “Well, I can’t tell you…because it’s our liquid foundation and we don’t have it [yet].”

So, honestly, it really depends on what you want the foundation to do. On the weekends, I apply it with my fingers, and I just apply half a pump. It kind of gives me a really nice, evening-out effect, but it’s incredibly build-able.

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That was one of the main aspects of the foundation that we as a brand felt was important for our customers, because our customers are always telling us, “We want to be able to customize our look. On Sunday, we don’t want to look as decked out as we do on Friday night.” So we figured that to have a formula that was incredibly build-able was the key, so you can go all the way from light, to medium, to medium-full coverage foundation.
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