Just For Fun

Good morning, beautiful. Ooh! You’re just in time for breakfast. We’re having hot buttered pancakes, hash browns and omelets made to order. Just make yourself comfortable, and I’ll be right back with some coffee.

Yum, right? I’m so starvin’ like Marvin right now…

So what did you do yesterday? I hope you had some fun. El Hub and I kinda just lazed around together; it was glorious. In the afternoon we went to a surprise 70th birthday party lunch for one of his coworkers, a sweetheart named Joan. Joan is one of the kindest people and most interesting characters you’d ever want to meet. Before blowing out the candles on her cake, she made everyone with cameras pause so she could reapply her lipstick first. And about her famously fantastic memory, she says, “I haven’t had a printer for so long that I’ve become used to memorizing vast quantities of information from the Internet.” LOL!

Anywho, what’s on your agenda for today? Have you seen any good movies lately? I wanted to see I Am Number Four until I read some of the reviews, like this one from Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru: “Suffers from so much style over substance, lack of internal logic, contrived subplots and wooden performances that it makes Twilight look like Gone with the Wind.”

Ouch! I might go see The King’s Speech instead. Have you seen it yet?

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

I’M ADDING LUSH R&B TO MY
LIST OF GREATEST HAIR HITS

Lush R&B Revive & Balance Hair Moisturizer ($18.95) is so damn good that whenever I use it, I burst into song. “Whoever invented Lush R&B, homeboy was such a whiz! Now my waves, soft and shiny, hardly ever frizz. It hydrates my hair while it soothes my scalp. (It really has been a great deal of help.) With a touch of hold, I’m totally sold On Lush R&B!”

Okay, so maybe this won’t be my year to win a Grammy, but really, this stuff rocks. I’ve been using it lately to get what I’ve referred to on the blog as “brunch hair” and “vacation hair” — touchable, cooperative hair with a bit of hold and definition.

Lush markets R&B as a hair moisturizer, a kind of rich, hydrating leave-in conditioner designed for dry scalps and hair. It’s a frizz-smoothing, shine-enhancing hair hero recommended for hair types that often benefit from extra hydration, and they mention African American, curly, wavy and generally dry hair. Read more…

MAC LOOK IN A BOX
GIRL NEXT DOOR

What would you do if I told you that MAC put a look in a box? Would you want to set it free?

Before you answer that, what if I also told you that the neutrals in this particular box don’t bite? No, they’re much too sweet for biting. As a matter of fact, the shades in the MAC Look in a Box: Girl Next Door kit ($40) are sugar and spice and everything nice (i.e. charming), like the kind of makeup you’d wear to meet a new beau’s mom for the first time.

The limited edition 2011 travel exclusive boxed set, one of three from the MAC Packed to Go Collection, comes with five products, a few of them full-size items from the MAC permanent line, and a couple of hard-to-find limited edition shades from previous releases.

I really love this set, but I wish it was easier to track down. As a travel exclusive, it mostly hangs out at select airports and duty free stores.

I guess that’s (part of) the beauty of these the travel exclusives — the thrill of the chase. 🙂 Read more…

MAC PACKED TO GO
3 CREMESHEENS

I thought you might like to see another of those MAC travel exclusives, and this one’s a real trip (LOL!). It’s called 3 Cremesheens, and it’s part of the new MAC Packed to Go collection.

Like all of MAC’s other travel exclusives, 3 Cremesheens will spend most of its time at select domestic and international airports and duty free stores when its flight arrives this spring (prices will vary by location).

I’d originally heard that the set would include Boy Bait, one of my favorite Cremesheens, but that appears incorrect. The set I have came with a pretty light pink called Right Image instead.

I thought you might like to see another of those MAC travel exclusives, and this one’s a real trip (LOL!). It’s called 3 Cremesheens, and it’s part of the new MAC Packed to Go collection.

Like all of MAC’s other travel exclusives, 3 Cremesheens will spend most of its time at select domestic and international airports and duty free stores when its flight arrives this spring (prices will vary by location).

I’d originally heard that the set would include Boy Bait, one of my favorite Cremesheens, but that appears incorrect. The set I have came with a pretty light pink called Right Image instead. Read more…

TARTE LIPSURGENCE
NATURAL LIP LUSTERS

You know how they say that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings? Well, every time I take out a Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Luster, a drag queen cheers and whips out two snaps in a circle. 🙂

The six new moisturizing lusters ($24 each) are souped-up versions of Tarte’s best-selling LipSurgence Lip Tints with punchier pigmentation and a finish so shiny (I gotta wear shades).

In the plus column, I really like that these pencil tips are twisties, because I don’t like having to tote around a sharpener (ahem, I’m talkin’ to you, NARS Velvet Gloss).

I also tip my hat to Tarte for keeping a lot of the common lip gunk out of these, like formaldehyde-based preservatives. They’re also gluten, oil, talc and MEA/DEA/TEA-free. And because they’re also cruelty-free, Tabs gives his husky-pawed kitty stamp of approval. Read more…

DON’T MISS THESE 5 FANTASTIC
DRUGSTORE BRUSHES

Makeup brushes are lightweight, easy to pack, and make fantastic little travel gifts. Both of the chains you mentioned, Target and CVS, carry several affordable, high quality brushes like the EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer Brush.

This $12 cruelty-free brush has a dense head (there’s a pun in there somewhere) and super soft bristles. It’s designed to be used with bronzer, but I prefer to use it to buff loose powder on top of my foundation for an airbrushed look.

And don’t miss the Sonia Kashuk $6 Bent Eyeliner Brush. An affordable, all-purpose eyeliner brush with an angled barrel, a long handle and a pointed brush head made with soft, yet firm, synthetic fibers. I think it’s a star with gel liners like MAC Fluidline and makes winged cat eye flicks super easy to do. Read more…

GET SHATTERED WITH THE CHINA
GLAZE CRACKLE COLLECTION

China Glaze designed their six new Crackle Glaze polishes to create a worn-in, desconstructed look for fingers and toes.

How it works: first, apply a coat of nail polish (shimmer, cream, matte, whateva!), and wait for it to dry. Then, add a layer or two of one of the China Glaze Crackle colors. In about five minutes, you’ll see the polish separate to form shattered patterns on the nail. I’m wearing a light gray cream beneath the Crackle colors in the pic here.

It’s not really my style, but I give ups to China Glaze for keeping things interesting. If I were 13, listening to a lot of Avril Lavigne and shopping at Hot Topic, however, I’d probably be all over this in a hot second. Read more…

I’M HAVING A MARITIME WITH THESE
$5 RIMMEL GLAM’EYES TRIO EYE SHADOWS

It’s Maritime, young lady. 🙂 Get ready to set sail on a Trio hour tour aboard the USS Glam’Eyes. The ship is bound for the The Land of Cheap Makeup Thrills, and Captain Rimmel’s at the helm.

I absolutely love Rimmel’s Glam’Eyes Mono shadow singles, so I’ve really been looking forward to trying their new Glam’Eyes line of trios ($5 each). Maritime, one of four trios in the line, is a sea of blues designed to bring out the best in brown eyes.

These shadows, like the singles, feel super soft and pack loads of pigment, while still blending like a dream. As good as that sounds, though, I actually think the singles apply a tad more evenly. With these, I get a few uneven patches of color along with some fallout beneath my eyes, but considering how affordable they are, it’s not a deal breaker for me. Read more…

MAC VIVA GLAM GAGA 2
SWATCHES AND PICTURES

What’s the story, morning glory? You know how much I love MAC Viva Glam, right? I thought that maybe you’d like to check out their latest VG color, MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2, available now in both a Lipstick and Lipglass ($14.50 each).

Unlike last year’s pale pink Viva Glam Gaga shade, the new color’s more of a flesh-toned nude. Check out the swatches below and let me know if you think it’s a go (ooh, call me MC Karen ’cause I just made a rhyme!).

Like all of the Viva Glam products, 100% of the proceeds of the Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipglass and Lipstick sales go to the MAC AIDS fund, which helps women, children and men living with HIV/AIDS. One tube at a time, millions have been raised since the program’s start in 1994. Read more…

IS MILK OF MAGNESIA
A CURE FOR OILY SKIN

The product that finally brought my skin to genesis is incredibly easy to use, portable, and comes in a chic little package. Since I’ve begun using it, my pores have all but disappeared, my skin redness has faded away, and my skin is as smooth as non-comedogenic butter. That’s right. I’m talkin’ about the Clarison — oh, wait. We already did that review.

No, what I’m here to hype today is not meant to be a skincare product at all. It’s actually a digestive aid. Liquid milk of magnesia (about $6 for a 12-oz. bottle) is a suspension of magnesium hydroxide in water, given its name due to its milky white appearance, and its typical uses include soothing raucous stomach acids and easing constipation… Not quite the kind of thing you think about using near your face, right?

Wrong (I bet you didn’t see that one coming).

For a long time, I’d been hearing about DIY beauty remedies involving milk of magnesia as a weekly facial mask to soak up oil and help reduce acne. But, probably like many of you, I was extremely wary of putting anything meant to be in my acidic stomach on my sensitive skin, so I relegated this tip to the REJECTED pile and went on, going through bottles of cleansers, foundations, serums, and medications in an attempt to find something that could control my over-eager sebaceous glands. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Rise and shine, morning glory. 🙂 I hope you had a wonderful night. I’m just fueling myself up for the day with a breakfast of buttered toast, strawberry-guava jam and instant coffee (because I’m out of filters).

Did you do anything fun last night? I’d like to say I did…but Blue Valentine threw a wrench into my plans. Talk about depressing movies. Since it had the magic words, “Ryan Gosling,” I expected fireworks, but instead spent two hours watching a relationship slowly implode. Not my favorite movie of the year.

So what’s on your plate for today? I’ve got boring house stuff on mine — groceries, cleaning, a trip to Target, that kind of thing. I would much rather spend the day chilling in front of the tube.

What did you think of this week’s makeup and beauty news? Did anything stand out? It seems Urban Decay had a pretty good week…

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

DEFEAT DULL WITH THE TARTE
PROVOCATEUR AMAZONIAN CLAY SHIMMERING POWDERS

And the hits keep comin’ from Tarte! The cruelty-free brand (one of Tabs’ faves) just launched two new pressed powder highlighters for spring called the Provocateur Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powders ($30 each). The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but the powders do have some moves.

The almost weightless, finely milled grains feel like baby powder on my skin — unlike those other highlighting powders that make my pores look larger than the Grand Canyon. They can be applied to cheeks, brow bones, and décolletage for a highlighting glow. Use a little for a soft, subtle sheen, or a lot to shoot for the stars.

These continue Tarte’s Amazonian clay trend, too, supposedly adjusting to the wearer’s skin. Tarte claims they add moisture to dry spots while absorbing oil from slick ones, but in that regard I’m not totally sold. Read more…

WILL YOU TAKE A SHINE TO THE
TARTE AMAZONIAN CLAY POWDER BRUSH SET?

About half of the time back in college when I’d go to the library to “study,” I’d actually fall asleep with my face in a book. I’d wake up, peel my face from the paper, and look down to see huge oil spots on the page.

Gross, I know. 🙂

Ah, well… if I’d only known about the Tarte Smooth Operator Micronized Clay Finishing Powder and Brush Set, the one with the power of PM20 ($38, available exclusively through QVC.com).

If I’d had this colorless loose powder and soft, synthetic bristle powder brush with me back then, the only spots on my books would have been from bits of greasy fried chicken (because everyone knows studying chem is more fun with junk food), and NOT my oily skin.

Lately I’ve been dusting the powder on my face to set my foundation and concealer, and it works, keeping the oiliest spots on my forehead and nose matte for a solid eight hours. Read more…

STRIKE IT RICH WITH THE NEW
BOBBI BROWN RICH LIP COLOR SPF 12 LIPSTICKS

I like to think of Bobbi Brown’s newest spring release as the lipstick equivalent of a DVF wrap dress and a pair of Jimmy Choos. A combination of opaque color and subtle shine, the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12 Lipsticks ($22 each) create a dressed-up lip look that’s neither too formal nor too stuffy — like business casual for your lips (with just a smidgen of sex appeal for flava).

Lightweight and smooth, these unscented, unflavored lipsticks provide the kind of full color coverage more common of creams and mattes with thicker textures, and they do it at a pretty good price (for a department store line).

Today I tried four of the 12 shades in Bikini Pink (a cool pink), Sweet Nectar (a pinkish coral), Plum Rose (a plummy rose) and Old Hollywood (an orangey red), and judging by these, Bobbi wasn’t messing around in the pigment department. These are intense! Read more…

THE FORECAST CALLS FOR GRAY IN
DIOR VERNIS GRIS CITY

The new Dior Vernis Gris City polishes were built with busy urban babes in mind. Not only is the included brush so wide that I can cover an entire nail with it in three swipes, but the formula dries quicker than a fast-paced city life — two coats take me less than 10 minutes, tops.

Dior says that each of these $21 shades was inspired by fashion-forward cities around the world. Places like NY 57th, Bond Street, Gris Montiagne Read more…

THE TARTE ACHIOTE CHEEK TINT AND
LIP LUSTER DUO AND THE LEGEND OF THE LIPSTICK TREE

Like the Yeti of my makeup dreams, I thought the lipstick tree was a figment of my imagination. Many, many times I’ve dreamt of having one strategically placed outside my bedroom window (right next to the money tree, of course), so I could easily pluck a tube off its branches whenever I wanted a new color.

Funny thing about dreams — sometimes they come true, albeit indirectly in this case. It turns out there really is a lipstick tree! It doesn’t sprout lipsticks (DAMN!), but bright red fruit instead.

Apparently I wasn’t paying close attention in upper division botany, because today I found out achiote is a small tree grown in tropical regions of the Americas and Southeast Asia. It bears spiny fruit which contain bright red seeds used to color food, body paint and lipstick, hence its nickname, “the lipstick tree.” Read more…

WHICH OF THE 4 NEW BUXOM
STAY-THERE EYE SHADOW SHADES WILL BE LEADER OF THE PACK?

It appears that man’s best friend at Buxom has been seeing a makeup-loving woman on the side! Good morning and happy hump day, cutie. 🙂 Let’s get Wednesday off to a good start with a peek at the four new Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow colors for spring 2011 ($17 each), which, like Buxom’s 10 previous Stay-There shades, are named after different breeds of dog (woof!).

Tabs said he likes the idea, but he hopes Buxom considers adding a few feline colors to the line (and would like to offer his kitty modeling services if they do). While they mull that over, I’d like to submit a color suggestion if I may — Mystery Mutt, a shimmery golden brown, named after Shauna, my family’s beloved pooch. Read more…

URBAN DECAY FEMININE, DANGEROUS
AND FUN EYESHADOW PALETTES: SWATCHES AND PICTURES

What up, buttercup? Here are swatches and photos of the three new Urban Decay Feminine, Dangerous and Fun Eyeshadow Palettes ($34 each). I’ll have face and eye shots in a few, but for now, check out the colors and holla at me in the comments if you see anything you like. Read more…

THE JILLIAN MICHAELS BANISH FAT, BOOST
METABOLISM WORKOUT DVD HURTS SO GOOD!

Blast you, Jillian Michaels, and your calorie-killing tough love! The first time I pushed play on your Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD ($10), I came this close to a full-on bakery breakdown. I’m serious, I was one mountain climber away from driving to the nearest bakery to stuff myself with donuts (have I mentioned I’m a stress eater?).

But, as if you could somehow tell when I was ready to quit, you looked me in the eye, cranked up the motivation dial and firmly told me “not to phone it in” (which is Jillian Michaels for “never give up, never surrender!”).

Needless to say, this workout’s no joke, and it hurts SO GOOD.

How good exactly?

Good like the first time you got your ‘stash waxed, or the first time you kissed that hot, scruffy bad boy (you know, the unemployed one with the muscles and the motorcycle — the one your parents despised). Read more…

URBAN DECAY UD THE FEMININE
PALETTE AND PRE-FRIDAY FUN

Tonight is all about the ladies, y’all, at Club Urban Decay (aka MBB Headquarters), and girls and gatos get in free — that’s cruelty-free — with the new Urban Decay UD The Feminine Palette ($34). 🙂

From the stylish clothes it wears, to the shimmery shades it bears (browns, pinks, purples and teal), this palette’s guaranteed to turn heads and put all eyes on you. The colors feel so lighthearted, girlie and fun that I believe it’s my favorite of the latest batch of spring palettes from Urban Decay.

As you might be able to tell from these snapshots, I was feelin’ mighty Feminine today. For my eye look, I started with a thin layer of Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden applied with my fingers from my lash line to the brow bone, which I followed up by sweeping Midnight Cowboy Eyeshadow directly on top with a flat eyeshadow brush. Since Midnight Cowboy has gargantuan gobs o’ glitter, I used a makeup wipe to clean the fallout. Read more…

URBAN DECAY UD THE FUN PALETTE,
AND ONE VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED FROM MY CAT

It’s useless to try to out-pose an international kitty supermodel, especially one with as much experience as Tabs.

But that didn’t stop me from trying today with the new Urban Decay The Fun Palette ($34).

I tried to “sell” the colors I’m wearing from the palette, one of three new ones from Urban Decay for spring, but I’m just not kitty supermodel material.

I used Sin (a shimmery light pink) from the lash line to the brow bone, Baked (a shimmery bronze) in the crease and along my lower lash line, Woodstock (a shimmery hot pink) on the lid and Psychedelic Sister on my upper lash line.

Tabs is just a natural, I guess. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen