Kits and Sets

Makeup and Beauty Blog’s Holiday Beauty Gift Guide

December 14th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

Beauty gifts for everyone on your list, including yo’ self. That’s the Clarins Tonic Candle ($75), by the way, which will make your home smell like a spa.

I think the best holiday gifts are the ones you’re tempted to buy for yourself, so if you happen to “accidentally” keep a few things that were originally meant to be gifts for peeps on your list, well, far be it from me to deny you some fabulous holiday beauty booty. 🙂

From stocking stuffers to full-on luxury treats, I’ve rounded up my faves below for friends, family, frenemies and, let’s get real — yourself.

MAC Mini Pigments, $10 — Technically, these aren’t under $10, but they’re close. Has anyone in the history of all MAC-kind ever finished an entire jar of MAC Pigment, ever? These minis should last ~~you~~ your gift recipient a long time, and they don’t cost an arm and a leg. Try Blue-Brown or Tan!
Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipsticks, $9 — These long-lasting, pigmented liquid lippies are usually $18 each but are 50% off right now.
Topshop Bunny Veil Headband, $9.99 — For your glam friend who’s all about the extras and/or doesn’t leave the house without some form of animal accessory on her person. I’d actually love this for myself, even though I have no idea where I’d wear it.
OPI Love OPI XOXO Nail Lacquer Duo w/ Cosmetic Bag, $9 — This set’s marked down from $18. What a steal for two full-sized bottles and a bag. OPI has one of the longest lasting lacquer formulas around, and that red and deep plum would look good all year long.
MAC Mini Lipglass Kit, $10 — This adorable stocking stuffer comes with three minis.
Ardell Mini Faves Lash Lookbook + Duo, $10 — Ardell does bad-@ss budget lashes that look luxurious and feel comfy, too! This kit has three pairs.

mac pigments — Mini MAC Pigments, $10 each

OPI Love OPI XOXO 4 Pc Mini Set, $7.35 — OK, so, sometimes I have trubs painting my paws with mini polishes, but I could make it work for this price. Originally $14.50, this set comes with a red, black, dark purple and charcoal in OPI’s signature long-wearing formula.
3 Pack of EOS Hand Lotion, $5.97 — These cute and non-greasy EOS hand lotions easily fit into a purse or pocket. I know because I went through a phase where I was stashing them everywhere.
Soap & Glory Hand & Foot Gift Set, $7.99 — I almost just wrote “Hoof & Foot Gift Set…” 🙂 But don’t worry, this hydrating set for hands and feet is for people. Not horses.
Kristin Ess Signature Shampoo + Signature Hair Conditioner Set, $10 — Yo. So this lady cuts L.C.’s (as in Lauren Conrad’s) hair, and her aesthetic is on point. I haven’t tried these products yet, but I REALLY, REALLY WANT to based on the chic packaging alone. If someone gifted this to me, I’d assume it was from Nordstrom or SpaceNK.
Kristin Ess Reconstructive Moisture Mask + Leave-In Conditioner Set, $10 — Another snazzy looking Kristin Ess hair set.

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Look Book: A MAC Snow Ball Kit Makeup Look With Smokin’ Shimmery Taupe Lids

November 7th, 2017 by Karen 3 Comments

mac snow ball eye bag smoky gold — Wearing the MAC Snow Ball Eye Bag in Smoky Gold from the MAC holiday collection.

Look Book! This is the first in a new series of makeup look posts I’ll be doing that will be kind of like faces of the day, which are like, “Here, look at my makeup,” except not. They’ll be open spaces to try different makeup looks, because I’ve been in a rut for the past two years, and I want to get out of it. Sometimes I’ll get into technique. Sometimes there will be quick commentary on the products. Fun things like that.

I totally went into this look thinking I’d do something outside my comfort zone, and I even gave myself one of those pre-game pep talks, like “Karen, you’re going to push yourself! You’re going to do something cray!” — but I still ended up totally staying in my lane with these smoky taupe lids and glossy nude lips.

LE. SIGH. I don’t even know why I fight it… I end up doing these subtle smoky looks like 99% of the time, all the time now. It’s my wheelhouse, man!

mac snow ball mini lip gloss kit — Glossy nude lips with a sprinkle of sparkle

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13 Sweet Holiday Sets

December 6th, 2016 by Karen 7 Comments

BREAKING NEWS (MBB) — In what may come as a shock to absolutely no one, men and women around the world are procrastinating and putting off their holiday shopping. 🙂

Really, though, how do you expect me to focus on finding the best holiday deal on socks when distractions like Mariah Carey’s new reality TV show exist?

P.S. Homegirl does *all* of her on-camera testimonials in lingerie. Clearly, MC is living her best life.

If you’re still looking for gifts for your work wife, BFF, sis, mom, significant other or any other beauty-loving babes or boys in your life, and you have no idea where to start, here are some sweet holiday sets to consider.

1. Laura Geller So Scrumptious Vol. 4

Laura Geller’s six-piece So Scrumptious Vol. 4 set is all about the glow. It comes with warm, shimmery shades to illuminate cheeks, lids and lips, and it also includes a velvety face primer and a dual-ended face brush. It’s $59 and available meow at Ulta and laurageller.com.

laura geller so scrumptious 2 — What you get in the Laura Geller So Scrumptious Set…

2. By Terry Impearlious Baume de Rose

By Terry’s Impearlious Baume de Rose gloss set is for lords and ladies who love fancy-schmancy moisturizing glosses that aren’t overly sticky.

Seriously, though, who needs a dozen roses when you could have lipglosses that smell like roses and last a lot longer than a week?! By Terry Impearlious Baume de Rose is $65 and available now at department stores and barneys.com.

byterry baume de rose — The By Terry Impearlious Baume de Rose set, $65

3. By Terry’s Impearlious Ombre Blackstar Gift Collection

byterry ombre blackstar — The $155 (!) By Terry Ombre Blackstar set

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The Estée Edit Gritty & Glow Magnetic Face and Eye Palette Set

November 16th, 2016 by Karen 14 Comments

estee edit gritty glow magnetic eye face palette — Wearing both the Estée Edit Gritty Eye Palette and Glow Magnetic Eye and Face Palette on my eyes, cheeks and my face

Hey, so I was just standing in front of my fridge in the kitchen, but I wasn’t there to make you a sheet of brownies, because…how would you even get the brownies? I wish I could send them through the screen. That would be cool if somebody could figure that out.

No, I was in the kitchen to see if these two new Estée Edit Gritty & Glow Magnetic Eye and Face Palettes would stick to my fridge because they’re magnetic, and yes, they do — so you can use them as both makeup and refrigerator magnets to hold whatever delicious recipe you’re working on at the moment.

The palettes are part of a $58 set in the Estée Edit holiday 2016 collection. One is just a straight-up eye shadow palette, and the other is for face and eyes.

When I opened the Eye Palette the first time, I immediately thought of the almost orgasmic but also laughably expensive $95 Victoria Beckham X Estée Lauder Collection palette released last month.

It’s amaze! — but it’s also crazy expensive, so I hoped that this might be a more affordable dupe.

It’s not, but it comes close. The colors are similar, but the Victoria Beckham shadows are slightly cooler toned and more neutral. The Estée Edit Eye Palette shadows are also shinier, and the pearl particles are less refined.

But…the Victoria palette is a staggering $95.

Yeah, wow.

It’s clearly aimed at a very posh (haha, get it?) clientele, whereas the Estée Edit Gritty Eye Palette aims to please a possibly younger crowd that craves something flashier with mega shimmer.

I like shimmer, but I’m really picky about it. I like it when the pearl particles are small because, you know, whatever, I’m in my 40s, and big shimmer particles make my lines look more…line-y. And I’m not into that.

Thankfully, the Estée Edit Gritty Eye Palette shadows don’t have that kind of shimmer, which is great.

And about that name — the Gritty Eye Palette — that’s kind of an unfortunate name, isn’t it? Because in makeup parlance, “gritty” isn’t typically used to describe something good, but I think it refers to grungy and smoky eye looks here. That’s probably the deal.

I do see some fallout with the eye palette — more than the Victoria Beckham shadows — but it’s not a big deal. I just do my eyes first and clean up afterward. Also, the shadows blend easily.

The Estée Edit Gritty & Glow Magnetic Eye and Face Palette Set
Limited edition, available now at Sephora and sephora.com ($58 for a set with both palettes)

The set comes with…

One Gritty Eye Palette with 6 Pearlized eyeshadows in Swerve (golden copper), Riff (champagne rose gold), Burn (burgundy bronze), Wavy (dark emerald), Mood (midnight black with multicolored sparkle), Trip (deep iridescent blue)

One Glow Face + Eye Palette with six multi-use powders in Snowlit (platinum), 14K Glow (champagne), 1st Light (soft pink), Gleam (peachy pink), Ray (golden bronze), Beachy (burnished copper)

estee edit gritty eye palette — The Gritty Eye Palette

estee edit glow face eye palette — The Glow Face + Eye Palette

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NARS Sarah Moon Glass Metropolis Mini Audacious Lipstick Coffret Set for Holiday 2016

October 20th, 2016 by Karen 18 Comments

nars glass metropolis sarah — Wearing NARS Audacious Lipstick in Sarah from the Glass Metropolis Mini Audacious Lipstick Coffret ($125)

You could do curls with this set or have a JLo Enough moment! Man, it’s heavy. I think the top might actually be made of glass.

Give me these mini lipsticks like the eight in the NARS Sarah Moon Glass Metropolois Mini Audacious Lipstick Coffret Set any day over a lipstick palette. They’re pocket-sized and convenient, so you can bring one of them with you. You don’t even need a lip brush.

You might recognize some of them from the permanent line. All of them are re-promotes except for Sarah, one of the nudes.

The minis are about half the size of a full-size NARS Audacious Lipstick (0.08 ounces vs. 0.14), and the set is $125. That isn’t cheap but, you know…eight of them at one time, and a regular full-size Audacious is $32.

I wear the Audacious Lipsticks all the time, but I mostly wear the nudes. The bulk of the colors in this set, however, lean toward reds and darker purply maroons.

The reason I don’t wear the darker shades as much is because they tend to grab all of my little lip flakes, and the nudes just look smoother to me. I don’t know why… Maybe I have freakish lips.

Many of these eight are dark, so unless you have flawless, fantastically smooth lips — and if you do, you have to give me your secret because I need to know — they might be hard to pull off.

Some of them also look pretty similar to me…

nars glass metropolis full size — With a full-size Audacious Lipstick for scale

nars glass metropolis — With an iPhone 6S Plus for scale (case is the Lipstick Love Lattes)

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MAC Nutcracker Sweet Holiday 2016 Gift Sets: The Mineralize Kits, Retro Matte Kits, Face Compacts, Viva Glamorous and the Viva Glam Lip Compact

October 19th, 2016 by Karen 25 Comments

mac nutcracker sweet product packaging — More MAC Nutcracker Sweet!

These are the last bits and bobs of the MAC Nutcracker Sweet collection, and I’m kind of relieved, to be honest! I’ve been covering A LOT of MAC Nutcracker Sweet over the past few days…

Here’s a look at the Retro Matte Kits, the Mineralized Kits, the Viva Glam Compact and Viva Glamorous, the Brush Kits and the Face Compacts.

M∙A∙C Nutcracker Sweet
Available online October 20, 2016
Available in stores on October 27, 2016 through December 8, 2016
#MACNutcrackerSweet

First things first, the lip products in the Retro Matte Lip Kits. I’m lovin’ that intensity. You can really see how intense and opaque they are in the swatches.

I’m making grabby hands right now at the Red Kit… That’s my personal standout.

The Retro Matte Kits

Red Kit ($45, retailer exclusive) — Nutcracker Rouge Lipstick (full-size Retro Matte), Fashion Legacy Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour (full size), Upward Black Upward Lash Mascara (full size)

Pink Kit ($45, an online exclusive) — Pandemonium Lipstick (full-size Retro Matte), Bing Bang Boom Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour (full size), Upward Black Upward Lash Mascara (full size)

Plum Kit ($45, MAC stores only) — Dancing Flowers Lipstick (full-size Retro Matte), Oh Lady Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour (full size), Upward Black Upward Lash Mascara (full size)

mac nutcracker sweet retro matte kits — Retro Matte Kits in Plum, Pink and Red ($45 each)

mac nutcracker sweet retro matte swatches — MAC Nutcracker Sweet Retro Matte Kit swatches from the left: Pink (Pandemonium Lipstick and Bing Bang Boom Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour), Red Nutcracker Rouge Lipstick and Fashion Legacy Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour) and Plum (Dancing Flowers Lipstick and Oh Lady Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour)

I thought it was a little odd that the Mineralized Skinfinshes in the Mineralize Kits aren’t full size, because the other two items in each of the kits are (the Mineralize Lipsticks and Lipglasses). It just seems to me that if you’re gonna go full size with a kit like these, go full size, and if you’re gonna go minis, go minis.

The little Mineralize Skinfinish pans are cute, though…

Mineralize Kits

Pink Kit ($55, MAC stores only) — Be Fabulous Mineralize Rich Lipstick (full size), Eloquently Elegant Mineralize Lipglass (full size), Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish (mini)

Nude Kit ($55, retailer exclusive) — Pure Pout Mineralize Rich Lipstick (full size), Happiness Mineralize Lipglass (full size), Global Glow Mineralize Skinfinish (mini)

mac nutcracker sweet mineralize kits — Mineralize Kits in Nude and Pink ($55 each)

mac nutcracker sweet mineralize kit swatches — Mineralize Kits in Nude (Pure Pout Mineralize Rich Lipstick, Happiness Mineralize Lipglass and Global Glow Mineralize Skinfinish) and Pink (Be Fabulous Mineralize Rich Lipstick, Eloquently Elegant Mineralize Lipglass and Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish)

OK, when I was growing up, we always had these tins with butter cookies in them that came in white paper cups, and the designs on these Face Compact pans remind me of them for some reason.

I don’t know… That might be a Filipino thing.

There are two of them — Peach and Copper — and both come with a highlighter and a blush.

The highlighters are REALLY shiny. Too shiny for me, but I do like the sheen I get from the blushes. It’s just right.

Face Compacts

Peach ($35) — Tutu Extra Dimension Skininish, At Dusk Extra Dimension Blush

Copper ($35) — Whisper of Gilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish, Pleasure Model Extra Dimension Blush

mac nutcracker sweet face compacts — Face Compacts in Peach and Copper ($35 each)

mac nutcracker sweet face swatches — Face Compacts in Peach and Copper ($35 each)

Gotta say…I’m not the biggest fan of MAC’s lip compacts. I’m just not a huge fan of lip products in pans in general, but the Viva Glamorous set is pretty cool. It comes with full-size versions of Ariana Grande Lipstick and Lipglass, and a cute bag.

BTW, when you layer the gloss on top of that Lipstick, it’s purr-fection.

Viva Glam

Viva Glamorous ($32, available only at MAC stores and the MAC website) — Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipstick (Matte), Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipglass

Viva Glam Lip Compact ($23, available only at MAC stores and the MAC website) — Viva Glam I Lipstick (Matte), Viva Glam II Lipstick (Satin), Viva Glam VI (Lustre)

mac nutcracker sweet viva glam swatches — Viva Glam Lip Compact ($25) and Viva Glamorous ($32)

Lastly, how cute are these brush kits? The brushes are photo ready with those pink handles and the gold and black ends.

Brushes

Essential Brush Kit ($35) — 167 Face Blender Brush, 217 Blending Brush, 266 Small Angle Brush

Mineralize Brush Kit ($52.50) — 188 Small Duo Fibre Brush, 159 Duo Fibre Blush Brush, 287 Duo Fibre Eye Shadow Brush, 283 Duo Fibre Small Eye Shadow/286 Duo Fibre Tapered Blending Brush

Basic Brush Kit ($52.50) — 190 Foundation Brush, 129 Powder/Blush Brush, 213 Fluff Brush, 209 Eye Liner Brush, 316 Lip Brush

Contour Brush Kit ($52.50, only at MAC stores and the MAC website) — 168 Large Angled Contour Brush, 193 Angled Foundation Brush, 221 Mini Tapered Blending Brush, 212 Flat Definer Brush, 204 Lash Brush

mac nutcracker sweet brush kits — Contour Brush Kit ($52.50), Essential Brush Kit ($35), Basic Brush Kit ($52.50) and Mineralize Brush Kit ($52.50)

And that’s it! We’re done! 🙂

What a big collection… I feel like I just finished back-to-back spin classes.

A few things really stood out to me, like the entire color collection. I pretty much love everything about it. And the Lip Gloss and Lipstick Kits are fantastic values.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the shadows in the Cool Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9.

I think this has been one of the most titillating, joyful MAC holiday collections in a while.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Nutcracker Sweet Holiday 2016 Gift Sets: The Mini Lip Gloss and Lipstick Kits

October 19th, 2016 by Karen 12 Comments

mac nutcracker sweet lip gloss kits red pink nude — The MAC Nutcracker Sweet Lip Gloss Kits in Red, Pink and Nude

My mom is no joke when it comes to saving money. She is hardcore. She would walk three blocks up a steep, practically vertical hill to pick up a single penny, and Mom would totally give her stamp of approval to these MAC Mini Lip Gloss and Lipstick Kits.

There are six of them in the MAC Nutcracker Sweet holiday collection, each one with four products, and the kits are $35 each.

The items aren’t full size, though. They’re minis, but that’s cool because, value-wise, the kits are a great deal.

M∙A∙C Nutcracker Sweet
Available online October 20, 2016
Available in stores on October 27, 2016 through December 8, 2016
#MACNutcrackerSweet

Each of the three Mini Lip Gloss Kits comes with three Cremesheen Glasses and a Dazzleglass. Normally, a full-size Cremesheen Glass would cost you $21 and a Dazzleglass would cost you $20, so all four, if you bought them together, would set you back $83, so $35 for four, even if they’re minis, is a pretty good deal.

Plus, most of the glosses aren’t colors you see everyday. I mean, I’ve seen some of them before. Like, I have vague recollections of loving Galaxy Rose, and I’ve definitely worn Phiff! in the past, but for the most part, you can’t just hop over to a MAC counter and grab these. So that’s one cool thing the Lip Gloss Kits have going for them.

I also love the Cremesheen Glass formula. MAC has a bunch of different lipglosses, but the Cremesheens are some of my favorites. They aren’t sticky like the Lipglasses, and they’re less pigmented overall, which means they’re easy to apply without a mirror.

And I think the Dazzleglasses look super cool (SHINY! SPARKLY!), but, to be honest, they aren’t my favorite formula. They’re very sticky, and I think they’re kind of uncomfortable. I mean, I’ll wear them to a party but not around the house.

RED LIP GLOSS KIT ($35) — Galaxy Rose Cremesheen, Gumdrop Cremesheen, Courting Chic Cremesheen, Phiff! Dazzleglass

NUDE LIP GLOSS KIT ($35) — Fashion Whim Cremesheen, Nutty & Naughty Cremesheen, Pure Delight Cremesheen, Prancin’ Dancin’ Dazzleglass

PINK LIP GLOSS KIT ($35, an online exclusive) — Fashion Scoop Cremesheen, Charm Cremesheen, Twirling Cremesheen, Rags to Riches Dazzleglass

mac nutcracker sweet lip gloss kits scale — The Packaging for the three Lip Gloss Kits along with an iPhone 6S Plus and a full-size Cremesheen for scale

MAC Nutcracker Sweet Nude Lip Gloss Kit swatches from the left: Fashion Whim, Nutty & Naughty, Pure Delight and Prancin' Dancin' — MAC Nutcracker Sweet Nude Lip Gloss Kit swatches from the left: Fashion Whim, Nutty & Naughty, Pure Delight and Prancin’ Dancin’

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MAC Nutcracker Sweet Holiday 2016 Gift Sets: The Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9

October 19th, 2016 by Karen 9 Comments

mac nutcracker sweet warm eye compact — Wearing MAC Era, Woodwinked, Lady Fingers and Twelve Chimes on my lids

So, that shade right there? — one-two-three-four from the left? That’s Woodwinked.

I know! I didn’t realize it until I was halfway through an eye look yesterday morning. I was scooting along, doing my makeup, when I thought, “That one looks really familiar,” but it didn’t look too familiar, so I flipped it over, saw the name and said, “Holy sh*t! That’s Woodwinked. How can that be Woodwinked??”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had to keep flipping the compact over, back and forth. One of my favorite MAC colors of all time (here’s a look with it from 2013!) is in this palette, but it doesn’t look or feel like the Woodwinked I know.

M∙A∙C Nutcracker Sweet
Available online October 20, 2016
Available in stores on October 27, 2016 through December 8, 2016
#MACNutcrackerSweet

Basically, that set the tone for how I feel about the Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9 palette, one of three X 9 palettes in the MAC Nutcracker Sweet holiday collection.

Like the other two — Smoky and Cool — it has nine eyeshadows, a dual-ended brush and snazzy packaging. Some of the colors are re-promotes, like Woodwinked, Era and Showstopper, and some are new.

I really like the Cool palette from this collection, but it set a high bar for me, and I think that’s influencing how I feel about the Warm palette now.

The Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9 ($39.50) — Showstopper (Matte), Twelve Chimes (Lustre), Beyond Gorgeous (Veluxe Pearl), Unwind (Veluxe Pearl), Lady Fingers (Matte), Era (Satin), Woodwinked (Veluxe Pearl), Filament (Lustre) and Whirling (Lustre).

It’s one of three X 9 palettes in the MAC Nutcracker Sweet holiday collection (the other two are Cool and Smoky).

The set also comes with…

The 214/213 Dual-Ended Brush

mac nutcracker sweet smoky eye compact — MAC Nutcracker Sweet Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9

MAC Nutcracker Sweet Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9 — Top row swatches (from the left): Filament, Whirling, Era, Woodwinked, Unwind; bottom row: Lady Fingers, Twelve Chimes, Showstopper, Beyond Gorgeous

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