Kits and Sets

There’s Something Big Hidden Among These Laura Mercier Sephora Exclusive Holiday Sets

December 9th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

Can you spot the belly bump hidden in the picture above of Laura Mercier Holiday sets at Sephora?

The Blush & Glow Radiant Face Trio ($58), Daring By Day Eye & Cheek Colour Palette ($48) and the Daring By Night Eye & Cheek Colour Palette ($48) are Sephora exclusives, by the way.

Of these, I’m leaning toward the $48 Daring By Day Eye & Cheek Colour Palette. I like the mix of neutrals, and I REALLY like that pretty purple plum shade…ya know, for variété.

Doesn’t Laura Mercier make beautiful palettes? The colors they choose to put together just always make sense to me, and the formulas are top notch. They use a little more color than Bobbi, but they don’t go over the top.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Soap & Glory’s $12 Winter Wonderhand Set Is Here to Help Dry Hands Across the Land

December 4th, 2015 by Karen 9 Comments

Sleigh bells ring,
Are you listening?
In the lane,
Snow is glistening.
A beautiful sight,
We’re happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderhaaand!

[insert applause here]

Aw, thank you! Thank you! You’re too kind… 🙂

LOL! Virtual Christmas caroling. We should make that a thing…

In related news, this $12 Soap & Glory Winter Wonderhand gift set couldn’t have come at a better time for parched paws across the land, because wherever temps have been dropping, dry skin has been itching and cracking.

The set comes with three large sample-sized 1.69-oz. tubes of Soap & Glory’s Hand Food creams in rosy bergamot Original Pink, sweet lime Sugar Crush and almond vanilla Smoothie Star.

To really get behind these, first, you have to like sweetly scented lotions, and I do this time of year, since all three of the lotions fit that bill. Second, hello hydration! I keep a full-size bottle of Hand Food on my desk year round because of how moisturizing it is (L’Occitane Shea Butter Whipped Hand Cream is another fave), and it’s nice to have a more portable bottle to keep in my purse.

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Paul & Joe Holiday 2015 Makeup Collection in Le Bal Masque 002

November 19th, 2015 by Karen 9 Comments

paul joe holiday 2015 makeup collection lebal masque — Paul & Joe Beaute Holiday 2015 Makeup Collection in Le Bal Masque 002 ($42, one of two nine-piece holiday kitteh-themed sets)

I have so many burning questions for Paul & Joe about the cat mask-wearing woman on some of the pieces in the new Paul & Joe Le Bal Masque Holiday 2015 Makeup Collection.

Like, where is she going? Is she going to a Thanksgiving masquerade ball, or does homegirl run errands around town wearing her cat mask like that? Because that’s something I’d totally do, which reminds me — why doesn’t this collection come with that mask? It seems like a missed opportunity…

Also, assuming that our masked maven is also a cat lady (it’s a safe bet), how many cats does she have?

One cat? Two? Four cats? Seventeen?? In other words, is she living the cat lady dream, and does she get as excited as I do when Paul & Joe goes buck wild with a new cat-themed collection? 🙂

Meow known as the go-to makeup line for CCLs (translation: Crazy Cat Ladies), Paul & Joe has it all figured out. Whenever they go all the way with a new cat-themed release, like they have here with Le Bal Masque, my tail automatically twitches with interest.

There are cats all over the place in this collection! — as there should be. There’s the masked lady on the makeup bag, who also makes an appearance on the Rose Balm tin (which you can use on your skin and/or hair); the kitties on the eyeshadows; the cream blush; and even the eyeliner.

SO MANY KITTIES!

It’s a beautiful thing…

Le Bal Masque is one of two new limited edition $42 holiday makeup sets from Paul & Joe this year, one of them warmer toned than the other. Le Bal Masque is the warmer option. The other one, Oh Carnaval 001, comes with cooler-toned pastels.

Both sets are covered in cats and available meow at Paul & Joe counters and online. Each one comes with nine pieces (like nine lives!!) — the cat lady bag, five Eye Color L Powder Eyeshadows, one Creamy Cheek Color L Blush, one Waterproof Eyeliner and a tin of Rose Treatment Balm.

Le Bal Masque, the set I’ve been wearing and loving lately, is the warmer of the two. First of all, the cat lady on the bag is totally talking to me…

Not literally, of course (that would be trippy!), but I feel like she and I have a certain kitty connection. I would also wear that outfit of hers with the mask any day of the week…assuming they had a maternity version.

Check out the eyeshadows…

Interesting packaging, yeah? It’s not often that you see powder shadows packaged in flat paper packaging with a plastic cover.
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The 20-Piece $75 LORAC 20th Anniversary Collection Is a Cyber Monday Steal

November 17th, 2015 by Karen 39 Comments

There should be a video in this post, but if you can’t see it, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

lorac 20th anniversary collection — The 20-piece $75 LORAC 20th Anniversary Collection set

It takes a doozy of a bodacious Black Friday deal to lure me away from leftover Thanksgiving pie.

Dude, seriously, nine times out of 10, I’d rather stay home in the comfort of my living room in a pair of flannel jammies than contend with the Black Friday shopping crowds.

You feel me?

Join me, and let’s stand together! — or, rather, lie horizontally — in our pajama-clad solidarity.

That said, if we choose to stay home cocooned on our couches on Black Friday this year, it doesn’t mean we still can’t take advantage of great beauty deals, like this one here. It’s one of the best Black Friday-ish deals I’ve ever seen in my life.

Black Friday-ish because it’s actually a Cyber Monday deal. It’s the 20-piece $75 LORAC 20th Anniversary Collection set, and it’ll only be available online, starting Cyber Monday, November 30, at loraccosmetics.com while supplies last.

This is one of those once-in-a-blue-moon kind of things, and it literally made my jaw drop.

It comes with a staggering 20 full-size LORAC lippies for what works out to $3.75 each (!), which is INCREDIBLE for LORAC. There are 10 Alter Ego Lipsticks (which usually go for $16 each) and 10 Alter Ego Lip Glosses (which sell for $15). Considering the quality you get with LORAC, that’s a steal.

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Benefit Holiday 2015 | First Impressions

October 2nd, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

Why do I suddenly feel the urge to wear neon and listen to Wham!?

Oh, maybe it’s this: the Benefit holiday 2015 collection and its candy-colored, ’80s theme.

My goodness, girlfriend. It just occurred to me that, depending on your age, you may not have heard of Wham! — which is a thought that makes me want to take a long walk off a short pier (dramatic much?).

Seriously, though, they’re one of the quintessential ’80s party bands.

benefit holiday 2015 party poppers — The Benefit Holiday 2015 Party Poppers ($45) Best of Benefit kit, coming to all Benefit counters and stores

benefit holiday 2015 your bright to party party hoppin — The Benefit Holiday 2015 Your B.right! to Party Best of Benefit kit ($49, coming to all Benefit counters and stores) and Party Hoppin’ kit ($39, exclusive to Ulta)

Speaking of parties, this year’s Benefit holiday 2015 collection Best of Benefit kits sure look like they’re having a blast (look at those bright colors!). I’m getting distinct notes of out-of-control New Year’s Eve parties that can’t stop, and won’t stop, until well after dawn.

benefit holiday 2015 party poppers 2 — Benefit Holiday 2015 Party Poppers ($45) Best of Benefit kit, coming to all Benefit counters and stores

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Too Faced Stardust by Vegas Nay

September 3rd, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

Vegas, baby!

Famous last words. 🙂 But we’re not actually gonna get in the car and drive nine hours to Vegas, no! We’re gonna teleport and get there instantaneously with the new $45 Stardust by Vegas Nay kit from Too Faced and glam Instagram makeup artist mega star @vegas_nay, also known as Naomi Giannopoulos.

I don’t know if you follow her yet on Instagram, but you should! She does beautiful makeup, and I learn a lot from her feed in terms of getting ideas for doing big glamorous makeup. And that theme — big glamorous makeup — and the makeup she likes to do and feature, translates into the Stardust by Vegas Nay kit.

You get a ton of stuff with it for $45, including a palette of 12 powder eyeshadows in shimmer and matte shades.

You also get a deluxe-sized Better Than Sex Mascara, a Shadow Insurance Primer, a cute, little loose glitter pigment AND, because it’s helpful to get roadmaps sometimes, there are also these little cards with helpful pictorials, so you get steps to follow for six different looks. They’re very handy.
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Best of Benefit Sephora Exclusive Kits

August 17th, 2015 by Karen 21 Comments

If YouTube could figure out a way to transmit a glass of lemonade and a plate of cookies while people were watching videos like this one about the new Best of Benefit Sephora exclusive kits, they could take over this whole freakin’ planet, NO JOKE.

One cool thing about these kits, which are all exclusively available at Sephora, is that two of them contain adorable mini versions of completely brand new products.

Here’s a look at all three of them. If you have any questions about anything in the video, holla at me in the comments.

sephora best of benefit — The Sephora Best of Benefit Kits

benefit do the hoola — Benefit Do the Hoola Beyond Bronze Kit ($34)

benefit operation pore proof — Benefit Operation Pore-Proof Kit ($34)

benefit theyre real sexy run — Benefit They’re Real!: Sexy on the Run ($32)

Products mentioned…

Benefit Do the Hoola Beyond Bronze Kit ($34)
Benefit Operation Pore-Proof Kit ($34)
Benefit They’re Real!: Sexy on the Run ($32)

As always, thank you for watching. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Clinique Travel Boxes: Fall 2015

August 12th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris!

Yes, please. 🙂 I can be ready to go by tomorrow, whee!

Each of these four Clinique travel sets, which are available now at select airports worldwide (prices vary and depend on location, but they’re usually around $45-60 in the U.S.), has a different color theme with coordinating makeup for eyes, cheeks and lips.

All of the individual products are full sized, so you get a lot in each box. They’re also re-promotes from the current line, so the main advantage of these boxes and other travel exclusive sets is that you should get a bit of a price break. They should be slightly cheaper than regular price. And also, if you don’t have a knack for putting colors together, you get everything you need to do each themed look all encapsulated in each box.

I like the New York one the best because, well, there’s a lot of neutrals in it…

Obviously, that’s the one I’d like.

It has a blush called Ginger Pop, which is one of my favorite Clinique blushes of all time. It’s from the Cheek Pop Blush family, and I think they’re among the best things Clinique makes. Just very natural and easy to use. In Ginger Pop’s case, the color lays down easily and doesn’t catch onto any dry/flaky bits.

Its edges are also easy to sheer out, so it doesn’t look like you have two little circles of dolly bright blush on your cheeks.

Oh! — my purple eyes in this video are from the graphic cat eye I did last week with the Buxom Eyeshadow Bar.

clinique travel boxes new york — Clinique Travel Box New York

clinique travel boxes london — Clinique Travel Box London

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