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10 Beauty Bargains Under $10

May 16th, 2008 by Karen 26 Comments

Victoria’s Secret Beauty is having a downright fantastic clearance sale on several high-end makeup brands, some as much as 75 percent off! My little black heart fluttered when I spotted all the products by Anna Sui.

The sale lasts until items run out of stock; when I checked a minute ago there were still lots of different product colors available.

Exercise your right to haul!

Anna Sui Eye Color, $5.99 (originally $12) – I’ve been a bit more adventurous with my powder eyeshadow colors lately. I might pick up a few bold shades.

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Very Sexy Makeup Long-Wear Eye Cream, $5.99 (originally $12) – I like layering cream eyeshadows beneath powder shadows to amplify color and add dimension. The shade I’ve really got my eye on is Stay Up, a turquoise blue.

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Vincent Longo La Dolce Vita Lash Tips, $5.99 (originally $14) – One of my goals this summer is to get better at applying false lashes. I love that these look glamorous without going over the top.

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The Balm Stainiac, $5.99 (originally $14) – This multitasking, water-based gel doubles as a light cheek and lip stain. Beauty Queen, a bright hot pink, has my name written all over it. 🙂

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MAC Makeup Tips: MAC Does Makeup for Music, Too

April 29th, 2008 by Karen 41 Comments

You probably already knew that MAC provides makeup and makeup artists for fashion shows all over the world, but did you know that MAC does makeup for music tours, too? If you have tickets to rapper Kanye West’s Glow in the Dark North American tour (April-June, 2008), expect to see MAC in action. The MAC team is creating the looks for several of the dancers, backup singers and accompanying musicians on the tour.

And Glow in the Dark isn’t the first MAC/Kanye partnership. They’ve been at it for years, with MAC working on a number of Kanye’s tours, special performances and videos.

To find out more about how MAC works with performers on large concerts and events, I spoke with MAC Senior Makeup Artist Jennifer Karsten. Jennifer worked on Kanye’s Touch the Sky tour, his 2007 MTV Music Video Awards appearance and the Flashing Lights video.

Jennifer did the makeup for the girl in this video. Yo, shuttle the kids into the other room before you watch this because the end is kinda graphic.

Unlike the full-time singers, dancers and musicians who travel with an artist on tour, MAC artists are usually assigned at each stop along the way. How do all these different makeup artists in different cities maintain a consistent makeup look throughout a lengthy tour? “We all communicate through the senior artists and global communications,” Jennifer says, “so everyone knows what the look is and to keep the continuity going.”

MAC artists working on high-profile music events face challenges that makeup artists working fashion shows don’t often face. Large concerts are complex productions. “When you’re dealing with someone more high profile,” says Jennifer, “you have a lot more channels to go through.” It can be more difficult or challenging to really get the look correct because you’re filtering an idea through someone else.

For one of his performances at the 2007 MTV music video awards, Kanye wanted a futuristic, glamorous, high fashion makeup look. The MAC team envisioned a glossy, futuristic cat eye (ooh, me likey!). MAC artists created a “test look” on one of the orchestra performers. It then took six hours, several calls, and pictures taken with cell phones to get the test look approved. That left the team with only 20 minutes to replicate the look on the rest of the orchestra.

And, ultimately, fashion show makeup isn’t meant to overshadow the clothing. That’s not always the case in a concert, where the makeup often defines the look.

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MAC Makeup Tips – Concert Makeup

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Chanel Fall, Holiday 2008 Makeup Collections by Chanel’s New Golden Boy

April 19th, 2008 by Karen 43 Comments

In less than three years, the value of gold has more than doubled, now selling for more than $900 an ounce. Chanel must have noticed how much people have been lovin’ on gold lately because both of their upcoming fall and holiday makeup collections go after gold in a mad, crazy way.

The fall 2008 collection debuts in July, and like Laura Mercier’s Gold Digger and Dior’s Goldrush it’s all about the gold.

The collection will be the first for new Chanel Creative Director of Makeup Peter Philips. Inspired by Coco Chanel’s now historic apartment on the Rue Cambon in Paris, each of the products range in color from warm brown to bronze and gold.

Philips drew upon more than just the colors inside Coco’s elegant abode. He also took inspiration from some of its furnishings, including a large gold-framed mirror and a rough crystal chandelier.

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The fall lineup…
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NEWS: Macy’s Flower Show, Free Shipping on MAC Cosmetics

March 28th, 2008 by Karen 8 Comments

Hey, MAC-aholics, guess who’s offering free shipping on MAC products. Yup, Macy’s. Through April 1, MAC purchases of more than $50 made through the Macy’s Web site ship for free.

During checkout, where it prompts you for a promo code, enter the word HEATHER and hit Apply.

Planning to be in the SF Bay Area tomorrow? If so, head over to the Union Square Macy’s store in San Francisco for the final day of Macy’s annual flower show. For two weeks each year, the Union Square store gets decked out with fresh flowers and elaborate floral displays. The theme of this year’s show was A Mosaic of Spain. My hat goes off to Macy’s for putting these shows together. Stop by if you get the chance because the flowers are amazing! Here are a few pictures I took from my visit:

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NEWS: Allure Program Helps You Look Younger in 30 Days

March 27th, 2008 by Karen 18 Comments

A new program developed by the beauty gurus at Allure.com promises to help you (and me) look younger within the span of 30 days. Let me take this moment to say … I love you, Allure!

Here’s how the program works: Create your free Allure.com account. Then, each day you log on to the site you’ll get a new, easy anti-aging tip. The tips are really more like articles or blog posts, with advice from experts in the health or beauty fields. My tip today was to try to get an extra hour of sleep each night, and the article suggested a few ways for me to try and do that.

Each time you try a tip, check it off on your progress list to track your way through the program. Each time you check off a tip, you’re entered to win a collection of anti-aging products. How smart is that?? We all need a little encouragement along the way. One lucky winner will score a trip for two to the Golden Door Spa (I’m dying to go there!). Other prizes include anti-aging products from Clinique, Neutrogena, Olay, Lancome and Avon.

On your account screen, there’s even a place to keep private notes to yourself — little reminders of things you’d like to try.

For each of the tips, I found it helpful to be able to read through the user comments. Seeing what other women have to say about a tip really takes the program to the next level.

User Peggy3 left this suggestion in the comments:

“my best sleeping tips……ban the acohol. if you need a solid sleep for the next day, take 1 paracetamol before bed, dulls the nerves a little….but don’t do it often. it is very mild and harmless. always have fresh air in the room, and yes….pitch black room, for your circadian cycles.”

I don’t know what paracetamol is (and I would never advise taking anything without investigating it first)… but I made a note to myself on my account screen to find out.

“The makeover program cuts through the clutter of the different information you hear about anti-aging,” says Fiona Gibb, Allure.com web editor. [Continue reading…]

MAC Viva Glam Fans: You Know I Like Free…

March 25th, 2008 by Karen 14 Comments

Hey, MAC Viva Glam fans, if you’re on the prowl for a new dance remix featuring Fergie’s song, Glamorous, MAC launched a special site to help. It just launched today. The first 15,000 folks to download Fergie’s song will get it for free (and you know I like free!). The song, titled Viva Glam Remix, is bass-and-drum heavy, so make sure you’re ready for this jelly before you start bumping it at full blast. Also on the site are e-cards, along with a behind-the-scenes look at Fergie’s Viva Glam ad shoot.

Glamorous, oh, the flossy, flossy!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Summer 2008 Color Collection Now Available at Nordstrom!

March 18th, 2008 by Karen 65 Comments

Pink, coral, khaki, bronze — Chanel’s summer 2008 color collection has arrived at Nordstrom stores nationwide, so yesterday I hustled my booty on down to my fave Nordstrom Chanel counter to take a look.

Behold!

A few swatches, ooh la la!

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Jesus (pronounced hey-zoos), my Chanel counter homie, worked a little magic on me with this quick eye look using the Oasis Quad, Khaki Soft Touch Eyeshadow, Vert Bronze Waterproof Eyeliner and Emeraude Waterproof Mascara.
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The collection evokes sophisticated safari, with the kinds of colors you’d wear with a crisp, khaki dress, gold jewelry, snake skin strappy sandles and, of course, bronzed skin. Speaking of bronze, the collection includes a plethora of bronzers — five powder and one cream — along with an assortment of shadows, polishes, liners and lipsticks.

FACE
Soleil Tan de Chanel Moisturizing Bronzing Powder ($48) – A powder bronzer compact in five colors: Desert Coral, Terre Epice, Terre Ambre, Desert Bronze and Sable D’Or
Bronze Universel de Chanel Sun Illuminator ($45) – A shimmery liquid bronzer
Limited-Edition Collection Essentielle de Chanel ($85) – A multi-use makeup palette for eyes, lips and cheeks

EYES
Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow ($27.50) – Single pan eyeshadows in four colors: Tigre (bronze), Nomade (pink rose), Khaki (khaki green) and Safari (stone brown)
LumiÃ¨res Facettes Eyeshadow Oasis Quad ($55) – A four color eyeshadow quad called Oasis contains khaki, bronze, coral and pink shimmer shadows
Ombre D’Eau Fluid Eyeshadow in Atoll ($30) – A golden sand colored liquid shadow golden sand
Stylo Yeaux Waterproof Eyeliner ($26.50) – A mechanical pencil colored liner in two colors, Vert Bronze (green bronze) and Espresso (dark brown)
Inimitable Waterproof Mascara in Emaraude ($27.50) – A jade green waterproof mascara

LIPS
Glossimer Lip Gloss ($26) – Gazelle, a new release, is a very hot praline pink with sparkle; I predict this one will sell out very quickly, so grab a tube or two or five (I’m buying two, LOL). The other two colors, Pinup (frosted golden peach) and Seashell (soft, shimmery pink), are also members of the Glossimer collection.
Rouge Hydrabase Cream Lipstick ($26) – Available in Leopard (golden coral) and Rose Flamingo (bright pink)
Rouge Allure Satin Lip Color ($30) – Available in in Naive (pink nude) and Curious (nude brown)
Aqualumiere Sheer Lipshine ($26) – Available in Zanzibar (soft peach) and Mauritius (bronzed coral)

NAILS
Le Vernis — Nail Colors ($19) – Available in Antelope (frosted golden brown) and Flamingo (bright bubblegum pink)

Get thee to Nordstrom ASAP to check ’em out!

Whatcha think? Are you feelin’ these?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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Laura Mercier Haulin’, and Info on Gold Digger

March 15th, 2008 by Karen 41 Comments

Your girl did a lil’ hauling today at the Macy’s Union Square Laura Mercier counter. I picked up some cream shadows from the Dreamy Collection, along with a navy blue cake eyeliner and a flat eyeliner brush.

Here’s a pic of the haul sans camera flash:

I know I’ve moaned and groaned about my one bad incident with a Laura Mercier cream blush brush, but when Frank, a cool makeup artist at the Union Square counter, showed me how to use a flat eyeliner brush to apply Bleu Marine Eye Liner on my waterline (to make my eyes look bigger), I had a moment. [Continue reading…]