Palettes

The Day in Beauty, Vol. 5: The Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly Eye Shadow Palette, Party Noms, and the Ultimate in Practical Baby Shower Presents

February 1st, 2016 by Karen 69 Comments

too faced peanut butter jelly palette — Wearing the new Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly Eye Shadow Collection palette ($36, coming soon exclusively to Ulta)

OK, it’s just not cool to mention a party unless you also talk about the food.

Because it’s the most important part! — or at least one of the most important parts, right? I mean, who wants to leave a party ravenously hungry? Shoot, not this girl. Huh uh. Not me.

Luckily, there were some pretty epic moments involving food at the baby shower on Saturday, like this lovely spread of Italian- and Filipino-inspired nommage…

Almost everything was homemade (some of my friends and their spouses are great cooks!).

I’ve been craving Italian food lately (actually, I’m always craving Italian food), and there were those cute little tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off, along with some caprese salad-style appetizers and a cheesy tortellini pasta salad dish that was DELISH.

And then my mom brought lumpia (sort of like a Filipino eggroll) and a Filipino noodle dish called palabok.

Oh, and then there was this cake…

OMG! It was a light, airy chantilly lace cake with almonds and berries (I believe it came from heaven/Whole Foods). I almost floated away right there…

CAAAAAAAAAKE!

It was one of those clutch-your-pearls, melt-in-your-mouth cakes. SO GOOD.

Yes, I did splurge a little (OK, a lot) on the sugar front, but I’ve been pretty good about watching what I eat because of the gestational diabetes. I just allowed myself a bit of a cheat day, though, because it was a special occasion.

Baby shower shenanigans! — Baby shower shenanigans

We also played a game, too. Before the party, my friends emailed El Hub a list of questions about me and the pregnancy, and then asked me the same questions at the party — things like, “How often did she [me] get morning sickness?” (Answer: I never barfed, but I was almost constantly nauseous.) and “What smells could she not stand?” (Answer: pretty much everything strong.)

Overall, El Hub did pretty well. Most of our answers lined up. One of them was about food cravings, and my answer was frozen waffles with peanut butter and raisins, and he got that one spot on, word for word, LOL!

That one was probably easy for him because he was the person who made all of the waffles, haha.

Speaking of peanut butter…

Too Faced has a new eyeshadow palette coming out called the Peanut Butter and Jelly Eye Shadow Collection ($36, coming soon exclusively to Ulta), and the name sounds quite yummy right meow.

The palette was inspired by Peanut Butter, which is also one of the shades in the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar.

too faced peanut butter jelly palette 1 — Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly palette

too faced peanut butter jelly palette 2 — Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly palette

too faced peanut butter jelly palette 4 — More Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly…

They took that shadow, Peanut Butter, and built a mini-palette with nine powder shadows around it. The pans are arranged into three color-coordinating rows, but of course you could also mix and match them however you want. Really, all of the colors look like they go together well.

I’m wearing the palette today…

too faced peanut butter jelly palette 3 — Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly palette

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NARSissist L’amour Toujours Eyeshadow Palette Swatches and First Impressions

January 4th, 2016 by Karen 13 Comments

narsissist lamour toujours lamour palette 1 — New for spring, the NARSissist L’amour Toujours Eyeshadow Palette ($59, available now at NARS boutiques and the NARS website; coming Feb. 1 to NARS counters)

Today I learned a valuable life lesson from the new $59 NARSissist L’amour Toujours Eyeshadow Palette ($59), and it was this: ’tis better to drink the blueberry smoothie — the one you made for yourself as a healthy snack — after you’ve taken pictures of yourself wearing a new eyeshadow palette, as opposed to before.

(Lest you end up with pics of yourself with a blue tongue and teeth!)

Just as an FYI, you know, in case you ever find yourself in that particular situation. 🙂

narsissist lamour toujours lamour palette 6 — Wearing the NARSissist L’amour Toujours Eyeshadow Palette on my lids

So, I took L’amour Toujours, a new NARS palette for spring, for a test drive around the block today (well…more like around my condo after I got back from seeing a nutritionist who assured me that I can have “a very small amount” of sweets here and there! Life is grand!).

The quick and dirty deets…

Limited edition
Available now at NARS boutiques and NARS website and coming Feb. 1 to NARS counters
12 powder shadows, none of which, I believe, have been previously released (but I’ll have to double check that). Four are mattes, and eight are shimmers.
The mattes, and the names are numerical, which is a little tricky, include “I” (which is a sheer cream bisque), “IV” (a semi-sheer black truffle), “VII” (a cool-toned medium brown) and “X” (a regal blue).
Of the shimmers, there’s “II” (a shimmery pink sand), “III” (a neutral medium brown), “V” (a shimmery golden beige), “VI” (a shimmery copper), “VII” (a shimmery pistol gray), “IX” (a shimmery grayish blue), “XI” (a shimmery taupe) and “XII” (a shimmery blackened licorice).

And some quick first impressions…

When I popped the matte cool-toned medium brown (VII) in my crease, the shimmery pink sand (II) on my lids, the matte regal blue (X) in the outer corner, the matte black (IV) on my upper lash lines and the shimmery pistol gray (VIII) on my lower lash lines, I found that the shadows blend together beautifully. I do see a little fallout with the black shade, though…
Um…Roman numerals for eyeshadow names? That’s very confusing for some reason!
So far I like the combination and variety of warm and cool-toned colors. I also like how smooth they feel on my skin. They don’t feel heavy or look powdery either. I also lake how deep and rich most of the shades are, especially VII, VIII and X.
So far, however, I am not crazy about the sheer matte light beige or black, which are sheerer than I’d like, and I have to build them up to see them in swatches. I also feel like I’ve seen a group of colors just like these from NARS before…
Jury’s still out on whether I can recommend this palette with the gusto of a marching band and a ticker-tape parade, but it’s nice enough, I guess, and I can definitely see myself doing a number of neutral looks with it.
I think I’ll have to use it a few more times to get a better sense of its value and gauge its flexibility.

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Ringing in the New Year With the Tarte Tartelette in Bloom Palette

January 1st, 2016 by Karen 37 Comments

Good morning, my wonderful, amazing, glorious, sweet friend, and…

I’m so happy to be spending another year with you, and this is gonna be a good one, too. I can feel it! — and no, this time the feeling isn’t gas, LOL! 🙂

There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world, but… Well, no buts. There is. Life is scary sometimes and complicated, but it’s also great.

I wish you health, happiness, fun, laughter, compassion, kindness, sweetness, beauty and love in 2016. That would make me the happiest girl in the world. May the universe bless you with health, happiness and love, my friend, because what else is there, really?

Now…we have swatches. 🙂

OK, seeing as how I pretty much wore Tarte’s $45 Tartelette In Bloom clay palette for, oh, almost the entire month of December, I figure that it’s probably time I give it a quick swatchy-poo.

Yeah, I can’t remember the last time I wore the same palette for almost an entire month, both because I haven’t been wanting to wear a lot of eyeshadow lately, and also because I have a short makeup attention span.

Basically, Tartelette in Bloom is the latest version of the last Tartelette palette (that one was $44, and this year’s is $45), but I think it’s even better.

Like last year’s, it has 12 neutral powder eyeshadows; contains Tarte’s trademark super ingredient, Amazonian Clay; lasts all day long on my lids with very minimal creasing; and it’s cruelty free (like all of Tarte’s products).

This time around, though, the shadows are richer, more pigmented, and I think they’re also more interesting.

“Introducing our tartelette 2 in bloom palette – featuring 12 brand new, never-before-seen shades. With 9 mattes and 3 lusters, these lid liner and crease pairings allow you to create stunning, smoldering looks without the guesswork.”

–tartecosmetics.com

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Ease Chocolate Withdrawal With the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Palette

December 28th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

Chocolate withdrawal is a REAL thing

Seriously, the closest I’ve gotten to chocolate over the past week has been this new Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette ($49), and oh, the sweet, sweet torture of it! Why does it have to smell like chocolate?!

“Discover a candy-coated confection of heart-shaped delights with 16 matte and shimmer shades in cool pops of color, sugary brights, and beautiful go-to neutrals—all infused with our chocolate-scented, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder formula. Chocolate Bon Bons is the third palette in our bestselling Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Collection (and some might say the cutest!). We’ve included our signature Glamour Guide with three beauty looks to get you started, but don’t stop there—the looks are limitless.”

–toofaced.com

With the whole gestational diabetes thing, I’m on a pretty strict meal plan until Baby Girl arrives in March. I gotta eat six times a day, which sounds like it could be super cool, but it’s sooo not, on account of how carefully I have to monitor my carbs and sugar.

Yeah, the days of stuffing myself silly with TJ’s Dark Chocolate Stars are gone, at least temporarily…

“Good thing I’m seven months pregnant and have been totally craving chocolate in massive amounts!” she said sarcastically as she took a big whiff of the palette that has been haunting her for days.

To summarize, I really, really, REALLY miss chocolate.

The Bon Bons Palette has been out about a month (note: it doesn’t actually come with the chocolate bar I’m holding here), and I played it pretty safe with this look because I didn’t want to go over the top. I blended the matte beige shade, Divinity, all over my lids, then swept the matte brown shade called Mocha into my crease before taking it along my lower lash lines.

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If You Like Neutrals, the Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Palette Is B-A-N-A-N-A-S

November 19th, 2015 by Karen 27 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.

When I open the new UD Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette by Urban Decay and see all of the neutrals, I start getting ideas… My internal makeup monologue kicks in, and looks start running through my head.

They start simple, but that doesn’t last long. “I’ll just do a quick wash of color with one or two matte browns on my lids,” I’ll think, “then black winged liner with a red lip. Just like Gwen!”

But then I’ll think, why stop at just two browns? I should add a third one in the crease.

Ooh! — or why don’t I do a grayish brown smoky eye instead? Maybe with a touch of blue on my lids? Because that’s so Gwen!

BUT then I’ll remember that I almost forget about glitter! How could I forget about the glitter!?

Girl, you know how it goes. 🙂 What starts as a five-minute look spirals into 35.

It’s not me though. It’s not my fault. It’s because of all the inspiring neutrals in this palette.

Yup, this is one of those palettes, and to really feel the magic in the makeup (shout-out to No Doubt’s Return of Saturn!), you have to appreciate the beauty of browns and beiges.

I see this one as almost an extension of the Urban Decay Naked Palette family, except with the addition of a few brights, so if you’re the kind of girl or guy who’d rather wear electric teal shimmer, you might find the neutrals here a bit underwhelming.

Not me though. When I see browns and golds and mattes (and there are so many in this!), I get excited.

In the unlikely event that you were cryogenically frozen in 1993 and are only now asking yourself, “Who’s Gwen Stefani?” she’s a pop singer, fashion designer and current vocal coach/judge on The Voice.

I’ve always admired her casual So Cal punk style and cool girl vibe, and I kid you not, I was hell bent on being her in 1995.

I even designated a section of my closet for my “Gwen Stefani” outfits. My favorite was a pair of baggy navy blue pants with light blue stripes going down the sides, which I’d pair with a baby blue sleeveless crop top and baby blue stick-on bindis.

OH, LAWD!!

urban decay gwen stefani swatches 3 — Pop, Harajuku, Danger, 1987 and Blackout

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Laura Mercier Master Class Colour Essentials Holiday 2015 Eye and Cheek Palette

November 18th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

The new 20-piece Laura Mercier Master Class Colour Essentials Collection eye and cheek palette ($125) looks a little like a day planner from 1998, or like a chic clutch you might take to an event where all the ladies are wearing dangerously high heels and carrying ridiculously tiny purses.

Still cute though, I think, especially with the brown and gold tortoiseshell-like trim.

The limited edition holiday 2015 palette comes with 12 powder eyeshadows, three blushes, two powder liners (for tightlining), a black eye kohl and two brushes, and it’s about two degrees of separation from Laura Mercier herself, because she handpicked all of the products.

I mean, it’s not like hanging out with her over tea and scones (I wish!), but it’s almost like having her do your makeup.

Almost.

LOL!

With such a wide variety of colors, finishes and formulas, the palette is packed with creative possibilities for endless looks ranging from day to night to nude to smoky.

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The Delectables Palettes by Laura Geller in Delicious Shades of Cool and Nude

November 13th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

laura geller the delectables top final — The Delectables, by Laura Geller ($45)

Combine one part cool shades with one part warm, add a dash of shimmer and a pinch of matte, and then bake until done.

No, this isn’t another banana bread recipe! 🙂 Although I admit those are quite high on my priority list these days…

I’m describing these two The Delectable Palettes by Laura Geller.

Delectable… That is a very tasty word, haha.

laura geller delectables delicious shades of nude — Delicious Shades of Nude ($45)

laura geller delectables delicious shades of cool — Delicious Shades of Cool ($45)

All of the baked shadows within these two palettes, both of which launched this past summer, begin their journey as liquified pigments, which are then poured by hand into molds and baked, rather than pressed…

Mmm… Why does that remind me of artisan bread?

(Yes, I’m always hungry these days.)

Making them this way is supposedly make them perform better when used wet, for more intensity, or dry, for a sheerer, less opaque finish.

laura geller delectables delicious shades of nude dry swatches — Delicious Shades of Nude swatched dry

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MAC Holiday 2015 | Enchanted Eve Lip Compact in Coral Lipstick

October 15th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

mac enchanted eve lips coral — The MAC Holiday 2015 Enchanted Eve Lip Compact in Coral Lipstick ($25; coming Oct. 18 to the MAC website and Oct. 22 to MAC counters and stores), one of two Lip Compacts in the new holiday collection

When you and I finally get around to starting our secret society of makeup lovers who meet and train to become international super spies, I call dibs on codename “Lady Danger!”

The place will be like Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, except there won’t be an upper age limit…and you won’t need mutant powers.

The coursework will couple intensive training in makeup blending with more practical subterfuge skills like ninja acrobatics. I tell you right now, it’ll be amaze-balls. 🙂

I called dibs on Lady Danger because it’s one of my favorite MAC lipsticks of all time, and it just so happens to be one of the three lippies in the new MAC Enchanted Eve Lip Compact in Coral Lipstick ($25), one of two Lip Compacts in the new MAC holiday collection (the other one is Pink Lipstick).

mac enchanted eve coral lady danger — Matte Lipstick in Lady Danger

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