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Palettes

Now There’s a Smooth Cat: The Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color Palette in Siamese Please

February 9th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

paul & joe siamese please (2)

Siamese PleaseRenowned for their affectionate, social nature and intelligence, Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color palettes in Siamese Please ($36) enjoy being with people.

Often they bond strongly to a single person and are sometimes described as “extroverts.” These palettes, like the cats from whence they get their name, are typically active and playful, even on adults, and are often found playing on the eyes and face. 🙂

One of three new Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color palettes in the limited edition Collection Sparkles release for spring 2012, Siamese Please contains three seal-point inspired shades — a pigmented shimmery bronze, a brownish taupe with silver glitter and a sheer matte beige.

In this look, I’m wearing all three shades on my eyes (the bronze on my lids, the beige along my brow bone and the brownish taupe along my upper and lower lash lines), but I’d also like to try wearing the bronze as a blush and the matte beige as a highlighter for my cheeks.

Siamese Please is one of three new Face & Eye Color palettes in the new limited edition Paul & Joe Collection Sparkles release for spring 2012.

Like the powders in the Kittycat Face & Eye Color palette, these vary in intensity, with the shimmery bronze and brown colors applying with the most pigment, and the matte beige with the least.

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Siamese Please

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There are 25 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Paul & Joe, Product Reviews Keywords: paul & joe

This Kittycat Sparkles in Purple, Pink and Beige: The Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color Palette in Kittycat

February 9th, 2012 by Karen 31 Comments

paul & joe kittycat (1)

I swear on my husky tabby’s orange tum that my cat lady heart broke a little when I finally took my brushes to Paul & Joe’s new Face & Eye Color palette in Kittycat ($36).

Kittycat is one of three new Face & Eye Color palettes in the new limited edition Paul & Joe Collection Sparkles release for spring 2012.

And I suppose this may be a little too much information…but while I did my eyes this morning with Laverne’s — yes, I’ve taken to calling her Laverne — shimmery reddish purple and matte pinkish beige shades, I pretended to pet her chest, back and tail with my brush, speaking to her in the same high-pitched voice normally reserved for Tabs.

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Kittycat

“Look at you, Laverne!” I said with my inside voice out loud. “Look at your pretty purple tail! I’m petting your sides now and your little paw…” 🙂

A few quick observations about Laverne, also known as the Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color palette in Kittycat

  • The three shades vary in intensity, with the shimmery reddish purple packing the most pigment, the peachy pink shade (which has just the slightest sheen) depositing a little bit less, and the matte pinkish beige delivering the least.
  • The purple’s prominent flecks of silver glitter exhibit some fallout, especially when I’m working quickly and rushing through a look. I don’t think it’s bad, though.
  • I still really like the matte pinkish beige, despite it applying rather sheer. Smooth and buttery, it blends seamlessly into the other shades and still looks very elegant on its own. For a simple, fresh look, I’ve been applying it all over my lids, curling my lashes and then adding lots of mascara.
  • If you plan to wear the peachy pink shade as a cheek color, try it with a small, pointed blush brush for greater control. A larger blush brush might pick up the darker purple of Laverne’s “fur.”
  • The words “Paul & Joe” in the upper right corner are an overspray. Now, after taking my brush to it, my pan just says “Pau.” LOL! Yes, I’m too easily amused.
  • All three shadows blend without fuss or muss.
  • The powder has a light floral fragrance, which to my nose smells a little like carnations.

paul & joe kittycat (2)
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There are 31 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Paul & Joe, Product Reviews Keywords: paul & joe

Light Up Your Eyes and World With Make Up For Ever’s New La Bohème Eye Shadow Palette

February 6th, 2012 by Karen 37 Comments

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High up on my list of things to do this week: dreaming big dreams — no matter how silly or far-fetched they might seem.

Because you never know. Casting those crazy ideas out into the ether could be the spark that sets in motion a chain of events that leads to one or more of them coming true.

Of course, a few of my big dreams would have to be related to makeup, right? — like traveling around the world while wearing the colors in the new limited edition Make Up For Ever La Bohème Eye Shadow Palette ($39).

And since we’re talking about BIG dreams, I’d want to wear each of the six baked shadows in this free-spirited palette while exploring a different far-flung corner of the world, and I’d start in Costa Rica with Lagoon Green.

This shimmery teal would be the perfect color to wear out to dinner with my BFF Cindy after a day spent playing in the surf.

From there, we’d zip out across the Pacific to the Garden Isle with mossy Vegetal Green, which I’d love to wear while searching for secret waterfalls on Kauai.

Then, and this one would require passing through quite a few time zones, I’d wear Beige on my lids while hiking the hills around Provence with my favorite wide-angle lens, and silvery violet Parma Purple while El Hub and I ate our way through Rome.

Next, silvery peach Coral and I would tour the Taj Mahal (always wanted to go), and then head back home to hopefully wear shimmery reddish bronze Brown out with you to lunch.

Afterward, maybe we could even do some window shopping, and you could take us to some of your favorite places to play with makeup in your town. 🙂

I know, I know. Such a crazy dream, but even if it never happens, at least I can still mimic the same sparkle in my eyes that I get when I’m traveling, since MUFE added high amounts of pearl to these baked shadows (which have a new formula just added to the line) to give skin a luminous, almost metallic finish.

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The La Bohème Eye Shadow Palette and Aqua Eyes in Gypsy (also from the La Bohème collection)
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There are 37 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Make Up For Ever, Makeup Tools, Palettes, Product Reviews Keywords: make up for ever

Unexpected Encounters and the LORAC Unzipped Palette

January 30th, 2012 by Karen 42 Comments

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It must’ve been my second or third year in college. I was studying at the library one afternoon and went to take a bathroom break.

When I walked into the ladies’ room, I saw a girl crying at the sink. And these weren’t dainty little sniffles, either. They were primal, hit-you-in-the-gut kind of sobs that happen when your future has taken an unexpectedly sh*tty detour.

She looked at me, and I remembered that I had some tissue in my purse, so I took them out and offered them to her.

And then we hugged.

She clutched me tightly and cried in my arms for 10 minutes, barely saying a word. I just held onto her, and over and over again told her that she was going to be okay.

When she finished crying, I wet some paper towels with cold water to make an improv compress for her eyes, which was something my mom used to do when I was little.

As she began to regain her composure, we hugged again, and even though I didn’t know her name or what had happened, I tried to comfort her, to reassure her that she was strong enough, and she was going to get through it. And then I left to give her some privacy.

I never saw her after that, and to this day I wonder what happened to her, and if things turned out alright.

That was many years ago, but something about the LORAC Unzipped palette ($40) brought the memory back.

Some people will probably see this palette of 10 powder shadows and think of Urban Decay Naked, Naked 2 and the many spinoffs they inspired.

I can certainly see why, but — maybe it’s because of shade names like Unconditional, Uncensored and Unspoken — this palette also reminds me of that day, and days like it, when strangers unexpectedly walk in to find us emotionally stripped, unzipped and raw.

If I should ever find myself sobbing at the sink in a public restroom, I wonder if anyone out there would offer me a shoulder to cry on and maybe a few comforting words.

I hope so…

lorac unzipped palette (4)

lorac unzipped palette (2)
Swatches from the left: Undercover, Unbelievable, Unattainable, Unconditional and Unbridled
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There are 42 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, LORAC, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews Keywords: lorac

The Clarins Colour Breeze Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Blue Sky and Conversations with My Cat

January 19th, 2012 by Karen 57 Comments

The Clarins Colour Breeze Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Blue Sky

Conversations with my cat, January 19, 2012

Tabs: It’s cold and yucky outside today, Mom.

Karen: I know, Tabby.

Tabs: I miss the sunshine.

Karen: Me too, lovebug.

Tabs: When it’s warm again, will we go outside?

Karen: Of course. We’ll put your leash on and walk down the hill and explore. Maybe we’ll even see turkeys.

Tabs: Those birds are big, but I could take ‘em.

Karen: You sure could. It’s one of the pros of being a big-boned boy.

Tabs: Will we ever see blue sky again?

Karen: I know it feels like we won’t right now, but be patient. It’s like this every year. It gets cold and gray for a little bit, but then the sun comes back again.

Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we take out the new Clarins eyeshadow quad from the spring 2012 collection? It’s called Colour Breeze Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Blue Sky ($40), and the colors look exactly like the sky on a sunny day.

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Tabs: Okay. Maybe I can sit on your desk and look outside for a bit while you do your makeup?
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There are 57 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Clarins, Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews Keywords: clarins

If You Love Ultra Nude Eyes, the Bobbi Brown Ultra Nude Eye Palette Delivers Exactly That

January 11th, 2012 by Karen 35 Comments

Bobbi Brown Ultra Nude Eye Palette

Bobbi Brown Ultra Nude Eye PaletteTwo words: training wheels.

That’s what comes to mind when I wear the colors in Bobbi Brown’s new Ultra Nude Eye Palette, a $45 limited edition release of neutral eyeshadows from the spring Neons & Nudes collection.

These are shades that I think someone like my friend Jen might really like. She’s deathly afraid of wearing eyeshadow but still very curious nevertheless. This palette’s baby stepping beiges and browns could be a great place for her to start.

Bobbi plucked the six classic, neutral shades that occupy the limited edition packaging (super cute!) from her permanent line, choosing a mix of matte and shimmer finishes.

Like a staple piece in a well-rounded wardrobe, a pair of black heels perhaps, these neutrals are the kinds of colors many gals could wear regularly, either dressed up or down. On my skin, most of them apply moderately opaque, and they seem to walk the line pretty evenly between warm and cool.

A couple of the browns display some gray on my skin, and I often use grayish browns for contouring and creating sculpted looks. Lovelies with lighter hair may also find them handy for filling in blonde or very light brown brows.

Overall, I like the colors Bobbi picked for the palette, but I would have loved to also see a couple of warm orange-based browns…

I’m a total ho for orangey browns. 🙂

You know how much I lurves me some neutrals, but these shades leave me feeling almost naked. I’ll rock a “no makeup” makeup look any day of the week, but wearing these I feel like a cat with a fresh lion cut — exposed to the elements.
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There are 35 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Bobbi Brown, Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews Keywords: bobbi brown

The $59 Dior 5 Couleurs Garden Pastels Eyeshadow Palette Is Quintessentially Dior

January 5th, 2012 by Karen 57 Comments

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Might as well take a chisel to Michelangelo’s David. That’s how I felt about swatching the new Dior 5 Couleurs Garden Pastels Eyeshadow Palette ($59) and why it took me so long to build up the courage.

Every time I’d contemplate taking a brush to the raised roses on the pans, I’d see myself tearing into a beautifully wrapped present, squishing a frosted cupcake or picking apart a delicate hors d’oeuvre.

I don’t want to do it! I don’t want to do it! I don’t want to do it!

But I finally did…

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There are 57 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Dior, Eyes, Makeup, Palettes Keywords: dior, popular

The Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Eyeshadow Palette Takes It Easy on Eyes and Glitter

October 10th, 2011 by Karen 44 Comments

bobbi brown black ruby sparkle

Do you remember the last time you wore glitter? Hey now, your answer better not be, “I don’t do glitter.” And did I just see you roll your eyes? 🙂

Even if you’ve never been a glitter girl before, or if you have but just haven’t had the time lately to rock it often and well, Bobbi Brown’s new Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette ($45) contends that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time (or shimmer) to sparkle.

The limited edition eyeshadow palette hails from Bobbi’s new holiday collection and comes with glittery powder eyeshadows in shades of pink, silver, ruby and onyx.

Don’t worry too much about going overboard with this particular breed of glitter. Bobbi generally takes a restrained approach to makeup, one that won’t leave you looking like a dancer in a Vegas revue (although, I must say, despite wearing pounds of makeup, those ladies usually look smokin’ hot). You get just enough color and sparkle for brighter eyes with a subtle glow.

bobbi brown holiday 2011 black ruby sparkle eye shadow palette

bobbi brown black ruby sparkle eye palette swatches
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There are 44 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews Keywords: bobbi brown

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