Product Reviews

The BECCA Holiday 2015 Collection: It’s All About the Glow

October 27th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

Pop the champagne, homegirl! — and if you can do it with a sword, more power to you, because that would mean you’re only about two degrees away from Michonne-level bad-@ssery, and I’D BOW DOWN!

We have a totes legit reason to celebrate today. First, because it’s Tuesday, and Tuesdays are terrific. 🙂 And second, because BECCA has several sparkly, shimmery sets on deck for the holidays, and they’re all available now, so you can get dat glow on your cheeks in time for the office party. (For the record, if there will be karaoke involved, please know that it may take more than two glasses to turn you into Mariah Carey… Yes, I speak from firsthand experience.)

This year’s holiday collection includes three limited edition sets, and they’re all about the glow — in other words, skin highlighted to high heaven.

becca holiday 2015 champagne glow 1 — BECCA Holiday 2015 Champagne Glow Palette ($34)

If you’re a die-hard BECCA shimmer fan, you might want to get your paws on the $34 Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne Glow Palette highlighter trio. It’s available now exclusively at Sephora and the Sephora website.

One of the three shades, pale linen Pearl, is a limited edition shade making its debut right here in this palette, while the other two — Champagne Pop, a soft gold with pinkish peach undertones (the shame shade BECCA released last fall with YouTuber Jaclyn Hill); and Blushed Copper, a warm copper with rose gold (also appeared earlier this year).

becca holiday 2015 champagne glow 2 — BECCA Holiday 2015 Champagne Glow Palette ($34)

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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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Chanel Holiday 2015 | Collection Vamp Attitude

October 14th, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

chanel holiday 2015 vamp attitude — Chanel Holiday 2015 Collection Vamp Attitude

Twenty years later, and we’re still talking about Chanel Vamp!

Who knew that a blackened red nail polish could ignite such a frenzy? — but it did, from the moment it arrived in the mid ‘90s.

Maybe I missed my calling as a makeup fortune teller (what if that were a real job?!), but I kindasorta suspected that Vamp would stand the test of time. I remember going absolutely b-a-n-a-n-a-s for it way back when, and I still get amped about Vamp.

I guess other lacquer lovers do, too, because it’s making waves again with Chanel Holiday 2015 Collection Vamp Attitude, which is all about Vamp.

Chanel used Vamp as their inspiration for the collection’s eyeshadows, liners, mascara, lipsticks and gloss, and they maintained Vamp’s runway-ready wow factor bite. Still, the colors are also everyday wearable, meaning that you won’t have to wear them with a scowl while listening to sad songs by The Cure.

chanel holiday 2015 les 4 ombres signe particulier — Chanel Holiday 2015 Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in Signe Particulier ($61)

chanel holiday 2015 rouge noir illusion dombre — Chanel Holiday 2015 Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Rouge Noir ($36)

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MAC Holiday 2015 | Enchanted Eve Lip Compact in Pink Lipstick

October 14th, 2015 by Karen 7 Comments

mac enchanted eve pink lipstick — The MAC Holiday 2015 Enchanted Eve Lip Compact in Pink 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

Ooh! All three of the pinks in the MAC Enchanted Eve Lip Compact in Pink Lipstick look like good “going out” colors, but if you do go out and bring this compact along, don’t forget to also bring a lip brush — that is, unless you don’t mind applying lipstick with your fingers in the bathroom at the club, and can you ever remember seeing a “clean” bathroom at da club??

Yeah, I didn’t think so…

One of two lip palettes in the new MAC holiday collection (the other one has corals), Pink Lipstick arrives with the rest of the collection Oct. 18 to the MAC website and at counters and stores Oct. 22, and it comes packed with three party-ready pinks — a light pastel pink called Saint Germain, a dark fuchsia called Let’s Rendezvous and a deep pinkish purple called Wined + Dined.

mac enchanted eve pink lipstick st germain — MAC Amplified Cream Lipstick in Saint Germain

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Try the LORAC Mega Pro Palette 2 for Pigmented, Hyper-Blended Eye Looks

October 13th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

WARNING: Try not to think too hard about the name of the new LORAC Mega Pro 2 Palette, because it could leave your head spinning, as it has mine.

“Mega” usually means significant or major, so does that mean that you have to be a major pro to use it? And what kind of pro are we talking about? Because I’m a major pro at hoarding eyeshadow palettes. I’m also a mega pro when it comes to obsessing over the neighborhood cats. 🙂 And losing socks. I wonder… Do any of those talents apply to LORAC Mega Pro 2?

Feel free to not consider the above; otherwise, we could be here for days, and mama needs her Starbucks.

Basically, the $59 LORAC Mega Pro 2 Palette, which is available now exclusively at Ulta, could very well fool the world into thinking that you’re a world-class, “mega pro” makeup artist, even if your blending skills are mediocre.

If you like pigmented, hyper-blended eye looks, you’ll probably have a great time with it.

But there’s a catch (and it’s a big one). Before we get to it, though, first, some background…

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Current Obsession! Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo

October 13th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

You know a hair product is holy grail when 1) you talk about it nonstop, 2) you’re already making plans to hoard more bottles of it during the next Sephora VIB sale, and 3) you’re having perfect hair days left, right and upside-down.

I WILL NOT STOP until everyone on earth (or at least a majority of us) understands just how bomb .dot com Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo is! It’s the relatively new dry shampoo that’s been rocking my world lately, and it’s available now at Sephora, $22 for a 4-oz. bottle (I also gushed about it in last week’s 5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately).

Hence this video.

And then I also learned a new foundation application technique about which I have to tell you. 🙂 I got it from Butter London makeup artist and manicurist Katie Jane Hughes. She recently did a Falling for Fall makeup tutorial on her YouTube channel in which she does a cool foundation application technique. Give it a look-see if you get a moment.
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The MAC Holiday 2015 Enchanted Eve Navy Eyeshadow X 6 Palette

October 12th, 2015 by Karen 40 Comments

mac enchanted eve eyes navy — The MAC Holiday 2015 Enchanted Eve Eyes/Navy Eyeshadow X 6 Palette ($39.50), one of three Enchanted Eve Eyeshadow X6 palettes in the holiday collection

Henceforth, 2015 will be forever etched into my memory as “The Year MAC Did Bladerunner Cell Phone Meets Atari 2600 Packaging for Their Eyeshadow Palettes.”

mac enchanted eve eyes navy 1 — Mercury Alpha Corporation (M.A.C.) Digital Transponder or MAC Holiday 2015 Enchanted Eve Eyes/Navy Palette? You be the judge…

Gotta love the retrofuturistic vibe!

Buuut, as far as the eyeshadows themselves? Well, I was wondering…is it just me, or does it seem like some of the MAC holiday palettes have fallen short over the past few years? Like they just haven’t risen to the same level of quality as the singles in the permanent line?

I wore the Enchanted Eve Navy Eyeshadow X 6 Palette today ($39.50; limited edition and coming to the MAC website Oct. 18 and to MAC stores and counters Oct. 22) and spent what felt like an unusually long time building up the colors. The powders feel harder and rougher than the eyeshadow singles in the permanent line, and it leads to choppier application and just generally more difficulty blending.

mac enchanted eve eyes navy k — Wearing MAC Enchanted Eye Eyes/Navy on my lids and lower lash line; lips are MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Double-Time with MAC Lipstick in Creme D’Nude

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MAC Holiday 2015 | Magic of the Night Color Collection and Gift Sets

October 7th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

This year I really, really hope I get an invite to a Hogwarts-style enchanted garden/magical nighttime holiday event because then I’ll have the world’s most fitting excuse to get gussied up in makeup from the MAC Holiday 2015 Magic of the Night collection.

I just hope I can find the right black-tie pregnancy dress, hmm… 🙂

Oh, boy! This collection is a doozy. It’s a big one, and it’s split into two parts. First, there’s the color collection, spell caster’s codename “Magic of the Night.” And then there are several holiday gift sets in three different categories, appropriately named Enchanted Eve, Irresistibly Charming and Viva Glamorous.

Playing with these pieces today it was pretty much love at first swipe. The color theme and deep jewel-toned smoky eyes, gleaming skin and matte lips are totally my style, and I’m a sucker for the magical vibe.

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