Product Reviews

Urban Decay Summer 2015 Collection: It’s a Revolution of Lipglosses!

April 7th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

NOVATO, CA — This is Karen from UD News reporting live from my makeup bag…

It’s chaos! There are Savage creatures running all over the place, Big Bangs left and right, and somebody’s walking through the street? I don’t know… They appear to be Punch Drunk. There’s only one word to describe the scene unfolding before me now: revolution!

An Urban Decay Lipgloss Revolution. 🙂

Yes, this is the Urban Decay that many of us know and love. Over the past few years, they’ve gotten a little naked happy, which is also cool, but this new line of 14 pigmented lipglosses (coming April 15 to counters and online) swings the pigment pendulum all the way to the other side, with liters of rich color and shades that your grandma might see and be like, “Young lady, do you wear that outside?? I’m not sure if a respectable young girl should wear that outside…”

Yup, these are those kinds of colors. To put it a different way, if UD’s Naked glosses are Sunday brunch, these are Friday night.

Of course, there are also a few less harrowing shades, but we’ll get to those in a minute…

So, Urban Decay has done lipgloss lines before, and you might remember a couple years ago when they did the flat ones with the half-naked dudes? Well, those were shaped very much like these — flat, so that you can put them in your back pocket, and they won’t bulge. In this case, the clear plastic tubes are also textured, and they look almost wavy…like you’re about to dive into an ocean and swim through a school of gloss.

These are also unlike another other UD lipglosses I can recall in that they’re unflavored and unscented, which should open the door to some people who didn’t like the flavor of UD’s other glosses.

As for coverage, you won’t need to put a lot on your lips to see these colors. I’d classify them as just shy of full coverage — like teetering on the edge on kitty tippy-toes.

Interestingly, the medium-weight formula starts non-sticky, but seems to get stickier over time as they’re worn and you smack your lips together. They get stickier and slightly tacky, which I think helps them hang on longer than UD’s non-sticky glosses. For me, these last between three and four hours.

urban decay revolution lipgloss — Urban Decay Revolution Lipglosses, $22 each

Most of the colors are creams, with a sprinkling of glittery shades. The glittery ones, though, are still comfortable. I have to point that out, because they aren’t gritty or obnoxious at all.

The only one I haven’t seen up close is Kinky, which looks like a creamy tan nude.

For everyday colors, my favorites are medium creamy pinkish nude Liar and light neutral pink Failbait, but you know…those are the kinds of colors you stick in your purse and eventually forget about…

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Summer Is Al Fresco Time at Tarte With the Poppy Picnic Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette

April 3rd, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

tarte summer 2015 poppy picnic — Tarte Summer 2015 Poppy Picnic Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ($38, available now)

I live for picnics…

The fun in the sun, the food, the friends, the family, the food…

Did I already mention the food? 🙂

I might actually love picnic fare more than I love brunch, and you know how much I love brunch.

(A lot.)

It’s because of the sides, man! I’m all about the sides. The potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad, that weird Jello salad that one of my aunties usually makes which looks totally gross but tastes hella delicious.

Oh! — and the corn on the freaking cob?

I wants it… I wants it all.

Speaking of picnics (how’s that for a lazy transition, ha!), there’s one happening now at Tarte, and it’s new for summer 2015.

Say “Please pass the potato chips!” to the Tarte Poppy Picnic Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ($38)

The Tarte Poppy Picnic Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette: A Quick FAQ/Rundown

What is it?
A $38 limited edition eye & cheek palette (available now) containing six new powder eyeshadows and one re-promoted powder blush (it’s called Glisten) containing Tarte’s jam, otherwise known as Amazonian clay, which is supposed to soak up any oily bits while simultaneously balancing moisture levels in your skin.

Are there any limited edition shades?
Yes, ma’am, there are. The eyeshadows in Summer Breeze (a matte cream), Sweet Tea (a matte tan), Ice Cream Cone (a matte chocolate), Barefoot in the Grass (a matte light tan), Peach Poppy (a matte peach) and Picnic Basket (a matte deep brown) are all limited edition.

What size are the pans?
Shimmery golden pink Glisten Blush is a 0.20-ounce full-size pan, and the eyeshadows are smaller at 0.06 ounces each.

What can you tell me about the texture of the eyeshadows?
Well, I can tell ya that they kick up a lot of powder, so it helps to tap off your brush before applying them; otherwise, you get a little fallout.

Beyond that, though, they feel smooth to me, and they’re easy to blend.

Are the eyeshadows pigmented or sheer?
I’d say that the lighter tan and peach shades are sheer to medium, while the two darkest shades are medium (I built them up for the swatches to make ’em nice and dark), and none of them look heavy on the skin.

How about the texture of the blush?
Slightly grainy…which is probably because of the pretty big flecks of golden glitter in it.

How pigmented is the blush?
Moderately pigmented, but not crazy town/crazy clown pigmented. I only need a single layer.
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Paul & Joe Protecting Pressed Powder Blush in 0401: Meowza to the Max

April 1st, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

As an official member of the International Consortium of Cat Ladies, I have to say that this cat on Paul & Joe’s new Protecting Pressed Powder Blush in 0401 (coming later this month to Paul & Joe counters and beautyhabit.com) is the most handsome tabby ever known to cat lady kind, and I’ve seen some handsome tabbies in my day.

But the International Cat Lady Consortium has spoken, and it’s unanimous. This cat is the handsomest cat ever. Of all time. 🙂

About the blush now, can we just talk? This blush: amazeballs. It’s a peachy pink powder blush, which, I know, you’re rolling your eyes thinking, “Karen, OMG, b*tch! You’ve worn so many peachy pink powder blushes,” but this one — gurl, this one is a peachy pink powder blush with neutral undertones, and it is so hard to find one with truly neutral undertones.

I don’t care what your skin tone is. You could be the palest princess, you could be the most bronzed bahama babe, you could be a freaking green-@ss alien from Mars, and this blush will look great.

OK, one, it puts the universal in universally flattering, and two, it’s like a magical makeup eraser that removes all of the pores on your cheeks. Once I put this on — and I only need one layer — my cheeks look straight-up like a baby’s butt, and not a dirty-@ss baby’s butt, because that’s not how I roll. This is a clean-@ss, smooth baby butt, like from one of those commercials, and it smells good, too. It smells like Paul & Joe’s standard yummy floral chrysanthemum/jelly beans/all-kinds-of-goodness-in-a-pan scent.

It also lasts a really long time, and I don’t just mean a really long time. I conducted a very scientific test yesterday. I put it on in the morning, worked all day, then ran errands in the afternoon, and when I got home, I took a hardcore nap on the couch, like, so hardcore, dog. So hardcore. Put the blanket on top me and everything.

paul joe powder — Swatch of Paul & Joe Protecting Pressed Powder Blush in 0401

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Is the Too Faced Natural Matte Neutral Eye Shadow Collection/Palette Right for You?

March 31st, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

It’s about sexy time. 😉

Kind of. If you look at the names of the colors in the new Too Faced Natural Matte Neutral Eye Shadow Collection/palette, there are some that I can’t even say without blushing a little, like Sexpresso…?

Oh, my gosh.

Nudie? Risqué? Strapless?

But then they throw in the food-related ones like Honey Butter and Chocolate Cookie. There’s probably some relationship…

No, I’m not even gonna go there.

Recently released for summer 2015, Natural Matte is based on the Natural Eyes palette they released last year, except that that one had shimmers. This time around, I don’t think Too Faced was seeking to revolutionize the world of eye palettes as we know it. I think this was just meant to give Too Faced fans more matte options.

The whole matte palette trend has been big over the past couple years, and there are lots of good ones out there. This one, which comes with nine powder eyeshadows in a mix of cool and warm tones and useful beiges and browns, has a pretty appealing price. It’s $36, which doesn’t make it the most affordable matte palette out there when you consider drugstore, but I think you get a lot.

Compared to the $40 BECCA Ombre Nudes Palette, it comes with almost twice as many shades (nine vs. five).

Both palettes are good in their own way, but I think Natural Matte is better for simple looks involving one or two shadows, like a simple lid color and maybe a liner, or a lid color and something in the outer v.

Here’s also a quick video about the palette…

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I’m Sanguine About Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick and Nail Color in Gash

March 31st, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

urban decay gash — Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick and Nail Color in Gash ($22 and $15 respectively, both available now online)

Please try not to stare at my T. rex claws…but of course now that I’ve brought them up, you’re going to be staring. 🙂

“RrrrAAAaarr!” T. rex!

I’m holding a purse here because I’ve discovered — well, actually, I’ve know this for a long time — that it’s very hard to take pictures of your hands near your face, because when you have your hands near your face, it makes your hands look huge. Or, conversely, your face looks really small.

I thought I’d be all crafty and clever by holding this purse here to showcase new Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick ($22) and Nail Color in Gash ($15).

Is it working? I don’t know…

Probably not. My hands still look pretty big.

These two products — you may recognize the Revolution Lipstick. It’s a re-launch. The nail polish, however, is new. They’re both available now online.

That’s an interesting name isn’t it? Gash? I don’t want to be too morbid, but let’s just say — I don’t know — we were surfing one day and charging the waves really hard (yeah, those 3-foot waves) when we accidentally crashed into each other on our surfboards and cut our shins.

Not terribly, though. Just a few scratches. Not a lot of blood, because if there were a lot of blood, I’d probably pass out.

The color does kind of remind me of what’s pumping through our veins, though, and I have to say, it’s a pretty accurate representation. I know this because I broke a glass once when I was 19, and it cut my hand…

This was shortly before I told my parents that I didn’t want to go to medical school. I remember standing there in the kitchen holding the glass, and feeling kind of feint watching the blood drip down my hand, and thinking, “It’s probably not a good idea to go to medical school…”

And it happened really slowly, like, “I t ‘ s p r o b a b l y n o t a g o o d i d e a t o g o t o m e d i c a l s c h o o l . . .”

The blood was the exact same color.

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Paul & Joe Protecting Pressed Powder Prepares Pet Assistant Cheeks for Busy Schedules

March 30th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

The following guest post was written by Tabs…

You can forget about opening this compact with your paws because, sadly, it is made for human hands only.

Paul & Joe’s new spring 2015 Protecting Pressed Powder is not for powdering tabby noses. It is for human faces, both female and male. (For the record, I’m Team Man Makeup all the way.)

Pressed powders are an essential component of a professional pet assistant’s appearance. This one comes in a beige compact with a sassy tabby on the front smoking a pipe and wearing a jaunty captain’s hat.

Paul & Joe Protecting Pressed Powder

PRICE: $45
AVAILABILITY: Coming in two shades (pale pink 001 and multi-beige 002) this April to Paul & Joe counters and beautyhabit.com.

When you open the compact, there’s a big mirror inside, into which you may stare at yourself if/when your greedy assistant decides to share.

There’s also an embossed — I’m not sure if that’s the right word; I have to look it up in my kitty dictionary — flower design on the pan. I think it’s a chrysanthemum, but I must ask my botanist cat friend about it.

The pressed powder can be worn either on top of bare fur — haha, just kidding — bare skin, or used to set liquid foundations so that they don’t move over the course of a busy assistant’s day.

I’ve observed the product in action on my assistant. When she used it to set her foundation and concealer this morning, she smiled.

Well, before she smiled, she stuck her nose in the pan and said, “Mmm! Smells like flowers, Tabs!”

Honestly, though, I don’t know what she meant by that. Half the time she’s mumbling about lord knows what, and I’ve just learned to tune her out.

Anyway, I do appreciate that her skin looks smoother and less oily than usual. I presume it is due to this powder’s oil-absorbing powers and its ability to blur pores.

Of course, we are cats, and not all of us are carrying American Express Black Cards, so you’re probably wondering if this powder is a good value for the price. It is $45, after all.

Paul & Joe Protecting Pressed Powder: Ingredients and benefits

Crystalline cellulose — Absorbs sebum

Jojoba seed oil — Emollient

Orange flower water — Moisturizer

Rosemary extract — Emollient

Sunflower seed oil — Emollient

White lily extract — Moisturizer, prevents irritation

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Current Foundation Love: Diorskin Nude Air Serum Foundation [VIDEO]

March 27th, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

Gurl, I can’t even… This foundation!? It is SO good that I haven’t even touched my previous holy grail, Laura Mercier Flawless Fluide in Chai, in weeks.

And before finding this, I was all about that Chai. I’m talking months of Karen + Chai. We were inseparable.

Aww! Now I’m actually starting to feel a little bad about it. Poor Chai, all neglected and lonely, abandoned like an old toy. 🙁

LOL! But I do kind of feel like we’ve broken up, and that I should do the things that broken up couples do, like go to over to Chai’s house to get my CDs, clothes and pizza pie pans.

We’re just on a break though. I still ❤ Chai.

Anywho…

Dior. Foundation. Amazing-ness. I go into it more in this video, but here are the main points: finish, formula and pores. Nude Air has a velvety finish and medium coverage, but you can build it up to just shy of full. It’s not a flat matte, and I’m loving that about it, because these days my primary objective is obtaining natural-looking, radiant skin.

Available in eight shades (I wear the one called Honey Beige)

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This MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot Really Is a Genuine Treasure: MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Genuine Treasure From the MAC Philip Treacy Collection

March 27th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

mac genuine treasure — Wearing MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Genuine Treasure from the new MAC Philip Treacy collection on my lids

Like Vanessa Williams in 1991, I saved the best for last. 🙂 This Paint Pot really is a genuine MAC Philip Treacy treasure.

Like, if you were chasing a rainbow astride a teal pegasus pony with a rainbow mane high up in the pretty blue sky surrounded by pink clouds, at the end of the rainbow, you’d find Genuine Treasure…instead of a black cauldron filled with gold, although that would also be extremely convenient and nice.

Really, though, this Paint Pot is more like a glitter top coat, and I call it that because pigment-wise, it’s actually pretty sheer.

I built it up in the swatch below so you could get a better feel for the color, but when you apply it to skin, what you get is mostly glitter.

You can wear it on top of other eye products, or wear it on bare lids, which is what I did last Sunday (because who doesn’t like to wear a little glitter on a Sunday sometimes?). I applied it on my bare lids, added a couple coats of mascara, and then went furniture shopping and beignet eating. It was fun.

Genuine Treasure is handy if you need/want to get party ready, and you don’t have a ton of time between work and the shindig.

As a Paint Pot, which are among the longest-wearing things in the MAC eye makeup stable, it has a cream formula. You just twist off the little top and apply with either an eyeshadow brush or fingers (for this one, I recommend fingers).

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