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Product Reviews

Try Estée Lauder Little Black Primer for Lashes Curled Like Roman Arches, Lifted Like My Bangs in the ’80s and Defined Like Merriam-Webster

February 12th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

Estee Lauder Little Black Primer
Estée Lauder’s Little Black Primer, $24, available now at counters and online

Holly Golightly. 🙂

I wonder what Holly would have thought about Estée Lauder’s Little Black Primer ($24), because I know what Kendall Jenner probably thinks about it, or maybe, since she’s the official spokesperson, but I dunno…I’ve always been more of a Holly Golightly gal.

And Holly sure did love long lashes and little black dresses.

Not that Holly would have needed a lash primer like this one because her fringe always looked fierce, even when she was rolling out of bed at 2 in the afternoon (probably because she was wearing false lashes).

As for me, I will happily complicate my makeup life when it comes to things like eyeshadow (“Absolutely! A third color in the crease sounds like a brilliant idea!”), but not so much when it comes to mascara.

When it comes to mascara, I usually keep it simple. One tube, a couple coats on my top lashes, and that’s it.

Most of the time.

Sometimes, though, like when I’m feeling fancy, I’ll do a separate swipe of MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash mascara on my lower lashes.

But Estée Lauder’s Little Black Primer is turning me into a Lady Layers-a-Lot. When I use it with my regular go-to mascaras, my lashes look downright dreamy — curled like Roman arches, lifted like my bangs in the ’80s and defined like Merriam-Webster.

Estee Lauder Little Black Primer
Estée Lauder Little Black Primer with Buxom Lash Mascara on top

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There are 11 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Estee Lauder, Eyes, Makeup, Product Reviews

Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses: It Would Be a Sin to Miss These Original Skin Blushes

February 12th, 2015 by Karen 19 Comments

Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicata Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses
Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicata Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses

Oh, for the love of roses!

Apparently, along with the recent revelation that I’m more than willing to “Mrs. Robinson” Nick Jonas, I’ve also realized that I’m going to need more makeup storage space for MOAR RBR BLUSHES.

Are you familiar with RBR’s $29 Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses powder blushes from their permanent line?

Um…kinda phenomenal! Like, so phenomenal that they make Chanel Malice shake in its go-go boots. Like, you could go months before wanting to wear anything else.

I’d never tried them before, but I finally got around to it this week, and I’m so glad I did.

I mean, yeah, if you’re going for ’80s-style unblended blush racing stripes down the sides of your face, these probably aren’t the best blushes for that; however, if you want natural-looking cheeks to go with your Victoria’s Secret angel wings and hair, you’ve come to the right place.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses in 033 Delicata
033 Delicata

The name “Original Skin” is totally apt. Think hot cheeks after boom-chicka-wah-wah, if you know what I’m sayin’.

Come on, don’t make me spell it out. 🙂 This is a family show.

The way these fine powders bind to skin is almost hypnotic. They cling so close that it’s hard to tell where your skin begins and the powder ends. At first glance, you don’t even realize it’s there, and then you do and you’re like YES.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses in 036 Orpheline
036 Orpheline

And the flawless finishes will have people wondering if homegirl actually wakes up like that. The mattes border on satins (so they aren’t too stark), and the sheens lovingly do not invite all of the pores in the neighborhood out to play.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses in 038 Habenera
038 Habanera

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There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, Makeup, Product Reviews, Rouge Bunny Rouge

The Make Up For Ever Give In To Me Makeup Kit: Inspired by the Movie, Fifty Shades of Grey

February 11th, 2015 by Karen 60 Comments

Make Up For Ever Give In To Me Makeup Kit: Inspired by the Movie Fifty Shades of Grey
Wearing the new $79 Make Up For Ever Give In To Me Makeup Kit: Inspired by the Movie Fifty Shades of Grey

With the new Make Up For Ever 50 Shades of Grey set, one does not need to have read the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy to get the gist of the story.

I haven’t read the books, but this set is like the Cliff’s Notes version. There’s a little how-to booklet in it that walks you through a progression of Ana’s looks, starting young and fresh-faced with barely-there makeup, then moving into a sultrier look with black liner and glossy lips, before going full-on fierce with intense smokey eyes.

OK, I think I get it… Homegirl goes into, like, the mansion’s naughty secret room and discovers that she’s totally into it. A good time was had by all. 🙂

Make Up For Ever Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me

I am so far behind on my reading (have you heard that Harper Lee is releasing a SECOND novel?), but I’m tempted to move Fifty Shades up to the front of the line.

My friend Jen read the books, and I asked her what she thought. She said, “I could feel the mind-numbing getting progressively worse…but I couldn’t stop.”

I have to ask, do I really need to read these books?? What say you?

Either way, there’s always the movie, and the makeup in this set, which comes with five pieces for eyes and lips (no cheek love?), all built around three different looks.

Make Up For Ever Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Eye Palette
The eyeshadow quad…

The centerpiece? The eyeshadow quad. It houses a shimmery beige (shade I-514), a warm shimmery copper (ME-612), a cool-toned matte taupe (S-556) and a neutral, shimmery golden brownish taupe (I-628).

The quad is joined by a tube of Smoky Extravagant Mascara in black, a black Graphic Liner liquid pen; pinkish beige Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4; and warm, shimmering golden pink Lab Shine Gloss in D14.

Make Up For Ever Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4
Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4

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There are 60 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Kits and Sets, Make Up For Ever, Product Reviews

Getting to Know the Phase 1 Skin Care Set by Glossier

February 11th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

Glossier Phase 1 Set

Oh, Super Emily, I had a feeling good things were in the works for you.

The new Glossier skin care line is the brainchild of Into the Gloss founder Emily Weiss, aka the gal from The Hills who will always and forever be etched into my memory as “Super Emily,” or just “SuperEm,” because remember that episode at the Teen Vogue dinner when scary Lisa Love says that there are too many flower arrangements on the table??

Anywho…Glossier, SuperEm’s latest venture, is a streamlined skin care brand with a minimalist chic aesthetic. They launched late last year with a handful of products and the belief that skin should be celebrated, not covered up.

Glossier Phase 1 Set
The $80 four-piece Glossier Phase 1 Set

The $80 four-piece Phase 1 Set contains the basics for low-key, casual skin — a hydrating mist, a face moisturizer that doubles as a makeup primer, a rich salve for your lips (and/or any other dry bits) and a tinted moisturizer with a satin finish.

I like to start by misting all over my face with the Soothing Face Mist Rosewater Spray, followed by the Priming Moisturizer on my face and neck. Then I’ll dab Balm Dotcom on my lips, and finish by blending the Perfecting Skin Tint in Medium all over my face (I’ll use about a dozen drops).

Glossier Soothing Face Mist
Soothing Face Mist from the Glossier Phase 1 Set

Glossier Priming Moisturizer
Priming Moisturizer

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There are 16 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Glossier, Product Reviews, Skin Care

Tom Ford’s Glossy Gunmetal Cream Color for Eyes in Spring 2015 Is a Cream Shadow Chimera

February 10th, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spring 2015
Wearing Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spring 2015

OK, that’s it. Game over! I’ve only been waiting, what, years, possibly decades, for this exact cream eyeshadow to walk into my life and subsequently rock my world, all that time patiently wishing, wondering, hoping to find a long-wearing product with a glossy finish that would make it possible for me to do a smokey eye without having to conduct a symphony on my lids with five different eyeshadows and eight brushes.

Finally, the wait is over.

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spring 2015

You done good, Tom. SO GOOD. Your new $42 Cream Color for Eyes cream eyeshadow in Spring 2015 (yup, that’s really its name) gives me all the feels.

But I’m actually having a hard time describing the color. One minute I’ll see a deep golden khaki gray. Then I’ll turn my head a certain way or push my hair behind my ear and POW! — get a blast of silvery glitter in a warm, rich taupe or catch a glimpse of gunmetal gray. It’s a cream shadow chimera.

To top it off, there’s the finish. THAT GLOSSY FINISH THO! Such a vivrant thing (shoutout to Q-Tip), slick as a pristine magazine cover beckoning from a shelf at Barnes. At the same time, it’s fresh, spunky and a little bit wild (like Tabs the first time I met him, haha).

Its glossiness holds the key to its grunge-glam fabulosity.

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spring 2015
Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spring 2015

It’s not easy to find a shadow with a glossy finish that actually stays on my lids AND feels comfortable. Most of them scoot around, only to settle into the crease within minutes of applying, but this one doesn’t move. It stays put.

Formula-wise, it’s a whipped mousse (and I don’t mean an exhausted elk), so if you prefer dense creams like the MAC Paint Pots, this kind of cream shadow may not be for you. I like the fluffiness of it, though. I find it easy to blend.

Unfortunately, this one is limited edition.

(Cue the glittery tears and shaking fists.)

But at least it’s available now online for $42. It’ll also be available at bergdorfgoodman.com and neimanmarcus.com beginning later this week.

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spring 2015 swatch

When I apply Spring 2015, I like to ride the lazy train. I usually don’t use a primer with it because it doesn’t need one. I’ll just pat a small amount on my eyes starting with my lash line and lids, buff out the edges, and rinse and repeat until I reach the level of intensity I want. After that, it’s black eyeliner on my water lines and lots of black mascara.

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spring 2015
I’m wearing MAC Lip Pencil in Fruit Cocktail and Lipstick in Ravishing on my lips, Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush in Habanera on my cheeks, and Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spring 2015

This shadow adores nude lips (one to try: Tom Ford Sable Smoke) and casual skin. Oh! — and warm-toned lip and cheek pairings.

In these pics I’m wearing it with a coral lip and warm peach cheeks.

Being a $42 cream eyeshadow, Spring 2015 will probably not make your wallet do the Dance of Joy, but that’s Tom for you. Bargains are just not allowed at his counters. Still, in Tom Ford-ville, where a jar of face moisturizer costs $230, $42 is not a bad deal.

If you’re looking for a reasonable way to test the Tom Ford waters (as reasonable as Tom Ford ever gets), consider Spring 2015. I think it’s really something special (Tom, please make it permanent!).

PRICE: $42 for a 0.21-oz. jar
AVAILABILITY: Limited edition, available now online at tomford.com and coming to bergdorfgoodman.com and neimanmarcus.com later this week
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

Adventures in tea time…

I’ve been drinking a lot of tea lately…

Partly because I’m trying to cut down on my caffeine intake/dependency (hey, it’s something to do…like growing out my hair), and partly because of that cold I had last week.

I don’t know why, but some things are just totally unappealing to me when I’m sick, like coffee and eggs — especially scrambled eggs, which I normally love.

Anyway, this tea — my parents brought it back from their trip to China and the Philippines last fall. I’m actually not entirely sure what’s in it (the ingredients aren’t in English), but there’s a description on the side of the box, and I see the word “barley.”

This tea is SO DAMN GOOD. It’s hearty, like black tea, but I don’t think it’s caffeinated, because it doesn’t keep me up when I drink it at night.

I’m down to my last five bags now. 🙁 I keep looking for it online, but no luck. I’m seriously thinking about going to Chinatown in SF specifically to look for it.

If you’re a fellow tea lover, what have you been drinking lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 32 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Product Reviews, Tom Ford Beauty

The Beautiful Beasts in Paul & Joe’s Menagerie Are Wild About Laid-Back Color: The Spring 2015 Menagerie Collection Face and Eye Color CS Palettes

February 9th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

Wearing the new Paul & Joe Face & Eye Colors in CS 0996 and CS 094 from the spring 2015 Menagerie collection
Wearing the new Paul & Joe Face & Eye Colors in CS 096 and CS 094 from the spring 2015 Menagerie collection

Paul & Joe’s spring Menagerie collection is not simply a collection of printed animals on powder pans. It is a representation of my not-too-distant future, a future in which I am a woman of advancing years living on a farm on the Big Island of Hawaii surrounding by cats (obviously) and various other fauna.

Despite El Hub’s protests, we adopt a hippo and an elephant, in addition to ducks (and cats), and all of them live together harmoniously, much as they do on these pans. 🙂

Paul & Joe Menagerie Spring 2015 collection Face & Eye Color CS from the left: Elephanteau (096), Les Flamants Roses (094) and Girafe (095), $39 each
The $39 Face & Eye Color CS palettes from the left in Elephanteau (096), Girafe (095) and Les Flamants Roses (094)

I think I’m physically incapable of not smiling when I look at these limited edition palettes, and they’re also a lot of fun to use, especially on casual makeup days when I’m rocking a ponytail, white tee and jeans (with my ASPCA cat Vans).

Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color in CS 096
Face & Eye Color in Elephanteau CS 096

The powders are multifunctional eyeshadows/blushes/highlighters and can be used on your eyes and cheeks.

Paul & Joe Menagerie Spring 2015 Face & Eye Color CS in Les Flamants Roses
Face & Eye Color in Girafe CS 095

They also smell like candy hearts. 🙂 And the scent is fairly strong (typical of Paul & Joe). Luckily, I like it.

Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color in CS 094
Face & Eye Color in Les Flamants Roses CS 094

Just like real life on a farm, these animals have jobs. The cat moonlights as an eyeshadow, the hippo works as an accent shade for eyes, the duck dances as a highlighter, and the elephant assists cheeks (while also doubling as an eye color).

Really, though, you can use any of them on your eyes or face, although Greta in the cube next to you might roll her eyes if she sees you wearing the blue hippo on your cheeks.

But who cares? Do it anyway. I did the other day, haha! I wanted to see how the eyeshadows would work on my cheeks, and they worked great. The smooth, easy-to-blend powders deposit a tiny bit of fallout, but it’s not enough to warrant calling the avenging makeup angels down to unleash their wrath of fire and brimstone. Nothing like that.

Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color in CS 096 Swatches
Face & Eye Color in Elephanteau CS 096

Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color in CS 095 Swatches
Face & Eye Color in Girafe CS 095

Paul & Joe Face & Eye Color in CS 094 Swatches
Face & Eye Color in Les Flamants Roses CS 094

[Continue reading…]

There are 23 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Palettes, Paul & Joe, Product Reviews

3 Fascinating (and Slightly Frightening) New Beauty Tools From Sephora

February 9th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

3 Fascinating (and Slightly Frightening) New Beauty Tools from Sephora

1. Sephora Collection Show Curl XL lash curler ($17)

Sephora Collection Show Curl XL
Sephora Collection Show Curl XL

I’m a dedicated Shu Uemura lash curler girl, and when mine went missing a few years back, I seriously lost my sh*t! Like, I had a full-on ballistic meltdown.

But I’m also a curious kitty who likes to meow new thangs.

This one is designed, first and foremost, for deep-set eyes (which I don’t really have) and incorporates advanced Cyberdyne Systems-like technology, like an “extreme curved band shape” for dramatic lash curls. It’s also extra large and has a long handle to help you get as close as mathematically possible to your lash lines…

Or something like that. More importantly, it comes in three colors (of course my favorite one is the one with the hot pink band), and each one includes two spare replacement pads.

Sephora Collection Show Curl XL (bottom) with a Shu Uemura Lash Curler (top)
The Sephora Collection Show Curl XL (bottom/front) with a Shu Uemura Lash Curler (top/back). See how Show Curl’s band is curved?

“But does it work!?” she cried, clenching her fists by her sides and stomping her feet in a fresh storm puddle.

Yeah…it actually does, but it takes a little getting used to. It’s quite large, and I kept pinching my lashes on my first few tries, which could be partly due to muscle memory, since I’ve spent 10 years using Shu’s curler.

This curler nicely lifts my lashes, though — especially the ones on the ends that are inherently harder to curl — and the effect is pretty dramatic and defined. It’s a good starting point for mascara.

Sephora Collection Show Curl XL (right) with a Shu Uemura Lash Curler (left)
Sephora Collection Show Curl XL (right) with a Shu Uemura Lash Curler (left)

I’m still hooked on Shu’s curler and don’t see myself ever giving it up, but the Sephora Collection Show Curl XL is a worthy contender. It might also be the cat’s meow if you have deep-set eyes.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B/B+

2. Sephora Collection Long Lashing Contoured Eyelash Comb ($14)

Sephora Collection Long Lashing Contoured Eyelash Comb
Sephora Collection Long Lashing Contoured Eyelash Comb

HOW SCARY IS THIS CONTRAPTION?

The first time I ran the comb through my lashes, I thought of that chant from the end of A Christmas Story. “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”

Thankfully, I have not, yet.

Not as of 2:56 p.m. on February 9, 2015.

Um…so this one’s truly innovative. It’s a lash comb, but the teeth are arranged vertically, so instead of holding the handle parallel to your lash line, you hold it perpendicular.

Sephora Collection Long Lashing Contoured Eyelash Comb

I think it’s about a million times easier to use than conventional lash combs, like, I don’t have to hold it at weird angles. I just hold the brush above my lashes, and brush down a few times.

That’s it.

It’s way more intuitive and, I guess, ergonomic than old-fashioned lash combs. Definitely easier to manipulate and hold, and it separates lashes well.

Sephora Collection Long Lashing Contoured Eyelash Comb

Added bonus? The comb folds in half for travel-friendly convenience.

Bravo, Sephora! 🙂
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+
[Continue reading…]

There are 26 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup Tools, Product Reviews, Sephora

The $46 Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette: For Cheeks So Sharp They Could Slice Pizza

February 5th, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette
Wearing the $46 Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette, available now exclusively at Sephora

Because, clearly, the most logical thing to do when you’re fighting a cold is to flick out your eyeliner and contour your cheeks.

Clearly. 🙂

Sniffle-upagus says what now?!

Sorry, I think the cold meds are getting to me… I feel cuckoo for cocoa puffs right now, but at least my cheekbones could slice pizza, thanks to the Kat V D Shade + Light Contour Palette.

Admittedly, I didn’t think I was going to like this palette because of that font on the cover…and yes, that did sound crazier than I thought it would.

I’m not a fan of that lower case “h.”

But regarding the palette, first, I should say that I’m not really big on mega-contouring, and that’s mostly because of the amount of blending. It usually takes a lot of it, and blending seems to be one of those things with very little room for error. When I half-@ss it, I end up looking like I drew all over my face with a Magic Marker.

Not cute.

I’d say that most of the time I’m a “light dusting of golden bronzer” girl, but this palette could change that.

Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette
Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette
Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette
Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette
Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette Swatches
Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette Swatches

I expected Kat Von D’s Shade + Light Contour Palette ($46) to be difficult to use, and I thought I’d need a few tries. But it only took one.

The fluffy, soft powders turned out to be easy to blend. My forearms did NOT get a workout, which in this case was good. 🙂

Note the range of marvelous matte (YES!) colors, including lighter mattes that you can use as highlighting powders (a pinkish nude, a yellowy beige and a soft peach) and three darker mattes good for contouring (a cool-toned taupe, a soft neutral brown and a cool-toned grayish brown).

The matte shades can be used to quickly shape shadows and curves into the skin, and because they aren’t excessively cool (color temp-wise), they don’t appear ashy on my warm-toned skin (and they’re very pore-forgiving).
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There are 25 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Kat Von D, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

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