Product Reviews

The NARS Holiday 2014 Hardwired Eyeshadows in Gabon, Canberra and Opal Coast: My Lids Are Hardwired to Like These

October 8th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Also wearing in the picture above…

EYES: NARS Bronzer in Laguna in the crease, NARS Hardwired Eyeshadow in Gabon in the outer corner and inner corner, NARS Hardwired Eyeshadow in Opal Coast in the center of the lid, NARS Hardwired Eyeshadow in Canberra on the lower lash line, NARS Larger THan Life Long Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte on the water line and Topshop Doe Eyed Lashes mascara on my lashes.

CHEEKS: NARS Bronzer in Laguna to contour and NARS Blush in Almeria on the apples.

LIPS: NARS Lipstick in Femme Fleur and NARS Lipgloss in Soleil D’Orient.

OK, help me out. These are the three new Hardwired Eyeshadows from the 13-piece NARS Holiday 2014 Laced with Edge collection, so I’m trying to think of puns using the word “hardwired.”

Tabs is hardwired to kack at birds.

I am hardwired to lose track of time in Sephora.

The Terminator is hardwired by John Connor, in the future, to travel back in time to kill John’s mother, thereby ensuring Skynet’s…

Yeah, that one’s not working.

How about this? I am hardwired to like NARS.

Simple, clear, to the point. I like it. 🙂

I gasped out loud when I swatched this new line of sparkly powder eyeshadows in Opal Coast, Canberra and Gabon.

NARS Holiday 2014 Hardwired Eyeshadows from the left: Canberra, Gabon and Opal Coast — Hardwired Eyeshadows from the left: Canberra, Gabon and Opal Coast

NARS Holiday 2014 swatches from the left: Hardwired Eyeshadows in Opal Coast, Canberra and Gabon — Hardwired Eyeshadow swatches from the left: Opal Coast, Canberra and Gabon

It’s no secret, but sometimes iridescent and metallic finishes can be difficult to wear, especially when they’re really chunky and gritty and just sit on top of my skin highlighting my fine lines…

Being slightly creamy, the Hardwire formula seems to bind a little better to the skin. Sure, my fine lines are still there, but they don’t look as obvious as they do when I wear other metallic eyeshadows. As far as shiny shadows go, I think these are very forgiving.

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Get Lazy Waves in a Minute With Shu Uemura Art of Hair Texture Wave Dry Finishing Spray

October 3rd, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Apparently, I can no longer be bothered to spend more than 60 seconds doing my hair because I have bigger, badder, more ferocious beauty fires to put out, like FREAKING BLACK CAT EYELINER THAT IS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE.

This morning was rough, man. I couldn’t get the outer wings to line up evenly (for my makeup here), and then the liner just kept getting thicker and thicker… *shakes head*

Silly me for thinking, “Oh, this will only take five minutes.”

And don’t even get me started on the red lipstick. I mean, when a big red lipstick splotch ends up under your right eye and you have no idea how it got there, the makeup gods are telling you in their own twisted way that sh*t has officially hit the fan today.

Since I was running epically late, I had to ditch my original hair plan of curling my hair with the 1-inch Conair curling iron I picked up at Ulta a couple weeks ago. I needed something quicker, so I went with wild, messy waves using the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Texture Wave Dry Finishing Spray ($38).

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For Makeup and a Light Meal, Try Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss

October 2nd, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Wearing Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in Butter Cream, $24

If I’m ever invited to one of those restaurants where you dine in the dark, I’m bringing Cocoa Bean or Butter Cream with me, two of the 24 Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Glosses ($24 each) from cruelty-free indie line Gerard Cosmetics.

Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in Butter Cream and Cocoa Bean — Let there be light!

And not just because they double as a light source. They’re also intensely pigmented, highly moisturizing and comfy. Plus, the lightweight, non-sticky formula should easily last through the dinner (wear time: 4-5 hours).

While my tum is plumping during the meal, my lips will be, too — just slightly — because these also contain lip-plumping collagen peptides, for less visible lip wrinkles without one of those painful plumping stings.

But with these, really, it’s all about the flashlight. That’s the hook right there — the two bright LED lights in the cap.

And they are BRIGHT! Borderline blinding. One thing’s for sure, they aren’t dim.

Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in Cocoa Bean — Cocoa Bean

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The MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Palette Is a Dignified Diva Strengthened by Neutrals

October 2nd, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

I can say with the utmost sincerity that I have never been this excited to wear MAC Soft Brown.

And I love Soft Brown! It’s one of my all-time greatest hits, most loved staples, and I’ve been wearing it for years. I’m always happy to see Soft Brown staring back at me as I get ready in the morning.

Now, though? Next to so many other dope-@ss neutral eyeshadows in the $85 MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas palette? The impossible has happened: I like Soft Brown even more.

“But,” you might be thinking, “slow your roll, sweet thang.” We’re talking about an $85 palette. An $85 neutral palette. Another neutral palette.

I know, you’re right. More neutrals, and $85 is a lot, but it’s half what MAC usually charges for their 15-pan palettes (those are $160).

Here’s the thing, though: if Gravitas were a gymnast, it would have perfect poise and balance. It would easily win a gold medal.

And to attempt an even stranger metaphor, if there were such a thing as an eyeshadow palette soulmate, Brook Shields would be mine, because I love almost everything about Gravitas. I feel like, eyeshadow-wise, it has everything I need.

Well…almost everything, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Definitely, Gravitas contains great everyday basic shades, like Soft Brown, Shroom, Carbon and Satin Taupe, but that’s far from everything it has to offer. It also has an interesting combination of warm- and cool-toned khaki, plum, gold and pink shades, which together with the basics, open up a world of elegant eye look possibilities that don’t necessarily involve me looking like I’m wearing a sh*t-ton of makeup at lunch on a Tuesday.

MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches 2MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches, Top Row: Pretty, Soft Brown, Expensive PInk, Clove and Satin Taupe — Top Row: Pretty, Soft Brown, Expensive PInk, Clove and Satin Taupe

MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches 2MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches, Middle Row: Canter, Luscious, Antiqued, Psyche and Carbon — Middle Row: Canter, Luscious, Antiqued, Psyche and Carbon

MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches, Bottom Row: Shroom, Persuade, Plummed, Lofty and Pepper — Bottom Row: Shroom, Persuade, Plummed, Lofty and Pepper

And the addition of the darker gray, black and purple eyeshadows gives Gravitas even more flexibility. When I want to dress up like a sparkly disco roller diva and ride my glittery unicorn Giselle, I can apply one these colors in the crease, the outer corner and on my lower lash line. Then just add a pair of falsies and go. 🙂

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These $8.99 L’Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliners Are Like Getting Two of UD’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils for the Price of One

October 1st, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

“YOU DON’T NEED ANY MORE EYELINER,” yelled my friend Cindy over email yesterday as we discussed what to do on our next meetup (this was right after I proposed lunch and a trip to Ulta).

Oh, really, Cindy? L’Oreal’s new Infallible Silkissime Eyeliners ($8.99) would beg to differ. 🙂

L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner shades from the purple to the silver: Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver — Left to right, from the purple pencil to the silver one, those are Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver

When I hold one of these pigmented, long-lasting, silky smooth liners up to my ear, I hear one of my favorite sounds in the world… The sound of spare change jingling into my Hello Kitty coin bank. 🙂 Because they’re less than 10 bucks! And they’re more or less the same as Urban Decay’s $20 24/7 Glide-On Pencils, which means they’re pretty awesome.

Don’t dawdle after you apply them, because once they set (it takes about a minute), they don’t budge. I like using them, especially Pure Purple and Cobalt Blue, for pops of bold color along my lower lash lines and inner corners.

L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner swatches from the left: Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver — Swatches from the left: Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver

The only thing I’m not crazy about is their reluctance to hang out on my water lines. On my lash lines? Not a problem. They’ll stick around for eight hours between touchups, but on my water lines, they’re gone within two.

L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner in Pure Purple — Pure Purple (lipstick is Lipstick Queen Play It)

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Best for Big Kissing Scenes and Luxe Leading Ladies: New $50 Lipstick Queen Screen Siren Lipstick

October 1st, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

The new Lipstick Queen Screen Siren Lipsticks, $50 each, available now in six shades

Sometimes, all a sister wants is to sit on the couch all damned day long eating crunchy things out of bags… Potato chips, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, maybe a few chocolate-chip macadamia nut cookies if they’re readily available.

And sometimes she doesn’t.

Sometimes, a sister wants to tower over the pyramids in leading lady leather high heels and femme fatale false lashes and big hair visible from space! 🙂

It’s the latter times when these new Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipsticks are extra nice.

Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipsticks in See Me (a peach) and Play It (a hot pink) — See Me (a peach) and Play It (a hot pink)

Glossy, glamorous shades inspired by the sirens of the silver screen, these pricey pretties are a shock-inducing $50 a tube, but at least they satisfy like a Snickers bar. The creamy formula slips onto lips like a silk dress, leaving behind a finish so shiny that even the haughtiest, naughtiest vixen would purr.

Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipsticks in See Me (left) and Play It (right) — See Me (left) and Play It (right)

Super fans of the Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick line may also love these. They’re around the same price, with similarly high levels of pigment (so high they could touch the sky!) and a preternaturally smooth, moisturizing formula. Depending on the shade, they also last on my lips around the same 3-5 hours.

Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipstick in See Me — See Me

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There Isn’t Any Room Left in This New Holiday Set Because It Already Includes Everything Nice: The New $56 Too Faced Cosmetics Everything Nice Set, a Holiday Sephora Exclusive

September 25th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Question: What do you get when you mix a dash of sugar, a pinch of spice and heaping handfuls of everything nice?

Answer: The new $56 Everything Nice Set by Too Faced Cosmetics.

From under the glittery pink Christmas tree at Too Faced headquarters comes this limited edition holiday Sephora exclusive — the big blockbuster kit from the Too Faced Christmas collection — and it sparkles with a hot pink makeup bag, three tiny Cruelty-Free Teddy Bear Hair brushes (two eye brushes and one for bronzing/blush), a step-by-step Glamour Guide with directions for a number of looks, a deluxe sample-sized tube (translation: slightly bigger than a regular sample size) of Better Than Sex Mascara, and a festive, feminine palette filled with 20 eyeshadows, two blushes, a bronzer and highlighter.

In total, a $450 value.

Too Faced Everything Nice Set Eyeshadows — The Too Faced Everything Nice Set eyeshadows…

Too Faced Everything Nice Set blushes, bronzer, highlighter, brushes and mascara — Blushes, bronzer, highlighter, brushes and mascara…

Everything to me, from the hand-drawn artwork on the palette’s cover, to the disco glam pink makeup bag, to the makeup color choices, seems true to the Too Faced brand. Girly, glam and totally wearable…with a little extra sass thrown in for good measure (because one never knows when one will get the urge to start trouble).

The 20 eyeshadows? Dude, you could do so many different eye looks with this palette! Roughly three quarters of them are neutrals…but not the kind of neutrals that make me want to hit the snooze button. Among them are mattes, metallics and glitters in a range of warm and cool tones.

And just to keep things interesting, there are also splashes of pink, mauve, taupe and gold.

Too Faced Everything Nice Set Swatches from the left: Turtle Dove, Dream On, After Hours, Fawned of You and Knockout — Swatches from the left: Turtle Dove, Dream On, After Hours, Fawned of You and Knockout

Too Faced Everything Nice Set swatches from the left: Paper Roses, Kindness Is Free, Mauvelous, Be You and Secret Lovers — Paper Roses, Kindness Is Free, Mauvelous, Be You and Secret Lovers

Too Faced Everything Nice Set swatches from the left: Heaven, Shiny Happy, Honey Pot, Don't Settle and Girly — Heaven, Shiny Happy, Honey Pot, Don’t Settle and Girly

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Bring the Brow Bar With You: Get a Pencil, Wax and Comb for $9 With the L’Oreal Brow Stylist Sculptor

September 25th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

As far as successful rebellion campaigns go, the long-running one being waged by my brows has been quite successful…from their point of view. If I had a fat tabby for every sparse spot or stray brow, I’d be living the cat lady high life, I tell ya.

L'Oreal Brow Stylist Sculptors in Blonde and Deep Brunette — Two of the three L’Oreal Brow Stylist Sculptors in Blonde and Deep Brunette

Lately my forces have been attempting to squash the rebellion with L’Oreal’s new Brow Stylist Sculptor ($8.99, and available in Blonde, Brunette and Dark Brunette), a dual-ended product that comes with a pencil for brow filling on one end and a clear, matte setting wax on the other.

But that’s not all. You also get a stiff brush for combing through those unruly brow hairs, which is quite handy. It’s built right into one of the caps.

Just fill in any sparse spots using the brow filling pencil, comb through with the brush, and set the hairs in place with the wax.

I won’t go so far as to say that I’ve squashed the rebellion with these, but we’ve made progress…

I wear Deep Brunette, the darkest shade. It’s a dark neutral brown with a slight gray undertone. The brow pencil end feels waxy and soft, much like Benefit’s Brow Pencils. When I use it, I think my brows look great for five or six hours, but the formula breaks up slowly as the day wears on. On top of that, the wax only offers light control, and the bushiest parts of my brows could use something with stiffer hold.

L'Oreal Brow Stylist Sculptor in Deep Brunette Before (left) and After (right) — Wearing Deep Brunette, before (left) and after (right)

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