Product Reviews

For Statement Lips That Last (and Last): The Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Liquid Lip Colors

August 20th, 2012 by Karen 51 Comments

make up for ever aqua rouge review

In a way, Make Up For Ever’s 12 new Aqua Rouge liquid lip colors are like Terminators.

Perhaps Kyle Reese said it best: “It [the lip colors] can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop…”

But unlike those metal monsters from the future, these $24 lip colors just want to hang out with you…for a really, really long time.

make up for ever aqua rouge product shot
From the left: #1 Nude Beige, #8 Red, #7 Pink Brown, #10 Raspberry and #15 Pink

make up for ever aqua rouge swatches
Swatches from the left: #1 Nude Beige, #15 Pink, #10 Raspberry, #8 Red, #7 Pink Brown and the clear gloss

They have a creamy liquid lip color with a doe-foot applicator on one end and a clear, non-sticky gloss with a brush on the other. Layered beneath the glosses, the lip colors, which pack full-tilt pigment, maximum opacity and a mirror-like shine, last on me from 4-6 hours, assuming I sip or nibble on something during that time, and a whopping 6-7 hours if I don’t.

make up for ever aqua rouge 8 red
#8 Red
[Continue reading…]

Decisions, Decisions… Summer in Malibu or the Hamptons? Jouer’s Sheer and Shiny Moisturizing Lip Glosses in Malibu and Hamptons

August 17th, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

jouer hamptons gloss

Only a couple weekends left until the end of August, and by virtue of that, the unofficial end of summer.

NOOOOOOO!!!

Oh, cruel, cool fall, how darest thou impinge upon my summer fun?!

Back! Back, I say! Away with you!

Oh, what’s the use? Fall is coming; there’s no stopping it. The very thought of being cold again gives me chills, and not in a good way.

What we need is an app for that… If you happen to be an iPhone developer, please invent an app with a summer pause button so we can extend the last weeks of the season and play with products like these two juicy, summery lipglosses from Jouer while it’s still summer.

The Moisturizing Lip Glosses in hot pink Malibu and shimmery golden coral Hamptons ($20 each) strutted onto Jouer counters and the Jouer Cosmetics website earlier this season, joining the ranks of the company’s permanent collection.

Both unscented, unflavored glosses feel thin and non-sticky on my lips, and they last about 2-3 hours.

jouer malibu hamptons gloss product shot
Lipgloss in Malibu (left) and Hamptons (right)

Swatches of Hamptons (left) and Malibu (right)

jouer malibu gloss
Lipgloss in Malibu
[Continue reading…]

Not Even Michael Phelps Handles Water As Well As New Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow

August 14th, 2012 by Karen 34 Comments

make up for ever aqua brow

Where’s home base? For my eyebrows, most of the time it’s at the corner of MAC Concrete Eyeshadow and the 266 Small Angle Brush, but over the past couple of weeks, the new Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow ($20 and available in seven shades) and I have stamped some pretty impressive locations in our makeup passport, from a series of treadmill sessions in a sweltering room, to a blisteringly hot blacktop parking lot where a pack of food trucks roam, to a humid East Bay afternoon.

No matter how hot, sticky or overheated I got, Aqua Brow didn’t budge, even when I was bathed in sweat from head to toe after ~~daydreaming about Jeremy Renner~~ a rough 6-mile run.

make up for ever aqua brow product shot
From the left: #25 Ash, #35 Taupe and #40 Brown Black

Make Up For Ever made this brow-filling gel for makeup artists, but you and I can use it, too. 🙂 Designed to fill, define and intensify brows with a concentrated waterproof formula able withstand hot summer days and sudden thunderstorms, it comes in a tube and dries to a powder with a satiny finish.

A tip for the three dudes who read MBB (bless your hearts!), you can use Aqua Brow to fill in mustaches and sideburns, too.

MUFE claims the essential oils and carnauba wax (palm wax) they used render Aqua Brow virtually melt-proof.

All seven shades join MUFE’s permanent line next month, with #10 Light Blonde, #15 Blonde and #25 Ash heading to Sephora stores (but they’re available now online) and Make Up For Ever Boutiques; and #20 Light Brown, #30 Dark Brown, #35 Taupe and #40 Brown Black coming exclusively to Make Up For Ever Boutiques.

So far my brows and I have tried #25 Ash, #35 Taupe and #40 Brown Black. I think that Ash, while a tad lighter than my natural brow color, matches my dyed hair pretty well, and if you’re a brunette, it should work well for you, too.

make up for ever aqua brow swatches
From the left: #25 Ash, #35 Taupe and #40 Brown Black

make up for ever aqua brow before and after
Before (left) and after application of #25 Ash (right)
[Continue reading…]

The Givenchy Le Prisme Eye Quad Color & Shine for Metallic Eyes in Acoustic Harmony #80, and Conversations With My Inner Drag Queen About Glitter

August 10th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

givenchy acoustic harmony

Between the hypnotic packaging sparkling like a shimmery pair of black snakeskin and patent leather heels, the glittery catchlights and the sheer, high-shine finish of its four powder shadows, Givenchy’s Le Prisme Eye Quad Color & Shine for Metallic Eyes in Acoustic Harmony #80 ($58) is like a makeup oasis glistening in a desert flush with fall smokey eyes.

givenchy acoustic harmony product shot
Outside of the packaging

No. 80 is the new quad in Givenchy’s Acoustic Colors collection for autumn/winter 2012, and man! — it’s sparkly.

So sparkly that it even gave my inner drag queen reason to pause…

KAREN’S INNER DRAG QUEEN: “Baby, I dunno if we can do this.”

KAREN: “Yeah, that is a lot of glitter, but check out how sheer the shadows are. They’re really only lightly tinted but have a shiny finish and gobs of glitter.

“I bet if we apply one all over our lids with a flat eyeshadow brush like the MAC 239, it would look really cool. We’d get a wash of sheer pigment, a shiny finish and sparkle from the glitter on top.

“Trust me — we can make it look classy.”

KAREN’S INNER DRAG QUEEN: “Classy with a ‘c’ or klassy with a ‘k’?”

KAREN: “Dude, classy with a ‘c’! It’ll look like twinkling lights, and because the flecks of glitter are pretty big, I bet we’ll be able to see ’em from a few feet away.

“We’ll just have to make sure we don’t go overboard with the rest of our eye look, which we can do by keeping the liner simple and skipping the false lashes.”

KAREN’S INNER DRAG QUEEN: “B*tch, you know the last time I toned anything down was never. Does not compute!”

KAREN: “Okay, well, to turn it up instead, we can press the shadow directly on our lids. That should intensify the pigment even more, KAPOW! We’ll have to start with a layer of primer to get more of that glitter to latch on to our skin… Hey, I thought you were nervous about wearing so much glitter?”

KAREN’S INNER DRAG QUEEN: “Last time I checked I was the one who held the diva card in this relationship, which means I can change my mind whenever I want. 🙂

[Snaps three times in a Z.]

“Now go about your business so I can practice lip-synching It’s Raining Men.”

As I was saying, this is one of those products where you really have to love glitter.

Good thing I do (I go through phases) because the stuff gets everywhere!

givenchy acoustic harmony

givenchy acoustic harmony
[Continue reading…]

And the Award for Longest Name in a Lip Gloss This Fall Goes to…Givenchy Acoustic Colors Gelee D’Interdie Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose!

August 10th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

givenchy acoustic wild rose closeup

Wild Rose.

That’s what they call me — the people who know me best — but everyone else just calls me by my given name, Givenchy Gelee D’Interdit Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose #18.

I’m new here. I actually don’t even start work till the fall. They got me sitting on shelves at this place called Sephora. It’s a contract position — you know, a limited time. I told them I wouldn’t work for a nickel less than $27.50. I said, “That’s my price.” And they agreed.

The job description called for someone who “has a thing for biker bars, bouquets, and playing breakup songs on her guitar at corner coffee shops on open mic night.”

Eh, I needed the work…

I’m a very sheer, shimmery pink, and have pearlescent purple and golden glitter. If I had my druthers, I would have preferred a job looking smooth, shiny and dainty on the lips of ladies who lunch — the bored ones who like a kick of disco glitter to spice up their cucumber sandwiches at afternoon tea.

You think maybe you’d like to show me around? 🙂

givenchy acoustic wild rose closeup

givenchy acoustic wild rose

givenchy gelee d interdit Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose and Le Prisme Eye Quad in Acoustic Harmony
Gelee D’Interdit Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose #18 (left) and Le Prisme Eye Quad Color & Shine for Metallic Eyes in Acoustic Harmony #80 (right)
[Continue reading…]

What Do the Givenchy Acoustic Colors Magic Lipstick and Lipgloss Reveal? Here’s a Tint: It’s Sheer, Pink and Looks Natural

August 9th, 2012 by Karen 33 Comments

givenchy Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink
Wearing Givenchy Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34 on my lips

First, mood rings. Now, mood makeup! How do you feel about lip products designed to change colors once you get them on your pout? The idea’s nothing new, but Givenchy’s new take on it is making me smile. 🙂

Some of that’s because of these chic, sleek outfits. Givenchy always turns that mutha out! when it comes to good-looking packaging.

And then there’s the way new Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #57 ($30) and Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34 ($27.50) feel on my lips — lightweight, silky and comfortable, like my favorite silk dress.

Both the Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #57 and Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34 were inspired by Givenchy spokeswoman Liv Tyler, hence the shout-out to her name in the products’ spelling.

Apply either the light pink Lipstick or clear Gloss on bare lips, and ahhh… Feels so good! Lo and behold, about a minute or so later, both colors have changed into deeper pink hues that last about two hours on me.

givenchy Le Gloss Revelateur De liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink
Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34; lashes worn in this look: Urban Decay Sly

givenchy Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink
Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34

givenchy acoustic colors fall 2012
From the left: Gelee D’Interdit Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose #18 ($27.50), Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34 ($27.50), Le Prisme Eye Quad Color & Shine for Metallic Eyes in Acoustic Harmony #80 ($58), Le Rose Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Releaver in LIVely Pink #57 ($30)
[Continue reading…]

The Make Up For Ever Black Tango Palette Will Let You Have This Dance, But Only If You Make It Quick

August 9th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

make up for ever black tango palette

Dear Roger Ebert,

First of all, can I just say — I love you, man! I’ve been reading your movie reviews FOR EVER, and all this time, after all these years, you still find new ways to get me excited about movies.

With your reviews, I never feel like I’m reading a boring laundry list or some critic’s attempt to dazzle me with their erudite vocabulary. You’re always passionate, honest and open-minded, which is amazing to me after the thousands of movies you’ve seen.

Mr. Ebert, you’re one of my writing heroes.

Sometimes, just for fun, I try to write my own movie reviews, and when I do they usually go a little something like this:

“Saw Fool’s Gold last night. Was surprised it wasn’t completely dumb.”

As you can see, I lack your way with words, I think because of how easily I get distracted…

OOH! — look at that shiny bauble! 🙂

I mean, I try to focus on the important things, like the dialogue, pacing and character development (and male shirtless-ness), but I usually end up pondering things like how the secret treasure in Fool’s Gold looked so much like the new Make Up For Ever Black Tango palette ($45).

make up for ever black tango fall 2012 open
Black Tango Palette

In the unlikely event that you find long-wearing waterproof cream eyeshadows as intriguing as I do, you might want to check out this particular fall palette, which includes four new limited-edition shades of Make Up For Ever’s popular Aqua Creams.

Along with three shimmery gem-like colors — an amethyst, emerald and a sapphire — that could have come from a Medieval queen’s jewel-encrusted scepter, the palette also features a shimmery ivory for highlighting, and each of the shadows comes in its own self-contained pot (don’t forget to close the lids tightly so they won’t dry out).

For some reason, these shadows set in a flash, quicker than the other Aqua Creams I’ve worn in the past — something I figured out while watching Fool’s Gold the other night.

make up for ever black tango palette visual

I wanted to recreate (or come close to) the killer purple smokey eye in the Black Tango promotional picture using just the colors in the palette, but for the life of me, I couldn’t do it. The shadows dried so unbelievably quickly that I couldn’t effectively blend the shades.

make up for ever black tango swatches
Swatches from the left: Black Tango Palette Aqua Creams in Purple, Green, Blue and Ivory; Aqua Rouge in #8 Red, #1 Nude Beige and clear gloss; Aqua Brow in #25 Ash unblended and blended

make up for ever black tango palette
[Continue reading…]

Topshop Blush in Flush, You’ve Got the Right Stuff, Baby

August 9th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

topshop blush in flush

I am a woman. A woman on a mission. Well, a woman on two missions.

The first is cat-related (of course). Tabs is furious — FURIOUS! — over the fact that Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette, has not one, but TWO personal maids.

I keep trying to tell Tabs that since both El Hub and I tend to all of his household cleaning and cooking needs, technically, it’s like we’re his “two maids,” but he’s not having that.

As you know, in the feline fashion world, one minute you’re in…and the next minute you’re staring at pics of a fluffy blue-eyed kitten hanging from a Chanel bag.

Appearances are everything.

So now he wants me to hire more “help.”

Aaaaaand these are the days of my life…

My second mission is more exciting. Why? Because it involves helping you discover one of the most universally flattering pink cream blushes I’ve come across this year.

Oh, and my favorite thing about it? It costs a lot less than two personal kitty maids! 🙂 Topshop’s $12 Blush in Flush is everything I like in a pink cream blush — natural-looking, long-lasting and universally flattering.

topshop blush in flush product shot

topshop blush in flush

Like Earth, this peachy pink blush also inhabits the “Goldilocks Zone,” where the color temperature is juuust right, nicely between cool and warm, so it should look great on a wide range of skin tones, and it has the faintest whisker kiss of sheen. It’s easy to sheer out for a dainty flush or build up for a bright spotlight of color, making it an option for pale beauties and darker damsels.
[Continue reading…]