Product Reviews

NYX The Crimson Amulet Collection Harbors a Bewitching Bevy of Nudes and Brights for Lips, Cheeks and Eyes

May 31st, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

nyx crimson amulet dark shadows

If you’re not already a fan of multi-product palettes, the NYX The Crimson Amulet Collection ($25) may confirm your worst fears about pre-stocked makeup kits.

Creams placed next to powders, gah! A dizzying array of 24 eyeshadows in a mix of matte and shimmery finishes lurk within this tomb, along with a teeny liquid liner indubitably designed for elfin hands.

Recently launched to coincide with the opening of the movie, Dark Shadows (four-word summary: Johnny Depp disco vampire), the limited edition palette of products for cheeks, lips and eyes harbors a supernatural society of bewitching nudes and brights!

nyx crimson amulet dark shadows front

I like the balance of serious colors and playful party shades, as well as the overall quality of the pieces and the number of products you get for the price.

If you maintain a pro-palette position, I think that’s enough right there to sway you.

But experienced NYX adherents might have a different take, one that flits between excitement over the eerily enticing Gothic packaging (isn’t there something very Flowers in the Attic about it?), and hardcore frustration.

I know I’ve definitely seen most of these colors before, like in the Nude on Nude palette, Butt “Naked” Eyes, Bohemian Rhapsody Casting Call and Haute Model.

Wisely for NYX, the palette has a built-in fail-safe: value.

For $25, you get 36 pieces! — all of high quality.

I think the HD Studio Eye Shadow Base, cheek products and lip products rock, but I would have liked to see more pigment added to some of the eyeshadows.

Unfortunately, the tiny liner seems like a bit of a throwaway product (dude, I can barely hold it properly, and I have small hands!), but I guess that’s what greatness like LORAC Front of the Line Pro is for. 🙂

nyx crimson amulet dark shadows open

nyx crimson amulet dark shadows tutorials
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In the Bronzer Olympics, the NYX Matte Bronzers Get the Gold

May 30th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

nyx matte bronzer
Wearing NYX Bronzer in Medium

To the uninitiated, spotting the differences between the new NYX Matte Bronzers and the many other compact bronzing powders currently on counters is like trying to tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi blindfolded without tasting either one.

In other words, it’s tough.

After all, like most of the bronzers vying for our attention this summer, these new ones from NYX promise to do the same things — deliver a natural-looking, honey-like glow for your skin.

But if MAC is trying to rule the department store market with their Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders, NYX is going after drugstore divas and budget-minded babes with their five new Matte Bronzers.

At $9 each, the prodigious 0.33-ounce pans shout “BARGAIN!” from their perches in drugstore makeup aisles. For the price of one MAC Pro Longwear Powder, you could get two of these from NYX and still have enough change left over for a drugstore ice cream cone (do you like mint chocolate chip?). 🙂

I’ve been wearing three of the five shades this week, and impressed doesn’t come close to describing how I feel. Blown away is more like it.

nyx matte bronzer

nyx matte bronzer
Clockwise from the lower left: Medium, Deep and Light

None of that “BS” Oompa-Loompa orange business here. No way. The golden russet glow these bestow upon skin is worthy of beach barbeques and pool parties.

Very long beach barbeques and pool parties.

How long?

Well, starting with that first buttery cob of sweet corn, they last past the late-night singalongs and woozy revelations (like “S’mores are so genius!” and “Whoever invented nude wedges deserves a medal!”), and all the way until you’ve said your goodbyes before packing up the cooler to head home.
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Bonjour, Mon Amour: With Tocca Violette Eau de Parfum, It’s Chic to Be Shy

May 30th, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

tocca violette

It’s her smile you notice first.

You’re strolling across the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris on a crisp, clear spring day when you see her standing by the railing, a shy smile on her lips, her hair swept in a chic chignon. A scarf is draped effortlessly around her neck, and she’s holding a bouquet of violets by her side.

She pauses to take in the City of Light and the River Seine below, leaning against the railing with her hands tucked beneath her chin and staring off into the distance, her eyes faraway and dreamy.

Ah, you know that look…the look of first love, when the mere thought of your beloved awakens every cell in your body with a tingling that begins at your toes and works its way up through your spine.

A breeze turns toward you, bringing with it an intoxicating aroma of vanilla, rose, musk, black currant berries and violet.

The girl breaks from her reverie, caught by your gaze, and smiles warmly. You return the feeling, knowingly, as you pass her along the bridge, recalling another time, so many years ago, when you, too, stood in almost the same spot, basking all-too-briefly in the same glow with your American writer, so tall and beautiful, with his brown hair and hazel eyes.

Whatever happened to him? you wonder. Does he still think of you, like you think of him?

Almost across the bridge now, you close your eyes once again and breath deeply, drawing in as much of the scent as you can, letting it sweep you up in its loving embrace.

Another happy girl on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, 2005
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The NYX Illuminating Bronzers: Has NYX Invented a $9 Time Machine? Inquiring Minds Want to Know

May 30th, 2012 by Karen 50 Comments

nyx chaotic illuminating bronzer
Wearing NYX Illuminating Bronzer in Chaotic on my cheeks

Shimmery bronzing powders in almost blush-like shades of luscious peach and pink aren’t exactly uncharted territory. Chanel, for example, has been there, done that, a few times before.

But NYX weaved quite a tapestry together with their three new Illuminating Face and Body Bronzers. By combining eminently flattering shades with a pearly finish and a soft, comfy texture, and then keeping the price well below department store, they created something greater than the sum of its parts.

All it took was a few swipes of Narcissistic (a beige), Chaotic (a golden peach) and Magnetic (a peachy pink) to get me hooked on all three.

nyx illuminating bronzer compacts

The marketing material doesn’t say, but I wonder if NYX co-created them with Cher, because they are, after all, designed to “turn back time.” 🙂

How so?

By bestowing a natural radiant glow to the skin that also diffuses incoming light, helping skin appear softer and, or so I hope, younger.

Yeah…I can’t even begin to tell you how appealing that sounds now that 37 is officially less than two weeks away!

But seeing as how I can’t really stop this train I’m on, I’ve been doing my best to ~~slow it down~~ embrace the inevitable with positivity and panache.

Now, when people call me “ma’am,” I try to own that sh*t! — but that does not mean refusing a little makeup help along the way.

Like Fox Mulder with his aliens, I really want to believe, LOL!

What do you think? Do I look 10 years younger wearing Chaotic, my favorite of the three shades, up there at the top?

Okay, how about 5? 🙂

nyx illuminating bronzer open
The NYX Illuminating Bronzers, clockwise from the lower left: Narcissistic, Chaotic and Magnetic

nyx illuminating bronzer swatches
Swatches from the left for comparison: NYX Illuminating Bronzer in Narcissistic, Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Luminous Bronzing Powder in Sable Beige, NYX Illuminating Bronzer in Magnetic, NARS Blush in Luster, NYX Illuminating Bronzer in Chaotic and Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Luminous Bronzing Powder in Sable Rose
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A Safari of Shimmer Awaits Cheeks, Lips and Eyes Wearing the LORAC Wild for TANtalizer Collection

May 29th, 2012 by Karen 39 Comments

lorac wild for tantalizer collection

Good news, you gorgeous golden jungle cat. You won’t have to prowl much further for a meow-worthy makeup collection (or a purse, for that matter) to go with that post-Memorial Day tan.

Part-time shimmery seductress, full-time toasty temptress, LORAC’s Wild for TANtalizer Collection ($39) roars on to cheeks, lips and eyes with shimmery eyeshadows, bronzer and lipstick in warm shades of bronze, beige, brown, gold and peach.

And after a successful hunt, the pieces in this pride of LORAC lionesses retreat to the safety of their very own canvas-like carrying case. The purse comes with the collection and holds everything a big cat needs — makeup, iPhone, perfume, hand/paw lotion. Ya know, the usual. 🙂

lorac wild for tantalizer

lorac wild for tantalizer
In case you’re wondering, the striped pattern on the pan of Wild for TANtalizer Bronzing Powder is an overspray…

lorac wild for tantalizer
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Question: When Is a Liquid Also a Solid? Answer: When It’s the LUSH Godiva Shampoo Bar

May 29th, 2012 by Karen 57 Comments

lush godiva shampoo bar

For me, in the realm of suspicious things, a solid shampoo ranked right up there with men who wear thumb rings, and gray-hued, overcooked veggies (have you ever seen grey broccoli?).

So yeah…I eyed Lush’s Godiva Shampoo Bar ($10.95) with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Designed to clean and condition dry, processed hair, it suds up into a lather like a regular soap bar but also contains a whole slew of moisturizing oils, as well as shea butter and other botanicals like hibiscus, jasmine and gardenia.

As you can probably imagine, the directions make it sound pretty easy to use. Just wet your mane, run the bar across it a few times to get a good lather going, shampoo as usual, and rinse.

Sounds easy enough, right? But so do many 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner products, even the ones that leave my already dry, wavy, highlighted hair a tangled mess of crispy fried noodles…

That’s where the testing comes in. 🙂

lush godiva shampoo bar

The first time I brought the bar into the shower with me I said, “WOW!” Talk about serious bubbles. And the scent? Trademark Lush. A big, bold tour de force of jasmine flowers, one of my favorite floral scents.

It might be too heady for super sensitive noses, but even my picky schnoz thinks it’s tops.

Ingredients

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Cetearyl Alcohol and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Glycerl Stearate; Peg – 100 Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Perfume, Hibiscus Extract (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), Stearic Acid, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetrimide, Camella Oil (Camella japonita), Organic Cold Pressed Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Organic Macadamia Nut Oil (Macadamia ternifolia), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum officinale), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Cypress Oil (Cupressus sempervirens), Palmarossa Oil (Cymbopogan martini), Jasmine Flowers (Jasminum officinale), Cupuacu Butter (Theobroma Grandiflorum), Cocamide DEA, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Limonene , Linalool

I dunno why, but I was really surprised that a solid shampoo would whip into such a frothy foam. Looking at this one, I just get a different vibe from it, almost like a loofah or a bath salt.

Then I checked the ingredient list, and wouldn’t ya know it? Right there at the top of the list, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (or SLS).

A few interesting (at least to me) things about SLS, should you ever find yourself on Final Jeopardy! First, what is it?

Good question. 🙂 SLS is an FDA-approved ingredient commonly found in personal care products like shampoos and even toothpaste.

It’s usually used as a surfactant — in a nutshell, it loosens bonds.

If you’ve ever used a bath/shower product that builds up into a sudsy lather, there’s a good chance it contained SLS.

Added to shampoo, SLS makes hair easier to clean by loosening the bonds that hold dirt and oil to your hair.

The ingredient came under some scrutiny in the late ’90s when an anonymous email circulated online claimed a link between a related compound, SLES, and cancer. SLES, or Sodium Laureth Sulfate, is like SLS’s more expensive, slightly unscrupulous cousin. Both compounds essentially do the same thing, but SLES is now much less commonly used (source: SNOPES).

Shortly after the email incident, several hair brands started rolling out SLS-free products, leading some to suggest that the whole thing was a marketing ploy designed to sell more shampoo (source: LEDA).

I guess the most important question is, “Should you avoid hair products containing SLS?” Well, that depends on whom you believe. Over the years, several reputable sources (including the American Cancer Society and the International Agency for Research on Cancer) have said that SLS is noncarcinogenic, meaning that it doesn’t cause cancer. At most, they say, it could cause some skin irritation, but only under certain circumstances for a small number of users (source: How Stuff Works).

As a product junkie, I like to try a little bit of everything, which in this case includes the LUSH Godiva Shampoo Bar.
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Tarte Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-Hour Smoothing Eye Primer Makes Eye Makeup Stick Around

May 28th, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

tarte clean slate 360 creaseless 2 hr smoothing eye primer 1

Skipping eye primer always seems like a good idea when I’m in a hurry, but yeah, sometimes it’s not.

Like when I’m taking some much-needed “meow time” to unwind at Sephora, decide to do some swatches, and what starts out as a 15-minute trip turns into two hours.

Or when a coffee break with Channing Tatum starts out as a brief 15-minute chat about the bulging biceps and hair/accessories/shirtless-ness in his upcoming tour de force, Magic Mike, but inevitably turns into a detailed six-hour discussion on the pros and cons of soft and crunchy hair gels (I like soft; crunchy gel seems so early ’90s to me) and the stylishness, or lack thereof, of camo capris (careful) and button-down shirts (yea!).

Okay, so maybe that second example happened, to quote ’80s teen chanteuse Debbie Gibson, “only in my dreams.” 🙂

As real as it may seem!

One thing’s for sure — my days usually last longer than I expect them to, hence my love for long-wearing eye primers that help keep my shadow, liner and concealer in place.

Tarte’s new Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-Hour Smoothing Eye Primer ($19) promises to do just that. A smudge-proof base designed to make eye makeup stay on task, it’s supposed to prevent fallout and postpone eye makeup migration for a full 12 hours, so you can say, “g’bye!” to disappearing eyeshadow and creasing color.

A recent study involving my butt in a pool chair and an issue of US Weekly concluded that the waterproof eyeshadow and liner I layered on top of Clean Slate, which is also water-resistant, did sparkle and shimmer for a very long time. The subjects also exhibited no adverse effects after taking a quick dip.

No fussing over finding a base color that matches your skin tone, either, as Clean Slate’s colorless universal shade should work for most everyone.

Tarte Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-Hour Smoothing Eye Primer ($19)

Came out with the summer 2012 collection and was added to Tarte’s permanent line
Made with beeswax (used as a natural waterproofing agent), mineral pigments (as opposed to artificial colors and dyes) and vitamin E (a natural preservative with anti-inflammatory properties)
Made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMO’s or triclosan
Has a thin consistency, like a light lotion, and it absorbs quickly into my skin
It layers well beneath eyeshadows (powders and creams) and liners (pencils, liquids, gels and cakes)
Being from Tarte, it’s also eco-friendly, cruelty-free and ~~vegan~~ vegetarian (it does contain beeswax, which many do not consider vegan)
Sure does last a very long time for me; I get between 12-13 hours, with very minor fading starting around hour eight

tarte clean slate 360 creaseless 2 hr smoothing eye primer 2

tarte clean slate 360 creaseless 2 hr smoothing eye primer 3
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Shu Know What LancÃ´me Le Curler Reminds Me Of?

May 27th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

lancome le curler

I use my arsenal of naturally curly lashes to great effect. They’re my pride and joy. 🙂

Okay, so I can’t fairly call them “natural,” unless you consider the transformative powers of the mighty lash curler, aka the beauty god’s gift to linear lashed lasses everywhere, natural.

When it comes to my Shu Uemura lash curler, I’m ride or die! I rarely stray away from it for long. It’s just so great, perfectly curling lashes in a single swoop, but when I came across LancÃ´me’s new $23 Le Curler I couldn’t resist giving it a little squeeze.

The curling surface, a silicone pad to buffer lashes and safeguard them from breaking, is pretty wide and should suit most eye shapes and lash lengths without crimping or pinching.

Even the hinge (“inspired by Japanese technology,” LOL!) is supposed to help it create an effortless lash look.
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