Product Reviews

Dry Cheeks and Knitters Wool Love Physicians Formula Cashmere Blush

April 7th, 2012 by Karen 16 Comments

physicians formula cashmere blush

Physicians Formula Cashmere Blush Now is one of those times I wish I belonged to a kick-@ss stitch-and-bitch group.

See the pattern on that pan of Physicians Formula Cashmere Wear Blush ($12.95)? Totally makes me want to knit and purl… Yeah, I’m a closet knitter. Not a very good one, but I can make scarves (and that’s about it).

I love so many things about knitting. I love picking out yarn (does anyone else like to smell the skeins, or is that just me?), love the satisfaction I feel after completing a knitting project, love how a well-balanced bamboo needle feels in my hands…

Shoot, I’m still cursing the day I lost my favorite pair of needles. It was at a Bebe sample sale in South San Francisco a few years back.

I knew it was going to be crowded, so I brought along a scarf to work on while I waited in line to get in. When it was my turn, and I finally got inside to shop, somewhere between the jeans and embroidered jackets, my bamboo needles must have fallen out of my tote bag and forever disappeared.

Sucks, too, because I could have used them to defend myself against a couple of the girls who straight-up grabbed things out of my hands. Those sample shoppers are NO JOKE! They’re like UFC fighters about clothes.

I would not be surprised if the textile pattern on pans of Cashmere blush caused some of them to see red.

Physicians Formula refers to Cashmere, a new product recently released for spring, as “the ultimate in attainable luxury,” and I gotta say — it just might be that. It’s available in two shades, Natural and Rose. I’ve been road testing Natural, a fairly sheer warm pink (I have use two layers to clearly see it on my skin) with light silver shimmer.

The formula supposedly contains 100 percent pure cashmere extract, which the company says helps create skin that looks smoother and line-free. Soft focus pearls in the powder also help further diffuse the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

It’s fragrance-, oil- and paraben-free; hypo allergenic; and designed for all skin types, although it sounds like dry skin might benefit from it the most, since the formula is quite moisturizing, and it was designed to diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles (more on that in a minute).

As for the packaging, isn’t it nice? Especially for a drugstore blush? It almost looks like a present. What a great-looking gift. I love the bookish tassel on the front and how the back side opens to reveal a mirror and a brush.

I’m not really a fan of the brush … but it could come in handy for impromptu touch-ups.

Physicians Formula Cashmere Wear Ultra Smoothing Blush 1
Cashmere Wear Ultra Smoothing Blush in Natural, $12.95; also available in Rose

Physicians Formula Cashmere Wear Ultra Smoothing Blush 4

Physicians Formula Cashmere Wear Ultra Smoothing Blush 5
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You’re the Fairest in This Tale With the Benefit Rare Beauty Kit

April 6th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

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Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

Benefit has an answer for that, and the answer, my dear, is you. 🙂

It’s movie magic time! — and this fairy tale is all about value. The new Benefit Rare Beauty Kit ($45), a limited edition set released to celebrate the launch of the upcoming movie, Snow White & the Huntsman, comes with products to re-create Snow White’s makeup look from the film, and to keep everything safe from the evil queen, a cute and convenient makeup bag.

The $45 Rare Beauty Kit includes…

A full-size bottle of Benefit POREfessional Primer (regularly $29)
One full-size tube of BADgal Lash Mascara (regularly $19)
A sample size of Benetint liquid blush
A sample size of High Beam highlighter
The makeup bag!
A booklet with a number of tips and tutorials
A card with QR codes to access behind-the-scenes footage of the makeup artists working on the set of Snow White & the Huntsman

The movie hits theaters June 1, but the kit arrives online at benefitcosmetics.com April 17 and to stores and counters in May.

benefit rare beauty

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I’ve been really looking forward to the movie since seeing the trailer a couple weeks ago. It looks intense and frightfully medieval, like a tale told to mischievous children hundreds of years ago to keep them out of the big, bad woods. 🙂

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Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a … Physicians Formula Match! The pH Matchmaker pH Powered Lip Gloss

April 6th, 2012 by Karen 20 Comments

physicians formula ph matchmaker gloss

Got a date, can’t be late, hay! The girlie’s gonna do me.

As much as I wish I could re-allocate the part of my brain currently storing the lyrics to Bell Biv Devoe’s Do Me! to something more … practical, like, I dunno, how to fix a running toilet or perform an emergency tooth extraction without anesthetics in the least painful way possible (could come in handy in the zombie apocalypse), I can’t. Those lyrics are tattooed on my brain.

And every time one of my friends tells me that she’s going on a date, I say the same thing every time…

“Got a date, can’t be late, hay!”

LOL! I’ve been doin’ it for years, but it feels like time for a change. The next time someone texts/calls/emails to share their date plans, instead of quoting BBD, I’m gonna say, “Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker pH Powered Lip Gloss, hay!”

Okay, so maybe that doesn’t roll off the tongue, but whatev. It’s still a great date gloss. 🙂

Released for spring, pH Matchmaker gloss ($9.95; available in two shades, Light Pink and Pink) is moody, and by that I mean it works like a mood ring, except in this case the product reacts to light and your natural pH level to create a color customized for you.

Now, that by itself isn’t revolutionary. Mood ring-like glosses have been around forever, but I can’t remember the last time I saw one as kissable and totally date-worthy as this.

It starts out clear on my lips but transforms within a minute or two into a vibrant fuchsia.

Cool! It even has cute bits of silver glitter, but not so much that it feels gritty in the least. Just enough for a little sparkle.

Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker pH Powered Lip Gloss 1
pH Matchmaker pH Powered Lip Gloss in Light Pink, $9.95; also available in Pink

physicians formula ph matchmaker gloss
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The MAC Extra Dimension Mineralize Skinfinishes: MAC Found an Extra Dimension Where Hybrid Cream/Liquid/Powder Highlighters Live

April 6th, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

mac extra dimension skinfinish in superb
Wearing MAC Extra Dimension Mineralize Skinfinish in Superb

The new MAC Extra Dimension Mineralize Skinfinishes ($28 each) start with an almost blinding shine! — almost like looking directly at the sun (which I know you’re not supposed to do but…).

These three shimmery highlighters have more in common with the new Extra Dimension eyeshadows than mere quantum mechanics. They also have that same easy-to-blend cream, liquid and powder hybrid formula, and offer a glazed, shiny finish similar to the finish I get when I apply MAC’s regular powder Mineralize Skinfinishes with a wet brush.

With the Extra Dimension Skinfishes, I can get that same super intense, glazed shine in fewer steps. Instead of trying to find my brush, spraying the brush with MAC Fix+, swiping it across the pan, and then blending on my skin, all I have to do is open a pan of Extra Dimension, pat a small amount on my upper cheekbones, my temples and down the bridge of my nose, and … that’s it. All done. Blending out the edges is a snap, and because they’re so pigmented, a little goes a long way.

Of the three Extra Dimensional shades in the launch, Superb, the soft peachy nude, is my pick for Best in Show. I think it’ll look great on most skin tones.

The lightest shade, white gold Whisper of Gilt, may look a little chalky on darker damsels, while lighter lasses may feel like the darkest shade, coppery gold Glorify, appears a little too bold/dark.

Oh! Random lipgloss moment… I think all three of these look fantastic with bronzy Oh Baby Lipglass.

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Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb ($28 US; $33.50 CDN)

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Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Glorify ($28 US; $33.50 CDN)
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I’m in the Mood For Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Bronzer & Blush

April 5th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

physicians formula happy booster glow mood bronzer & blush

Things that boost my happiness, aka happy boosters

Purr machines. Sometimes Tabs takes pity on me and actually behaves like a nice kitty. I love when he climbs onto my lap while I’m blogging. He drapes his girth across my right arm, tucks his nose into the crook and purrs himself to sleep. It’s so sweet.
Lens flares. Ridiculous? I think not! One can never have too many lens flares.
Pizza crust. Some folks skip it, but it’s my favorite pizza part.
Inspired running. Gotta love those rare kick-@ss running days when everything goes right. No muscle cramps, nothing aches, my iPod’s shuffling in all the right ways, and I feel like I’m flying. Best part is when I ask myself, “Can I keep going?” and the answer is an enthusiastic “Yes!”
Free fro-yo. Filling up my “frequent flyer” rewards card at Tuttimelon and getting a free frozen yogurt.
Dance movies. Nothin’ like watching a cheesy dance movie after a long day — you know, where the main character, against all odds, lives out his/her dreams using the power of the pirouette! There’s always that big finale scene with the ensemble cast and a freeze frame shot right at the end. See: Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Honey, and Step Up (the first one, with Channing Tatum).
Bronzer/blush combos. Extra points when there are hearts on the pan, like the new Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush ($13.95; available in two shades, Bronze/Natural and Bronze/Rose).

Happy Booster Glow, a new bronzer/blush combo from Physicians Formula, was actually designed to foster feelings of joy, and since regular blushes already make me happy (swirling a little bit of color on my cheeks always boosts my mood), I half expected to explode! 🙂

So how, exactly, is it supposed to bring the joy? Well, the ingredients. According to Physicians Formula, that is. They gave it arctic rose, which they claim mimics the effects of endorphins, as well as a supposed mood elevator called euphoryl. The violet and citrus fragrance is also supposed to promote feelings of positivity.

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow Mood Boosting Bronzer Blush 1
Happy Booster Glow Mood Boosting Bronzer Blush in Bronze/Natural, $13.95; also available in Bronze/Rose

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow Mood Boosting Bronzer Blush 2
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It’s a 6-Hour Trip Into a Dimension of Shine With the MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadows

April 5th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

mac extra dimension eye shadows in lunar and blue orbit

Truth: when I take out the new MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadows ($20; available now in 10 shades), I hum the Twilight Zone theme song to myself, because these new cream/powder/liquid hybrids take me on a journey through space and time. A journey to another dimension. One filled with blinding shine. And pigment for days! And blending that even lazy people can handle, LOL!

MAC says they used a new technology on this new line of shadows that combines the best of three worlds — cream, liquid and powder. The shadows are designed to deliver the smoothness of a cream, the blend-ability of a liquid and the wear and ease of a powder.

I like ’em. They’re really pigmented and super shimmery, and best of all, so easy to blend.

If you’ve been wanting to try more complicated eye looks with multiple shades but get tripped up by blending, the Extra Dimensions can make creating those transitions in colors a whole lot easier. There’s almost a wetness to the colors, and for me, they seem much quicker and easier to blend than traditional eyeshadows.

The other day I wore Modern Pewter all over my lids, Young Venus in the inner corners and Dark Dare along my upper lash lines, and I hardly had to exert any effort at all! — just a few swipes to blend the colors together seamlessly. Plus, because the shadows latch on to lids (well, initially at least, but more on that in a few), I didn’t observe any fallout.

If I were starring on some weird reality TV show with a challenge in which I had to wake up at 3 in the morning and execute a perfectly blended, vibrant eye with six eyeshadows in less than 10 minutes, I’d grab the Extra Dimension Eye Shadows (my only hope of escaping elimination!). If after that they asked me to operate heavy machinery, THEN I’d be screwed. Because who doesn’t belong behind the wheel at the witching hour?

This girl. 🙂

mac extra dimension eye shadows in Modern Pewter, Young Venus and Dark Dare
Wearing Young Venus, Modern Pewter and Dark Dare

mac extra dimension eye shadows in Modern Pewter, Young Venus and Dark Dare

mac extra dimension eye shadows
Extra Dimension Eye Shadows
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Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics Is Having a Blast With Nails

April 5th, 2012 by Karen 31 Comments

Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics

How saucy is this line!? I’m getting a big kick out of Canada’s own Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics. They’re an indie nail polish line bristling with fun colors and personality.

My typographical side adores the bottles, which are decorated with each polish’s name in different type styles and fonts, and I’m happy to report that I haven’t seen one that uses Comic Sans (I can hear you sighing with relief, LOL!).

And I love the creativity. Some of them have names as eye-catching as their colors (NOTE: some are very naughty), and all of them have quirky color stories on the website, like this one here for the shade called Nail Me.

“If there was ever a time that I wanted to be nailed by a hot guy on the spot it was this moment while vacationing in Honolulu.

Having read, and looked at many, many model magazines while waiting at the grocery check out, I became familiar with a lot if not all of the hot men within the covers.

One morning after I got my Starbucks, and treat from the ABC store on the corner, I casually crossed the road and made my way towards the beach. A nice fresh breeze of ocean air and Plumeria was filling my nose and lungs. Feeling much like one should in paradise, I was in a trance…”

— cheekymonkeycosmetics.com

Yowza! You are a cheeky monkey! 🙂

Some of the names are cracking me up! — even though I probably won’t be gifting a bottle of Brazen Hussy or Hot Slut anytime soon.

There are currently 50 shades listed online at $14 apiece, all of them with a three-free formula made without formaldehyde, toluene or DBP.

I’ve tried five of the colors so far — BFF (a creamy pinkish coral), Free Love (a creamy bright orange), Vixen (a creamy purple), Get Wet (a creamy baby blue) and Man Chaser (a shimmery pink) — and I’m wearing two coats for all but one of these, Get Wet, which required a third coat to wipe out the streaks.

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Get Wet

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BFF

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Free Love
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For Cheeks That Turn Heads: MAC TrÃ¨s Cheek

April 4th, 2012 by Karen 38 Comments

Wearing MAC Modern Mandarin Blush on my cheeks

Hello, mellow. 🙂 Compared to a couple of the MAC collections launching tomorrow, the six-piece TrÃ¨s Cheek seems really mellow to me. Reel Sexy has all those bold colors bursting with pigment, and Extra Dimension has that hard-to-miss mirror shine.

TrÃ¨s Cheek may not look like much in comparison, but don’t let that stop you from looking a little closer at these blushing beauties. I think there are some fan-frickin’-tastic blushes in this limited edition launch.

Here’s a look at three of the collection’s six shades. Altogether, they remind me of something MAC does so well…

Blush!

Modern Mandarin: When I apply this satiny reddish orange with my Shu Uemura Fan Brush — WOW! — I barely have to move an inch. The color practically leaps from the brush to my cheeks, bringing with it the slightest hint of shine. Mandarin is generous with pigment and might be a little too bold for some, but it should rock the beach on darker skin tones. I can’t wait to bust this baby out after I’ve gotten a little sun. Oh, and I thought this was neat: when I applied a swatch on the back of my hand today, Mandarin actually withstood a hand washing — with soap!
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

Lovecloud: This beautiful bright pink has a sheen that says, “You should totally cheek me out.” It’s like a combination blush and highlighter rolled into one, and on my NC42 skin, I think I also see a hint of peach. I absolutely love, love, love Lovecloud. It has the makings of a perfectly pretty spring color just waiting to be worn with peach, pink and coral lips.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

Peony Petal: The faint sheen illuminating this bright bluish pink flower petal subdued compared to Modern Mandarin and Lovecloud; it’s almost (but not quite) a matte. One layer produces a soft semi-matte flush, so delicate and sweet, like the flush you get running barefoot through a field of wildflowers (or chasing after your rugrat/dog/cat). Of the three blushes here, I think it’s the one that looks the most natural. A little tinted moisturizer, one or two layers of mascara, and MAC Modesty or Right Image on your lips, and you’ll be all kinds of fierce.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

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Peony Petal

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Lovecloud
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