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Product Reviews

Sonia Kashuk Packs a Wallop With the New Powerful Punch Mini Nail Colour Set

March 10th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

sonia kashuk a powerful punch mini nail colour set

Last night I had a bright idea (if I do say so myself). I was on my way to the checkout stand at Target with some emergency bananas and dental floss in my little basket when I said to myself, “Self, let’s take a quick look at the beauty aisle.”

As soon as I turned the corner, one of the first things I spotted was Sonia Kashuk’s new A Powerful Punch Mini Nail Colour Set ($9.99), and whoops! — it accidentally fell into my basket. 🙂

The limited edition set, new for spring 2012, comes with four petite polishes — three brights and one neutral — all of them with creamy finishes.

Here are some swatches from this afternoon. For each of these, I used two coats…

sonia kashuk a powerful punch mini nail colour set

sonia kashuk making waves
Making Waves

sonka kashuk tutti fruitti
Tutti Fruitti

sonia kashuk ooh la la
Ooh La La
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There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Nails, Product Reviews, Sonia Kashuk Keywords: sonia kashuk

This Is BIG: The Tips at Both Ends of the Estèe Lauder Pure Color Intense Kajal Eye Crayon Duo in White Sands/Molten Lava Are BIG!

March 9th, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

estee lauder white sands molten lava

It doesn’t look like the trend toward super-sized makeup is leaving the building any time soon, and generally, that’s fine by me (as long as prices don’t rise and the products still fit in my purse).

There’s also something to be said for the ability to spot these oversized products from half a mile away, like the jumbo tips attached to both ends of Estèe Lauder’s $24 Pure Color Intense Kajal Eye Crayon Duo in White Sands/Molten Lava.

Dang, those things are huge!

estee lauder bronze goddess capri shimmering mirage gloss eye duo in white sands molten lava
Pure Color Gloss in Shimmering Mirage (top) and Pure Color Intense Kajal Eye Crayon Duo in White Sands/Molten Lava (bottom)

Estèe Lauder Pure Color Intense Kajal Eye Crayon Duo in White Sands/Molten Lava hails from the new Bronze Goddess Capri summer collection.

I’ve been applying eyeliner for years and have a good deal of experience under my belt, but I am still a little afraid of poking an eye out with these gargantuan things…

(NOTE: It doesn’t come with a sharpener, but there is one sold separately for $6.)

estee lauder white sands molten lava swatches
Molten Lava (left) and White Sands (right)
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There are 18 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Estee Lauder, Eyes, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: estee lauder

JK Jemma Kidd Puts Neutrals and Brights In the Spotlight With This Spring Palette of Pieces for Eyes and Cheeks

March 8th, 2012 by Karen 20 Comments

If all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players…that’s a hella big stage. Should be plenty room for everyone to share the spotlight.

Oh, but before I go on, can I get a couple minutes to check my makeup? Because I don’t want to go out there with lipstick on my teeth. 🙂

And another thing, before my moment in the spotlight, 1) I hope I’m not wearing clothes that make me look like a pint-sized linebacker (a reoccurring theme in my life), and 2) I hope I am wearing makeup that mixes sassy neutrals with something bright, like the new JK Jemma Kidd On Location Palette in In the Spotlight ($25).

My wish for you: I hope you get your time to shine, and when it comes, I hope it’s doing something you care deeply for.

Jemma sprinkles a couple of fun brights into this mostly neutral palette of pieces for eyes and cheeks, and it’s all about flexibility. You can keep the look casual by incorporating a nude lip, like I’m doing in the pic above, or go for something brighter like the face shot down below.


Swatches from the left: Cream eye primer, gray eyeshadow, purple eyeshadow, taupe eyeshadow, beige highlighter, teal eyeshadow, peach blush


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There are 20 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Jemma Kidd, Makeup, Palettes, Product Reviews Keywords: jemma kidd

There’s a Pixi in My Lip Tint! $16 Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm

March 8th, 2012 by Karen 33 Comments

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm Magnific in Mauve
Wearing Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in No. 2 Magnific Mauve

There’s a pixi in my lip tint!

Huzzah!

Did you ever try the Tarte Lip Surgence Lip Tints? I fell in love with those things and their shimmery, non-sticky, lip-tinty goodness…

If you did, too, check out Pixi’s new Tinted Brilliance Balms ($16 each). Smooth, and a little shiny, just like Tarte’s tints, they last about an hour on my lips.

That’s not long, granted, but I think it’s fine for what they are.

Here’s a quick look at four of the seven available shades. Have a look, and let me know what you think. 🙂

pixi brilliance balm
From the left: No. 2 Magnific Mauve, No. 5 Radiant Rose, No.7 Rosy Red and No. 8 Bitten Berry

pixi brilliance balm swatches
Swatches from the left: No. 2 Magnific Mauve, No. 5 Radiant Rose, No.7 Rosy Red and No. 8 Bitten Berry

pixi tinted brilliance balm rosy red
No.7 Rosy Red
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There are 33 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Lips, Makeup, Pixi, Product Reviews Keywords: pixi

I Bet Lancôme’s Rouge in Love Lipsticks Would Even Look Bold in Black and White

March 7th, 2012 by Karen 38 Comments

lancome rouge in love lipstick 181 Rouge Saint Honore
Wearing Lancôme Rouge in Love Lipstick in 181 Rouge Saint Honore on my lips

If one were to poke a nose into my refrigerator right now, they would see a sorry sight. Except for three sad jalapeño peppers and a package of spinach ravioli, the shelves are mostly bare, and that’s because El Hub and I blew off grocery shopping last night to go and see The Artist instead. 🙂

What a great film! I loved every minute, but I went into it with some doubts — not because it’s black and white, but because it’s a kind of silent movie and very light on dialogue.

Glued to my seat! I can totally see why it won Best Picture.

And the lips. THE LIPS! Good thing there were only a few other people in the theater because I kept ooh-ing and ah-ing at the screen. Peppy Miller — she’s the leading lady — was rockin’ the bold, crisp lipstick, and you could clearly tell even in black and white.

So what did this particular beauty junkie do when she got home later that night? Put on a layer of the most pigmented lipstick she could find, of course, in this case the $25 Lancôme Rouge in Love, which, I might add, she wore with her black and pink pajamas.

I’ve been wearing 278 Divine Seduction (a warm raisin) and 181 Rouge Saint Honore (a bold red) a lot lately, whenever I’ve been in the mood for a bold lip.

Both of these beauties tap danced onto Lancôme counters last month, along with the rest of the 21 lipsticks in the new Rouge in Love Lipstick line and the 17 nail polishes in Vernis in Love.

lancome rouge in love lipstick
278 Divine Seduction on the left and 181 Rouge Saint Honore on the right

lancome rouge in love lipstick 278 Divine Seduction
Wearing 278 Divine Seduction
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There are 38 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lancome, Lips, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: lancome

For Vampires, Glam Comes Naturally. Humans, On The Other Hand, Need Things Like the NP Set Glam Set

March 7th, 2012 by Karen 20 Comments

NP Set Glam Set

One day, back when Vampire Edward and I used to kick it (just friends, nothing more!), I asked him why humans find vampires so attractive.

I had a theory — something about predators — but I wanted to hear what the undead guy had to say.

We were at a Starbucks in Seattle, chatting over soy chai lattes and blood orange teas, and I remember telling him about this National Geographic special I saw on the hunting habits of big jungle cats.

The show described how cats are natural born killers, and when the conversation turned from the mechanics of a lion’s retractable claws and how their teeth are built for shearing to why vampires are able to glamour humans, Edward explained…

“It makes perfect sense,” he said, staring deeply into my eyes.

I felt lightheaded for a second, and then he continued. “When you’re turned, you become a more attractive version of yourself. And you need that, because it helps you feed. It makes humans easier prey.”

That’s it then. The shiny hair, soothing voice, porcelain skin and sparkling, seductive eyes that whisper, “I want you, Karen…for lunch.”

Long story short — hot looks help vamps reel in their next meal.

How unfair is that? Vamps get this natural, enchanting glamour and ageless beauty, while the rest of us have to work at it.

Ah, well… Maybe the new NP Set: Glam Set can help.

The subdued brown, peach and red shades aren’t the kind of full-tilt, red-carpet colors that jump to my mind when I think “glam,” but who knows? Maybe that’s by design.

The new NP Set Glam Set and Red Carpet Set palettes ($24 each) are new for spring 2012 and available now at Target stores and target.com.

Now, I don’t expect to wear these eye, lip and cheek colors to stalk man prey, but I do like looking polished and put together when I’m hanging out with the boys (El Hub and Tabs) or gallivanting with my gal pals.

np set glam set (3)
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There are 20 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Kits and Sets, Makeup, NP Set, Product Reviews Keywords: np set

Milani High Speed Fast Dry Nail Lacquer Turbocharges Drying Time With Eight Creamy Colors

March 6th, 2012 by Karen 36 Comments

milani high speed fast dry nail lacquer

Milani asks, would you rather wait an hour for your nails to dry, or just wait 60 seconds?

The drugstore brand’s new line of One Coat High Speed Fast Dry Nail Lacquers ($4.99 each) promises to save lacquer lovers time and money with eight rich, quick-drying colors and a creamy formula built to look beautiful after a single coat.

And that’s just I’m wearing in each of these swatches — one creamy coat.

Milani Fast Fuchsia
Fast Fuchsia

Milani Jiffy Orange
Jiffy Orange

Milani Violet Dash
Violet Dash
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There are 36 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Milani, Nails, Product Reviews Keywords: milani

Marcel Wanders Isn’t the Only One With Fingerprints on the New MAC & Marcel Wanders Collection

March 6th, 2012 by Karen 24 Comments

mac marcel wanders kim
Wearing MAC & Marcel Wanders Lip Gloss in Kim on my lips and Sheer Mystery Powder in Light Medium beneath my eyes

Stealth alert! If you’re currently undercover as a secret spy and/or must avoid leaving your fingerprints behind for classified reasons, you might want to handle the MAC & Marcel Wanders collection with kid gloves.

Literally.

Available now on MAC counters, in stores and also online, the 14-piece release, a partnership with Amsterdam-based industrial designer Marcel Wanders, is a feast for the eyes! — and the makeup, brushes and lone fragrance that comprise the collection, with their sleek, mirrored surfaces and mock chrome packaging (replete with striking angles and curves) would be tough to miss, even from across a crowded MAC store.

Seriously, these pieces could have a career in forensics. They pick up fingerprints quicker than you can say “Yes, Jason Bourne, you may dye my hair in the sink.” 🙂

Man, I love that scene…

Here’s a look at three of the pieces from the release, the details of which, like how the angular packaging of the Sheer Mystery Powder compact contrasts with the curves on the Lipstick cases, I was able to appreciate more fully once I’d buffed my fingerprints away.

MAC & Marcel Wanders Lip Gloss in Kim, $22.50

With a smooth, non-sticky texture that feels less like a Lipglass and more like a Plushglass to me (but without the telltale tingling), Kim surprised me.

Before I tried it on, I was sure this shimmery plum would be too cool and dark for my warm NC42 skin, but I was wrong. I think it’s neutral enough for most gals to wear, and I like the way it brightens my face.

I also dig the faint vanilla flavor and scent, and the brush-tip applicator feels good against my lips. As for wear time, I get about two hours, which isn’t bad for a non-sticky gloss. That said, the $22.50 price tag still seems a little high.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

MAC & Marcel Wanders Sheer Mystery Powder in Light Medium, $60

I remember paying $45 for a Sheer Mystery Powder for Holiday 2006 and feeling like it killed me a little at the time, but compared to this, with its special edition $60 packaging, that was a steal!

For me, Light Medium is a touch too pale to wear all over, but I do like dusting it beneath my eyes to set my concealer and to brighten the center of my face.

Even though it’s mad pricey, the Sheer Mystery Powders are still among my MAC faves. Their silky texture always looks and feels lightweight, and their sheer coverage never lets me down. Plus, you get an extra refill pan.

The compact is a mighty magnet for fingerprints, though, and the price sure seems high. $60.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

MAC & Marcel Wanders Lipstick in Annelie, $22.50

At first I was like, “Eh,” when I swatched this peachy beige on my arm. It just seemed so pale, frosty and difficult to wear, but I changed my tune when I saw it on my lips. Maybe it’s the rich peach tones, but something mellows out the frostiness and keep things from looking too harsh.

I really like how Annelie layers with other peachy pink lip products. Lately, for an easygoing neutral lip, I’ve been wearing it with Subculture liner and a dab of Evolution Revolution on top.

Beautiful color, but the fingerprint-attracting packaging remains a minor sticking point for me. $22.50. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

mac marcel wanders annelie lipstick
MAC & Marcel Wanders Lipstick in Annelie, $22.50

mac marcel wanders annelie lipstick with beurre and evolution revolution
MAC & Marcel Wanders Lipstick in Annelie layered with MAC Subculture and MAC Evolution Revolution
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There are 24 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: mac

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