Product Reviews

$5.49 for a MAC Lipglass? Almost (But Not Quite), With Milani Crystal Gloss

February 23rd, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

Milani Crystal Gloss raspberry
Wearing Milani Crystal Gloss in Raspberry Icing

I was having dinner with friends a few weeks ago when one of the gals asked to see a picture of Tabs, and since that’s a request I’m always happy and quick to oblige, I grabbed my purse and reached in to fish out my phone, which at any given time contains at least 700 pictures of Tabs on the camera roll.

As I fished and fished, rooting around inside the purse, I kept coming up phone-less, with fistful after fistful of gloss.

“Um…” said one of the girls, “just how many lipglosses do you actually have in your purse?”

You know, I wondered, feeling my cheeks flush, that’s a good question… “A lot?”

And now, thanks to Milani’s five latest $5.49 Crystal Glosses, I don’t see myself scaling back any time soon. 🙂

Glittery fuchsia Raspberry Icing, hot pink Fruit Punch, the succinctly named Clear, pinkish coral Pucker Up and berry Sheer Dark Honey, all new for spring, have set up shop inside my current handbag.

Sometimes referred to as drugstore MAC Lipglasses, Milani’s line of Crystal Glosses have a similarly thick texture, slick when applied and slightly sticky on the lips, and come in a wide range of colors. They range in coverage from sheer to almost fully opaque.

Beyond that, they’re not big on bells and whistles, and that’s fine by me. A good price, a convenient doe-foot applicator, lots of colors to choose from, and I think they work really well.

I also like the shiny finish and how the pigments don’t seem to separate or do any other funky stuff as the day wears on. I get about three hours of wear time out of them, and all the while they feel comfy on my lips.

Milani Crystal Gloss
From the left: Clear, Sheer Dark Honey, Fruit Punch, Pucker Up and Raspberry Icing

Milani Crystal Gloss swatches
Swatches from the left: Clear, Pucker Up, Fruit Punch and Sheer Dark Honey

Milani Crystal Gloss swatches
Raspberry Icing
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I’ve Been Carried Away by L’eau de ChloÃ¨

February 23rd, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

l'eau de chloe

A few weeks ago, I dreamt an odd but beautiful dream that started with me standing in a sun-drenched field filled with tall green grass and wildflowers.

As I stood there in the field, bunches of big, beautiful balloons in a rainbow of colors appeared out of nowhere, and for reasons my dream self understood, I began tying the strings that dangled from the balloons to the belt loops of my jeans.

Up and up, the balloons lifted me, higher and higher above the field, and I drifted like that for a while, peaceful and giddy, hundreds, or maybe thousands, of feet above the countryside. 🙂

l'eau de chloe Then, I looked to my right, and Tabs appeared next to me. He was also being carried by beautiful balloons and had the strings tied around his tum. I was worried that his balloons would take him off in a different direction, but he managed to stay next to me, and we floated side by side above the green hills and country villages below.

L’eau de ChloÃ¨, one of my favorite fragrances lately, reminds me of that dream. I’ve been wearing it a lot this month, and every time I spray its citrusy floral scent on my neck and wrists and close my eyes for a moment, I feel lighter than air, as if I’m floating over my dream field with Tabs, joyous and free.

The scent, which launched earlier this month, is a new take on ChloÃ¨’s original fragrance, and while that version felt very urban and chic to me, this one, with its playful fruity notes, floral influences and amber, feels lighter, fresher and undone.

Official fragrance notes: Grapefruit, Cedrat, Peach, Violet, Rose Petals, Natural Water of Rose, Cedarwood, Patchouli and Amber

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With These New Illuminating Face Powders, Milani Might Be Making MAC Sweat

February 22nd, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

Milani Illuminating Face Powder (3)
Wearing Milani Face Powder n Hermosa Rose along my cheekbones and Beauty’s Touch on my cheeks

Bargain loving babes and/or fellow fans of the $28 MAC Pearlmatte Powders, these new Milani Illuminating Face Powders do a pretty good MAC impression for $9.49 each.

Designed for all skin types, they even multitask, and can be used as blushes, highlighters and bronzers that deliver a hint of color and glow, just like the pricier Pearlmattes.

And they’re available in three easy-to-wear shades…

Amber Nectar: a warm, peachy coral
Hermosa Rose: a peachy golden tan
Beauty’s Touch: a cool pink

Just look at those cute pans (it’s hard to go wrong with roses)! 🙂

Milani Illuminating Face Powder (1)
Clockwise from the powder on the left: Hermosa Rose, Beauty’s Touch and Amber Nectar

The soft glow I get from Milani’s powders reminds me again of the Pearlmattes. The finish is somewhere between a matte and a sheen, and I think the powders from MAC are a smidgen more pigmented and maybe a tad more matte.

Milani even rocked the house with the texture of these. They’re so buttery and soft that I can hardly believe they’re drugstore.

Milani Illuminating Face Powder (4)
Swatches from the left: Amber Nectar, Hermosa Rose and Beauty’s Touch

Milani Illuminating Face Powder (2)
Wearing Hermosa Rose along my cheekbones and Beauty’s Touch on my cheeks
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A Veritable Verdigris of Viridian Shimmers in LancÃ´me’s Color Design Eye Palette in Vert Tendresse

February 22nd, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

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I’m not sure when or why it happened, but somewhere along the way, someone out there decided that it was quite the faux pas to appear overly color coordinated.

Seriously, what’s up with that? — because I think it’s actually harder and MORE exhausting (at least for me) to try to avoid looking too matchy-matchy/color coordinated than it is to just go ahead and match.

And, truth be told, I like wearing things that match because it gives me one less thing to think about. I’ll take color coordination over chaos any old day, like matching shoes and bags, cats and nail polishes, foods and eyeshadows…

Okay, that last one was a little weird. 🙂

But it’s true! Right now I’m actually contemplating sneaking off to Baskin-Robbins to get a scoop of their green pistachio ice cream to go with the green shadows I’m wearing on my lids, thanks to LancÃ´me’s Color Design Eye Palette in Vert Tendresse ($49), one of the brand’s new eye palettes for spring.

The five-color palette recently launched with La Roseraie Illuminating Smooth Powder and Color Fever Gloss in Green Petal in the 11-piece Roseraie des Delices collection.

With four shadows and a powder liner in shades of warm mint and forest green, Vert Tendresse feels lush and verdant to me, like Dior’s 5 Couleurs Garden Pastels Eyeshadow Palette on Miracle-Gro, and I’ve been wearing it lately whenever I’ve felt like wearing something fresh and shimmery in traditional spring shades.

I also love the dark powder liner LancÃ´me included here. It’s a grayish glittery green with a tough girl edge, and if LancÃ´me ever decides to release it as a pencil, I’ll be all over that.

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Oh, These Are Haute! The New Milani Haute Flash Full Coverage Shimmer Lipglosses

February 22nd, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

milani in a flash
Wearing Milani Haute Flash Full Coverage Shimmer Lipgloss in In a Flash on my lips

A hella pigmented, high-shine glittery gloss for less than eight bucks? Hook it up, Milani! 🙂

The new Haute Flash Full Coverage Shimmer Lipglosses cost a mere $7.49 each, and yet they deliver flashy, full-coverage color the likes of pricier department store fare (I’m talkin’ to you, MAC, YSL and Chanel).

Like distant, disco-crazed cousins of the MAC Kissable Lipcolours ($19), these six Haute shades are loaded with pigment, so a little of each goes a long way, and have super skinny tubes and sponge tip applicators, but unlike their Kissable kin, they also glisten with glitter.

Both the Haute Flashes and Kissables start off feeling slick and smooth on my lips, but the Haute shades aren’t content with that. They seem to thicken and get much stickier after the first 15 minutes or so, and just generally, I think they like being babied.

Because they tend to catch on dry flakes and settle into every lip line, if my lips are anything less than perfectly smooth and moisturized, the Haute Flashes can look pretty janky. Exfoliating and prepping my lips with a lip balm beforehand definitely helps them look their best.

And have I mentioned how pigmented these are? I only need to use a minuscule amount, which is neat. Of course, if I happen to apply a tad too much, the Haute Flashes make me pay for it by looking thick and messy.

milani haute flash
From the left: Quick Flash, Star Flash, Golden Flash, Flashy, Hot Flash and In A Flash

milani quick flash
Quick Flash

milani flashy
Flashy
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You Know What They Say About This Cremeblend Blush From the Shop MAC Collection (They Say It Restores Dazzle!)

February 21st, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

mac restores dazzle (1)

NOVATO, CA — MAC Restores Dazzle! More at 11…

LOL! I’m lovin’ that exclamation mark at the end of this plummy Cremeblend blush’s name. It’s just so forceful and emphatic! — but it also sets some pretty high expectations.

In its pan, like sangria; on my skin, a sheer plum. MAC Cremeblend Blush in Restores Dazzle! ($20) applies surprisingly sheer.

More importantly, does it dazzle?

I think it does. 🙂 A few pats here, a little blending there, and I swear I look a little brighter, even after a bout of insomnia.

A few other things that restore dazzle…

A cute new pair of shoes I can actually walk in
Fresh roots and highlights after a visit to the salon
An afternoon of cheesecake, The Golden Girls re-runs and some time alone with my dog-eared copy of Twilight

One of three limited edition Cremeblend blushes from the Shop MAC collection, Restores Dazzle! looks right at home with the purple eyeshadows and lip colors I’ve been loving lately (like MAC Shop & Drop and YSL Pourpre Preview).

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Wearing Cremeblend Blush in Restore Dazzle! on my cheeks and the colors from the MAC Eye Shadow X4 quad in Shop & Drop on my eyes
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Smokey Eyes Are Just a Few Swipes Away With the MAC Eye Shadow X4 Quad in Shop & Drop

February 21st, 2012 by Karen 38 Comments

mac shop & drop (3)

I’ve been belting tunes and chair dancing to a lot of old-school Whitney lately (RIP, Whit), and I’ve also been thinking back to when I Wanna Dance With Somebody took the pop music world by storm. Do you remember that? Whenever my friends and I would hear those first few notes start playing on MTV, we’d all drop whatever we were doing and tear into the living room, turn up the volume and start dancing.

Those were good times… 🙂

This was back before I was allowed to wear makeup, but it didn’t stop me from admiring Whitney’s bold ’80s eye looks.

I bet the new MAC Eye Shadow X 4 quad in Shop & Drop ($38), one of three quads in the new Shop MAC collection, would have been a big hit back then with its smokey purples, pinks and grays.

The first time I saw these four eyeshadows in Sugar Snack (a light pink matte), Hypnotizing (a frosty grayish mauve), Power Boosted (a pearly violet) and Shop & Drop (a deep blue satin), I thought, “Better for cool-toned babes,” but after getting to know ’em better, I think they’re also neutral enough for gals with warmer skin tones like mine.

mac shop & drop
Swatches from the left: Sugar Snack, Hypnotizing, Power Boosted and Shop & Drop

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New Glossimers Are Growing at Chanel in the Roses Ultimes de Chanel Collection

February 20th, 2012 by Karen 28 Comments

Wearing Chanel Roses Ultimes de Chanel Glossimer in Jalousie on my lips

Quick! — what’s the first flower that comes to mind when you think of Coco Chanel? If you said “camellias,” there’s a good reason for that. They were her signature bloom. Now, whenever I see one I think, “How very Chanel!” 🙂

This time, however, for Chanel’s latest makeup collection, camellias take a bow, and roses take center stage.

Glossimers and nail colors are blooming in the 10-piece, limited edition Roses Ultimes de Chanel, available now at Chanel counters and online. It features six thick, sticky Glossimers ($29.50 each) and four Les Vernis Nail Colors ($26 each) in springy shades of pink, peach and coral.

For the record, I have a thing for Glossimers. I’ve fallen for many of them before, and like those, these have that same thick, sticky consistency and unscented, unflavored formula that lasts from 3-4 hours.

Lately, I’ve been supervising visits between my lips and four of the six Glossimers from Roses Ultimes de Chanel, and so far everyone’s really getting along. 🙂

These vary in coverage, but I like how springy they feel without going down the typical spring pastel route.

For daytime errands, I’ve been grabbing the two lighter shades, creamy, peachy pink Plaisir and creamy coral VoluptÃ¨. Both are semi-sheer and oh, so easy to wear.

If you prefer more dramatic Glossimers and don’t mind having to do some light maintenance (may need to use a lip liner and do frequent check-ups), look for shimmery pink DÃ¨sir (has the most prominent glitter of these four, and I can just barely feel it on my lips) and the potently pigmented fuchsia Jalousie. Both seem to take a little more babying than Plaisir and VoluptÃ¨, but WOW! — what an impact.

Glossimers from the left: Plaisir, VoluptÃ¨, DÃ¨sir and Jalousie

Swatches form the left: Glossimers from the left: Plaisir, VoluptÃ¨, DÃ¨sir and Jalousie
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