Product Reviews

Sephora VIB Sale Recommendations: Wander Beauty Lipsetter Dual Lipstick and Liner

October 31st, 2018 by Karen 6 Comments

wander lip setter — Worthy of your Sephora wish list, for sure.

Guess what…? There’s a Sephora VIB sale in November, so this week I’m highlighting some of my favorite makeup workhorses that I think are worthy of your wish list.

What crazy person carries the same ol’ lipstick around with them all the time? OH, WAIT! THAT’S MY LIFE NOW.

Since discovering the $28 Wander Beauty Lipsetter Dual Lipstick and Liners, I suspect that I could go days — no, weeks! — before feeling the need to swap out the lip products in my purse. (And this coming from a serial lipstick swapper is kind of a miraculous statement!)

Cruelty-free makeup line Wander Beauty preaches the power of portable, easy-to-use makeup to enhance what you’ve already got. It’s very Trish McEvoy-esque but hipper. They aren’t a huge brand yet, and they’re still flying under the radar at Sephora for now, but they make so many good things IMO, like these lip liner/lipstick combos, which are totally worthy of your VIB lust list.

First of all, they figured out that the secret to actually getting people to use lip liner is to attach it to a lipstick. They deserve a gold star and a slow clap for that because it’s the only way I’ll actually take a lip liner with me (otherwise, I’ll just line once in the morning and leave the pencil at home).

wander on the mauve — I’m wearing On the Mauve on my lips.

The liner itself is smooth, luscious velvet, and it’s loaded with pigment, and once you draw that line along the edge of your lips, your lipstick won’t go beyond it. “Ye shall not pass!”

Oh, and the lipstick? SO GOOD. It starts out shiny when you first swipe it on but eventually dries down to a velvet matte finish, and it feels so light that I sometimes completely forget I’m wearing lipstick. It’s also non-drying and budge-proof. I can even kiss babies (kittens, too), drink coffee and snack my heart out without it lifting off.

Lastly, it’s unscented, and there aren’t any weird flavors to get up in your grill.

I’ve been living for Bold in Beijing, a blue-based red, and having the liner attached completely removes the stress related to applying and wearing red lipstick. I also love On the Mauve, a plummy pink, which is an everyday color for me. With the VIB sale coming up, I also have my sights on Bahama Breeze, a nude pink, and bright pink Fucshia Class.

Full price, the Lipsetters are $28 each, which I think is still a good deal, but with the 20% VIB discount, they come to $22.40. With the 15% Beauty Insider discount, they’re $23.80.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Raver Girl Palette, Lipsticks and Lipglasses in Action

October 30th, 2018 by Karen 11 Comments

mac bracelets galore — Wearing: the MAC Girls Palette in Raver Girl and Lipglass in Bracelets Galore

I’m an NC42, and I’m in my 40s, and the last rave I went to was on New Year’s Eve in 2001 (OMG!), but I still have a thing or two to say about all of the purples in the new MAC Girls Raver Girl Palette, Lipsticks and Lipglasses, which I took for a spin today. Raver Girl is one of three new MAC Girls mini-collections.

First question: What does purple have to do with raves or raving? Is it an influential color among dancing kids? Back in my day (she said, immediately dating herself), it was all about dayglow everything and massive quantities of glitter.

If you’re a young whippersnapper, would you please break it down for me? I’m genuinely intrigued.

I recognize that this could have been user error, because I’m out of practice wearing dark colors in my crease, but I feel like Rave-Cave and Wild Card, the dark purples in the $41 Raver Girl Palette, aren’t easy to blend out. I used a pencil brush to apply both of them in the outer corner and within the crease on my hooded lids to deepen my eyes, and then I feathered the edges with bright purple 120 BPM.

Some parts ended up looking less blended and patchy than others. In the future when I wear this palette — and I will wear it again because I do like it, even with my blending issues with the darker shadows (which, like I said, could just be a matter of me needing to practice) — I’ll stick to using those shades as liners.

It’s weird, but it seems like every time MAC comes out with a new batch of MAC Girls products they change and evolve the formulas, because they get better and better with each new iteration. The last batch of Girls palettes were just messy and kicked up so much powder, but that didn’t happen this time with Raver Girl. I experienced hardly any fallout or messiness from the Raver Girls shadows at all, and the mid-toned and lighter colors were a breeze to blend, which was great!

mac raver girl swatches — The Raver Girl Palette, Lipsticks and Lipglasses

I was worried that the purples in Raver Girl would irritate my sensitive eyes, because my eyes would water all day long when I wore older versions of the Girls Palettes (especially ones with purple), but I mushed and smudged dark purple Wild Card like BAM-BAM-BAM on my upper lash line and had no problems with it. And I REALLY got in there, man.

Bottom line: Raver Girl is good — like really, really good — and if the other two palettes (Smarty Pants and Pretty Punk) are of similar quality, this will be the best batch of MAC Girls yet.

There are also two Raver Girl Lipsticks and two Lipglasses (sold separately from the palette), and I feel silly in all of them except hot pink Bracelets Galore gloss. The others are a tad too frosty and too much on the corpse-y side of purple for me, and I just can’t pull them off. If you have a serious edge to your look, you can probably go there better than I can.

mac deep set lipglass — Lipglass in Deep Set

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Sephora VIB Sale Recommendations: The Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Palette

October 30th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

tarte tartlette in bloom palette final — Wish list-worthy

Guess what…? There’s a Sephora VIB sale in November, so this week I’m highlighting some of my favorite makeup workhorses that I think are worthy of your wish list.

Ignore the inside voice inside your head that’s always saying, “Do you really neeeed another neutral eyeshadow palette?” because this one with its matte neutral brown and beige eyeshadows, and its shimmery taupe, gold and copper accent shades, parts the clouds for me, and I say this as an unabashed hoarder of neutral palettes. I love them because you can wear them all the time and for any occasion. But the Tartelette in Bloom Palette rises above the rest IMO.

I use this palette to “cheat” the look of a deeper set eye, which is something I deal with every day since I have hooded lids. This 16-pan palette bucks the current trend of warm red and orange-y browns, and instead boasts a bevy of cool-toned shades and neutral browns, which are great for carving out a crease.

tarte tartelette in bloom palette swatches — YUMMY!

The makeup maestros at Tarte found a way to seamlessly weave these long-lasting, pigmented shadows into each other so that even if you’re rushing (or, even if you don’t know what you’re doing), you can still buff and blend your way into something that looks like you spent hours on it.

tarte tartlette in bloom palette — Another day, another pic of me in pajamas.

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Benefit Boi-ing Hydrating Concealer Is Your Dry Under-Eye Area’s BFF

October 22nd, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

I’m not even really a concealer person anymore, since everything concealer-y adds, like, 1,000 years to my face (FOR SERIOUS!). It’s that dry under-eye area, man. So, so tricky… But this snazzy little stick by Benefit has me feeling like I could fall in love again with concealer.

If their new Boi-ing Hydrating Concealer ($22 for a 0.12-oz. stick) looks familiar to you, well, that’s probably because you might remember a similar product from back in the day called Fakeup. Boi-ing Hydrating is basically the same thing, but in different packaging and more shades (six, to be exact).

From the Benefit website:

Don’t let dry under-eyes and dark shadows get you down. Boi-ing hydrating concealer hides dark circles and visibly smooths fine lines. Plus with Vitamin E & apple seed extract, this hydra-smoothing formula keeps skin hydrated for 6 hours* with Vitamin E and appleseed extract (Formerly known as fakeup. Same shades, same great formula!)
*instrumental test on 10 panelists.

Sheer coverage

Lightweight formula

Natural finish

100% said it hydrates skin**

**results observed in a consumer panel survey

It’s an ultra-creamy under-eye concealer stick with a concealer “core” surrounded by moisturizer, and it completely covers dark areas without creasing or emphasizing ~~wrinkles~~ experience lines. You swipe it directly underneath your eyes, pat with a finger or a brush, then find yourself screaming “WHAT MAGIC IS THIS?” because it really is makeup sorcery. When I wear Boi-ing Hydrating, I can’t even tell it’s there, and I that’s what I really love about it.

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With Oribe Flash Form Finishing Spray Wax, Luminous Locks Are a Few Sprays Away

October 19th, 2018 by Karen 9 Comments

OK, so, the thing about Oribe Flash Form Finishing Spray Wax is that it’s so good that you will never want to part with it, but it’s also $42 for a dainty 4.2-oz. bottle.

But…but…but…GLOSSY LOCKS. I don’t think my hair has ever looked this shiny in my entire life, and that’s no small feat because my ends have this really annoying habit of drying out on me, especially when I’m in a blow-drying phase, like I usually go through in fall and winter.

The not-so-great thing?

As previously mentioned, it’s $42 for a 4.2-oz. bottle.

Ouch.

Thankfully, you only have to use a little. I do a quick jooj on dry hair after it’s styled, then psssst, psssst, psssst on my side-swept bangs, the pieces that frame my face, on my ends, and on the uppermost layer of my hair. Then I gently work it through with my fingers for enough shine to make all the mirrors in Versailles jealous. 🙂

I used to think that Oribe Texturizing Spray was the end-all, be-all of products for perfectly tousled hair, but then I met this.

By the way, it isn’t just a shine spray.

“Create weightless, buildable texture with control and lasting hold. This ultra-fine wax mist adds style, separation and sheen to short cuts and long lengths.”

— oribe.com

For the most part, Flash Form does what Oribe Texturizing Spray does, too — weightlessly separates and defines hair for schemxy texture while it boosts volume and gently holds curls and waves in place, but it also smooths frizz, (which Texturizing Spray doesn’t really do).

Oh, and there’s the shine, of course! Texturizing Spray has a matte finish, which is fine for roots, but maaaan! Gimme shiny, piece-y ends any day of the week.

Benefits:

Fortifying Polymer Blend creates texture and light hold while strengthening hair.

Wheat Starch adds buildable, brushable texture and separation.

Soy Protein provides strength and elasticity to hair.

Plant-Derived Amino Acids help the hair retain moisture while adding light shine.

Glycerin and Panthenol hydrate and condition to protect against breakage.

Amber Extract delivers antioxidant, conditioning and hair-strengthening properties.

Oribe Signature Complex (Watermelon, Lychee and Edelweiss Flower Extracts) defends hair from oxidative stress, photoaging and the deterioration of natural keratin all while protecting from the drying, damaging and color-depleting effects of the elements.

I want to warn you and say “DON’T DO IT” because it’s so expensive, but I also want to say “DO IT DO IT DO IT” because it’s awesome-sauce.

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Chanel Has a New CC Cream! $55 Chanel Super Active Complete Correction Broad Spectrum SPF 50

October 18th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

chanel cc cream — Chanel has a new CC Cream!

Why, oh, why am I still livin’ ~~on a prayer~~ like it’s 80 degrees outside?

Oh, yeah. Because it was 77 yesterday! Bay Area weather is so weird. We get these spells of the muggiest, summery-est weather right around Halloween, which are usually followed by a couple of very rainy, chilly weeks.

I’m not complaining. It’ll be sweater weather soon enough. Anyway, to go with this warm spell we’re having, I’ve been wearing appropriate warm weather bases, because — hi! — do you like it when your face melts off in the heat? I sure don’t. So, tinted moisturizers and BB and CC creams are in heavy rotation as of late, including this new CC by Chanel.

chanel cc cream ingredients — What’s inside…

From chanel.com:

PRODUCT
1 tinted moisturizer, 5 superpowers: evens, moisturizes, corrects, protects, illuminates. CC CREAM with Broad Spectrum SPF 50 combines skincare benefits with a longwearing, medium-to-full coverage makeup effect and a glowing finish — for the look of a more luminous, healthy complexion. After one month of use, the enhanced formula helps to correct signs of aging, improve skin’s texture and visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Day after day, skin appears healthier with natural-looking radiance.

KEY INGREDIENTS
CC CREAM is infused with Murunga Plum Extract — unearthed from an Australian super fruit rich in vitamin C — to help protect skin from environmental aggressors while enhancing texture and glow. A new form of Hyaluronic Acid helps hydrate skin throughout the day for increased suppleness and comfort. With continuous moisture, skin looks plumped.

HOW TO APPLY
Wear alone after your skincare ritual or underneath powder makeup.

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NARS Newness! Some of My Go-To NARS Eyeshadow Singles and Duos Have Been Relaunched, and There Are New Tinted Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Bases

October 17th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

nars eyeshadow relaunch 2018 — NARS newness

Forget for a second the ongoing trend of beauty brands relaunching products in smaller sizes while charging the same price for them (because that’s what’s happening here with the recently relaunched NARS eyeshadow duos and singles), and try instead to focus on the tantalizing taupes, gorgeous golds and beaming bronzes in these NARS eyeshadows, which also happen to be some of my personal faves, oh la la!

nars eyeshadow tinted smudgeproof swatches — A few of my favorite eyeshadow singles and duos, and the new Tinted Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Bases

I’m not overjoyed that NARS whittled the pans down to 0.04 ounces from 0.07, and, in the case of the duos, is charging the same price (still $35), but at least the singles, which used to be $24, are $19 now…

Even so, every time I see Fez on my lids, I’m like, “François, how YOU doin’?” Because if there’s one thing NARS still does really well, it’s neutral colors. I’m still a sucker for them.

nars fez 2018 — Wearing Fez on my lids (the lipstick is MAC Cosmo).

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Desperately Seeking Persistent Polish: 7 Days With Sally Hansen Color Therapy Pink and Harmony

October 15th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

sally hansen pink and harmony — Sally Hansen Color Therapy in Pink and Harmony ($7.99) is music to my nails.

Desperately Seeking Persistent Polish is a series where I wear a nail polish for seven days and take before and after pics to document the condition of my paws over the course of the week!

You know, there’s one thing that working for a top kitty supermodel over the past decade has prepared me for, and that’s the wrath of a toddler. If you don’t know, now you know. Demanding diva cats are just as, if not more than, temperamental than two-year-olds, and it’s a miracle this Sally Hansen Color Therapy Pink and Harmony manicure even made it through seven days on my nails, because I had to open this Doc McStuffins mini doctors’ bag at least 50 times every day!

Allegedly, it’s a toy for children, but they had me fooled based on how hard it is to open…

(Side note: Connor uses it to store the free stickers she gets from the cashiers at Trader Joe’s. She uses them as Band-Aids for Tabs whenever she “treats him.” It’s cute but kinda gross at the same time because the backs of the stickers are covered in tabby hair when she takes them off.)

Pink and Harmony is pure awesomeness, BTW, and it lasted just as long as Falling Deep, the last Sally Hansen Color Therapy shade I wore. At the end of the seventh day, there were absolutely no major chips around the base of my nails. That’s something that’s happened, um…never with a different formula before?!

And considering how I spent most of my waking hours last week prying open that plastic Doc McStuffins toy with my nails, I’m shocked there were only a few tiny dents at the tips.

I also love the wide brush and the fairly quick-drying formula (takes about 5 minutes).

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