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Product Reviews

These Pretty Becca Jewel Dust Eyeshadows Are Priced Like Pirate Treasure

November 23rd, 2010 by Karen 22 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog reviews becca jewel dust 2

Becca longs to light up your lids for the holidays, babe! 🙂 Just say “Seasons Greetings” to their Jewel Dust loose powders ($24).

I’ve been wearing two of the 16 shimmery powders (they’re like business casual MAC Pigments) — Mazikeen (a rich royal purple with subtle, multi-colored glitter) and Asral (an opalescent pinkish purple with silver glitter) — and I can’t wait to give the rest of them a try.

Like the MAC piggies, these come loaded with full of pigment, but the finish is a touch different.

Neither of them are as frosty as MAC Pigments, which is cool in this case because I think they end up looking more natural on the eyes.

Just gives you another option. 🙂

Becca loves products that multitask (hello, Beach Tints!), and, while most of these 16 shades were designed with eyes in mind, a few of the colors — Titania, Astra and Nissa — also play well on lips and cheeks (they’re marked as lip and cheek-safe).

All of them can be worn alone, wet or dry, or layered atop other products like powder/cream shadows and cream blushes on the eyes, or lipglosses for the lip-friendly ones I mentioned above.

For awesome all-day wear, layer Jewel Dusts on top of an eye primer like NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base or Urban Decay Eden Primer Potion.

becca jewel dust review swatches photos
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There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: becca

All Aboard the Jouer Train Case Makeup Essentials Kit: Departing for Warm Bronze, Peach and Pink Shades Now

November 22nd, 2010 by Karen 25 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog wearing the jouer train case
Jouer Powder Eyeshadow in Caramel and Eye Definer in Chocolat on eyes; Powder Blush in Rose and Highlighter in Champagne on cheeks; Lipstick in Kiki, Lipgloss in Glisten and Lip Definer in Rose Pale on lips

Can’t get enough of NARS Orgasm? Do MAC Nymphette Lipglass and Power Surge Eye Kohl give you heart palpitations? If so, you may suffer from warm shade lust-alaria.

Don’t worry. It’s a treatable, albeit sometimes expensive condition, and one possible cure could be the new Jouer Train Case Makeup Essentials Kit ($200).

Jouer, an indie makeup line known for natural colors and their chic girl-about-town packaging, leans more toward the Clinique/Bobbi Brown end of the spectrum than the MAC/Illamasqua side, and it’s a very pretty place to be.

This adorable pink zip-up train case comes with makeup for your eyes, lips and cheeks, and a mini- blush brush.

In addition to the case and the brush you get…

  • Powder Eyeshadow in Caramel: a shimmery warm peachy gold
  • Eye Definer in Chocolat: a shimmery golden bronze
  • Powder Blush in Rose: a matte warm pink
  • Highlighter in Champagne: a shimmery peachy gold
  • Lipstick in Kiki: a shimmery peachy pink
  • Lipgloss in Glisten: a sheer, shimmery light peach with multi-colored glitter
  • Lip Definer in Rose Pale: a matte peachy pink
  • Lip Enhancer in Conditioning Lip Treatment: a colorless lip moisturizer
  • Luminizing Moisture Tints in Bronzed, Deep Bronze, Glow, Golden and Pearl: sheer, shimmery tinted moisturizers with SPF 20

…and a big $200 bill (ouch).

jouer train case review swatches photos 1

jouer train case review swatches photos 2

jouer train case review swatches photos 3
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There are 25 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: jouer

Sheers to You, JK Jemma Kidd: The Signature Shadow Palette and Air Kiss Duo Sure Are Sheer

November 22nd, 2010 by Karen 8 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog reviews jk jemma signature shadows and air kiss lipgloss duo for holiday 2010
JK Jemma Kidd Signature Shadows on eyes and Air Kiss Duo Lipgloss in Rendezvous on lips

Don’t you love a bargain? JK Jemma Kidd cranks out a lot of ’em, but if the brand’s new $9.99 JK Signature Shadows and JK Air Kiss Duo had the word “bargain” stamped across the front of their packaging, it would be in very, very sheer ink.

I spotted these a couple weeks ago and was immediately reminded of MAC.

At first glance, don’t the powdered eyeshadows in the Signature Shadow palette look kinda like the colors in the MAC Royal Assets Warm Eyes Palette (Antiquitease Collection)? And Sassy, the pink Air Kiss gloss, looks a little like MAC Nymphette Lipglass, while Rendezvous, a shimmery plummy taupe, looks like it could be MAC Spite’s sparkly cousin.

I thought, “$10 dupes for MAC!?” But, alas, Jemma was just Kidd-ing with these colors. I definitely think these are lovely in their own softly understated way, but if you’re on the market for MAC-like pigments, these may not be what you’re looking for.
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There are 8 comments on this post. Leave yours.

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

STEAMCREAM Will Steamroll Your Dry Skin Away

November 21st, 2010 by Karen 28 Comments

STEAMCREAM, a relatively new company that just made its way over to the U.S. this fall, launched first in Japan back in 2007. It’s been building up steam ever since, zipping from Japan over to the U.K., and now over to us here.

Their entire catalog consists of one product — an $18 face, body and hand moisturizer made with what they call their “steam-infused manufacturing process.”

We use STEAM during the manufacturing process to bind ingredients together in a process called emulsification… STEAMCREAM’s emulsion is held together very loosely allowing each ingredient to break down to its purest form on contact with the skin for maximum moisturization.

The product, which is vegan as well as cruelty-free, comes in a cute 2.6-oz. collectible tin, so it’s also TSA approved. Being collectible, the tin comes in different designs, and the one I have is called Kaleidoscope.

The very first item on the ingredient list is oatmeal, known for its soothing and hydrating properties, but there are also parabens listed among the natural and plant-derived compounds, which I find a little odd. I guess they couldn’t figure out a way to leave ’em out. For what it’s worth, they appear way down at the bottom of the list, which should imply they’re here in low quantities.


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There are 28 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Product Reviews, Skin Care

You Could Be Naughty and Nice with the Becca Fallen Angel Palette

November 20th, 2010 by Karen 52 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog wearing the becca fallen angel palette
Becca Fallen Angel Palette: Lip & Cheek Creme in Nectar and Highlighter in Narcissus on cheeks; Lip Gloss in Sunrise on lips

Santa knows if you’ve been naughty or nice, but Becca wants you to be both. Their new Fallen Angel Collection, seven pieces for eyes, face and lips, brings a bit of sugar to your spice.

Tawny peach lips, and cheeks with a hint of honied sparkle, contrast with sooty smokey eyes in shades of black, violet, navy and mauve, resulting in one heck of a wickedly beautiful look.

the becca fallen angel collection on makeup and beauty blog
Love the imagery for this campaign!

I like to think of Becca, a pricey indie line from Australia, as sort of a beach resort-hopping version of Chanel, because I think they handle color in a similarly elegant way, except more relaxed and dressed down.

A lot of their products are waterproof, long-wearing and made to multitask, and, while interesting enough to satisfy fervent color fiends, most of them are still practical enough to wear every day.

The Fallen Angel Palette shown here, one of two palettes in the Fallen Angel Collection, comes with three creamy peach products for a pricey $52. The rather small collection also includes a few individual products (listed below), but sadly none of them are cheap.

becca fallen angel palette review swatches photos palette open
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There are 52 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: becca

The Becca Beach Tint Trio Holiday Gift Set Smells Like Fruit Salad

November 19th, 2010 by Karen 54 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog wearing becca beach tint in apricot
Becca Beach Tint in Apricot on cheeks

Okay, so you know the Becca Beach Tints? Talk about makeup salvation for the lazy. They’re these multipurpose, oil-free, water-resistant creams for adding a hint of scented color to cheeks and lips. Not only are they easy to blend without streaks, but you can layer them beneath blushes, bronzers and lip gloss, too.

Tubes usually go for $25 a pop, but you can save a few bucks on them with the limited edition Becca Beach Tint Holiday Set ($63). It comes with three full-size Beach Tints in Watermelon (a pink from the permanent collection), Grapefruit (a coral from the permanent collection) and Apricot (a new limited edition peach).

And the scents are delicious! The Watermelon like watermelon, Grapefruit like grapefruit — you get the picture.

becca beach tint trio review swatches photos tints with box

becca beach tint trio review swatches photos tints
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There are 54 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: becca

$7 Almay Intense I-Color Trios Take the Guesswork Out of Eyeshadow Matching

November 18th, 2010 by Karen 43 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog reviews almay intense i-color review browns 001 2

Gosh, I haven’t worn any Almay makeup since — when was that? 1992?

I vaguely remember buying something from the line at a Thrifty’s where I cruised for makeup after school. There was something about the products looking kinda stiff and serious that I still remember today. It wasn’t the kind of makeup my friends and I were wearing to school. It was the stuff “grownups” were wearing to work in tall gray office buildings downtown.

But that was literally decades ago, and the line’s changed a lot over the past few years, becoming, dare I say, cooler. Or, maybe I’ve just gotten older, heh. 🙂

I like the new Almay’s easy, breezy vibe. Think Rite-Aid meets Trish McEvoy at the Bobbi Brown counter. It’s a “we take the guesswork out of it for ya!” approach to drugstore makeup, and apparently the line is also hypoallergenic and cruelty free, which Tabs describes as “hella dope” (his words).

Almay stepped up their color game, too, adding groovy shades like the purple from the Almay Intense I-Color Powder Shadow Trio in Browns 001 ($7).

Browns 001 is one of 12 Almay trios with coordinating, reasonably long-lasting shades handpicked to intensify different eye colors. It has a shimmery, sheer purple for lids, a shimmery brown for the crease, and a frosty beige for highlighting — the three of them picked to enhance chocolate peepers.

almay intense i-color review browns 001
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There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: bargain

These Chanel Cote D’Azur Rouge Coco Lipsticks Are Beachy Keen

November 18th, 2010 by Karen 41 Comments

chanel cote d azur collection taffetas rose chintz perle rouge coco lip swatch open
Rouge Coco lipsticks from left: Perle, Chintz and Taffetas Rose

I know it’s wrong and crazy, but it’s taking all of my willpower to resist painting Tabs’ claws with Chanel Riva Nail Colour.

And it’s a good thing cats don’t have lips…because if they did Tabs would already be wearing one of the four Rouge Coco Hydrating Lip Colours from the new Cote D’Azur Collection. 🙂

Despite the season, the small five-piece release (four lipsticks and the one polish) is actually a resort collection for Chanel, which explains why it feels so beachy and tropical.

Here are swatches of three of the four shades (I’m missing coral Sari Doré), Taffetas Rose (a shimmery magenta), Perle (a shimmery pinkish golden beige) and Chintz (a shimmery pinkish coral). All of them have the same smooth, moisturizing texture and plush pigments that define the Rouge Coco lipstick line.

Have we met before?

You might remember Perle. She was also one of the original Rouge Coco launch lipsticks early this year, and Chintz debuted with the stunning Chanel Les Contrastes de Chanel Collection in fall.

chanel cote d azur collection taffetas rose chintz perle rouge coco lip swatch open 2
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There are 41 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: chanel

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

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