Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
The only thing that could possibly make Sephora Stimulating Lavender Cuticle Oil pens ($12) better would be if you could buy them at bulk prices in packs.
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but this pen’s the frickin’ bomb-dot-com, particularly if your cuticles look like Snooki after a long night at da club…
Still lovin’ ya, Snickers!
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NYX Eye Brown Push-Up Bra on brows
How do you feel about glitter brows?
My gut reaction when I saw the NYX Eyebrow Push-Up Bra pencil ($10) was a big, fat OH, HELL YEA! I’ve probably worn glitter just about everywhere else, so I figure brows won’t be that much of a stretch.
The dual-tipped Eyebrow Push-Up Bra, called that because of how it’s supposed to lift brows, is one of five fall products from NYX to shape, define and highlight eyebrows. The side with the darker tip, the one for defining sparse areas, sports a sheer taupe with silver glitter; the other side’s a creamy, peachy pink that appears to lift the brows when applied beneath the arch (also works as a brow highlighter).
Do you remember the Dolce & Gabbana Lip Jewels Compact ($60) from backstage at Milan Fashion Week? The one with the big ruby on the top? Well, it’s finally here! And lemme tell ya — put on yer stunner shades, because Dolce & Gabbana blinged this mutha out!
The compact’s limited edition for the holidays and holds four Classic Cream Lipsticks from Dolce & Gabbana’s permanent line, three reds — Dahlia (blueish), Ultra (warmish) and Devil (a true red) — and one neutral called Nude (a creamy beige). All of them apply smooth and creamy with full-coverage color.
I’ve been picturing myself wearing the red shades with black cat eyes… HOTNESS! Of course, when I was trying these on yesterday it was after midnight, and I’d already taken off the rest of my makeup. I’ll do almost anything in the name of makeup research, but I won’t share face shots of myself with ratty hair and pajamas. Well… least not this time, ha!
From left: Nude, Dahlia, Ultra, Devil
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NARS Sweet Revenge Lipgloss
Best part of my Friday: listening to Salt N’ Pepa’s Push It while watching Tabs lick his tummy. If you’ve ever watched a small dog or cat cross the street while listening to hip-hop in the car, you’ll know why I found it as funny as I did. 🙂
Ah, push it…
Ah, push it…
Second best part of my Friday: swatching the limited edition NARS Follow the Boys Lip Gloss Set ($40).
Sweet Revenge
Turkish Delight
Like the recent Crazy Heart holiday set, Follow the Boys comes with a selection of smaller-than-normal NARS glosses from the company’s permanent line, except in this set there are four instead of five — Turkish Delight (a creamy pale pink), Sweet Revenge (a shimmery peachy pink), Moon Fleet (a glittery gold) and Easy Lover (a sheer hot pink).
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OOH! I like NYX brushes, and they just added 11 new ones to their already extensive 24-piece makeup brush line (for a total of 35!).
Some use bristles made from pony hair and others bristles made from synthetic fibers, and all are reasonably priced from $4 – $15 each.
I used four of the new eye brushes and one of the brushes for face to do my makeup yesterday, and I came away with a good impression. I’d say these are on par with Sonia Kashuk brushes, and you know that’s saying a lot.
All of the brush heads feel soft in all the right ways, meaning neither too soft nor too rigid, and I like how the mid-length, lightweight handles fit my smallish hands (and most makeup bags).
I think NYX also deserves extra credit for printing the numbers and names on the side of each brush. It’s a small thing but surprisingly helpful sometimes.
I plan to use the B30 Shadow/Point and B31 Shadow/Smokie-Small brushes often. The brush heads are tiny, making them great for intricate detail work on the lids, and/or if you have a small crease.
LORAC Tie Dye For Lip Gloss in Shocking Twist
In college I had a classmate who wore tie-dye jam band concert tees to chemistry class EVERY SINGLE DAY. I’d sit there trying to take notes with my four-color clicky pen (mind you, these were the days when pagers were “cutting edge”), but the shirt would call to me from the across time/space. “Karen,” it would whisper, “look over here. Stare into my magic swirls…”
When I would finally give in and steal a glance, I’d get trapped! — unable to look away.
Like I was being sucked into the swirls!
All this without ever having taken a bite of shirt dude’s “special” brownies, which he kindly offered to me before class on many occasions.
It’s all very The Yellow Wallpaper, I know, and by the end of the year I wound up with a full-blown case of tie-dye trauma!
But you know what they say, right? Time heals all wounds. And, now, thanks to the LORAC Tie Dye For Lip Gloss Collection ($25 for a set of five tubes), I can finally appreciate multi-colored swirls again. 🙂
Wet N Wild Color Icon Kit in Sugar Plumb Fairy
I wonder how much it costs to mail a letter to the North Pole. I ask because I’d really like to thank Santa for releasing these Wet N Wild Color Icon Kits ($5) for the holidays.
Being just $5 each and coming with six coordinating shadows and a mini-eyeliner, the four kits give new meaning to the words, “travel friendly.”
Well, the liner’s nothing to write home about. I mean, it’s nicely pigmented, but it feels a little rigid against my skin. The shadows, on the other hand — oh, the shadows! Rich, bold and just as buildable as the the company’s fab Color Icon Singles.
Again, these are just $5, WOW!
Of the four kits — Sugar Plum Fairy, Golden Goddess, Snow Sprite and Night Elf — I’ve tested two of them so far.
Wet N Wild Color Icon Kit in Snow Sprite
Snow Sprite
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Holy wow! That’s a lot of liners. And they’re full size too!
The pencils in the Korres Limited Edition Vitamin E 10-Color Pencil Kit work out to just $3.25 each ($32.50 for the kit). Of course, all of them are green. 🙁
No, not literally. I mean they’re eco-friendly and 100% natural, according to Korres, made with moisturizing Vitamin E and jojoba oil. And considering that eyeliners this size (standard 0.04 oz. pencils) usually go for $16 apiece, the kit’s one of the best holiday bargains I’ve seen this year so far.
Korres included a wide range of pigmented colors in popular shades from their permanent line…
From left: Long-Lasting Eyeliner in 1 Black, Long-Lasting Eyeliner in 1S Black Soft, Long-Lasting Eyeliner in 2 Brown, Long-Lasting Eyeliner in 4 Green, Soft Eyeliner in 4S Purple
Swatches from left on NC35 skin: 1 Black, 1S Black Soft, 2 Brown, 4 Green, 4S Purple
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