Product Reviews

Rimmel and Revlon: A Trip to Longs

March 27th, 2008 by Karen 78 Comments

Every time I visit a drugstore, I walk in to get one or two things but end up leaving with a whole basket full o’ haul. ‘Tis the weirdest thing!

So, when I stopped by my local Longs Drugs store today I started by getting the things I actually needed to get: a new Conair paddle brush, Reach mint floss and a bottle of hand soap for the kitchen.

I went with the Burt’s Bees Citrus & Ginger Root hand soap because it smelled good and I liked the bottle. I hope it doesn’t dry out my paws!

After the soap, I started wandering around the makeup aisle (danger!). That’s where the serious hauling occurred. I found this mystery jar of mysterious stuff. I had no idea what it was, but it only cost three bucks! It had a drawing of a horse on it and the words, “Healthy Hoof.” Yeah… I sooooo had to have it.

Next up: Rimmel eye pencils (Two True, Dynamic Duo and Pine) and a Revlon makeup removing pen that Megan here from the blog told me about a few months ago.

rimmel-revlon-longs-haul

Then, I found this green, beige and brown eyeshadow quad from L’Oreal. It caught my eye because of the name: Aishwarya’s Greens. Aishwarya, as in the smokin’ hot Aishwarya Rai, one of my favorite Bollywood stars. Sometimes I get up early on weekends to watch Indian music videos on Namaste America, even though I don’t understand anything they’re saying.[Continue reading…]

Lip Look: Clinique Cherry Bomb

March 26th, 2008 by Karen 46 Comments

Gasp! A break in the pink madness? Yep. Now I’m crushing big time on red lip glosses like Cherry Bomb ($17.50), a sheer red gloss from Clinique’s Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine line.

They may call it a lip plumper, but I didn’t notice a difference in pucker plumpness. Not a problem, though, because I I love Cherry Bomb’s subtle shimmer and the light red stain it delivers to my lips. It’s tasteless, odorless, non-stick and has a fab shiny finish, too. Love it!

Oy, I’m having a killer day at work today. I’m heading straight to Rite Aid after I leave to grab an ice cream and do some haulin’ (I’m thinking Rimmel lip liners, ooh!). What’s crackin’ for you this afternoon, homie? I’ll hang tough if you will!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Get Mariah Carey’s Look with MAC Heatherette Beauty Powder

March 26th, 2008 by Karen 48 Comments

Mariah Carey’s makeup always looks fierce, especially when she wears a bronzed cheek like she did in her live Monday night performance on MTV’s The Hills.

Mariah totally works her wardrobes (no matter how questionable her taste in clothing) and flat-out owns that killer five octave voice. She mixes just enough ‘tude with a dash of crazy diva to always stand out in a crowd (and to really stand out in a crowd, try this other MAC look on for size).

Re-create Mimi’s signature look with two products: 1) MAC Heatherette’s Smooth Harmony Beauty Powder ($22) , and 2) your favorite cheek brush!

Shimerless Smooth Harmony, part of the Heatherette collection, is a medium-golden bronze compact powder. If you’d like to draw more attention to your cheeks but don’t want to wear pink, coral or plum blush, give Smooth Harmony a try. I think it would look hot with smokey eyes or paired with neutral shades [Continue reading…]

I Dream of Raspberry Iced Tea with Lacoste Dream of Pink

March 25th, 2008 by Karen 29 Comments

It’s Spring Fragrance Quest at Makeup and Beauty Blog!

Before reading I Dream of Raspberry Iced Tea with Lacoste Dream of Pink,Â check out a couple past installments…

I Dream of Raspberry Iced Tea with Lacoste Dream of Pink

I love raspberry iced tea. I do, but when it comes to perfumes, raspberry is a tough scent to get right. Berry infused or inspired fragrance have a tendency to go overboard with the sweet berry notes. When it comes to berry perfumes, there’s a fine line between just right and fragrance headache.

So, I wondered, would Lacoste’s new Dream of Pink get it right? Or would it be just another Strawberry Shortcake doll wrapped in sheep’s clothing?

I admit to having anti-berry bias. After spritzing Lacoste’s red berry-infused Dream of Pink ($52) on my wrist the other day, I had a bottle of Ibuprofen ready to help with the headache I was sure it would cause. Oh, but I was wrong. No headache. Instead, I was met with a nice surprise — the natural, subtle scent of raspberry iced tea!

Lacoste’s Dream of Pink is an updated version of one of their standby fragrances, Touch of Pink. Released in February, Dream of Pink falls into what I’d characterize as the fruity floral fragrance (say that fast five times) category. Lacoste claims that in addition to red berry, Dream of Pink contains [Continue reading…]

Moisturize in a Flash with Olay Quench Mousse

March 24th, 2008 by Karen 41 Comments

When I hear the word “mousse” I think of Bullwinkle, or maybe a creamy chocolate mousse (yum), or perhaps hair mousse, but I don’t think of moisturizing lotions — that is, until now. Introducing Olay Quench Mousse, Olay’s latest entry in the crowded field of body moisturizers.

I usually look for thick, rich body lotions and creams. My first impression of Olay Quench Mousse was that it felt light and fluffy, so I didn’t expect to like it. But ooh la la I did!

I gave it a try after my shower last night. I shook the bottle, squirted a few dots o’ mousse onto my arms and watched in fascination as the dots reacted with air, magically growing into[Continue reading…]

MAC Heatherette’s Sock Hop, Style Minx Lipglasses Live Up to the Hype

March 22nd, 2008 by Karen 72 Comments

MAC’s highly anticipated Heatherette collection dropped this week, and two of the Lipglasses really caught my eye — Style Minx and Sock Hop.

Style Minx, a sparkling bright pink fuchsia, appeals to the pink lipgloss lover in me. After applying two coats, my lips turned a bold, can’t-miss-me bright pink. Girl, I looked so ready to hit the club!

Style Minx

It took some effort with Style Minx to get the results I wanted. In hindsight, I would recommend using it with a lip liner. On my first attempt, I skipped liner and ended up with pink everywhere! The shade is so bright that even the smallest traces of product are apt to stand out like sore, pink thumbs if any color extends beyond the natural lip line.

While playing with Style Minx, I was pleasantly surprised by how very pretty it is when toned down. As a test, I applied a single quick coat to my lips, blotting afterwards with a tissue. What remained was a rosy, deep pink stain perfect for more conservative daytime wear.

With the help of a lip liner and a lip brush (as opposed to the included Lipglass wand), I expect to have better luck on my next attempts with Style Minx. A liner should establish a crisp boundary to reign in some of the pink, and the use of a separate lip brush should provide a lot more control than the wand does. I’m not kidding, ya’ll — this stuff is pink!
[Continue reading…]

Estee Lauder has a Lil’ Something for Bronze (and Not so Bronze) Goddesses

March 21st, 2008 by Karen 30 Comments

Summer makeup collections usually feature golds, bronzes, bright corals or pinks — perfect colors to accompany a summertime tan. While it’s true that ladies with darker complexions (like your girl) scream a big ol’ “Woot-woot!” when companies release summery products in their preferred shades, light-skinned beauties may feel left out. Fear not, porcelain princesses, because this summer Estee Lauder’s got yo back. Their 2008 summer collection, “Bronze Goddess,” has three great products everyone can wear.

Bronze Goddess Sheer Lip Tint SPF 15 Lipstick

The limited edition Bronze Goddess Sheer Lip Tint SPF 15 lipstick ($25) looks dark in the tube, but don’t let that fool you. Applied, the color looks like a subtle watercolor bronze — just barely there at all — with a touch of shimmer. It should flatter most skin types, even if you’re on the lighter side.

estee-lauder-bronze-goddess-lip-tint

I had a lunch date with El Hub today (over his lunch break) and didn’t want wear too much makeup (aka, I was too lazy to put on a full face!), so I used Bronze Goddess on my lips, a tinted moisturizer on my face and cream blush on my cheeks. Tres casual without looking too sloppy.

I like the texture of Bronze Goddess. It isn’t sticky, goopy or heavy, and on my lips it faintly smells of peach Jolly Ranchers (LOL). The gold and tortoise shell case may look too mature for some, but I think it’s classy and cute.[Continue reading…]

Go Bronze and Shimmer with Laura Mercier’s Gold Digger Collection

March 20th, 2008 by Karen 22 Comments

If I ever make it back to the tropics, Laura Mercier’s Gold Digger collection is coming with me. Set to debut this spring, Laura’s summer collection is all about gold and bronze shimmer and includes two travel-friendly products that caught my eye: Colour Pots and Lip Glace lipglosses. I predict both would go perfectly with a surfer girl tan.

Each Colour Pot houses a cream eyeshadow base, with a coordinating loose powder shadow tucked away beneath it (so very James Bond!). Both products work well separately, but they’re intended to be layered one on top the other for an intense metallic shine.

I prefer to pack lightly when it comes to makeup and travel, so the idea of two products in one handy and compact package moves me. I welcome anything that lightens my load and means a bit more room for souvenirs in my carry-on bag.

Laura Mercier has made three gilded shades available — White Gold, Solid Gold and Bronze Gold.

As if you haven’t noticed, the gold theme continues. I’m excited about picking up all three new Lip Glace shades — Bronze, Gold and Platinum. Lip Glace lipglosses are non-sticky and don’t chap my lips or make them peel.

Here are a few pics, along with details on the rest of the collection.[Continue reading…]