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Product Reviews

Shu Uemura Makeup Tutorial: Go Pastel for a Fresh Spring Eye

February 4th, 2008 by Karen 65 Comments

Last week I posted swatches of the eyeshadows from Shu Uemura’s new Spring Rebirth collection. There were five Easter egg-esque pastel colors in the group, each with an oh-so-purty white floral pattern, that promptly disappeared after I swatched ’em!

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  • Pristine Green – light green (iridescent)
  • Sun Stream – light pastel orange (iridescent)
  • Earth Brown – warm brown (iridescent)
  • Spring Breeze – light pastel purple (pearl)
  • Yellow Elation – light yellow (pearl)

I’m not normally terribly attracted to pastel shades, but these colors are fun, easy to use, and have great color payoff. I combined them with Shu’s Tri-Color Eye Pencils (also from the Rebirth collection) and got in touch with my blossoming inner color diva.

The limited edition Tri-Color pencils, creme shadow pencils that can be used both as liner and eyeshadow base, come in two versions — cool-toned Aqua Flow and warm-toned Energy Flow ($25 each). Each “Flow” has three different colored pencil tips.

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I really like these as a shadow base because they glide so easily onto lids and give the accompanying shadows a nice punch of color. The texture is thick without feeling heavy, and, remarkably, the formula lasts all day on my semi-oily eyelids. If you’ve got super oily lids, though, these might crease on ya after a few hours, so you might want to use a neutral colored lid primer beforehand! Utlimately, if you’re a fan of MAC Shadesticks, then you’ll dig these, fo’ sho.

To be honest, I rarely wear pastel colors on my eyes and didn’t really know what the heck to do with these colors! To get inspired I studied the Rebirth beauty shot…

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And here’s what I came up with!
shu-uemura-cosmetics-rebirth-collection-fotd-0

This was so much easier than I thought it would be!

First, grab the Energy Flow Tri-Color pencil and apply the yellow color directly beneath your brow bone, about 2/3 in from your outer brow. To the remaining 1/3, apply the orange color.

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Now, smooth out any edges with a firm, flat brush like the MAC 239.

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Next, apply the green shade from the Aqua Tri-Color pencil into your crease, going barely into the lid.

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Directly beneath the green shade you just applied, add a thin layer of the yellow color from the Energy Flow pencil, and then an even thinner line of white right next to the lash line. Use the same 239 brush to smooth away any hard edges. The end result should look like a little something like this:

shu-uemura-cosmetics-rebirth-collection-fotd-5

Use a crease brush to apply Pristine Green eyeshadow into your crease with a sweeping motion. For this I used a MAC 275 angled fluff brush with the pointy side facing my lash line.

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Next, grab a thin pencil brush like the MAC 219 and apply a thin line of Yellow Elation eyeshadow onto the lid.[Continue reading…]

There are 65 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To, Product Reviews

Shu Uemura Eyeshadow Swatches – Rebirth Spring 2008 Collection

January 30th, 2008 by Karen 48 Comments

You know it’s going to be one of those days when you wake up and the first thing you do is call on jeebus (or whatever power-that-be of your choice) for some help to get you through the day…and you haven’t even rolled out of bed yet. I guess they call Wednesday hump day for good reason. Anyway I’m running around today but I couldn’t leave ya hanging, so here are a few lovely swatches for you on this lovely Wednesday.

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Will be back this afternoon with detailed info and a review. I hope your day is going well and that you’re feeling happy and inspired! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 48 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews

Paint it Pink, Paint it Black: Prepping for Valentine’s Date Night

January 29th, 2008 by Karen 48 Comments

Ah, the pre-date ritual… It’s one of the many perks of being in love on Valentine’s Day, and whether you’re on the low- or high-maintenance end of the beauty spectrum, the drill usually goes a lil’ something like this:

  1. Crank up the music (a soundtrack helps when you’re getting sexified, yo)
  2. Wash
  3. Contemplate wearing your naughty or nice knickers
  4. Do your makeup and hair
  5. Pick your wardrobe (don’t forget the shoes!)

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In a perfect world, I’d always have at least four leisurely hours to beautify myself for my Valentine’s date with El Hub, but with work and life the odds of having a solid block of four hours for anything are slim to none.

Still, a girl can dream, and if I had a world of time to prep for date night, this is how it would go:

Paint it Pink, Vol. 2…

  1. Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Grapefruit ($13.50). First priority: getting the lips primed for a mega-makeout session. I’d definitely prepare early in the day to get my pucker in makeout-ready shape with a layer of Clinique’s Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss. It’s a pretty, light pink shade with lots of shine. Plus, it moisturizes the beejebus out of my dry lips and gets them soft and ready for lovin’.
  2. Essie nail polish in Hard to Get ($8). This creamy pink polish is my favorite color from Essie’s spring line. It’s bubble-gum without being too Barbie — perfect for both finger and toes. Of course, in my fantasy I’m getting my nails done in a chair at San Francisco’s Bliss Spa. See, at Bliss they feed you brownies while you’re pampered. Yup.
  3. Philosophy Amazing Grace Perfumed Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel ($22). Nothing is better than a long, indulgent bubble bath before (or during) a romantic date. With its light, floral scent, Amazing Grace Bath & Shower Gel relaxes me like no other and really gets me into a romantic state of mind. Bubble production is off the chart, and the suds have staying power, too. It leaves my skin feeling silky and soft, every time.
  4. Borghese Fango Brillants Brightening Mud ($59.60). I like to wear a face mask when I do the bubble thing to turn the relaxometer up another notch and make my face extra glowy. Lately I’ve been digging Fango’s Brilliants Brightening Mud. Made from Italian mud (or so they say) and rich in Vitamin A, minerals and citrus peel, this seriously pink mask o’ mud removes dead skin cells, and gently smooths and refines skin. Note: the jar is absolutely ginormous!

    I apply a thick layer to a clean face, wait ten minutes for it to dry and then wash it off. You can also use it on your body, too. Imagine covering yourself in bright pink mud, ha!
  5. Victoria’s Secret Beauty Ooh la la Shimmering Fragrance Mist ($22). My fave sexy scent is Chanel Mademoiselle, but I realize that floral oriental perfumes aren’t for everyone.

    For ladies who love lighter scents, one delicious option is Ooh la la Shimmering Fragrance Mist. It’s a very feminine mix of cherry blossom, vanilla and mandarin. If you like Victoria’s Secret Heavenly perfume, then I think you’ll dig this, too.

    While the product looks like disco inferno trapped in a bottle, it isn’t overly glittery on skin. I would definitely apply it before dressing, though, and not after (learn from my mistake!), to avoid the all-too-frequent glitter mishap.
  6. Hillary Duff Wrapped with Love ($38). Every time I look at this bottle I think of Hillary Duff’s song, Come Clean (also the Laguna Beach theme song). “Let the rain fall down, and wake my dreams…” LOLOL. Anyway, I’ll fess up to being a Laguna Beach fan (Seasons 1 and 2, holla), but I am certainly NOT a Hillary Duff fan. That said, I gotta give the girl and her marketing people props for this fruity-floral perfume, and it’s even guy friendly. According to an informal poll of a handful of random guy friends, it was liked by 4 out of 5 of them.

    Wrapped with Love is Hillary’s second fragrance; it’s a playful, lighter, version of With Love, her first perfume. It’s not as spicy or heavy as its older sibling, with notes of honeydew, blood orange, and raspberry mixed in with white florals and musk.

    At first I was afraid… I was petrified (sing it, Gloria Gaynor!) it would smell too pre-teen, but the scent is surprisingly sophisticated, fun and sexy — definitely not as heavy as my fave, Coco Mademoiselle. If you prefer lighter, fruit-themed fragrances, you might want to check it out.

This morning I’ve been listening non-stop to this wonderful tune by Sara Bareilles called Love Song. Have you heard it? It’s one of those songs where I wish I wrote the lyrics — a wish usually reserved only for certain Beatles masterpieces like Blackbird and Here Comes the Sun.


Anyway, I’m glad we got through Monday together. To reward myself I’m going to drink another cup of coffee (WHEEE!) and peruse some shoes on Zappos.com. I really should get some practical work shoes that keep my feet warm and dry, but the siren call of impractical (but sexy) strappy high heels cannot be ignored.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 48 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fragrance, Makeup, Nails, Product Reviews, Skin Care, Spas

Dark Circles Be Gone: Vincent Longo Illumina Concealer Pencil

January 27th, 2008 by Karen 10 Comments

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When I first heard about Vincent Longo’s Illumina Concealer Pencil, I really didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard it was a double-sided pencil with concealer on one end (to mask imperfections like dark circles and pimples) and an illuminator on the other (to highlight and brighten dull skin).

I’d never used pencil concealers before, always assuming they’d apply like many other pencils do — too matte, thick and waxy. A few years ago I had a bad experience with a pencil illuminator, Benefit’s Eye Bright. It was far too chalky for my taste and looked unnatural on me. That, coupled with my preconceived notions about pencil concealers, and I wasn’t expecting a lot from Vincent Longo’s.

But alas, I was wrong. Vincent Longo Illumina Concealer Pencil turned out to be a nice surprise.

Product: Vincent Longo Illumina Concealer Pencil
Use: To cover dark circles and skin imperfections
Price: $32.50
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Under-eye dark circles are no joke, ladies, and right now mine are terrible because I got about two seconds of sleep last night. I was up late watching a terrible 2005 remake of 1979’s The Amityville Horror, starring Ryan Reynolds, blech! This morning I needed a concealer to cover my dark circles.

When I look for new products to address beauty problems, I begin by looking for ones that are easy to use. It’s a well documented fact that I’m hella lazy, so, if something requires more exertion than dotting a liquid concealer under my eyes and blending with a finger, I won’t even attempt to go there.

Illumina Concealer Pencil’s gel-based formula gives it a slippery texture that glides on smoothly. Using it was a little like applying a silky lipstick under my eyes. Because the product applies smoothly and feels so lightweight on my skin, I half expected it would fail to camouflage my really dark purple I-got-two-seconds-of-sleep-last-night circles. I was wrong.

The concealer end concealed my dark circles, and the illuminator end brightened up my eyes. Honestly, the concealer didn’t fully hide the circles like my favorite heavy duty concealers are able to — Make Up For Ever Lift and MAC’s Select Moisturecover — but under most circumstances, it would do a fine job. It’s a great concealer for days when I only need light coverage.

The shade I have, codenamed Dark #3, is yellow with red undertones. To use it I applied the concealer end of the pencil to the inner corners of and directly under my eyes. Then, I added a few dots of the illuminating end on top of the concealer and blended with a finger. In the future, if I’m feeling motivated and have my jar of Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder #2 handy then I’ll add a layer of it on top to “set” the concealer. That should help increase its staying power.

I’m a bit of a concealer freak, so I actually have different concealers for various functions. Illumina Concealer Pencil is one I’ll use for “casual” days, like when I meet the girls for Sunday brunch, hit the gym with El Hub or if I’m just lounging at the beach. I plan to bring it with me the next time I go on vacation, which I hope will be sometime soon. Calgon needs to take my ass away, like, yesterday.

Whatcha got going on today? Brunch with the girls? Spending time with the boy or les babies? Whatever you’re doing today, I hope it’s fun.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Your weekend isn’t over yet! Check out the best posts from the Beauty Blog Network.[Continue reading…]

There are 10 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews

Beautiful Saturday Obsessions: Terminators and French Skin Care Lines

January 26th, 2008 by Karen 41 Comments

Any day of the week is a great day to obsess over beauty, but for some reason I think it’s just more fun to do on Saturday.

Hard to find French skin care lines…

I really dig French skin care products. Maybe it’s because they’re French; maybe it’s because I can’t understand anything on the labels — who knows? And the harder they are to find, the better!

Nuxe, one of my fave French brands, can be particularly hard to find here in the US. If you read beauty magazines, you’ve probably seen ads for Nuxe’s Huile Prodigieuse Multi Usage Dry Oil before. It hit the beauty scene a few years ago.

Nuxe specializes in using plant-based ingredients and aromatherapy in their products. They avoid compounds derived from animals, mineral oils and synthetic coloring agents. Oh, and their stuff generally smells really, really great, which is what drew me to the line in the first place.

There are only three stores in the San Francisco Bay Area that carry the line, and I’m lucky one of those stores, Beauty Expo in San Rafael, is just a hop, skip and a jump away. If you’d like to try the brand but haven’t been able to find it locally, Nuxe products are also available online from Beautyhabit.com.

Your girl has tried several Nuxe products, and two of my favorites have been Reve de Miel Ultra Comfortable Body Cream ($31) and Eau Demaquillante Cleansing Water ($22).

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Reve de Miel is an all-over body moisturizer for dry, sensitive skin, chock-full of soothing and repairing botanicals like fir honey and macadamia nut oil. It moisturizes like a pro (on par with one of my holy grail moisturizers, Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour cream) and has a light honey scent. I cannot stand moisturizers that leave a greasy film, and Reve de Miel doesn’t. If you like Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour cream but don’t care for the herbal smell, consider Reve de Miel a potential alternative.

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My bathroom here at home has a tiled floor that gets freezing cold in winter. The cold radiates up through the bath mat and fills the room. It can even get cold enough to discourage me from undressing to wash my neck before bed, so discovering micellar cleansing water a few months ago really helped remedy the neck washing situation. Unfortunately, I finally finished my bottle of Darphin Micellar Cleansing Water and just haven’t brought myself to pay the $50 again.

Nuxe’s own version of micellar cleansing water, Eau Demaquillante, works just as well as Darphin’s and costs less than half as much ($22 vs. $50). With it, I soak a cotton pad in the morning and night and quickly wash my neck and decollete. It lets me keep warm and toasty in my bathrobe at the same time, yay!

Eau Demaquillante is alcohol free and doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry or tight. It’s supposed to be fragrance free, but I detect a faint floral scent, which makes sense since it contains floral waters (rose, cornflower and lime blossom) and green tea. If my eyes look tired and puffy, I’ll lightly press a cotton pad drenched in Eau Demaquillante against them. It’s a refreshing and soothing treat.

Kitty wigs…

Just like former Poison frontman Bret Michaels (I swear that man wears a weave), your cat can have long flowing locks. Behold: Kitty Wigs, a Web site dedicated to coifing your cat in stylish wigs.

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Why am I compelled to place a pink wig on a cat? I don’t know. First off, I don’t own a cat. Second, I usually can’t stand over-accessorized animals (but a tastefully bejeweled collar is fine). I’m sure there exists some deep seeded psychological explanation for this, but for now it eludes me.

Current lemming list…

Lemming \LEM-ing\. verb:
A slang term frequently used on beauty Web site and beauty blogs.
1. To desire.
2. To want to purchase.

Example: “I am lemming a tube of Viva Glam V lipstick.”

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What I’m lemming right now:

Everything from the NARS spring Shanghi Lily color collection, especially…
Dolce Vita Lipgloss ($23)
Alhambra Duo Eyeshadow ($31)
Belle de Jour Velvet Matte Pencil ($23)

Terminators + eyeliner = awesomeness!

I am a not-so-closeted sci-fi geek, and one of my favorite sci-fi movie franchises of all time is Terminator. On Monday nights there’s a new show on TV, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and it’s frickin’ fantastic (of course, I also like cats with pink wigs). Cameron, one of the “good” Terminators, is played by actress Summer Glau.

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Sure, the show has the usual save-the-world-from-destructive-evil-robots-who-want-to-enslave-humanity schtick, but last Monday’s episode also showed Cameron trying to perfect the art of pencil eyeliner (it’s hard for robots too, yo). She carries around a compact that I swear looks like Stila Convertible Color.

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Looks like there’s a break in the rain, so I’m off to the gym and to run some errands. Later I’ll hit the mall to “just look at” the Nars spring color collection. I have a feeling, though, I’ll be adopting a tube of Dolce Vita lipgloss very soon. 🙂

Hope you are having a superb weekend so far!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 41 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup, Product Reviews

Paint it Pink, Paint it Black: Going Black to the Gym

January 24th, 2008 by Karen 45 Comments

It’s Valentine’s Day, 1998. I get no roses; I get no candy. What I do get is a kickboxing class and time alone with a punching bag in a stinky karate studio down the street from my house.

Twice a week I was taking a kickboxing class with 30 other women, punching and kicking the air to a techno soundtrack. That was all fine, but far and away my favorite part of class was when they brought out the heavy punching bag.

Fresh out of a bad relationship, I derived great joy from pretending that the bag was my ex. In class on Valentine’s night, I beat that bag with reckless abandon. “You’ll never get the best of me, bastard!” Punch, punch, kick, kick. By the end of class, dripping in sweat, I had punched my knuckles raw. Happy Valentine’s Day to me!

This Valentine’s Day, if your date for the evening is with the gym or a punching bag (try it sometime), you might as well look cute. Work it out with these road-tested gym makeup tips:

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Paint it Black, Vol. 1

  1. Clinique Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula ($14, available in February). Thank you, makeup gods, for bringing this mascara to the US! Designed for humid weather and only previously available in Asia, Lash Power is the ultra-marathoner of all mascara formulas. It won’t streak, run or smudge, not even through sweat, tears, rain, humidity or a dip in the pool. It is the Terminator of all mascaras.

    I’ve been wearing it on my heavy duty cardio workouts at the gym. Even after 60 minutes of sweat it hasn’t even begun to streak or smear.

    What’s the secret? The formula responds to heat. It comes off with very warm water (39 degrees C/103 degrees F). All you do is dab a cotton pad soaked in warm water, and it cleans right up.
  2. Lancome Potion of Love Lip Stain in Ruby Kisses ($18.50). You don’t have to be in love to wear Lancome’s Potion of Love Lip Stain. With its felt-tip pen applicator, it’s kinda like a Magic Marker for your lips. Lip stains apply like watercolor paints. They’re more watery than lipsticks or glosses. Potion of Love isn’t shiny, either, so it gives my lips a natural, flushed look with just a hint of ruby red tint.

    Best of all, the formula isn’t the least bit sticky, which is handy when I’m on the treadmill and the overhead fans blow my hair all over the place. I can’t stand it when stray ponytail hairs get stuck to my lipgloss. With Potion of Love Lip Stain that’s not a problem.
  3. Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Maximum Coverage Concealer ($18). This cream concealer has a natural finish and lasts through an entire 90-minute dance class without budging. If I’m in a hurry, I dab it on my dark circles with warm fingers et voila — my dark circles disappear faster than an ex-boyfriend did with half my CD collection (that bastard).
  4. MAC Blot Pressed Powder ($20). You’ve finished your workout and plan to drop by the juice bar for a quick snack to tide you over before dinner. I know you’ve worked hard, but you can’t leave the gym looking like a complete wreck, girl. Sorry!
  5. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler ($19). Lash Power isn’t a great thickener, but it does create long, natural looking lashes. To use it, I have to curl my stick-straight lashes first, and that’s where the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler enters the picture. It doesn’t pinch my lashes, and the tension is just right. Sometimes with other lash curlers you get this very hard, sort of angled curl. Shu’s curler doesn’t do that. It produces a very natural, soft curl.

After your workout, brush out your hair and dab a little bit of MAC Blot Pressed Powder to hide the shine. You never know when you’ll bump into Mr. or Ms. Right at the juice bar.

Paint it Black is part of a series of posts highlighting pink and black products for Valentine’s Day.

Aren’t you glad tomorrow is Friday? I’ve got a ton of laundry to do tonight before another big rain storm arrives. Tomorrow I was supposed to have coffee with my friend, Jen, and get my hair did (my roots are way past the point of being socially acceptable). Unfortunately, I’d rather stay warm and dry at home than drive very far in the rain, so it looks like dark roots remain in my immediate future.

Stay cute (and dry!) my friend.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 45 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Makeup Tools, Product Reviews

Paint it Pink, Paint it Black: Treat Yourself this Valentine’s Day

January 21st, 2008 by Karen 41 Comments

Valentine’s Day approaches, a day both loved and dreaded by millions. This February 14th, you could be…

1. sniffing the roses on your desk and chomping on candy hearts and chocolates while daydreaming about your faboo significant other (isn’t s/he the BEST?).

OR

2. alone in your living room, dressed in your rattiest plaid pajamas and drinking a bottle of Two Buck Chuck on the couch while lip syncing Celine Dion’s All By Myself.

Girl, I know how it is because I’ve played both roles before. Sometimes on the Big V you’re in lurve (how precious), but sometimes you’re not; sometimes you’re just plain bitter (it happens to the best of us).

So, to celebrate the love and the pain of Valentine’s Day, this post kicks off Paint it Pink, Paint it Black, a series featuring pink and black themed makeup and beauty products to help you make the most of this Valentine’s Day — no matter what. If you’re ready to shout your love from the rooftops, then you may opt to paint it pink! But, if you’re ready to tell your loser ex how you never needed his/her sorry ass anyway, then paint it black, sister!

Paint it pink, Vol. 1

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These hot pink beauties make me feel the love…

  1. Lancome Color Fever Photonic Gloss in Seashell ($23). This lovely fuschia gloss applies sheer, is never sticky, and makes my lips look like they just powered through a heavy-duty hour-long makeout session. HOT!
  2. Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Glare. A sheer, sparkly pink gloss with lots of glitter, this lipgloss is part of the awesome Light Speed Lip Gloss Set ($29). Glare is my favorite of the six glosses in the set because the glitter hits just the right sparkle without going over the top. It’s a great first date night gloss if you want your lips looking super kissable.
  3. Pattern Black Pepper Body Wash ($20). Technically, I should probably list this body wash in the “Paint it Black” section because of its black pepper scent, but the cute hot pink bubble pattern on the bottle prevails. With its fresh, unisex herbal scent — a mix of black pepper, ylang-ylang and vetiver — it’s perfect for shower dates (*ahem*) with your significant other. The ingredients are all natural, and no animals were harmed in its testing, hooray!
  4. Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet 3-in-1 Shampoo, Shower Gel and Bubble Bath ($16). This multi-tasking gel smells exactly like a fresh scoop of raspberry sorbet. A dollop fills the bath with bubbles and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth and ready for date night.
  5. Lierac Hydra-Chrono Anti-aging Balm ($45). This thick, rich balm smells like fresh picked cherries, yum! When I slather just a little of this on my hands at night, I wake up the following morning with seriously silky paws.

Whether you spend this particular Valentine’s Day in agony or ecstasy, just remember that you’re not alone, girl. Good or bad, we’ve all been there before.

Check back for more “Paint it Pink, Paint it Black.” I’ll be doing a new one every few days until the Big V drops next month. Now, hand me that heart-shaped box of truffles, homie!

More Paint it Pink, Paint it Black…


Paint it Black, Vol. 1: Going Black to the Gym
Paint it Pink, Vol. 2: Prepping for Date Night
Paint it Pink and Black, Vol. 3: When Love Leaves You Twisted

One more thing…

The poem below is my favorite love poem of ALL FRICKIN’ TIME! What’s yours?

When You are Old
by William Butler Yeats


When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim Soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 41 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews, Skin Care

What’s in Your Purse?

January 18th, 2008 by Karen 89 Comments

The other day Lilan over at the Daily Cookie asked me what was in my purse, so I pulled out my bag, took out one item at a time and wrote everything down in a list.

When I finished, I felt cleansed and pure, like the pocketbook gods had absolved me of all my purse-stuffing sins.

Not only was writing out this list strangely cathartic, it was also slightly alarming. Does one (relatively sane) woman really need to lug around all this crap?

Let me preface my list by saying that I AM NOT A HOBO. I just happened to get a big, slouchy purse a few months ago, thinking it would look chic. Sure, it’s cute, but it’s also heavier than a stuffed Thanksgiving turkey.

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Right now my purse contains…

  • one Blackberry smartphone
  • one wallet
  • one Goody stretchy headband (grey) for workouts
  • two black ponytail holder thingies
  • three bobby pins
  • …and a partridge in a pair tree (just kidding!)
  • one ticket stub for the movie Atonement
  • one half-eaten box of Orbit Maui Melon Mint gum. Unfortunately, I haven’t felt like chewing this gum since the minty poo experience with Poof! drops a few weeks ago.
  • two packages of DHC Vitamin C Powders (thanks Jessy)
  • two black Pentel RSVP fine tipped pens. These pens are the SH*T!
  • house and car keys
  • a pair of dangly black freshwater pearl earrings
  • a sheet of white Apple stickers (the computers, that is, not the makeup!)
  • pepper spray
  • two pieces of coral from the beach directly in front of where El Hub and I got married in Hawaii
  • a W-9
  • a Post-it with the phone number for Skates on the Bay, a restaurant in Berkeley
  • one Lemon Zest Luna Bar
  • one dark chocolate Ghirardelli chocolate square
  • a tube of Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour hand cream
  • a box of Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Maximum Coverage Concealer (unopened)
  • one pearl necklace
  • MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass
  • Vincent Longo Illumina Concealer Stick #3
  • CHANEL Rouge Allure in Exquise
  • CHANEL Glossimer in Galactic
  • CHANEL Gloss Creme Lumiere in Petite Four
  • MAC Pink Treat Cremestick Liner
  • MAC Blot pressed powder in medium dark
  • last week’s pay stub
  • a Christmas card from my Grandma
  • one bag of Cherry Honey Ricola cough drops
  • MAC Lipglass in Nico Now
  • one binder clip
  • one 2008 Monet day calendar
  • one “To Do” list with 34 frickin’ tasks on it!

Yep… That’s about it. Oh, and yesterday there was also one Fuji apple in there but I ate it.

What can I say? I like to make lists, and I’m also a bit of a voyeur (but not in a pervy way, dirty birdies). Now it’s your turn!

What’s in your purse?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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