Product Reviews

Here’s a Face of the Day that I did with Lola Laptop’s Color to Go in “Joy.” I’m a sucker for packaging, and I love how sleek and sophisticated this looks.

What I liked about it
– Cute packaging
– Captive Eyeshadow is a beautiful, highly pigmented bronze.
– Gloss has a great texture and is not sticky
– Huge mirror in compact
– Unusual color combo

What I didn’t like about it
– Lots of large chunky glitter in the gold enchant shadow (too disco for me)
– No lip brush

So I never wear pinks on my eyes but this palette helped to push me out of my regular makeup comfort zone, which I appreciate. Here’s what I used:

– Enchant on the brow bone
– Captive on lid
– Charm on outer third of lid
– Cherish on lash line

On my lips I first applied a layer of Allure, which looks dark in the pan but is actually very sheer. I popped a thin layer of Entice on top.

I have to admit, it took me a while to figure this palette out. These shadow colors are shades that I’m not normally immediately drawn to, but after some practice (and lots of blending) I liked the result of the eye very much. I felt like I had to use a lot of color to get it to show up, but that may just be because I have darker skin.

If you are lighter then I suspect you’ll have an easier time with this. Oh, and while it’s not quite my style, if you like big flashy glitter gold glitter than you’ll love the highlight color, Cherish.

The Lola Laptop Color to Go Palette is $36.00.

Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

I’m exhausted, ya’ll. The last two days have really taken a lot out of me. I think I’m crashing from the adrenaline rush, plus I’ve had very little sleep and too much coffee.

I’m glad it’s Friday because today is my day off and I’m looking forward to digging into more of the Lola Holiday/Fall loot today. Perhaps I’ll even pop by the movies to catch the new Resident Evil flick, too.

Hope your Friday so far has been fun and that wherever you are that your feeling rested, happy and loved. Oh, and I also hope your brows look good, too! =)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Tarte’s Health Couture 2007 fall collection continues to move me. While the ready-to-wear/prêt-a-porter palette appeals to the makeup addict in me, easy-to-use products like Cheek Stain in Natural Beauty really speak to my inner lazy bum.

Face of the Day with Tarte Products

Because there are some days when I barely have enough time to brush my teeth, I like to have makeup around that doesn’t take a lot of time to apply that still allows me to look put together. In this Face of the Day below, I’m barely wearing anything:

Tarte products:
– Cheek Stain in Natural Beauty on cheeks
– Lashes curled with Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler, and then followed with 4-in-1 Mascara
– Inside Out lipstick in Sweet Dreams

This lazy bum makeup look also includes:
– MAC Concrete shadow in brows
– Laura Mercier Translucent setting powder over entire face
– MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer mixed with MAC Fast Response Eye cream
– Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder underneath eyes

It looks natural, doesn’t feel heavy and took less than ten minutes. Viva la lazy, ya’ll.

What to bring home, and what to pass up

So what’s worth bringing home this fall from Tarte’s Health Couture 2007 releases? Don’t miss out on the Cheek Stain and the Inside Out Lipsticks!

No Skill Required – Natural Beauty Cheek Stain

– Easy to work with (no brush required)
– Highly pigmented color

What I liked about it
This “no skill required” gel is what put Tarte on the makeup map, and has won awards from magazines like InStyle, Cosmo and Self. Natural Beauty indeed gives a natural looking flush! This red–toned blush has a dewy look on cheeks and has no glitter. I apply just a lil’ bit of it with my fingers and I look like I was just at the gym working on my fitness. Good consistency (not to thick or oily) and smell (oranges) too.

What I didn’t like about it
Although I like the color, I have to be a careful with the amount that I put on. The color is bright and has a lot of pigment for a gel blush, so if I accidentally put too much on I look like a crazy old lady who can’t lay off the rouge. Also, I wish the staying power was longer. I have oily skin, and after a few hours the blush seems to slide right off.

The final word
A lovely color that would be good for ladies or makeup loving gents who want an easy, natural cheek look. Apply sparingly or risk Bozo the Clown mega-status.

Inside Out Lipsticks are Easy and Pretty, but Skip the Juice

Product: Inside Out Vitamin Infused Lipstick Powered by BORBA nutraceuticals
Use: As a matte lipstick. The BORBA powdered drink is supposed to clarify your skin.
Price: $22.00 for a tube and a package of BORBA Skin Balance Aqua-less Crystalline
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

– Semi-matte finish, highly pigmented colors
– Easy to apply
– Sweet Dreams shade is a dusty pink-rose, Zen is plum-berry
– Powdered BORBA nutraceutical drink tasted “interesting”
– Cute packaging

What I liked about it
At first glance, I though that the clear center in this lipstick would give it a sheer look. The colors, like the natural beauty gel blush, are also highly pigmented. Both colors have a semi-matte texture, and are easy to apply. I didn’t use a lip brush and just slapped a layer on directly from the tube with very little effort, yet the look was still relaxed but refined.

What I didn’t like about it
The accompanying pack of “Skin Balance Aqua-less Crystalline” by BORBA is a clarifying pomegranate antioxiant powder drink that’s supposed to help control blemishes, surface oil and detoxify skin. Control blemishes? Sign me up.

I’ve got a hyper-sensitive sense of smell, and this drink smelled really “grassy” to me. It made my tummy churn. It’s got zero calories, which I suppose is good, and it tasted like a mystery drink with no distinct fruit flavor or sugar. I can’t say if it helped clear my skin. I’ll just stick to drinking obscene amounts of water, which has always helped me to keep the zits away.

… okay, so it didn’t really taste like chicken, but it definitely tasted weird

The final word
I won’t be downing any BORBA powdered drinks anytime soon, but I’ll definitely be toting this lipstick on my days when I don’t want to put in a lot of makeup effort. Sweet Dreams was my favorite natural-looking color out of the two.

4-in-1 Lashes Equals 4 Coats of Mascara for www.makeupandbeautyblog.com

Product: Rejuvelash Lash Sxhilarating set; includes Rejuvelash Declumping Lash Exhilarator; Lights, camera, lashes! 4-in-1 Mascara; Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler
Use: To curl and define lashes
Price: $40.00
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C+/B-

– lash curler with unique “ergonomic” design
– 4-in-1 mascara builds and thickens easily
– Rejvelash declumping very high gloss

What I liked about it
If you already have thick and abundant lashes then you’ll dig 4-in-1 mascara because it gives lash emphasis without looking too over-the-top, and holds a lash curl well. Rejuvelash is an interesting product that comes with this set. It’s a clear gloss that you put on later on in the day to revive your lashes. I liked that it was glossy and de-clumped my late-day lashes.

What I didn’t like about it
I really wanted to fall in love with this curler, just ‘cause it has those cute “ergonomic” purple handles. However, I felt like the width of the lash curl area should be slightly bigger because it kept pinching me. Ouch! I compared it to my MAC curler, which is slightly longer by just a touch, but that little bit of room prevents me from getting pinched lashes.

After Four Coats of 4-in-1

Even on my minimal makeup days I like my lashes to look big and flashy, and I had to use a lot of the 4-in-1 to get them to the thickness and length that I like. I used four coats in this picture, lol. That said, even though it built up nicely I wish I didn’t have to put in so much effort to get there.

The final word
Natural lash beauties will like 4-in-1 mascara. I will stick to my MAC curler, but if you’ve always hated having to put your fingers through the looks of your mascara curler, then Tarte’s version is worth at least a try. Rejuvelash is a neat gloss that busy makeup lovers will like to give late day lashes an instant lift.

BAH! It’s Monday. I’m still recovering from the weekend. I stayed up late last night to watch Transformers (more than meets the eye) and it totally brought me back to my childhood days at the babysitters, when there were no girls to play with and I was stuck hanging with a bunch of roughneck boys who always made me be Bumblebee and never ever, let me be Optimus Prime. BOO! I’m not bitter. Anyway, watcha doing this tonight? I’m looking forward to watching The Hills and getting my haterade on via Spencer Pratt (ultimate BLAH) and Justinbobby (semi-BLAH.)

Have a kickin’ day and I hope it goes by fast!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen