Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A Slice of Matte Lipstick Paradise Courtesy of the MAC Posh Paradise Mattenes

September 16th, 2011 by Karen 28 Comments

mac posh paradise mattenes (1)

Dang, I’d forgotten just how much I love the MAC Mattenes. It had been a while since the last time I wore anything from the line of semi-matte lipsticks, but today three of the 10 shades from the delightful new Posh Paradise collection refreshed my memory.

mac posh paradise swatches mattenes
Mattene Lipsticks, $14.50 U.S./$17.50 CDN each, from the left: Deliciously Forbidden(a mid-tone berry), Legendary (a mid-tone brick red) and Naked Bliss (a neutral light pink)

Mattene Lipstick swatches from the left: Deliciously Forbidden, Legendary and Naked Bliss
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MC K-Dawg on the Mic: Sonia Kashuk Fall 2011 Nail Colour

September 16th, 2011 by Karen 20 Comments

sonia kashuk fall 2011

Here’s a shout-out to Sonia K.,
Her new Nail Colours, I just gotta say,
Might be some of my fave fall colors, haaay!

sonia kashuk fall 2011

At $4.99, they don’t cost too much.
Two coats will do you if you’re in a rush.

The brush? So precise.
Formula? Smoove as ice.
The colors? TrÃ¨s glam, and ooh! — look at that price.

Sugar Rush, well, hey, yes, she’s a baby pink.
Chocoholic is a dark reddish brown (so distinct!).

sonia kashuk sugar rush
Sugar Rush

sonia kashuk chocoholic
Chocoholic
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3 Things I Love About Makeup

September 16th, 2011 by Karen 27 Comments

1. I love that it washes off

Halloween in April? Why not. I love how with makeup you can get wacky with colors and looks, but you don’t have to commit to anything permanently. On any given day, you can be a princess, a warrior, a warrior princess, a go-go dancing alien vampire — whomever you want to be (barring the oppressive realities of workplace etiquette).

2. I love how it boosts my confidence

It’s amazing what a little concealer, mascara, brow filler and gloss can do. Even with minimal makeup on, I feel myself holding my head up higher.
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I’ve Got Designs on These JK Jemma Kidd Eyeshadows

September 16th, 2011 by Karen 8 Comments

JK Jemma Kidd Hi-Design and I-Design Eye Colour Eyeshadows ($16 each), available now at Target stores and also online.

Crazy Purple Lipstick!

September 15th, 2011 by Karen 11 Comments

A few bits and bobs from the new Illamasqua Theater of the Nameless collection.

Um…how cra-zay-zay is that purple lipstick? Not sure I’d ever wear that, but it looks great in the tube.

In other news, Illamasqua is currently offering free international shipping on all orders over Â£40 ($63 U.S.) from now through September 18 with code AW40 at checkout. 🙂

I’d Be Lost Without Shu, But Sonia Kashuk’s Curl Up Lash Curler Would Ease My Pain

September 15th, 2011 by Karen 44 Comments

I still have no proof that Tabs was involved in the disappearance of my Shu Uemura lash curler earlier this year, but he’s still the number one suspect.

Every time I ask him about it, he gets all evasive, all nonchalant like, “doopdadoo. Weather’s nice.”

Yeah…well I’m on to you, Tabs. I’ll figure it out.

The day it disappeared, I nearly lost my mind. I was crushed. It took me 20 years and probably a dozen different brands to find a curler as great as Shu, and no device had ever curled my lashes that well.

That is, no device until now. 🙂

Ever since Shu Uemura pulled out of U.S. stores, the line has gotten tougher to find. Sure, there’s still their website, but if/when the replacement Shu lash curler I picked up after its predecessor’s disappearance ever mysteriously vanishes, too (I know it was you, Tabs!), at least I now know of a worthy replacement.

And it lives at Target stores.

New for fall, the $12.99 limited edition Sonia Kashuk Curl Up Eyelash Curler has a few great traits in common with my beloved $19 Shu.

Like Shu’s curler, Sonia’s fits the shape of my eye like a glove, and it doesn’t pinch the outer edges of my fringe (something that many other lash curlers do).

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Thanks to Deborah Lippmann, the Forecast Calls for Stormy Weather and Billionaire This Fall

September 15th, 2011 by Karen 35 Comments

deborah lippmann fall 2011

Girlfriend, I think it’s time…

I fought fall’s relentless approach with every fiber of my being, but thanks to the new Deborah Lippmann polishes for Fall 2011 ($16 each), I think I’m finally ready to get with the program. I guess it’s about time, after all, seeing as the first official day of the season is just a single week away (on September 23).

Goodbye beaches, swimming pools, flip-flops and fro-yo (well…). Hello, knit hats, knee-high boots, scarves and sweaters.

Soon the last of the summer watermelons will disappear, only to be replaced by the first of fall’s pumpkins.

Don’t ask…

Easing the transition from summer to fall are the following four new nail polishes from Deborah Lippmann, which combine dark, moody colors with both cream and shimmer finishes, and a consistency that’s neither thick nor thin.

deborah lippmann fall 2011
From the left: Stormy Weather, Brick House, Billionaire and Single Ladies

The four of them dry reasonably quickly but do require patience, as I’ve had to use about three layers of each of them to achieve fully opaque coverage. And together, the three layers take about 45 minutes to dry (not including a base or top coat).

Two of the shades, Brick House and Single Ladies, apply a little streakier than I expected them to…

deborah lippmann fall 2011 brick house
Brick House
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A Guerlain Belle de Nuit Face of the Day

September 15th, 2011 by Karen 33 Comments

I woke up in a playful mood this morning, so after a few minutes chasing Tabs around the house, I reached for a few pieces from the upcoming Guerlain Belle de Nuit holiday collection and sat down to do my makeup.

From left to right: Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush ($67), Rouge Automatique Lipstick in Nuit d’Amour ($35) and Les Ombres de Nuit 4-Colour Palette ($59)