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

The Sula Beauty Eye Crayon in Never Say Never May Prefer Drier Lids Than Mine

August 17th, 2011 by Karen 34 Comments

The first thing I thought when I saw the new Sula Beauty Eye Crayon in Never Say Never ($8, one of five shades) was, “Did they collaborate with Crayola?”

This is coming from someone who still draws with crayons, so I mean that in the best possible way. This multitasking makeup implement claims to do a bit of everything. It’s supposed to work as a shadow, a liner, and even as a base for powder eyeshadows — a similar idea to the NYX Jumbo Pencils we played with a couple months ago.

Never Say Never’s pigmented shimmery bronze and soft, creamy texture impressed me from the first moment it touched my eyes, but I think it has a few small issues with performance.

As a liner, I find it just okay. It lasts on my lash line for a solid six hours, but it gives up along my water line after about one.

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Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. IV: A Quick Look!

August 17th, 2011 by Karen 27 Comments

A peek at the new Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV! More info and swatches in a few. 🙂

urban decay book of shadows iv

EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette: Enchanted Berries

August 16th, 2011 by Karen 10 Comments

EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette in Enchanted Berries ($45), available now at counters and also online.

I can’t wait to dig into that taupe on the right, and I the symmetry and the way the packaging shines…

The Buzz on Burt’s Bees New Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub Is Good

August 16th, 2011 by Karen 70 Comments

How sweet. 🙂 Burt’s industrious bees made us a new scrub, and like his fabulous Cranberry & Pomegranate one, this one’s also 100% natural.

If there hadn’t been a warning on the side of Burt’s Bees Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub ($13 for an 8-oz. tub) stating that it’s “Not a food — do not consume,” I would have spread some on my toast.

Doesn’t it look delicious (a little like apple sauce)? And I think it smells yummy, too — fresh and light, like raw sugar and honey.

Following in the footsteps of its Cranberry & Pomegranate predecessor, which I first fell in love with a year ago this fall, Honey & Shea wasn’t tested on animals, and it doesn’t contain any parabens, phthalates or petrochemicals. I’d been turning to Burt’s rich, moisturizing Pomo-Cran scrub whenever I needed to get my exfoliation on, but as much as my dry skin loves the hydrating heavy oils it contains, I know it’s not for everyone.

Would this Honey-sweetened recipe work just as well for me while perhaps appealing to a wider audience? I took it into the shower this week to try and find out.

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Pet Assistants, It’s in the Bag: The Essie Brand New Bag Collection for Fall 2011

August 16th, 2011 by Karen 49 Comments

If you’re considering a career as an executive pet assistant, learn from my mistakes. Read your employment contract carefully before you sign (and maybe even enlist the help of an attorney); otherwise, you just might find yourself at the mercy of a demanding diva.

Apparently, my lawyer and I missed the clause in my contract that grants Tabs final wardrobe, nail color and accessories approval. Honestly, if I’d known all of the bullsh*t baggage that would come with this gig beforehand, I probably would’ve just gone to law school instead…

Today’s dilemma has to do with kitty coats and complementary colors. Specifically, Tabs and his stylist have been planning my wardrobe for the next two weeks, and they’ve chosen a theme based on classic fall shades designed to complement his fur — colors like the ones in the new Essie Brand New Bag Collection. 🙂

Essie Brand New Bag colors from the left: Very Structured, Case Study and Glamour Purse; Not pictured: Carry On (a mulberry merlot), Power Clutch (a dark green) and Lady Like (a demure pink)

Available now at beauty stores, salons, spas and drugstores, the six-piece collection features polishes with creamy finishes in autumnal hues of pink, beige, green, wine and brown — colors that Essies says were inspired by the structured handbags and ladylike glamour of the 1940s and ’50s.

Tabs and his stylist have narrowed down their decision to three of the six colors, claiming that Case Study (a cool beige with a hint of gray), Glamour Purse (a purplish taupe) and Very Structured (a cinnamon stick red) should “sing” beside his gray, brown and rust colored tabby coat, and they insisted that I swatch the three shades immediately.

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I Have a Small Beef with NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss

August 16th, 2011 by Karen 48 Comments

nars larger than life lip gloss

I wonder if NARS was trying to be ironic by making these new Larger Than Life Lip Gloss tubes ($26 each) smaller than their regular glosses. The new tubes, while they do appear larger, actually hold much less product (0.19 oz. versus 0.28 oz.).

And that’s not all. These new plumping glosses, available now exclusively at Sephora stores and also online, even have a smaller brush. It’s about half the size of the line’s regular doe-foot applicator. The smaller size is supposed to make it more precise for application.