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

It’s the Creasing with Too Faced Exotic Color Intense Eye Shadow in Cop a Teal That Makes Me Blue

July 14th, 2011 by Karen 44 Comments

One of my favorite things about makeup is how we’re not just allowed to let our moods, whims and temporary obsessions influence our color choices and techniques; we’re actually encouraged to. Heck, that’s a big part of the whole shebang, and along those lines, I’ve been feeling blue…

Not blue in a bad way. Just blue.

I don’t really know why or what triggered it, but for some reason I’ve been liking blue even more than usual, especially blue eyeshadows, which is why I had sky high hopes for $18 Exotic Color Intense Eye Shadow in Cop a Teal, one of 12 shades from Too Faced Cosmetics.

[Continue reading…]

I Want (Eye) Candy!

July 13th, 2011 by Karen 3 Comments

New spring/summer eyeshadows from Senna Cosmetics, $16.50 each, available now online. Clockwise from the purple pan on the bottom: Vivid (a luminous purple), Chameleon (a silvery, golden lavender), Bohemian (a rich golden bronze) and Forget-Me-Not (a pale violet).

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Lemon Drop Eyeshadow Primer Wants to Wipe Out Red

July 13th, 2011 by Karen 39 Comments

I’ve been on a culinary kick lately, ya know, cooking more than usual, because as much as I love the frozen food aisle at Trader Joe’s, I think I’ve hit my upper limit for microwaveable bean burritos this year. And all of the time I’ve been racking up at the stove has also led to a startling discovery: lemon zest — the scrapings you get from running a lemon against a grater — that stuff is the muthu truckin’ shiz!

It contains all of these aromatic, flavorful oils that make it a great seasoning for dishes like fish, pasta, salad, and pretty much anything and everything else I’ve been adding it to lately.

I bet if I’m not careful, what is still just a zesty infatuation could explode into a full-blown lemon zest addiction.

And then what? Where would I be?

Oh, I know — probably thinking about lemon zest while I play with the new Too Faced Shadow Insurance Lemon Drop Color Correcting Eye Shadow Primer ($18). 🙂

It’s basically a pale lemon yellow version of the original Too Faced Shadow Insurance, a creamy eyeshadow primer designed to offset discolorations on the lids and extend the wear time of eyeshadows applied atop it.

I’ve long liked the regular version, even though the idea of it isn’t that revolutionary anymore. As far as similar lemony/yellow primers, Benefit makes one called Lemon Aid ($20) that didn’t really work for me, so I wanted Lemon Drop to rock. Plus, I kinda the name. The yellow tints are designed to neutralize redness in the skin.

[Continue reading…]

You Can Do Side Bends or Sit-Ups…

July 13th, 2011 by Karen 6 Comments

But please don’t lose that butt!

Urban Decay Fall 2011 Hits a Wide Range of Notes

July 13th, 2011 by Karen 37 Comments

VOGUE! By the way, it’s not easy to dance holding makeup.

Dance with me, ladies, to the Top 40 beats of Urban Decay’s Fall 2011 (come on, don’t be shy). Whether you’re a cutie who loves classic colors, a neutral loving-lass or a babe who can’t live without her big, bold brights, the DJ has a little something for everyone on the playlist tonight.

Like a radio station that plays pop during daylight hours and techno at night, UD’s latest collection of eye and lip products balances practical, everyday items, like a new lash curler, brow products, a mascara and neutral eyeshadows and liners, with the brand’s signature brights.

Wait — we’ll talk more in a minute. For now, put on your dancing shoes. 🙂

15-Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection, $55

urban decay 15-year anniversary eyeshadow collection

Just when I thought I’d seen every color available in an Urban Decay palette, UD releases this sleek beauty with 15 new shades! I think it strikes a great balance between neutrals and brights. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

Wearing Chase and Tainted on lids

24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, $18

urban decay eyeliner liquid waterproof 1
[Continue reading…]

Mila Kunis: Her Best Hair?

July 13th, 2011 by Karen 24 Comments

Mila Kunis: Her Best Hair?

Born Milena “Mila” Kunis, on August 14, 1983 in the former Soviet Union, Mila’s family moved to America when she was seven in search of a better life.

Not a native English speaker, it wasn’t easy at first, adjusting to life in a new place. “I blocked out second grade,” she once said. “I didn’t understand the culture. I didn’t understand the people. I didn’t understand the language. My first sentence of my essay to get into college was like, ‘Imagine being blind and deaf at age seven.’ And that’s kind of what it felt like moving to the States.”

But it didn’t take long for Mila to find her way. Her father, a mechanical engineer, and mother, a physics teacher, had moved the family to Los Angeles, and by 12 Mila was getting small acting parts in TV shows (her first was an episode of Baywatch). Her big break came in 1998 when she was cast as Jackie Burkhart in the Fox sitcom That ’70s Show, and the rest, as they say, is history. Her new movie, Friends with Benefits, starring Justin Timberlake, opens July 22.

The girl’s got fab hair, fo’ sho’. And she knows it, too. “Blondes definitely do not have more fun,” she says. “Trust me.”

Loading ...

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Oh, yeah. 🙂 Happy hump day!

What’s One of Your Weird Beauty Quirks?

July 12th, 2011 by Karen 51 Comments

Well, I don’t like to be seen with bare toenails, and I’ll do ridiculous things not to be seen with bare toenails. Case in point: before my anniversary dinner last week, even though I was running late, I still painted the two nails — just the two — on each foot that were going to be visible with the shoes I was wearing. And I used nude polish so no one could tell what a messy, fly-by-night job I did (because I wasn’t wearing my glasses).

Truthfully, the reason is because I feel like my feet look like monkey paws on account of my freakishly long toes. 🙂

How about you? What’s one of your weird beauty quirks?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Urban Decay Fall 2011: Swatches, Pics and a Fun Tuesday Face of the Day

July 12th, 2011 by Karen 98 Comments

urban decay fall 2011

YOWZA! I could not wait to meet the 15 new eyeshadow colors in the Urban Decay Fall 2011 collection. 🙂

Here are pics and swatches of them and the other products in the release, along with a quick breakdown of the look I wore this afternoon, which, I should say, was inspired by the teal and purple look worn by the model for UD’s Fall 2011 campaign, and NOT by that embarrassing incident with the hot fireman last year.