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With the Ecrin 4 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palettes, Guerlain Is Closing In on Chanel and Dior

July 9th, 2011 by Karen 32 Comments

Most of my experience with Guerlain makeup has been with their lipsticks, which, while hella expensive, are some of my favorites among any brand I’ve ever tried. The Rouge G’s, in particular, are wonderful ways to splurge in the makeup department. Smooth, rich, long-lasting color, and that exquisite packaging with the hidden mirror in the cap?

TO. DIE. love

I haven’t spent as much time playing with the other products in the line, but since I love the lipsticks so much, I couldn’t wait to see what the company’s new line of eyeshadows had to offer.

Each of the nine new Ecrin 4 Couleurs palettes ($59 each) comes with four shadows — one each in matte, satin, metallic and iridescent finishes — in varying levels of coverage. Like the lippies, the sleek gold compacts come dressed to thrill. Everything about the presentation here, from the etched Guerlain logo on the front, to the heft of the palette in the hand, feels like luxury.

Based on the two palettes I’ve tried, Les Bleus and Les Noirs, I find myself being drawn to the iridescent shades, with their opalescent particles that gently illuminate my skin when the light hits them just right. The effect reminds me of a powder-puff lens filter or the light from a soft-white bulb. Generally, all of the shadows in each of the palettes are solid, finely milled and have a downy soft texture that effortlessly blends.

Even so, the price ($59) is quite high, even when you consider that the colors work out to $14.75 per pan — just 25 cents more than the cost of a MAC eyeshadow single. It would also be easier to accept if it weren’t for one thing…


Les Bleus


Les Noirs


Swatches of Les Noirs (four shades on the left) and Les Bleus (four shades on the right)
[Continue reading…]

There are 32 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: guerlain

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

July 9th, 2011 by Karen 620 Comments

  • WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Deanna G.! Congratulations, Deanna! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Win a $50 Sephora eGift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog
Good morning, glory. 🙂 I hope your day got off to a wonderful start. I’m slowly waking up out here. Got my big Christmas mug filled with coffee in my paws, so that should do the trick. It’s a little chilly and overcast now, but it looks like the kind of gray that usually burns off by the afternoon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I can’t recall having anything I’m supposed to do this weekend…at least nothing I can remember now, and that’s perfectly fine by me. Really, I’d just like to relax, maybe go to a late breakfast at Marvin’s, vacuum the house — correction, I’d like Tabs to vacuum the house, seeing as it’s his fur that gets all over the place — and maybe catch up on my reading and brainless TV.

Brainless TV. Ya know, nowadays, that’s my favorite kind. It’s comforting and easy to digest, like good porridge.

Of course, I just thought of a show that I’m looking forward to watching that doesn’t fit into the brainless TV category at all. It’s called Torchwood. Have you seen it? It’s sort of like the X-Files, Angel and Dr. Who all rolled into one. I loved the first few seasons when it was on BBC America. It’s been on a long hiatus, but it’s back again with a new season, and now it’s on Starz and takes place in LA (I believe). I missed the first episode last Friday. Gotta try and track that down…

Anywho, I’m going to plant myself on the couch for a few minutes, but I’ll be back soon.

Oh, I almost forgot. It’s also…

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

Win a $50 eGift card from Sephora

  • One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

  • There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, who’s your favorite female character on TV? Have you ever worked on a ranch or a farm? When you hear the word “beauty,” what’s the first word that pops into your head? Who makes your very favorite nail polish in the entire world? What do you think about camping? — you get the idea.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/rgFFOk

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 11:59PM (PT).
  • Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
  • A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
  • Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
  • Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
  • Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
  • The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
  • Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

  • WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Deanna G.! Congratulations, Deanna! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
There are 620 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun Keywords: giveaway

Wish We Were Here

July 9th, 2011 by Karen 3 Comments



Talk about fancy hotels. I walked by the Villagio Inn and Spa in Yountville, California, the other day and just about tripped over my feet on the sidewalk when I spotted this fountain and the flowers out front. So pretty!

There are 3 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

Red Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick in Garçonne Is Raising Quite a Flap

July 8th, 2011 by Karen 27 Comments

ZOMG! You could probably buy several baguettes, a couple of glasses of fancy red wine and maybe even a wheel of high-quality stinky cheese for the price of one tube of Guerlain’s new Rouge G in Garçonne ($47), but DAYUM!, it’s a helluva red.

One layer of this vibrant, pigmented true red, one of three new Rouge G shades for fall, brightens my mood as it brightens my lips.


[Continue reading…]

There are 27 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: guerlain

3 Lessons Learned from 5 Years of Marriage

July 8th, 2011 by Karen 60 Comments

Before we got hitched, El Hub and I were, to quote my mum, “serious” (“Are you two serious?”) for almost five years, so, technically, we’ve been together for a decade.

That’s a pretty good chunk of time to get to know someone, and while our relationship isn’t perfect, I haven’t wanted to kill him in his sleep (yet), and he’s remarkably tolerant of my PMS-fueled mood swings, so I think we’re doing all right, all things considered. 🙂

Seriously, though, we’ve been together for a while, and I think we’re still pretty darn happy. Looking back, there have been a few important moments over that time and one or two valuable lessons, like…

1. Get the sleep situation under control

Oh, man. I don’t even know where to start, but to make a long story short, the sooner you can work out any sleep problems, the better you’ll both feel.

Years before I met him, El Hub worked nights, and it permanently disrupted his sleep cycle. He tosses and turns all night long (always spinning counterclockwise, which is so weird!), and on top of that snores like a small bear. I, on the other hand, sleep soundly, but I need complete silence, and for everything to be still.

Our first couple of beds weren’t doing us any favors. One, a hand-me-down full-size bed from a family member, had weak springs and a soft mattress with a dip in the middle like a “V” that would draw us both toward the center of it like a sleep-sucking black hole.

With El Hub sleeping on the left side of the dip, his propensity to roll counterclockwise would usually keep him out of the middle, but I was rarely so lucky. I’d end up in the dip, wide awake, with my shoulders bunched up against my ears and El Hub spinning and snoring like a haunted carnival ride beside me.

FUN!

One night, I got so angry that I woke him up every single time he moved or snored. Weeks of sleep deprivation had brought out my inner crazy, and I decided that if I wasn’t going to get my REM on, neither was he. So childish, I know, but wouldn’t ya know it? — the next day we decided to get a new bed. 🙂

The moral of this story: if you think this guy/gal is the one, save yourself the heartache, and get the sleeping situation worked out as soon as possible.
[Continue reading…]

There are 60 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Beauty Tips, Just For Fun

China Glaze Metro Collection for Fall 2011: Welcome to the Urban Jungle, Baby

July 8th, 2011 by Karen 5 Comments















Uptown and downtown girls have something to look forward to this fall from the China Glaze Metro Collection, a 12-piece limited edition release of nail polishes in shades of blue, purple, raspberry, red, burgundy, terracotta, gray, green, yellow and beige coming soon to Sally beauty stores, salons and online.

China Glaze Metro Collection: Official PR Color Descriptions

  • Skyscraper: A sparkling, glitter blue reminiscent of the sky over the city.
  • CG in the City: Glittering dusty purple, bronze and silver multi-tonal glitter, perfect for a pop of edge from West side to East side.
  • Urban-Night: Exactly what you need for a night on the town — rich purple crème.
  • Traffic Jam: Stop traffic with a breathtaking, raspberry pink crème.
  • City Siren: The perfect deep, red crème to match any outfit.
  • Loft-y Ambitions: Burgundy shimmer and cocktail hour — nothing better.
  • Brownstone: Burnt terracotta crème mirrors the quaint townhouses of the city.
  • Midtown Magic: Burgundy base with flecks of gold shimmer captures the latest fashion trend.
  • Street Chic: This gorgeous beige crème is the perfect go to shade letting your clothes do the talking.
  • Concrete Catwalk: Steel grey crème is amazing for a chic mani.
  • Westside Warrior: For the trendsetting woman this camo green crème is to die for.
  • Trendsetter: Mustard yellow shimmer translates beautifully from hot dogs to nails.


Skyscraper


CG in the City


Urban-Night


Traffic Jam


City Siren


Loft-y Ambition


Brownstone


Midtown Magic


Street Chic


Concrete Catwalk


Westside Warrior


Trendsetter

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty Keywords: china glaze

Dolce & Gabbana Italian Summertime Lipstick Swatches and Working with Demanding Cats

July 8th, 2011 by Karen 50 Comments

Seriously, if I don’t start getting some recognition from my boss, I just might go apesh*t. Don’t get me wrong, I love working for Tabs. Being his executive assistant/gravy chef has been an amazing experience, but he refuses to acknowledge any boundaries between my work and personal life.

Last night I literally had one foot out the door when he stopped me.

“Meow!” he said, knowing full well that El Hub and I had reservations for dinner.

“But it’s our anniversary,” I replied. I pleaded with him, but he just stared back at me, expressionless, as if to say, “And?” He told me dinner would have to wait until I finished swatching these new lip products from the Dolce & Gabbana Italian Summertime Collection, available now at Saks stores and also online.

Apparently, he got an e-vite from Domenico and Stefano to spend the weekend at their villa on Lake Como in Italy, and he wanted the swatches to help him decide which lip colors he should wear for the trip.

Whatev. A kitty assistant’s work is never done…


Dolce & Gabbana Italian Summertime 2011 lip products from left to right: Precision Lipliner in Caramello ($30), Shine Lipstick in Luna ($30), Classic Cream Lipstick in Madorla ($30) and Shine Lipgloss in Cannella ($29)


Swatches from the left to right: Luna, Mandorla, Cannella and Caramello


Precision Lipliner in Caramello
[Continue reading…]

There are 50 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup Keywords: dolce & gabbana

Purple Hydrangeas

July 8th, 2011 by Karen 5 Comments


I love these flowers.

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

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