A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
G’morning, girls! I hope you got your beauty sleep last night. I was up late partying with C. Bale (I wish; don’t tell El Hub, LOL!).
Tabs says hi! He’s in the doghouse today because he was naughty yesterday. He kicked kitty litter all over the floor and felt like meowing all night long.
With my help he put together this little story that he hopes you enjoy. 🙂
Hey, hey, girlies! Can you believe August is almost over?
For some of you, that means heading back to school. In the comments on a previous post, reader Abigail said she was looking for a new look for school and wanted to use purple. I’m a big fan of purple and reached for Top Hat, a shimmery purple shade from MAC’s recent Starflash release, for this face of the day.
Abigail, I hope it gives you some ideas. 🙂
Back in school, I struggled to get to class on time. I was that girl always chasing down the bus. “Wait! Wait for me!”
I shot for quick and easy with this purple and gold look to help other students who suffer from the same affliction.
To complement the eyes, I went with plum cheeks and lips. I used MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Secret Blush on my cheeks and MAC Star Nova Lustreglass on the lips.
Benefit Birthday Suit Creaseless Cream Shadow
MAC Woodwinked Eye Shadow
MAC Top Hat Eye Shadow
MAC Graphblack Technakohl LIner
MAC Powersurge Eye Kohl
MAC Prep + Primer Lash
MAC Zoomblack Zoomlash Mascara
1. First, I covered the entire eye with a layer of Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit.
2. Then, I dusted MAC Woodwinked eye shadow into the crease.
3. I swept MAC Top Hat Eye Shadow onto the lid area, just barely into the crease and along the lower lash line to softly define the eye.
4. When I’m in a hurry (late for work, yo!), I don’t always have the time or patience for eyeliner along my upper and lower lash lines. Sometimes, I’ll apply liner to both water lines and leave it at that. I think it’s tougher to spot uneven lines on the water lines because of their location. They’re partially obscured when the eyes are closed. Uneven lash lines, on the other hand, really stand out. For the upper water line, I applied Graphblack Technakohl Liner.
5. Next, I added Powersurge Eye Kohl on the lower water line.
6. To finish up, I curled my lashes, applied two coats of MAC Prep + Prime Lash lash primer, followed by two layers of MAC Zoomlash mascara.
Finito! Time to hit the books!
I’ve been getting lucky, ladies! I’ve been finding some great drugstore shampoos and conditioners lately, like Suave Professionals Vibrant Shine Shampoo and Conditioner ($7 for the pair), a drugstore knock-off of a popular salon product, Sebastian Laminates Shampoo and Conditioner. I used Sebastian products back in the mid-90s and loved them but not the $20 price tag per bottle.
One thing I like about Suave Pro Vibrant Shine is the fragrance. A thick head of hair weighted down with a heavy scent can feel downright oppressive. If you don’t like overwhelming scents in your hair, then give this a try. Both the shampoo and conditioner have a very light, vaguely fruity scent that smells clean and not synthetic or plastic-y at all.
The shampoo lathers into a rich, sudsy foam that takes some work to rinse out, but I like products that force me to make sure I’m rinsing thoroughly. Same goes for the conditioner, which also takes some time to rinse out. Just as a comparison, it’s a bit thicker than Aussie’s Opposites Attract Conditioner, so if you have difficult hair that needs to be weighed down, Suave Pro Vibrant Shine Conditioner might be a good option.
[Continue reading…]
Sleepy yet cheerful
I’m still deciding, maybe purples and golds today!
Clean off my desk, go for a run and resist eating too much junk food
Chocolate flavored Kona coffee (yum!)
El Hub, Tabs and MAC Turquatic fragrance (sniffed a sample the other day)
Skinny jeans, white button-up shirt and black strappy heels
MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Secret Blush
It’s still pretty early, so right now it’s this cup of coffee.
To be patient with myself and others, to eat healthy and to trust the creative process!
Want to play? Just copy the empty list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.
Le list
Mood:
Eye makeup colors:
Gotta get it done:
Breakfast beverage:
Crushing on:
Outfit:
Today’s fragrance:
Blush:
Highlight of the day:
Goals for the week:
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
MAC rarely goes on sale, but if you live near an outlet mall you may be in luck. Legend has it The Cosmetics Company Store chain of outlet shops is one of the few places that regularly stocks discounted MAC makeup, brushes and skin care products, as well as discounted products from other department store cosmetics brands. To see for myself, I jumped on the computer this morning and pulled up Outletbound.com to find the nearest outlet mall with a Cosmetics Company Store.
Paydirt!
I found one an hour north of me in Napa, so I took a drove up there today to check it out.
A somewhat mysterious chain store with at least 70 locations across the US, The Cosmetics Company Store sells discounted makeup, skin care, brushes and fragrances from several of the Estee Lauder lines including MAC, Origins, Bobbi Brown and Clinique. I say “mysterious” because I couldn’t find a website for the company.
The sales staff at the Napa Valley location informed me that each Cosmetics Company Store maintains a different inventory of products. MAC treasures will vary. The store I visited had two MAC displays — one with makeup and another with skin care and brushes.
I got the impression that colors and product choices are kinda hit or miss, but I was surprised to find a lot of products from past launches like MAC Fafi lipsticks for $10 (originally $14), Beauty Powder Blushes for $12.25 (originally $17.50), and the Lipglasses from the Stylistics collection for $14 (originally $20).
If you missed a limited edition release (like I missed the Stylistics collection when it first appeared for the holidays in 2007), and it’s no longer available on MAC’s website, you might get a second chance at The Cosmetics Company Store.
[Continue reading…]
With next week an exciting one for MAC lovers (like me!), I got a little nostalgic for one of my other favorite brands: Chanel. When it comes to elegant colors, finely milled eye shadows and sophisticated packaging, my heart longs for Chanel. MAC brings out my fun side, but Chanel is like the little black dress of my makeup world.
So, in celebration of next month’s Lifetime television movie (airs Sept. 13, 2008) on the life of Chanel founder Coco Chanel, let’s take a look back at 10 reasons to love Chanel.
How do you feel about Chanel?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Like Swiss timing, Chanel is all about precision … the new Precision line of facial cleansers and toners, that is. Have you given ’em a sniff yet? With a fresh floral scent, a hefty price tag and minimalist, elegant packaging, they’re a lovely, indulgent way to clean your purty face.
Tulip Tree extract is the star ingredient. The Chanel marketing folks claim it protects skin from air pollution, something those of us living near cities can appreciate. Within the Precision line are products targeting three skin types, ranging from Balance for normal skin, Purity for oily skin and Comfort for dry and sensitive skin types.
I have dry skin, and to deal with it I’ve been using Creamy Cleansing Milk from the Chanel Precision Comfort range ($45). I haven’t yet used any of the other products from the Precision line, but Creamy Cleansing Milk compares favorably to Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple, probably my all around favorite facial cleanser of all time.
[Continue reading…]
Sparkle*Shelf — Beauty and Fashion Addicts Unite
Say hi to Sparkle*Shelf, a new online community focused on beauty and fashion, featuring original editorial content and user generated product reviews, Q&A, photos and more. So, what sets Sparkle*Shelf apart from other be-everything beauty sites out there today? For me it’s the design. I like it when posts read like magazine articles.
Contrariwise: Literary Tattoos
Can I just say WOW!? I can appreciate a touching lyric tattooed on a wrist, but 12 sentences from Fight Club plastering someone’s back might be taking the quotable tattoo trend a little too far, LOL!
Grooveeffect — Urban Style, Streetwear, Music, and Events
Grooveeffect is an urban culture e-zine dedicated to curating the best in emerging style, music and events. Sadly, my break dancing days are behind me (bum knee, yo), but I still like to see what the sneaker heads, clubbers and hardcore hip-hop heads are up to.
Stuff On My Cat: Stuff + Cats = Awesome
Seriously, the name says it all. 🙂 The person who came up with the idea for this site is an unadulterated genius. GENIUS! Click the link; you won’t regret it.
[Continue reading…]
