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

Curel Hydra Therapy Wet Skin Moisturizer Is Drugstore Gold!

October 21st, 2016 by Karen 14 Comments

Every day for the past few weeks I’ve been experiencing magic — magic! — in my shower.

Actually…at the end of my shower, because of this bottle of Curel Hydra Therapy Wet Skin Moisturizer ($10.44 for a 12-oz. bottle).

It looks like your run-of-the-mill moisturizer, but it’s actually nothing like that at all. And that’s because — dun-dun-duuun! — you don’t have to rub it in.

Like, seriously, I don’t even want to know how long I’ve spent standing in my bathroom massaging lotion into my skin. I probably could have read War and Peace five times in the time I’ve spent rubbing lotion into my limbs.

Curel Hydra Therapy is fascinating! All you have to do is put it on wet skin — literally just rub it on really quickly once or twice — dry off with a towel, and you’re done. You don’t have to massage it into your skin. And shockingly, it works really, really well. With my dry skin, I need a heavy-duty moisturizing lotion, and this stuff delivers the goods.

curel hydra therapy ingredients — Ingredients

It’s unscented, but more importantly for me, it doesn’t feel greasy like the thick, heavy lotions I sometimes use that leave behind a yucky film, or that leave the backs of my knees and elbows sticky.

I’ve been having many hallelujah moments with this. You should have them too. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Do You Have More Limited Edition Products or Permanent Products in Your Makeup Collection, and What Are Your Current Favorite LE and Perm Products?

October 21st, 2016 by Karen 19 Comments

Do you have more limited edition products or permanent products in your makeup collection, and what are your current favorite LE and perm products?

Because of reviewing things and the blog, most of the products in my closet, a.k.a. “a hoarder’s dream come true,” are limited edition, but a good chunk of my core makeup collection of products that I love and use all the time is permanent.

That’s mostly because I like to know that I can replace something great when I run out of it with a trip to Sephora or Target or Ulta. Like, I’m totally not freaking out right now even though I’m halfway done with my favorite Urban Decay tinted moisturizer because I know my car has enough gas to take me to the Sephora down the street.

The scary thing is, just because something is permanent doesn’t mean it always will be. I was thinking about this talking to Fran in the comments the other day (‘sup, Fran?). I said that one of my favorite blue eyeshadows of all time is in this duo by Hourglass called Prism, which used to be permanent, until Hourglass discontinued their eyeshadow duos…

I still love using it, but every time I do, I think, “One day it’s gonna be gooooooooone!” even though I can’t remember the last time I actually finished a pan of blue eyeshadow (seriously, can you?!).

Regarding my favorite perm products right now, gosh, I don’t even know where to start! Maybe with my MAC essentials… There’s Soft Brown, Cork, Saddle, Soba and Swiss Chocolate (leave it to me to start with browns right off the bat, haha!). And then there’s Powersurge Eye Pencil and Woodwinked.

Oh, and the stuff from NARS that I adore, including Kalahari, Alhambra, Abyssinia, Sophia and Bengali.

And these NARS Blushes, of course: Dolce Vita, Amour and Albatross, which I’m having a major moment with right now.

Those are all among my favorites of my faves, but seriously, if I were to list them all, we’d be here for days. Possibly months!

In terms of limited edition products, the MAC Nordstrom Naturals Palette is one I use A TON, but I don’t know if it counts as LE because the shadows in it are from the permanent line…

Oh! — and I can’t forget about Chanel Jade nail lacquer, which I don’t wear all the time, but I derive so much joy from just seeing the bottle in my closet that I count it as a fave. If it were to ever have an encore performance, I would hoard like five bottles of it, no joke. I LURVE YOU, JADE!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

A Bronzed Brown Victoria Beckham-Inspired Look With the Victoria Beckham X Estée Lauder Collection

October 20th, 2016 by Karen 19 Comments

estee lauder victoria beckham collection — The Eye Palette, Bronzer, Lip Gloss and one of the Lipsticks from the Victoria Beckham X Estée Lauder collection

The right thing to do… No — the only thing to do when you’re trying to channel Victoria Beckham’s makeup on any given day is to not smile when you take your pics, because when does V.B. ever smile when she’s posing for a shoot?

Posh! The last time was, like, never. She’s always serving so much face at the camera. She looks like she’s about to kick your @ss, but at the same time she’d do it in 5-inch heels wearing Versace.

The girl, she works it.

If the Victoria Beckham X Estée Lauder collection looks expensive, that’s because it is. The products (and prices) are easily Tom Ford comparable.

I hope you’re sitting down for this…but there’s a $95 eye palette.

(!)

I used it and a few other pieces from the collection for this look, which was my attempt to channel Victoria Beckham today, even though I know that I don’t look anything like her.

Unlike her, I don’t have cheekbones for days, but I tried to do some V.B.-inspired stuff. Like, her lids usually look a little glossy and smoky, and she has that signature black liner look, but what really distinguishes her makeup for me is that it always looks a little imperfect…but in the most perfect way. It’s a little messy, always a little undone, but always on purpose.

So, yeah, the Eye Palette? Epic. Granted, you can find jewel tones in other lines, but these are perfect.

When I did this look, I did my eyes first thinking that I’d have to clean up and do a lot of layering, because I thought, Estée Lauder, so I didn’t expect a lot of pigment, but that first layer of bronze… So. Much. Pigment.

I started with the reddish bronze and the medium brown, and both smoked out beautifully. I barely had to move my brush across my lids. But then I reminded myself, “This is $95. Don’t fall in love.”

So, so good, and all of the shadows are like that — pigmented, and they blend perfectly.

Victoria Beckham X Estée Lauder
Limited edition 12-piece collection
Available now at select Estée Lauder counters and net-a-porter.com
#VBxEsteeLauder

Eye Palette ($95)

Java Sun Bronzer ($65)

Moroccan Heat Lip Gloss ($36)

Brazilian Nude Lipstick ($45)

estee lauder victoria beckham — I’m wearing the Victoria Beckham X Estée Lauder Eye Palette, Java Sun Bronzer and Moroccan Heat Lip Gloss

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NARS Sarah Moon Glass Metropolis Mini Audacious Lipstick Coffret Set for Holiday 2016

October 20th, 2016 by Karen 18 Comments

nars glass metropolis sarah — Wearing NARS Audacious Lipstick in Sarah from the Glass Metropolis Mini Audacious Lipstick Coffret ($125)

You could do curls with this set or have a JLo Enough moment! Man, it’s heavy. I think the top might actually be made of glass.

Give me these mini lipsticks like the eight in the NARS Sarah Moon Glass Metropolois Mini Audacious Lipstick Coffret Set any day over a lipstick palette. They’re pocket-sized and convenient, so you can bring one of them with you. You don’t even need a lip brush.

You might recognize some of them from the permanent line. All of them are re-promotes except for Sarah, one of the nudes.

The minis are about half the size of a full-size NARS Audacious Lipstick (0.08 ounces vs. 0.14), and the set is $125. That isn’t cheap but, you know…eight of them at one time, and a regular full-size Audacious is $32.

I wear the Audacious Lipsticks all the time, but I mostly wear the nudes. The bulk of the colors in this set, however, lean toward reds and darker purply maroons.

The reason I don’t wear the darker shades as much is because they tend to grab all of my little lip flakes, and the nudes just look smoother to me. I don’t know why… Maybe I have freakish lips.

Many of these eight are dark, so unless you have flawless, fantastically smooth lips — and if you do, you have to give me your secret because I need to know — they might be hard to pull off.

Some of them also look pretty similar to me…

nars glass metropolis full size — With a full-size Audacious Lipstick for scale

nars glass metropolis — With an iPhone 6S Plus for scale (case is the Lipstick Love Lattes)

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MAC Nutcracker Sweet Holiday 2016 Gift Sets: The Mineralize Kits, Retro Matte Kits, Face Compacts, Viva Glamorous and the Viva Glam Lip Compact

October 19th, 2016 by Karen 25 Comments

mac nutcracker sweet product packaging — More MAC Nutcracker Sweet!

These are the last bits and bobs of the MAC Nutcracker Sweet collection, and I’m kind of relieved, to be honest! I’ve been covering A LOT of MAC Nutcracker Sweet over the past few days…

Here’s a look at the Retro Matte Kits, the Mineralized Kits, the Viva Glam Compact and Viva Glamorous, the Brush Kits and the Face Compacts.

M∙A∙C Nutcracker Sweet
Available online October 20, 2016
Available in stores on October 27, 2016 through December 8, 2016
#MACNutcrackerSweet

First things first, the lip products in the Retro Matte Lip Kits. I’m lovin’ that intensity. You can really see how intense and opaque they are in the swatches.

I’m making grabby hands right now at the Red Kit… That’s my personal standout.

The Retro Matte Kits

Red Kit ($45, retailer exclusive) — Nutcracker Rouge Lipstick (full-size Retro Matte), Fashion Legacy Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour (full size), Upward Black Upward Lash Mascara (full size)

Pink Kit ($45, an online exclusive) — Pandemonium Lipstick (full-size Retro Matte), Bing Bang Boom Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour (full size), Upward Black Upward Lash Mascara (full size)

Plum Kit ($45, MAC stores only) — Dancing Flowers Lipstick (full-size Retro Matte), Oh Lady Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour (full size), Upward Black Upward Lash Mascara (full size)

mac nutcracker sweet retro matte kits — Retro Matte Kits in Plum, Pink and Red ($45 each)

mac nutcracker sweet retro matte swatches — MAC Nutcracker Sweet Retro Matte Kit swatches from the left: Pink (Pandemonium Lipstick and Bing Bang Boom Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour), Red Nutcracker Rouge Lipstick and Fashion Legacy Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour) and Plum (Dancing Flowers Lipstick and Oh Lady Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour)

I thought it was a little odd that the Mineralized Skinfinshes in the Mineralize Kits aren’t full size, because the other two items in each of the kits are (the Mineralize Lipsticks and Lipglasses). It just seems to me that if you’re gonna go full size with a kit like these, go full size, and if you’re gonna go minis, go minis.

The little Mineralize Skinfinish pans are cute, though…

Mineralize Kits

Pink Kit ($55, MAC stores only) — Be Fabulous Mineralize Rich Lipstick (full size), Eloquently Elegant Mineralize Lipglass (full size), Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish (mini)

Nude Kit ($55, retailer exclusive) — Pure Pout Mineralize Rich Lipstick (full size), Happiness Mineralize Lipglass (full size), Global Glow Mineralize Skinfinish (mini)

mac nutcracker sweet mineralize kits — Mineralize Kits in Nude and Pink ($55 each)

mac nutcracker sweet mineralize kit swatches — Mineralize Kits in Nude (Pure Pout Mineralize Rich Lipstick, Happiness Mineralize Lipglass and Global Glow Mineralize Skinfinish) and Pink (Be Fabulous Mineralize Rich Lipstick, Eloquently Elegant Mineralize Lipglass and Lightscapade Mineralize Skinfinish)

OK, when I was growing up, we always had these tins with butter cookies in them that came in white paper cups, and the designs on these Face Compact pans remind me of them for some reason.

I don’t know… That might be a Filipino thing.

There are two of them — Peach and Copper — and both come with a highlighter and a blush.

The highlighters are REALLY shiny. Too shiny for me, but I do like the sheen I get from the blushes. It’s just right.

Face Compacts

Peach ($35) — Tutu Extra Dimension Skininish, At Dusk Extra Dimension Blush

Copper ($35) — Whisper of Gilt Extra Dimension Skinfinish, Pleasure Model Extra Dimension Blush

mac nutcracker sweet face compacts — Face Compacts in Peach and Copper ($35 each)

mac nutcracker sweet face swatches — Face Compacts in Peach and Copper ($35 each)

Gotta say…I’m not the biggest fan of MAC’s lip compacts. I’m just not a huge fan of lip products in pans in general, but the Viva Glamorous set is pretty cool. It comes with full-size versions of Ariana Grande Lipstick and Lipglass, and a cute bag.

BTW, when you layer the gloss on top of that Lipstick, it’s purr-fection.

Viva Glam

Viva Glamorous ($32, available only at MAC stores and the MAC website) — Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipstick (Matte), Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipglass

Viva Glam Lip Compact ($23, available only at MAC stores and the MAC website) — Viva Glam I Lipstick (Matte), Viva Glam II Lipstick (Satin), Viva Glam VI (Lustre)

mac nutcracker sweet viva glam swatches — Viva Glam Lip Compact ($25) and Viva Glamorous ($32)

Lastly, how cute are these brush kits? The brushes are photo ready with those pink handles and the gold and black ends.

Brushes

Essential Brush Kit ($35) — 167 Face Blender Brush, 217 Blending Brush, 266 Small Angle Brush

Mineralize Brush Kit ($52.50) — 188 Small Duo Fibre Brush, 159 Duo Fibre Blush Brush, 287 Duo Fibre Eye Shadow Brush, 283 Duo Fibre Small Eye Shadow/286 Duo Fibre Tapered Blending Brush

Basic Brush Kit ($52.50) — 190 Foundation Brush, 129 Powder/Blush Brush, 213 Fluff Brush, 209 Eye Liner Brush, 316 Lip Brush

Contour Brush Kit ($52.50, only at MAC stores and the MAC website) — 168 Large Angled Contour Brush, 193 Angled Foundation Brush, 221 Mini Tapered Blending Brush, 212 Flat Definer Brush, 204 Lash Brush

mac nutcracker sweet brush kits — Contour Brush Kit ($52.50), Essential Brush Kit ($35), Basic Brush Kit ($52.50) and Mineralize Brush Kit ($52.50)

And that’s it! We’re done! 🙂

What a big collection… I feel like I just finished back-to-back spin classes.

A few things really stood out to me, like the entire color collection. I pretty much love everything about it. And the Lip Gloss and Lipstick Kits are fantastic values.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the shadows in the Cool Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9.

I think this has been one of the most titillating, joyful MAC holiday collections in a while.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Nutcracker Sweet Holiday 2016 Gift Sets: The Mini Lip Gloss and Lipstick Kits

October 19th, 2016 by Karen 12 Comments

mac nutcracker sweet lip gloss kits red pink nude — The MAC Nutcracker Sweet Lip Gloss Kits in Red, Pink and Nude

My mom is no joke when it comes to saving money. She is hardcore. She would walk three blocks up a steep, practically vertical hill to pick up a single penny, and Mom would totally give her stamp of approval to these MAC Mini Lip Gloss and Lipstick Kits.

There are six of them in the MAC Nutcracker Sweet holiday collection, each one with four products, and the kits are $35 each.

The items aren’t full size, though. They’re minis, but that’s cool because, value-wise, the kits are a great deal.

M∙A∙C Nutcracker Sweet
Available online October 20, 2016
Available in stores on October 27, 2016 through December 8, 2016
#MACNutcrackerSweet

Each of the three Mini Lip Gloss Kits comes with three Cremesheen Glasses and a Dazzleglass. Normally, a full-size Cremesheen Glass would cost you $21 and a Dazzleglass would cost you $20, so all four, if you bought them together, would set you back $83, so $35 for four, even if they’re minis, is a pretty good deal.

Plus, most of the glosses aren’t colors you see everyday. I mean, I’ve seen some of them before. Like, I have vague recollections of loving Galaxy Rose, and I’ve definitely worn Phiff! in the past, but for the most part, you can’t just hop over to a MAC counter and grab these. So that’s one cool thing the Lip Gloss Kits have going for them.

I also love the Cremesheen Glass formula. MAC has a bunch of different lipglosses, but the Cremesheens are some of my favorites. They aren’t sticky like the Lipglasses, and they’re less pigmented overall, which means they’re easy to apply without a mirror.

And I think the Dazzleglasses look super cool (SHINY! SPARKLY!), but, to be honest, they aren’t my favorite formula. They’re very sticky, and I think they’re kind of uncomfortable. I mean, I’ll wear them to a party but not around the house.

RED LIP GLOSS KIT ($35) — Galaxy Rose Cremesheen, Gumdrop Cremesheen, Courting Chic Cremesheen, Phiff! Dazzleglass

NUDE LIP GLOSS KIT ($35) — Fashion Whim Cremesheen, Nutty & Naughty Cremesheen, Pure Delight Cremesheen, Prancin’ Dancin’ Dazzleglass

PINK LIP GLOSS KIT ($35, an online exclusive) — Fashion Scoop Cremesheen, Charm Cremesheen, Twirling Cremesheen, Rags to Riches Dazzleglass

mac nutcracker sweet lip gloss kits scale — The Packaging for the three Lip Gloss Kits along with an iPhone 6S Plus and a full-size Cremesheen for scale

MAC Nutcracker Sweet Nude Lip Gloss Kit swatches from the left: Fashion Whim, Nutty & Naughty, Pure Delight and Prancin' Dancin' — MAC Nutcracker Sweet Nude Lip Gloss Kit swatches from the left: Fashion Whim, Nutty & Naughty, Pure Delight and Prancin’ Dancin’

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MAC Nutcracker Sweet Holiday 2016 Gift Sets: The Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9

October 19th, 2016 by Karen 9 Comments

mac nutcracker sweet warm eye compact — Wearing MAC Era, Woodwinked, Lady Fingers and Twelve Chimes on my lids

So, that shade right there? — one-two-three-four from the left? That’s Woodwinked.

I know! I didn’t realize it until I was halfway through an eye look yesterday morning. I was scooting along, doing my makeup, when I thought, “That one looks really familiar,” but it didn’t look too familiar, so I flipped it over, saw the name and said, “Holy sh*t! That’s Woodwinked. How can that be Woodwinked??”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had to keep flipping the compact over, back and forth. One of my favorite MAC colors of all time (here’s a look with it from 2013!) is in this palette, but it doesn’t look or feel like the Woodwinked I know.

M∙A∙C Nutcracker Sweet
Available online October 20, 2016
Available in stores on October 27, 2016 through December 8, 2016
#MACNutcrackerSweet

Basically, that set the tone for how I feel about the Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9 palette, one of three X 9 palettes in the MAC Nutcracker Sweet holiday collection.

Like the other two — Smoky and Cool — it has nine eyeshadows, a dual-ended brush and snazzy packaging. Some of the colors are re-promotes, like Woodwinked, Era and Showstopper, and some are new.

I really like the Cool palette from this collection, but it set a high bar for me, and I think that’s influencing how I feel about the Warm palette now.

The Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9 ($39.50) — Showstopper (Matte), Twelve Chimes (Lustre), Beyond Gorgeous (Veluxe Pearl), Unwind (Veluxe Pearl), Lady Fingers (Matte), Era (Satin), Woodwinked (Veluxe Pearl), Filament (Lustre) and Whirling (Lustre).

It’s one of three X 9 palettes in the MAC Nutcracker Sweet holiday collection (the other two are Cool and Smoky).

The set also comes with…

The 214/213 Dual-Ended Brush

mac nutcracker sweet smoky eye compact — MAC Nutcracker Sweet Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9

MAC Nutcracker Sweet Warm Eye Compact Eye Shadow X 9 — Top row swatches (from the left): Filament, Whirling, Era, Woodwinked, Unwind; bottom row: Lady Fingers, Twelve Chimes, Showstopper, Beyond Gorgeous

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Flavored Snow at the Sno Crave Tea House

October 19th, 2016 by Karen 9 Comments

My sweet tooth is throbbing! In the best possible way!

Two words: flavored snow. I tried it for the first time at Sno Crave Tea House, and yes, it’s a thing.

It’s like a mix of Hawaiian shave ice and ice cream, and it comes in a bunch of flavors, but the thing is…most of the flavors aren’t sweet, so if you want more sweetness, you have to add one or more toppings.

I know this sounds complicated, but it’s not. Stay with me here…

OK, your first topping layer is usually a syrup, and I picked condensed milk because, let’s get real, I can chug a can of that stuff if left to my own devices.

Then you add other toppings on top. I chose Japanese adzuki beans (like you can get in Hawaii with shave ice) which, to be honest, wasn’t the best idea, because we went to the movies afterwards and…

Anyway, next time I go, I want to get fruit toppings and maybe a caramel sauce.

The “sno” flavor I got was taro, which is a purple root similar to potato (in Hawaii it’s what they make poi out of). It was very tasty. Taro is pretty common in Asian cooking.

They also have different kinds of tea, of course, at the Sno Crave Tea House, if flavored snow isn’t your thing. I saw customers with boba teas, which are those drinks with the little tapioca balls in them that look like bubbles, and other customer with hot green tea and things like that.

They also have a bunch of things on the menu with toast in them…

Toast?

Well, it’s called toast, but it looks like layers of pound cake sandwiched between scoops of ice cream, so basically a dieter’s nightmare, or a sweet tooth’s dream, depending on how you look at it.

The Sno Crave I went to is in Union City, but there are othes in California.

Keep your eye out for places like this, because they seem to be popping up more and more. Give it a try sometime! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen