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

NARS Isolde Eye Duo in Action

October 1st, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

I wasn’t playing the other day when I said I’ve been all about NARS Isolde lately. Both it and NARS Cordura (LOVE YOU, C!!!) have been two of my full-time eye makeup BFFs for weeks, and even though I’ve mostly gotten over this cold of mine and want to wear more makeup again, I still don’t have the patience to sit still for 45 minutes and blend six different teals till my fingers fall off, ya know?

This week I’ve been using the timer on my iPhone in the morning to rein myself in. I set it for 25 minutes, and whatever I’m able to do in that time, that’s what I end up wearing for the day.

Before I even start, though, I keep all the basics, like foundation, mascara and concealer, etc., in a little box next to my desk so I don’t waste any time hunting stuff down. Then I also put whatever eye and lip products I plan to wear in the same box.

I like to spend the lion’s share of the 25 minutes on my eye makeup, so I’ll cut back on some things and spend less time on my skin, which is why more of my freckles are peeking through in these pics than usual.

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These Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blushes Are My Latest Drugstore Beauty Infatuation

October 1st, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

neutrogena healthy skin blush — The Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blushes

Close your eyes, and imagine your favorite, coziest, most comfortable sweatshirt. How warm and soft it feels…

Now, you step out of the shower. Ooh! — the tiles are cold, and you reach over and grab your glorious sweatshirt, then pull it on over your head. Then you put your arms through the sleeves.

Ah… So soft and snuggly.

OK, basically, these powder blushes feel like that! 🙂

neutrogena healthy skin blush 10 rosy — Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blush in 10 Rosy

My goodness, they’re soft.

(How soft are they?)

Well, if you, like me, have clumsy Shrek hands early in the morning and you attempt to open one of these, try not to accidentally jab it with a nail, because you’ll probably take out a huge divot. That’s how incredibly creamy and soft they are.

According to Neutrogena, they have a gel base, which is supposed to make the application smoother.

neutrogena healthy skin blush 20 vibrant — Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blush in 20 Vibrant

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theBalm Holiday 2015 Collection First Impressions

September 30th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

I hope the holidays are hella balm, girl, because you know what!? YOU DA BALM.

You da balm dot com!

The balm…? Get it??

Alright, alright, I know. Weak word play…but it’s so much fun. 🙂

thebalm in the balm of your hand 1 — Yes, I’m actually holding theBalm In the Balm of Your Hand palette ($39.50) in the palm of my hand…

The holidays have officially begun over at theBalm. Their new holiday 2015 collection is available now, and it’s just two pieces — actually, two palettes. One of them is called “In theBalm of Your Hand Greatest Hits Vol. 1,” so you’ll literally be able to hold theBalm in the palm of your hand.

Both palettes are filled with some of the brand’s most popular products, so there aren’t any new colors here. One consists of powder and cream products for eyes, cheeks and lips, and the other contains a trio of powder highlighters.

thebalm in the balm of your hand 2 — theBalm In the Balm of Your Hand palette ($39.50)

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Neat and New to Me: NARS Cordura Duo Eyeshadow

September 30th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

Aaaaaand in tonight’s startling new episode of “NARS Neutrals I Never Realized I Needed Until Right Now,” Cordura Eyeshadow Duo… It, along with Isolde, have been my top two neutral eye loves lately.

I don’t even know where to start, because I think there’s so much to like about this duo. How about the colors? On one side, a warm, mid-toned golden brown with a light luster; on the other, a neutral-toned deep coffee brown that, on most people, will probably come across as a deep golden coffee brown, but on my warm skin tone, with my yellow undertones, it reads almost like a plummy chocolate.

I lurves it.

Yesterday when we were chatting about Isolde, I think I mentioned how much I’ve always liked the way NARS toys around with finishes, and they’ve done it again here with Cordura. Both of its shades have the subtlest of shimmers — so subtle that my fine lines are like, “Hey, girl! That’s what’s up.” 🙂

Most of the time I’ll start at my lash line with the lighter shade, then take that up to the crease, fading as I get closer to my brows. Then I’ll smudge the darker brown at the outer corner of my lower lash line, do a messy black or dark plummy liner on my water lines, smudge whatever ends up on my lash lines, then mix the two and also blend them on my lower lash line.

Then mascara, of course!

Seriously, it takes all of five minutes to do a daytime smoky eye with this that looks like it took a lot more time to do.

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On a Scale of 1-10, How Important Is Flavor to You When It Comes to Lip Products?

September 30th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

I'm Wearing NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Yu from the Digital World Kit — Mmmmwwwwaaah!

With “1” being unimportant and “10” being very, VERY important, where do you fall?

I’m probably about an “8” on the flavor scale. If I really like a color and how the product performs, I can overlook a mildly funky flavor as long as it’s faint and fades quickly, but if something tastes a lot like plastic or feet or plastic feet (LOL! But you know it’s true sometimes…), then there’s no freakin’ way. Not even if it’s the most perfect lip product ever in the most beautiful color I’ve ever seen.

How about you? On a scale of 1-10, how important is flavor when it comes to lip products?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day! 🙂 Your tabby nephew has been sleeping on the bed all morning long. He must have been up late partying last night…

L’Oreal Colour Riche Le Matte and La Lacque Lip Pens

September 30th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

loreal le matte le lacque lip pens — Starting from the top, that’s L’Oreal Le Matte Lip Pencil in 100 Matte For Me, 102 She’s So Matte, 104 Game Set & Matte, 106 Mad for Matte and 198 Matter-R of Fact; and La Lacque in 201 Lacque-y Charm, 203 Lacquerizied, 205 Lacque and Roll, 207 Lacque-y You and 209 Choco-Lacque

Oh! Nice to see you again, L’Oreal Colour Riche Le Matte. And you, too, La Lacque. You two Lip Pens are only $9.99 each, and I remember you from last fall. You were released as limited edition lippies, weren’t you? And now you’re back.

From the outside, these twist-up full-coverage lipsticks (no sharpener needed) look pretty much the same as they did last year, and they still don’t twist all the way down, so sometimes the caps scrunch the tips (Grr… Why?!). Other than that minor hiccup, I think they’re great. They have the same smooth, pigmented formula, excellent coverage and respectable five-hour wear time.

Pretty good deals for $10.

If at all possible, though, try to sniff one in the car before you bring it all the way home, because the rosy scent is VERY strong. Thankfully, it fades after about 10 minutes, but still.

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Neat and New to Me: NARS Isolde Duo Eyeshadow

September 29th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

OK, so, I was expecting to Google the word, “Isolde,” as in the NARS Isolde Eyeshadow Duo, and find out that it’s the name of an exotic island in a far-flung corner of the world, because that’s how NARS usually rolls when it comes to naming their colors, but nooo! Turns out that it’s the name of a character in a German opera by Richard Wagner called Tristan und Isolde.

Random! Makeup, you are my teacher, and I’m your willing and eager student. 🙂

Isolde… Aah! Can I just say, “Hello, autumnal makeup jam?!”

Part of the NARS permanent collection, Isolde has recently taken up residence in my Large NARS Pro-Palette. Why I waited so long to try it, I’ll never understand…because it’s so beautiful (especially if your skin has warm undertones)!

You get a shimmery, coppery peach on one side and a shimmery warm copper on the other, and neither side is frosty, which I like.

These colors force me to think of autumn leaves and cozy scarves. And pumpkin spice lattes. And matte lips and boots. In other words, fall.

NARS has literally dozens of beautiful duos, but I think Isolde deserves a shout-out, first, because it’s intensely pigmented (one or two layers should do you just fine), and second, because of the powders, which are so soft that they almost feel like creams. Using them, I hardly notice any fallout, and they barely fade at all after eight hours.

And then there’s the finish, which comes close to being a frost, but doesn’t quite get there, and that’s one of the things I love about NARS. They play with shine in such interesting ways that I never expect.

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Dior Holiday 2015 “State of Gold” Collection | First Impressions

September 29th, 2015 by Karen 30 Comments

dior holiday 2015 blazing gold — Center stage: the Dior 5 Couleurs State of Gold Eyeshadow Palette in Blazing Gold #866 ($63, available now at dior.com and coming to Dior stores and counters this November)

Despite its official moniker, “State of Gold,” Dior’s holiday 2015 collection could have been called “State of Gold and Gray,” because gray makes a memorable appearance. Dior played with the concept of mixed metals in this release, and even though gray is not a color that usually pops into my head when I think, “Yay! Holiday collections!” I think it really works here.

I’ve been wearing five of the 13 pieces in the release, which is available now at dior.com and coming to Dior stores and counters this November, and I’m impressed by the way Dior handles these mixed metals.

But first! — why gray and gold? Well, both are iconic, signature colors at the House of Dior, much like beige and black are over at Chanel.

dior holiday 2015 blazing gold 886 — The Dior 5-Couleurs State of Gold Eyeshadow Palette in Blazing Gold #866 ($63)

But with this collection, Dior handles the two colors in what I think are unconventional ways, like what they’ve done here with the eyeshadow palette I’ve been wearing, Blazing Gold. There’s a cool gold in the center next to a gray shade, but the gray isn’t just one of those blasé run-of-the-mill grays. No, it’s a breathtaking shimmery taupe-ish gray with flecks of cool golden micro glitter.

Seriously, it’s so beautiful that I almost can’t take it! — and when you wet it and wear it as an eye liner? Great Caesar’s ghost, it sparkles like 100 Leonid meteor showers. Gimme dat sparkly gold and gray! 🙂

dior holiday 2015 gris or passion — The Diorific Vernis in Gris-Or #227 and Passion #951 Nail Lacquers ($28 each)

I love funky combos and interesting ideas like that, and Dior does it again with the Gris-Or Nail Lacquer, where they combined gold and gray in the nail polish. I never would have expected it to work — a mix of metallic gold and metallic platinum? — but I think it totally does.

I’ve worn two of the four lacquers in the collection — gold and platinum Gris-Or and creamy, classic red Passion — and I like them both.

And can we just talk about Dior’s nail polish brush for a second? Isn’t it the best thing ever?! Flat and wide, it covers my entire nail from base to tip in a single swipe, and that brush tip is a beast. I love the crescent moon shape; it perfectly fits along the base of my nails, creating crisp, clean lines every time. It never leaves a mess, either, by getting polish on my cuticles.

dior holiday 2015 radieuse fascinate — Diorific Mat Velvet Colour Lipstick in Radieuse #430 and Fascinate #580 ($38 each)

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On a scale of 1-10, how important is flavor to you when it comes to lip products (with 10 being VERY important)?