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

Chanel Summer 2015 Collection Méditerranée: The Climate Calls for Elegantly Understated Lips With This Summer’s Rouge Coco Shines

April 28th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

chanel summer 2015 rouge coco — Three of the four Chanel Summer 2015 Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshines ($36 each)

According to my well-worn copy of the Makeup Handbook for Fancy and Expensive Yacht Vacations, the Chanel Summer 2015 Collection Rouge Coco Shines are all 100% approved for traipsing around the Mediterranean.

It’s mentioned right there on page 212 in the chapter on Chanel. These sheer, shiny lipsticks are in the “Do” column.

Um…you know that’s not actually a real book, right? — although I wish it was, because where else am I going to find out what to wear when Bey finally asks me to babysit? 🙂

In the Chanel Summer 2015 Collection, otherwise known as Collection Méditerranée, lips are slick, shiny and sheer thanks to four Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshines ($36).

The three shown here are re-promotes from the permanent line — golden pink Réveuse, shimmering violet Intrépide and pinkish coral Insoumise — while the fourth shade, coppery brown Amorosa, is limited edition.

If you’re new to the Rouge Coco Shines, they sure live up to their name, being hydrating, sheer and shiny at the same time. For me they last from 3-4 hours on my lips, depending on the particular shade, and have a barely-there rosy flavor and scent.

These three start out glossy (just shy of a mirror-like lipgloss shine), but fade to a soft satin over the course of about a half an hour.

How sheer each one is depends on the intensity of the color, with the mellower shades — Réveuse and Intrépide — being closer to traditional sheer lipsticks, where I can still see plenty of my natural lip color peeking through, while the deeper pinkish coral Insoumise is closer to medium coverage.

chanel summer 2015 insoumise — Rouge Coco Shine in Insoumise, a pinkish coral

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Chanel Summer 2015 Collection Méditerranée: The Stylo Eyeshadows

April 28th, 2015 by Karen 30 Comments

chanel summer 2015 stylo eyeshadow — Chanel Summer 2015 Collection Méditerranée Stylo Eyeshadows, $34 each

Oh, Chanel…

The things you do to me.

Your new Stylo Eyeshadows from the Summer 2015 Collection have left me panting here at my desk, with my tongue hanging out and everything.

This coming from probably the last woman on earth who “needs” (air quotes) another cream stick eyeshadow to love.

As I’ve been cleaning and rearranging my office over the past few days, it has become increasingly clear to me that I apparently adore cream stick eyeshadows, because I keep finding them in the strangest places.

I found one in the back of the hallway closet (?), two in one of my makeup bags (which was, oddly, filled with tiny tubes of half-used hand cream), and one of them in my office supply drawer between the paperclips and Post-Its.

I have no idea how they end up in any of these places, but it needs to stop, because these beauties deserve their own special space.

There’s a very brief, very gentle cooling sensation on my skin when I apply one of these five limited edition twist-up, long-wearing cream shadows, and it’s kind of refreshing.

These are used just like other cream stick shadows. Just apply directly to bare skin or atop primer, and then blend out the edges. You can sheer ’em out for a wash, or build them up in layers for more intense color.

Several makeup lines have something similar (Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier come to mind), but as far as I can recall right now, these are the only ones with a cooling effect.

Chanel has worked with this formula before. Do you remember the limited edition Stylo Eyeshadows from their Summer 2013 Collection? These are just a new crop. Same formula as those 2013 versions, with the same lightweight, easy-to-blend formula and cooling sensation. Like those, these also last for me from 6-8 hours with primer.

I’m really excited about this new batch and the way Chanel plays with shimmer. The finishes range from quiet sheens and sultry satins to full-on foiled metallic, and when you start buffing them? — that’s when the Chanel magic happens.

Which Summer 2015 Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow might be right for you?

If you love classic summer colors…
Try Azulejo, an intense teal/turquoise blue with a satiny finish.

Oh, teal… I’m such a ho for ya. 🙂

Azulejo is bright like a South Pacific lagoon. Of the five colors in the release, I think it’s the one that’s most ready to party.

Looks amazing on lids coupled with a shimmery gold in the inner corners.
If you love complex colors…
Check out shimmering violet Campanule.

Two words: secret shimmer. Don’t be fooled by Campanule’s satiny purple finish when you apply it to your lids. As you buff out the edges, tiny flecks of purple glitter appear.

Don’t fret, though, because it’s classy glitter. In other words, the flecks are small. I can’t really see ’em from afar, but get up in someone’s grill when they’re wearing this, and the little sparkles will say haaaaay!
If you have brown or hazel eyes…
Give Olivine a try. It’s an unexpectedly complex and unusual satiny olive green, and like the other shades, buffing it out reveals tiny flecks of glitter, which in this case are green and teal.

For me, of the five Chanel Stylo Eyeshadows in Summer 2015, Olivine takes the cake. It reminds me of a cream stick version of the epic Chanel Khaki Vert Eyeshadow.

Oh! And hello, inspiration! — I think I need to try layering Olivine under Khaki Vert sometime soon (ideally before sunset today).
If you love being bold…
Try metallic rose gold Laurier Rose. The shiniest of them all, its finish looks like chrome!

Very sexy robot. 🙂

I like to wear the brown shade (Caroube) all over my lids and barely in the crease, and then plant Laurier Rose right in the center of the lid for an unmistakeable focal point.
And for everyone…
There’s Caroube, a luminous warm brown.

Oh, man, this has 10-minute makeup written all over it. I put it on today and started to vibrate out of my chair with excitement.

Yes, I’m the girl who gets stoked over brown eyeshadow.

Warm golden brown Caroube has one of those forgiving soft sheens, and of the five summer shades, I think it’s the most wearable. If you’re looking for something to wear daily, Caroube is the one you want.

Oh, and if you happen to have Chanel New Moon from last summer, it looks incredible with Caroube.

Try it: apply a layer of Caroube on your lids, and pat New Moon on top. Then prepare to faint out of sheer joy.

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Nails of the Day: Essie Flowerista (With a Guest Appearance by MAC Heroine Lipstick)

April 28th, 2015 by Karen 48 Comments

So purple that Prince would be majorly jelly!

There are many reasons to love Essie’s Flowerista Nail Polish ($8.50), but the main one is that it could totally hang with my favorite Tom Ford nail polish shade of all time, African Violet.

This dark, creamy purple isn’t an exact dupe, mind you. African Violet is a touch deeper, but if ya want the Tom Ford look without the steep price ($32 for African Violet), Essie’s Flowerista is an excellent alternative.

It’s also a stunner with bright purple lipsticks like MAC Matte Lipstick in Heroine. Purple lips + purple tips = purple power!

Flowerista is part of the new Essie Flowerista Spring Collection, available now at salons, Ulta, Target, Nordstrom stores and everywhere else Essie is sold.

P.S. Happy Tuesday to you! 🙂 I hope you’re having a good day so far.

With my employer’s help, for what his 20 pounds of tabby “muscle” is good for, I’ll be moving things around in my office in anticipation of those pink shelves arriving. Things have been slow going on the organizational front, but I’m finally making real progress, and it feels good.

Pretty soon I’ll even have some new paintings and pictures on my walls (I’ll take some pics and show you when they’re up). I’m really looking forward to that. I want to get some of those photo ledges, like these from Crate & Barrel, so that I can swap things out easily and keep the place looking new and fresh.

I can’t decide between the black or the white shelves…

P.P.S. What are you wearing on your nails? Inquiring, lacquer-obsessed minds want to know.

More Stuff I Made! A Potato and Tomato Frittata and a Strawberry Salad

April 27th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

I call this dish “Potato and Tomato Frittata,” even though that’s technically incorrect, because there’s also broccoli, sweet onions and basil up in the mix.

But “Broccoli, Sweet Onion, Basil, Potato and Tomato Frittata” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as easily. 🙂

Yup, I still can’t cook, but I keep trying! — mostly because I get a kick out of taking pictures of what I make.

In another lifetime, I’d be a food photographer, and I would only accept payment from my clients in the form of food.

So, this frittata, I’ve made it a few times using a really easy recipe from thekitchn.com.

Seriously, even if you burn toast, you can make this. It’s that simple (and fast!). I like making it for dinner at the start of the week and then having the leftovers throughout the week for lunch.

From start to finish, I can get this on the table in less than 30 minutes.

To round out the meal this week, I added a mixed greens salad with strawberries, slivered almonds and shredded coconut, with a strawberry lemon basil dressing (here’s the recipe).

So. Dang. Good.

A Quick Trip to Chanel: Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner, Le Volume de Chanel Mascara and Summer 2015

April 27th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

On page one, paragraph one, of the new (completely fictitious) Chicken Soup for the Makeup Lover’s Soul, it says, “Stop by your favorite Chanel counter.”

OK, twist my arm. I will. 🙂

Last weekend I stopped by the counter at the Macy’s in Corte Madera, and I was literally (well, figuratively) only there for like two seconds, but in those two seconds I felt my spirit getting lighter as the elegant, sleek back packaging infused me with power…

I just went to get a couple basics — Le Volume de Chanel Mascara in 10 Noir ($32) and Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Noir Intense ($32) — although I was super tempted to play with the summer collection, which is available on counters and online now.

I didn’t, though, because El Hub, who was probably down at the Apple Store, was calling me on the phone every 15 seconds to remind me that we didn’t have all day to spend at the mall (he knows me too well), so the summer collection would have to wait…

But I still took a quick picture of it and whispered softly to all teh pretties, “I’ll be back.” Just like the Terminator.

So, the mascara and eyeliner I mentioned, I’ve been using Le Volume de Chanel for years. I think it’s great for dramatic length, separation and volume. When I want lashes visible from a mile away, I reach for Le Volume de Chanel. Totally holds its own with YSL Faux Cils.

chanel le volume de chanel — Le Volume de Chanel Mascara in Noir

I got it in black, otherwise known as 10 Noir, but it’s also available in other colors, as well as a waterproof version.

In addition to the mascara, I also grabbed Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Noir Intense, which I’ve been wanting to try since I heard about it on Stephanie Lange’s Youtube channel.

Have you watched any of her videos? She’s great. She’s a makeup artist/vlogger from Australia, and she has a bunch of tutorials for people with hooded eyes (mine are slightly hooded), among many other tutorials. I’ve learned a lot from her, and she also seems like a really nice girl.

Stephanie uses Noir Intense in almost all of her videos, and since I’d been wearing Chanel’s Stylo Yeux in Ardoise pretty much constantly for the past month (it’s an absolutely gorgeous deep gunmetal gray and a great alternative to black when you want some definition on your lash lines), I wanted to try Noir Intense.

It’s currently assigned to tight-line duty this week… I hope my stick of Ardoise doesn’t get jealous. 🙂

10 Minute Makeup: Easy and Elegant Winged Liner With MAC, Make Up For Ever, Maybelline, L’Oreal, Chanel and Urban Decay

April 27th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

Attempting winged liner in a 10-minute makeup look seems like a flawed idea.

And yet here we are. 🙂

It seems like it would be a near-impossible feat, like — I dunno — convincing your husband to let you visit the animal shelter and bring home all of the kittens.

But you really can do it.

You can! Ten-minute winged liner looks are entirely possible.

In fact, I winged it out today.

The look

Today I aimed for elegant and chic with diffused winged liner, matte lids, a neutral pink cheek and nude lips.

This is one of those “I want to look like I tried, but not like I tried too hard” looks I like to wear, and I think it’s also a really cute first date look, maybe with a dress and heels for dinner, or with jeans and a tee for a casual Sunday brunch date.

Of course you could also totally wear it to work.

But isn’t winged liner a big-ol’ pain in the you-know-what?

It has that reputation…but it doesn’t have to be Olympic-caliber difficult. I think that techniques like this one, which is what I used today, can make it easier.

For liner, I chose a dark gunmetal gray with tiny silver sparkles — MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in Black Swan, which you can find in the permanent collection. Of course you could also use a basic black, or whatever other color you feel like wearing, but I went with this one because it’s not quite as stark as full-on black liner and consequently more forgiving, so if/when I make a mistake, no problem! 🙂 It’s a lot easier to correct.

I also like that it has tiny flecks of silver glitter in it for a little extra kick.

Can you REALLY do this in 10 minutes?

Yes, you absolutely can, especially if you do a couple of these things to save time…

Pick a focal point. If you’re going to incorporate a single focal element (like winged liner in this case), scale back on the rest of your makeup. For me, when I do liner, it always tends to take up most of my time, usually because I have to clean up some mistakes, so it helps to keep that in mind before you start.

Line it up! Before I started this look, I prepped my workspace first. I sharpened my liners, and then lined up all of my tools and the products I knew I’d need on my table in front of me (in order of their use).

If you’re going to be doing a look like this for work, I also suggest laying out all of your products the night before. That way you can just fly through your makeup the next morning.

Streamline your tools, too. Think ahead of time about which and how many brushes you’ll need. I LOVE dual-ended brushes because you’re basically holding two brushes in your hand at the same time. Also, keep your “just in case” products at the ready, and by “just in case,” I mean all of the things you might need if something goes wrong, like paper towels (for spills), makeup removing wipes, Q-tips, eye makeup remover and a pencil sharpener, in case your liner breaks.

Makeup I’m wearing in this look…

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 370

April 27th, 2015 by Karen 60 Comments

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Have you ever seen someone in real life who looks like they could be your twin/doppelgänger?
I wish! And if I did, I would definitely take a twinsies selfie of us with my phone.

Someday, it’ll happen…and it will be awesome. Hopefully she’ll be a cat lady, too.

Sometimes I will hear that I look like somebody’s sister or aunt or mom, or like Reese Witherspoon, which I take as a total compliment because I think she’s adorable.

What do you think of the new Apple Watch, and would you wear it?
Gurl, I walked by the Apple Store yesterday (on my way to the Chanel counter), and I didn’t even want to go inside and take a look. I just… I have my good ‘ol watch with, like, the dial and the two little hands, and that’s all I need.

I just feel like I already carry my phone with me all over the place, and I don’t really need a smart watch to tell me what’s already on my phone.

Sometimes when I open my mouth…
…crazy cat lady stuff comes out.

VERY crazy cat lady stuff — so crazy that even I’m surprised I say it, like, “It’s kitten season!” which I say every single time we drive by the Marin County Humane Society.

El Hub is so sick of hearing it. He’ll say, “Sweetie! Every season is kitten season!”

And I’ll just nod. “I know.” 🙂

Do you see yourself as more of a bohemian, or a glamour gal?
This one’s tough because I like the relaxed ease of the bohemian look, but I don’t really feel like it’s 100% me…because I’m not all that relaxed. I definitely see myself as more of a glamour gal. I feel more comfortable when I’m a little more dressed up and put together. I think that’s more my style.
What do you typically wear to work?
Well, here at Tabs the Cat Industries LLC, the dress code is very strict (not really). Although it’s tempting to wear workout clothes all the time, mostly I dress as though I’m going to a regular office. It just helps get me in the mindset of what I’m gonna do for the day, so I guess you could call it business casual. Right now I’m wearing a cute pair of chambray scalloped shorts and a kind of secretary-ish sleeveless blouse because it’s supposed to be hot here today.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. Have you ever seen someone in real life who looks like they could be your twin/doppelgänger?
2. What do you think of the new Apple Watch, and would you wear it?
3. Sometimes when I open my mouth…
4. Do you see yourself as more of a bohemian, or a glamour gal?
5. What do you typically wear to work?

Hi, friend. This is random, but do you want some cilantro? My little deck garden is slowly but surely coming along, and my cilantro plant is by far dominating all of the other herbs.

So cilantro is in the house.

I hope you’re doing well today. I’m feeling much better — like, emotionally. I know that sounds goofy, but it’s true (thank you again for your kindness and support).

I’ve been making a lot of headway on Operation Get Your Sh*t Together. I did a bunch of things that I’ve been wanting to do but just haven’t done, like I removed a tall, narrow bookshelf that wasn’t much help, moved my desk to a different side of the room, and I ordered this HUGE behemoth of a shelving system.

This is probably gonna sound crazy…but it’s pink.

Hot pink.

And it’s made out of stainless steel.

So, I don’t know if it exactly reads “office chic,” but I found it on Amazon, and it’s not crazy expensive. Hopefully it alleviates some of my storage issues.

Anyway, enough about that! Have a great day today, and I’ll talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 344

April 26th, 2015 by Karen 4 Comments

Dear Tabby is written by Tabs the cat, widely considered “the world’s first plus-size kitty supermodel.” Founded in mid 2012, it has quickly become the most popular cat advice column on earth — known for its fresh, feline perspective on lifestyle, fashion and style issues affecting cats and humans.

Cat questions canine comparisons

DEAR TABBY: What does it mean when someone says, “He’s so dog-like”?

Yeah! I hear it all the time, and they usually say it like it’s a compliment, like, “Oh, that’s so cute! He’s just like a dog…” And I’ll be, like, walking around the neighborhood on my leash when some random stranger will say it.

I mean, nothing against dogs… You know, whatever. Some of my coworkers are dogs, and we work together… It’s fine. I have no problem with dogs. They do their thing, you know, with the slobbering and the sniffing. Whatever. I just don’t see the resemblance at all.

Seriously, Tabby, should I be offended, or am I missing something here?

Thank you,
Fiddles

Cat swimming — Just because I like my leash doesn’t make me a cocker spaniel

DEAR FIDDLES: The same thing happens to me all the time! Yeah, I don’t get it either, but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. I think it actually might be somehow related to the leash, because that seems to be when it happens, when I’m wearing my leash, but I don’t know if it’s a style thing, like if some canine celebrity is rocking my same leash, or something else.

But it does seem to happen a lot when I’m either walking with my assistant on my leash, or waiting at the front door with my leash to go outside.

I guess just try not to take it personally, if you can.

Mature mouser has problems with privacy

DEAR TABBY: Gah! These kittens today, always with their lion cuts and Twitters and Instagrams. They don’t know which way is up!

There is such a thing as too much sharing. You’re a pro, Tabby, but some of these young kittens just don’t get it. They don’t understand. They don’t realize that once it’s out there in the cloud, it’s forever. It could be five years from now in a job interview, and they’ll find that picture of you drinking those catnip shots. Selfies are the downfall of society!

My nieces and nephews are constantly posting things like that on the Facebooks. How can I get them to stop?

With friendly thanks and best wishes,
Bartholomew

kittenhood bonds — I ordered this necklace online

DEAR BARTHOLOMEW: You gotta lighten up, man! There’s no turning back the clock. These kittens are growing up in a wired world. Sure, sometimes I worry about privacy, but there’s already so much info out there. All you can really do for the kittens is remind them to be careful and use common sense.

As for technology itself, it can be really fun! I encourage you to get one of your nieces or nephews to help you create an Instagram account. Once you get to understand it better, you might even enjoy yourself.
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