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

Three Full-Size Lip Products for $32 Makes the Make Up For Ever Tease Me Lip Trios a Tempting Tease

February 13th, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

Wearing the new $32 Make Up For Ever Tease Me Nude Lip Trio

Every time I see this guy’s face on the two Make Up For Ever Tease Me lip trios I want to tell him to FREAKING RELAX, MAN. Why you so stressed out?? Aren’t you, like, a billionaire playboy or something?

Or maybe that’s Bruce Wayne… OK, whatever.

This series though. Who knew it was so controversial? And here I was thinking it was just a frothy, pulpy schmexy-time romance novel.

However you feel about it, I bet there’s one thing we can all agree on: the makeup inspired by the movie is kind of rocking.

Like MUFE’s two new lip trios, one based on nudes and one built around berries. Each one comes with a lip liner, a waterproof liquid lipstick and a lip gloss, all of them full-size.

Maybe Mr. Grey likes to wear lipstick sometimes, and he’s stressed out about his lip situation. “Which lipstick should I wear, and how will I know what lip liner and gloss to wear with it!?”

Make Up For Ever Tease Me Berry Lip Trio — Tease Me Berry Lip Trio

No worries, Mr. Grey. Make Up For Ever has made it easy for ya. For each of the two trios, they picked a matching lip liner, liquid lipstick and gloss, freeing you up to make the tough decisions, like how many cats is too many cats? Do I appear intense enough in this photo? What should our safety word be? Is my hair too flat? And how’s the lighting in my secret back room?

The Innocent Nude Lip Trio is my favorite of the two because of its flexibility, which is to say that while I don’t intend to wear the trio with thigh-high leather boots and a naughty outfit, I suppose I could. The shades are neutral enough to work with a variety of looks and outfits. It comes with a nude beige lip liner, a soft rosy pink liquid lipstick and a sparkling beige gloss (thankfully, the glitter isn’t gritty).

I do also like the Passionate Berry Lip Trio, but with my lips being so dry and flaky right now, I’m a little reluctant to embrace the darker colors. The deep berry plum lip liner, raspberry liquid lipstick and sparkling deep fuchsia gloss are very wearable, though, and right in the middle of the road in terms of color temperature.

Make Up For Ever Tease Me Nude Lip Trio Swatches from the left: Aqua Lip Pencil in 3C, Aqua Rouge Waterproof Lip Color in 3, Aqua Rouge Clear, Lab Shine Diamond Collection Lip Gloss in D16 — Nude Lip Trio Swatches from the left: Aqua Lip Pencil in 3C, Aqua Rouge Waterproof Lip Color in 3, Aqua Rouge Clear, Lab Shine Diamond Collection Lip Gloss in D16

[Continue reading…]

Try Estée Lauder Little Black Primer for Lashes Curled Like Roman Arches, Lifted Like My Bangs in the ’80s and Defined Like Merriam-Webster

February 12th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

Estee Lauder Little Black Primer — Estée Lauder’s Little Black Primer, $24, available now at counters and online

Holly Golightly. 🙂

I wonder what Holly would have thought about Estée Lauder’s Little Black Primer ($24), because I know what Kendall Jenner probably thinks about it, or maybe, since she’s the official spokesperson, but I dunno…I’ve always been more of a Holly Golightly gal.

And Holly sure did love long lashes and little black dresses.

Not that Holly would have needed a lash primer like this one because her fringe always looked fierce, even when she was rolling out of bed at 2 in the afternoon (probably because she was wearing false lashes).

As for me, I will happily complicate my makeup life when it comes to things like eyeshadow (“Absolutely! A third color in the crease sounds like a brilliant idea!”), but not so much when it comes to mascara.

When it comes to mascara, I usually keep it simple. One tube, a couple coats on my top lashes, and that’s it.

Most of the time.

Sometimes, though, like when I’m feeling fancy, I’ll do a separate swipe of MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash mascara on my lower lashes.

But Estée Lauder’s Little Black Primer is turning me into a Lady Layers-a-Lot. When I use it with my regular go-to mascaras, my lashes look downright dreamy — curled like Roman arches, lifted like my bangs in the ’80s and defined like Merriam-Webster.

[Continue reading…]

Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses: It Would Be a Sin to Miss These Original Skin Blushes

February 12th, 2015 by Karen 19 Comments

Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicata Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses

Oh, for the love of roses!

Apparently, along with the recent revelation that I’m more than willing to “Mrs. Robinson” Nick Jonas, I’ve also realized that I’m going to need more makeup storage space for MOAR RBR BLUSHES.

Are you familiar with RBR’s $29 Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses powder blushes from their permanent line?

Um…kinda phenomenal! Like, so phenomenal that they make Chanel Malice shake in its go-go boots. Like, you could go months before wanting to wear anything else.

I’d never tried them before, but I finally got around to it this week, and I’m so glad I did.

I mean, yeah, if you’re going for ’80s-style unblended blush racing stripes down the sides of your face, these probably aren’t the best blushes for that; however, if you want natural-looking cheeks to go with your Victoria’s Secret angel wings and hair, you’ve come to the right place.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses in 033 Delicata — 033 Delicata

The name “Original Skin” is totally apt. Think hot cheeks after boom-chicka-wah-wah, if you know what I’m sayin’.

Come on, don’t make me spell it out. 🙂 This is a family show.

The way these fine powders bind to skin is almost hypnotic. They cling so close that it’s hard to tell where your skin begins and the powder ends. At first glance, you don’t even realize it’s there, and then you do and you’re like YES.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses in 036 Orpheline — 036 Orpheline

And the flawless finishes will have people wondering if homegirl actually wakes up like that. The mattes border on satins (so they aren’t too stark), and the sheens lovingly do not invite all of the pores in the neighborhood out to play.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Original Skin Blush For Love of Roses in 038 Habenera — 038 Habanera

[Continue reading…]

Broadcasting Live From the Amazon, It’s a Miracle! The Tarte Miracles From the Amazon 6-Piece Collection, a QVC.com One-Day Exclusive Coming Feb. 13, 2015

February 12th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

Tarte Miracles fron the Amazon 6-Piece Collection (1)

Welcome to the jungle, baby! Every piece of makeup in this $60 limited edition six-piece set (seven pieces including the makeup bag) has Tarte’s signature skin-lovin’ ingredient.

Amazonian Clay, anyone?

The set includes a bottle of Maracuja Miracle Foundation (available in Fair, Light, Light-Medium, Medium, Tan or Deep), a tube of LipSurgence Liquid Lipshine in a berry shade, a tube of Gifted Amazonian Clay Mascara, two brushes, a makeup bag and, the apparent star of the show, the Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette with a coral powder blush and six cool-toned powder eyeshadows.

The blush, gloss and mascara are the standouts for me. All three have that fresh, natural-looking, “Oh, I’m just chillaxing on my day off!” makeup look.

As for the eyeshadows…for me, I prefer a little more pigment, but if you like fairly sheer pigments and cool color temps, you’ll find those here.

The $60 limited edition set is a QVC.com exclusive, available one day only, February 13, 2015, so make a note in your Hello Kitty day planner if you’re interested. 🙂

Talk About Sweet Gift Sets! The $20 La Maison Du Chocolat for Sephora Collection Gift Set

February 11th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

I think Sephora’s onto something here with the whole makeup and chocolate combining thing.

Think about it — if every beauty product on the market came with a piece of chocolate or caramel or a cupcake or a macaron…

I’m sorry, where was I?

My wallet would be hot to the touch and smoking from all the friction of me opening and closing it, and there would be mountains of muffin in my muffin top, holy sh*t!

This cute little Valentine’s Day set will seduce yo’ belly with four fancy chocolates from La Maison Du Chocolate while it entices your lips, because in addition to the candies, you get a long-wearing raspberry liquid matte lip color called Lustre Matte Long-Wear Lip Color in Mulberry.

For what it’s worth, if your willpower fails you and you scarf down all four of the chocolates the minute you get home, Mulberry won’t disappear on you. It has pretty good staying power/wear time, although it helps to line your lips first. The formula stays somewhat creamy and wet, and it tends to migrate outside my natural lip lines.

The La Maison du Chocolat for Sephora Collection is available now at Sephora stores (doesn’t look like it’s available online) for $20.

Sephora Collection Lustre Matte Long-Wear Lip Color in Mulberry

The Make Up For Ever Give In To Me Makeup Kit: Inspired by the Movie, Fifty Shades of Grey

February 11th, 2015 by Karen 60 Comments

With the new Make Up For Ever 50 Shades of Grey set, one does not need to have read the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy to get the gist of the story.

I haven’t read the books, but this set is like the Cliff’s Notes version. There’s a little how-to booklet in it that walks you through a progression of Ana’s looks, starting young and fresh-faced with barely-there makeup, then moving into a sultrier look with black liner and glossy lips, before going full-on fierce with intense smokey eyes.

OK, I think I get it… Homegirl goes into, like, the mansion’s naughty secret room and discovers that she’s totally into it. A good time was had by all. 🙂

I am so far behind on my reading (have you heard that Harper Lee is releasing a SECOND novel?), but I’m tempted to move Fifty Shades up to the front of the line.

My friend Jen read the books, and I asked her what she thought. She said, “I could feel the mind-numbing getting progressively worse…but I couldn’t stop.”

I have to ask, do I really need to read these books?? What say you?

Either way, there’s always the movie, and the makeup in this set, which comes with five pieces for eyes and lips (no cheek love?), all built around three different looks.

Make Up For Ever Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Eye Palette — The eyeshadow quad…

The centerpiece? The eyeshadow quad. It houses a shimmery beige (shade I-514), a warm shimmery copper (ME-612), a cool-toned matte taupe (S-556) and a neutral, shimmery golden brownish taupe (I-628).

The quad is joined by a tube of Smoky Extravagant Mascara in black, a black Graphic Liner liquid pen; pinkish beige Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4; and warm, shimmering golden pink Lab Shine Gloss in D14.

Make Up For Ever Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4 — Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4

[Continue reading…]

Getting to Know the Phase 1 Skin Care Set by Glossier

February 11th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

Oh, Super Emily, I had a feeling good things were in the works for you.

The new Glossier skin care line is the brainchild of Into the Gloss founder Emily Weiss, aka the gal from The Hills who will always and forever be etched into my memory as “Super Emily,” or just “SuperEm,” because remember that episode at the Teen Vogue dinner when scary Lisa Love says that there are too many flower arrangements on the table??

Anywho…Glossier, SuperEm’s latest venture, is a streamlined skin care brand with a minimalist chic aesthetic. They launched late last year with a handful of products and the belief that skin should be celebrated, not covered up.

The $80 four-piece Phase 1 Set contains the basics for low-key, casual skin — a hydrating mist, a face moisturizer that doubles as a makeup primer, a rich salve for your lips (and/or any other dry bits) and a tinted moisturizer with a satin finish.

I like to start by misting all over my face with the Soothing Face Mist Rosewater Spray, followed by the Priming Moisturizer on my face and neck. Then I’ll dab Balm Dotcom on my lips, and finish by blending the Perfecting Skin Tint in Medium all over my face (I’ll use about a dozen drops).

Glossier Soothing Face Mist — Soothing Face Mist from the Glossier Phase 1 Set

Glossier Priming Moisturizer — Priming Moisturizer

[Continue reading…]

7 Things I Recently Picked Up From Ulta

February 10th, 2015 by Karen 36 Comments

Not that one ever needs a legitimate reason to visit Ulta, but my official “on the books/for the record” reason last weekend was because I needed a replacement for my stick of Anastasia Brow Wiz (which I wore down to the nub).

That, and it was the first day I felt almost like myself again after that awful cold.

I’m serious, even the little routine things that usually cheer me up, like showering and putting on body lotion afterwards, weren’t working. I felt pretty terrible.

So when I started feeling better again, I said to El Hub, “Drive me to Ulta,” and he said, “OK, I’ll drop you off…and then I’ll go to Home Depot.” 🙂

Of course, it took me all of 30 seconds in the store to grab the brow pencil, which was followed by another 30 minutes of looking around (you know how it is).

Here’s what I got… Some of these I needed, and others I’m just playing with/testing.