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

Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’, These Lip Balms Are Rollin’: The eos + Rachel Roy Holiday 2014 Smooth Sphere Lip Balms

November 6th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

And the award for Lip Balm Most Likely to Double as a Cat Toy goes to…the eos + Rachel Roy limited edition Smooth Sphere holiday 2014 collection lip balms, yay! 🙂

Tabs loves playing with these things. They look like Easter eggs or bouncy balls, but they’re actually little lip balms. If I leave one sitting out, Tabs will bop it around the condo like it’s a crinkly ball.

Of course, now that I’m telling you this, and I want to take a picture of him playing with them, he has absolutely no interest in doing that whatsoever.

Cats.

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When You Play With the Sheer Plumping Glosses in Buxom’s $59 Lip Gloss Roulette Set, You Will Get Lucky

November 6th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Wearing Buxom Lip Gloss in Jennifer, one of the 15 little Buxom Lip Glosses in the new Lip Gloss Roulette set ($59)

They say the house always wins.

Not so when Buxom’s new $59 Lip Gloss Roulette Set is sitting at your table. You can take a chance with any of its 15 miniature plumping glosses and win! — because every one of them leaves lips looking super shiny and, yes, slightly fuller.

Most of the time I can’t tell a difference when I wear plumping glosses. I just don’t see the plump, but I really do see a little something when I wear these glosses.

It’s not epic. I mean, no one is gonna be mistaking my lips for Angelina Jolie’s today, but I do see something there, a slightly plumper pout, unless I’m hallucinating…which is entirely possible in my current state.

Have I mentioned that I’m completely exhausted?

We’re talking hella tired — so tired that you will probably read some extremely confusing and/or strange phrases in this review (and for that, I apologize).

That’s because I spent most of last night totally and completely freaked out, all because I watched a very scary movie right before bed (side note: you might want to stay far, FAR away from The Taking of Deborah Logan, unless you enjoy being traumatized).

If it wasn’t for the minty tingle from these Buxom plumping glosses, gurrrrl, my head would be using this keyboard as a pillow right now, and there would be a tiny puddle of drool between the letters G and H.

Thank goodness for these glosses. They tickle… It’s not a sting. They don’t hurt or anything, but I definitely feel something. It’s enough to make me sit up in my chair.

OMG STAY AWAKE! Wearing Buxom Lip Gloss in Mudslide

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The $25 BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight Kit Deserves the Limelight

November 6th, 2014 by Karen 8 Comments

So…Pearl, Opal and Champagne Gold really don’t ring a bell?

Really?

No, no, they aren’t the names of a Kardashian’s newborn triplets, although I tip my hat to you. Bravo. That was a good guess. 🙂

Pearl, Opal and Champagne Gold are the three colors in BECCA’s new $25 Shimmering Skin Perfectors Spotlights Kit, and if you aren’t already a fan of BECCA’s Shimmering Skin Perfectors, oh! — let me break it down for you. By the time I’m finished, you’ll probably want to start carrying one (or two or three) of these liquid highlighters with you at all times.

BECCA’s Shimmering Skin Perfectors are some of the best liquid highlighters I’ve ever seen or used. They have a fine, fairy-like opalescent finish that makes skin glow as if it’s being illuminated from within, and the magical light purposefully ignores pores and fine lines.

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight Kit doe foot — Opal, Champagne Gold and Pearl

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The Countdown Is On, But the Price Is Up: The New Benefit Candy-Coated Countdown Advent Calendar

November 6th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

I am totally that girl who opens every compartment in an advent calendar in one feel swoop.

Perhaps it’s my ~~impatient~~ curious nature. 🙂

It’s not even December yet, but I couldn’t wait to unlock the hidden treasures in this one from Benefit, the Candy-Coated Countdown Advent Calendar ($99).

You’re “supposed” to open one compartment at a time, one per day, beginning on December first for 24 days.

“Supposed” to.

Tucked within each compartment resides a different beauty treasure…

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The $42 Dolly’s High Roller Collection by Buxom Is a Winning Hand

November 5th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Buxom Dolly's High Roller Collection — Wearing the new limited edition $42 Buxom Dolly’s High Roller Collection, new for holiday 2014 and available now exclusively at Sephora stores and sephora.com

Get ready to look like you spend all of your time at the VIP high-limit tables (as opposed to playing the OMG! Kittens penny slots). Each element in the new $42 Dolly’s High Roller Collection by Buxom evokes livin’ large, cards and casinos.

The nine-piece set comes with chocolate, plum, platinum and pink eyeshadows (and no fallout from any of them, yay!); a cheek trio with a matte plum blush, a shimmery golden beige highlighter and a peachy golden bronzer; and a dual-ended gloss.

Last, but not least, is the waterproof black pencil eyeliner — handy for that glorious moment when I/you/we hit the jackpot and start crying tears of sweet joy.

Just be sure you work quickly with the liner if you plan to do any smudging, because it sets in under a minute.

Added bonus: the set also includes an insert with two step-by-step tutorials (not shown), one for a daytime look, and one for night.

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What Would You Like to Know About Tabs?

November 5th, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

Together, let's unravel the mystery of the world's greatest kitty supermodel! — Together, let’s unravel the mystery of the world’s greatest kitty supermodel!

I’m looking for questions to ask on my upcoming exclusive Q&A interview with acclaimed kitty supermodel Tabs! This is a huge opportunity for me, and I could really use your help coming up with the questions. 🙂

What should I ask?

Should I ask him about his plans for retirement, how he built his kitty modeling empire, how he tightlines his eyes without opposable thumbs or how he feels about crows?

The sky’s the limit.

Leave me your question ideas here in the comments, and I’ll try to squeeze them in during the interview later this week.

Thanks for your help!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Lids, Liner, Lashes, Lips: A Face of the Day With the New Tom Ford Holiday 2014 Collection

November 5th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

The holidays are coming! — and like the Terminator, they can’t be stopped. Or bargained with. Like a festive freight train, they’re a-comin’, ready or not!

With so much to do and fewer daylight hours during the day, every minute is precious. Right now I’m in a phase where the idea of blending three different eyeshadows into my crease (normally a totally sane thing to do) seems impractical, like I’m just burning daylight.

I suppose I could top putting on makeup entirely…

Yeah, right! Haha! Had you going there for a minute, didn’t I? 🙂

But seriously, I have been focussing on quicker looks lately, like this one, which I call “Lids, Liner, Lashes, Lips.”

It’s pretty simple — a single shimmery cream eyeshadow on my lids, black eyeliner, mascara, a bold matte lipstick and a hint of blush and highlighter on my cheeks.

Not too involved, but I think it still makes an impact.

The two focal points are the eyes and lips.

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