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

For Makeup and a Light Meal, Try Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss

October 2nd, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Wearing Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in Butter Cream, $24

If I’m ever invited to one of those restaurants where you dine in the dark, I’m bringing Cocoa Bean or Butter Cream with me, two of the 24 Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Glosses ($24 each) from cruelty-free indie line Gerard Cosmetics.

Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in Butter Cream and Cocoa Bean — Let there be light!

And not just because they double as a light source. They’re also intensely pigmented, highly moisturizing and comfy. Plus, the lightweight, non-sticky formula should easily last through the dinner (wear time: 4-5 hours).

While my tum is plumping during the meal, my lips will be, too — just slightly — because these also contain lip-plumping collagen peptides, for less visible lip wrinkles without one of those painful plumping stings.

But with these, really, it’s all about the flashlight. That’s the hook right there — the two bright LED lights in the cap.

And they are BRIGHT! Borderline blinding. One thing’s for sure, they aren’t dim.

Gerard Cosmetics Color Your Smile Lighted Lip Gloss in Cocoa Bean — Cocoa Bean

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The MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Palette Is a Dignified Diva Strengthened by Neutrals

October 2nd, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

I can say with the utmost sincerity that I have never been this excited to wear MAC Soft Brown.

And I love Soft Brown! It’s one of my all-time greatest hits, most loved staples, and I’ve been wearing it for years. I’m always happy to see Soft Brown staring back at me as I get ready in the morning.

Now, though? Next to so many other dope-@ss neutral eyeshadows in the $85 MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas palette? The impossible has happened: I like Soft Brown even more.

“But,” you might be thinking, “slow your roll, sweet thang.” We’re talking about an $85 palette. An $85 neutral palette. Another neutral palette.

I know, you’re right. More neutrals, and $85 is a lot, but it’s half what MAC usually charges for their 15-pan palettes (those are $160).

Here’s the thing, though: if Gravitas were a gymnast, it would have perfect poise and balance. It would easily win a gold medal.

And to attempt an even stranger metaphor, if there were such a thing as an eyeshadow palette soulmate, Brook Shields would be mine, because I love almost everything about Gravitas. I feel like, eyeshadow-wise, it has everything I need.

Well…almost everything, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Definitely, Gravitas contains great everyday basic shades, like Soft Brown, Shroom, Carbon and Satin Taupe, but that’s far from everything it has to offer. It also has an interesting combination of warm- and cool-toned khaki, plum, gold and pink shades, which together with the basics, open up a world of elegant eye look possibilities that don’t necessarily involve me looking like I’m wearing a sh*t-ton of makeup at lunch on a Tuesday.

MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches 2MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches, Top Row: Pretty, Soft Brown, Expensive PInk, Clove and Satin Taupe — Top Row: Pretty, Soft Brown, Expensive PInk, Clove and Satin Taupe

MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches 2MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches, Middle Row: Canter, Luscious, Antiqued, Psyche and Carbon — Middle Row: Canter, Luscious, Antiqued, Psyche and Carbon

MAC Brooke Shields Gravitas Swatches, Bottom Row: Shroom, Persuade, Plummed, Lofty and Pepper — Bottom Row: Shroom, Persuade, Plummed, Lofty and Pepper

And the addition of the darker gray, black and purple eyeshadows gives Gravitas even more flexibility. When I want to dress up like a sparkly disco roller diva and ride my glittery unicorn Giselle, I can apply one these colors in the crease, the outer corner and on my lower lash line. Then just add a pair of falsies and go. 🙂

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Answer This: What’s a Commonly Debunked Beauty Myth That You Swear Actually Works?

October 2nd, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

I know that you’re not “technically” supposed to curl your lashes after you apply your mascara, and that almost everyone pooh-poohs the idea…but I do it all the time. 🙂 And I swear that it totally works! You just have to be exceedingly careful.

I do it because my lashes are like tiny twigs, straight and thin, and they struggle to hold a curl when I use a lash curler, especially when I couple that with a heavy-duty mascara formula, or one that just doesn’t have firm hold.

When I do curl after mascara, a few things help…

Like making sure that my lashes are completely dry before I use the curler. That way the lashes don’t stick as much to the clamping surface.

I also — and I know this sounds silly but I’m just gonna say it anyway — give El Hub or anyone within my immediate vicinity a heads-up, like, “I’m curling my lashes now, so please don’t make any sudden movements.”

It’s just that with the pranksters in my family, you never know when someone’s going to jump out from behind a corner and go “Blaaa!”

It happens a lot, and I’d rather sound a little kooky than accidentally rip out my lashes while I’m curling them…and that is a bigger risk when you curl them after applying mascara.

I’m also just very, very careful. I don’t press down too hard on the clamp, and I use easy, gentle pressure to avoid breaking lashes or pulling them out. I’m talking extra, super-duper careful.

I wouldn’t recommend this for everyone or say, “Oh, yeah, totally! This is the best way!” but it’s just what I do, and for me it works.

A commonly debunked beauty myth/product that you swear actually works?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting EyeShadow 5-Color Palette in Envious Orchid

October 1st, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

That purple, though!

Orchids aren’t the only ones envious of Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting EyeShadow 5-Color Palette in Envious Orchid ($50). Cat ladies covet it too. 🙂

Especially cat ladies with brown eyes, like yours truly…or cat ladies with green eyes or hazel eyes. Or pretty much any other eye colors.

You can find Envious Orchid now at Estee Lauder counters and also online.

A Moody Model

October 1st, 2014 by Karen 6 Comments

Your nephew wasn’t feeling it today, even after I showed him these Halloween cards I saw at Barnes & Noble last weekend.

He was a moody model all day long, and the only thing he said to me was, “sigh…”

I don’t think he was impressed by the cards either, due to the obvious lack of tabbies.

Sorry, Tabs, but black cats are in high demand and get all the best modeling jobs this time of year. 🙂

These $8.99 L’Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliners Are Like Getting Two of UD’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils for the Price of One

October 1st, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

“YOU DON’T NEED ANY MORE EYELINER,” yelled my friend Cindy over email yesterday as we discussed what to do on our next meetup (this was right after I proposed lunch and a trip to Ulta).

Oh, really, Cindy? L’Oreal’s new Infallible Silkissime Eyeliners ($8.99) would beg to differ. 🙂

L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner shades from the purple to the silver: Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver — Left to right, from the purple pencil to the silver one, those are Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver

When I hold one of these pigmented, long-lasting, silky smooth liners up to my ear, I hear one of my favorite sounds in the world… The sound of spare change jingling into my Hello Kitty coin bank. 🙂 Because they’re less than 10 bucks! And they’re more or less the same as Urban Decay’s $20 24/7 Glide-On Pencils, which means they’re pretty awesome.

Don’t dawdle after you apply them, because once they set (it takes about a minute), they don’t budge. I like using them, especially Pure Purple and Cobalt Blue, for pops of bold color along my lower lash lines and inner corners.

L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner swatches from the left: Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver — Swatches from the left: Pure Purple, Cobalt Blue, True Teal, Gold and Silver

The only thing I’m not crazy about is their reluctance to hang out on my water lines. On my lash lines? Not a problem. They’ll stick around for eight hours between touchups, but on my water lines, they’re gone within two.

L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner in Pure Purple — Pure Purple (lipstick is Lipstick Queen Play It)

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Best for Big Kissing Scenes and Luxe Leading Ladies: New $50 Lipstick Queen Screen Siren Lipstick

October 1st, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

The new Lipstick Queen Screen Siren Lipsticks, $50 each, available now in six shades

Sometimes, all a sister wants is to sit on the couch all damned day long eating crunchy things out of bags… Potato chips, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, maybe a few chocolate-chip macadamia nut cookies if they’re readily available.

And sometimes she doesn’t.

Sometimes, a sister wants to tower over the pyramids in leading lady leather high heels and femme fatale false lashes and big hair visible from space! 🙂

It’s the latter times when these new Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipsticks are extra nice.

Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipsticks in See Me (a peach) and Play It (a hot pink) — See Me (a peach) and Play It (a hot pink)

Glossy, glamorous shades inspired by the sirens of the silver screen, these pricey pretties are a shock-inducing $50 a tube, but at least they satisfy like a Snickers bar. The creamy formula slips onto lips like a silk dress, leaving behind a finish so shiny that even the haughtiest, naughtiest vixen would purr.

Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipsticks in See Me (left) and Play It (right) — See Me (left) and Play It (right)

Super fans of the Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick line may also love these. They’re around the same price, with similarly high levels of pigment (so high they could touch the sky!) and a preternaturally smooth, moisturizing formula. Depending on the shade, they also last on my lips around the same 3-5 hours.

Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Lipstick in See Me — See Me

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Dastardly Dilemmas: You Can Only Have One Face Product (A Specific Blush, Bronzer, Foundation, Tinted Moisturizer, BB Cream, Etc.) for the Rest of Your Life. What Is It?

October 1st, 2014 by Karen 40 Comments

Oh, the humanity!

I don’t know what sinister force keeps making me come up with these cruel, twisted beauty scenarios, but I’m sorry. 🙂

For my answer, I want to say MAC Face & Body, because I’ve used it for years, I love the dewy finish, and I can trust that it won’t give me breakouts or scoot and slide around once it’s on, but…

This is so twisted!

As much as it would pain me to forsake foundation (and it WOULD pain me), I am non-functional and Halloween costume-caliber frightening if I don’t have at least a hint of color on my face, so I’m going to go with the NARS Orgasm/Laguna Duo…

With a bit of bronzer and a dash of blush, Karen is a happy cookie.

Dastardly dilemmas: You can only have one face product (a specific blush, bronzer, foundation, tinted moisturizer, BB cream, etc.) for the rest of your life. What is it?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day!