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

30 Days of NARS: Eternal Red Lip Gloss, Day 30

May 15th, 2014 by Karen 8 Comments

DAY 30!

Time flies when you’re having fun, and I’ve certainly enjoyed getting to know the 30 Lip Glosses in the newly reformulated NARS Lip Gloss line.

We’re wrapping things up with warm-toned Eternal Red ($26), a timeless orangey red that looks gorgeous all year round but begs to be taken out in the summer.

I think shades like this one look fantabulous with a tan. 🙂

Eternal Red is one of the seven completely new shades NARS added to the 30-piece line when they revamped it, so if you’re all about the new schtuff, check it out on one of your next visits to a NARS counter, or on one of your next online window shopping sessions.

The 30 Days of NARS series features a different NARS Lip Gloss every day

Fishing for Ideas With the New MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection: 7 Lip Pencil, Lipstick and Lipglass Combinations

May 15th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

Wearing the new MAC Alluring Aquatic collection on my eyes, cheeks and lips — Lip Pencil, Lipstick and Lipglass combinations with the new MAC Alluring Aquatic collection

I do this sometimes with MAC collections (for no particular reason other than random curiosity), where I try to see if I can come up with any lip combos I really like, and here’s what I came up with today — lip combos using the Lip Pencils, Lipsticks and Lipglasses from the MAC Alluring Aquatic collection.

Do any of these catch your eye? I’m always hoping to come up with the secret sauce to my next favorite lip look. You never know what you’re gonna get until you try.

1. Pet Me Please Lipstick + Water Deities Lipglass

MAC Pet Me Please Lipstick and Water Deities Lipglass — Pet Me Please Lipstick and Water Deities Lipglass

2. What Comes Naturally Lip Pencil + Half Red Lip Pencil + Siren Song Lipstick + Modern Lure Lipglass

MAC What Comes Naturally Lip Pencil, Half Red Lip Pencil, Siren Song Lipstick and Modern Lure Lipglass — What Comes Naturally Lip Pencil, Half Red Lip Pencil, Siren Song Lipstick and Modern Lure Lipglass

3. Half Red Lip Pencil + Mystical Lipstick

MAC Half Red Lip Pencil and Mystical Lipstick — Half Red Lip Pencil and Mystical Lipstick

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A Metallic Green and Warm Smokey Brown MAC Alluring Aquatic Face of the Day

May 15th, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

Whenever I have mermaid dreams (yes, it’s a thing), they more or less go down something like this…

They’re usually in slow motion, lots of bubbles, tons of makeup…

Shoot, I can’t even fathom (Haha! Fathom…? Get it?) being a mermaid without makeup. That’s absurd.

The video is from MAC, timed for the release of their Alluring Aquatic collection, which launched online today (it’ll be in stores on May 22).

Not that I needed a reason to channel my inner mermaid (because every day is a good day to channel your inner mermaid), but I used it (the new collection) as such for my makeup today.

There are lots of things I like about this look. It’s slightly smokey, has warm browns in the crease, some color along the lash lines and leagues o’ lashes (thank goodness for falsies). Oh, and just the lightest dusting of glitter.

All good things. 🙂

I’m pretty comfortable with looks like this. I feel like this one’s a little flashy but stops short of full-on cray.

I might tone it down a tad if I were hanging out with the family or spending time with friends or going out to dinner with El Hub, and then just add the falsies for big events or fancy parties.

Today, though, I decided to put them on because, heck, it’s Thursday, and that seemed like a good enough reason for me, LOL!

Most of the products I’m wearing here are from MAC. On my eyes that’s…

MAC Legendary Lure Extra Dimension Eye Shadow: lids and lower lash lines
MAC Black Line Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner: as an eyeshadow base on my lids (it coaxes the green tones in Legendary Lure, and buffing it out brings out the small bits of golden glitter from the liner…super cool!)
MAC Delphic Extra Dimension Bronzer: crease and lower lash line
MAC Texture Eye Shadow: outer part of crease, to darken and add a slight lift to the eyes
MAC Black Swan Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner: upper and lower lash lines
Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil: water lines
MAC Mylar Eye Shadow layered on top of MAC Light Boost Prep + Prime Highlighter: on my brow bones
MAC Lorelei Extra Dimension Eye Shadow: inner corners
Ardell Demi 120 Lashes: upper lashes
Guerlain Cils D’Enfer Mascara: lower lashes
MAC Deep Dark Brunette Fluidline Gelcreme: brows

Cheeks and lips are all Alluring Aquatic. 🙂

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How Is Makeup Shopping Different Today Than It Was When You Were First Getting Interested in Makeup?

May 15th, 2014 by Karen 40 Comments

When I started wearing makeup in the late ’80s and early ’90s, there were no beauty blogs or YouTube gurus back then (I KNOW!!).

If you were a teenager of limited financial resources and didn’t have access to a car (or someone with a driver’s license), beauty research usually involved a 20-minute walk to the nearest drugstore to look around, or begging your mom to take you to Macy’s, or asking your friend what lipstick she was wearing that day.

Recommendations from friends was how I found out about most of the makeup I wore in my teens. Like my friend Jen, with her beautiful full lips. She was a fan-freaking-tastic walking advertisement for whatever lipstick she happened to be wearing on any given day. She also happens to be the person who got me hooked on MAC Paramount Lipstick, my first MAC lipstick love (thanks, Jen!). 🙂

Cindy, my other high school BFF, used to wear a quad of shimmering bronzy colors from Wet ‘n’ Wild, and it was because of her that I ended up going to the drugstore and buying the same thing.

Now that I think about it…the way I found out about makeup by seeing my friends wear it was kind of like how blogs, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook work today, only in person, haha!

Following limited edition collections wasn’t a big thing, either, at least for me and my friends, probably because of our limited access to beauty information.

We really didn’t care if a lipstick was an LE shade from the late fall collection, or whether it was from so-and-so brand. Everything seemed to move more slowly back then.

Speaking of limited edition launches, MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection is available now at maccosmetics.com, woo hoo!

More MAC Alluring Aquatic collection coverage…

Fishing for Ideas With the New MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection: 7 Lip Pencil, Lipstick and Lipglass Combinations
A Metallic Green and Warm Smokey Brown MAC Alluring Aquatic Face of the Day
The MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection Extra Dimension Bronzers and Blushes Are Making Waves With Me
The MAC Alluring Aquatic Lipsticks, Lipglasses and Lip Pencils Are off the Port Bow
The MAC Alluring Aquatic Collection Extra Dimension Eye Shadows and Pearlglide Intense Eye Liners Are off the Starboard Bow

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Try Laura Mercier Sheer Creme Colour in Golden Pink for a Sheer Veil of Shimmery Golden Pink

May 14th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Laura Mercier Golden Pink Sheer Creme Colour

I like to wear Laura Mercier’s Sheer Creme Color in Golden Pink on the apples of my cheeks (applying it with a patting motion) when I rock bolder eye looks. It’s a creamy new limited edition face product that adds a sheer veil of shimmery golden pink color.

Words of warning (not a big deal, but just to save yourself some trouble): be careful not to go overboard with this, especially if you wear foundation. The first time I tried it on, I applied too much, and it ended up looking really patchy on my cheeks.

Golden Pink ($35) is part of the New Attitude collection, which you can find now at Laura Mercier counters and online.

Laura Mercier Baked Eye Colour Quad in Summer in St. Tropez — Wearing Golden Pink on my cheeks

30 Days of NARS: Rose Gitane Lip Gloss, Day 29

May 14th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Oh, hello, drama! It’s me, Karen. 🙂

NARS Rose Gitane Lip Gloss took my breath away the first time I saw it on my lips.

Well, actually…my diaphragm convulsed so suddenly that I emptied my lungs, but that’s neither here nor there. This deep sangria red has shimmer, and it’s the shimmer that makes me like it so much.

It’s available now at NARS counters and online for $26.

The 30 Days of NARS series features a different NARS Lip Gloss every day

Dewy Wear Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Cheek Glow? Yes, We Dew!

May 14th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

How smooth is Estee Lauder’s new Bronze Goddess Cheek Glow ($28), my favorite piece from this summer’s annual Bronze Goddess collection?

Well, it’s smoother than an iced Frappuccino on a 92-degree day.

Ah… I sure could go for one of those right now.

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$10 Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black Will Put the Wind Beneath Your Winged Liner and Keep It There for Hours

May 14th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Maybelline Blackest Black Lasting Drama Eyestudio — That’s Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black ($9.99) on my upper lash lines

Easy to control and totally legit, Maybelline’s $9.99 Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black makes quick work of cat eye flicks (meow!), and it stands up to perspiration like Tabs stands up for gravy!

Plus, once it’s on, it doesn’t budge for nothin’.

Oil-free formula holds highly concentrated pigments in a clear gel base

Smudge-proof and waterproof for 24 hours

Safe for sensitive eyes

— maybelline.com

Pretty dark, but not as dark as my current black gel liner love, Black Valley Eye Paint by NARS, Blackest Black looks closer to a charcoal black than a black cat/midnight black to me.

I think darker would be better here…but it’s no big whoop, as Blackest Black is only $10 (versus $25 for NARS Black Valley).

The formula is designed to last a full 24 hours, which is kind of inconvenient to test… I’ve worn it about 10 times already, usually from morning till night or late afternoon, and I’ve never even seen it begin to give up the ghost. I have to physically remove it every time.

Maybelline Blackest Black Lasting Drama Eyestudio swatch — Blackest Black

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