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

Giving Lips an Attitude Adjustment With Flushed, Heartbreaker and Temptation: New Gel Lip Colours by Laura Mercier

May 14th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Laura Mercier Gel Lip Colour in Heartbreaker — Heartbreaker

To quote the great Rachael Ray of 30-Minute Meals, “YUM-O.”

Whenever I get one of Laura Mercier’s Gel Lip Colours on my lips, my tummy rumbles because they taste so good! I’m tempted to bite into one like it’s a big butterscotch popsicle.

They taste and smell like butterscotch to me, also known as “one of the fine flavors of my youth.” Seriously, I used to walk to the corner store and get candy from those Brach’s Candy tubs, and I was all about the butterscotch, mah!

Laura Mercier Gel Lip Colours in Flushed (top) and Heartbreaker (bottom) — Gel Lip Colours in Flushed (top) and Heartbreaker (bottom)

This summer, as part of her New Attitude summer collection, Laura is adding four new limited edition shades to her sheer, smooth Gel Lip Colour line in Heartbreaker, Flushed, Temptation and Clementine. The lightweight, moisturizing formula conditions lips while it hydrates them.

Laura Mercier Gel Lip Colour in Flushed — Flushed

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30 Days of NARS: Scandal Lip Gloss, Day 28

May 13th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

No, not the show by Shonda Rhimes. 🙂

Although I do go through phases where I’m all about that show (don’t mess with Huck!)…

I’m talking about a different Scandal — cherry red NARS Scandal Lip Gloss.

It seems so summery to me!

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

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

For When I Get Cast in the New Jem and the Holograms Movie…

May 13th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

MAC Candy Yum Yum Lipstick, 3D Silver Glitter and 3D Pink Glitter

I’m reserving this lip look for when I get cast as an extra in the Jem and the Holograms movie.

I wish!

Something like that would be (wait for it…) truly outrageous. 🙂

It’s MAC Candy Yum Yum Lipstick with the new MAC 3D Silver Glitter and 3D Pink Glitter on top. I applied Candy Yum Yum first with a lip brush, and then used the same brush to press the glitter on my lips.

With Lancome’s Azur Chic Color Design Eyeshadow Palette, Summer Is Time To Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

May 13th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Wearing the new Lancome Azur Chic Color Design Palette ($51)

El Hub asked me if I wanted to go get a slice of pizza with him for lunch today, and I said…

LOL! Sometimes you just really need a slice of pizza.

On the way to the pizza joint he noticed some glitter on my cheeks.

“It’s like Miley Cyrus,” I said, referring to the glitter. “Can’t stop, won’t stop.” 🙂

Between the MAC 3D Glitters I was wearing earlier and the Lancome eyeshadow I’m wearing now, the theme for today is definitely looking like glitter.

Which is all up in the mix, by the way, in Lancome’s new $51 six-pan Azur Chic Color Design eyeshadow palette.

But it’s cool. As long as I don’t forget to tap my brush to unload some of it before applying, very little of it ends up on my cheeks.

A few flecks do make their way down there, though, especially with one or two of the shades, particularly the deep bronze I’m wearing here on my lash lines and in the crease.

Its teensy, tiny flecks of gold glitter don’t really show up in swatches, but they do show up on my lids when I buff things out.

And, uh, because of the amount of sparkle we’re talking about here, you might want to throw one of the matte shades from your collection into the mix for contrast. For the bronzy gold look I’m wearing here, I used warm reddish brown MAC Texture in the crease to balance out the shimmer.

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Sparkle Like Whoa! It’s the Seven New 3D Glitters From MAC

May 13th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

I mean, let’s be real here. Unless you regularly strut your stuff down a runway in Milan or bust your best moves in a Fiat commercial a la J. Lo, who can make booty shorts and glitter look totally legit on a sidewalk at 10 a.m. on a rand-o Tuesday afternoon, glitter isn’t always the easiest thing to pull off.

Don’t get me wrong — I love the sparkly stuff, but because I wear it so often for the blog, sometimes I feel like I look like an extra in the upcoming Jem and the Holograms movie.

Truly outrageous!

Yup, whatcha gonna do? 🙂

I think glitter is tons of fun, and if you do, too, you might want to direct your mouse to maccosmetics.com, where the seven new 3D Glitters ($21 each) are sparkling now.

These holographic hotties have hexagonal, multicolored glitter flecks that put on a sparkly rainbow show.

MAC 3D Lavender Glitter — 3D Lavender Glitter

MAC 3D Pale Mint Glitter — 3D Pale Mint Glitter

MAC 3D Platinum Glitter — 3D Platinum Glitter

MAC 3D Glitter Swatches from the left: 3D Black, 3D Brass Gold and 3D Lavender — Swatches from the left: 3D Black, 3D Brass Gold and 3D Lavender

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Why Do You Think Red Is Such a Popular Lipstick Color?

May 13th, 2014 by Karen 39 Comments

Illamasqua's Fiesty Coloring Pencil, Maneater Lipstick and Touch Intense Lipgloss — Wearing Illamasqua Lip Colouring Eye Pencil in scarlet red Feisty, Maneater Lipstick and Touch Intense Lipgloss

Hmm…

I don’t know if there’s a scientific reason behind it — like if it has anything to do with red being the color of blood and romance and hearts and hot-blooded passion — but it is one of those classic colors that defies trends. It seems like red lips are always in fashion.

Like when I see pictures of fashionistas and famous screen sirens from the last century, the ladies in red lips always look like they’re wearing makeup I’d want to wear in this era.

And then I think there’s also the romantic notion of there being a different perfect red lipstick out there for every woman (and makeup-loving dude).

I’ve been wearing red lips since I was a teenager, and I remember regularly prowling the local Thrifty looking for every new red tube because I wanted — no, I NEEDED! — to find my perfect red, too.

Red lips are one of makeup’s common denominators. I mean, if I had a 13-year-old daughter, I’d probably tell her to wait a few years before wearing that intense matte red lipstick, but I think I’d be OK with her wearing a sheer red lippie on special occasions. And if I’m lucky enough to still be around in my sassy 70s, you better believe I’ll still be rockin’ red lips. 🙂

From two Christmases ago — my granny touching up her red lipgloss!

I do like to think that there’s a perfect red lippie out there somewhere for each and every one of us. The real fun is finding it.

What about you, friend? Why do you think red is such a popular lipstick color?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Halo-Halo There!

May 12th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Halo-halo, a Filipino ice cream dessert (that’s purple yam ice cream on top)

I hope you had a happy Mother’s Day yesterday. 🙂 I drove out to my parents’ house in the East Bay, and then we all went out and got Chinese for lunch.

That picture up there at the top is what we had for dessert back at the house. It’s called halo-halo, a Filipino ice cream dessert.