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

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Viper

February 24th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Tom Ford Viper Nail Lacquer — Two coatsssss of Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Viper ($32), writhing and hissing now at Tom Ford counters and online

Not even seasoned snake charmers could tame Tom Ford’s Nail Lacquer in Viper ($32).

OK, so I’ve been on a personal quest, Indiana Jones-style, to find the Tom Ford Nail Lacquer that shouts the loudest to my soul. Before I started, I estimated that this would take approximately forever, or roughly three months, whichever came first, but then I got bit by Viper, which may have ended my personal beauty mission forthright…

Why?

Well, this creamy blackened purplish berry stalks Tom’s permanent line like a cobra stalks a mouse in a field… It’s dangerous! — and if you drop your guard for a second, you’ll be hypnotized.

Equally at home on a bad@ss gal’s nails in a bar fight (a gal who artfully escapes the melee on her Harley without anyone noticing), or a lady in box seats at the opera, or a girl wearing pleather leggings and black Chucks. It’s elegant, tough and edgy — and surprisingly approachable — all at the same time.

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

It’s also dynamic. When I tilt my fingers juuust right, I see a shiny, vibrant purple, like wet grapes on a vine. A second later, it’s deeper, like a bowl of ripe blackberries about to be devoured by greedy, hungry mouths…

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Angels and Aliens Must Return to The Source…Fragrance Fountain by Thierry Mugler

February 24th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Thierry Mugler The Source fragrance fountain

To the High Court of Cosmetics:

I would like to submit the following brief conversation, which I had with El Hub at 8:30 p.m. last Friday night (30 minutes before the nearest Sephora store was closing), for inclusion in the Official Record under the heading, “To Restate the Obvious.”

EL HUB: Do you really need to go to Sephora right now?

ME: Yup.

EL HUB: Really? Right now? Aren’t you sick of makeup?

ME: Nope.

There I was, cruising the aisles, looking for a quick fix, when I came across this cool fragrance fountain.

They call it “The Source,” and no, it’s not some kind of alien technology (as far as I can tell). It’s for refilling bottles of Thierry Mugler’s Angel and Alien fragrances.

If you bring an empty bottle of Alien or Angel to the store, an associate will give you a refill right then and there.

But unlike Coke or Pepsi, the refills aren’t free.

According to the lovely associate I spoke with, refills of Angel are $49 for a 0.8-ounce bottle (versus $80 for a brand new bottle) and $79 for a 1.7-ounce one. Alien refills are a little cheaper. $49 for a 1-ounce bottle, $79 for a 2-ounce bottle (which normally sells for $120 new) and $94 for 3.

Getting the refills at Sephora also saves a little money over getting them at Nordstrom, where the 1.7-ounce refill of Angel goes for $100, versus the $79 is costs at Sephora.

Kinda cool! I love gadgetry. I’m not a big fan of either of these scents (they’re a little too sweet for me), but if I was, I’d totally do this.

Shadows: Mother Nature’s Charcoal Pencils

February 24th, 2014 by Karen 6 Comments

Call me easily amused (“Hello, easily amused.”), but I get a big kick out of taking pictures of shadows.

Just ask El Hub. He’ll be in the other room and hear me exclaim, “OOH! Now that’s a good one…”

Then he’ll shout back, “What? What’s a good one?”

And I’ll say, “The shadows!”

Like this picture here of leaves on the curtains from a tree outside.

Look at those soft edges and the crisper ones down below…

Something like this would take a long time in Photoshop, but Mother Nature did it instantly.

How To Do a Basic Brown Smokey Eye

February 24th, 2014 by Karen 33 Comments

Please ignore the Christmas decorations behind my shoulder, LOL! I filmed this back in December before Christmas but then got too carried away with the holidays to prepare it.

I still wanted to finish it, though, because it’s a staple look of mine that I wear all year round, perfect for just about any occasion from work things to movie dates to running errands around town.

I make little tweaks to it all the time, but this time I paired the eyes with nude cheeks and lips. You could always opt for more dramatic colors to brighten it up.

Here’s the final look…

Brown smokey eyes with nude peachy coral cheeks and lips

There are some steps and layering involved, but I’m sure you can do it. If you haven’t tried something like this before, it just takes a little practice.

Full list of products mentioned in the video…

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 311

February 24th, 2014 by Karen 35 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for February 24, 2014

You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”

Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Have you ever made pasta from scratch?
I helped someone do it once. Does that count? I fed the pasta dough through a Kitchen Aid with the pasta attachment.

(Of course, I totally ruined the dough. It was the most un-aesthetically pleasing pasta humankind has ever seen…but it was still edible! 🙂 )

What’s your everyday outlook on earrings? What do you wear most of the time?

For everyday wear, studs, and I alternate among pearl, diamond and rose gold.

I also love chandeliers, but only on occasion, and they can’t be too heavy, too loud (like wind chimes) or be too tempting for Tabs…since he will swat at them.

Do any of your lifelong or very close friends live in a country other than yours?
Just you guys. I’m pretty lucky to have most of my lifelong friends nearby here in the Bay Area, all within a two-hour drive.

Have you ever had to shave someone’s back?

Yes! And it was…an experience.

Like shaving a shaggy Muppet.

When makeup colors do you most commonly wear when you do smokey eyes?

Most of the time, bronze, warm browns and golds, but I also like gunmetal grays, deep blues and purples.

Smokey eyes are my favorites! I could seriously wear them every single day.

What’s one thing you love about your neighborhood?

The birds are such wonderful musicians. We have some three-hundred-year-old heritage oak trees on the hill we live on, and they provide the perfect venue for the songbirds in the area (lots of finches). There’s always something singing or chirping in the trees.

When do you usually have the most energy during the day?

Mornings, pretty much around this time of day, 2-3 hours after I get up and have been sufficiently caffeinated.

I’ve gotta get some breakfast and coffee in my belly first. Then I (usually) feel ready to conquer the world.

When was the last time you wore false lashes?

On date night with El Hub last Friday. I wore these Lovely Lolita lashes by Katy Perry.

They’re very comfy and still look fairly natural, but with a kick!

Do you ever have your tea in a cup with a saucer (fancy!)?

I wish. I usually just grab the closest clean mug in the dish rack, but having tea in a fancy cup and saucer takes it to the next level.

Beauty is (among many things)…
- …appreciating all the small, seemingly mundane day-to-day things and realizing their magical potential
- …the way Tabs looks into my eyes and blinks slowly when he’s sitting on my lap
- …the smell of El Hub’s cheeks when he’s freshly shaven
- …burying my face in a warm armful of laundry right when it comes out of the dryer

Now it’s your turn. Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em! 🙂

1. Have you ever made pasta from scratch?
2. What’s your everyday outlook on earrings?
3. Do any of your lifelong or very close friends live in a country other than yours?
4. Have you ever had to shave someone’s back?
5. When makeup colors do you most commonly wear when you do smokey eyes?
6. What’s one thing you love about your neighborhood?
7. When do you usually have the most energy during the day?
8. When was the last time you wore false lashes?
9. Do you ever have your tea in a cup with a saucer (fancy!)?
10. Beauty is…

G’morning, babe. Sending you a sunshiny hello from Northern California (Marin County, to be exact). 🙂

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was good but way too short.

I ran some errands, made a couple meals (including this improv kale, sun dried tomato and shrimp pasta dish, which turned out OK) and bought an ugly black metal filing cabinet, which I’ve already nicknamed THE FILING CABINET OF DOOM.

Thrilling stuff!

OK, maybe not…

Did you do anything fun and/or productive last weekend?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 284

February 23rd, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Tabs has been a little more diva than usual lately, not that I can blame him for having a big head. He is, after all, in several Oscar-nominated films.

You can’t expect something like that not to feed a cat’s ego. You just can’t.

Wait — you didn’t know that Tabs was also an actor?

Oh, yeah! In fact, he went to Juilliard. He just doesn’t like to broadcast it.

He’s famous in Hollywood for how he totally immerses himself in his roles. It looks effortless on screen. You forget that you’re watching Tabs the Cat, world-renowned kitty supermodel and three-time winner of People Magazine’s World’s Sexiest Cat.

He spends months researching each role, which, by the way, can be super annoying. I’m not even going to tell you the things he asked me to do when he was researching The Tabby of Wall Street, but let’s just say that there were a lot of crazy parties involved, and I had to clean them all up.

So annoying…

Anywho, here are the posters for the Cat Academy Award-nominated movies he’s in. I have to take them to the frame shop and get them mounted this week. Then they go up on the walls in his trophy room, formerly known as my office.

P.S. Don’t forget to watch the Cat Academy Awards next Sunday night. 🙂

Who is Tabs the Cat? About seven years ago I befriended a stray, flea-bitten tabby cat with a bad case of worms. I could see he’d fallen on hard times, but his profound knowledge of high fashion and department store cosmetics led me to believe that he was more than meets the eye. We became fast friends, and now he’s actually my boss (and a successful kitty model).

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7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

February 22nd, 2014 by Karen 406 Comments

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine. 🙂 Happy Caturday.

How did you sleep? Did you have any good dreams? I’m not sure if I did… Can’t remember.

I did, however, have a nice night. El Hub and I went to dinner at the Pasta Pomodoro down the street (I had a glass of moscato, which I’ve totally been into lately), and then came home.

Action packed? No, not really. But it was nice.

Today I have some household things to take care of, like grocery shopping and cleaning up the deck. We are literally down to the bare minimum in the fridge. You know how when you open the fridge and wonder, “Hmm… What can I make with half an onion, three slices of bread and some barbecue sauce?”

LOL! OK, it’s not that bad yet, but almost.

What do you have going on today? Please tell me you’re doing something fun. I have chores to do, so I need to live vicariously through you.

I slept in this morning, so I haven’t even had my first cup of coffee. I’m about to, and I’m beyond ecstatic about it. While I go make my favorite drink, why don’t you enter this weekend’s giveaway? I’ll be right back. 🙂

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- What’s your favorite eye look right now (a coppery golden eye, brown smokey eye, simple cat eye, etc.)?
- Do you know how to do cut crease eyeshadow?
- Who makes the best drugstore makeup brushes?
- What’s the weather like today?
- Have you been skiing or snowboarding this year?
- Do you wear hair extensions?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, February 24, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Spice Up Your Side Braids With This Easy 5-Minute Hair How-To

February 21st, 2014 by Karen 23 Comments

Kristin Perry Daisy Flower Braid In — Flower power!

Not gonna lie — the Katniss side braid has been saving my @ss the past few months. Whenever I’m too lazy to really do anything substantial with my hair, a casual side braid werks.

But ya know, even tried-and-true hairstyles can benefit from new twists.

When I stumbled across the Daisy Flower Braid in by Kristin Perry Accessories ($14), I thought, yes! This’ll spice up ye olde side braid quite nicely without adding any time to the process.

It’s a long suede cord with embroidered daisies and golden leaf detailing at the ends. You work it into braids for extra texture and to add some color to your hair.

To use it, I start by gathering my hair into a low side ponytail, which I secure with an elastic. Then I wrap the cord around the base of the ponytail several times to conceal the elastic.

Once done with that, I tie a loose knot, then double up the cord. Then I section the hair in the ponytail into two parts, leaving me with the three components of the braid — the first section of hair, the second section and the doubled-up cord.

Next part’s easy. Just braid the three components together. When I get to the bottom, I grab another elastic to secure the end of the braid, wrap the cord around it several times to conceal said elastic, and tie the ends of the cord in a knot.

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