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

What’s More Important to You — Groomed Brows or Lush Lashes?

January 16th, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

Ouch! Tough question.

I went back and forth on this one for a while, but my answer: groomed brows. That’s my final answer.

My whole natural lash situation isn’t particularly exciting. I have naturally straight, middling lashes — they’re not particularly exciting at all — so I do like to curl them and use mascara. I think I look brighter and more chipper when they’re done.

Buuut…if push comes to shove, I’m still choosing groomed brows.

Mine are the fullest they’ve been in years! — and when they’re filled in nicely, I think they draw more attention to my eyes. More than lush lashes do, anyway.

So, yeah. Team Groomed Brows. 🙂

How about you? What’s more important to you — groomed brows or lush lashes? (For the purposes of discussion, let’s pretend you can’t have both.)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’m Resorting to Tropical Distractions With the Four New Essie Resort 2014 Collection Nail Polishes

January 16th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Essie Resort 2014 from the left: Resort Fling, Under the Twiglight, Find Me An Oasis and Cocktails & Coconuts

The new Essie Resort 2014 collection and I have plans for a swatch date this morning/afternoon.

Perhaps over coffee. 🙂

Mmm…coffee.

And brunch.

Nothin’ like a good cup of coffee while you paint your paws, am I right? (Or a cup of coffee pretty much any time, for that matter. I WISH I were one of those people who could have coffee with dinner, but I can’t… It keeps me up.)

I always look forward to Essie’s resort collections, which come out between their winter and spring releases, even though it seems kind of strange to think of resorts this time of year.

Wait — maybe not. I think the idea is that this is when a lot of folks want to go on a warm vacation (myself included).

Oh, to be an eccentric billionaire…

DUDE, I’d charter a fleet of airliners to fly us off to someplace fabulous and tropical this weekend!!

Essie Cocktails & Coconuts — Cocktails & Coconuts, a shimmering warm sand

Essie Resort Fling — Resort Fling, a creamy, peachy coral

Essie Under the Twilight — Under the Twilight, a creamy, smokey plum

Essie Find Me an Oasis — Find Me an Oasis, an icy blue cream

Essie Resort 214 from the left: Resort Fling, Under the Twilight, Find Me an Oasis and Resort Fling — From the left: Resort Fling, Under the Twilight, Find Me an Oasis and Resort Fling

Essie Resort 2014 collection swatches from the left: Cocktails & Coconuts, Find Me An Oasis, Resort Fling and Under the Twilight — Swatches from the left: Cocktails & Coconuts, Find Me An Oasis, Resort Fling and Under the Twilight

I can’t wait to get these on my nails…

Depending on How You Feel About Watermelons, You Might Like These Six New Milani Spring 2014 Color Statement Lipsticks

January 15th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Milani Pink Love 41 Color Statement Lipstick, new for spring 2014 — Pink Love, one of six new spring 2014 shades just added to Milani’s Color Statement Lipstick line

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of juiciness, it was the age of fiber, it was the epoch of watermelon…

It was July 2011.

In one month, I kid you not, I must’ve eaten at least 10 extra large watermelons all by myself.

‘Twas glorious! And I was, um — well, let me just put it this way: the kids were regularly getting dropped off at school, if you know what I mean.

You know, regularly? 🙂

If these new 2014 Milani Color Statement Lipsticks had been around back then (during what I call “The Great Watermelon Caper of 2011”), I may have felt differently about their watermelon flavor and scent than I do now.

Milani Spring 2014 — The six new Milani Color Statment Lipstick spring 2014 shades ($5.49 each)

Milani Spring 2014 Color Statement Lipstick Swatches from the left: Sugar Glaze, Cabaret Blend, Pink Blend, Rose Femme, Pretty Natural and Cinnamon Spice — Swatches from the left: Sugar Glaze, Cabaret Blend, Pink Blend, Rose Femme, Pretty Natural and Cinnamon Spice

Milani Sugar Glaze 39 Color Statement Lipstick, new for spring 2014 — Sugar Glaze

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Isn’t Tarte MATTEnificent?

January 15th, 2014 by Karen 35 Comments

Tarte beMATTEnificent Eye & Cheek Palette

OK, I can’t be the only one weirdly obsessed with the new Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette ($36).

Right…?

Just look at it!

So purple… So pretty… Like purple driftwood.

Matte magnificence awaits inside this nine-pan palette.

How silky are these powders? Well, very, if you ask Tabs. I scared the heck out of him today while he was napping when I spontaneously blurted, “SMOOTH!” as I was swatching.

Hehe. 🙂

Cool-toned cuties, this one’s for you (she said, pouring some of her Vitamin Water on the ground). It’s a really cool-toned palette.

I’m so jealous, yo! Methinks I’ll have a tough time pulling this off with my warm skin tone, but that won’t stop me from trying. That deep purple? Totally callin’ my name…

It’s available now ($36).

Tarte beMATTEnificent Eye & Cheek Palette Swatches — Swatches of the blush (far left) and the top row of eyeshadows

In other news…

So this has absolutely nothing to do with Tarte Be MATTEnificent, but I was rocking out to this song while I typed this post.

Two words: Debbie Gibson.

Children of the ’80s, throw your hands up!

Ah, the joys of iTunes shuffle… Remember Between the Lines? It’s one of those quintessentially ’80s songs with a saxophone solo and a catchy hook. Very sweet, too. Someone pass the karaoke mic! 🙂

Brilliant Work, Milani! Your Majorly Moisturizing Brilliant Shine Lip Glosses Shine Like Diamonds

January 15th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Milani Bare Secret Brilliant Lip Gloss 01 — Milani’s Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss in Bare Secret ($5.49)

Just in case you were wondering…Milani’s new line of Brilliant Shine Lip Glosses will not make it through an intense chow-down session with your (my) favorite salad in the whole wide world.

Tostada salad with grilled shrimp and avocado from Blue Barn Marin — The King of All the Salads! — the tostada salad with grilled shrimp and avocado from Blue Barn Marin

They will, however, make it through an intense 35-minute-long eye rolling session while watching Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.

Actually…I’m sure they could’ve lasted the movie’s entire 90-minute length (wear time is from 2-4 hours), but the movie was just so, so bad that I couldn’t sit through it (not even the J. Renn eye candy/savory biceps could save it).

Drugstore shoppers, these absolutely gorgeous glosses are smooth like the skin on J. Renn’s bulging biceps and have a comfy, non-sticky formula, mountains of moisture and a light and lovely butterscotch scent (they are unflavored, though).

But be warned… The formula’s quite thick and reminds me of Guerlain’s Gloss D’Enfers, so you may want to wear your hair back in a ponytail. Yes, when you wear these, your mane will get caught in your kisser if you whip your Victoria’s Secret hurr back and forth.

Sometimes I like the way thicker glosses feel on my lips, so I don’t mind.

And ooh! — the choices here. Lots of colors, finishes (cream, shimmer and frost) and coverages ranging from sheer to opaque, and thanks to the flocked sponge applicator, all of the shades, even the deepest, most intensely pigmented ones, are easy to apply.

Milani Brilliant Lip Gloss Swatches from the left: Bare Secret, Mai-Tai, Luminous, Mauve Fetish, Berry Timpting, Ravish Raspberry and Pink Lady — Swatches from the left: Bare Secret, Mai-Tai, Luminous, Mauve Fetish, Berry Timpting, Ravish Raspberry and Pink Lady

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Are You an Impulse Beauty Buyer, or Do You Carefully Plan Out Your Purchases?

January 15th, 2014 by Karen 59 Comments

Hey, girl (I can hear my mom saying, “Hay is for horses”). Long time no talk.

Well, since yesterday.

I wasn’t feeling too well yesterday morning (I think I’m fighting a cold), so I took most of the day off. Tabs, of course, was THE BEST kitty nurse. He set aside time in his busy supermodel schedule to nap on my chest and keep me company.

Sometimes your nephew can be so sweet. 🙂

I’m feeling a little better today, so I’m back at it, babe. Hope you’re having a fruitful and fabulous Wednesday so far. How are things out there? Are you working hard or hardly working?

About today’s question, are you an impulse beauty buyer or a pernicious planner? I think I’m a bit of both.

I like to head to a counter or Sephora with a list on my phone of things I’m running low on or want to try, but whether I stick to my list depends on my stress level at any given moment. If I feel even mildly anxious at all, there’s a good chance that something unplanned will find its way into my basket (usually an extra lipstick or gloss).

That’s if I’m feeling only slightly out of sorts…

Now, if I feel worse than that for any reason, well, then IT’S ON. Something skincare related will almost certainly fall into my cart, because, I dunno — new skincare always seems like getting a fresh, new start. And makeup, of course — usually something from a permanent line that I’ve had my eye on for a while. I tend to impulse buy permanent products over limited edition stuff, I’ve noticed. No idea why.

How about you, babe? Are you an impulse beauty buyer, or do you carefully plan out your purchases?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day. 🙂

Are You Comfortable Leaving the House Not Wearing Any Makeup?

January 14th, 2014 by Karen 75 Comments

Beach Karen last summer, without a stitch of makeup

Ya know, I’m the gal who’ll fill in her brows and apply under-eye concealer just to walk outside to get the mail, but I’ve become (a little) more comfortable lately leaving the house sans makeup.

Granted, it’s not something I do often, LOL! (I dunno if I’ll ever get there, to be honest.)

But, yeah, for a quick errand or stroll around the neighborhood, I can deal with Raul and my ghost brows for a half an hour. 🙂

How about you? Are you comfortable leaving the house not wearing any makeup?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

For the NARSissists Among Us: The New $49 NARS NARSissist Cheek Kit

January 13th, 2014 by Karen 31 Comments

NARS NARSissist Cheek Palette and Mini Blush Brush — NARSissist Cheek Palette and Mini Blush Brush, $49

Because, ya know, what the world *really* needed was another NARS blush palette with Orgasm and Laguna.

Le sigh…

I ya, NARS, and I love both of those shades, but it sure would be nice to see a blush palette without the usual suspects.

NARS Cosmetics is bringing out your inner NARSissist with the introduction of the NARSissist Cheek Palette. Named for and inspired by the brand’s devoted fans and cult followers, this inaugural palette showcases the brand’s most iconic products and beloved shades for cheeks.
— NARS PR

OK, sure, the new NARSissist Cheek Kit does also come with Devotee, a limited edition shimmery peachy pink highlighter, and a cute mini blush brush (so soft!), so it’s not simply Orgasm and Laguna (silver linings, right?).

Might be something to consider, especially if you’re trying to streamline or don’t have any of these shades.

The whole kit and caboodle arrives February 1 exclusively to Sephora and sephora.com.