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

The Illuminati Doesn’t Stand a Chance Against the Orly Secret Society Holiday Collection

October 15th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

Pssst…

Come here. NO! Don’t look. Keep your eyes down. Walk toward me, but don’t look like you’re walking toward me. Act like you’re examining the sidewalk, but then mosey on up next to me.

There, that’s it. Shh… Act cool. Now I have a proposition for you…

Before you answer, you should know something, though: it’s a Voyeuristic Adventure.

Orly Voyeuristic Adventure — Two coats of Voyeuristic Adventure, a cool-toned rosy golden chrome

I was going to do it alone, but then I thought, whom do I know who likes secret societies and masquerade balls?

Oh, yeah! You. 🙂 Care to accompany me? It’s a Masked Ceremony…

Orly Masked Ceremony — Two coats of Masked Ceremony, a glittery black and silver with big square bits of silver glitter and hexagonal flecks of purple glitter

As far as what we should wear, it’s a Macabre Masquerade.

Orly Macabre Masquerade — Three coats of Macabre Masquerade, a glittery multicolored royal blue with gold, red, green and purple glitter (I’m wearing three coats here, but I think two coats would have been enough)

Yup, it’s supposed to be quite the Lavish Bash, so I’m thinking formal attire and painted paws.

Orly Lavish Bash — Two coats of Lavish Bash, a sheer golden glitter with multicolored rectangular and hexagonal glitter. Incidentally, this one looks much more colorful in real life than it does in this pic. The colors create an almost holographic rainbow effect.

If we walk in with bare nails, the host may wonder if were even invited. We don’t want anyone asking us, “What’s the Password?” Because I actually forgot it in my car (my bad).

Orly What's the Password — Two coats of What’s the Password, a glittery golden orange

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If You Hunger for Lash Volume, Try Covergirl Hunger Games Flamed Out Mascara in Very Black Blaze

October 15th, 2013 by Karen 25 Comments

When it comes to love, luck and lashes, may the odds be ever in your favor.

The new Covergirl Hunger Games Flamed Out Mascara Very Black Blaze has a curved brush — Nice curves…

Not that I see Katniss from The Hunger Games ever obsessing over lash length, separation and curl (hey, that’s my job!). She has more important things to worry about…like survival. But, I like to think that if she ever caught a break from the arena, maybe she’d like the new Flamed Out Mascara in Very Black Blaze ($7) from Covergirl’s Hunger Games collection.

Covergirl Hunger Games Flamed Out Mascara Very Black Blaze before and after pics — Bare lashes on the left, and wearing two coats of Very Black Blaze on the right

The curved brush easily reaches lashes at the roots, while the non-clumping formula quickly increases volume.

Two coats of Covergirl Hunger Games Flamed Out Mascara in Very Black Blaze — Wearing two coats…

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The Tarte Off the Cuff Holiday Blush and Bronzer Palette Prompts Impromptu Compliments Like, “What Are You Wearing on Your Cheeks?”

October 14th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

Three reasons to freak out when you open the Tarte new $42 Off the Cuff holiday blush and bronzer palette for the first time…

1) The bracelet totally looks like something by Kate Spade.

Tarte Off the Cuff Packaging — That cuff there in the middle detaches so you can wear it as a bracelet.

NOTE: The included cuff isn’t one of those cheesy throwaway pieces that come with some holiday sets. It’s actually really cute and looks kind of expensive.

Love it!

2) The blushes are off the hook.

Honestly, YES! I’ve been waiting for what feels like eons for Tarte to release a blush palette like this because the only thing more fabulous than a single pan of Amazonian Clay Blush is a palette filled with five of them.

Well…technically, four blushes and a bronzer.

When the Amazonian Clay Blushes came out a couple years ago, they set my blush world on fye-yah .

There have been times when I’ve applied them before the crack of dawn, and through some probably ancient, long-lost magic they look just as natural (not at all like they’re just sitting on top of the skin) and fresh 14 hours later, with nary a hint of fading and zero patchiness whatsoever.

I’m still not entirely sold on the whole Amazonian clay angle — like whether it’s actually responsible for how how well I think these blushes perform — but I have to say, the pieces in this kit are spot-on fantastic.

Who knows? Maybe it is the clay… It’s supposed to give your skin exactly what it needs, when it needs it, adjusting to your needs at any given moment, be it extra moisture on your dry patches or oil absorption on your shiny spots, and it seems to do just that.

Tarte Off the-Cuff Swatches — Swatches on my NC42 forearm…

With the palette, you get a bright matte rose blush, a shimmery plum, a matte nude melon and a matte bright pink. The bronzer, the shade on the far right, is a medium golden brown.

All of them, the blushes and bronzer, should go well with most any eye look. Plus, they’re easy to blend and smooth like John Legend.

3) The whole kit and caboodle’s a pretty fantastic deal.

A full-sized 0.2-ounce Amazonian Clay Blush regularly goes for $26, so five of them would set you back $130.

With this kit, though, you get five 0.15-ounce pans — so, yeah, a little smaller than normal — for what works out to $8.40 each.

That’s a lot of choices and variety for $42.

Tarte Off the Cuff Blush — That’s the bronzer, and the bright pink blush (second from the right in the palette) on my cheeks

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Pumpkin Madness: I HAZ IT!

October 14th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

It’s that time of year again, Charlie Brown. I went to Trader Joe’s last weekend, and it was like a pumpkin patch up in there. Half the things in my basket were pumpkin somethings.

Behold, the pumpkin madness hath afflicted me!

I was so excited about all my pumpkin goodies that I opened the Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps in the car…with my teeth…before I left the parking lot.

And a dude parked in the car across from me saw the entire thing. I saw the look of horror in his eyes.

Yup, I pretty much ate the entire thing on the 10-minute drive home, hahaha!

Looks Like Ombre Is the New Black: The Demi Lovato In Love 5-Piece Ombre Nail Set From The New Black

October 14th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

The New Black Demi Lovato Holiday Nail Polish Collection — The Demi Lovato In Love 5-Piece Set by The New Black ($22), one of two new holiday nail polish sets from The New Black

Hmm… Methinks The New Black is on to something with their ombre nail sets.

The one I’m wearing today is called In Love. It’s one of two new The New Black sets en route to Ulta stores next month in a collaboration with pop singer/former Disney child star Demi Lovato (but they’re both available online now).

The New Black Demi Lovato Nail Polish — The five bottles are minis…

I know next to nothing about Demi, but of her music, I’ve liked the stuff I’ve heard on the radio. That song of hers, Heart Attack, always seems to be playing whenever I’m in the car.

It’s catchy stuff! I’ve cranked it up more than once to sing along to the chorus.

Apparently, Demi also likes nail polish (and, really, what girl doesn’t?).

So, what’s The New Black? Well, it’s an up-and-coming nail polish line out of Santa Monica, California. Their products, which aren’t tested on animals, are vegan-friendly and toluene-, formaldehyde-, camphor- and DBP-free.

Cali represent! 🙂

The sets ($22 each) are basically little nail polish collections, each one with five nail polish minis in coordinating shades.

The idea? To wear all of the colors at once, one shade per nail, to create sort of like an ombre-ish effect across your fingers and/or toes.

The New Black Demi Lovato Nail Polish: In Love Set — From the left: Dark purple pearl, purple foil, medium purple pearl, light purple pearl and loose rhinestones

They’re like nail art paint by numbers, LOL! Which is great for me, because they take all the guesswork out of figuring out what colors to wear together. There’s even a handy (get it??) picture on the side of the box to make it really easy.

Sorry…bad pun, I know.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 293

October 14th, 2013 by Karen 42 Comments

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for October 14, 2013

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 six years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

What makeup brand has the prettiest packaging?
I really like Hourglass. I just think they’re sleek and modern. I love the shape of their compacts and glosses, and the lipstick cases — the design of the lipstick cases. Oh, I also love their logo.

I like Burberry, too, for similar reasons.

I also have to throw in one more — Benefit. They’re always so quirky and fun, and you just never know what they’ll come up with.

Do you ever travel for business?
I do. They’re usually whirlwind trips, though, like fly in, fly out. Not a lot of time to play.

What accessories are you wearing (jewelry, hats, scarves, belts, anything else)?
My wedding ring, my engagement ring, a dainty pair of diamond-stud earrings that I got for my birthday, and a silver plumeria pendant necklace.

What’s the wackiest piece of clothing you own?
Oh, boy! I have this crazy black and white faux fur crop-top jacket from bebe that I got back in 2001, I think, and I can’t bring myself to get rid of it.

It’s freaking nuts! When I wear it, I look like a missing member of the Village People, but I absolutely love it.

How often do you do eye looks involving more than one eyeshadow?
Pretty often. I’d say 4-5 times a week.

Is there any kind of nail polish you won’t wear (textured, glitter, matte, other)?
Well, with my fingernails, it’s basically a free-for-all, but I don’t like textured polishes on my toes. It freaks me out for some reason.

Who’s your favorite artist (visual, music or other)?
I don’t know if I can answer this one in less than 200 words, but rattled off the top of my head, The Beatles, Madonna, Bonnie Raitt, Matisse, Monet, Renoir.

I could go on…

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Leaving home for college was pretty tough because I didn’t have any friends with me — any close friends — and I lived a very sheltered life through childhood and my teenage years. I didn’t have my support structure.

Have you ever done an ombre lip?
Yup, all the time. I like ’em subtle. I do them a lot with darker berries into reds.

On a scale of 1-10, what’s your personal makeup style (1 being no-makeup makeup, 10 being full-on divalicious drag queen)?
7.75 🙂

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. What makeup brand has the prettiest packaging?
2. Do you ever travel for business?
3. What accessories are you wearing (jewelry, hats, scarves, belts, anything else)?
4. What’s the wackiest piece of clothing you own?
5. How often do you do eye looks involving more than one eyeshadow?
6. Is there any kind of nail polish you won’t wear (textured, glitter, matte, other)?
7. Who’s your favorite artist (visual, music or other)?
8. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
9. Have you ever done an ombre lip?
10. On a scale of 1-10, what’s your personal makeup style (1 being no-makeup makeup, 10 being full-on divalicious drag queen)?

Rise and shine, morning glory! It’s gonna be a wonderful day.

I got to relax a little on Saturday, which was glorious. Watched some TV, Tivo’d a bunch of Million Dollar Listing L.A. episodes on Bravo, went to the mall and met my friend Courtney, who works as a makeup artist for YSL, and got my makeup done. She did a sparkly gold, brown and khaki smoky eye (of course, I forgot to take a picture) and picked up a foundation from YSL I’ve been meaning to try, Le Teint Touche Ã‰clat.

I’ve heard good things about it, and I liked how it felt on my skin. Actually, it didn’t really feel like anything at all, which is good.

We’ll see… I’ll keep you posted. Fingers crossed that it works as well as I’ve heard.

In other news, have a good one today. Let me know how you’re doing in the comments.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Did you watch The Walking Dead?? What’d you think?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 265

October 13th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

Who is Tabs the Cat? About six 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).

Dear friends and felines,

As a full-time kitty supermodel of some renown, I spend many days and nights “dolled up.” I’m used to getting into character for modeling spreads, which is one of the reasons I absolutely, positively love Halloween.

That…and the cat treats.

In my neck of the woods, the cats go all out! Everyone dresses up in costume and parades around the circle like it’s a catwalk in Milan. Then we trick or treat at each other’s houses.

Of course, my place always gives the best treats. Fancy Feast Appetizers all the way.

I’m already feeling the Halloween spirit, and I encourage you to start planning your costume now. You don’t want to leave it to your assistant to make a rash, last-minute decision (trust me, that never works out).

Start now, and get the jump on your feline adversaries. Don’t let anyone else win Best Cat Costume of The Year.

On that note, here are 25 of the best cat costumes available for fashionable felines like yourself.

Enjoy! 🙂

25 Cat Costumes for Fashionable Felines

1. Sharknado Cat Hat ($20)

Every week is Shark Week when you wear the Sharknado Cat Hat!!

Available now at the NotsoKittyShop Etsy store.

2. CoolCats Orange and Black Halloween Costume Tutu Dress ($29.95)

Be a prima ballerina for a day in this festive orange and black tutu dress.

Available now at the RockinDogs Etsy shop.

3. Carmen Miranda-Inspired Cat Hat/Kitty Fruit Salad ($30)

Channel your inner Brazilian Bombshell with your very own basket filled with glittering fruit.

Available now at the NoSoKittyShop Etsy store.

4. Nurse Cat Hat ($32)

Temperatures will rise when you wear this nurse hat to your next Halloween party. Paging Dr. Naughty.

Available now at the ToScarboroughFair Etsy shop.

5. Mermaid Halloween Cat Costume ($8)

This mermaid costume should go swimmingly with almost all fur patterns and colors.

Available now at Petco stores.

6. Daniel Boone Pet Costume ($27)

Both city and country kitties will appreciate this ruggedly handsome costume…

Available now at the DogAndCatWorld Etsy shop.

7. Cupcake Cat Costume ($21)

Resistance will be futile when you wear this sweet cupcake costume…

Available now iheartneedlework Etsy shop.

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

October 12th, 2013 by Karen 392 Comments

Probably not a surprise, but Tabs is very protective of his meow time. Today he has several things lined up, including a long walk outside, a deep-tissue massage and an intense grooming session with his favorite brush.

He keeps encouraging me to follow his lead and take more time out for myself, so today I’m going to go for a nice, long run, and then to Sephora to play with some makeup.

Maybe paint my nails, too. 🙂

Whatever you’re up to today, I hope you have some time for yourself.

Have a great weekend, babe. Maybe we’ll bump into each other on Twitter or Facebook today.

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 outfit to lounge around in?
- Cream or powder eyeshadow?
- What was the worst job you ever had?
- How many piercings do you have?
- When was the last time you washed your makeup brushes?
- Are your pets very affectionate?
- Are you good at drawing?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, October 14, 2013 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen