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

DAILY PHOTO: 5 More Reasons to Love Sicily With the Dolce & Gabbana Love in Taormina Nail Polishes

June 25th, 2013 by Karen 20 Comments

Dolce & Gabbana Love In Taormina Collection 2 — The five new nail polish shades from the Dolce & Gabbana Love In Taormina collection, coming next month

The new Dolce & Gabbana Love in Taormina collection colors were inspired by local flowers that grow in the Sicilian town of Taormina, and based on these nail polishes, there must be some bright flowers out there!

Nails make out like bandits in the 17-piece release. There are five new shades, two new top coats (one matte and one shiny) and a base coat. The rest of the collection consists of repromoted pieces for nails, eyes, lips and cheeks.

The new Love in Taormina collection includes…

Nail Lacquers in True White 20 (repromote), Oleandro 98 (new), Ibisco 112 (new), Camelia 115 (new), Bouganville 119 (new), Fire 125 (repromote) and Iris 169 (new), $24 each
High Shine Nail Coat (new), $24
Matte Nail Coat (new), $24
Protective Base Nail Coat (new), $24
Shine Lipstick in Violet 100 (repromote), Classic Cremam Lipstick in Velvet 120 (repromote) and Classic Cream Lipstick in Cosmopolitan 237 (repromote), $32 each
Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Amore 145 (repromote), $59
Luminous Cheek Colour Blushes in Sole 15, Apricot 27 and Mocha 28 (all repromotes), $45 each

Look for these flowers to bloom on Dolce & Gabbana counters in July.

Here’s a quick look at five of the new Nail Lacquers. Swatches on paws coming soon. 🙂

Dolce & Gabbana Love In Taormina Oleandro 98 — Oleandro 98

Dolce & Gabbana Love In Taormina Ibisco 112 — Ibisco 112

Dolce & Gabbana Love In Taormina Collection Camelia 115 — Camelia 115

Dolce & Gabbana Love In Taormina Collection Bouganville 119 — Bouganville 119

Dolce & Gabbana Love In Taormina Collection Iris 169 — Iris 169

Dolce Gabbana Love In Taormina Swatches — From the left: Oleandro 98, Ibisco 112, Camila 115, Bouganville 119 and Iris 169

DAILY BEAUTY: Summer Channels Spring in Chanel Les Delices De Chanel

June 25th, 2013 by Karen 25 Comments

Chanel’s got a gorgeous new collection out called Les Delices de Chanel, with colors Coco characterizes as spring-inspired.

The release includes eight limited edition pieces for cheeks, lips and eyes in soft neutrals, pinks, aquas and violets.

The collection includes…

Joues Contraste Blush in 78 Delice (limited edition), $43
Ombres Fleuries Quadra Eye Shadow (limited edition), $60
Illusion D’Ombre in 90 Convoitise (limited edition), $36
Stylo Yeux Waterproof 77 Purple Berry (limited edition), $30
Rouge Coco Shine in 75 Melba (limited edition), $32.50
Rouge Coco Shine in 76 Gourmandise (limited edition), $32.50
Aqualumiere Gloss in 83 French Toffee (limited edition), $27
Aqualumiere Gloss in 82 Friandise (limited edition), $27

I’m SUPER STOKED about the two new Aqualumieres!

I was heartbroken when Chanel discontinued the line, and I’m still kicking myself for not buying backups of Candy Glow.

Chanel Les Delices de Chanel Ombres Fleuries Quadra Eye Shadow — Ombres Fleuries Quadra Eye Shadow ($60)

Chanel Les Delices de Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Convoitise — Illusion D’Ombre in Convoitise ($36)

Chanel Les Delices de Chanel Collection Aqualumieres in 83 French Toffee and 82 Friandise — Aqualumieres in 83 French Toffee (left) and 82 Friandise (right)

Chanel Les Delices de Chanel Collection Rouge Coco Shine in 76 Gourmandise — Rouge Coco Shine in 76 Gourmandise ($32.50)

Chanel Les Delices De Chanel Collection Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Purple Berry — Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Purple Berry ($30)

Chanel Les Delices De Chanel Collection Swatches — Swatches from the left of Chanel Ombres Fleuries Quadra Eye Shadow, Stylo Yeux Waterproof 77 in Purple Berry, Illusion D’Ombre in 90 Convoitise, Rouge Coco Shine in 76 Gourmandise, Aqualumiere Gloss in 82 Friandise and Aqualumiere Gloss in 83 French Toffee

The collection is available now. Reviews and looks lined up and coming soon.

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Too Faced Sweet Pink Full Bloom Ultra Flush Blush

June 24th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

Now that’s a sweet pink! Too Faced Sweet Pink Ultra Flush Powder Blush ($19)

Chances are, you will not want to start a riot or cut a b*tch while wearing Too Faced Sweet Pink Full Bloom Ultra Flush Blush ($19).

You could, however, roll with a motorcycle gang…but only if your Harley and your helmet are completely covered in Hello Kitty stickers. 🙂

Might as well leave your tough girl boots at home tonight because this blush really is sweet.

A sweet neutral pink with a golden shimmer, to be exact, and it’s that shimmer that makes it a star. The soft glow it imparts, which is much subtler than shiny metallics, is very forgiving of my Lake Superior-sized pores.

It’s a little like layering a matte pink blush on top of a shimmery golden highlighter.

Have you ever tried that? It’s really cool. You can see the shimmer peeking through the blush, and it gives the look more life.

With Sweet Pink, you get the effect with one pan for $19.

It’s perfect for streamlined makeup bags. 🙂

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

Oh, and I love wearing it with matte lipsticks in bright berries, fuchsias and hot pinks. Hells, yeah!

I’m a sucker for looks with subtly shiny cheeks and matte lips. I think it’s very flattering. Give it a try if you have MAC Heaux or Impassioned around. Both look really great with Sweet Pink.

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Urban Decay’s New Skincare-Themed B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray and Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging Aim to Bring the Noise to Your Beauty Routine

June 24th, 2013 by Karen 27 Comments

Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray and Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging — Urban Decay’s new B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray ($33) and Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging ($24)

“BOOM!”

Something exploded off in the distance across the Bay. “What was that?” my brother said, jumping an inch off the ground.

“Holy sh*t!” exclaimed El Hub.

Three three of us were just strolling along the water in downtown Sausalito last Saturday when it happened — a loud boom that rang out across the Bay.

I was wearing two new skin-lovin’ Urban Decay products at the time, B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray ($33) and their Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging ($24). “If this is the end,” I said, “we should probably go rescue Tabs before the traffic [on Highway 101] gets too bad.”

Then the mental calculations started… How long would I be able to stretch out the makeup I had with me in my purse if this was, in fact, the start of something big (World War Z sprang to mind)? A week? Two weeks? A month?

Luckily, I was testing both of the new antioxidant products from Urban Decay and had them in my bag, a spray and a wrinkle-fighting primer, so it definitely could have been worse.

Priorities. #tmoney #makeup

We never figured out what caused the loud sound, but El Hub said that he thought it was a canon…

Don’t ask me why a canon would be firing in the San Francisco Bay, but strange things do happen here from time to time. 🙂

Urban Decay’s two newcomers come bearing skincare benefits to add extra BOOM! to your makeup routine.

B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray ($33)

The first, the B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray, is the latest recruit on UD’s team of Setting Sprays.

Instead of applying it after you’re done doing your makeup and getting everything set in place, you’re supposed to apply it on your bare skin before you start, although you can also spray it on throughout the day to freshen up without messing up your makeup, or at night before your regular skincare routine.

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2 Awesome Alternatives to Reading Makeup and Beauty Blog on Google Reader (BTW, Google Reader Goes Dark on July 1)

June 24th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

Google Reader goes bye bye for good in a week! — so don’t forget to update your blog RSS reader (and export all of the blogs you subscribe to) before it’s too late, and you succumb to the zombie horde…

I recommend Bloglovin’ or Feedly. I like the look of Bloglovin’ a little better, especially if you follow tons of blogs, but Feedly makes it easy to import all of your Google Reader subscriptions. They have a big “One Click Google Reader Import” button right there on their home page.

You can also say hi on the regular social media suspects…

My favorites are probably Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. I pop on Twitter throughout the day and love Instagram, but I have some good friends on Facebook, too. Tabs Instagram.

And subscribe to my RSS feed and daily email newsletter right here.

See you around, you social butterfly. 🙂 Don’t let the zombies get you!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 277

June 24th, 2013 by Karen 36 Comments

Meow, Monday! The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for June 24, 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 four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Do you have to dress up for work (like wear a suit)?
Nope. The dress code here at the home office of Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, where I work as a part-time beauty blogger and full-time professional pet assistant to world-famous plus-size kitty supermodel Tabs the Cat, is business casual. 😉 In fact, I’m even allowed to wear stretchy pants.

Do you ever rub elbows with royalty?
Uh, no. But I do know some royal pains in the @ss, hahaha!

Do you do water parks?
I love playing around in the water, and water slides are a blast, but I’m going to vote “no” on this one. The few times I’ve visited water parks, I’ve gotten really sick afterward. Not sure why.

Did you do any beauty shopping last weekend?
Lil’ bit. I picked up some razor refills and shave cream at Target Friday night, and yesterday I hit up Space.NK in Larkspur to get a new bottle of Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Treatment, since I was running low.

While I was there, though, the SA hooked me up with a bunch of sweet Sunday Riley and Tata Harper samples. I thought that was very nice.

What was the first thing you saw when you opened your eyes this morning?
My lavender duvet and the back of El Hub’s head.

Curly or straight hair?
Um, wavy?

Are there any glosses in your makeup bag right now?
Absolutely. MAC’s Big Baby Plushglass, which I could, and often do, wear every single day.

When you’re not feeling well, do you like to be taken care of or left alone?

I like to be babied… I’m like a certain tabby cat in that way. I need a lot of attention!

Twinkies are making a comeback! Are you stoked?
Eh, I guess. I haven’t had a Twinkie in years, so it’s not like I missed them when they left, but ya know, sure. You never know when you’ll get a craving.

Do like your weather warm or cool?
Warm, for sure! A lot of people love the Bay Area because it’s so temperate and usually cooler than the rest of the Central Valley. I like it, too, especially when “temperate” means sunny and warm. 🙂

To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le List

1. Do you have to dress up for work?
2. Do you ever rub elbows with royalty?
3. Waterparks: yes or no?
4. Did you do any beauty shopping last weekend?
5. What was the first thing you saw when you opened up your eyes this morning?
6. Curly or straight hair?
7. Are there any glosses in your makeup bag right now?
8. When you’re not feeling well, do you like to be taken care of or left alone?
9. Twinkies are making a comeback! Are you stoked?
10. Warm or cool weather?

Happy Monday, my friend. You have a great one today, okay? I’m gonna try my best to do the same. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

DAILY BEAUTY: Cargo’s Nassau Lip Gloss

June 24th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

Sheer, shimmery pink Nassau has a lot in common with another beauty from Cargo, Bourbon St. Non-sticky, smells like blackberries, and it lasts from 3-4 hours.

I think it looks super pretty with smokey eyes.

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 249

June 23rd, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

Misery is being a world-renowned kitty supermodel and not having unlimited in-and-out privileges in your own home.

Poor Tabs.

He’s such a good cat, and I know he would love to spend his days exploring the hills and open space here in Novato, but he’s not allowed. He’s on house arrest because he’s a roamer, and I’m afraid he’d get lost, try to cross a busy street or cross paths with a wild animal.

He still goes for daily walks on his leash, with me serving as his personal Secret Service agent, but I’m sure he misses his days as an untethered, free-spirited loner outside.

Oh, well. It’s the price of fame, I guess.

This week Tabs worked entirely from home. Photography crews turned the living room into a working studio and brought all of the lighting and props for his kitty modeling shoots. It was quite a spectacle! Here are pics from the ad campaigns…

Hope you enjoy this week’s installment of Sundays With Tabs, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 249. Let us know which of these is your favorite. Mine’s the Gucci Lizard Rider. 🙂

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