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

Air Conditioned Offices and Cool Late Nights Call for the Lightweight Banana Republic Anna Cardigan

June 7th, 2013 by Karen 9 Comments

Banana Republic Anna Cardigan White — The Banana Republic Anna Cardigan in White ($59.50), dress by H&M (no longer available) and layering necklaces from Anthropologie

When I worked as a legal assistant and had to look somewhat presentable, I had a major love affair with Banana Republic.

Then, I joined the world of high-pressure pet assisting, and my sense of style devolved. I went from business casual to surf tees and stretchy pants almost overnight.

I’ve been trying to rectify this over the past year, in part because of a new policy here at work. My manager, Tabs, says that he “will cut” me the next time I come to work wearing tattered clothes, or clothes with crusty, dried bits of food on the sleeves.

And I also don’t want to keep being mistaken for a 13-year-old skater boy from afar.

Whatever, it happens.

So because it still gets a little chilly here late at night, I’ve been looking for lightweight summer sweaters — kind of dressy, but not overly formal — and this Banana Republic Anna Cardigan is doing the trick.

Made from silk, cotton, nylon and a lycra blend, they’re super soft, and not too clingy, so I can comfortably wear a shirt underneath.

The golden buttons are also a nice touch. Fancy and Chanel-ish. 🙂

Banana Republic Anna Cardigan Black — Anna Cardigan in Black

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Making Waves This Summer: AG Hair Cosmetics Texture Spray Tousles Tresses and Brings Out the Beach Babe Waves I Crave

June 7th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

Dear AG Hair Cosmetics Texture Spray,

Hi. You probably don’t know me, but I know you.

Wait — that made me sound like a stalker, didn’t it?

Sorry! 🙂 I assure you, I am not a stalker. I mean, I love you, and I’ve been thinking about you all week long, but I am not a stalker.

Really.

I just wanted to drop you a line to say, “thanks.”

Thanks to you, my hair’s been swell, and I really appreciate it.

We’re a regular power couple, you and I. With you by my side, my mane’s been caught up in a tide of tousled, beachy waves, curling, coiling and cresting ever-so awesomely.

Instead of feeling (and looking) like a land-locked lass who toils in front of a computer screen all day, I feel (and look) like a total surfer girl. Carefree with curls.

Like I said, thanks. You’re the best.

Sincerely,

Karen

Um…this stuff’s pretty great.

A lightweight, medium-hold aerosol styling spray designed for all hair types, it coaxes out waves, increases volume and shine, fights frizz and makes color last longer by protecting your hair from UVA and UVB rays.

Just spray on dry hair and scrunch. That’s it.

Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch…

I’ve tried a bunch of different styling sprays over the years to get that tousled, beachy hair I like, and this one’s cream of the crop.

A lot of these sprays leave me with Edward Scissorhands hair, but not this one. With this one I get stylish runway messy.

The lightweight spray doesn’t weigh down my hair, either. It leaves it soft with a beachy clean scent, which I like.

Other than the rather high $24 price, the biggest downside I see is how quickly I’ll go through the bottle. I’m noticing it already. I probably don’t need to use as much as I do, but I’m a product of the hair bear 1980s, when one would often go through an entire can of Aqua Net in a single day.

Not kidding.

I have to consciously control my trigger finger, using short, controlled bursts; otherwise, I’m apt to envelop myself in a cloud the size of Texas.

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Have You Ever Lost a Beauty Product That Meant a Lot to You?

June 7th, 2013 by Karen 25 Comments

Yeah, totally. A few times, but the one that stung the most happened back when I was in college.

I think it was sophomore year, because I was working part time as an assistant at the language lab for foreign exchange students. My beauty budget was almost nonexistent, so I got most of my meager makeup purchases at drugstores. I’d buy one tube of MAC Paramount at the start of the school year, and that would be my one big beauty indulgence.

Shelley, my roommate at the time, swore up and down that Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick was EVERYTHING! — and I agreed. After hearing her gush about it for months, I scraped enough change together to buy a tube of my own.

Oh, I loved that tube… I wore it every day for two weeks straight (my tube of MAC Paramount started feeling neglected), but then, disaster!

I lost it. At the library, I think.

I’m pretty sure I set it on the counter in the restroom while touching up, and then forgot to put it back in my purse…

I didn’t realize it was gone until later that night when I looked through my book bag.

Heartbreak!

Have you ever lost a beauty product that meant a lot to you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S.

Clarins Splendours Colour Quartet & Eye Liner Palette

June 7th, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

$42, available now at Clarins counters and online.

Backlit

June 7th, 2013 by Karen 2 Comments

How Do You Make an Orange Crush? Just Squeeze Seven MAC All About Orange Lipsticks

June 6th, 2013 by Karen 33 Comments

Wearing MAC Flamingo Lipstick, a bright milky coral with a Lustre finish ($15), one of seven MAC Lipsticks in the new All About Orange collection

Oh, Tivo… You’ve been so good to me lately.

It was really, really sweet of you to record six hours of The Millionaire Matchmaker… You know how much I enjoy that show (oh, hells yeah!). 🙂

But wait — what’s this? You also recorded Blue Crush, one of my favorite chick flicks of all time?

Aww!! And you even did it without my asking?

How did you know I’ve been missing Hawaii something fierce this week and that I needed something good to watch while swatching the seven $15 lippies in the MAC All About Orange collection (available now at MAC counters, stores and online)?

MAC All About Orange Lipsticks from the left: Razzledazzler, Sweet & Sour, Tangerine Dream, Flamingo, Sushi Kiss, Tart & Trendy, Neon Orange — From the left: Razzledazzler, Sweet & Sour, Tangerine Dream, Flamingo, Sushi Kiss, Tart & Trendy, Neon Orange

You know me so well…

You gave me three more reasons to love the living room — an orchard of orange lipsticks that tend to well with warm skin tones, a surf movie with spectacular views of Oahu and a napping tabby cat.

I feel…like one of the characters from Blue Crush, maybe a missing member of the surf girl crew, the one obsessed with orange lipsticks and surfing.

“Flamingo Lipstick rips, man. Neon Orange? Charge it, charge it, CHARGE IT!”

I would totally paddle out for tubes of Razzledazzler, Sweet & Sour, Tart & Trendy and Sushi Kiss, but Tangerine Dream? Probably not.

Whenever I wear that one, I look like I’ve been worked over by big waves.

MAC All About Orange Lipstick Swatches — From the left: Razzledazzler, Sweet & Sour, Tangerine Dream, Flamingo, Sushi Kiss, Tart & Trendy and Neon Orange

MAC Tart & Trendy — Tart & Trendy, a bright, neutral-toned orange cream with a Lustre finish

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Cool and Casual, MAC’s Bright Peach Royal Sunset Powder Blush Begs To Be Worn Beachside

June 6th, 2013 by Karen 36 Comments

That’s MAC Royal Sunset Blush ($21) on my cheeks…

Judging by its name, MAC’s Royal Sunset blush could have gone the route of princess tiaras/tiny sandwiches/stuffy tweed, but instead it took a detour on High Tea Street toward Beach Boho Babe Avenue.

Introducing Her Royal Highness, MAC Royal Sunset Powder Blush ($21)…

Bright on cheeks and surprisingly playful, Royal Sunset builds to an intensely cool coral flush. Of the three blushes in the MAC All About Orange collection, I think it’s the brightest, smoothest (in terms of texture) and the coolest in terms of tone.

It’s the kind of blush I’d wear to a low-key beach wedding, one where the guests and wedding party are barefoot and dogs are running around in bow ties (yippee!). 🙂

Casual and fun, know what I mean?

MAC Royal Sunset Blush Swatch — Royal Sunset Blush on my NC 42 skin

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Have You Ever Had an Eyebrow, Hair or Major Makeup Mishap?

June 6th, 2013 by Karen 51 Comments

Ooh, gurrrl.

You might want to grab another latte and pull up a chair, because we’re gonna be here a while.

I have made so many bad beauty calls over the years, I don’t even know where to start. My worst ones usually involve early mornings before I’ve been sufficiently caffeinated, and/or spur-of-the-moment decisions.

Eyebrows

If my left brow could talk…

Have I ever told you about Raul? Raul was a coping mechanism. It was the name I gave to a bad bald spot on my left eyebrow that happened after I decided to try waxing my own brows for the first time.

Yeah…Raul tells it better than I do, but needless to say, things did not turn out well.

Hair

The boy cut I got in sixth grade wasn’t one of my better moments. For the record, it was not my idea.

I developed boobs that year, suddenly, and for reasons unknown to me, my parents decided that I needed to hack off all of my long black hair.

It was awful. I was already a small and awkward child, and the boy cut just took it to another level…

Makeup

To save time, I’m just going to lump together all of my makeup looks from the ’90s into this category.

Boy, thank goodness this was before camera phones and digital photography; otherwise, there would be a hell of a lot more terrible pictures of me with razor thin brows, frosty lipstick and purple liner out there in Google Images, haha! 🙂

Your turn! Have you ever had an eyebrow, hair or major makeup mishap? Come on, don’t be shy.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen