Search Results for: chanel glossimer

Good morning. Good morning. How did you sleep? 🙂 I probably could have slept a little more, but I wanted to get going, ya know? To attack the day! — and all that.

How was your night? Did you do anything fun? I swung by Target for dental floss on my way to Tuttimelon —

Which reminds me, I got another watermelon last night. Yup, this one from Target. I even used my phone in the store to look up “how to choose a good watermelon.” Apparently, it has nothing to do with knocking on them, she read, after she’d already knocked on about half of the melons in the store, or with weight, because a heavy melon can be juicy yet not sweet. The article I found said to look for a generally symmetrical shape (aren’t they always generally symmetrical?), vibrant green striping and a yellow, or yellowish orange, “crown” area, which indicates that the melon was allowed to sit and sweeten in the field for a good, long while.

I brought one home that met the aforementioned criteria (how official!), so we’ll see. I haven’t cracked it open yet, even though I desperately want to. I think I’ll save it for tomorrow and make it my Independence Day treat!

In makeup news, what did you think of the NARS Fall 2011 stuff we looked at this week? Interested, or on the fence? Looking back, I probably had the most fun with bright blue Outremer Eyeshadow. It’s statement makeup, for sure, although its intensity is easy to manage with layers, and I don’t always have a place to go where I can make that kind of statement, but it makes me want to think of something, you know, somewhere I can wear it, if that makes any sense.

That must mean I like it.

I’m looking at pics right now from last week of Outremer and that leopard-print dress, the Dolce & Gabbana Animalier Bronzer and MAC Impassioned Lipstick…

Just imagine all four of those together. Hello! Cat lady says what? 🙂

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

NARS FALL 2011: I’D SAIL THE SEVEN SEAS
FOR NARS OUTREMER EYESHADOW

Like a bold accent necklace or a fun, floral scarf, bright blue NARS Outremer Single Eyeshadow ($23) does add a certain something special to a makeup maven’s look.

That said, could I see myself wearing it every single day? No, probably not, because I don’t think it’s that kind of shade, which is not to say it isn’t flexible. Oh, no. It most certainly is.

NARS designed the mostly matte blue Outremer (see the tiny silver sparkles?), the French word for “overseas,” to contrast with the softer green, peach, taupe and rose eyeshadows in the fall collection. Read more…

TARTE FOR TRUE BLOOD
NATURAL CHEEK STAIN: Y’ALL RED-Y FOR THIS?

Remember the True Blood episode last season when Pam busted out the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil? I turned to El Hub on the couch and was like, “ZOMG! Did you see Pam with her NARS!? AAAHHHH!”

He just stared at me like I’d lost my mind…

Don’t you just love it when you recognize makeup on your favorite TV shows? I wonder if the new Tarte for True Blood Natural Cheek Stain ($30) will make an appearance on TV this year.

It’s an intensely pigmented red gel blush, recently launched with two other pieces in the new limited edition Tarte for True Blood collection, and it’s loaded with golden glitter. Read more…

NARS FALL 2011: APHRODITE HERSELF WOULD
CALL THE DELPHES TRIO EYESHADOW COOL

This trio is totally ruined! But wait — in this case, that’s a good thing.

The ruins at Delphi, where the ancient Greeks worshipped the god Apollo, inspired Delphes ($45; part of the Fall 2011 collection), the latest trio to emerge from the House of NARS.

Can you see the resemblance? — how the ruins, and the plants taking them over, influenced this cool-toned trio of sparkling, sheer peach, matte dove gray and frosty sage?

A few notes about the shade, like Sparkling Peach. This shade really shines thanks to large pieces of silver glitter, but I have to proceed with caution; otherwise, it ends up in my brows and on my cheeks. With Sparkling Peach, I get better results when I use firm, flat eyeshadow brushes than I get from brushes with softer bristles, and I keep my eye makeup remover close at hand to clean up any fallout. Read more…

IT’S NO ILLUSION; THIS SPARKLE IS REAL
ILLUSIONS D’OMBRES DE CHANEL COLLECTION FOR FALL

Metallics rule the new 21-piece Illusions D’Ombres De Chanel collection for fall flaunting eye-catching, shimmery finishes, but a solitary matte blush threatens to steal the crown!

Ooh! It’s like Game of Thrones up in here. 🙂

Well met, lords and ladies. Heya! How’s your hump day been? Mine got epically better this afternoon when I ran into the new Chanel Fall 2011 collection at Nordies after lunch. The limited edition release for eyes, lips and cheeks is available now at Chanel counters and also online, and if you like your makeup with major bling, feast your eyes upon this. Read more…

A MID-WEEK DATE NIGHT LOOK WITH
CHANEL, MAC AND NARS

When it started to look like cereal for dinner, El Hub and I decided at the last minute to go on a mid-week date last night (fish and chips, and beer… romantic, I know!). I went with this quick, sparkly look using a mix of new pieces from NARS, Chanel and MAC (and very little blending) and sprinkled it with some permanent products from Jouer, Hourglass, Buxom and Urban Decay.

Nothing much, but it only took a couple of minutes to do. Perfect for impromptu fried foods and beer.

Quick — say you only have 2 minutes to do your makeup before dinner. What do you do? Read more…

WHY, YES, I’M HAVING A SUMMER ROMANCE WITH THE ILLUSIONS
D’OMBRES DE CHANEL COLLECTION FOR FALL 2011

Fall makeup always makes me think of doing fall-ish things, like sipping hot cider (or maybe a little eggnog) by the fireplace or the wood-burning stove, carving pumpkins (which I’ve only done once or twice), or skipping down suburban sidewalks past huge piles of orange and yellow leaves, and kicking ‘em up (SWOOSH!) every once in a while with the tips of my thigh-high suede boots. 🙂

Since summer’s only just begun, however, I’ll have to wait a while before the eggnog shows up at Trader Joe’s, but I won’t have to wait to wear fall makeup, not with so many lines launching their limited edition fall stuff early. Seriously, next year we’ll be celebrating Christmas in July! Read more…

TAME HOUSE TABBY OR JUNGLE CAT?
THE DOLCE & GABBANA ANIMALIER BRONZER

Card carrying members of Team Cat Lady, whether you’re a a tame house tabby or a certified jungle cat, chances are you WILL meow when you see the leopard print on Dolce & Gabbana’s limited edition Animalier Bronzer ($50).

Isn’t it just the coolest thing since leopard-print heels? Too bad the pattern’s an overspray and not actually etched into the pan — or maybe that’s for the best. The first few times it’s used, as the colors in the overspray are mixed together, the product applies super dark (like a chocolate golden sheen), and it would probably make a fantastic eyeshadow totally perfect for sexy, smokey eyes.

But once the overspray gets worn away, out comes a sheer, orangey brown bronzer with tiny flecks of golden glitter. Mrow! It’s sheer, though. Too sheer for me as an NC42; on me it delivers a subtle warmth, yet while I sheer do like the glitter and how smooth it feels, there’s something a little off about how the color works with my skin, like some of the darker tones from the overspray are still milling about. Read more…

MAC UNSUNG HEROES MAC
IMPASSIONED LIPSTICK (AND WATERMELON)

It’s official: I am in food lust with watermelon. That one from the other day? Completely gone. And it was ginormous, too! — like bigger than Tabs, and I ate it all by myself in, like, two days. On the one hand (and I’m thrilled about this) I’m not having any, um, fiber issues, but on the other hand, I’m a little afraid I might be overdoing it.

So sweet, so juicy…

Gotta swing by Trader Joe’s to get another one ASAP.

I’m obsessed! I’ve got watermelon on the brain. It’s even creeping into my makeup. Just the other day, I was looking at Impassioned ($14.50), one of my favorite MAC Lipsticks, when it hit me…

No, not the watermelon, silly! It occurred to me that Impassioned is a perfect watermelon pink. Read more…

OUTFIT OF THE DAY, VOL. 3
CALL ME CAT LADY (AND A TRICK TO LOOK TALLER)

I’m pretty short at 5’1″, but in my mind I’m taller.

How much taller?

On a good day, at least 5’8″. Of course, the rest of the world disagrees.

Once, years ago when I worked in San Francisco, I was walking through China Town on my lunch break in four-inch heels when I found myself behind a group of middle school students on an historic tour of the neighborhood. I was heading to my favorite greasy spoon for lunch, a place in the same direction the group was heading, so I tagged along (hey, free tour!), listening to the group’s tour guide.

When I finally arrived at my lunch spot and broke away from the group, one of the volunteer moms started yelling.

“Get back with the group!” she barked, and I could hear her footsteps pounding behind me. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Rise and shine, morning glory! How was your Saturday? It was a pretty autumn day here in Novato. The leaves are just starting to fall, and since I can’t do anything to stop the coming winter, I guess that means I’d better focus on the positives and learn to live with it, le sigh…

If you ever get the chance to visit the San Francisco Bay Area, I really hope you make it up here to Northern Marin County. The rolling, grassy hills and oak tree forests look like something transported from the Loir Valley in France, except with ranch-style homes and Costco stores taking up places where epic chateaus and gardens would be.

That’s not to say it isn’t as pretty here, but the French do have a different perspective on suburban commercial development (they basically don’t allow it).

Speaking of France, being so close to Wine Country here gives us lots of quaint French bakeries, which resemble regular bakeries and sandwich places but have outdoor seating and the word “French” somewhere in the name. 🙂 The one we went to yesterday was lovely. We got salads and sandwiches and sat outside on their nice patio for lunch.

Tabs chose to stay home, of course, to work out on his new cat tower, which he has yet to master. There’s a carpeted basket at the very top, about 7 feet off the ground, that mocks him from above. He hasn’t built up the courage to climb that high up it yet because I guess he thinks the whole thing will topple over under his weight (a valid concern).

Or maybe he’d rather just marvel at it like we marvel at Gothic architecture.

What are you up to today? Starting tomorrow I won’t see much of El Hub for the rest of the week because of a big project he’s working on (he slays ogres and dragons), so I want to squeeze in some quality time with him today. For that to transpire, he actually needs to wake up, of course (ahem!).

Fill me in on the highlights of your week as far as makeup and/or beauty were concerned. Have you tried any new looks lately? I’m particularly curious about hairstyles right now. Have you done anything new with yours?

Before you go, here’s a little look back at some of the beauty products and topics we blogged about earlier this week:

GUERLAIN KISSKISS STRASS
ROSE DE LA REINE

Please tell me there’s room in the Lovely-Luxury-Lipsticks-That-Don’t-Last-Long-But-Have-Kick-Ass-Packaging Hall of Fame (or LLLTDLLBHKAPHOF for short), because I may have found their next inductee.

Llimited edition KissKiss Strass in Rose de la Reine ($31) is one of nine luxe ladies in the new Guerlain Les Ors holiday collection, pricey products from a line that’s been all about the bling since 1853.

Napoleon III’s wife loved Guerlain, so, ya know, budget’s not exactly their thang. Read more…

FRED FARRUGIA
MODULAR MAKEUP

The Semi Matte Lipstick/Matte Lip Powder Duos in 04 (a matte red) and 06 (a matte hot pink) are really rocking my world. This probably won’t come as a surprise, but each one comes with a creamy semi-matte lipstick and a pigmented lip powder. 🙂 Fred designed them to be used together. Using either fingers or a lip brush, apply a layer of the cream lipstick first, patting the matching lip powder directly on top. The result? A vibrant, highly pigmented, long-wearing matte lip look.

I can’t believe how easy these are to apply (I used my fingers in these pics). They’re non-drying and hang around all day long, even withstanding She-Ra sized meals! I just wish they weren’t so blasted tough to remove (not a big problem, though)… Good ol’ Kirkland wipes can’t take ‘em down, but Clinique Take the Day Off Balm can.

Another standout: Powder Blush in 07. It’s like a darker, more intense NARS Orgasm (a shimmery golden peach). The pigment in this peach does NOT mess around. The color leaps onto brushes that get anywhere near it, and even a small amount delivers a pretty flush. Skin also agrees with it, lapping it up like a sponge. But a word of caution: it’s so intense, SO VIVID, that it can be a little tough to control. My mantra’s been dilute, dilute, dilute! Read more…

BOBBI BROWN
BEAUTY RULES PALETTE

Last week a stranger, who was obviously one of the politest men in California and/or vision impaired, called me “a young girl” (I’m in my 30s, yo!), and I’m not gonna lie — it was awesome.

I remember being 14 and totally obsessed with makeup… My, how things change! 🙂 If I’d seen something like the Bobbi Brown Beauty Rules Palette ($45) back then, I would’ve been all over it in a hot second, assuming, of course, that I would’ve been able to talk my mom into buying it for me.

I mean, it’s sure not cheap, but talk about pretty starter palettes! The colors strike me as great ones for girls just getting into makeup (and for parents who don’t want to worry about their teenager looking like jail bait). Read more…

BENEFIT CREASELESS CREAM
SEPHORA SHADOWS & LINERS

I feel like I’ve been robbed of a Tuesday afternoon. Seriously, where’d it go? One minute I’m playing with a few of the new Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners ($19 each; exclusive to Sephora), and the next minute it’s dark and I hear crickets outside!

Maybe I was just having so much fun finger painting my lids that time got away from me.

I know I’ve gushed over Benefit’s Creaseless Creams many times before. I’m like a broken record with them, “Benefit Creaseless Creams! Benefit Creaseless Creams!” Sorry. It’s just that I like ‘em that much. Read more…

TOO FACED
COMPLEXION PERFECTION KIT

I swear, this is just the coolest thing ever. As people, we get a lot of great makeup released specifically for us, so it’s refreshing to finally see a major cosmetics company like Too Faced release a palette designed specifically for cats! — BIG cats no less.

Okay, not really. To clarify, you do not have to be a leopard or even a cat lady who loves leopards to love the Too Faced Leopard Love Complexion Perfection Palette ($30). You do, however, probably have to be a girl who likes super sheer color.

Too Faced released it a while back with some other goodies for fall, but I only recently started wearing it out.

It comes with three different powder products — a bronzer, a blush and a brightener — and one of them’s already a star. The brightener, which goes by the name Pink Leopard, happens to be a big bestseller from the brand as a member of the permanent line, but the other two products are new — otherwise known as “previously undiscovered species of cats.” Read more…

CHANEL LES TENTATIONS
FACE OF THE DAY

Before I crashed and burned this afternoon, I tried the new Chanel Le Tentations de Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection on for size, and ooh, baby! — I’m lovin’ these chocolate browns and playful pinks.

Sure, the collection doesn’t exactly fit your standard holiday fare, but who cares? If you like it, you like it. And besides, it’s not like early October is the dead of winter, right?

In these shots here, that’s the Tentation Cuivrée quad atop the Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow in Splash on my eyes, Tweed Fuchsia blush on my cheeks and Magnolia lipstick topped with Pink Pulsion Glossimer on my lips.

Even in my semi-conscious haze (NOTE TO SELF: Stop watching bad reality TV after midnight!), this wasn’t a difficult look to do because of how well the colors in the quad work together.

Oh, and I didn’t really appreciate this until I had it on my skin, but the light pink shade has the cutest little bits of glitter; I’m looking forward to wearing it as a single wash of color over the entire eye.

The dark brown shadow’s also full of surprises. It has this subtle duochrome quality to it where it appears to flash from dark brown to plum to bronze, depending on the light. SO HAWT! Read more…

BOOTS NO. 7
OPULENCE EYE PALETTE

Does your Target have a produce section? Isn’t that the most convenient thing ever? I was at ours yesterday, allegedly there to buy grapes, when I ran into the Boots No. 7 limited edition Opulence Eye Palette ($10).

It comes with five powder eyeshadows (four shimmers and one matte) in shades of gold, brown, navy, beige and black. The colors, Boots says, were inspired by Russian Tsarinas and the 1980s, because, ya know, those two things totally go together so well.

How would you wear this palette? I’m thinking a day look using the navy on the lid and the brown along the lower lash line, hmm… Read more…

CHANEL LES TENTATIONS
HOLIDAY 2010

In case you didn’t get the memo, Holiday is the new Spring. Well, at least it is according to Chanel. To the traditionalists out there, the new Les Tentations de Chanel Holiday 2010 Collection isn’t your typical holiday fare — you know, reds, golds and plums — but this isn’t the first time Chanel’s decided to mix it up.

Last year they celebrated summer for Christmas with blues, greens, golds and corals over the holidays. With a mix of pinks, fuchsias, browns and beige, this year they’re all about spring. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen