• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

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

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

Search Results for: chanel glossimer

Butter London Nail Polishes: Vibrant But Fleeting

December 28th, 2008 by Karen 24 Comments

Because I love the company’s name, I buttered myself up to like Butter London nail polishes. I’d never tried the brand before, but at $12 each I expected a lot.

They’re classified “3 Free,” meaning they don’t contain formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP (phthalate). My only other experience with a “3 Free” polish is Lippmann ($15 each), and I hella love those, so you can see why I was expecting a lot from Butter London.

Last week I tested the two colors they released for fall/winter, Branwen’s Feather and Saucy Jack.

Too many coats

One coat of Butter London polish doesn’t do much, applying almost transparently. It took me four coats to get a rich, solid shade with Branwen’s Feather (a glittery dark purple) and three coats with Saucy Jack (a creamy red).

Pretty colors

I like both of these shades, particularly Saucy Jack, which I like a little more than Branwen’s Feather. Once dry they’re both vibrant, eye-catching and shiny.

Hello, Mr. Chips

But after one day of wear, half of the nails I’d painted were already chipping. My nails take a lot of abuse, so any nail polish I’m going to wear on a regular basis has to be tough. Lippmann polishes are. They’re tough as nails (hehe!), but Butter London — not so much.
[Continue reading…]

There are 24 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Nails, Product Reviews

Dior Sparkle Shine Glitter Top Coat For Lips Gets the Party Started

November 11th, 2008 by Karen 44 Comments

If a tube of glitter lipgloss looks like something a gang of tween girls would wear to a Miley Cyrus concert, I usually stay far away. It’s just when glitter goes wrong it can go *really* wrong, you know?

There are those rare times, though, when a truly dynamic glitter gloss takes my breath away. That magical feeling swept over me when I first marveled at Dior Sparkle Shine Glitter Top Coat for Lips ($24.50), a limited edition lipgloss from the Dior Night Diamond holiday collection.

Imagine sucking on a disco ball lollipop for hours; that’s the effect Sparkle Shine gives lips. Infused with a plethora of large green, blue, pink, gold and silver glitter pieces, this bad boy is the mutha of glitter glosses.

Girrrrl… This Is GOOD GLITTER

Dior really should call this stuff glitter with a touch of gloss.

While there are many elegant glitter lipglosses out there, like Chanel Galactic Glossimer, Sparkle Shine stands out because it contains an abundance of glitter (I’m guessing double the average amount).
[Continue reading…]

There are 44 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews

MAC Smokey Eye Tutorial: Halloween Flashback

November 6th, 2008 by Karen 38 Comments


Hey, ladies! On Halloween some of you asked for a tutorial describing the MAC Smokey Eyes look I wore to dinner.

I was in the mood for MAC today, so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s heavy on MAC products, but you could definitely use similar products from other brands.

Eye Products I Used

  • MAC Nice Vice Paint Pot
  • MAC Smolder Eye Kohl
  • MAC Dark Soul Pigment
  • MAC Smoke Signal Pigment
  • MAC Your Ladyship Pigment
  • MAC Silver Fog Pigment
  • MAC Plushblack Plush Lash Mascara
  • MAC Lashes

Cheek Products I Used

  • MAC Blushbaby Powder Blush

Lip Products I Used

  • Chanel Pretty Pink Lip Definer
  • MAC Modesty Cremesheen lipstick
  • Chanel Astral Glossimer

How I Did the Eyes

First, to improve the staying power of my eye makeup, I prepped my lids with a thin layer of Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

Then, with a MAC 249 synthetic shader brush, I patted a layer of Nice Vice Paint Pot onto the lid and into the crease.

With Smolder Eye Kohl, I drew a very thick line on my lids and along my upper lash and water lines…

…and then along the lower lash and water lines, doing my best to really get the pencil between the root of each lash (darkening the skin between the lashes to enhance the desired effect).

Knowing I was going to smudge pigment on top of the liner, I didn’t worry about messy lines.
[Continue reading…]

There are 38 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To Keywords: halloween

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Sept. 15

September 15th, 2008 by Karen 98 Comments


Climbing the 3,922 steps of the Haiku Stairs in 2003, Oahu, Hawaii

  1. Mood:
  2. Mellow

  3. Fragrance:
  4. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

  5. Friend I wish I could hang out with today:
  6. NBLACK

  7. Outfit:
  8. I’m sporting ye olde cranky librarian look today: brown tweed jacket, purple button-up shirt, pearls, glasses and dark jeans

  9. Mascara:
  10. Chanel Exceptionnel

  11. Lips:
  12. Chanel Papette lipstick topped with Delight Glossimer

  13. Food craving:
  14. Turkey and cranberry sandwich on really soft, sliced bread

  15. Makeup craving:
  16. Stila Convertible Color Blushes

  17. Shoes:
  18. Dark brown, suede, four-inch heels I can barely walk in from Nine West

  19. Goals for the day:
  20. Do a load of laundry before work, finish my filing and find a dress for the wedding I’m going to on Saturday

What’s on your mind today? To play, just copy this list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
Fragrance:
Friend I wish I could hang out with today:
Outfit:
Mascara:
Lips:
Food craving:
Makeup craving:
Shoes:
Goals for the day:

Here’s to us all having a good Monday! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 98 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Do You Like Pink Lips?

August 23rd, 2008 by Karen 22 Comments

If there’s a cure for pink lipstick and lipgloss mania I don’t want it. Other color trends come and go, but for me pink lips will always stand the test of time. Here are some of my recent pink lip obsessions.

  • MAC Pro Longwear Lustre in Pink Air, $20
  • Chanel Aqualumiere Formentera, $27
  • Bobbi Brown Metallic in Pretty Pink, $22
  • Chanel Aqualumiere Papeete, $27
  • Clarins Summer Fever Sun Lip Balm in Bikini Pink, $19
  • MAC Hollywood Nights, $14
  • Chanel Equinoxe Glossimer, $25
  • Chanel Candy Glow Aqualumiere, $25
  • Clinique Bamboo Pink, $14

Happy Saturday! How’s it going today? After straightening out the living room, putting everything in its proper place and thinking about pink lipsticks for a long, long time, I’m officially ready to begin the rest of my day. Better late than never, yo!

Oh, yeah, if you’re ever in my part of California and craving reasonably priced, authentic Japanese food (never mind the giant bronze eagle statue in the dining room), I highly recommend Sushi Boat in San Rafael. I only just found the place a couple weeks ago, but it has already become one of my favorite restaurants in Marin.

I hope you’re having a great weekend.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup

Fall in Love with Fall Makeup

August 13th, 2008 by Karen 25 Comments

What a glorious fall Wednesday, ladies! Wait — fall? Did she say fall? Yep, it’s already fall in makeup-land, so grab your tweed coat, knee-high boots and your favorite scarf, and let’s take a moment to peep some of this fall’s current and upcoming makeup collections.

  • Bobbi Brown — Now You Can Go Goth with Bobbi Brown Mauve Collection Lipsticks and Glosses
    “Bobbi threw me a curve ball with the lip colors in the Mauve Collection, her new fall makeup line. I’d been searching high and low for edgy yet wearable lipsticks and glosses in shades of purple, and these colors are, dare I say, edgy yet wearable. They’re eye-catching without going over the top, and within the colors there’s enough variety to allow you to create lots of different looks. Go on with your bad self, Ms. Brown!”

  • Bobbi Brown — Bobbi Brown Pretty Pink Metallic Lip Color: Yeah, It’s Good
    “When it comes to pink lipsticks, I am a one-woman army. I’ve been hoarding them since high school. My arsenal is such that if hostile aliens landed and the fate of the world hinged on our ability to scare them away with tubes of pink lipstick, the Earth would prevail! I’d whip out one of my new favorite pink shades for fall, Bobbi Brown’s Pretty Pink Metallic Lip Color ($22), and wave it above my head like a light saber.”

  • Bobbi Brown — Simulate Sleep with Bobbi Brown Metallic Eye Shadows
    “The three pastel colors from Bobbi’s Metallic Collection make it easy to fake a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed look. All three colors are highly pigmented with excellent color payoff. They’re also easy to blend and apply, lasting all day long with nary a crease.”

  • Chanel — Gaga for Gold with Chanel Fall 2008
    “Fall may be months away, but the collection just arrived at Chanel counters nationwide. I fell in love with five of the products in this release — two of the Glossimers (Delight and Gold Light), Facettes D’Or Highlighter in Gold Fever and two of the lipsticks (Pepeete and Formentera).”

  • Chanel — Lip Look: Today with Chanel Formentera Lipstick
    “Part of the Chanel Fall 2008 makeup collection, Formentera shines like mad yet feels whisper light on my lips. It’s a pretty option when you want the staying power of a lipstick with the shine of a gloss.”

  • Clarins — Clarins Jazzy Colours Fall Collection: Cooler than Jazz Hands
    “Take a break from all the berry and chocolate dominating this fall’s makeup collections, and take a look at Clarins. Their Jazzy Colours collection evokes the carefree elegance of the Roaring Twenties, and its grey, blue and rose shades make me want to dance the Charleston in a fringe dress, ha! All I need now is a bob haircut.”

  • Clinique — Clinique Fall 2008: Game, Set, Matte
    “If you don’t have much experience with matte eye shadows, the Stay Matte shades may be worth a try because the colors are less intense than those in the MAC Matte2 line. I think that makes them a little easier to use.”

Bobbi Brown Black Pearl Shimmer Lip GlossChanel Aqualumiere Formentera

  • Dior — Dior Fall 2008: Impression Cuir Fall Pics and Full Product List
    “…let’s take a moment to wax philosophic about an upcoming fall collection slated for a summertime release: Dior’s Fall 2008 Impression Cuir makeup collection. No matter what Dior calls it, this collection looks hot. Put on your water wings, grab some sweet tea (or gin and juice, haay!) and take a look.”

  • Dior — Sneak Peek: Upcoming Dior Impression Cuir Fall 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palettes
    “Dior is at it again, girls. I love Dior in general, but their eyeshadow quints are what I look forward to most of all. This August, they’re giving us *two* new palettes for fall. Oh, be still my broken knee.”

  • Essie — Essie Fall 2008 Nail Polish Collection Keeps in Character for Fall
    “Check out Essie’s fall polish line ($8 each). Keeping in character for fall, the collection features deep plum, berry and cherry shades that look good enough to eat (I’m always hungry, LOL!). Sometimes I shy away from uber-dark shades because of how obvious it can be when they chip, so I’m glad Essie decided not to go too vampire dark with these colors.”

  • Estee Lauder — Estee Lauder Chocolate Decadence: All the Chocolate, None of the Guilt
    “With lots of eyeshadows, lipsticks and glosses in colors inspired by berries, caramels and chocolate, this collection could have been by Willy Wonka. Aren’t the swirl patterns tasty?”

  • Lippmann — Play to Win with Lippmann Collection Fall Nail Colors
    “Seeing these Lippmann Collection fall nail polish colors ($15 each) for the first time, I thought one thing: VEGAS, BABY! The red, black, white and black-purple colors remind me of playing cards.”

  • MAC — MAC Cult of Cherry: T-Minus Two Weeks and Counting
    “What makes Cult of Cherry noteworthy? For me it’s the rich reds, dark plums and chocolate browns. The collection includes nine lipsticks (four Mattenes), two blushes, five Lipglasses, three eye shadow quads, two nail polishes and Zoom Lash mascara (also part of MAC’s permanent collection).”

  • MAC — MAC Cult of Cherry: A Look at Some Lipsticks
    “G’morning, girls! 🙂 I had makeup dreams last night. I dreamt I was sitting on my bed, gloriously happy and surrounded by makeup. I was playing with MAC’s upcoming Cult of Cherry collection, probably because I thought about it so much yesterday.”

  • Sally Hansen — Autumn in the City: Sally Hansen Fall Nail Lacquer Colors by Tracy Reese
    “I suppose my love for the city in fall explains why I’ve fallen for Sally Hansen’s new nail collection, inspired by 10 fall colors created in collaboration with clothing designer Tracy Reese. The industrial grey, black and blue shades contrast well with maroons and neutrals, as do the streets of my favorite city in the fall.”

What has been your favorite fall collection so far?

I think mine is MAC’s Cult of Cherry, but the season’s still young, ha!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 25 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup, News

7 Lip Looks

July 22nd, 2008 by Karen 19 Comments


OH. SO. EASY. Now get your mind out of the gutter, dirty birdy. I’m talking about lip looks! A new lipgloss or lipstick shade is the easiest way to switch up your makeup look. Red, pink, coral, gold — the possibilities are endless for the canvas that is yo’ sexy pucker. 🙂 Try a few of these looks on for size, won’t cha?

  • Lip Look: Chanel Equinoxe Glossimer Lipgloss
    “Two coats of Equinoxe Glossimer layered on top of MACs Syrup lipstick give me what I like to call ‘fight the power’ glow. A product with purple and gold flecks may not sound appropriate for the workplace, but Equinoxe is subtle enough for most office environments.”
  • Lip Look: Avon Glazewear in Juicy Apricot, On Sale Now
    “Not quite a lipstick, not quite a gloss, this shimmery peachy-coral shade delivers shiny, sheer color that feels light on my lips. Avon calls it feather-light and says the non-sticky texture has to do with their Color-gel formula.”
  • Lip Look: Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Leopard Lipstick
    “This leopard deserves her big jungle cat name. She’s an awesome, semi-matte golden coral, and she makes me look and feel ready to pounce! Even though I’m looking pretty tow up right now in my stretchy pants (had to have ice cream after dinner) and oversized UC DAVIS ALUMNI t-shirt, with Leopard on my lips I still feel hot enough to stalk unsuspecting man prey.”
  • Lip Look: Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Bamboo Pink
    “Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Bamboo Pink is a cool-toned pink with silver shimmer, and it’s a perfect, wearable shade for days when you just want a lil’ somethin-somethin on your lips but aren’t in the mood to spend too much time on your look.”
  • Lip Look: Crushing on Three Custom Colors Papaya Crush!
    “If you’re color shy but have been wanting to try a cute coral lipgloss, Papaya Crush should be a good way to get your feet (lips?) wet.”
  • Lip Look: Shu Uemura Gloss Unlimited in RD 165N
    “Gloss Unlimited RD 165N has a light orange scent and feels thinner than Clinique’s Cherry Bomb. Despite its consistency, Gloss Unlimited didn’t dry out my lips when I used it on Friday. I had to apply it a few times throughout the day, but because of how moisturizing it is, I didn’t mind.”
  • Lip Look: Flirt! Glamourazzi Extreme Lip Lacquer in 07 Spotlight
    “Spotlight is one of three lip colors ($12 each) in Flirt’s Glamourazzi Extreme Lip Lacquer line. A peachy bronze with a touch o’ sparkle, Spotlight has staying power and lots of shine. I applied it before leaving for work this morning and didn’t have to reapply for four hours!”

Pretty Lippies

The gods o’ speed were on my side this afternoon. I just got back from a run and felt like I was flying! Other than my run, today was ok. I was busy at work doing a lot of number stuff, which my brain finds quite exhausting.

What was the best part of your day?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Eyeshadow Face of the Day

July 10th, 2008 by Karen 51 Comments

I just realized that I hadn’t shown a picture of my new hairdo. I decided to revert back to my natural hair color for a change, so to speak. What do you think?

I paired my new hair with this very quick face of the day using an old MAC Cosmetics Mineralize eyeshadow duo called Silversmith. Starting with MAC Paint in Shimma on my lid and into the crease, I then dusted a layer of the light blue from Silversmith on top. I lined the upper water line with Lancome Le Stylo Waterproof eyeliner in Noir and lined the lower lash line with the dark blue shade from Silversmith.

Lastly, two coats o’ Chanel Inimitable on my lashes, a light dusting of MAC Select Sheer Loose Powder in NC 30 all over the face, MAC Sunbasque Blush on my cheeks and then topped the look off with Chanel Constellation Glossimer on my lips.

I hope you had a wonderful Thursday! What was the highlight of your day?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 51 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD)

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 17
  • Go to page 18
  • Go to page 19
  • Go to page 20
  • Go to page 21
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

Recent Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 878

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 894

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 893

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 892

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 891

/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things – do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 771

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.