Search Results for: chanel

Today Marin Was Like Hawaii

April 27th, 2008 by Karen 21 Comments

hawaii-sharks-cove
Shark’s Cove: awesome snorkeling spot on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii

Hi, ladies! It was just too nice outside for me to sit in front of the computer today. It seems like I spend more time at my computer desk than I spend anyplace else!

What have you been up to today?

I’m working on a couple projects for you guys that I hope to have ready to share soon. One has to do with MAC Cosmetics, and the other has to do with finding makeup bargains, which is something I hold near and dear to my heart!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. You know what time it is! Are you ready for the week’s best posts from the lovely ladies of the Beauty Blog Network?
[Continue reading…]

Lip Look: Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Bamboo Pink

April 18th, 2008 by Karen 24 Comments

clinique-bamboo-pink-2

One day about a week ago I set out to find Clinique’s new Long Last Glosswear SPF in Bamboo Pink. On my mission, I trekked to three different Clinique counters in downtown San Francisco (in three-inch heels), but it was nowhere to be found. “I’m sorry, dear,” the sales associates said. “It’s sold out.”

Never one to give up easily, I finally got my hands on Clinique’s little beast a few days ago (yay!). It didn’t take long at all to see why it has been so hard to keep in stock — it’s *gorgeous!*

Clinique has a winner on its hands. 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.

For the picture above, I paired it with Bamboo Pink Long Last Shine Lipstick.
[Continue reading…]

Dior Goldrush Summer 2008 Collection: Swatches and Pics

April 15th, 2008 by Karen 77 Comments

dior-goldrush-summer-2008-569

Who loves gold, khaki and coral? I do! I do!

How ’bout Dior? Do you love Dior? Because I sure do.Â I got my paws on a few items from Goldrush,Â Dior’sÂ new summer collection. It’s a limited edition being delivered to your nearby Dior counter as we speak. Dior has given us some new eyeshadows, lipsticks, lipglosses, a blush, a highlighter and nail polishes in coordinating tan, coral, khaki and gold.

I really like the 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Golds 569 ($52).

Pretty, yah? The eyeshadow palette pictured above houses five shades — a beige, bronze, copper, gold and khaki, all wrapped up in a sleek, midnight blue, trademark Dior compact.Â
[Continue reading…]

MAC Fafi and Laura Mercier Gold Digger for a Warm Weather Face of the Day

April 14th, 2008 by Karen 66 Comments

makeup and beauty blog fotd

In typical Bay Area fashion, grey, overcast skies quickly replaced the sunny, warm weather we’d had for a few days, but I refuse to let go! I wasn’t up for this uber-red MAC look here, but I still wanted to try something bright and lively. So, this morning I gave this summery bronze and gold eye a try, featuring colors from the MAC Fafi and Laura Mercier Gold Digger collections. I first thought about going for broke with false eyelashes, too, but those will have to wait ’til next time.

Matte coral cheeks and shimmery coral lips complete the look. Now, all I need is a warm beach, a pair of flip flops and a large Jamba Juice (Orange Dream Machine, yum)!

makeup and beauty blog mac fafi laura mercier fotd1

makeup and beauty blog mac fafi laura mercier fotd2
[Continue reading…]

Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Breeze Perfume: Fresh, Citrus and Floral

April 6th, 2008 by Karen 22 Comments

Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Breeze

Spring Fragrance Quest continues this weekend with Elizabeth Arden’s new Mediterranean Breeze perfume.

I spent most of last night with my nose buried in my forearm, breathing in its fresh, citrusy, floral scent. I was watching Wesley Snipes slay vampires in the cinematic masterpiece that is Blade II (LOL), periodically sniffing my arm like a crazy person. Seriously, this stuff is fragrance ecstasy and made me lose control of my vocal chords a few times, causing me to scream at the TV: “Oh gawd!” “It’s just too good!” “Soo frickin’ good!” etc., etc.

Mediterranean Breeze is a lighter, more citrusy followup to Elizabeth Arden’s original Mediterranean perfume and evokes a similar beach-y, vacation-in-a-bottle feeling. The scent opens with a burst of white nectarine, bergamot and grapefruit. Then come the floral notes: Corsican violet, wild jasmine petals and sweet almond flower. Finally, it dries down to warmer cedarwood, sandalwood and musk.

The citrus here really takes Mediterranean Breeze to the next level. In general, I’m not the biggest fan of sweet fruit fragrances, but the bergamot and grapefruit add sophistication to Mediterranean Breeze. They’re citrusy, but not overly sweet.

Something about the fragrance reminds me of fresh, clean water (similar to Aqua di Gio Women and Cool Water Woman), like I’m sipping lemonade on the verandah of a fabulous Spanish villa overlooking the sea.

MBB field trip! (I wish!)
elizabeth Arden
[Continue reading…]

A Time for Renewal

March 23rd, 2008 by Karen 8 Comments

Happy Easter, ya’ll! I’m off to the East Bay to have Easter lunch with my parents but wanted to say a quick hello.

After lunch I’m going to work on a few posts for this week, including reviews of a couple of spring fragrances and drugstore blushes. I also plan to finally finish the tutorial for pastel pink and blue eyes.

I hope you’re having a wonderful day and that your heart is feeling light and hopeful!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Check out these great posts from the Beauty Blog Network and Splendicity. Each week the members of both networks submit some of their favorite posts from around the beauty blogosphere.
[Continue reading…]

MAC Heatherette’s Sock Hop, Style Minx Lipglasses Live Up to the Hype

March 22nd, 2008 by Karen 72 Comments

MAC’s highly anticipated Heatherette collection dropped this week, and two of the Lipglasses really caught my eye — Style Minx and Sock Hop.

Style Minx, a sparkling bright pink fuchsia, appeals to the pink lipgloss lover in me. After applying two coats, my lips turned a bold, can’t-miss-me bright pink. Girl, I looked so ready to hit the club!

Style Minx

It took some effort with Style Minx to get the results I wanted. In hindsight, I would recommend using it with a lip liner. On my first attempt, I skipped liner and ended up with pink everywhere! The shade is so bright that even the smallest traces of product are apt to stand out like sore, pink thumbs if any color extends beyond the natural lip line.

While playing with Style Minx, I was pleasantly surprised by how very pretty it is when toned down. As a test, I applied a single quick coat to my lips, blotting afterwards with a tissue. What remained was a rosy, deep pink stain perfect for more conservative daytime wear.

With the help of a lip liner and a lip brush (as opposed to the included Lipglass wand), I expect to have better luck on my next attempts with Style Minx. A liner should establish a crisp boundary to reign in some of the pink, and the use of a separate lip brush should provide a lot more control than the wand does. I’m not kidding, ya’ll — this stuff is pink!
[Continue reading…]

Laura Mercier’s Creme Eye Duo: Pink Has a New Friend

March 16th, 2008 by Karen 24 Comments

For many, Sunday is a day of rest. Let me just say that those people are lucky bastards. Except for a few brief beauty breaks, my booty has been planted in the chair at my computer desk all afternoon.

On one of my breaks I snuck away from the keyboard to play with yesterday’s Laura Mercier loot. I took a few snapshots of a shimmery eye done using Laura Mercier’s Fairytale Creme Eye Duo, a combination of two cream eyeshadows, one pink and one violet. Both produce a near-transparent wash of color.

[Continue reading…]