Search Results for: cult of cherry

With Provocative Pink Pairings for Cheeks and Lips, the NARS Final Cut Collection Arrives in Time for Valentine’s Day

January 10th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

NARS Descanso Satin Lip Pencil — Wearing the new NARS Final Cut collection on my cheeks and lips

Right now, the only thing that sounds better to me than biscuits, mashed potatoes and buttered corn (I love KFC’s sides!) and my booty on the couch is the NARS Final Cut collection.

Key words: pink, blushes, lip pencils and illuminators. And pink.

NARS Final Cut Collection — Eight of the 9 pieces in the new NARS Final Cut collection

Grabby hands! I haz them. 😀

In Final Cut, a limited edition release coming arriving next month, NARS re-imagines pink lips and cheeks with modern femininity. Like @ss-kicker boots worn below a frilly lace dress, the colors are edgy and fierce.

Nice.

The collection includes four Blushes, four Satin Lip Pencils (my favorite formula in the NARS lip product line) and one shimmery liquid Illuminator. And yes, pink.

Lots and lots of pink.

The nine-piece NARS Final Cut collection…

Sex Fantasy Blush: a pale lavender pink ($29)
New Attitude Blush: a cherry blossom pink ($29)
Final Cut Blush: a peachy coral ($29)
Love Blush: a tea rose ($29)
Adelaide Illuminator: a shimmering lavender pink ($30)
Stourhead Satin Lip Pencil: a pale lavender pink ($25)
Villa Lante Satin Lip Pencil: a cherry blossom pink($25)
Torres del Paine Satin Lip Pencil: a peachy coral ($25)
Descanso Satin Lip Pencil: a tea rose ($25)

Each of the blushes has a matching lip pencil, with the idea being that you can wear matching sets of coordinating colors together — a lip pencil with its matching blush. Or, of course, you can mix things up and wear any of the colors together. The liquid highlighter goes with everything.

Here are pics and impressions on eight of the nine pieces (I’ll post my thoughts on the fourth blush, Final Cut, soon). In a word: beautiful. In two words: absolutely beautiful. And four more words for good luck: super wearable, super flattering.

NARS Sex Fantasy Blush — Sex Fantasy Blush

NARS New Attitude Blush — New Attitude Blush

NARS Adelaide Illuminator — Adelaide Illuminator

NARS FInal Cut Satin Lip Pencils — The FInal Cut Satin Lip Pencils

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Glitter Dust Glistens in These Dior Vernis Sparkling Shine Nail Polishes

March 1st, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

Yes, my love, if you would like to spend the afternoon swatching nail polishes, listening to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (she’s like the Harper Lee of hip-hop, no?) and watching absolutely mind-numbing reality TV shows about SoCal real estate moguls on Bravo…by all means, GO FOR IT. I will not stop you.

In fact, I highly encourage this kind of behavior. Might I also suggest incorporating cookies and/or wine? Because one or both could take said afternoon to the next level. 🙂

The piercing pigments gracing my paws today hail from the House of Dior. Determined to spread sparkle and shine, the glitter-dusted Sparkling Shine Vernis polishes arrive this March, joining four color-coordinated glosses in the new revamped, revitalized Gloss Addict line.

Dior Diablotine Vernis Swatch — Diablotine, a reddish coral (I’m wearing two layers here, but I’m sure I could have gotten away with one)

Dior Delice Vernis Swatch — Delice, a warm orangey coral with flecks of gold and pink micro-glitter (two layers)

Dior Spring Ball Vernis Swatch — Spring Ball, a pinkish coral with flecks of purple, silver and gold micro-glitter (two layers)

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Ravishing Lipstick

February 8th, 2013 by Karen 31 Comments

MAC Ravishing Cremesheen Lipstick ($15), available now at MAC counters, stores and maccosmetics.com

When I slip into MAC’s creamy coral Ravishing Lipstick, winter disappears, and I’m suddenly back at the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park on a sunny spring day, watching cherry blossom petals flutter in the breeze…

Ravishing is the kind of fresh and flirty full-coverage coral I like to start wearing around this time of year, right when the weather just barely starts to turn (freak storms notwithstanding), and the sun rises a little earlier in the day.

There’s something carefree, but still a little semi-formal, about the plush, velvety Cremesheen finish that feels so totally right to me.

MAC Ravishing Cremesheen Lipstick swatch — What a MAC Ravishing swatch!

MAC Ravishing Cremesheen Lipstick product shot

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Judging by These New Rouge Bunny Rouge Glassy Gloss Shades, Some Bunny Loves Smokey Eyes

August 22nd, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

Rouge Bunny Rouge Sweet Excesses Glassy Gloss in 078 Rhubarb Custard

You know what always cheers me up?

Hugs. And dessert. 🙂

And makeup. Most of the time. Right now, though, I’d really like a hug…

Can Tabs and I get a hug?

Thank you, and thank you for your nice words in the comments earlier today. You’re the Blanche, Rose and Dorothy to my Sophia (Golden Girls 4 life!).

Okay, lock it down, K. No more tears today…

So, I mentioned dessert (and my mouth is watering, of course) — you know what would really hit the spot right now? Something sweet, like these new sweet treat-themed Rouge Glassy Glosses from Rouge Bunny Rouge.

rouge bunny rouge sweet excesses glassy gloss
From the left: 078 Rhubarb Custard, 079 Rahat Lokum, 080 Raspberry Meringue, 081 Cherry Clafoutis and 082 Mousse Fandango

The five sheer, new shades are part of RBR’s Summer 2012 Mistral Collection. If you like super sheer (almost transparent), non-sticky, lightly tinted glosses with a mirror-like shine, you might get a kick out of these.

While technically part of a summer release, they’re destined to be worn with a pair of smokey eyes this fall.

Looking at them and seeing their names, I keep craving pink hard candies…but maybe that’s just me.

The new Rouge Bunny Rouge Glassy Gloss shades

078 Rhubarb Custard: a semi-sheer, milky nude rosewood
079 Rahat Lokum: a pale, shimmery, milky pink with a moderately pearly finish
080 Raspberry Meringue: a pale pink with soft mother of pearl micro-shimmer (Rouge Bunny Rouge says this shade doesn’t have a strong color but makes lips look naturally pretty)
81 Cherry Clafoutis: a sheer, blue-based, cool pink with warm golden opalescence
082 Mousse Fandango: a dark, milky pink with a whisper of grayish mauve, and a touch of silver micro pearl

rouge bunny rouge sweet excesses glassy gloss 2

rouge bunny rouge sweet excesses glassy gloss swatches
From the left: 078 Rhubarb Custard, 079 Rahat Lokum, 080 Raspberry Meringue, 081 Cherry Clafoutis and 082 Mousse Fandango
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Come on, Don’t Be (Color) Shy: A Beginner’s Guide to the World of Color

April 27th, 2012 by Karen 48 Comments

About the Author
The following guest post was written by Sunny of Mostly Sunny blog. You can also find Sunny on Twitter and Facebook.

A Beginner's Guide to Color

Do you remember your first pieces of makeup? I do. I remember one of them. It was a Maybelline trio with three matte neutral shades in it, and I got it when I was a freshman at university.

That’s really when I started venturing into makeup, and my friends had some very good advice: “Just use something that doesn’t scream ‘color’ but gives your eyes some dimension.”

If I remember it right, that trio was roughly the equivalent of Urban Decay Foxy, Naked, and Buck.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Even professional makeup artists would tell you not to underestimate the power of good neutrals, and I remain a fan of them to this day, but what if you’ve been dabbling in the neutral waters for a while and feel like making a colorful change?

You may not feel comfortable leaping from Naked palettes to peacock colors and mermaid eyes right away. So what can you do to make the transition a little easier?

Below are a few tips to help beginners ease their way into the fantastic world of color! 🙂

Products mentioned today

Tip 1: Try a colorful eyeliner on your lower lash line

A Beginner's Guide to Color
Products: MAC Macroviolet, UD Rockstar, UD Ransom, UD Mildew, UD Stash, Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Emerald Green

A Beginner's Guide to Color
From left to right: MAC Macroviolet, UD Rockstar, UD Ransom, UD Mildew, UD Stash, Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Emerald Green

If you feel like keeping most of your eyes neutral, a pop of color along your lower lash line is one easy way to spice things up. You can even go over the eyeliner with a neutral eyeshadow to bring the intensity down a notch.

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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

March 11th, 2012 by Karen 9 Comments

Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

Happy Sunday, friend. 🙂 If you live here in the States, I hope you remembered to spring forward.

Spring! Spring! Spring!

My in-laws are visiting this weekend, and we’re on our way out to brunch. Banana pancakes for everyone!

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

Bobbi Brown’s new brow kit lets you customize your own brow shade — Cafe Makeup
Love the blues and corals in the new Art Deco summer collection — Makeup4all
NARS introduces the Artistry Sessions online video tutorials — Older Girl Beauty
Are you as busy as you think? — The Wall Street Journal
I found photographer Tom Hussey’s series of portraits called “Reflections” incredibly moving (use the arrows on the sides of the page to scroll through the pics) — Tom Hussey
18 ways to inspire everyone around you — Marc and Angel Hack Life
Create your own custom makeup brushes with this DIY project — A Beautiful Mess
A minimal makeup look featuring a pink cheek flush — Lisa Eldridge
Just added to the to-try list: By Terry Mascara Terrybly — The Non-Blonde
Is it a crime to meow at the moon? — Cat Gossip

The makeup monsters are back again this week with another beastie, this one a nightmarish creature of dark makeup magic!

Balm Beholder

Makeup Monster: Balm Beholder Description: It’s a cold, windy day, and your lips are chapped. You pause outside the mall to re-apply your favorite lip balm when you hear a low groan behind you. You whip around! Floating there before you is a hideous orb-like creature with a single unblinking eye, a huge maw with extremely chapped, raw lips, and smaller eyes attached to wriggling stalks, gah!
Frequency: Rare
Speed: Fast
Armor Class: 7 (flight makes them difficult to corner)
Special Attacks: Balm Beholders must consume moisturizing lip balms to survive. Any creature that makes eye contact for more than a second with the Beholder’s large eye is momentarily paralyzed by the monster’s stunning gaze attack, which the beholder uses to incapacitate victims while it steals their lip balm.
Special Defenses: None
Intelligence: Very
Alignment: Evil
Size: Medium (4′ diameter)

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Makeup Monsters

Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

Height and Comfort From the Unisa Kami Wedge Shoe

Get Runway Eyes With Milani’s New Spring 2012 Eyeshadows

Just Another MAC Chenman Face of the Day

My Fingerprints on the MAC & Marcel Wanders Collection

Milani High Speed Fast Dry Nail Lacquers

I’m Lovin’ the Bold Look of LancÃ´me’s Rouge in Love Lipsticks

Vampires Won’t Need the NP Set Glam Set

Gah! There’s a Pixi in My Lip Tint!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Estee Lauder Mad Men Collection, and a Letter to Don Draper

February 27th, 2012 by Karen 64 Comments

estee lauder mad men collection

Dear Mr. Draper,

Thank you so much for your kind note! It’s always so nice to hear from you.

As you know, I’ve served as head of West Coast operations here at Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, for five years now, and while I currently love what I do, I feel it soon may be time for a change. Your recruiter couldn’t have picked a better time to contact me.

I’m so flattered that you and your team believe that I should be the person to take the new International Pet Modeling/Gravy Division at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce to the next level.

I had my lawyer skim through the contract you sent over, and I have a couple of quick questions.

First of all, how flexible are you on the requirement that all employees drink during the day? I understand if it’s part of the corporate culture, but I’m something of a teetotaler and have a difficult time functioning even after a small glass of wine. If possible, I’d like to remove that clause.

Also, I must insist on having my own office and assistant. I was informed that Ms. Olson’s desk is located near the employee break room. I do not know how Peggy feels about that, but such an arrangement would not work for me.

If I do accept the position, I would also like to be able to invite friends of mine to the office from time to time, like Cherry and Evening Rose. Both are part of the new Estee Lauder Mad Men collection. Not only are they very familiar with your work, but I would go so far as to call them admirers of yours…

estee lauder mad men collection boxes

estee lauder collection cherry lipstick creme rouge pouches

estee lauder mad men collection creme rouge in evening rose and lipstick in cherry
Lipstick in Cherry on the left and Creme Rouge in Evening Rose on the right

estee lauder mad men collection creme rouge in evening rose
Creme Rouge in Evening Rose
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MAC Cooked Up Something Special for These Four Tendertone Lip Balms

February 16th, 2012 by Karen 36 Comments

MAC hot n saucy
Wearing MAC Tendertone Lip Balm in Hot ‘N’ Saucy

Life is filled with difficult decisions, like trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up, or choosing between the hella cute but crazy uncomfortable shoes and the not-so-cute ones you can actually walk in…

Thankfully, some decisions are easy, like, if you’re wondering whether you should add a MAC Tendertone Lip Balm in your life, the short answer is “yes!” 🙂

Like makeup angels, these moisturizing lip balms float in and out of MAC’s limited edition lines every once in a while, bringing with them the benefits of SPF 12, and whenever they do, MAC mavens eagerly snatch them up.

This time, with the Cook MAC collection, there are four Tendertones on the menu — Tread Gently (a soft lime green with yellow pearl), Purring (a sheer tangerine with pearl), Hush Hush (a sheer gold golden pearl) and Hot â€˜n’ Saucy (a soft cherry red) — and each costs $15.

At the time of this writing, they’re shown as “sold out” on MAC’s website, but I do see three of the four shades online at nordstrom.com. They should also be available at local MAC stores and counters.

Now, my love affair with these lip balms runs deep. All the way back to a tropical paradise in 2007…

I was on a trip to Hawaii visiting family and brought a bunch of different lip balms with me, but the only one I wore the entire time was a mid-tone pink Tendertone named Take a Hint.

The new colors in Cook MAC represent everything I love about this line of moisturizing lip conditioners. They’re non-sticky, heroically hydrating and carry a faint strawberry flavor and fragrance I like (for the record, both fade fairly fast). The addition of SPF 12 is another nice touch.

And since they aren’t incredibly pigmented, I can apply them without needing the help of a mirror.

Tendertone Lip Balms clockwise from the orange shade on the left: Purring, Hot ‘n’ Saucy, Hush, Hush and Tread Gently, $15 each