Search Results for: smokey

10 Reasons to Rock Smokey Purple Eyes (and Pics of the New Purple MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow in Leap From the MAC Lightness of Being Collection)

December 19th, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

10 reasons to rock smokey purple eyes…

Because you’re on day three of “third day hair,” and your roots feel hella janky, and you really need to feel glamorous despite this.
Any excuse to bust out MAC Sketch. Any. Excuse.
Because purple smokey eyes are a temporary distraction from the chaos that is happening around your eyebrows. Note to self: schedule time for some TLC with those fussy, fuzzy little caterpillars.
Purple is the color of royalty, and what better way to stake your claim as Queen of the Crazy Cat Ladies?
Because, hello! — rainy days and Prince songs. *Cues Purple Rain*
Because it’s long past time to pay homage to one of the greatest MAC trifectas of purple power — Bamboo, Saddle and Shroom.
Because it’s been a minute since you’ve done black cat liner, which is a perishable skill. Use it or lose it, yo!
Because scientific studies prove that the best eye makeup to wear while gorging on Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Stars is smokey purple eyes… OK, not really, but in my mind this is true.
Because heaven forbid you go to HomeGoods for the fourth time this week without at least a little makeup on.
Because you never know when the urge to go dancing will hit! Preparedness is key! 🙂

[Continue reading…]

Wear Giorgio Armani Cheek Fabric in 503 Daybreak With Black, Grey or Taupe Smokey Eyes This Fall

August 16th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Daybreak.

Wasn’t that an Ethan Hawke movie about vampires?

Or was it Daybreakers?

Sorry… Never mind. 🙂

Giorgio Armani’s $46 Cheek Fabric in Daybreak 503 might not have enough bite for the Ladies League of Plush Pigment Vampires because 1) its apricot sheen is surprisingly subtle on skin, and 2) it’s almost $50.

But if you don’t mind spending a pretty penny (or rather, 4,600 of them) and like makeup that doesn’t look obvious, or you want a blush to wear with bolder eye looks, ch-ch-ch-check it out…

When I want to keep the focus solely on my eyes, like when I’m a wearing a black, gray and/or taupe smokey eye look, I’ll apply Daybreak and swipe a pale nude gloss on my lips.

On my combo dry/oily skin, I get about between 8-10 hours of wear from Daybreak (from about dusk till daybreak, in fact).

Even though it’s super subtle (and perhaps too quiet for some), I think of Daybreak as one of the more interesting blushes I’ve ever worn because of the way the powder lays on the skin. It’s as if it clings to the surface, and it almost feels like I’m wearing nothing at all. Très elegant.

The color is kinda interesting, too. The apricot pigment shows up on my cheeks but still lets a lot of my natural skin tone through.

Apparently, Armani designed it that way. They combine pure pigments with a transparent base, so that when you apply the blush to your skin, it looks soft and luminous.

Daybreak is part of the permanent line and was recently re-promted with Armani’s new fall collection. It’s available now with the rest of its fall cohorts.

PRICE: $46
AVAILABILITY: Permanent, and available now at Giorgio Armani Beauty counters and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

With the New NARSissist Smokey Eye Kit, You’ll Have All Eyes on You

July 14th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Honestly, though, I don’t blame you for your NARSissicism. I understand, I really do. That would be like blaming Tabs for being beautiful or the sky for being blue.

No, I blame the NARSissist Smokey Eye Kit ($59), that gorgeous three-piece palette in front of you. 🙂

With a matte beige, a deep matte brown and a shimmery golden brown eyeshadow (as well as a miniature black liner and a travel-sized contouring brush) in it, really, how could you not get NARSissistic on that @ss?

[Continue reading…]

A Metallic Green and Warm Smokey Brown MAC Alluring Aquatic Face of the Day

May 15th, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

Whenever I have mermaid dreams (yes, it’s a thing), they more or less go down something like this…

They’re usually in slow motion, lots of bubbles, tons of makeup…

Shoot, I can’t even fathom (Haha! Fathom…? Get it?) being a mermaid without makeup. That’s absurd.

The video is from MAC, timed for the release of their Alluring Aquatic collection, which launched online today (it’ll be in stores on May 22).

Not that I needed a reason to channel my inner mermaid (because every day is a good day to channel your inner mermaid), but I used it (the new collection) as such for my makeup today.

There are lots of things I like about this look. It’s slightly smokey, has warm browns in the crease, some color along the lash lines and leagues o’ lashes (thank goodness for falsies). Oh, and just the lightest dusting of glitter.

All good things. 🙂

I’m pretty comfortable with looks like this. I feel like this one’s a little flashy but stops short of full-on cray.

I might tone it down a tad if I were hanging out with the family or spending time with friends or going out to dinner with El Hub, and then just add the falsies for big events or fancy parties.

Today, though, I decided to put them on because, heck, it’s Thursday, and that seemed like a good enough reason for me, LOL!

Most of the products I’m wearing here are from MAC. On my eyes that’s…

MAC Legendary Lure Extra Dimension Eye Shadow: lids and lower lash lines
MAC Black Line Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner: as an eyeshadow base on my lids (it coaxes the green tones in Legendary Lure, and buffing it out brings out the small bits of golden glitter from the liner…super cool!)
MAC Delphic Extra Dimension Bronzer: crease and lower lash line
MAC Texture Eye Shadow: outer part of crease, to darken and add a slight lift to the eyes
MAC Black Swan Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner: upper and lower lash lines
Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil: water lines
MAC Mylar Eye Shadow layered on top of MAC Light Boost Prep + Prime Highlighter: on my brow bones
MAC Lorelei Extra Dimension Eye Shadow: inner corners
Ardell Demi 120 Lashes: upper lashes
Guerlain Cils D’Enfer Mascara: lower lashes
MAC Deep Dark Brunette Fluidline Gelcreme: brows

Cheeks and lips are all Alluring Aquatic. 🙂

[Continue reading…]

One Pan of Eyeshadow, A Trio of Looks! A Smokey Plum Eye Makeup Tutorial Trifecta

March 3rd, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

Are you ready for three ways to work a smokey (or smoky, depending on your preference) plum eye?

Here are THREE different ways to rock the new Clarins Smoky Plum Ombre Minérale Mono Eye Shadow ($21)…or any other eyeshadow you like.

(Click here to watch the video on YouTube.)

The first look is the most casual one, good for daytime. The second is slightly turned up, like for grabbing drinks after work, and the third is a full-on smokey look with lashes, drama and the whole nine yards.

Definitely one for a big night out…or perhaps just to run errands around town, if you’re a diva like that. 😀

I’m using a shimmery purplish taupe shadow in the video, but you could definitely swap that out for another purple or taupe from your collection.

OOH! I think something like MAC Satin Taupe or Shale would look really pretty.

Or, you could skip the purple entirely and go with something like a shimmery bronze, brown, green, gold or blue. Seriously — whatever your heart desires at this moment! The most important thing is that you like it. Whatever it is, you’ll do great. 🙂

Clarins Smoky Plum Eye Shadow — Lashes, BAM! (Yup, this is the third look…)

A smokey plum eye makeup tutorial — A better look at my lids from the final look…

Products mentioned in the video…

Clarins Ombre Mineral Mono Eye Shadow in Smoky Plum ($21)
MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder ($16)
MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush ($25)
MAC 217 Blending Brush ($24)
Katy Perry Lashes in Punk Princess ($6.99)

Thank you for watching! If you give it a try, snap a quick pic and tweet it to me @karenmbb, or tag me at hashtag #makeupandbeautyblog on Instagram. Please!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

New Clarins Smoky Plum Ombre Minérale Mono Eye Shadow Ignites Hotter Smokey Eyes

February 26th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

Critics are calling Smoky Plum “The sleeper hit of spring shadows!”

Well, not really… I have no idea what they’re calling it, but I’m calling it ohmygoshLURVE! 🙂

Watch out! — or this shadow will steal your heart (like it stole mine).

I mean, I love Clarins and all, but when I think of sultry, pulse-quickening smokey shadows, Clarins doesn’t usually spring to mind. Most of the time I head over to NARS, MAC, Chanel or Tom Ford for that.

But Smoky Plum, one of 14 pieces in the new Opalescence spring collection, could confidently hold its own with the smokiest of the smokey. Surprisingly complex, I think it’s definitely worth considering if you’re on the prowl for your next great smokey shadow.

A shimmery bronzed purple with taupe tendencies, it’s designed to be worn wet or dry, which just means that applying it with a wet brush head coaxes out more of the pigment and enhances the metallic finish.

Clarins Smoky Plum swatches on NC42 skin dry (left) and wet (right) — Smoky Plum swatches on NC42 skin dry (left) and wet (right)

Either way, applied wet or dry, I think Smoky Plum is pretty damned hot, and I used a combination of wet and dry applications for my makeup in these pics to get those light-to-dark gradients I love when I wear smokey eyes (incidentally, I like to spell smokey with an ‘e’ before the ‘y,’ while Clarins spells it without one).

A swatch of Smoky Plum swatch on NW25 skin — Swatches of Smoky Plum swatch on NW25 skin dry (left) and wet (right)

Wait ’til you get this purple puppy on your lids. Smoky Plum swatches beautifully on the back of a hand, but I think it’s infinitely prettier on eyes.

The first time I applied it, I remember looking in the mirror with the finished look and blinking incredulously a few times. Suddenly, tiny little flecks of silvery glitter appeared out of nowhere!

[Continue reading…]

How To Do a Basic Brown Smokey Eye

February 24th, 2014 by Karen 33 Comments

Please ignore the Christmas decorations behind my shoulder, LOL! I filmed this back in December before Christmas but then got too carried away with the holidays to prepare it.

I still wanted to finish it, though, because it’s a staple look of mine that I wear all year round, perfect for just about any occasion from work things to movie dates to running errands around town.

I make little tweaks to it all the time, but this time I paired the eyes with nude cheeks and lips. You could always opt for more dramatic colors to brighten it up.

Here’s the final look…

Brown smokey eyes with nude peachy coral cheeks and lips

There are some steps and layering involved, but I’m sure you can do it. If you haven’t tried something like this before, it just takes a little practice.

Full list of products mentioned in the video…

[Continue reading…]

An Urban Decay Face of the Day With Naked3: A Rosy Gold Daytime Smokey Eye

November 20th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

Whoa, boy. I am a sleep-sheepy today…but that wasn’t going to stop me from playing naked.

I mean playing with naked — Urban Decay Naked3.

Just a few shots of the look I’m wearing. I think it’s a little more wearable and daytime-friendly than the look I did on Monday.

I also incorporated some colors from the Naked and Naked2 palettes, just to see how well they’d work with Naked3’s rosy gold.

I think it went well.

Quick breakdown of what I used!

On my eyes I’m wearing…

The Urban Decay Naked3 Palette (shimmery rose gold Liar on my lids and glittery blackened rose Blackheart in the outer corners)
The Urban Decay Naked Palette (Buck, the matte brown shade, in the crease)
The Urban Decay Naked2 Palette(Foxy, the matte beige shade, on the brown bone)
UD’s new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Blackheart, glittery blackened rose from the new Blackheart and Darkside liner duo (along my lower lash lines)
UD’s new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion, a true black from the new Perversion and Pistol duo (water lines)
UD’s new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Venus a shimmery beige from the Venus and Crave duo (worn as a base all over my lids under the other products)
Clarins Be Long Mascara (my lashes)
MAC Brun Eye Shadow (brows)

On my cheeks and lips that’s…

Tarte’s Off the Cuff Blush Palette (the apples of my cheeks)
MAC Give Me Sun Bronzer (below my cheekbones)
Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked

[Continue reading…]