weeklyroundup

Rise and shine, morning glory, and show the world those beautiful eyes!

Did you sleep well? I went to bed pretty late because I’m still hooked on The Shield. Right now I think I’m on the fifth season (reruns; it ended filming in 2008), and just when I think things can’t get any worse for Detective Vic Mackey and the cops at the Barn, they do!

I love that show… It’s like The Sopranos and Law & Order rolled into one.

Doing anything fun this weekend? Mine’s been pretty laid back, but I did catch a movie last night with El Hub. We went to see Salt with Angelina. Can’t say either one of us were all that impressed, but it had its moments (like when she dyed her hair black).

What did you think about the worlds of makeup and beauty this week? Did anything catch your eye? The more I see of the new NARS fall stuff, the more I like it (and Dior’s impressing me too). Here’s a quick look back at some of my favorite (and in one case least favorite) products of the week…

BECCA
GLOSSY LIP TINT

Okay, where’ve the Becca Glossy Lip Tints ($23) been all my life? Seriously, did you know about these? I guess they’ve been around for years, covertly gliding under my radar with their non-sticky, long-lasting and oh-so-shiny texture, and I’ve been woefully out of the loop.

Wet like juicy jelly, they should be perfect on days when all I want is a sheer (but not too sheer) wash of color.

This week I tried three of the 25 shades on for size, and you know the MAC Lip Gelees (LOVE THOSE!)? I think these have a similarly wet finish and that same cushiony feel on the lips. Read more…

NARS DAPHNE
EYESHADOW

Oh, she’s quite the charmer… If you like sheer purple matte shadows, beware; she could rock your boat. I took her out for a spin today, and now I’m smitten.

The first thing I did was find my flat eyeshadow brush…which turned out to be the hardest part of this look (it was hiding in a purse)! With the brush (a MAC 239), I packed several layers of Daphne on my lids, drawing the color up into the crease. Next, I swept the shimmery golden brown side from the NARS Rajasthan duo, another new product for fall, into the crease and up a bit to the brow bone (I like how the shimmer contrasts with Daphne’s matte finish).

Then, to define the whole eye and tie it all together, I lined the upper lash line with the shimmery dark blue shadow from the same duo (Rajasthan), and lined the lower lash line with Coconut Grove (another eyeshadow from the fall collection). Read more…

NARS MANGROVE
EYESHADOW

Even if someone at NARS had foliage in mind when they named this golden green eyeshadow, I can’t help but picture something else.

Mangrove bloomed as an eyeshadow single with the NARS Fall 2010 collection. Francois (first name basis, yo!) loves unexpected colors and textures, and Mangrove fits the bill.

My first impression? — pureed vegetable baby mush. As an eyeshadow, it doesn’t jump out of its pan as something traditionally pretty, but like the plant from whence it draws its name, it just needs a little time to grow. Read more…

KIRKLAND DAILY
FACIAL CLEANSING TOWELETTES

Ladies, I’ve seen the light! They’re big, bright, and high above the beauty section at your nearby Costco store.

Do you do Costco? On a recent trip I picked up a $12 pack of their Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes, and now I’m kicking myself for not trying them sooner.

I’d been hearing raves about them for years but just never pulled the trigger before. The soft (softer than the first kiss from a shy boy), moisturizing pre-moistened towelettes remove my makeup (even waterproof mascara) in a flash — and they do it without leaving behind a sticky film. The light, vaguely floral scent (roses?), which I don’t mind at all, fades quickly, so it doesn’t conflict with any other scents I may be wearing. Read more…

DIOR MISTY MAUVE
5-COLOUR EYE PALETTE

I know it’s a little unusual to start a Dior review with a question about MAC, but here goes: do you do MAC Satin Taupe eyeshadow? It’s a shimmery purplish taupe in MAC’s permanent line and a staple in a great many makeup bags (I it too).

If it’s also a favorite of yours, take a gander at the new Dior Misty Mauve 5-Colour Eye Palette.

This $58 princess is one of two new eye palettes Dior released with their fall collection (the other being Pink Design), and it shimmies onto lids with five cool-toned shades — a shimmery light pink, a shimmery white, a shimmery purplish taupe, a matte taupe and a shimmery mauve — that MAC Satin Taupe should get along with quite nicely. Read more…

DIOR PINK DESIGN
5-COLOUR EYE PALETTE

How do you feel about purple eyeshadows? Or pinks? If you’re not a fan, I totally get it. I love ‘em now, but I used to avoid both because I thought they made me look kinda trashy and tow up…like I just lost the kind of cat fight where girls remove their big hoop earrings and bust out the Vaseline before going toe to toe in the schoolyard (NOTE: violence is not the answer, kids).

But if you’re even a teeny, tiny bit curious about pink and purple eyeshadows, Dior’s $58 Pink Design 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette might be an elegant (albeit expensive) way to get to know them better. Read more…

LIPFUSION LIP
CONDITIONING STICKS

Ya know, it’s true what they say — there’s nothing like two Eggo waffles, a cup of coffee and a heaping scoop of Amplifat to start your day.

Yes, boo, Amplifat.

It might sound like something muffin tops contract (blast you, Nutella!), but it’s actually the star plumping ingredient in Fusion Beauty’s new LipFusion Conditioning SPF 15 sticks ($22). Read more…

RIMMEL EXAGGERATE
EYE DEFINER

Before going nowhere fast on the treadmill the other day, I lined my lids with Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in Deep Ocean.

Like the great Billy Idol once succinctly sang, it was nothing but “SWEAT, SWEAT, SWEAT!” After 40 minutes of running like I was being chased by aliens, I could have filled a bucket (eww!).

One of five shades in a new line of eyeliners, Deep Ocean has an automatic twist-up pencil tip (no need to sharpen, yay!), a striking rich blue tint and a great $6 price. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Did you have a rollickin’ Saturday night? I had a good time at that Peruvian restaurant in the city. The food was delish, but I got home late. I still feel a little groggy this morning, but it’s nothing a vat of tea can’t fix!

Got a few things on my plate today… We have company visiting next month from Hawaii (El Hub’s parents), so I need to start tidying up NOW! After that hopefully I can squeeze in a trip to the movies to see Inception.

Whatcha got planned?

Before we bid adieu to the week, here’s one last look back at some of the makeup and beauty we talked about. It was another great week for Urban Decay…and for Urbay Decay dupes (*ahem*, NYX).

Have a faboo Sunday morning! Hopefully I’ll see you a little later today in the open thread.

URBAN DECAY
URBAN LASH

FREEDOM! I will forever remember July 12, 2010 as the day my inner drag queen liberated herself from a life of frumpy fringe and entered the world of big, bad falsies.

Before Urban Decay’s Urban Lash line ($16 each; 18 to choose from), it took me FOREVER to put on a pair of fake lashes (okay, more like 20 minutes).

Thanks to the new line, which just launched for fall, falsies are officially less of my makeup Achilles’ heel. Read more…

BENEFIT SUNDAY FUNDAY
MAKEUP TUTORIAL

Is it wrong to want Sunday brunch on a Wednesday afternoon? — or to get a little dolled up and don colorful makeup in the middle of the week? I hope not, because today the Benefit Sunday Funday palette and I have reservations. We’re doing a daytime/brunch look together featuring eyes in purple and bronze.

To test the versatility of the brushes that come with the kit, I told myself not to use any other brushes for this look, which was tough because I’m really picky about my eye brushes. I usually ditch the ones that come with palettes like this one, but the Sunday Funday brushes actually shine like stars. I wouldn’t toss my best brushes for ’em, but they should be great for trips and purses when you want to travel light.

Despite the palette’s name, I’m guessing these colors are safe to wear any day of the week, ha! Read more…

NYX NUDE ON NUDE
NATURAL LOOK KIT

Let’s strip, shall we? If you’ve been lusting after the hard-to-find Urban Decay Naked palette, NYX has some potentially great news for you and your wallet.

Swatching the NYX Nude on Nude Natural Look Kit ($11) this afternoon, one of three NYX sets released for summer, I was struck by how similar its shades are to some of the ones in UD’s $44 Naked.

Could it be?? A Naked dupe for one fourth the cost?

It’s not a total dupe, of course (see the comparison swatches below); there are some shades between the two that aren’t anything alike, not in how they look OR feel.

Not surprisingly, I think the Urban Decay shadows feel a little smoother and look more intense on my skin, which is not to say the NYX shadows don’t hold their own. In fact, they hella do. Read more…

BOOTS CANDY PINK
AND STAR ANISE

While I was off stuffing my face with free fruit samples at the farmer’s market last night, I road tested a couple of goodies from the Boots makeup line — Natural Blush Cheek Colour in Candy Pink ($9) and Botanics Lip Gloss in Star Anise ($6). ‘Cause, you know, I’m all about beauty bargains. And multi-tasking. And free food!

Have you tried any Boots makeup before? I’m new to their makeup, but I like the few Boots skin products and makeup wipes I’ve tried.

Originally from merry olde England, the Boots line sailed onto Target shelves a few years ago. Their makeup offering looks pretty thorough with lots to choose from (foundation, blush, eyeshadow — basically, the works) in colors galore. Read more…

STILA ROAD
TO RADIANCE

Now HERE’s a makeup trend I can totally get behind: $10 department store makeup palettes!

Who knew that when Urban Decay launched their $14 Face Case earlier this year it would be the first salvo fired in a budget beauty battle for eyes, lips and cheeks?

Um, can I just say that as far as makeup trends are concerned…budget-friendly travel palettes are like a billion times cooler than vibrating mascara wands? They make my inner bargainista want to raise the roof (1998-style)!

The limited edition Stila Road to Radiance Across the USA palette is the first of five new limited edition $10 Stila travel palettes visiting over the coming months, each one inspired by the fashion, people and colors of different Stila girls around the world (the company plans to release one more of them every month through November). Read more…

BURBERRY BEAUTY
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY

Burberry Beauty officially launched last Tuesday at the San Francisco Nordie’s store, and I popped by to check out the new makeup line and to chat with Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s chief creative director (and quite possibly one of the most polite and well-dressed dudes I’ve ever met).

Here are some images of the new line and product swatches to go with the video above. Read more…

DOLCE & GABBANA
BLOSSOM EYE DUO

The iridescent purple and shimmery reddish copper of the Dolce & Gabbana Smooth Eye Colour Duo in Blossom are so bright that they should have come with shades! Expensive ones ($36 for two shadows, oy vey!).

One of 10 powder eyeshadow duos in the company’s permanent line, Blossom lights up lids like a double rainbow all the way across the sky.

These brights pack pigment worthy of a capital WHOA! But they aren’t just vivid; they manage to look soft at the same time.

With a good base (today I used Urban Decay Eden), Blossom also appears to stand the test of time. Almost 7 hours so far and the colors are still going strong.

Now, if we start a write-in campaign and get Dolce & Gabbana to put these on sale every once in a while, we’ll be set! Read more…

LIPFUSION LIPGLOSS
IN PRINCESS

Before the $29 price of LipFusion Luxe Boudoir Collection lipgloss makes you totally cranky (that’s Chanel territory, yo!), consider this: $1 of that goes to the Seven Bar Foundation, a non-profit group helping to empower underprivileged women to start small businesses through microfinanced loans.

Truth be told, I’d love to see LipFusion contribute more than $1 from every sale (while lowering or keeping the price the same), but I digress…

The limited edition line contains four shades — Vixen (a shimmery mauve), Lolita (a shimmery pinkish beige), Coquette (a shimmery pinkish coral) and Princess (a shimmery purplish hot pink). Today I tipped my hat to the one called Princess. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Hey, good lookin’, whatcha got cookin’? How did you sleep?

It was so quiet this morning — no dogs barking off in the distance, no cars accelerating, no neighbors talking, no trees rustling in the wind — that I almost couldn’t will myself out of bed!

I’m still not totally awake yet. I know I should be (it’s already 8:30 here!), but I’m typing this without any caffeine in my system, so for all I know I’m typing in tongues.

If I accomplish anything today, I hope it involves my butt in a movie theater seat with a big vat of popcorn on my lap. I go through withdrawals if I don’t go to a movie for more than a week. There could be something narcotic in popcorn…

Here’s the plan: I’m going to bribe Tabs with a piece of sliced turkey. I’ll tell him that he can have it if he cleans the kitchen for me. 🙂

So what were your overall opinions on NARS Fall 2010 and MAC In The Groove? Basically, I’m overwhelmed. I think there’s so much amazing makeup between them that I could use more time with them both. Right now if I had to choose something to play with today, it would probably be one of the two Urban Decay palettes, Naked or Vegan. With so much makeup stimulus this week, the palettes are easier concepts to grasp, LOL!

While I dig up something with caffeine in it, here’s a look back at topics we talked about earlier this week:

MAC IN THE GROOVE
EYE SHADOW TRIOS

Sometime today, between shaving my toe hairs and vacuuming the stairs (Tabs is shedding like cray cray!), I had an affair…

It started innocently enough with a crush (as they often do). I’d played with three of the nine new MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow Trios ($19.50 each) from the upcoming In The Groove collection. One thing led to another, yadda yadda yadda and BAM! — I couldn’t stop myself.

We’re supposed to meet again this Thursday when the collection arrives on counters.

Shh! Don’t tell El Hub. Read more…

NARS FALL 2010
PICS AND SWATCHES

True story: I was so starstruck when I briefly met Francois Nars last year that I lost all control of my vocal cords. With my head tilted ever so slightly and my eyes locked on his, I asked, “Did you ever know that you’re my hero?”

Yup, I’d quoted Wind Beneath My Wings… If there was anaward for World’s Biggest Dork, someone should’ve handed it to me right then and there!

I appreciate that Francois Nars didn’t bust out laughing at me that day, but I admire him for something else — how he handles his seasonal color collections.

As cheesy at it sounds, I think his color stories are metaphors for how I want to live my life. He’s always dancing to the beat of his own drum and clearly having a blast while doing it. Read more…

URBAN DECAY
NAKED PALETTE

As an international kitteh model, Tabs the feline form.

After years spent striking fierce poses for fashion and beauty, he’s comfortable in his own fur, but sometimes when a shoot calls for him to pose in the buff, he wonders…is it a Sin to want to get Naked in public?

Not according to Urban Decay!

If you like neutral makeup and palettes, you may want to Hustle on down to Sephora this September when the new Naked Palette ($44) disrobes on shelves. Read more…

URBAN DECAY
VEGAN PALETTE

Ladies, I have an awful case of kitten fever (now with makeup complications).

Because I want a second cat — err, I mean, “Tabs needs a coworker” — I’ve been surfing rescue kitty websites and bookmarking prospective kitty candidates, but whenever I run one of them by El Hub, he replies with grumble, grumble, grumble, “just feeding the CCL fire.”

And that’s not all: Tabs hasn’t been very supportive of the idea either. When I showed him the last batch of kitty resumes, he shot me a dirty look!

Whatev… The boys don’t have final say in the matter. I do.

Come hell or high water, a kitten like the one on the new Urban Decay Vegan Palette ($34) will find its way into my arms. Read more…

MAC IN THE GROOVE
SWATCHES

Today zillions of MACaholics (including yours truly) descended like locusts! were drawn to makeup counters like moths to a flame.

Question: Why did we do it?

Answer: To get MAC In The Groove. The 35-piece beauty bonanza — with makeup morsels for eyes, lips, cheeks and face — relies heavily on MAC Mineralize products.

With goodies ranging from $14-42, it’s like this year’s version of last summer’s Colour Craft, which I kinda adored. Read more…

GILLETTE FUSION
PROGLIDE RAZOR

I was about to say that I can’t believe I’m sitting down to review a beauty product men’s grooming tool, but I was actually looking forward to this.

When Karen asked me to test some new men’s products a few days ago, the first thing I thought was, “oh, please, no.” I love my girl, but god help me I thought she was going to make me moisturize my cuticles or cut my toenails. And then I saw the package for the Gillette Fusion ProGlide POWER Razor ($12.99 with one cartridge; replacement cartridges cost $33.99 for a package of eight).

WOW! Um, Gillette must have gotten help from someone who knows male psychology when they designed this razor because it has shiny chrome parts (ooh…), black plastic ridges (ahh…) and a big power button on the back — all good things! Read more…

NARS FALL 2010
DAY/NIGHT LOOK

Yeah, my tummy just rumbled, but I can’t tell if I’m hungry for food or hungry for more makeup. Some days I swear I derive more sustenance from NARS and MAC (more In The Groove swatches coming soon) than I do from actual edibles, ha!

This afternoon I invited four tidbits from the nine-piece NARS Fall 2010 collection to play with me and the NARS Orgasm/Laguna Blush and Bronzing Duo (NOTE: all seasonal NARS products are rolled into their permanent collection). At the time I didn’t have dinner date makeup in mind, but El Hub just asked me to Thai…and he suggested I call this look my Dinner Date Face of the Night/Day.

For the eyes, I layered the shimmery gunmetal gray shadow from the Tzarine Duo on top of the Palladium Soft Touch Shadow Pencil and swept the shimmery beige shadow from Tzarine below my brow bone. Then, I lined my lash and waterlines with Coconut Grove Single Eyeshadow. Read more…

MAC MINERALIZE POWDER
BY CANDLELIGHT

If there’s a cure for my addiction to MAC Mineralize Skinfinish powders, I don’t want it! Whenever MAC releases these limited edition shimmery powders for face and cheeks (so fab for highlighting!), I always fall for at least one of the new pans.

My latest MSF obsession? By Candlelight, from the upcoming MAC In The Groove collection (arrived Thursday, July 8).

It may not look like much in the pan (just another blah brown, right?), but don’t be fooled. Introduce it to cheeks, and By Candlelight comes to life! Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How’s it going, beautiful? Happy Fourth of July!

So, yesterday I learned a valuable lesson that our forefathers probably learned as well: getting lost sucks. El Hub and I hit the road at 10 but didn’t actually arrive at the lake until 1. It took 3 hours to go 51 miles…by car. A determined bicyclist could have beaten us there.

We eventually made it, though, and I even got to go swimming, YAY! I’ll post some pictures from the trip soon.

Oh, what have you been using for sunscreen lately? Are you happy with it? Have you ever tried Clinique’s SPF 25 Body Spray or SPF 30 Face Cream sunscreens? I brought them with me yesterday to test. First impressions: great in the water but not as hydrating as I’d hoped.

Anywho, what did you think about the makeup products and collections that were announced this week? Anything stand out? I liked the Burberry Beauty stuff, but NYX and Too Faced were probably my favorite brands of the week.

$11 NYX PURPLE
SMOKEY LOOK KIT

The times, they are a-changin’, edgy eyeshadow lovahs, and ground zero’s at a drugstore near you. Thanks to budget brands like NYX, colorful shadows have gotten a lot more accessible over the past few years. Case in point: NYX’s new NYX Purple Smokey Look Kit for summer, aka one of the best drugstore palettes I’ve seen in a really long time.

It’s a little hard to tell from these pictures, but the case easily fits in the palm of my hand and looks built for easy travel. This particular palette, the Purple Smokey Look Kit, is one of three released from NYX for summer, and like the others it costs just $11! This one comes with nine color coordinated powder shadows and two lipsticks. Read more…

TOO FACED BLUSH
PAPA DON’T PEACH

Some questions and answers reveal more about us than others do, like, do you reach for peach blush BEFORE your first cup of coffee in the morning? Or, does the very thought of a day without peach cheeks make you break out in a cold sweat? If you answered “yes” to either inquiry, hello, friend — my name is Karen, and I’m a fellow peach blush addict enthusiast.

My newest peach blush crush, the cleverly named Papa Don’t Peach ($20), pays homage to Madge while paying attention to cheeks. It’s one of four powder Brightening Blushes from Too Faced. Totally easy to use, it kisses cheeks with a soft and shimmery peachy warmth that looks particularly pretty on cheeks attached to half-awake zombie girls early in the morning…

Too Faced has a knack for balancing pigment and wearability, and Papa Don’t Peach contains enough pigmentation to be visible on the cheeks, but not so much that it takes 10 minutes to blend away harsh edges. Read more…

DOLCE & GABBANA
LIPSTICK IN SHOCKING

Barely a week into summer, and I’m already distracted by fall! The fall makeup releases launching lately (did you catch the new Urban Decay stuff yesterday?) are trying to steal the spotlight from summer, but glittery hot pink Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Shocking aims to put the spotlight back where it belongs.

Yes, the $30 price hurts almost as much as that time Vampire Eric bit your neck in the basement at Fangtasia, but this bit of glittery goodness is like summer sunbeams on lips. It’s one of 32 permanent shades in the Dolce & Gabbana Classic Creams line of lipsticks (they remind me of Chanel Aqualumieres). Read more…

9 THINGS
PEOPLE NEVER TOLD ME

Life is filled with lessons we learn along the way. Some we learn from others, like our friends and family, or the people on Shot at Love with Tila Tequila… And some we find out on our own. Here are nine things I had to find out on my own: 1) Someday, I would love my curly hair. Coming from a family of straight-haired lads and lasses, I felt cursed by my wavy hair as a girl growing up in the ’80s and ’90s.

I spent a good chunk of my youth fighting against my natural hair and did just about everything the curly hair experts warn against. Curly styling product options were more limited back then (I can’t think of anything other than L’Oreal Pumping Curls), but after college, years of experimentation and several bad haircuts, I grew to love my natural hair.

I’m glad I came around, too, because now there are entire haircare lines devoted to wavy/curly hair. AWESOME! Read more…

BURBERRY
BEAUTY

Pip pip, cheerio! Put down the coffee, love, and bring out the tea, because the British are coming! — coming soon (later this month) to Nordstrom, that is.

British fashion biz Burberry is expanding its horizons, adding a line of makeup to its beautiful portfolio. The new Burberry Beauty line is now available for pre-order at nordstrom.com, and from what I’ve seen so far, the packaging is TO DIE!

The company, of course, isn’t new to beauty. They’ve produced beautiful clothing for years, and even in the beauty niche they’ve released perfumes (LOVE Brit Sheer).

The distinctive Burberry check pattern and textured trench coat themes weave their way into the new products for eyes, lips, cheeks and face; to my eye, the gunmetal packaging, embossed lipstick bullets/powder pans and textured boxes feel elegant, luxe and true to the spirit of the brand. Read more…

TUTORIAL: BENEFIT
SCENE QUEEN

Brace yourself, young lady, because someone’s about to make a scene — and it’s you! Do you remember last week’s grayish blue smokey eye from our look at the Benefit Scene Queen The Annie Collection palette? Here’s a quick breakdown of it with pictures and a how-to.

When would I rock a look like this? Well, often! — specifically, whenever I’d want to look dressed up but not overdone, day or night. If it feels a little too dramatic for daytime wear to work/school, maybe give it a try out one night with friends or your boo.

Because it puts so many great products at my fingertips, I love the Benefit Scene Queen palette, but take a look at your existing makeup stash for similar colors… You might already have the right fixin’s to duplicate the look. Read more…

TARTE EMPHASEYES
EYESHADOW AND LINER

Rise and shine, morning glory. Can we talk about clay? — as in Amazonian white clay (not Aiken)? Tarte’s new emphasEyes Shadow/Liners ($22), an entirely new product line released for summer, come in five shades — black, brown, indigo, plum and bronze — each made with something Tarte refers to as micronized Amazonian white clay.

Tarte claims it works wonders by moisturizing the skin while improving elasticity (among other things).

I just started wearing the Indigo one. It’s a deep shimmery blue with a rich, creamy texture (kinda reminds me of my beloved Benefit Creaseless Creams). Read more…

$11 NYX BRONZE
LOOK KIT

Among precious metals, gold always gets the best quips… “You’re golden,” “Go for the gold,” or when something’s said to be “as good as gold.”

Poor under-appreciated bronze just doesn’t get the same love, ya know? Seriously, when was the last time someone told you to “Go for the bronze”?

Well, perhaps the new NYX Bronze Look Kit ($11) will garner bronze the respect it deserves.

The palette, one of three new Look Kits from NYX for summer, bursts with bronzy shades for eyes and lips. Like the Purple Smokey Look Kit we looked at a few days ago, it comes with a mix of nine shimmery and matte shadows and two frosty lipsticks nicely packaged in a two-tier case. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Rise and shine, morning glory. 🙂 What’s shakin’ out yonder way? Anything new to report? How’s your weekend coming along? Mine’s been a restful one so far, more out of necessity than design. No laundry, no house work, no big projects. Just lots of yummy food (had thai takeout last night), television and Tabs. Today I’m looking forward to making homemade strawberry ice cream for the first time… I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Wasn’t this an effing fantastic week for makeup? It was downright amazing! The hits just kept coming, one after another. I can’t remember the last time I was this inspired by so many different products from different companies. Benefit blew me away with the Annie and Maggie Collection palettes, but that wasn’t all; Chanel rocked my world, repeatedly, with everything I saw this week from Les Contrastes de Chanel.

So what were your favorite new products of the week? Hmm… That’s a tough one for me this time, but I’ll say the new Rouge Coco Lipstick in Chalys for lips; for eyes, the Chanel Enigma Eyeshadow Quad; and for overall face — now THAT’s a tough one — it’s a tossup between the Benefit Annie and Maggie Collection palettes. They’re both so pretty!

THE CHANEL LES CONTRASTES DE CHANEL
ROUGE COCO LIPSTICKS

Dagnabbit, Coco! Why you gotta make me fall in love with you over and over again? Your three new limited edition (I just found out these shades are being added to the permanent line, huzzah!) Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour Lipsticks ($30 each) from the fall 2010 Les Contrastes de Chanel Collection sing a summery song of seduction, and you know what? I’m totally listening.

Each fall dark, serious shades and heavy matte textures crop up on makeup counters, so the pink, peach and coral lippies in Les Contrastes are welcome breaks from the norm. The colors make me think of summer sunsets, like the one I missed last night!

Chalys, the shimmery coral, adds a bright but not overwhelming pop of color to pouts; while the other two shades offer sophisticated options for nude lip looks. Try Chintz (the soft peach) if you wear warm-toned shades well, or Rose Dentelle (the cool baby pink) if cooler colors suit you better. Read more…

BENEFIT SCENE QUEEN
THE ANNIE COLLECTION PALETTE

So there I was, minding my own beeswax, when I caught Tabs staring at his reflection in the big @ss mirror that comes with the new Benefit Scene Queen The Annie Collection palette ($38). I think he might have been checking his eyeliner (cat’s got wicked tightlining skillz) or plotting makeup larceny…

I swear, Benefit must have a soothsayer on staff because they always know what I’m craving. The particular mix of dramatic neutrals in this stash of goodies for eyes, lips, face and cheeks is, again, right up my alley. The second of two new limited edition Sephora exclusives from Benefit Trend Makeup Artists Annie and Maggie (peep the other palette, Sunday Funday, here), Scene Queen’s big drama is designed to steal scenes (and the limelight).

The palette comes with all the fixin’s for some serious smokey eyes, among other looks, with makeup in shades of blue, gray, beige and black, along with a pop of juicy coral for cheeks and lips, yum! Read more…

CHANEL ENIGMA
EYESHADOW QUAD

There’s something to be said for tradition. Take fall makeup, for instance, and the Chanel Enigma Eyeshadow Quad ($56). Although I love that Chanel went totally renegade with the summery Rouge Coco lipsticks and Glossimer lipglosses from the Les Contrastes collection, it’s also kind of comforting to get seasonal products that typify the season, ya know?

The moment I saw this quad, the first thing I thought was, “What’s the connection between these shades and the new Rouge Coco colors?” I didn’t immediately see how/if the four shimmery shades of peach, chocolate gray, violet gray and dark plum were related to the lippies, but I think I’m beginning to understand.

Doesn’t the shimmery peach shadow in the quad look related to Rouge Coco lipstick in Chintz? I feel like its golden pink undertones also play off the iridescence in the Petite Peche, Coral Love and Rose Dilemma Glossimers. Read more…

NYX POWDER BLUSH
IN RED AND PINCHED

Bargain hunting, blush loving NYX fans, lend me your ears (and cheeks!). Now, for the mere price of two scoops of fancy shmancy gelato, you can dupe (nearly) two more iconic blushes from MAC and NARS.

Meet Red and Pinched, the new summer additions to the NYX Powder Blush line ($6 each).

Pinched, a shimmery golden peachy pink, reminds me of a slightly pinker version of NARS Orgasm, while matte Red could pass for a clone of MAC Frankly Scarlet.

The newcomers are like summer salsa, spicing up NYX’s already wide range of blushes with a price point bound to make beauty bargainistas wanna dance! Read more…

THE BEAUTY OF
TRUE BLOOD

In HBO’s True Blood, the vampires have come out of the proverbial closet. In the show, which centers around the mortal and immortal residents of a town called Bon Temps, Louisiana, the generally law-abiding humans, vamps and other preternatural citizens live alongside each other, doing their best to abide by their natures while following the rules of Southern decorum.

Of course, drama ensues, and that’s what makes the show so fun to watch!

Lafayette Reynolds, the flamboyant cook/road crew worker/man of several questionable illegal pursuits, is one of my favorite residents of Bon Temps. How many guys can work lace and rhinestones and still look tough at the same time? Not many, I contend!

A sage of unique style, Lafayette has taught me so very many timeless makeup and beauty lessons. Read more…

BENEFIT SUNDAY FUNDAY
THE MAGGIE COLLECTION

The situation: The My So-Called Life marathon you hosted last night was a BIG success, but it went all night long, and now you have just 10 minutes to do your makeup before you meet your Jordon Catalano lookalike for brunch. What to do! what to do!

Yes, it’s totally unfair that dudes get to just pull on a plaid shirt and call themselves “date ready.” Life is cruel that way, but thank goodness for palettes that facilitate fast makeup like the new Benefit Sunday Funday The Maggie Collection palette for eyes, lips, face and cheeks ($38).

This cutie pie (isn’t the packaging to die?) comes with a nice mix of neutrals and breezy pops of color perfect for easy, natural-looking makeup looks in almost no time flat.

Exclusive to Sephora, it’s one of two new limited edition palettes by Benefit Trend Artists Maggie and Annie Danielson, the daughters of co-founder Jean Ford. The color palettes are the first from Maggie and Annie, but they won’t be the last, as the duo also plans to launch a Benefit holiday kit and future seasonal kits going forward. Read more…

BOBBI BROWN
DENIM & ROSES PALETTE

Right after trying on the new Denim & Rose palette, I peeled off my stretchy yoga pants and squeezed into my favorite skinny jeans because it just felt right.

It’s rock n’ roll meets roses today with this palette for sooty, smokey eyes (for your inner bad gal) and soft lips and cheeks (for your angelic side). I LOVE the mix of edgy — well, edgy for Bobbi — dark navy, gray and neutral shades for the eyes, and the ultra femme pinks for lips and cheeks.

The nine-piece palette rides onto counters next month as part of the Denim & Rose makeup collection for fall 2010, and most of its colors are new. The sole exception, Navajo eyeshadow, also stars in Bobbi’s permanent collection.

I really appreciate when makeup lines create palettes from scratch with fresh colors, rather than recycling stuff that’s already part of their permanent line. I don’t mind occasional re-promotes, but big ups to BB and her crew for keeping us on our toes. Read more…

BECCA BOMBORA
PALETTE

If the best things in life are free, why the heck does the Becca Bombora palette have to cost $65 bones?

Even though the five-piece limited edition summer palette for eyes, lips and cheeks costs an arm and a leg, I gotta say, she’s one classy lady. Drugstores everywhere may curse her existence, but all the way from her packaging to her pigments, fine textures and blendability, Bombora looks and feels luxe.

That said, you may have heard this color story (or one like it) before. With its teal, peach, coral and two golds, the palette might remind you of MAC To The Beach. Like, if MAC To The Beach were a carefree barefoot surfer girl who lives out of her car and chases big waves up and down the coast, Bombora would be her more refined older sister who only stays at five-star seaside resorts. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Today it’s sunny everywhere but around my head. That is to say I believe I have a head cold, I think, or some other sinus affliction, because my node id sdubbed ub.

It won’t bring me down, though. No chance. Nope, I won’t let it, well, unless it does. 🙂

So what are you up to today? I hope you’ve got something fun lined up. I have to return a pair of shoes (they were an impulse purchase) and get a new book to read. Don’t tell anyone, but I hear there are these new places called libraries that actually — get this — loan out books to read, FOR FREE! Can you believe it?

I’m sitting here contemplating last week’s makeup and beauty stuff and trying to think of my favorite products. What would you say? Mine was probably the Bobbi Brown Beach collection, or maybe what I saw from NARS.

NARS PRO-PRIME
FACE PREP

I was fashion hunting at the mall yesterday afternoon, rutting around for a respectable pair of jeans (more on that later), when I bumped into a gal with skin that looked smoother than a porcelain doll.

My curiosity got the better of me; I politely asked for her secret, to which she replied, “I don’t really do anything.”

With the otherworldly size of the pores of my face, sometimes I forget that there really are (lucky) people out there who simply never have to worry about their skin — no big-@ss pores or annoying fine lines.

For the rest of us, there’s NARS Pro-Prime Skin Smoothing Face Prep ($30 for a .26-oz jar). Read more…

BOBBI BROWN BEACH
SHIMMER BRICK

Glistening like the stars of MTV’s Jersey Shore — wait, did I just write that?? For a post about a product from Bobbi Brown?

Sorry, let me try this again.

Glistening like glittery Waikiki Beach (that’s better), the Bobbi Brown Beach Club Shimmer Brick ($38) comes with a combo of five warm-toned highlighter bricks in shades from brown to beige to peach and gold.

Released earlier this month with the Long-Wearing Eyeshadows in Bobbi’s Beach Club collection, this brick is full of surprises.

Swirl ’em together for an easy shimmer pop, or apply each shade separately for five different looks.

I really like the color of the blend. I’ve been applying it to my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and at my temples. Read more…

A BLUE, TEAL AND
GOLDEN EYE

Hey, guys!

Lately I’ve been loving nautical themes, and I suspect it has to do with summer. My brain’s on a sunny beach somewhere far away, and its gentle waves have shooed away the stress of my exams.

Maybe that’s a dream that won’t be happening any time soon, but I can still pretend with makeup looks like this ocean-inspired eye of the day!

First, I primed my lids with Too Faced Shadow Insurance to prevent creasing and fading. Then, using a finger, I patted the light matte shade in Revlon’s Not Just Nudes quad over my lids to creates a base to amplify the vibrance of the colors to follow. Read more…

SMASHBOX LIMITLESS
LINER

When eyeliner disappears, where exactly does it go? Do mischievous makeup angels charm it away with magic erasers while I’m drooling over pics of Jake Gyllenhaal’s muscled bod and manscaping?

Seriously, I can’t be the only person plauged by the plight of the disappearing eyeliner.

Thank ye gods for long-wearing liner formulas like the new Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner ($19). Released for summer, these creamy, long-wearing liners apply with intense color and come with the promise of eight-hour wear time, which makes the hours I’ve whittled away watching people dancing solo to Ginuwine’s Pony a little easier to bear.

Ready to rock you in shades of Black, Dark Brown, Teal, Deep Navy and Deep Purple, their creamy, easy-to-apply formula also resists water (more on that in a few) and helps protect the skin around those precious peepers with jojoba oil and vitamin E. Read more…

NARS MULTIPLE
TINT

Last night I had a makeup dream, except that in this dream there was an ice cream truck, and instead of ice cream it sold the new NARS Multiple Tints ($38 each).

Okay, now here’s where it gets REALLY weird. Instead of applying the sheer, buildable tints to my cheeks and lips, I gobbled ’em up like they were sweet, creamy treats!

Available in three eye-popping shades — Beverly Hills (a bright red tint), Cadaques (a bright fuchsia tint) and Turks & Caicos (a bright orange tint) — these do look a lot like desserts, don’t they? Kinda like Push Up Pops, yum!

But don’t be fooled by their vibrant shades. Each adds just a whisper of highly wearable color.

I’ve been playing with Beverly Hills, the red shade, on my cheeks (NOTE: I also tried it on my lips but didn’t like the flavor…like an odd mix of concentrated Hawaiian Punch and Sour Patch Kids) this week, and, impressively, it lasts for a good 6-8 hours! — even without a primer. Read more…

PERFUME PAIRINGS
FOR MAKEUP LOOKS

Well, look at you, Miss Thang. Whether you’re working a smoky eye or rocking a red lip, your fine self is looking flawless (thanks to Karen’s incredible makeup tips). All that remains is a few spritzes of a fabulous perfume. Now, this perfume must do more than simply smell good. A great perfume should be the finishing touch to your look, creating an aura that matches your makeup. It should add to your sex appeal when you’re looking slinkier than Halle Berry, or create a sense of romance when you’re having an ultra-feminine, Keira-Knightley-in-her-latest-period-piece moment. Here are a few suggestions for perfumes that lend themselves to a particular makeup style; please feel free to mix and match.

Smoky eyes: Your kohl-rimmed eyes already whisper, “Come hither”. Now take your game to the next level with a sexy scent that says, “Hey, Angelina Jolie, this isn’t amateur hour.” Read more…

NYX JUMBO
EYE PENCILS

The weekend is just around the corner, huzzah! I’m so looking forward to just vegging out on the couch, re-watching season two of True Blood and playing with makeup. Do you have any plans yet? Whatever you end up doing, I hope it also involves a fun look or two.

Speaking o’ beauty bits, what do ya think of the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils ($4)? Have you seen them before?

These four particular colors are new for summer, but the pencils themselves have been around for a while. Drugstore makeup line Nyx designed them to double as eyeliners or eyeshadows. The chubby pencils have quite a cult following these days, thanks to their smooth formula and technicolor pigmentation; with the addition of these four new shades — Pure Gold, Electric Blue, Purple Velvet and Rocky Mountain Green — they come in 28 total colors. Read more…

BOBBI BROWN BEACH CLUB
LONG-WEARING EYESHADOWS

There’s one Bobby Brown for recipes that call for cheese (as in cheesy ’90s R&B), and another Bobbi Brown for recipes that call for long lasting cream shadows.

Fellow fans of the later’s Long-Wear and Metallic Long-Wear shadows depend on their smooth, non-creasing formula when quick, elegant eye looks are on the menu. For this summer’s Beach collection, Chef Bobbi’s cooked up five new Long-Wear shadows, these with an ocean theme ($22 each).

They washed up on shore a few weeks ago, spotted at Bobbi Brown counters and BobbiBrownCosmetics.com. I’ve been wearing a few of the colors lately, and like a sunny day at the beach, these don’t disappoint. Each delivers a quick wash of durable color that lasts from that first gulp of coffee to that last sip of Sleepytime tea. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Okay, so, I think I know why I was tossing and turning in bed last night. Apparently, I saw a movie yesterday that my subconscious wishes I could un-see. Has that ever happened to you? I feel like I could have lived the rest of my life, happy and mentally balanced, having never seen the things I saw in that theater. It’s not that I think Splice is a terrible movie, because I like certain things about it, but some of the scenes are just…wrong on so many levels. If you decide to see it, prepare to lose your innocence forever!

Let me put it this way: the last time I was this disturbed by a movie was Deliverance, and I’m still afraid of the woods.

Back to lighter, less stressful topics like makeup and beauty, ahh… 🙂 Did you learn any new tricks or come across any drugstore gems this week? I’m thinking about swinging by Rite-Aid this afternoon for some post-movie trauma TLC.

If you’re new to the blog, the weekly roundup does two things: 1) it highlights some of my favorite products of the week and 2) lets my imagination run wild with a few minutes of photoshop fun.

Have a good one today, and I’ll catch you in a few. Time to get my second cuppa joe…

BENEFIT THE POREFESSIONAL
OIL-FREE PRIMER

My 30s came with a few cool perks — wisdom, Tabs and El Hub — that have helped offset the drawbacks of getting older, but there’s one area of aging I’m still trying to offset: my pores. Compared to how they looked in my 20s, THEY’RE HUGE! They’re like Olympic swimming pools within which people could host a swim meet, and to some sad degree, it just comes with the territory. Over time, pores enlarge. Accumulated sun damage, other environmental factors and the natural aging process itself all weaken the support structures around them.

But Benefit says there’s hope! The new Benefit The Porefessional ($28, available now at Ulta.com, and Benefit counters and stores beginning next month).

The lightweight, oil-free primer is designed to minimize the appearance of those behemoth pores when it’s either worn as a primer beneath makeup, where it creates a smooth canvas for foundation and powder, and/or applied on top of your face paint throughout the day, where it softens the skin with a matte finish. Read more…

URBAN DECAY
SEPHORA EXCLUSIVE SHADOWS

So I’m kinda lovin’ on Urban Decay’s new eyeshadow colors, but WOW! — they sure are frosty.

Freelove, Woodstock, Psychedelic Sister, Haight, Dashiki and Aquarius launched exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.com last month ($17 each), and they have everything UD lovers (like moi) adore about the line — smooth textures, playful pigments and insane color payoff — along with a whole lotta frost.

While I love a good frosty shadow, they aren’t always the easiest products to wear. Go even a tad overboard with them (been there, done that), and they can look heavy on the skin and highlight fine lines and wrinkles. Read more…

CHEAP AND EASY
MAKEUP STORAGE

Back before BIC lighters and matches, primitive men went on quests for fire! And today, not unlike ancient man, I embarked upon my own special quest, but this one was for neatness and better makeup organization.

It took weeks of preparation! — okay, maybe not weeks. The idea stemmed from a comment left by MBB reader Marisa (thanks, girl!) and the eyeliners and cream shadows I dealt with a couple of weeks ago.

Before that, I’d resigned to let my lip products live lives of disarray, tossing them all into a clear plastic box.

But that just wasn’t working. I was stressing out every time I had to pull it out to find something, like yesterday, when I spent an obnoxious amount of time looking for my tube of Lychee Luxe (I knew it was in there!).

There had to be a better way.

This is why I love craft stores: cheap and easy storage solutions. For this project I needed scissors, Scotch tape, one big box and a bunch of smaller empty boxes from lipsticks and gloss. Read more…

T3 TWIRL
CURLING IRON

Big, bouncy curls aren’t Victoria’s Secret anymore. Word got out, and now it’s easy to get runway ready hair at home with the T3 Twirl 1.25-Inch Curling Iron ($119).

Those V.S. chicks get help from a dedicated team of stylists who tease their locks into perfectly tousled submission; the T3 Twirl gets help from its 1.25-inch diameter barrel.

The unit joined T3’s stable of styling tools earlier this year. To improve upon the design of old school curling irons that delivered inconsistent heat, the company implemented some very scientific-sounding technology. Straight up, they make it sound like the Kublai Khan of curling irons! T3’s Single Pass digital heating insures that the iron gets hot f a s t. It also helps it maintain consistent heat through the length of the barrel. Read more…

5 TOP DARK CIRCLE
CONCEALERS

So I’m kinda lovin’ on Urban Decay’s new eyeshadow colors, but WOW! — they sure are frosty.

Freelove, Woodstock, Psychedelic Sister, Haight, Dashiki and Aquarius launched exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.com last month ($17 each), and they have everything UD lovers (like moi) adore about the line — smooth textures, playful pigments and insane color payoff — along with a whole lotta frost.

While I love a good frosty shadow, they aren’t always the easiest products to wear. Go even a tad overboard with them (been there, done that), and they can look heavy on the skin and highlight fine lines and wrinkles. Read more…

TOO FACED
LIP INSURANCE

The Problem: Your favorite pigmented lip products disappear faster than Coolio’s rap career (OMG, Gangsta’s Paradise!). Is there anything you can do about it?

Too Faced says sí, se puede! Worn beneath other lip products, their new Lip Insurance lip primer ($19, available at Sephora stores and online) is designed to prevent color fading, bleeding and creasing while simultaneously ramping up the richness of lipsticks and glosses. It’s also jam packed with ceramides and peptides to plump lips and help restore natural collagen.

Too Faced took out all the guesswork from choosing colors, too, because it’s only available in one, which they call Nude. Nude goes on clear with a matte finish and has a light, non-sticky texture that feels smooth like butter. Being a huge fan of Too Faced Shadow Insurance, I couldn’t wait to give Lip Insurance a try. Read more…

ESSIE SUMMER 2010
NAIL POLISHES

Not all summer nail polishes inspire spontaneous boogie down sessions, but the moment I peeped the creamy colors in the Essie Summer 2010 collection, my booty wanted to hit the dance floor!

Essie founder and head honcho (honchette?) Essie Weingarten said she based the six-piece collection — bright with splashes of summery greens, pinks, corals and reds — on the floral prints she’d seen on the runways at New York Fashion Week. If you like what she came up with, you can find the six shades for $48 at beauty stores, salons and also online. I used two coats for these swatches, and every color applied smoothly, with the exception of Miss Matched, which was a tad streaky. All of them exhibit that classic Essie texture (very creamy) and shine. Read more…

MAC DAZZLE LASH
MASCARA

I awoke this morning to a dazzling development! No, not my birthday; I saw that coming from miles/weeks away. This dazzling development was a tube of MAC Dazzle Lash resting on my nightstand. I set it there before bed last night so I’d see it first thing this morning. Why? To remind myself to tell you about it first thing this morning.

MAC Dazzle Lash isn’t new, but I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before. It’s one of the many MAC mascaras in the company’s permanent collection. With a velvety, non-clumping formula that adds subtle thickness and lash length, it’s designed to deliver a seemingly natural lash look with extreme curl hold. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Okay, so, yesterday’s mud bath was…interesting, ladies. 🙂 I don’t regret giving it a try, but I won’t be making a followup appointment anytime soon. Let’s just put it that way.

The weirdest part wasn’t that it felt like I was sleeping on wet dirt in a barn but that I went in thinking it would be a private thing, like at a regular spa where you get your own room. Nope! It was a big @ss room with mud troughs and lots of boobies hanging out, including mine. Not the most relaxing experience, LOL!

But more on that a little later in the open thread…

As for this week in makeup, the highlight for me was Smashbox Eye Illusion because of how much more I liked it than I thought I would. Honestly, it doesn’t look like much in the pan, but the moment I layered it on top of Urban Decay Rockstar liner, I knew it was something special.

I hope you had a good makeup week. Any awesome new finds or hauls you’d like to share?

While I prep today’s open thread and try to forget how traumatic my mud bath was, here’s a quick look at some of the topics we discussed.

SMASHBOX EYE ILLUSION
EQUALS MORE OPTIONS

Every makeup junkie has at least a few of ’em — sad, neglected eyeshadows and liners tossed into a miscellaneous junk drawer or lost at the bottom of a long forgotten makeup bag (aww!).

Smashbox must have felt terrible about all of that wasted potential because they designed their latest Smashbox Eye Illusion ($28, available at Sephora stores and Smashbox.com) trio to breathe new life into second string colors. When layered on top of other eyeshadows and liners, its sheer, iridescent blue, pink and gold change the hue of existing products and add a metallic finish. Read more…

BRIGHT GLOSSY LIPS
TIPS & TRICKS

I swear there’s a magic dial behind makeup counters that associates can use to crank up the brightness of their lipglosses because shiny shades of red, coral, fuchsia, neon orange and hot pink are blossoming right before my eyes!

Bright, glossy lips are among my favorite things about summer. Here are five hot tips to get your pretty kisser primed and ready to glow!

TIP #1: Prevent pigmented glosses from drifting past your natural lip line. Once I spent an entire day sightseeing in San Francisco without realizing I had bright red lipgloss smeared all over my chin… I’d assumed folks were staring because they wanted to be friends, but when a highly pigmented gloss creeps past your natural lip line, it’s like wearing a big sign on your forehead that reads, “WHEE! LOOK AT ME! I LOOK LIKE A CRAZY!” Read more…

CLARINS INSTANT SUN LIGHT
EYE QUARTET & LINER

Cute black shoes, jeans that make my bum look good, pictures of men with rippled abs, and wearable neutral eye palettes — these are some of the things I love.

Cue the band!

The Clarins Instant Sun Light Eye Quartet & Liner Palette ($36) has a lot to offer ladies who love warm, blendable neutrals. With four smooth, pigmented powder shadows and an accompanying cream liner, it’s ready and waiting to help you rock a range of casual to dressy eye looks.

Now available at Clarins counters and online, it’s part of the eight-piece Instant Sun Light summer collection. Read more…

HOT SUMMERTIME LIPS
FROM URBAN DECAY, LANCOME & ILLAMASQUA

Red often gets pigeonholed as a holiday color, but it can look great any time of year. In summer, I like reds with orange, coral or rose tones and a shiny, high-gloss finish. Bright lips can be tricky, but they’re well worth the work. Pair that pucker with a neutral eyeshadow (here I’m wearing colors from the Clarins Instant Sun Light Palette), and you’re good to go! Read more…

URBAN DECAY
SUMMER OF LOVE SHADOW PALETTE

I wish I could be a butterfly on the wall at Urban Decay HQ and watch the creative peeps plan the brand’s summer lineup. Do they huddle around a big table smoking blunts and eating brownies, hotboxing in a board room until someone proclaims, “Whoa! Like, Eureka!”

You know what I mean, right? And they must know, too. Those cheeky references to herbal refreshment — nope, I’m not talking about Celestial Seasonings — aren’t foolin’ anyone.

Your honor, let the record show that this year’s Summer of Love Shadow Palette ($29) is a little less obvious in its references than last year’s incredible Get Baked (LOVE!) was, but it still has that same vibe.

The palette’s been available online and at Sephora since March, but I only just recently took the time to explore its many charms. Read more…

MAC MASCARA X
LASH LENGTH, VOLUME & GLOSS

I love the look of big, bold tranny lashes, but I can’t wear them all the time (no matter how much I’d like to!). Now, when I need to look more professional than partygoer, I can reach for MAC Mascara X ($13). It delivers the perfect amount of lash volume with great separation and length.

Available for a while as part of the MAC permanent makeup line, it’s one of five mascaras designed to enhance lashes while maintaining a (somewhat) natural feel and appearance (Pro Lash, Splashproof Lash, Pro Longlash and Dazzle Lash are the others).

For volumized lashes that appear long, lush and separated — but still within the realm of possibility — I’ll apply two to three coats of Mascara X. It glides on smooth, dries to a glossy finish and leaves my lashes feeling light, flexible and soft. Read more…

TOKIDOKI CHROMATICO
EYE PALETTE

Okay, so, most of us probably need another eyeshadow palette about as much as RuPaul needs another blonde wig. Perhaps that’s why the marketing mavens at Tokidoki decided to up the ante by adding an alluring treat to each of their three impossibly cute Chromatico Eyeshadow Palettes ($25 each).

Bastardino, Adios and Diamante come with a tiny charm tucked away in the bottom compartment. Aww! They’re like Happy Meals without the calories, but instead of a burger, fries and soda, you get four coordinating shades with vibrant pigmentation. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen