Josie Maran Eye Love You Too Palette, $42. New for spring 2011.
Josie Maran Eye Love You Too Palette
I’m Electrified by the Dior Electric Tropics Collection and Can’t Wait for Summer
Ono! I can practically taste the rainbow shave ice 
already. Dior’s new Electric Tropics Collection has me thinking about Hawaii, and like the islands themselves, the 13-piece release for eyes, lips, cheeks and nails is a study in contrasts — as in sun-kissed skin behind bright neon nails and lip colors.
Below is the full list of products, but here are a few things currently catching my eye…
- Dior Vernis Electric Tropics Nail Duos ($26 each) — To ramp up the shine of these florescent shades, Dior mixed in an ultra-shiny top coat, and it gives nails painted with these polishes a mirror-like effect.
- Dior Addict Crystal Glosses ($27 each) — Available in four shades with different finishes and levels of opacity. Dior packed these with something they call a “polymer gel,” which gives them a volumizing, hydrating texture (oddly, they compare it to vinyl).
- Diorskin Healthy Glow Powders ($46 each) — Isn’t the woven print on these pans to die for? The shades in each compact are designed to be mixed together and applied to the face (and the cheeks!) for a healthy glow.
Dior Electric Tropics Collection for Summer 2011: Official Promotional Pics
Because Drinking Ice Tea Out of a Jar Is Fun
I went to lunch today with reader (and occasional guest poster!) Robin of Beautyburg. We hit up a seafood restaurant called Fish, which is located in the southern Marin town of Sausalito.
They serve drinks in jars, which for some reason brought me great joy…
The chowder, by the way, is very tasty.
Get Your Bronze on, Faux Reals! The Bare Escentuals BareMinerals Faux & Foxy Kit
Unclear: It’s unclear whether I’m more emotionally invested in Jersey Shore than any somewhat normal, sane person should be. When Vinny got his spray tan in last night’s episode I felt betrayed; the GTL gods had finally succeeded in luring a once semi-decent young man to the Dark Side.
Clear: It’s clear that one needn’t resort to Jersey Shore-caliber extremes to get a gorgeous glow. Just reach for the Bare Escentuals BareMinerals Faux & Foxy Kit ($34) instead.
The small three-piece release just launched for spring with everything it takes to fake the appearance of a sunless tan, and it even protects against the real sun with added SPF 15.
I’m still new to the Bare Escentuals makeup line, and I was hoping for a great experience with this kit. It comes with…
- Faux Tan SPF 15 — This loose powder bronzer is a warm orangey brown matte with a hint of shimmer. It’s dark (even for my tanned skin), and I suggest using a light touch when it’s applied. I think it does look warm when worn and gives skin a pretty bronzy look I like.
The packaging is quite interesting as well. Instead of a traditional sifter, the pan comes in jar that has something like a trap door in it. When the lid is closed, a piece of metal attached to it presses down into the trap door. When you open lid again, the piece of metal releases from the door along with a set amount of powder. I’ve never seen anything quite like it before… Kinda cool. - 100% Natural SPF 15 Lipgloss in French Toast — A shimmery peachy bronze gloss with a brush applicator. It feels thick and sticky, and reminds me of MAC Lipglass. I love the rich pigment and long three-hour wear time, but I’m not crazy about the plastic-y flavor and scent.
- Buff & Go Brush — This medium-size travel kabuki brush has soft bristles and a dense, compact brush head. I like it for contouring the curve below the apples of my cheeks. 🙂
Finding Mr. Bright Is Easy with Benefit’s New Kit
It took me 26 years and many, many bad dates to find my Mr. Right (what up, El Hub?!), but Finding Mr. Bright shouldn’t take anywhere near that long.
Believe it or not, it’s actually easy — even easier than scarfing down a red velvet cupcake. Just roll on up to your nearby Benefit counter, and you should find him there.
Finding Mr. Bright ($36) is Benefit’s new kid on the block, and he proves, with his snazzy neon pink and orange packaging, that real men like him aren’t afraid to wear pink.
And homeboy’s got a lot more going on than outer good looks. The kit contains four travel-size products to add color and shimmer to cheeks, eyes, face and lips.
- Erase Paste in No. 2 Medium brightens your under-eye area while it covers dark circles.
- Girl Meets Pearl, a pearly golden pink liquid primer, gives a subtle sheen to the skin; I like layering it beneath my foundation or tinted moisturizer.
- Posie Tint, a liquid blush, doubles as a lip tint, dressing up cheeks and lips with a sweet, baby pink.
- High Beam gives a light pink shimmer to the skin, and you can also mix it with your favorite moisturizer to give a subtle glow to shoulders and legs.
Thoughts and Prayers for the People of Japan
I’m sure you’ve already heard about the terrible earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan today. For everyone affected by the quake or the tsunamis that followed, no matter where you are in the world, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
NYX HD Studio Photogenic Grinding Blush Makes Me Want to Twist and Shout
NYX HD Studio Photogenic Grinding Blush in English Rose
Ah, to be a bored teen without wheels in the Easy Bay suburbs circa 1992 again… When you live in a town where the most exciting thing to do is get an ice cream cone 
at Thrifty’s, you figure out ways to amuse yourself.
On Friday nights my friends and I loved to watch The Grind on MTV. Remember that dance show? We’d crank up the volume and electric slide around the living room as the show’s host, Eric Nies, who was almost always shirtless for some reason, introduced the hits.
It wasn’t the most exciting way to start the weekend, but it was either that or ice cream at Thrifty’s…
We sure could have used something like these new NYX HD Studio Photogenic Grinding Blushes ($16.50 each; available in eight shades) back then. Dang if these things wouldn’t have kept us busy.
New for spring, they have a cheese grater-like contraption similar to the one Smashbox uses with their Halo powders. By turning the rim of the jar, the grater shaves off a small amount of blush into the pan.
Sangria in Madrid
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Bare Escentuals Faux & Foxy
The new Bare Escentuals Faux & Foxy Kit, $34. Available now at Sephora, Ulta and online.