Karen

Rise and shine, morning glory. 🙂 I hope you had a wonderful night. I’m just fueling myself up for the day with a breakfast of buttered toast, strawberry-guava jam and instant coffee (because I’m out of filters).

Did you do anything fun last night? I’d like to say I did…but Blue Valentine threw a wrench into my plans. Talk about depressing movies. Since it had the magic words, “Ryan Gosling,” I expected fireworks, but instead spent two hours watching a relationship slowly implode. Not my favorite movie of the year.

So what’s on your plate for today? I’ve got boring house stuff on mine — groceries, cleaning, a trip to Target, that kind of thing. I would much rather spend the day chilling in front of the tube.

What did you think of this week’s makeup and beauty news? Did anything stand out? It seems Urban Decay had a pretty good week…

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

DEFEAT DULL WITH THE TARTE
PROVOCATEUR AMAZONIAN CLAY SHIMMERING POWDERS

And the hits keep comin’ from Tarte! The cruelty-free brand (one of Tabs’ faves) just launched two new pressed powder highlighters for spring called the Provocateur Amazonian Clay Shimmering Powders ($30 each). The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but the powders do have some moves.

The almost weightless, finely milled grains feel like baby powder on my skin — unlike those other highlighting powders that make my pores look larger than the Grand Canyon. They can be applied to cheeks, brow bones, and décolletage for a highlighting glow. Use a little for a soft, subtle sheen, or a lot to shoot for the stars.

These continue Tarte’s Amazonian clay trend, too, supposedly adjusting to the wearer’s skin. Tarte claims they add moisture to dry spots while absorbing oil from slick ones, but in that regard I’m not totally sold. Read more…

WILL YOU TAKE A SHINE TO THE
TARTE AMAZONIAN CLAY POWDER BRUSH SET?

About half of the time back in college when I’d go to the library to “study,” I’d actually fall asleep with my face in a book. I’d wake up, peel my face from the paper, and look down to see huge oil spots on the page.

Gross, I know. 🙂

Ah, well… if I’d only known about the Tarte Smooth Operator Micronized Clay Finishing Powder and Brush Set, the one with the power of PM20 ($38, available exclusively through QVC.com).

If I’d had this colorless loose powder and soft, synthetic bristle powder brush with me back then, the only spots on my books would have been from bits of greasy fried chicken (because everyone knows studying chem is more fun with junk food), and NOT my oily skin.

Lately I’ve been dusting the powder on my face to set my foundation and concealer, and it works, keeping the oiliest spots on my forehead and nose matte for a solid eight hours. Read more…

STRIKE IT RICH WITH THE NEW
BOBBI BROWN RICH LIP COLOR SPF 12 LIPSTICKS

I like to think of Bobbi Brown’s newest spring release as the lipstick equivalent of a DVF wrap dress and a pair of Jimmy Choos. A combination of opaque color and subtle shine, the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12 Lipsticks ($22 each) create a dressed-up lip look that’s neither too formal nor too stuffy — like business casual for your lips (with just a smidgen of sex appeal for flava).

Lightweight and smooth, these unscented, unflavored lipsticks provide the kind of full color coverage more common of creams and mattes with thicker textures, and they do it at a pretty good price (for a department store line).

Today I tried four of the 12 shades in Bikini Pink (a cool pink), Sweet Nectar (a pinkish coral), Plum Rose (a plummy rose) and Old Hollywood (an orangey red), and judging by these, Bobbi wasn’t messing around in the pigment department. These are intense! Read more…

THE FORECAST CALLS FOR GRAY IN
DIOR VERNIS GRIS CITY

The new Dior Vernis Gris City polishes were built with busy urban babes in mind. Not only is the included brush so wide that I can cover an entire nail with it in three swipes, but the formula dries quicker than a fast-paced city life — two coats take me less than 10 minutes, tops.

Dior says that each of these $21 shades was inspired by fashion-forward cities around the world. Places like NY 57th, Bond Street, Gris Montiagne Read more…

THE TARTE ACHIOTE CHEEK TINT AND
LIP LUSTER DUO AND THE LEGEND OF THE LIPSTICK TREE

Like the Yeti of my makeup dreams, I thought the lipstick tree was a figment of my imagination. Many, many times I’ve dreamt of having one strategically placed outside my bedroom window (right next to the money tree, of course), so I could easily pluck a tube off its branches whenever I wanted a new color.

Funny thing about dreams — sometimes they come true, albeit indirectly in this case. It turns out there really is a lipstick tree! It doesn’t sprout lipsticks (DAMN!), but bright red fruit instead.

Apparently I wasn’t paying close attention in upper division botany, because today I found out achiote is a small tree grown in tropical regions of the Americas and Southeast Asia. It bears spiny fruit which contain bright red seeds used to color food, body paint and lipstick, hence its nickname, “the lipstick tree.” Read more…

WHICH OF THE 4 NEW BUXOM
STAY-THERE EYE SHADOW SHADES WILL BE LEADER OF THE PACK?

It appears that man’s best friend at Buxom has been seeing a makeup-loving woman on the side! Good morning and happy hump day, cutie. 🙂 Let’s get Wednesday off to a good start with a peek at the four new Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow colors for spring 2011 ($17 each), which, like Buxom’s 10 previous Stay-There shades, are named after different breeds of dog (woof!).

Tabs said he likes the idea, but he hopes Buxom considers adding a few feline colors to the line (and would like to offer his kitty modeling services if they do). While they mull that over, I’d like to submit a color suggestion if I may — Mystery Mutt, a shimmery golden brown, named after Shauna, my family’s beloved pooch. Read more…

URBAN DECAY FEMININE, DANGEROUS
AND FUN EYESHADOW PALETTES: SWATCHES AND PICTURES

What up, buttercup? Here are swatches and photos of the three new Urban Decay Feminine, Dangerous and Fun Eyeshadow Palettes ($34 each). I’ll have face and eye shots in a few, but for now, check out the colors and holla at me in the comments if you see anything you like. Read more…

THE JILLIAN MICHAELS BANISH FAT, BOOST
METABOLISM WORKOUT DVD HURTS SO GOOD!

Blast you, Jillian Michaels, and your calorie-killing tough love! The first time I pushed play on your Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD ($10), I came this close to a full-on bakery breakdown. I’m serious, I was one mountain climber away from driving to the nearest bakery to stuff myself with donuts (have I mentioned I’m a stress eater?).

But, as if you could somehow tell when I was ready to quit, you looked me in the eye, cranked up the motivation dial and firmly told me “not to phone it in” (which is Jillian Michaels for “never give up, never surrender!”).

Needless to say, this workout’s no joke, and it hurts SO GOOD.

How good exactly?

Good like the first time you got your ‘stash waxed, or the first time you kissed that hot, scruffy bad boy (you know, the unemployed one with the muscles and the motorcycle — the one your parents despised). Read more…

URBAN DECAY UD THE FEMININE
PALETTE AND PRE-FRIDAY FUN

Tonight is all about the ladies, y’all, at Club Urban Decay (aka MBB Headquarters), and girls and gatos get in free — that’s cruelty-free — with the new Urban Decay UD The Feminine Palette ($34). 🙂

From the stylish clothes it wears, to the shimmery shades it bears (browns, pinks, purples and teal), this palette’s guaranteed to turn heads and put all eyes on you. The colors feel so lighthearted, girlie and fun that I believe it’s my favorite of the latest batch of spring palettes from Urban Decay.

As you might be able to tell from these snapshots, I was feelin’ mighty Feminine today. For my eye look, I started with a thin layer of Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden applied with my fingers from my lash line to the brow bone, which I followed up by sweeping Midnight Cowboy Eyeshadow directly on top with a flat eyeshadow brush. Since Midnight Cowboy has gargantuan gobs o’ glitter, I used a makeup wipe to clean the fallout. Read more…

URBAN DECAY UD THE FUN PALETTE,
AND ONE VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED FROM MY CAT

It’s useless to try to out-pose an international kitty supermodel, especially one with as much experience as Tabs.

But that didn’t stop me from trying today with the new Urban Decay The Fun Palette ($34).

I tried to “sell” the colors I’m wearing from the palette, one of three new ones from Urban Decay for spring, but I’m just not kitty supermodel material.

I used Sin (a shimmery light pink) from the lash line to the brow bone, Baked (a shimmery bronze) in the crease and along my lower lash line, Woodstock (a shimmery hot pink) on the lid and Psychedelic Sister on my upper lash line.

Tabs is just a natural, I guess. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen