Karen, Author at Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup - Page 1360 of 1879

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Karen

NYC New York Color Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss, I Question Your Taste

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nyc new york color extreme lip glider lip gloss
NYC New York Color Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss in Plaza Punch

Just another shiny drugstore gloss? Not hardly. These NYC New York Color Extreme Glider Lip Glosses feel way more expensive than they should for $3 each. Smooth, thin and slick on my lips, they could almost pass for melted butter if it wasn’t for one little thing…

Butter tastes good. 🙂

I’ve tried three of the 10 shades, and all of them taste and smell like a strong blend of children’s cough syrup and fruit punch concentrate; luckily, it dissipates after a few minutes of wear.

Coverage varies widely among the colors, with some of them, like Downtown Brown and Metro Mauve, applying so sheer that I can barely see any pigment on my lips, while others, like Plaza Punch, have plenty of pigment to spare.

The three I have contain glitter, which looks kinda chunky in the tube, so I expected them to feel gritty, but they don’t. In fact, they could probably pass for MAC Lipgelées (LOVE) if not for the flavor and scent…

nyc new york color extreme lip glider lip gloss tubes

nyc new york color extreme lip glider lip gloss tubes-back

nyc new york color extreme lip glider lip gloss wands
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If You Need Me, I’ll Be on the Laura Mercier Silk Road: The Silk Road Collection for Spring 2011

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Laura Mercier silk road

I was surprised and more than a little impressed that for her latest collection, foundation phenom Laura Mercier went WAY back — almost 3,000 years back — to the ancient Han Dynasty and the trade routes ancient merchants from China, India, Tibet, Persia and the Mediterranean used to sell their silk, satin, perfumes, spices, medicines and jewels.

Available now on Laura Mercier counters and online, the 13-piece Silk Road collection was inspired by the precious gemstones and raw silks that moved along those ancient routes, but when I stopped by the counter yesterday to take a look, I found myself asking something I imagine some of those ancient merchants must asked: “Haven’t we been this way before?”

Two of the items, Persian Rose Blush and Gold Thread Liquid Liner, look familiar to me. Luckily, I like them both. 🙂 Persian Rose Blush reminds me of NARS Orgasm, and doesn’t Gold Thread Liquid Liner bear a striking resemblance to MAC Superslick Liquid Liner in Pure Show?

Renowned for their award-winning face makeup, the relatively small Laura Mercier line, named after the famous French makeup artist, is one of my favorites. Their foundations, tinted moisturizers, primers and concealers are fixtures atop Best of Beauty lists. I wear Laura’s Oil-Free Foundation in many of my pictures because I love the complete coverage it provides. I also really like some of the fun things the line does with their seasonal color collections, often accenting neutrals with dashes of brights (reminds me of Chanel).

Even though I feel like I’ve seen a couple of these colors before, I still think they’re great and fit nicely into Laura’s latest crop of gorgeously wearable makeup for spring.

laura mercier silk road

Here, we see shimmery purple, taupe and pink eyeshadows ringed by gold, gray and indigo liners (for a nice contrast); and lips and cheeks sparkling in shimmery shades of warm pink, coral and gold.

Products in the Laura Mercier Silk Road Collection

Eye & Cheek Palette, $48 (new; limited edition) — It contains six shimmery powder products — two blushes and four eyeshadows. Persian Rose, the blush that I think looks a lot like NARS Orgasm, appears just as universally flattering as well (YES!). And the second blush, shimmery golden Palace Pink, should work well as a blush for lighter lashes, or as a highlighter for bronzy babes.

The eyeshadows, Golden Sands (a pinkish beige with silver and golden glitter) and Regal Violet (a blackend purple with pink glitter) apply sheer with lots of glitter; Rare Taupe (a shimmery purplish taupe) and Lavender Silk (a opalescent purple) increase the collection’s WOW factor with rich pigments and a high-shine finish.
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A (Revised) Walk Through the Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden Collection for Spring 2011

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  • CORRECTION: 1/13/2011 — The promotional pictures in the original post have been replaced with color corrected versions provided by Dolce & Gabbana.

Dolce & Gabbana released some color corrected pictures of their upcoming spring Secret Garden Collection today, and from these the items in the 12-piece launch for eyes, lips and nails look softer and more muted than before.

This revised batch of promo pics now shows that the pops of pink and purple in the lipsticks and glosses aren’t as bright as I thought they were; the colors in the Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Eden ($59) appear more pastel now, and both the Smooth Eye Colour Duo in Romance ($36) and the Intense Nail Lacquer in Platinum ($20) appear to contain a color more like gray than green.

Take a gander at the revised pictures (everything looks more delicate and softer), which I’m told are more color accurate than the ones they sent before, and let me know what ya think.


Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Eden


Smooth Eye Colour Duo in Romance 120


Crayon Intense in White
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Jan. 10

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  • You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”
    Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past three years, which I guess makes this somewhere around Vol. 152. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    2. A little groggy, but after a few cups (or perhaps maybe a vat) of caffeine ye olde mental motor will be cranking at full speed. Right now I’m drinking a mug of Green Tea Tropical, by Mighty Leaf. Have you ever had it? It’s so good!

  2. Pressing beauty issue o’ the moment?

    3. The skin on my body’s itchy, dry and uncomfortable right now. 🙁 I think it’s because it’s been so darn cold here in Nor Cal (FYI, chilly for the Bay Area means 40s and lower 50s), and the combo of brisk air on the outside and dry central heat on the inside’s sucking all the moisture out of my skin.

  3. Pajama Jeans: yea or nay?

    4. Don’t hate, but I keep seeing commercials for these stretchy pseudo-denims (“Where style meets comfort!”) and have come very close to ordering a pair. Hey, you also get a free gray crew neck tee with each purchase!

  4. Things you always seem to be doing:

    5. Washing makeup brushes, searching for the lint roller, microwaving frozen veggie burritos, carrying laundry up and down the stairs, slathering on lotion, writing lists…

  5. One positive thing you’re doing today to make your life a little better?

    6. Come hell or high water, my @ss is getting on the treadmill and running four miles. IT IS DECIDED.

  6. Something on your shopping lust list?

    7. Some over-the-knee boots. I’ve been resisting because I’ve been afraid of looking like a short, brown Jack Sparrow, but I saw a petite gal rockin’ them at the mall yesterday and she looked really cute. I’d like a pair in black suede, with a 2-inch heel. Got any suggestions for me?

  7. Last movie you watched?

    8. Camille with James Franco and Sienna Miller. He’s a parolee and unwilling groom forced to marry a woman he doesn’t love. On their honeymoon trip to Niagra Falls there’s an accident, and Sienna’s character, Camille, ends up “kinda” dead — of course she doesn’t realize it, and mayhem ensues. Also in the film: several brightly painted carnival ponies, an oddly touching scene involving a formaldehyde sponge bath and breathtaking shots of the waterfalls. If the plot and pacing were tighter it might’ve been cool, but the flick falls flat.

  8. Last person you smiled at?

    9. El Hub, right before he walked out the door for work.

  9. Outfit?

    10. I’m dressed purely for warmth right now: stretchy black pants (Pajama Jeans would certainly spice things up!), a pink long-sleeve thermal and gray zip up hoodie.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Continue the organizational kick I’m currently on, find an ab workout DVD I don’t hate (situps = blah!), eat plenty of fruit/veggies with every meal.

Heya, ladies. It’s been a little slow going this morning (this tea needs to hurry up and kick in already!), but otherwise it’s been a good on this end. If we worked together, I’d pop by your cubicle and drag you out for a cuppa joe so we could catch up. Since we’re separated by a computer screen, the Monday Poll will have to do for now. Take a moment to let me know what’s up, will ya? 🙂

  • To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.



1. Mood:
2. Pressing beauty issue o’ the moment?
3. Pajama Jeans: yea or nay?
4. Things you always seem to be doing:
5. One positive thing you’re doing today to make your life a little better?
6. Something on your shopping lust list?
7. Last movie you watched?
8. Last person you smiled at?
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:

Ready to have another stellar week with me? I think we can do it!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash Waterproof Mascara Is Coming with Me to that Deserted Island

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Sejal

Friend me on FacebookWritten by Sejal

Freelance makeup artist and blogger Sejal believes she’s found your next mascara addiction. Get ready to feed your need in today’s guest post.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Smoky Lash Mascara

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you? I’m the gal who’d want one of her things to be a reliable tube o’ mascara.

Yes, it’s true. It’s because I’m addicted to mascara. Even when I find one I like, I can’t stay with it for long. I still have to try the next new one that comes along cuz….well, just cuz!!!

It’s what lead me to my recent purchase of Make Up For Ever (MUFE) Aqua Smoky Lash waterproof mascara ($22) in Extra Black.

I love the MUFE Aqua Eyes and Aqua Creams, so I figured Aqua Smoky Lash had to be great too, right?

See for yourself: 🙂

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Smoky Lash Mascara: Bare Eyes
Bare Eyes

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Smoky Lash Mascara: One Coat
One Coat of Aqua Smoky Lash
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Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 121

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Tabs for NARS Angelika Lip Gloss

Do you believe in the power of positive thinking? Lately I’ve been practicing my positive affirmations, and I really think they help. The trick I like to use is to phrase things as if I’m doing them right now in the present. I’ll say things like, “I’m preparing Tabs’ gravy exactly the way he likes it,” or “I’m making good use of my time,” or “I’m having a great run.” And I’ll repeat each one to myself like a mantra as I visualize the successful completion of each task.

Unsurprisingly, the only ones that haven’t been working are the ones pertaining to Tabs. This morning I made him a can of Fancy Feast tuna in gravy for brunch because I was too lazy to do it last night (he did still have plenty of dry food in his bowl though), and to protest what I’m sure he perceives as substandard living conditions, he bit my ankle in the kitchen.

This week he was busy doing his kitty modeling thing, so we didn’t see each other very much. He shot campaigns for MAC, NARS and Dolce & Gabbana, among others.

Who is Tabs the Cat? About three years ago I befriended a stray, flea-bitten tabby cat with a bad case of worms. I could see he’d fallen on hard times, but his profound knowledge of high fashion and department store cosmetics led me to believe that he was more than meets the eye. We became fast friends, and now he’s actually my boss (and a successful kitty model). 🙂

Here are the most recent pics from his portfolio.

Tabs for the MAC Peacocky Collection

Tabs for the Hourglass Aura Collection
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