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Karen

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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The Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

A Typical Sunday Morning…

TABS: “Meow, meow, meow, meow!”
KAREN: “I’m up, I’m up!”
TABS: “Mrrrrrrow…”
KAREN: “But if it’s morning, why’s it still so dark outside?”
TABS: “Mrow.”
KAREN: “Well that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
TABS: “…”
KAREN: “Okay, sorry. I take it back.”
TABS: [Purrrrr]
KAREN: “Yeah, yeah. You’re lucky you’re so dang cute.”

Heya, ladies. Good morning. How long have you been up? It’s just after 7 here and so foggy outside that I can’t even tell if the sun has come up.

What did you do yesterday? El Hub and I drove up to a town called Yountville for lunch. It’s one of the little places along Highway 29 in wine country about an hour north of here. We were sort of chasing the sun, but it was just as cold and overcast up there as it was down here. Still, it was nice to get out of dodge for a few hours.

Other than that, my Saturday was blissfully uneventful. 🙂 A trip to Target (nothing beauty related jumped out at me), I cleaned the kitchen, watched Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing & Charm School on Netflix (not bad, stars Marisa Tomei, whom I like; picked it because I liked the name), and went to bed around midnight.

So did you have any beauty highlights this week or try any new looks you’d like to share? Mine was probably this one here, although it’s not really new for me. I like how summery it felt despite the weather outside.

In case you missed anything, here’s one last look at some of the things we talked about this week on the blog. Whatever you’ve got going on today, I hope there’s room for fun.

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

Dior Montaigne Soft Pink Design QuintTHE DIOR MONTAIGNE SPRING 2011
SOFT PINK DESIGN QUINT

Expect a downpour at Dior this spring when the new Montaigne Collection comes to town, but you won’t need your umbrella for this storm. That’s because it’ll be pouring pearls when the 13-piece release for eyes, lips, cheeks and drips on Dior counters, in Dior stores and at Sephora in the next few weeks.

Named after the Paris address where the first Dior boutique opened back in 1946, the palette of pearly grays and baby pinks suggests spring soirees in the City of Lights, and to these soirees you’re wearing pearls. It’s a soft, sophisticated, natural look, and passersby won’t be able to miss your subtly shimmering glow.

To my eye, the Soft Pink Design Quint ($58), one of two for eyes in the release, characterizes the collection’s vibe with its nuanced pinks and grays. It comes with (almost) everything a girl would need to live the eye portion of the look — an eyeshadow base, a liner, two shimmer shadows and one glitter shadow. The only thing missing: mascara. Read more…

The Dior Montaigne Soft Pink Design All-In-One Artistry PaletteTHE DIOR MONTAIGNE SOFT
PINK DESIGN ALL IN ONE ARTISTRY PALETTE

Today I took the brand spankin’ new Dior Soft Pink Design All-In-One Artistry Palette ($58) from the Dior Montaigne spring 2011 collection out for a spin using the little tutorial that comes with the palette as a guide.

I love it when products come with those things (sending positive reinforcement to all the companies out there) because they make looks as easy as 1-2-3.

It’s too blasted expensive, so it loses big points for that, but I find this quint extremely easy to work with. I love the textures and didn’t expect there to be as much pigment as I found. If you can get past the price and want to get an early start on spring with an eye palette in soft pink, gray and mauve, consider Dior’s sassy Soft Pink Design. Read more…

Tarte EmphasEYES Aqua Gel Eyeliner in Shimmering IndigoTARTE EMPHASEYES AQUA GEL
EYELINER IN SHIMMERING INDIGO

This may sound a little selfish, but I sure hope Tarte adds their new emphasEYES Aqua Gel Eyeliner in Shimmering Indigo to their permanent line, because I love the way it looks with brown eyes.

The pigmented purplish blue gel liner, a QVC exclusive shade (you get not one, but TWO for $25), comes in a twist-up pencil, making it more convenient than most gel liners.

According to Tarte, half of the product consists of water — with minerals, as well as vitamin E, cucumber and aloe suspended within it — and judging by how creamy and moist the liner feels along my lash line, I believe it.

It also shimmers on my eyes in a way that makes it look to me like late afternoon light reflecting on the surface of a pond, ah… Read more…

Tarte Smooth Operator Eye BaseTARTE SMOOTH OPERATOR
AMAZONIAN CLAY EYE BASE

To quote (and then paraphrase) the great Sade, “No need to ask, he’s [she’s] a smooth operator.” Except her charms aren’t working on me. 🙁

The new Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Eye Base ($22) may be a touch too light for this brown girl, but lighter lasses, listen up. This pretty pink primer just might shine for you.

The warm yellow undertones in my skin don’t agree with Smooth Operator (it turns gray on me), but that shouldn’t happen if you like the way you look in shades of cool-toned pink.

Released as a QVC (yep, that QVC) exclusive last December, Smooth Operator Eye Base looks to me like a hybrid of two other products, Benefit Eye Bright Pencils and Urban Decay Primer Potion. It combines the light pink color of Eye Bright with UDPP’s fluffy, smooth texture. Read more…

Is China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Sea Spray a Dupe for Chanel Riva?IS CHINA GLAZE SEA SPRAY
A $5 DUPE FOR CHANEL RIVA?

If price made your pretty nails pass on Chanel’s breathtaking but budget busting resort collection Riva ($27, ouch!), Anchors Away!

One of 12 nautical shades in the new China Glaze Anchors Away Collection for spring goes by the name of Sea Spray (about $5).

With a familiar marine-like blue vibe and similarly subtle micro glitter, both could be cousins, judging by the way they look in their bottles.

But how do they look beside each other on nails? Well, they aren’t twins, but they come fairly close. Sea Spray looks a little darker than Riva does and isn’t as creamy. And its micro glitter is silver, while Chanel’s is teal. Read more…

Is MAC Delft a Dupe for Siahi Fluidline?IS MAC DELFT A DUPE FOR
MAC SIAHI FLUIDLINE?

Oh, Delft is one of my all-time favorite MAC Paint Pots! I picked it up a few years ago when it was part of the permanent collection, but it seems to have gone MIA since then (at least online).

It’s a shimmery teal with a hint of gold, and it, like the rest of the Paint Pots, feels softer and slightly fluffier than the Fluidlines do to me.

I usually wear the Paint Pots as cream shadows and/or eyeshadow bases, although they’ll double as liners, too.

About Delft, it’s like Siahi’s lighter, greener cousin; however, they both have very different shimmers. Siahi’s looks rather teal to me, while Delft’s is more of a straight up gold.

While I was rutting around in my stash for Delft, I also noticed that teal blue Korres Eyeliner Pencil in Blue Petrol looks a little like Siahi as well, except that it’s darker, with a matte finish. Read more…

The Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden CollectionTHE DOLCE & GABBANA SECRET
GARDEN COLLECTION FOR SPRING 2011

I wonder what Lewis Carroll would have thought about the secret garden of pink Post-It notes that decorate my desk and my notebook. Of course, the note are totally unnecessary, because there’s no way I’m going to forget about the new 12-piece Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden collection for eyes, nails, face and lips. When it hops into town this spring, I’ll need a fainting couch to catch me when I fall (in love). 🙂

The colors look so bright and authentically springy that I can almost smell fresh-cut grass and sunshine when I look at them (I swear I can smell the sunshine).

But the story behind the collection, according to Dolce, is one of mystery. Read more…

Is Chanel Aragonite Glossimer a Dupe of NARS Moon Fleet?IS CHANEL ARAGONITE A DUPE OF
NARS MOON FLEET?

Yesterday I almost judged a book by its cover. After reader Mahnaz asked how Aragonite, one of the new Glossimers from the Chanel Les Perles de Chanel spring collection, compared to NARS Moon Fleet, my initial reaction was, “Uh oh! Chanel must have copied NARS.”

But then I pulled out both colors and gave the question more thought. Both shades are related, but NARS Moon Fleet, a permanent color from the line, is a sheer and shimmery yellow gold, and I think it looks much darker and yellower than Aragonite does.

What about other possible Aragonite dupes? Hmm… How about Chanel Glossimer in Galactic (circa 2007)? Read more…

The China Glaze Anchors Away CollectionTHE CHINA GLAZE ANCHORS
AWAY COLLECTION

Ahoy, matey! The new China Glaze Anchors Away Collection for spring 2011 just docked onto my doorstep, so I thought you’d want to see some swatches.

Do these colors make you wanna hoist your sails or walk the plank?

The limited edition polishes, each around $5, will be available at select beauty stores this spring. Read more…

The NARS Spring 2011 CollectionTHE NARS SPRING 2011
COLLECTION

Since I have a weak spot for NARS blushes that’s right up there with my weak spot for Häagen-Dazs dulce de leche ice cream, I was shocked, and a wee bit disappointed, to hear that Francois left the blushes out of his collection for fall.

But I wiped away my tears today when I saw these pics for the small 11-piece collection for eyes, lips and nails. The shimmery earth tones with metallic finishes; the sheer, sparkly cool purples and pinks; and even a couple of unexpected greens and blues? NARS started with safe neutrals but sprinkled them with just enough brights to keep a girl on her toes, and what he came up with looks to be a lot of fun.

Plus, almost all of the colors are new (two of the lip glosses are repromotes). Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What Are Your Milestone Perfumes?

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What are your milestone perfumes?

Are there any fragrances or other scents that take you back to a special moment or an important phase in your life? I can imagine this wouldn’t be easy to answer in a movie theater with the scent of popcorn in the air, but this morning, when I wasn’t expecting it, I caught a whiff of something that took me back to my wedding day. I must have brushed the bottle by accident, but the memory it triggered was as bright and clear as the actual day.

Here are some of my milestone perfumes listed in reverse chronological order (’cause that’s how I roll). What are some of yours? 🙂

Cover Girl Navy (1990)

Ah, the scent that started it all… Every high school freshman girl in my class wore Liz Claiborne (remember the triangle bottle?), but since I couldn’t afford it, I saved my pennies and bought Navy at the Thrifty’s drugstore near my house. I went through that bottle like it was goin’ out of style, dousing myself with it and hairspray in the girl’s bathroom between classes. There’s still a bottle in the bathroom at my parents’ house.

Yves Saint Laurent YSL Paris (1993)

I’ll never forget the day I went to the store to buy Paris with my mom and dad for Christmas my senior year. I wore it every day from then on through graduation, and then took the bottle with me to college. I was so lonely that first year away, but Paris is one of the few things that always reminded me of home.

Estee Lauder Pleasures (1994)

This one takes me back… Whenever I catch a whiff I picture those little black backpacks, and floral dresses or plaid shirts worn with Doc Martens.

Gucci Envy and Gucci Rush (1999)

After college I moved to San Francisco for work and bought both of these with my very first “grownup” paycheck. I have so many good and bad memories tied to these scents… Man, my early 20s were rough.
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10 DIY Kitchen Beauty Fixin’s You May Already Have at Home

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10 DIY Kitchen Beauty Tips

SamAbout the Author
The following guest post was written by Sam of Finally Indigo. You can also find Sam on Twitter.

Who says you have to spend half of your paycheck on skin and hair care products to look your best? Why not just turn your kitchen’s pantry into your beauty bar and save a few bucks? All it takes are a few edible ingredients, an open mind and some DIY kitchen beauty tips.

    Strawberry

  1. Strawberries — These wondrous red berries aren’t merely delicious when they’re sliced and drizzled with balsamic vinegar, oh no. Strawberries are also your best friend for natural teeth-whitening. Once per day before your regular brushing and flossing (because of the sugar in the strawberries), mash two or three berries in a small bowl, and carefully, but vigorously, brush your teeth with this berry paste (you may want to dedicate a toothbrush to it, as the one you use will probably stain). Look for results within a week or two.

    2. Honey

  2. Honey — Pretty much a savior for skin and hair. Honey acts as a natural antiseptic and antifungal, and it’s also a fantastic humectant, preserving moisture in the skin. Try dabbing a bit over broken facial acne to speed the repair process (test on a small area first), mix a small amount in with your conditioner for a moisturizing and yummy-smelling hair mask, or place on your mouth overnight to wake up with full, luscious lips. Be careful, however, as honey tends to stick…everywhere. Use less than you initially think you’ll need, and add to it bit by bit from there.

    3. Potatoes

  3. Potatoes — An odd one, yes. But there’s a certain compound in potatoes that’s been shown to help reduce swelling and puffiness. Using a vegetable peeler, shred a small amount of potato, let it chill in the fridge for a while, and then place the chilled potato magic under your eyes. For the next 15 minutes or so, sit and read a good book, watch a little television, or talk to your cat. When you remove the odd treatment, voila! There should be less puff under those eyes.

    4. Cinnamon

  4. Cinnamon — This fantastic spice also has great skincare benefits! Who knew? Mix a bit in with your favorite lipgloss to turn it into a lip-plumper. Or, try making a facial mask out of honey and cinnamon that can be used to help dry out acne and exfoliate dull, tired skin.

    5. Yogurt

  5. Yogurt — A fantastic moisturizing agent as well as a skin exfoliant (due to the lactic acid it contains). Use as a cooling facial mask to wake up dull, tired, or dry winter skin, or soak hands in it to help soften and heal cuticles; in either case, the thicker the yogurt, generally the better it works.

    6. Hungry for more kitchen beauty? Check out DIY Beauty with Kitchen Cosmetics.

    Turmeric

  6. Turmeric — This strong smelling, yellowish spice is great for fading skin discolorations and post-acne scarring. Mix it with just enough lime juice (another great fading agent) to make a medium-thickness paste, and dab onto discolored skin only. Leave on for about 20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. The area treated may take on a temporary yellow tint that should fade with another washing or two, but still — this is a treatment probably better suited to weekend nights.

    7. Cranberry Juice

  7. Cranberry Juice — And we ain’t talkin’ ‘bout that sugary cocktail stuff. Spain’s raven-haired beauties still use pure cranberry juice to this day to keep their locks shining and lustrous. In the shower, use it as a post conditioner rinse. Pour over damp hair, massage in for a minute or two, and then let it sit for as long as you can before rinsing thoroughly.

    8. Coffee

  8. Coffee — Coffee serves multiple benefits depending on whether you use it brewed or in its ground form. Brewed dark roast can be used as a post-conditioner wash to add richness to brunette, auburn, and dark blonde hair. Instant coffee can be added to conditioner for near the same effect, and plain ‘ol coffee grounds are a fantastic exfoliator. Mix with your favorite facial wash to give that face a good scrubbin’, or take it straight to your dry bod.

    9. Salt

  9. Salt — Natural sea salt is a great exfoliant and healing agent. Using small circular motions, rub down your entire dry body with straight up salt before your shower for a fantastic glow (make sure to use a rich moisturizer afterwards). Or (be careful with this one), try making a thick paste out of sea salt and honey, and place on stubborn acne. Be warned — it’ll sting like a jellyfish, but it works wonders for me.

    10. Apple Cider Vinegar

  10. Apple cider vinegar — This stuff is simply amazing. Pour some in a spritzer bottle, and use it as a facial toner to sop up extra oil and to regulate your skin’s pH levels. Dab some on ruddy cheeks or inflamed skin to take down redness. Use as a post-conditioner rinse to lock in moisture and shine, as well as protecting color and removing product build-up. Drink two tablespoons a day to decrease natural body odour, improve overall skin quality, and aid digestion. Amazing.

With these 10 simple ingredients, you’ve got yourself a fine recipe for skin and hair nirvana, all without breaking the bank or resorting to harsh, man-made chemicals. Just don’t try making anything edible out of all of these together… Salted strawberries over coffee-scented potatoes with a turmeric and cinnamon yogurt dressing topped with an apple cider vinegar and cranberry honey reduction? Mmm, my favorite.

SamAbout the Author
The following guest post was written by Sam of Finally Indigo. You can also find Sam on Twitter.

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

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  • WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Lindsay a.k.a. RVAfashionista! Congratulations, Lindsay! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Win a $50 Sephora eGift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog

Rise and shine, morning glory. It’s going to be a beautiful day. 🙂

How was your night? I spent mine relaxing with the men in my life, a remote control and some leftover Chinese food. Speaking of remote controls, you know what movie I really enjoyed? Do you remember Mickey Blue Eyes — the Married to the Mob-type comedy with Hugh Grant, James Caan and Jeanne Tripplehorn (“Fuggedaboutit!”)? Tabs queued it up using Netflix online.

It was released in 1999, which was back before Robert Pattinson stole Hugh Grant’s foppish hair, but thanks to Netflix I’ve been seeing a lot of movies I missed the first time around.

Anywho, what are your plans for today? Are you doing anything fun? I’m hoping that after doing my chores around the house we can drive up to Napa for the day, but I don’t know about that… It’s awfully Hundred-Acre Wood right now. If the fog doesn’t clear, I may just visit Sephora instead, because that’s always fun.

And, ya know, it’s even MORE fun when you’ve got one of these in your pocket/purse (I think you know what time it is):

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

Win a $50 eGift card from Sephora

  • One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (or $50 sent by PayPal instead).

  • There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all. What’s the name of your favorite romantic comedy, where do you see yourself in five years, do you regularly wear eyeshadow primer — you get the idea.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/g9smZ5

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 11:59PM (PT).
  • Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
  • A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
  • Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
  • Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. The winner may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal.
  • Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
  • The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
  • Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

  • WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Lindsay a.k.a. RVAfashionista! Congratulations, Lindsay! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

NARS Spring 2011: Super Orgasm and Angelika Lip Glosses Usher in the Season Early

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nars spring 2011 angelika
NARS Angelika Lip Gloss

They say that patience is a virtue…but I don’t have patience for proverbs, LOL! Not when it comes to makeup. When it comes to putting on le war paint, I’m all about instant gratification. 🙂

And today I satisfied the urge to splurge with two glosses from NARS, specifically the collection for spring 2011.

But NARS spring 2011 isn’t out yet, is it? Nope, it’s not (it rolls onto NARS counters soon); lucky for us, two of the upcoming lip glosses are. They’re repromoted colors, and both are available now at Sephora, NARS counters and NARS online.

Have you met Angelika and Super Orgasm ($24 each)?

nars super orgasm angelika
Angelika (left) and Super Orgasm (right)

These girls are the lip gloss versions of two famed NARS blushes, which themselves go by the names Angelika and Super Orgasm.
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At Smashbox, Neutrals Are In Bloom for Spring 2011

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smashbox in bloom

Delicate like flower petals, the tender spring tones blossoming right now at Smashbox headquarters are much quieter than last year’s technicolor Heartbreaker release, but I can still hear them whispering sweet nothings to my soul.

Goodies in the new eight-piece In Bloom collection for eyes, lips, cheeks and face (products $20-$48 each) are available now at Ulta, Sephora and smashbox.com.

If Heartbreaker was like cage dancing, then In Bloom is like a Moleskin notebook filled with poetry. 🙂 The release reminds me of the spring release from NARS, with its predilection toward neutrals. Here, too, there’s a lot of super wearable beige, brown, gold and gray going on, but in place of the bright blue, green and purple accents NARS injected into his spring release, Smashbox sprinkled subdued shades of mossy green, violet, pink, peach and coral onto theirs.

smashbox in bloom

In Bloom Eye Shadow Palette, $48
Smashbox arranged the two rows of colors (five each) in this palette so that the each vertical pair makes a color coordinated duo. They’re only suggestions, of course, and the colors are also designed to mix and match. The palette — ballet pink, lavender grey, golden pink, warm taupe, bone, soft violet, marine blue, copper, moss green and nude — includes both shimmer and matte eyeshadows, too.

Cream Cheek Duo in Blushing/Peony, $26
The two cream blushes, one in soft pink and the other in coral pink, in this flexible duo have a matte finish and can be worn on both the cheeks and lips.

Soft Focus Powder Eye Liner in Heather Grey and Dark Brown, $22 each
These powder liners (which look a little like elongated bottles of nail polish, don’t they?) have a sponge tip that makes them a cinch to create soft matte looks in a flash. TIP: Shake the bottles before applying to load the sponge, and then tap off any excess powder from the tip before bringing it up to your lash lines.

Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss SPF 15 in Timeless and Endless Kiss, $21 each
I’m REALLY excited about these and cannot wait to try shimmery soft pink Timeless and coral pink Endless Kiss. I just love this gloss formula. Not only is it long lasting on the lips, but it feels so smooth!
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