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

Karen

Have You Ever Finished a Bottle of Perfume?

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Dior J’adore (left) and Laura Mercier Eau de Lune (right)

I realized something the other day as I was rifling through my perfume stash…

I don’t think I’ve ever completely finished a bottle of perfume. Not ever (at least as far as I can remember).

Mind you, I’ve come close with my bottles of J’adore (which I’ve had since 2001) and Laura Mercier Eau de Lune, but at this rate I’ll be lucky to polish one of them off by the turn of the next century, LOL!

How about you? Have you ever finished a bottle of perfume, and do you remember what it was?

Have you ever finished a bottle of perfume?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Venomous Villains: Smokey Eyes with the Mineralize Eye Shadow in She Who Dares

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MAC Venomous Villains

How the heck did this happen? Someone tell me, please. Heads are gonna roll! How did we get halfway through September so fast? I demand an answer! 🙂

Before you know it, it’ll be fall, then winter, then FLASH! — it’s 2049 and I’m retiring from the blog to live out my golden years in Boca with my harem of cats!

God help me…

But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Maybe I should just try and focus on the good things about the end of this month, like the upcoming release of MAC Venomous Villains and how much I love Mineralize Eyeshadow duo in She Who Dares ($21).

mac venomous villains review swatches photos maleficent mineralize eyeshadow she who dares open
Mineralize Eyeshadow in She Who Dares

I think I might even like She Who Dares more than I like to shave my big toe, which is oddly, a lot. 🙂 One of two Mineralize Eyeshadows in the Maleficent color story (the other being My Dark Magic), it makes short work of smokey eyes.

On one side of She Who Dares, a blackish myrtle with flecks of green glitter; on the other, a blackish sapphire with flecks of blue glitter. Both are quite sheer in pigmentation (semi-transparent), which I like with colors this dark because it makes it easier to find my sweet spot building the colors with layers.

Speaking of that, I think both sides of the duo are exceptionally easy to work with. Even on sooty smokey eyes, they don’t look crazy heavy.

mac venomous villains maleficent face of the day k2
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Who Wouldn’t Want to Hit This Jackpot? The Urban Decay 24/7 Jackpot Kit

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urban decay 24 7 jackpot swatches review top

NEWPORT BEACH (MBB Newswire) — After a break-in Wednesday at Urban Decay headquarters in Newport Beach, California, unknown individuals made off with a tray of the company’s “special brownies.”

When asked to describe the missing brownies to police, a company spokesperson said they were “uh…chocolate, and stuff.”

——

But seriously (in a matter of speaking), don’t most of UD’s holiday releases include a couple of shout-outs to stoners (ala their Smoke Out Kits)?

Unless I’m overlooking something obvs, Mary Jane’s MIA this time around. Well, there is the kit… 24/7 Jackpot ($39) — heh, I said pot.

Either way, Jackpot brings beautifully rich, blinged-out liners to the holiday makeup table, and if you’re new to Urban Decay, I think you’re in for a treat. 🙂

These 24/7 pencils are some of the best liners around, with awesome, creamy textures, vibrant colors and all-day wear time.

Jet black Zero has been a crowd fave, but shimmery golden brown Bourbon has been my No. 1 crush.

urban decay 24 7 jackpot swatches review photo 2
From left: Gunmetal (the gunmetal gray with silver glitter), Rockstar (the dark eggplant), Binge (the navy blue), Ransom (the bright, iridescent purple), Electric (the bright aquamarine), Mildew (the dark green), Stash (the greenish gold), Whiskey (the dark brown) Eldorado (the gold) and Zero (the inky black)
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Paco Rabanne 1 Million for Men: Yes, It’s Shaped Like a Gold Bar

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paco rabanne 1 million closeup

Now shipping, the new favorite fragrance of Fort Knox’s male employees, 1 Million Eau de Toilette ($69)!

Okay, maybe not, but doesn’t the bottle look just like a gold bar?

“Excuse me, sir, but I think that’s my gold bar you have there. It must have fallen out of my pocket (?).”

Since I’ve been baptizing myself on an almost daily basis lately with Paco Rabanne Lady Million, I couldn’t wait to try the version for men, particularly after MBB reader Kim said that it was the bestselling fragrance in duty free stores.

Sure, the bottle has that Monopoly-meets-a-Spanish galleon vibe, but it’s growing on me. I appreciate the clean lines, and I think the design authentically represents the scent.

El Hub likes the bottle. He called it “shiny” (man of few words) and said it could double as a weapon — which is a good thing, apparently.

Yeah, I guess this one’s marketed for boys, LOL! 🙂

paco rabanne 1 million front
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Rimmel Volume Flash Max Bold Curves Mascara Is Such a Tease

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rimmel volume flash max bold curves review

When I heard that Rimmel designed Volume Flash Max Bold Curves mascara ($7) to boost lash volume by 1,400% (OOH!) and lift by 70% (ahh…), it was like teasing a dog with a piece of bacon.


Shauna the Wonderdog!

Released earlier this summer in a single shade called Black, Volume Flash Max Bold Curves sports a fancy-shmancy brush built with something called “Perfect Fit technology.”

LOL! It seems like every week there’s a new phrase being coined. Perfect Fit’s flexible bristles were shaped to fit lashes perfectly and coat them for maximum lift and volume, and the mascara’s formula, enriched with keratin and collagen, strengthens lashes, getting them ready for serious volume-boosting action.

I gave the waterproof version of Max Volume Flash a try last week, and while it didn’t pump up the volume of my lashes as much as I’d hoped it would, I kept my fingers crossed for Bold Curves. “Please,” I prayed to the makeup gods, “deliver me the tranny lashes I desire so very much.”

Come on, what do ya say?

Well, my prayers went partially answered. I mean, I detect a difference in length and thickness as well as above-average lash lift, and the formula does hold up nicely throughout day, resisting smudges and flaking…

rimmel volume flash max bold curves review
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