I can’t wait to dig into Smashbox’s Untamed Waterproof Shadow Liner Trio in Exotic ($29).
Untamed Melody
by Karen 3 Comments
I can’t wait to dig into Smashbox’s Untamed Waterproof Shadow Liner Trio in Exotic ($29).
by Karen 23 Comments

If I don’t get my hands on some Skittles soon, I just might devour my nails, LOL! That’s because they look delicious all painted in fruit candy colors, courtesy of China Glaze Kicks.

Each of these six pink, orange and red nail polishes ($3 each; full collection contains 12 shades) looks good enough to eat — just like the first batch of colors did.
For a look at the 2010 fall collection…
China Glaze Vintage Vixen
The 12-piece collection was inspired by brightly colored tennis shoes, and being a footwear enthusiast (aka I have a shoe obsession, but it isn’t pervy, I swear), I lurve this collection somethin’ fierce!
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by Karen 16 Comments

Imagine actually being able to USE the top of your dresser again for something OTHER than storing piles of random makeup.
Picture a bathroom no longer buried under bottles of moisturizer, yes!
If you’re approaching critical makeup mass — if you can no longer put off the inevitable — then I hope this morning’s 12 More Makeup Storage Ideas can help.
If you liked this post, check out last week’s 21 Ways to Store Your Makeup and 21 MORE Ways to Store Your Makeup.
by Karen 58 Comments

As a kid I was fascinated by pyramids and ancient Egyptian burial rituals. One day, I read that old school Eygyptians were buried with all the things they’d need in the afterlife. That gave me an idea: I listed all of the things I’d bring with me into MY pyramid for MY journey to the great beyond.
I think I needed to get out more…
Every once in a while (like today), I’ve revisited my list of afterlife necessities.
Permanent items on the list: Tabs, toilet paper and an endless supply of Strawberry Pop Tarts.

The latest additions to the list: Shu Uemura’s Pink Collection of lipglosses and lipsticks.
If I could take all nine Rouge Unlimited Pink Lipsticks ($23 each) and five Gloss Unlimited Pink lipglosses ($22 each) with me, my pink lip needs would be eternally covered.

What makes the new line so special? It’s the pink. Shu scientists created a new ingredient they call “Pink Hybrid Pigment.”
They claim it’s a perfectly shaped pigment particle able to produce unusual pink lip shades, with yellow and blue tints, previously unseen in the world of makeup.

I’ve tested five of the shades so far. I couldn’t say whether they’re unlike any other pinks ever created before, but they’re definitely true pinks in every sense of the word.

You know how sometimes you try on a pink lipstick or gloss that ends up looking more coral, red or plum than pink? These shades aren’t like that at all. First and foremost, they’re pink, with the blue and yellow tints adding subtly cool (blue) or warm (yellow) elements.
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by Karen 5 Comments
Ernest Hemingway’s writing space in Key West, Florida.
by Karen 9 Comments

Can you fill in the blank?
You see the “S” is for super and the “U” is for unique.
The “P” is for perfection and you know that we are freaks.
The “E” is for exotic and the “R” is for raps.
So tell those nosy people just to ___________.
(The picture: Sonia Kashuk Bare Minimum Pressed Powder Bronzer, $10)
by Karen 45 Comments

How frickin’ awesome are these bright shades from the new China Glaze Kicks Collection?
I had a blast swatching these first six shimmery shades from the vibrant 12-piece spring collection ($3 a bottle; more swatches to follow).
The collection’s bold blues, greens, oranges and pinks were inspired by colorful tennis shoes — the young’ns call ’em kicks — but they remind me of Skittles.

Custom Kicks is my favorite of the ones shown here. It’s the shimmery blueish teal at the top.
This one takes me back, all the way back to my very first shoe crush…
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by Karen 25 Comments

I’m always on the lookout for beauty bargains and news, so when Glam Media asked me to review the newly expanded cosmetics department in Walmart stores, I cleared out some haulage space in the back of the 4-Runner and drove out to the closest store.
I haven’t been to a Walmart in years. The store I reviewed is in Richmond, spread out on two floors, but once inside it only took a minute to spot the large “Cosmetics” sign showing me where to go.

In terms of selection, the new department dwarfs anything I’ve seen in a while. It’s huge, to say the least (three long aisles; I’m guessing 600 square feet of cosmetics).

They carry most of the big drugstore brands like Neutrogena, Almay and Covergirl. The only product I looked for but couldn’t find was Sally Hansen Lipgloss, but the store did have Sally’s nail polishes.

It was time for the ultimate test: the price check, so I parked my boo-tay in front of the Rimmel section and went to work.
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