Karen, Author at Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup - Page 1712 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

How Do You Keep Your Mascara From Smudging?

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mascara1

Hey, girls. Raise your hands if you’ve ever had trubs with mascara smudging at the end of the night. Yes, I’ve been there, done that, too. MBB Babe Amanda recently sent an email asking what she could do to avoid the dreaded end-of-the-night (or day) mascara smudge, and I thought ya’ll might be able to help.

Amanda would like to know…

Mascara application seems to be easy, but at the end of the night (after the party), I can see smudges below my eye (right on the eye circles). I believe these are mascara smudges because they’re black … and they don’t look really pretty. 🙁

Can you give me advice and some techniques on how to apply mascara PROPERLY, so I can avoid these smudges in the future?

Heya, Amanda. I’ve noticed three things when it comes to avoiding the dreaded mascara smudge at the end of the night.

First, waterproof doesn’t necessarily mean smudge-proof. Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara, for example, tends to smudge on me, so it’s not a given that waterproof products won’t ever smudge.

Second, I always make sure I’ve removed any excess mascara from the wand before I use it. Before I apply mascara, I’ll gently swipe the brush head against a clean paper towel. Just one quick swipe is fine. It removes any extra mascara from the brush and seems to make a big difference in terms of reducing smudging for me.

Third, no two mascaras are alike when it comes to smudging. You might need to try a few before you find one that won’t smudge on you, but two mascaras I DON’T recommend are Maybelline Great Lash ($5) and Givenchy Phenom Eyes ($28). They tend to smudge like mad on me, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll smudge on you. To a degree, it boils down to trial and error and personal preference.

Here are a few mascaras that I’ve had good luck with: Stila Lash Visor ($12.50), Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara ($14), Chanel Exceptionnel Mascara ($30), MAC Mascara X ($12.50) and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black ($8).

If you end up trying any of these, purchase your tube from a store with a good return policy (like Sephora or Rite Aid), and save your receipt. That way, you can return it if it doesn’t work out. 🙂

MBB gals, do you have any other advice for Amanda? Are you, too, plagued by smudgy mascara?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Comment to Win Physicians Formula

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Update: This giveaway is closed. I’ll be announcing the winner soon. Thanks for entering!

physicians formula organic wear shimmer strips mineral wear giveaway

HOLLA! Sometimes I feel like we should be rewarded for making it through the week. I wish I could COMMAND makeup to RAIN DOWN UPON US from the sky, like a cosmetics version of “Storm” from the X-Men. 🙂

Unfortunately, I can’t make it rain lipgloss (shoot!), but I can announce a Saturday giveaway.

How about some Physicians Formula?

The prize

One lucky lady will win a prize package containing four items from the Physicians Formula makeup line:

physicians formula shimmer strips hazel eyes

physicians formula smoky blue eyes shimmer strips custom eye enhancing shadow and liner

physicians formula pink organics blush

physicians formula perfecting mineral concentrate

How to enter…

There are a couple ways to enter the giveaway, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

First, enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. In it, tell me your favorite thing about weekends.

My favorite thing about weekends is not having to set my alarm!

Second, you can enter by subscribing to my updates by email (if you haven’t already). They’re once-a-day emails with my daily posts. You’ll get beauty reviews looks, makeup tutorials and fun giveaways like this one.
(Note: if you’re already subscribed, you’re automatically entered to win.)

Recap…

  1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win, or…
  2. Sign up for my updates by email if you haven’t already. Just enter your email address using the form below, or click this link.

Enter your email address:

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59PM PST Sunday night.

Good luck, cutie pies!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beauty Snacks: Reviews of the Day, Apr. 18

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Reviews of the Day, Apr. 18, 2009

Good morning, glories! I’ve got my coffee in hand, browsing the web like I usually do to wake myself up. Did you sleep well?

I found a few interesting reviews on my Net travels this AM…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reformulated Curly Sexy Hair: A Little Curlier, Little Sexier

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curly-sexy-hair-all-1

How’s it going tonight, ladies? I just finished dinner and wanted to check in before bed. Do you remember last week’s A.C. Slater flashback? It was when I started testing the newly re-formulated Curly Sexy Hair line.

After a week using the six products, I think there are a few I’ll keep in my regular rotation, but I’m still on the market for a moisturizing conditioner.

  • Moisturizing Shampoo ($13): It builds into a foamy lather that gently cleanses without stripping or irritating my scalp. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B
  • Moisturizing Conditioner ($14): My least favorite product of the bunch… It infuses curls with light moisture and doesn’t weigh down my hair, but it’s not the best detangler. I had to use four large handfuls and that barely worked. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C
  • Spray Detangler ($15): It removes knots, moisturizes and increases the definition of my curls, but it takes forever to use on a big head of hair. That’s because I found the only way it worked was if I sprayed from roots to ends and combed it through with my fingers. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B
  • Liquid Curling Gel ($16): This one defines and holds my curls all day long without leaving them crunchy. I think my favorite part about it is that the gel doesn’t feel goopy or sticky. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B
  • Curl Power Spray Foam ($16): Using it, my curls do look a little more curly than usual. I think it would work better on thin, curly hair that’s more manageable than mine. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B
  • Curling Creme ($16): To ramp up the shine and add some definition to curls, the Curling Creme gets the job done. It even adds a little weight, which helps to keep my unruly ends under control. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Apart from the conditioner, I think the line is just okay. All of the products have the same yummy light green apple scent and do work to a respectable degree. None of them made my scalp flake, which happens sometimes with new hair stuff. I’m glad about that, and I think my curls are a little better defined and under more control than they’d been prior to last week, but the overall effect hasn’t been significant enough for me to run out and scream from the rooftops, ya know?

Yay, weekend!

We made it!

Tomorrow night I’m supposed to go to a friend’s birthday shindig here. It’s a mile-long walking tour of supposedly haunted places in SF. Sounds like fun, but I hope none of the ghosts follow me home!

Hope you’re having a great night.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Seychelles for Smashbox Pretty In Peep Toes: Makeup Plus Shoes Equals Heaven

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seychelles for smashbox pretty in peep toes palette 1

“Oh, baby, do you know what that’s worth? Oh, heaven is a place on earth.” –Belinda Carlisle

Seychelles makes shoes known for their quirky, vintage style (hence, why I love them), and this spring, they’ve teamed up with Smashbox Cosmetics on a small, limited edition collection of makeup AND shoes called Seychelles for Smashbox: Pretty in Peep Toes.

Seriously, I could just die! Makeup inspired by high heels and high heels inspired by makeup?

Belinda Carlisle was right.

The small collection includes the Pretty in Peep Toes Palette ($42) and The Temptress shoe ($90), both sold exclusively at Nordstrom stores.

Pretty in Peep Toes (shown above) comes with a gray cream liner, five eyeshadows (vanilla, pink champagne, taupe, dark teal and light purple), a shimmery golden highlighting powder and a coral blush — all wrapped up in a chic, reusable wallet (I think you can remove the palette).

seychelles for smashbox pretty in peep toes palette the temptress

And then there’s The Temptress — a woven peep-toe, patent leather platform shoe. Right now on the Nordstrom site, they’re showing it available in two colors, pink and black, but I think the shoe also comes in white and tan.

Doesn’t the pink shoe totes match the palette?

Is anyone else drooling and pawing at their monitor right now? LOL!
[Continue reading…]

Keira Knightley: Her Best Hair?

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Keira Knightley's best hair?

From the wee age of three, Keira Christina Knightly (born March 26, 1985) knew she wanted to be in pictures. She begged her mother for an agent, and finally, at the age of six, she got one as a reward for studying hard.

The first time I saw her on screen was in the 2003 movie Bend It Like Beckham. I thought she was lovely, and that short hair — so spunky!

Since then, Keira’s star has steadily risen. She’s appeared in a host of blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean (yargh, mateys!) with my man Johnny Depp…

… and been up for some big awards already, earning Best Actress nominations from the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for her roles in Pride and Prejudice and Atonement.

Throughout her career Keira’s changed her hair often, going from short to long and dark to light. She always looks distinctive and sassy with short hair, but I dig those long locks, too.

Which of Keira's hairstyles do you like most?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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