Karen, Author at Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup - Page 1725 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

What’s the Best Way to Save Money on Beauty Without Sacrificing Too Much?

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Save on beauty without sacrificing too muchMost women say the economy is affecting how much they spend on beauty products and services, according to a recent survey by DailyMakeover.com, with well over half reporting they’re spending less on makeup, hair products and salons.

Almost half (47%) of the women surveyed said they’d already changed brands to save money. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) said they would change lipstick, and two-thirds (66%) said they would change shampoo and/or conditioner. Other items included blush/bronzer (67%) lotions/cleansers (64%) and foundation (57%).

The economy sucks, and we have to hang on long enough for things to turn around.

If you’ve started cutting back on beauty, what were the first things to go? Is your beauty regimen suffering, or are you getting by with less? Have you stopped getting salon pedicures, switched brands of moisturizer or limited yourself to fewer products per month?

Are you spending less across the board or eliminating your spending on some things to be able to maintain your spending on something else?

What’s the best way to save money on beauty without sacrificing too much?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Comment to Win Philosophy 3-in-1 Shower Gels

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The giveaway is now closed, and the winner will be contacted soon.

philosophy shampoo shower gel bubble bath

Have you ever loved the taste and scent of something so much that you’d close your eyes and imagine your entire body covered in it?

The people behind Philosophy’s 3-in-1 Shower Gels must have because the products have foody fairy tale written all over ’em.

After your swim in that lake of warm chocolate or the jig you danced beneath that rainbow of gumdrops or Skittles, get cleaned up with one of several yummy 3-in-1 flavors, each inspired by the bakeshop.

Enter to win two of them today — Vanilla Birthday Cake and Pink Frosted Layer Cake.

The prize

philosophy shampoo shower gel bubble bath 2

One lucky lady will win two 16oz Philosophy Shower Gels, one in Vanilla Birthday Cake and the other in Pink Frosted Layer Cake (a $32 value).

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 dessert of all time! cupcake-sm

Mine is Baskin Robbins’ vanilla/chocolate ice cream cake (and fudge brownies and cheesecake and…).

Second, enter by subscribing to my updates by email if you haven’t already. They’re once-a-day emails with drugstore makeup reviews, makeup looks and beauty product news.
(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.
  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 the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59PM PST Sunday night.

Good luck, sweet thangs!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Shu Uemura Cream Eyeshadow: Pictures, Swatches and First Impressions

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Shu Uemura Cream Eye Shadow 1

Shu Uemura is tackling cream eyeshadows in a big way with their new nine-piece collection, and I couldn’t be happier.

I’m all about cream shadows like Miss J’s all about fierce! They’re easy to apply with or without a brush and play well with others (layered beneath powdered shadows, for example) or by themselves.

miss j is too fierce

Each Shu Cream Eyeshadow ($30) is available in either a matte or pearl finish with a texture that feels drier and thinner than other cream shadows I’ve tried (MAC Paint Pots, Benefit Creaseless Creams and Bobbi Brown Long-Wear). They remind me of how the MAC Shadesticks feel.

Shu Uemura Cream Eye Shadow 3
Light Green

Shu Uemura Cream Eye Shadow 2
Light Blue

Shu Uemura Cream Eye Shadow 4
Brown

Shu Uemura Cream Eye Shadow 6
White

Shu Uemura Cream Eye Shadow 5
Sand Brown

Shu Uemura Cream Eye Shadow 8
Swatches of Brown, Light Green, Light Blue with flash
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Face of the Day: Blues and Greens from MAC, DuWop, Dior and Cargo

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cargo tahiti palette fotd

What’s up, ladies? TGIF! I hope it was a good week for you. Mine felt like it flew by quicker than Ralph Tresvant’s solo career. Exciting new spring makeup from DuWop, MAC and Dior helped to pass the time. 🙂

dior cristal collection coral riviera blush product shot

Yesterday I played with some of the new products and put my camera to the test. Stay tuned for full reviews of Fountain of Youth Foundation, Circle Block Concealer, Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder and Coral Riviera Blush over the coming days. 🙂

Face and cheeks

  • DuWop Fountain of Youth Foundation: I’m really liking the dewy finish of this light-medium coverage foundation. It looks natural, without looking oily, in both pictures and real life, but I’m still on the fence as far as the brush applicator, which seems to handle distribution better than it handles blending.
  • DuWop Circle Block Concealer: I feel just so-so about this concealer/ corrector combo. The peachy color corrector does a decent job covering up dark circles, but finding the ideal ratio of corrector to concealer has been a little tricky. The first time I tried it I guessed wrong and applied way too much of the corrector, which left my under eye area looking orange and kinda gross. This one’s gonna take some practice to figure out.
  • MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder: WOW! Color me blown away. This powder has game. It adds a natural glow to my skin and appears to soften the look of fine lines and pores. I also dig that it doesn’t look chalky or heavy in pictures. I’m in love…
  • Dior Coral Riviera Blush: Um, hello hotness? This blush delivers a warm bronze, with a coral hue and shimmery golden glow all in one fell swoop. From the swatches, I expected more of a straight coral blush with golden shimmer, but a surprising amount of bronze showed up on my cheeks. And it’s the bronze tint that makes me think Coral Riviera’s gonna look smokin’ hot with a summertime tan.

cargo tahiti palette eye closeup

The eyes and lips

Since I was in the mood for some color in the look, I went with a green and blue eye using Cargo Tahiti Palette and Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof Liner, finishing with a shimmery coral lip using Dior Addict Gloss in Coral Lame. Side note: Coral Lame was a limited edition gloss, but if you’re looking for something similar, try Laura Mercier Lip Glace Lipgloss in Bellini. 🙂
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Would You Bling Out Your Puppy’s Paws?

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pet-nails-1

Add Color Paw Nail Appliques ($10 for a pack of four sticker sheets) to the list of strange beauty gear for pets.

When I came across these on Pet Sugar I thought the pic was clever Photoshoppery, but no, it’s for reals!

Sorry, cat lovers — the stickers aren’t approved for kitty claws.

Tabs just let out a BIG sigh of relief, LOL!

Are you and your pup down with pet nail appliques?

View Results

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Clinique Turnaround Body Cream: Turn Around Dry Skin

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clinique turnaround body cream

When I slather on Clinique’s new Turnaround Body Cream ($28), I feel compelled to belt out Bonnie Tyler’s power ballad, Total Eclipse of the Heart.

“Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit lonely
And you’re never coming round
Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears.”

bonnie-tyler

If you were born after 1986, you might be more familiar with Nicki French’s cheesier and less powerful version of the tune.

Either way, stop playing like you don’t know the lyrics because I know you do!

In addition to bringing about weird singing urges, Turnaround Body Cream also hydrates crazy good.

It’s part of a crop of new exfoliating face and body treatments Clinique released earlier this year. Clinique says the cream does double duty, eliminating dryness and reviving dull-looking skin with ingredients like time-released salicylic acid and shea butter.
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