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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

Happy Birthday: Makeup and Beauty Blog Turns 2!

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makeup and beauty blog second birthday cupcake

Hey, ladies!

Today the blog turns two, and I decided to celebrate by dressing her in a new outfit. 🙂

I’m still working out the kinks. Shouldn’t be long now…

Oh! Tabs just got back from New York Fashion Week. After inhaling two cans of Friskies he hopped on my computer and pulled up his new blog, Party with Tabs.

party with tabs

I have no clue where that cat finds the time for all this stuff: modeling, acting and now blogging, too?

On the new blog Tabs will report celebrity news, dish on gossip and review fashion and beauty accessories.

Let me know what you think of both sites, the new Makeup and Beauty Blog and (introducing!) Party with Tabs.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Great Brown MAC Eyeshadows

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Hi, girls. I hope you had a good day today. Onward to Friday!

I enjoyed afternoon tea at Crown & Crumpet in the city. Did you know that a lot of fancy hotels offer afternoon tea service, where you get your choice of different teas, of course, and tasty hors d’oeuvres? It’s a great way to unwind when you’re in the mood for a treat.

Speaking of fun, how do you feel about brown eyeshadow? I’m a big fan, and MAC makes some of my favorites (click here for the video).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Which crew do you think will go home tonight on America’s Best Dance Crew? I have a feeling it’ll be Fly Kicks.

Nude Lips and New York Fashion Week

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While models dressed up for Fashion Week, their lips dressed down, as several designers sent nude lips down the catwalk. Peach, pink and even beige lip shades ruled the runway in finishes of matte and high gloss.

What we see at Bryant Park can signal upcoming trends, like nude lips for fall 2009, but I think the look’s perennial. Go Team Nudes!

I’ve been spotting examples of it all week long… Here are some ideas to try at home.

At the Oscar de la Renta show (pictured at top), the lips were natural, pink and glossy.

For lips inspired by the same look, start by lining your pucker with MAC Cremestick Liner in Pink Treat, a creamy warm rose. Then, add one layer of a pale, shimmery beige lipstick — I used MAC lipstick in Quiet, Please.

For more glossy shine, top it off with pink and shimmery MAC Lipglass in Cherry Blossom.

The lips at the Narciso Rodriguez show were all about the matte, peach and nude.

I like this one because it’s pretty easy. Apply one layer of warm and peachy MAC Mattene lipstick in Flattering (a matte lipstick), applied straight from the tube.

My favorite nude lips at Bryant Park this week have been the peachy, glossy lips at the Anna Sui show.

Begin by lining your lips with MAC Cremestick liner in Honey B., a creamy peach.

Then, layer shimmery peach Benefit Full Finish Lipstick in Thrillin’ Brazillian directly on top.

Finish with some clear gloss, like (try MAC Lipglass in Clear), slicked over the whole lip.

I think nude lips look fantastic with pretty much any eye look, but they look exceptionally stunning when paired with smokey eyes (click for a simple smokey eye).

Tea and crumpets


A peek inside Crown & Crumpet

The sun is making an unscheduled appearance today, yea! This, after more than a week of gloom and rain, so I’m playing hooky to meet a friend for tea and crustless finger sandwiches in San Francisco this afternoon. 🙂

I hope you’re having good day so far. Let me know how you’ve been.

Your neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Spring 2009 Makeup: A Few Favorites So Far

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Winter’s in full effect, but it’s been all about spring here on Makeup and Beauty Blog. Here’s a quick look at some of my favorite spring collections so far.

Spring 2009 Makeup: A Few Favorites So Far

Lancome Pink Irreverence Spring 2009 Collection: Downtown Pink = Hotness

“Lancome chose to do something a little bolder than usual for a spring release. If Chanel’s Bohemian Fantasy and Dior’s Lady Dior collections were meant for sundresses and sandals, then Pink Irreverence was made for little black dresses and four-inch, black patent leather stilettos.”

Urban Decay Spring 2009: A Recessionista’s Guide

“The economy’s got a lot of us rethinking our beauty spending habits. If you’re looking to save dough but still want in on the spring collection action, Urban Decay’s Eric Jimenez suggests looking for makeup that multitasks.”

Estee Lauder Spring 2009 Fuchsia Now Sings with Soft Color

“Like Monet’s brush strokes, Estee Lauder’s Spring 2009 Fuschia Now collection sings with soft shades of color. Estee Lauder organized the products in this release into two camps: the Cool Pinks (purples and pinks) and the Warm Nudes (browns and beige).”

Let Lippmann Take You Back to the 80s with Spring Collection 2009

“Flash back to the ’80s with Lippmann’s two new spring 2009 nail polish shades. Available next month, both colors pay homage to two of the biggest song hits of the decade, Prince’s Purple Rain and Michael Jackson’s P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).”

Chanel Spring 2009 Hydrabase Lipsticks: Red, Coral and Pink Bold Lips

“Toot-toot! All aboard the Chanel Spring 2009 Bohemian Fantasy Rouge Hydrabase Lipstick train (what a mouthful!). It’s a non-stop ride straight to the land of decadent reds, corals and pinks. Are you ready to roll?”

Smashbox Muse Collection Spring 2009 Face of the Day

“No, girls, I’m not a big fan of winter, and today I was missing the sunshine somethin’ fierce. I felt cold to my bones and turned, as I often do, to makeup for warmth. I turned to the Smashbox Muse Collection for Spring 2009 hoping that its fresh colors and cheerful packaging would light a fire under my…”

Givenchy Sari Spring 2009: Product Packaging Hotness!

“The year may have just begun, but I bet the Givenchy Sari collection goes down in the 2009 history books as one of the best looking collections this year. Don’t these compacts make you wanna shoop?”

Glitter Is Good: The Bobbi Brown Blushed Pink Collection

“This spring, Bobbi Brown is going beyond her famous “I’m not wearing makeup” bag o’ tricks and taking a chance on glittery pastel eyes with the Blushed Pink collection.”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Can’t forget MAC Hello Kitty! — but Tabs thinks of it as more of a celebrity release than a seasonal one. 🙂

I’ve Got the Blues… I’ve Got the Clarins Ultramarine Eye Pencil Blues

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Eons ago in chemistry lab, I learned the hard way (don’t touch fire!) that the hottest part of a flame burns blue.

Wouldn’t you know it? — the same holds true for the Clarins Ultramarine Eye Pencil ($23, new for spring 2009).

Ultramarine’s dark, shimmery sapphire blue put me into a trance. It applies with lots of pigment, gliding along the skin and depositing a rich blue line with barely any tugging at the skin.

It’s not waterproof, but it wears well along the lash line. On me it starts to smudge a little after six hours.

It even works great layered beneath powder eyeshadows. I tried pairing it with a mix of the violet, teal and pink shades from the Clarins Nature Temptations Palette for a psychedelic duo chrome effect that flashed from pink to green to teal to blue. 🙂
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BARGAIN ALERT: Clarins Nature Temptations Palette Is Unnaturally Tempting

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Clarins must have designed their spring 2009 Nature Temptations Eye Colour Palette ($40) to tempt makeup lovers ruthlessly and without mercy. Floral embossed eyeshadow pans, a sexy silver compact and six hard-to-resist spring colors (get a load of that teal, AYE!) — it’s like tempting a dog with bacon!

Resistance appears futile, homies.

But check it: this palette is one of the best deals you’ll find this spring. Clarins set the price at $40, which at first glance seems expensive, but once you crunch the numbers the Nature Temptations Palette turns out to be a total bargain.


Swatches with flash

The palette contains six large pans of shimmery eyeshadow. Clarins mixed in three neutrals (tan, pink and peach) with three brights (plum, violet and plum), providing a balance of practical and fun shades. And like all the other Clarins eyeshadows I’ve tried, all six layer and blend to perfection, never appearing heavy or cakey on the skin.

A little quick makeup math reveals that the eyeshadows in the Nature Temptations Palette cost less per pan than any other eyeshadow Clarins currently sells. 🙂


Swatches without flash

Clarins sells eyeshadows in single pans for $20 each and in quads for $40 (versus $80 if four pans are purchased separately).

Nature Temptations stretches your dollars even more. Since you get six colors, each one breaks down to $6.60! Plus, I think the pans in the Nature Temptations Palette are a little larger than the pans in the regular quads.

Further Clarins Eyeshadow Research…

  1. A Blue, Pink and Silver Eye with Clarins So Sublime Quartet
  2. Clarins Jazzy Colours Fall Collection: Cooler than Jazz Hands

With six colors, there are endless possibilities for eye looks. I played with two this morning…

1. I started with violet on the lid and a slice of teal eyeshadow on bottom lash line.

2. Then, I switched it up with some plum. If the pastel look above says “I’m fun,” then this plum look says to the world, “I am a responsible citizen who pays my bills on time, yo.”
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7 Steals: Makeup and Beauty for $10 or Less

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Good morning, cuties! I spent last night cruising the web, reading my favorite gossip blogs (OMG, what heck is going on with Chris Brown?!?) and scouring beauty sites for steals and deals. 🙂

Here’s what I found…

7 Steals: Makeup and Beauty for $10 or Less

1. Stila Glaze Lip Liner Collection, $7 (originally $42!)
Girl, if you don’t snag this collection of five Stila Glaze lip liners in brown, crimson, red, lavender and plum, I surely will!

2. Benefit Her Glossiness, $9 (originally $18)
It looks like Benefit plans to discontinue the Her Glossiness lipgloss line, but for now six of the colors are still up for grabs.

3. Smashbox Sheer Lip Pencil, $10.50 (originally $14)
If you don’t like the look of heavy, thick lip pencils, give Smashbox’s Sheer Lip Pencils a go. Choose from two sale shades, Craze (brown) or Muse (pinky brown).

4. Stila Sun Highlighter, $9.20 (originally $24)
I love Stila Sun Highlighter in Shade 2. It looks natural and never, ever turns orange on my skin.

5. Sephora Ivory Pencil Case, $10 (originally $15)
Need a place to store those five Stila Glaze lip liners from the top of this list? How about this sleek pencil case? 😉

6. Too Faced Duo Eye Shadow Duos, $6.80 (originally $17)
Too Faced Shadows offer rich pigmentation and lots of shimmer. Better snag a few of these duos while we can.

7. Sephora Brand Glitter Lipstick $5 (originally $12)
Treat those lips special (after all, they’re been good to you, right?) with Sephora’s Glitter Lipsticks.

Here’s my question for you: Do you know of any good upcoming or ongoing makeup deals?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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