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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

Benefit Spring 2009 Full Finish Lipsticks, Come to Mama!

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Benefit’s new spring 2009 Full Finish Lipsticks ($18 each) make me want to bust out the pom poms and cheer for Team Lipstick!


Tabs cheers for Team Lipstick, too…

All three shades dress up this spring in full coverage color — no sheerness here, babes!

Passionista, a shimmery plum with gold micro-glitter adds a punch of color to the lips. I think she’ll look stylin’ paired with violet or gold eyeshadows. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Thrillin’ Brazillian, a shimmery golden peach, could look pretty fab on brown skin. It reminds of MAC High Tea lipstick (a light shimmery peach) but with more intense peach. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Lady’s Choice, a dusty rose pink, works wonders with nude lips. It leans toward the warm end of the spectrum on me. If you’re partial to warmer pinks, you might give Lady’s Choice a try. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Like Benefit’s other Full Coverage lipsticks, these new shades feel thick without seeming heavy. They’re unflavored but have a slight coconut scent that’s noticeable in the tube but almost undetectable applied.

I dunno why, but I’m going totally ga-ga for spring lipsticks. Perhaps the sexy hotness of Chanel’s Rouge Hydrabase lipsticks set the stage. Or maybe the amazing texture of the MAC Cremesheens pushed me over the proverbial lipstick edge. 🙂

Whatever set off my latest obsession, I’m going along with it, LOL! I haven’t been this excited about lipsticks in a long time.
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Benefit Spring 2009 Creaseless Cream Shadows: Fast Forward to Summer

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Sit that luscious booty down, girl, because Benefit’s three new Creaseless Cream Shadows ($19) are all about summer, summer, summer time (remember that Fresh Prince song?).

Buckle your seat belt and hold the eff on!

Technically, the new shades belong to Benefit’s new spring 2009 collection, but they’ve got summer written all over ’em.

Not one to release traditional spring colors just because other companies are, Benefit skipped the usual spring pastels and went with almost tropical coral, gold and violet.


Flyin’ Down To, Sippin’ N Dippin’, Samba-dy Loves Me


Flyin’ Down To, Samba-dy Loves Me, Sippin’ N Dippin’

Like Benefit’s other Creaseless Creams Shadows, the new spring shades feel moist, creamy and apply with rich pigmentation. Color lasts all day sans fading or creasing, too, and they build really well, applying layer upon layer without cake or crust.

As far as value is concerned, they work as more than mere eyeshadows. They multitask like a mo’ fo, filling in for eyeliners and eyeshadow primers in a pinch.

The new colors include…

Flying Down To, a shimmery violet that looks like it’ll look good by itself on the lid or paired with pastel pinks and purples. OOH! Imagine it together with a glossy violet lip. HOTNESS! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A
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Belated Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Feb. 17

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A busy schedule (busy on the couch, ha!) kept Tabs from checking in last Sunday, but he emailed an update a short time ago. That rotten cat went to Fashion Week without telling me… and he bought his ticket to New York on MY credit card.

Needless to say, I am not happy.

Can you spot the four differences between these two pictures of Bryant Park? 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Benefit Hello Flawless Powder Looks Natural

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Say bonjour, bienvenue, hola and hello to Benefit’s newest plan to perfect your complexion: Hello Flawless ($34).

Expect to see it on Benefit counters this April.

It’s a buildable pressed powder that comes in six colors (four are already online). Each contains SPF 15.

I’ve been wearing Hello Flawless in Toffee all weekend long. It evened out my blotchy patches, layering effortlessly to create a canvas of uniform color.

Benefit calls Hello Flawless a flexible Jill-of-all trades powder that you can layer and build depending on your coverage needs. Each shade comes with a brush and a sponge housed in a secret ninja compartment under the compact. The different applicators can be used for different levels of coverage.

If your skin’s in good shape and all you need is sheer coverage, dust Hello Flawless on with the brush. It’ll absorb any excess oil and adds a light veil of color.

But if you get pimples and blotchy skin from time to time, you’re not the only one. When your skin won’t cooperate and you need medium-to-heavy coverage, apply Hello Flawless with the sponge.

After using both the sponge and the brush, I think I prefer the sponge.

The brush left an obvious layer of powder on my face, while the sponge made the powder look like it melted right into my skin. Even though the coverage was heavier with the sponge, I thought it looked more natural.

While some heavy coverage powders make my skin look too matte (like a mannequin), Hello Flawless doesn’t. Applied with the sponge, it covers everything, eliminating all of the red, splotchy patches around my nose, but no matter how much I apply, it doesn’t make my skin look unnatural.

I think it has something to do with the ratio of mica in the powder. Some powders overdo it on the mica. It’s included to add some lifelike illumination, but too much results in greasy looking skin, yuck! Hello Flawless gets the glow just right. It’s shiny but not overly so.

Benefit Hello Flawless Powder

Price: $34
Use: A buildable pressed powder with SPF; comes in sheer to heavy coverages
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

I give Hello Flawless mad props for having SPF and for offering full coverage that still looks natural, but I wish it came in a wider selection of colors.

Even though Toffee was a pretty good match for me, it wasn’t exact. Six colors just isn’t enough, especially for the brown end of the spectrum, yo!

If one of the Hello Flawless shades matches your skin tone, you’re in luck. For those lucky enough to have a match (check the colors they have available now on their site), it’s a great buildable powder.

Fashion Week coverage?

Hey, gals, can I get your input? New York Fashion Week’s in full effect, and I was wondering what ya’ll would like to see in terms of MBB coverage.

Unless you sound off, I’ll just keep chugging along with reviews and business as usual. 🙂

Are you interested in NY Fashion Week Coverage?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Feb. 16

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  1. Mood:

    2. Calm

  2. Eyeshadow I keep reaching for:

    3. Chanel Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow in Delta

  3. Three pieces of clothing that always make me feel great:

    4. Black BCBG suit; red trench coat with white piping; pink “Here Comes Trouble” t-shirt

  4. Shoes:

    5. Pink fuzzy slippers

  5. I told myself this morning to _____:

    6. Calm the eff down and get it done!

  6. I would really like _____:

    7. I would really like to invent chocolate that doesn’t have any calories.

  7. Three bits of advice:

    8. Don’t e-mail when you’re angry. When your inner voice warns you, listen. The only person who can make you feel bad is you.

  8. Three fragrances I love:

    9. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue (reminds me of my wedding day), Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche

  9. Hair:

    10. Messy, low ponytail

  10. Weekly Goals:

    11. Go for walks in the neighborhood, get to bed earlier, finish my reading for school early

Your turn. Just copy the empty list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
Eyeshadow I keep reaching for:
Three pieces of clothing that always make me feel great:
Shoes:
I told myself this morning to _____:
I would really like _____:
Three bits of advice:
Three fragrances I love:
Hair:
Weekly goals:

I hope you’re having a great Monday so far, and I’m looking forward to hearing from ya!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Lip Look: Nars Shrinagar Lipstick and Sweet Revenge Lipgloss

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Apologies, but laziness rules the roost at casa de MBB this Sunday. The rain is sapping my energy. I keep telling myself to hit the gym and to get some work done, but the little voice pushing me to watch the Laguna Beach Season One DVD while grinding on my box of Valentine’s Day chocolates has so far ruled the day.

Mmm… chocolate. 🙂

Speaking of Valentine’s, did you wear anything special on your lips yesterday?

On my V-Day movie date with El Hub last night I went with a shimmery rose Nars combo with Shrinagar lipstick and Sweet Revenge lipgloss.

Sweet Revenge is a shimmery nude pink with a hint of blue and silver micro-glitter. I applied it on top of deep berry Shrinagar to lighten it up. I really like how it look turned out.

Later tonight I have a date with Benefit’s new Spring 2009 Creaseless Cream Shadows and Full-Finish Lipsticks, but Tabs is playing interference. I guess he wants it all to himself, LOL!

I hope you’re staying warm and dry today.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Retro Roundup: One Year Ago on Makeup and Beauty Blog

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WOW! It blows my mind how quickly time flies. I just checked the calendar; it looks like the blog’s second birthday is coming up next week.

According to the WordPress admin panel, this is the 1,068th entry.

DAAAMN!

What should we do to commemorate the occasion? I feel like we should do something…

While I get my bearings this morning (aka sip my coffee), here’s a look back at some of the posts that appeared on the blog a year ago this week. 🙂

MAC Fafi: The Things I Do For Love

“Approaching the MAC store yesterday my spider sense started tingling. I knew deep in my veins the powers-that-be would not let me get swatches and take pictures of Fafi without a fight. I had El Hub, my getaway driver and co-conspirator, circle around the block a few times, with me ducked down in the passenger seat beside him, so I could case the joint before embarking upon the mission. Peering into the store as we circled the block, I could see what I’d be up against.”

9 Random Things: The Getting-to-Know-You Stage

Last week, during dinner at one of my favorite Thai restaurants, there was a couple sitting next to me who were clearly on a first date. My nosy ass couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their conversation between bites of yellow chicken curry (what can I say? I multi-task) and spring rolls. The boy hailed from Texas and liked indie rock; the girl liked to meditate and go hiking. They looked cute together, but there were several awkward moments of silence during which both of them sat there, obviously nervous, nibbling away at the Pad Thai for way too long. It got me thinking about the-getting-to-know-you stage of friendships and relationships…”

MAC Makeup Fafi Tutorial: A Black and Gold Smokey Eye

I finally got my paws on MAC Fafi yesterday, and all I have to say is MEOW! Love it. This morning I busted out a few things from the collection — Fafi Eyes 1 Quad, Nice Vice Paint Pot and the Not So Innocent Lipstick — and created this subtle gold and black smokey eye for work.”

Jurlique Versus La Mer: A Cleansing Lotion Smackdown

“I pitted two popular brands of cleansing lotions head-to-head — La Mer’s The Cleansing Lotion and Jurlique’s Replenishing Cleansing Lotion — and the victor earned a spot alongside my previous cleansing lotion champion, Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple. Two cleansing lotions, one dry face. Which one prevailed in the cleansing lotion smackdown?”

Makeup Inspiration: MAC Fafi Fun ‘n’ Sexy Lipstick, Pink Lilies

“What kinds of things inspire your makeup looks? I get a lot of my ideas for looks from magazines, other beauty blogs and books, but some of my favorite looks are based upon things in nature, especially flowers. I’m a sucker for flowers.”

Don’t Stop Believing

“Why is your friendly neighborhood beauty addict so happy in this picture? A. Because she got her roots highlighted (they had been completely unacceptable and just totally wrong for the past month). B. Because she’s wearing her new favorite lip gloss, Coach 01 Gardenia, which also happens to fit into her favorite Coach wristlet…”

Kiehl’s Spiced Plum Lotion Is Good Enough to Eat

“Food-scented lotions don’t always do a lot for my soul. When I slapped a layer of Kiehl’s Spiced Plum Hand and Body Lotion ($19.50) on my arms the other day, I didn’t expect it to make me want to gnaw them off an half hour later. But that it did.”

Au Revoir Fashion Week: Thanks for the Super-Blended Eye

“I love NY Fashion Week as much as the next girl, but it feels weird lusting after fall looks in the middle of winter. One look that has warmed my winter heart this year is a variation on a classic. The NY runway makeup gods have decreed that we all must bask in the glory that is the smokey eye! The variation I’m referring to is called the “super-blended eye,” and, according to MAC VP of Makeup Artistry Gordon Espinet, we should expect to see a lot of it in all our favorite magazines come fall.”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Saturday Steals, Feb. 14

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What’s up, ladies? The sun peeked through the clouds long enough for my bargin-lurvin’ self to hit the mall for some V-Day R&R. My mission: Valentine’s Day deals.

With the dual-holiday weekend, V-Day/President’s Day, the stores were really pushing their sales hard.

Aerosoles

Aerosoles had a whole bunch of shoes on sale for $10 a pair, like this super cute black high heel, the $79 Trap Mind Pump, with criss-cross detailing in front.

Unfortch, the only Trap Mind left in stock was a pair of size 11s (I wear a 7), pooh!

Too bad these beige patent leather heels with polka dot piping (Benefit Pump, $89) weren’t on sale, but you never know with Aerosoles. They switch up their sale merch often, so hopefully sooner or later they mark ’em down.

J. Crew

This Ruffle Favorite Tank in yellow was heavily marked down — $10, down from $34.50.

What do you think of this giraffe print makeup bag for $15? Not bad, right? If I close my eyes, I can see it filled with MAC. 🙂
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