Karen

Golden Lips and Golden Girls: Chanel Gold Shine and Clinique Party Red

December 12th, 2008 by Karen 28 Comments

You know how The Golden Girls is one of my favorite TV shows, right?

Well, this morning I decided to pay homage to Blanche — she’s the sassy Southern one — with a lip look using Chanel Gold Shine Glossimer and Clinique Party Red Lipstick.

From left to right: Clinique Party Red Lipstick, Chanel Gold Shine Glossimer

The Golden Girls was an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a Miami, Florida home. The Golden Girls won several awards, including two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. All four stars won at least one Emmy Award throughout the show’s entire run.

Of course, I *had* to name this combo “The Blanche,” after the show’s resident man magnet, Blanche Marie Elizabeth Hollingsworth Devereaux.

Actress Rue McClanahan played Blanche.

I think it’d be a good lip look for a black tie holiday party… What do you think?

What I Want for Christmas

The necklace is fo’ reals! It’s by TrashedClothing ($20), a store on Etsy. I saw it mentioned on the Shibuya Baby Jewels Blog! I. Must. Have. It.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Makeup for Work: Club and Woodwinked Eyeshadows

December 12th, 2008 by Karen 34 Comments

Happy Friday, ladies!

I’m feeling retro today — wait, let me back up.

Get it?

Retro MAC, that is! I’m sporting two of my very first MAC eyeshadow purchases, Club and Woodwinked (both part of the permanent collection). I could write sonnets on both of these colors, as they’ve seen me through a lot over the past few years.

Club, a shimmery duochorome, flashes from green to brown, and Woodwinked is a warm, shimmery gold. Today I paired ’em for this easy, breezy, work-friendly daytime eye.

Club and Woodwinked

This is one of the looks I wear when I want to look kinda chic but not overdone.

To start, I applied MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl on the lid with a MAC 239 Eye Shading Brush.

Then, I applied Club on the lid, Woodwinked in the crease and Malt eyeshadow on the browbone with a Sonia Kashuk Large Eyeshadow Brush.

After that, I blended away the harsh lines with the MAC 217 Blending Brush.

To line the eyes, I used MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack on the upper lash line with a Laura Mercier Flat Eye Liner Brush.

I applied MAC Powersurge Eye Kohl on the lower water line and then added a soft line of Woodwinked on the lower lash line with the ever-handy Sonia Kashuk Angeled Eyeshadow brush.
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5 Plum Posts: An Ode to Purple Makeup

December 12th, 2008 by Karen 8 Comments

MAC Makeup How-to: Bold Red and Purple Eye with Light Lips and Cheeks

“…I need a little help when it comes to using bold colors, so I followed the directions for this bright red and purple eye featured on the MAC Website. This is the ‘Her Fancy’ look, one of four Antiquitease face charts.”

How To: A Purple Smokey Eye with Stila Convertible Eye Color in Violet

“Stila Convertible Eye Color in Violet made quick work of this smokey purple eye. The Violet shade’s pencil is a shimmery, dark plum; the coordinating shadow is a shimmery lavender.”

Get the Clinique Blackberry Bloom Look: Purple Smokey Eyes, Berry Lips and Cheeks

“Everyone loves blackberries. Take Clinique, for example. Next month they’re introducing Blackberry Bloom, a collection of violet and plum eye, lip and cheek makeup for the holidays. The first time I saw the gorgeous model in this promotional picture — her smokey purple eyes, berry lips and cheeks — I about fell over in my chair!”

Essie Winter 2008 Nail Polishes: Her Royal Hotness

“Well, cover me in jewels, and bring my royal scepter because the regal shades of rich purple, deep ruby and gold make the Essie Winter 2008 collection ($8 each) a royal tour de force! The colors remind me of His Royal Purpleness, Prince, from the height of Purple Rain fame.”

MAC Cosmetics Face of the Day: A Smokey Eye with MAC Pigment in Purple

“Layering extends the staying power of your eyeshadow and provides extra dimension. Try starting with a layer of a cream product — I like MAC Paint Pots, MAC Paint and MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl — and applying a powdered eyeshadow on top of the cream.”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Cosmetics Chill Collection: Swatches and First Impressions

December 11th, 2008 by Karen 24 Comments

There’s a chill in the air this Christmas, and MAC gets all the credit. The MAC Chill collection arrives on counters this December 26, and I can’t wait!

The collection’s eyeshadows, Lipglasses, glitters and new pen eyeliner heavily feature shades of gray, pink and black.

I’m really stoked about the eyeshadows; they’re going to make some great smokey eyes.

The swatches here cover all of the products in the release except for two — Vellum eyeshadow and Naked Lipglass. I’ll got those up as soon as I can.

In the pics above and below there may also be a renegade shimmery-bronze Lipglass (#6). I’d thought I was swatching Naked (not literally, LOL!), but the shade doesn’t like a shimmmery taupe, which is how MAC had described it.

Eyeshadows

1. Arctic Gray: Frosty mid-gray
2. Apres-Ski: Matte dark brown-gray
3. Mont Black: Shimmery black with gold flecks
4. Winter Sky: Frosty neutral pink

Note: The missing shade, Vellum, is a pale white duochrome with violet shimmer.

Lipglasses

5. Frozen Dream: Shimmery mid-tone pink
6. * See note below
7. Snowscene: Shimmery white with pink, purple, blue and green glitter
8. Icescape: Shimmery pale pink

* Note: Swatch #6 could be a mistake. I had it listed as Naked, a sheer taupe with silver pearlized pigments, but that’s obviously not the right shade.

Glitters

9. Reflects Transparent Teal: Shimmery white and blue glitter
10. Reflects Antique Gold: Shimmery gold glitter

Penultimate Liner

11. Rapidblack: Deep black matte

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Go Purple with Diorshow Plum Mascara

December 11th, 2008 by Karen 25 Comments

Ladies, I’m plum tuckered out! After fall’s flood of faux plum mascaras (ahem, Benefit BadGal Plum and Clarins Wonder Plum), I started to think plum lashes were the stuff of legend — just something from the land of make believe, like unicorns and hit movies starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.

But Dior had a little something to say about that. They’ve proved me wrong with their limited edition Diorshow Plum Mascara ($24). Finally! A plum mascara that actually looks purple on lashes and not just the brush.

Because this is the first mascara I’ve seen all season to actually bring the plum, I’d like to marvel at its purple-osity for a moment.

*pauses*

Ahhh…

Two layers of Diorshow Plum turns my knees to jelly. The mascara excels at three things: delivering rich purple color, lengthening lashes dramatically and keeping a curl all day long.

Now, in a perfect world, the formula would thicken a little better than it does, maybe more like Chanel Exceptionnel mascara (aka the motha of all thickening mascaras!), and the humongous brush makes it difficult to coat and separate lashes individually (keep a lash comb handy), but those are minor quibbles, all things considered.

Diorshow Plum Mascara

Price: $24
Use: Longer, thicker purple lashes, hallelujah!
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

I can’t wait to pair it with gold eyeshadow!

What’s your favorite tinted mascara?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beauty Snacks: Sites of the Day, December 11

December 11th, 2008 by Karen 11 Comments

A Sleek and Classy Ponytail for the Holidays

If you need a new hairstyle for your next holiday party, try the uber easy, super slick ponytail.

Extra Credit: See if You Can Name All the MAC Brushes

I love the subtle smokey eye look that Kim Kardashian rocks in this how-to makeup video.

Black Market Haircuts

Shh… keep it on the down low: welcome to the stealth world of the underground hair party!

Surfing, USA

The Billabong Pipeline Masters, an annual surf contest held at the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, is happening right now. These six footers are small for Pipeline, but I can only dream about surfing waves like this!

I See You Lookin’ at My Booty

All week long I’ve been walking around the house singing, “I see you lookin’ at my booty, booty, booty… booty!” because of this song.

Curly Hair Woes

Every curly-haired woman has her own story, and sometimes the happily ever after comes in the form of a flat iron.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Cosmetics Dame Edna Collection Swatches and First Impressions

December 10th, 2008 by Karen 57 Comments

I watched Dame Edna work the runway and fire up the crowd for a charity auction at Macy’s Passport earlier this year… Yup, if you’d told me then that she’d be coming out with her own MAC collection, I would have thought you were kidding, but here we are, LOL!

Here’s a sneak peak and a few swatches from the upcoming collection, which is due on counters December 26.

Like Le Grande Dame herself, the collection is a little odd. It’s heavy on blue-based shades and frosty finishes with splashes of coral. I haven’t figured out how it’s all supposed to mesh together, but I think I’ll have a better idea once MAC posts the face charts online.

What do you think of the colors?

Royal Tour Eye Shadow Trio

1. Royal Tour: Shimmery cool purple
2. Dame’s Desire: Frosty pale purple
3. Climate Blue: Shimmery purple-blue

Wisteria Eye Shadow Trio

4. Wisteria: Frosty pale Tiffany blue
5. Fireshine: Frosty silver
6. Divine Night: Frosty charcoal

Powders

7. Spectacle!: Matte pale pink
8. What a Dame!: Matte pale peach

Lipsticks

9. Kanga Rouge: Creamy blue-red
10. Gladiola: Matte blue-pink
11. Coral Polyp: Creamy bright orange-coral

Lipglasses

12. Hot Frost: Shimmery blue-pink
13. Possum Nose: Bright red-coral
14. Splendid: Pale pink-coral

First Impressions

The Eye Shadow Trios
Wisteria’s frosty finishes have fab bold club looks written all over ’em. I might pass, though, because these are shades I wouldn’t have many opportunities to wear.
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How to Cover Up Dark Circles For a Wedding, Prom or Party with MAC Cosmetics Studio Finish Concealer

December 10th, 2008 by Karen 23 Comments

Dark Circle Trubs, Volume 5,472

I suffered through a really bad bought of insomnia a few weeks ago, and my dark circles were extra terrible. My regular concealer, MAC Select Moisturecover, just wasn’t gettin’ it done.

My friend Jen’s wedding was right around the corner, and I didn’t want to show up looking like death warmed over. I needed serious coverage, and I needed it fast.

MAC to MAC

I spoke with Michelle, a lovely MAC makeup artist at a nearby counter, and told her what I needed…

Complete coverage for my dark circles.
Something that wouldn’t make my skin look ashy under flash photography.
Something that would last a full 10 hours and wouldn’t look cakey.

She suggested three MAC products: MAC Fast Response Eye Cream, MAC Studio Finish Concealer and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.

MAC Fast Response Eye Cream

MAC Fast Response Eye Cream ($28.50) is a lightweight, moisturizing cream that smooths fine lines around the eyes and provides a better surface for the application of concealer.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

MAC Studio Finish Concealer ($15.50), a very concentrated cream, straight up covers everything — dark circles, pimples, moles, tattoos and even birthmarks! I have it in the shade NW 25.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Pressed Powder

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural sets the concealer, helping it stay put all day long. It’s a low coverage (read: sheer) pressed powder and won’t look heavy or cakey applied around the eyes. My shade is Medium.

The MAC Concealer Triple Play Performed Great on the Day of the Wedding!

My circles stayed hidden all day long (and lawd knows they were still there!), and I think my makeup still looked natural in the pictures.

How to Cover Up Dark Circles for a Wedding or Big Event Using MAC Cosmetics Studio Finish Concealer

When applying MAC Studio Finish Concealer, lighting makes a huge difference. The product’s very pigmented, and I tend to over apply it in poorly lit rooms (like my bathroom at home), so applying the product in a space that gets good natural light yields the best results.

I begin the process with MAC Fast Response Eye Cream, applying a few dots under my eyes and patting them into the area with a fingertip until they’re thoroughly absorbed.
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