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The MAC Ellie Goulding Collection Is Polished Pop Star Power

December 4th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

There’s also a video review in this post. If it’s not appearing, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

Wearing a sexy scuba outfit while rocking big blonde hair that looks like it’s being whipped back by 12 Beyoncé fans doesn’t mean you have to go OTT with your makeup.

The first time I saw the sexy scuba promo pic for the MAC Ellie Goulding collection on Instagram a while back, I thought, “OOH! LOVE! Now this is makeup I would want to wear.” It looks so approachable and fresh, but there’s still some drama to it, like the black-winged liner and falsies. I think Ellie just looks really beautiful.

Then I saw the promo pics for the products and fell head over heels.

I’m not sure, but I might be in the minority when it comes to how much I love these colors, specifically the warm browns and neutral browns, but I’m sorry. I’m not 22 years old and about to rock an emerald green eyeshadow to Costco anymore.

I mean…I’ll do it on occasion, 🙂 but when I think of makeup that I know I can wear over and over and over again, it’s things like this: warm browns on the eyes; beautiful bronzy cheeks with a peachy glow and juicy, glossy coral lips.

In that promo pic, Ellie looks like she’s either about to belt out a song, or make out with somebody, LOL!

mac ellie goulding ill hold my brush — MAC Ellie Goulding Powder Blush Duo in I’ll Hold My Breath ($28)

mac ellie goulding halcyon days — MAC Ellie Goulding Halcyon Days ($44)

MAC releases so many collections, but for me, this one stands out. The brand does stuff with singers all the time, but sometimes their collaborations seem a little half-@ssed, ya know? Like the Mariah Carey one? Come on… One lipstick and no special packaging? Like, that’s it? But this got the full red carpet treatment.

Lots and lots more info in the video at the top, and here are some swatches and pictures. Have a look, and let me know what you think.

mac ellie goulding halcyon nights — MAC Ellie Goulding Halcyon Nights ($44)

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Bobbi Brown Holiday 2015 Sterling Nights Collection and Holiday Gift Giving Highlights

November 11th, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

Wearing The Rich Caramel Eye Palette, the Blushes from the Deluxe Cheek & Eye Palette, Pink Shimmerbrick and Art Stick in Electric Pink from Bobbi Brown holiday 2015 — Wearing The Rich Caramel Eye Palette, the Blushes from the Deluxe Cheek & Eye Palette, Pink Shimmer Brick and Art Stick in Electric Pink from Bobbi Brown Holiday 2015

I prepared a video for this review of the new Bobbi Brown Holiday 2015 collection, including some of my favorite highlights from the launch, but then a gremlin attacked my ankles and forced me to unwittingly erase the memory card. In other words, technical difficulties struck, so now we’re ad libbing video-free, whee!

Yup, just as a friendly reminder from me to you — don’t forget to back up your work early and often.

I’m just sayin’.

With that out of the way, check it out…

The new Bobbi Brown Holiday 2015 collection is divided into two parts — one comprised of gift sets, palettes and brush kits, and and the other a limited edition color collection called Sterling Nights.

We’ll be taking a look at some of the pieces that struck my fancy from both parts of the launch.

First up, Sterling Nights, the color collection. It’s been on counters now for about a month, and Bobbi says that she was inspired to create the collection after a recent trip she took to South Africa.

The look is all about shimmery, jewel-toned smoky eyes, luminous skin and your choice of bright or nude lips.

bobbi brown sterling nights sequin eye shadow — Three of four Bobbi Brown Sterling Nights Holiday 2015 Sequin Eye Shadows, clockwise from the brown pan: Constellation, Moon Rock and Comet ($36 each)

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MAC Fluidity: Introducing the New MAC Fluidline Pens!

November 9th, 2015 by Karen 19 Comments

There should be a video right here, but if not, you can also watch it on YouTube.

mac fluidline pen — The new MAC Fluidline Pens ($22 each)

First, there were the original MAC Fluidline Gel Liners, then the MAC Fluidline Eye Pencils, and now the pen is even mightier than the sword, pencil and the gel, thanks to the new $22 MAC Fluidline Pens.

Wait — say what?!

Yup, that’s right, fellow Fluidline fans. Now you can get your Fluidline fix from a pen.

I know! I’m blowing your mind right now!

These four pens are essentially liquid versions of MAC Fluidline gel liner, so they’re smudge-resistant and dry quickly to a bold matte finish.

They arrive with the new 10-piece MAC Fluidity collection, which is mostly made up of re-promotes from the MAC permanent line.

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The MAC Dark Desires Collection: Well, Well, Well! These Shadows Are Rocking My Winged Liner World

November 9th, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

There should be a YouTube video above this blurb. If you can’t see it, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

mac well eye shadow — MAC Dark Desires The Well Eye Shadows clockwise from the brown pan in the upper left: Midnight Tryst, Beg For It, Think Kink, Switch Me On, Dark Desires and What’s Your Fantasy ($20 each)

Oh, heavens! Look at those naughty names… Spank Me, Beg For It and Think Kink? And those are just the tip of the S&M iceberg, haha. I think it’s safe to say that the new MAC Dark Desires collection was inspired by some sort of 50 Shades of Grey type situation.

But I’m thinking that this collection is going to make a different kind of fantasy come true — one of my makeup fantasies — which is to be able to draw winged liner and not have it take half a day!

OK…so maybe half a day is exaggerating (barely), but you know what though?! It feels that way sometimes, especially when I’m deep in it, and I’ve been sitting there futzing with the angles for 20 minutes.

I know you feel my pain!

There’s a reason for that saying about winged liner being the reason why everyone’s always late (why can’t I remember that saying??).

MAC Dark Desires promises to upgrade your winged liner life with a new product line called The Well Eye Shadows ($20).

mac well eyeshadow beg for it — MAC Dark Desires The Well Eye Shadow in Beg For It ($20)

mac well eye shadow switch me on — MAC Dark Desires The Well Eye Shadow in Switch Me On ($20)

mac well eye shadow midnight tryst — MAC Dark Desires The Well Eye Shadow in Midnight Tryst ($20)

They aren’t ringing any bells for me, so I think these are brand-spankin’ new.

Designed from the start to be applied wet or dry, these super soft, pigmented powder products are dual-purpose. You can use them as eyeshadows and/or eyeliners.

The little packages are slimmer than MAC’s regular eyeshadows, and check this out: each one has a divot, or “a well,” right in the middle of the pan.

The idea is that you’re supposed to wet your brush, then swirl it around in the divot, then apply the wet powder to your lids.

mac well eye shadow whats your fantasy — MAC Dark Desires The Well Eye Shadow in What’s Your Fantasy ($20)

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Tom Ford Holiday 2015 Noir Color Collection

November 5th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

There should be a video embedded in this post. If you can’t see it, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

So, the Tom Ford Holiday 2015 Noir color collection. I mean, really, it’s not like I was going to do a freaking cut crease with these products. The collection has smoky eyes written all over it!

And when I realized that, of course I had to do a little wiggle dance in my chair, because nine times out of 10, I’ll pick smoky eyes over just about anything else, so thank you, Tom, for helping me indulge my natural smoky eye makeup tendencies. Sending you matte lipstick kisses from across the Interwebs. 🙂

Cream and Powder Eye Color in Night Sky ($66)

Five of the seven pieces in the limited edition release, which is available now online and at Tom Ford counters, are eye products. The other two include a black nail polish and a re-promoted matte pinkish nude lipstick from the permanent line, and for extra fancy effect, all of them even have special limited edition packaging (see how the caps are black instead of the regular dark brown?).

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The Essie Winter 2015 Collection

October 30th, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

essie haute tub — Creamy jet black Essie Haute Tub, one of six new $8.50 shades in the Essie Winter 2015 collection, has flecks of amethyst glitter…

Your lift ticket awaits to Chalet Essie! It’s a winter wonderland of chic, but don’t worry about freezing your tush off, because the six new nail polishes in the Essie Winter 2015 collection ($8.50 each) will keep you warm. 🙂

There are three bold shades for babes (and dudes!) who like luxurious nail colors, and three lower-key lacquers for laid back luxe.

essie altitude attitude — Essie Altitude Attitude, a creamy scarlet

I’m wearing two coats of each color in these swatches, and the only one that gave me trubs is Peak Show, the creamy, powdery pink. It went on a little streaky…

The other five took to the slopes like pros! — especially Haute Tub, that beautiful black with amethyst glitter.

SO HOT, that Haute Tub. (Random side note: did you know that pregnant ladies are supposed to avoid hot tubs? Oh, well! Guess that means no trips in my hot tub time machine.)

As for the reds, both are incredibly silky smooth…

essie shall we chalet — Essie Shall We Chalet, a creamy ruby

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The BECCA Holiday 2015 Collection: It’s All About the Glow

October 27th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

Pop the champagne, homegirl! — and if you can do it with a sword, more power to you, because that would mean you’re only about two degrees away from Michonne-level bad-@ssery, and I’D BOW DOWN!

We have a totes legit reason to celebrate today. First, because it’s Tuesday, and Tuesdays are terrific. 🙂 And second, because BECCA has several sparkly, shimmery sets on deck for the holidays, and they’re all available now, so you can get dat glow on your cheeks in time for the office party. (For the record, if there will be karaoke involved, please know that it may take more than two glasses to turn you into Mariah Carey… Yes, I speak from firsthand experience.)

This year’s holiday collection includes three limited edition sets, and they’re all about the glow — in other words, skin highlighted to high heaven.

becca holiday 2015 champagne glow 1 — BECCA Holiday 2015 Champagne Glow Palette ($34)

If you’re a die-hard BECCA shimmer fan, you might want to get your paws on the $34 Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne Glow Palette highlighter trio. It’s available now exclusively at Sephora and the Sephora website.

One of the three shades, pale linen Pearl, is a limited edition shade making its debut right here in this palette, while the other two — Champagne Pop, a soft gold with pinkish peach undertones (the shame shade BECCA released last fall with YouTuber Jaclyn Hill); and Blushed Copper, a warm copper with rose gold (also appeared earlier this year).

becca holiday 2015 champagne glow 2 — BECCA Holiday 2015 Champagne Glow Palette ($34)

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Chanel Holiday 2015 | Collection Vamp Attitude

October 14th, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

chanel holiday 2015 vamp attitude — Chanel Holiday 2015 Collection Vamp Attitude

Twenty years later, and we’re still talking about Chanel Vamp!

Who knew that a blackened red nail polish could ignite such a frenzy? — but it did, from the moment it arrived in the mid ‘90s.

Maybe I missed my calling as a makeup fortune teller (what if that were a real job?!), but I kindasorta suspected that Vamp would stand the test of time. I remember going absolutely b-a-n-a-n-a-s for it way back when, and I still get amped about Vamp.

I guess other lacquer lovers do, too, because it’s making waves again with Chanel Holiday 2015 Collection Vamp Attitude, which is all about Vamp.

Chanel used Vamp as their inspiration for the collection’s eyeshadows, liners, mascara, lipsticks and gloss, and they maintained Vamp’s runway-ready wow factor bite. Still, the colors are also everyday wearable, meaning that you won’t have to wear them with a scowl while listening to sad songs by The Cure.

chanel holiday 2015 les 4 ombres signe particulier — Chanel Holiday 2015 Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in Signe Particulier ($61)

chanel holiday 2015 rouge noir illusion dombre — Chanel Holiday 2015 Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Rouge Noir ($36)

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