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Tarte Holiday 2015 Collection Highlights

October 9th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: Zac Posen, my favorite eye-rolling judge on a fashion reality TV show
SUBJECT: These Tarte holiday 2015 collection palettes

My darling, please, when you can fit into your busy schedule, I would LOVE a few matching outfits to go with these new Tarte holiday 2015 collection palettes. I’m talking dresses, and if it’s not too much trouble, could you also make something stylish for my plus-size tabby cat?

Incidentally, do you do maternity wear?? Or fabulous feline fashion?

Never mind. To quote Tim Gunn, your charming coworker, I’m sure you’ll “make it work.”

Love,
Karen (Makeup and Beauty Blog)

I got momentarily lost in a sequin-fueled reverie this afternoon while I ooh’d and ahh’d over these two Tarte palettes from two of the brand’s new holiday 2015 collection sets (which are on counters right meow). I don’t know how many minutes passed before I realized, “Oh, right! I should probably put on my makeup now.” LOL!

Not knowing where to start, I defaulted to my makeup happy place — smoky brown eyes, big lashes and bold lips — but I see a lot of other looks with these in my immediate future.

The two sets here are called Light of the Party ($59) and Greatest Glitz ($49), and they’re both very well balanced, with a good mix of mattes and shimmers, cool and warm tones, and shades for everyday makeup and evenings on the town. If you like traditionally pretty looks of the kind that celebs like to wear on the red carpet, I think you’ll really like them both. They’re two of my favorite things from the Tarte holiday 2015 collection.

Both sets include multiple pieces, and here are pictures, but for the full 411 on both sets, check out the video at the top.

The Tarte Light of the Party set ($59)

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MAC Holiday 2015 | Magic of the Night Color Collection and Gift Sets

October 7th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

This year I really, really hope I get an invite to a Hogwarts-style enchanted garden/magical nighttime holiday event because then I’ll have the world’s most fitting excuse to get gussied up in makeup from the MAC Holiday 2015 Magic of the Night collection.

I just hope I can find the right black-tie pregnancy dress, hmm… 🙂

Oh, boy! This collection is a doozy. It’s a big one, and it’s split into two parts. First, there’s the color collection, spell caster’s codename “Magic of the Night.” And then there are several holiday gift sets in three different categories, appropriately named Enchanted Eve, Irresistibly Charming and Viva Glamorous.

Playing with these pieces today it was pretty much love at first swipe. The color theme and deep jewel-toned smoky eyes, gleaming skin and matte lips are totally my style, and I’m a sucker for the magical vibe.

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Guerlain Holiday 2015 Winter Fairy Tale Collection Highlights

October 7th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

“SNOW DAY!”

Two words I have never spoken in my life, although I’ve always wanted to, but growing up here in this part of California, the only snow we get is on TV, except for the fake kind they use at the mall by the scary Santa…

No offense to any mall Santas out there, but the ones I remember were terrifying! They were just so big and loud and red and sweaty…

Wait — what were we talking about?

Oh, yeah! Guerlain…

guerlain holiday 2015 eye blush palette — The eyeshadows from the Guerlain Holiday 2015 Eye & Blush Palette (it’s a compact with two tiers)

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Make Up For Ever Holiday 2015

October 6th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

Hold me close and kiss me deeply, MUFE, as we snuggle by the Christmas tree and the roaring fire…

Hello, holiday collections! MUFE, you had me at glitter and hot pink. 🙂

Make Up For Ever’s holiday 2015 collection is cutie-cute-cute, and as for the packaging, there’s no man junk visible within a three-mile radius.

The collection includes six limited edition sets, and here’s a look at three of them (not shown are the lash kit, the gloss duo and the mini brush kit). They’re some of the best deals I’ve seen so far this holiday makeup season.

make up for ever holiday 2015 15 artist shadow — Make Up For Ever Holiday 2015 15 Artist Shadow palette ($59, a $221 value)

make up for ever holiday 2015 artist shadow — The Make Up For Ever Holiday 2015 15 Artist Shadow palette

The colors themselves are all re-promotes from the permanent line, so these aren’t brand new products, but you may not mind, even if you already have a few of the colors…

And the reason for that? Price break!

make up for ever holiday 2015 artist plexi gloss collection — Make Up For Ever Holiday 2015 Artist Plexi-Gloss Collection ($150, a $228 value)

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NARS Steven Klein Holiday 2015, Part 2: The Color Collection

October 5th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

Gray does not grandstand in the new NARS Steven Klein holiday 2015 color collection, but if it did, and there were more gray in the release, [THIS] would be right about where I’d insert a 50 Shades of Grey joke about my cat’s never-ending need to dominate my life.

Um, yeah! You know how NARS is with their holiday collections — they like to take the road less traveled, which in this case means nothing too candy cane-covered or outwardly holiday-ish. This year’s color collection, a collaboration with fashion photographer Steven Klein, has an artsy edge to it, and by “artsy edge,” I mean that if a billionaire playboy were ever to invite you to the secret playroom in the back of his mansion, this collection would suit your favorite pair of shiny dominatrix boots quite nicely.

As NARS puts it, imagine “Fantasy. Roles. Rules.”

nars steven klein holiday 2015 lipsticks — NARS Steven Klein Killer Shine Lipsticks in Redemption, Besame Mucho and No Shame ($29 each)

nars steven klein killer shine — NARS Steven Klein Killer Shine Lip Glosses in Special Force, Fast Life and Provoke ($28 each)

Shiny vinyl-like finishes play a big part in this 15-piece limited edition launch of pieces for eyes, cheeks, lips and nails. As they are with the Steven Klein holiday gifting sets we looked at last week, lip products are again the stars of the show. There are three lipsticks and three glosses in a completely new formula called Killer Shine, and they’re so glossy and bright that your dominatrix boots be totes jelly.

NARS also carries that same concept of lovely lusters over to the products for eyes, cheeks and nails.

And now that I think about it…there’s very little, if any, matte here, so if you’re drawn to glitter and shimmer like a moth to a flame, then holla! — you’ll probably find something to like in this release.

nars steven klein holiday 2015 vengeful — NARS Steven Klein Dual-Intensity Blush in Vengeful ($45)

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NARS Steven Klein Holiday 2015, Part 1: The Gift Sets

October 2nd, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

It wouldn’t be the holidays at NARS without a gift set with some man junk…

nars steven klein full service — NARS Steven Klein Full Service Mini Kabuki Brush Set ($95)

And a lady in a Jason Voorhees mask…

So, yeah. It’s pretty much business as usual over at NARS! 🙂

The brand likes to scoot along the razor’s edge with their holiday collections, often doing collaborations with cutting edge artists, and their holiday releases are anything but boring and traditional. Instead of reindeers and candy canes, we get ladies in lingerie wearing sexy aliens masks.

This year’s collab is with fashion photographer Steven Klein, and it’s a big one. I’ve split it into two parts, with this first video covering the gift sets, which arrive on the NARS website and at NARS boutiques October 5, and then in stores November 1.

Here are some swatches and pictures, and there’s a lot more info in the video at the top. I hope you see something you like.

nars steven klein dispair cheek palette — NARS Steven Klein Despair Cheek Palette ($65)

nars steven klein dispair cheek palette 2 — NARS Steven Klein Despair Cheek Palette Blushes in Nico, Savage, Esoteric and Ferocious

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theBalm Holiday 2015 Collection First Impressions

September 30th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

I hope the holidays are hella balm, girl, because you know what!? YOU DA BALM.

You da balm dot com!

The balm…? Get it??

Alright, alright, I know. Weak word play…but it’s so much fun. 🙂

thebalm in the balm of your hand 1 — Yes, I’m actually holding theBalm In the Balm of Your Hand palette ($39.50) in the palm of my hand…

The holidays have officially begun over at theBalm. Their new holiday 2015 collection is available now, and it’s just two pieces — actually, two palettes. One of them is called “In theBalm of Your Hand Greatest Hits Vol. 1,” so you’ll literally be able to hold theBalm in the palm of your hand.

Both palettes are filled with some of the brand’s most popular products, so there aren’t any new colors here. One consists of powder and cream products for eyes, cheeks and lips, and the other contains a trio of powder highlighters.

thebalm in the balm of your hand 2 — theBalm In the Balm of Your Hand palette ($39.50)

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Dior Holiday 2015 “State of Gold” Collection | First Impressions

September 29th, 2015 by Karen 30 Comments

dior holiday 2015 blazing gold — Center stage: the Dior 5 Couleurs State of Gold Eyeshadow Palette in Blazing Gold #866 ($63, available now at dior.com and coming to Dior stores and counters this November)

Despite its official moniker, “State of Gold,” Dior’s holiday 2015 collection could have been called “State of Gold and Gray,” because gray makes a memorable appearance. Dior played with the concept of mixed metals in this release, and even though gray is not a color that usually pops into my head when I think, “Yay! Holiday collections!” I think it really works here.

I’ve been wearing five of the 13 pieces in the release, which is available now at dior.com and coming to Dior stores and counters this November, and I’m impressed by the way Dior handles these mixed metals.

But first! — why gray and gold? Well, both are iconic, signature colors at the House of Dior, much like beige and black are over at Chanel.

dior holiday 2015 blazing gold 886 — The Dior 5-Couleurs State of Gold Eyeshadow Palette in Blazing Gold #866 ($63)

But with this collection, Dior handles the two colors in what I think are unconventional ways, like what they’ve done here with the eyeshadow palette I’ve been wearing, Blazing Gold. There’s a cool gold in the center next to a gray shade, but the gray isn’t just one of those blasé run-of-the-mill grays. No, it’s a breathtaking shimmery taupe-ish gray with flecks of cool golden micro glitter.

Seriously, it’s so beautiful that I almost can’t take it! — and when you wet it and wear it as an eye liner? Great Caesar’s ghost, it sparkles like 100 Leonid meteor showers. Gimme dat sparkly gold and gray! 🙂

dior holiday 2015 gris or passion — The Diorific Vernis in Gris-Or #227 and Passion #951 Nail Lacquers ($28 each)

I love funky combos and interesting ideas like that, and Dior does it again with the Gris-Or Nail Lacquer, where they combined gold and gray in the nail polish. I never would have expected it to work — a mix of metallic gold and metallic platinum? — but I think it totally does.

I’ve worn two of the four lacquers in the collection — gold and platinum Gris-Or and creamy, classic red Passion — and I like them both.

And can we just talk about Dior’s nail polish brush for a second? Isn’t it the best thing ever?! Flat and wide, it covers my entire nail from base to tip in a single swipe, and that brush tip is a beast. I love the crescent moon shape; it perfectly fits along the base of my nails, creating crisp, clean lines every time. It never leaves a mess, either, by getting polish on my cuticles.

dior holiday 2015 radieuse fascinate — Diorific Mat Velvet Colour Lipstick in Radieuse #430 and Fascinate #580 ($38 each)

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