Makeup

Neat and New to Me: NARS Cordura Duo Eyeshadow

September 30th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

Aaaaaand in tonight’s startling new episode of “NARS Neutrals I Never Realized I Needed Until Right Now,” Cordura Eyeshadow Duo… It, along with Isolde, have been my top two neutral eye loves lately.

I don’t even know where to start, because I think there’s so much to like about this duo. How about the colors? On one side, a warm, mid-toned golden brown with a light luster; on the other, a neutral-toned deep coffee brown that, on most people, will probably come across as a deep golden coffee brown, but on my warm skin tone, with my yellow undertones, it reads almost like a plummy chocolate.

I lurves it.

Yesterday when we were chatting about Isolde, I think I mentioned how much I’ve always liked the way NARS toys around with finishes, and they’ve done it again here with Cordura. Both of its shades have the subtlest of shimmers — so subtle that my fine lines are like, “Hey, girl! That’s what’s up.” 🙂

Most of the time I’ll start at my lash line with the lighter shade, then take that up to the crease, fading as I get closer to my brows. Then I’ll smudge the darker brown at the outer corner of my lower lash line, do a messy black or dark plummy liner on my water lines, smudge whatever ends up on my lash lines, then mix the two and also blend them on my lower lash line.

Then mascara, of course!

Seriously, it takes all of five minutes to do a daytime smoky eye with this that looks like it took a lot more time to do.

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Neat and New to Me: NARS Isolde Duo Eyeshadow

September 29th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

OK, so, I was expecting to Google the word, “Isolde,” as in the NARS Isolde Eyeshadow Duo, and find out that it’s the name of an exotic island in a far-flung corner of the world, because that’s how NARS usually rolls when it comes to naming their colors, but nooo! Turns out that it’s the name of a character in a German opera by Richard Wagner called Tristan und Isolde.

Random! Makeup, you are my teacher, and I’m your willing and eager student. 🙂

Isolde… Aah! Can I just say, “Hello, autumnal makeup jam?!”

Part of the NARS permanent collection, Isolde has recently taken up residence in my Large NARS Pro-Palette. Why I waited so long to try it, I’ll never understand…because it’s so beautiful (especially if your skin has warm undertones)!

You get a shimmery, coppery peach on one side and a shimmery warm copper on the other, and neither side is frosty, which I like.

These colors force me to think of autumn leaves and cozy scarves. And pumpkin spice lattes. And matte lips and boots. In other words, fall.

NARS has literally dozens of beautiful duos, but I think Isolde deserves a shout-out, first, because it’s intensely pigmented (one or two layers should do you just fine), and second, because of the powders, which are so soft that they almost feel like creams. Using them, I hardly notice any fallout, and they barely fade at all after eight hours.

And then there’s the finish, which comes close to being a frost, but doesn’t quite get there, and that’s one of the things I love about NARS. They play with shine in such interesting ways that I never expect.

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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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I’m Lovin’ the Rad Reds in the L’oreal Colour Riche Exclusive Red Lipcolor Collection

September 17th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

L'Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Red Lipcolor from the left: 401 Julianne's Red, 402 Blake's Red, 403 Eva's Red, 405 Freida's Red, 406 Zoe's Red and 407 Liya's Red — L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Red Lipcolor from the left: 401 Julianne’s Red, 402 Blake’s Red, 403 Eva’s Red, 405 Freida’s Red, 406 Zoe’s Red and 407 Liya’s Red

These six reds are rad!

It’s hard to pick a favorite from among the six $8.99 red lipsticks in the new L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Red Lipcolor line, but if you said, “Karen, you have to pick one!” first I would say, “Curses! Why you gotta be so cruel?” then I’d say 402 Blake’s Red, which you may remember from the 5 Fabulously Affordable Fall Lipstick post earlier this week. It’s neutral, so I could wear it with warm and cool looks (and I bet it would look great on most skin tones).

From the left: 401 Julianne's Red, 402 Blake's Red, 403 Eva's Red, 405 Freida's Red, 406 Zoe's Red and 407 Liya's Red — From the left: 401 Julianne’s Red, 402 Blake’s Red, 403 Eva’s Red, 405 Freida’s Red, 406 Zoe’s Red and 407 Liya’s Red

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Pre-Fall Ulta Haul!

September 16th, 2015 by Karen 27 Comments

What the world needs now is 1) love, sweet love; 2) free pumpkin spice lattes (I finally had my first one of the season yesterday, and it was so good that I felt myself float out of my body and fly toward the sun, OMG!); and 3) more lady-dates.

MOAR LADY-DATES.

You know what a lady-date is, right? It’s when you go out with a friend — ideally, someone who likes makeup as much as you do — for coffee, snacks or what have you, and then, ya know, if you happen to wander into someplace where lipsticks and eyeshadows are available for perusal…so be it. 🙂

I went on one a couple weekends ago with my friend Marisol. We had acai bowls, then paid homage to our homeland, also known as Ulta.

Here are the things that came home with me that day.

It was mostly a nail-centric visit, because my nails have been very crabby lately (they’ve been splitting, boo), with a sprinkling of skin care and body care, and a dash of makeup for good measure.

PRODUCTS MENTIONED

As always, thank you again for watching.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What’s Your Basic Skin Care/Skin Prep/Makeup Process? Here’s Mine…

September 15th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

What’s your basic skin care/skin prep/makeup process? Here’s mine…

1. Hydrating mist all over my face

MAC Fix+ ($22) has been my long-time and still current jam. I almost always have a bottle with me, and I even bring one of these travel-sized one with me on trips.

But I’m eager to try Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herb and Rosewater. It’s only $7, so a third the price of Fix+, and my friend Kwmechelle (hey gurl, haaaaay!) swears by it. Right now it’s at the top of my never-ending list of things to get next time I visit Ulta.

2. Face cream (with a separate eye cream around my eyes)

Because I don’t usually start doing my makeup right after I wash my face and do my morning skin care, I usually take a few minutes to moisturize once more before putting on le face paint. I’ve been using Embroyolisse, which is available online at Sephora for $28, for my face and MAC Fast Response Eye Cream ($31) for my eyes.

3. Primer

I use one primer for my face — currently Make Up For Ever Step 1 Smoothing Primer ($36) — and a separate primer for my lids, and you can probably guess which one that is! 🙂 Yes, it’s NARS Pro-Longwear Smudge-Proof ($25).

As for under my eyes, I rarely apply primer under my eyes, but I know it’s a step that a lot of people do.

4. Color correcting around my face (if necessary)

I have a few spots of darker pigment around my left eye and the left side of my lip, which I sometimes color correct with either an orange primer ($36 Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Radiant Primer Peach) or an orange concealer (The Burnt Coral side of $25 MAC Studio Conceal and Correct Duo in Rich Yellow/Burnt Coral).

*sigh!* It really does take a village…

5. Foundation or tinted moisturizer

Which one I use depends on what I’ll be doing that day and how my skin’s behaving, like whether it’s been more oily lately, or dry, or if there’s a pimple par-tay on my chin, but most of the time, if I have the time, I’ll use some kind of medium- or full-coverage serum foundation.

You probably already know this, but I really like Diorskin Nude Air in 40 Dore ($53) for full coverage, and now I’m also liking MAC Studio Waterweight in NC 42 ($33) for medium coverage.

Or, if time is of the essence and I barely have five minutes to go from zombie Karen to full-blooded, real-life Karen, I’ll wear a tinted moisturizer like Chanel Les Beiges All-In-One Healthy Glow Fluid SPF 15 in 40 ($45) instead.
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MAC Guo Pei Collection: Fall 2015

September 15th, 2015 by Karen 29 Comments

Years from now, in the distant future, when historical beauty buffs/artistic archeologists look back on MAC’s 2015 limited edition releases, the award for Best Dressed Collection could easily go to MAC Guo Pei.

This one is a beauty! — and the packaging is also unusual for MAC. The compacts, lipsticks, brushes and glosses are all wearing fabric accents with floral flourishes (there’s even a cute little lady bug on the print) and have details like real stitching on the fabric sides.

mac guo pei night sky — MAC Guo Pei Eye Shadow X 4 in Night Sky

mac guo pei morning light — MAC Guo Pei Eye Shadow X 4 in Morning Light

mac guo pei zenith ethreal orchid brave red — MAC Guo Pei Lipsticks in Zenith, Ethereal Orchid and Brave Red

Unfortunately, the designer treatment also results in one of the more expensive MAC collections around. The two eyeshadow quads are — brace yourself for it — $70 each (!).

Yes, that’s crazypants.

Thankfully, the shadows are up to par for MAC. Unlike the shadows in some of MAC’s other limited edition quads and palettes, which for me are sometimes hit or miss (some feel harder than usual and aren’t as pigmented as their permanent collection counterparts), these are of comparable quality to the shadows in the permanent line.

Thank goodness for that.

All of the shadows in the two quads swatch beautifully, and I haven’t had any problems with blending, skipping, fallout or patchy/uneven application.
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5 Fabulously Affordable Fall Lipsticks

September 14th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

I have a tabby by my side (as opposed to on my lap — what’s up with that?), and I’m wearing a snuggly long-sleeved sweater and long pants to keep away the unseasonably fall-like chill outside.

I’m also wearing layers, as weird as that sounds, but it’s brisk and overcast outside. The leaves have even started to fall, and I’m seriously contemplating socks (toe oppression!).

Technically, it may not be “that time of year” yet, but I’m definitely getting a fall vibe.

There’s no way I’m ready for El Niño or the cold weather fall entails, but I do feel full-on ready for fall makeup, like these five fabulously affordable fall lipsticks that are all less than $10 each.

1. L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive in Blake’s Red ($8.99)

Blake, as in Lively, the lucky lady with the long, luscious blonde hair (and, um, Ryan — oh, what’s his name? Not Gosling! Ryan Reynolds, how dare I?! — Ryan Reynolds’ baby mama). L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive in Blake’s Red is her red addition to the L’Oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive line.

Blake’s Red is a beauty of a neutral red, neither too warm nor cool, with an opaque demi-matte finish, and it won’t just work through fall. This one will also carry you through the holidays.

I love this lippie with classic fall looks, and it suits a wide range of skin tones. Wear it with a simple cat eye for something vintage, or a black or gray smoky eye (a la Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love video), or metallic golden lids.

SO PRETTY!

Because it’s by L’Oreal, it has their very strong floral flavor and scent (both fade quickly), which folks seem to either love or hate. I don’t mind it at all.

It’s available now online for $8.99 and at drugstores and Ulta.

2. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipcolor in Toast of New York ($7.99)

This is so old-school, you guys! I wore this color back in the day, and it’s making a comeback again.

I feel like there have been an overabundance of dark browns with almost grayish undertones lately, and I like that look on some people, but I feel like it looks a little macabre on me. THIS kind of brown has a little yellow in it, and I think it makes it more wearable. The matte finish also has a hint of a shine to it.

It’s available now online for $7.99 and at drugstores and Ulta.

3. COVERGIRL Star Wars Limited Edition Colorlicious Lipstick in Dark Purple 50 ($6.99)

Do you think this lipstick is on the dark side or the light…? Ooh, Star Wars reference! Where’s my light saber, Tabs?! 🙂

This dark purple berry is a classic fall color. It’s from the new limited edition COVERGIRL Star Wars collection, and it has a creamy finish.

It’s also flexible. You can wear it as a stain by applying one layer, then blotting, or build it up like I’ve done here. I’m wearing three layers, so it looks a little vampy.

It’s available now online for $6.99 and at drugstores.
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