Makeup

L’Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray: Is This $17 Spray Infallible?

July 20th, 2015 by Karen 27 Comments

You know how when you finish your makeup, and you lightly mist your face with a makeup setting spray, it feels like the confirmation of a job well done?

Like spritz! Thank you! Reward. 🙂

I like that whole experiential angle to makeup setting sprays. The refreshing fragrances and enhanced wear time are just bonuses.

My current favorites are Urban Decay’s $30 All Nighter and MAC Fix+ ($22), but they’re both pretty pricey. I’d love a good drugstore option, which is why I decided to try L’Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray. It’s only $16.99, which is still expensive for drugstore, but less than All Nighter and Fix+.

loreal infallible setting spray — L’Oreal Infallible Setting Spray ($16)

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I’m Getting a Rush From This Coral Flush: It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Blush in Coral Flush

July 20th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

Add this blush to your list of “Things of the Utmost Importance That Must Be Attended to ASAP,” because we all know that blush is of the utmost importance…and blushes that refuse to sit on top of your skin lookin’ like a heavy, caked-on mess are of the UTMOST utmost importance.

Yes, that’s a lot of utmosts. 🙂

It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Blush in Coral Flush takes that time you blushed when you saw your favorite dude from One Direction smile at you from across the street (yes, let’s assume this happened) and injects the essence of that into a reddish coral pan tinged with pink.

The color can also be described as “I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it!” because it burnishes cheeks without shimmer or sparkle. It’s also an epically natural-looking beginner’s blush and a no-longer-hidden gem.

Swatch out for it next time you pounce upon Ulta with your favorite makeup-enabling friend. (Mine is my buddy Marisol… We go there and egg each other on, and it’s a hot, beautiful mess!).

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Peek-a-Boo! I See Yu Wearing the New NARS True NARS Lip Pencil Set This Summer

July 20th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Oh, Yu!

Yu! You know I’ve got nothing but mad love for Yu. I’m so happy to see Yu again! 🙂

Yaaaas, queen, Yu is one of my favorite NARS Satin Lip Pencils of all freakin’ time, and it just so happens to be one of the three full-size pencils in the new $49 NARS True NARS summer gift set.

This year there are three limited edition NARS summer gift sets — two lip sets and one blush palette — and True NARS is the boldest of the two summer lip sets.

Do you feel like the world is a kinder, gentler place when you’re wearing bronzer? Or is the pursuit of toasty, tanned skin one of your ongoing life goals? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then True NARS is the lip set for you, because its vivid pink Satin Lip Pencil in Yu, vivid watermelon Satin Lip Pencil in Luxembourg and matte berry red Velvet Matte Li pencil in Provocative Red were picked and put together for the way they pop when worn with bronzed skin. Wear any of them separately like I’m doing in the swatches here, or combine them to create your own custom splash of spectacular sorry-not-sorry color.

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Say “Bye, Felicia!” to Fine Lines, and “Hello, Gorgeous!” to Naturally Pretty Lids With the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Eyeshadow Trios

July 17th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

it cosmetics eyeshadow trio — Three of the six It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Eyeshadow Trios ($24 each)

I like to keep the proverbial door open when it comes to certain aspects of my life — making new friends, learning new things, trying new foods, doing new wackadoo things with makeup, befriending new cats…

But I will happily slam that door shut on the fine lines that keep showing up on my lids. 🙂

I realize that aging is one of those freight trains that can’t really be stopped (or bargained with), so I might as well be cool with it (which I am, mostly). In a way, it’s an opportunity of sorts to track down the best, most forgiving eyeshadows for fine lines, and here’s one possible contender: the $24 Naturally Pretty Eyeshadow Trios by It Cosmetics.

it cosmetics eyeshadow trio 1 — Three of the six It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Eyeshadow Trios ($24 each)

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Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Brush-On Brow Gel Has a Brush for Bushy Brows

July 16th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

dior brow styler gel review — The new Dior Brow Styler Gel in #003 Brown ($29)

Check out the tapered tip at the end of the brush on Dior’s new Diorshow Brow Styler Gel ($29). I’ve never seen a brow gel like this before.

The whole design is very futuristic. It has a click brush applicator, and when you twist the bottom of the pen, the brow gel comes out from the sides. Then you just run the brush through your brows to shape, tame and polish them.

It’s so very Bladerunner! Of course, in the not-too-distant future when we have robots for mundane tasks like filling in our brows, things like this will be rendered irrelevant…so we must get our brow thrills while we can. 🙂

So I was thrilled to try this doohickey on Raul (also known as “the bald spot in my left brow”).

dior brow styler gel — Wearing Dior Brow Styler Gel in #003 Brown

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The New Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow All-In-One Professional Eye Palettes in Amber Design and Taupe Design: Why, Yes, Darling, These Palettes Are Designer

July 16th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

dior 5 couleurs designer eyeshadow 1 — Two of the new Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow All-In-One Professional Eye Palettes in Amber Design and Taupe Design ($62 each)

My posh feline pal/employer is currently going through a “shoo-shoo frou-frou” phase today where he insists that everything — and I mean everything! — within his kitty line of sight be high end, from the Dior ribbons he exercises with to the Dior 5-Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow I’m wearing.

He’s so fancy!

"I only play with Dior ribbons." — “Dior makes the best training ribbons.” -Tabs the cat

Since I know better than to protest (the consequences are always dire), all I can do is put up my paws in surrender, submit to his demands, paint my lids with one of these new $62 (!) palettes, and go on my merry way.

Amber Design and Taupe Design are two of Dior’s six recently revamped Dior 5-Couleurs Designer All-In-One Professional Eye Palettes available now online and at Dior counters.

If you’re into pearly, shimmery shadows and don’t mind the price, these might interest you.

dior amber design — Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow in Amber Design

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It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Blush in Je Ne Sais Quoi Has That Special Something

July 16th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

Oh! I’ve been meaning to talk to you about It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Blush in Je Ne Sais Quoi ($24), but I haven’t been able to put my thoughts into words.

There’s just something…indescribable about it. I wish there was a phrase to describe things like that…

Sorry, I know, that was bad! 🙂 But I couldn’t resist. It’s called Je Ne Sais Quoi, for crying out loud! What did they expect!?

The marvelous mix of ombre neutral pinks in this blush range from light to dark, and they create a lovely glowing sheen on cheeks that me and mah pores like. Je Ne Sais Quoi absolutely lives up to its name.

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With New NARS Audacious Mascara, What’s the Hook?

July 15th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Raise yo’ paws to the heavens/roof! — NARS has a new mascara, which is quite a rare occurrence in NARS Land. It’s new NARS Audacious Mascara in Black Moon ($26), and it has an outrageous hook.

Actually, hooks.

No, really, it literally has hooks. See the bristles on the red brush? Those are little hooks…

BANANAS, right? I know! The hooks are supposed to catch lashes to better lengthen, lift, thicken and separate them, and I think it actually works.

I see satiny black lashes with nice length at the tips, and it pulls the lashes upward to keep a good curl. You can also add another layer as the day wears on, because everyone knows that nothing beats the 3 p.m. work blahs like an extra layer of mascara. 🙂

No, seriously, this mascara layers really well. No clumps, bumps or flakes. Just loads of seamless length, separation, lift and volume. It goes from cube mascara to club mascara like *that* (snaps fingers).

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