Makeup

So Long, Horse, Because Jouer Just Made This the Year of the Mousse: The New Jouer Long-Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadows Make Lids Shine Without Highlighting Fine Lines

November 4th, 2014 by Karen 23 Comments

Jouer Long-Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadow Swatches from the left: Dusk, Galaxy, Moonlight, Night Sky, Starlight and Twilight — The new Jouer Long-Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadows, $30 each

What can I say? Sparkly things give me grabby hands. 🙂

Unfortunately, I also feel like some flashy finishes look straight-up criminal on my eyelids… I’m all for wearing what you want, when you want, but I’m kind of at that stage in my makeup journey when super shimmery frosts, tempting as they are, highlight my fine lines a little more than I’d like.

That said, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to say, “So long forever, sparkle and gloss! I’m living a full-time matte life.” I think I’ll always like a little glitz.

Enter the Jouer Long-Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadows ($30 each), which came out a little earlier this fall. If you have fine lines like I do, and you crave shimmer like the Gilmore Girls crave coffee, these easy-to-use cream shadows got your back.

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Get a Luminous Look in a Jiffy With the New Josie Maran Winter Dreams Argan Color Collection

November 4th, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

As simple as it sounds, a little shimmer and shine can go a long way when you want to look fresh-faced and radiant in a flash.

I had this “Aha!” moment last weekend when I was getting ready to meet friends in the city for brunch.

I woke up late (purr usual) that morning, even with the extra hour from Daylight Savings (apparently, I need more sleep than a fairytale character), and I had less than 10 minutes to put on ye olde warpaint.

I grabbed Josie Maran’s new Winter Dreams Argan Color Collection ($34).

Every nifty nibble in this five-piece set contains Argan oil, the moisturizing magic ingredient in Josie’s makeup that’s supposed to make lines and wrinkles look less obvious.

The set includes…

A 0.17-oz. tube of Argan Black Oil Mascara

A 0.16-oz. tube of Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil in Limitless Pink

A 0.16-oz. bottle of Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow in Rio de Rose Gold

A 0.15-oz. bottle of Argan Illuminizer

A 0.5-oz. bottle of 100% Pure Argan Oil Light

I hadn’t washed my makeup brushes since the last time I’d used them, so I ended up doing everything from start to finish using just my fingers. By the time I was done, I felt like I still looked like myself (I don’t like to wear a ton of makeup to Sunday brunch), but perkier…and more luminous, LOL! In other words, less likely to scowl at strangers on the street before I’ve had any coffee. 🙂
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The $59 Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pro’s Pics Portables Lip Tar Test Tube X 12 Set Is a Cornucopia of Color

November 3rd, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

We are fam-i-ly!

I’ve got all my Lip Tars with me!

We are fam-i-ly!

Get up everybody and sing!!

As I’m sitting here contemplating the 12 tiny Lip Tars in the new Pro’s Picks Portables Lip Tar: Test Tube X 12 Set by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics ($59), I’m singing Sister Sledge and imagining that the little tubes are all siblings in one big, happy family. They never fight, talk back to their parents, tattle on each other, plot to steal each other’s boyfriends, or say anything snarky about one another, like “so-and-so’s skinny jeans have been looking extra snug lately.” They’re always happy to hang out together, and they never, ever complain about having to share a room.

This new holiday set is a lot of fun. Despite their diminutive size (just 0.08 ounces each), these tiny tubes are bursting with pigment, and a nice number of them are mattes, which are very trendy right meow.

The 12 shades in the set range from tame neutrals to technicolor brights, and they were hand picked by OCC’s Pro Makeup Artists.

If you’re familiar with OCC’s Lip Tars, then you know about their bulletproof coverage and wear time. I usually get six or seven hours out of them.

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Diamond in the Rough or Hidden Gem? The New Smashbox on the Rocks Photo Op Eye Shadow Luxe Palette Is Both!

October 31st, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Basically, if a beauty burglar raided a fortified diamond emporium that also stocked jewel-toned eyeshadows and then crammed her beauty booty into a single palette, that palette might look like the new 28-pan Smashbox On the Rocks Photo Op Eye Shadow Luxe.

Clearly designed to entice with endless eyeshadow possibilities and pics of holographic cushion- and emerald-cut bling, this limited edition palette is filled with a nice selection of surprisingly complex jewel-toned shades that are almost as dazzling as a diamond-encrusted tiara.

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The Latest From Nudestix for Holiday 2014: Makeup Pens and Pencils for Casual Convenience

October 31st, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

Wearing the new Nudestix Lip Pen in Bare Matte ($24) and the #GILTYLOVE Holiday Kit ($49), available now at Sephora

Eaack! What was that?! Did you see it? I thought I saw something behind me…

Oh, well. Never mind. I guess it’s gone. 🙂

I was just about to tell you how much I like Nudestix, an upstart makeup line out of Toronto. I like how all of their stuff seems, I dunno, kind of unstructured and casual.

A quick swipe here, a little pat there and some blending with a fingertip, and voila! You’re done. But you still look like you put in some effort.

With these pieces on your lids and lips, no one will mistake you for something that just fell off a vegetable truck and rolled to the side of the road (an issue that plagues me often).

It’s makeup to wear while you’re lounging next to a fireplace, sipping hot cocoa in a button-up flannel, leggings and a cozy scarf, perhaps also with some fuzzy Yeti slipper-boots, which your cat will hate with a passion (of course). In other words, it’s casual makeup.

Nudestix Gilty Love Holiday Kit — #GILTYLOVE Holiday Kit, $49

For their first holiday collection ever, they’ve released a limited edition $49 set of three Magnetic Eye Colors called #GILTYLOVE. (Did you just say “hashtag” out loud? Because I totally did.)

The artwork on the tin, which houses three full-size creamy pencil eyeshadows in shimmery taupe Twilight, peachy gold Gilt and matte black Night, is by Canadian artist Jessica Gorlicky.

I like to use these pencils as accents. Like here, for depth and nuance, I’ve applied Twilight (the taupe) on my lower lash lines, Night on my water lines and Gilt on my brow bones and in the inner corners. (Side note: I’m wearing Giorgio Armani Orient Excess palette on my lids, and that’s LORAC Front of the Line Pro Line Liquid Eyeliner in Navy on my lash lines.)

The $49 tin (a $72 value) is available now exclusively at Sephora stores and online.
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Sailors With Brown, Green and Hazel Eyes May Want to Enlist in This Navy: LORAC Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner in Navy

October 30th, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

LORAC Front of the Line Pro Navy — Meow, cat eyeliner! Wearing the new LORAC Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner in Navy, $23

If LORAC had a Navy (they do), and it was recruiting (they are), I’d tell the ladies in charge that this sailor is going to need a steady supply of Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner if you want her to sign up.

Because I am not about to get stuck at sea without the proper tools to do cat eyes.

Huh-uh.

I’d also add that I absolutely, positively don’t do boats.

Sorry. Just one of my stipulations. 🙂

Ulgh, all the bobbing up and down… Makes me a little nauseous, which is kind of funny, seeing as how I come from Navy stock (my dad was in the service), and I love the ocean.

Weird.

New LORAC Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner in dark blue Navy ($23) is the latest shade in the brand’s fabulous line of liquid liners.

I’ve been a fan of the original black version for years. I like it because it’s relatively inexpensive, I can get really crisp lines with it, and the long, flexible tip makes it easy to draw those little flicks at the ends of my cat eyeliner.

A dark bluish black (no green in it), Navy has a gorgeous satiny finish that loves lash lines, and it’s strong as iron! It easily lasts all day.

I think it really does a lot for brown, green and hazel eyes (and other eye colors too).

The tube I’ve been using, though, might be a little wonky, and I’m actually hoping it’s a manufacturing error. For reasons unknown, this particular pen is nowhere near as easy to wield as the other Front of the Lines I’ve used, and I’ve gone through three or four of them over the past few years.

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Next Stop: Kitties! The New Giorgio Armani Orient Excess Palette Clutch Is Almost Purr-Fect

October 30th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

Tickets, please! Please have your tickets ready. Now boarding for the Giorgio Armani Orient Excess!

Good afternoon! My name is Karen, and I’ll be your conductor today.

This is a holiday train. Before we leave Novato station, all tray tables and seat backs must be in the upright position. Fasten your safety belt, and please keep your new Orient Excess Palette Clutch ($100) in sight at all times.

A two-piece holiday set, the $100 limited edition Giorgio Armani Orient Excess Palette Clutch includes a lush, velvet clutch and a two-tiered palette with an illuminating powder and three powder eyeshadows.

Be advised that pickpockets are known to target passengers on the train, and thefts have been on the rise ever since this two-piece set arrived on Giorgio Armani counters (it’s also available online).

Management believes that a local criminal syndicate of crazy cat ladies is responsible. The CCLs have been targeting the set’s blue compact for two reasons.

First, the thieves are unable to resist the sumptuous design on the illuminating face powder; second, the three powder eyeshadow colors remind them of kitties.

The three eyeshadows on the shadow tier of the round palette are classic Armani. No fallout whatsoever, and they’re smoother than a tomcat lothario.

CCLs report that the shades look kind of like cat fur colors. The dark brown on the far left reminds them of a Havana Brown, the middle shade a Russian Blue, and the golden taupe on the far left evokes a Siamese.

According to one CCL, “The shimmery finish doesn’t emphasize the fine lines on my lids, either.”

When asked about the compact’s illuminating powder, the CCL replied, “It’s not my favorite. It’s very sheer, and I can barely see any sheen or shine on my skin. I dig subtle finishes, but this one’s a little too quiet…”

She did, however, like the clutch. “Totally cute!” she said. “But it’s small and doesn’t fit a lot. Just a compact, a lipstick and maybe your ID. You can forget about your phone though.”

Speaking as a part-time CCL who only moonlights as a conductor, the blueish gray shadow in the center totally reminds me of a Russian Blue in my neighborhood.

I may or may not have exclaimed, “Ooh, kitties!” the first time I put these shadows on my lids.
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The New Chanel Rouge Allure Glosses: For Full-Coverage Chanel Firepower When You Need a Little Chanel

October 28th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

If I’m going to have a stranger stick me with a sharp object, you better believe I’ll be wearing a little Chanel, because Chanel makes everything better (even flu shots).

At least that’s what I told myself when I applied the new Rouge Allure Gloss in 15 Sensible (one of 10 shades, $34 each, available now at Chanel counters and online) before I went to get my flu shot today.

Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss wands from the left: 13 Affriolant, 15 Sensible, 17 Supreme, 18 Seduction and 19 Pirate — From the left: 13 Affriolant, 15 Sensible, 17 Supreme, 18 Seduction and 19 Pirate

Every year when I walk into the flu shot clinic and catch that first glimpse of the needle, the panic sets in… I start mumbling and sweating profusely, and my eyes expand to double their normal size.

I had hoped that 15 Sensible would make me look less, I dunno, frightened? Rabid? Ready to rumble? I’d always reckoned that full-coverage lip glosses like the Rouge Allures tended to convey the appearance of serenity and properly aligned chakras.

But that could just be the crazy beauty logic talking. 🙂

Today, as I bared my left shoulder, concentrated on kittens, and waited for the nurse to jam the needle into my arm (“This won’t hurt at all,” she said. “Just a little pinch.”), I set my mouth into a stylishly glossy Chanel smile, even though I really wanted to scream, “THAT SH*T STINGS, MA!”

Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in 15 Sensible — 15 Sensible

Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in 13 Affriolant — 13 Affriolant

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