Makeup

Turn on Your Eye High Beams With the Giorgio Armani Beauty Fall 2014 Fade to Grey Eyeshadow Palette

August 20th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Wearing the new Giorgio Armani Fall 2014 Fade to Grey Eyeshadow Palette, $88 (!)

Words one does not expect to hear at a Giorgio Armani Beauty counter: “Where’s, like, the dollar menu?”

Because everything is pricey! — like this new $88 eye palette from Giorgio Armani’s Fade to Grey fall 2014 collection.

That’s a lot of glow, yo.

The sleek, stylish black packaging houses two absolutely beautiful eye luminous shimmer shadows, side by side — one, a warm, shimmery golden peach, and the other a purply taupe-ish grey.

On lids, these shadows are like Buzz Lightyear, reflecting light to infinity and beyond. The super shiny finish makes my eyes look BIG, doe-eyed and bright, and the effect is even more pronounced when I incorporate a dramatic mascara, like Armani’s new Black Ecstasy, which I’m wearing here.

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For a Plush Pout, Call 1-800-NARS Velvet Lip Liner

August 20th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

NARS Nihiwatu Velvet Lip Liner — Wearing the new NARS Velvet Lip Liner in Nihiwatu ($24)

Ooh! shiny…

But not shiny like the sparkling mega twinkle of Ryan Gosling’s smile. More like the shiny finish of a classic Chanel flap bag — ideally one in black leather with gold hardware (that’s a hint, El Hub, in case we win the $160 million Mega Millions jackpot this week).

Um…please excuse my crazy hair and lack of makeup today, LOL! I literally put this face on in five minutes before snapping these pics (it’s a long story, but it has to do with tomorrow and a certain long-running American cartoon).

NARS Velvet Lip Liners from the left: Lanikai, Belle Mare, El Agua, Costa Smeralda, Nihiwatu, Playa Dorado, Anse Soleil, Waimea, Patong Beach, Medano Beach, Mirihi Island Beach and Karekare

Thanks to a slight sheen, these new $24 NARS Velvet Lip Liners (which are awesomely named after beaches!) pop in a way that matte lip liners don’t. The velvety finish reflects just enough light to be eye-catching. Because of it, you could probably even wear them alone and skip lipstick altogether if you wanted a long-wearing lip color that you didn’t have to touch up throughout the day.

NARS Velvet Lip Liner Swatches from the left: Lanikai, Belle Mare, El Agua, Costa Smeralda, Nihiwatu and Playa Dorado — Swatches from the left: Lanikai, Belle Mare, El Agua, Costa Smeralda, Nihiwatu and Playa Dorado

NARS Velvet Lip Liner Swatches from the left: Anse Soleil, Waimea, Patong Beach, Medano Beach, Mirihi Island Beach and Karekare — Anse Soleil, Waimea, Patong Beach, Medano Beach, Mirihi Island Beach and Karekare

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

August 19th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

By no means is Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder sexy or exciting.

It’s a loose face powder with a single talent, but it’s a talent I quite appreciate.

It sets under-eye concealer — and it’s not flashy, but it does its job well. If dark under-eye circles are a bane of your existence, as they are mine, Secret Brightening Powder is freaking fantastic.

I’m serious! — it belongs on the periodic table of elements. That’s how special I think it is. The light-as-air setting powder has white pigments in it that create a subtle brightening effect and help to cancel out dark shadows.

I’ve been using this stuff with concealer on my dark circles off and on for years, and it never looks caked-on or riddled with creases. It keeps my concealer from scooting around and also increases wear time. Perfect for when you’re hardly getting any sleep, and/or you’ve been recently bitten by a zombie, and you’re this close to turning.

Because, clearly…when one is losing their last vestiges of humanity, dark under-eye circles are still a concern. #priorities 🙂

Anywho! I’ve had this one jar for, like, seven years. Yeah…it lasts a long time. It only takes a tiny amount to set your concealer.

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

To apply, I load a small amount (you don’t want to apply too much; otherwise, it looks obvious) on a fluffy eyeshadow brush like the MAC 217, and layer that directly on top of my under-eye concealer using a patting motion, rather than a swiping motion.

(You don’t want to swipe, lest you can accidentally swipe away your concealer and end up looking MORE tired. No me gusta.)

Once applied, Secret Brightening locks down your concealer, where it should behave for the rest of the day.

It comes in two shades, too. The first, #1, is for fair and medium skin tones, while #2 is for medium, tan and darker skin tones. A 0.14-ounce jar will set you back $24, and you can find it now at Laura Mercier counters and online.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Unsung Makeup Heroes: theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer

August 19th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anna — Wearing theBalm’s Cindy-Lou Manizer on my upper cheekbones

Quick! Grab my hand! Guuuuurl, we’re making a prison break. I’m busting you out of this shimmer-free solitary confinement, Shawshank-style, with theBalm’s Cindy-Lou Manizer ($24).

Super shiny highlights without the drama of a finicky frost

theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer — It’s theBalm…

With peachy pink Cindy-Lou, theBalm got it totally right. You can wear this powder as a highlighter, an eyeshadow or a blush. The fabulous finish is unconditionally Unsung Heroes worthy.

The otherworldly opalescent sheen lifts dull skin, making your mug look fresh, bright and alive. The effect is like a Broadway spotlight manned by the best lighting guy in the biz — dramatic, but still soft and flattering, and without the harshness of a high-shine frost.

A little goes a loooong way…

It’s important to use just a smidgen, though. A little definitely goes a long way with this.

I like to load a skinny tapered eyeshadow brush like the MAC 224 by running it lightly across the pan. Then I’ll gently buff that on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid’s bow, where it lasts from 8-9 hours (without touchups) on my combination dry/oily skin.

I’ve been wearing it a ton lately for “KA-POW!” highlights on my upper cheekbones, and the best thing about it? — it doesn’t settle into my fine lines or embiggen my pores.

Teams up well with matte foundation

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The New NARS Audacious Lipstick Collection: The Wines and Browns

August 18th, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

That’s the new NARS Audacious Lipstick in Ingrid ($32; one of 40 shades) on my lips

BOOYAH! Who’s down with the brown?

How about the wine?

I’m always down with the wine…

I’m actually talking about lipsticks right now. 🙂

Yes, I have a soft spot for the colors in this last batch of new NARS Audacious Lipsticks (the wines and browns) because I spent my college days wearing these colors.

That was back in the ’90s, which appear to be having a resurgence… You know, what’s old is new again, and all that.

Now, if we were talking about the return of lacy plastic chokers, I would not be able to deal, but I’m totally down with ’90s-style brown and wine lipsticks staging a comeback, particularly ones with an interesting twist, like these seven shades here…

NARS Audacious Lipsticks from the left: Charlotte, Leslie, Olivia, Bette, Sandra, Deborah and Ingrid — From the left: Charlotte, Leslie, Olivia, Bette, Sandra, Deborah and Ingrid ($32 each)

Instead of a flat matte ’90s-style finish, these NARS Audacious wines and browns have a dreamy, creamy finish, a super smooth texture and tons of pigment, making them 100% worthy of toting around in your little black satin backpack.

First, the browns…

The Browns: Leslie, Sandra and Deborah

Leslie, Sandra and Deborah are quintessential ’90s colors.

Deborah, a chestnut, seems like the closest one to a straight-up ’90s brown. Just add spaghetti strap dress and white baby tee to complete the ensemble.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Deborah — Deborah

Meanwhile, Sandra and Leslie may look like they’re twinning, but upon closer inspection, they do have their differences. Reach for Leslie if you want something redder, and Sandra for something deeper and richer.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Sandra — Sandra (Barneys New York exclusive)

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Leslie — Leslie

If you’re unsure what to wear with your brown lipsticks, you could go with brown eyeshadow, for sure, but when I wear brown on my eyes and my lips, I feel like it can look a little monotone/one note, so with brown lips, I’ll usually opt for reddish browns, purples, bronzes or coppery colors on my eyes, like here in these pics (that’s Tom Ford’s Cognac Sable Eye Quad and MAC Costa Riche Eye Kohl).

The Wines: Olivia, Charlotte, Bette and Ingrid

Olivia, a garnet wine, and Charlotte, a burgundy, are the lighter options. If you can’t decide between the two, I suggest Olivia if you like warmer colors, and Charlotte if you like cooler color temps on your kisser.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Olivia — Olivia

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Dior’s 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Trafalgar: Your Seasonal Summer-to-Fall Chaperone

August 15th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

Dior Trafalgar — Wearing the Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Trafalgar

Oh, gawd! That red in the center of Dior’s new 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Trafalgar ($60) is utterly terrifying…and yet so tantalizingly tempting at the same time.

I have to be careful… If I stare at it too long, I can’t look away. Kind of like watching The Hills (which I’ve been doing A LOT lately).

When I haven’t been pondering the sanctity of girl code and how it was broken in the infamous Brody/Lauren/Jen Bunney love triangle, I’ve been looking for makeup to take me from summer into fall.

Trafalgar has two gorgeous shades that’ll make the seasonal transition easier — a shimmery plummy bronze and a shimmery gold.

Bridging the gap from summer to fall

Both of them have warm, rich tones that look lovely on an end-of-summer tan. I’ve been wear them lately with purple and bronze liners on my lash and water lines, and pairing them with nude cheeks and lips to keep the overall look light and summery.

The plummy bronze and gold also happen to work well with richer cheek and lip colors, like berries, browns and plums, so when fall rolls around, all I’ll have to do is swap out the nude cheeks and lips for something like the dusty rose blush and berry lipstick I’m wearing in these pics…

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The New NARS Audacious Lipstick Collection: The Purples, Plums and Berries

August 15th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Wearing the new NARS Audacious Lipstick in Janet ($32)

Just as a helpful warning, if you plan to fly solo when you peep the purple, plum and berry shades in the new NARS Audacious Lipstick collection, wear a Bluetooth headset, or bring a pomeranian in a bow tie.

That way, when you’re gushing over shades like Angela at the counter (“OMG, I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS SO GOOD!”), instead of looking like a crazy chick who carries on loud conversations with herself, you’ll appear to be enthusiastically chatting with your BFF or your favorite canine shopping buddy. 🙂

The new NARS Audacious Lipsticks: Purples, Plums and Berries ($32 each)

It’s about planning ahead, yo.

Among the eight bad-@ss purples, plums and berries in the new 40-piece NARS Audacious Lipstick line, I think the purples are otherworldly!

They may or may not have me speaking in tongues… (“WJguoib hj ahiogh pjogiognae naweagzzzzz!”)

Here they are, along with pics and profiles of the plums and berries.

Let’s do this!

The Purples: Angela, Silvia and Dominique

These three are like the Cher/Dionne/Tai trifecta of the entire collection. Don’t even try to sit with them at their lunch table, unless you can bring it.

Angela, the queen bee, is the one who runs sh*t. A vivid pink orchid, it oozes je ne sais quoi.

Seriously, every time I open this tube, I want to worship it. When I wear Angela on my lips, I feel like raising my arms and screaming up at the sky, “WHERE ARE MY DRAGONS?!”

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Angela — Angela

Now, I know that Angela looks like it might work best for cool skin tones, but don’t be afraid to try it if your skin tone is warm. It’s one of those colors that I think will work well on almost everyone.

Wear it, fall in love with it, and then send me an invite to the wedding. 🙂 I’ll be bringing a plus one, BTW, Tabs or Ryan Gosling. Depends on their schedules…

If you like the idea of Angela but feel like it’s a little too perky for you, peep Silvia. They’re both similar, but Silvia is slightly deeper and more purple.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Silvia — Silvia

Dominique, the last of these three, is exclusive to Barneys New York. A pink lilac with a hint of silvery gray, for some reason it reminds me of Dame Edna’s hair…

In a good way.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Dominique — Dominique

I feel kind of like a poser when I wear this shade…but if you’re one of those chic, trendy types who can pull off silvery gray hair, you could totally make it look legit.

The Berries: Fanny and Janet

I bet these two can’t wait for this year’s holiday parties.

While they look very similar at first glance, they come into their own on lips. Janet seems slightly bluer to me and leans cooler.

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny — Fanny

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The MAC A Novel Romance Quad Is Like Many Real Life Relationships, Both Hot and Cold

August 14th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Fabio, dahling, take me now! — to the computer, so that I may satisfy this hunger burning deep within my soul.

Yup, the new MAC A Novel Romance collection launched online today, and it’s huge.

HUGE!

Huge both in terms of the fact that it’s the brand’s big release for fall, and huge just in terms of the number of products, especially the eyeshadows.

Overwhelmed much? I am. If you’re looking for a place to start, steer your lusty makeup-lovin’ loins toward one of my favorite quads in the collection, the aptly named A Novel Romance ($40).

MAC A Novel Romance Quad Swatches — From the left: My Fantasy, Fall in Lust, Dance in the Dark and Rising Passions

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