Makeup

You CAN See This Aura, Even on Pigmented Lips: Aura and Intime, Two of the Four New Chanel Collection États Poétiques Fall 2014 Rouge Coco Shines

June 19th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Chanel Aura Rouge Coco Shine — Can you see my…Aura? Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Aura ($35), from the new États Poétiques fall collection

Once upon a time there lived a $35 lip balm named Aura.

She was beloved by all of the fabulous forest creatures and magical makeup mavens, myself included, because of her devil-may-care, mega-moisturizing formula and her totally low-maintenance point of view.

Like other products in the forest, she had powers, too. She was much more than a mere lip balm. She could summon a smooth texture and enough pigment to allow makeup lovers to skip liner and just apply her directly on their lips from her tube — even without a mirror!

Pretty incredible.

Chanel Collection États Poétiques — That’s Intime, one of the Rouge Coco Shines, in the upper left-hand corner (the pink lipstick) and Aura (the plum), $35 each

For their États Poétiques fall 2014 collection, Chanel added four new Coco Shine shades in soft pink Intime, fuchsia Viva, rosy Confident and plum Aura.

My dry lips kicked it last weekend with two of them — Intime and Aura, woo-hoo! — and a good time was had by all. 🙂

For the ultimate in causal pinks, there’s Intime. Neither too warm, nor too cool, Intime actually shows up on my pigmented lips, which is unusual for pinks like this; I’ve been wearing it a lot.

Chanel Intime Rouge Coco Shine Swatch — Intime

I think Aura is just as beautiful and remarkably easy to wear. It appears really dark in the tube, but applies with less intensity than that — almost like Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick, but with a plummier reddish tone.

Chanel Aura Rouge Coco Shine Swatch — Aura

Lip colors typically turn toward opaque and matte for fall, so I’m a little surprised to see Chanel go shiny and sheer.

I like it. It’s different and fun, and yes — easy! Plus, I like the idea of sheer, shiny lips to go with more intense fall eye makeup looks.

Chanel Intime Rouge Coco Shine — Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Intime

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I Hesitate To Call Them a Sensation, but the Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadows in Sensation and Hesitation From the New Chanel États Poétiques Fall Collection Sure Do Impress

June 19th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

The hot pink, the purple, the bright yellow — it’s like the eye makeup Duran Duran video girls wore in the ’80s. 🙂

Yes, eyes are getting the colorful treatment in Chanel’s new Collection États Poétiques.

And depending on your comfort level for colorful, you’re probably either going to think 1) “That sh*t CRAY!” or 2) “FUN!”

Of course, there are also some pretty wearable pieces in the launch…

And I wore two of them — light pink Sensation and reddish plum Hesitation — last Sunday to Father’s Day Brunch.

I wore the same exact look I’m wearing here, with Sensation buffed all over my lids as a base and Hesitation in the outer corner and crease to softly define the eyes. I also added a bit of black gel liner on my water lines and upper lash lines, and lots of mascara.

Between bites of an ahi tuna burger and sweet potato fries, I thought to myself, “Man! Chanel does it right. Who else could do a pigmented reddish plum eyeshadow like Hesitation and actually make it look super classy and totally not scary at all?”

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With Pen Packaging, These MAC Moody Blooms Collection Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints Do Some Things Write

June 12th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Blushing Berry, a mid-tone cool red — MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Blushing Berry, a cool mid-tone red

GURL, I’ve been Team MAC Lipglass since 1998! — ever since that first tube of Spite found its way into my purse.

That’s a lot of lipgloss lovin’. In fact, it’s the longest relationship I’ve ever had with a gloss.

And because we have all this history together, it’s easy for me to see the good points when it comes to the Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints ($20) from the Moody Blooms collection.

They have a few things in common with the O.G. Lipglasses, like a thick, non-drying formula and a mirror-like shine, but there are some differences. I’d say they’re more like cousins than sisters.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints from the lightest shade on the bottom to the top: Bubble Gum, Gwi-Yo-Mi, Blushing Berry, Glorious Intent and Simply Wow ($20 each)

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints Swatches from the left: Bubble Gum, Gwi-Yo-Mi, Blushing Berry, Glorious Intent and Simply Wow — Swatches from the left: Bubble Gum, Gwi-Yo-Mi, Blushing Berry, Glorious Intent and Simply Wow

First, there’s the packaging. The Sheen Supremes come in a pen with a brush tip (as opposed to a regular tube with a doe-foot)…

Fun to use! I feel like I’m in art class whenever I use these to paint my lips with gloss.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Simply Wow, a mid-tone cool mauve — Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Simply Wow, a mid-tone cool mauve

And then there’s the stickiness, and how these don’t feel quite as sticky as regular Lipglasses do to me. Perhaps as a result, they don’t last quite as long. I get about three hours of wear from them, which still isn’t bad.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Bubble Gum, a soft warm pink — Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Bubble Gum, a soft warm pink

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Beatiful Together and Apart: The MAC Moody Blooms Worldly Wealth and Bred For Beauty Blushes

June 11th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

MAC Worldly Wealth and Bred For Beauty Blush — Wearing the new MAC Moody Blooms collection Worldly Wealth and Bred For Beauty Powder Blushes together at the same time

Sometimes two is better than one. (NOTE: please don’t tell Tabs I said that. He insists that one plus-size tabby is more than enough.) 🙂

While you can certainly wear either of the hella pigmented Powder Blushes from the MAC Moody Blooms collection by themselves — I mean, Bred for Beauty and Worldly Wealth look stunning on their own (just don’t forget to blend, blend, blend) — layered together they create a downright bewitching combination blush!

I like to start with a layer of shimmery golden bronze Worldly Wealth first, and followup with pink Bred for Beauty dusted directly on top. Then I buff the two together with a clean powder brush.

Worldly Wealth’s shimmer peeks through bright pink Bred for Beauty, which has a flatter finish, creating a sweet sun-kissed and complement to warm coppery eye makeup like I’m wearing here.

Just add a pinkish coral lip, and you’re good to go! 🙂

MAC Powder Blush in Worldly Wealth, a shimmering peachy bronze — Powder Blush in Worldly Wealth, a shimmering peachy bronze ($21)

MAC Powder Blush in Bred for Beauty — Powder Blush in Bred for Beauty, a mid-tone bluish pink ($21)

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These Six MAC Moody Blooms Sheen Supreme Lipsticks Gleam Like a Dream

June 11th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

The six Sheen Supreme Lipsticks from the new MAC Moody Blooms collection ($17 each) — The six MAC Moody Blooms collection Sheen Supreme Lipsticks ($17 each)

Like deep green leaves bathed in the light of a full moon, these beautiful bulbs of tuberous terrific-ness gleam! — but not like high-shine metallics or frosts. Their sheen is more muted and shrewd than that…

I can really see it in the six Moody Blooms collection Sheen Supreme Lipsticks ($17 each).

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Moody Bloom, a bronze plum — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Moody Bloom, a bronzed plum

While bronzy plum Moody Bloom and pinkish coral Phosphorescent radiate a few watts of warmth, most of these lecherous lippies live on the cool- and neutral-toned sides of the garden, which makes sense to me. I think it balances well with the warm earthy copper, brown, and warm pinkish gold eye makeup in the release.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Phosphorescent, an electric pinkish coral — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Phosphorescent, an electric pinkish coral

As for the semi-opaque Sheen Supreme Lipstick formula, it still lets some of my natural lip color peek through, so these definitely aren’t sheer, and my lips like how they feel — plush, creamy and super soft, almost like a gloss.

As they fade on my lips over the course of about two hours, they leave behind a lovely stain — particularly the brighter colors, like pinkish coral Phosphorescent, my favorite of the bunch, and dark bluish pink Pheromonal.

Unfortunately, they aren’t the most moisturizing lip products in the glam garden, but I think they’ve improved over the original MAC Sheen Supremes released in 2011.

Those back then sucked all of the H₂O out of my lips, but I think this batch in Moody Blooms is a little better.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Pheromonal, a dark blueish pink — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Pheromonal, a dark blueish pink

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Lust Extract, an electric violet — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Lust Extract, an electric violet

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Quite the Thing!, a deep blueish plum — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Quite the Thing!, a deep blueish plum

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Venomous Violet, a deep berry available exclusively online at maccosmetics.com — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Venomous Violet, a deep berry (available exclusively online at maccosmetics.com)

They don’t completely dehydrate my lips, but if I lived in a desert, I think I’d probably apply a layer of lip balm first. I wore Phosphorescent a lot up in Napa last weekend, and it was hot and dry! By the end of the weekend trip, my pucker was starting to get a little parched.

MAC Moody Blooms Sheen Supreme Lipstick Swatches from the left: Moody Bloom, Phosphorescent, Pheromonal, Lust Extract, Quite the Thing and Venomous Violet — Swatches from the left: Moody Bloom, Phosphorescent, Pheromonal, Lust Extract, Quite the Thing and Venomous Violet

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Moody Bloom Swatch — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Moody Bloom

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Phosphorescent Swatch — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Phosphorescent

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Pheromonal Swatch — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Pheromonal

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Worldly Wealth and Bred for Beauty, The Two New Blushes in the MAC Moody Blooms Collection, Plant Plenty of Pigment on Cheeks

June 10th, 2014 by Karen 6 Comments

Blueish pink Bred for Beauty and peachy bronze Worldly Wealth, the two powder blushes in the new MAC Moody Blooms collection, are making me a happy horticulturist/beauty botanist. 🙂

One word: pigment.

And lots of it.

Just as a random but potentially helpful warning, if you aren’t paying close attention while applying these blushes — like, if you happen to be watching Game of Thrones and dancing to I’m Every Woman while Daenerys Targaryen pets her dragons on screen — be advised that you may have to take the color down a notch or two or 12, so have an extra blush brush or foundation brush handy.

With these blushes, sh*t gets real, and it gets real in a hurry! It’s easy to go overboard with this much pigment, but you should be fine if you use a light touch (and don’t forget to blend out the edges!).

If you’re feeling creative, try layering a bit of bright pink Bred for Beauty on top of Worldly Wealth.

I’m a big fan. 🙂

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I Kudzu Not (Get It?): Make Room for the Eye Shadows From the MAC Moody Blooms Collection

June 10th, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

What if stylish villainess du jour Maleficent had had a green thumb? I’ll tell you what — girlfriend would not have spent her days tending to tulips and tea roses. I know that much.

Like, if she called you up on her banana phone and invited you to afternoon tea, you’d be wise to brush up on your poisonous plant identification skills before heading over, and be careful not to touch anything with thorns on it; otherwise, you might not make it out of that garden party alive.

Five of the six MAC Moody Blooms Eye Shadows (not pictured: Green Room, a mid-tone teal), $15 each

Moody Blooms, MAC’s latest collection, is like an evil gardener’s dream come true — a dream about being lost in a dark, menacing forest filled with beautiful but deadly plants. As you enter the forest, every fiber of your being screams at you to “TURN BACK NOW!!!” but you don’t.

Because you can’t. 🙂

And before you know it, you’re surrounded by Moody Blooms…

MAC Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Artistic License, a pinkish gold — Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Artistic License, a pinkish gold

Eyes get special treatment in the collection, and there’s plenty of new stuff here. Of the six powder Eye Shadows, I don’t think any of them are permanent collection re-promotes. Same goes for the three Fluidline gel liners.

Among the eye products in the release, False Lashes Mascara in False Black, 211 Pointed Liner and 239 Shader Brushes are re-promotes plucked from the permanent line.

MAC Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Deep Fixation, a metallic brown — Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Deep Fixation, a metallic brown

At first the overall color palette — reddish copper, darkened plum, violet, golden pink, green and teal — sounded more like something from one of MAC’s straight-up artsy collections. I didn’t think I’d be able to figure it out. I just thought it didn’t make sense, but when I got the colors on my lids, the color story clicked.

MAC Frost Eye Shadow in Blooming Mad, a mid-tone ultra violet — Frost Eye Shadow in Blooming Mad, a mid-tone ultra violet

The five of six shadows shown here gleam with flattering finishes — Veluxe Pearl, Frost and Satin. There are no mattes, so if you like a flatter finish in your eye looks, you’ll have to incorporate other shades.

I’m thinking that some warm orangey and/or reddish brown mattes would contrast nicely with the copper, plum, green, brown, teal and golden pink shades, so consider incorporating MAC Soft Brown, Saddle or Texture when you sit down to play.

MAC Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Hidden Motive, a deep aubergine — Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Hidden Motive, a deep aubergine

But with the shadows in Moody Blooms, you have a lot of room to experiment and explore.

You could go the natural-looking route with the gorgeous, easy-to-blend neutral shades in pinkish gold Artistic License and warm metallic brown Deep Fixation, or turn up the volume by smoking out violet Blooming Mad or deep aubergine Hidden Motive.

Or, surprise! — line your lower lash lines with dark yellow Lucky Green or teal Green Room for a splash of unexpected color.

MAC Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Lucky Green, a dark yellow green — Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Lucky Green, a dark yellow green

The MAC Moody Blooms Eye Shadows: Some Thoughts on the Shades

Artistic License: This one reminds me of MAC Sushi Flower a little, but with golden shimmer, less coral and more pink. I think it’s super pretty and easy to blend.
Deep Fixation: Like a dream come true — a dream filmed in coppery warm brown. Pigmented and buttery, Deep Fixation buffs out like nobody’s business. Among the five of six shadows I’ve tried, I think it’s the must-have.
Blooming Mad: I bet Blooming Mad would make a very cool transition shade with copper Deep Fixation. Incidentally, this beauty is definitely channeling Stars N’ Rockets for me.
Hidden Motive: Take my breath away, why don’t you? This righteous reddish purple looks wicked lovely layered with Deep Fixation.
Lucky Green: More yellow than green to my eye, Lucky Green has an almost golden tone to it. I think it fits well with the warm reds and purples in the release — perhaps as a nice pop of bright color when worn on the inner part of the lower lash lines, as I’m doing here.

MAC Moody Blooms swatches Eye Shadows from the left: Artistic License, Deep Fixation, Blooming Mad, Hidden Motive and Lucky Green — Eye Shadows from the left: Artistic License, Deep Fixation, Blooming Mad, Hidden Motive and Lucky Green

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Maybelline Is Staking a Claim on Cute Corals With Master Hi-Light Powder Blush in Coral, a Bonafide Drugstore Gem

June 6th, 2014 by Karen 7 Comments

Maybelline Master Hi-Light Powder Blush — Wearing Maybelline’s Master Hi-Light Powder Blush in Coral ($9.99) on my cheeks

Let the record show that as of today, in my official capacity as the mayor of this little beauty burg, I formally proclaim this to be the season to go totally and completely bat-sh*t cra-zay-zay for coral.

*BEEP*

(The beep is supposed to make it official.)

Who’s with me?! 🙂

Lately, everywhere I go, I feel like a makeup prospector mining coral gems on shelves and counters, and these are the coral gold rush days.

“Eureka!” I frequently exclaim. There are just so many gorgeous corals out there these days, like this Master Hi-Light Powder Blush in Coral by Maybelline, waiting for nice cat ladies (and other friendly folks) to discover them.

Dude, I almost can’t believe this is only $10! — because it looks like a $42 Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick on my cheeks, only better. I get that same ethereal Shimmer Brick glow with it, but with a more diffused and forgiving finish.

Hi-Light contains a bit of everything — an illuminator, a bronzer and a blush — all in one pan.

I’ll usually swirl my brush around in it to mix the products together and apply that to my cheeks for a softly blended coral glow. Then I’ll run a finger across the lightest shade in the pan, and apply that down the bridge of my nose, on my upper cheekbones and on my Cupid’s bow as a highlighter.

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