Makeup

The New Too Faced Jingle All the Way Pop-Out Makeup Palette Leaves a Makeup Message After the Beep

October 11th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

To all the beleaguered pet assistants and/or ladies (and dudes) living under the tyrannical paw of their feline overlords…please do not expect to actually keep the cute iPhone case that comes with the Too Faced Jingle All the Way Pop-Out Makeup Palette ($25).

Because once your cat captor sees the adorable pink and gold design, basically, you’re toast. He or she will claim it as their own quicker than you can say, “Siri, what time does Petco close tonight??”

Ha! I made myself laugh… 🙂

This gift set is all kinds of cute! The iPhone case (iPhone 5 only) is a neat twist, but yeah, there’s also a makeup palette (which cleverly pops out).

Talk about perfect stocking stuffers.

Just be careful to hide it from your makeup-loving, fashion-forward pet; otherwise, you’re liable to lose it. Shoot, I had the case on my phone all but two seconds before Tabs claimed it as his own.

The moment I finished replacing his current Kate Spade phone case for this one, I got a text from Tabs that read, “stop pouting, strt swatching 11 shadows, blush, bronzer asap, thx.”

Whatever tabby wants, tabby gets (sigh). Remind me again why I signed up for this gig…

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A Closer Look at the Lovely NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Collection

October 10th, 2013 by Karen 35 Comments

NARS Exhibit A Blush — Wearing Exhibit A Blush, Mississippi Cinematic Eyeshadow and Goodbye Emmanuelle Cinematic Lipstick from the new NARS Guy Bourdin collection

Earlier this week, the day after I posted a quick look at this collection, I learned that the release, specifically the tie-in to Guy Bourdin’s sometimes dark, disturbing photography, sparked a controversy. I’ve decided to cover the collection because I see this as an issue of art, personal preference and freedom of expression. As someone who was in an abusive relationship, I could say more, but I don’t intend to say anything further about it in public.

The Blushes ($29 each)

The first products I ever fell in love with from NARS were their blushes (can I get a what-what for Amour?!), and the blushes in this release reminded me of that. The brand has some of the best blushes around. In classic NARS fashion, the three here in the Guy Bourdin collection last all day long, look natural, and I don’t have to load a dozen layers on my cheeks to see them.

NARS Exhibit A — Blush in Exhibit A, a matte vivid red

First, there’s Exhibit A, a re-promote from the permanent line. It’s a vivid red with a matte finish…

NARS Coeur Battant — Blush in Coeur Battant, a magenta

Then, there’s Coeur Battant, also a matte, but this one’s an intense magenta.

NARS Day Dream — Blush in Day Dream, a peachy pink

Lastly, there’s Day Dream, a peachy pink with an opalescent, almost angelic shimmer.

The big theme here? Pigment. One or two swipes across each of these pans is all it takes for bright color on both cheeks. For reals! Even Day Dream, which I thought I’d have to layer, only requires a couple swipes.

But because these blushes lay down lots of color, they can be very tricky to use. Even with a light touch, it’s easy to go overboard with them (at least for me). If you’ve never worn blush before, you might want to go for something sheerer. There are lots of great beginner’s blushes out there, but I don’t think these three are among them.

If, on the other hand, you’re already comfortable with blush (or if you’re just an adventurous beginner), you should be totally fine.

And yeah, I know you’ve got mad blush skills, yo! — but still, I’d opt for either a skunk brush or a fan brush, instead of a regular blush brush, to avoid over-applying. Might as well make it easier on yourself, ya know?

MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

NARS Day Dream Blush — Blush in Day Dream

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A Picture Perfect Collection of Bold Brights Beckons You: The New NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Color Collection

October 8th, 2013 by Karen 37 Comments

NARS Goodbye Emmanuelle Cinematic Lipstick Swatch — Wearing NARS Cinematic Lipstick in Goodbye Emmanuelle ($26), one of 17 pieces in the new Guy Bourdin Holiday Color Collection

WARNING: Catching glimpses of the pretty, pretty colors in the NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Color Collection has been known to make knees buckle.

It’s gotta be the bold brights… They get me every single time.

I’m getting a decidedly MAC-esque vibe from this new 17-piece limited edition release, AND I LIKE IT! If there ever was a collection capable of converting the most die-hard MAC mavens to hard-core NARS nerds, this would be the one.

With saturated, high-intensity lipsticks, blushes, eyeshadows and nail polishes, it holds nothing back.

The entire NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Color Collection, coming to NARS boutiques and counters (and online) October 15

Rather than releasing just enough products to complete one look — like a blush, a gloss, one lipstick and a few eye pieces — which is what NARS usually does with their collections, they expanded their horizons this time around, offering multiple options — three blushes, four nail polishes, five eyeshadow singles (in the new Cinematic formulation) and five lipsticks (also in Cinematic).

Very MAC-like, I must say.

But this collection is more than bold brights. It’s also, in a way, an ode to one of FranÃ§ois Nars’ childhood heroes, french photographer Guy Bourdin, who FranÃ§ois credits for inspiring him to become a makeup artist.

Bourdin’s work graced the pages of top fashion magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar during the later half of the 20th century. He was one of the first to create complex narratives through his fashion photography. He often staged his shots in strange and mysterious ways to tell stories through imagery, sometimes with violent, surreal themes or sexuality.

I gotta say, I really like it when collections have provocative, interesting stories behind them, and I think it’s cool that Nars gives props to a fellow artist who meant so much to him.

My makeup spider sense is tingling about this collection. I can see it being one of those launches that people talk about with a twinkle in their eye, like five or six years down the road over coffee one day. “Gah! Remember NARS Guy Bourdin? I still dream about those lipsticks…”

NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Color Collection Cinematic Lipsticks — Cinematic Lipsticks from the left: Goodbye Emmanuelle (a hot pink), Full Frontal (a rose violet), Short Circuit (a firey coral), Future Red (a cherry) and Last Tango (a dusty rose)

NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Color Collection Cinematic Eyeshadows — Cinematic Eyeshadows, clockwise from the blue pan on the far left: Wishful Thinking (a macaw blue), Rage (an electric orchid), Cambodia (a pinkish copper), Bad Behaviour (a deep pewter) and Mississippi Mermaid (a champagne), $24 each

NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Color Collection Nail Polish — Nail Polishes from the left: Tomorrow’s Red (a scarlet flame), Union Libre (a blossom pink), No Limits (a bright pinkish violet) and Follow Me (a deep fuchsia), $19 each

NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Color Collection Blushes — Clockwise from the red pan in the lower left: Blush in Exhibit A (a vivid matte red), Blush in Coeur Battant (a magenta) and Blush in Day Dream (a peachy pink), $29 each; Cinematic Eyeshadows in Rage (an electric orchid) and Wishful Thinking (a macaw blue), $24 each

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The New Joy to the Girls Palette by Too Faced Cosmetics Sings Songs of Girly Glam for the Holidays

October 8th, 2013 by Karen 18 Comments

Too Faced Joy to the Girls — Wearing the Joy to the Girls palette on my eyes, new from Too Faced Cosmetics ($46)

Hark! The herald beauty angels sing…

Joy to the girls, it’s time to play!
Let eyes receive shadow! 🙂

I do believe that Too Faced Cosmetics is on to something with the name of their new holiday palette, Joy to the Girls.

Makeup-themed Christmas carols.

BOOM!

Too Faced Joy to the Girls Box — So cute, right? The packaging was designed by celebrity decorator Mary McDonald.

Picture it — you, Tabs and I standing on the neighbor’s doorstep in matching chunky knit sweaters with matching caps (because Team Tabs is all about accessories), while we sing about our love of cat eyeliner and blending brushes.

(I’m an alto, BTW, so you and Tabs will have to cover the high parts.)

On our eyes, Joy to the Girls.

Recently released for the holidays, it comes equipped for yuletide fun with 15 pans of powder eyeshadow in matte, shimmer and glitter finishes. There’s also a full-sized LashGASM Mascara, and three sets of step-by-step instructions for different looks.

Too Faced Joy to the Girls Eyeshadows — A closer look at the eyeshadows…

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Get Major Shine for $2.99 With the New Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains

October 7th, 2013 by Karen 24 Comments

Jordana Twist Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Review — Wearing Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Cranberry Crush

That’s a lotta shine for $2.99!

Heh, I made a rhyme… 🙂

“Shine” was the first word that sprang to mind when I tried the new Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains.

The second was, “daayyuuum!”

But that was more of an exclamatory sound than an actual word…

Jordana Twist Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains — From the left: Nude Chic, Sweet Pink, Tropical Frenzy, Candied Coral, Honey Love, Cranberry Crush, Rock N Rouge and Terra Crave

The new line of budget-friendly beauties recently landed on drugstore shelves, and essentially, they look like Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tints, only they cost $3 instead of $24.

That’s a BIG difference, yo.

In a nutshell…

They come in eight shades.
Like Tarte’s Lip Tints, they start with a bang! — applying like a glossy lip balm that fades slowly to a quiet stain…
They last about 2-3 hours.
Paraben-free.
Made in the USA.
They’re pretty blasted moisturizing.
Outfitted with a twist-up, retractable crayon for easy application.
The packaging colors correspond to the shades, which makes finding the right color easy in a crowded makeup bag.
They have a smooth, lightweight, non-sticky formula.
To my nose, they smell like Red Jolly Ranchers (which I love!) — but the scent isn’t obnoxiously strong.
They also have a slightly waxy taste to ’em that lingers longer than I’d like… It actually makes my tum slightly gurgle, but hey, they’re only $2.99…

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Candied Coral — Candied Coral

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Sweet Pink — Sweet Pink

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Terra Crave — Terra Crave

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain Honey Love — Honey Love

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The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette: Like a Portable Photograhy Lighting Kit That Fits in a Purse

October 4th, 2013 by Karen 38 Comments

Just when I thought there was absolutely no way Hourglass could improve upon the perfection of their Ambient Lighting Powders, they go and release a stunning new Ambient palette and effectively knock my cat lady socks off.

(No, seriously, I wear cat lady socks.)

New for the holidays, the $58 limited edition trio ($67 CDN) comes with three Ambient Light Powders and a travel-sized bottle of Veil Primer.

Be warned — when you open the palette and gaze upon Dim Light, Radiant light, and the new limited edition Incandescent Light, you may experience beauty vertigo and feel the need to sit down, so take care to open it within reach of your fainting couch. 🙂

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Dim Light — Dim Light

If you haven’t partaken of these Ambients before, you’re in for a treat. The line of universally flattering pressed powders was designed to sort of simulate different lighting effects, like candlelight, by diffusing, softening and tinting light on the skin.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Incandescent Light — Incandescent Light

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The Chanel Collection Nuit Infinie De Chanel Collection for Holiday 2013: Cheeks and Lips

October 3rd, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

Chanel Collection Nuit Infinie De Chanel: Cheeks and Lips

Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Accent ($43): A sheer pinkish beige with a hint of plum and a sheen finish; I need 2-3 layers to see it on my cheeks
Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder in Moon Light ($52): A sheer peachy beige with glitter; I’d use this sparingly, otherwise skin can end up looking REALLY glittery
Rouge Allure Lipstick in Radieuse ($34): A blueish pink with a smooth and creamy texture and soft shine finish; surprisingly wearable
Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in La Precieuse ($43): A vivid red matte that leans slightly blue; similar to MAC Ruby Woo, but with a thinner texture and less severe matte finish
Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in La Desiree ($43): An extremely pigmented burgundy red matte with smooth texture; can’t skip the lip liner with this one

Chanel Accent Joues Contraste — Joues Contraste in Accent ($43)

Chanel Radieuse La Desiree La Precieuse 1 — Rouge Allure and Rouge Allure Velvet Lipsticks ($34 each)

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Chanel Goes for the Glitter on Lashes and Lids in the New Collection Nuit Infinie de Chanel for Holiday 2013

October 3rd, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

Chanel Collection Nuit Infine de Chanel Collection for Holiday 2013 — Wearing makeup from the new Chanel Collection Nuit Infinie de Chanel Collection, new for holiday 2013

Assuming Tabs the naughty ninja kitty doesn’t knock the tree over again, my Christmas is going to have some major competition — and not from the glittering, diamond-encrusted Beyonce-themed ornaments (I WISH). Chanel’s holiday collection is officially in the house, and it’s ready to glimmer and glisten, big time, on lids and lashes.

Chanel Collection Nuit Infinie De Chanelfor Holiday 2013 — 9 of the 14 pieces from the new Collection Nuit Infinie De Chanel

From what I’ve seen of the collection so far, it’s a full-on glitter parade, especially on eyes. I mean, it’s so glittery that I’m pretty sure that if holiday tinsel could talk, it would yell “BISH STOLE MY LOOK!” at the top of its lungs.

Hey, I’m not complaining! I love me some glitter. I just wish it showed up more readily in these pics. In all of the shots I took today, the glitter appears much more subdued than it does in real life.

I tried, le sigh.

It’s too bad that it’s so hard to get security clearance here at Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, because I would love to see your eyes twinkle when you saw how these eyeshadows, mascara and liner radiate in person.

I guess we’ll have to just settle for the next best thing, which is you and me hanging out on opposite ends of the keyboard. 🙂

Ready to get to it? Glitter in three, two, one…

Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Initiation ($36)

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Initiation — Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Initiation

A sheer, glittery platinum bronze
One of two Illusion D’Ombre cream eyeshadows in the collection
Can wear alone or as a base for other shadows
Soft, bouncy texture
Apply with fingers or a brush
I apply with a flat eyeshadow brush (easier for me to control the product).
Non-creasing, long wearing
This particular pot might be old since it seems to have dried up (the shadow should touch the edges of the jar)
Experienced some fallout because of the glitter, but it’s not crazy.
Camera has a hard time picking up the sparkle; appears much more glittery in real life
Prefer this one over the second shade, Fatal, because it’s easier to wear on warm skin
Love the color, love the sparkle, wish it didn’t exhibit fallout (shouldn’t for the price)

MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Initiation on my eyes — Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Initiation on my lids

Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Fatal ($36)

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Fatal — Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Fatal

A shimmery, silvery purple with red undertones
Second cream shadow from the collection
Reddish purples make me look like I’ve been crying, so I have a hard time pulling this off
Not as glittery as Initiation, but still very shimmery (borders on a frost)
Texture’s slightly smoother, more bouncy
Easier to apply and blend
No fallout
Loved the texture and application, not so crazy about the color
Better for cool-toned gals/guys who can carry purplish reds well

MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

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