Makeup

Guerlain’s New Cuivre Casts Metallurgical Magic on Lids: Guerlain Cuivre Ora Loose Powder Eye Shadow

April 18th, 2013 by Karen 44 Comments

How do you feel about shiny baubles? Personally, I’m a fan (especially costume stuff).

Guerlain feels pretty good about ’em, too, and their new coppery Cuivre (which means “copper” in French) Ora Loose Powder Eye Shadow works like a shiny bauble in some visually arresting ways.

Shiny like a copper keepsake — and intense! — it jazzes up whatever else you’ve got going on, in my case, a simple black eye liner, bronzer and a gloss in peachy gold.

Part of the new 10-piece Terra Ora summer makeup collection, Cuivre quivers on counters next month. 🙂

Guerlain’s got serious game when it comes to bronzers and bronzing makeup, so it makes sense that they’d release something like Cuivre.

I really how it looks with a tan and just the overall liquid metal effect. I think it’s also more intense when I press or glide it directly on my lids with the sponge-tip applicator instead of a separate brush.

Blink, and you see a flash of shimmer, which looks super cool, like sunlight on a polished piece of gold, and you don’t need multiple layers, either. Nope, it’s that pigmented and intense.

Guerlain Cuivre Ora Loose Powder Eye Shadow swatch — Guerlain Cuivre Ora Loose Powder Eye Shadow on my NC 42 skin

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Like Birds of a Feather, the Golden Tan Bronzer and Coral Blush in the New Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo in Coral Glow Look Great Together

April 18th, 2013 by Karen 35 Comments

Mario and Luigi, BeyoncÃ© and Jay-Z, Orgasm and Laguna… I love duos, both in my daily life and my makeup bag.

Take two awesome things and put them together, and sometimes you get awesomeness even greater than the sum of its parts!

My makeup bag is bursting with duos. They’re just so practical and convenient. Does this go with that? Oh, sure it does, because it’s a duo! They make me less likely to go orange alert/shank strangers and give me more time to tackle more important things, like whether to indulge Tabs by playing Ridin’ Dirty again.

Wait for the chirp at the end

When Dior’s $56 Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo in Coral Glow flitted onto shelves with the summer 2013 Bird of Paradise collection, my heart fluttered.

With a warm, golden tan bronzer on one side and a bright coral blush on the other, it’s got the goods to create sun-kissed skin and radiant cheeks.

And since the bronzer and blush sides are further divided into lighter and darker shades (or “harmonies,” as Dior likes to call ’em), which can be worn separately or mixed together, you can adjust the effect depending on your skin tone or tan.

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Dior Returns to the Blue Lagoon and Finds the Blue Lagoon 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow, Blogger Karen Posts Pictures, Swatches and a Review

April 17th, 2013 by Karen 63 Comments

Dior Blue Lagoon Eyeshadow Palette — Dior’s new Blue Lagoon Eyeshadow Palette #374

Believe it or not, this is a tabby’s happy face…

Dior Blue Lagoon Eyeshadow Palette with Tabs — Happy tabby! No, really.

Tabs was thrilled for a number of reasons today.

First, he got to hear one of his very favorite songs, Chamillionaire’s Ridin’ Dirty, which I pumped on iTunes while doing this blue and green eye look with the new Dior $60 Blue Lagoon 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette.

He always stays in the room for Chamillionaire, unlike Maroon 5, of which he’s not a fan (don’t know why, but he always leaves the room when Adam Levine starts singing). I think he thinks of Ridin’ Dirty as his personal anthem.

Picture it, Tabs strutting his stuff while it plays in the background. 🙂 Totally works, right?

Second, Tabs is a snob, or as he likes to put it, has “a taste for the finer things,” like high end makeup, Dior being one of his favorite brands.

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A Righteous Rhapsody in Blue: Chanel’s New Bleu Le Volume De Chanel Mascara

April 17th, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

I’ve got the blues… The Chanel Bleu Le Volume De Chanel Mascara blues…

Blue mascaras usually give me the blues…

Buuuuut, not in the good way.

You know how many times I’ve started out marveling at an intense sapphire on a mascara wand only to get it on my lashes and think, “Um…is that it? It’s not even blue. And where’s the length and thickness?”

Now, Chanel’s new Bleu Le Volume De Chanel Mascara is having none of that. This $30 delphinium is blue perfection in tube, and I think it’s a worthy addition to your fashion-forward wardrobe this spring.

Chanel Bleu Le Volume De Chanel Mascara wand — Just look at that magic wand…

It looks lovely standing next to the original Le Volume De Chanel, also known as “The Best Darned High-End Mascara This Side of the Rockies!” Also known as “lash crack!”

A great option for when you feel like mixing things up a little, or just want to wear a conversation starter…like a flashy cocktail ring or that tattoo of “Mrs. Christian Bale” across my left boob.

Ha. Kidding (or was I?).

Like the original Le Volume, Bleu does it all — lengthening, separating, thickening and holding a curl. It even makes it through the entire day without leaving behind a trail of flakes or smudges on my lower lash lines.

But even more important than all that, I can see the blue!

Chanel Bleu Le Volume De Chanel Mascara two coats — Two coats of Chanel Bleu Le Volume De Chanel Mascara

Those crazy cats at Chanel sure know how to do sophisticated blues. They’re always rolling out elegant, colorful blue eye makeup that works.

Sexy alien blue lashes, these are not. If you’re shopping for blue lashes that are visible from five galaxies away, you may have to keep searching…

Chanel Bleu Le Volume De Chanel Mascara before after — Two coats of Bleu on the left, and naked lashes on the right

Say you’re out on a date with your companion about an arm’s length away. They’ll just see quick flashes of blue as you answer, “How was your day?” or, “How did you refrain from shanking your boss?”
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Setting a New Gold Standard for Lip Luxury That Actually Includes Gold, the Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil

April 16th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

Hello, obsession. 🙂 Well, to be more precise, “the luxury lip treatment obsession I’m keeping on call for when Bruce Wayne shows up at my doorstep and offers to fund my lavish cat lady lifestyle, no strings attached (’cause he’s nice like that).”

Gold. Luxury. $42.

This new No. 28 lip treatment flat-out exudes luxury, and it wants to share that luxury with your lips.

Like, literally.

Hourglass outfitted it with a 24-karat gold-plated tip!

Recently added to the company’s permanent line for summer, it contains a blend of vitamins and 28 cool plant compounds and essential oils.

Oh, yeah. And then there’s the gold tip.

Gimmicky? Why, yes. Yes, it is. But it sure is bright and shiny! — and it feels like love on my lips. Cool, refreshing (and mildly addictive).

Of possible interest to germaphobes and Purell enthusiasts, Hourglass also says the gold-plated tip is anti-bacterial (interesting).

Something about it reminds me of The Hunger Games…but maybe that’s just because Cinna’s been on my mind. I can totally see him pulling one of these out of his man purse to moisturize Katniss’s lips between events (more on that in a sec).

Hourglass claims that their proprietary blend of 28 plant-based essential oils and vitamins helps to condition lips, reduce wrinkles and improve overall lip shape and volume.

“Like No. 28 Primer Serum, this product is enriched with 14 essential oils: Bois De Rose, Lavender, Geranium, Petitgrain, Lemon, Rosemary, Vanilla, Clove, Amyris, Orange, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, Cedar and Rose Geranium; 10 lipid-rich plant oils, including Hazelnut, Kukui Nut, Rose Hip, Borage, Olive, Green Tea, Cherry Pit, Sweet Almond, Jojoba, and Evening Primrose; and is fortified with 4 Vitamins, A, B5, C and E. The 28 ingredients create a protective barrier for lips.”

— From the official PR

I’ve been swiping the clear treatment, which has a light sheen to it, on my pout throughout the day and right before bedtime, and my lips have felt a little softer lately.

The medium-weight, comfy formula has a slightly sticky feel and a strong lavender and eucalyptus flavor and scent. The formula lasts on my lips from 1-2 hours, and I’ll wear it by itself or layered atop a nude lip liner.
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I’m Matte About a Mallard Named Canard: Laura Mercier’s Canard CrÃ¨me Eye Liner

April 16th, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

Laura Mercier Canard CrÃ¨me Eye Liner ($22), from the Folklore summer 2013 collection

If I’m gonna wear teal on my upper lash lines, it needs to be flashy. Flashy enough for New Year’s and divas at drag queen karaoke at the very, very least.

I mean, it’s teal, right? — the kryptonite of “no-makeup makeup” eye liner looks.

Laura Mercier Canard CrÃ¨me Eye Line ($22)

But ever since Laura Mercier’s new $22 Canard CrÃ¨me Eye Liner debuted on counters with the rest of Laura’s Folklore summer 2013 collection, I’ve been rethinking my stance.

Canard, or “duck” en franÃ§ais (shout-out to high school French!), shares much in common with Laura’s other CrÃ¨me Eye Liners. Despite its low-key flat matte finish, it’s packed with pigment, doesn’t get patchy, and best of all, it has the grip strength of a heavyweight MMA fighter! — even when worn without primer.

Laura Mercier Canard CrÃ¨me Eye Liner Swatch

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Like a Good Pair of Heels, These New Pierre Hardy for NARS Blushes Kick Butt

April 15th, 2013 by Karen 38 Comments

I’m dreaming of shoes… and the new NARS Pierre Hardy Rotonde Blush ($41)

I am a shoe girl…but of course you already knew this. 🙂

Whenever a new shoe-related beauty collaboration comes along, I’m always eager to try it on for size (haha!), even when the link between said footwear and whatever new perfume (Jimmy Choo) or palette (Seychelles for Smashbox) we’re talking about seems about as random as, I dunno, Ryan Gosling releasing his own line of Mrs. Grossman’s stickers, or BeyoncÃ© launching a limited edition Mrs. Carter Dyson vacuum (as a side, I would totally want both of those things if they were real).

Generally, whenever makeup and shoes are involved, you can count me in, which is why I’m deeply fascinated with the new Pierre Hardy for NARS collection that strutted its stuff online today at narscosmetics.com with six nail polish duos and two powder blushes.

I didn’t know much about Pierre Hardy before this launch. I’d thought, “Is that Ed Hardy’s cousin?” (Kidding) But then I looked him up…

A French shoe designer originally trained in fine arts and dance, Hardy’s fashion career took off in 1988 when he designed his first shoe collection for Christian Dior. His heels and high tops often incorporate geometric elements, which I like. His aesthetic seems very chic to me, and yet it doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously.

Thematically, NARS borrows heavily from Pierre Hardy’s summer 2013 collection here, with a mix of orange, nude, blue, purple and gray, which weave their way into the polishes, while a pattern lifted from a bold cuff repeats itself within the two pans of over-sized blush.

NARS Pierre Hardy blushes in Rotonde (left) and Boys Don't Cry (right) — NARS Pierre Hardy blushes in Rotonde (left) and Boys Don’t Cry (right), $41 each

Last weekend I strapped on some leopard heels and took the blushes out for a walk.
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The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Mushroom: A Neutral Shadow With a Can-Can Kick

April 12th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

Urban Decay Mushroom 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Mushroom — On my lids: the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Mushroom ($20)

There’s a fungus among us, ladies and gents. With Urban Decay’s new 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Mushroom, you’ll be able to knock out neutral looks in a flash.

And not just any old neutral looks. Neutral looks with pizzaz! — as this waterproof, long-lasting gray eye shadow also shimmers.

Right now it’s driving my Blanche Deveraux side wild, but she was mightily concerned at first…

When I showed it to her, she feigned almost passing out, raising the back of a wrist to her forehead and steadying herself against one of the posts on the veranda outside (also known as the back deck). “Oh, dear,” she declared in her thick Southern drawl, “if you’re gonna wear another boring gray shadow, I’ll just die. JUST DIE!”

See, my Blanche Deveraux side believes that neutrals should only be worn when shopping for sensible shoes, filling out Excel spreadsheets and cleaning cat barf from the carpets (seriously, Tabs, couldn’t you have aimed for the tiles?). In her mind, why bother with a boring gray when there are so many sparklier shades out there (she said, while batting her lashes at a pair of French naval officers on shore leave)?

But then she took a closer look at the tip…

And totally changed her tune. She saw an intense, warm gray with a shiny, silvery pearl finish.

When I explained how the easy-to-blend formula lasts all day long when worn with or without a primer, she snatched the pencil from my paws, and before I could protest, applied it to her lids.

Urban Decay Mushroom Noise 247 Glide On Shadow Pencil — Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Shadow Pencils in Mushroom (left) and Noise (right)

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