Makeup

The Laura Mercier Folklore Summer 2013 Collection Is Equal Parts Boho and Bling

April 11th, 2013 by Karen 36 Comments

According to folklore…the Taylor Swift is a spellbinding creature that lives deep in the Hundred Acre Wood with a talking, foul-mouthed plush toy named Ted…

Wait — that’s not right.

Sorry! Got my stories confused. 🙂

This is a post about the new Laura Mercier Folklore Summer 2013 collection, available now at Laura Mercier counters and online.

In a way, though, Laura’s new collection is like all of those catchy/borderline annoying Taylor Swift songs I like in that I can’t get it out of my head.

Its warm, earthy bronze, copper, gold and tan shimmers splashed with coral, pink and blue? MAN! It just might be enough to sway me from my usual surfer chick-meets-Las Vegas showgirl summer motif toward a summer of boho and bling — flowing, flowery caftans, platform sandals, silk headscarves, big-@ss hoops and lots of gold.

When I contemplate the pieces in the Folklore collection, I almost feel the sun on my shoulders as a dry, desert wind whistles through my loose, wavy hair.

These are pieces I’d wear if I were trying to channel Nicole Richie and BeyoncÃ© (at the same time) while traipsing through the high desert with a guitar strapped to my back (on my way to a luxurious five-star resort with an infinity pool and a spa that offers a 120-minute massage).

Got a few reviews lined up, but here are swatches of the entire collection now…

Laura Mercier Folklore Collection Swatches From the left: Sun Glow, Fire Glow and Earth Glow ($24 each) — Laura Mercier Folklore Collection Eye Shadow Swatches from the left on my NC 42 skin: Sun Glow, Fire Glow and Earth Glow ($24 each)

Laura Mercier Folklore Collection Swatches From the left: Ritual Baked Blush Bronze ($36), Cobolt CrÃ¨me Eye Liner ($22) and Canard CrÃ¨me Eye Liner ($22)

Laura Mercier Folklore Collection Swatches From the left: Burnt Clay, Folklore and Mayan Sun ($22 each) — From the left: Burnt Clay, Folklore and Mayan Sun Lip Crayons ($22 each)

[Continue reading…]

In Daydreams, I See Oceans of Shimmer: The Glossy, Glittery Glossimers From the New Chanel Revelation Collection

April 11th, 2013 by Karen 46 Comments

Chanel Daydream Glossimer — Starring in a reverie near you, Chanel’s $29.50 Daydream Glossimer…

“When in doubt, Chanel it out.”

Wouldn’t that look great on a t-shirt? Or a bumper sticker? Or maybe tattooed on a Chanel addicted beauty fanatic’s inner wrist (in sans serif font, of course)?

This, my friend, is my new makeup mantra: “When in doubt, Chanel it out.”

It occurred to me earlier this week — a revelation of sorts — as I was trying to figure out to wear to that work lunch I went in the city last Tuesday.

I was stumped and rutting around through my makeup drawer. Couldn’t figure out what I wanted to wear, and then I remembered the quad and blush from the spring 2013 collection and spotted one of the new Glossimers from the new Chanel Revelation collection.

“When in doubt, Chanel it out.”

Oh, babe! The spring collection’s glosses, and that Taboo nail polish, are fodder for daydreams. Think glossy, glittery lips and rich, interstellar indigo tips that twinkle like little stars.

For the season, Coco’s crew positioned the Glossimers as essentials for your makeup kit, like must-have purses and shoes — wearable, flexible, because they can go with so many different outfits and looks. The collection includes a mix of 10 new and re-promoted glosses, some of them on the sheer, subtle side, like sheens, and others sparkly metallics.

The new Chanel Collection Revelation collection of Glossimers ($29.50) and Taboo Nail Polish ($27)

Chanel Ocean Shimmer 171, Rose Sauvage 172 and Daydream 174

Chanel Collection Revelation Swatches — From the left: Ocean Shimmer 171, Rose Sauvage 172 and Daydream 174

[Continue reading…]

More Runway Than Everyday: The Six Cream Colour Shadows in MAC’s Limited Edition Fall ’13 Forecast/Eyes Palette Pull a Disappearing Act

April 10th, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

MAC Fall 13 Forecast Eyes — That there is Rustic Red and Purple Fusion on my lids and lash lines from the MAC Fall ’13 Forecast/Eyes palette

Cue the lights! Music! Now Models, hit the runway! And you, vertically-challenged 30-something cat lady girl, hit the hallway! The show is about to begin!!

Straight off the catwalks of Paris and New York (and the hallways of Novato), beside the Fall ’13 Forecast/Lips palette (SO GOOD), comes MAC’s new $40 Fall ’13 Forecast/Eyes palette of six new Cream Colour Shadows in fashion-forward fall colors.

The moderately pigmented, easy-to-build colors in the pocket-sized palette range from rockstar Oil-Slick Black to admin assistant Oyster.

The first time I patted one of these thin, slightly sticky cream shadows on a bare lid, I purred, then oohed and ahed at how easy it was to blend with the other shades. Then I thought, “Now when I walk Tabs, I can pretend I’m walking a Marc Jacobs catwalk.”

BAM! Pop that hip! 🙂

MAC Fall 13 Forecast Eyes Swatches — MAC Fall 13 Forecast Eyes swatches from the left: Oyster, Scarab Green, Smoked Indigo, Rustic Red, Oil Slick Black and Purple Fusion

[Continue reading…]

On Your Mark…Get Set…Save! Flower Beauty’s Long-Lasting On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner Delivers a Dior-Like Look for $7

April 10th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

Makeup lovers, on your mark… Get set… GO! “Here I’m wearing Flower Beauty On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner in Black ($7) on my upper lash lines!!”

Yea! Great product name! 🙂

But I feel like Flower Beauty should have added an ellipses at the end of their new $7 On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner, because that’s how I say it in my head.

“On your mark…”

With the pause at the end. LOL!

I’ve been all about liquid liners with shiny finishes lately — liners like the $30 Diorshow Art Pen, which might as well be Velcroed to my hand — paired with some of this season’s raddest lipsticks from Buxom, NARS, Laura Mercier, MAC and Milani.

Some products just seem so right together, don’t they? That’s how I feel about liquid liner and lipstick. They’re a classic pairing, like scrunchies and side ponytails, or Katniss and Peeta (which reminds me, The Hunger Games is now available on Netflix, holla!).

Unfortunately, the Diorshow Art Pen costs three hamiltons (which doesn’t flow off the tongue as well as “benjamins”), so I’ve been looking for a drugstore alternative that lasts just as long and is just as easy to apply.

I think I may have found it, too, in Flower Beauty’s water-resistant On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner, which has a flexible felt tip that lays down lines just as smoothly as the Art Pen from Dior.

So long-lasting (12 hours)! So perspiration-proof (I ran 3 miles with it on, and it didn’t even budge)! So affordable at just $7!

I haven’t been able to keep my hands off it, and I think my Dior liner’s even getting a little jealous…

Flower Beauty On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner swatch — Flower Beauty On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner in Black on my NC 42 skin

[Continue reading…]

The Yves Saint Laurent Saharienne Heat Summer 2013 Collection Sounds and Looks Hot

April 10th, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

YSL Summer 2013 — The new Yves Saint Laurent Saharienne Heat Summer 2013 collection

One glimpse across a crowded Nordstrom store yesterday and it was ON!

That’s all it took to catch me — the new Yves Saint Laurent Saharienne Heat summer 2013 collection.

It flicked a primal switch, and I started run-walking toward the counter (probably making grabby hands in the air).

LOL! Alright, maybe I’m being a little dramatic…

No, the more I think about it, it was exactly like that. 🙂

I was moving so fast toward those purples, greens, corals and bronzes that I almost tripped in my Michael Kors birthday heels…which wouldn’t have been all bad as I would have fallen into the display.

Here are some pics and swatches of the quads and polishes.

YSL Summer 2013 Pure Chromatics Quad No 13 on the left and No 20 on the right, $55 each

YSL Summer 2013 Pure Chromatics Quad No 20 ($55)

Terre Saharienne Mat Bronzers in 10, 20 and 30 ($50 each)

[Continue reading…]

Get a Long-Lasting Luxury Lip Gloss Look for a Penny Less Than 9 Bucks With Sonia Kashuk’s New Luxe Lip Gloss

April 9th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Ultra Luxe Lip Gloss in Prettiest Pink ($8.99) — In the category of “Favorite Drugstore Lip Gloss,” I’m currently crushing on Sonia Kashuk’s Ultra Luxe Lip Gloss in Prettiest Pink ($8.99)

Lucky number nine!

That’s how many shades Sonia Kashuk crafted of her new $9 ($8.99 to be exact) Ultra Luxe Lip Gloss. Partial to pale pinks? Check. Nudes? Got ya covered. Rich plums? Right here.

Right now I’m hooked on Prettiest Pink and Polished Plum, both of which, like the other colors in the line, are unscented and unflavored. Every time I swipe one of their brush applicators across my lips, I’m blown away by how evenly they apply, and I think the pigmented, non-sticky formula feels fantastic (and lasts from 2-4 hours). It’s juiced up with papaya extract, glycerin and antioxidants to make it hella hydrating, too.

“This next-generation lip gloss formula delivers beautiful, buildable color with instant softness and multi-dimensional shine. This lightweight, gel-like texture glides on comfortably to leave lips feeling kissable and moisturized — never sticky. Shades range from subtle nude to bold brights. Infused with Glycerin, Fatty Acids and emollients to hydrate lips and Papaya Fruit Extract, a natural skin softener, this multi-tasking gloss enhances skin’s elasticity and protects lips with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.”

— target.com

Sonia Kashuk Ultra Luxe Lip Glosses in Polished Plum on the top and Prettiest Pink on the bottom ($8.99) — Sonia Kashuk Ultra Luxe Lip Glosses in Polished Plum on the top and Prettiest Pink on the bottom ($8.99 each)

Sonia Kashuk Ultra Luxe Lip Gloss Swatches in Prettiest Pink on the left and Polished Plum on the right

Sonia Kashuk Ultra Luxe Lip Gloss in Polished Plum

[Continue reading…]

The MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinishes Sculpt and Spotlight Skin, Getting You Ready to Take the Stage

April 9th, 2013 by Karen 28 Comments

The three MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinishes ($30 each for a 0.31-ounce pan) round out the new MAC In Extra Dimension collection. Face and cheek duos, they have a luminous liquid-powder formula, and I’ve been alternating between two of them this week in Definitely Defined and Shape the Future.

Putting a highlighter and bronzer together in each pan takes the guesswork out of figuring out which colors go together (love that), but man! — these bronzers sure do shimmer.

The effect gets a little lost in these pics, but in real life it’s like WHOA! The other day I applied one of these as a contouring color before heading out to run errands, and I swear — I looked like a backup dancer on Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance.

MAC Definitely Defined Skinfinish, a silvery pink and a soft rose with shimmer

MAC Shape the Future Skinfinish, an iridescent pastel pink and a soft brick with light shimmer

Definitely Defined on the left and Shape the Future on the right

[Continue reading…]

Iridescent and Opalescent, MAC’s New Extra Dimension Eye Shadows Illuminate Lids Here in Our Dimension Too

April 9th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

“Warp drive on my mark, ensign. 3-2-1, mark! ETA to the MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadows in Opalesse, Smoky Mauve and Triple Impact, t-minus 10 seconds…”

My favorite thing about this time of year? You mean, other than the beautiful flowers everywhere (allergies, be damned!) and the reemergence of my favorite pair of flip-flops and the liberation of my toes?

The sunnier days also seem like a good excuse to wear shimmery, glimmering eye shadows.

Whenever I’m wearing something luminescent on my lids — perhaps something like the new MAC’s Extra Dimension Eye Shadows ($21 per 0.07-ounce pan) — as Tabs and I soak up the sun on our afternoon walks, I feel an extra bounce in my step. 😀

The six new shades, each in MAC’s hybrid liquid-powder formula, beam down to the planet’s surface (and MAC counters and stores) April 11 with the rest of the In Extra Dimension collection. The shadows range from sheer, opalescent shades too full-on frosts.

Of course, if you don’t want to wait those two more days, they are available now online…

I’ve been working with three of them for a few days — Opalesse, Triple Impact and Smokey Mauve — and we’ve gotten pretty close. I haven’t had any issues with fallout, and as long as I layer them on top of a primer, they last me from 8-10 hours, with barely a hint of creasing or fading (they crease and fade more noticeably when I wear them without primer)

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Opalesse, a opalescent white with white pearl — MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Opalesse, an opalescent white with white pearl

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Opalesse: This sheer opalescent shadow reminds me of a MAC Vex stripped of its greenish blue flash. A very pretty pinkish peach opal. Absolutely gorgeous buffed onto lids with a 217. It just glows!
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Triple Impact, a opalescent lavender with violet pearl

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Triple Impact: Another opalescent shadow, except that this one’s lavender with violet pearl. On its own, it illuminates lids like a regular Thomas Edison, but I think its real strength is smokey eyes. I pat a little in the inner half or all over my lids atop a black creamy base, and the iridescent, shimmery purple adds a twinkle of sparkle that’s less intense than a trip on the glitter train.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Smoky Mauve, a mid-tone cool mauve — MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Smoky Mauve, a cool mid-toned mauve

[Continue reading…]