Makeup

McFly, Take Me to 1998! Like a Lipstick-Powered, Time-Traveling DeLorean, Clarins Rouge Ã‰clat Turns Back the Clock

January 29th, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

Clarins Tropical Pink Rouge Eclat — Wearing the new Clarins Rouge Ã‰clat Lipstick in Tropical Pink ($26), one of 15 new shades for spring 2013

Whatever you do, don’t lose your flux capacitor!!

Because when you slip one of Clarins’ new Rouge Ã‰clat Lipsticks on your lips, and blast back to the past in your time-traveling makeup DeLorean…

…you’ll probably want to return to the present at some point to check your iPhone texts and watch cat videos on YouTube.

With these, Clarins aims to turn back time! — on the lip aging process, making them appear more youthful.

So do they work? Do they flip the flux capacitor and send lips back to the kinder, gentler land of ingenue lips? A time when folks clipped pagers to their right front pockets and strangers addressed me as “miss” instead of “ma’am”?

Well, maybe… In a way.

But, in case you were wondering, they aren’t powered by a flux capacitor. Nope, these are actually plant wax powered.

Clarins combined mimosa, jojoba and sunflower waxes to create a formula designed to boost collagen synthesis and fight the appearance of fine lines.

Whether my collagen’s been boosted, I couldn’t tell, but I do feel a little more like my 20-something self than my 30-something self when I wear one of the three shades I’ve tried (there are 15 available) — Tropical Pink, Coral Pink or Rosewood.

But I think that’s more because of the colors Clarins created, playful shades that remind me of the blissful, carefree days when my biggest concern was worrying about the stoner who lived downstairs returning my Beastie Boys tape…

One layer dresses my lips in a slow-jam of opaque coverage, and the smooth finish refuses to cross into the Evil Forbidden Land of Flakes and Fine Lip Lines!

Clarins Rosewood Coral Pink Tropical Pink Rouge Eclat — From the left: Tropical Pink, Coral Pink and Rosewood; All three have a light violet flavor and scent that lasts disappears after a minute or two…

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This Spring, Get the Look of Love at LancÃ´me With Sheer Shades of Pink and Peach: LancÃ´me’s New Blush in Love in Pommettes D’Amour and Baume In Love in Urban Ballet

January 29th, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

Lancome Blush in Love in Pommettes D'Amour — Lancome’s $49 Blush in Love in Pommettes D’Amour from the new In Love spring 2013 makeup collection

Remember back when you’d ask your friend if she liked a boy, or if she liked the boy? LOL!

Don’t laugh! There was a big difference. 🙂

I get that same idea from LancÃ´me’s two new $49 Blush in Love Powders. Why didn’t they call ’em Blush in Lust, or Blush in Like? Would the products have been different?

Semantics aside, with these, I get the feeling LancÃ´me had hot cheeks in mind — the heat that surges to the surface of your skin when he leans in close, exhaling loudly, and peers into your eyes, flashing that cocky half-smile. Suddenly, you realize that your seemingly innocent drink after work isn’t just brews with a bud.

LancÃ´me created two versions of Blush in Love, a light coral for paler pretties and a bright rose for darker damsels. A floral design and Blush in Love logo blooms on them both, and each one contains two shades designed to caress cheeks with spring color.

I’ve been wearing the bright rose, which is called 20 Pommettes D’Amour. In it, a sheer hot pink with a matte finish encircles a square of matte peach in the center, and while it radiates like a neon sign in its pan, 20 Pommettes D’Amour applies more like a misty morning drizzle…

For a peachy pink cheek flush like I sprinted to my car through a warm spring rain, I swirl my blush brush in the pan, mixing both colors in the pan, and blend 2-3 layers on my cheeks.

Then, in a step I wish I could skip considering the price (almost $50!), to dispense with the larger grains of powder the product leaves behind, I buff them down with a kabuki brush.

Even with that little annoyance, I have to say — I think this stuff looks pretty phenomenal in pics, all luminous and sunny, like an unexpected warm spell in the middle of winter.

Lancome Baume in Love in Urban Ballet small — LancÃ´me Baume in Love in Urban Ballet ($26)

If you happened to wonder what I was wearing on my cheeks in this week’s Laura Mercier Creme Liner review, yup, it was Pommette D’Amour. 🙂

I do wish the limited edition packaging felt sturdier… I mean, I dig the design, and I think the paper gives it a certain Paul & Joe-ish charm, but again, for almost $50? I want champagne in a fancy fluted glass, ya know (versus boxed wine in a clear plastic cup)?

Oh, do you remember that sheer neon pink tinted lip balm we looked at, $26 Baume in Love in Urban Ballet? It hails from the very same collection.

Lancome Baume in Love in Urban Ballet and Blush in Love in Pommettes D'Amour — LancÃ´me’s Baume in Love in Urban Ballet ($26) on the left and Blush in Love in Pommettes D’Amour ($49) on the right

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Holy Smokes, Is That Strut? Benefit’s New Creaseless Cream Shadow in Holy Smokes Plays Dale to Strut’s Brennan

January 28th, 2013 by Karen 20 Comments

The new Benefit Holy Smokes Creaseless Cream Shadow ($19)

For the Bene-babes dabbing daintily at glittery tears while clutching embroidered hankies and waiving a slow, sad farewell as their favorite Creaseless Creme Shadows sail away to the Island of Dr. Moreaus’s Discontinued Beauty Favorites, I have some potentially good news. 🙂

At least one of the colors, Strut, will live on in the newly repackaged Creaseless Cream Shadow line launching this spring.

Remember Strut? The dark shimmery gray has long been a perfect partner in crime for smokey eyes, and it’s not going anywhere, although it has been slightly tweaked with a blink of taupe and given a new moniker: Holy Smokes.

A few days ago, I wore Holy Smokes on one eye and Strut on the other, with Laura Mercier’s Stormy Grey along my water lines (they go together like peanut butter and jelly), and really, I couldn’t tell the difference between them on my lids (unless I looked really close).

Benefit Swatches of Holy Smokes, Strut and Skinny Jeans — Swatches from the left: Holy Smokes, Strut and Skinny Jeans

Benefit Holy Smokes — Wearing Holy Smokes on the eye on the right of the screen and Strut on the eye on the left

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Try Laura Mercier’s New Long-Wearing, Waterproof Creme Eye Liners for Cat Eyes That Last

January 28th, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

The New Laura Mercier Creme Eye Liners — Wearing Laura Mercier’s new $22 Creme Eye Liner in Violet, applied with the new Angled Eye Liner Brush ($20)

Remember when you tossed those jeans with the word, “Poison,” airbrushed on them and shouted, “I wish I had a pair of skinnies that said, ‘I Laura Mercier Stormy Grey!!’ on the butt”?

No…?

Oops! Sorry, my bad. That was me.

If you love Laura’s liners so much that you quote The Notebook whenever you clutch Antique Jade or Black Gold in your hands (“…everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours.”), then 1) no judgment, and 2) you may want to check out Laura’s new $22 Creme Eye Liners.

This spring Laura unveils them in six long-wearing, waterproof cream liner shades designed to accent eyes with smooth, precise color and a semi-matte finish.

They’re designed for quick, easy application, especially when applied with a single swipe from Laura’s new $20 Angled Eye Liner Brush.

Laura Mercier Creme Eye Liner Jars — From the left: Indigo, Violet and Noir ($22 each), three of the six new Creme Liners

Yesterday, while snarfing a post-treadmill workout banana and texting my friend Jen about going out dancing for the first time in years, I swiped Noir along my right lash line and Violet along my left. I used the new brush, too (like a fancy version of Sonia’s Bent Brush; ideal for delivering smooth, crisp edges and flawless flicks).

I was in a frantic rush to get ready and out the door to meet my little brother, who was on his way across the Bay from the city on the Larkspur Ferry, and even though I was rushed and distracted, I still managed a cat eye liner look that Tabs himself could not find fault with. 🙂

As for how waterproof they are, I’m not sure… I’m waiting for Ryan Gosling to declare his unrequited love for me while standing in the rain (in other words, I’ll let you know).

I can already attest to their durability, though. Both Noir and Violet lasted me through a leisurely lunch Off the Grid with my bro, where we spotted a man I’m 99.9% sure was Sammy Hagar…

…through a long hike in the hills of Novato’s Indian Valley nature preserve…

…through a two-hour movie…

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Benefit’s Fakeup Crease-Control Hydrating Concealer Disguises Dark Circles, Doesn’t Leave a Trace

January 25th, 2013 by Karen 25 Comments

Benefit Fakeup Hydrating Crease-Control Concealer 1 — The new Benefit Fakeup Crease-Control Hydrating Concealer ($24), coming this March

The first time I twisted Benefit’s new Fakeup Crease-Control Hydrating Concealer, I came this close to swiping the stick across my lips.

But can you blame me? Doesn’t it look an awful lot like one of those hybrid lipstick/glosses we’ve seen stalking makeup counters over the past couple years?

Benefit Fakeup Hydrating Crease-Control Concealer — From the left: Light, Medium and Dark

The Fakeups, which arrive this March, borrow that same lycanthropic idea by combining two different things. Twist up the tube to reveal a stick with a creamy concealer center surrounded by a solid moisturizer containing vitamin E and apple extract.

For a brighter under-eye area, less visible dark circles and a lightweight look, just swipe under your eyes, and blend with a finger. The hydrating formula (decently moisturizing, but I wouldn’t give up eye cream for it) steers clear of my fine lines, too, and I swear it looks like real skin.

Benefit likes to streamline their products, many times releasing things in one or two shades. Sometimes, I think it really works. Keep things simple, right? Like with their famous Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain.

But for certain products, like concealers, a very limited color selection can be a turnoff, particularly for people with extremely light or dark skin.

Guess what…? Fakeup only comes in three shades (Light, Medium and Dark).

Benefit Fakeup Hydrating Crease Control Concealer swatches — From the left: Light, Medium and Dark

Benefit Fakeup Hydrating Crease-Control Concealer closed — Travel-ready stick packaging

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Fear Frosty Finishes but Still Love a Little Shimmer? Try MAC Pearlmatte Face Powder in Veronica’s Blush

January 25th, 2013 by Karen 7 Comments

MAC Veronica's Blush Pearlmatte Face Powder — Wearing the new $29 MAC Pearlmatte Face Powder in Veronica’s Blush from the Archie’s Girls collection on my upper cheekbones

Compared to the limelight-loving purples, blues, reds and fuchsia fighting for the spotlight on Veronica’s stage in the MAC Archie’s Girls collection, Veronica’s Pearlmatte Powder Blush seems perfectly content to stay backstage.

I think it’s one of the more Betty-like products in V’s basket of bold brights, seemingly subtle, like a brush from a kitten’s whiskers on your cheek, but look closely, because there’s more to see…

Its soft pink shimmer — not quite a full-on frost — definitely reflects more light than Betty’s Pearlmatte Powder in Flatter Me.

While peachy coral Flatter Me’s soft shine conveys a certain sweet innocence, Veronica’s Blush is stealing kisses behind the bleachers, perspiration tickling her brow, blood rushing to her cheeks as she locks lips with her best friend’s boyfriend (ruh-roh!).

MAC Prom Princess Powder Blush and Veronica's Blush Pearlmatte Face Powder — Prom Princess Powder Blush on the left and Veronica’s Blush Pearlmatte Face Powder on the right

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The Fabulously Flexible MAC Flatter Me Pearlmatte Face Powder Lures Ladies Who Love Coral

January 25th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

MAC Flatter Me Pearlmatte Face Powder Review — Wearing MAC Pearlmatte Face Powder ($29), from the new Archie’s Girls collection, all over my face

Oh, MAC Pearlmatte Face Powder in Flatter Me…the things I’d for love. I’d wear your letterman jacket in 90-degree weather, even though it’s three sizes too big for me. I’d write you love letters, old-school style, and slip ’em in your locker. I’d let you win at Scrabble (most of the time) and always give you the last slice of pizza.

Why?

Because I you, MAC Pearlmatte Face Powder in Flatter Me, and the pretty hearts in your pan, which elicit responses from me normally reserved for kitten videos (“Awwww!”).

A highlighter from the new MAC Archie’s Girls collection, Flatter Me combines a pan of peachy golden Shell Pearl Beauty Powder (which you might remember from the Liberty of London collection) with hearts of golden coral Foolish Me blush.

MAC Flatter Me Pearlmatte Face Powder — Pearlmatte Face Powder in Flatter Me ($29), a golden peachy base (Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl) with coral hearts (Powder Blush in Foolish Me)

It imparts the warm, butterscotch glow of a late summer sunset…even in the middle of winter.

With Flatter Me, I get the sense that MAC sought to lure back the ladies who fell in love with Shell Pearl Beauty Powder from the Liberty of London collection.

I was one of those ladies, and to this day! — Shell Pearl is one of my all-time favorite MAC products (here’s an old video where I talk about it; check out how dark my hair was back then!).

Flatter Me’s cute coral hearts give the combined color a slightly pinkish tone, so it’s not a dead-on dupe for Shell Pearl anymore (think sisters, versus twins). But unless you have preternatural, superhuman cat eyes, chances are that even if you’re the most devoted MAC aficionado this side of the Rockies, you won’t be able to see the difference from an arm’s length away.

I love it.

I love it so much that if I were to get a text from Ryan Gosling right at this very moment — “HEY K. YOU, ME, SOUTH OF FRANCE THIS WEEKEND? YES, NO?” — I’d bring along Flatter Me, on account of the soft, satiny, candlelit glow it gives my skin and its pore- and fine line-diffusing powers. Like the Fountain of Youth in a pan.

And like that slightly annoying girl in yoga class who effortlessly slides from pose to pose like human origami (have I ever mentioned that I suck at yoga?), Flatter Me is oh-so flexible. I can wear it as a highlighter, an eyeshadow or even mixed with foundation or tinted moisturizer.

MAC Cream Soda Powder Blush and Flatter Me Pearlmatte Face Powder Swatches — Cream Soda Powder Blush on the left and Flatter Me Pearlmatte Face Powder on the right

Sometimes I’ll even buff it all over my face like the Bobbi Brown Brightening Finishing Powders from the new Sparkle & Glow collection, which I thought at first would be “too much,” but if I buff it lightly with a powder brush, I swear I see a 27-year-old Karen looking back at me in the mirror.

MAC Flatter Me Pearlmatte Face Powder packaging — Pearlmatte Face Powder ($29)

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Look for 12 New Longwear Powder Shadows to Spring Up on Benefit Counters This March

January 24th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

The New Benefit Longwear Powder Shadows, $19 each

Stricken with a bout of beauty-fueled insomnia last night, I lay awake in bed reading what Susan Miller had to say about my near future.

As a side, Astrologyzone is my frickin’ jam! Swear to gawd, Susan’s forecasts are freaky accurate. I don’t hold ’em as gospel, but if she were to tell me, “Karen, don’t cut your hair this month or buy any new electronics. It’s the planets, Karen… They aren’t looking good,” I’d be all, “Affirmative!”

So, the horoscope. Susan suggested that the end of this month would be a great time for me to take a big trip.

Cool! Except that it’s already the twenty-fourth, and I still don’t have tickets…

Oh, well. I guess there’s still time for Jeremy Renner’s people to call and invite me on a last-minute cross-country road trip. Seriously, guys, I can be ready in a flash. I even know which eyeshadows I’d bring with me — Benefit’s new Longwear Powder Shadows — which I could test on the trip. 🙂

The Benefit babes are re-launching their color line this spring, which means new packaging, new colors and, in some cases, new formulations.

Benefit Milk It Longwear Powder Shadow — Milk It, a pearly white

Benefit Call My Bluff Longwear Powder Shadow — Call My Bluff, a pale shell

The Longwears will replace Benefit’s Velvet Eyeshadows — the square eyeshadows with the white tops and the birdie design.

With the new Longwears, Benefit is maintaining the same quantity of product per pan (0.11ounces), while raising the prices from $18 to $19 each.

The new line features 12 shades, and it doesn’t look like any of the previous colors were invited to attend… Some of the new shades bear resemblances to their older brethren, like the new It’s Complicated, which looks to me a little like Nice Melons, and Kiss Me I’m Tipsy, which reminds me of Dandy Brandy.

And there are other colors here that seem to resemble the Velvets, although they don’t appear to be exact matches, as far as I can tell.

They come in three finishes — matte, satin and sheen — with a majority of them being neutrals, with a sprinkling of pink, blue and purple for spice.

Benefit Pinky Swear Longwear Powder Shadow — Pinky Swear, a soft matte pink

For the record, the Longwears feel just as soft as the Velvet eyeshadows do to me, and when I place a finger in one of the pans and swirl it around, the finger picks up a lot of product. The formula feels comfortably creamy for a powder eyeshadow, perhaps due to the microscopic powder grains, which seem more finely milled than before.

Benefit Its Complicated Longwear Powder Shadow — It’s Complicated, a golden peach

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