Makeup

What Do You Think of These Pieces From the New Aerin Beauty Line?

October 17th, 2012 by Karen 37 Comments

Have you seen the new Aerin Beauty line?

It’s a new luxury lifestyle brand that debuted earlier this year, and these are some of their first forays into makeup. I’m pretty sure these pieces are from the new holiday collection (I’m trying to confirm that with the company).

There are also categories for skincare, fragrance, home products, footwear and jewelry in the new brand.

If these pieces here look at all familiar, it might be on account of Aerin — last name Lauder, as in the late EstÃ©e Lauder, the founder of the global empire/beauty brand. Aerin is her granddaughter and the founder of this new line.

The hush-hush colors and luxurious packaging look ultra chic to me, and very true to the original spirit of the EstÃ©e Lauder brand, which I guess shouldn’t come as a big surprise.

This is my first experience with Aerin Beauty, and I’m liking the subtle colors, finishes and textures so far. There are a couple of brights here, but for the most part, the color palette is pretty subdued.

Here’s a quick peek at some of the new pieces. Have a look, and let me know what you think. 🙂

aerin beauty makeup holiday 2012 holiday style palette 1 — Holiday Style Palette

aerin beauty makeup holiday 2012 lipticks — Mini Lipsticks from the left: Winter Rose, Lolabird, Love and Dahlia

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Believe in the Magic of Unicorns, Makeup and a Cute-as-all-Heck Clutch Purse: The Paul & Joe Make Up Collection 2012 Holiday Kit

October 16th, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

Deep thoughts on unicorns and the new Paul & Joe Make Up Collection 2012 Holiday Kit…

Question: why are unicorns called unicorns when they’re rarely seen around, or eating, corn? Wouldn’t “uni-horns” make more sense? Granted, it doesn’t sound as pretty, but it would be more accurate, don’t you think?

Question: if one were to spend a lot of time hanging out with unicorns, how often would accidental horn injuries occur? The phrase, “you could put an eye out,” seems particularly apt.

Question: what magic did Paul & Joe employ to make one of my favorite mythical beasts, one that I’ve loved since the age of 6 (You should’ve seen my unicorn sticker collection! It was epic!! The stuff of little girl dreams!), seem even cuter and cooler in their new limited edition $60 three-piece set?

As ~~an accessories ho~~ a purse enthusiast, I can’t decide what I like more about this set, one of three prancing onto shelves for the holidays — the sweet satin purse with its golden detailing and purple inner liner, the makeup that comes with it or the unicorn with purple flowers weaved into its mane.

It’s like a treasure you’d find on a dusty shelf in a vintage store behind a row of empty perfume bottles and silver combs (I love finding things like that). 🙂

The clutch also comes with a couple pieces of pretty great cosmetics, like a shimmery, peachy pink blush with tiny flecks of gold and silver glitter (NOTE: the snowflake pattern is just an overspray that disappears after the first use).

Healthy, glowing skin a la Charlize Theron can be found here.

Paul & Joe Creamy Cheek Powder in 002 on the left and Face Powder in 001 on the right

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Is the Tom Ford Beauty Plum Absolute For Eyes Absolutely Worth the $35 Price?

October 15th, 2012 by Karen 31 Comments

tom ford plum absolute for eyes — Wearing Tom Ford Beauty Plum Absolute For Eyes

Here’s the face I made multiple times while watching last night’s episode of The Walking Dead…

And here’s the face I made today a few hours after applying Tom Ford Plum Absolute For Eyes ($35)…

Notice the similarities. They aren’t identical, but in both pics I appear fussy and discombobulated.

When my mood turned sour this afternoon, it was due to Tom’s annoyingly expensive, limited edition gel liner (new for holiday 2012) completely vanishing from my upper lash lines about five hours after I applied it.

Super. Cranky.

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Tarte Tempts Blush Enthusiasts With a Fantastic Foursome of Limited Edition Holiday Shades

October 15th, 2012 by Karen 34 Comments

Yes, grasshopper. You are ready…

Ready to take the leap!

You have trained well in the pursuit of flushed cheek perfection, swirling and bouncing your blush brush, and now it is time to take your level of blush love from hobbyist to full-blown enthusiast.

You can — no, you must lead your team of four Tarte powder blushes to new heights of flushed-faced fabulosity! I have complete faith in you.

True, the four new, limited edition shades in the $35 Fantastic Foursome holiday kit are all acolytes, yet each has demonstrated great fortitude and skill.

All of them hail from an elite fighting force, the League of Amazonian Clay Blushes, arguably among the best products in the entire Tarte tribe. Their soft formula, take-no-prisoners pigment and fearsome 10-hour wear time (although Tarte advertises 12) make for some seriously long-lasting blushing.

Meet the new members of the team…

Fantastic

A cool-toned matte fuchsia, Fantastic excels at not only face-to-face flirting, but also at quickly administering a bright, just-pinched flush to the apples of unassuming cheeks. Pair it with any number of pink, purple and/or plum lipsticks or glosses currently residing in your makeup bag.

Magic

You have to believe this shade is maaaaagic! Nothing can stand in its waaaaay!

Sorry…random Xanadu moment. 🙂

This neutral pinkish coral has been trained to treat cheeks lightly kissed by the sun, which is to say that I love the way it looks with a bit of a tan.

Stellar

The team’s triple threat! Wear this peachy brown, with its flecks of silver glitter, as a blush, as a contour shade along your cheekbones, in the crease of your eyes, or as a bronzer all over your face.

Angelic

This shimmery neutral gold specializes in rapid highlighting of upper cheekbones, down the bridges of noses and along brow bones and cupid’s bows.

tarte fantastic foursome fantastic — Fantastic

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Unsung Heroes: Chanel Poudres Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder

October 12th, 2012 by Karen 23 Comments

chanel natural finish loose powder — Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder in 040 Dore ($52)

My buddy Kat was giving me a ride to the airport last week when we got to talking about what I like to call, “The Chanel Effect.”

Whenever I visit a Chanel counter only intending to look, or only planning to get one thing, like a lipstick, or snagging a sample of eye cream, but then one of the makeup artists says, “Here, try this on,” hands me a mirror, and I see in my reflection what can only be described as a makeup miracle, that is The Chanel Effect.

LOL! I made myself laugh… 🙂

I experienced it a few weeks ago with Chanel’s Poudre Universelle Libre in 040 Dore, otherwise known as Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder.

It was a Saturday afternoon. Bloated and cranky, I’d been buffeted by a monster riptide of hormones, and through a veil of tears, I told El Hub that one of two things was about to happen. Either I was going to go to a Chanel counter right then and there, or I was going to stab him with a fork.

Wisely, he suggested the former.

At the counter, one of the makeup artists talked me into trying Chanel’s $52 Natural Finish Loose Powder, a sheer, light-coverage matte powder.

After seeing myself with it on, I shot the artist a look like, good gawd, woman! I had to do a double take. The girl staring back at me in the mirror looked like she was 26!

No wonder the stuff gets such consistently high marks, despite the price and the fact that it’s only available in three colors.

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You’re Invited to a Grand Ball: A Peek at Dior Holiday 2012 and Dior Grand Bal

October 12th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

When I need to get out of my head for a while, I usually fire up something brainless on TV and plop myself down on the couch.

But sometimes, TV isn’t enough. Sometimes, I need even more escapism than that…like to the drugstore, or the cupcake shop, or the coat section at Nordstrom’s to try on all of the Burberry trench coats I know I’m never, ever going to buy.

Sometimes, though, not even those places are distracting and soothing enough, and at those times, when I need to really, really get away…I go to Dior.

Dior Grand Bal — The Dior Palette Grand Bal, new for holiday 2012

And poof! Just like that, I feel like a different girl.

No more sitting at my desk in sweats, an oversized UC Davis t-shirt and a grandpa sweater with missing buttons. When I’m at a Dior counter playing with makeup, I’m a girl wearing a gown at a fancy ball…

The gown? It’s golden layers of silk and tulle, and through some miracle of light, it doesn’t make me look short. I do all of the fancy ballroom dances, too, like in that scene from the Sound of Music at the Von Trapp house, when the guests are all twirling together, and manage to eat two tiny sandwiches and sip champagne without spilling anything on my dress…

Wait — where was I?

Oh, yeah! Dior. 🙂

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I Was Naive to Expect Anything Less Than Plum Perfection From Tom Ford Beauty Lip Gloss in Naivete

October 10th, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

tom ford beauty ultra shine lip gloss in naivete — Wearing the new Tom Ford Beauty Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Naivete

I think I’ve finally found THE gloss to wear on the off chance that I decide to make the jump from curmudgeonly pet assistant to sultry siren: Tom Ford’s new Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Naivete ($45).

I’ve been deeply committed to dependable my-lips-but-better glosses like MAC Ample Pink, Big Baby and Fulfilled for the past few months because, like flats with low heels, they may not be flashy, but they get the job done.

Tom, however, has me seriously rethinking that. Like a master chef, he seasoned this shiny, striking plum perfectly with a sprinkle of golden glitter and heaping spoonfuls of pigment.

POW!

I’m seduced… Naivete makes me want to play the role of tantalizing temptress. On my pout, it looks almost like patent leather, and when I see it, I want to purr (I can’t, but I want to).

Tom Ford Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Naivete ($45)

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You Know What They Say About Fuchsia, Right? It’s an Aphrodisiac: The Tom Ford Beauty Lip Color in Aphrodisiac

October 10th, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

tom ford beauty aphrodisiac — Wearing the new Tom Ford Beauty Lip Color in Aphrodisiac

Your favorite bakery. A bell dangling over the door jingles as you enter into a world of candy sprinkles and fresh baked bread. Like a character in a cartoon, your eyes practically double in size when they see the row upon row of full-size and miniature cupcakes, all of them decorated and carefully arranged, behind a glass display case.

An unintelligible noise escapes your lips as you drift into a trance. Nnngggh… Driven by the sights and smells around you, you lumber up to the counter, dragging your feet along the polished tile floor. You order a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting, and gobble the whole thing down, right then and there, before the salesperson can even hand you your change (um, yes, I have done this before).

“Oh,” she says, a little embarrassed for you.

Tom Ford Beauty’s new Lip Color in Aphrodisiac ($48) is kinda like the makeup equivalent of that.

There’s something about this intense fuchsia, with its creamy texture and satiny finish, that makes me think of an all-you-can-eat cupcake buffet, where I get to devour dozens of rich, indulgent cupcakes without upsetting my muffin top. 🙂

Vivid fuchsia lippies like this one always light my fire because they make bright, polished looks so incredibly easy. A little liner, some mascara, a bright blush (Tom Ford’s Narcissist, perhaps?) and one layer of lipstick, and I’m ready for almost —

HOLY MOTHER OF TABS! $48?! Are you kidding me?!

Yes, ma’am, in this case, that ease of use also costs an arm and a leg (seriously, Tom, have you ever heard of a sale?).

To its credit, though, Aphrodisiac does seem pretty special for a fuchsia lip product; it’s probably one of the smoothest, most pigmented lippies I’ve ever worn.

Somehow, even when my lips are dry, gnarly and totally ewww, Aphrodisiac still manages to look and feel smooth…

Smooth like Jeremy Renner pouring you a glass of red wine after a candlelit dinner at home and firing up his Jodeci mid-’90s slow jams playlist.

(Gurl, you know that would be pretty damn smooth.)