Makeup

With the Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Emerald Lust, It’s Our Moment to Shine

October 9th, 2012 by Karen 36 Comments

It was like one of those dreams where you’re falling, falling, and you just keep falling forever, and at one point you stop screaming and ask yourself, “Huh… Haven’t I been falling for a while?”

That’s kinda like how I felt today playing with Tom Ford Beauty’s new Eye Color Quad in Emerald Lust ($75).

Girl, can I just say that Tom and I had a really good time? 🙂

Who says teal eyeshadows should be reserved for special occasions? I think not! How about a special occasion like this: Tuesday. There’s your special occasion, LOL! Tuesday makes teal totally legit.

Now, before we proceed, a little backstory first…

When the Tom Ford Beauty line launched last fall, it had all the makings of a top-tier, high-end makeup brand (read: hella expensive premium products and luxurious packaging), and since then, it has exceeded my expectations. If ya lust after luxury lines, there’s some bonafide treasures here.

Do you recall the look we took a couple weeks ago at the new fall collection? Here’s a reminder: it was intense! Tom turned up the volume on everything this time around, with eye, lip and cheek colors so strong they could be called Herculean.

The entire collection is a color lover’s dream come true, and if said color lover happens to bold teal, fuchsia and plum, it’s like a great dream times 12 (starring shirtless Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds and Jeremy Renner).

tom ford 2012 makeup collection — Tom Ford Beauty Fall 2012

Now where were we…? Oh, yeah: lust! Emerald Lust, with its shimmery teal, blue, green and gold.

Glitter, pigment and shine? With this quad, Tom didn’t hold anything back. You can forget about blending into the background when you’re wearing this on your lids; there are no shy violets here.

Tom Ford Emerald Lust Swatches — Eye Color Quad in Emerald Lust

As for the quad’s other bonafides, I have absolutely no issues with fallout, and I also find that blending these shadows is a breeze…

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Next Stop, 1988! The New Tom Ford Beauty Cheek Color in Narcissist Evokes an Era of Big Hair and Bright Blush

October 9th, 2012 by Karen 24 Comments

What are you, Tom Ford?! Some kind of makeup psychic? Because how else could you have known that I’ve been desperately seeking an ’80s-style blush to wear with my power blazer (the one with the big shoulder pads) and slouchy leg warmers?

Your new Cheek Color in Narcissist ($55) is a veritable spectacle of intense fuchsia! — and it’s the first product from your new fall collection that I can honestly call a full-blown obsession.

And frankly, I’m surprised I like it as much as I do.

Why? Because it doesn’t exactly scream “natural-looking cheeks,” and if I accidentally apply too much, well, have you ever heard of Baby Jane?

If I’m careful, though, and get the application just right — that is, if I sweep my fan brush across the pan just once, and then dilute the color by swiping it across a paper towel before lightly dusting the brush on my cheeks — I love it. I get bright, radiant cheeks that last and last and last.

It reminds me of the way I looked a few years ago at the precise moment when I finished a half marathon…except without all of the perspiration and wicked chafing. There was a faint sheen all over my face, and my cheeks were flushed and bright.

Tom Ford Cheek Color in Narcissist — Cheek Color in Narcissist ($55)

Tom Ford Narcissist Plum Exotic Teal swatches — Cheek Color in Narcissist, Plum Absolute for Eyes and Eye Defining Pencil in Exotic Teal

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Share a Tip Tuesday: Get/Keep Those Pans in Great Shape With This Easy Eyeshadow Tip

October 9th, 2012 by Karen 34 Comments

Do you ever wet your brush heads when you apply powder eyeshadows? It’s one of my favorite color-intensifying tricks, and I’ll usually use MAC Fix+ or Charged Water. They crank up the color intensity and, if it’s a shimmery product, the shine as well.

Thing is, after taking a wet brush to a pan a few times, the pans can get crusted over, and the shadow itself can harden like clay.

To get around this, or at least to minimize it, when I use a wet brush, I work the same part of the pan every time. So, instead of swiping the brush across the whole surface, I swipe the same, small spot. It still hardens…but just in that one little area.

If you have an eyeshadow pan that you’ve been using with a wet brush, and it’s already hard like concrete, here’s something to try: gently scrape away the top layer using the edge of a spoon, with “gently” being the key word here.

Too much pressure, and you could shatter the pan into a zillion pieces…which would not be good.

Welcome to another fun-filled installment of Share a Tip Tuesday! 🙂 You were awesome in last week’s edition and left a ton of great makeup, beauty and brush tips in the comments. Here are some of the ones I’m eager to try…

The best eyeliner that I’ve found that stays put on my waterline and anywhere else is actually drugstore–Physician’s Formula! The ones that come in a set of three are my favorites. So easy to use and so dependable.
–LILIANE

Here is a tip Lisa Eldridge taught me (bless her for recommending so many amazing products, too) — using eye liner brush for concealing small blemishes. It works wonders actually!
–MARINA

have to say that my favourite brush is a tie between Lunasol Cheek Brush and RMK Cheek Brush S, as I’m only learning up proper eye makeup so can’t really comment on eye brushes (Am still on the lookout for good eye brushes). Anyway, both the Lunasol and RMK brushes are incredibly high quality and fluffy and soft, and work very well for loose powder or pressed powder application- foundation, compact, blush, bronzer, highlighter… anything face-related, really! Who says they should only be cheek brushes?
–STEPHANIE/YUKAESHI

My favorite favorite favorite multitasking brush is the smudger brush from Medusas Makeup. It retails for about $10 but it packs a punch! I use this baby to wing my shadow out, smudge liner for a smoky look, apply cream eyeliner, put eyeshadow along my lower lash line. This is possibly one of the best brushes that I own and I constantly find myself going back to it.
— SARA

It doesn’t matter what brand you have, having at least two good fluffy blending brush is a must. I have two because when I can use one for blending out my eyes, then another for putting subtle highlights on my face, blending out concealer, wiping out my lips, or contouring out small areas.
–KATE & ZENA

Thanks for adding to our arsenal of knowledge. 🙂

Now, today let’s talk about eyeshadow…

Like, what are your favorites (the shadows you keep buying over and over again)? And what about eyeshadow brushes — which are your must-haves? While we’re at it, can you recommend any bodacious bargain shadows?

Knowledge is power, so let’s pool our resources, okay? Leave your current top tips/tricks/techniques/awesome drugstore finds here in the comments, or tweet ’em to me on Twitter @karenmbb using the hashtag #shareatiptuesday.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Unsung Heroes: Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colour in Copper

October 8th, 2012 by Karen 38 Comments

I’m not saying I’m ready to raise my hands up to the heavens and yell at the top of my lungs, “J.K. Rowling was right! Magic is real!!” but I’m not ruling it out anymore.

It sure looks like there was wizardry at work over at Laura Mercier headquarters, also known as the Hogwarts of the makeup world, when they concocted Metallic Creme Eye Colour in Burnished Copper ($22).

If you’ve ever dreamt of a creamy version of MAC Sable or, perhaps less likely, imagined yourself smearing a magic potion made of melted copper pennies all over your lids, this warm reddish bronze, with its whisper of plummy gold, could be your dreams coming to life.

For years I’ve searched for something I could use as a base to intensify the copper, bronze, plum, gold and brown colors I love to wear in the fall. With Burnished Copper, I think I’ve finally found it.

Smooth and fluffy, it spreads across my combo oily/dry lids without tugging, and the long-lasting formula has incredible fortitude once it sets. It should last all day long on most skin types, with the possible exception of gals/guys with extremely oily lids, who may need the extra help of a primer.

laura mercier burnished copper swatch — Unblended (left) and blended (right)

Remarkably, considering how shiny they are, Laura’s Metallic Cream Eye Colours have always treated my fine lines with dignity and respect. How she manages to make them so shiny without going overboard on the frost is a mystery to me.

I like knowing that I can wear Burnished Copper all by itself, with just a swish of black liner on my upper and lower water and lash lines, without stressing out about it settling into the crinkles that show up when I smile.

Seriously, if that’s not magic, I don’t know what is. 🙂

Where cat ladies like to shop…

Yesterday afternoon, El Hub and I drove down to the mall to grab a burger (his was meat-ful, mine was veg), and after eating, we just sort of tooled around, first to REI to look at camping/zombie apocalypse supplies, like water purification tablets, hatchets and bags of freeze dried food (the Eggs Benedict stays fresh through 2018).

After REI, we walked into Urban Outfitters, where I haven’t been for a while (I feel like I’m too old for most of their clothes, truth be told), but I was really surprised by their big selection of gadgets and gizmos.

They also had a bunch of old-fashioned film cameras and other random tchotchkes and baubles…
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Now Boarding Rows Light, Medium and Dark: Jet-Setters of All Skin Tones Might Like Benefit’s New She’s So Jetset Holiday Makeup Kit

October 3rd, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

Paris, London, New York, Novato…

Oh, that last one? Yeah, Novato, population 49,000, give or take. It’s quickly becoming one of the top destinations for beauty jet-setters.

No kidding, it’s a HUGE draw. Some people still don’t know this about Novato, but it has a Target, a Costco, a Bath & Body Works and even a Sephora, all in the same strip mall.

It’s really quite impressive to behold. 🙂

All kidding aside, even if your home base is out in the sticks like mine, you can still live the life of a jet-setter with the new $36 Benefit She’s So Jetset holiday kit.

Up here in my office, surrounded by 200-year-old oak trees and roving gangs of big-@ss turkeys, I feel like a first-class passenger on my way to a stylish beauty destination when I put on the pieces in this limited edition, travel-friendly kit.

Benefit filled it with neutral colors to suit a wide range of skin tones. It comes with four shimmery shadows, a satiny peach First-Class Face powder, a sample-sized tube of They’re Real mascara (a pretty good lash thickener) and a creamy nude-ish pink Life on the A List gloss.

In more detail…

The Eyeshadow Palette: I like all four of these shimmery, shiny shades, although they’re on the borderline between just right and a little too frosty for me (just something to think about if you’re worried about fine lines). I like that Benefit included colors here that could work well for skin tones from light to medium and dark, and even though I detect a small amount of fallout with these, it’s not enough to get on my nerves.
First-Class Face Powder and Brush: Okay, so the brush is kinda silly; it hardly picks up any product at all, but I like the powder, which gives my skin a soft, peachy glow…that smells really good! Like roses!
They’re Real Mascara: As long as I only apply one layer, I’m a big fan of They’re Real. If I apply any more than that, my lashes start getting clumpy and crunchy.
Life on the A-List Gloss: This super sheer, non-sticky milky pink looks kinda light on my pigmented lips, but I still think it’s great. You can’t go wrong with a lightly tinted, easy-to-wear nude gloss.

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I’ve Got Bon Bons on My Eyes, But It’s Not a Problem: The Perfectly Priced Too Faced Shadow Bon Bons Kit Is Sweet on Neutral Looks and Purple Smokey Eyes

October 3rd, 2012 by Karen 37 Comments

My sweet tooth is absolutely thrilled with all the action it’s seen lately!

What started innocently enough with a batch of Toll House cookies but then rapidly progressed to a box of custom made MBB cupcakes has mutated, yet again, into makeup. My maniacal sweet tooth is so…maniacal that it can no longer tell the difference between real bonbons and the new Too Faced Shadow Bon Bons eye palette ($42).

If I don’t get a handle on this soon, I’m either going to end up in the emergency room with a doctor asking me, “So why were you eating makeup?” or replace my entire wardrobe with stretchy pants.

Blast you, Too Faced!

Scrumptiously sweet, this indulgent holiday kit of 12 powder eyeshadows, one full-size Lashgasm Mascara and one sample-sized tube of Candlelight Shadow Insurance is not just low-cal (no cal?). It’s also convenient as heck. It gives you the option of going subtle with neutrals like brown, beige and peach, or going buck wild with purple, pink and black smokey sass.

More often now that it’s fall, I’ve been getting the urge to ~~eat my feelings~~ wear purple smokey looks, and a lot of the time when it happens, I reach for Bon Bons.

Here, let me give you the recipe. 🙂

Just pat Candlelight primer all over your lids, sprinkle one (or two or three) of Bon Bon’s yummy chocolate or caramel browns on your lids and in the crease, add a dash of purple directly on top of your neutrals and a dollop of mascara on your upper and lower lashes.

Chill before serving…

Okay, not really. It’s ready to go right there! — and the look lasts all day long with barely any fading or creasing.

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Noms for Your Eyes: A Quick Look at the Tom Ford Beauty Collection for Fall 2012

September 28th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

Where does the time go?! I can’t believe it’s almost 5 out here. I think we need a snack… Can I interest you in a Makeup and Beauty Blog cupcake?

makeup and beauty blog cupcakes — I know you want one!

Or how about a visual snack instead? Perhaps one of these new Tom Ford Beauty bits for fall 2012? I’m getting a strong ’80s vibe from the collection, like Joan Cusack in Working Girl (which I loved!), but a little updated.

Excuse me while I go tease my hair and look for my leg warmers. 🙂

What do ya think?

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Emerald Lust and Enchanted — Eye Color Quad in Emerald Lust (left) and Enchanted (right), $75 each

Tom Ford Beauty Eye Color Quad in Enchanted

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Unsung Heroes: Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colour in Alloy

September 28th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

Lately Laura Mercier’s Metallic Creme Eye Colour in Alloy ($22) has been totally twitching my tail.

I’m not sure if it’s more because I just recently re-discovered my love for Laura Mercier’s permanent line (oh hai, Black Gold and Stormy Grey), because Chanel’s new Harmonie du Soir Quad keeps begging me to find her an appropriate playmate, or just because it’s one of the best taupe products I’ve ever tried. Or maybe a combination of all three.

Whatever the why, with Alloy, the beauty gods granted all of my taupe eye makeup wishes.

Is it neutral enough to flatter warm and cool skin tones? Yup.
Does the finish look alive (and not flat)? Yes again. In fact, I think the glistening metallic finish is just luminous enough to qualify as awesome.
Does it last long enough? I think so. How does eight hours sound?
Does it spread, layer, buff and blend like a dream? Yes, yes, yes and yes. 🙂 All thanks to an epic creamy formula.

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Makeup

Welcome to another fun-filled installment of Share a Tip Tuesday! 🙂 You were awesome in last week’s edition and left a ton of great makeup, beauty and brush tips in the comments. Here are some of the ones I’m eager to try…

Where cat ladies like to shop…

In more detail…