Makeup

And the Award for Longest Name in a Lip Gloss This Fall Goes to…Givenchy Acoustic Colors Gelee D’Interdie Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose!

August 10th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

givenchy acoustic wild rose closeup

Wild Rose.

That’s what they call me — the people who know me best — but everyone else just calls me by my given name, Givenchy Gelee D’Interdit Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose #18.

I’m new here. I actually don’t even start work till the fall. They got me sitting on shelves at this place called Sephora. It’s a contract position — you know, a limited time. I told them I wouldn’t work for a nickel less than $27.50. I said, “That’s my price.” And they agreed.

The job description called for someone who “has a thing for biker bars, bouquets, and playing breakup songs on her guitar at corner coffee shops on open mic night.”

Eh, I needed the work…

I’m a very sheer, shimmery pink, and have pearlescent purple and golden glitter. If I had my druthers, I would have preferred a job looking smooth, shiny and dainty on the lips of ladies who lunch — the bored ones who like a kick of disco glitter to spice up their cucumber sandwiches at afternoon tea.

You think maybe you’d like to show me around? 🙂

givenchy acoustic wild rose closeup

givenchy acoustic wild rose

givenchy gelee d interdit Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose and Le Prisme Eye Quad in Acoustic Harmony
Gelee D’Interdit Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose #18 (left) and Le Prisme Eye Quad Color & Shine for Metallic Eyes in Acoustic Harmony #80 (right)
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What Do the Givenchy Acoustic Colors Magic Lipstick and Lipgloss Reveal? Here’s a Tint: It’s Sheer, Pink and Looks Natural

August 9th, 2012 by Karen 33 Comments

givenchy Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink
Wearing Givenchy Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34 on my lips

First, mood rings. Now, mood makeup! How do you feel about lip products designed to change colors once you get them on your pout? The idea’s nothing new, but Givenchy’s new take on it is making me smile. 🙂

Some of that’s because of these chic, sleek outfits. Givenchy always turns that mutha out! when it comes to good-looking packaging.

And then there’s the way new Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #57 ($30) and Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34 ($27.50) feel on my lips — lightweight, silky and comfortable, like my favorite silk dress.

Both the Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #57 and Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34 were inspired by Givenchy spokeswoman Liv Tyler, hence the shout-out to her name in the products’ spelling.

Apply either the light pink Lipstick or clear Gloss on bare lips, and ahhh… Feels so good! Lo and behold, about a minute or so later, both colors have changed into deeper pink hues that last about two hours on me.

givenchy Le Gloss Revelateur De liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink
Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34; lashes worn in this look: Urban Decay Sly

givenchy Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink
Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34

givenchy acoustic colors fall 2012
From the left: Gelee D’Interdit Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose #18 ($27.50), Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34 ($27.50), Le Prisme Eye Quad Color & Shine for Metallic Eyes in Acoustic Harmony #80 ($58), Le Rose Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Releaver in LIVely Pink #57 ($30)
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The Make Up For Ever Black Tango Palette Will Let You Have This Dance, But Only If You Make It Quick

August 9th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

make up for ever black tango palette

Dear Roger Ebert,

First of all, can I just say — I love you, man! I’ve been reading your movie reviews FOR EVER, and all this time, after all these years, you still find new ways to get me excited about movies.

With your reviews, I never feel like I’m reading a boring laundry list or some critic’s attempt to dazzle me with their erudite vocabulary. You’re always passionate, honest and open-minded, which is amazing to me after the thousands of movies you’ve seen.

Mr. Ebert, you’re one of my writing heroes.

Sometimes, just for fun, I try to write my own movie reviews, and when I do they usually go a little something like this:

“Saw Fool’s Gold last night. Was surprised it wasn’t completely dumb.”

As you can see, I lack your way with words, I think because of how easily I get distracted…

OOH! — look at that shiny bauble! 🙂

I mean, I try to focus on the important things, like the dialogue, pacing and character development (and male shirtless-ness), but I usually end up pondering things like how the secret treasure in Fool’s Gold looked so much like the new Make Up For Ever Black Tango palette ($45).

make up for ever black tango fall 2012 open
Black Tango Palette

In the unlikely event that you find long-wearing waterproof cream eyeshadows as intriguing as I do, you might want to check out this particular fall palette, which includes four new limited-edition shades of Make Up For Ever’s popular Aqua Creams.

Along with three shimmery gem-like colors — an amethyst, emerald and a sapphire — that could have come from a Medieval queen’s jewel-encrusted scepter, the palette also features a shimmery ivory for highlighting, and each of the shadows comes in its own self-contained pot (don’t forget to close the lids tightly so they won’t dry out).

For some reason, these shadows set in a flash, quicker than the other Aqua Creams I’ve worn in the past — something I figured out while watching Fool’s Gold the other night.

make up for ever black tango palette visual

I wanted to recreate (or come close to) the killer purple smokey eye in the Black Tango promotional picture using just the colors in the palette, but for the life of me, I couldn’t do it. The shadows dried so unbelievably quickly that I couldn’t effectively blend the shades.

make up for ever black tango swatches
Swatches from the left: Black Tango Palette Aqua Creams in Purple, Green, Blue and Ivory; Aqua Rouge in #8 Red, #1 Nude Beige and clear gloss; Aqua Brow in #25 Ash unblended and blended

make up for ever black tango palette
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Topshop Blush in Flush, You’ve Got the Right Stuff, Baby

August 9th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

topshop blush in flush

I am a woman. A woman on a mission. Well, a woman on two missions.

The first is cat-related (of course). Tabs is furious — FURIOUS! — over the fact that Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette, has not one, but TWO personal maids.

I keep trying to tell Tabs that since both El Hub and I tend to all of his household cleaning and cooking needs, technically, it’s like we’re his “two maids,” but he’s not having that.

As you know, in the feline fashion world, one minute you’re in…and the next minute you’re staring at pics of a fluffy blue-eyed kitten hanging from a Chanel bag.

Appearances are everything.

So now he wants me to hire more “help.”

Aaaaaand these are the days of my life…

My second mission is more exciting. Why? Because it involves helping you discover one of the most universally flattering pink cream blushes I’ve come across this year.

Oh, and my favorite thing about it? It costs a lot less than two personal kitty maids! 🙂 Topshop’s $12 Blush in Flush is everything I like in a pink cream blush — natural-looking, long-lasting and universally flattering.

topshop blush in flush product shot

topshop blush in flush

Like Earth, this peachy pink blush also inhabits the “Goldilocks Zone,” where the color temperature is juuust right, nicely between cool and warm, so it should look great on a wide range of skin tones, and it has the faintest whisker kiss of sheen. It’s easy to sheer out for a dainty flush or build up for a bright spotlight of color, making it an option for pale beauties and darker damsels.
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Dior Golden Savannah Flirts With Perfection as My Favorite Dior Palette to Date

August 8th, 2012 by Karen 27 Comments

dior golden savannah

Tabs has been a regular crankypants all afternoon. I guess he doesn’t like it when I gush about something other than him, like the new $59 5-Couleurs Designer Couture Colour Eyeshadow Palette in #774 Golden Savannah — or more succinctly, Golden Savannah, “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!!”

But I do have a tendency to exaggerate when I’m smitten. 🙂

Tabs doesn’t care. All he sees is me paying attention to something else, which is a big no-no around here.

“Gah! I just want to play with Golden Savannah all day long,” and, “I’ll never let it leave my side! Golden Savannah is coming with me everywhere.”

dior golden savannah

I think he’s extra ornery because the palette’s name reminds him of a cat he used to know, a sleek Savannah named Goldie. They dated briefly one summer until she suddenly and unexpectedly left him for a blue point Siamese who lived up the street.

Then, of course, when Tabs rocketed to plus-size kitty modeling super-stardom, Goldie started calling again, but Tabs’ heart had already been broken, and he wouldn’t give her the time of day.

It’s a story as old as time itself, but I digress…

So the name! — whenever I say it out loud, I can hear Tabs cursing me under his breath.

Oh, well. I’m willing to risk the wrath of Tabs for this one, because I think it’s one of Dior’s best, most beautiful palettes in years.

Doing the makeup math

The $59 price, while annoyingly high, doesn’t seem exorbitant considering the quantity and quality of the colors this quint contains. Taking everything into account, I think the price, while typical for Dior, is actually a pretty decent deal, or so I’d like to think, and it compares well on price to less expensive department store brands like MAC.

With Golden Savannah, you get five 0.04-ounce pans of product for about $12 each — similar to the $12 MAC charges for their 0.05-ounce refill pans (five MAC refills would cost $60, or $1 more than the cost of the quint).

But there’s no two ways about it — Golden Savannah isn’t cheap. Thankfully, it also delivers a knockout on quality.

A sheen that shines

Starting with the finish, I think it’s absolutely beautiful and unlike anything else I have in my kit.

It’s as if Dior took a typical sheen and cranked it up to something between a sheen and a shimmer. Golden brown Soba Eyeshadow’s soft shine comes to mind, but even it doesn’t rise to Golden Savannah’s level.

When I’m wearing any of the shades in this palette, I feel like my lids just glow!

More than that, they glow without drawing attention to my fine lines, which is more than I can say for many products with similarly shimmery or metallic finishes.

dior golden savannah

dior golden savannah khaki design swatches
5-Couleurs Designer in Golden Savannah #774 (left) and 5-Couleurs Designer in Khaki Design #308 (right)
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Metallics, Shimmer and Shine? I Heard That! Introducing the Givenchy Acoustic Colors Collection for Fall 2012

August 8th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

Givenchy Le Prisme Eye Quad in Acoustic Harmony

Now here’s something to hopefully brighten your Wednesday morning: Givenchy’s new Acoustic Colors collection for fall 2012, coming soon exclusively to Sephora.

Here’s a quick look-see at four of the six pieces in the limited edition release…

givenchy acoustic colors fall 2012 swatches
Swatches from the left: Gelee D’Interdit Smoothing Gloss Balm Crystal Shine in Acoustic Wild Rose #18, Le Prisme Eye Quad Color & Shine for Metallic Eyes in Acoustic Harmony #80, Le Gloss Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipgloss Lipcolor Revealer in LIVely Pink #34 and Le Rose Revelateur De Liv Magic Lipstick Lipcolor Releaver in LIVely Pink #57
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It Takes You to Tango With the Make Up For Ever Black Tango Palette for Fall 2012

August 7th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

make up for ever black tango

I tangoed this afternoon for the first time in 20 years, and my partner was Make Up For Ever.

No, not tango in the ballroom style (“slow, slow, quick-quick, slow!”), although that always looks like so much fun. This was more just me dancing away the late afternoon with some pieces from MUFE’s new fall 2012 collection.

make up for ever black tango fall 2012

Ironically…my metaphorical dancing today was much more fun than the first time I tried the real tango.

It was the spring of my senior year in high school… My friend Alex and I had taken a ballroom dance class together after seeing the movie Swing Kids (5-second synopsis: a group of teenagers in Nazi Germany band together to dance to forbidden swing music from the United States).

Yup, that’s young Christian Bale in the middle

We started out hell bent on getting good enough to do the cool aerial tricks, tosses and lifts, so every Thursday after dinner Alex would pick me up in his rickety Dodge Dart, and I’d spend the 10-minute drive to the dance studio joshing him and his ride (“Dude, if this thing breaks down, you’re gonna have to flash your hairy leg on the side of the road and pray someone pulls over to help us, ’cause there’s no way I’m pushing this boat in these heels!”).

Then we’d shuffle across the dance floor for 45 minutes, with both of us spending most of the time looking down at our feet, to learn the basics of ballroom dancing with some of Union City’s sassiest seniors.

I don’t know what we were thinking, to be honest, because we were really, really terrible. Like the worst couple in class. Alex was over six-feet tall, and I barely cleared 5 feet, even when I was stepping on his toes, LOL! Seriously, if the class had given an award for crashing into other couples and stepping on feet, that’s the only award we would have won.

As bad as we were, though, the tango was sort of our specialty, and I still remember sailing across the dance floor, repeating “slow, slow, quick-quick, slow” over and over to myself.

“Slow, slow, quick-quick, slow!” I tried to get Tabs to dance with me this afternoon, but he wasn’t in the mood… Thankfully, the new Aqua Rouge Lip Colors ($24 each), Aqua Brow ($20) and new Black Tango Palette ($45) were. 🙂

make up for ever black tango palette closed
Black Tango Palette

make up for ever black tango fall 2012 open
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Sonia Kashuk Serves Sheer Lips and Opaque Tips for Fall With the New Lips and Tips Mini Nail and Lip Set

August 3rd, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

sonia kashuk lips and tips

Whoever said that celebrity pet assisting is easy was smoking some hella strong catnip.

The grueling hours and working on weekends, late-night airport trips, difficult dietary restrictions (Gravy with every meal?! Come on!) — but it can also be very rewarding, like this afternoon. Tabs didn’t give me the stink eye once today, and he even said an appreciative “Mrrow” when he climbed onto my lap for a handful of Greenies.

In fact, he was so agreeable today that he let me quit work early — right after I finished organizing his accessories closet (mostly ties, ascots, top hats and a small, but growing, collection of monocles) and buffing his claws.

First thing I did after quitting for the day was watch this old interview of Jeremy Renner…

Skip to 3:17 for a gem of J-Ren beauty wisdom!

Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any better, I opened the $12.99 limited edition Sonia Kashuk Lips and Tips Mini Nail and Lip Set.

And my Friday went from good to great. 🙂

sonia kashuk lips and tips
From the left: Nail Polish in Lacquered Lilac, Lipgloss in Shrinking Violet, Nail Polish in Undercover Lover and Lipgloss in Sealed with a Kiss

The four-piece set of color-coordinated miniature sheer glosses and opaque nail polishes comes with two pairs of matching red and purple shades for lips and nails.

The two unscented, unflavored glosses are smoooove! — and non-sticky — while the high-shine nail polishes have pigment to spare.

sonia kashuk lips and tips
Wearing Nail Polish in Undercover Lover and Lipgloss in Sealed with a Kiss

I love how Sonia chose coordinating colors with varying levels of coverage, and I think it’s cool how the products in the set work with each other when they’re worn together.
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