Makeup

I’m Matte About Make Up For Ever La BohÃ¨me Aqua Eyes in Gypsy

February 7th, 2012 by Karen 28 Comments

Why, yes. The silky smooth texture and all-day wear time (both on my lash and water lines) of Make Up For Ever’s new $18 Aqua Eyes in Gypsy are rocking my hot pink argyle socks off, but that’s not what I love most about this limited edition liner.

The fresh brewed coffee color of this rich matte brown makes it neutral enough to work with the cool and warm colors in my shadow stash, and I think that’s pretty sweet. Greens, blues, golds, bronzes, beiges and even purples — Gypsy digs ’em all — and it even works well as a base for smokey eye looks with black and/or gray.

make up for ever la boheme (3)
Aqua Eye Pencil in Gypsy and the La BohÃ¨me palette
[Continue reading…]

Make Up For Ever’s La BohÃ¨me Collection for Spring 2012 Lets Lips Take Baby Steps With Two New Rouge Artist Natural Lipsticks

February 6th, 2012 by Karen 35 Comments

Hard to believe now after 20-some-odd years of wearing lipstick that there was a time when I was actually kind of afraid of the stuff.

Before walking home after the spring dance in junior high, I was one of those girls frantically removing forbidden eyeliner and Lip Smackers in the bathroom, but by freshman year, I’d gotten the OK from Mom to start wearing makeup legitimately.

My first fully authorized lipstick was a tube of Clinique Raspberry GlacÃ¨, and while I was thrilled to have my very own tube of “fancy” lipstick, I couldn’t just apply it straight from the tube… No, I thought that made it look too opaque and heavy, which drew too much attention to my braces, so I was forever dabbing and blotting Raspberry GlacÃ¨ to get that lightly stained lip look I liked so much.

Now, if the two new limited edition Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipsticks from the La BohÃ¨me Spring collection ($19 each) had been around back then, I probably would have tucked Raspberry GlacÃ¨ away into the recesses of my Liz Claiborne purse and opted instead for either reddish coral Folk or peachy beige BohÃ¨me for touch-ups at my locker between classes.

Both of these sheer, slick and hydrating lipsticks apply with a gossamer veil of color and shine and have a classic powdery rose flavor and scent that I like. For gals who fear the look of heavy, thick lipsticks (like I did at one time), I fancy them in a way as lipstick training wheels.

make up for ever la boheme (4)
Limited edition packaging!
[Continue reading…]

Pixi Turned Target Into a Magic Kingdom With the New Disney Pixi PixiGlow Collection

February 3rd, 2012 by Karen 20 Comments

pixi pixiglow (6)

Pixiglow by Pixi Fellow pixies, nixies, fairies and sprites, someone is tinkering with makeup at Target. 🙂

Dreamy drugstore line Pixi collaborated with Tinker Bell over at Disney HQ to create the new PixiGlow six-piece release of makeup for eyes, lips, cheeks, faces and nails.

Exclusive to Target, the limited edition launch doesn’t arrive in stores until next month, but it is available now online.

Unlike many of Disney’s makeup collaborations, the packaging for PixiGlow is fairy-ly subtle, but if you look closely, you’ll notice Ms. Bell protecting each piece and box.

“In collaboration with Disney, we created a unique Tinker Bell collection that captures the fresh-faced, glowing, and timeless beauty of both a Disney icon and the Pixi brand by reinforcing that makeup simply enhances and perfects your natural beauty.”

–Petra Strand, creator of the Pixi makeup line

Even if you prefer more daring Disney packaging, I think there’s some pretty good stuff here to like…

pixi pixiglow (1)

pixi pixiglow (2)
From the left: Fairy Dust, Magic Tink Tint, Straight On ’til Morning Liner and Catching Shadows Crayon

pixi pixiglow (3)
Clockwise from the sponge-tip applicator: Fairy Dust, Magic Tink Tint, Straight On ’til Morning Liner and Catching Shadows Crayon
[Continue reading…]

Oil Doesn’t Stand a Chance Against Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation with SPF 15

February 3rd, 2012 by Karen 30 Comments

tarte amazonian clay full coverage foundation (2)

The Amazon is a vast tropical river basin filled with astonishing animals and prehistoric plants. Freaky!

But apparently the clay there only comes in eight different shades… 🙂

Tarte recently released a new foundation to go with their new Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Glosses, Amazonian Clay Blushes, Maracuja Blush & Glows and Bright Side eye brightener, and like some of their other products, it contains Amazonian clay.

tarte amazonian clay full coverage foundation (3)

Available now at Sephora stores and sephora.com, new Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage foundation with SPF 15 ($38) comes in a modest eight shades.

The foundation has been one of the things I’ve been really looking forward to trying from Tarte’s spring line, not just because it gets several five-star reviews on the Sephora website, but also because I already heart Tarte’s Smooth Operator Natural Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 and their Pressed Powder.

Tarte says that adaptability makes Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage special. Designed for all skin types, it’s supposed to hydrate dry patches on the skin while simultaneously absorbing excess shine and oil.

This, I figured, had the makings of a major win!

My main concern? — would I be able to find a matching shade?

Well, not exactly… Tan, the shade that comes closest to my NC 42 skin, isn’t a perfect match. It’s a tad too light and peachy, and consequently looks a little ashy on me, but I still wanted to test the product’s other claims, so I wore it around the house.

Ingredients in Tan: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Mica, Dimethicone, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Aluminum Hydroxide, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytantriol, Hexyl Laurate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Lysine, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Nylon-12 Fluorescent Brightener 230 Salt, Polyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer, Kaolin, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sorbate, Iron Oxides.

[Continue reading…]

I’ll Be Your Gypsy With the New Make Up For Ever La BohÃ¨me Collection

February 2nd, 2012 by Karen 54 Comments

Does thunder only happen when it’s raining? Do players only love you when they’re playing?

Excellent questions…but I don’t know. What I do know is this: if I spend any more time with the new Make Up For Ever La BohÃ¨me collection, I might turn into 1977 Stevie Nicks!

Which would be kinda cool. 🙂

But first…where’d I put my Rumours eight-track? Oh, there it is! Right next to that flowing maxi dress.

The four pieces in the new 1970s-inspired collection of makeup for lips and eyes showcase some of the soft colors, bold prints and flowing fabrics that recently made waves on runways for spring 2012.

Carefree romantic rebels, check this out: the limited edition launch, which just twirled into Sephora stores and Make Up For Ever Boutiques, spotlights eyes with MUFE’s first-ever baked eyeshadow palette, La BohÃ¨me ($39), and a new matte brown Aqua Eye Pencil ($18) called Gypsy.

Lips also loosen up with two new Rouge Artist Natural Lipsticks — one, an iridescent peachy beige called BohÃ¨me, and the other, a reddish coral called Folk ($19 each).

I have reviews and looks lined up, but here are a few pics to whet your appetite…

Okay, the shimmer and soft texture of the baked eyeshadows? WOW! Something tells me that palette’s gonna be a must-have.

make up for ever la boheme (3)
Aqua Eye Pencil in Gypsy and the La BohÃ¨me palette

make up for ever la boheme (2)
Rouge Artist Natural Lipsticks in BohÃ¨me (left) and Folk (right)

make up for ever la boheme (4)
Limited edition packaging!
[Continue reading…]

Laura Mercier Sheer Lip Colour in Kissed Lips Does for Coral What Punxsutawney Phil Does for Meteorologists (Makes It Springy)

February 2nd, 2012 by Karen 9 Comments

Laura Mercier Kissed Lips Sheer Lip Colour (2)

Fear not the coral lipstick, for it knows not what it does. Some of them just don’t know that they can look a little too South Beach senior swingers for their own good, but add a dash of pink, a semi-matte finish and voilÃ ! — the springy and fun Laura Mercier Sheer Lip Colour in Kissed Lips ($22).

Part of spring’s Lingerie collection, Kissed Lips excels at looking natural and fresh, but it’s not the lowest maintenance lippie on the block.

First, my lips need to be smoother than a porcelain doll’s because the texture’s pretty thick. Kissed Lips tends to catch on every flake, so it’s a no-go for me if/when my lips are extra dry.

Complicating matters, the formula seems fairly drying to me, which means having to start with a layer of something moisturizing first, like a really good lip balm.

After applying a balm and letting it settle in, I dab Kissed Lips lightly on my pucker for a light my-lips-but-better stain; for a more concentrated look, I bust out a lip brush, since the color tends to spread unevenly when I apply it directly from the tube.

Laura Mercier Kissed Lips Sheer Lip Colour (3)
[Continue reading…]

She’s a Sweet Peach: Laura Mercier CrÃ¨me Cheek Colour in Innocent Peach

February 1st, 2012 by Karen 55 Comments

I haven’t been on a first date in years, but in the event that time travel becomes a reality and El Hub and I get the chance to have ours all over again, I’m adding Laura Mercier’s CrÃ¨me Cheek Colour in Innocent Peach ($22) to my “Best Blushes to Wear on a First Date” list.

Sweet and Breezy are this blush’s middle names (yep, it has two of them). It’s a creamy peach blush fit for a sunny Saturday afternoon — perfect for coffee and chocolate croissants at the farmers’ market with your crush.

Swipe and blend a couple layers on the apples of your cheeks, add your favorite mascara, juicy lipgloss, skinny jeans, a tank top and some Chucks (maybe leaving your hair in a messy bun), and that boy (or girl) won’t stand a chance. 😉

And have I mentioned how easy it is to apply? Shoot, a gal could probably do it hanging upside down from monkey bars…which is basically my nightmare scenario.

SIDE NOTE: Once when I was a kid, I did fall from some monkey bars while I was hanging upside down… Honestly, I can’t really recommend it.

laura mercier innocent peach (1)

laura mercier innocent peach (3)
[Continue reading…]

Wet Your Brushes If You Plan to Get Nude: The $10.95 Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner in Nude

February 1st, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

physicians formula nude eyes (8)

Do you remember A Night at the Roxbury with Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan? Gawd, that movie, as dumb as it is, still cracks me up.

It occurred to me this morning while I was playing with the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner in Nude ($10.95), a new 9-pan palette from Physicians Formula.

What if Nude was a woman at the Roxbury sandwiched between those two goofballs as they did their rapid-fire dry-hump schtick? I wonder how long it would take before she slapped them both.

Dressed in pinkish beige and black lace, Nude doesn’t just look like a lady. She expects to be treated like one, too.

You can’t just walk up to her and expect her to give up the goods. Not a chance. She’ll respond to a gentleman’s advances, sure, but she has to be approached in a certain way.

One of four new $10.95 palettes in the new Physicians Formula Universal Looks collection (remember Smoky, Fashionista and Casual from earlier this week?), Nude bares all with nine shimmery neutral shadows in shades of beige, brown, taupe and black.

physicians formula nude eyes (7) Applying the shadows with a dry brush lends a softer look, while a wet brush intensifies the pigments, shimmer and overall glam.

Mix and match the shadows to create your own look, or follow the three-step tutorials on the box for natural, playful or dramatic eyes.

First things first, I love Nude’s packaging, colors and price, but after spending some time with the palette, I’m not completely sold…

Maybe it’s a matter of how my skin responds to these pigments, but I feel like I have to do a lot to help them be their best.

It’s not that they exhibit any fallout, because they don’t — like nada, zip, zero. The formula’s kind of amazing in that respect, but after trying a bunch of different brushes and application methods, the two techniques that delivered the best, most consistent results were 1) to apply a single shade on my lids with a wet brush head (basically, not having to blend them), and 2) using them along my lash lines.

physicians formula nude eyes (3)
[Continue reading…]