Makeup

Radiant Summer Skin for Just $12.99: Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15

May 19th, 2011 by Karen 24 Comments

Sonia Kashuk just reminded me why I have to get my air conditioner fixed. You see, with the mercury rising indoors and out, her Radiant Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($12.99) means I won’t have to wear a heavy mask of makeup in the heat. 🙂

I never thought I’d see the day when anything would come between me and my trusty tube of Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer, especially a drugstore product, but here we are. For years, Laura’s sheer-to-medium coverage has evened out my skin tone and kept my combination dry/oil skin happily hydrated and (nearly) breakout-free, but in hot and/or humid weather, it has at times looked and felt heavy on my skin.

With summer quickly approaching, I decided to keep my options open. Last week I started testing Sonia’s Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, and so far, so good.

It’s not the first drugstore tinted moisturizer I’ve tried over the years, but it is the first, in my opinion, able to hold its own against Laura’s in more ways than one. Like Laura’s entry, buildable, pigmented Radiant Tinted in Tan covers up red patches and pimples, evens out my skin tone, and helps to hide any scratches left by Edward Scissorpaws, who, by the way, is still on my sh*t list (NOTE TO SELF: work on forgiving and forgetting). And this it does with a single layer that feels lighter and more comfy than Laura’s to me.

I swear it looks like real skin, too, and isn’t heavy, thick or fake-looking at all. A touch of barely-there shimmer gives it dimension and further helps diffuse my fine lines and wrinkles.

If you have very oily skin, you could probably wear it all by itself, but if you have shiny patches on your forehead or cheeks (like I do), you might set it with a blotting powder (I like MAC Blot). That’ll take care of those oily areas. Or, for even more/better coverage, you could use a sheer powder like the MAC Studio Careblends, which I’m using in these pics.

sonia kashuk radiant tinted moisturizer spf 15 review

sonia kashuk radiant tinted moisturizer spf 15 review
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Wild Roses Couldn’t Keep Me Away from the New Burberry Beauty Lip Mists

May 18th, 2011 by Karen 82 Comments

burberry lip mist review

Burberry Beauty is making a move on the must-have category with a line of $30 luxury lipsticks that look almost like bargains in spite of the price.

As soon as I saw Burberry Beauty’s Lip Mists, I wondered if I was witnessing a case of corporate espionage aimed at Chanel. These nine shiny, hydrating lippies share more than a few characteristics in common with the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines ($32).

First, there’s the finish, which has a similar subtle shine — a dewy, creamy sheen that pairs perfectly with a summertime tan. The colors themselves are rich, lightweight, long-lasting and loaded with pigment, and like the Shines don’t look heavy like a matte. Both of these lippies tread a lovely line somewhere between slightly sheer and fully opaque, but Burberry bests Chanel here in a few key areas.

Like wear time. The Lip Mists outlast the Coco Shines by a good, long while, and I wager they contain a little more color. Being slightly thicker than, yet not as slick as, the Coco Shines probably helps them last.

I like these so much that Wild roses couldn’t keep me away. Wild rose extract, which these contain, supposedly increases the amount of moisture they deliver to lips. Burberry also claims the extract stimulates the production of collagen, but I’m not too sure about that.

Yesterday I applied two layers of Feather Pink after lunch. Five hours and two cups of tea later, it was still going strong — and that’s without a layer of lip pencil underneath.

burberry lip mist blueberry feather pink
Lip Mist in No. 206 Blueberry (left) and No. 209 Feather Pink (right)
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Eye Love the Subtle Sheen of These Satin Finishes: The $3 NYC New York Color Mono Eyeshadows

May 17th, 2011 by Karen 45 Comments

nyc new york color mono eyeshadow review

Thanks to NYC New York Color’s 10 new limited edition Mono Eye Shadows ($2.99 each), I’m a little less freaked out about my birthday next month (I’m turning 36, oy vey!). I’ve been on the market for eye makeup that doesn’t draw attention to my fine lines, so these comfort colors could not have come at a better time.

nyc new york color mono eyeshadow review

Most of them have this sophisticated, soft satin finish that’s one of the most attractive, forgiving satins I’ve ever seen from a drugstore line (there are also a couple of mattes and frosts).

In terms of shine, satiny shadows broadcast a subtle sheen that sits somewhere between shimmers (or frosts) and mattes, and unlike hi-shine shimmers, they don’t appear to actively seek out the tiny wrinkles on my lids.

I feel like NYC’s satin shades turn back the clock to a kinder, gentler time — let’s call it 26, LOL! — when my eyes looked all bright and glowy most of the time. 🙂

A few of the shades stand out to me like…

Luxury Reborn — If MAC Woodwinked and Soba had a love child, I bet it would look just like this warm and golden bronzy brown. It looks BANGIN’ in the crease. Got teals, golds and greens? Don’t miss Luxury Reborn.
Broadway Look — This deep charcoal is the star of playgrounds where smokey eye looks are found.
In Vogue — I like this dark purple because it contains very little red, and some reddish purples can make me look like I’ve been crying.

nyc new york color mono eyeshadow review
Clockwise from the brown pan on the bottom left: Luxury Reborn, In Vogue and Broadway Look

nyc new york color mono eyeshadow review
Clockwise from pink pan on left: Buzz List, High Street and 5th Avenue

nyc new york color mono eyeshadow review
I Love NY

nyc new york color mono eyeshadow swatches
Swatches from left to right: Broadway Look, I Love NY, Luxury Reborn, Manhattan Gaze, In Vogue, High Street, 5th Avenue and Buzz List
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Should You Take the Plunge with Urban Decay’s New Cannonball Ultra Waterproof Mascara?

May 17th, 2011 by Karen 51 Comments

urban decay cannonball review

I wish I could say I field tested the new Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara ($20) by leaping from the rock at Waimea Bay on Oahu, but the methodology I used was a little less glamorous than that.

To put the new lengthening, waterproof mascara to the test, I pit it against two super soaking challenges. First, I charged headlong into a downpour to run some errands without an umbrella-ella-ella. Then, I pushed a heavy vacuum around my house for more than an hour. 🙂

If waterproof mascaras that leave your lashes feeling heavy and cakey make you want to weep bitter tears, you can throw them in the trash. We have a solution: Cannonball Ultra Waterproof Mascara! Rigorously field-tested in the ocean as well as sweat-drenched gym conditions, this exclusive Japanese formula refuses to budge. A special microcrystalline wax works with the dense, fuzzy brush to increase seductive length and volume, all while never flaking off and compromising your lashes’ natural feathery texture. Mermaids can now sing their siren songs with abandon, and high maintenance types can cry all they want.

—UrbanDecay.com

As soon as I applied two layers first thing last Saturday morning, I noticed a very cool doe-eyed effect. Not only does Cannonball dramatically lengthen and separate lashes, it also cures the curl from my Shu Uemura lash curler, locking it into place. It made my peepers look crazy big, like an anime puppy’s eyes when it begs for bacon.

With it on, I proceeded to vigorously vacuum the house, and by the time I finished, I was covered in a glistening, sweaty sheen. As soon as I finished that, I left to run some errands around town (it was raining cats and dogs!), first to Trader Joe’s, then the UPS store and finally to Target, before returning home to crank out three miles on the treadmill.

Covered. In. Sweat. I know that with what I put it through, I was expecting a lot, but no one wants to make excuses for a $20 mascara. Straight up — I was expecting a lot.

urban decay cannonball review tube

urban decay cannonball review brush
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NYC New York Color Smooch Proof 16H Lip Stains: Date Night Approved

May 16th, 2011 by Karen 42 Comments

nyc new york color smooch proof lip stain

They were just a blip on my drugstore radar screen a few months ago, but now I’m tracking NYC New York Color full time. Before I even knew about the company’s cruelty-free philosophy, I was impressed by their prices and interesting colors, and after their awesome Ultra Last Lipsticks and Liquid Lip Shines buzzed my tower, I assumed the Smooch Proof 16H Lip Stains ($4.99 each, available in 10 shades) would too.

These unflavored, lightly fruit punch scented liquid lip stains come in a tube with a stiff felt-tip applicator. The 16H in the name refers to 16 hours, which is how long they’re supposed to last. They apply wet but dry to a finish that resembles the way lips look after a Popsicle or a glass of Kool-Aid. I wouldn’t exactly call it matte because it isn’t full coverage or thick like a matte lipstick, but it’s not at all shiny either. One layer leaves a light stain; two or three, a brighter, richer color.

Lip stains are great for date night. 🙂 Typically they deliver easy, long-lasting color without the stickiness or stained collars of a lipstick or gloss. And when one of you leans in to steal a kiss at the end of the night, homeboy won’t go home with glitter on his lips. Good lip stains usually last around four hours, which means not having to worry about touchups between dinner and the movie.

nyc new york color smooch proof lip stain

nyc new york color smooch proof lip stain swatches
Swatches from left to right: Never Ending Nude, Smooch Proof, Forever Fuchsia, Berry Long Time and Rock on Ruby

nyc new york color smooch proof lip stain
Never Ending Nude on lips
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Should You Slide for $8 or Glide for $17? The Choice Between the NYX Slide-On Eye Liners and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils

May 16th, 2011 by Karen 57 Comments

nyx slide on eye liner review

I used to get really grumpy back in school when kids would copy my style. It’s not that I thought of myself as a fashion visionary or anything, but I took pride in my penchant for offbeat things and fancied myself as different. So when Angela showed up to band one day wearing a baby poo green plaid vest eerily similar to the one I’d been rockin’ for most of that fall, carrying her sheet music in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles folder a lot like mine, I couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed.

I vented about it to my friend Cindy, expecting a sympathetic ear. “Just chill out and be flattered,” she said. It was only worth tripping about if things got creepy and Single White Female (which, thank goodness, they didn’t).

Cindy was right, of course. After all, I’d copied/borrowed a few ideas from other kids, too, and looking at it that way, I thought perhaps that old saying about imitation and flattery was true.

Which brings us to this: if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Urban Decay must feel REALLY flattered by the new NYX Slide-On Liners ($8 each).

Even the unwieldy name sounds familiar — Slide On, Glide On & Definitely a Turn On Water Proof Extreme Shine Eye Liner. Sounds a little like Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils ($17), right?

Like the Glide-Ons, they’re smoother than Blackstreet in their heyday (remember Before I Let Go? That’s some baby-making music, ma!), with vibrant colors more intense than a triple rainbow deluxe.

I’ve got mad love for UD liners, especially Bourbon, but I’m always open to budget options. I couldn’t wait to give these a try.

They come in a wide range of colors, 18 of them, in a mix of matte and shimmery finishes, and I see several possible dupes here for classic UD shades…

NYX Slide On Pencil
16 of the 18 shades
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Still Mourning the Loss of a Chanel Aqualumiere? Many of Them Have Equivalent Colors Among the New Rouge Coco Shines

May 15th, 2011 by Karen 22 Comments

While I was at my favorite Chanel counter the other day, I happened to mention to Scott, one of the makeup artists there, that as much as I love the new Rouge Coco Shines, I’m still going to miss the Aqualumiere line that the Rouge Coco Shines were released to replace.

Scott tried to console me (thank you, Scott). 🙂 He said that most of the new Aqualumieres have sisters or cousins among the new Rouge Coco Shines and pulled out a chart indicating their color equivalents.

chanel rouge coco shine swatches

If you have one or more holy grail shades in the outgoing Aqualumiere line, all is not (necessarily) lost. Hopefully its equivalent Rouge Coco color looks just as great.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine / Aqualumiere Color Equivalent Chart

Aqualumiere in Waikiki 31 = Rouge Coco Shine in Boy 54
Aqualumiere in Galapagos 101 = No replacement 🙁
Aqualumiere in Java 49 = Rouge Coco Shine in Unique 51
Aqualumiere in Santa Barbara 62 = Rouge Coco Shine in Cavaliere 65
Aqualumiere in Montego 70 = Rouge Coco Shine in Aventure 57
Aqualumiere in Palma 72 = Rouge Coco Shine in Sari D’Eau 44
Aqualumiere in Como 74 = Rouge Coco Shine in Biarritz 42
Aqualumiere in Samoa 75 = Rouge Coco Shine in Unique 51
Aqualumiere in Malta 90 = Rouge Coco Shine in Deauville 67
Aqualumiere in Positano 91= Rouge Coco Shine in Biarritz 42
Aqualumiere in Monte-Carlo 92 = No replacement 🙁
Aqualumiere in Ischia 96 = Rouge Coco Shine in Bonheur 61
Aqualumiere in Grenada 98 = Rouge Coco Shine in Monte-Carlo 62
Aqualumiere in Tasmania 99 = Rouge Coco Shine in Fetiche 52
Aqualumiere in Majorca 79 = No replacement 🙁
Aqualumiere in Antigua 32 = Rouge Coco Shine in Elise 59
Aqualumiere in Yucatan 36 = No replacement 🙁
Aqualumiere in Ipanema 37 = Rouge Coco Shine in Canotier 41
Aqualumiere in Phiphi 55 = Rouge Coco in Organdi Rose 09
Aqualumiere in Formentera 87 = Rouge Coco Shine in Canotier 41
Aqualumiere in Papeete 88 = Rouge Coco Shine in Bonheur 61

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WARNING: High Voltage Dior Electric Tropics Swatches Follow

May 14th, 2011 by Karen 39 Comments

From one of our first looks at Dior Electric back in March

Do you remember checking out the limited edition Nude Healthy Glow Powder in Sunset #002 ($46) from the Dior Electric collection with me earlier this year? The entire collection is out on counters now, and I did a little swatching on a recent excursion to the mall.