Makeup

Does the LORAC Multidimensional Beauty Collection Come with 3D Glasses?

January 12th, 2011 by Karen 69 Comments

LORAC Multidimensional Beauty Collection

The only real 3D thing I’ve ever watched was Captain EO, and I really liked it when I was 8. 🙂

The word “gimmicky” springs to mind when I look at LORAC’s new Multidimensional Beauty Collection.

lorac multidimensional beauty collection promo

It’s a spring release, but the gobs of glitter, shimmer and dark hues remind me more of fall and winter than spring. Products in the eight-piece release for the eyes, lips and face come in a variety of finishes, including shimmers, mattes and glitters, and some of them (like the shimmers and glitters) seem to fool around with light (hence the 3D).

Today I took five of them out for a spin.

Multiplex 3D Lashes, $22

Like sugar free YSL Faux Cils. I like how it thickens at the base, but I’d love a little better curl hold.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

3D Liquid Lustre Shimmering Top Coat, $16

I had high hopes for this sheer multipurpose liquid and its golden glitter. Designed to be applied on top of eyeshadow (that’s how I tried it), worn alone or dabbed atop areas of the face for extra shimmer, it suffers from MAD fallout. And the packaging could stand being revamped. The base of the bottle is so narrow that it tips over easily. I knocked it over by accident, and the liquid gushed out! There went half the bottle before my very first use…
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: C+

3-in-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils in Chocolate and Eggplant, $18 Each

Matte brown Chocolate and matte reddish purple Eggplant glide along lash and waterlines like prima ballerinas. I just wish LORAC had made the pencils thinner (or maybe harder) because the tips are easy to break.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Multiplex 3D Eye Shadow Palette, $38 (a Sephora Exclusive)

How cute is this packaging (I want the same print on a pair of shoes!)? Some of these six shimmery powder eyeshadows could be smoother (the peachy gold on the upper left feels very grainy), but I think LORAC did a pretty good job with the duochromes. The green in the upper right of the first row flashes from red to brown at certain angles, and the aforementioned peachy gold flashes to/from pink, which is rather cool.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

lorac multidimensional beauty collection all
Clockwise from the tube of mascara on the left: Multiplex 3D Lashes, Multiplex 3D Eye Shadow Palette, 3D Liquid Lustre Shimmering Top Coat, 3-in-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Eggplant and 3-in-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Chocolate
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Naive Is Haute When It Comes to the Givenchy Naivement Couture Collection

January 12th, 2011 by Karen 53 Comments

givenchy naivement couture collection spring 2011

You don’t have to love the way you look in sunny shades of warm orange and yellow to like Givenchy’s new Naivement Couture collection, but it certainly helps.

The spring/summer collection beams onto eyes, lips, faces and nails with buttery colors all kissed by the sun. These orange, pink, green, beige and peach shades have me looking forward to window shopping in the springtime and cruising sunny sidewalks with El Hub. 🙂 And even the name, which means “naively couture” in French, seems to fit with that mood (as would a CaffÃ¨ Americano sipped at an outdoor cafe).

A Sunlit Look

givenchy naivement couture collection spring 2011

See how the orange eyeshadow extends beyond the model’s eyelids and up into her brows, and how it sweeps below her eyes and melts into the pink blush upon her cheeks? — like rays of sunlight painted on?

It almost looks like it’s radiating heat, which, considering how cold and gray it is here, makes me want to jump through the monitor.

givenchy naivement couture collection spring 2011

I love watching this kind of makeup strut down the runway, but how would it work in the frozen food aisle at Trader Joe’s? Ha! Isn’t that a reasonable question? 🙂 I mean, I guess I could make it more wearable by only applying the orange to the lids…

What’s Permanent, Limited Edition, and Where It Can Be Found

The 16-piece release comes with both permanent and limited edition products, nine of them repromotes that area available now, and seven are limited edition.

International gals can look forward to all seven of the L.E. pieces arriving this spring; Here in the U.S., we’ll have to settle for just four (coming to Sephora stores and online next month).
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We’re Springing Into Action Today with Swatches of the Dior Montaigne Collection for Spring 2011

January 12th, 2011 by Karen 17 Comments

dior montaigne swatches

Happy hump day, young lady. 🙂 How are tricks out yonder way? Are you having a good week?

I wanted to post some swatches of the new Dior Montaigne spring collection. Here are all the products with the exception of the one lonely Sephora exclusive, Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss in Trianon Silver #707, which I’ll add here as soon as I’ve seen it up close and personal.

Now, brace yourself for a whole lotta pink and gray (aka, my favorite colors in fourth grade, LOL!).

dior montaigne swatches display

dior montaigne swatches
Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Gris-Gris #034 ($58); you can also see 5-Colour Designer Eyeshadow in Soft Pink Design #018 ($58) peeking out on the left (full review here)
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How Easy Is It to Change Your Aura with Hourglass?

January 11th, 2011 by Karen 24 Comments

hourglass aura collection

In the Effortless Makeup category, Hourglass’s new Aura collection ranks among one of my favorites for spring.

It’s like the brand has their fingers on the pulse of lazy girls like moi. The Aura Sheer Cheek Stains and Sheer Lip Stains are designed for ease of use. No brushes are required with Aura’s portable, pen-style applicators. Twisting the bottom of each one dispenses product through the sponge tip applicator at the other end, and it makes these sheer, buildable liquid stains practically foolproof to use.

For full details on the Hourglass Aura Collection, peep Can I Read Your Hourglass Aura? The Hourglass Aura Collection for Spring 2011.

The Aura Sheer Cheek Stains ($45) and Aura Sheer Lip Stains ($26) sink quickly into my skin, but there’s still a window of drying time (about a minute or so) in which I’m able to blend out any harsh edges with my fingers if I need to.

Hourglass Aura Sheer Cheek Stain and Sheer Lip Stain in Flush

If the zombies were coming and I had to make for the hills, I’d grab both the Cheek and Lip Stains in Flush, the reddish pink shade I’m wearing here, a few jars of Nutella, a pocket knife, my wedding pictures and Tabs.

Because I’d be able to apply the stains without a mirror (they’re that easy), I’d be able to evade the walking dead without having to sacrifice my look. 🙂

Hourglass Aura Sheer Cheek Stain in Flush, $45

This sheer liquid stain feels a lot like Benefit’s Posietint to me. It’s runny, but still has some weight to it. I’ve worn it on bare skin, atop foundation and even on top of powder, and in every case it stays put, lasting throughout the day. It also layers well, too, so I’m able to crank up the color when I want a bolder cheek. I LOVE the convenience, but dagnabbit that $45 hurts.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-
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Be Pretty in Prints This Spring with the Milly for Clinique Collection

January 11th, 2011 by Karen 36 Comments

clinique pretty in prints

There really must be a “wrong side of the bed” because I think it’s the side I woke up on this morning. I needed more than mere caffeine to make it through the day today, so I stopped by my favorite chai place, the Nordstrom cafe, because it also happens to be located a few feet from the Nordie’s cosmetics department. 🙂

When I came to the Clinique counter, I almost dropped my drink!

clinique pretty in prints

With just three pieces, the new Milly for Clinique Pretty in Prints Collection might be one of the littlest releases this spring, but I’m such a total sucker for pretty prints.

About Milly

The label was established in 2000, when founder/designer Michelle Smith returned to New York after working for Paris powerhouses like HermÃ¨s and Dior. The collections consistently turn out feminine pieces and classic silhouettes in personally designed fabrics and prints that appeal to socialistas as well as starlets on the preppy side. Milly has perfected the Palm Beach palette with Upper East Side polish.
— nymag.com

The chocolate browns and playful pinks just look so darn foolproof and wearable, don’t they? Sure, the colors themselves aren’t particularly edgy, but these look like the kinds of things I could wear when I want to look polished and professional but don’t want to spend a lot of time doing it.

Clinique Pretty in Prints Compact $36 (limited edition) — Clinique nailed this powder eye/cheek palette because the colors go together perfectly. It comes with four eyeshadows — one, a pearly, peachy beige (looks a little like MAC Vex without the green pearl); a bronzy gold with a touch of green and pink glitter (GORGEOUS!); a shimmery, medium-toned pink; and a shimmery chocolate brown — and a peachy pink blush, which kinda resembles a less golden version of NARS Orgasm. Also in the mix: a snazzy drawstring printed pouch and how-to card with a step-by-step tutorial. Great for makeup newcomers and seasoned makeup addicts alike (the ones lacking self-control, like yours truly, ha!), particularly ones who wear warm colors well.
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NYC New York Color Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss, I Question Your Taste

January 10th, 2011 by Karen 38 Comments

NYC New York Color Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss in Plaza Punch

Just another shiny drugstore gloss? Not hardly. These NYC New York Color Extreme Glider Lip Glosses feel way more expensive than they should for $3 each. Smooth, thin and slick on my lips, they could almost pass for melted butter if it wasn’t for one little thing…

Butter tastes good. 🙂

I’ve tried three of the 10 shades, and all of them taste and smell like a strong blend of children’s cough syrup and fruit punch concentrate; luckily, it dissipates after a few minutes of wear.

Coverage varies widely among the colors, with some of them, like Downtown Brown and Metro Mauve, applying so sheer that I can barely see any pigment on my lips, while others, like Plaza Punch, have plenty of pigment to spare.

The three I have contain glitter, which looks kinda chunky in the tube, so I expected them to feel gritty, but they don’t. In fact, they could probably pass for MAC LipgelÃ©es (LOVE) if not for the flavor and scent…

nyc new york color extreme lip glider lip gloss tubes

nyc new york color extreme lip glider lip gloss tubes-back

nyc new york color extreme lip glider lip gloss wands
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If You Need Me, I’ll Be on the Laura Mercier Silk Road: The Silk Road Collection for Spring 2011

January 10th, 2011 by Karen 44 Comments

Laura Mercier silk road

I was surprised and more than a little impressed that for her latest collection, foundation phenom Laura Mercier went WAY back — almost 3,000 years back — to the ancient Han Dynasty and the trade routes ancient merchants from China, India, Tibet, Persia and the Mediterranean used to sell their silk, satin, perfumes, spices, medicines and jewels.

Available now on Laura Mercier counters and online, the 13-piece Silk Road collection was inspired by the precious gemstones and raw silks that moved along those ancient routes, but when I stopped by the counter yesterday to take a look, I found myself asking something I imagine some of those ancient merchants must asked: “Haven’t we been this way before?”

Two of the items, Persian Rose Blush and Gold Thread Liquid Liner, look familiar to me. Luckily, I like them both. 🙂 Persian Rose Blush reminds me of NARS Orgasm, and doesn’t Gold Thread Liquid Liner bear a striking resemblance to MAC Superslick Liquid Liner in Pure Show?

Renowned for their award-winning face makeup, the relatively small Laura Mercier line, named after the famous French makeup artist, is one of my favorites. Their foundations, tinted moisturizers, primers and concealers are fixtures atop Best of Beauty lists. I wear Laura’s Oil-Free Foundation in many of my pictures because I love the complete coverage it provides. I also really like some of the fun things the line does with their seasonal color collections, often accenting neutrals with dashes of brights (reminds me of Chanel).

Even though I feel like I’ve seen a couple of these colors before, I still think they’re great and fit nicely into Laura’s latest crop of gorgeously wearable makeup for spring.

laura mercier silk road

Here, we see shimmery purple, taupe and pink eyeshadows ringed by gold, gray and indigo liners (for a nice contrast); and lips and cheeks sparkling in shimmery shades of warm pink, coral and gold.

Products in the Laura Mercier Silk Road Collection

Eye & Cheek Palette, $48 (new; limited edition) — It contains six shimmery powder products — two blushes and four eyeshadows. Persian Rose, the blush that I think looks a lot like NARS Orgasm, appears just as universally flattering as well (YES!). And the second blush, shimmery golden Palace Pink, should work well as a blush for lighter lashes, or as a highlighter for bronzy babes.

The eyeshadows, Golden Sands (a pinkish beige with silver and golden glitter) and Regal Violet (a blackend purple with pink glitter) apply sheer with lots of glitter; Rare Taupe (a shimmery purplish taupe) and Lavender Silk (a opalescent purple) increase the collection’s WOW factor with rich pigments and a high-shine finish.
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A (Revised) Walk Through the Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden Collection for Spring 2011

January 10th, 2011 by Karen 18 Comments

CORRECTION: 1/13/2011 — The promotional pictures in the original post have been replaced with color corrected versions provided by Dolce & Gabbana.

Dolce & Gabbana released some color corrected pictures of their upcoming spring Secret Garden Collection today, and from these the items in the 12-piece launch for eyes, lips and nails look softer and more muted than before.

This revised batch of promo pics now shows that the pops of pink and purple in the lipsticks and glosses aren’t as bright as I thought they were; the colors in the Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Eden ($59) appear more pastel now, and both the Smooth Eye Colour Duo in Romance ($36) and the Intense Nail Lacquer in Platinum ($20) appear to contain a color more like gray than green.

Take a gander at the revised pictures (everything looks more delicate and softer), which I’m told are more color accurate than the ones they sent before, and let me know what ya think.

Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Eden

Smooth Eye Colour Duo in Romance 120

Crayon Intense in White
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