Makeup

Shu Uemura Egerie Swatches and a Rainy Hello!

February 4th, 2010 by Karen 37 Comments

Well, ladies, the rain’s back in town, and it’s coming down like someone upstairs forgot to shut off the sprinklers. I managed to make it home from San Francisco in one piece, but it was touch ‘n go there for a while. I could barely see the road through the windshield (hello, reduced visibility!) and took a wrong exit off the highway. Next thing I knew, I was at a Shu Uemura counter at the mall. Oops! 🙂

Since I was there, I figured I might as well get some swatches of the new Egerie collection, right?

Right off the bat, the colors weren’t as hard edged as I expected. The makeup in the promo pic made me think ’80s rock, but that’s not what I saw today. Today I saw soft and feminine, with shimmery shades and pastels.

Take a look and lemme know what you think…

From left to right: Lipsticks in PK 320M, Nude Beige

Satin Glow Radiant Stick Highlighter, Satin Glow Radiant Stick Blush
[Continue reading…]

The Bobbi Brown Cabana Corals Lip and Eye Palette

February 3rd, 2010 by Karen 21 Comments

Quick update for Bobbi Brown Cabana Corals collection fans! A lip and eye palette joins the lip and cheek products I mentioned earlier, and this one’s available exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores.

It clocks in at $60, but you do get six eyeshadows, four lippies and two miniature brushes for that price.

Not a bad deal, all told.

First impressions? In my case, I like the lipsticks, but I LOOOVE the eyeshadows. I can see them workin’ overtime through spring and into summer.

What do you think?

From left to right: Lip Color in Cabo Coral, Lip Color in Salmon, Lip Color in Shell, Metallic Lip Color in Coral Reef
[Continue reading…]

Cupid Better Swatch Out for These Shu Uemura Egerie Nail Enamels

February 2nd, 2010 by Karen 25 Comments

As an English Lit major back in school, I spent A LOT of time reading flowery fiction and pulling symbolism outta my arse. Showers weren’t merely showers; they signified rebirth. 🙂 Missing the bus didn’t simply mean I’d be late for class; it foreshadowed a late dinner, which in turn was my hungry soul’s cry for real life experience! LOLZ…

Perhaps this underlying need I have to find great significance in everyday things is why the two new nail enamels in Shu Uemura’s Egerie collection (Pink and Black, $18 each) remind me of the sweet and sour sides of this crazy thing we call love.

I blame Valentine’s Day. 🙂

Are you and Cupid on good terms this year? If so, consider warm Pink, a salmon with a touch of pearl. It’s a sweet, innocent pink, like the gooey rush of getting to know someone new.

[Continue reading…]

Set a Course for Adventure with Bobbi Brown’s Cabana Corals

February 1st, 2010 by Karen 36 Comments

Most of the time when I’m out shopping for a new outfit, like I was yesterday at the mall, it takes a lot to knock me off course. Well, Bobbi Brown must have seen me coming because her new Cabana Corals collection stopped me dead in my tracks.

Now, Bobbi does a lot of variations on pink for lips and cheeks, but she decided to shake things up this time by devoting an entire collection to coral.

I happen to love coral makeup because I think it can look great with a tan, but Bobbi also recognizes that it can be a *bit* intimidating to wear, especially if you’re shy about brights.

So she varies the color’s intensity across the products in the release. If you’re color-shy, maybe start with a wash on your cheeks with one of the Pot Rouge cream blushes, or dust a hint of shimmer along your cheekbones with a Shimmer Brick.

If, on the other hand, you ain’t afraid of no bold, full-on coral fiends (I’m with ya, sistah!) can jump in with one of the more vibrant lipsticks or glosses.

From top to bottom: Shimmer Lip Glosses in Golden Nectar, Coral Sand and Sunset Beach (each $20)
[Continue reading…]

NARS Unsung Hero: Greek Holiday Lipgloss

January 29th, 2010 by Karen 18 Comments

When it’s dull and gray outside, I can always count on makeup to brighten my day. 🙂 Today, for instance, I was staring out my window and daydreaming about warmer weather when I remembered a little tube of sunbeams known as NARS Greek Holiday ($24).

Part of NARS’ permanent collection, her sheer, peachy pink with golden glitter makes me feel like I’m lounging under a beach umbrella somewhere, blissfully warm, with a good book to read and a pretty view of the ocean.

Ah, to be on a Greek Holiday right now… 🙂
[Continue reading…]

Hot Coral Lips and Silver Fingertips for Chanel Summer 2010

January 29th, 2010 by Karen 44 Comments

All morning long I’ve been JWoWW-ing over the makeup that Karl and Co. sent down the runway for Chanel’s Spring/Summer Haute Couture show in Paris earlier this week. Turns out the look was a sneak peak at a couple of soon-to-be launched pieces from their summer makeup collection.

Karl gave Peter Philips, the Global Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, three key images to inspire the makeup for the show: neon baroque, chemical pastels and liquid silver. Oh, Karl! You so crazy. 🙂
[Continue reading…]

Clinique High Lengths Mascara: Take Me To Your Leader

January 28th, 2010 by Karen 43 Comments

Have you noticed anything weird about mascara brushes lately? It’s like they’re getting all funky cold medina! Last year it was motorized brush heads; before that, spiked medieval flails (Givenchy’s Phenomen’Eyes).

Now even Clinique is throwing their hat into the ring with a different spin on the standard brush design. High Lengths Mascara ($14) flaunts a minimalist, almost alien bow.

Maybe I’ve been watching too much sci-fi lately (a VERY safe bet), but those rows of short, stubby teeth aren’t giving me warm and fuzzy feelings — that’s for sure.

When I touched the brush for the first time (expecting certain doom!), it flexed and bent like Gumby’s yoga master, LOL! I really had no idea how it would perform on human lashes. 🙂

Buck nekkid lashes!
[Continue reading…]

A Big Hello from Head to Toe: A Lipgloss/Lipstick/Shoe Update

January 28th, 2010 by Karen 27 Comments

Hoy! Greetings from the West Siiiide! 🙂 It’s shortly after lunchtime here on Thursday, which I’m really happy about because it means a couple of cool things…

It’s almost Friday! Are you doing anything fun this weekend? I don’t have any plans, but I think I may hit the mall on Saturday. I kinda ~~want~~ need a new pair of shoes.
From coast to shining coast, women are touching up their lip makeup after lunch.

Which reminds me, what are you wearing on your pucker right now? I went with gloss today, Josie Maran’s Lip Gloss in Authentic ($18), a shimmery coral pink.

ABOUT: Josie Maran Lip Glosses

JM’s glosses come in six shiny, hydrating shades and feel a lot like MAC Lipglasses to me. They’re non-sticky, with a strong brown sugar scent, and a taste that lingers for a while. While I’m not usually a fan of scented/flavored lip products, I don’t mind these at all (the scent seems pretty authentic too).

[Continue reading…]