Makeup

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara Gives Chanel Exceptionnel a Run for Its Money

January 15th, 2009 by Karen 48 Comments

Question: Can I get a what-what from all my girls who love dramatic eyelashes??

Until today, *no other* mascara came close to my beloved Chanel Exceptionnel ($30) for delivering the super thick and long, ultra-defined drag queen lashes that I crave.

Today, everything changed.

Make Up For Ever’s Smoky Lash mascara ($22) stole Exceptionnel’s spot to become my new number one. It similarly thickens, lengthens and separates lashes — and for eight dollars less, holla!

Hella nekkid, wimpy lashes… Damn you, Mother Nature!

Most thickening mascaras will clump into little mascara globules, but not Smoky Lash. It applies smoothly, even after multiple layers, almost like it’s seducing my lashes. It’s the James Bond of mascaras — smooth but deadly hot.

Not only does it make my lashes look exceptionally dark, thick and long, but I think they even look more defined with better separation.
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Barbie Loves Stila: What Would You Get?

January 14th, 2009 by Karen 19 Comments

Dag nabbit! The new limited edition Barbie Loves Stila Decades of Beauty cans, which launched today on Sephora’s website, are already sold the eff out. *tears*

Instead of pulling the trigger this morning and hitting the check out button, I took my sweet ole’ time. I watched a Tivo’d episode of last night’s The Mentalist (so good) while I gnawed on some garlic naan, thinking that I had all day to make a decision. LOL, I was sooo wrong!

Am I the only one who missed out? Perhaps a round of WHAT WOULD YOU GET? will help ease our pain.

The four Decades of Beauty cans ($40 each) include:

#1 Ponytail Doll (1959): Ponytail lip color (red), Liquid Eye Liner, 3-pan compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color, Look Book
Malibu Doll (1971): Malibu Lip Glaze (pale pink), Lash Visor Mascara, 3-pan compact with two eye shadows and a bronzer, Look Book
Foxy Doll (1980): Foxy Lip Glaze, Lash Visor Mascara, a 3-pan compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color, Look Book
Jewel Doll (2000): Jewel Lip Glaze (bright pink), Multi-Effect Mascara, 3-pan compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color, Look Book

Your mission: choose one of the four Barbie Loves Stila Decades of Beauty cans to take home with your virtual cash!

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I guess I’ll just have to wait for February, which is when the collection (which also includes a talking palette) arrives at Sephora stores.

Until then, I’ll take one can of virtual Foxy, please. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Urban Decay Sin Potion Primer Face of the Day

January 14th, 2009 by Karen 26 Comments

Sephora’s got Urban Decay Sin Primer Potion for sale online, yea!

I think Sin’s shimmery champagne looks sinfully good paired with bright eyeliners…

Color for the color shy

To line my eyes in this look I tried the four new 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil shades from Urban Decay’s Spring 2009 collection: Graffiti, Flipside, Rasom and Underground.

Their colors are rich and vibrant and took me a little out of my conservative color comfort zone. I decided to go with a very thin, tri-colored line on the top lash line because it seemed to keep the look in check but still gave me a lil’ somethin’-somethin’.

Champagne eye with bright green, teal and purple liner

Sin Potion Primer (1) gets this look going. I start by swiping a layer directly onto my lid with the doe-foot applicator and then use a finger to spread the gel evenly over the whole eye.

With the liner, my goal is to merge from green to teal to purple seamlessly. I grab Flipside (2), a shimmery green, and line the inner third of my lash line (the side closest to my nose).

Then, with Graffiti (3), a shimmery teal, I place the pencil tip close to the line of Flipside. The colors will overlap a tad at the start of the line, but that’s cool. I just drag Graffiti along along the inner third of the lash line, transitioning from green to teal.

Next, I do the overlapping thing again, only this time placing the tip of Ransom (4), a shimmery purple, over Graffiti to transition from teal to purple. I finish the line by dragging Ransom toward the side of the lash line closest to my ear.

I don’t want the lower lash line to compete with the brights on top, so I use shimmery bronze-brown Underground (5) on the lower waterline and lash line.

Of course, I couldn’t — shouldn’t? — finish the look without filling in my brows, curling my lashes, adding mascara and covering up my dreaded dark circles, ha! It’s kinda like makeover housekeeping.
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Urban Decay Summer 2009

January 13th, 2009 by Karen 30 Comments

Sick of winter? Let’s just fast forward to summer with some Urban Decay. Here’s a video heads up on what to expect from the line.

Are we there yet?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Urban Decay Spring 2009: A Recessionista’s Guide

January 13th, 2009 by Karen 45 Comments

The economy’s got a lot of us rethinking our beauty spending habits. If you’re looking to save dough but still want in on the spring collection action, Urban Decay’s Eric Jimenez suggests looking for makeup that multitasks.

“In this economy-friendly environment,” suggests Eric, international makeup artist and Urban Decay worldwide retail director, “you want products with multiple functions.” Budget beauties are looking for lipsticks that double as blushes and lip colors that also work around the eyes. “Every woman wants something that she can do more than one thing with in her handbag.”

Urban Decay cosmetics, a line known for highly pigmented and colorful makeup, offers a few interesting multitaskers for spring.

Fellow members of Club Recessionista, here are Eric’s suggestions on how to get the most bang for your buck with items from the spring collection (in stores next month).

Strike a pose, Eric!

New Sin Potion Primer, a multitasking monster!

One of the most flexible items in the spring line is the new Sin Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($17), a shimmery, champagne version of Urban Decay’s cult classic, Primer Potion.

While intended as an eyeshadow base, Sin works well as a highlighter, too. Apply it along the bridge of the nose, under the brow bone and along the inner corner of the eyes to brighten and glow.

Eric even uses Sin on the lips. “Use it on the lips with a transparent or a see-through gloss over it,” he suggests, where it adds a frosty, fawn color and extends the wear time of lipsticks and glosses.

Oh, and if you’re running late (or just plain lazy, haaaaay), swipe Sin on your eyelids and blend with a finger. Voila! — instant eyeshadow.

Double duty with Cream Shadows and 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils

From top to bottom:Whipped, Weeds, Delinquent and Moonshine

The new Cream Shadows ($17 each; available in 12 colors) and the four 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil spring shades ($16) multitask like mo’ fo’s.

Cream Shadows work as both eyeshadows and liners. When Eric uses Asphalt, a shimmery black, as a liner, he sweeps the doe-foot applicator along the lower lash line and blends away harsh lines with a finger.

Have any black eyeshadows at home that you haven’t used in years? Bring ’em back to life atop a base layer of shimmery Asphalt.

Packed with moisturizing ingredients like Jojoba oil and Vitamin E, the four new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils — Graffiti, Flipside, Rasom and Underground — double as liners and eyeshadows.

From left to right: Graffiti, Flipside, Rasom and Underground

The 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils are great as shadows when you want a quick pop of color. Just line the top lash line with one of them, and blend the color up into the crease with a finger.

Midnight Cowboy lipstick for nude cheeks and lips

Midnight Cowboy lipstick ($22), a shimmery fawn with flecks of gold glitter, might turn out to be Urban Decay’s next cult classic. According to Eric, “Midnight Cowboy is beautiful on everybody.” He’s used it on women of all shades and calls it universally flattering.

To really stretch out those dolla-dolla-bills-ya’ll, Eric advises against just slathering on Midnight Cowboy and other lipsticks and blotting away the excess with a tissue.

Instead, waste less lipstick by lightly tapping the tube against the lips and patting with a finger to blend.

Then, take the leftover lipstick on your fingertip, and work it into your cheeks. 🙂
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Nars Cosmetics Spring 2009: What Would You Get?

January 13th, 2009 by Karen 88 Comments

Brick red and berry are bursting at the seams of NARS’ spring 2009 collection.

I’m thinking NARS took a risk with the fall-ish shades in this collection, but you know what they say about risk: it’s the spice of life! Shoot, brick red eyeshadow? That’s all I need to hear. 🙂

“My inspiration for spring was a very sexy woman,” explains Francois Nars, Founder and Creative Director of NARS Cosmetics. “I wanted a bit of a ’70s feeling, somewhere between Guy Bourdin and Chris Von Wangenheim’s photographs — aggressive, but very sensual and fragile at the same time.”

It’s a provocative collection, isn’t it? And heavy on face and eye products…

I think it’s time for another installment of WHAT WOULD YOU GET!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to spend $150 of virtual moolah (or thereabouts) on any combination of products from the NARS spring 2009 collection, and then share your virtual haul in the comments. 🙂

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How to Apply Bronzer

January 10th, 2009 by Karen 36 Comments

Good morning, ladies!

Here’s a quickie video showing one of many ways to apply bronzer. I call it the Karen Quickie Bronzer Especial! 🙂

Have a great day today. Tabs says hi!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Lancome Pink Irreverence Spring 2009 Collection: Downtown Pink = Hotness

January 9th, 2009 by Karen 48 Comments

What do ya think of these new lipglosses from Lancome’s Pink Irreverence spring collection?

Black AND hot fuschia lipgloss? I’m *so there*.

Lancome chose to do something a little bolder than usual for a spring release. If Chanel’s Bohemian Fantasy and Dior’s Lady Dior collections were meant for sundresses and sandals, then Pink Irreverence was made for little black dresses and four-inch, black patent leather stilettos.

The collection features a variety of pinks ranging from ultra bright to nude, and a couple of surprise black products thrown in for good measure.

The ultra shimmery La Laque Fever Lip Shines (sparkly!) and Piha Black lipgloss immediately caught my eye. I’m not sure I’d ever wear a black gloss, but it sure looks neat, yah?

Lips

La Laque Fever Ultimate Lasting Full Color Lip Shine ($26)

From left to right: Electric Pink,Lucent Nude, Iridescent, Optical Rose

I found these at my local Lancome counter this afternoon and couldn’t pass up the chance to try on Electric Pink!

If you like sparkly, shiny shades, I think you’ll love these colors. They’re long-wearing and feel like a mix between lipstick and gloss.

From left to right: Electric Pink,Lucent Nude, Iridescent, Optical Rose

Electric Pink: a shimmery hot pink
Lucent Nude: a creamy peach brown
Iridescent: a shimmery coral pink
Optical Rose: a shimmery cool light pink

Color Fever Gloss in Piha Black ($25)

Um, hello, would you ever wear this bad boy? It’s a shimmery black gloss with flecks of blue glitter. It may be a little too goth for me, but I’ve been told it’s uber-wearable and looks good on top of the lipsticks in the collection (supposedly adds dimension).