Daily Beauty

Freeze! It’s Tom Ford’s Ice Queen Eye Color Quad

December 16th, 2013 by Karen 8 Comments

This Ice Queen, with her icy blues and grays, does not rule over my tan…but I bet it would look mighty cool on cool-toned pale princesses (and princes, of course).

Sadly, Tom Ford’s Eye Color Quad in Ice Queen gets a little lost on my warm skin. It comes with a frosty white; a glittery silver; a shimmery, silvery gray and a matte denim blue, and it’s available now ~~at the North Pole~~ on Tom Ford counters in Neiman Marcus stores and online for — wait for it — $78!

Speaking of Ice Queens, that price sure is chilling…

The Hunt for MAC Costa Riche…

December 13th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

The hunt is finally over.

It only took repeated trips to three different counters and stalking the MAC website for weeks. Heck, I couldn’t even find it at the MAC Pro Store in SF, but now, finally, Costa Riche is mine, and it’s glorious!

MAC Costa Riche and Teddy swatches — Swatches of Costa Riche and Teddy on my NC42 skin

Oh, sure, it might be a little weird to get this jazzed about a brown liner (so boring, right?), but this one is — oh, boy — really beautiful. It’s a little like a less shimmery MAC Teddy Eye Kohl, and more golden brown than reddish bronzy brown.

Natural with a karate kick!

After scouring every MAC counter in my area to no avail, I was finally able to order it from a counter at the Nordstrom in Corte Madera. The associates offered to have it shipped to the store, yay! 🙂

If you feel that most black eyeliners are too harsh for you, you might love Costa Riche.

My water lines have been extra sensitive lately (no idea why), and the only things I’ve been able to wear on them have been the MAC Eye Kohls.

I’m so glad I found Costa Riche (I fell in love with it after swatching it at a counter, but they didn’t have it in stock), and now I just hope it doesn’t get discontinued.

Swell Stocking Stuffers: Cute Cat, Bunny, Unicorn and Elephant Jewelry Holders from Urban Outfitters

December 12th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

To quote my current favorite commercial, “Cray-cray ADORBS!”

I came across these cute jewelry holders at Urban Outfitters this afternoon ($12-14 each, also available at urbanoutfitters.com) and thought they’d make really cute stocking stuffers.

Perfect for rings and bling. 🙂

P.S. Random, but I just had to say how much I FRIGGIN’ LOVE THIS COMMERCIAL!

Santa’s Lip Scrub by Lush: Apparently, Santa Has Good Taste

December 11th, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

Well this stuff is just plain cool.

I think I can safely say that I’ve never seen anything like it before. I don’t know…maybe cherry preserves? It’s by Lush, and it’s called Santa’s Lip Scrub.

I like Lush’s Sugar Lip Scrubs, but this one has a yummy cola flavor and the cutest little hearts, which — get this — are totally edible!

You just rub the scrub all over your lips to exfoliate them. Then — YES! — just lick your lips clean.

Follow-up with your favorite gloss, balm and/or lipstick.

A 0.8-ounce jar costs $8.95, and you can find it now at Lush stores. It looks like it’s currently sold out on lushusa.com, but if you’re interested, you might want to check back in a few days.

Looking for a No-Fuss Blush for Your Makeup Bag? Try the New Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blushes in Something About Berry and Peach Beach

December 10th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

Too Faced Sweethearts Blush in Something About Berry

If, one day, you catch yourself gazing into a drawer filled with Too Faced Sweethearts Blushes and beaming with delight, I’ll be that voice in the back of your mind saying, “See, told ya this would be AWESOME!” 🙂

“Based on our best-selling Sweetheart’s Perfect Flush Blush, we’ve developed two more no-fail color palette blushes to take the guesswork out of creating a sweet, romantic flush. In each baked, heart shaped blush there are three individual color swatches. Blend all three swatches together for one universal shade or use each swatch individually for custom color.”

— Too Faced Cosmetics

I dunno what happened, but when I opened these two new spring blush shades in Something About Berry and Peach Beach, it was as if I could see the future! — I mean, I can TOTALLY see the Sweethearts Blushes being seen as Too Faced’s take on Benefit’s Box O’ Blushes.

Too Faced Sweethearts Blush in Peach Beach — Peach Beach, $30

Can you imagine?? A whole collection of Sweethearts Blushes in different shades? These two new spring colors join last year’s Candy Glow, and I can’t imagine why Too Faced would stop at just three.

Keep going, Jerrod! 🙂 (Sending vibes of positive reinforcement…)

Great for blush beginners (or really anyone who wants a no-fuss blush in their makeup bag), the Sweethearts contain a perfect amount of sheer color, apply smoothly, and require hardly any blending.

Too Faced Peach Beach Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush — Peach Beach

Peachy pink Peach Beach — similar to MAC Style Blush but slightly sheerer — has a beautiful bronzy golden sheen. On lighter lovelies, it should look absolutely gorgeous all by itself.

Darker damsels might love it as a highlighter, where I think it would look stunning layered atop coral and peach blushes.

Too Faced Something About Berry Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush — Something About Berry

Fuchsia Something About Berry, the other shade, is simply a stunner. With its peachy golden sheen, it absolutely pops on tanned skin. Pick this up now! — and save it for summer to wear with a sheer hot pink gloss.

Love, love and LOVE! Set a reminder to check ’em out when they launch online December 12.

Too Faced Something About Berry Peach Beach Swatches — Sweethearts Blushes in Something About Berry (left) and Peach Beach (right)

As It Is With Holiday Decorations, When It Comes to Nails, It’s All About The Statement Piece: L’Oreal Nail Color in The Statement Piece

December 9th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

My nails and I are totes feeling the holiday spirit now.

That’s what happens when you spend the weekend watching yule log television and listening to Christmas music. 🙂

Candy canes and gingerbread cookies for everyone (including the cats)!

Feeling festive, I swapped the green Sally Hansen Dive In polish I had been wearing for golden glittery The Statement Piece ($6.99), one of nine shades in L’Oreal’s new limited edition Gold Dust Colour Riche collection of textured nail polishes.

It’s a gritty, glittery yellow gold with flecks of silver glitter swimming throughout — very shimmery and sparkly, and a fun shade to wear if you’re into the whole textured nail trend.

If Zoya’s Tomoko and OPI’s It’s Frosty Outside Liquid Sand (from the Mariah Carey holiday collection) got together and had a love child…it would look like The Statement Piece. Or to put it another way, picture Urban Decay’s Midnight Cowboy Glitter Eyeliner in nail polish form.

Thanks to the wide brush, painting with it goes quickly. Two swipes completely cover one nail, and I can even get away with a single coat (although, per usual, I’m wearing two for this swatch).

I think textured polishes, especially ones with lots of glitter, are great for people who are tough on their nails. They wear extremely well and are generally pretty resistant to chipping.

That said, I can already tell that this one’s going to be a pain in the butt to remove.

Oh, well… I guess that’s the tradeoff for something this sturdy.

I haven’t been able to find The Statement Piece online, so you might want to keep an eye out for it at the drugstore. Oh, and while you’re there, would you mind picking up some Temptations Treats for Tabs? He’s running low… 🙂

Please Leave a Message After the Beep for Deborah Lippmann Sheer Lipstick in Call Me Maybe

December 7th, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

“Hey, I just met you… This is crazy!”

Kid you not, you’ll be singing the minute you slick Deborah Lippmann’s Sheer Lipstick in Call Me Maybe ($22) on your lips.

I had an immediate physical reaction to this juicy, sheer reddish coral — a sudden need to bust out in song.

And you know what’s crazy? I keep wanting to punctuate this lipstick’s name. Doesn’t “Call Me. Maybe?” sound clearer and more concise? Methinks it does…

Haha! 🙂

You can find it now online and at Nordstrom stores.

Makeup Brush Storage Ideas: Cute Jars and Vintage Glasses

December 5th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

Jars (improv makeup brush holders) with chalkboard labels ($10 each), available now at Anthropologie

I can’t believe I never thought of this before. I was at Anthropologie earlier today when it hit me. Lots of the cute jars and vintage style glassware in the home decor section could totally double as makeup brush holders!

My faves are these jars with the chalkboard labels…

I want an entire jar dedicated to 217s, LOL!

As a side, Tabs would also like to remind the cat ladies reading this that these jars would be purrfect (his spelling, not mine) for storing and organizing treats. 🙂

A few more ideas, all around the $10-14 mark…