Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
Ooh! Look what I found. Old pics of Tabs from around the last year of his kittenhood in 2007. When he decided to adopt us hire me, he was about a year old.
Please note the fierce modeling stare. Even as a young cat, it was clear he had tremendous kitty modeling potential. 🙂
This limited edition Glossybox is a great deal! It’s $40, from Net-a-Porter, and comes with several full-sized beauty products seasoned with deluxe and travel-sized samplers from brands like RBG, Klorane, Ellis Faas and Kevyn Aucoin (there’s more; the full list’s below).
This one’s a one-shot deal for $40 and comes with eight products, but if you like the idea of trying lots of new products every month, that’s what Glossybox is for. It’s a subscription service, where you pay — I think it’s $21 per month — for a box of five different beauty products delivered right to your door.
It’s a great way to discover new beauty gems and holy grails.
They also have different subscription durations, like six months for a slight price break ($19.17 instead of $21/month). The three-month plan for $20/month could be a good Christmas gift sweet spot for the beauty lover in your life.
In the Net-a-Porter box here, you get an Ellis Faas Mascara, which regularly costs $34 (I like it for length) if you buy it separately, and the very pigmented Kevyn Aucoin Eyeshadow Duo, which regularly costs $42, so right there between those two products alone you’re looking at a huge savings.
Not too shabby tabby.
Quantities are limited, so if you like the idea, better act fast. It’s available at net-a-porter.com.
So, what goes well with Naked? I mean…other than fun?
How about two new never-before-seen Nail Colors from Urban Decay?
UD says both of these new shades are going to be extremely limited edition. I’m just sayin’…
Inspired by the Naked3 shade of the same name, smoky greige (yes, greige) Blackheart is loaded with red and multicolored shimmer, while smoky green Zodiac, which UD calls the “sultry little lovechild” of Moondust Eyeshadow, is infused with gold, green and blue 3-D micro-glitter.
What do ya think? Do they make you want to throw off your clothes and run around naked? Or, stay fully clothed and go get Naked? Or none of the above?
And that’s not all. Naked3 also gets some new pencils….
Each one comes with two liner shades inspired by one of the Naked palettes. Three of the eight shades in the lineup are UD bestsellers, but the other five are completely new.
“When we first introduced our original Naked palette, we created a Double-Ended Eye Pencil to go with it. Eventually, we loaded the palette with a brush instead, but people BEGGED us to sell the pencil on its own. It’s been so popular that we’re launching that original duo (Zero/Whiskey) as a regular part of our line AND adding three new color combos — one for each of our other Naked palettes.”
— Urban Decay
The new Naked 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencils and Nail Colors are coming soon to Sephora, ULTA and select Macy’s stores, and online to sephora.com, ulta.com, macys.com, beauty.com and urbandecay.com.
If you’ve seen many vampire movies and TV shows, you probably know that in the supernatural world, the vamps usually have the market cornered on cool clothes, cars, castles and makeup.
If it wasn’t for the whole blood drinking thing…I would actually consider the lifestyle.
This past fall all I wanted to wear were opaque, dark berries, reds and plums on my lips. I was going for that whole “I’m an extra on the next Underworld” effect.
Vampire lips all the way. 
Well, now that phase seems to have morphed into something else. I’m still into rich fall colors, but in sheerer, more lower-maintenance shades, like these two Neutrogena Perfect MoistureSmooth Lip Colors in Rich Raisin and Plum.
They’re moisturizing, easy to apply and look lovely with smokey eyes. Plus, because these shades are pretty sheer, I don’t have to worry as much about making mistakes as I did with those richer fall colors.
They’re available now in vampire nests, drugstores, grocery stores and online for $8.49 each (along with some other shades, too).
Do you happen to recognize the gal in that illustration at the top?
Yup, that’s me! — looking impossibly tall in a pair of skinnies and holding a bottle of my fave Neutrogena Ultra Cleanser.
The drawing is by Brook Hagel, a fabulous New York-based fashion illustrator. Here’s her Etsy shop (I think she’s away on vacation), where she does drawings on commission.
Ooh… Wouldn’t that be such a great gift for a gal pal?
Sooo, I’ve been kind of patrolling my local drugstores, looking around for a not-too-expensive hair mask to help offset the $65 (OMG!!) Kerastase Masque Elixir Ultime I’ve recently fallen in love with, and I’m beginning to think that Neutrogena’s $6.99 Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Mask fits the bill. 😀
First of all, my hair loves the moisture. It contains olive, meadowfoam and sweet almond oils, and I like that I don’t have to use a ton of it because it’s concentrated. A small amount makes my hair crazy shiny and soft.
I should also note that it contains silicones (cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone), and they’re pretty high up on the ingredient list, so that’s something to consider if you’re trying to avoid them.
I’m OK with them in moderation. My hair starts feeling really heavy and thick with residue if I use silicone-containing hair products on a daily basis, but as long as I only use them once or twice a month, like I do with this mask, no problem.
It smells amazing, by the way. The mask has a light and fresh fragrance that smells just like peaches to me, YUM!
You should be able to track down Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Mask at drugstores near you and online. Around here it’s about $7.
I love the rosy patterns on these powders by Jane Cosmetics.
Don’t they look like little works of art?
I haven’t been testing them long, but I can already tell that I love the way the powders feel.
Ooh, and the peach blush and bronzer have lots of potential…
They’re all available now at Ulta, drugstores and online.
It feels weird to admit that I’m enamored with a candle, but I am really, really enamored with this one from NEST Fragrances.
It’s called Opulence, by Ken Downing, and it’s a whopping $40, which is a lot for a candle, but it smells almost supernaturally good — like autumn leaves, fireplaces, snuggly cable-knit sweaters and long hugs from handsome boys.
I mean now, come on, doesn’t that sound good? 🙂
It’s available now at Neiman Marcus stores and neimanmarcus.com.
“Our own Ken Downing, together with NEST Fragrances, developed this exotic fragrance that layers the essences of black orchid, sandalwood and amber against a sumptuous backdrop of Malaysian patchouli leaf, Australian sandalwood and hints of Mirabelle plum.”
Even Tabs loves Opulence…
The $24 Topshop Smokey Eye Palette in Constellation, available now at Topshop stores and topshop.com.
By the way, what’s your sign? 🙂
