Daily Beauty

Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer: A Fabulously Affordable Option to One of My Favorite High-End Lippies of All Time

May 5th, 2015 by Karen 31 Comments

The only thing that could make these new Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primers better is if they actually came with Pop Tarts.

That, and if they were free and summoned fluffy kittens and unicorns. 🙂

By the way, if we’re handing out Pop Tarts here, I’ll take a strawberry with frosting, please. The others are a complete and total sham!

But I digress…

These new $18 lippies resemble one of my favorite high-end (much more expensive) lipsticks of all time. Keep reading to find out which one!

The Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primers: Deets you need to know/overview

These are a brand new line of $18 full-coverage, long-wearing, moderately moisturizing lipsticks with a built-in smoothing primer.
There are 16 unflavored, unscented shades divided into four color families — nudes, tawnies/corals, pinks, violets.
They have an interesting finish that I’d characterize as about two-thirds cream, one-third matte. Still a little shiny, but not completely matte. It reminds me of the NARS Satin Lip Pencils.
Texture-wise, they feel creamy and slightly thick on my lips but aren’t heavy.
I get five or six hours of wear time from the more intense shades, and four or five hours from the less intense ones.
Of the six I’ve tried, the vibrant, colorful shades, particularly hot pink Punch Pop, reddish coral Poppy Pop and warm red Cherry Pop impress me the most. One layer of each gives me full, even coverage that stays out of my horizontal lip lines (yay!).
I’m not crazy about pastel pinkish purple Fab Pop, though. It settles into my lip lines, looks patchy, and I can’t get it to stay where it belongs on my lips.
For me, the stars of this show are the brights! 🙂 They totally remind me of Guerlain’s $51 Rouge G line. They look the same and feel the same to me, but they don’t taste or smell the same, so FYI, if you absolutely must have that rosy Guerlain flavor and scent, you won’t find that here.
I still love the Rouge Gs to bits and probably always will, but these Clinique Pop Lips are a fabulously affordable $18 option (versus $51!).

Pop over to your neighborhood Clinique counter or Sephora store to check ’em out (or find them online).

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Chanel Summer 2015: Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Orchidée

May 5th, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

Rise and shine, fellow lover of colorful lower water lines (maybe?)! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I’ve been on a colorful lower water liner kick lately, and Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Orchidée ($32), available now as part of the Chanel Summer 2015 Collection, is currently satisfying that urge to kick.

Here’s a brief breakdown of this flower’s important points (Orchidée means orchid en français)…

Chanel Summer 2015: Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Orchidée ($32)

Vivid violet cream Orchidée is the only liner in the Chanel Summer 2015 Collection.
It’s limited edition, $32 and available now.
Typical of Chanel’s Stylo Yeux liners, the formula is a little on the hard side, but the texture still feels very smooth.
Wear time is about 6-8 hours on my lash lines and 5-6 on my water lines.
To get really high-intensity purple color from it, I use 3-4 layers on my water lines and 1-2 on my lash lines.
If you have trouble getting the formula to stick to your water lines, make sure your water lines are thoroughly dry before applying it. I’ll run a Q-tip carefully along my water line (and by “carefully,” I mean, “DON’T POKE YER EYE OUT, KID!”) beforehand. Then after applying I’ll let the formula set for a minute before going in for another layer. Repeat until you get the level of intensity you want.
I love Orchidée paired with warm browns and rose golds on the lids like I’m wearing in the pic above. 🙂

P.S. I hope your Cinco de Mayo has gotten off to a good start. Mine’s been pretty good so far. The missing screws for that gigantic pink shelving unit I told you about are supposed to arrive today, yay!

And I’m looking forward to perhaps a lunch of yummy fish tacos. 🙂

P.P.S. In other news, what are your favorite apps on your phone? I haven’t updated mine in a while, and I’d like some new apps. Thank you in advance.

Chanel Summer 2015: Le Vernis Nail Colour in Méditerranée and Another Fun Color Combination to Try

May 1st, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

Teal and yellow, babe. Teal and yellow.

I originally envisioned only taking pics of this teal Chanel Summer 2015 Le Vernis Nail Colour in Méditerranée with this beige bag (from the pamelabarskyshop on Etsy), because for some reason, in my mind, I thought that the teal in the dress plus the teal on my nails would be more than enough color.

But then I looked a little closer at the colors in my dress, and I kept noticing the yellow there in the flowers winking at me, like, “Hello! Look at me, Karen! Don’t I look cute with teal?” and that was that. The beige was no longer doing it for me, LOL!

One bright yellow Kate Spade wallet later…

I love this combo! I think it works here because both the teal and yellow are similarly intense, like having two divas do a well-balanced duet on stage.

Or something like that. Honestly, I just saw the two together and got that tingly feeling that happens when I know something’s probably gonna work. 🙂

I’m wearing two coats of the polish — a creamy, intense bright teal that reminds me of large bodies of deep water. It’s a limited edition shade in Chanel’s new Collection Méditerranée, available now at Chanel counters and online.

I found it really easy to work with, too. Seriously, I painted my nails practically in the dark before going to bed the other night, and they turned out quite well, considering that I could barely see anything.

No streaks, no drama, just smooth sailing all the way.

I bet you could even get away with one coat.

P.S. To paraphrase R. Kelly…it’s the freakin’ weekend, baby. I’m about to have me some fun. 🙂 Except without the Cristal. But I think will have a glass of TJ’s Santa Barbara Landing Riesling.

I hope you’re having a great night, whatever you’re up to. Talk to you soon.

Chanel Summer 2015: Le Vernis Nail Colour in Coquelicot and a Fun Color Combination to Try

April 29th, 2015 by Karen 36 Comments

I know, there’s a LOT of color up in this mix, AND I LURVES IT!

That’s two coats of the new $27 limited edition Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Coquelicot (which I think means “poppy”) on my paws. It’s a warm, creamy bright red from Chanel’s Summer 2015 Collection Méditerranée, available right meow.

I’m wearing it with reddish coral shorts and a pinkish coral top, and why it has taken me so long to figure out that red goes with coral, I have no idea.

Maybe it’s because I usually think to wear just one bold statement color instead of two? I dunno… At any rate, apparently, red and coral together are the business, and they totally work. Try it sometime!

I’m also wearing…

Shorts — Loft

Top — I know you can’t really see it in these pics…but I got it from Loft, also known as my new favorite store that isn’t HomeGoods

Purse — Charming Charlie

Nails — Chanel

P.S. Happy hump day, by the way. How’s it going today?

A Quick Trip to Chanel: Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner, Le Volume de Chanel Mascara and Summer 2015

April 27th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

On page one, paragraph one, of the new (completely fictitious) Chicken Soup for the Makeup Lover’s Soul, it says, “Stop by your favorite Chanel counter.”

OK, twist my arm. I will. 🙂

Last weekend I stopped by the counter at the Macy’s in Corte Madera, and I was literally (well, figuratively) only there for like two seconds, but in those two seconds I felt my spirit getting lighter as the elegant, sleek back packaging infused me with power…

I just went to get a couple basics — Le Volume de Chanel Mascara in 10 Noir ($32) and Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Noir Intense ($32) — although I was super tempted to play with the summer collection, which is available on counters and online now.

I didn’t, though, because El Hub, who was probably down at the Apple Store, was calling me on the phone every 15 seconds to remind me that we didn’t have all day to spend at the mall (he knows me too well), so the summer collection would have to wait…

But I still took a quick picture of it and whispered softly to all teh pretties, “I’ll be back.” Just like the Terminator.

So, the mascara and eyeliner I mentioned, I’ve been using Le Volume de Chanel for years. I think it’s great for dramatic length, separation and volume. When I want lashes visible from a mile away, I reach for Le Volume de Chanel. Totally holds its own with YSL Faux Cils.

chanel le volume de chanel — Le Volume de Chanel Mascara in Noir

I got it in black, otherwise known as 10 Noir, but it’s also available in other colors, as well as a waterproof version.

In addition to the mascara, I also grabbed Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Noir Intense, which I’ve been wanting to try since I heard about it on Stephanie Lange’s Youtube channel.

Have you watched any of her videos? She’s great. She’s a makeup artist/vlogger from Australia, and she has a bunch of tutorials for people with hooded eyes (mine are slightly hooded), among many other tutorials. I’ve learned a lot from her, and she also seems like a really nice girl.

Stephanie uses Noir Intense in almost all of her videos, and since I’d been wearing Chanel’s Stylo Yeux in Ardoise pretty much constantly for the past month (it’s an absolutely gorgeous deep gunmetal gray and a great alternative to black when you want some definition on your lash lines), I wanted to try Noir Intense.

It’s currently assigned to tight-line duty this week… I hope my stick of Ardoise doesn’t get jealous. 🙂

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour and Highlight: Before and After

April 22nd, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

First of all, Happy Earth Day! 🙂

Speaking of objects with curvy contours…have you seen these new Clinique Chubby Sticks?

To quote Mary J. Blige, “What’s the 411, hon?”

Here’s the scoop: there are two, one for sculpting and contouring, and another one for highlighting, and both are available now at Clinique counters, Neiman Marcus stores and online at neimanmarcus.com.

So…what are they?

No matter how hard you try, guuuurl, right now in the world of makeup, you can’t completely escape highlighting and contouring. They’re both having a moment right now, and these two new creamy chubby pencils from Clinique are in that same highlighting/contouring vein. Dark brown matte Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour in Curvy Contour ($21) adds structure and definition to cheekbones (and wherever else you choose to use it), while satiny beige Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight in Hefty Highlight ($21) helps you draw attention to areas you might want to highlight, like perhaps your upper cheekbones. You can use them together or individually.

How do you use ’em?

All you do is draw a few dot on your face wherever you want to highlight and/or contour, and then blend those dots with your fingers or a brush. I use like to use a synthetic brush with these, because the bristles aren’t as absorbent as most natural fibers, so they tend to work better with creams.

OK, but how well do they work?

Pretty well! — as a highlight/contouring combo. They do the trick. I’m glad the contour shade is a cool-toned matte and not a shimmer (better for creating illusionary shadows). I also like that the highlighter is more satiny than full-on shimmery, because it’s not as visibly harsh.

I do think that the chubby shape of the pencils makes them a little tough to maneuver around certain areas because it’s so darned big, but it’s workable.

Who would probably really like these?

Gals/guys with normal or dry skin who are looking for soft, natural highlights and contouring and aren’t super concerned about precision. Oily skin may not take to the cream formulas as readily.

Also, if you tend to touch your face a lot throughout the day, stop that. 🙂 Because these creams will scoot if you futz with them.

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour in Curvy Contour

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight in Hefty Highlight

Before

After

Pacifica Natural Deodorant Wipes: Wiping Out Odor One Swipe at a Time

April 20th, 2015 by Karen 8 Comments

With Wednesday being Earth Day, the big thing out here in California is water.

(Bottom line, we don’t have enough of it.)

I’ve been trying to use less, and I read somewhere that you can save 5-10 gallons — which is a lot! — by turning off the shower while you’re in there shampooing your hair, shaving and doing your thing.

I got to thinking about my shower habits…

Most days, I hop in the shower to quickly rinse off after my morning run, and then I take a real-deal shower at night (which is when I wash the pollen out of my hair, shave, and do stuff like that) before bed.

But to save a little water, for whatever it’s worth, I’ve started skipping my morning shower and just using these wipes by Pacifica instead.

When I’m done with my run, I wipe down with these Pacifica Underarm Deodorant Wipes ($9 for a pack of 30).

They’re pretty cool. Not quite a “shower in a pack” cool, but still…

First and foremost, they’re billed as an underarm deodorant (but not an antiperspirant, so if you’re looking for something to actually stop you from sweating, these won’t do that). The biodegradable wipes are moistened with a blend of essential oils and coconut milk to keep you from getting stinky.

Ingredients
water, alcohol, zeolites, saccharomyces ferment filtrate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, crambe abyssinica seed oil, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, cocos nucifera (coconut) milk, hydrogenated castor oil, limonene, glycerin, salvia officinalis (sage) leaf extract, parfum (all natural with essential oils

They aren’t aluminum-based like most over-the-counter antiperspirants, and aren’t made with any animal products (or tested on animals), mineral oils, parabens, pthalates, petroleums or SLS. All you do is swipe one under yo’ pits as needed, or whenever you feel like it, throughout the day.

The wipes leave behind a subtle coconut scent (which I think smells great!).

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The Bobbi Brown Summer 2015 Sandy Nudes Collection

April 17th, 2015 by Karen 7 Comments

Under normal circumstances, I adhere to a very strict no-nudity policy when it comes to sand.

In other words, I do not like being nude on or around sand; or, conversely, sandy and nude. Because I don’t like spending 20 minutes trying to get all of the sand out of the places where the sun doesn’t/don’t shine.

However, seeing as Bobbi Brown’s new 2015 summer collection, despite being called Sandy Nudes, doesn’t actually have anything to do with being naked or covered in sand, my no-nudity sand policy doesn’t apply. 🙂

Yup, it’s another beach-themed collection from Bobbi, to which this wanna-be surf bum says, “Cowabunga, dude!” As you probably guessed from the name, Sandy Nudes features a lot of nude shades — bronzes, beiges and browns. Not a ton of crazy colors.

The collection contains a limited edition neutral eye palette with 12 powder eyeshadows (not shown here in these pictures). I’m really looking forward to seeing that one because all of the shades are new (YES!). Also, since Bobbi loves bronzers, of course there are two face and body bronzing duos (also limited edition) in the release, as well as two LE nail polishes.

There’s also something called a Face Mist ($32, this one headed to the permanent line). It’s a finishing spray and contains green tea, chamomile and cucumber. I just started using it, and I like it so far. It has a lovely light lavender and geranium scent, and my skin just inhales the moisturizing formula.

Here are some quick pics of the Bronzer/Blush duos and nail polishes…

I’m all about the Bronzer/Blush Compact Duo with Antigua Illuminating Bronzing Powder and Golden Light Bronzing Powder. It’s angling to become my new favorite bronzer/blush combo.

I like how the matte Golden Tan Bronzing Powder warms up my skin tone all nice and toasty (but without any orange, yay!), and it’s delightfully easy to blend.

Peachy pink Blush Antigua looks kinda like a NARS Orgasm with muted golden shimmer. It reminds me a lot of the NARS Laguna and Orgasm duo, but I think it’s much easier to wear (especially if you have pore issues like I do!), because the bronzer’s matte, and the blush isn’t super shimmery.

You can also mix the two together, by the way. I’ve done it, and I think it looks quite natural.
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