Eyes

Look for 12 New Longwear Powder Shadows to Spring Up on Benefit Counters This March

January 24th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

The New Benefit Longwear Powder Shadows, $19 each

Stricken with a bout of beauty-fueled insomnia last night, I lay awake in bed reading what Susan Miller had to say about my near future.

As a side, Astrologyzone is my frickin’ jam! Swear to gawd, Susan’s forecasts are freaky accurate. I don’t hold ’em as gospel, but if she were to tell me, “Karen, don’t cut your hair this month or buy any new electronics. It’s the planets, Karen… They aren’t looking good,” I’d be all, “Affirmative!”

So, the horoscope. Susan suggested that the end of this month would be a great time for me to take a big trip.

Cool! Except that it’s already the twenty-fourth, and I still don’t have tickets…

Oh, well. I guess there’s still time for Jeremy Renner’s people to call and invite me on a last-minute cross-country road trip. Seriously, guys, I can be ready in a flash. I even know which eyeshadows I’d bring with me — Benefit’s new Longwear Powder Shadows — which I could test on the trip. 🙂

The Benefit babes are re-launching their color line this spring, which means new packaging, new colors and, in some cases, new formulations.

Benefit Milk It Longwear Powder Shadow — Milk It, a pearly white

Benefit Call My Bluff Longwear Powder Shadow — Call My Bluff, a pale shell

The Longwears will replace Benefit’s Velvet Eyeshadows — the square eyeshadows with the white tops and the birdie design.

With the new Longwears, Benefit is maintaining the same quantity of product per pan (0.11ounces), while raising the prices from $18 to $19 each.

The new line features 12 shades, and it doesn’t look like any of the previous colors were invited to attend… Some of the new shades bear resemblances to their older brethren, like the new It’s Complicated, which looks to me a little like Nice Melons, and Kiss Me I’m Tipsy, which reminds me of Dandy Brandy.

And there are other colors here that seem to resemble the Velvets, although they don’t appear to be exact matches, as far as I can tell.

They come in three finishes — matte, satin and sheen — with a majority of them being neutrals, with a sprinkling of pink, blue and purple for spice.

Benefit Pinky Swear Longwear Powder Shadow — Pinky Swear, a soft matte pink

For the record, the Longwears feel just as soft as the Velvet eyeshadows do to me, and when I place a finger in one of the pans and swirl it around, the finger picks up a lot of product. The formula feels comfortably creamy for a powder eyeshadow, perhaps due to the microscopic powder grains, which seem more finely milled than before.

Benefit Its Complicated Longwear Powder Shadow — It’s Complicated, a golden peach

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Urban Decay Followed the Yellow Brick Road All the Way to Two New Limited Edition Palettes Inspired by Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful

January 23rd, 2013 by Karen 40 Comments

Urban Decay Oz Palette — Urban Decay’s new $49 limited edition palettes were inspired by Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful

If you’re wearing one of Urban Decay’s two new limited edition $49 palettes inspired by the upcoming Disney flick, Oz the Great and Powerful, and someone shouts, “Witch!” DO NOT bust out your Tae Bo moves.

I repeat: no Tae Bo, Jiu-jitsu or Aikido moves, and absolutely DO NOT remove your hoop earrings.

Throw no blows! — because they’re just complimenting you on your makeup. 🙂

The two colorful palettes, Glinda and Theodora, recently materialized online — POOF! — just like witchcraft, tying in with the new Oz film with makeup to recreate the looks worn by the witches played by Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams.

And this time, Urban Decay went all out!

These aren’t just some of their existing products in fancy packaging (not that I don’t like some of those palettes too). They created all-new colors here, and even included tutorials.

Nothing half-@ssed or cheesy. I feel like UD put a lot of thought into both products.

Each one comes with eight completely new eyeshadow shades…even though there are only six pans (two of the pans in each palette are duos), and the pans contain 0.05 ounces of product, making them the same size as Urban Decay’s interchangeable full-size shadow pans.

Urban Decay also included a gloss and liner with each palette, considerately completing the look.

First, Theodora — the richer, moodier magician who excels at conjuring up fab looks for brown smokey eyes.

The Theodora Palette

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Dressed to Impress! Benefit Gives Their Creaseless Cream Shadows a Makeover, Introduces New Packaging and a Bunch of New Shades

January 22nd, 2013 by Karen 32 Comments

Holy Smokes! Just My Two Cents, but I hope you don’t mind that I’m wearing my Bikini-Tini. Translation: Here I’m wearing the newly repackaged $19 Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows in Bikini-Tini, My Two Cents and Holy Smokes

If, when you read the title of this post, your eyes bugged out and you felt a sudden surge of panic as you exclaimed, “OMG! Did Benefit get rid of Skinny Jeans!?” chillax, kitty cat (as I often tell Tabs).

No need to shake your fist angrily, and shout like we’re in the audience on The Maury Povich Show. Benefit’s got our back.

Yes, they repackaged their Creaseless Cream Shadows. Yes, they added some new colors. Yes, they discontinued some of the old-school shades (RIP, Sippin’ N Dippin’), but they did keep three all-star shades from the existing line, and one of ’em is Skinny Jeans, THANK GAWD!

Because if they’d gotten rid of Skinny Jeans, first, I would’ve freaked! — then, I would’ve had my unicorn teleport me to Sephora to pick up every last pot. Then, I would’ve cryogenically frozen them to keep them fresh for the day when I’m buried next to Tabs in his pyramid…

My point is this: don’t panic (she says, rocking you back and forth gently).

Of the 10 new Creaseless Creams, seven are new shades, and three — Skinny Jeans, R.S.V.P. and Birthday Suit — are old-school MVPs.

So wipe that glittery perspiration from your perfectly plucked eyebrows. Things are gonna be okay. 🙂

I’m waiting to hear back from Benefit about the formula they used for these and whether it’s new or remained the same, but as far as I can tell, these new versions look, feel and behave like the previous Creaseless Creams.

Lightweight and creamy, they’re easy to build up in layers or apply sheer, and they last on my lids all day long. They also remain the same 0.16-ounce size and price: $19.

Um…anyone else getting a Paul & Joe vibe? Not that I’m complaining. I love how these look (part of me hopes the Bene-babes go full-on Paul & Joe cat lady one of these days).

Oh, and Benefit did something kinda neat with these I’ve never seen before with a cream shadow…

The Newly Repackaged Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows — New packaging!

Benefit Birthday Suit Creaseless Cream Shadow — Birthday Suit, a brushed chrome

Benefit Bikini-Tini Creaseless Cream Shadow — Bikini-Tini, an oyster pink

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Bobbi Brown Sparkle Eye Shadow in Gold Star Gets Gold Stars for Elegant Glitter

January 18th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

Bobbi Brown Gold Star Sparkle Eye Shadow — Wearing Bobbi Brown Sparkle Eye Shadow in Gold Star ($28) from the new Brighten, Sparkle & Glow collection

Yes, Sparkle Eye Shadow in Gold Star, you get a gold star.

But not just any gold star…

We’re not talking about one of those little sticker stars you got for turning in that kick-@ss book report on Flowers in the Attic. No, we’re talking about a big, bold, glittery gold star, because this shadow’s all about glitter.

Camera shy glitter.

I couldn’t coax it out of its shell for these pics, but Bobbi Brown’s new limited edition $28 Sparkle Eye Shadow in Gold Star sparkles like a meteor shower in real life.

And it’s brightening, too.

Yup, brightening. It and a gang of other Sparkle Eyeshadows star in Bobbi’s new spring Brighten, Sparkle & Glow collection, which launched earlier this month (the collection with the funky mosaic-like pressed powders).

Gold Star is the only one that isn’t a re-promote in the release.

Part of me fears glittery eyeshadows…and yet given the choice between a glittery shadow and one with a matte finish, I’ll always choose the sparklier one.

I’m afraid of accidentally crossing that line between classy glitter, and walking into a gas station bathroom with bare feet, wearing short cut-offs three sizes too small for me and a trucker hat.

I like glitter, but I do not want to go there…

I want the kind of sparkle I can wear to the Met Ball or to a fancy after-party at the Cannes Film Festival, ya know? Elegant glitter. And I feel like fresh, elegant, refined Gold Star glitter gets me there.

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The Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Soft & Sexy Eye Shadow Collection Takes Eyes From Bedroom to Boardroom

January 16th, 2013 by Karen 60 Comments

Double entendre much? Too Faced obviously had something in mind with this palette. What do you suppose that was, hmm…

Something naughty! Um, naughty like, it’s the holidays, right after Thanksgiving dinner, and the supposedly family-friendly movie you rented to watch on TV with your in-laws has a steamy scene in it, and you want to cover your eyes and run out of the room screaming, or just disappear into the couch cushions and perhaps never return…

That kind of naughty. 🙂

The names are naughty! Fuzzy handcuffs, hello? Sugar Walls? Um, you have to be a child of the ’80s to truly understand the naughtiness of that one, LOL!

Too Faced calls it the Soft & Sexy Eye Shadow Collection. That’s where they were going, and that’s where they got. Sultry eyes, smokey eyes, lots of smudgy, “come hither” eyes. Those are the looks you’ll be rocking with these shadows.

The larger pans on the left are the designated lid shades. Like most Too Faced palettes, this one comes with a little booklet with ideas for ways to work it.

Too Faced divided the colors into three rows. The top one for Day looks, the middle for Classic looks (like from the office to an after-work party), and the last row for Fashion looks, otherwise known as your more adventurous side (note: the darkest color in the palette lives here).

I actually mix and match the colors together because I’m crazy like that. 🙂 Rules are meant to be broken, right? (Although I’ve never cut off the tags from a mattress.)

too faced boudoir eyes swatches — Swatches from the left: In The Buff, Fuzzy Handcuffs, Voulez-Vous, Satin Sheets, Sugar Walls, Garter Belt, Birthday Suit, Lap Dance and French Tickler

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Guerlain’s New Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara Gets Lashes One Step Closer to Zac Efron

January 16th, 2013 by Karen 30 Comments

Guerlain Cils d'Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara — Wearing the new $30 Guerlain Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara…

How would I characterize my current mascara philosophy? Three words: Zac Efron’s lashes.

Allow me to explain… 🙂

Last weekend I watched a (SUPER cheesy) movie starring Zac that I thoroughly enjoyed called The Lucky One.

In it, Zac plays a marine who falls in love with a woman whose picture he finds one fateful day on the battlefield.

There it is, on the ground among the rubble.

He has no idea who she is or where she’s from, but he promises himself that day to find her if he survives.

Anywho, I spent the entire movie dazzled by this boy’s long and luscious, curly lashes.

They are, simply put, perfection, and really, really glossy!

Homeboy hit the genetic jackpot in the lash department, and it’s so not fair.

Like, if Zac’s sad face was in a tight closeup shot on the screen, and a tear was slowly rolling down his left cheek, I wouldn’t even notice the tear because I’d be too busy staring at his long, wet, glossy lashes.

So to make a short story long…those are the kind of lashes I’m obsessed with at the moment, and I’ve been on a mission this week to find a mascara able to give me that Zac Efron lash look.

As luck would have it, I think I may have found it (or, I’m getting close to finding it) in Guerlain’s new Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara.

It’s $30, new for spring and currently available on counters now (it launched earlier this month), and it’s designed to deliver full lash looks by doing a bit of everything — lengthening, thickening, holding the curl and separating each of your lovely lashes.

It comes in two shades, Violet and Black — whoops! I meant, Violet and Noir.

Noir…

That reminds me of high school French. My parents would always say, “Why are you taking French? You’re never going to need it!”

Oh yeah, Mom? Well, look at that! BAM! Now I can translate the French words used by beauty brands. 🙂

Sorry, where was I…?

Ah, yes! — Guerlain’s new mascara. It’s designed to do a bit of everything, and it’s supposed to do it all quickly, without any clumps.

Perfect, because that’s what I want from a mascara. I haven’t been wanting to deal with any lash drama lately. I just want things to be easy.

So, does Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara deliver?

You know what? I think it does. If nothing else, it gets me a lot closer to Zac’s lashes in a number of ways.

First, it really is easy to use, which I love. I find that I don’t have to follow it up with a lash comb, thanks to the smooth, non-clumping formula.

And I don’t have to pull off any trickery with the brush, either. The bristles just naturally deposit the right amount of product.

Occasionally, it will overload, which leaves me with some slight smudging along my lower lash line, but that’s pretty rare.

It lengthens like a champ, keeps the curl curly and separates well, too (especially at the roots).

Oh, and get this! When you pull out the wand, it smells like roses. 🙂

Nice touch.

Guerlain Cils d'Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara before and after — Before (left) and after one coat (after)

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The NARS Mad Mad World Eyeshadow Duo Dials Up the Blue and Green Pigment

January 16th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

Wearing the new $34 NARS Mad Mad World Duo Eyeshadow from the spring 2013 collection

Sure, brown and beige eyeshadows are always there when you need ’em. They’re dependable, like Ford trucks. But sometimes, ya know, I just wanna play with color. 🙂

And if my experiments with color don’t work out, so what? It’s only makeup, right? I can always wash it off (unlike that tattoo of Tabs’ face on my arm…kidding).

Following that train of thought, there’s the new NARS Mad Mad World Eyeshadow Duo ($34).

It’s that eye-catching blue and green beauty from the new spring 2013 collection…

Pigment much?

With that much color at your disposal, you could go all out by loading one (or both) of the shades on your lids for an intense look, or do something much subtler, like a faint blue whisper similar to what NARS did with model Stella Tennant for the spring 2013 campaign.

Check out her lower lash line. See that blue smudged softly into the black liner? That’s how I’ve been wearing Mad Mad World (minus the pink on my lids…which is a little much for me, but if you can pull if off, more power to ya!).

I think it’s an easy, rock ‘n’ roll-ish spring twist on a basic black liner look.

nars mad mad world — Mad Mad World Duo Eyeshadow ($34)

nars spring 2013 swatches — Swatches from the left: Bouthan Duo Eyeshadow, Mad Mad World Duo Eyeshadow, Persia Single Eyeshadow and Corcovado Soft Touch Shadow Pencil

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Princely Persia Eyeshadow Takes Lids for a Walk on the Orange Side: NARS Persia Single Eyeshadow

January 15th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

Oh, NARS Persia…why do you make me think of goofy Jake Gyllenhaal running around the desert half-naked with greasy hair? Or remind me of the kitty who hawks boxes of grilled Fancy Feast?

(Ever notice how Persian cats get most of the best gigs for wet food ads?)

Now, I know why you remind me of MAC Brown Script, a matte, super soft and pigmented reddish, orangey brown.

Brown Script is one of my favorite eyeshadow colors, evah! I love wearing it in the crease, and Persia, a single from the new NARS spring 2013 collection, is like an orangey version.

Hella intense, like several of its siblings from the launch, Persia first struck me as a crease contouring color best for warm-toned gals (and guys), and yes, I think it’s awesome in that capacity, but it also exhibits brightening powers!

Wait — what?

Yup, like the new Bouthan Duo, even though Persia isn’t what I’d normally think of when I think of “eye-opening colors.”

When I apply it on my lids, draw a small amount up into the crease, and finish with a couple coats of mascara (followed by, perhaps, black eyeliner, if I’m feelin’ it), wow. Not bad. 🙂

I think I do look wider awake…

nars persia — Persia Single Eyeshadow ($24)

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