Eyes

We’ll Always Have Paris: The Sparkling LancÃ´me Petit Tresor Holiday Collection

December 18th, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

lancome moonlight rose closeup — LancÃ´me Blush Highlighter in Moonlight Rose ($42) from the Petit Tresor Holiday 2013 collection

It’s December 18, barely a week before Christmas, and I have so much holiday shopping left to do that all I can do at this point is succumb to procrastination’s warm, snuggly embrace — to wrap myself up in it like a living, breathing procrastination burrito (with extra guac on the side, haha!).

I’m behind. Way behind. Which, of course, means that the only logical thing left to do now is watch Casablanca for the umpteenth time and put on a few pieces from the LancÃ´me Holiday Petit Tresor collection. 🙂

The 19-piece Parisian-inspired collection’s gold, taupe, bronze and garnet makeup and nail polishes glided onto cosmetics counters and lancome-usa.com last month.

I don’t know where you are with your holiday shopping (I sincerely hope you’re further along than I am), but what do you say we do a little more procrastinating this afternoon, and check out a few pieces from the collection?

The Color Design 5-Pan Palette in Sapphire Fling ($49)

lancome sapphire fling — Color Design 5-Pan Palette in Sapphire Fling ($49)

I like the way this five-pan palette of taupe, gray, peach, blue and black powder eye products (four eyeshadows and one liner) sparkles on my lids.

One of three quints in the collection, Sapphire Fling is “my rockstar quint,” because the products take on that lived-in, distressed look as the day goes on (like they’ve been out partying on Hollywood Boulevard all night long).

I like it — the whole rocker chic vibe — but if you’re averse to any creasing or fading, you’ll probably want to carry it with you for touchups throughout the day.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

The Blush Highlighter in Moonlight Rose ($42)

lancome moonlight rose — Blush Highlighter in Moonlight Rose ($42)

A shimmery, yet subtle, peachy pink blush and highlighter in a gorgeous pan with rose detailing. This long-wearing cheek product lasts a good 12-14 hours on me and lovingly steers clear of my pores.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A- ($42 seems like a lot)
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Unsung Heroes: BECCA Eye Tint in Gilt

December 14th, 2012 by Karen 6 Comments

becca gilt eye tint — BECCA’s $24 Eye Tint in Gilt

Not “guilt,” like in how Tabs should feel after he exercises his claws on the cushions of my favorite chair, but “gilt,” as in BECCA’s $24 Eye Tint in Gilt, which gets extra Unsung Hero holiday party brownie points today for the tiny pieces of golden glitter swimming in its shimmery bronze base, and for its fabulously long-wearing, water-resistant cream eyeshadow formula.

I can apply a layer on my lids first thing in the morning, spend the day running errands for Santa (Tabs), head back home at night, and hang out by the tree after dinner with Gilt shimmering and shining under the tree’s blinking lights, even when I skip wearing a primer.

becca gilt swatches — Gilt built up on the left and sheered out on the right

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Benefit Got Deep! The New Benefit Stay Don’t Stray Eye Primer in Medium/Deep

December 14th, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

benefit don't stray in medium/deep — The new Benefit Stay Don’t Stray in Medium/Deep ($26)

“Sit. Stay. Don’t stray!”

Sounds like me trying to get Tabs to sit still for a picture. 🙂 It’s actually the idea behind Benefit’s $26 Stay Don’t Stray, the brand’s creamy eye primer for lids and under-eye areas.

It’s designed to boost the wear time of concealers and eyeshadows. Problem is, it’s only been available in a single shade…until now.

Yup, Benefit got deep! Come spring, a darker shade, Medium/Deep, joins the original, lighter Stay Don’t Stray.

Both shades will also get a new bottle with a doe-foot applicator instead of the old pump.

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Wonder Twin Powers, Activate! Shape of a Dual-Tipped Dior Cherie Bow Twin Set Eyeshadow!

December 13th, 2012 by Karen 11 Comments

dior twin set eyeshadow duo grey sigh ballerina pink 7 — The new Dior Twin Set Eyeshadow Duos in Grey Sigh on the left and Ballerina Pink right ($30 each)

Dahhhhhhhling, be a dear and hand me my pearls and pocketbook, would you? I want to wear my Dior Twinset today, and I absolutely must have the right accessories to go with it.

Silly goose, did you think I was talking about some kind of shell or cardigan from that Mad Men show? Whom do you think I am? A young Peggy Olsen on her first day in the secretarial pool? No, no, no.

These are Twinsets for modern makeup lovers who appreciate convenience. Oh, yes, these shimmery dual-tipped eyeshadow sticks will get your lids ready in a flash. They’ll be dressed to impress in no time.

Dior’s gunmental Grey Sigh and fuchsia Ballerina Pink Twin Sets, both from the new Cherie Bow collection ($30 each), come with a creamy, twist-up stick eyeshadow on one end and a matching foam tip loaded with loose powder eyeshadow on the other.

Dior designed them to complement each other, like a matching sweater set. Start with the creamy stick shadow on your lids as a base, and then for more color, shimmer and depth, pat some of the eyeshadow from the foam tip directly on top.

dior twin set eyeshadow duo ballerina pink grey sigh foam tip 2 — Ballerina Pink on the left and Grey Sigh on the right

dior twin set eyeshadow duo ballerina pink grey sigh stick eyeshadow 3 — Ballerina Pink on the left and Grey Sigh on the right

dior twin set eyeshadow duo grey sigh ballerina pink swatches 4 — Swatches of Grey Sigh on the left and Ballerina Pink on the right

dior twin set eyeshadow duo grey sigh 5 — Wearing Grey Sigh

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A Subtle Performance With 724 Moves: The New Dior 5-Coueleurs Eyeshadow in Rose Ballerine #724

December 13th, 2012 by Karen 8 Comments

Wearing the colors from the new Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow in Rose Ballerine #724 ($61)

Take a bow, Dior, because that performance was right en pointe!

“Bow,” as in Dior’s new Cherie Bow collection, and “en pointe” as in Rose Ballerine #724, the second of two new $61 5-Coueleurs Eyeshadow quints in the release (the other is Rose Charmeuse #854).

Eyes take center stage with the quint’s shimmery pink, peach, beige and taupe shades, which brighten my lids without putting my fine lines under a spotlight.

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This Spring, Smokey Eyes Are Hot (Pink): The New Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow in Rose Charmeuse #854

December 12th, 2012 by Karen 24 Comments

dior rose charmeuse 854 cherie bow edition 5 couleurs palette — Wearing the new Dior 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow in Rose Charmeuse #854 ($61)

Although it’s fun to sometimes match your eyeshadow to your Cadbury Mini Eggs (mmm…chocolate), spring eye makeup doesn’t have to be all about sweet, sugary pastels.

This spring Dior’s showing off its spunky, tough girl side with a blast of hot pink and black in the new Cherie Bow 5-Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in #854 Rose Charmeuse ($61, one of two quints in the collection).

Oui, oui, Rose Charmeuse also houses a few traditionally springy shades in its houndstooth patterned pans (so cute!) — a shimmery pinkish beige, a shimmery rose and a sheer, matte peach with golden glitter (which, by the way, looks a little like one of my favorite NARS eyeshadows of all time, NARS Night Star).

But for me, the shimmery hot pink and matte black shades are what turn this Rose into a fun, fresh way to wear smokey eyes.

I like to start by patting the black eyeshadow all over my lids as a base. Then, for a purplish pink smokey eye, I layer the hot pink shade directly on top, and blend the two together.

The hot pink by itself probably wouldn’t have been this wearable; I think it really benefits from the matte black.

The black shadow also works great as a base for the other colors in the palette and makes a bunch of different smokey eye effects possible.

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Wrap It Up in a Pretty Bow, Dior, ‘Cause I’ll Take It: The New Dior Cherie Bow Palette

December 11th, 2012 by Karen 44 Comments

Wearing the new Dior Cherie Bow in Rose Poudre #001 ($80)

Officially, Dior’s new spring 2013 collection is called “Cherie Bow,” but I’ve taken to calling it “Bow Cherie” for a very practical reason.

You see, when I’m wearing the new Cherie Bow Palette in Poudre #001 ($80) while singing and dancing around the house, “Bow Cherie” is easier to work into the lyrics of Stevie Wonder’s My Cherie Amour.

“Bow Cherie amour,
Pretty little palette I adore,
You’re the only one my heart beats for…
How I wish that you were miiiiiine.”

“Thank you! Thank you! No, no, that’s not necessary… Please, no more roses. I’ll be performing here at the MBB Lounge all week… Don’t forget to tip your waitress.”

Kidding!

But you know what I’m not kidding about? This awesome palette. 🙂 It really does make me want to sing its praises. The shimmery pink, gray and dark gray shadows thoughtfully avoid my fine lines; the creamy black liner practically draws cat flicks without my help; and the sheer pink lipgloss packs more moisture than a waterfall. Oh, and then there’s the gorgeous packaging, which turns the whole thing into a little work of art!

First time I saw the colors, I thought this was going to be one of those palettes that only cool-toned chicas would be able to wear, but I’m so glad I was wrong. The moment I swept these powder shadows — which, by the way, don’t leave behind a fleck of fallout — on my lids, I knew we’d get along.

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These Glam Liners Are Baroque! The Dolce & Gabbana Animalier Collection Glam Liners Are Loose on Lids and Tempting Black Liner Lovers

December 6th, 2012 by Karen 11 Comments

dolce gabbana glam liner in baroque silver — Wearing the new Dolce & Gabbana Glam Liner in Baroque Silver ($34) on my upper lash lines

It happens to every black cat liner lover eventually…

The rut. You fall into one. One day, there you are, just going about your business and finishing up those TPS reports at your desk, when you peer into your makeup bag and ask yourself, “Hmm…what liner should I wear?”

And then you snap. “Oh, yeah. Black Liner! Again! For like the umpteenth time in a row!”

I’m definitely guilty of falling into that rut. On the one hand, “Cat eyes are classic and never go out of style!” But on the other, sometimes you just gotta paint yourself out of that corner, which is where these new metallic Dolce & Gabbana’s Glam Liners ($34 each) come in.

Like makeup made for angels, these long-lasting liquid liners shimmer and shine. Glittery gunmetal gray Baroque Silver, glittery burnished copper Baroque Bronze and gilded gold Baroque (not shown here) burst on the scene with the new Animalier holiday collection, bound and determined to break up the beautiful monotony of black liner.

And, hello, lazy brigade! — they couldn’t be a whole lot easier to use. Dolce & Gabbana included a soft, skinny brush with just enough give to it to give me (and hopefully you) lots of control over your line weights.

They also developed a quick-drying liquid formula that doesn’t creep…into fine lines.

The result? How ’bout crisp, sharp edges like a samurai’s katana — and perfect cat eye flicks requiring next to no effort.

Oh, and then there’s the tiny flecks of multicolored glitter, which I find pretty hard to resist… 🙂

dolce & gabbana holiday 2012 — The Glam Liners on the lower left

dolce gabbana glam liner swatches — Baroque Bronze on the left and Baroque Silver on the right… See those teeny, tiny flecks of glitter? Cute!

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