Eyes

The Clarins Colour Breeze Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Blue Sky and Conversations with My Cat

January 19th, 2012 by Karen 57 Comments

The Clarins Colour Breeze Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Blue Sky

Conversations with my cat, January 19, 2012

Tabs: It’s cold and yucky outside today, Mom.

Karen: I know, Tabby.

Tabs: I miss the sunshine.

Karen: Me too, lovebug.

Tabs: When it’s warm again, will we go outside?

Karen: Of course. We’ll put your leash on and walk down the hill and explore. Maybe we’ll even see turkeys.

Tabs: Those birds are big, but I could take â€˜em.

Karen: You sure could. It’s one of the pros of being a big-boned boy.

Tabs: Will we ever see blue sky again?

Karen: I know it feels like we won’t right now, but be patient. It’s like this every year. It gets cold and gray for a little bit, but then the sun comes back again.

Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we take out the new Clarins eyeshadow quad from the spring 2012 collection? It’s called Colour Breeze Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Blue Sky ($40), and the colors look exactly like the sky on a sunny day.

clarins colour breeze spring 2012 (2)

Tabs: Okay. Maybe I can sit on your desk and look outside for a bit while you do your makeup?
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Another Great Stromboli Recipe! This One’s an Eyeliner From Dolce & Gabbana

January 19th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

Quick shout-out to my current eyeliner crush (that’s it up there, in all its glittery grayish black glory), Dolce & Gabbana Eyeliner in Stromboli ($30).

We’d actually been acquainted for some time, as the shade has been part of the brand’s permanent collection for a while, but it was only with the recent launch of the Dolce & Gabbana Charm Collection that we got to know each other better.

When I wear Stromboli along my upper lash line (I don’t use it on my water line because of the glitter), its little flecks of golden glitter shimmer in the light.

Fun! 🙂

dolce & gabbana charm pencil collection (3)
Dolce & Gabbana Charm Eye Pencils from the left: Stromboli, Coffee, Black and Platinum
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A Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream for $7? Almost, Thanks to Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow

January 16th, 2012 by Karen 43 Comments

Hop on a unicycle, hitch a ride with a team of sled dogs, or lace up those rollerblades — use any means necessary to get thee to a drugstore to see these new Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadows ($7 each) up close.

The potent pigments span an eclectic range of 10 colors from neutrals to brights, and either worn by themselves or as bases for powder shadows, these budget beauties can swagger all night long.

Maybe not the 24 hours advertised, but 10-12, nevertheless.

Of course, there is a catch (isn’t there always?)…

maybelline color tattoo eyeshadow (7)

To coax out that kind of wear time, I have to wear them with something else — something like a primer applied beneath them or a powder shadow on top — and really pack them on my lids with a finger or a firm synthetic brush (like the MAC 249).

Even when I don’t, though, these shadows still hang tough for 5-6 hours before succumbing to creases and fading.

Not bad for seven bucks.

Their fluffy, smooth texture reminds me of the pricier Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams, but I think the Aqua Creams do have them beat in terms of drying time, which could be good or bad, depending on your point of view (or in my case, how far I’m running behind, haha), and longevity. MUFE’s versions last me 14-16 hours, versus 10-12 for these.

If you like neutrals, don’t miss Bad to the Bronze (my fave!). I’ve been wearing it with bronzy colors like NARS Star Sailor Duo, and with neutrals like the ones in Urban Decay Naked and Naked2.

If you prefer brights, check out Tenacious Teal and Edgy Emerald. Both should look great by themselves or as bases for teal/green eye looks.

Wearing Bad to the Bronze
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It’s Comeback Time: MAC Metal-X Pics and Swatches on My NC42 Skin

January 15th, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

mac metal x

Sometimes I wish I had more eyes, like a Beholder from Dungeons & Dragons or Argos from the Greek myth. Then I could use my peripheral vision to catch Tabs trying to sneak up on me from behind, and I could simultaneously wear more than one of the nine new MAC Metal-X Cream Shadows ($20 each), although that would probably result in some very scary looks and time consuming faces of the day.

Do you remember the Metal-Xs from 2008? Gosh, that seems like so long ago… Anywho, there was a shade called Gilded Ash that I fell in love with then, so I was pretty stoked to hear about these nine new shades.

MAC changed the design on the pans and upped the price from $16.50 to $20. My meager eyes and I plan to spend more time with these next week and will let you know how we think they stack up against the older versions. For now, here are pics and swatches on my NC42 skin.

mac cyber
Cyber

mac virgin silver
Virgin Silver
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$8 Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencils Are Soft on Brows But Still Get Results

January 14th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

I’m like the moon when it comes to brow products. I go through phases. First, I was all about the MAC 266 Small Angle Brush and Concrete Eyeshadow combo, but then I found Benefit Instant Brow.

We were very happy together for a while, Instant Brow, my brows and I, but then around my third or fourth $20 pencil, I developed drugstore wandering eyes and started looking for a more affordable long-term option. Maybe something like these new Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencils, which just arrived in drugstores earlier this month.

They’re $8 each and come in four shades — Blonde, Soft Brown, Deep Brown and Auburn. At the rate I was going through $20 Instant Brows, $8 sounded pretty good.

Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil

Like Instant Brow, they’re makeup multi-tools and have a pencil on one end and a grooming brush on the other.

I tried two of the shades, Soft Brown and Deep Brown; for me, Deep Brown was the better fit.

First impressions? One and a half thumbs up for convenience (uh…). I like having the brush and pencil together in one place, and the only thing that would make the packaging more convenient for me is a twist-up pencil tip that I didn’t have to sharpen.
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When Shimmery Blue NARS Dark Rite Soft Touch Shadow Pencil Creases, It’s So Wrong

January 14th, 2012 by Karen 27 Comments

nars dark rite (3)

Hello, serious! 🙂

It’s funny to me that NARS chose to call their new Soft Touch Shadow Pencil from the spring 2012 collection a name like Dark Rite ($24), unless they meant it as a question.

Dark, right? Even though it’s not. But at least that would leave the door open for a different answer, LOL! — one more fitting of such a shimmery, enchanting blue.

First time I saw the name, I thought, rainy Sundays and elevator muzak, and pictured a slow, sad ride down an elevator at 2 a.m. on my way home from working as a pawn for the man.

Yup, been there, done that.

But then I saw the color, and this Dark Rite is not at all like that. It’s more like high school graduation — when everyone throws their blue caps way up into the air, or like those desktop wallpapers of scenic sapphire oceans that come with a new computer.

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NARS Notable Neutrals Club Meeting Minutes, Jan. 12, 2012: Should Lhasa Eyeshadow Be Granted Membership in the Club?

January 12th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

nars lhasa (2)

The following is an un-redacted transcript of the NARS Notable Neutrals Club meeting held on Jan. 12, 2012, in Novato, Calif., as transcribed by Tabs the Cat.

Order, people! Order! Is this thing on…?

Good evening, everyone. Tonight’s meeting of the NARS Notable Neutrals Club is called in session. I know everybody’s excited about the spring collection, but let’s settle down. If we don’t start the meeting soon, you won’t get home in time to watch the Jersey Shore — no judgement! Seriously though, quiet down.

Okay, our first order of business. I’d like to nominate a new member to the club, NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow. She’s a single, $24, and I propose that we waive public comments and vote to make her membership official effective tomorrow, January 13, when she debuts along with the rest of the spring collection.

Now, I can hear some of you grumbling back there… I’ve heard the charges that the club has become too exclusive to newcomers — Cyprus, I’m talking to you — but may I remind you that we are not mean girls. All of us were at one time new neutrals ourselves, waiting to be discovered and loved. Lhasa deserves a chance.

A little bit about our prospective new member. She’s a shimmery lavender gray, a little smoky and sassier than usual for a spring shade, but she comes to us with a long list of references from fans who love wearable taupes. Of course, we performed the requisite background check per club rules. As you know, the guidelines specify that new members must have a soft texture, lots of pigment and a wear time like whoa! She passed on all counts with flying colors.

I suspect that some members may feel that Lhasa is too cool for warmer toned fans. While that may be true, I still think she would make a great addition to the club.

Alright, let’s put it to a vote. All in favor of granting Lhasa membership into the NARS Notable Neutrals Club, raise your hand — er, lids.

One, two, three, four…

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The $34 Limited Edition NARS Paramaribo Eyeshadow Duo, and the Time I Was on Jeopardy

January 11th, 2012 by Karen 40 Comments

nars paramaribo (5)

Beauty Jeopardy

Karen: “Hmm… Since I’m on a roll, I’ll take Famous Crazy Cat Ladies for a thousand, Alex.”

Alex Trebek: “This pop star, crazy cat lady and ex-wife of Russell Brand has a perfume line with bottles shaped like cats… Karen?”

Karen: “Who is Katy Perry?”

Alex Trebek: “Correct! Well, you certainly know your cat ladies, Karen, and your Madonna lyrics and Ryan Gosling trivia. Two categories left — Projectile Sports, and the NARS Paramaribo Eyeshadow Duo.”

Karen: “I’ll take NARS Paramaribo for $200, Alex.”

Alex Trebek: “Paramaribo is named after the capital city in this tropical South American country… Oh, and there she goes.”

Karen: “What is Suriname, Alex? NARS Paramaribo for $400.”

Alex Trebek: “These five attributes distinguish NARS Paramaribo from your everyday, run-of-the-mill eyeshadow duo… Karen?”

Karen: “What are soft texture, high shine, punchy pigments, booyah blending, and color that resists creasing and fading? Let’s keep going with NARS Paramaribo for $600, Alex.”

Alex Trebek: “This duo from the NARS permanent collection is sometimes mistaken for Paramaribo due to its bronzy tones… Karen, first on the draw.”

Karen: “What is the NARS Star Sailor Duo?”

Alex Trebek: “Correct!”

Karen: “I’ll stick with NARS Paramaribo for $800, Alex…”

NARS Paramaribo on the left and Star Sailor on the right

Swatches of NARS Paramaribo on the left and Star Sailor on the right
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