Eyes

Chanel Holiday 2017: 857 LEGENDARY GREEN Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner

November 9th, 2017 by Karen 11 Comments

chanel legendary green — Chanel 857 Legendary Green (LIMITED EDITION)

Can we just make it standard operating procedure from this day forward that every brown-eyed girl — actually, every girl and makeup-loving dude, period — has to wear green eyeliner every day? Because Chanel’s Legendary Green Stylo Yeux liner has me convinced that this should be one of those die-hard makeup rules, and heck…I’m not even one to follow rules (I prefer breaking them).

I’ve been lining my eyes with this deep, rich forest green lately — both my lash and water lines, because it feels just as good and lasts just as long on both — and now every other liner I try falls flat on my brown eyes. This particular green goes buck wild on lash lines.

chanel legendary green closeup — Get a little closer… Don’t be shy.

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Chanel Holiday 2017: 822 SILVER SCREEN/SATINÉ Cream Eyeshadow From the LIBRE 2017 NUMÉROS ROUGES Holiday Collection

November 8th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

chanel collection libre silver-screen-k2 — Lids: Chanel OMBRE PREMIÈRE
Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in 822 SILVER SCREEN/SATINÉ from the LIBRE 2017 NUMÉROS ROUGES holiday collection

I’m not surprised anymore to see red and gold in a holiday makeup collection, because it’s typical, or, as the cool kids like to say these days, “#basic.”

I mean, how many times have we seen red and gold holiday makeup collections!? I’ve been doing this for 10 years, and I lost count. So I think it was pretty unusual, in a welcome way, to see Chanel go with red and platinum for the new LIBRE 2017 NUMÉROS ROUGES collection.

And we’re not talking about a basic platinum either.

chanel collection libre silver-screen — 822 Silver Screen

It’s called 822 Silver Screen, and it’s a warm-toned platinum OMBRE PREMIÈRE, one of Chanel’s Longwear Cream Eyeshadows.

If you look closely, you should see a hint of khaki…

chanel collection libre silver screen swatch — Swatch: 822 SILVER SCREEN/SATINÉ

The khaki took me a little while to see. I had to stare at the swatch on my skin, but as I meditated on it (wait — doesn’t everybody do that with their eyeshadow??), I spotted an essence of khaki green.

Then the mental makeup gears started turning… “Ooh! I’ll do green liner with this eyeshadow. It’ll be magical.”

chanel collection libre silver-screen-k — I’m also wearing Chanel Malice Blush on my cheeks and Hourglass Day Dream on my lips

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Look Book: A MAC Snow Ball Kit Makeup Look With Smokin’ Shimmery Taupe Lids

November 7th, 2017 by Karen 3 Comments

mac snow ball eye bag smoky gold — Wearing the MAC Snow Ball Eye Bag in Smoky Gold from the MAC holiday collection.

Look Book! This is the first in a new series of makeup look posts I’ll be doing that will be kind of like faces of the day, which are like, “Here, look at my makeup,” except not. They’ll be open spaces to try different makeup looks, because I’ve been in a rut for the past two years, and I want to get out of it. Sometimes I’ll get into technique. Sometimes there will be quick commentary on the products. Fun things like that.

I totally went into this look thinking I’d do something outside my comfort zone, and I even gave myself one of those pre-game pep talks, like “Karen, you’re going to push yourself! You’re going to do something cray!” — but I still ended up totally staying in my lane with these smoky taupe lids and glossy nude lips.

LE. SIGH. I don’t even know why I fight it… I end up doing these subtle smoky looks like 99% of the time, all the time now. It’s my wheelhouse, man!

mac snow ball mini lip gloss kit — Glossy nude lips with a sprinkle of sparkle

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MAC Snow Ball Eye Compact/Rose Gold

November 1st, 2017 by Karen 7 Comments

In the case of the MAC Snow Ball Eye Compact/Rose Gold ($29.50), a whole lotta “no’s” equal one big YES.

First time I used this palette, I was simply blown away. There was no fallout, so no cleaning up afterward. And no layering! — which, you know, with MAC LE eye palettes, is shocking, because they aren’t usually as pigmented as the permanent collection eyeshadows, but these are potently punchy.

So, basically, no drama. None! I think this is — yes, I’m going to totally go there — the best LE holiday eye palette MAC has done in years.

mac snow ball eye compact rose gold eye closeup — I’m wearing No Curfew in my crease, Budding Passion and Shiver of Delight on my lids, Drama in the Show on my lash lines, and Winterlude as a highlight

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Amorous Alloy Eyeshadow

October 31st, 2017 by Karen 3 Comments

mac amorous alloy — So moody… That’s Amorous Alloy on my lids, MAC Texture in the crease, and MAC Velvet Matte Lipstick in Beatrix on my lips.

It’s fall, and zillions of lips in our hemisphere are currently delighting in deliciously dark fall lip shades — like wines, berries, plums and deep chocolaty browns…

YUM.

But what are you gonna rock on your eyes, my love? You need something that won’t overshadow those bold, rich lips.

May I offer a suggestion please? Because that’s what I do? 🙂 Try MAC Amorous Alloy Eye Shadow, also known as “Sexy Metal,” which is my nickname for her.

Amorous Alloy is one of the MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadows, a sub-genre, so to speak, in the MAC permanent eyeshadow fam.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

The Extra Dimensions are powder shadows, but they feel crazy soft like creams. They’re also very easy to blend and long lasting. This particular color, Amorous Alloy, is a shimmery, highly pigmented reddish copper with a hint of brown.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Texture Eyeshadow

October 27th, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

mac texture — Get into thy crease, stat.

Today, on the MAC Greatest Brown Crease Color Hits Tour (Geez, that would be a very specific tour, wouldn’t it?! Hahaha! Never mind me as I crack myself up in the corner.), we visit MAC Texture Eye Shadow.

Ooh, Texture! We’ve talked about/drooled over several of my all-time favorite MAC brown crease colors over the last couple weeks, like Swiss Chocolate and Saddle.

Yum!

And I couldn’t forget about Texture. 🙂

It’s also a peachy brown, but it’s lighter and less orange than Saddle and darker than Soft Brown, and if you really, really wanted to get technical, you could do Soft Brown as your first crease color, then Texture as your second color, and then Saddle as your third.

But that’s only if you’re in the mood to complicate things and carefully do all of the steps in your gradients.

mac texture swatch — An essential MAC brown

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Texture isn’t only for peeps who want to spend two hours on their eye makeup, though. In fact, if you can’t blend for sh*t and just want something easy, you need Texture in your life as a crease color/transition shade, because although it usually looks matte, it’s technically a shimmer and has these tiny flecks of micro-glitter in the pan. Most of the time, those flecks are imperceptible, but they help to make Texture very easy to blend.

mac texture crease — Texture doing it’s thing in my crease

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base

October 24th, 2017 by Karen 5 Comments

You guys know that for the past few years (it feels like the past FOREVER) I’ve been a hardcore devotee of NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. I’ve gone through countless tubes since I started using it in 2011, and I haven’t found anything better…until now.

MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base is just as good IMO, if not better in some ways. Yes, I still think Pro-Prime is exceptional when it comes to extending the longevity of your eyeshadow, enriching the colors and making everything on your lids look flat-out better, but MAC Prep + Primer 24-Hour does those same things, too, and it hangs onto glitters and creams even better than NARS Pro-Prime.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

If you’re looking for an all-around primer that you can use for everyday looks (say, using your favorite workweek palette) AND for evenings out (say, when you want to do it up friends and some loose pigments, glitters or creams), MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base is the way to go.

The colorless formula doesn’t settle into creases or fine lines, and it immediately mattes down your lids when you apply a layer. Use the thinnest layer you can, BTW. The less I use, the better off I am. Thank goodness, because a 0.40-oz. bottle is $23, and it even looks small when you hold it in your hand.

But really, you only need a little dab for both lids.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow

October 23rd, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

I was at the gym last week when we started talking about desserts (These are the things you do when you hang out with a bunch of people who do HIIT together. You talk about desserts!), and the teacher, Nicol, said that if you put anything chocolaty in front of her, she’s basically toast.

I’m the same way with chocolate desserts AND eyeshadow, and especially MAC Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow.

mac swiss chocolate swatch — Chocolaty delicious

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Oh, my goodness, I’ve been wearing this shades for eons! — and I start busting it out more often in the fall because I love the way it looks with vampy fall berry, burgundy, purple and wine lip shades. A little MAC Swiss Chocolate added to your eyeshadow mix ties everything together in a DEEEEE-luscious chocolate bow.

mac swiss chocolate heroine 1 — MAC Swiss Chocolate in my crease and MAC Heroine Lipstick

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