Eyes

An Easy Way To Take Your Winged Liner Looks From Day to Night

March 14th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

MAC Pure Show and NARS Black Valley — Wearing MAC Pure Show Superslick Liquid Eye Liner and NARS Black Valley Eye Paint on my upper lash lines (and trying to look “artsy-fartsy”)

I’m all about the winged liner life…

Ya feel me?

Winged liner, also known as cat liner, is one of my favorite makeup looks (especially in a classic black).

You can wear it pretty much anywhere. Pair it with nude lips to proactively synergize your ROI at work (LOL!), or raise the roof with a bright lip and cheek for a night on the town. The possibilities are endless.

I don’t know if I could ever truly get tired of black winged/cat liner, but I don’t always do it the same way. Sometimes I like to try something a little different, like by incorporating a liner in a different color. I’ll run it along my upper lash line parallel to the liner, like I’m doing with the gold in these pics.

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It’s Zen and the Art of Camellia Blooming With Coco’s New Quad: The Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Jardin Zen

March 13th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Wearing the new Chanel Jardin Zen Quadra Eye Shadow on my eyes

Oh, OK! I get it. Jardin Zen. The name of this Chanel quad means “zen garden” in French, and that’s kind of what the pattern on the pans looks like — one of those Japanese gardens with the little stones that someone rakes cool patterns and design into. Neat.

Of course, Coco Chanel’s zen garden would have to have a design that looks a little like her favorite flower, the camellia. It’s only logical.

Just like mine, if I were ever to make one, would have cats and cupcakes on it. 🙂

A new limited edition online exclusive available now on chanel.com, the Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Jardin Zen is part of the 11-piece Jardin de Camelias collection.

A beautiful Monday through Friday eyeshadow palette of basics for the girl/guy who wants something other than a bunch o’ browns. I’s like a Chanel Flap bag, with its chain and quilt detailing, but in a color like greige, as opposed to basic black. Something you could wear all the time, and it goes everything, but it’s a little different, ya know? I like that.

You get a gorgeous violet gray, a golden beige, a pastel pink and a soft black — all colors that are easy to work into an everyday makeup routine. Practical, but not too boring or basic.

Being from Chanel, it’s expensive, though, but it’s also Chanel quality. Sure, you’re paying a premium for the name, but I also think the shadows perform extremely well.

Long-lasting, easy to blend with other shadows and each other, and they contain a perfect amount of pigment. Plus, they don’t crease, as long as I wear them with primer.

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Ask MBB: How To Get Bold, Full Brows That Still Look Natural

March 11th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

In tonight’s very special episode of Ask MBB, the housemates face a crisis of epic proportions…

Wait — wrong intro! Sorry, too much Bravo. 🙂

In this installment, MAC Senior Artist Victor Cembellin goes buck wild for brows — a subject I could seriously discuss for days.

FOR DAYS!

Productions mentioned…

If you’ve ever wanted bold, lush, full brows that still look natural, press play.

Thank you for watching, my friend. I know I don’t say this enough, but I love you. I love you, and I hope you’re having a good night.

Sorry, feeling a little sappy right now. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Got any burning makeup questions for Ask MBB? Leave them for me in a comment down below.

P.P.S. In other news, new cat sighting in my neighborhood. I spotted him on my walk the other day…

Wouldn’t ya know it? The one time I don’t have cat treats in my pocket, a new cat crosses my path. It’s so unfair. #catladyproblems

I’ve named him Lucky, and while he doesn’t know it yet, he is going to be my new kitty BFF. 🙂

MAC Unsung Heroes: Reflects Antique Gold Glitter

March 6th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

So let’s talk glitter — specifically MAC Reflects Antique Gold Glitter.

Oooh, girl!

Wait — before you put that palm up and say, “No, Karen [INSERT SASSY JENNY-FROM-THE-BLOCK HEAD TWITCH HERE]. I don’t do glitter,” let me just say that this glitter is one of the best afternoon pick-me-ups.

Better than green tea or coffee even. Scout’s honor. 🙂

Like, this afternoon, I was feeling really run down and kind of blah. I took this shimmery loose glitter out around 2 and patted a little on top of my lids. Yup, directly on top of the smokey brown eye makeup I was already wearing.

BOOM! I go from “meh” to “Vegas, b*tches!” in 2.5 seconds, thanks to this turbo-charged jar of sparkling happiness.

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New Clarins Smoky Plum Ombre Minérale Mono Eye Shadow Ignites Hotter Smokey Eyes

February 26th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

Critics are calling Smoky Plum “The sleeper hit of spring shadows!”

Well, not really… I have no idea what they’re calling it, but I’m calling it ohmygoshLURVE! 🙂

Watch out! — or this shadow will steal your heart (like it stole mine).

I mean, I love Clarins and all, but when I think of sultry, pulse-quickening smokey shadows, Clarins doesn’t usually spring to mind. Most of the time I head over to NARS, MAC, Chanel or Tom Ford for that.

Clarins Smoky Plum Ombre Minérale Mono Eye Shadow, $21

But Smoky Plum, one of 14 pieces in the new Opalescence spring collection, could confidently hold its own with the smokiest of the smokey. Surprisingly complex, I think it’s definitely worth considering if you’re on the prowl for your next great smokey shadow.

A shimmery bronzed purple with taupe tendencies, it’s designed to be worn wet or dry, which just means that applying it with a wet brush head coaxes out more of the pigment and enhances the metallic finish.

Clarins Smoky Plum swatches on NC42 skin dry (left) and wet (right) — Smoky Plum swatches on NC42 skin dry (left) and wet (right)

Either way, applied wet or dry, I think Smoky Plum is pretty damned hot, and I used a combination of wet and dry applications for my makeup in these pics to get those light-to-dark gradients I love when I wear smokey eyes (incidentally, I like to spell smokey with an ‘e’ before the ‘y,’ while Clarins spells it without one).

A swatch of Smoky Plum swatch on NW25 skin — Swatches of Smoky Plum swatch on NW25 skin dry (left) and wet (right)

Wait ’til you get this purple puppy on your lids. Smoky Plum swatches beautifully on the back of a hand, but I think it’s infinitely prettier on eyes.

The first time I applied it, I remember looking in the mirror with the finished look and blinking incredulously a few times. Suddenly, tiny little flecks of silvery glitter appeared out of nowhere!

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These New Katy Perry Lashes in Feline Fierce Are Fanning the Fringes of Feline Ferocity

February 20th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

I’m feline pretty fierce in these new false lashes by Katy Perry.

What…? Too pun-ny?

Sorry, couldn’t resist. I had to go there. 🙂

Truth be told, I wanted to try these mostly because K.P. is one my favorite cat ladies, and I think she and Tabs would get along swimmingly.

As far as cats go, he’s quite the charmer…

I wonder if Feline Fierce, one of four new styles recently released in Katy Perry’s Eylure Lash line, was a shout-out to like-minded kitty enthusiasts like me.

Whatever it was, it worked! It definitely captivated this particular CCL.

Katy Perry Lashes Feline Fierce — Here kitty, kitty…

For starters, I like how the outer sections of lashes are longer and denser than the inner ones. I think it makes my eyes look a little longer and more lifted and mmmmrrrooow! that much more feline. 🙂 Especially when worn with jazzier eyeshadow looks.

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The Cool New Hues in the Clarins Vibrant Light Eye Quartet Mineral Palette Love Warm Skin Tones, Too

February 19th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Well, well. Quelle surprise!

I really did not expect the cool-toned plum, pink, gray and white shadows in the new Clarins Vibrant Light Eye Quartet Mineral Palette to get along at all with warm-toned skin like mine, but then what do I know? I also didn’t think that watching Bravo every day for a month would turn my brain to curdled cheese, which it has, haha!

I guess if there’s a lesson here, it’s that you just never know when it comes to eye quads or reality television.

That is, unless we’re talking about The Millionaire Matchmaker, in which case you pretty much do know what’s going to go down, but you (I) keep watching anyway because you (I) can’t look away. 🙂

(Incidentally, does anyone else miss Dustin and Rachel? I think the show is pretty lame without them…)

Vibrant Light. One of 14 pieces in the new Opalescent spring 2014 collection. Cool-toned, fo’ sho’, but surprisingly wearable, even on warm-toned skin.

Par for the Clarins course, these shadows perform exceptionally well, blending without a hitch and lasting a full 8-hour day without exhibiting any fallout, and only the slightest fading. They can be worn wet or dry, too (I’m wearing them dry).

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A Face of the Day With Warm Peachy Brown, Bronze and Copper: MAC Amber Lights Eye Shadow and NARS Fez

February 18th, 2014 by Karen 36 Comments

Day five of no central heating and natural gas-heated water.

Today I cried…

Well, almost. I almost cried, but then I saw the sun coming out and realized it was going to be a pretty warm day, so I wasn’t going to freeze. Yet.

As of now, the ETA for getting the gas line repaired is first thing tomorrow, and I’m keeping all of my fingers crossed.

In related news, I’m getting pretty good at what I call the hot water shuffle, which is when we heat up pots of water on the stove and dump them into a big tote in the bathtub.

It’s not as fun as a shower, but it gets the job done.

As for the temperature in the house, it’s been a little chilly, even with my space heater going 24/7 and bundled up in layers, and I desperately needed to feel warm today, so I pretended with this summery-ish look with bronzy brown.

I built it around my current MAC permanent eyeshadow crush, Amber Lights, a shimmery warm peachy brown.