Face

I’m in the Mood For Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Bronzer & Blush

April 5th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

physicians formula happy booster glow mood bronzer & blush

Things that boost my happiness, aka happy boosters

Purr machines. Sometimes Tabs takes pity on me and actually behaves like a nice kitty. I love when he climbs onto my lap while I’m blogging. He drapes his girth across my right arm, tucks his nose into the crook and purrs himself to sleep. It’s so sweet.
Lens flares. Ridiculous? I think not! One can never have too many lens flares.
Pizza crust. Some folks skip it, but it’s my favorite pizza part.
Inspired running. Gotta love those rare kick-@ss running days when everything goes right. No muscle cramps, nothing aches, my iPod’s shuffling in all the right ways, and I feel like I’m flying. Best part is when I ask myself, “Can I keep going?” and the answer is an enthusiastic “Yes!”
Free fro-yo. Filling up my “frequent flyer” rewards card at Tuttimelon and getting a free frozen yogurt.
Dance movies. Nothin’ like watching a cheesy dance movie after a long day — you know, where the main character, against all odds, lives out his/her dreams using the power of the pirouette! There’s always that big finale scene with the ensemble cast and a freeze frame shot right at the end. See: Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Honey, and Step Up (the first one, with Channing Tatum).
Bronzer/blush combos. Extra points when there are hearts on the pan, like the new Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush ($13.95; available in two shades, Bronze/Natural and Bronze/Rose).

Happy Booster Glow, a new bronzer/blush combo from Physicians Formula, was actually designed to foster feelings of joy, and since regular blushes already make me happy (swirling a little bit of color on my cheeks always boosts my mood), I half expected to explode! 🙂

So how, exactly, is it supposed to bring the joy? Well, the ingredients. According to Physicians Formula, that is. They gave it arctic rose, which they claim mimics the effects of endorphins, as well as a supposed mood elevator called euphoryl. The violet and citrus fragrance is also supposed to promote feelings of positivity.

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow Mood Boosting Bronzer Blush 1
Happy Booster Glow Mood Boosting Bronzer Blush in Bronze/Natural, $13.95; also available in Bronze/Rose

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow Mood Boosting Bronzer Blush 2
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For Cheeks That Turn Heads: MAC TrÃ¨s Cheek

April 4th, 2012 by Karen 38 Comments

Wearing MAC Modern Mandarin Blush on my cheeks

Hello, mellow. 🙂 Compared to a couple of the MAC collections launching tomorrow, the six-piece TrÃ¨s Cheek seems really mellow to me. Reel Sexy has all those bold colors bursting with pigment, and Extra Dimension has that hard-to-miss mirror shine.

TrÃ¨s Cheek may not look like much in comparison, but don’t let that stop you from looking a little closer at these blushing beauties. I think there are some fan-frickin’-tastic blushes in this limited edition launch.

Here’s a look at three of the collection’s six shades. Altogether, they remind me of something MAC does so well…

Blush!

Modern Mandarin: When I apply this satiny reddish orange with my Shu Uemura Fan Brush — WOW! — I barely have to move an inch. The color practically leaps from the brush to my cheeks, bringing with it the slightest hint of shine. Mandarin is generous with pigment and might be a little too bold for some, but it should rock the beach on darker skin tones. I can’t wait to bust this baby out after I’ve gotten a little sun. Oh, and I thought this was neat: when I applied a swatch on the back of my hand today, Mandarin actually withstood a hand washing — with soap!
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

Lovecloud: This beautiful bright pink has a sheen that says, “You should totally cheek me out.” It’s like a combination blush and highlighter rolled into one, and on my NC42 skin, I think I also see a hint of peach. I absolutely love, love, love Lovecloud. It has the makings of a perfectly pretty spring color just waiting to be worn with peach, pink and coral lips.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

Peony Petal: The faint sheen illuminating this bright bluish pink flower petal subdued compared to Modern Mandarin and Lovecloud; it’s almost (but not quite) a matte. One layer produces a soft semi-matte flush, so delicate and sweet, like the flush you get running barefoot through a field of wildflowers (or chasing after your rugrat/dog/cat). Of the three blushes here, I think it’s the one that looks the most natural. A little tinted moisturizer, one or two layers of mascara, and MAC Modesty or Right Image on your lips, and you’ll be all kinds of fierce.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

mac pink peony
Peony Petal

mac lovecloud
Lovecloud
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Sailing the Seven Seas of Illumination with Rouge Bunny Rouge: The Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquid in Sea of Showers

March 30th, 2012 by Karen 30 Comments

rouge bunny rouge sea of showers

Careful there, makeup lover. Beware the Rouge Bunny! She’ll hop into your life, steal your liquid highlighter-lovin’ heart, and then spring away with your entire makeup allowance (and then some).

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Shh! Do you hear it…? That voice on the wind? It’s saying, You’ll love my peachy golden highlighter, my love. It’s the siren song of RBR’s shimmery Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquid in Sea of Showers, and it’s my favorite thing from the lavish line so far. It’s also — brace yourself — 72 bucks.

Cruel, cruel rabbit, why dost thou charge so much? Just a couple tiny drops of this multipurpose highlighter turn my upper cheekbones into incandescent light bulbs! Almost. The formula is surprisingly pigmented, shimmery and long-lasting. I’ve clocked it at 14 hours once already, and most of the time when I go to remove it at night, it hasn’t even begun to fade.

rouge bunny rouge sea of showers
Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquid in Sea of Showers; one of four shades, $72 each

rouge bunny rouge sea of showers

I’ve also tried mixing Sea of Showers with different foundations, from full-coverage Laura Mercier Oil-Free Supreme to sheer NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, and my skin always seems fresher and more luminous when I’ve added a drop or two.

rouge bunny rouge sea of showers
Wearing Sea of Showers on my upper cheek bones, brow bones, temples and down the bridge of my nose
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Sisley L’Orchidee Highlighter Blush: This Beautiful Blush Costs More Than a Benjamin!

March 30th, 2012 by Karen 31 Comments

Now that’s a lot of tacos. Sisley Cosmetics, a brand I don’t know a lot about, hopes to answer the question, “What does $108 look like?” Their new Lorchidee Highlighter Blush breaks the $100 barrier, but here’s the thing: I think it’s actually really, really good.

$108 is unbelievable for a blush, but for all that coin you do get a natural look that lasts all day and a glow like you just won the Mega Millions jackpot.

Luxurious from front to back — from the silver chariot/pan it rides in, to the powders so finely milled that the grains are almost microscopic — Lorchidee is a sight to behold. The coral, pink, brown and golden colors blend together seamlessly to give cheeks a softly radiant glow of golden peachy pink.

But even though I feel almost regal wearing this blush, I can’t see it working its way into my everyday makeup bag. It’s just too pricey for something like that.

Now, my special occasion makeup bag? Yeah, maybe there. 🙂

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Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush Wand in Manet Hops Right Off My Cheeks

March 29th, 2012 by Karen 10 Comments

rouge bunny rouge manet

It’s not like this Bunny doesn’t have game. It totally does. I love how natural Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush Wand in Manet ($45) looks on both my bare skin and atop foundation. The lightest swipe from this creamy, rosy coral stick blush creates a sweet, innocent flush that, quite frankly, kinda rocks.

rouge bunny rouge manet
Blush Wand in Manet; one of two shades, $44 each

rouge bunny rouge manet

rouge bunny rouge manet
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Intimate or Not, I Have to Share How Much I Like Sunday Riley Blush in Intimate

March 14th, 2012 by Karen 34 Comments

sunday riley intimate blush

I imagine it’s just a phase, like wanting a pony or collecting rainbow Lisa Frank stickers, but this particular phase — my obsession with blushes that perfectly balance pigment and shimmer — has lasted, oh, about 10 years so far. 🙂

In that time this phase has led me down the road to radiant cheeks many times before, a road marked by MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes, NARS Blushes and lively, glowing cheeks.

And now, there’s a new stop on the road (yay!). It’s called Sunday Riley Blush in Intimate, and it’s a find that should be shared.

One of those “Ohmigosh! I think I look 10 years younger!” colors, the $30 blush is one of six new shades sweeping into beauty departments at Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman stores (and also online), alongside the rest of the Sunday Riley makeup collection.

Like Sunday’s Prismasilk Eye Colors, the blushes, which apply with a super smooth, even texture on me, employ silica particles painted in pigment.

Intimate reminds me of a slightly pinker, more neutral version of NARS Orgasm, with a soft, candlelit sheen, as opposed to a high-shine golden shimmer.

I love it, and I have a strong feeling it’ll look lovely on a wide range of skin tones.

With Intimate on my cheeks, I feel like I look refreshed and better rested (and maybe even a little younger…like I’m of an age where I spent my awkward teens years listening to the Spice Girls on CD instead of Debbie Gibson and Tiffany on tape).

sunday riley blush in intimate

sunday riley swatch
Swatch of Sunday Riley Intimate Blush on the left and NARS Orgasm on the right
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Boing! Benefit Adds Three New Shades to the Boi-ing Concealer Line

March 3rd, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

Benefit boi-ing

Boing!

Boing! Boing! Boing!

Benefit Boi-ing concealer, that is. 🙂 B’s bestselling cream concealer is getting three new shades.

A sheer cream concealer designed to disguise under-eye circles and blemishes, Boi-ing has been part of the Benefit line for years. The new shades include a revamped shade No. 03, also known as Deep, and two new darker shades in 04 and 05, bringing the total number of shades to five.

benefit boi-ing (3)
Clockwise from the pan in the lower left: 03, 04 and 05

I’ve actually Boinged before…and when I did, I didn’t feel like any of the colors really suited my NC42 skin. Now, among all of the shades, the new version of 03 seems like the closest color match for me.

benefit boi-ing (4)
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Why Wait for Summer? Prepare for Poolside Afternoons Now With Benefit Cabana Glama

March 2nd, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

benefit cabana glama

Pretty soon it’ll be spring, and then summer soon after. Before you know it, our conversations will turn more to topics like swimming pools, beaches and other things, like how…

…getting ready to chill at the pool with Ryan Gosling can be sooo stressful (or so I’ve heard). 🙂

Do I go the glamazon route, curling my hair into beachy waves and shimmying into a string bikini, a cute coverup and a pair of nude wedges? Or do I go the rough-and-tumble surfer girl route, and scoop my mop into a messy bun, slip on a practical two-piece (the one with the top that looks like an industrial-strength sports bra) and my favorite pair of ratty Reef flip-flops?

It’s a big decision — but until I make it, one thing’s for sure: the new Benefit Cabana Glama ($26) kit will have my back.

benefit cabana glama

This latest kit from the boys and babes at Benefit comes with brightening and bronzing makeup for eyes, lips and cheeks.

If posing on your beach chair beside a fru-fru umbrella drink and a stack of glossy magazines ranks up high on your agenda (I could get into something like that, hello!), do it in style with a sun-kissed glow. Just sweep Cabana Glama’s Hoola Bronzer and Some Kind-A Gorgeous in Medium on your face, followed by one (or two or three) of the kit’s Eyeshadows on your lids.

And when you’re ready to cool off with a quick dip — and maybe do a few underwater handstands or dive from the high board (you so crazy!) — Cabana Glama can also help you keep it simple, by just blending soft pink Posietint on your cheeks and lips.

Benefit Cabana Glama Your DesTANation Makeup Kit
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