Kits and Sets

Benefit’s Betting That the Eye-Catching Neon Packaging of Their Latest Face Kit Will Prompt You to Do the Bright Thing

December 3rd, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

benefit do the bright thing swatches — Wearing the products in Benefit’s new kit, Do The Bright Thing ($32)

They say that necessity is the mother of invention… Well, after seeing Glen do that thing with the zombie’s arm in last night’s episode of The Walking Dead (HOLY SCHNIZZ!!), I believe it!

I don’t know where I was going with that…but I think it had something to do with Benefit’s new $32 Do the Bright Thing Face kit.

I was thinking about decorating the house for the holidays, how I wasn’t sure if I have enough decorations, and then I looked at this kit’s bright, eye-catching packaging and thought, “Gee, this’ll work as a Christmas decoration in a pinch.”

This little Sephora exclusive lives to make faces glow, and it comes with five-sample sized products from Benefit’s permanent line.

See that pretty girl in the mirror there? (What mirror, where?)

Sorry! — random music reference! 🙂

She turned up the dial on her outer glow by wearing Do The Bright Thing’s soft, shimmery pink That Gal primer under her foundation, and to give her cheeks some color, she swiped light pink Dandelion Blush on her cheeks. Then, she dabbed and blended a few dots of highlighting High Beam on the tops of her cheekbones.

To make her eyes look bigger and brighter, she smudged Jet black Bad Gal Waterproof Liner along her lash lines and applied They’re Real Mascara, which works like yoga for lashes, s t r e t c h i n g them out.

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Benefit’s The Bronze of Champions Kit Goes for the Glory of Sun-Kissed Eyes, Lips and Cheeks

November 30th, 2012 by Karen 9 Comments

benefit the bronze of champtions — Wearing the new Benefit Bronze of Champions Kit ($32)

Weee are the cham-pions…my frrriend.

And weee’ll keep on bronnnzing…till the ennnnd.

Weee are the cham-pions. WEEE are the cham-pions!!

SWWWIPE on some Hooola…’cause weee are the cham-pions……OF THE BRONNNZE!!

— “We Are the Champions” (1977), by Queen, lost recording

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A Face of the Day With the New Benefit World Famous Neutrals Most Glamorous Nudes Ever Kit

November 30th, 2012 by Karen 33 Comments

This is the face you make when your parents try to FaceTime you from across the Pacific Ocean for the very first time, LOL!

Both my mom and dad are retired, in their mid-60s and not the most technologically savvy people. Example: Even though I’ve explained it to them a bunch of times over the last six years, they still don’t understand what a blog is (“Why do you post so many pictures of makeup and Tabs on the internet?”).

But bless their hearts for trying and for keeping an open mind to new gadgets and gizmos.

They’re on Oahu right now, and it’s been a couple days since I’ve seen them, so they FaceTime’d me (is that even a verb?) this morning to say hello and to show me the ocean. How sweet!

Because they’re my parents, I spent 10 minutes looking at my dad’s left ear before they figured out how to hold the iPhone. When they finally worked it out, my mom grabbed the phone to chat…

ME: “Hi, Mom. Whatcha up to?”

MOM: “Oh, I went to a country line dancing class this morning. It was a lot of fun. Dad says he went to the gym to walk on the treadmill, but I think he went to the buffet instead. You know. Retired people stuff.”

ME: “That’s cool.”

MOM: “Where’s my tabby?”

ME: “He’s sleeping at the top of his cat tower. I’d wake him, but I’m not in the mood to get scratched.”

MOM: “You know, if I had a grandchild, I’d take her on vacation with us.”

ME: “You know, you already have a grand-cat.”

MOM: “I know! But I can’t take Tabs with me to Hawaii. If I had a granddaughter, I could bring her to the pool, the beach and all that fun stuff.”

ME: “Are you asking for a grandchild so you can have something to do on vacation?”

MOM: “I’m just saying. If you had a baby, it would keep me busy. Ideally a girl. Hint, hint.”

ME: “Ummm…”

MOM: “Just something to think about!

Oh, I like your eye makeup today. What are you wearing?”

ME: “It’s a new kit from Benefit called the Most Glamorous Nudes Ever.”

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Benefit Set Out to Make This Christmas One of the Best Ever With Their New World Famous Neutrals Kits

November 29th, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

The brand-spankin’ new Benefit World Famous Neutrals kits

If you decide to add one of Benefit’s new World Famous Neutrals kits to your holiday wish list, there’s a good chance (at least 93.5%) that your sis, mom, BFF or Secret Santa will find it hard to resist keeping it for herself.

(Because that’s totally what I’d be tempted to do.)

These three new $30 Sephora exclusive kits are some of the most exciting neutrals I’ve seen since Naked2, and I’m going bananas (B-A-N-A-N-A-S) over the colors, almost all of which are new.

Just when I thought the whole neutral palette craze was completely played out, along comes Benefit to put their signature spin on it.

First, they created “Eyenessa,” the magical, mystical makeup maven/character who graces the covers of all three World Famous Neutral kits, and judging by her giant hoop earrings and affinity for gold jewelry, she’s a girl after my own accessories-lovin’ heart. 🙂

Second, there’s the Creaseless Creams! — which are my favorite things about these. Each kit comes with two of them in tiny pots, along with four Longwear Powder Shadows.

Now, it seems like every brand has a nude/neutral palette of powder eyeshadows, but not many of them come with cream shadows. By including two Creaseless Creams with each of these, Benefit takes these kits to the next level. I think the Creams give Bene-babes much more power to layer and create their own custom combos.

What do ya say we take a closer look now at each of the kits? 🙂

KIT #1: Most Glamorous Nudes Ever

Abracadabra! This spellbinding kit’s combination of rich, warm neutrals is prompting me to put my obsession with Skinny Jeans on pause (BTW, have you tried Skinny Jeans yet?? It’s one of my favorite cream eyeshadow colors of all time!). The kit features two enchanting Creaseless Creams of its own, the shimmery champagne Birthday Suit and My Two Cents, a shimmery warm golden copper.

The kit also comes with Longwear Powder Shadows in Call My Buff (a pearly, peachy beige), Kiss Me I’m Tipsy (a warm reddish brown with a hint of plum), It’s Complicated (a shimmery pinkish gold) and Gilt-y Pleasure (a shimmery peachy gold) to add even more glow to your eye looks.

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Last-Minute Bargain Alert! For a Few More Hours Tonight, Breaking Up Isn’t Hard to Do With the New Three-Piece Tarte Treat Yourself to Gorgeous Gifts From the Amazon Collection

November 28th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

I love the smell of a good bargain in the morning…

It smells like…victory!

LOL! I’m pretty sure that’s not how that actual line goes, seeing as how Apocalypse Now is one of my top five favorite films of all time, but it is how I feel about Tarte’s new Treat Yourself to Gorgeous Gifts From the Amazon Collection kit.

Talk about great stocking stuffer material. I love breaking apart holiday kits to use as stocking stuffers, and this $49.98 one (a $496 value) looks perfect for that.

But it’s a qvc.com exclusive, and the sale only lasts a few more hours (sale ends tonight, November 28, 2012)!

It’s conveniently divided into three separate, easily giftable sets, the first with four Cashmere Waterproof Gliding Liners, the second with four Maracuja Divine Shine Lipglosses and the third with 20 Amazonian Clay Eye Shadows.

As gifts, the sets work out to about $16 each, and would ya look at that? — they already look gift-wrapped! 🙂

tarte-treat-yourself-to-gorgeous-shadows — The Amazonian Clay Eyeshadows

tarte treat yourself to gorgeous — Another look at the Eye Shadow set

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With 14 Full-Size Pencil Liners, the $160 Make Up For Ever Ultimate Eye Liner Collection Draws Beauty Lovers Into Its Pigmented Embrace

November 19th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

Ouch! I know I asked you to pinch me to see if I was dreaming, but dagnabbit! — did you have to pinch so hard?!

That’s alright… I forgive you. I’m sure you’re probably just excited about the new $160 Make Up For Ever Ultimate Eye Liner Collection like I am and couldn’t control yourself. Heck, I might have done the same thing.

make up for ever ultimate eye liner collection box open — Wowza! That’s a lotta liner…

The new limited edition release of pencil eye liners comes fully equipped with 14 full-size eyeliners in three different formulas to make holiday dreams come true (and to cover all of your liner bases). With seven long-wearing Aqua Eyes pencils, three smudgy Crayon Kohls and four vibrant liquid Aqua Liners, it really does try to live up to its name as the Ultimate Eye Liner Collection.

And the price also represents a hefty savings (even though $160 is still a ton of tacos).

If you were to buy all 14 of these liners separately, it would set you back $269, but in the kit, the liners work out to $11 each, which is a lot less than the $17-23 MUFE usually charges.

The colors in the kit should flatter a wide range of skin tones. MUFE thoughtfully covered most of the major color bases, sprinkling some fun greens, purples and a shimmery champagne into a mix of everyday basic black, brown and gray shades.

I would’ve loved to also see a bronze or a gold here, but that’s probably just my warm skin tone talking. 🙂

make up for ever ultimate eye liner collection crayon khol product shot — Khol Pencils from the left: #1K Deep Black, #9K Matte Mocha Brown and #4 Intense Green

make up for ever ultimate eye liner collection aqua liner — Aqua Liners from the left: #4 Diamond Lagoon Green, #7 Diamond Black Purple, #15 Iridescent Anthracite and #13 Mat Black

make up for ever ultimate eye liner collection aqua eyes liners — Aqua Eyes from the left: #23L Champagne, #11L Purple, #3L Iridescent Navy, #5L Bronze Green, #2L Pearly Brown and #0L Mat Black

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Fishing for a Bargain on a Holiday Brush Set? Cast Your Eyes on Sonia Kashuk’s New Gilded Cages Holiday Brush Set, and Net Six Ultra Soft Face and Eye Brushes and a Cute, Sparkly Clutch

November 16th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

It may be cold and rainy here in the Bay Area tonight (boo!), but at least I don’t have to see dudes with long toenails wearing flip-flops. #glasshalffull

The rain also gives me an excuse to stay home and gaze at the sparkly clutch that comes with Sonia Kashuk’s new $24.99 Gilded Cages Holiday Brush Set…

(And rub the six ultra plush brush heads all over my face.)

sonia kashuk gilded cage holiday brush set 1 — From the left: Powder/Blush Brush, Eyeshadow Brush, Foundation Brush, Crease Brush, Synthetic Flat Liner Eyeliner Brush, Fan Brush

sonia kashuk gilded cage holiday brush set 3 — From the left: Flat Eyeliner Brush, Fan Brush, Powder/Blush Brush, Foundation Brush, Crease Brush and Eyeshadow Brush

sonia kashuk gilded cage holiday brush set 4 — Cute clutch!

sonia kashuk gilded cage holiday brush set 5 — CUTE!

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Professor Sonia Kashuk’s Class in Modern-Day Makeup Metallurgy Starts With the Four-Piece Precious Gems Lip, Liner & Nail Set for $12.99

November 16th, 2012 by Karen 16 Comments

Wearing the new Sonia Kashuk Precious Gems Lip, Liner & Nail Set ($12.99), available now at Target

QUESTION: What’s better than a fantabulous smokey eye look?

ANSWER: A fantabulous smokey eye look with a twist!

There are so many reasons to like Sonia Kashuk’s new four-piece Precious Gems Lip, Liner & Nail Set, like the price (just $12.99), and Sonia’s contemporary take on the mixed metal theme…

…but my top reason, by far, is the liquid eye liner that comes with the set. It’s a metallic, rosy golden taupe with a mirror-like shine that illuminates lash lines like Hollywood special effects.

Remember the gorgeous Chanel Rose Platine eyeliner from spring 2011? Well, this metallic meistro is like a liquid liner version of that.

I almost can’t believe the set is only $13, because it kinda looks like something Coco would do (and sell for considerably more!).

To take a pair of smokey eyes for a metallic walk on the wild side, just do your regular smokey eye look first (here I’m wearing MAC Patina Eyeshadow on top of a base of MAC Feline Eye Kohl). Then, line your upper lash lines with the liquid liner from the set.

The stuff is packed with metallic pigment, so one or two layers should do the trick.

Sonia Kashuk Precious Gems Lip Liner Nail Set swatches — Lipgloss on the left, and the Eyeliner on the right

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