Kits and Sets

The Tempting Taste of LORAC Tucked Into a Sweet Set of Six Shiny Glosses: The New $25 LORAC Sweet Temptations Lip Gloss Collection

November 15th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

lorac sweet temptations lip gloss collection frosted gumdrop — Wearing Frosted Gumdrop from the new LORAC Sweet Temptations Lip Gloss Collection

I’ve been paying weekly visits to the milk chocolate buttercerams at See’s Candies lately, and yes, it’s only a matter of time before my transformation into Liz Lemon is complete!!

Soon, my delicious little friends will probably start wondering about the nature of our relationship…

“Where’s that hella short cat lady with the cray-cray hair who always visits on Sundays?” they might ask, if/when I miss a visit.

Heck, they might even shed a tiny, sugary tear…

And I would reply, “It’s nothing personal, guys. It’s just that my sweet tooth has become totally infatuated with the flavors and scents of the new $25 LORAC Sweet Temptations Lip Gloss Collection.”

Each of the six sheer, shiny glosses in the set are named after sweet treats, like Butterscotch and Creme Brulee, and they smell and taste like them, too.

But that’s not even the best part… LORAC actually figured out a way to make the scents and flavors good!

Each gloss is tastefully done (LOL!), and not artificially sweet.

lorac sweet temptations lip gloss collection tubes — From the left: Candy Apple, Butterscotch, Creme Brulee, Cotton Candy, Frosted Gumdrop, Sugar Plum

lorac sweet temptations lip gloss collection swatches — Swatches from the left: Candy Apple, Butterscotch, Creme Brulee, Cotton Candy, Frosted Gumdrop, Sugar Plum

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The Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Collection Delights Eyes With Three Layers of Long-Lasting Liner

November 14th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

Like tiramisu, onions and intricate and nefarious plots, there are many layers to the pencil liners in the new $36 Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Collection.

Three, to be exact. 🙂

That’s the number of layers MUFE suggests you apply along your water lines with each of the six silky smooth, waterproof liners that come with the set.

(Oh, they also work pretty well on lash lines, in case you were wondering.)

Just slick on a layer, wait for it dry (takes about a minute), and repeat two more times.

When I follow MUFE’s suggestion and apply three layers, these liners last 6-8 hours on my water lines, sans smudging, and they resist water every step of the way.

That’s not bad.

When I wear ’em on my lash lines, I feel like I can get away with fewer layers; one or two does the trick.

Like the All Eyes On You set we looked at earlier today, this one’s also a good value. Buying the two full-size liners separately would cost $36, but with the set, you also get four additional travel-sized colors for the same price.

MUFE was kind to include a nice mix of practical and fun colors here, and the kit even has a couple of MUFE shades I’ve previously worn down to stubs.

The shimmery, pearly peach, codenamed #23L Champagne, works almost as well as caffeine. When I wear it on my lower water lines, I don’t look half as tired, LOL! And on days when I just want a little soft definition, #21L Metallic Grey hits the spot.

make up for ever aqua eyes collection swatches — From the left: #0L Mat Black, #2L Pearly Brown, #21L Metallic Grey, #23L Champagne, #6L Black Purple and #12L Turquoise

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All Eyes on You? No Sweat, With Make Up For Ever’s $59 Five-Piece All Eyes On You Set

November 14th, 2012 by Karen 47 Comments

In one direction, I see cat butt…

In the other, I see a kick-@ss holiday makeup set — in this case, the new $59 five-piece Make Up For Ever All Eyes On You, which caught my attention when it screamed, “stellar value!”

It’s one of the new makeup sets now available at Sephora (doesn’t it seem like there’s a new one every other day?).

Four of the five pieces in the set are discounted and full-size. Purchased separately, the shimmery pinkish beige Aqua Cream #16, the two Aqua Eyes liners in #0L Mat Black and #21L Dark Gray and the tube of jet black Smoky Lash mascara would cost $82, so $59 represents a pretty good savings there.

And the cherry on top? — the fifth piece, a souped-up, sample-sized HD Microfinish Powder. That, and the surprisingly useful “Get The Look” tutorials on the back of the box, take this already good set to the next level.

make up for ever all eyes on you product — Clockwise from the white jar at the top: HD Microfinish Powder, Aqua Cream #16 Pink Beige, Aqua Eyes #21L Dark Grey, Aqua Eyes #0L Mat Black and Smoky Lash Mascara

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For Heavenly Lips, Lashes and Skin, Try the Four-Piece Korres Goddess Beauty Color Collection

November 8th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

Abracadabra, presto chango, bippity-boppity-boo!

Ask any good (or bad) wizard, and they’ll say the same thing: “Some words are just more magical than others.”

And when you string some words together, they form phrases even more magical than the sum of their parts, like “Korres Goddess Beauty Color Collection.”

Now that’s some serious magical energy right there… 🙂

The new limited edition $42 holiday set packs potent skin-, lip- and lash-transforming power. We’re talking power worthy of an ancient Greek (or modern) goddess. Just add toga, laurel wreath and shirtless Jeremy Renner.

LOL! But seriously, just apply one or more of the four pieces from the kit.

One 0.34-ounce sample-size tube of Korres Quercetin & Oak Anti-Aging Primer, a silicone-free primer designed to smooth the appearance of wrinkles and extend the wear time of face products
One full-size Korres Magic Light Contouring Trio in Santorini with blush, bronzer and highlighting powders for sculpting and adding dimension to the skin
One full-size tube of sheer, non-sticky Cherry Lip Gloss in Pale Pink, a smooth gloss with a faint cherry flavor and scent
One 0.12-ounce sample-sized tube of Volcanic Minerals Volumizing Mascara in Obsidian Black, which Korres claims is able to increase lash volume by mythic proportions (600%!)

korres goddess beauty swatches — Swatches of the Goddess Beauty Kit

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A 60-Second Review: Korres The Lip Blockbuster, Volume II

November 7th, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

Whether you 1) can’t wrap your presents because your pet employer has you working mad overtime during the holidays, or 2) you suffer from painfully dry lips due to making out with that poster of [INSERT EYE CANDY HERE] on your bedroom wall (no judgment!), or 3) you just really, really like saving money on hydrating lip products from Korres, there’s a good chance your lips will love the new Lip Blockbuster, Volume II.

The Sephora exclusive kit comes with three full-size 0.21-ounce Lip Butter pots and three 0.34-ounce full-size tubes of Lip Butter Glaze in a cute holiday box that even doubles as gift wrapping in a pinch.

Purchased separately, the pieces would cost $78, but that’s the beauty of a good value kit. Together here they’re $39.

Korres’ Lip Butters and Lip Butter Glazes are formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs or triclosan.

korres the lip blockbuster swatches — Swatches of The Lip Blockbuster kit

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60-Second Review: MAC All For Glamour Touch Up Kit in Medium Dark

October 30th, 2012 by Karen 31 Comments

If the new MAC All For Glamour Touch Up Kit in Medium Dark ($39.50) were any cuter, I’d pinch its puffy satin cover and start speaking baby talk to it…

Who’s dat cute widdle kit?! Who’s dat cute widdle kit?! Wid da pwush widdle cubuh?! Is it you? Is it you?! YES, it’s you! You’re da cute widdle kit!! 🙂

The two products it protects, a colorless Blot Pressed Powder in Medium Dark and a pinkish neutral beige Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Bare Again, are products I would normally reach for any day of the week…

MAC All For Glamour Touch Up Kit Medium Dark — All For Glamour Touch Up Kit Medium Dark, $39.50

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I’m Getting a Pretty Big Thrill From the Blushes in Tarte’s Big Thrill Palette

October 23rd, 2012 by Karen 28 Comments

Pics of the new $48 Tarte The Big Thrill Palette, available now at Ulta.

The palette — which is more like a set — includes 16 of Tarte’s signature square eyeshadows infused with Amazonian clay, three of Tarte’s Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blushes in three brand new shades, one Bronzer, and three Vitamin Lip Glosses neatly tucked away inside a tiny drawer.

Hmm… $48 for 23 pieces? That’s not bad. Not bad at all.

I’m looking forward to getting my cheeks on those blushes…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

You’ll Be Thrilled to Find Kohl in Your Christmas Stocking if It’s the New Laura Mercier Smoky Effects Mini Kohl Eye Pencil Collection

October 22nd, 2012 by Karen 24 Comments

Normally, waking up on Christmas morning to find coal in my stocking would be a big holiday bummer. Did Santa have me on the naughty list? I’d wonder, turning to Tabs for support.

But if that coal was spelled with a “K” and had a label that said, “From: Laura,” I’d be dancing like Snoopy from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Kohl, as in Laura Mercier’s Smoky Effects Mini Kohl Pencil Collection ($48). One of these in my stocking, and there’d be no doubt on which of Santa’s lists my name appears, because this set of eight creamy, soft and smudgy holiday cookie-sized (read: big) pencils is nice, nice, nice. 🙂

All but one of the colors, Jet Black, have been around the block a few times. A couple of them qualify as basics in my book, like Brown Copper (like a slightly more golden MAC Teddy) and the brand new, limited edition Jet Black, but that’s not to take anything away from them at all. They’re wearable workhouse shades, the kind that are always good to have, but it’s the other colors — Black Violet, Stormy Grey, Black Gold, Black Turquoise, Black Navy and Antique Jade — that I think most makeup nerds will covet (lots of duo-chrome action going on).

Shimmery, complex and unexpected, these pigmented liners could easily have been from MAC, NARS or Illamasqua.

Almost like real storm clouds, Stormy Grey, a longtime LM favorite of mine, shifts in the light from a deep gunmetal to a peacock blue, while my other favorite, the blackened, burnished Black Gold (LOVE!) makes this Forty Niner fan’s heart flutter.

The set is helping me discover some new Laura faves, like Black Violet, a shimmery black tinged with royal purple, and Black Turquoise, which reminds me of MAC’s teal grayish green Club Eye Shadow, if it were an eyeliner instead.

Laura Mercier Smoky Effects Mini Kohl Eye Pencil Collection Swatches — From the left: Antique Jade, Black Navy, Black Gold, Black Turquoise, Black Violet, Brown Copper, Jet Black and Stormy Grey

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