Make Up For Ever

The Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Vol. 2 Colors You Crave: Nine Pigmented Pans Make This a Good Special Event Palette

May 7th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Current cravings:

A Pink Power Smoothie, even though I already had one today for breakfast.
Is there an unwritten rule I don’t know about against drinking two of the same kind of smoothies in one day?! #deepthoughts.
A hug from Tabs, because I haven’t seen him since I fed him gravy this morning.
He usually “supervises” me in my office during the mornings because he likes the sun in here, but I think he’s afraid of the new pink shelves, so he’s hiding.
The poppin’ pigments in Make Up For Ever’s new $42 Artist Palette Vol. 2 Colors You Crave

May brings us two new Artist Palettes from MUFE — Vol. 1, Nudes You Need, which I played with yesterday, and this brighter one here, Vol. 2, called Colors You Crave.

Now, if my stomach rumbles through these next few paragraphs in this post, I apologize. You see, I am currently craving lunch, in addition to these colors. 🙂

The palette houses nine pans, which are arranged into color-coordinating columns of three (or rows, if you turn it sideways), of Make Up For Ever eyeshadow in their incredibly soft, crazy creamy gel-[dash]-powder formula (they reformulated their eyeshadows last year).

So, how soft are they? Well, this morning El Hub stopped by my desk to loiter as he sometimes does and asked what I was doing. Before I could answer, he reached out and touched the palette.

Of course, he gouged a big divot into one of the pans just by brushing his Tarzan hand against it, so you have to be a little careful with these… All of that is just to say that they’re very soft. They almost feel like a cream, but they’re not. They aren’t wet at all. They’re still powders, but they’re squishy powders.
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The Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Vol. 1 Nudes You Need: Especially if You’re a Beauty Beginner, These ARE Nudes You Need

May 6th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

Eyeshadow… It’s what’s for dinner.

LOL! Not really, but my stomach just rumbled, and that’s what popped into my head because I’m looking at this new eyeshadow palette. 🙂

It’s the $42 Artist Palette Vol. 1 Nudes You Need by Make Up For Ever.

But enough about rumbly tummies! — if you frequently forget the difference between a tapered blending brush and a domed eyeshadow brush, read on…

Heck, even if you do know the difference, keep reading, because this palette could end up saving you precious moments, as in time, when you put on le war paint.

So, what are we looking at here? An eye palette with nine neutral MUFE Artist Shadows in what are billed as universally flattering shades, the Artist Palette Vol. 1 is one of two $42 collectible Artist Palettes released this month by Make Up For Ever (the other one has bold shades). They’re available now online and at Make Up For Ever counters and Sephora.

OK, but what can this palette do for you/me? Well, if you consider yourself utterly and completely hopeless when it comes to blending, this eyeshadow palette will help you look like you know what you’re doing. You’ll have to practice, of course, but it’s easy to get the hang of blending with the help of these eyeshadows.

MUFE’s Artist Shadows have a super soft, almost gel-like powder formula packed with ultra-fine pigment particles. Creating gradients and doing layering with them takes very little effort because the powders feather out with just a few flicks of a brush.

In these pics here, I’m wearing a taupe-ish brown daytime eye look incorporating diffused cat liner, and it didn’t take much time to do, thanks to these Urban Decay-caliber blend-able shadows. I didn’t have to spend forever and a day swiping back and forth with my blending brush, and I noticed very little fallout, too.

My kind of look, yo! 🙂

Does anything set this palette apart from the pack of neutral eye palettes on the market? “Another day, another neutral palette…”

What is this, the one hundredth one!? There are a ton of them out there, but this one’s ridonkulously easy to use because of the colors (they’re true neutrals in terms of color temps) and the formula. Basically, it has no learning curve at all, so I think it’s one of the better ones for beginners.

If this is going to be your first neutral palette, I suggest also grabbing a pair of matte single eyeshadows in brown, one lighter than your skin tone, and one slightly darker, since most of the shades in this MUFE palette have some level of shimmer or sheen. You’ll be able to use the other mattes as transition shades, to blend out the edges of your shimmers, and to deepen your crease. It’s those finishing touches that take your eye looks to the next level.

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5 Springy New Reasons to Stop by Make Up For Ever

February 18th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

Make Up For Ever Spring 2015 — Wearing new spring 2015 makeup from Make Up For Ever

Rouge Artist Intense 53, $20

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense 53, a pearly pinky copper — Rouge Artist Intense lipstick in 53, a pearly, pinkish copper

I’m picking up Chanel vibes from this warm pearlescent pink lipstick. The long-lasting, highly pigmented formula feels a little thick and reminds me of Coco’s Rouge Allures.

The pearlescent copper sprinkled through the pink base? That could easily pass for something Chanel might do for spring.

Super pretty!

If your lips happen to be chapped or otherwise textured, try layering a pink gloss on top to tone down the pearl, lest it emphasize any flakes or lip lines.

Coming March 2015 to Make Up For Ever Boutiques, counters and Sephora.

Rouge Artist Intense 54, $20

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense 54, a pearly golden pink — Rouge Artist Intense lipstick in 54, a pearly golden pink

Like Rouge Artist Intense 53, warm pearly golden pink 54 has very little patience for imperfect lips.

Oh, but the color… Breathtaking. It’s almost like a lipstick version of MAC Nymphette Lipglass.

I like to layer a gloss like shimmery beige MUFE’s Lab Shine Lip Gloss in D16 on top of this one to slightly downplay and soften the impact of the pink and pearl and create a pretty pinkish nude.

Coming March 2015 to Make Up For Ever Boutiques, counters, and Sephora.

Ink Liner, $23

Make Up For Ever Ink Liner — MUFE’s Ink Liner

Decidedly dark and marvelously matte, this pigmented liquid liner has high-fashion runway look written all over it.

Super stark and super cool, especially if you’re banging out a bold ’60s-style liner.

The firm tip stays stiff when I run it across my lash lines, which makes drawing crisp edges a bit of a challenge for (I’m more of a flexible felt tip gal), so I keep an angled brush and a pot of black gel liner close to smooth out any jagged areas.

Available now at Make Up For Ever Boutiques, counters and Sephora.

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Three Full-Size Lip Products for $32 Makes the Make Up For Ever Tease Me Lip Trios a Tempting Tease

February 13th, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

Wearing the new $32 Make Up For Ever Tease Me Nude Lip Trio

Every time I see this guy’s face on the two Make Up For Ever Tease Me lip trios I want to tell him to FREAKING RELAX, MAN. Why you so stressed out?? Aren’t you, like, a billionaire playboy or something?

Or maybe that’s Bruce Wayne… OK, whatever.

This series though. Who knew it was so controversial? And here I was thinking it was just a frothy, pulpy schmexy-time romance novel.

However you feel about it, I bet there’s one thing we can all agree on: the makeup inspired by the movie is kind of rocking.

Like MUFE’s two new lip trios, one based on nudes and one built around berries. Each one comes with a lip liner, a waterproof liquid lipstick and a lip gloss, all of them full-size.

Maybe Mr. Grey likes to wear lipstick sometimes, and he’s stressed out about his lip situation. “Which lipstick should I wear, and how will I know what lip liner and gloss to wear with it!?”

Make Up For Ever Tease Me Berry Lip Trio — Tease Me Berry Lip Trio

No worries, Mr. Grey. Make Up For Ever has made it easy for ya. For each of the two trios, they picked a matching lip liner, liquid lipstick and gloss, freeing you up to make the tough decisions, like how many cats is too many cats? Do I appear intense enough in this photo? What should our safety word be? Is my hair too flat? And how’s the lighting in my secret back room?

The Innocent Nude Lip Trio is my favorite of the two because of its flexibility, which is to say that while I don’t intend to wear the trio with thigh-high leather boots and a naughty outfit, I suppose I could. The shades are neutral enough to work with a variety of looks and outfits. It comes with a nude beige lip liner, a soft rosy pink liquid lipstick and a sparkling beige gloss (thankfully, the glitter isn’t gritty).

I do also like the Passionate Berry Lip Trio, but with my lips being so dry and flaky right now, I’m a little reluctant to embrace the darker colors. The deep berry plum lip liner, raspberry liquid lipstick and sparkling deep fuchsia gloss are very wearable, though, and right in the middle of the road in terms of color temperature.

Make Up For Ever Tease Me Nude Lip Trio Swatches from the left: Aqua Lip Pencil in 3C, Aqua Rouge Waterproof Lip Color in 3, Aqua Rouge Clear, Lab Shine Diamond Collection Lip Gloss in D16 — Nude Lip Trio Swatches from the left: Aqua Lip Pencil in 3C, Aqua Rouge Waterproof Lip Color in 3, Aqua Rouge Clear, Lab Shine Diamond Collection Lip Gloss in D16

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The Make Up For Ever Give In To Me Makeup Kit: Inspired by the Movie, Fifty Shades of Grey

February 11th, 2015 by Karen 60 Comments

With the new Make Up For Ever 50 Shades of Grey set, one does not need to have read the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy to get the gist of the story.

I haven’t read the books, but this set is like the Cliff’s Notes version. There’s a little how-to booklet in it that walks you through a progression of Ana’s looks, starting young and fresh-faced with barely-there makeup, then moving into a sultrier look with black liner and glossy lips, before going full-on fierce with intense smokey eyes.

OK, I think I get it… Homegirl goes into, like, the mansion’s naughty secret room and discovers that she’s totally into it. A good time was had by all. 🙂

I am so far behind on my reading (have you heard that Harper Lee is releasing a SECOND novel?), but I’m tempted to move Fifty Shades up to the front of the line.

My friend Jen read the books, and I asked her what she thought. She said, “I could feel the mind-numbing getting progressively worse…but I couldn’t stop.”

I have to ask, do I really need to read these books?? What say you?

Either way, there’s always the movie, and the makeup in this set, which comes with five pieces for eyes and lips (no cheek love?), all built around three different looks.

Make Up For Ever Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Eye Palette — The eyeshadow quad…

The centerpiece? The eyeshadow quad. It houses a shimmery beige (shade I-514), a warm shimmery copper (ME-612), a cool-toned matte taupe (S-556) and a neutral, shimmery golden brownish taupe (I-628).

The quad is joined by a tube of Smoky Extravagant Mascara in black, a black Graphic Liner liquid pen; pinkish beige Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4; and warm, shimmering golden pink Lab Shine Gloss in D14.

Make Up For Ever Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4 — Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4

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The $59.50 Make Up For Ever Studio Case Looks Like Something for Pros, But It Has a Lot of Help for Beginners Inside

December 4th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

The intimidation factor with Make Up For Ever’s Studio Case ($59.50) is high…

If I were unable to tell the difference between a domed brush and a shader brush, or the words “lid” and “crease” made me immediately think of mason jars and those ubiquitous pressed khaki pants worn by tech dudes, I may have just cruised right by the sleek black Studio Case and thought, “That is some scary sh*t.”

But not “scary” as in The Taking of Deborah Logan, which scared the living bejeezus out of me, but scary as in daunting as all hell — as in, you can only be allowed in its presence if you wear a brush belt around your hips at work.

The question is, does one require an advanced certificate from the Tabs the Cat School of Makeup Artistry (est. 2007) to beat major face with this kit?

No, I don’t think so… Not after seeing it up close.

In fact, the products in the case are surprisingly user-friendly, thanks, in part, to the way MUFE organized the 12 shadows (you can also pop the palette out of the case if you want).

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Drawing the Human Body, Literally, With the New Make Up For Ever Aqua Matic Pencils

May 29th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

I think I’m going to start calling makeup shopping “art supply shopping.” That way, when I get something new and sneak it into the house in my XXL purse (NOTE: this is a good way to avoid the, “Do you really need another pink gloss?” convo with El Hub), I won’t exactly be fibbing, since pencil-shaped makeup really is a thing these days. 🙂

Case in point: the new Make Up For Ever Aqua Matic twist-up eyeshadow pencils ($21 each), which look equally at home on a makeup vanity or an easel.

And if El Hub asks what I’m doing, I’ll just say that I’ve taken up drawing (…on my face, haha!).

These long-wearing creamy shadows can be used as eyeshadows or as eyeshadow bases, and they’re supposed to be smudge-proof, waterproof, creamy and creaseless and stay that way all day long without fading.

“This eye shadow pencil glides on and stays put. The unbelievably blendable texture includes silica, so it applies effortlessly onto the eyelid and won’t transfer. This highly-pigmented, waterproof, smudge-free shadow delivers immediate, intense color payoff. A retractable twist-up mechanism allows for quick and mistake-free application, and a sharpener makes it convenient to take this product to go for touchups.”

— sephora.com

Currently there are 10 shades…

Make Up For Ever Aqua Matic swatches from the left: Diamond Black D-10, Satiny Warm Brown S-60, Diamond Golden Grey D-12, Iridescent Pop Purple I-90 and Iridescent Electric Blue I-22 — Swatches from the left: Diamond Black D-10, Satiny Warm Brown S-60, Diamond Golden Grey D-12, Iridescent Pop Purple I-90 and Iridescent Electric Blue I-22

Make Up For Ever Aqua Matic swatches from the left: Iridescent Turquoise I-20, Iridescent Lime Green I-30, Metallic Golden Taupe ME-50, Metallic Pinkish Beige ME-54 and Satiny Flesh-Colored PInk S-52 — Iridescent Turquoise I-20, Iridescent Lime Green I-30, Metallic Golden Taupe ME-50, Metallic Pinkish Beige ME-54 and Satiny Flesh-Colored Pink S-52

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner

September 5th, 2013 by Karen 4 Comments

About the Author
The following guest post was written by Taylor Leigh of mylucitedreams.com. You can also find Taylor on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

When Karen asked me to review just one item, a ‘Holy Grail’ item, from my own personal makeup collection, it wasn’t a task I took lightly. When I think HG products, I don’t think favorites, but I think of a product that is a tried-and-true staple, and one that has been around for some time. A product that I can’t do without, nor one that could be be swapped out for another. I considered a very select few and ultimately decided upon the Aqua Liner from Make Up For Ever.

My favorite makeup look is undoubtedly the ‘cat-eye’. It is a look that has become my signature, and the product in which I can rely on time and again is my HG liquid liner, the Aqua Liner from Make Up For Ever. As someone who suffers from seasonal allergies, or just plain everyday itchy, watery eyes, I need my liner to last. The Aqua Liner delivers a budge-proof, smudge-proof and waterproof line in an easy flick. Clean-ups are easy with any water-based makeup remover before the liner dries. Although, once this baby sets, it won’t even fade until you remove it with an oil-based cleanser. I personally recommend coconut oil and a warm muslin cloth.

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