Palettes

The Blame It On NARS Cheek Palette: I Daydreamed About Blush (and a Lot of Other Things Today), and I Blame It on NARS

July 21st, 2015 by Karen 9 Comments

It was one of those days, ya know? Where you just stare out the window dumbfounded, like, everything was just sort of confusing me…

Ha! I’m serious, though. I felt like things weren’t quite computing correctly, if you know what I mean.

Oh, well… At least today I could conveniently Blame It On NARS (hello, easy transitions!). 🙂

Introducing the new $59 NARS Blame It On NARS Cheek Palette, one of this summer’s three limited edition gift sets from NARS (the others are the Ultimate NARS and True NARS lip sets).

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Chic Crimson Helps the $40 BECCA Ombre Rouge Eye Palette Contour, Sculpt and Brighten Eyes

July 21st, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

I highly recommend that you roll your R’s when you say the name of BECCA’s new crimson tinged $40 Ombre Rouge eyeshadow palette like so: “Ombre Rrrrrrrrrrouge. Rrrrrrr-ooooo-uge.”

Why?

BECAUSE IT’S FUN. That’s why. That’s the main reason. And, also, because rolling the R makes the palette seem extra rouge-y, and therefore extra fancy.

Yes, this is irrelevant to most important, thought-provoking aspects of real life, but like I said…IT’S FUN, and this is makeup we’re talking about (not rocket science).

Don’t be scurred, intrepid eye palette addict! All of the shades in this five-pan palette of powder eyeshadows may be tinged with red, but they aren’t straight-up reds, so you won’t be left with your brush in the air wondering, “What the heck am I gonna do with these?” They’re still very wearable and useful.

They’re also warmer and richer than the cool browns in BECCA’s Ombre Nudes Palette, and consequently interesting and different.

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The New Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow All-In-One Professional Eye Palettes in Amber Design and Taupe Design: Why, Yes, Darling, These Palettes Are Designer

July 16th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

dior 5 couleurs designer eyeshadow 1 — Two of the new Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow All-In-One Professional Eye Palettes in Amber Design and Taupe Design ($62 each)

My posh feline pal/employer is currently going through a “shoo-shoo frou-frou” phase today where he insists that everything — and I mean everything! — within his kitty line of sight be high end, from the Dior ribbons he exercises with to the Dior 5-Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow I’m wearing.

He’s so fancy!

"I only play with Dior ribbons." — “Dior makes the best training ribbons.” -Tabs the cat

Since I know better than to protest (the consequences are always dire), all I can do is put up my paws in surrender, submit to his demands, paint my lids with one of these new $62 (!) palettes, and go on my merry way.

Amber Design and Taupe Design are two of Dior’s six recently revamped Dior 5-Couleurs Designer All-In-One Professional Eye Palettes available now online and at Dior counters.

If you’re into pearly, shimmery shadows and don’t mind the price, these might interest you.

dior amber design — Dior 5 Couleurs Designer Eyeshadow in Amber Design

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Take a Bite Out of Buxom’s Delicious Eyeshadow Bar: Customize Your Own With Six Shadows for $40

July 15th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

Mmm, tasty…

Why does the new Buxom Eyeshadow Bar ($40 for an empty palette and six eyeshadows) have to look like a chocolate bar? — because according to the official transcript of my tummy, that falls under the category of “Cruel and Unusual Punishment.”

Oh, well… It’s a good thing my tummy takes orders from my eyelids when it comes to makeup. 🙂

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Mirror, Mirror on…These Eyeshadow Palettes: The NARS Fall 2015 NARSissist Matte/Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette and Hardwired Eye Kit

July 3rd, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

Mirror, mirror on the wall…who’s the most beautiful NARSissist of them all?!

I think you already know Tabby’s answer. 🙂

The new limited edition NARSissist fall 2015 eye palettes have mirrors on the packaging so that you may admire yo’ fine self, or so that your kitty cat can admire his floof.

I think it’s pretty convenient and cool, even though it makes these things pick up a sh*t-ton of paw prints whenever I open them.

nars narsissist matte shimmer eyeshadow palette — NARS Matte/Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Tom Ford Cognac Sable Eye Color Quad

July 3rd, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

Ooh, girl. I gotta be straight with you, because I’m not about to have you fall in love with Tom Ford Cognac Sable and then be heartbroken because of the price.

This quad is $79!

ERHMAHGAWD. So painful. It’s enough to make me want to bite my fist or fall face down on the floor. Sometimes both. But that’s Tom Ford for you. It isn’t exactly BOGO, if you know what I mean, but if you’re OK with that issue, then sweet baby tabbies! — this quad is beautiful. Almost always when I bring it with me on trips, it gets a lot of use.

It has four shades — a shimmery golden peachy beige with a hint of pink pearl, a medium-toned satiny golden brown with tiny flecks of gold shimmer, a deeper satiny plum with golden micro-glitter, and a copper glitter. Each one is a workhorse with a little special kick of its own, like the flash of pearly pink in the light golden beige.

Hands down, this is my favorite of the Tom Ford quads I’ve used.

The Tom Ford Cognac Sable Eye Color Quad before I went to town on it, LOL!

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5 Things You Should Know About the Too Faced Love Palette

June 30th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

5 Things You Should Know About the Too Faced Love Palette

Inspired by the lost art of love letter writing, the Too Faced Love Palette just might inspire you to write a long overdue love letter (of sorts) to yourself…

Dear Karen,

GURL. Just a gentle reminder to please stop and smell the roses sometimes, because like you, they’re wonderful.

You always try so hard at everything, and I love that about you, but I wish you would make more time for yourself (and for us, mi amor). I don’t know about you, but when we’re together hanging out, I feel EFFING FABULOUS! Like when we go to the mall or get our hair did at the salon, we always have so much fun! We should really just face it already — we’re made for each other.

I can’t deny that sometimes I get a little jealous of…you know who, but I can’t help it. He’s a larger-than-life feline philanthropist, famous kitty supermodel and incredibly talented, and I’m just a simple blogger.

But he can’t love you like I do.

I’ll always be here for you, my darling. Please never forget how wonderful you are.

Love always,

Karen
There are hearts in the middle of each pan! — which may or may not make you crave Valentine’s Day candy hearts, and if they do, you may find yourself Googling “buy Valentines candy hearts online June.”
When you’re in the mood to watch TV while you play with makeup (am I the only person who does this?), the Love Palette and a Lifetime movie make a great pair. I recommend the “woman in peril” genre so that you may periodically take breaks from blending to yell things like, “Molly…YOU IN DANGER, GIRL!” at the TV whenever the protagonist does a totally dumb thing, like descending a flight of steep stairs into a pitch black basement without so much as a fork with which to defend herself. I mean, REALLY?
When you’re wearing the Love Palette on your lids and your true love calls (and you know that he’s your true love because he just drove your cat to the vet!) to say that they will be returning home shortly because the cat just projectile pooped all over your beloved’s shirt, pants and car (more on this in a minute…), your eyes will look lovely while your heart swells with concern.
And after you finish doing your makeup with the Love Palette, you remember how much you love wearing smokey eyes. Then, even though it hits 93 degrees outside, you say to yourself, “Eff it. I’m in the mood to go smokey today, and I refuse to deny the urge. Who cares if we’re in the middle of a summer heat wave?”

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Fans of Frost and Bright Color Will Break Hearts Wearing the LORAC Alter Ego Eye Shadow Palette in Heartbreaker

June 19th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

lorac alter ego heartbreaker — LORAC Alter Ego Eye Shadow Palette: Heartbreaker ($24)

I wonder if Sasha Fierce (Beyonce’s not-so-secret alter ego/identity) would like LORAC’s new Alter Ego Eye Shadow Palette in Heartbreaker ($24).

I’m guessing she would…and it wouldn’t surprise me to also find out that she insists that every item in her makeup bag have the exact same hot pink packaging.

Heck, that’s what I’d do if I were Sasha! 🙂

This limited edition summer season palette of 10 powder shadows is available now exclusively from Ulta.

Within the hot pink packaging (LOVE IT) you’ll find a surprising number of colorful eyeshadows…

A satiny tan
A satiny peach
A shimmery reddish plum
A shimmery bronze
A satiny warm beige
A shimmery bright blue
A frosty gray
A frosty light blue
A shimmery deep purplish brown
A frosty light blue

I’d probably wear one or two of the colorful shades together, and then ground them by working in a combination of the tan, peach, beige and/or bronze.

I think you could totally incorporate more than two of these colorful shades in the same look, of course, but for me, between the shimmer and the frost, and with the intensity of the pigments, it could easily turn into a whole lotta look, you know? If you like wearing a lot of color on your eyes and you’re completely comfortable with high-shine frosts and shimmers, you could do it up with this palette and go shimmer/color crazy!

Considering the amount of shine here, the shadows are easy to work with, and they range from moderately to highly pigmented. I haven’t noticed any problems with fallout, either.

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