Product Reviews

Smile! These Too Faced Selfie Powders Are Instagram-Worthy

March 13th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

Wearing the new Too Faced Selfie Powders ($36) in Sunrise and Totally Toasted

Finally! Now I know what I was missing in my life… Pictures of a chihuahua wearing a beret in front of the Eiffel Tower! (see below)

Now, this isn’t just some random chihuahua wearing a jaunty cap in front of an iconic structure.

No, this pup has a job. He’s here to demonstrate what the three face powders in the new Too Faced Selfie Powders Palette ($36) are supposed to do for your skin.

Or, you know, fur. 🙂

They’re supposed to work like Instagram filters for your face, with each one producing a different effect.

Sunrise brightens and warms (ooh! — kinda like the Valencia filter), Totally Toasted creates a bronzy glow, and lavender Moon River casts a cool, ethereal light.

Too Faced Selfie Powders swatches from the left: Sunrise, Totally Toasted and Moon River — Too Faced Selfie Powder swatches from the left in Sunrise, Totally Toasted and Moon River

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The Bronze Age Returns! Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes

March 11th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess 2015 — Wearing makeup from the latest in a long line of annual Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess collections

If I had to be a goddess, I would not say no to being a goddess of bronze, but what I’d really want to be is a goddess of cats.

No, scratch that. I’d be the goddess of plus-size tabby cats with low-hanging bellies, because it’s all about being specific.

Yes, I have no idea what I’m talking about. 🙂

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes Face & Eye Palette — That’s the Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes Face & Eye Palette on my eyes and cheeks, the All Over Illuminator on my upper cheekbones, and Pure Color Gloss Pen Nude Coral on my lips

Every year around this time, like clockwork, Estée Lauder reveals a new Bronze Goddess-themed collection, and this year it’s Shimmering Nudes.

The collection’s face and eye palette, stick highlighter and gloss, all of which will be available this April with the rest of the 14-piece collection at Estée Lauder counters and online, are telling me that 1) summer is right around the corner, and 2) I should probably book a vacation to someplace warm soon.

Is it just me, or does the Shimmering Nudes Face & Eye Palette ($55) radiate a MAC vibe?

Its eyeshadows could totally pass for Ricepaper, Amber Lights and Bronze, and even though I’ve seen the colors before, I still like this formula and the way they’re executed here.

The powders meld seamlessly into each other on my lids, and blending them is like three snaps in a Z formation. In other words, “haaay!” So good.

I actually did my foundation and concealer before this makeup look, and I didn’t have to do any additional cleanup under my eyes afterwords. No problems at all with fallout.

And I like the bronzer, too. It has a strong undercurrent of red that mimics a legit tan. There’s also golden flecks of glitter in it, which makes me think that this bronzer might even work better as an all-over warming product than one to contour (I prefer to use ashy cool-toned mattes to really carve out those cheekbones).

Interestingly, the face and eye palette is a Sephora exclusive, which is kind of cool and weird, and by that I mean this: have you actually seen Estée Lauder at your local Sephora store? Because mine doesn’t carry the line, and I don’t know if this is a one-shot deal or the start of a long-term trend. I really hope it’s the latter.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess All Over Illuminator — Bronze Goddess All Over Illuminator, $30

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MAC Haute & Naughty Waterproof Lash Is a Good Monday Through Fri-Yay Mascara

March 6th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

MAC’s new Haute & Naughty Waterproof Lash mascara ($22) made it through the “AVOID EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS” dates on my calendar with flying colors, so it’s alright by me.

Yes…there really is a 10-day block of time highlighted in red on the calendar that I share with El Hub, and there really is a note on it (in all caps) that says, “AVOID EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS.”

I consider it a courtesy alert for my husband, so that he knows to prepare for possible PMS-induced mood swings, and thus stay outta my way…lest he suffer the consequences.

Haha! Kidding. 🙂

Kind of.

OK, not really.

I’ll be going along, doop-da-doo, happy as a lark with a clam, until out of nowhere — BOOM! — I’ll see a commercial about adoptable kittens or read a sad story on Facebook, and just like that, I’ll start crying.

Hence the need for waterproof mascara like Haute & Naughty Waterproof Lash.

Like the other day, I was thinking about the first time I met Tabs (it was about eight years ago) when it occurred to me that he’s not going to be around forever…

*sniffs*

I burst into tears! My baby cat is getting older. 🙁

Waterproof Lash is MAC’s latest addition to their Haute & Naughty Lash mascara line, and it’s available in a single shade, a deep glossy black called Shockproof.

Like MAC’s other Haute & Naughty line mascaras, depending on how you twist off the cap, you can load the brush in one of two ways, with either more (in this case, twisting it off from the sparkly section) or less (twisting it off from the dark blue section) product. Load the brush with extra product for thicker, fuller lashes, or with less product for less volume, but better length and lots o’ separation.

I like to create a lash cocktail, starting with two layers for length and separation, followed by a final layer with the thicker application to add some drama for yo’ mama.

The result is noticeable, but not cray (no spider lashes!), criss-crossing lashes with fullness at the base.
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The MAC Julia Petit Collection: Flexible, Fabulous Colors for Everyone

March 5th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

If all makeup collections tell a story, then for me, the new MAC Julia Petit collection starts in a colorful cafe somewhere in the heart of São Paulo.

Our heroine, uber-famous Brazilian lifestyle blogger Julia Petit, is sitting at a table outside with a girlfriend e uma xícara de café. They’re chatting about makeup and cats and laughing and having fun.

Over the course of a couple hours, more friends trickle in, taking seats around the table and ordering coffee and snacks, until every square inch of table space is packed.

Some pieces from the new MAC Julia Petit collection — Eight of 11 pieces in the new MAC Julia Petit collection

That’s how this collection feels like to me. It’s like, all the girls are there, and everyone’s enjoying themselves, and absolutely nobody feels left out.

In the time I’ve spent with the collection so far, I get a strong sense of inclusiveness, like Julia wanted flexible colors that would suit everyone.

From the neutrals in the eyeshadow duos to the blush and the lipsticks, all of them seem very accessible to me, which is to say that there aren’t any crazy-pants blackened forest green eye glosses here (although those certainly have their time and place!).

From the matte browns in the eyeshadow duos, the red lipstick (always a classic), the soft pinkish peach lipstick (do neutral lips ever go out of style? HELL NAW!) and the peachy pinkish bronze powder blush (which should look AMAZEBALLS with or without a tan), I’m also getting a trend-defying ladylike vibe.

That said, there’s still room for bad-girl black eyeliner and a pair of @ss-kicker motorcycle boots. The deep violet matte lipstick adds just enough rebelliousness for gals who like their makeup with an edge.

MAC Julia Petit Lipsticks from the left: Boca, Petite Red and Acai — Lipsticks from the left in Boca, Petite Red and Acai

All three of these lipsticks are wish list worthy. Satiny soft pinkish nude Boca, matte strawberry cream Petite Red and matte deep violet Acai are a saturated symphony of smoothness that would make Fred and Ginger proud.

MAC Julia Petit Lipstick in Boca — Lipstick in Boca

MAC Julia Petit Lipstick in Petite Red — Lipstick in Petite Red

MAC Julia Petit Lipstick in Acai — Lipstick in Acai

Same goes for the soft pinkish brown Powder Blush in Linda. Super pigmented, and it lasts all day long on my cheeks (for reference, I have combo dry/oily skin). As for the finish? Swoon city.

MAC Julia Petit Powder Blush in Linda — Powder Blush in Linda

At first glance, I think it totally looks like a matte on my skin (so there’s no drama involving my pores, YAY!), but when I look closer…I see a lovely, subtle sheen.

Perfect, because I love the look of glowing skin and cheeks. I think Linda will definitely help in that pursuit.

I’m Team Glowing Skin all the way!

Then there are the eyeshadow duos, which get two paws up from me for their smooth matte finishes and wearability. They’re a good place to start if you’re completely new to eye makeup.

MAC Julia Petit Eye Shadow X 2 in Morganite — Eye Shadow X 2 in Morganite

MAC Julia Petit Eye Shadow X 2 in Sagu — Petit Eye Shadow X 2 in Sagu

MAC Julia Petit Eye Shadow X 2 in Moving Sand — Eye Shadow X 2 in Moving Sand

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Curb Cakey Concealer With Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer

March 4th, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

Sometimes when I hold this tube in my hand, I feel the need to pinch myself.

Is it real? I wonder, giddy with excitement, or is it a makeup mirage?

Perhaps that’s being overdramatic (what, me overdramatic??), but seriously, dude, it feels like I’ve been searching for this little pink tube FOREVER.

Or, you know, like two months.

It’s just that every single time I’ve looked for it at Ulta or Sephora, it’s never been in stock. The shelf where neat little boxes of Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer should have been, has always been as empty as a ghost town.

[Cue tumbleweeds rolling by]

I know I could’ve tried to order it online, but tracking it down in a store actually became a weird personal mission of mine. I wanted the instant gratification…even if it took me a year to get.

LOL! 🙂

I’ve also been wondering, though…who are these ladies (or gents) that are hoarding this sh*t so hard that I can’t ever find a tube? Is the love for this under-eye primer so intense that people have literally cleared it off every makeup store shelf within a 20-mile radius?

Well, last week my luck turned. Miracle of all makeup miracles, I finally found one lonely box when I went to Sephora, and I grabbed that last box with a quickness usually reserved for chocolate, doughnuts, and chocolate doughnuts.

I’ve been a user now for about a week, and my, oh my — I’m on the fast-track to becoming one of those ladies who are probably responsible for this stuff never being in stock. I already want to get a backup.

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer hoarding is a legit thing!

So, what is this stuff, and why is it (almost) better than a bag of Baked Cheetos?

Basically, it’s a brightening, moisturizing under-eye primer that you apply before concealer. Anything you layer on top of it — concealer, powder, whatever — ends up looking smoother, more natural and more like real skin.

And I think the difference when I use it is night and day, especially when you see it in person. Whenever I take the time to apply this first, I think my concealer looks much less obvious.

I also still get the full coverage that I like, but without my under-eye area looking cakey like cake batter (which happens sometimes with opaque concealers).

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Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Rosy Silk Floats Like a Shimmery Pink and Gold Kiss on the Wind

February 26th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

If I were wearing Guerlain’s KissKiss Lipstick in Rosy Silk ($37) and blew a kiss across a room to a handsome stranger (let’s call him Nick Jonas), that kiss would drift off my lips and float like a shimmery pink and gold apparition.

The featherweight formula is eminently forgettable…in that I forget sometimes when I’m wearing it because it’s so comfortable.

But the color is anything but forgettable. The slightly see-through pink with golden shimmer alights on my skin like sunshine filtering through the petals of a blooming cherry blossom tree, tender and romantic, ah…

I think one layer works best, which I apply directly from the tube, and then pat down with a finger. When I add more layers, they don’t help, and the formula starts to seek out flakes and settle into my lip lines.

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in Rosy Silk Swatch — Rosy Silk

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The ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand: For Loose, Screen Siren-Style ’40s Waves the Very First Time

February 25th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

[SHH…] I’m growing my hair out so I can take full advantage of the new ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand, and yes, it’s a secret that El Hub does not need to know (although he’ll eventually realize it), because it would bring him too much joy. 🙂

That man. I swear, I get my hair cut half an inch, and he freaks out!

What is it with dudes and long hair?

So, this wand is really freaking cool. Like, $245 cool, which is how much it costs, and that’s coming from a girl who usually doesn’t like clip-less hair tools.

I know, I know — clip-less wands are super popular these days, but I’ve got trauma, man. When I used one a few years back, I nearly burnt my fingers to a crisp, and after that incident, I started sticking to curling irons with clamps, like the ghd Curve Soft Curl I tried earlier this month.

Buuut one must be willing to try new things (both with hair and in life), which is why I decided to give the ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand a whirl.

And now I’m so glad I did, because I love so many things about it.

First, the shape. Check it: the barrel is a flattened oval, almost like a curling iron, but instead of creating traditional bouncy, round curls, it builds loose, s-shaped, old-school Hollywood waves on medium length and long hair.

Like the equally expensive and comparably impressive ghd Curve Soft Curl, this ghd tool, the Classic Wave Wand, comes with all the bells and whistles.

From ghdhair.com…

Oval barrel designed to create classic deep waves with movement

Cool tip designed for more comfortable curling

Safety stand for securing the tong on a hard surface while not in use

Patented tri-zone® technology locks in your curls with the right, even heat

Advanced ceramic coating specially designed for smoother curling

On-off switch and indicator press and hold design avoids accidental use during styling

Light & sound indicate on-off and ready to use

Sleep mode automatically turns off if left unattended for 30 minutes

Universal voltage and professional length swivel cable

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I Get All the Feels From The Texture of These New NARS Dual-Intensity Blushes…

February 23rd, 2015 by Karen 43 Comments

As Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock so eloquently put it, “It takes two to make a thing go right… It takes two to make it out of sight.”

Truer words were never spoken, particularly as they pertain to the new NARS Dual Intensity Blushes ($45 each). 🙂

Yeah, even though I braced myself for it, I still freaked out a little when I opened one of these compacts for the first time and saw, not one, but TWO blushes within it with the same pattern on the pans as the NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows (which I love, and these feel very similar).

Hearts may or may not have shot out of from my eyes.

NARS designed these new blushes, which arrive March 4 as six $45 duos, to 1) look and feel weightless on the skin, and 2) to create two completely different looks. Applying them with a dry powder brush paints your cheeks with bold color, while a wet brush seduces your skin with a softer watercolor-like effect, similar to what you’d get from a cheek tint, and you can wear the shades separately or mix them together.

The one called Frenzy fuses a sparkling pinkish gold highlighter with a shimmering bright tangerine…

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Frenzy — Dual-Intensity Blush in Frenzy

While Fervor partners a shimmering soft pink with a deep, sparkling coppery rose…

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Fervor — Dual-Intensity Blush in Fervor

And if you’re craving a trip to the tropics…Craving combines a sparkling seashell pink highlighter with a shimmering beachy bronze.

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Craving — Dual-Intensity Blush in Craving

WARNING: Do not panic when you see Panic…which is the brightest duo of the six. It contains a shocking, shimmering fuchsia and a shimmering orangey pink.

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Panic — Dual-Intensity Blush in Panic!

If you’re just plain partial to pinks in general, you might adore Adoration, which pairs a soft, sparkling baby pink with a shimmering hot pink.

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Adoration — Dual-Intensity Blush in Adoration

Last, but certainly not least, there’s Jubilation, yay! It partners a sparkling hot gold with a soft and shimmering nude peach.

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Jubilation — Dual Intensity Blush in Jubilation

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