Product Reviews

The New MAC Mineralize Glasses: When It Comes to Moisture, These Glasses Are More Than Half Full

March 11th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

MAC Mineralize Glass in Modern Romance — Wearing MAC’s new Mineralize Glass in Modern Romance ($22), one of 12 shades available now

This one’s totally for the gals on Team Cremesheen (of which I’m one!). The new MAC Mineralize Glass lipglosses are the bombdizzle (did I really just say that?), especially if you appreciate the super smooth texture of the Cremesheens and love hella hydrating glosses.

MBB FUN FACT: I always bring a tube of Deelight Cremesheen Glass with me whenever I travel by plane 1) because I lurve it and 2) because of how dry my lips get, but I may have to cheat on Deelight a little with one of these new Mineralize Glasses… They’re just SO moisturizing — maybe even a little more than the Cremesheens — and have a similarly silky smooth, non-sticky texture.

MAC Mineralize Glass in Cheerful, a mid-toned coral with a creamy finish

Could the secret to their hydrating handiness be hiding among the 77 moisturizing minerals (of which I can’t find a list) packed into each tube? Perhaps! I do have to say that my perpetually parched pout feels smoother, softer and quenched when I wear them.

The texture, while similar to the Cremesheens, feels a touch thicker to me. When I apply a Cremesheen Glass and rub my lips together, the formula feels very thin and almost watery, whereas the feel of these Mineralize Glasses reminds me of a MAC Plushglass…except without the bee sting.

MAC Mineralize Glass in Tender, a light cool pink with a creamy finish

They come in 12 shades, grouped into Frost and Cream finishes, and I’m kinda hot for the Frosts…

Hot for the Frosts? LOL!

The Frosts! You know how some frosty glosses can settle into lip lines and look funky? These don’t do that. Both the Frosts and the Creams apply smoothly and evenly, and they don’t pool into different areas of my lips or look patchy.

I think MAC did a bang-up job with these finishes.

MAC Mineralize Glass in Got Style, a mod-toned cool mauve with a frosty finish

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Cleanse, Prime and Shine Your Claws With Sephora’s Formula X “The System”

February 28th, 2014 by Karen 8 Comments

I usually lack the wherewithal for multi-step manis involving a base and top coat when I’m painting my paws (read: I’m too lazy, yo), even though my rational mind fully recognizes the prudence of taking the extra time to extend the life of my polish.

But ever since I started using Sephora’s Formula X “The System” $32 nail kit, I don’t mind going the extra mile at all.

Sephora Formula X the System Nail Cleanser — Nail Cleanser

This is partly due to thinking that the bottles in the kit look kind of sci-fi and cool, like they belong in an Apple store beside the latest iMacs, and also because they just plain work.

Sephora Formula X The System Base Coat — Base Coat

The kit gets high marks from reviewers on sephora.com, and I can see why. I used the Nail Cleanser (a brush-on liquid that helps remove residue from your nails so the products you layer on top bind better), Base Coat and Top Coat with Tom Ford’s Viper Nail Lacquer this week, and my nails have definitely handled the hell I regularly put them through better.

Sephora Formula X The System Top Coat — Top Coat

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Natural-Looking Skin the Easy Way With Benefit’s Big Easy Multi-Balancing Complexion Perfector

February 28th, 2014 by Karen 27 Comments

The new Benefit Big Easy Multi-Balancing Complexion Perfector, $38

This morning I woke up feeling like this…

…because of this.

Yup, just call me TBK (Two Beer Karen), LOL!

We took that out-of-town friend of El Hub’s who stayed with us last night to a local brewery here in Novato called Moylan’s, where I “sampled” some of their Pomegranate Wheat, and since I hardly ever drink, I did not feel exceptional this morning.

I intended to do a full face o’ warpaint today, but when I sat down in front of my makeup mirror, my arms felt like lead weights… My body was like, “Oh, hell naw, hookah. We’re doing minimalist makeup today.”

So, out came my tube of Big Easy, a new BB cream from Benefit.

Dude! This stuff is boss. I’m not usually a big BB cream fan, either, mostly because I rarely feel like they provide enough coverage for me.

But Big Easy evens out my skin tone and blurs my pores without leaving my skin looking overly “done,” if you know what I mean, and the natural-looking, velvety matte finish is my favorite thing about it.

More quick and dirrrrty deets…

The oil-free liquid-to-powder formula is non-comedogenic.
It’s available in six shades. I wear the darkest one available, which is 06 Deep Beige.
The colors seem to be flexible with regard to working with your skin tone.
Contains broad-spectrum SPF 35.

It has an interesting texture — kind of slippery like many face primers (it does contain silicones), and it glides across my skin easily, buffing and blending with very little resistance.

The matte finish looks very flat on my combination dry/oily skin — no shine whatsoever — and I can even skip setting it with a powder, which is nice. It stays matte, too, as the day wears on, and controls oil like a champ.

Benefit Big Easy Ingredients — Ingredients…

I do find that Big Easy will settle into my pores and get a little streaky on my drier spots (like my cheeks) if I don’t moisturize immediately beforehand, almost like the product skips a bit on those dry patches. Benefit suggests applying it after moisturizer, and I can see why. It glides across my skin more smoothly when it’s thoroughly moisturized.

Three of the six Benefit Big Easy shades, from the left: 02 Light, 04 Medium and 06 Deep Beige — Three of the six Benefit Big Easy shades, from the left — 02 Light, 04 Medium and 06 Deep Beige — on my NC42 skin

02 Light, 04 Medium and 06 Deep Biege swatched on NW25 skin — 02 Light, 04 Medium and 06 Deep Beige on NW25 skin

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New Clarins Smoky Plum Ombre Minérale Mono Eye Shadow Ignites Hotter Smokey Eyes

February 26th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

Critics are calling Smoky Plum “The sleeper hit of spring shadows!”

Well, not really… I have no idea what they’re calling it, but I’m calling it ohmygoshLURVE! 🙂

Watch out! — or this shadow will steal your heart (like it stole mine).

I mean, I love Clarins and all, but when I think of sultry, pulse-quickening smokey shadows, Clarins doesn’t usually spring to mind. Most of the time I head over to NARS, MAC, Chanel or Tom Ford for that.

Clarins Smoky Plum Ombre Minérale Mono Eye Shadow, $21

But Smoky Plum, one of 14 pieces in the new Opalescence spring collection, could confidently hold its own with the smokiest of the smokey. Surprisingly complex, I think it’s definitely worth considering if you’re on the prowl for your next great smokey shadow.

A shimmery bronzed purple with taupe tendencies, it’s designed to be worn wet or dry, which just means that applying it with a wet brush head coaxes out more of the pigment and enhances the metallic finish.

Clarins Smoky Plum swatches on NC42 skin dry (left) and wet (right) — Smoky Plum swatches on NC42 skin dry (left) and wet (right)

Either way, applied wet or dry, I think Smoky Plum is pretty damned hot, and I used a combination of wet and dry applications for my makeup in these pics to get those light-to-dark gradients I love when I wear smokey eyes (incidentally, I like to spell smokey with an ‘e’ before the ‘y,’ while Clarins spells it without one).

A swatch of Smoky Plum swatch on NW25 skin — Swatches of Smoky Plum swatch on NW25 skin dry (left) and wet (right)

Wait ’til you get this purple puppy on your lids. Smoky Plum swatches beautifully on the back of a hand, but I think it’s infinitely prettier on eyes.

The first time I applied it, I remember looking in the mirror with the finished look and blinking incredulously a few times. Suddenly, tiny little flecks of silvery glitter appeared out of nowhere!

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Is the New Clarins Opalescence Face & Blush Powder Out of This World?

February 21st, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Took me a while to say goodbye to this gorgeous design. I didn’t want to mess up the pretty pan.

Is it just me (probably), but doesn’t it look a little astronomical/sci-fi?

Whoa! Did you see that? I thought I saw a satellite fly by… 🙂

I actually don’t think it’s supposed to be interstellar. I think Clarins was going for graphic design.

I like it — the contrasting lines and circles. Very artsy-fartsy, isn’t it?

Clarins Opalescence Face & Blush Powder — Face & Blush Powder is one of 14 products in the new Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 collection

I must say…kudos to Clarins for being so consistent with their limited edition blushes. I can pretty much always count on them to 1) never leave me looking like a deranged clown, 2) smell great (this one smells like jasmine) and 3) be really easy to use.

Opalescence Face & Blush Powder ($40) is no exception.

Technically, it’s designed to be used as an all-over face powder, a contour powder and a blush. Just dust the matte pinkish beige on your shiny spots, sculpt your cheekbones with the matte tan, and add a little color to the apples of your cheeks with the matte coral. (The shimmery gold, by the way, is an overspray and disappears after the first few swipes.)

Clarins Opalescence Face & Blush Powder Swatch — All three of Opalescence’s shades blended together

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Next Time You’re at the Mall and Need Makeup in a Pinch, There’s the New Forever 21 Premium Cosmetics Line

February 20th, 2014 by Karen 28 Comments

Forever 21 Premium Cosmetics Review — Wearing a few things from the new Forever 21 Premium Cosmetics line

Have you heard the mall word? Forever 21 has a new Premium Cosmetics makeup line, and errr-thing in it is $18 or less.

Packaging for the new Forever 21 Premium Cosmetics line…

Exciting stuff, right? But after trying a few things from the line, I gotta say…I feel the same way about most of these pieces as I do when I see cute clothes in Forever 21 stores. I’m drawn in by the prices and how cute the clothes look from afar, but then I try some things on, and I’m like, “Eh, OK.”

Not to say that I haven’t found some winners in the new line. I have. I mean, if I ever lost my makeup bag on a trip and walked by a Forever 21 store at the mall, I know I’d be able to find something in there to get through the day.

I just don’t know if I’d seek out a Forever 21 store specifically for these new products — at least the few I’ve tried.

Here are some thoughts on five pieces from the line…

Forever 21 Premium Cosmetics Baked Bronzer ($4.80)

Like Goldilocks said when she tried the first bowl of porridge, “this one’s too hot!”

Or something like that. Too shimmery, in this case. I feel like this peachy golden bronze is a little too shimmery to use as a traditional bronzer. For contouring and adding warmth, I think it’s a tad too shiny, at least for me, but as a highlighter on the upper cheekbones, it’s, to quote Tony the Tiger, “Greaaaat!”

A little like a MAC MSF but harder, and not as silky smooth, it has very fine micro-shimmer, and the powder sits nicely on the skin.

Frosted Eye Shadow in Sapphire ($7.80)

This blackened blue shimmery shadow avoids drama. Soft and silky, it easily buffs and blends, and the tiny flecks of glitter make it look muy expensive. I like…

Gel Eyeliner in Black ($8.80)

More like a grayish black than a true midnight, at least on my NC42 skin. I need several layers (from 4-5) to reach full opacity.

That’s kind of a pain…but the liner doesn’t smear or transfer into my crease, which is a plus.

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These New Katy Perry Lashes in Feline Fierce Are Fanning the Fringes of Feline Ferocity

February 20th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

I’m feline pretty fierce in these new false lashes by Katy Perry.

What…? Too pun-ny?

Sorry, couldn’t resist. I had to go there. 🙂

Truth be told, I wanted to try these mostly because K.P. is one my favorite cat ladies, and I think she and Tabs would get along swimmingly.

As far as cats go, he’s quite the charmer…

I wonder if Feline Fierce, one of four new styles recently released in Katy Perry’s Eylure Lash line, was a shout-out to like-minded kitty enthusiasts like me.

Whatever it was, it worked! It definitely captivated this particular CCL.

Katy Perry Lashes Feline Fierce — Here kitty, kitty…

For starters, I like how the outer sections of lashes are longer and denser than the inner ones. I think it makes my eyes look a little longer and more lifted and mmmmrrrooow! that much more feline. 🙂 Especially when worn with jazzier eyeshadow looks.

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The Cool New Hues in the Clarins Vibrant Light Eye Quartet Mineral Palette Love Warm Skin Tones, Too

February 19th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Well, well. Quelle surprise!

I really did not expect the cool-toned plum, pink, gray and white shadows in the new Clarins Vibrant Light Eye Quartet Mineral Palette to get along at all with warm-toned skin like mine, but then what do I know? I also didn’t think that watching Bravo every day for a month would turn my brain to curdled cheese, which it has, haha!

I guess if there’s a lesson here, it’s that you just never know when it comes to eye quads or reality television.

That is, unless we’re talking about The Millionaire Matchmaker, in which case you pretty much do know what’s going to go down, but you (I) keep watching anyway because you (I) can’t look away. 🙂

(Incidentally, does anyone else miss Dustin and Rachel? I think the show is pretty lame without them…)

Vibrant Light. One of 14 pieces in the new Opalescent spring 2014 collection. Cool-toned, fo’ sho’, but surprisingly wearable, even on warm-toned skin.

Par for the Clarins course, these shadows perform exceptionally well, blending without a hitch and lasting a full 8-hour day without exhibiting any fallout, and only the slightest fading. They can be worn wet or dry, too (I’m wearing them dry).

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