Product Reviews

Bonjour, Madame! The Guerlain Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shines in Madame Batifole, Madame Flirte and Madame Fascine Have Arrived

August 7th, 2013 by Karen 11 Comments

Guerlain 861 Madame Flirte Gloss d'Enfer Maxi Shine — Wearing Guerlain 861 Madame Flirte Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shine ($30), one of three new limited edition shades in the Voilette de Madame Fall 2013 Collection

Once certain lines get crossed, there’s just no turning back.

Like when you try the ultra soft toilet paper for the first time or make the jump from average pet owner to Crazy Cat Lady.

Or when strangers stop calling you “miss” and start calling you “ma’am.”

Yup…I’m a ma’am now.

It’s okay, I guess, but I think I like “madame” better… Sounds more chic. 🙂

Case in point: the three new Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shines from the Guerlain Voilette de Madame Fall 2013 Collection ($30).

Guerlain Gloss d'Enfer Maxi Shines in 861 Madame Flirte, 860 Madame Batifole and 863 Madame Fascine — Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shines in 861 Madame Flirte (a sparkling red), 860 Madame Batifole (a sparkling fuchsia) and 863 Madame Fascine (a sparkling deep purple)

All of them madames with regal, refined names, they definitely don’t sound like their apartments are furnished with castaway pieces bought secondhand from stoner grad students on Craigslist (been there, done that). No, these madames probably own complete sets of Le Creuset pots and pans.

Guerlain Gloss d'Enfer Maxi Shine Swatches in 861 Madame Flirte, 860 Madame Batifole and 863 Madame Fascine — Swatches from the left: 861 Madame Flirte, 860 Madame Batifole and 863 Madame Fascine

And these three limited edition lipglosses have more in common than their names. All of them also tint lips with sheer, shiny color.

Fuchsia 860 Madame Batifole, sparkling red 861 Madame Flirte and deep purple 863 Madame Fascine look dark and intimidating in their tubes, but they’re completely drama-free. Each one applies as a gentle wash of color, no mirror necessary, either.

What else should you know?

Lightweight, smooth and non-sticky, these feel a lot like Chanel Aqualumiere glosses to me (which is great!).
The flocked doe-foot applicator makes precise application easy.
The rose flavor and scent lingers as long as the formula lasts on my lips, which is about two hours.
These look super sparkly in their tubes, but the shimmer isn’t very noticeable on my lips until I walk outside, where they really sparkle in full sunlight.
I like that these are sheer enough that I can still see my natural lip color peeking through, yet they’re also pigmented enough to each look distinct on my lips.
If I had to pick a fave, I’d choose red Madame Flirte. Of the three, I think it brightens my face the most.

Guerlain 860 Madame Batifole Gloss d'Enfer Maxi Shine — 860 Madame Batifole

Guerlain 863 Madame Fascine Gloss d'Enfer Maxi Shine — 863 Madame Fascine

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Guerlain’s Got the Flava, and It’s Way Two Spicy: The New Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in Two Spicy

August 7th, 2013 by Karen 8 Comments

That’s Two Spicy… (Guerlain Two Spicy, that is)

Was it a shout-out to ’90s pop music girl bands (SIDE NOTE: I like to think of myself as a hybrid, half Sporty, half Posh) or a reaction to a habaÃ±ero pepper?

Was it a love poem hidden between bottles of paprika and nutmeg in the back of a medieval pantry, perhaps?

The world may never know…

Truth is, we may never know how Guerlain’s new Two Spicy Ecrin 2 Couleurs duo acquired its name, but you know what?

Who cares? 🙂

I’m just glad somebody cooked it up, because I kid you not, I’m tired of bland. All I’ve had to eat this week are tuna fish sandwiches on sourdough bread (well, mostly), and the only thing spicing up my life right now is this eyeshadow duo, one of eight new permanent shades in Guerlain’s Violette de Madame fall collection.

Guerlain Two Spicy pouch — And it comes with a tiny sleeping bag!

Inside each of these luxurious, trim treats (the gold packaging’s killer!) live two powder shadows — one, an intense matte, and the other, either a metallic or glitter. Wear them separately, or layer them on top of one another for a more intense look.

Guerlain Two Spicy pan closeup — A closeup of the pan, live and in 3D! The matte shade’s on the left, and the glitter’s on the right.

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Guerlain Aced Black Jack Eye Pencil

August 7th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

The new Guerlain Black Jack Eye Pencil ($30)

You know I’ll always be your wing-woman, right? When you need a second opinion on that pair of bedazzled purple pumps (THE ANSWER IS YES!), or if you’re just in the mood to shoot the sh*t online from a Starbucks?

There’s just one thing: gambling. If you’re looking for a partner to play anything involving cards or dice, I’mma have to peace-the-eff-out, because I’m absolutely, positively the worst gambling buddy ever.

I was at a Blackjack table in Vegas a few years ago with my friend Jen when I noticed Jen’s cards, which she was holding secretly, and blurted out, “OOooh! That’s a really good hand, right?! YAY!!!”

I don’t even know if that was a faux pas or not, but everyone at the table suddenly stopped and glared at me. 🙂

Now, whenever we go to a casino together and Jen wants to play a card game, she parks me in front of Kitty Glitter and says me she’ll be back in half an hour…

So, cards aren’t my thing, but I’m glad I still took a chance on Guerlain’s Black Jack retractable Eye Pencil.

Why?

Because it’s all that and a bag of (Trader Joe’s Baked Potato) chips! Granted, it’s $30…but man! — it’s a contender for Best Eye Pencil of the Year. Like, you might unintentionally let out a pervy, “Oooooh!” when you see the deep, dark black swatch on the back of your hand.

Black Jack is one of five new retractable Eye Pencils in the new 21-piece Guerlain Voilette de Madame fall collection, which introduces new eyeshadow duos and eyeliners to the permanent line, along with new limited edition lip, cheek and nail products.

The formula is water-resistant and lasts for hours (from 8-10), even on my water lines, and it glides across my skin as if its sole purpose in life is to refrain from skipping.

I can’t handle liners that tug, and Black Jack doesn’t. It’s just so, so smooth…

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Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour SPF 15 Face Powder: When It Comes to Chanel, There’s Nothing Boring About Beige

August 6th, 2013 by Karen 37 Comments

Leave it to Chanel to take something as seemingly boring as beige (seriously…the standard dull color of boring apartment walls everywhere) and turn it into something schmexy and worthy of being coveted.

Their new Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour SPF 15 face powders are doing just that.

From the elegant packaging to the cozy brush to the sheer, finely-milled powders (barely there on the skin, and perfect for natural-looking weekend makeup, or other times when you just want to look like yourself but a little put together), everything about it whispers “luxury…”

Chanel Les Beiges Packaging — Pretty packaging…

The line comes in seven shades with numerical names, No. 10 to No. 70. Right now I’m wearing No. 40, which is a perfect match for my mid-summer tan.

I’m kind of surprised by how well it works because I find that many beige products have a little too much pink for me. Many of them appear grayish on my warm skin tone, but at least for Nos. 40 and 50, which contain enough warm golden tones and also have a slight sheen, I’m not seeing any signs of gray.

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MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara: One for the Girls With Natural Lash Curls

August 5th, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

Is the new MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash mascara right for you?

Well, if you happen to be blessed with Zac Efron-like lashes, all super curly and bee-yoo-ti-ful, then perhaps, yes. In Extreme Dimension could be the best thing since pizza-scented Febreze.

(Actually, there’s no such thing as pizza-scented Febreze, but doesn’t it sound great?)

MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Tube — Cute curvy tube

That’s because its one weakness is holding curls, but if you’ve already got ’em, you’re golden.

Other than wimpy curl hold, it delivers lots of bells and whistles for girls/guys who love dramatic black lash looks — no clumps, no flakes or smudges, and you get lots of really lovely length, separation and volume (just shy of the epic Le Volume de Chanel).

Plus, it doesn’t make my lashes feel crunchy or weighed down, and removing it before bed is a snap.

MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Stubby Brush — The stubby brush is a cinch to use

But DAMN! What’s up with the curl? Immediately after I apply the first coat, the curl from my Shu starts relaxing. In no time flat, my naturally straight lashes are back to being straight, sans any curl or lift.

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These New MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints Place Supreme Importance on Sheer, Shiny Color

August 5th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

MAC Gwi-Yo-Mi Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint, a mid-tone raspberry — MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Gwi-Yo-Mi, a mid-tone raspberry, one of six new shades in the MAC So Supreme Collection

Filed under THINGS I NEVER EXPECTED IN THIS LIFETIME: that I would find cat hair in my bellybutton, that I would ever gush over a panini press (“DUUUUUDE, that thing has seriously changed my life!”), that I would be trying to buy pink satin culottes in 2013, that I would ever derive such joy from a brush tip lipgloss applicator like the one on the new MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints ($20 each, and available in eight shades).

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass — Click-y pen packaging, oh yeah!

It’s not like it’s a newfangled invention or anything… Versions of these brush pen glosses have been floating around for a hot minute, but just in case you’ve been in deep space cryosleep for the past 50 years and just woke up today, to use ’em, all you do is twist the bottom of the pen, listen for the click-click-click, and watch with glee as gloss gushes from the opposite end. Then, apply to lips. 🙂

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglasses from the left: Bubble Gum, K-Wow, Simply Wow, Heart & Seoul, Kiss Kiss, Blushing Berry, Gwi-Yo-Mi and Glorious Intent — From the left: Bubble Gum, K-Wow, Simply Wow, Heart & Seoul, Kiss Kiss, Blushing Berry, Gwi-Yo-Mi and Glorious Intent

Wearing these glosses is like getting to that part in a relationship with someone when you finally feel comfortable wearing your rattiest bra around them, and no longer feel the need to don that itchy, push-up Victoria’s Secret “come hither” number every single night.

Not to say that these Sheen Supreme Tints are like old, ratty bras… They’re just really, REALLY easy and comfortable. Just twist, apply with or without a mirror, and that’s that.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Swatches from the left: Bubble Gum, K-Wow, Simply Wow, Heart & Seoul, Kiss Kiss, Blushing Berry, Gwi-Yo-Mi and Glorious Intent — Swatches from the left: Bubble Gum, K-Wow, Simply Wow, Heart & Seoul, Kiss Kiss, Blushing Berry, Gwi-Yo-Mi and Glorious Intent

Maybe I’m just way too easily amused (that’s for sure, ha!), but sh*t is hella fun. WAY more entertaining than the regular old doe-foot applicators on squeeze tubes, like painting in eighth-grade art class, where looking back…I’m pretty sure my teacher, Mr. Freed, was a big-time hippy stoner.

MAC Bubble Gum Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint, a soft warm pink — Bubble Gum Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint, a soft warm pink

Anywho! You’ll have to be OK with sheer glosses to appreciate the wonders of these Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints, because MAC purposefully dialed down the pigment level of all eight shades.

MAC K-Wow Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint, a soft cool pink — K-Wow Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint, a soft cool pink

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Moisture Reins Supreme in This New Batch of Six MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks

August 3rd, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

MAC Pleasurefruit — Wearing the new MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Pleasurefruit ($17)

The first time I tried the MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks waaaay back in 2011 (Eek! Was it that long ago?!), I loved how shiny and smooth they looked and how creamy and slick they felt.

But man! They sucked every dang molecule of moisture from my lips! They left my pout so parched that I started calling them “the cactus lipsticks,” and whenever I wore one I half expected tumbleweeds to roll past my field of view…

Dry, dry, DRY.

Thankfully, this new batch of six limited edition shades is much improved. Or at least I think so. I’m not sure if MAC tweaked the non-sticky formula, but it sure seems that way to me. They certainly feel much more moisturizing, and no more cactus lips.

The six new MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks include…

Pret-a-Pretty: a soft warm pink
Gotta Dash: a clean, pale coral
Playtime: a bright coral pink
Sweet Grenadine: a bright orange
Pleasurefruit: a bright warm pink
Candy Apple: a warm mid-tone plum

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks from the left: Pret-A-Pretty, Playtime, Sweet Grenadine, Pleasurefruit and Candy Apple — From the left: Pret-A-Pretty, Playtime, Sweet Grenadine, Pleasurefruit and Candy Apple

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Shimmery, Sparkly and Just Plain Fun, the Latest Limited Edition MAC Pressed Pigments Are Purrfect Pick-Me-Ups After a Long Week

August 2nd, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

And they’re also quite handy when your fussy feline employer sends you the following office text: “I will fire your @ss if you don’t start wearing more glitter.”

Yes, sir! 🙂