Product Reviews

A Cure for Sallow Skin: Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Bronzer

March 26th, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

Physicians Formula's Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Bronzer in Bronzer — The $13.95 Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Bronzer in Bronzer (also available in a second version called Light Bronzer), available now at drugstores and online

In an ominous dream I had the other night, Olympic Skater Johnny Weir warned me that I was making a big mistake…

In the dream he told me two things — 1) that I didn’t have enough sequins in my wardrobe and 2) that I wasn’t wearing bronzer often enough.

I had to agree with him about the bling…

By nature, I love to sparkle. So I’m totally on board with that.

But about Johnny’s second bit of advice, I hrrumphed!

“Duuuuude,” I screamed from my dream seat next to the rink, “I wear bronzer a lot. Like all the time!”

He landed a triple axle and yelled from across the ice, “Don’t lie. I saw you at Kate Spade yesterday, and you looked tow’ up. What you need is a good golden tan bronzer. The warm, healthy glow could do you some good.”

Then he skated up to me, pulled the white scrunchie I was wearing from my hair (I never figured out why), and skated off until he disappeared into a hot pink fog…

(Yeah, I really have to stop eating those rice crispy treats before bed.)

This was one of those dreams I initially forgot about but remembered later in the day.

It was Saturday, warm and sunny outside, but I was feeling pretty crummy about being stuck indoors doing my taxes. At the time I was wearing my rattiest pajamas with a scrunchie in my hair (yes, it was white) and didn’t have on a lick of makeup.

I’d just glanced over at my pan of Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Bronzer sitting on my desk when the dream occurred to me and I blurted, “Johnny Weir!”

The golden bronzer is part of a new spring collection of products designed to increase yo’ sex appeal.

Ingredients

Mica, Diisostearyl Malate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Fragrance, Synthetic Wax, Nylon-12, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Magnesium Stearate, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Lauroyl Lysine, Kaolin, Epimedium Sagittatum Leaf / Stem Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Fruit Powder, Dimethicone / Methicone Copolymer, Androstadienone, Pregnadienol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Iron Oxides, Iron Oxides, Red 30, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 5 Lake

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Bronzer swatches — Swatches of the darker part of the pan on the left, the golden part in the middle and both the shades swirled together on the right

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Milani Liquid Eye Liquid-Like Liner in New Perfect Purple and Graphite for Eye Looks Both Bold and Gentle

March 22nd, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

Milani Liquid Eye Perfect Purple Graphite — Milani has two new $6.99 Liquid Eye shades for spring: Graphite and Perfect Purple

With the days getting longer, hillsides turning green again and flowers beginning to bloom, I’m not as inclined to spend as much time indoors. I feel like getting out there in it, ya know? Playing outside. Going to the mall, extra trips to Target, the grocery store — whatever. Anything that’ll get me outside.

This applies to makeup. I don’t feel like spending as much time on mine when it’s 70 degrees and sunny outside.

Milani’s Liquid Eyes Liquid-Like liners in Perfect Purple and Graphite ($6.99 each) can help with that.

The company just added both new shades to their super smooth, long-wearing Liquid Eye Liquid-Like line for spring, and in short, they’re essentially drugstore dupes for the MAC Pearlglides.

Milani Liquid Eye Perfect Purple Graphite 1 — That’s Graphite on the left and Perfect Purple on the right…

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Space Bound! The China Glaze Hologlam Collection

March 21st, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

QUESTION: What do stylish space cadets wear on their nails?

ANSWER: One of the 12 out-of-this-world nail polishes in the China Glaze Hologlam collection, ba-dum-bum!

Sorry. Bad pun, but with these polishes having names like “Strap on Your Moon Boots,” “Sci-Fly By” and “Don’t Be a Luna-tic,” you knew I had to go there, right? If I hadn’t, the piece of my heart that dreams of attending Star Fleet Academy and exploring strange, new worlds would have stopped…

Always have to pick the low-hanging, intergalactic cheesy joke fruit. 🙂

Now, let’s just assume that Star Fleet is lax about their nail polish regulations, and that painting your paws in zero-gravity is easier than it looks.

When you’re ready to rocket with glimmering, holographic nails, check out…

Get Outta My Space: A powdered violet
Astro-Hot: A soft baby pink
Infra-Red: A warm magenta-ish pink
When Stars Collide: A warm maroon
Not In This Galaxy: A bright warm coral
OMG A UFO: A warm mossy green
Don’t Be A Luna-Tic: A turquoise-aqua
Sci-Fly By: A light silver blue
Take A Trek: A cool denim blue
Strap On Your Moonboots: A midnight sky blue
Galactic Gray: A warm gunmetal
Cosmic Dust: A silver metal

So what are holographic nail polishes?

Two coats of China Glaze Hologlam in Infra-Red

A long time ago (2007), in a galaxy far, far away, China Glaze started experimenting with reflective nail colors, or holographic shades (holos), and they were one of the first lines to do so in a big way.

Holos contain fine flecks of micro-glitter, finer than regular glitters, that appear to change colors in the light (from green to yellow to purple, for example).

CG’s first two holographic nail collections, OMG and 2BKEWL, were was so well received that they quickly sold out.

Arresting effects

Two coats of China Glaze Hologlam in Astro-hot

With holos, you get galactic nail effects without the drama of full-fledged glittery nail polishes (plus, I think they’re much easier to remove).

One of my favorite things about holos is how they can look like a regular nail polish one minute, but then take off at warp speed in bright or directional light (like when you walk outside in the sun).

One minute, you’re an inquisitive Vulcan — calm, efficient, restrained. Next minute — BAM! — you’re a rambunctious Romulan ready to play!

But these are subtle, and this kind of subtlety comes at a price…

Two coats of China Glaze Hologlam in Get Outta My Space

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Blasting Counters With Brightness This April: The New Guerlain Le Vernis Maxi Shine Nail Polishes

March 20th, 2013 by Karen 13 Comments

Guerlain Le Vernis La Lacque Couleur Maxi Shine — Guerlain’s new Le Vernis Nail Lacquers ($23 each), for when you get over your matte nail polish phase

Maybe it’s the glittering wet rooftops I’ve been gazing at from my office window today, or the dream I had last night (Surfing at daybreak in Waikiki. Between sets I’d plunge my hands into the water and check out how shiny my nails were, haha! I’m a nerd.), or perhaps I’m just tired of the whole matte polish trend.

Lately, all I’ve wanted to wear on my tips and toes are super shiny finishes. Shiny, like Kate Spade spring patent-leather shoes gleaming on a pristine shelf, or shirtless Ryan Gosling’s oiled torso and glistening white teeth.

I want a maraschino cherry-like shine so blasted bright that passersby whisper, “Did you see her nails? Is she wearing three layers of Seche Vite? Who has the time?”

“NO MORE MATTE NAILS!” I yell to the universe, arms wide and head tilted back. “I want shine like I’ve never seen before!”

Of course, I suppose I could patiently wait for a shiny top coat to dry, but my schedule’s pretty packed. I have to budget time for episodes of that dumb-@ss celebrity diving show (Splash) and the slow-slow-quick-quick-slow-ing on Dancing With the Stars. (Who knew Lisa Vanderpump could werk like that?)

No, I’d rather have the polish do all the work — have it harness the high-voltage brightness of the sun — and I’d also like it to dry quickly.

Blasting counters with brightness this April

Ideally, I’d like something like the 10 new $23 Guerlain Le Vernis nail polishes coming to Guerlain counters (and the permanent line) at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores next month.

Part of the Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shine collection

The polishes are part of Guerlain’s Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shine collection, a family of 20 glosses and 10 polishes with a wet-look finish inspired by classic ’60 pink-up girls.

Mirror-like shine

The biggest draw for me? The glistening finish, which still looks wet after it dries, gleams so brightly that I could probably wave my hands and flag down a plane (I kid you not).

Quick drying

Guerlain doesn’t market these as quick-dry polishes, but they probably could if they wanted to. Each of the shades I’ve tried dries within 10 minutes (two coats).

Granted, that’s not 30-40 seconds, but still. Not bad. Next time I have a nail polish emergency (you know what I’m talking about), I just might grab one of these.

Guerlain Le Vernis La Lacque Couleur Maxi Shine 165 — Guerlain Le Vernis in 165 (two coats)

Guerlain Le Vernis La Lacque Couleur Maxi Shine 143 — Guerlain Le Vernis in 143 (two coats)

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Dive Into a Double Digit Dose of Moisturizing Minerals With the Plush Pigments in MAC’s New Luxurious, Lightweight Line of Mineralize Rich Lipsticks

March 19th, 2013 by Karen 35 Comments

MAC MIneralize Rich Lipstick in Style Surge — MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick in Style Surge, one of 12 new $22 shades in a new line of lipsticks available now at MAC counters, in stores and online)

Yup, it’s official. Anything’s possible now.

That’s how I feel today, babe, like the sky’s the limit! In a world with a line of full-coverage lipsticks that feel exactly like lip balms, anything’s possible. Pretty soon fashion-forward cats will start walking on their hind legs, venus fly traps will start crooning, and Keanu Reeves will win an Academy Award.

Um…have you heard about Splash? The new celebrity diving show?

Channing Tatum says what now?

Yes, celebrity diving show. Picture it: Greg Louganis coaching Kendra Wilkinson through her springboard tucks and twists (which reminds me, I dated a diver once for like two seconds; it did not go swimmingly, ba-dum-bum).

sp-ch — Umm… (from *Splash*, via Facebook)

Wait — where was I? Oh, yeah. The lipsticks.

MAC’s new $22 Mineralize Rich Lipsticks dove (haha) into the permanent line earlier this month, and from one dry-lipped girl to another (assuming you have dry lips, of course), one word: revelation.

According to MAC, the 77 minerals they added to the formula make these magnificent moisturizers, which leads me to wonder late at night (right after my 20-pound tabby wakes me up by walking across my left boob), why 77 minerals? Why not 76 or 78?

But I digress…

Ever since I started wearing six of the 12 shades, I haven’t seen a lip flake in sight.

The moisturizing formula takes the cake, but it’s not all these have going for ’em. They’re also comfy like a good pair of yoga pants. They could easily pass for a lightweight balm.

And they’re so easy to apply! — so put down that lip brush and liner. Even with the darker shades, like warm, deep red All Out Gorgeous, I can apply them directly from the oversized bullet (at 0.12 ounces per tube, these are slightly larger than regular 0.10-ounce MAC Lipsticks), and get 2-4 hours of full coverage from a single layer.

MAC Mineralize Rich Lipsticks from the left: All Out Gorgeous, Dreaminess, Elegant Accent, Lady at Play, Posh Tone and Style Surge

MAC MIneralize Rich Lipstick Swatches — MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick Swatches from the left: All Out Gorgeous, Dreaminess, Elegant Accent, Lady at Play, Posh Tone and Style Surge

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Does the Addition of a Primer Help These $8.49 Neutrogena Crease Proof Eye Shadows Last Longer on Lids?

March 19th, 2013 by Karen 49 Comments

El Hub and I have been talking about taking a trip somewhere soon. It’s been about a year since the last time we got well out of Dodge, and even though we have no definite plans whatsoever, the very mention of the word, “trip,” is enough to get me thinking about travel makeup.

I’m wondering if these Neutrogena Crease Proof Eye Shadows should tag along…

The formula for this new line of six smartly priced $8.49 shimmery cream shadow sticks contains a primer, supposedly reducing/eliminating creasing and fading, while the colors brighten and revive your eyes.

Not a bad idea for the price, right?

Sounds good to me. I like the convenience of stick products like these and love the notion of skipping primer. And then there’s the price, which works out well for travel, seeing as accidents (crushed or missing makeup bags, GASP!) occasionally do happen when I’m out and about.

Five of the six Neutrogena Crease Proof Eye Shadows from the left: Perfect Pink, Constant Copper, Stay Golden, Forever Platinum and Stay-Put Plum

Neutrogena Crease Proof Eye Shadow Swatches — Swatches of the Neutrogena Crease Proof Eye Shadows from the left: Perfect Pink, Constant Copper, Stay Golden, Forever Platinum and Stay-Put Plum

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MAC Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation Looks Like Real Skin, Feels Like Nothing and Garners Compliments From Complete Strangers

March 18th, 2013 by Karen 37 Comments

Um, you know when you find a pair of jeans that makes your bum look like it belongs in a naughty music video? Isn’t that one of the best things ever? 🙂

It’s like when you’re wearing a new foundation and a stranger tells you that your skin looks great.

Gurl, it happened to me yesterday at the mall wearing the new $33 MAC Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation, and it was joy.

I was at the Blue Mercury at the Corte Madera mall chatting with one of the sales associates about skin care. She complimented me on my skin and seemed genuinely surprised when I credited MAC Mineralize Moisture, a completely new line of liquid foundations designed with dry skin and sheer-to-medium coverage in mind.

She assumed I wasn’t wearing any foundation at all, so I said to myself, “SCORE!” I gotta say, when a foundation fools a fellow beauty addict, there’s magic afoot…

What kind of magic?

Well, the kind that brings mannequins to life…by which I mean the satiny finish, which has just the faintest hint of a shine, keeps skin from looking flat or artificial.

It comes in a whopping 18 shades, too — NC15, NC20, NC25, NC30, NC35, NC37, NC40, NC42, NC44, NC45, NC50, NW20, NW25, NW30, NW35, NW43, NW45 and NW50.

I usually wear MAC foundations in NC42, but when MAC sent me a few shades to test, they left that one out, so I’ve been wearing a lighter shade, NC30, to sort of highlight the areas beneath my eyes, on my nose, between my brows and in the middle of my forehead, and a mix of NC30 and NC44 everywhere else.

Those two together seem like a pretty good match for me (note to self).

MAC Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation swatches — Four of the 18 shades of MAC Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation from the left: NC30, NC44, NC45 and NW50

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The Plucky Pink Tarte Energy LipSurgence Skintuitive Lip Tint Puts Pep in This Cat Lady’s Step

March 18th, 2013 by Karen 13 Comments

I guess it was a good thing I slicked Tarte’s $24 Energy LipSurgence Skintuitive Lip Tint on my lips before Tabs and I left the house for his morning walk; otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up with him!

Yeah, I have no idea what got into your nephew this morning… Instead of casually strolling along like he usually does, stopping and starting to nibble on shoots of grass and inspect behind tires, he straight-up trotted like a show dog! — with his twitchy tail up, his head held high and proud, and his low-hanging tum swaying back and forth as he galloped around the circle.

I was smiling from ear to ear like a proud stage mom as he pulled me along. 🙂

And it was quite a workout, too. The big cup of coffee I had first thing this morning probably helped me keep up with him, but I also think the soft shine of Tarte’s $24 Energy LipSurgence Skintuitive Lip Tint put an extra spring in my step.

Ingredients: Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, caprylic/caprictriglyceride, vegetable oil/Olus/Huile vÃ©gÃ©tale, candelilla cera/Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax/Cire de candelilla, cera alba/Beeswax/Cire d’abeille, hydrogenated vegetable oil, castor oil bis-hydroxypropyl dimethicone esters, ozokerite, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, dimethyl isosorbide, stevioside, salicornia herbacea extract, limonene, palmitoyl hexapeptide-14, linalool, ascorbyl palmitate, tocopherol, glycine soja (soybean) oil. (+/-): titanium dioxide (CI 77891), red 28 lake (CI 45410), yellow 5 lake (CI 19140), red 27 (CI 45410).

New for spring, this latest member of Tarte’s lightweight, non-sticky family of twist-up LipSurgence pencils is one of those products that changes colors like a mood ring on your lips.

According to Tarte, the Skintuitive formula responds to your personal pH balance and your “energy,” resulting in a personalized shade of pink all your own.

It’s a gimmick, sure, but it’s one of those gimmicks I like, because it takes some of the work out picking a matching lip color, in that you can’t really control what color you’re gonna get. With energy, it is what it is, ya know? Your color is your color, and that’s that.

When Energy touches my lips, BAM! It goes from being a sheer baby pink to a medium rose petal pink in just a few blinks of an eye.

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