Product Reviews

Lacquers Better Look Out for Sephora by OPI Nail Colour Remover

July 27th, 2012 by Karen 9 Comments

sephora by opi nail colour remover

Alright, that’s it! I give up. I’m done waiting for Target to restock my favorite E.L.F. Nail Polish Remover Pads. Done!

Sure, they’re awesome and only $1 for a pack of 18, but what good is that when they’re hardly ever in stock? Seriously, I must check my local Target at least once or twice a week.

I wonder if a fellow nail enthusiast is stockpiling them… Heck, that’s what I’d do. 🙂

Oh, well. On the bright side, I think I found an alternative that 1) I like even more and 2) can usually find at Sephora.

A 2-ounce bottle of Sephora by OPI Nail Colour Remover costs five times as much as E.L.F.’s secretive pads, but that’s still only $5 (or $9 for a bigger 4-ounce bottle), which isn’t bad, especially considering how well I think it works.

It cuts through layers of lacquer like a hot knife through butter! — and it works without drying out my cuticles or nails, thanks to moisturizing grape seed oil, vitamin E, sea kelp and aloe.

With a cotton ball/pad soaked with five drops, I can usually get through four nails with up to three layers of polish each and a base and top coat. Glitters take a few more drops, of course, but even so, that’s still more efficient than E.L.F.’s awesome pads.

PRICE: $5 for a 2-ounce bottle (a larger 4-ounce bottle is also available for $9)
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Sephora stores and sephora.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

An Olympic mani with Rococo Nail Apparel’s Rock & Royal Kit

rococo nail apparel rock & royal

I’m so glad I found this remover! It’s perfect timing, too, because I’ve been going through a paw-painting phase where I change my polish every few days.

Oh, so many colors, so little time…

In fact, I just removed Bobbi Brown’s Bobbi Turquoise from the Desert Twilight collection, and now I’m trying to decide among the red, white and blue (or maybe all three?) shades from the Rococo Nail Apparel’s Rock & Royal kit ($36 for the kit, or $16.50 each), a limited edition kit for summer 2012.

I want to be wearing cute nails for the Olympics opening ceremony. 🙂

rococo nail apparel v.i.p.
V.I.P.

rococo nail apparel lab nude 1.0
Lab Nude 1.0
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I’m Drawn to Your Pigment and Wear Time, NARS Eyeliner Stylo

July 26th, 2012 by Karen 39 Comments

nars eyeliner stylo

Ah, flexibility… It’s good, no? GREAT, in fact, especially when you’re battling Channing Tatum on the dance floor, wrangling friends into last-minute dinner plans or, say, applying liquid eyeliner.

Honestly, without the flexible tip at the end of my far-and-away favorite LORAC Front of the Line Pro, my liquid liner cat eye looks would look like a hot mess. That flexible tip makes drawing straight, crisp lines much easier for me and my sometimes shaky hand.

But because I suffer from chronic makeup madness (I believe that’s the clinical term), I’m predisposed to seek out other options…

You know how it goes. 🙂

Which brings me to the four new colors in the NARS Eyeliner Stylo line ($27 each).

Even though their tips are a little too firm for me (ruh-roh!), I wanted to test them with an open mind.

The four new shades — black Carpates, brown Nuku Hiva, navy Atlantic and grey Koala — are en route to narscosmetics.com, ETA August 1 (not sure if they’re also going to be available in stores).

nars eyeliner stylo tips
From top to bottom: Atlantic, Koala, Nuku Hiva and Carpates

nars eyeliner stylo swatches
Swatches from the left: Koala, Carpates, Nuku Hiva and Atlantic

nars eyeliner stylo
Wearing Koala on my eyes
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Lips Are in for a Rouge Awakening: The Magically Moisturizing Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks Feel Like Feathers and Last All Day Long

July 24th, 2012 by Karen 33 Comments

Wearing Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Muse on my lips

Well, geez — and you thought destroying those Horcruxes was hard. That was a cakewalk compared to this!

Have I ever told you about my quest to find a matte, long-wearing liquid lipstick that doesn’t dry out my lips? If you have a minute, it’s a pretty good story — a story filled with sorcery, science and more flakes than a big bowl of Special K cereal.

It all started with my poor, dry lips…

You see, they’ve always been insatiably thirsty. They crave moisture like a husky cat craves gravy, and almost every liquid matte lipstick I’ve ever tried has left them chapped and flaky.

It got so bad a few times that not even Tabs would kiss me. 🙁 And I came to assume that I’d need supernatural assistance.

What I wanted was a moisturizing liquid lipstick that I could just slip on after breakfast and not have to fuss with for the rest of the day, and then one day, out of the blue, I came across the Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks ($28 each, and new for fall 2012).

hourglass opaque rouge liquid lipstick
From top to bottom: Canvas, Raven, Ballet and Muse

These pricey pretties kinda rock, and they weren’t even at the end of a rainbow! 🙂 Unscented and unflavored, they last an impressive 10 hours for me (although Hourglass claims they can last up to 14). They come in nine profoundly pigmented shades with a lightweight liquid formula and a non-sticky texture, and best of all, they don’t leave my lips looking like they’ve been through a cheese grater, score!

So, does it take a degree in the dark arts to conjure up a matte, long-wearing liquid lipstick loaded with moisture? Nope. Hourglass turned to the wonders of science to create advanced polymers, long chains of molecules made up of many smaller molecules strung together.

Just apply Opaque Rouge to clean, bare lips (it’s best not to be wearing any oils or balms; otherwise, the lipstick won’t take). Then, wait about a minute for the product to set.

The polymers bind to create a pigmented elastic film that prevents moisture from escaping, as skin-conditioning emollients, fruit extracts and viamins A, C and E make the moisturizing more effective.

Moisturizing and beautiful?

I also love the intense colors and velvety matte finish, which doesn’t look flat, harsh or stark to me.

hourglass opaque rouge swatches
Swatches from the left: Canvas, Ballet, Muse and Raven

hourglass opaque rouge liquid lipstick in ballet
Ballet
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Lush Is Getting Emotional About Makeup With Their New Emotional Brilliance Makeup Collection

July 20th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

Wearing Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Eye Liner in Motivation and Cream Eyeshadow in Happiness on my eyes, and Liquid Lip Color in Power on my cheeks

I’m feeling emotional today…but for once it’s not because Tabs is ignoring me or because I’m PMS-ing.

Shocking, I know! 🙂

It’s because of Lush and their new Emotional Brilliance Collection, the brand’s first-ever line of color cosmetics. It launches tomorrow worldwide at Lush stores and online at lushusa.com, featuring 13 Liquid Lip Colors, 11 Liquid Eyeliners and 6 Cream Eyeshadows, each priced at $22.95.

lush emotional brilliance product shot
From the left: Liquid Lip Color in Power, Liquid Lip Color in Vibrance, Cream Eyeshadow in Happiness, Cream Eyeshadow in Wise, Liquid Eye Liner in Motivation and Liquid Eye Liner in Feeling Secure

Instead of basing the colors on trendy seasonal shades, Lush tried to tap into their emotional side, choosing a pigmented palette and giving the pieces names like Happiness and Motivation.

According to Lush, each of the product names/shades can help you draw on the power of suggestion. Say, “happiness, happiness, happiness,” visualize yourself feeling better, and apply golden coral Cream Eyeshadow in Happiness on your lids, with the idea being that the happy color and name could lead to a positive change in behavior.

Sounds worth a try. I could always use a little extra happiness.

Or maybe you’d prefer one of the Lip Colors, like shimmery red Power, to help you through that big meeting at work.

Even the little jars look therapeutic with their dropper caps, like vintage medicine bottles.

“Apply two of these, Karen, and call me in the morning.”

Yes, Dr. Tabs. 🙂

Kinda touchy-feely, but Lush is crunchy granola like that (as am I sometimes).

Some first impressions on six of the 30 new pieces…

The Liquid Lip Colors

First I powered up with Power, a shimmery reddish orange that glides across my lips like a drag queen down a runway. With the doe-foot applicator (the dropper handle is just for show), it applies smoothly, like whipped butter, and feels lovely, but it also got my hopes up dangerously high…

When I tried shimmery golden Vibrance, I was surprised by its almost chunky consistency — not at all like Power. I had to pat it down to get the color to spread across my lips.

Hmm… Seems like these lippies vary widely, although both of them are unscented, unflavored and feel as light as feathers. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

The Liquid Eyeliners

At least for me and my small hands, the quaint dropper handle makes the liner brush a little tricky to control, so I skip it and use my trusty Sonia Kashuk Bent Brush instead.

Both bright, shimmery teal Motivation and matte purple Feeling Secure dry in less than a minute, so they’re probably better suited for sharp liner looks than smudged ones (Note: not recommended for water lines; I tried ’em, and my eyes started tearing up).

Of these two, I definitely prefer shimmery Motivation. Compared to it, Feeling Secure looks dull and lifeless. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

The Cream Eyeshadows

Shimmery golden coral Happiness and matte khaki Wise latch on to my lids like eagle talons!

Like the liners, both of them dry very quickly, completely setting in less than a minute, and on the one hand, I appreciate being able to just swipe and go, but on the other, I miss not being able to blend out the edges.

As for layering, neither one likes it, and both begin to look uneven and patchy when I apply too much. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

lush emotional brilliance swatches
Swatches from the left: Liquid Eye Liner in Motivation, Liquid Eye Liner in Feeling Secure, Cream Eyeshadow in Happiness, Cream Eyeshadow in Wise, Liquid Lip Color in Power and Liquid Lip Color in Vibrance
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Saving the World $6 at a Time: Milani Instant Eye Makeup Remover Is a Worthy Superhero Sidekick

July 19th, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

milani instant eye makeup remover

I figure it’s only a matter of time before it happens…

…a bite from a radioactive spider, a shot of super soldier serum, contact with a meteor fragment from the other side of the galaxy — sooner or later, it’s bound to happen, but since one can never predict the exact moment of their superhero transformation, it’s a good idea to be prepared.

You’ll need an outfit (cape or no cape?), a heroic hairstyle and oh! — can’t forget the makeup.

Superman might be able to just tear off his tweed blazer, toss his glasses aside and slick back his hair, but we ladies like to go the extra mile, like Catwoman, with her black liner and red lipstick (I can only imagine the leaps and bounds her credit card takes at Sephora).

Superhero Karen wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without long-wearing, waterproof eye makeup on her lids and lashes, since saving lives frequently involves 1) perspiration and 2) inclement weather.

(And it’s a fairly safe bet that she and Storm would cross paths every so often.)

One thing’s for sure — she’ll need a really good eye makeup remover, something able to vanquish everything, including waterproof mascara.

Wait! — what’s that?! Up there in the sky! It’s a bird, a plane, it’s Milani Instant Eye Makeup Remover!! 🙂

A dual-phase liquid formula free of oil, silicone and artificial fragrances, it bats aside eye makeup like the Hulk bats aside cars. Cost: $5.99.

milani instant eye makeup remover

milani instant eye makeup remover
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Because You Never Know When You’ll Need to Do Your Makeup in the Desert at Twilight: The New Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Mini Brush Set

July 18th, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

bobbi brown desert twilight mini brush kit

On the set of An Owl Hoots in the Dark…

“Places, everyone! Places! Okay, Karen, it’s twilight. The sun is setting. Remember, you’re in the desert, and it suddenly strikes you to do your makeup.”

“Okay…”

“Aaaaand, action!”

“Doopdadoo, let’s see… I think I’ll do my makeup now. Seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to do here in the desert, seeing as it’s too dark to read.”

An owl hoots somewhere close by.

“What’s that?! Jeez, I’m really jumpy tonight. That’s gonna make it hard to do my makeup with these little brushes…” 🙂

When I was getting ready the other day, I challenged myself to do an entire eye look from start to finish with the four mini brushes in the new limited edition Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Mini Brush Set ($55), and ya know, I actually got pretty far.

I finished my eyeshadow and liner, both of which I think turned out okay, but then I got stumped.

The Desert Twilight Set comes with a roomy metallic and turquoise pouch (cute!), a tiny Blush Brush, an Eye Sweep Brush (basically, a flat eyeshadow brush), one of Bobbi’s Angle Eye Shadow Brushes, and an Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush. Here’s the thing, though: it doesn’t come with a blending brush, which makes application a little tricky for me.

I like to use a fluffy, domed eye brush to buff out any edges and create color gradients when I do my makeup (my favorite for blending is the MAC 217).

bobbi brown desert twilight mini brush kit

Now that I think about it…I kinda wish Bobbi had swapped the cheek brush in the set for a fluffy domed blending brush. I mean, I think the cheek brush works fine — I’ve been using it to apply powder beneath my eyes — but for me at least a blending brush would have been more useful.

Oh, and what about brows, B? I know there’s room in that cute little pouch for a small-angle brow brush, too (like the MAC 266). Having one would make filling in my brows with MAC Concrete that much easier.

So, would I ditch my regular arsenal of everyday brushes for the brushes in this kit? Um…probably not, although I wouldn’t hesitate to use it if I suddenly woke up in Vegas one morning without my regular brushes and had to quickly slap on some face paint to be the maid of honor in a spur-of-the-moment wedding at an Elvis-themed chapel.

In a pinch, I think they’d do fine. You might just have to work around some of the set’s limitations, like by using a brow pencil instead of a powder or by packing a separate blending brush.

bobbi brown desert twilight mini brush kit
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The NARS Foreplay Cheek Palette Is Such a Tease

July 17th, 2012 by Karen 34 Comments

NARS Foreplay Cheek Palette

Okay, this blog’s a family show and all, but c’mon! You can’t expect me not to enjoy the perverted wordplay possibilities afforded by the new NARS Foreplay Cheek Palette ($49).

Fore-play? Four blushes, one of them a big ol’ pan of Orgasm? Oh, FranÃ§ois, you so crazy! 🙂

As a fellow diner at le buffet de beaute, you’re probably well aware of NARS Orgasm blush’s wonderful reputation. Makeup lovers have been lavishing praise upon it for years, calling it a universally flattering peachy golden pink that looks great on just about everyone.

I wear it, love it and reach for it often in the NARS Orgasm/Laguna Duo, which I never leave home without.

Seriously. I don’t think I’ve taken a trip without it once over the past three years.

Recognizing the product’s popularity, NARS decided to make Orgasm the main dish in Foreplay, a new limited edition cheek palette available exclusively at Sephora.

nars sephora foreplay

The palette serves up a big pan of Orgasm and three tasty sides — a matte rosy peach that reminds me of a sheerer NARS Amour, a matte hot pink that resembles a sleepy Mata Hari, and a shimmery golden yellow highlighter which, hello! — has glitter for days (starts off on my cheeks, ends up on my chin, weird!).

There’s been some rumbling about the blushes in Foreplay being different than their namesakes in the NARS permanent line, and I have to agree. The Foreplay Orgasm (did I really just type that?), for instance, sure looks more glittery than its permanent collection counterpart does to me, and the golden pearl glitter bits look larger, too, as do the grains within the powder itself.

Heck, I can see the blush sitting on my skin, which is something I’ve never noticed with my older pan of the big O. The overall effect seems more intense and less natural than the effect I get with the Orgasm in the Orgasm/Laguna Duo.

nars foreplay cheek palette swatches

Same goes for the glitter bits in the shimmery golden highlighter. They’re big, and they have a tendency to wander.

I’m definitely diggin’ both of the mattes, though, which remind me of Amour and Mata Hari, two of my favorite NARS blushes of all time.

nars foreplay cheek palette
Wearing the matte pink shade
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A Lovely Lipgloss That Costs Less Than Lunch: Neutrogena MoistureShine Gloss

July 17th, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

Wearing Neutrogena MoistureShine Gloss in Copper Power on my lips

Currently on my list of things I can’t get enough of…

1. Nude heels

For the longest time I was all about black shoes because I thought, hey, they go with everything, right? These days, I’m all about nudes. Nude heels, nude sandals and — oh! I’m think I’m gonna need to find a pair of nude boots by fall.

Basically, if it’s in a nude color, goes on my feet and appears to make my legs look longer (as nude shoes are wont to do), I’m there.

2. Cat stickers

I always use the tabby ones first. 🙂 One of these days I’m going to make some Tabs stickers. That would be rad to the Nth degree, for real! Of course, there would have to be several stickers showing off his husky tum (of course).

3. Smiles

My mum
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