Product Reviews

The MAC Metal-X Eyeshadows Say to Powder Eyeshadows, “Let’s Work Together”

January 27th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

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What’s that saying about peeling back the layers of an onion?

Wait — is there a saying about peeling back the layers of an onion? I could have sworn…

Doesn’t matter. All I’m trying to say is that I love layers. 🙂 Layered hair (the only way I can handle my thick, wavy mop), layered clothing (a habit I picked up living in San Francisco) and layer cake (the food, not the film, although I did think Daniel Craig was wicked hot in it).

I also love layering my eye makeup, and I’ve been doing it a lot lately using these MAC Metal-X Eyeshadows ($20 each).

The nine soft, limited edition cream shadows, which recently launched at MAC stores, on counters and online, intensify the color of powder shadows worn on top of them and create a high-shine metallic effect.

I’ve also noticed that they seem to make powder shadows a little easier to blend…

Now, I think these work just fine by themselves, without powder shadows, but they might need some extra babysitting when worn that way. I tried several of colors a couple of different ways, both on bare lids and atop NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, and every time I wore them alone, without shadow, I kept having to reapply. After about 2 hours on my lids, they begin to crease.

And that’s where the powder shadow comes in.

When I apply them on top of eye primer and then pat a great powder shadow on top, the resulting look stays rich and shiny all day long. There may be a tiny bit of creasing after a few hours, but I don’t think it’s bad.

When I apply a Metal-X shadow with my fingers or a firm eyeshadow brush like the MAC 239, I seem to get my best results and the richest, most intense pigments.

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mac cyber
Cyber

mac virgin silver
Virgin Silver
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Good Taste? These Clarins Spring 2012 Joli Rouge Lipsticks Have It

January 27th, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

Wearing Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick in Poppy Red

Quick! — your three favorite flavors of fruity candy and gum?

If grape is on your list, these Clarins Joli Rouge Lipsticks from the new spring 2012 Colour Breeze Collection ($24) were made ~~to chew~~ for you.

Especially if you like your grape candy with extra servings of shiny, moisturizing lipstick on the side.

Available in four faintly grape-scented and flavored shades, Poppy Red, Baby Pink, Sheer Pink Magnolia and Sheer Pink Coral are more than just delicious. They’re also creamy and — no, not nutritious. 🙂 I was gonna say rich.

I can’t get enough of the two shades I’ve tried, Poppy Red and Sheer Pink Magnolia. Luckily, I like the flavor and scent, which fade after about 15 minutes of wear, and I don’t find them cloying, too artificial or overwhelmingly strong.

Joli Rouge in Pink Magnolia

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Joli Rouge Lipstick in Poppy Red, $24
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When the Boy Notices Your Skin, That’s Illuminating: New EstÃ©e Lauder Illuminating Perfecting Primer

January 26th, 2012 by Karen 45 Comments

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Oh, El Hub… Bless his heart. As much as I love that man, it took him three days to notice that I had pink streaks in my hair.

THREE DAYS.

And those streaks are not subtle.

So when he turned to me one day last weekend said, “Your skin looks really great today. Did you do something different?” I figured that the product responsible deserved a shout-out.

All hail the new EstÃ©e Lauder Illuminating Primer!

Designed for normal, combination and dry skin types, this lightweight $32 liquid primer, which I apply after moisturizer but before foundation, smoothes the skin to downplay fine lines and imperfections, imparts a soft opalescent sheen (like a mellower version of MAC Strobe Cream) and moisturizes with vitamin E and shea butter.

I like the lightweight, lotion-like texture, among other things, which reminds me of Laura Mercier’s Primer, and my nose likes the faint floral scent.

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Unblended (left) and blended (right)
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This Spring Essie Travels Into Unexpected Territory With the Navigate Her Collection

January 26th, 2012 by Karen 43 Comments

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Pairings that unexpectedly work…

Chocolate and chili powder
I had a chocolate and spicy chili gelato once and was surprised by how much I liked it — after the first few bites, which, yeah, were definitely weird.

Karen and Tabs
El Hub and I were actually dog people up until Tabs came along… Talk about unexpected detours down Crazy Cat Lady Lane! 🙂

Celebrities and shoes
Dude, I never thought I’d say this, but some of those celebrity shoes are really cute! I practically live in my Fergie boots. And if I had a nickel for every time a pair of Jessica Simpsons at Macy’s stopped me dead in my tracks…

The Essie Travels brights and pastels The brights and pastels from the new Essie Navigate Her Spring 2012 Collection
Seriously, creamy avocado and shimmery hot pink? I know! But don’t these polishes look good together?

I’ve been neglecting my poor paws all winter long, but the six new shades in the Essie Navigate Collection ($8 each) promise to change that. Available in February, the playful pastels and bold brights in both cream and shimmer finishes offer an almost endless supply of unusual color pairings for fingers and toes.

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Bottles from the left: Ole Caliente, Orange It’s Obvious and Tour de Finance

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From the left: A Crewed Interest, Navigate Her and To Buy or Not to Buy

I never would have thought to pair some of these colors together, but standing side by side, I think they look pretty darned cute.

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Swatches clockwise from my thumb: A Crewed Interest, Tour de Finance, Navigate Her, Ole Caliente and Orange It’s Obvious
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These Burberry Beauty Lip Glow Glosses Drench Lips in Moisture and Shine

January 26th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

Wearing Burberry Beauty Lip Glow Gloss in Nude Rose No. 14

If the punchy pink Lip Covers Burberry bestowed upon counters for spring/summer 2012 were a little too pigmented for ya, not to worry, Burberry beauty. The line’s added two new long-wearing Lip Glow glosses ($27 each) that sheer look neat.

Semi-sheer Hibiscus No. 13 and sheer rosy pink Nude Rose No. 14 are like tropical waterfalls, drenching lips in moisture and shine, and what they may lack in pigment (say, compared to the epic holiday Lip Glows), they make up for in casual elegance.

I like wearing them on top of the Lip Covers for added shine and to extend the staying power of both products, but I also like how uncomplicated and pretty they look on their own.

Hibiscus No. 13

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Lip Glow Natural Lip Gloss in wands in Hibiscus No. 13 (left) and Nude Rose No. 14, $27 each
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This Spring, EstÃ©e Lauder’s Big Plans for Pigment Involve the Pure Color Blushes

January 25th, 2012 by Karen 39 Comments

Wearing EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Blush in Electric Pink

Holy frickin’ rad, Batgirl! I almost don’t know where to start…

The new EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Blushes are so packed with pigment that they might even make seasoned MAC addicts shed glittery tears of joy.

EstÃ©e Lauder went BIG with these new $28 blushes. Literally. The oversized pans are huge!

To put them in perspective, a husky tabby’s butt barely rivals their size. 🙂

And the powders? Let me put it this way: softer and finer than powdered sugar.

The 16 new powder blushes dance onto EstÃ©e Lauder counters, and into EL’s permanent line, next month. This week, I’ve been getting acquainted with one of the shades from that launch and three from a limited edition collection coming in May.

Clockwise from the red pan in the lower left: The Siren, Fearless, Naughty and Electric Pink

Carnation-colored Electric Pink is the shade bound for the permanent line. Soft and wearable, it kinda reminds me of a chillier version of MAC Blushbaby.

Reddish orange Naughty, bright red The Siren and hot pink Fearless, the bright limited edition shades, comprise a three-piece Pure Color Blush Collection By Tom Pecheaux, and when they arrive in May, they’ll be exclusive to Macy’s.

All four blushes apply with vibrant color that stays true from morning till night, and only one thing stands in their way of cheeky domination…

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Swatches from the left: Fearless, Electric Pink, The Siren and Naughty

The Burberry Lip Cover Lipsticks: 3 New Pinks for Spring and Summer

January 25th, 2012 by Karen 35 Comments

Wearing Burberry Lip Cover in Tulip Pink No. 27

You know you’ve seen one too many episodes of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills when the first words out of your mouth after seeing these new Burberry Lip Covers are, “Man! Lisa Vanderpump would cut a b*tch for these pinks!”

If you don’t watch the show (it’s like Twinkies for my brain), Lisa is the resident Queen B, and she happens to love everything .

As do I (but not quite to Lisa Vanderpump’s level). 🙂

The color plays a major part in Burberry’s new Spring/Summer collection, which, by the way, I’m currently lurving (have you met Pale Barley yet?). Three of the four silky new Lip Cover Lipsticks ($30 each) in the release are shades of playful pink, while the fourth is a peach called Golden Peach No. 29.

If you like your pink lippies light, smooth and moisturizing like a fine silk slip, ding ding, ding! — we have a winner here.

The Burberry Lip Cover Lipsticks: 3 New Pinks for Spring and Summer

Tulip Pink No. 27 — To my eye, Tulip Pink No. 27 is the lightest of these pinks and has the coolest tones, but Burberry was careful not to lower the color temperature so far that warmer-toned gals (like moi) wouldn’t be able to pull it off. I think it’s a perfect pink nude lip to pair with smokey eyes.
Devon Sunset No. 28 — Compared to Tulip Pink, Devon Sunset burns hot. It’s a creamy pinkish coral with a dash of warming yellow, and I swear I feel brighter when I have it on my lips. Cuties who love coral may want to add it to their list.
Primrose Hill Pink No. 30 — While bright for Burberry, I still think this hot pink stays true to the collection’s overall aesthetic. It has a soft shine that keeps it from overstepping its bounds, and I think the finish gives it an air of elegance. Plus, it matches my hair. 🙂

Devon Sunset No. 28

Primrose Hill Pink No. 30:
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Bucking for Best Dressed of Spring 2012: Tarte Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss

January 24th, 2012 by Karen 35 Comments

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And the award for Best Dressed Lipgloss goes to…

The Tarte Maracuja Divine Shines ($21), yay!

[INSERT RAUCUS APPLAUSE]

How exciting! 🙂 I love it when something really girly and pretty wins.

The 10-piece release of moisturizing lip plumpers just launched with Tarte’s spring 2012 collection, and I can’t get enough of that floral design.

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But what about the other categories, like Best Hydrating Lipgloss, Best Lipgloss with a Funny Name and Best Wear Time? Does Maracuja deserve any of those nominations?

Well, perhaps one of them…

But first, what the heck is maracuja?

The answer to that: passion fruit. MaracujÃ¡ oil is derived from the seeds, and it’s added to Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss. Tarte claims that it makes these glosses highly moisturizing with a high dose of essential fatty acids and vitamin C.

RANDOM FUN FACT — While Cujo, the rabid St. Bernard from Stephen King’s book of the same name, bears no resemblance to these glosses, it is very easy to mistakenly type “maracujo” instead of “maracuja.” In fact, I’ve done it at least 10 times.