Product Reviews

A Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream for $7? Almost, Thanks to Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow

January 16th, 2012 by Karen 43 Comments

Hop on a unicycle, hitch a ride with a team of sled dogs, or lace up those rollerblades — use any means necessary to get thee to a drugstore to see these new Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadows ($7 each) up close.

The potent pigments span an eclectic range of 10 colors from neutrals to brights, and either worn by themselves or as bases for powder shadows, these budget beauties can swagger all night long.

Maybe not the 24 hours advertised, but 10-12, nevertheless.

Of course, there is a catch (isn’t there always?)…

maybelline color tattoo eyeshadow (7)

To coax out that kind of wear time, I have to wear them with something else — something like a primer applied beneath them or a powder shadow on top — and really pack them on my lids with a finger or a firm synthetic brush (like the MAC 249).

Even when I don’t, though, these shadows still hang tough for 5-6 hours before succumbing to creases and fading.

Not bad for seven bucks.

Their fluffy, smooth texture reminds me of the pricier Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams, but I think the Aqua Creams do have them beat in terms of drying time, which could be good or bad, depending on your point of view (or in my case, how far I’m running behind, haha), and longevity. MUFE’s versions last me 14-16 hours, versus 10-12 for these.

If you like neutrals, don’t miss Bad to the Bronze (my fave!). I’ve been wearing it with bronzy colors like NARS Star Sailor Duo, and with neutrals like the ones in Urban Decay Naked and Naked2.

If you prefer brights, check out Tenacious Teal and Edgy Emerald. Both should look great by themselves or as bases for teal/green eye looks.

Wearing Bad to the Bronze
[Continue reading…]

NARS Diamond Life Shimmer Nail Polish Is No Cubic Zirconia: It’s a Purple Diamond for $17

January 16th, 2012 by Karen 23 Comments

nars diamond life (1)

NARS Diamond Life When you work for a demanding, fashion-forward kitty ~~dictator~~ model/boss, you come to really appreciate the extra time that results from only having to apply one coat of nail polish.

When you’re on call 24/7 and have to be ready for anything, every second counts, and NARS Diamond Life Shimmer Nail Polish ($17) fits my hectic lifestyle. One electric, shimmery layer, and I can move on to more pressing matters, like reorganizing Tabs’ toy collection by theme — feathers, strings, catnip-filled, and crinkly balls.

nars diamond life (3)
[Continue reading…]

$8 Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencils Are Soft on Brows But Still Get Results

January 14th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

I’m like the moon when it comes to brow products. I go through phases. First, I was all about the MAC 266 Small Angle Brush and Concrete Eyeshadow combo, but then I found Benefit Instant Brow.

We were very happy together for a while, Instant Brow, my brows and I, but then around my third or fourth $20 pencil, I developed drugstore wandering eyes and started looking for a more affordable long-term option. Maybe something like these new Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencils, which just arrived in drugstores earlier this month.

They’re $8 each and come in four shades — Blonde, Soft Brown, Deep Brown and Auburn. At the rate I was going through $20 Instant Brows, $8 sounded pretty good.

Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil

Like Instant Brow, they’re makeup multi-tools and have a pencil on one end and a grooming brush on the other.

I tried two of the shades, Soft Brown and Deep Brown; for me, Deep Brown was the better fit.

First impressions? One and a half thumbs up for convenience (uh…). I like having the brush and pencil together in one place, and the only thing that would make the packaging more convenient for me is a twist-up pencil tip that I didn’t have to sharpen.
[Continue reading…]

When Shimmery Blue NARS Dark Rite Soft Touch Shadow Pencil Creases, It’s So Wrong

January 14th, 2012 by Karen 27 Comments

nars dark rite (3)

Hello, serious! 🙂

It’s funny to me that NARS chose to call their new Soft Touch Shadow Pencil from the spring 2012 collection a name like Dark Rite ($24), unless they meant it as a question.

Dark, right? Even though it’s not. But at least that would leave the door open for a different answer, LOL! — one more fitting of such a shimmery, enchanting blue.

First time I saw the name, I thought, rainy Sundays and elevator muzak, and pictured a slow, sad ride down an elevator at 2 a.m. on my way home from working as a pawn for the man.

Yup, been there, done that.

But then I saw the color, and this Dark Rite is not at all like that. It’s more like high school graduation — when everyone throws their blue caps way up into the air, or like those desktop wallpapers of scenic sapphire oceans that come with a new computer.

[Continue reading…]

I Feel Anything But Neutral About NARS Bilbao Lipstick

January 13th, 2012 by Karen 10 Comments

nars bilbao lipstick (2)

From a distance, Bilbao Lipstick might appear like a slow bolero beside ValparaÃso’s quick-tempo salsa, but up close and personal, it’s more like the paso doble or flamenco. In other words, not as tame as it looks.

The third lip product from NARS for spring 2012 (the other two are Mexican Rose and ValparaÃso), rosy brown Bilbao Lipstick has quickly become one of my new favorite neutrals.

With a pinch of plum, a sprinkle of golden shimmer and a dash of silver glitter, it’s anything but typical, and it reminds me of one of my favorite places in the world…

Basque Country!

On a whirlwind trip through Western Europe in 2005, El Hub and I explored along the Northern Spanish coast, and we stopped for a bit in the seaside city of San Sebastian, about 30 kilometers east of the city of Bilbao.

After fueling up on tapas and taking in the sights at the beach, we posted up on a stone wall to watch the sun dip below the horizon…

[Continue reading…]

NARS Notable Neutrals Club Meeting Minutes, Jan. 12, 2012: Should Lhasa Eyeshadow Be Granted Membership in the Club?

January 12th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

nars lhasa (2)

The following is an un-redacted transcript of the NARS Notable Neutrals Club meeting held on Jan. 12, 2012, in Novato, Calif., as transcribed by Tabs the Cat.

Order, people! Order! Is this thing on…?

Good evening, everyone. Tonight’s meeting of the NARS Notable Neutrals Club is called in session. I know everybody’s excited about the spring collection, but let’s settle down. If we don’t start the meeting soon, you won’t get home in time to watch the Jersey Shore — no judgement! Seriously though, quiet down.

Okay, our first order of business. I’d like to nominate a new member to the club, NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow. She’s a single, $24, and I propose that we waive public comments and vote to make her membership official effective tomorrow, January 13, when she debuts along with the rest of the spring collection.

Now, I can hear some of you grumbling back there… I’ve heard the charges that the club has become too exclusive to newcomers — Cyprus, I’m talking to you — but may I remind you that we are not mean girls. All of us were at one time new neutrals ourselves, waiting to be discovered and loved. Lhasa deserves a chance.

A little bit about our prospective new member. She’s a shimmery lavender gray, a little smoky and sassier than usual for a spring shade, but she comes to us with a long list of references from fans who love wearable taupes. Of course, we performed the requisite background check per club rules. As you know, the guidelines specify that new members must have a soft texture, lots of pigment and a wear time like whoa! She passed on all counts with flying colors.

I suspect that some members may feel that Lhasa is too cool for warmer toned fans. While that may be true, I still think she would make a great addition to the club.

Alright, let’s put it to a vote. All in favor of granting Lhasa membership into the NARS Notable Neutrals Club, raise your hand — er, lids.

One, two, three, four…

[Continue reading…]

Thanks to NARS ValparaÃso Pure Matte Lipstick, Berries Are in Season This Spring

January 12th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

nars valparaiso (2)

Today I live in the burbs about 30 miles north of San Francisco, but back when I did live in the city, it was smack dab in the middle of the dot-com boom, and the place was hoppin’.

Rental rates were out of control! Dot-coms were shooting up everywhere you looked, and housing of any kind was hard to come by. I struggled to find a place to live and eventually ended up renting a room in a sketchy house out in SF’s Sunset District, living with a cavalcade of characters, like the DJ/herbal enthusiast (let’s just say she wasn’t growing rosemary, if you know what I mean), and the kleptomaniac.

Honestly, I have no idea what I was thinking when I signed that lease. It wasn’t one of my better life decisions, but the rent was cheap, and I was hell bent on moving out of my parents’ house.

Which brings me to the new NARS ValparaÃso Pure Matte Lipstick for Spring 2012…

Behind the sketchy house was a massive raspberry bush that had completely overtaken the yard, and in the middle of it, the branches parted to form a tunnel.

I never explored the tunnel because I was convinced it was filled with rats, but I always wondered… Where did it lead? Probably just to the back fence, but naturally my overactive imagination entertained the prospect of an entrance to Narnia on the other end.

Regardless, there was definitely something magical about that bush because it produced berries all year round — rich raspberries, like $25 NARS ValparaÃso.

For gals who feel that rich raspberry mattes belong in fall, you know FranÃ§ois. He’s not afraid to break the rules. 🙂

[Continue reading…]

With NARS Gaiety Blush on My Cheeks, Merriment Ensues

January 12th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

nars gaiety blush (1)

Well, I’ll be darned… There’s shine in that thar blush!

After seeing the new NARS Gaiety Blush ($28) in its pan, and even after the first quick swatch on the back of my hand, I was sure this candy pink would apply as a straight up matte, but it turns out that this member of the new NARS Spring 2012 collection has a secret up its sleeve — it likes to shine. Coupled with its medium pigmentation, this sweet sheen transforms Gaiety from a pretty pink blush into a thing of beauty.

Imagine the light flush you get when your crush notices that you’re wearing your hair differently. For me, that’s Gaiety. 🙂

[Continue reading…]