Product Reviews

These Dolce & Gabbana Summer 2011 Crayon Intense Eyeliners Prefer Lash Lines to Water

July 23rd, 2011 by Karen 24 Comments

Gosh, I sure do love the color of Dolce & Gabbana’s two new limited edition Summer 2011 Crayon Intense Eyeliners…

They’re from the new Italian Summertime Collection (here are some of the lipsticks from the release). First, there’s Agave, a shimmery khaki green with a hint of gold, and also Bronzo, a bronzy taupe.

I think both look faboo along my lash line, with Agave seeming to emphasize my brown eyes while Bronzo has more of a brightening effect, sort of like Chanel’s Rose Platine.

Agave (left) and Bronzo (right)
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Deep Thoughts with Caress Sheer Twilight Fine Fragrance Elixir Body Wash in Black Orchid and Juniper Oil…

July 22nd, 2011 by Karen 39 Comments

Deep thoughts I have in the shower while using the new Caress Sheer Twilight Fine Fragrance Elixir Body Wash in Black Orchid and Juniper Oil…

Caress Sheer Twilight

Who would win in a fight between Twilight’s Vampire Edward and True Blood’s Vampire Bill? How about the same fight between Vampire Edward and Vampire Eric?
What if Vampire Bill fought Angel from Buffy?
Would the Cullen family, self-professed “vegetarian vampires,” drink True Blood? And if so, would they buy it in cases from Costco?
Is it possible for vampires to turn their pets, and if so, should they? If I had to live for eternity as a member of the undead, I’m sorry, Tabs, you’re coming with me.
If you’re human and the sight of blood makes you queasy, does that queasiness carry over if you’re turned?
Would Vampire Eric use this new Caress body wash (in the shower, naked)? How would he feel about warm, cozy scents?

LOL! All it takes is the word “twilight” on the bottle to get me thinking about hot vampire dudes… 🙂 I wonder if that’s what Caress wanted when they chose the product’s name.

As far as affordable drugstore shower gels go (THREE BUCKS!), this one’s not half bad. It uses something Caress calls their “silky fragrance infusion,” which for me basically translates into the scent lasting and lingering on my skin long after I step out of the shower. Officially, the fragrance is described as black orchid and juniper oil, but it reminds my nose of Pottery Barn potpourri.

It’s not the kind of scent I’m usually drawn to — I tend to prefer fresher, brighter, more citrusy florals or scents with watery notes — but I like the execution here. I can see gals who love spicy, cozy fragrances and scents like warm amber and vanilla liking it, too.

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Wow, This Is Big: Flirt! Big Flirt Sheer and Shiny Lipgloss

July 21st, 2011 by Karen 49 Comments

These new Flirt! Big Flirt Sheer and Shiny Lipglosses ($15.50) are like the Big Gulps of the gloss world. They come in super-size tubes with big@ss doe-foot applicators similar to the ones on the large-and-in-charge Lipglasses from the MAC Wonder Woman collection.

Flirt claims their massive “megatip applicator” helps them cover up to 170% more surface area than a standard doe foot…

That’s a lot of lip! I don’t know how practical it is for someone with small lips (like me), but I think the big applicator looks kinda cool. The trick, however, is using it without getting gloss all over the place.

Berry Bombshell, Big on Beige, Big Blush, Big Pink Kisses, Big Time Nude, Bigger than Rose, Big Pink Sunshine and Coral-Me Fabulous

With a regular MAC Lipglass for size

With a MAC Lipglass doe foot for scale
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It Takes You to Make the New Givenchy Les Ombres de Lune Palette Go Right

July 20th, 2011 by Karen 58 Comments

Givenchy Les Ombres de Lune

One thing Givenchy limited edition makeup releases have never been lacking is style. Whether it’s a pan of powder embossed with an intricate floral pattern or a palette with clean, understated lines, Givenchy understands the words “special” and “fancy.”

Whenever I see Givenchy on a counter or dressing table, I’m almost guaranteed to utter “oohs” and “aahs.” Just like when Alcide bares his chest on True Blood, the visuals are just too dang good. 🙂

Performance-wise, the products may hit or miss, but they are quite capable of knocking it out of the park. When it comes to their two new Les Ombres de Lune Shadow & Light Eyes palettes ($58 each) for fall, color my smokey eyes impressed.

Each of the two new face and eye palettes comes with two powder products — a darker eyeshadow for use as a shadow or liner, and a shimmery highlighting powder for the eyes, cheeks and face. I’ve been alternating between the two of them, Les Lune Mysterieuse and Les Lune Mordoree, for the past week, and both have been fantastic for giving skin a glow and creating quick smokey eyes.

Lune Mordoree palette

A shimmery, cool-toned lemony chiffon gold
A cool sapphire blue with black undertones and subtle shimmer

Lune Mysterieuse palette

A frosty neutral beige
An ebony black with a subtle shimmer

Shoot, I thought the Velvet Eyeshadows from Benefit’s Maggie and Annie kits were soft, but these powders are even softer. They’re like snuggling with silky, blue-eyed, baby ragdoll kittens (awww).

And they’re right on point when it comes to performance, too, flawlessly blending with intense pigments, but no creasing, fading or fallout to hold them back.

Givenchy Les Ombres de Lune

Givenchy Les Ombres de Lune
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Elizabeth Arden Ultra Ceramide Lipstick in Watermelon Is a Casually Cool Summertime Treat

July 20th, 2011 by Karen 53 Comments

One of these days Tabs is going to walk downstairs and find a super sweet, 5-foot 1-inch-tall seedless watermelon sitting in my computer chair.

It’ll have skinny brown arms and hands with long fingers, and flat arches at the bottom of its high-heeled feet.

From behind it Tabs will ask, “Meow?” wondering what happened to his previous assistant, and the watermelon creature will slowly turn toward him in its chair and say, “Tabs, it’s me.”

SCARY!

I’ve eaten so much watermelon over the past month that I just might turn into one.

And if I do, where would that leave Tabs? How would he get his lurvies from a giant watermelon girl? It would be like an episode of The Twilight Zone — the old-school, black-and-white one with Rod Serling. Except with fruit. A cat. And makeup.

Of course, it makes total sense to extend this fruity fantasy into the realm of makeup, right? First, with MAC’s watermelon pink Impassioned lipstick, which we looked at earlier this month, and now with Elizabeth Arden’s Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in Watermelon ($22.50).

With its slick, thin texture and high-gloss finish, EA’s Watermelon reminds me of some of the other stick gloss lipsticks we’ve seen over the past few years.

The Ceramide Ultra Lipsticks are Elizabeth Arden’s recently-released new line of medium-to-full coverage plumping, moisturizing lippies. Available in 18 shades of red, coral, neutral, pink and plum across three finishes in cream, shimmer and pearl, they’re packed with hydrating ingredients that EA claims make lips look fuller and younger.

Do my lips look fuller and younger with it on? Maybe a little? Methinks any noticeable difference in plumpness might be due to a trick of light from the glare.

Good enough for me. 🙂

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How Much Does L’Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator Eyeliner Turn Up the Bright?

July 20th, 2011 by Karen 25 Comments

Adding to the list of things that keep me up at night (uncharted asteroids, coyotes howling in the distance, that one spider that got away, El Hub’s snoring), Tabs has been acting extra creepy lately, and it’s really freaking me out.

He’ll crawl into bed at night when I do and fall asleep beside me, but then, once or twice in the night, he’ll abruptly sit up on his haunches, which startles me awake, and stare intensely down the dark hallway as if he’s watching something (or someone)…

In the house!

El Hub says it’s probably just freaky cat senses detecting a twig drop half a mile away, but then he goes on to tell me about a story he read that claims cats may be able to see ghosts that humans can’t.

Oh, that’s great. Good to know. Thanks!

Long story short, this hasn’t been a good week for sleep, and I’ve getting up feeling and looking more tired than usual.

So when I came across the new $9 Double Extend Eye Illuminator Eyeliners from L’Oreal, I hoped they’d help disguise my fatigue. Each of the four dual-ended liners comes with a jewel-toned eyeliner on one end and a creamy off-white pencil on the other, with the eyeliner tip designed to enhance one’s natural color, and the off-white pencil tip designed to highlight and illuminate. Used together, both are supposed to brighten better than they would alone.

I gave Black Quartz, which is supposed to flatter brown eyes, and Black Crystal, which is designed for all eye colors, a try this week (haha, I almost typed “a tired this week”).

Black Crystal (left) and Black Quartz (right)

Black Crystal (left) and Black Quartz (right)
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Eye Wanna! Eye Gotta! Have Benefit’s Two New Annie and Maggie Collection Kits for Fall

July 19th, 2011 by Karen 58 Comments

Benefit’s two new fall eye palettes aren’t just relying on good looks. They’re also travel-sized and perfect for your purse.

Remember those Annie and Maggie Sunday Funday and Scene Queen kits Benefit released last fall? These two new limited edition Eye Wanna! and Eye Gotta! kits ($36 each) have that same kind of convenience in mind, except this time around, the kits keep everything focused on the eyes.

Each one comes with three Benefit Velvet Eyeshadows and two Creaseless Creams, and all of the colors are new to the line.

If you’re in the mood for cool colors or perhaps a bold look, take a peek at the cool-toned blues, taupes and pinks in the Eye Wanna! kit; if, however, you prefer warmer greens, browns and plums for everyday wear, the Eye Gotta! kit might be more your style.

The Eye Wanna! kit includes…

Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Static — A frosty silvery taupe
Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Airbrush — A cool light pink with a sheen finish
Velvet Eyeshadow in Skyline — A cool cornflower blue with a sheen finish
Velvet Eyeshadow in Inked — A dark sapphire blue with blacked undertones and a sheen finish
Velvet Eyeshadow in Deco — A matte plum with a hint of red

The Eye Gotta! kit includes…

Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Flash — A frosty golden peach (kinda like a cream version of MAC Ricepaper)
Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Foiled — A frosty taupe with a touch of plum
Velvet Eyeshadow in Spiced — A shimmery, warm golden bronzy brown (really reminds me of Deeper from the new Urban Decay 15-Year Anniversary Palette)
Velvet Eyeshadow in Purple Haze — A warm plum with tiny flecks of golden glitter
Velvet Eyeshadow in Canopy — A golden khaki with a subtle sheen (my favorite!)

A couple of the Creaseless Creams have a high-shine, frosty finish that borders on loud, but layering the other shadows on top of ’em is one way to tone them down.

As for the powder eyeshadows, they’re my favorite things about these kits. Smoother and softer than Marshmallow Fluff. 🙂 Ah… They practically melt into my skin.

Eye Gotta! kit

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New Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer Nails the Color, But the Formula Could Use Some Help

July 18th, 2011 by Karen 43 Comments

hourglass film noir lash lacquer

Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer sure is interesting. I’ll give it that.

In my ceaseless pursuit of products to transform my mousy, stage-fright fringe into the lash equivalent of Cher on tour (complete with crazy wigs and pyrotechnics), I’ve tried a lot of different mascaras, but I can safely say I’ve never tried one quite like this.

Here's lookin' at you, kid Lash Lacquer comes in a single shade, inky black Kohl. Not quite a mascara, Hourglass says it does for lashes what top coat does for nails (at least one of the things), giving them an almost wet look that’s supposed to ramp up the intensity of bare lashes and other mascaras when layered on top. Ya know, the old false lash look.

Basically, it’s supposed to perform like a thickening, jet black liquid mascara top coat that you apply with a brush. The brush, incidentally, looks like a nail polish brush, and it’s supposed to be used kinda like one, too, held horizontally, with each lash painted one by one.

For the most dramatic affect, pair it with a lengthening mascara, rather than a thickening mascara. I tried it with several lengthening mascaras (including Hourglass Film Noir), and basically got same effect with all of them. In these pictures I applied it over one layer of my current lengthening mascara crush, Urban Decay Cannonball.

hourglass film noir lash lacquer

hourglass film noir lash lacquer brush
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