Product Reviews

Let’s Give a Big Round of Applause for the Lush Tiny Hands Moisturizing Bar

May 3rd, 2011 by Karen 24 Comments

Okay, so it kinda looks like an artifact from Raiders of the Lost Ark — a relic buried long ago in a booby trapped cave. But it’s not. The new Lush Tiny Hands Moisturizing Bar shouldn’t be hidden from prying eyes. No, it should be cautiously (more on that in a sec) brought forth from its little tin and given a big round of applause.

After doing some spring cleaning last weekend, my hands looked rough, cracked and felt sore (and don’t even get me started on my cuticles). My paws needed a hand, so I took it as an opportunity to test Lush’s solid moisturizing bar.

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The New Bobbi Brown Summer 2011 Almost Bare Collection Should Look Great with a Tan

May 2nd, 2011 by Karen 42 Comments

Bobbi B. is back with a new makeup collection for summer, and judging by the look of things, she’s been chillin’ at la playa.

The new Bobbi Brown Almost Bare Collection, available now in stores and online, looks just like a day at the beach. As she so often does, Bobbi kept things simple and clean, incorporating two dark matte bronzers, three glittery glosses and a repromoted scent (from where the collection gets its name). I think the products seem more Mexican Riviera than Jersey Shore, but the two bronzers, which are both quite dark, will probably thrill Snooks all the way from the top of her pouf down to her Uggs.

“From bronzers to the light shimmery glosses, The Almost Bare Collection creates the gorgeous sun kissed look you get after a day at the beach, one of my favorite sources of inspiration.

— Bobbi Brown

High Shimmer Lip Glosses, $22 each

From left to right: Bellini, Citrus and Pink Tulle

Am I the only gal who gets grumpy about tiny 0.14-oz. tubes of $20+ gloss? I bet I’m not. By comparison to 0.17-oz. MAC Lipglasses, these new 0.24-oz. limited edition High Shimmer Lip Glosses are practically huge! And they come with a doe-foot applicator, too.

Despite the glitter they contain (there’s a lot, but it’s not party glitter), they don’t feel gritty. They also don’t feel sticky, either, which surprised me considering how thick they are. The sheer-to-medium pigmentation makes them easy to apply. As for taste and scent, let me put it this way: Violet Beauregarde would probably approve. 🙂 Both faintly remind me of spearmint gum.

They’re still kind of expensive, but I can’t wait to wear these to the beach! MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Bronzing Powders, $33 each

Rich Cocoa (left) and Deep Chocolate (right)

I’ve always loved how Bobbi caters to a wide range of skin tones (remember how hard it was to get good colors for brown girls back in the ’80s and ’90s?). This release comes with two limited edition Bronzing Powders perfect for darker-skinned damsels. The Deep Chocolate and Rich Cocoa Bronzing Powders contain a blend of red and brown tones, which Bobbi says mimic and complement real tans.

I like the colors and how smooth they feel, but I wish they shimmered, as mattes tend to take me longer to blend. I’m more of swipe-and-go girl when it comes to bronzers, but if you’re willing to spend the time, I can see liking these a lot. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Swatches from the left: Rich Cocoa, Deep Chocolate, Bellini, Pink Tulle and Citrus

Rich Cocoa on face and Citrus on lips
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This Diamond Is a Girl’s Best Friend: Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner in Diamond Black

May 2nd, 2011 by Karen 61 Comments

make up for ever aqua liner top

Freakin’ epic! I can’t remember ever getting this fired up about a black eyeliner before (maybe MAC Feline? — aka one of the most purrrfect black pencils evah), because, c’mon, it’s black eyeliner. Are they useful? Absolutely, but sometimes it’s hard to get stoked about a staple when there are so many fun, distracting colors around.

That is, unless that staple is Make Up For Ever’s new Aqua Liner in Diamond Multicolor Black ($23). When it reached out and grabbed my attention, it almost knocked me down! If you’re able to try just one thing from this new line of waterproof liquid eyeliners, please make it Multicolor Black. No kidding — this shade is the bidness in a glittery jet black.

So what are the Aqua Liners? They’re a new range recently added to the Make Up For Ever permanent line. Available in a mix of bright and neutral shades in matte, iridescent and diamond finishes, they’re a lot like the other pigmented, long-wearing, quick-drying waterproof liners that’ve been popping up over the past year. Like the MAC Superslick Liners and Stila Sparkle Waterproof Eyeliners, they sport long, skinny applicators with pointy tips, and they last a really long time, withstanding sweat, running water and occasional (hella weird) eyelid kisses from husky tabby cats (SIDE NOTE: Yes, it feels strange to have your eyelids licked by a cat).

make up for ever aqua liner ps

MUFE’s Aqua Liners have a shorter, stiffer tip applicator (very precise) than those other liners and a formula that’s less determined to settle into my fine lines.
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What’s the Current Price of Gold? With Milani Jewel FX Nail Polishes, It’s About $5

April 30th, 2011 by Karen 18 Comments

Milani Jewel FX Nail Polishes

It takes a few layers of Milani’s new Jewel FX Nail Polishes ($4.99 each) to really get your sparkle going, but if you have the patience, they’ll reward you with dazzling tips and toes.

These three glittery gals just came out a little while ago. Each of them — Gems, Gold and Silver — is a clear base with big gobs o’ glitter swimming inside. Not only do they look spectacular worn by themselves, but they also accessorize the heck out of other polishes when brushed on like a topcoat.

Someone over at Milani must remember Deborah Lippmann’s breakthrough $18 Happy Birthday party from 2009. It was a gorgeous, multicolored glitter polish, and Gems could easily pass for a $5 dupe (truly outrageous!).

Can I get a what-what for affordable alternatives? 🙂

In these pics I’m wearing three coats, so as you can probably tell, it takes a few layers to really coax out the shimmer from these. The base itself is quite thin, but every subsequent layer increases the amount of and concentration of glitter.

The glitter applies unevenly, of course, but shaking it well helps. It takes forever, but by dabbing the tip of the brush on the nail, I can sort of direct where I want the glitter to go.

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Look Stunning in Sayulita (or Any Town) This Summer with the $14 Stila Stunning in Sayulita Palette

April 29th, 2011 by Karen 19 Comments

Stila Stunning in Sayulita

H-O-triple-T-HOTTT!!! with three exclamation marks at the end. That’s how hot it was in Sayulita, Mexico (outside Puerto Vallarta), the one time I was there about 10 years ago. It was August, well over 100 degrees, and it had one of those beaches straight out of a Corona commercial.

Wish we were here!

Not gonna lie: I’ve been lusting after Stila’s limited edition Stunning in Sayulita Palette ($14) mostly because of the water. It was a clear teal blue with flecks of what looked like golden glitter in it, and I remember sitting on my surfboard, looking down and watching the glitter just swirl around my ankles and feet. It was beautiful. Almost surreal.

That’s me in the middle clinging to my board for dear life

Beach dog, woof!

The colors in the palette, which comes with two powder blushes (a cheek color and a bronzing powder) and four powder eyeshadows, should play up tan skin nicely. The shadows include a peach, brown, taupe, rose and green. Considering the theme and the cutie pie surfer girl cover art, I was also kinda expecting to find at least one shimmery gold or teal, but alas, nada.

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Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner Is a Surfer’s Delight

April 29th, 2011 by Karen 22 Comments

I love surfing and like to think of myself as a water baby…but I’ve never actually done anything really cool on a surfboard. I’ve never ridden a tube or hanged (hung?) ten, and terms like “double overhead” (a wave twice as tall as the surfer riding it) fill me with far more fear than excitement.

For me, a good surf day involves simply standing up on my board (sometimes in the water) and, if I’m lucky, not colliding with anything or falling too ungracefully into the waves.

Great surf days include all of the aforementioned aspects of good surf days but happen only when I’m able to paddle out without getting my hair wet. As you can probably imagine, those days are few and far between.

I used to surf up here in the Bay Area, but not anymore (never got used to the cold). Now I wait for trips to warmer waters, like the one I hope to take this summer. This time, thanks to Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner ($22 each; available in eight colors), when I fall off my board, all arms, ankles and elbows, at least my eye makeup will look cute. 🙂

With eight bright, shimmery colors, the new line of waterproof, long-wearing liquid liners is just in time for surf days and lounging by the pool.
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Totally Taupe-ular! Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Rose Platine

April 28th, 2011 by Karen 28 Comments

Chanel’s new limited edition Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Rose Platine ($29) has a nice surprise to go along with its ultra smudge-proof formula (once it’s on my lash line, it stays on like Donkey Kong!).

The lone liner in the new Chanel Les Fleurs D’Ete Summer Collection might not look like much in its twist-up pencil packaging, but along my lash line it flashes from a shimmery silver to a peachy taupe when the light hits it right. I don’t think I have anything close to this peachy taupe in my stash o’ liners; it’s really unique.

I don’t think it feels as smooth as anUrban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil does, but after a quick burst of heat from my T3 dryer, the softened tip glides on without tugging. A few swipes along my lash lines — it takes about three to get a solid line — and I swear my eyes look brighter and more awake.

It comes with a secret sharpener!

Swatches with a flash
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April 27th, 2011 by Karen 63 Comments

Chanel Pink Peony Pensee

Mango overload! Mango overload! Help! I have no idea what to do with the four ripe mangoes that have been sitting in my kitchen since Easter, all delicious-looking and filled with juice. Salsa? Marinade? A smoothie, perhaps?

Around this time every year, I get a craving for two things: 1) mangoes and 2) shimmery, sheer glosses like PensÃ©e (a shimmery coral) and Pink Peony (a shimmer pink). And what do they all have in common? One word: juice.
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