Product Reviews

Do Oui Love Essie and the Essie Spring 2011 French Affair Collection?

February 22nd, 2011 by Karen 95 Comments

Essie French Affair

The one time I visited France was part of a whirlwind European vacation with El Hub before we got married, and we rode the rails to get around, hustling from train station to train station in performance fleece and flannel.

I must have looked more like a hobo than a fashionable girl, burdened by the weight of my big red backpack, as I passed perfectly put-together French women on the streets, them with their scarves and perfume; me with my maps and dirty laundry.

I tried to soak up as much proximity glamor as possible, a feat I believe is also possible by osmosis, even though there’s very little (read: no) scientific evidence to back it up. (Persnickety science fun fact: technically it would probably be glamor through diffusion, not osmosis, since osmosis refers specifically to the movement of water molecules from a higher to lower concentration through a semi-permeable membrane.)

That trip was six years ago, and now my French glamor/glamour reserves are running dangerously low (like low-rise jeans for men), and it could be kismet that the Essie French Affair collection and I met at this intersection of my so-called life.

I’m told that Essie Weingarten, founder and president of the brand, was inspired to create the six limited edition polishes by actress Brigitte Bardot, the scorchingly hot French ’60s sex symbol and former French fashion model.

“I think every woman has a little Brigitte Bardot in her,” Weingarten said, “and this palette coaxes her out!”

essie french affair 1
Essie French Affair Polishes from the left: French Affair, Nice is Nice and Coate Azure

essie french affair 2
Sand Tropez; Topless and Barefoot; and Kisses and Bises
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Because Three Bad Gals Are Better than One, Benefit BADgal Waterproof Liner Is Now Available in Two New Shades

February 18th, 2011 by Karen 23 Comments

Benefit BADgal Liner Waterproof (that’s what they call it) in Charcoal on my eyes… oh, and new slightly shorter hair with highlights!

Sometimes it’s good to be bad, especially when you’re a Benefit BADGal Waterproof Liner.

Don’t worry, these BADgals won’t steal your boyfriend or trash talk behind your back. They’re actually really nice. 🙂

The first time I tried the original BADgal liner, I wore it to dance class, and we became fast friends because it wasn’t afraid to sweat. SWEAT!

This spring, two new shades are joining the BADgal Liner Waterproof gang, matte brown Espresso and matte gray Charcoal ($20 each).

Benefit BADgal Liner Waterproof charcoal espresso boxes

Benefit BADgal Liner Waterproof charcoal espresso pencils
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L’Oreal Aims for Infallible with Their New Le Rouge Lipsticks

February 18th, 2011 by Karen 26 Comments

Wearing L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipstick in 812 Opulent Organza

Ironically, L’Oreal claims their new Infallible Le Rouge Lipsticks last up to 10 hours on the lips. I’ve only been getting about 6, but I think that’s still pretty great. After all, no one’s infallible. 🙂 Not even L’Oreal.

Whenever I hear about a new long-wearing lipstick, I think, “Geez, I hope it’s not too thick.” It seems like a lot of them sacrifice comfort for longevity, but this time L’Oreal managed to achieve both. Not only does the lightweight, non-drying formula feel wonderful (almost like a good pair of pajama jeans!), but it doesn’t have that cloying floral fragrance the company frequently adds (they’re also unflavored).

As for how they look, I’d say it’s like a satiny matte. The colors are rich and pigmented, not flat or heavy, and they look rather polished on the lips.

Unfortunately, packaging isn’t one of their strong points. I find them awkward to use and hard to open. I actually knocked over a cup of tea trying to pry the cap from the tube yesterday, but at least the plastic feels sturdy…

From left to right: 812 Opulent Organza, 421 Charismatic Coral and 130 Enduring Berry
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The 3 Assorted Black Eye Liners Boxed Set from MAC Packed to Go

February 18th, 2011 by Karen 24 Comments

MAC Packed to Go Travel Exclusive Eye Liners

I have always clung to the belief that a woman can never have too many black shoes, black purses or black eyeliners. It’s a world view I sometimes refer to as “smart hoarding,” and while it makes perfect sense to me, non-believers like El Hub consider it just plain ridiculous. 🙂

Maybe it is, but that doesn’t change the fact that I was pretty much pre-ordained to like the new 3 Assorted Black Eye Liners boxed set from the MAC Packed To Go collection of travel exclusives (click here for a full list of boxed sets in the release).

What are MAC travel exclusives?

Well, MAC isn’t the only brand with them, but travel exclusives are individual products (and sometimes entire collections) sold primarily through domestic and international travel hubs like airports and duty free stores. Prices and availability can vary widely, but tracking ’em down can be a lot of fun!

This particular boxed set, one of many in MAC’s new lineup of spring 2011 travel exclusives, comes with three full-size MAC eyeliners — the Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline, Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved and Penultimate Liner in Rapidblack — in subtly different shades of black.

The mighty Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline’s a must for black liner enthusiasts AND cat ladies alike. A true black matte, it applies sans any blue or green undertones at all (an issue I have with MAC Smolder), and I love, LOVE layering it beneath powder shadows for super quick smokey eyes.
Waterproof Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved feels softer than my favorite tabby’s squishy tum. It’s a long-wearing pencil perfect for those days when you go straight from work to the gym. Oh, and if you’re looking to just get this pencil on its own, it’s also available now on the MAC website.
Penultimate Eye Liner in Rapidblack is like that one guest who refuses to go home at the end of the night. It’s a liquid pen liner that stays put no matter what, through sweat, tears, unexpected slushie attacks in the hallways at school, etc. I LOVE how long it lasts, but I have a tough time drawing precise lines with its stiff felt tip. This one’s also available by itself on the MAC website.

mac packed to go 3 assorted black eye liners

mac packed to go 3 assorted black eye liners
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I’m Having a Maritime with These $5 Rimmel Glam’Eyes Trio Eye Shadows

February 17th, 2011 by Karen 60 Comments

Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog wearing Rimmel Glam Eyes Trio Eye Shadow in Maritime

It’s Maritime, young lady. 🙂 Get ready to set sail on a Trio hour tour aboard the USS Glam’Eyes. The ship is bound for the The Land of Cheap Makeup Thrills, and Captain Rimmel’s at the helm.

I absolutely love Rimmel’s Glam’Eyes Mono shadow singles, so I’ve really been looking forward to trying their new Glam’Eyes line of trios ($5 each). Maritime, one of four trios in the line, is a sea of blues designed to bring out the best in brown eyes.

Rimmel Glam Eyes Trio Eye Shadow in Maritime

Rimmel Glam Eyes Trio Eye Shadow in Maritime
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These New LipSurgence Natural Lip Lusters Are Giving Me a Tarte Attack

February 16th, 2011 by Karen 35 Comments

tarte lip surgence natural lip luster adored
Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Luster in Adored on lips

You know how they say that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings? Well, every time I take out a Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Luster, a drag queen cheers and whips out two snaps in a circle. 🙂

The six new moisturizing lusters ($24 each) are souped-up versions of Tarte’s best-selling LipSurgence Lip Tints with punchier pigmentation and a finish so shiny (I gotta wear shades).

In the plus column, I really like that these pencil tips are twisties, because I don’t like having to tote around a sharpener (ahem, I’m talkin’ to you, NARS Velvet Gloss).

I also tip my hat to Tarte for keeping a lot of the common lip gunk out of these, like formaldehyde-based preservatives. They’re also gluten, oil, talc and MEA/DEA/TEA-free. And because they’re also cruelty-free, Tabs gives his husky-pawed kitty stamp of approval.

I’ve been wearing shimmery red Fever, shimmery light pink Adored and shimmery nude Buff on and off for about a week so far, and they have an almost lip balmy, non-sticky texture that feels thick and smooth. I like it, and I also dig their light peppermint flavor and scent, which, for the record, fades pretty quickly. That’s something the colors themselves don’t do, however; they last about three hours on my lips.

Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Lusters in Fever, Adored and Buff

Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Lusters in Fever, Adored and Buff
From left to right: Fever, Adored and Buff

Swatches from left to right, top row: Fever, Frisky and Buff; bottom row: Adored, Glisten and Pouty
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MAC Packed to Go 6 Cool Smoky Eye Shadows and My Mid-Day Wednesday Toast

February 16th, 2011 by Karen 29 Comments

karen of makeup and beauty blog wearing the mac packed to go 6 cool smoky eye shadows in seedy pearl, tendermoke, satin taupe and carbon

Haaay, boo! How ’bout a mid-day makeup break? 🙂

Question for ya: How do you feel about looks with taupe, purple, pink and black? That’s the direction I went in today when I based my eye look on the MAC Packed to Go: 6 Cool Smoky Eye Shadows palette from MAC’s new line of spring travel exclusives (Packed to Go).

What are MAC travel exclusives?

Well, MAC isn’t the only brand with them, but travel exclusives are individual products (and sometimes entire collections) sold primarily through domestic and international travel hubs like airports and duty free stores. Prices and availability can vary widely, but tracking ’em down can be a lot of fun!

How about you? What did you do for your eye makeup today?

mac packed to go 6 cool smoky eye shadows box

mac packed to go 6 cool smoky eye shadows

mac packed to go 6 cool smoky eye shadows
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I’m Adding Lush R&B to My List of Greatest Hair Hits

February 15th, 2011 by Karen 43 Comments

LUSH R&B Revive & Balance Hair Moisturizer

Lush R&B Revive & Balance Hair Moisturizer ($18.95) is so damn good that whenever I use it, I burst into song.

Whoever invented Lush R&B, homeboy was such a whiz!
Now my waves, soft and shiny, hardly ever frizz.
It hydrates my hair while it soothes my scalp.
(It really has been a great deal of help.)
With a touch of hold, I’m totally sold
On Lush R&B!

Okay, so maybe this won’t be my year to win a Grammy, but really, this stuff rocks. I’ve been using it lately to get what I’ve referred to on the blog as “brunch hair” and “vacation hair” — touchable, cooperative hair with a bit of hold and definition.

Lush markets R&B as a hair moisturizer, a kind of rich, hydrating leave-in conditioner designed for dry scalps and hair. It’s a frizz-smoothing, shine-enhancing hair hero recommended for hair types that often benefit from extra hydration, and they mention African American, curly, wavy and generally dry hair.

With organic avocado and extra virgin coconut oil for moisture, soothing oat milk, and jojoba oil for shine, it addresses many of the issues I have with my hair.

It also addresses one of the biggest issues Tabs has with many hair products by not containing any animal products at all. 🙂

After shampooing, conditioning and towel drying my hair, I take an amount about the size of a penny into my hand. The product’s a thick, rich balm, and I’ve found that a little goes a really long way. Rubbing both hands together warms it up, thins it out and seems to make it more pliable and easier to work with.

Working in sections, I coat my hair with it, sliding each section between my palms from root to end. I also gently scrunch the ends to enhance my waves, and let my hair air dry when I’m done.

Once it dries, my hair has a look like my favorite pair of broken-in jeans. It’s shiny, with lightly defined waves that feel soft to the touch. It’s a casual look, unconstructed and completely unfussy. Seriously, if a cute boy (let’s call him El Hub) were to ask me out on a picnic date in the park, this is the hair look I’d want.

LUSH R&B Revive & Balance Hair Moisturizer packaging
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