Product Reviews

Benefit Dancing Queen Ultra Shines Lipgloss Is My Jam

July 2nd, 2010 by Karen 19 Comments

benefit dancing queen lipgloss swatches reviews photos

Everyone has at least *one* song that always gets ’em on the dance floor (and don’t even pretend; I know what you do when you hear “Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her butt,” LOL!).

As a lifelong lover of public displays of ridiculousness, I actually have quite a few booty-shaking dance jams. One of my all-time faves: Dancing Queen! 🙂

See that girl, watch that scene, diggin’ the dancing queen…

Yeah, “young and sweet and only 17” — that was a loooong time ago for yours truly, but the song still totally moves me. And when Benefit announced the new Ultra Shines lipglosses a few months ago and included a color called Dancing Queen ($18), I thought, “It’s destiny!”

I’ve really been into bright lips lately, like Dancing Queen, a flirty, shimmery hot pink with subtle blue iridescence.

Like the other Ultra Shines I’ve tried, Dancing Queen goes on silky smooth, with loads of pigment and shine, and I love how great it looks on different skin tones. The color looks lovely on Erin, a pale blonde beauty with green eyes, and Marisol, a brown-eyed babe who’s a few shades darker than me.
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Turn Up the Heat with $6 Pantene Heat Protection & Shine Spray

July 1st, 2010 by Karen 42 Comments

pantene heat protection shine spray review

Riddle me this: how is it that each of the three new Pantene Heat Protection & Shine Sprays ($6) list the exact same ingredients but are supposed to target a completely different type of hair? — Fine, Medium-Thick and Curly.

Hmm, right? 🙂

Heat protecting sprays help to protect hair from damage (who knew?) caused by blow dryers, flat irons and curling irons while also reducing friction and adding shine.

These three come calling as part of the completely revamped Pantene haircare line of shampoos, conditioners and styling products for fine, thick, curly and/or color-treated hair.

Since all of these list the same ingredients, I couldn’t help but think, “Are these all just the same stuff poured into different bottles?”

pantene heat protection shine spray review
Ingredient list for Fine Hair formula
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Will Burberry Beauty Makeup Have Ladies Lining Up?

July 1st, 2010 by Karen 84 Comments

burberry makeup burberry beauty reviews swatches photos
Burberry Beauty Soft Satin Lipstick in Nude Beige,

Pip pip, cheerio! Put down the coffee, love , and bring out the tea, because the British are coming! — coming soon (later this month) to Nordstrom, that is. 🙂

British fashion biz Burberry is expanding its horizons, adding a line of makeup to its beautiful portfolio. The new Burberry Beauty line is now available for pre-order at nordstrom.com, and from what I’ve seen so far, the packaging is TO DIE!

The company, of course, isn’t new to beauty. They’ve produced beautiful clothing for years, and even in the beauty niche they’ve released perfumes (LOVE Brit Sheer).

The distinctive Burberry check pattern and textured trench coat themes weave their way into the new products for eyes, lips, cheeks and face; to my eye, the gunmetal packaging, embossed lipstick bullets/powder pans and textured boxes feel elegant, luxe and true to the spirit of the brand.
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Is the $11 NYX Bronze Look Kit as Good as Gold?

July 1st, 2010 by Karen 31 Comments

NYX Bronze Look Kit Review Photos Swatches

Among precious metals, gold always gets the best quips… “You’re golden,” “Go for the gold,” or when something’s said to be “as good as gold.”

Poor under-appreciated bronze just doesn’t get the same love, ya know? Seriously, when was the last time someone told you to “Go for the bronze”? 🙂

Well, perhaps the new NYX Bronze Look Kit ($11) will garner bronze the respect it deserves.

The palette, one of three new Look Kits from NYX for summer, bursts with bronzy shades for eyes and lips. Like the Purple Smokey Look Kit we looked at a few days ago, it comes with a mix of nine shimmery and matte shadows and two frosty lipsticks nicely packaged in a two-tier case.

NYX Bronze Look Kit Review Photos Swatches
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A Glittery Hot Pink Lipstick with Class? Shocking, by Dolce & Gabbana

June 30th, 2010 by Karen 35 Comments

dolce gabbana shocking lipstick review photos swatches

Barely a week into summer, and I’m already distracted by fall! The fall makeup releases launching lately (did you catch the new Urban Decay stuff yesterday?) are trying to steal the spotlight from summer, but glittery hot pink Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Shocking aims to put the spotlight back where it belongs.

Yes, the $30 price hurts almost as much as that time Vampire Eric bit your neck in the basement at Fangtasia, but this bit of glittery goodness is like summer sunbeams on lips. It’s one of 32 permanent shades in the Dolce & Gabbana Classic Creams line of lipsticks (they remind me of Chanel Aqualumieres).

Hot pink glittery lipsticks sometimes venture into trashy territory, but Dolce & Gabbana handles Shocking with class. The color’s bright, but not *too* bright to actually wear around town, while its little flecks of glitter add a touch of fun yet sophisticated sparkle.
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What Sets Tarte emphasEYES Apart from Other Shadows and Liners?

June 30th, 2010 by Karen 40 Comments

tarte emphaseyes review swatches photos

Rise and shine, morning glory. 🙂 Can we talk about clay? — as in Amazonian white clay (not Aiken)? Tarte’s new emphasEyes Shadow/Liners ($22), an entirely new product line released for summer, come in five shades — black, brown, indigo, plum and bronze — each made with something Tarte refers to as micronized Amazonian white clay.

Tarte claims it works wonders by moisturizing the skin while improving elasticity (among other things).

I just started wearing the Indigo one. It’s a deep shimmery blue with a rich, creamy texture (kinda reminds me of my beloved Benefit Creaseless Creams).

tarte emphaseyes review swatches photos box brush
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How Did Topshop Do with New Limited Edition Topshop Nails for Spring and Summer 2010?

June 29th, 2010 by Karen 17 Comments

Topshop Amazon Nails

Sure, it might be summer in nail polish land, but right now some fairly offbeat colors are having their moment in the sun.

U.K. (and now US) retailer Topshop now has a makeup line to go with their clothes, and their SS10 Trend Collection of three limited edition shades ($10 each) for spring and summer 2010 sho’ don’t look like your typical summer pinks, corals, oranges and reds. No, sir. Gold Dust (a shimmery buttery gold), Copper Coated (a reddish copper with large glitter) and Cloud (a creamy bluish gray) are downright something else.

Take a look, and let me know what you think. 🙂
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For an Easy Summery Flush, Consider Too Faced Papa Don’t Peach Blush

June 29th, 2010 by Karen 57 Comments

too faced papa dont peach review photos swatches top

Some questions and answers reveal more about us than others do, like, do you reach for peach blush BEFORE your first cup of coffee in the morning? Or, does the very thought of a day without peach cheeks make you break out in a cold sweat? If you answered “yes” to either inquiry, hello, friend — my name is Karen, and I’m a fellow peach blush ~~addict~~ enthusiast. 🙂

My newest peach blush crush, the cleverly named Papa Don’t Peach ($20), pays homage to Madge while paying attention to cheeks. It’s one of four powder Brightening Blushes from Too Faced.

Totally easy to use, it kisses cheeks with a soft and shimmery peachy warmth that looks particularly pretty on cheeks attached to half-awake zombie girls early in the morning…

Too Faced has a knack for balancing pigmentation and wearability, and Papa Don’t Peach contains just enough pigmentation to be visible on the cheeks, but not so much that it takes 10 minutes to blend away harsh edges.

Too Faced Papa Dont Peach
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