Product Reviews

NARS Coup De Coeur Lip Gloss Is Responsible for This Creamy Brown

April 24th, 2010 by Karen 30 Comments

I gotta give props to Francois for his ability to think outside the beauty box, this time with a twist on traditional summer lips.

Described as a sheer apple brandy, Coup De Coeur Lip Gloss ($24) reigns supreme as the lone NARS lipgloss for summer 2010.

Gosh, it takes me back… To the ’90s! And Buffy the Vampire Slayer, baby t’s, spaghetti strap dresses and those little black backpacks of days gone by. 🙂

On me I think it looks like a creamy reddish brown (maybe a little more fall than summer?) that lasts about three hours on the lips, and it shares the same smooth, non-sticky feel of other NARS glosses like Supervixen (LOVE! ).
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Rimmel Lasting Finish Blendable Powder Blush Deserves a Drugstore Makeup Crown

April 23rd, 2010 by Karen 27 Comments

Dagnabbit, Rimmel! Why you gotta keep drawing me in?

The person in charge of packaging over there sure knows how to grab my attention. They did it a few weeks ago with the font on those tubes of Royal Gloss, and now this??

LOVE the crown on these $5 pans of Lasting Finish Blendable Powder Blushes.

Ahh… it’s the little touches that get me every time, especially when we’re talking about budget beauty products and tempered expectations. Here, for a mere five buckaroos, I STILL feel like I’m getting the royal treatment. 🙂

Winter Glow
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$30 Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara for a False Lash Effect

April 23rd, 2010 by Karen 37 Comments

Get a “false lash effect” with Yves Saint Laurent’s $30 Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils, the makeup lovahs rave, but EEK! — for that price ($30) I better see fireworks after two coats!

First, I think this pricey princess does kick serious booty in a few important ways… I’ve been testing it in High Density Black, one of the eight colors in the line, and it delivers some of the best pigment I’ve ever seen. It looks deep, dark and rich on my lashes, almost like they’ve been dipped in a jar of India ink.

The clump-free formula eases onto my lashes, and coat after coat they still feel soft and light to the touch (not crunchy at all).

I have naturally thin lashes and like mascaras that add volume; Faux Cils does just that, even fattening up the little stubby ones most other mascaras miss.

Nekkid lashes
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Will NARS Cayenne Spice Up Your Summer Makeup Look?

April 23rd, 2010 by Karen 21 Comments

Ya know, I can’t handle spicy hot food. A little chili pepper — no problem, but no can do if my tongue’s sweating bullets. El Hub, on the other hand, can drink hot sauce from the bottle! And if he’s not gripping the side of the table, rocking back and forth after each bite, he’s just not happy.

Now, as for me and spicy makeup? I’m there! 🙂

This summer NARS attempts to bring the heat with their new Cayenne Cream Shadow ($22), a rich, creamy brown from the NARS Summer 2010 collection.

When I held the wee compact in my hand, visions of layered bronze and gold shadows danced in my head. NARS rarely lets me down, so I looked forward to adding this cutie to my summer makeup stash.
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How Dark Is Too Faced Aqua Bunny Bronzer?

April 22nd, 2010 by Karen 12 Comments

How do you feel about chocolate mousse? — err, I mean Too Faced’s Aqua Bunny Bronzer ($28)? 🙂

Too Faced created this water-resistant, cream-to-powder bronzer to get a handle on shine while adding a sun-kissed glow to the skin. Despite how dark it looks in the pan, it goes on fairly sheer, almost like a semi-translucent, slightly shimmery golden bronze (sans orange undertones).

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Bonjour! Let Givenchy Makeup Take You Someplace Special for Summer

April 21st, 2010 by Karen 50 Comments

Do you ever wish you could just drop everything, hand over your responsibilities to someone trustworthy and take a long, relaxing trip to some idyllic hidden getaway?

Givenchy knows what it’s like; one of the things they do well is create collections that take the heart and mind on a journey.

When I look at the evocative packaging and dynamic colors of their summer 2010 collection, I feel like today’s rotten weather and my ever-present to-do list are miles and miles away.

Fleur de Frangipanier Powder in Island Tan

The blues, bronzes, pinks and peaches transport me to a tropical resort, where I’m lounging lazily beside the pool, reading some book (probably teen lit) under a stand of palm trees rustling overhead. Of course, in this fantasy I’m rocking killer abs in a Burberry bikini, and Ryan Reynolds just offered to buy me a margarita, but that’s another story for another time. 😉

Le Prisme Mono in Island Lagoon Eyeshadow

The seven-piece collection for lips, eyes and cheeks lives up to Givenchy’s reputation for eye-catching limited edition packaging. Check out the flower in the Fleur de Frangipanier Powder and the delicate floral designs on the compacts… I DIE!!

Pop Gloss Crystal SUN in Island Guava
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NARS Sin Blush: BFF to Purple Glosses Everywhere

April 21st, 2010 by Karen 59 Comments

I’ve had my share of flings with purple glosses 🙂 (still lovin’ ya, MAC Lavender Whip!), but I’ve never found the right blush to go with ’em.

(until now)

Shimmery golden berry NARS Blush in Sin ($26) just may be the perfect partner for purple gloss. It’s been part of the NARS family (permanent) for some time now, but I just recently gave it a try.

Speaking of purple, has anyone else been crushing hard on purple lipgloss lately? I’ve been working my way through a phase triggered by the new purple glosses from Benefit and Too Faced (but I digress…).

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NARS Versailles Nail Polish: Summer’s Pearly Lemon Gold

April 20th, 2010 by Karen 41 Comments

The only thing that came close to getting Glee off my mind today was the lovely NARS Versailles nail polish ($16) from Francois’ collection for summer 2010.

NARS made this pearly lemon gold so easy peasy to work with that I can’t believe it’s not butter. It dries quickly, doesn’t streak and has a nice glossy shine I won’t soon forget.

That’s two coats in the swatch up top…

Methinks Versailles is a much cooler color (as in color temp) than the other golden polish that made a big splash with me this summer, Chanel’s Gold LamÃ© (with its warmer, almost peachy orange undertones).

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