Product Reviews

The two Aqualumiere lipsticks in Chanel’s Spring 2009 Makeup Collection make me want to sip hot java late at night from oversized mugs while listening to spoken word poetry and whispers of revolution.

The collection’s called Bohemian Fantasy, and both of the lip shades, Malta and Positano ($27 each), ease out of winter with just the faintest hints of color.

The easy-to-wear, nude colors are tender enough to work with almost any look, like the comfy white t-shirts of the lipstick world — classic yet breezy — and will pair perfectly with floaty floral dresses, or jeans and tank tops.

Malta’s a shimmery peachy-pink copper with golden glitter, and unlike many coppers that look too Oompa Loompa orange on my lips, Malta looks just right (yay!). One layer and I’m ready to spring out the door! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

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It’s that time again, ladies … time for Chanel! And time to go buck nekkid lips courtesy of spring’s two 2009 Glossimer lipglosses ($26 each).

They’re new, they’re nude, and they’re ready to bust a micro-glittery move on that pucker.

Wild Rose (my *favorite*) shimmers as a cool-toned plum pink with teeny flecks of silver glitter. She’s a beauty worn all by her lonesome, but I picture her pairing perfectly with smokey brown and plum eyes. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Beige Guitare grossed me out a little at first because it’s flesh-colored in the tube, kinda like Spencer Pratt’s fleshy beard, EWWW.

But I changed my tune after a quick swatch on the back of my hand. The color flashes from pink to beige to gold in the light, just like RuPaul, LOL! And there’s even glitter — hot pink, gold and silver — for extra credit.
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Add Dior Style Liner to the ranks of the GOOD GLITTERS. The small size of the flakes and softness of the their texture keeps this silver liquid liner (soo pretty!) from looking too eighth grade dance. It’s the easiest liquid liner I’ve ever used!

Because 1) I’m 33 and 2) very clumsy, I don’t wear many glittery liquid eyeliners. They can be recipes for disaster!

Most liquid liner formulas, particularly ones with glitter in them, tend to run and get all over the place. I call it the glitter conundrum; it seems like when beauty products are built to deliver glitter, glitter drives the product’s development more than the overall quality of the product itself.

That’s why I like Dior Style Liner.

The thick gel formula, the fine grain of the glitter bits (so fine that the product looks almost like metallic paint) and the fine, semi-stiff brush tip applicator make it easier for me to apply and to control than usual for glittery liquid liners.

Not only is Style Liner easy to use, but it feels age-appropriate. I can’t be running around like a wanna-be tween, ya know?
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I really wanted the Cargo Holiday Nights ($25) kit to BRING IT. First, there’s that sexy satin box (love it!); then, there’s the dreamy, deep midnight blue eyeshadow (LOVE IT!).

But, alas, it looks like the products in this seven-piece eye and cheek kit were designed to heat up someone else’s holiday parties (*tears*). The silver, blue, charcoal and pink colors that grace the set are just too cool for my skin tone.

No matter how I combined the four eyeshadow colors (and lawd knows I tried to MAKE IT WORK, Tim Gunn style), the results looked chalky. Beyond the shadows, even the pink blush is too light for my brown skin.

Swatches from left to right: Face and Body Glitter, Boogie Nights Eyeliner in Silver, matte pink blush, shimmery white eyeshadow, shimmery silver eyeshadow, shimmery midnight blue eyeshadow, shimmery charcoal eyeshadow

Still, this set is hot, priced affordably and should really burn brightly on gals with lighter skin tone. All four of the eyeshadows and the blush possess rich color payoffs. Because of the lightness of these particular hues, the kit doesn’t work for every audience, but, irrespective of my inability to pull off some of the colors, the products themselves are top notch.

The Silver Boogie Nights eyeliner and silver Face and Body sparkle dole out fun touches of glitter without looking garish. My cool-toned hotties and pale beauties should be able to rock this set harder than I could!
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LOL, yeah, so that term’s been out of style since the mid-90s, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to be cheesy! 🙂

Out-of-date slang abuse aside, The Balm Holiday in Balm Springs’ three-piece eye makeup kit ($18) deserves mad props (ha!). The two eyeshadows have great texture and color, and the eyeliner won’t budge for nuthin’.

Three Flexible Eye Products

Overshadow — a shimmery, lemon-gold loose eyeshadow — looks great as a wash over the entire lid thanks to its high pigmentation and finely milled texture.

Shady Lady eyeshadow is a shimmery, warm bronze with a sheer but buildable payoff that totes reminds me of Clinique eyeshadows. I think it’s gorgeous when paired with plum or purple liner.

Pick-Up Liner, a matte, cool-toned brown eyeliner, stays put all day long. It’s long-wearing, and at first touch doesn’t feel soft or malleable, but after prepping the tip by warming it up between my fingers for 30 seconds, it really comes into its own, softening and becoming much easier to apply.

The Balm Holiday in Balm Springs Kit

Price: $18
Use: Three great products to accent and color the eyes
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Stuff That Stocking, Yo!

I like that there isn’t a red herring in this kit. All three of the products are useful and none of them go OTT.

What’s on Whitney’s Head?

Did you catch The Hills season finale last night? How about the after show on MTV? Cast member Whitney, soon to be starring in her own show (lucky girl!), The City, showed up with a most interesting hair accessory.

What was on homegirl’s head? Was that a pantyhose wreath? WARNING: Craft store project takes tragic turn, LOL!
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Ladies, I’m plum tuckered out! After fall’s flood of faux plum mascaras (ahem, Benefit BadGal Plum and Clarins Wonder Plum), I started to think plum lashes were the stuff of legend — just something from the land of make believe, like unicorns and hit movies starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.

But Dior had a little something to say about that. They’ve proved me wrong with their limited edition Diorshow Plum Mascara ($24). Finally! A plum mascara that actually looks purple on lashes and not just the brush.

Because this is the first mascara I’ve seen all season to actually bring the plum, I’d like to marvel at its purple-osity for a moment.

*pauses*

Ahhh…

Two layers of Diorshow Plum turns my knees to jelly. The mascara excels at three things: delivering rich purple color, lengthening lashes dramatically and keeping a curl all day long.

Now, in a perfect world, the formula would thicken a little better than it does, maybe more like Chanel Exceptionnel mascara (aka the motha of all thickening mascaras!), and the humongous brush makes it difficult to coat and separate lashes individually (keep a lash comb handy), but those are minor quibbles, all things considered.

Diorshow Plum Mascara

Price: $24
Use: Longer, thicker purple lashes, hallelujah!
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

I can’t wait to pair it with gold eyeshadow!

What’s your favorite tinted mascara?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen