Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
Well, cover me in jewels, and bring my royal scepter because the regal shades of rich purple, deep ruby and gold make the Essie Winter 2008 collection ($8 each) a royal tour de force!
The colors remind me of His Royal Purpleness, Prince, from the height of Purple Rain fame.
Bold and Beautiful: creamy ruby red
Damsel in a Dress: creamy deep berry
It’s Genius: shimmery purple with gold flecks
Rock Star Skinny: creamy blood red
Sexy Divide: shimmery violet
Shift Power: metallic gold
Okay, I’ll fess up — the pewter clutch and silver necklace that come with the Smashbox Enchantress Beauty Kit ($45) were the real reasons why this limited edition set first caught my eye, but, as it turns out, they were just icing on the cake.
Enchantress, one of eight limited edition holiday makeup sets from Smashbox this year, also comes with some highly wearable makeup — Lip Enhancing Gloss in Protege, That’s a Wrap Mascara in Black, Cream Eye Liner Duo in Caviar/Midnight Brown and Soft Lights Quad in Aglow.
Each of the items in the set play well together, and I used them for the makeup I wore to my parents’ house for dinner last night.
The nude gloss is my favorite item the set. A shimmery warm pink with golden pearl, Protege looks good with smokey eyes, and the thin formula, which smells faintly of cinnamon, doesn’t feel overly sticky to the touch.
Like most glosses, Protege doesn’t last all day/night (about two hours per application), but by filling in my lips first with Chanel Nude Lip Liner, I managed to squeeze out an extra hour of wear time. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A
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I was cruising a Bed, Bath & Beyond a few weeks ago, looking for couch covers, when I spotted their ginormous, new beauty section. The company has been rolling them out in their larger stores nationwide.
Anywho, that’s when I spotted Comodynes Oats Makeup Remover Facial Cleanser Wipes ($6). I can’t resist makeup wipes, so I picked them up but hadn’t gotten around to using them until this week.
I opened the pack after Jen’s wedding last Saturday, and wouldn’t you know it? — these things rock. A single wipe was all it took to remove my full-coverage foundation, long-wearing MAC Fluidline Gel Liner AND several layers of heavy duty Chanel Exceptionnel thickening mascara. Not bad.
The wipes feel soft against my skin, kinda like the stretchy fabric of L’Oreal Skin Genesis Wet Cleansing Towelettes. In fact, they’re so soft and moisturizing that they didn’t irritate sensitive areas like the skin around my waterline (they’re even alcohol-free).
Price: $6 (20 big wipes per pack)
Use: A superb makeup removing moist towelette; even removes long-wear and waterproof eye makeup with ease.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
And, unlike L’Oreal Skin Genesis Wet Cleansing Towelettes, Comodynes wipes don’t leave a sticky film. I’ve gotten used to following up makeup wipes with water and a facial cleanser like Chanel Precision Cleansing Milk, but since these leave almost no detectable residue (just the faintest moisturizing coating and light rose scent), I could use them sans cleanser in a pinch.
At 8-by-8 inches, Comodynes wipes are huge! I’m going to cut some of them in half and stuff ’em back in the package (a plastic pouch that seals with a sticker). 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” says the English proverb. And why shouldn’t we? Answer: because looks can be deceiving, as they are for Nars Mounia powder blush ($25).
When I swatched this shimmery reddish brown coral with golden pearl before I left for Florida, I was convinced it was going to cause crazy clown cheeks. It looked almost like bright paint in the pan and on the back of my hand.
Undeterred, I busted out my Shu Uemura 7.5EX fan brush ($35). Because Mounia was so intense in the pan, I applied slowly, shooting for very thin, sheer layers.
To my surprise, the shade didn’t look anywhere near as bright on my cheeks. It delivers a bright yet natural, just-pinched flush — not at all what I expected.
That’s Mounia on my cheeks and colors from the JK Jemma Kidd Fashion Palette on my eyes and lips.
With bright red cheek colors like Nars Mounia, I like to wear neutral lips and eyes because if I don’t — if I wear too many bright colors at the same time — it looks like there’s a party on my face, LOL!
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I swear, there must be a law of fashion nature that dictates that the hotter a strappy sandal looks, the more uncomfortable it has to be. Seriously, it’s like the yin and yang of sexy shoes.
I’ve been wearing high heels for years, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still make my feet hurt. Yesterday, for Jen’s wedding, I decided to try something new.
I inserted Killer Kushionz by Foot Petals ($12.95) in my gold BCBGirls high heels.
They’re designed to cushion the heel, arch and ball of your foot and also work like grip tape to keep your foot from slipping and sliding around (I hate it when my toes slide down the front of my sandals).
Made out of breathable foam, they don’t get hot, either, which means they don’t make my feet sweat (sexy!).
A super adhesive sticker keeps each pad in place, and they’re perfectly sized (but can still be trimmed to fit if necessary), so they fit well under your feet without obviously sticking out. That means they won’t make your great shoes look like orthopedic sneakers, LOL!
How well do they work? Well, normally after 5-6 hours in my 3.5-inch gold heels my dogs would have been KILLING me, but with Killer Kushionz I was relatively pain free in those same heels for 10 straight hours.
I am so totally sold on Killer Kushionz. They’re like Dr. Scholl’s for high heels! And they even come in pretty colors (I got them in rose). 🙂
Price: $12.95 each; $34.95 for a three pack
Use: To make high heel shoes more comfortable
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. El Hub and I drove down to Key West this afternoon, which is about 220 miles south of Boca Raton. We’ll be here for a couple days before returning to the Bay Area on Wednesday. Ernest Hemingway, one of my favorite writers, had a home here, and I’ve always wanted to visit. After his death the home was turned into a museum, and today the property is also home to more than 60 cats! Hemingway had a thing for cats, and he protected his feline descendants in his will. How cool is that?
WARNING: Korres Sugar & Spice Showergel Trios ($12) will test your will. If you get these intending to stuff them in stockings or to give them away as gifts, be warned — they smell great, and you might want to keep them for yourself.
It’s weird because these don’t look like much from the packaging — not like holiday or food-scented products. The nondescript packaging doesn’t convey the holidays or rich, authentic foody fragrances. You look at ’em and think, “Meh,” but that only adds to the effect.
These are far more authentic and less synthetic fragrances than the typical sugary sweet pumpkin-spice-gingerbread scented concoctions you’ll find from other holiday lines.
Each moisturizing gel creates lots of big, frothy bubbles and gets the job done in the shower, but the yummy fragrances are what really set them apart. The scents quickly fade and don’t really linger on the skin, so I’ll still use them with other scents or perfumes.
Scent is highly tied to memory, yo, and showering with one of these takes wash time to a whole new level.
Price: $12
Use: Fantastic scented bath gels to get into the holiday spirit
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
TIP: Be careful when you pour from the bottles because the mouth is wide and pours like a gusher. It’s not hard to empty half a bottle in a couple seconds.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. TGIF! It’s a little after 8:30am out here in Florida. Do you know where your gators are?
Laura Mercier wants you all smoked out for your black tie events, ladies, and to help us look the part she’s released the Black Tie Collection, a small offering of six eye, lip and nail products for the holidays.
You may not have known this about me … but I’m obsessed with makeup (LOL!). I go through phases, like my current obsession with blue eyeshadow.
Beyond my minor makeup infatuations, though, are my more serious addictions, i.e. the cravings that last longer than a few weeks. Smokey eyes fall into this category. I am totally obsessed with smokey eyes!
How do you feel about the Tuxedo Eye Colour Eye Colour Quad ($38) and the Gala and Soiree Lip Glace lipglosses ($22 each)?
This quad comes with four soft, finely milled eyeshadows (think Shu Uemura in terms of texture) in shades of black and white. I love the texture, but I’m not sold on the colors. The two lighter shades didn’t really sing for me (the lighter shades looked almost chalky on my skin tone), but I bet they’d work better on girls with cool-toned, lighter skin.
The darker shades, on the other hand, totally worked for me. I’m going to get so much use out of both the shimmery black and matte black shadows. I can’t wait to layer them on top of a creamy black kohl pencil with different shades of blue and green shadows, oy!
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Last week members of the American Society of Perfumers huddled around scented candles to honor the best and brightest in the fragrance biz and to celebrate the power of fragrance in everything from luxury perfumes to laundry detergents.
Do you recognize any of these scents? I can’t wait to try Bath and Body Works Velvet Tuberose!
Best Fine Fragrance Women’s Classic
Beautiful (Estee Lauder, IFF)
Best Fine Fragrance Men’s Classic
Fahrenheit (LVMH, Symrise)
Fine Fragrance Women’s Contemporary
Euphoria (Coty, IFF)
Fine Fragrance Men’s Contemporary
Polo Double Black (Ralph Lauren, Givaudan)
Best Baby/Children Fragrance
Johnson & Johnson Bedtime Bath (Johnson & Johnson, Givaudan)
Best Eco-Friendly/Natural Fragrances
Pure & Natural Pomegranate & Grapefruit Body Wash (Dial Corporation, Symrise)
Best Hair Care Fragrance Mass
Pantene Pro V Expressions (P&G)
Best Hair Care Fragrance Specialty
Botanical Daily Shampoo (Alba Botanica, Creative Concepts)
Best Bath and Shower Fragrance Mass
Axe Recovery Shower Gel (Unilever, IFF)
Best Bath and Shower Fragrance Specialty
Dancing Waters Shower Gel (Bath and Body Works, Givaudan)
Best Body Care Fragrance Women’s
Secret Clinical Light & Fresh Scent (P&G)
Best Body Care Fragrance Men’s
Old Spice After Hours Deodorant (P&G)
Best Body and Face Lotion Fragrance Mass
Neutrogena Oil Free Pink Facial (Neutrogena, Symrise)
Best Body and Face Lotion Specialty
Velvet Tuberose (Bath and Body Works, Givaudan)
Best Sunscreen/Self Tanner Fragrance
Aveeno Protection Sunblock Lotion “Continuous Protection” (Johnson & Johnson, Symrise)
Best Laundry Fabric Care Fragrance
Downy Simple Pleasures Lavender and Vanilla (P&G)
Best Laundry Detergent Fragrance
Ultra Tide with Febreze Meadows & Rain (P&G)
Best Household Cleaner Fragrance
Ultra Concentrated Dawn with Orange Eraser Fresh Orange (P&G)
Best Air Care Fragrance Mass
Febreze Noticeables Morning Walk and Cleansing Rain (P&G)
Best Air Care Fragrance Specialty
Lemon Verbena AirEssence (Agraria, Creative Concepts)
Best Candle Fragrance Mass
Juicy Nectarine (Bath and Body Works, Givaudan)
Best Candle Fragrance Specialty
Henri Bendel Fig (Henri Bendel, IFF)
Best Challenge Base Fragrance
Cascade Complete All in One (P&G)
Best Fragrance Line Extension Mass
The Herbal Essence Series (P&G)
Best Fragrance Line Extension Specialty
Bond No.9 Series (Bond No. 9)
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. You gonna hit up the MAC counter to check out the new Metal Urge collection today? I probably won’t make it until I get back from the wedding, so I need you to fill me in on the details! I don’t know what to think about the Liquidlast Liners or Glitters … but the Brushed Metal-X Eyeshadows look fab!
