Product Reviews

Play to Win with Lippmann Collection Fall Nail Colors

July 1st, 2008 by Karen 38 Comments

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Seeing these Lippmann Collection fall nail polish colors ($15 each) for the first time, I thought one thing: VEGAS, BABY! The red, black, white and black-purple colors remind me of playing cards.

Beyond the occasional slot machine (free drinks!), I’m not much of a gambler, but when it comes to nail colors, I will take chances. I’ll wear yellows, blues and even purples.

Some may feel these fall Lippmann colors are a bit tame, but I think there’s enough variety among the shades to keep things interesting.

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Stop and Stare, a blue-based matte red, looks like a sure bet. Picture a lounge singer in a smokey bar. She’s wearing a slinky, black dress and Stop and Stare on her fingertips. It’s a beautiful, classic red that would look great at dressy daytime events (meet me at the polo match, dahling), formal evenings out or even a day at the office. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

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Rhapsody in White takes me back. This frosty cool white looks exactly like a shade of Wet ‘n Wild I wore through most of the sixth grade. I wasn’t around for the 60s, but this reminds of that era, as in pale lips, bee hive bouffants and go go boots. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

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The inky Fade to Black is darker than night. I’m on the fence about black as a nail color because of how high maintenance the shade can be, but all of the Lippmann polishes I’ve used before have chipped less often than most other brands do. If this black matte is as durable as the rest, it could really make a name for itself. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

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Pump Up the Jam, a dark purple shimmer, looks almost like another shade of black from afar, but it reveals its true color when seen up close. It’s the deepest shade of eggplant imaginable. I’ve always dreamt of owning a Chevy El Camino in this exact color (and ridin’ dirty in it, haaay!). Is that weird? Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Lippmann Collection polishes have a reputation in the beauty world. They’re known for their durability, and that’s not hype, either; early last month I got a mani/pedi at the Lippmann nail bar in Hawaii, and the coral color on my toes is STILL fresh and intact. I’ve been reapplying top coat every five days, but even that, with most other brands of polish, would not have been enough to make the color last as long as it has so far.
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Now You Can Go Goth with Bobbi Brown Mauve Collection Lipsticks and Glosses

June 30th, 2008 by Karen 45 Comments

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Bobbi Brown’s makeup doesn’t always do it for me. My homegirl once described the brand as “colors for people who are afraid of color,” and I think there’s some truth to that. A lot of Bobbi’s makeup has that jury duty feel to it, ya know? — the kind of makeup you’d wear to court.

But Bobbi threw me a curve ball with the lip colors in the Mauve Collection, her new fall makeup line.

I’d been searching high and low for edgy yet wearable lipsticks and glosses in shades of purple, and these colors are, dare I say, edgy yet wearable. They’re eye-catching without going over the top, and within the colors there’s enough variety to allow you to create lots of different looks. Go on with your bad self, Ms. Brown!

Lip Color

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At first I thought Pale Mauve ($22) was going to be too light for my skin tone, but once I got it on I actually really liked this light blue-purple shade. It’s light with a 60’s feel. I plan to pair it with light cheeks and a cat eye with a thick black liquid liner on my upper lash line (and a mini-dress and go-go boots, ha!).

Bobbi’s Lip Color lipsticks have a semi-matte formula that goes on a little thick, but at least it doesn’t peel away after a few hours. I don’t mind the light licorice fragrance, but I’m glad it has no taste/flavor. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

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Heather Mauve ($22) is a dark red-mauve, making it a great candidate for my easy-to-wear work lipstick stash. I like the texture and the color itself, but it closely matches my natural lip color, which sort of defeats the purpose of wearing lipstick. I guess it’d be useful as a base color layered beneath one of the other shades listed below. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Lip Color swatches: Heather Mauve (top), Pale Mauve (bottom)
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Lip Glosses

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Dig out your Cure mp3’s and your smudgy eyeliner! Bobbi’s Mauve Collection Lip Glosses ($19) look demure in their petite little tubes, but these colors are equal parts edgy and sophisticated — think goth chick in stunning black suit.
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Fresh Gloss Absolute, Yay or Nay?

June 28th, 2008 by Karen 24 Comments

Hi, ladies! I’m mo-blogging from the Pure Beauty store in my hood and just spied these lip glosses by Fresh called Gloss Absolute. Aren’t they cute?

The glosses come in four shades: Desire (cherry red), Bellini (peach), Rose Parfait (light pink) and Dahlia (wine).

The only thing holding me back is the price — each costs $24.50, about the same price as a Chanel Glossimer. Have you used Gloss Absolute before? What did you think? Is it worth the price?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sneak Peek: Upcoming Dior Impression Cuir Fall 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palettes

June 27th, 2008 by Karen 29 Comments

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Dior is at it again, girls. I love Dior in general, but their eyeshadow quints are what I look forward to most of all. This August, they’re giving us *two* new palettes for fall. Oh, be still my broken knee.

The two new 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palettes are part of the upcoming Impression Cuir collection.

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Earth Tones

My favorite of the two quints is hands-down the Earth Tones palette ($54) pictured above. All five of its shades — dark olive green, light moss green, pale pink, chocolate brown and reddish brown — have rich, creamy matte finishes with just the faintest shimmer. Girls (or boys) who like spicy neutrals may dig these a lot.

dior-earth-tones-swatches

I used to steer clear of mattes because they can be hard to work with and difficult to blend, but Dior has the matte formulation down. These shades blend well, and, with a hint of shimmer, they create looks that aren’t flat or one-dimensional at all.

Unfortunately, Dior does not try to be a budget brand, and both of these palettes cost a pretty penny. For the money, though, the shades in the Earth Tones palette absolutely deliver. I think these are well made, beautiful and highly wearable eyeshadows. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
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Sweet Spot Labs: Smart Product or Smarter Marketing?

June 27th, 2008 by Karen 28 Comments

There’s a magical place on every surfboard known as the sweet spot — the place in which you achieve perfect board balance. When you find the sweet spot, standing up on your board is a breeze.

When I first heard of Sweet Spot Labs, I thought it was a surfing supply company, but that is so not the case. It’s actually a line of cleansers, wipes and mists for your private girlie parts. Yes, *those* parts.

I got to wondering, “Do my girlie parts actually need a separate cleanser? Or is this just marketing mumbo jumbo?”

Think about it — we use separate products to wash our face, body, hair, teeth, hands and even feet. I know that when I’ve used some body washes on my face, my cheeks and eyes felt dry, tight and uncomfortable.

Still, I’ve always thought girlie parts cleansers fell under the body cleanser category. Have I been wrong?

Earlier today I dashed off to the city to meet the fabulous Bella (of BellaSugar.com) for coffee and to catch up. That girl sure can blog! The entire Sugar Inc. network of blogs and sites for women has been up to big things lately. They’re full of surprises.

I was going to head over to Saks to see if I could find the Nars Bridal Palette Bella talked about a few weeks ago, but I hurt my knee jogging up a hill last night, and after the little bit of walking I did in SF this morning, I think I’m done moving for the day. Time to ice my wounds!

I hope you’re fully bipedal and feeling pretty today.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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Brighten Your Day With Clarins Sun Lip Balms

June 24th, 2008 by Karen 24 Comments

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Who knew Clarins makeup was so fabulous? Up until a few weeks ago, I thought of the brand solely as a skin care line, but discovering Wonder Mint teal mascara a few weeks ago changed all that. It prompted me to do some additional “research” (aka playing with makeup!) into their Summer Fever line, and I uncovered other hidden gems.

The Sun Lip Balms ($19 each) are shimmery, limited edition glosses available in two shades — Rose Bikini (the hot pink pictured above) and a neon orange called Orange Delight (shown below).

The marketing…

Shea, wild mango and rice oil extracts in the product moisturize, nourish and soothe lips

Olive oil provides the moisture

Vitamin A and vitamin E repair and protect lips against free radicals

SPF 6 protects against UVB rays responsible for premature skin aging and dry lips

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The two Sun Balm colors are bold, yet still have a subtle duochrome quality to them, flashing from orange to blue, or from pink to purple, depending on the light and angle of view. Both shades contain the tiniest flecks of blue, green, and purple glitter, making the colors both playful and interesting. That’s also how I feel about the look I get with Wonder Mint — playful and interesting.

These are colors I’d wear with a Burberry bikini, sipping champagne on a yacht in the Mediterranean, *not* colors I’d wear with big hair while guzzling a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon on the Jersey shore. Ya dig?

Orange Delight on the left, Bikini Pink on the right
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I will definitely include these in my ever-growing makeup kit this summer, with one big caveat: the texture is thin (and tastes like fruit punch, go figure), and the product doesn’t have great staying power. It’s all but gone from my lips after a couple hours of wear or a single meal.
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Unwind with Tela Beauty Organics Hair Care Products

June 23rd, 2008 by Karen 18 Comments

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Tela Beauty Organics, where have you been all my wavy-haired life? Both your Healer product (leave-in conditioner) and Encore (styling creme) work wonders. Gisele Bundchen and Jennifer Anniston — step aside, girls (lol)! Here comes Karen’s hair!

If you have naturally curly or wavy hair and, like me, can’t or won’t use hair products that contain silicone, you probably struggle to find silicone-free leave-in conditioners and de-frizzing products in which dimethicone or amodimethicone aren’t listed near the top of the list of ingredients. In the hair care industry, it seems like silicone is everywhere you turn.

What’s so bad about silicone? Well, nothing according to the cosmetics industry, but theirs isn’t the only opinion. Silicone coats hair, protecting it from heat damage, and makes hair shiny and smooth.

But others warn that overuse of silicone-containing hair products forces the hair cuticle out of position, potentially killing it and leading to hair thinning and loss.

Most experts agree that occasional use of quality brands shouldn’t lead to long term problems with hair.

With Healer and Encore, Tela Beauty Organics has solved the silicone dilemma in a novel way. They don’t use it. Neither Healer nor Encore contain silicones, and both products create smooth, silky hair. The catch (there’s always one)? Price. Available exclusively at Barneys New York, Healer costs a whopping $48 for a 1.6-oz. bottle, and Encore will set you back $45 for a 1-oz jar. All together now: “OUCH!”

Both products are expensive, but they also work very well.

Healer is a leave-in treatment that repairs hair and damaged ends. I have really thick hair and found that I had to use about a silver dollar-sized amount, massaging it throughout my hair after getting out of the shower. Then, using my fingertips and a wide-toothed comb, I worked a pea-sized amount of Encore’s styling paste in, particularly at the ends to reduce frizz, and air dried.
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Review: Shu Uemura Fleur de Rose Eau de Toilette

June 22nd, 2008 by Karen 17 Comments

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Shu Uemura’s Pricey Rose Fragrance Smells Pretty But Fades Fast

Each June, Shu Uemura releases a limited edition collection of various beauty products to commemorate the opening of their first beauty boutique in June of 1983. This year’s collection, called Hana-Bi, includes, among other things, three pricey eau de toilette fragrances. How pricey?

Are you sitting down?

Each of the scents will set you back a whopping $85 for a 1.6-oz. bottle. The company sent me one of the three, Fleur de Rose, to review for the blog. I was really looking forward to trying it out, knowing full well that it had better be good for $85.

Eau de toilettes are usually less concentrated and less expensive than regular perfumes (sometimes referred to as eau de parfums). I could see myself shelling out $85 for a truly breathtaking eau de parfum, but paying almost $100 for an eau de toilette is a lot to ask of anyone.

I’ve been wearing Fleur de Rose off and on now for a few days. It’s a very light, simple, rosy scent that reminds me of crushed rose petals and wild licorice on a crisp spring morning.

I like Fleur de Rose, but I don’t love it. The fragrance simply is what it is and doesn’t evolve or change over time. And it fades quickly, too. When I dab it on my wrists in the morning, the scent is gone by lunchtime.

Shu Uemura Fleur de Rose Eau de Toilette

Price: $85 for a 1.6-oz. bottle
Use: A light, rosy fragrance
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C

I have a special place in my heart for Shu Uemura products, especially their eyeshadows, but Fleur de Rose is simply too expensive. I haven’t tried the other two scents in the collection — Fleur de Terre, a fresh woody floral; and Fleur de Source, a spicy floral — but they’d really have to smell amazing and last far longer than Fleur de Rose does to justify the price.
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