Product Reviews

The Golden Girls

You know your girl loves the brushes! If you’re going to spend any money on brushes this holiday season then bring your bad self to the MAC counter because they’ve got some really pretty — and surprisingly practical — gilded goodies. Ohh, la luxe!

For holiday 2007, MAC has a collection called Heirlooms, which features cute clutch bags and several different brush sets. By far my favorites are Heirlooms: 4 Face Brushes and Heirlooms 5: Basic Brushes. I love these sets because of the gold handles! And not only are they pretty to look at, but they’re surprisingly useful too.

What’s the deal with the “SE”?

The “SE” sets are different than the regular, full-price brushes you buy individually at MAC. SE handles are shorter and lighter. Although the SE brush heads are great, they aren’t as soft as my regular MAC brushes. I prefer longer-handled brushes that have weight to them, but I do like SE brushes for travel or for touch-ups, like after a gym workout. I think of them as my “occasional” brushes, rather than everyday “workhorse” brushes.

If you plan to buy these brushes, I’d recommend that you either be:

– a brush newbie who plans on building a collection of brushes, but needs a good starting off point
– a lovely lady on a strict brush budget
– a brush junkie who need a set of small handled brushes that will only be used for travel and on-the-go touchups, and not everyday use

The brush breakdown

With brushes, I really don’t believe in limiting a brush to a specific use – i.e., this brush is for the crease only, or this brush is for concealer only. I really like to mix and match my brushes according to the products that I’m using and how I’m feeling that day. Here’s a general breakdown of how I’d use the brushes in these sets.

Heirlooms: 4 Face Brushes ($48.00)

This set comes with the a cutie-pie clutch purse made from Chanel-esque gold tweed! To peep the brushes that come with this set, check the picture above and start from the left-hand side:

168 – Large angle contour brush. I’d use this for applying blush to the hollows of the cheek, to contour, or for specific placement of highlighting powder. In a pinch I’d wet this and use it as a foundation brush.
187 – Duo fibre brush. This is the famous MAC “skunk” brush, made from a blend of soft goat and synthetic fibers. The MAC Web site says that this is used for lightweight application and blending of face powder or pigments. I’d use this as a foundation brush, as a blush brush, as a highlight brush and as a blending brush.
194 – Concealer brush. I’d use this for undereye concealer and for layering powder shadow on top of soft kohl liners, like MAC Technakohl.
190 – Foundation brush. If you’ve used this brush before as a foundation brush and it works for you then I give you big props. I have this brush in the full-sized version, but can’t seem to get this to work on me. I always end up with patchy application. For foundations I actually like the 182 buffer brush! The price is an arm and a leg but it’s well worth it. The 190 is still a useful brush though, and would be good for getting foundation into places the 182 doesn’t go easily, like the corners of the nose. I’d also use this for creme blush.

The cold, hard math: If you purchased the full-sized version of these 4 brushes it would cost you $124.50.

Heirlooms: 5 Basic Brush Set ($45.00)

Check the cute, gold fake-snakeskin container this comes in. I love it ’cause it looks expensive. Plus, the brushes are useful, too! The five brushes that come with this set are in the pic above starting from the right hand side:

219 – Eye detail brush. This brush has a small brush head with fibers that are gathered into a pencil-shaped tip. I use it for shadow application right at the lash line, or precise application of color to the outer-v. I’ve tried to use it in the crease but have had just so-so results.
316 – Lip brush. In a pinch I’d also use this for fine spot concealing, or for applying gel liners like Fluidline.
266 – Brow brush. WOOT! You know you’re girl can’t live without her 266. I use this every day to apply Concrete shadow to my brows. I know some folks like to use the 266 to line the eyes with Fluidline, too.
129 – Powder/blush brush. In a pinch I’d also use this as a foundation brush.
239 – Eye shader brush. I love this brush. It’s great for both powder and emollient products (MAC Paint, concealers) and has so many uses. You can use it to apply shadow all over the lid, or in the crease, or to blend out harsh lines. Oh, and it can also teach you how to speak French! Okay, totally kidding about that last one. But still, it’s a fantastical, multi-use brush that I’m sure you’ll fall in love with.

The cold, hard math: If you purchased the full-sized version of these 5 brushes it would cost you $119.50.

Both sets give you brushes with a wide range of possibilities. But if you’re watching your budget and can only purchase one set I’d recommend:

– buying the 4 Basic Brush Set if you have a good working set of everyday go-to brushes
– buying the 5 Basic Brush Set if you’re new to brushes and need a good starting point

The OG Original Gangsta Golden Girls

Before there was Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte there was Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia and Rose.

Did you ever watch this show? All my gay guy friends love it, and so do I. It seems to be on Lifetime (television for women!) every other hour and it *always* cracks me up.

I think I’m mostly Sophia with a touch of Rose, ha! How about you?

I hope your morning was a relaxing one. I’m still recovering from the P. Hilt interview (this whole weekend was REALLY STRESSFUL) but am now looking forward to hitting the Chanel counter for a lil’ relaxation and reward.

Two days ’till turkey — are you ready?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Golden Age, Part One

All month long I’ve been writing about the best makeup and beauty gifts to give your loved ones this holiday season. I know ’tis the season of giving and all that, but sometimes you gotta snag a lil’ something-something for yourself. Shhh — Don’t worry. I won’t tell Santa!

One big holiday theme many of the lines are using this year is gold product packaging. And I love, love, love it! If like me you’re a sucker for elegant packaging, then the one thing that you absolutely must pick up for yourself is a tube of Estee Lauder’s Signature Lipstick ($19.50).

Check out these beauties, along with Estee Lauder’s Limited Edition Platinum Illuminator Loose Shimmer Powder:

The gold fluted tube looks and feels rich and oh so glam. One cool thing that surprised me was the weight. The lipstick tubes are surprisingly heavy, which makes the packaging feel even more exclusive. Shoot, even El Hub was impressed (“Wow, that’s heavy and kinda pretty”) and he’s a dude that doesn’t know gloss from matte!

Blinding You with Lipstick Science

In addition to the amazing packaging, the lipstick formula is fantastic. It’s soft, light, long-wearing, doesn’t dry my lips out and is SUPER SHINY! I’m talking shinier than the light at the end of the tunnel, ya’ll. When I wear lipstick I usually top it off with gloss because I like a really shiny lip, but with the Signature Lipsticks I skip the gloss entirely because it’s shiny enough on its own.

To get this amazing finish, a lot of technology went into getting the formula just right.

All lipsticks are made from wax, oil and color, and most typically begin with a natural wax base and a yellowy-white baseline color, which is often hard, heavy, and has an inconsistent density and composition.

The Signature Lipsticks have a different texture and performance because of a synthetic wax base, which offers improved emolliency and brighter color.

It’s then combined with gelants for cushion and comfort, esters for slip and luster, and a special emollient paste, which is made up of a blend of oils (previously reserved only for lip glosses) that melts on the lips. This gives the lipstick its shiny finish. Finally, a film form binds these elements together, keeping the ingredients and pigments intact.

Did you know so much technology went into that lil’ tube? I sure didn’t.

Colors for All Ya’ll

There are 24 Signature Lipstick colors that are universally flattering. Here are six of my favorites:

And here are the color group breakdowns to make your lipstick selection easier:

Pink-Berry: Pink Champagne, Perfect Pink, Lush Rose, Rich Berry, Venetian Rose, Dune Rose, Tender Rose, Cocoa Rose, Woodland Berry
Mauve-Plum: Tender Mauve, Orchid Light, Soft Amethyst, Plum Frost, Rich Currant
Nude-Brown: Burnished Bronze, Toasted Walnut, Copper Glow, Mocha, Chestnut
Coral-Red: Spiced Coral, Apricot Sun, Copper Coral, Rich Red, Black Cherry

If you want to indulge but are on a one-lipstick kinda budget then check out either of my top faves: Rich Currant and Apricot Sun. The colors are so easy to wear and super pretty for both work or an evening out with the girls.

Random Lipstick Fun Facts

– 80% of women wear lipstick.
– Lipstick dates back 5000 years to when the earliest woman wooed the earliest man by staining her lips with red berries. Rock on, cave girl! Go and get your man!

Sparkle, Motion

So, when you hit the Estee Lauder counter to look at the Signature Lipsticks, don’t forget to check out the Limited Edition Platinum Illuminator Loose Shimmer Powder ($32.00). That’s it on the left hand side of the first pic. I tried to swatch it but, honestly, the picture does not do this powder justice. It’s so pretty in real life and for some reason I just can’t get the lighting right in my photo studio (aka my dining room/office) to capture the peachy-gold flecks correctly!

If you like MAC’s Loose Beauty Powders, then you might like this powder too. It’s a multi-tasking shimmer powder, very grown up and sophisticated – no cheesy club glitter here, ladies. You can use it as a highlighter on your face, or you can dust it on your shoulders and decollate for a festive glow. I’ve even mixed it with moisturizer and worn it to my legs! Oh, and the jar is GINORMOUS. There’s enough product to take you into the your next few lifetimes.

The Platinum Illuminator Loose Shimmer Powder is just one part of Estee Lauder’s Holiday 2007 Into The Night color collection, which is all about sheer, luminous, wearable metallic hues. The look is modern with a mix of classic elegance and cosmopolitan glamour: think tailored suiting, pencil skirts, with sophisticated shades of gold, copper and bronze with hints of rich metallic red.

This color line reminds me of elegant, sophisticated glamour, and makes me want to throw on a scarf, a string of pearls and a pair of black patent high heels. What do you think? Are you feeling this?

T-minus Eight Days ‘Till Turkey Day

Sometimes I’m amazed how fast time flies. It seems to be moving quicker as I get older, too, which seems TOTALLY UNFAIR because now I’ve got exponentially more stuff to do.

Thanksgiving is next week, can you believe it? I love any holiday that is food focused. I like turkey, but I’m all about the side dishes and dessert: corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, pumpkin pie! The only downside to this is all the extra time spent at the gym working on my fitness (lol, don’t lie, I know you love that “Fergalicious” song.) El Hub and I will be heading out to the East Bay to hang with my family. What are your plans?

Anyway, ya’ll have a wonderful Wednesday! Keep on keepin’ on ….

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen