Product Reviews

The NARS Orgasm Collection: A New Three-Piece Release Arriving May 15th

May 11th, 2017 by Karen 23 Comments

nars orgasm collection may 2017 — The new three-piece NARS Orgasm Collection, arriving May 15th at NARS boutiques and the NARS website

Question: Is it possible to have multiple orgasms when you’re putting on your makeup in the morning?

Answer: Um…yeah?! It’s too easy to go there and do prepubescent boy jokes with NARS Orgasm. I’m sorry! Color me adolescent.

nars orgasm collection blush lipstick — NARS Collection products from the left: Orgasm Liquid Blush ($30), Orgasm Lipstick ($28) and Limited Edition Orgasm Blush ($30)

NARS has a new Orgasm collection. Shocker. But this one’s actually pretty exciting because there are two new versions of Orgasm — a liquid blush and a lipstick — neither of which I think I’ve ever seen from NARS before.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a respectable re-issue of Orgasm if the original Orgasm powder blush wasn’t up in the mix, and this one has new LE packaging.

When/where

The collection comes out on May 15th, and it’ll be at NARS boutiques and the NARS website. I know for sure that the powder blush is LE, but I’m not sure about the liquid blush and the lipstick. Will have to get back to you on that.

NARS Orgasm Liquid Blush ($30)

Obviously, one of the exciting things here is Orgasm Liquid Blush, and girl…FRAK, it’s good!

For comparison, it’s thicker than Benefit Benetint. Actually, have you ever worn the Veil Primer by Hourglass? I think it feels a lot like that. Almost like a runny lotion, and it’s slippery and kinda silicone-y.

nars orgasm collection swatches — From the top: Orgasm Blush, Orgasm Liquid Blush and Orgasm Lipstick

You know the gold shimmer in the original Orgasm? I dunno…but it borders on obnoxious for me sometimes because I’ve got this whole pore situation happening. There’s still gold shimmer in Liquid Orgasm, too, but it’s waaay toned down. It looks like a satiny peach pink with micro flecks of gold in it that peek out here and there.

You can use it on top of or underneath powder products, and it does well in both situations.

Yeah, it’s $30, and the glass bottle is pretty tiny, but the pump is easy to control, and if you pump one drop and spread it around with a brush or your finger, that drop will just keep spreading and spreading and spreading… It’s so concentrated!

nars orgasm liquid blush — I’m wearing NARS Orgasm Liquid Blush on my cheeks and Orgasm Lipstick on my lips

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BECCA Sunchaser Palette: Those Warm Colors Look Lovely on Toasty Skin

May 9th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

Girl, you know how BECCA is kind of informally known as, like, the HBIC of beachy-lookin’ makeup? Anyway, I tried wearing beachy wave hair today to go with the BECCA Sunchaser Palette ($34) on my cheeks, and I can’t decide whether my mane looks more artfully tousled or just plain messy.

Eh, I’m gonna go with messy.

Sunchaser is an LE cheek palette that came out earlier this spring, and it’s still available. It’s a wonderful warm-toned blush, bronzer and highlighter, and if you bring it home, you’ll pretty much be covered through the end of summer.

becca sunchaser swatches — From the top: Ipanema Sunset Bronzer, Apricot Blossom Blush and Opal Highlighter

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Minted Eye Kohl

May 8th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

Before I get into why I love MAC Minted Eye Kohl so much, first, a fun fact for my fellow cat ladies. ?

Next time you’re feeling extra feline, have a cup of catnip tea (ideally, in your favorite teacup, which, obvs, is decorated with cats!), and share some of the leaves with your kitty BFF, because catnip is in the mint family.

Hmm… That may or may not have been one of the most cat lady things I’ve ever said, haha!

So, MAC Minted Eye Kohl. This vibrant, luscious leafy green has playful pearly shimmer, and it’s one of the those liners you only have to run across your lash or water lines once or twice because of how potent and pigmented it is.

OK…green liner might sound nuts if you don’t venture out of the neutral zone often (trust me, I know, because there was a time when I would’ve been freaked out about wearing an eyeliner that wasn’t black or brown), but it’s one of those things that you just have to try, and once you do, you might not want to go back.

The thing is, Minted isn’t just any ol’ green liner. It’s got a special sauce. It’s like a Jedi mind trick! It captivates and captures attention (“You will notice me…”), and once it gets you, you’re got.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

This is the time of year I start wearing it more, because this is when blue, green and/or gold eye looks are my BFFS4EVA, and Minted goes well with those shades.

It’s a liner…but it’s also a good eyeshadow base.

Yeah, man! You can sweep the creamy kohl formula around with your brush when it’s on your lids and play with it. I really like to use it as a base for green and blue powder eyeshadows.

Just the other day, I layered it underneath the green/blue palette from MAC Fruity Juicy. Then I tried it with the bright palette from the UD Jean-Michel Basquiat.

It worked so well with both of them and kicked everything up a notch. If you’re thinking about either of those palettes, Minted would be a great extra something to add to the mix.

Ah, and it isn’t only good for gals and guys who love the cray-cray colors. Even if you mostly stick to neutrals, Minted is great for looks like that, too. Seriously!

Wear it with any warm browns or golden browns on your lids, like MAC Soft Brown, Saddle or Soba. I love it with all of them.

Here’s what you can do: sweep the neutral shade on your lids, then line your lower lash and water lines with Minted.

You can smudge it out with a pencil brush, or load your brush with the neutral shade you used on your lids (it’ll mellow out the edges of the green a tad). Or, if you want to go full-on ham, layer a shimmery green shadow right on top (I like MAC Steamy for this). Then, when you’re done with your eyes, add a few coats of mascara, and you’ve just had a makeup adventure with something more than basic brown! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

#FragranceFriday: CLEAN Reserve and Atelier Cologne

May 5th, 2017 by Karen 8 Comments

This is probably going to sound weird, but because we’re friends, I’m just going to say it… I’m getting set in my ways, you know? I’m not as adventurous as I used to be, and it’s kinda scaring me a little.

I mean, I think it’s a natural part of getting older, and a lot has happened over the past few years. I turned 40, got pregnant (and that took a while), had the baby, got thrown into motherhood, and maybe all of that weakened my adventurous resolve. Now I get intimidated by big changes more often.

On a trivial level, I really haven’t changed my hair in years…whereas before that, I would seriously, like, change it every five seconds! I was always growing it out, chopping it off or coloring it, but I haven’t done much with it in a long time.

I think it’s a reflection of where I’m at in life… I haven’t been able to handle too many little changes on top of the big ones.

But I think it’s getting better… I’m starting to want to try new things again.

I’m taking baby steps, though, like with perfume. 🙂

I’ve basically been wearing Byredo Gypsy Water and CLEAN Vevlet Flora for two or three years. Sure, I’ve dabbled with other scents here and there, but nine out of 10 times (OK, 10 out of 10), when I’ve gone out and wanted to wear perfume, I’ve picked one of those two.

Then, about a month ago, I was about to spritz some perfume before going out to dinner with a friend, and I thought, “Why am I wearing these two scents over and over when there’s a whole wide world of perfumes out there to explore?”

That was my long-winded way of saying that I’ve been trying new perfumes again, and I’m excited about it.

CLEAN Reserve Sel Santal and CLEAN Reserve Citron Fig

CLEAN Reserve makes one of the two scents I’ve been wearing for these two years. They have something of a unisex vibe, so their scents (and the bottles) aren’t overly frilly, but they aren’t super masculine, either. I think they really do smell clean.

Both Sel Santal and Citron Fig have forward-facing citrus notes, but they aren’t sharp, you know what I mean? Like, how sometimes you’ll be opening an orange and the peel will smell almost sour? These don’t have those sharp citrus notes.

I like that I put either one on in the morning and smell them all day long.

CLEAN Reserve Citron Fig official fragrance notes
Fig, Ginger, Lemon Oil, Cardamom, Mandarin, Mint, Copaiba, Sandalwood, Cedar Wood, Musk.

Unofficial fragrance notes
Snuggling with your little one on a lazy Sunday with the windows open. You’re the big spoon, and she’s the little spoon. As you breathe in the scent of your baby’s hair, you catch a whiff of clean sheets, and of flowers from the orange tree outside.

CLEAN Reserve Sel Santal official fragrance notes
Mandarin Leaves, Bergamot, Nutmeg Tonic, Iris, Salted Fig, Violet, Hazelnut Cream, Sandalwood, Decadent Amber, Styrax, Rose Musk.

Unofficial fragrance notes
An Italian adventure in Positano on a moped with a handsome stranger (a game of Truth or Dare was involved).

Both Sel Santal and Citron Fig are available now at Sephora for $95 for a 3.4-oz. bottle.

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A Look at a Few Pieces From the Chanel Ombre Premiere Eyes Collection

May 4th, 2017 by Karen 34 Comments

I swear, nobody does subtle fancy finishes like Chanel. It’s their makeup super power. I love the way they handle satin and shimmer — love it deep down in the marrow of my bones! — and if you also get a thrill from subtle flashes of glossy shine here or shimmer there, I think you’ll love what Chanel is doing with their new Ombre Premier Eyes collection.

It’s a massive collection! It just launched at chanel.com and is coming soon to Chanel counters with a new line of cream eyeshadows (eight shades, $36 each), a new line of powder eyeshadow singles (16 shades, $30 each), a couple of dual-ended retractable eye brushes ($42 each), some eyeliners ($30 each) and two brow gels ($32 each).

The bulk of the pieces are also permanent, so yay! 🙂 If you fall in love with something (and you just might), you don’t have to decide right away. You have time to ruminate.

Don’t miss the Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadows

I tried three of them and was hooked. They’re the things I was most looking forward to when I heard about the collection, so I had high expectations already, but even with that Chanel didn’t disappoint.

I’m already a super fan when it comes to the Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows, and the new Ombre Premiere line has a similar, spongy, soft formula. When you press your finger into one of the pans and work it around, you can feel them give and sort of…bounce. They aren’t dense like a MAC Paint Pot.

chanel ombre premier swatches — From the top: Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadows in Scintillance, Pourpre Profond and Noir Petrole; Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadows in Talpa, Desert Rouge and Noir Satin

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Kevyn Aucoin The Molten Lip Color for a Marvelously Metallic Mouth

May 3rd, 2017 by Karen 8 Comments

kevyn aucoin molten lip color — The Molten Lip Colors by Kevyn Aucoin, $30 each

Imagine melting down a handful of pirate treasure gold coins (because who doesn’t have a few spare gold doubloons around the house?!), then finding a way to get that gloriously golden liquefied goodness on your lips without requiring a trip to the emergency room.

That’s what The Molten Lip Colors by Kevyn Aucoin look like on your pout.

There are six shades, and they’re $30 each in the permanent line.

They’re kinda pricey…but that’s normal for Kevyn Aucoin.

kevyn aucoin molten lip color bronze — Bronze

Lip colors. I don’t want to call these liquid lipsticks because they don’t have that liquid lipstick feel, where it’s like they’ve latched onto your lips and are sucking all of the moisture out of them.

But I don’t want to call them glosses either, because it’s more like they’re halfway between a shiny gloss and a liquid lipstick.

Have you ever tried the NARS Lip Glides before? These remind me of them.

kevyn aucoin molten lip color rose gold — Rose Gold

One thing I really like is that they all look fairly different, unlike most metallic lip color lines where the individual shades look more or less like dupes of each other.

These are also full coverage and pretty darned pigmented. They really do look like their respective colors. If you’ve ever dreamed of titanium-tinted lips, girl, Kevyn’s got ‘chu covered.

kevyn aucoin molten lip color copper — Copper

In the technical department, the non-sticky, medium weight formula is unflavored and unscented, too, so there’s no funky fruity or floral business happening.

kevyn aucoin molten lip color carbon — Carbon

The pearly particles also don’t settle into my lip lines, so instead of hitting the fast-forward button on my lips 10 years (which a lot of metallic lip products do), these almost turn back the clock. Almost. Especially the lighter shades like Copper and Rose Gold, which is my fave.

kevyn aucoin molten lip color titanium — Titanium

As the colors wear down over the course of about three hours (give or take), they fade evenly while avoiding all of those little lip flakes that metallic lipsticks so often cling to.

kevyn aucoin molten lip color gold — Gold

If I could, though, I’d make the formula a little less drying (although starting with a layer of lip balm helps), and I’d revamp Carbon, the darkest color, because it takes a lot of wrangling to keep it in place.

Other than that, I really like these! Definitely take a look at Rose Gold and Copper, if you can. They seem to be the most wearable.

But Bronze is fun, too. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Try The Estée Edit Metallishadow Crème + Powder for Glossy, Grungy Cool

May 2nd, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

estee edit solar blast — Metallishadow Creme + Powder in Solar Blast by The Estée Edit

Don’t these Metallishadow Crème + Powder jars by The Estée Edit look like the Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Colors from the side?

estee edit metallishadow 2 — They totes do, yeah?

First time I saw ’em I made the (totally logical, I think) makeup leap of, “Haaay, TF dupes!” but ’twas not meant to be. 🙁 They’re really not that similar.

Bummer, too, because it would’ve been nice to find a bargain version of Tom Ford’s cream shadow duos, but I’m not shedding a single holographic rainbow glitter unicorn tear because either way, these are cool. There are seven of them for $25 each, and now they’re available in The Estée Edit permanent line.

There’s a cream shadow under the flip top and a loose metallic shadow tucked away underneath that when you unscrew the top.

estee edit metallishadow — Three of the seven Metallishadows from the top in Aquanova, Solar Blast and Cyberella

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Take the Plunge Technakohl Liner

May 2nd, 2017 by Karen 20 Comments

mac take the plunge liner — MAC Take the Plunge Technakohl Liner on my water lines

I’m sitting here at my ask wearing a tank top and shorts (no, not booty shorts…although I kinda wish they were) for the first time in… I can’t remember, and, of course, to go with my springtime ensemble, I’m also wearing blue and green eyeshadow. Because it’s spring (the sunny part). And fun times shall be had by all. 🙂

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

So, on account of the blue/green action on my lids today, I’m also wearing MAC Technakohl Liner in Take the Plunge.

mac take the plunge swatch — MAC Take the Plunge (you probably already know this because I’ve said it literally hundreds of times over the years, but I’m an NC42 in MAC-speak, for reference)

Intensely pigmented teal Take the Plunge is a knockout on water lines, and if you wear blue, green or, heck, gold or neutral eyeshadows, and you pop Take the Plunge along your water line, your eyes will strike down strangers in their tracks. BOOM! Especially if you have brown eyes.

No, seriously! Take the Plunge would stop somebody dead in their tracks, and they’d be like, “GURL! What’s happening on your water line?!”

OK…so maybe most people wouldn’t do that, but I totally would (and I may have in the past, haha #makeupweirdo).

Take the Plunge is part of the MAC Technakohl Liner fam, which is MAC’s line of twist-up eyeliners. They have a super skinny tip, so you don’t have to use a pencil sharpener to sharpen them.

I mostly wear it along my water line, because I love what it does for my brown eyes. I think they look much more chocolatey. 🙂 But I also think it looks amazing along lash lines, too. Plus, you can really get between your lashes with that tip.

The creamy formula also smudges well, so it’s easy to buff out with a brush, which means that it ALSO works great as a base for powder shadows.

Sometimes I’ll use it as a cream shadow by layering it on top of powder shadows in the outer corner. No matter what I do with it, it lasts all day, too!

And, most importantly, on my eyes, which are prone to freak out, Take the Plunge never makes my water lines water, or feel itchy, dry or otherwise funky.

mac take the plunge liner 1 — Backups, babe! (In this look, I’m also wearing the Urban Decay UD Jean-Michel Basquiat Eyeshadow Palette on my lids in Tenant and the Gallery Cheek Palette on my cheeks; on my lips I’m wearing MAC Love at First Bite Lipstick and Cha-Cha-Cha Cremesheen Glass from the Fruity Juicy collection

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