Product Reviews

NARS Fall 2016 First Impressions

July 6th, 2016 by Karen 16 Comments

Ooh, the NARS Fall 2016 collection makes me wanna unleash my inner artiste!

Look at all those pencils… My goodness. I’m tempted to grab one of my adult color books.

Coming July 15 to NARS boutiques and the NARS website, and sometime in August to Sephora and NARS counters, this one’s mostly about the pencils.

nars fall 2016 eyeliner — NARS Velvet Eyeliners from the left in Black Moon, Mambo, Curacao, Kaliste, London, Blue Lotus, Last Frontier, Las Pozas and Darklight ($24 each)

The big news? The new $24 NARS Velvet Eyeliners, which are coming in nine shades. They’re like smokey kohls…

They get soft and smooth, so you can smudge and smoke ’em out, making them great bases for smokey eyes looks and, of course, you can also use them to line your lash and water lines.

On my water lines, though, I get some transferring onto the skin along my lash lines, which isn’t a big deal to me, because I just end up smooshing and smudging them out anyway (’cause homegirl likes it SMOKAYYYY!), but it’s there.

The collection also includes two NARS contour blush duos, three eyeshadows and two red matte lip pencils.

nars fall 2016 contour blush — The $42 NARS Contour Blushes in Melina (left) and Talia (right)

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Tom Ford Fall 2016 Orchid Collection Nightbloom Powder in Velvet Bloom and Velvet Orchid Lip Color

July 5th, 2016 by Karen 24 Comments

tom ford velvet bloom — Tom Ford Fall 2016 Orchid Collection Nightbloom Powder in Velvet Bloom ($80)

Is this jewelry, or is this makeup? — because sometimes with Tom Ford I just can’t tell!

Do wear it on my face, or do I dangle it from a chain and rock it as a statement necklace? I gotta hand it to Tommy-boy for nailing the whole luxury aesthetic. He’s got it down pat, especially when it comes to limited edition packaging.

Here’s a look at two of the lush and tasty (and expensive) purple and gold tidbits in Tom’s new Fall 2016 Orchid Collection.

The new nine-piece limited edition fall release (yup, fall!) just launched online July 1, and it arrives at Tom Ford counters this August. It’s inspired by Tom Ford’s Black Orchid Eau de Parfum, his first fragrance.

And fragrance plays a big part in the launch, as five of the nine pieces are perfumes, while the other four — two lipsticks and two blushes — are the goodies you can wear on your face.

The Tom Ford Fall 2016 Orchid Collection includes…

Black Orchid Lip Color ($60)

Velvet Orchid Lip Color ($60)

Nightbloom Powder in Black Bloom ($80)

Nightbloom Powder in Velvet Bloom ($80)

Black Orchid Solid Perfume ($190)

Velvet Orchid Solid Perfume ($190)

Black Orchid Eau de Parfum ($115)

Velvet Orchid Eau de Parfum ($115)

Orchid Soleil Eau de Parfum ($120)

I’m a “smoky eye till I die” kinda gal, so I always look forward to the dramatic eye pencils, eyeshadows and all of that fun schtuff I’m used to seeing for fall. So I’m a little bummed that this release doesn’t include any eye makeup for me to lust after.

tom ford velvet orchid — Tom Ford Orchid Collection Velvet Orchid Lip Color ($60)

Strangely, neither of these two pieces here — pearlescent rosy plum Velvet Orchid Lip Color ($60) and sheer, cool-toned pink Nightbloom Powder in Velvet Bloom ($80) — give me that same visceral desire that I usually feel for Tom Ford’s products.

Like the Velvet Orchid Lip Color? Yeah, it has all the hallmarks of a dreamy TF lippy, with its deliciously even application throughout, in and around the curves of my lips (none of that patchy nonsense!), its fabulously lighter-than-air formula, and yeah, the color, which is something I can totally see myself wearing in fall, but I dunno… I guess I was hoping for more.

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The Benefit Brow Collection Has Everything You Need to Tame Your Brows!

June 30th, 2016 by Adia Goss 16 Comments

I could not wait to review these new Benefit brow collection products! I’ve been teased and tortured by all the sneak peaks on social media, and y’all don’t even know the level of restraint it took for me to snap these pictures before tearing apart the packaging. 🙂

Benefit recently released these new-and-improved brow products, and I’m pretty sure there’s something here for everyone.

First up, there’s the Goof-Proof Brow Pencil.

I wanted to try the $24 Goof-Proof Brow Pencil first because it’s what I would typically use for my brows — a brow pencil. I like the ease of just doing a few swipes with a pencil and then blending it out with a spoolie.

The level of pigment surprised me! I mean, you definitely want to use a light hand when filling in your brows with Goof-Proof because this smooth, creamy pencil is no joke.

It’s flat and rectangular, unlike most brow pencils, and it took me a couple of tries to get used to the shape. But I like it. You can use the wider end to quickly fill in your brows or the thin edge to get more precise.

I still haven’t *quite* mastered it yet, but I love the pigmentation and the sturdy brush at the other end.

Although this is one of the softer brow pencils I’ve ever used, I haven’t had any issues with it fading throughout the day.

I tested these Benefit brow products over the course of a week or so, and here’s a quick snap of me trying Goof-Proof:

Next up is $24 3-D Browtones. I pretty much always wear some sort of brow gel because my brows are bushy as hell, and I need something to tame these bad boys! So, while brow gel isn’t new to me, I was really intrigued by 3-D Browtones, which is described as a subtle highlighting gel for brows.

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Mist Me, Please, With the TOCCA Hair Fragrance Collection

June 27th, 2016 by Karen 10 Comments

I can imagine seeing these bottles laid out on a vanity in Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, all nestled amongst the feathers and powders and potions and other opulent things…

Every time I spray one of these TOCCA Capelli Profumatis fragrances, also known as the scents in the TOCCA Hair Fragrance Collection, which is available now exclusively at Anthropologie, into my hair, I can’t stop sniffing my strands!

I’m an unapologetic TOCCA super fan, and these hair mists are just as lovely and fresh as the other fragrances I love in the line.

You mist them on your hair for scent, obvs, but they’re also supposed to moisturize and add a subtle shine, too, which comes courtesy of coconut oil.

There are five $36 scents in the collection, all of which are inspired by fragrances in the TOCCA line, but they aren’t exact replicas, as TOCCA pulls on some of the notes to bring them to the forefront.

I think these versions smell a little lighter and a little fresher than the original TOCCA fragrances on which they’re based.

I can’t get enough of three of the five. Those are Liliana, which has notes of peach muguet; Collette (which is my FAVORITE, favorite, ahh!), which has notes of vanillla and sandalwood; and Stella, which has notes of Italian blood orange (which is different, ya know, than California blood orange…).

There’s also Cleopatra (grapefruit and cucumber) and Florence (bergamot and gardenia), but I haven’t smelled those two yet. I’m hoping and guessing they’re also lovely.

Official fragrance notes

Florence: an alluring combination of bergamot, crushed violet petals and blond wood (floral)

Cleopatra: rich amber patchouli blends royally with vanilla musk and hints of tuberose and grapefruit (spice)

Colette: a lush mix of bergamot, citrus, juniper and pink peppercorn mingle with florals, musk and woods (fresh)

Liliana: neroli, gardenia and faint peach (fresh)

Stella: a flirtatious combination of sheer musk, white freesia, blood orange and spicy lily (fresh)

— anthropologie.com

I bet these would make great gifts for a girlfriend’s birthday or… Oh, I gotta remember this! — for Mother’s Day next year. Or maybe this Christmas, but I’m not always sure about giving perfumes as a present because they’re so personal, and because an entire bottle of perfume seems like such a huge commitment on the receiver’s end, ya know?

But a hair scent, I dunno… For some reason, that seems more like an accessory. Plus, TOCCA’s scents have been pretty universally pleasing, in my experience. I’ve never run into a girl who doesn’t like TOCCA.

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The Day in Beauty Vol. 20: The New $49 NARS Survival Kit 2, Connor Claire Cuteness and Wine for Yo’ Cat

June 25th, 2016 by Karen 31 Comments

We made it to Saturday, babe! Great job. 🙂 Wherever you are, I hope you have a nice weekend lined up.

I felt like switching up my makeup game today because I’ve been all about black eyeliner, beige and brown lids and nude lips lately. I love that look (it’s easy), but I felt like doing something different, hence the NARS Survival Kit 2 ($59), the second of two new limited edition sets coming soon from NARS (July 1 exclusively to NARS counters at Nordie’s). This one comes with two eyeshadows, two blushes, a mini gloss and a mini mascara.

This one incorporates color in a fresh way with everyday shades that aren’t intimidating, but also aren’t really typical of nude/neutral looks.

Beginning with Tokyo II Eyeshadow, a light satiny violet, which creates an absolutely gorgeous wash of color on the lids, ya know, if you don’t have a lot of time to get ready and you want to wear color, I think Tokyo II is a great way to go. Here I quickly buffed it on my lids with a domed brush and blended out the edges with a tapered brush.

Rich, warm reddish brown Galapagos, which is one of my absolute favorite NARS shadows, has tiny flecks of golden glitter. It also makes an appearance in the palette in this kit.

SO pretty and SO much hotness in smokey eyes, especially with a black base under it. Here, though, I decided to keep it simple, since I only gave myself 20 minutes to get ready this morning, so I used Galapagos as a liner by wetting an angled brush (the NARS #47, which I think is THE BEST angled brush for winged liner!), then applied Galapagos on my upper lash lines.

Wetting the brush intensifies the shadow and makes the brown richer and yummier and more milk chocolatey…and also makes the gold flecks really come through.

nars survival kit 2 k — Wearing NARS Survival Kit 2 on my eyes, cheeks and lips

Of the two blushes in this kit, Modesty and Daydream, Daydream is a satiny mid-toned peachy pink kinda like NARS Orgasm, but without the golden shimmer running through it. Sometimes I like colors like Daydream a little more than Orgasm, to be honest, because they don’t come with the same shimmery gold drama.

I mean, Orgasm’s really pretty too, but if you’re having a “big pore day,” it’s not always easy to wear.

And Modesty works well as a warm golden beige highlighter. I only need to use a little because it’s pretty shimmery and intense.

The kit also comes with a juicy, plummy red gloss called Phantasia. It’s so pigmented that it’s almost like wearing a liquid lipstick, but the glossy aspect of the gloss subsides over a few hours, leaving behind a soft stain.

nars survival kit 2 packaging — The NARS Survival Kit 2 packaging

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Sometimes Your Survival Depends on a Pretty Pink, and for Those Times There’s the NARS Survival Kit 1

June 23rd, 2016 by Karen 15 Comments

“I need makeup to survive!” she exhaled, placing the back of her left hand against her forehead melodramatically and tipping her head.

OK…so maybe eyeshadow, blush, gloss and mascara aren’t as important to your day-to-day survival as, you know, food and water, but they’re handy to have around! — especially when they come in chic limited edition packaging like they do in the new NARS Survival Kit 1.

The new limited edition set will cost $59 when it arrives in the Promised Land, also known as Nordstrom stores and the Nordstrom website, July 1st with a compact containing two powder eyeshadows and two powder blushes, a mini lipgloss and a mini mascara.

NARS Survival Kit 1

Naiade Eyeshadow
Audacious Mascara
Kalahari II Eyeshadow
Off Limits Blush
Mata Hari Blush
Party Girl Lip Gloss

I’d like to make a shout-out to Kalahari II, one of the eyeshadows in this kit. It’s a glistening taupe-plum, and I think it’s one of those “Ya gotta have it!” pieces from NARS. I’ve been wearing it for years (it’s also in the permanent collection). It lasts all day long and looks amaze-balls with bronze eyeshadow and/or liner.

nars survival kit 1 swatches — NARS Survival Kit 1 swatches

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The $325 NARS Cult Survival Kit: 11 Full-Sized Classics to Survive Work Days, Date Nights and the Zombie Apocalypse

June 22nd, 2016 by Karen 27 Comments

nars cult survival kitnars cult survival kit — The new limited edition $325 (yes, that’s the price) NARS Cult Survival Kit

Oh, NARS… You totally feel me dawg. I like how your new splurge-arific Cult Survival Kit, despite costing $325, doesn’t actually contain anything one might expect to find in a real life survival kit.

No water purification tablets, matches, heirloom seeds or weapons.

But you DO get full-sized versions of 11 NARS products.

Granted, would you really be carrying a fancy white lacquered box filled with makeup goodies into the sunset while roving gangs or zombies were chasing you? Probably not…although I might, because that’s how I roll. 🙂

Should the world fall apart, I’d like to wear a little gloss — just a little — until the zombies eat my brains.

nars cult survival kit — Everything comes in this sturdy white lacquered box

This kit is $325 bones, dude! But before you wave your hand and say, “Oh, hell no, girl,” check it: everything in it is full sized, and they’re all NARS cult classics handpicked by the man, the myth, the legend himself, François Nars.

Even at $325 for this kit, you are saving a little money, because if you were to purchase each of these items separately, it would cost you $361, so not only do you score $36 in savings, you also get a chic keepsake box.

nars cult survival kit open — What’s inside?

OK, so what have we got up in this mix? To start, two blushes — matte red Exhibit A and golden peach Orgasm (yes…Orgasm).

nars cult survival kit orgasm exhibit a — Blushes in Orgasm (left) and Exhibit A (right)

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The NARS 413 BLKR Cheek & Lip Palette

June 21st, 2016 by Karen 24 Comments

Another lovely day, another lovely NARS cheek palette.

Whoops! I misspoke. I meant to say, “another lovely NARS cheek and lip palette,” because the new NARS 413 BLKR Cheek & Lip Palette doesn’t only contain blushes. It also comes with a gorgeous matte lip pencil.

So what is heck is a 413 BLKR? Is it a secret pager code, or the code to a hidden door at NARS headquarters, where if you type it on the keypad, François Nars answers the door and says, “Bonjour ma chère! Have a macaron, and let me do your makeup, you gorgeous girl”?

Um…no, although that would be dope, wouldn’t it?

413 BLKR is the physical address of the NARS flagship store in New York, and it’s also the name of a special collection of NARS products inspired by New York.

The NARS 413 BLKR Cheek & Lip Palette also contains three brand new cheek colors and, if you have a thing for rosy, plummy tones, you just might freak out. But in a good way.

Starting from the left, there’s a light opalescent pinky rose blush that can also double as a highlighter on darker skin tones, then a mid-toned satiny rose with hints of plum and gold, then a satiny deep plum, and finally, on the far right — sigh! — good old golden tan Laguna. Because, obvs, it just wouldn’t be a NARS blush palette without Laguna up in the mix…

Side note: The cheek powders in this palette have that traditional NARS powder formula, unlike the formula of the powders in the Dual-Intensity Palette I reviewed yesterday.

So these blushes aren’t as compressed into their pans as those Dual Intensity Blushes, and you should see more powder particles partying (moving) when you swipe your brush atop the pans.

As you know, Laguna has been around since the Cretaceous Period (can anybody even remember a time before Laguna?), and the 413 BLKR Velvet Matte Lip Pencil has been kickin’ it old-school since 2012, so the fresh and summery rose and plum blushes are the new recruits.

If you wear many rosy purples, plums or cooler-toned hot pink lip colors, these cheek colors should go really well with any of them. I bet you’d get a lot of mileage out of this palette.

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