Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 136

April 24th, 2011 by Karen 16 Comments

Dear Diary,

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written, but I’ve been on the road a lot as of late. I’ve had modeling jobs in Miami, LA, Toronto, Paris… shoot, I even had one booked here at the house early this morning. Tabby is a busy boy!

See, when you’re a top kitty model, you have to be ready at a moment’s notice. Even on holidays. But I woke up feeling and looking like this (please don’t judge; it was early, and I didn’t have a chance to clean my fur):

I felt better after I did my stretches and got some gravy in my system, and before long I was hitting all the right poses for the camera…

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Caught in the Act

April 24th, 2011 by Karen 16 Comments

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

April 24th, 2011 by Karen 7 Comments

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine. Happy Easter. 🙂 You’re just in time for the big Easter egg hunt. The eggs are hidden all around, but you better hurry. Tabs got an early start this morning, and it looks like he’s already found at least two of the eggs in the yard.

Here’s your Easter basket. Yup, that one’s all yours. You can put your eggs right in there next to the Jelly Bellies, Cadbury Creme Eggs and Marshmallow Peeps.

Well, go on. Get a move on, and have fun! You don’t want Tabs finding all of the eggs.

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

THE $5 GOODY REVERSIBLE HEADBAND
MAKES FOR GOODY, CLEAN FUN

Maybe I’m just way too easily amused, but I can see myself having a lot of fun with these new Goody Reversible Headbands ($5).

These fabric wrapped headbands are double sided, so when you feel like switching up your look, all you have to do is move the fabric to reveal the other side. It’s like getting two headbands for the price of one.

One minute, I’m sitting in a crowded boardroom. “Pardon me, everyone,” I say, getting up from my seat. “I’ll be right back.” I walk out of the room and around the corner, reverse the headband, and then nonchalantly walk back to my seat. Hehe… Psyche!

As far as headbands go, it’s great. Comfy and doesn’t squeeze or hurt my brain. It’s really just a headband, though, except with the power of reversibility. It should come in handy when my bangs start to grow out. Read more…

HOW HOT IS THE $36 LORAC HOT OFF THE RED CARPET COLLECTION?
IT’S SO HOT THAT IT MADE SUMMER START EARLY

The LORAC Hot Off The Red Carpet Collection ($36) may not push the boundaries of summer makeup, but I’m okay with that. With plenty of metallic gold, teal, bronze and brown, products in the five-piece limited edition will look right at home this summer gracing makeup counters and tan, warm skin.

Two words: smokin’ hot. Hot, like Giselle working the Victoria’s Secret runway, or a shirtless Jakey Poo working an outdoor car wash.

The kit comes with four full-size pieces of makeup (two eyeshadow duos, a bronzer and lipgloss) and A cute golder-than-gold clutch.

I love where LORAC went with these finishes, in particular the powders. The eyeshadow duos and bronzer apply with sophisticated, fine shimmer that says, “Yes, I’m classy (with a â€˜c’),” and they stop shy of crossing the line into obnoxiously frosty territory. Read more…

GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MAC COSMETICS PRODUCTION FACILITY
AND ESTÃ‰E LAUDER COMPANIES CANADIAN INNOVATION CENTRE

Last week my adventures in Toronto led me and a group of fellow bloggers to the MAC production facility and EstÃ©e Lauder Companies Canadian Innovation Centre, where MAC and some of the other members of the ELC family create makeup magic. Both buildings are located right next to each other in the nearby city of Markham in Ontario, about an hour from Toronto.

The tour was only one of the reasons for my trip. I’ll share the others soon, but for now, help yourself to some steel-toe boot covers, safety glasses and a white lab coat â€” oh, and you’ll need to stow your jewelry in your purse â€” because where we’re heading, it’s safety first!

The inside of the production facility looks like a cross between a hospital and Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory (sans the Oompa-Loompas). The scent of vanilla fills the air, and you find yourself looking for MAC Lipsticks around every corner. As luck would have it, they are around every corner here. Read more…

IS BARE MINERALS PRETTY AMAZING
LIPCOLOR, WELL, PRETTY AMAZING?

When makeup marketers name a product “Pretty Amazing,” they’re setting the bar high. I mean, what do they do if the product only ends up being mediocre? How do they answer their boss when she asks, “How did those new Pretty Amazing Lipcolors turn out?” Well, miss, I think they turned out…fine.

Ouch.

I have to admit, I had high expectations when I heard about the new Bare Minerals Pretty Amazing Lipcolors line of hybrid liquid lipgloss/lipsticks ($16 each). I wondered if they’d make my eyes roll back in my head in ecstasy (I hope!). Would I find myself speaking in tongues?

Judging by their names, the eight new Lipcolors do have a certain swagger. There’s Bravado (a brick rose), Charisma (a coral pink), Ambition (a fuchsia), Courage (a warm strawberry), Fearless (a rosy mauve), Free Will (a pink nude; oddly, I keep wanting to call this one “Free Willy”), Moxie (a bright petal pink) and Strength (a vibrant red). Hot. I’ll call your positive messages, Bare Minerals, and raise you some power.

No, these aren’t lipglosses for wallflowers. They’re much stronger than that. These are like lipglosses on P90X â€” super thick and sticky with full-color coverage and subtle shine. Imagine the thick, sticky texture of a MAC Lipglass coupled with the uber-pigmented power of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams and BAM! â€” you’re Pretty Amazing. Read more…

NOW HERE’S A TIP: IT’S ATOP THE NEW
HOURGLASS SCRIPT PRECISION LIQUID LINER PEN
So tiny and cute! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a liquid liner tip as teeny as the one atop the new Hourglass Script Precision Liquid Liner pen ($32).

The pen’s extra fine 0.5mm nib would make drafting pens jealous. New for summer, it’s built for the ultimate in line drawing precision and lays down fine, thin lines along my lash line with very little skipping. It did, though, take me a couple of minutes of fiddling to find a good position to hold the pen, as the tip is shorter than most liquid liners and feels a little awkward in my hand.

Jett, the single color available, looks like a shiny grayish black with blue undertones on me.

If you and Jett hit it off, hang on to your receipt until you’re able to make sure your pen works because the first one I tried had problems. The tip had dried up and wouldn’t work at all. It might’ve been a fluke, but for $32 (expensive!), you definitely want one that works. Read more…

MAC UNSUNG HEROES
RUSSIAN RED LIPGLASS

Heads turn so fast when MAC Russian Red Lipstick ($14.50) enters a room that some of them get whiplash.

The blue-based red, long a favorite of MAC fans (like moi!), lives in the permanent line, but she also guest stars from time to time in limited edition releases like the MAC Wonder Woman Collection as a repromote shade.

I’ve loved the color for years, but I didn’t always know she had a sister, super shiny, highly pigmented MAC Russian Red Lipglass ($14.50).

If any product deserves a share of the MAC Unsung Heroes spotlight, it’s Russian Red Lipglass â€” one of my go-to colors to pair with cat eyes. Just how red is it? Well, do you remember how red your cheeks got that time in gym class with the sit-ups (PROOOT!)? Yup, it’s even redder than that. Read more…

HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL! GOODY’S NEW
PEARLIZED SHELL HEADWRAP DELIVERS A LUXE LOOK FOR LESS

When it comes to hair accessories, I’m a gal of simple tastes. I’ll do black ponytail holders and Spin Pins; sometimes I’ll even rock a scrunchie around the house (hey, they’re comfortable), but Goody’s new slew of spring headgear has me rethinking my minimalist ways.

Their Modern Organica Collection, available now at Target, features a bevy of new barrettes, headbands, headwraps and clips with an earthy theme, some of which would probably be more expensive on the shelves of a department store.

This $7 Pearlized Shell Headwrap has a non-rigid elastic band with braided fabric and shell accents (like mother-of-pearl). It’s available in beige, brown and black.

For what it’s worth, the neutral brown one seems to go well with white, pink, beige, peach, orange and blue shirts… I have a feeling there won’t be an accompanying color it doesn’t like. Read more…

MAC FLIGHTY
PRODUCT PICS AND SWATCHES

Whatever Tabby wants, Tabby gets! That’s right, Tabs threatened to swipe the living crap out my ankles if I didn’t take product pictures and swatch the new MAC Flighty collection, ASAP (damn cat).

He’s especially excited about the new Big Bounce Shadows ($16.50), a line of whipped mousse cream eyeshadows with a fluffy texture and pearly finish that MAC’s adding to their permanent line.

The MAC Flighty collection bounces onto MAC counters May 5 in North America and June internationally. Read more…

I HAVE A BLUE CRUSH ON
THE NARS SUMMER 2011 COLLECTION

I wonder what prompted this 11-piece release. I can imagine FranÃ§ois Nars, all tan and relaxed from a kick-ass beach vacay, dreaming up these playful colors because the teal, coral, citrus and cantaloupe fit the tropics to a (surf) T.

But there’s much more to the collection than that. An opaque white nail polish and warm, shimmery gold and silver metallics join the punchy, vibrant hues. By all appearances, someone had a blast this time around.

While the NARS Spring 2011 and Holiday 2010 collections reminded me of cocktail dresses, dainty heels and white wine spritzers at a bar in the Financial District downtown, this collection reminds me of a girl on vacation in Hawaii. She’s cruising around the island in a rented jeep with her surfboard in back. After catching a few waves, she stops by a beach bar, tucks a hibiscus behind her ear, and charms the bartender, who serves her free umbrella drinks all night long. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Yea! That was fun. I see you found some of the eggs. 🙂

El Hub and I are driving out to the East Bay to spend the day with my parents and brother. My dad’s birthday is coming up, so we’re also going to combine the festivities for that. Should be a lot of fun.

No matter what you’re doing or where you are, I hope you have a great day today. Tabs says hi!

These Milani Baked Eyeshadow Swatches Are Fresh Out the Oven (Careful, They’re Hot)

April 23rd, 2011 by Karen 17 Comments

Milani Baked Eyeshadow Swatches

Heya, gals. How’s your Saturday coming along? Doing anything fun? I’m just taking a quick break from all of the high-intensity relaxing I’ve done today. Ya know, I didn’t want to overexert myself. 🙂

I did want to share a few swatches of the Milani Baked Eyeshadows ($7.49 each) with you, though (if you’re interested, here’s a review).

Milani Baked Eyeshadows
Top row from the left: Purrr-fect Purple, Pink Twice and I Heart You; Bottom row: Blue My Mind, Teal The Truth and Rich Java
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Makeup Magic at Home with the Temptu AIRbrush Makeup System

April 23rd, 2011 by Karen 15 Comments

Written by Sam

Welcome to Makeup 2.0. The future is now! Upgrade your makeup point of view with the subject of today’s guest post from Sam.

The Temptu AIRbrush Makeup System

How often do you glance at a magazine photo spread and enviously draw your fingers over the page? No one’s skin can be that perfect, you think, studying the model’s face. It’s like the pores have all been airbrushed away!

What is the Temptu?

Now you can have pro-caliber post-production skin, and you can get it from the comfort of your own home. Skin nirvana is just a Temptu away. With their AIRbrush Makeup System, you’ll be staring at yourself in the mirror, wondering if you’re seeing something real, or a cruel trick of light.

The Temptu AIRbrush Makeup System ($225) is available exclusively through Sephora or Temptu’s own website (I prefer to deal with the brand itself).

Dealing directly with the company

Using the company’s Shade Finder tool, you can upload a picture of yourself (don’t forget to smile!) and list your current brand of foundation, as well as the shade you use. Within a day or two, you’ll receive an email recommending the Temptu foundation, blush, and highlighter shades ($55 for two foundation AIRpods; $30 for each blush; $35 for highlighters) they believe you should try.

One reason I prefer to deal with Temptu directly is that I’ve never had much luck with Sephora’s shade matcher girls. I’m not sure whether to attribute it to the lighting in the stores (shows every blemish, rough spot and acne scar I have), or to something else, but whenever I try to match my foundation in Sephora, I end up walking out of the store with a shade that’s either too light or too dark.

Temptu’s online tool, however, picked the shades I would have chosen for myself, and their online color representations look spot-on.

With Temptu’s “Build-a-Bundle Starter Set,” rather than purchasing the system, the foundation duo, the blush, and the highlighter separately at MSRP, you can bundle your shades (hopefully the ones you were matched to) from three drop-down menus, and they’ll combine them for you to the tune of a $50 savings.

The packaging

Temptu AIRbrush Makeup System Packaging If you’re a packaging nerd like I am, I think you’ll be impressed. The system itself is housed in a magnetic closure box, and nestled in a fitted plastic container that rests over the other components: air-hose, power source, instructional DVD, and warranty. Glossy minimalism at its best.

The DVD wasn’t what I expected, and I think the printed instructions are much more useful overall. Airbrushing and applying makeup with a brush or sponge are totally different beasts, and the DVD isn’t much more than pretty cinematography. Sure, it’s well laid out, but the model has nearly perfect skin already. Fine for a fashion spread or a virtual look book, but for real people like us who want to learn how to conceal a blemish or dark under-eyes, I recommend reading the manual or looking up a YouTube video posted by a consumer instead.

The airbrush that comes with the Starter Set is the same one that comes with the Temptu air professional compressor, sans the battery pack. Instead, a rubber muffler is glued to the underside (thank goodness, as this thing produces a rather loud rumbling noise when turned on) of this model. If you had hoped to purchase a battery for it, quash them now. This version must be used near a power source. That said, the power cord is rather long.

The proprietary gun rests inside a stand above the machine, and its beautiful! That is, until you pick it up. The shiny, brushed-metal-esque plastic attracts fingerprints like mad. Not that that affects its performance in the slightest, but if you have issues with that type of thing, be prepared to keep a microfiber cloth nearby at all times.

Using the system

To begin using the system, take the rubber hose, and push one end into the hole underneath the PSI regulator (that knob with the white ring around it on one side), and the do the same with the other end and the gun. Next, take your first AIRpod (I assume you’ll be using the foundation one first), and remove the black cap on one end. Inside this cap is a little tool, held back by a piece of sticky tape. I needed a pair of tweezers to remove it, so be prepared. Take this tool, and poke it in and out of the red-rimmed hole on the now exposed end of the AIRpod (this is where the gun will connect to the product). Make sure to also remove the tape from the other end of the AIRpod as well (I learned this the hard way… So much product wasted!)

Temptu AIRbrush Makeup System Compressor

Now, here comes the tricky part. Hold down the small button on the side of the gun (this is extremely important), and slide the AIRpod in until you hear it click. You won’t know if it worked or not for another few seconds. ..

Push the button on top of the machine, and aim the gun at the back of your hand (you should be holding the gun like you would a large pencil or pen). You should feel a cool, gentle blast of air. With one finger, pull back the lever on the top of the gun itself. If it seems to kind of click instead of move smoothly, the AIRpod didn’t latch properly, and no product will come out. In this case, you’ll have to remove the AIRpod and reinsert it (I once had to do this four times to get it to work).

A gripe

And this is where one of my major gripes with the system comes in. It’s nearly impossible to get those little devils off! You’re meant to hold down that button on the side of the gun (make sure the machine is turned off for this) and simply slide the AIRpod right off. Nope. It’s a struggle. I often have to work it so hard that the hose pops off. I’ve tried wiggling it back and forth, pulling straight back, wrapping it in a towel and pulling… And if you have any sort of slippery material (lotion, etc.) on your hands, forget it. I think

Temptu AIRpods in Ivory, Pale Pink, and Champagne

Inside one of the Temptu AIRpods
Inside one of the AIRpods

I’ve honestly spent more time trying to remove these things (either to reinsert them to get them to latch, or to switch products) than actually applying what was in them! I get that they need a tight seal to work, but there definitely needs to be an easy-release tab or something.

Actually using the brush

The Temptu AIRbrush Makeup System Brush

Assuming, though, that the lever did move smoothly, you should see some product start to slowly build up on your hand. That’s good. Release the lever, and move it toward your face. The brush has a continuous airflow, so you’ll feel air being pushed from it even when you aren’t distributing product. Adjust the machine’s PSI regulator for whichever product you’re currently using (I prefer the middle to the high position for foundation; the middle to low setting for blush, highlighter, and concealing).
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Two Ways to Win the Essie French Affair Spring 2011 Collection (a $48 Value)

April 23rd, 2011 by Karen 536 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Eileen! Congratulations, Eileen! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Oui, oui, cherie, we made it to the weekend! The train to Paris leaves any minute now. Are you coming with?

Goodness — would you look at that? My poor paws. They’re in dire need of a manicure, but what should I wear? Even though the summer collections have begun to trickle in, I’m still stuck on spring colors like the opaque pastels from the Essie French Affair collection.

This six-piece release graces fingers and toes in creamy shades of blue, pink, beige, purple and peach, but these aren’t your garden variety pastels. They deliver enough pigmentation to completely cover nails in just two coats. With a good base and top coat, they should last at least a week (long enough for our trip!) before chipping.

Are you and your nails ready for love? 🙂

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

One (1) Essie Nail Polish in French Affair (an $8 value)
One (1) Essie Nail Polish in Nice is Nice (an $8 value)
One (1) Essie Nail Polish in Coate Azure (an $8 value)
One (1) Essie Nail Polish in Sand Tropez (an $8 value)
One (1) Essie Nail Polish in Topless and Barefoot (an $8 value)
One (1) Essie Nail Polish in Kisses and Bises (an $8 value)

essie french affair 1
Essie French Affair Polishes from the left: French Affair, Nice is Nice and Coate Azure

essie french affair 2
Sand Tropez; Topless and Barefoot; and Kisses and Bises

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what’s your favorite nail color of all time? Do you ever mix your polishes to create new shades? Who was your very first crush? What did your prom dress look like? — the sky’s the limit!
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win the Essie French Affair Spring 2011 Collection (a $48 Value) http://bit.ly/gqQXDL

The deadline to enter is Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 11:59PM (PT).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Eileen! Congratulations, Eileen! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂