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

Are You a MAC Wonder Woman?

January 26th, 2011 by Karen 364 Comments

MAC Wonder Woman
I bet you didn’t know I filled in for Wonder Woman once…

Unless you’ve been holed up in your secluded superhero lair (every hero needs one, yo!), chances are you’ve probably heard rumblings about the new MAC Wonder Woman Collection, which twirls onto shelves February 10 in North America and internationally this March.

MAC teamed up with DC Comics this time to create a limited edition makeup collection inspired by one of the toughest ladies in comic book history. She fights crime in foxy hot pants (and sometimes a skirt) and has a penchant for practical accessories, like bullet-deflecting bracelets, magic lassos and boomerang headpieces, too!

There’s no denying it — this girl is tough AND cute.

Not bad for 2,000 years old (I wonder which face cream she uses).

Just like Diana Prince right before a beam of magic light transformed her into Wonder Woman, I’ve been practically spinning in circles in my knee-high boots ever since I saw the first promo pics for this super-sized 33-piece collection for eyes, lips, face and nails.

And now it’s time…

Sit back, relax, and have a look, fearless reader. Let me know what ya think.

But first, a comic interlude… 🙂

MAC Wonder Woman Comic: Page 1

MAC Wonder Woman Comic: Page 2

MAC Wonder Woman Comic: Page 3

MAC Wonder Woman Comic: Page 4

MAC Wonder Woman Comic: Page 5

MAC Wonder Woman Collection: Pictures and Swatches

mac wonder woman Eye Quad Closed

mac wonder woman Defiance Eye Quad
Eye Quad in Defiance

mac wonder woman lady justice Eye Quad
Eye Quad in Lady Justice
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Two Ways to Win an NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Casting Call

January 26th, 2011 by Karen 323 Comments

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

Happy hump day, friends. How’s your week coming along? I hope you’ve been having a good one.

Here’s a little something that just might make it even better — a cute palette of smokey shadows from NYX.

Today’s giveaway prize, the NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Casting Call, features 10 powder shadows, from matte to shimmer finishes, in nuanced shades of silver, gray and black.

Imagine all of the smoldering eye looks you could create with this sultry set. 🙂

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

One NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Casting Call (an $11 value).

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. Tell me how you feel about smokey eyes, what you’re having for lunch today, or how you style your hair — you get the picture.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win an NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Casting Call http://bit.ly/frLhac

The deadline to enter is Thursday, January 27, 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 ay country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 years of age or older 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 Tavi! Congratulations, Tavi! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

The Secret’s Out: Swatches of the Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden Ultra Shine Lipsticks and Glosses

January 25th, 2011 by Karen 42 Comments

dolce gabbana secret garden collection swatches
Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Secret

As promised, here are those swatches of the two lipsticks and two lipglosses from the new Dolce & Gabbana Secret Garden Collection.

dolce gabbana secret garden collection swatches Shine Lipstick in Love
Ultra Shine Lipstick in Love, $30

dolce gabbana secret garden collection swatches Romance
Shine Lipstick in Romance, $30

What do you think? Ultra shiny, right? I’m gonna go out on a limb and say they’re aptly named.

dolce gabbana secret garden collection swatches Secret
Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Secret, $30

dolce gabbana secret garden collection swatches Bon Bon
Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Bon Bon, $30
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Meet Clinique’s Conservatively Sharp Milly Palette: She’s Pretty in Prints

January 25th, 2011 by Karen 53 Comments

clinique milly pretty in prints palette

Greetings and salutations, mon amie. I wanted to quickly show you the new Clinique Milly Pretty in Prints Palette ($36) in action.

clinique milly pretty in prints palette for spring 2011

What do ya think? I followed the tutorial that comes with the eye and cheek palette this afternoon, and the whole thing took only about 10 minutes to do.

clinique milly pretty in prints fotd tutorial

The palette comes with four shadows and a blush; the shadows contain just the right amount of pigment, and all of them are super easy to blend. Heck, I’d call the palette downright perfect if it wasn’t for the matte brown shade, which left mad fallout on my cheeks when I used it as a liner today (which is what the tutorial suggests).

As for the blush…I love it! It’s like a sheerer, less golden version of NARS Orgasm.

clinique milly pretty in prints palette with bag

clinique milly pretty in prints palette
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What Are Your Top 5 MAC Must-Haves?

January 25th, 2011 by Karen 94 Comments

MAC Viva Glam V Lipstick

I was digging through my MAC favorites this morning when I remembered a question asked by reader Sheila Z in the comments yesterday.

“Karen, I’ll be getting my makeup done this saturday at MAC for my brother-in-law’s engagement party. Part of the process requires that I buy at least 5 items. What are the top 5 you recommend?”

— Sheila Z

Hey Sheila,

Pardon me for this, but right now I feel Ready For The World! “Oh, oh, oh, oh, Sheila!”

(Please tell me you’re familiar with that song.)

With that out of the way, let’s get back to beauty. 🙂 You’re going to have such a blast at the MAC counter on Saturday. For what it’s worth, here are my five (current) MAC must-haves.

217 Blending Brush ($22.50)

I wield this multi-tasking goat hair fiber brush Every. Single. Day. It has its way with both cream and powder products, and I use it for everything from loose pigments to under-eye concealer.
Fluidline in Blacktrack ($15)

This black gel liner stays put no matter what! I’ve shed a million tears with this stuff on, and it doesn’t budge for nothin’.
Pro Longwear Concealer ($16.50)

I really fancy this miracle working liquid concealer. Not only does it cover my dark circles well with its water-resistant formula, but it lasts all day long without fading, too. My one caveat? — it has a tricky pump.
Soft Brown Eyeshadow ($14.50)

If you like the look of browns with orange undertones, this matte shadow could be your new best friend. I wear it in the crease with smokey looks to give my eyes depth and dimension.
Viva Glam V Lipstick ($14.50)

LOVE this shimmery neutral pink! I think it looks great on almost everyone, and 100% of the proceeds go to support men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS.

I also asked the gals on Twitter what their MAC must-haves are, and here’s what they had to say:
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Clarins Neo Pastels and My Monday Face of the Day

January 24th, 2011 by Karen 34 Comments

Sooo, guess who’s procrastinating? 🙂 Yeah, I have about a billion things on my to-do list, but none of them are as much fun as makeup.

I put the new Clarins Neo Pastels Collection to work today for this here face of the day.

Clockwise from the lipstick on the left: Rouge Hydra Nude SPF6 Lipstick in 03 Pastel Beige, Blush Prodige in 02 Soft Peach and the Eye Quartet Mineral Palette

I loosely based the eye portion of the look on the Neo Pastel makeup tutorial here, and the edgy look of the black liner along the waterline is one of my favorite parts.
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