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

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

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Urban Decay Spring 2011: Uzi or Gunmetal? You Be the Judge

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If you’ve been waiting patiently for Urban Decay’s recently released spring 2011 collection to appear online here (urbandecay.com) and here (sephora.com), your wait is over.

If you haven’t yet perused UD’s latest wares, well, what are ya waitin’ for, boo? The collection’s a doozy, and it introduces a handful of new products to the line — products like the Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tints ($24 each; LOVE THESE!), Greed Eyeshadow Primer ($18), the 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencils ($20) and the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil 15-Year Anniversary Set ($92).

That reminds me — Jess had a question about Uzi, one of the shimmery liners in the Anniversary Set.

“I was lusting over the swatches you showed of the Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Set and was wondering if there was any significant difference between, say, Uzi and Gunmetal?

I already have several of the colors in the set and am trying to figure out if the new colors are really different or not.”
— Jess M

Funny you should ask, Jess, because I happen to have both shimmery grays close at hand. I’ve been going through a may-jah gray liner phase lately.

Uzi looks a little like Gunmetal to me, but I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect match. I think it’s darker and more taupe, whereas Gunmetal’s more of a classic silver.


Uzi (left) and Gunmetal (right) with the flash
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MAC Wonder Woman: Saving the World One Lipglass at a Time

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Image via Twilight Whisper

Any woman who can fight crime in a bustier, booty shorts and knee-high red boots totally deserves to be honored with a makeup collection.

Yes, I’m talking about the new MAC Wonder Woman collection! 🙂 Buzz has been building for a while…and it’s only getting louder every minute.

The following pics, even if they turn out to be authentic, are fairly low res. The color of everything from the packaging to the products themselves will probably differ significantly from what we’re seeing here, but still — it’s food for thought until we actually see more.


Image via UrCosme

By the look of these promo pics, fearless reader, it looks like MAC is taking a vintage comic book approach to the packaging design, and I’m really feeling the red, gold and blue (no indestructible bracelets, though, boo!).

Some are calling it tacky, and I guess that depends on your outlook. I get bored easily, and I find MAC’s willingness to try things like this refreshingly interesting.


Image via UrCosme

It brings back memories…

I used to watch WW work her Amazonian wiles every day in the Super Friends cartoon, and when the neighborhood kids would gather after school, all the girls would lobby to play Wonder Woman in our pretend version of The Justice League, LOL!

Whoever won got to wear a chunky, faux gold bracelet that one of the girls “borrowed” from her mom. I think there was a time when we had a rope, too (our Lasso of Truth), until one of the dads found out and took it away (killjoy). And we also tried unsuccessfully to secure a tiara and hot pants.

We didn’t only like how WW accessorized. We also loved how she always kicked @ss. Smart, strong and dressed to thrill.


Image via Superherostuff

I plan to relive my childhood comic book dreams with this release. Who’s with me? There’s plenty of room in my invisible jet. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. To see A LOT more on the collection, check out Are You a MAC Wonder Woman?

5 Fantastic Makeup and Beauty Products to Help with Oily Skin

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Is your skin slicker than a used car salesman? Do your pores ooze oil all day and night? If you suffer from oily skin, you’re not the only one. I did for years (and still do at times).

Rule No. 1: Don’t despair. There’s hope. 🙂

“Hi, Karen. You’ve said before that you have oily skin, as do I, so I was wondering what you do (what products you use/have used) to combat it?

I have literally tried EVERYTHING, but my skin is still an oil slick!

HELP!”
— Ashley

Hi Ashley,

I feel your pain! I was constantly struggling with oily skin throughout my 20s. I know it’s all natural, but I’m still a little grossed out by it, that greasy feeling and the relentless shine. I remember back in college when I’d fall asleep in my books. I’d wake up, peel my face away and see oily patches on the page. Awesome!

Now that I’m in my 30s, my skin’s a combination of oily and dry. Some spots are dry, but others are oily, like my forehead and cheeks. I use (and love) several products to keep the oil slicks at bay.

1. Basis Cleaner Clean Face Wash, $5 for a 6.7-oz tube

This citrus-scented cleanser for normal-to-oily skin removes everything — oil, makeup, dirt, you name it. Yet it doesn’t feel harsh or leave my skin feeling tight or dry, thanks to botanicals like aloe vera, rosemary and spearmint. I loved it so much that I stockpile it when it’s sale. Plus, it’s only five bucks and carried in most drugstores.

2. DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew, $38 for a 1.7-oz tube

Okay, it’s totally expensive, but DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew is both oil- and fragrance-free, feels light as air, sinks into my skin quickly and packs just enough moisture for my skin. Even oily skin likes moisture, and a good moisturizer slows the evaporation of water from the skin (see: Moisturizer For Oily Skin). It also never, ever gives me breakouts.

3. Olay Facial Lotion Oil Free SPF 15, $12 for a 6-oz bottle

When I was in college I went through an awful bout of acne, and a dermatologist recommended Olay Facial Lotion Oil Free. I used it for years and still love it to this day. It feels light on my skin, can be worn beneath makeup and, like DDF Ultra-Light, doesn’t give me breakouts. I don’t use it anymore because I don’t think it’s moisturizing enough for my dry parts.

4. MAC Blot, $22 for a 0.42-oz compact

If MAC ever discontinued this oil-absorbing pressed powder I’d cry a thousand tears. It comes in five shades (Light, Medium, Medium Dark, Deep and Deep Dark) and works overtime to absorb oil, reduce shine and set makeup. love
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Take an Early Spring Break Down the Laura Mercier Silk Road

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laura mercier silk road

Yesterday, my journey along the new Laura Mercier Silk Road led me to four items from the collection — the Eye and Cheek Palette, the Kohl Eye Pencil in Stormy Gray, the Lip Plumper in Ruby Glaze and the Stickgloss in Pink Jewel — and it was quite a trip, let me tell ya.

All four of them are JUST. SO. GOOD! As I was applying the new products yesterday I kept shouting, “Oh, my gawd!” I’m pretty sure I sounded either like I was 1) seeing a double rainbow or 2) having a bonafied makeup-gasm.

The Laura Mercier Silk Road Collection

For her latest collection, foundation phenom Laura Mercier went WAY back — almost 3,000 years back — to the ancient Han Dynasty and the trade routes ancient merchants from China, India, Tibet, Persia and the Mediterranean used to sell their silk, satin, perfumes, spices, medicines and jewels.

Available now on Laura Mercier counters and online, the 13-piece Silk Road collection was inspired by the precious gemstones and raw silks that moved along those ancient routes.

laura mercier silk road all
Laura Mercier Silk Road products clockwise from the palette: Eye and Cheek Palette, Stickgloss in Pink Jewel, Lip Plumper in Ruby Glaze and the Eye Kohl in Stormy Grey

Do if you feel up to traveling the Silk Road again with me (don’t worry, I remember the way). 🙂

The $48 Eye and Cheek Palette…

…is the frickin’ bomb, especially the eyeshadows. I’m very picky about palettes with purples on account of how many times I’ve been traumatized by them. It seems like many of the purples that make their way into palettes suffer from some terrible affliction, either too much contrast, fallout or something else, and I can’t even count the number of times I’ve ended up looking like a cross between Elvira and Barney.

Laura handled these violet, pink, taupe and lavender shades well. Each of them is distinct enough to stand on its own yet related enough to work in looks using multiple shadows from the palette.

Blending like a teenage dream, they go together without leaving any harsh lines behind, and I had absolutely no issues with fallout — not even from the glitter in Regal Violet or Golden Sands.

Oh, and those blushes? Dreamy. Persian Rose contains a little more pigment and shimmer than I thought it did last week. It’s not quite the NARS Orgasm dupe I figured it would be. I think it’s darker, more intense and more golden than Orgasm is but still very pretty. Lighter skinned ladies might want to apply it with a fan brush for a natural-looking flush.
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Is the NYX Haute Model 10-Color Palette a Perfect 10?

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nyx haute model

If NYX had their druthers, we’d all be shimmering like angelic fiends right about now. Their budget conscious 10-Color Palette in Haute Model ($11), one of four new palettes in the extensive 10-Color Palette line, houses a bevy of bestselling NYX shadows in dark green, blue, purple, gray and bronze, as well as two lighter pops of pink and teal.

The lighter shades seemed out of place to me at first, but I wouldn’t turn them away. Now I like the nice contrast they provide.

The shadows in this bargain beauty have a bold, hi-shine finish that demands attention, and every one, with the exception of the pink in the top row, apply with NYX’s signature buttery texture (the pink doesn’t feel as finely milled as the others to me).

nyx haute model

nyx haute model swatches with flash
Swatches of the top row on NC35 skin (with a flash)
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Does the LORAC Multidimensional Beauty Collection Come with 3D Glasses?

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LORAC Multidimensional Beauty Collection

The only real 3D thing I’ve ever watched was Captain EO, and I really liked it when I was 8. 🙂

The word “gimmicky” springs to mind when I look at LORAC’s new Multidimensional Beauty Collection.

lorac multidimensional beauty collection promo

It’s a spring release, but the gobs of glitter, shimmer and dark hues remind me more of fall and winter than spring. Products in the eight-piece release for the eyes, lips and face come in a variety of finishes, including shimmers, mattes and glitters, and some of them (like the shimmers and glitters) seem to fool around with light (hence the 3D).

Today I took five of them out for a spin.

Multiplex 3D Lashes, $22

Like sugar free YSL Faux Cils. I like how it thickens at the base, but I’d love a little better curl hold.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

3D Liquid Lustre Shimmering Top Coat, $16

I had high hopes for this sheer multipurpose liquid and its golden glitter. Designed to be applied on top of eyeshadow (that’s how I tried it), worn alone or dabbed atop areas of the face for extra shimmer, it suffers from MAD fallout. And the packaging could stand being revamped. The base of the bottle is so narrow that it tips over easily. I knocked it over by accident, and the liquid gushed out! There went half the bottle before my very first use…
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: C+

3-in-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils in Chocolate and Eggplant, $18 Each

Matte brown Chocolate and matte reddish purple Eggplant glide along lash and waterlines like prima ballerinas. I just wish LORAC had made the pencils thinner (or maybe harder) because the tips are easy to break.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Multiplex 3D Eye Shadow Palette, $38 (a Sephora Exclusive)

How cute is this packaging (I want the same print on a pair of shoes!)? Some of these six shimmery powder eyeshadows could be smoother (the peachy gold on the upper left feels very grainy), but I think LORAC did a pretty good job with the duochromes. The green in the upper right of the first row flashes from red to brown at certain angles, and the aforementioned peachy gold flashes to/from pink, which is rather cool.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

lorac multidimensional beauty collection all
Clockwise from the tube of mascara on the left: Multiplex 3D Lashes, Multiplex 3D Eye Shadow Palette, 3D Liquid Lustre Shimmering Top Coat, 3-in-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Eggplant and 3-in-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Chocolate
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