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

The Buzz on Burt’s Bees Holiday Kits at Target

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I was at Target today buying Halloween candy when I stumbled on these cute holiday kits from Burt’s Bees. There’s a whole bunch of them for lips, body, hands and nails, ranging from $14.99-19.99. Some even come with little purses, too.

Ahh, the temptation! I want the $19.99 manicure set. It comes with a jar of Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Cream, Cuticle Cream, a lip balm and a little purse.

But for some reason I feel like I should be starting to think about holiday shopping for other people and not getting any of these for myself…which is bizarre because it’s only Halloween. I’ve already been seeing Christmas decorations all over the place. Target had a small but growing Christmas area. Can you believe it? Before Halloween? I guess they couldn’t wait for Thanksgiving this year.


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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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Happy Halloween
Mouse over the picture for a surprise!

Happy All Hallow’s Eve, ghouls! I hope you’re having a frightfully fantastic day filled with mini-Snickers, candy corn or whatever sweet treat floats your boat.

Ladies, I had such a blast at the Monster Bash on the USS Hornet last night. I wish you could have been there. I’ve never danced on a big ship like that before. I wanted to go as a ’50s sock-hop girl but ended up going as a wannabe member of Run-D.M.C because 1) I couldn’t find my poodle skirt and 2) it was an easier costume to do.

About 1,000 people showed up, most of them adults but also some teens and younger kids. A band called The Cocktail Monkeys played cover songs from the ’60s through today. Lots of fun costumes and a great haunted house, too. I danced beside a storm trooper, a guy with massively large lobster claws and even the infamous Michael Myers!

The ship itself was so cool! It was huge, and the area where they held the party was filled with old helicopters and planes. When El Hub and I weren’t dancing, we checked out different planes and I even got to sit in the cockpit of an old jet. I learned it wasn’t easy to climb in and out of those things in four-inch heels!

Anywho, right now I’m watching Legion again and counting down the hours till The Walking Dead premiere (yay, zombies!).

I had so much fun this week with all the different Halloween themed hair and makeup looks. I hope you had a great week too. 🙂

USS Hornet Monster Bash 2010, Alameda, CA
USS Hornet Monster Bash 2010, Alameda, CA

USS Hornet Monster Bash 2010, Alameda, CA

USS Hornet Monster Bash 2010, Alameda, CA

USS Hornet Monster Bash 2010, Alameda, CA

USS Hornet Monster Bash 2010, Alameda, CA

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

Bobbi Brown Crystal Eye PaletteBOBBI BROWN
CRYSTAL EYE PALETTE

You know you’re from California when you’re already complaining about the weather after the first rains of the season. You see, I’m a certified weather wimp, and I was over the moon this morning when I looked out the windows and saw blue skies.

Tabs was even happier than I was because it meant he’d be able to go outside again after being cooped up all weekend long, and the first thing we did was go for a nice, long walk.

While he mouth mowed his favorite patch of grass, I gazed up at the sky and thought, “blue…” I know! — I’ll do a blue eye look with maybe a dash of purple to celebrate the day. Right away I knew I wanted to use the Bobbi Brown Crystal Eye Palette from the Holiday 2010 Collection. Read more…

Make Up For Ever Rock For Ever Eyeshadow PaletteMAKE UP FOR EVER
ROCK FOR EVER PALETTE

Oh, gawd! So I have another bad TV addiction, and they call it Dancing with the Stars. Why they call it that I’ll never know, since said “stars” include third string reality TV-ers like The Situation from MTV’s Jersey Shore and Audrina from The Hills, but I digress…

I was just channel surfing one night a few weeks ago when I randomly stopped to watch. I swear it was like when Britney had her breakdown and shaved her head. I desperately wanted to look away but couldn’t. The show had me by the eyeballs and would not let go!

Maybe it was the sparkly costumes or the pyrotechnic displays (seriously, on stage fire is like the oldest trick in the “you gotta watch this!” book), but now I’m hooked. And who knew that Jennifer Grey would still be such a kick @ss dancer after all these years, or that 6’8″ Rick Fox would have to work on pointing his toes?

Last night’s episode had a rock n’ roll theme, which means flames, a weird appearance by Bret Michels and his blonder than blond weave, and an awkward pasodoble danced by former NFL champ Kurt Warner (El Hub is totally rooting for him!).

None of it really rocked and rolled to me, but the Make Up For Ever Rock For Ever Eye Palette ($45), on the other hand — that’s another story. Now THAT to me is ROCK. N. FRICKIN’. ROLL! Read more…

Korres Lip Butter GlazeKORRES LIP
BUTTER GLAZE

Blue skies may have been smiling at me yesterday, but my face of the day left me with lips like the Sahara. My kisser needed TLC today, and Korres Lip Butter Glaze ($14; available in five shades) came to my rescue.

The mad moisturizing, non-sticky formula is surprisingly thin and lightweight, but Korres still found room inside it for a subtle vanilla fragrance, which I like (it is unflavored, though). I put Pomegranate (a pinkish coral) on this morning, and by mid-day my lips already felt and looked a lot better.

Both of the colors I’ve tried, Pomegranate and bright red Wild Rose, could almost pass for Jello from afar (peach and fruit punch, respectively!). They create a semi-transparent, shiny layer of goodness on my lips. Read more…

L'Oreal Midnight Muse HiP Studio Secrets Professional Shadow DuosL’OREAL MIDNIGHT
MUSE HiP STUDIO DUOS

It’s not like I needed another reason to swing by the drugstore, aka my home away from home, but these limited edition $8 L’Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Professional Shadow Duos gave me one anyway.

Here are four of the six HiP (High Intensity Pigments) Studio Secrets from the Midnight Muse collection that arrived on counters in September.

I love their names…Moon Goddess, Luna Noir, Enchantress and Dark Wave. Don’t they sound like a coven of witches (BOO!)? Most of these are highly pigmented (hello, Enchantress!). Moon Goddess, however, looks quite sheer.

Not bad for less than $10 for two shadows, yah? Read more…

Dark Under-Eye Circles Hate This Power CoupleDARK CIRCLES HATE
THIS POWERFUL COMBO

OOH, GURL, that’s the new MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ($16.50)/Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener ($18) combo (Longwear applied on top of Photo Op).

I don’t remember what prompted me to try the two of them together, but let me tell you — they’re frickin’ rad, especially when my dark circles look extra dark and purplish.

First, I blend in a few dots of Photo Op (a golden peach liquid with a hint of shimmer) under each eye to prime them for concealer. I’ll give them about a minute to dry and follow up with MAC Pro Longwear Concealer patted and blended right on top.

I’m normally an NC 35 in MAC foundation, but I’ve been using Longwear Concealer in NW 30 because I think its peachier tones do a better job on my dark circles. Read more…

Big Sexy Hair Spritz & StayBIG SEXY HAIR
SPRITZ & STAY

Need big hair in a hurry (heck, you never know)? Big Sexy Hair to the rescue!

Get long-lasting shine and touchable hold in a heartbeat (or so the company claims) with new Spritz & Stay ($15) non-aerosol hairspray. It’s formulated with “fast-dry technology” to (you guessed it) dry f a s t .

I needed help locking down the volume of my Snooki poof yesterday, and Big Sexy did the deed.

I can’t tell if it dries any quicker than other styling products, but I like the hold. It certainly kept my poof nice and high! 🙂

With hold like this, my hair isn’t exactly blowing in the wind — which reminds me, I love the fruit punch scent — but it doesn’t feel crunchy or cemented in place, either. Read more…

The Rusk W8LESS Hair Dryer/Iron Combo KitRUSK W8LESS HAIR DRYER
FLAT IRON COMBO KIT

Do you remember The Far Side comics by Gary Larson? Some of them must have been based on my life, like this one to the right for the Midvale School for the Gifted.

It’s true. I’m like a female version of that kid. “Stupid door! Must. Push. Harder! Gah!”

As a matter of fact, I had a Midvale moment last night with the packaging for the Rusk W8LESS The Power of Light kit ($166).

The kit comes with two limited edition pink products, the Rusk W8LESS Hairdryer and Flat Iron, released for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and, no joke, the box took me at least 10 minutes to open (a Rubik’s Cube would have been easier to solve!). Read more…

Lush Gorilla Perfumes: Gorillas in a Mist AND Solid Stick FormLUSH GORILLA
PERFUMES

I’ve been trying to get behind the new Lush Gorilla fragrances mostly because I love, LOVE the packaging.

But there’s one thing I don’t get…

What’s up with the gorilla?

Well, not this particular one here. I mean the use of Gorilla in the name. I just don’t get the reference. None of them smell like gorilla, or how I imagine a gorilla would smell, and the sleek black packaging just doesn’t scream great ape to me.

I’ve sniffed five of the six scents, each of them available in spray and solid stick form — Imogen Rose, Lust, Orange Blossom, The Smell of Freedom and Tuca Tuca — and with the exception of Orange Blossom, which smells like the jasmine plant in my front yard (DIVINE!), I’m not in love. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Extravagant Berry: All That Glitters Is Gone

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Extravagant Berry lipstick could have been called The Grinch Who Stole Glitter because, seriously, where did it go? The new limited edition color, released for the holidays, is one of the prettiest tubes I’ve seen in years, but it turns out the glitter is just an overspray more for decoration than for practical use (SHOOT!).

The glitter’s all but invisible on my lips. The color, however, a dark berry with a hint of golden shimmer, doesn’t need glitter to shine. I think it’s still lovely.

Here’s a quick look:


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Saturday Surfing, or Beehive Deconstruction 101

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Photo by mattk1979

Howaya, girlie? How’s trix? Did you celebrate Halloween last night? Tonight? Not interested at all? I’m going to that party on the boat in a few hours, and I STILL haven’t completely settled on a costume, but I’ve narrowed it down to 1) a wannabe member of Run-D.M.C. or 2) a ’50s sock hopper. Party City was NO help at all, though. I just got back from there, and it was all Lord of the Flies. You get down to the wire, and the Halloween stores turn into the Galápagos Islands (survival of the fittest)!

What should I be for Halloween?

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Oh, so last night I rented Legion, and it scurred me out of my seat — no, really! I literally jumped off the couch screaming. Rottentomatoes got it wrong with this one, I tell ya. I think it’s a lot better than 19%. The premise is simple, though, as they so often are with horror movies — humans on the verge of extinction, the characters have to protect a pregnant woman who’s about to bear the future savior of mankind, etc., etc. No, her name wasn’t Sarah Connor. 🙂 If you see it (or saw it), let me know what you think.

Before I settled down to watch the movie last night, I had to deal with the beehive.

Not surprisingly, taking it apart was even more fun that putting it together.

I actually kinda like this look…


Yes, I’m sitting still in these

Untangling the hive wasn’t half as hard as I thought it would be. One word: shower. By the time I stepped out my mane was tangle-free.

Beehive Deconstruction 101

1. Get Wet (Not the Most Complicated Set of Instructions, Are They?)

I stood beneath the shower head for about two minutes to soak the hive completely, but I didn’t just stand there tapping my foot. While I waited I busted out a new face cleanser, the Korres’ $21 Milk Proteins Cleanser (for dry skin) and gave my mug a gentle massage, ahh…

2. Condition from Roots to Ends (Repeat if Necessary)

I worked two heaping handfuls of conditioner into my hair, massaging from roots to ends, and after rinsing I did it again. By then I’d worked out most of the knots and tangles.

Since I knew I’d need a lot of product, I went with my favorite drugstore detangling conditioner, Garnier Fructis Body Boost Conditioner ($5 for a 25-oz. bottle). It’s not the most moisturizing conditioner in the world, but it’s cheap, and I like the tart green apple scent.
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Tarina Tarantino Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula from the Starchild Odyssey Collection

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Bari

Written by Bari

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the blogger, Bari, as she seeks out new makeup, like the beautiful subject of today’s guest post.

Starchild Odyssey Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula

Hi guys!

Today I thought I’d share four tips for using Tarina Tarantino’s Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula from the Starchild Odyssey Collection (also in the collection, a silver called Starchild and a navy called Meteor Night). It’s available at Sephora for $19, and for the money you get a pretty big pot! It’s a limited edition, but there are also some gorgeous colors (Black Diamond, Purple Velvet, Golden Shadow) in the permanent line. You can still get this one now, which I suggest you do, because all of the Magic Hour Creams are so pretty and versatile.

Starchild Odyssey Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula

Starchild Odyssey Magic Hour Cream Shadow in Nebula
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Oh, Beehive! A 4-Step Halloween Hair How-To

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(Bzzzzz…)

Do you hear that? Um, I think it’s coming from my hair!

Marge came over today to help me brainstorm Halloween costumes and dish about the World Series (we both think the Giants will win in 6).

I’m still not sure what I’m going to do/wear to the Monster Bash tomorrow night, but if worse comes to worst, I could always wear some go-go boots with a mini-skirt and build a big Marge-inspired beehive.

What do ya think? This was my first one ever, and it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Hair’s how to get this obnoxiously high hairdo (mine measured 8 inches from my crown to the tip of the hive, yikes!) in four easy steps.

What you’ll need:

Countdown to big hair in 3…2…1!
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The Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway: Send in Your Sign Today!

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My sign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Today as I resized the pictures for this final reminder post in the Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway, I got a little teary. I’m so used to seeing pictures of myself, but I almost never get to see pictures of you. In a way, it felt like the mirror turned into a window this month, and I feel selfish for making this about me, but it was wonderful and something I absolutely didn’t expect.

Most of the time when I blog it’s about makeup, a subject I love, but one that rarely lends itself to weighty contemplation.

And then it’s October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Sometimes it feels like the “cancer” part of that gets lost behind a veil of pink ribbons, but it’s there. And not just breast cancer. Pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, other cancers — and words like malignant, metastasized, melanoma, ductal carcinoma — very ugly words.

Taker of mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, girlfriends, friends, fathers, brothers, husbands, strangers we’ll never get to meet. Love, despair — utter despair — faith, loss of faith, hope, sometimes joy, gratitude, guilt, sacrifice, the unfairness of life, the inevitability of loss…

My family has been lucky so far, but after everything sometimes that’s easy to forget. My mother-in-law is in remission. She takes drugs with awful side effects to help keep the cancer from returning and has to get blood tests every three months for the next five years. Imagine how frightening it would be waiting for those results. “How long will it take,” you ask the nurse. “A few days,” she replies. “We should have them by Thursday.”

Thursday.

And now they post them online. Imagine that, being at home in front of the computer and pulling up your test results online…

When people say to me, “October is about increasing awareness,” I think, yes, it’s also about that.

If you feel like sending in your support sign, please do. It only takes a minute, but the gesture means a lot. Just send in a picture of yourself with your support sign, and you’ll also be entered to win a prize worth $400 in makeup from MAC and Chanel.

Please be sure to leave a comment on the original post if you do submit your sign entry by email, twitter, blog posting, etc.

These lovely ladies are standing up with me to raise awareness this month. Won’t you please join us? love

Cindy & Marley

Joanie

Tamara

Mona

Jessica

The Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway

Email or link to a picture of yourself holding your support sign (like the examples above), and leave a comment on the original post. Not only will you be showing your support for the cause, but you’ll also be entered to win a $400 prize package of makeup from MAC and Chanel.

To Enter…

  1. Take a picture of yourself with a sign that reads, “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” Whether or not you show your face is up to you, but I think it would be great to see your lovely mug. 🙂
  2. Send it to me. You can either email it to karen@makeupandbeautyblog.com, OR post it on your blog/facebook page and leave a link to the pic in the comments on the original post, OR upload it to Twitter and send a tweet to me @karenmbb.
  3. The giveaway is open to US and international readers, but you must be the age of majority according to your country’s local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
  4. One entry per person.
  5. Deadline to enter is October 31, 2010 at 11:59PM PST.

Please comment on the original post to enter (and not on this post here).

Please take a moment this weekend to show your support.

karen from makeup and beauty blog holding her october is breast cancer awareness sign

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Does your phone have a camera? You might be able to snap your pic and email your entry from there. 😉

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