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

Let’s Share a Bottle of Red Zin: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Red Zin

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Written by Anšá Reams-Johnson

Today Anšá Reams-Johnson reviews one of her new favorite nail polishes, Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure, in a new favorite shade.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

My hubby thinks I look great in red, and after many years of pinks and corals I’ve gotten aboard the bandwagon too. It helps that as I’ve gotten older my skin tone has changed, along with my propensity toward bolder colors.

So, after our recent move to Florida I set off to find the perfect shade of red nail polish — and not just any red, but a dark, wine red.

As I entered CVS, I was stopped in my tracks by a range of new nail polishes from Sally Hansen. Her Complete Salon Manicure collection promises what the name implies, a manicure in every bottle.

At this stage in my life, I don’t like to spend the time on a base coat, two coats of polish, and a top coat, and these polishes from Sally supposedly combine all of those products into one. I was sold at a glance!

I purchased two colors right then and there, which were actually almost the same. The big difference between them being that one shimmers while the other’s matte. I decided to use the matte color first, 610 Red Zin, which I think is a beautiful color, quite classic in fact. The name Red Zin truly fits it too as it looks like a small, albeit thick, bottle of red wine.


Wearing two coats of Red Zin
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, August 16

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The palace walls at Aladdin’s Oasis in Disneyland, Anaheim, California

  1. Mood:

    2. Shh… Loud noises hurt. I don’t think I’m fully awake yet.

  2. Have you ever fallen from a ladder?

    3. Actually, I have. It was back when I was a kid, and luckily I fell onto carpet from just a few feet off the ground, so I didn’t break anything, but I was rather traumatized.

  3. Have you ever had stage fright?

    4. I did when I was younger, but as a band geek I spent a lot of time doing musical performances in front of groups of people and did drama and public speaking when I was a teenager… I think I just got kinda used to it after a while.

  4. Breakfast?

    5. Toasted Italian Pugliese topped with Nutella (BIG surprise) and a cup of hot green tea.

  5. Today I would love some ________.

    6. Inspiration! — although I can’t imagine I’ll find it in a casino. The family and I are driving over to Reno in Nevada for two days. It’s about a four-hour drive east of here (El Hub’s family from Hawaii loves to gamble; me, not so much). If you can think of anything inspiring to do in the Reno area, please let me know!

  6. How did you sleep last night?

    7. In a word: craptacular. I’ve been sleeping on an air mattress since my in-laws arrived last Thursday, and Tabs has taken to jumping on and off it throughout the night, which, as you can probably imagine, is a tad unnerving!

  7. Feather boas — yay or nay?

    8. A big fat YAY!

  8. Guys who wear tinted moisturizer — hot or not?

    9. Hmm… That’s a tough one because it depends. I can’t say I’d cheer if El Hub started rocking my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 (I couldn’t handle a boy who was more high maintenance than me, LOL!), but I’d love to see him start wearing sunscreen. I like that he’s a “dude’s dude,” but he’s light-skinned and really ought to wear SPF.

  9. Outfit:

    10. My gray stretchy yoga pants (another BIG surprise), a black t-shirt and a hot pink hoodie.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. To enjoy the next two days in Reno (I’ll still be blogging, of course), prepare at least one vegan meal for dinner later this week, to hit the treadmill at least once or twice and to keep writing myself daily Post-It affirmations (my favorite one from last week was “Freaking out doesn’t help!”). 🙂

Hello from the land of the sleep deprived!

Not even dark circles and poor coordination can stop me today, although I did walk into a wall this morning — one of the side effects of sleep deprivation.

But other than feeling a little tired, things are going pretty well on my end. How are you doing today? Do you have a minute for the Monday Poll?

If you’re new to MBB, the Monday Poll is just a quick way to touch base and share what’s on your mind. I think it’s also a great way to warm up ye olde mental motor and get the week off to a good start.

To play, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.



1. Mood:
2. Have you ever fallen from a ladder?
3. Have you ever had stage fright?
4. Breakfast?
5. Today I would love some ________.
6. How did you sleep last night?
7. Feather boas — yay or nay?
8. Guys who wear tinted moisturizer — hot or not?
9. Outfit?
10. Weekly goals:

Say it with me, y’all: LET’S DO THIS!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Reno may not be Disneyland, but I do plan to blog about more of the products and looks from the upcoming MAC Venomous Villains Collection over the coming weeks. Let me know if you have any special requests!

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 100

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  • The giveaway is now closed, and the winners are being contacted. Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

Sundays with Tabs the Cat: Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot

How it all began

How it all beganBefore he was famous
About three years ago I started to notice a chubby tabby cat skulking around my apartment building. I’d see him every few months or so, sneaking around the cars in the parking lot, but whenever I’d try to get his attention, he’d just flash me a dirty look and walk away.

For love and makeupFor love and makeup
Then, one day I opened the apartment door, and there he was, sitting in the hallway in front of me. He must have seen all the makeup inside because he walked passed me into the apartment like he owned the place. And so began our dysfunctional friendship. 🙂

Tabs for the Shu Uemura Whisker CurlerPhotoshop phenom or kitty supermodel?
About a year into our relationship, Tabs and I were cruising the mall when a talent scout stopped us. “Have you ever thought about being a model?” he asked (he was referring to Tabs). That day marked the start of what’s turned out to be a successful kitty modeling career. He also blogs on the side…

Pics and a BIG Giveaway

Welcome to the 100th installment of Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot. He’s been my beloved blogging buddy for more than two of the three years we’ve known each other, and I hope our partnership continues forever.

While Tabs is proud of his entire modeling portfolio, here are his top 15 favorite shoots of all time.

But wait — there’s more! 🙂

To commemorate this special day, Tabs would also like to sponsor a giveaway here on the blog (he’s been saving his modeling money). Check out the pics, and then scroll down to enter.
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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

Ah, sweet sleep, most hallowed of activities, how I love thee! Good morning, girl. 🙂 Happy Sunday. How’s it going this morning?

I’ve been a little busier than usual the past couple of days, trying to spend some quality time hanging out with my in-laws, but yesterday they left Tabs and I home for a few hours to play with MAC Venomous Villains (YAY!) while they went to visit the towns of Mill Valley (where I used to live), Sausalito and San Rafael.

Sausalito is nestled up against the northern coastline of the Golden Gate, at the base of Marin County. It’s a beautiful town, especially on sunny summer days, with a quaint shopping district and panoramic views of San Francisco off in the distance across the Bay.

So pretty…

Sausalito, California
View of San Francisco from Sausalito, California

What’s on your agenda today? Are there any new movies out? I’m in the mood for a good movie…

Before you go, did you have a favorite new beauty product or collection this week? What do you think of Venomous Villains? I’ve been such a huge lifelong fan of Disney art and animation that I think I was predisposed to love it, ha!

NARS Beautiful Life Lip and Cheek PaletteNARS BEAUTIFUL LIFE
LIP AND CHEEK PALETTE

The universe is filled with things I do not understand, things like Justin Bieber fever, Crocs, and why NARS chose not to include a lip brush in the Beautiful Life Lip and Cheek Palette ($55).

At first blush, it looks like a traveler’s makeup dream come true — compact, cute, with a convenient zippered case. The included mirror works well for on-the-go touchups, and by leaving out powder products (it comes with four lipsticks and two cream blushes), NARS eliminated annoying product cross pollination (when your powders spill all over your cream products). So smart!

They thought of everything — almost. I know NARS doesn’t usually include brushes with their palettes, but I wish they would have found room in this one for a lip brush. Beautiful Life is just so obviously designed for travel; a brush would have been a great addition. Of course, I’m a stickler when it comes to packaging. Read more…

Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio EyeshadowsWET N WILD
COLOR ICON TRIO EYESHADOWS

Wet n Wild’s been setting drugstore aisles on fire lately! If you liked their Icon Eyeshadow Singles (I thought they were the bee’s knees), take a look at these $3 Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios.

They’re available in six palettes of three matching shadows each — enough to use a different shade on the eyelid, in the crease and along your brow bone.

Because Wet n Wild did the color matching for us, these should help make tough mornings a little easier to bear.

I’ve been using two of the trios lately — Cool as a Cucumber and On Cloud Nine — and despite their diminutive size, I’m still finding a lot to love.

I think these shadows are great, but Wet n Wild could take ‘em next level with a minor tweak. They’re not quite as easy to blend as the Icon Singles are (as far as I can tell), and I had to work my brushes back and forth a wee bit more than I would have liked to achieve seamless color. It’s a relatively minor quibble and one I’ll happily overlook on account of the price — basically a dollar per pan. Read more…

Tuesday Beauty Tips: Stop Comparing Yourself to OthersSTOP COMPARING
YOURSELF TO OTHERS

Your best friend just bought an expensive new luxury car; all of a sudden, your ride looks kinda clunky by comparison.

One of your roommates just got into an Ivy League grad school program; now your day job feels like a total dead end.

Do you ever feel like you’re just standing still while everyone else in your life is hurtling toward a phenomenal and fantastic future?

Welcome to the land of comparing yourself to others.

It can be a dreadful place, and I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been a resident a multitude of times. Read more…

Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Lace Ultra Shine Lipgloss in CaramelDOLCE & GABBANA
CARAMEL LIPGLOSS

Calling all nudists! Before you strip off your Gap baby T, please note that I’m talking about nudists, as in nude lips, not, um…actual nudists. 🙂

If you love a nude lip look, let Dolce & Gabbana’s new Caramel Ultra Shine Lipgloss ($30), released with the Sicilian Lace Collection for fall, whet your appetite. This creamy, medium-weight warm beige feels slightly sticky on my lips (but not as sticky as a MAC Lipglass) and has a light rose scent (it is unflavored, though).

I get about two and a half hours of color from Caramel when I wear her all by her lonesome. I bet she’d also look divine layered on top of a favorite nude lip liner, too… Can you imagine? — with sooty black smokey eyes? Read more…

Butter London on Your Nails: Butter London Fall-Winter 2010BUTTER LONDON
FALL/WINTER 2010

You know, it’s true what they say — butter makes everything better. Even tips and toes!

Like colorful little versions of butter on toast, these new Butter London Fall/Winter 2010 polishes ($14 each) are mighty satisfying.

Known for sassy packaging and their “three free” nail polish formula (no formaldehyde, toluene or phthalate), Butter London cooked up four new filling shades for fall/winter.

For the color story, Creative Director Nonie Creme drew from a mix of modern and classic British influences, combining a dash of the old with a splash of the new. Her goal: fashion forward colors with an edge.

Holographic All Hail McQueen, a shimmery ode to fashion legend Alexander McQueen (*pours forty*), and Bumster, a creamy ochre yellow, pay homage to the designer’s low-slung, booty-crack exposing pants, which shocked sidewalks (and the entire fashion world) back in 1996. Read more…

Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Lace Collection Nail Lacquer in PerfectionDOLCE & GABBANA
NAIL LACQUER IN PERFECTION

First nude lips, now nude nails? — there’s a lot of nekkidness going on at Dolce & Gabbana makeup counters this fall.

Do you ever wear nude nails? If you do, what’s your favorite product/color?

Most nude nail parties feature hues based on pinks or peach, but Nail Lacquer in Perfection ($20), the lone lacquer in D&G’s six-piece Sicilian Lace collection for fall, is all about the beige.

Warm and creamy, it applies thick and dries to a high-shine finish…in about 90 minutes (!). Yep, this Perfection takes time, but that’s what hot tea (for me) and quick dry nail drops (for nails) are for.

I bet Perfection would be, um, perfect for elegantly understated nail looks, but $20 seems like a lot for something this subtle. Read more…

Becca Creme BlushBECCA CREAM
BLUSH

You know how there’s always that ONE ANNOYING PERSON who gets to the bus stop a few seconds late? The one who yells, “Wait! Wait!” as the bus pulls away from the curb? Yeah, that person would be me.

There aren’t a lot of positives to being perpetually late for public transpo, but there is at least one: blushed cheeks.

Sadly, it’s the kind of blush that only lasts a few minutes, but Becca may have a longer term solution. Too bad their Becca Creme Blush wasn’t available back when I was regularly missing riding the bus to school.

Of course, all 11 natural-looking shades aren’t exactly built with student budgets in mind ($30), but I probably would have eaten ramen noodles every day for a week (been there, done that) to be able to splurge on one of these pans. Read more…

Givenchy Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartet in Khaki EgerieGIVENCHY LE PRISME
EYESHADOW IN EGERIE

After I finished freaking out over the cost of the new Givenchy Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartet in Khaki Egerie ($56), I stepped back from the mirror and thought, “Now THAT’s what I’m talking about.”

I swear these colors make my eyes glow!

Givenchy just added it and five other quads to their permanent line, each promising highly pigmented, enduring colors, and if Khaki Egerie’s any indication of what the other quads have to offer, all of them probably warrant closer inspection.

The major selling point for me — besides the rich pigmentation and sumptuous shimmer — has to be the near absence of fallout. It’s minimal (just a tiny spec or two beneath my lower lash line and cheeks)… The soft, finely milled powders adhere to my lids without creasing or settling into my wrinkles fine lines, and they blend CRAZY good, too. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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