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

Sephora and Tarte Team Up to Release Tarte Beauty in a Box: Bronze Smokey Eyes, Rejoice!

August 3rd, 2010 by Karen 56 Comments

tarte beauty in a box bronze smoky eye swatches review

Wonder Twin makeup powers, activate! Wonder Twin powers, activate!

Tarte and Sephora recently did just that — activating their Wonder Twin makeup powers to form the new Beauty in a Box Bronze Smokey Eye Kit ($45).

The six-piece limited edition kit comes with products in bronze, nude and purple, with four full-size items (the Lock & Roll Creasless Cream Shadow and Loose Powder in Burnt Bronze, EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Shadow/Liner in Plum, Rise & Shine Lip Gloss and Stain in Nude, and the Clean Slate Natural Face Primer) and two deluxe minis (Park Ave Princess Mineral Powder Bronzer; and Lights, Camera, Splashes Waterproof Mascara).

The only things missing? Brushes and your imagination. 🙂
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Have You Tried $3 Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color Lipstick?

August 3rd, 2010 by Karen 55 Comments

wet n wild mega last lip color review

These Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color lipsticks sure take me back…

The year: 1991. I’m a sophomore in high school. Kids are wearing tacky acid-washed overalls, and Color Me Badd reigns supreme.

Oh, no you di’int!

My good friend Jen and I shared a lab table in biology class, and we’d start and end every class the same way, by applying our favorite Wet n Wild lippies.

Those first generation WNW lipsticks weren’t the greatest (my tummy churns just thinking about that faux rose scent and plastic flavor), but they were hella cheap, which was why we always had at least one tube stuffed into our Liz Claiborne bags.

That was a long time ago… A lot’s changed since then, but some things remain the same. Jen and I still wax philosophic about makeup and beauty (although now we do it by blog, e-mail or text), and Wet n Wild is still a viable drugstore makeup option for ladies looking to save a few bucks.

Another thing that’s changed? Wet n Wild. The brand recently reinvented itself, ramping up the quality of their products by several notches, and the improvements are obvious in their long-wearing Mega Last Lip Color lipstick line.

Available in 20 shades, ranging from subtle nudes to electrifying hot pinks and reds, these matte, long-wearing lippies are still affordable, costing just $3 each, but the formula now contains moisturizing and smoothing ingredients like Coenzyme Q10, a vitamin-like substance used to boost skin’s natural ability to repair and regenerate cells.

Based on the colors I’ve tried — Think Pink (a baby pink), Rose Bud (a medium rose) and Mauve Outta Here (a cool blueish mauve) — Wet n Wild’s come a long way, baby. 🙂

They’re highly pigmented, unflavored, unscented and last a solid three to four hours on the lips.

Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Color lipsticks from left: Think Pink, Rose Bud, Mauve Outta Here
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Stila Travel Palette: Trendsetting in Tokyo

August 3rd, 2010 by Karen 10 Comments

The limited edition Stila Travel Palette in Trendsetting in Tokyo, ($10).

The Trendsetting in Tokyo palette includes: Sake eyeshadow (a shimmery beige), Kawai eyeshadow (a shimmery pink), Shibuya eyeshadow (a shimmery blue), Peace Sign eyeshadow (a shimmery black) and Convertible Color in Sakura (a pink limited edition shade).

Thanks to MBB reader Danielle for giving the heads up! 🙂

Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Lace Collection Fall 2010

August 3rd, 2010 by Karen 21 Comments

Pictures, collection information and swatches (just a few!) of the new Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Lace Collection for fall 2010, available mid-August at select Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

The entire Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Lace Collection includes…

Eyes
Smooth Eyeshadow Quad in Nude (repromote), $59

Lips
Classic Cream Lipstick in Caramel (new), $30
Shine Lipstick in Perfection (repromote), $30
Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Caramel (new), $30

Face
Sicilian Lace Bronzer (new, limited edition), $49

Nails
Intense Nail Lacquer in Perfection (new), $20

dolce gabbana sicilian lace collection fall 2010

dolce gabbana sicilian lace collection fall 2010 Smooth Eyeshadow Quad in Nude
Smooth Eyeshadow Quad in Nude

dolce gabbana sicilian lace collection fall 2010 caramel classic cream lipstick
Classic Cream Lipstick in Caramel

dolce gabbana sicilian lace collection fall 2010 Perfection Shine Lipstick
Shine Lipstick in Perfection

dolce gabbana sicilian lace collection fall 2010 caramel ultra shine lipgloss
Ultra Shine Lipgloss in Caramel

Sicilian Lace Bronzer

dolce gabbana sicilian lace collection fall 2010 perfection intense nail lacquer
Intense Nail Lacquer in Perfection

Here’s some swatches of the Nude quad, too! 🙂

See anything here you like? I looove neutrals and nudes so I’m really excited about this collection.

YSL Touche Eclat vs. My Dark Circles: Part II

August 3rd, 2010 by Karen 109 Comments

ysl touche eclat review

I’m chalking up my spur-of-the-moment decision to get $40 YSL Touche Eclat to temporary insanity.

I know a lot of women swear by the stuff — a versatile liquid face product (available in four shades) designed to work as a concealer, highlighter, eyeshadow base and even a lip primer — but when I tried it for the first time years ago, I wasn’t wowed.

“I’m older and wiser now,” I thought. “Maybe I should give it another try.”

Like Mulder from the X-Files, I REALLY wanted to believe. The product’s so popular that the company says they sell one every 20 seconds worldwide!

ysl touche eclat review
YSL Touche Elcat in shade 3
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Kickin’ It with Boots Makeup on a Monday Afternoon

August 2nd, 2010 by Karen 47 Comments

They say you learn something new every day (learning is fundamental, yo!). Among my Monday epiphanies…

Butter pecan ice cream eaten straight from the carton dulls the symptoms of monster PMS.
Tabs knows how to smile with his eyes.
Boots killed it with their Botanics Eye Colour Duo in Velvet Pansy ($7) and Lip Glace in Marshmallow ($10).

Before my PMS-fueled junk food fest/impromptu photo session with Tabs earlier today, I tried on both of the aforementioned tidbits from Boots.

One of six Eye Colour duos in the Boots Botanics makeup line, Velvet Pansy’s shimmery purple and pink shades caress my skin with color, but they don’t feel quite as fine as the Boots Stay Perfect Shadow single I recently tried in Khaki. Not a problem, though, as both of the shadows in the duo blend together like they were cut from the same cloth.

Lip Glace in Marshmallow, a sheer and shimmery pink gloss, gets gold stars from me for its thin, non-sticky texture, even though it only lasts about two hours (which isn’t entirely unusual for a thin gloss), but its strong fruit punch flavor and scent might be a turnoff for some.

Boots Botanics Eye Colour Duo in Velvet Pansy

Boots No7 Lip Glace in Marshmallow
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Back to School Beauty: With Tarte Lock & Roll Creaseless Eyeshadow Duos, You’ll Be Ready for That Early Morning Class

August 2nd, 2010 by Karen 45 Comments

Tarte Lock & Roll Review

Most of my college memories have faded into a fuzzy, frosty haze, but the chaotic mornings I spent rushing to get ready before early lectures remain fresh, fresh, fresh!

The drill was always the same: after rolling out of bed, I’d pull my hair into a ponytail, grab a pair of sunglasses, stuff my makeup bag into my backpack (hoping to get ready in the girl’s bathroom before class), and sprint to catch the bus. 🙂

If you foresee a similarly hectic schedule this fall, think about streamlining, and consider adding the Tarte Lock & Roll Creaseless Eyeshadow Duos ($17 each) to your beauty routine.

With a cream shadow base on one end and an eyeshadow rollerball on the other, the nine dual-tipped shimmery shadows work like magic wands in the hurried hands of someone in a rush.

The duos, which have been part of Tarte’s permanent line for a while, make quick work of simple makeup looks because they don’t require a separate brush (the cream shadow ends already have one).
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