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

Cheap Thrills With Garnier Fructis Body Boost Conditioner

October 23rd, 2009 by Karen 21 Comments

garnier-body-boost-conditioner

Silicone-free drugstore conditioners are like pop stars who write their own songs — few and far between.

That’s why my eyes lit up when I read the ingredients on this bottle of Garnier Fructis Body Boost Conditioner ($5 for 25 oz.) at Tar-ghay.

I’ve been searching for a new product to condition wash my hair with, and I wanted something silicon free (for an explanation of condition washing from an old 2007 MBB post).

Why no silicone?

Because I’ve been hearing good things about silicone-free condition washing. From a hair performance point of view, silicones are said to add smoothness, slip and shine (from my experience, I agree), but many women refuse to use them, believing that they build up and weigh hair down over time.

Condition washing with Garnier Fructis Body Boost

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Blues and Golds

October 23rd, 2009 by Karen 6 Comments

I saw this shrine outside of Ceasar’s in Vegas and fell in love with the colors.

Blue Sky

October 23rd, 2009 by Karen 7 Comments

The sky’s always blue when you’re shopping in Vegas.

It’s All in the HIPs: L’Oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments Chrome Eyeliner

October 22nd, 2009 by Karen 63 Comments

loreal hip high intensity pigments chrome eyeliner
L’Oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments Chrome Eyeliner from bottom to top: Violet Volt, Black Shock, Silver Lightning, Gold Charge

Hey there, my discount lovin’ beauties. 🙂 How do you feel about Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils?

I’m a fan. I think they’re fabulously buttery and love how long they wear.

They remind me of L’Oreal’s new HIP High Intensity Pigments Chrome Eyeliners ($10 per pencil, available in four shades).

I adore how long they last. They take about a minute to dry but then stay put for most of the day vibrant, rich color, especially when worn along my lashlines.

Unfortch, the waterlines are a different story, where all four pencil colors made my eyes teary, and their colors began to fade rather quickly (within a few minutes).

Even so, I like ’em for the price, especially if you don’t wear eyeliner along the waterline.

loreal hip high intensity pigments chrome eyeliner swatches
Swatches from left to right: Violet Volt, Black Shock, Silver Lightning, Gold Charge
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Lippmann Collection Says Happy Birthday to You with Lots of Glitter Love

October 22nd, 2009 by Karen 55 Comments

lippmann happy birthday

The year was 1999… I’d finished school and moved back in with my parental units while I looked for a job and tried to unwind.

My BFF/dancing buddy J. Money and I were also deep in our clubbing phase. I’ll never forget — it was the same thing every time we’d go out. One of our Filipino parents would ask, “Are you girls going to the disco?”

LOL!

Or, “Are you going disco-disco?”

Hearing parental units refer to “the club” as a disco… That’s just so funny. It always cracked us up. 🙂

Still, there are times when “disco” just feels like the better word, ya know? — like when it comes to Lippmann Collection’s Happy Birthday ($18), the newest addition to their permanent nail polish line.

This stuff’s so blinged out and sparkly that it would be a shame not to wear it to “the disco,” ha!

It’s all about taking glitter to the next level, with bits in a plethora of shapes, colors and sizes — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and silver.

For a full-on, eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-the-head glitter-gasm, try three coats. 🙂

lippmann happy birthday 3
Three coats!

lippmann happy birthday 4
Two coats — when you’re in the mood for quieter glitter

So far I’ve only worn Happy Birthday by itself, but I’m guessing it would look extra festive layered beneath a polish in solid black or red.
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How Do You Feel About Glittery Makeup?

October 22nd, 2009 by Karen 80 Comments

urban-decay-heavy-metal-midnight-cowboy

The oxygen pumped into the air inside those Vegas casinos last week may have messed with my brain…

I developed a deep yearning to start a career as a showgirl, and now I’m totally obsessed with GLITTER.

I know I’m eating sparkly crow right now because I joined the “I’m too old for this” glitter category years ago and have been trash talking bold glittery looks (while still wearing small amounts from time to time) ever since. 🙂

But then I gave sparkly golden Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Midnight Cowboy ($18) a try.

Every night last week in Vegas I’d line my upper lash line with it, and it just felt … right, like a favorite pair of stretchy pants or Adidas Shell Toe shoes.

urban-decay-heavy-metal-midnight-cowboy-swatch