urban decay

Makeup in Aisle 3: An Urban Decay 15-Year Anniversary Palette Face of the Day

July 19th, 2011 by Karen 62 Comments

I’d forgotten I was out of contact lens solution when I got the urge to play with the new Urban Decay 15-Year Anniversary Palette last night, and I remembered just about the time I finished this look with blue, green, brown and gold.

So I went to Target, LOL! I felt a little crazy town cruising the store with gold glitter on my lower lash line — it’s probably a better look for da club than eye care on aisle three — and I’m pretty sure I startled the cashier, but whatcha gonna do? Sometimes you just need contact lens solution AND glitter. 🙂

urban decay 15-year anniversary eyeshadow collection

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Urban Decay Fall 2011 Hits a Wide Range of Notes

July 13th, 2011 by Karen 37 Comments

VOGUE! By the way, it’s not easy to dance holding makeup.

Dance with me, ladies, to the Top 40 beats of Urban Decay’s Fall 2011 (come on, don’t be shy). Whether you’re a cutie who loves classic colors, a neutral loving-lass or a babe who can’t live without her big, bold brights, the DJ has a little something for everyone on the playlist tonight.

Like a radio station that plays pop during daylight hours and techno at night, UD’s latest collection of eye and lip products balances practical, everyday items, like a new lash curler, brow products, a mascara and neutral eyeshadows and liners, with the brand’s signature brights.

Wait — we’ll talk more in a minute. For now, put on your dancing shoes. 🙂

15-Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection, $55

urban decay 15-year anniversary eyeshadow collection

Just when I thought I’d seen every color available in an Urban Decay palette, UD releases this sleek beauty with 15 new shades! I think it strikes a great balance between neutrals and brights. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

Wearing Chase and Tainted on lids

24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, $18

urban decay eyeliner liquid waterproof 1
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Urban Decay Fall 2011: Swatches, Pics and a Fun Tuesday Face of the Day

July 12th, 2011 by Karen 98 Comments

urban decay fall 2011

YOWZA! I could not wait to meet the 15 new eyeshadow colors in the Urban Decay Fall 2011 collection. 🙂

Here are pics and swatches of them and the other products in the release, along with a quick breakdown of the look I wore this afternoon, which, I should say, was inspired by the teal and purple look worn by the model for UD’s Fall 2011 campaign, and NOT by that embarrassing incident with the hot fireman last year.

urban decay fall 2011

Urban Decay Fall 2011 Product Pictures

urban decay 15-year anniversary eyeshadow collection
15-Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection ($55)

urban decay 15-year anniversary eyeshadow collection
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Urban Decay Fall 2011: A Few Swatches

July 12th, 2011 by Karen 9 Comments

Just a quick look at swatches of the new Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliners ($18 each), available now.

5 Summer Staples: Eye Makeup Essentials to Beat the Heat

June 23rd, 2011 by Karen 59 Comments

Summer, summer, summer time!

Orange eyeshadow? Come to mama. Teal eyeliner? I’m all over it. You don’t have to ask me twice when it comes to trying trendy eye makeup. The answer is the same emphatic “Yes!” I’d give to an up-close-and-personal search from Detective Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: SVU.

But while outrageous eyes can be a blast, this girl’s gotta have her steady staples, too. Tried-and-true eye makeup essentials, like the five summer staples below, can keep your eyes fly when the temperature climbs.

1. Waterproof mascara

urban decay cannonball review brush
Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara

Don’t let melting mascara ruin your chances with that hot, muscled, baby-faced guy in your summer school statistics class — the one you thought was adoring you from across the room but later realized was probably wondering how you ended up with two black eyes.

Escape that fate with an industrial-strength waterproof mascara like Urban Decay’s Cannonball ($20). It’s a little pricey, but it stretches my lashes to the limit, resisting sweat and water like a champ (I’ve been wearing it in all my pictures as of late).

2. Eye primer

NARS Pro Prime Smudge-Proof Eye Shadow Base

Whether I’m applying a single eyeshadow or five, I reach for eye primers to protect my work from fading, creasing and melting in the heat. My favorite right now? — NARS Pro Prime Smudge-Proof Eye Shadow Base ($24), and I also like Urban Decay Primer Potion ($19) and Too Faced Shadow Insurance ($18).

I haven’t had the chance to try it yet, but Cover Girl’s $8 Intense Shadow Blast in Beige Blaze sounds like a great drugstore option. MBB reader Erin says it intensifies colors and keeps eyeshadows locked down all day long (thanks, Erin!).
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Two Ways to Win the Urban Decay Urban Bride Set (a $42 Value)

June 10th, 2011 by Karen 613 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is @cupidgirl21483! Congratulations, @cupidgirl21483! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Urban Decay Urban Bride

Here comes the bride, all dressed in white. And purple. And silver!

I guess you could say this gal isn’t your humdrum bride to be; she’s got a naughty side (an edge, so to speak) because she’s dressed in Urban Decay. 🙂

This wedding themed-kit’s relatively new to stores (it launched last month to coincide with the release of the Bridesmaids movie). It comes with a healthy serving of makeup and body products to keep you looking and feeling fly on ~~the~~ any big day.

Places, everyone! Cue the music! Get ready to walk down the aisle in three, two, one…

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

One lucky lady will win the Urban Bride by Urban Decay set (a $42 value), which comes with six products for face, eyes, lips and body… the following products:

Razor Sharp Ultra-Definition Finishing Powder (Travel Size) — A translucent setting powder. Urban Decay says it diffuses fine lines. Does it work? Well, I’m testing it now, and you’ll be the first to know.
Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Full Size) — The O.G. Primer Potion. It puts a lock on shadows, keeping them looking fresh for hours.
Supercurl Curling Mascara (Travel Size) — Curl those stick-straight lashes, young lady, with this glossy black mascara.
Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Midnight Cowboy (Travel Size) — A sheer nude gloss. Can be worn alone or atop your favorite lipstick.
All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray (Travel Size) — Party till dawn with a few spritzes of this travel-friendly setting spray.
Marshmallow Sparkling Lickable Body Powder (Travel Size) — WARNING: You may be compelled to spontaneously lick your arms like when you wear this stuff because it really does taste like marshmallows!

Here are the products beside an iPhone for scale…

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what was the last Urban Decay product you fell in love with? What would your dream wedding be like? What outfit are you wearing today? What do you want to be when you grow up? — let your imagination run wild!
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win the Urban Decay Urban Bride Set (a $42 Value) http://bit.ly/jvws4H

The deadline to enter is Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 11:59PM (PT).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is @cupidgirl21483! Congratulations, @cupidgirl21483! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Go Drag or Go Home: A Mascara Combo for Dramatically Longer, Thicker Lashes

May 20th, 2011 by Karen 55 Comments

Well look at you, eagle eye cutie pie. 🙂 You discovered my latest lash secret. I’ve been asked a few times over the past couple of days about what I’m wearing on my lashes, and yes, I’ve been trying something new.

When it comes to lashes, for me it’s GO DRAG OR GO HOME! I’m flat-out wild about that dramatic false lash look, ya know? — the longer and more voluminous, the better. That’s why I’m so stoked about my current combo, which adds mad crazy length and lots of thickness at the base. And the best part? I discovered it by accident!

One day last week I had on two layers of Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara ($20) on my top lashes, and one on the bottom. Even though Cannonball smudges a tad, it stretches my lashes to their lengthening limits and cures the curl from my lash curler (Shu know the one), so I readily accepted the tradeoff.
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Should You Take the Plunge with Urban Decay’s New Cannonball Ultra Waterproof Mascara?

May 17th, 2011 by Karen 51 Comments

urban decay cannonball review

I wish I could say I field tested the new Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara ($20) by leaping from the rock at Waimea Bay on Oahu, but the methodology I used was a little less glamorous than that.

To put the new lengthening, waterproof mascara to the test, I pit it against two super soaking challenges. First, I charged headlong into a downpour to run some errands without an umbrella-ella-ella. Then, I pushed a heavy vacuum around my house for more than an hour. 🙂

If waterproof mascaras that leave your lashes feeling heavy and cakey make you want to weep bitter tears, you can throw them in the trash. We have a solution: Cannonball Ultra Waterproof Mascara! Rigorously field-tested in the ocean as well as sweat-drenched gym conditions, this exclusive Japanese formula refuses to budge. A special microcrystalline wax works with the dense, fuzzy brush to increase seductive length and volume, all while never flaking off and compromising your lashes’ natural feathery texture. Mermaids can now sing their siren songs with abandon, and high maintenance types can cry all they want.

—UrbanDecay.com

As soon as I applied two layers first thing last Saturday morning, I noticed a very cool doe-eyed effect. Not only does Cannonball dramatically lengthen and separate lashes, it also cures the curl from my Shu Uemura lash curler, locking it into place. It made my peepers look crazy big, like an anime puppy’s eyes when it begs for bacon.

With it on, I proceeded to vigorously vacuum the house, and by the time I finished, I was covered in a glistening, sweaty sheen. As soon as I finished that, I left to run some errands around town (it was raining cats and dogs!), first to Trader Joe’s, then the UPS store and finally to Target, before returning home to crank out three miles on the treadmill.

Covered. In. Sweat. I know that with what I put it through, I was expecting a lot, but no one wants to make excuses for a $20 mascara. Straight up — I was expecting a lot.

urban decay cannonball review tube

urban decay cannonball review brush
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