Karen, Author at Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup - Page 1028 of 1879

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

Karen

Eye Have a Crush on Hue, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink

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bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner

The dress code recently changed here at work — mandatory cat eyes every Tuesday and Thursday — and the edict came straight from the top (in other words, per Tabs).

I’ve been doing my best to comply with the new policy, but there are only SO MANY TIMES I can wear a basic black cat liner before I start craving something new and different.

And I think I may have found it. 🙂

It’s a sassy new user-friendly liner with a finish more thrilling than a James Bond movie! It’s called Bobbi Brown’s new Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink, and it sells for $22.

Remember L’Oréal’s Infallible Never Fail Lacquer Liner 24H in Blackest Black? That glossy finish?

Well, Twilight Night’s finish just might have it beat.

A deep purplish black with microscopic glitter, it’s almost like looking up on a clear night at a sky filled with stars. Breathtaking, and better yet, the color should complement a galaxy of skin tones.

Whether you’re seeking soft, smudgy lines or crisper edges, Bobbi’s gel formula delivers, and it skates across my lids without skipping or dragging.

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner swatch
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink on the left (also from the Desert Twilight collection) and the Bronzer/Blush Duo in Bahama Brown and Pink Peony on the right

bobbi brown twilight night long wear gel eyeliner
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It Takes Two to Text, and a Duo Like Bobbi Brown’s New Bronzer/Blush Duo in Bahama Brown and Pink Peony to Shine With a Faint Glint of Shimmer

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bobbi brown bronzer blush duo bahama brown pink peony

Every once in a while, like today, I want to raise my hands up and yell to the heavens above, “Thank you, universe, for inventing text messaging!”

Waiting in line at the [INSERT ANNOYING PLACE WITH LONG, EXCRUCIATINGLY SLOW-MOVING LINES HERE] wouldn’t be anywhere near as much fun without the random texts about boys and makeup that find their way to my phone. Par exemple, as our high school French teacher used to say, here’s one from my friend Jen yesterday…

And here’s the one I’d text you about Bobbi Brown’s new Bronzer/Blush Duo…

LOL! You might remember it from a few weeks ago when we looked at swatches of the Desert Twilight fall collection.

I just started wearing the limited edition $36 duo, which features Bobbi’s Bahama Brown Shimmer Blush and Pink Peony Illuminating Bronzer, and the compliments have been rolling in!

Sort of. Yesterday the mailman said, “You look less tired than usual,” and this morning El Hub asked if I’d been doing pushups because my cheeks looked “all pink and flushed.”

Not sure if either one qualifies as a compliment, but I’ll take ’em both. 🙂

bobbi brown bronzer blush duo bahama brown pink peony

bobbi brown bahama brown pink peony bronzer blush duo swatch
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink on the left (also from the Desert Twilight collection), and the Bronzer/Blush Duo in Bahama Brown and Pink Peony on the right
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By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Fizzy Jade Is an Icy Cool Pastel With Flavor

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by terry fizzy jade

Call me crazy, but sometimes I think an icy cool pastel shadow can be just as refreshing as an ice cream cone.

And by that logic, By Terry’s creamy, long-wearing Ombre Blackstar in Fizzy Jade would feel right at home on the menu at my favorite soda fountain/ice cream shoppe.

Fizzy Jade — it even sounds like a fancy flavor of soda. “Can I please get a Fizzy Jade and a double scoop of pistachio in a waffle cone?” 🙂

The catch: at $43, it would be a very expensive flavor.

by terry fizzy jade

by terry fizzy jade
Swatch built up on the left and buffed out on the right

by terry fizzy jade swatch
That hulking figure in the background is Tabs, LOL!
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This Stila Smudge Crayon Waterproof Primer + Shadow + Liner Is Turning on the Sprinklers at Midnight Blue

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stila smudge crayon midnight blue

You used to see it a lot in movies that took place in Brooklyn, New York, where on a blisteringly hot day, one of the so-called dog days of summer, someone, most of the time you didn’t know who, would crank open a fire hydrant on a busy street, and all of the kids in the neighborhood would laugh and play in the spray.

Back when I was a kid, since none of the houses on our street had a swimming pool, and fire hydrants were deemed off limits and impenetrable, we did something similar with sprinklers.

It never seemed planned, but on some of the hottest days, one of the moms or dads would turn on the sprinklers in the yard, and all of us kids would converge on the house like a swarm of butterflies, buzzing and darting through the spray.

My thing was cartwheeling, which I’d deftly do directly over one of the sprinklers, up close like to thoroughly soak my hair.

Big sigh… That was always one of my favorite things about summer.

Ya know, someone should pass an ordinance making it socially acceptable for adults to leap and frolic through sprinklers in their bathing suits. I’d strongly support something like that.

Among the selling points: sprinklers cost less than swimming pools, they’re a very efficient way to cool off, and you can use the opportunity to try out some waterproof eye makeup at the same time.

LOL! Don’t even front. I know you were thinking it, too. It’s one of the reasons I love ya.

Not wanting to miss a millisecond of fun, I’d look for a smooth-as-silk liner with lots of pigment, ideally one that I could quickly apply, like Stila’s Smudge Crayon Waterproof Primer + Shadow + Liner in Midnight Blue ($22), a chubby, twist-up waterproof crayon able to draw thick, rich lines that dry in less than a minute.

It’s one of eight Smudge Crayons that recently made their way onto Stila shelves last spring, each one promising to prime, shade with shadow, and line.

stila smudge crayon midnight blue

Okay, but what makes it worthy of one those great summer sprinkler sessions?

I’m glad you asked. 🙂

The answer: intestinal fortitude! Also known as durability. On my bare combination dry/oily lids, as long as I’m careful not to rub my eyes, it won’t budge for a solid 6-8 hours, 5-6 on my water lines, and it’s totally fearless around water, and that includes perspiration.

When I’m in the mood for thick swipes of dark blue, I like to use it as a liner…

stila smudge crayon midnight blue
Stila thoughtfully tucked a sharpener into the base of the liner, making it a snap to sharpen

stila smudge crayon midnight blue swatch
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Last Seen On Safari: The New China Glaze On Safari Collection for Fall 2012

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china glaze on safari collection

Prey Tell, my fellow Jungle Queen…

china glaze prey tell
Prey Tell

china glaze jungle queen
Jungle Queen

…shall we answer the Call of the Wild today?

china glaze call of the wild
Call of the Wild

I’m ready if you are. The new 12-piece China Glaze collection for fall 2012 has to be out there somewhere, probably holed up in a salon, a Sally Beauty store or online at sallybeauty.com, and there’s only one way we’ll find it: On Safari.

We have our map, beauty supplies, and a description of the beasts, which according to our guide, come in a variety creamy, glittery plum and earth-tone shades ($7 each).

If we take the jeep, we’ll cover more ground than walking, but we also risk alerting the creatures we’re trying to catch. If we walk the trail instead, tracking will be easier, but we run the risk of chipping our meticulously manicured nails.

Either way, I’m Adventure Red-y for whatever Exotic Encounters await.

china glaze adventure red-y
Adventure Red-y
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 228

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the mbb monday poll, july 9, 2012

  • You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”
    Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    Happy. 🙂 I got to see and do some new things this weekend, namely Stafford Lake and the Point Reyes Lighthouse, and also had some downtime to just relax, play with makeup and watch brainless TV, so I feel really good right now.

  2. Your favorite sandwich?
    Ah, the sandwich, that miracle of quick culinary miracles. I have a couple of favorites. At home, I’m partial to peanut butter and banana on whole wheat bread, but the bread has to be soft and fresh, and the bananas, slightly under ripe. If I see even one of those brown freckles on the peel, I won’t touch ’em!

    As for favorite restaurant sandwiches, that would be the niño pobre at Sol Food, a local Puerto Rican place in nearby San Rafael. Breaded, fried prawns on toasted French bread with lettuce, tomato, and cilantro lime mayonnaise…

    Man, I don’t care how early it is. I could really go for one of those right now.

    They don’t exactly qualify as health food, that’s for sure, but sometimes I just don’t care.

  3. What’s your lucky number?
    9, like the date of my birthday (June 9).
  4. Something you no longer worry about but did at one time?
    That’s a tough one for me, because as a natural worrywart, I’m worried that I’ll overlook something important, LOL!

    I guess the first thing that comes to mind is marriage, since El Hub and I just celebrated our six-year anniversary (the reason for the trip to Point Reyes on Saturday). Before El Hub and I got hitched, I worried about being ready for marriage. I guess it’s safe to say that I no longer worry about that anymore.

  5. When was the last time you rode a roller coaster?
    It was on a trip to Disneyland in 2010 to preview the MAC Venomous Villains collection.
  6. What are four things you like about your neighborhood?
    1) The weather, because it’s warmer and sunnier than Mill Valley, where we lived before, which was foggy and cooler, being so much closer to the Golden Gate; 2) the open space and surrounding hills; 3) being within driving distance of Wine Country (to the north) and San Francisco (to the south); and 4) the peace and quiet of living in a relatively small city (about 49,000 people).

    Part of me will always love the big city, but after an adjustment period I’ve grown to love living in the burbs. It’s quieter, less expensive, much easier to find parking, and I don’t always feel on guard, like I did a lot of the time when I lived in SF.

  7. When was the last time you got your hair did?
    Late April. I’m way overdue for a visit.
  8. How old were you when you started regularly wearing makeup?
    I wasn’t officially allowed to start wearing makeup until I turned 14, but unofficially, I started in middle school with some purple eyeliner, which I covertly applied after I left the house, LOL!
  9. Do you prefer shopping for makeup alone or with a buddy?
    I can spend hours looking at makeup, swatching different products, asking questions of the sales associates and artists, and I can’t in good conscience do that to a friend, haha! Most of the time, I prefer to go alone, unless I know that the person I’m shopping with likes makeup as much as I do (and doesn’t have to be somewhere else for a few hours).
  10. Weekly goals:
    To try at least one new eye look, to track down at least two new healthy dinner recipes, and to actually prepare at least one of them (LOL!).

Good morning, friend! I hope you had a nice weekend. What was the highlight? Did you do anything special or fun?

I feel really good this morning, so if you need a little lift, allow me to transmit a few beams of sunshine to you over the Internet.

Bzzzzzzz…

There we go. Transmission complete.

If you have a minute, drop me a line, and let me know how you’re doing in today’s Monday Poll.

  • To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.



1. Mood:
2. Your favorite sandwich?
3. What’s your lucky number?
4. Something you no longer worry about but did at one time?
5. When was the last time you rode a roller coaster?
6. What are four things you like about your neighborhood?
7. When was the last time you got your hair did?
8. How old were you when you started regularly wearing makeup?
9. Do you prefer shopping for makeup alone or with a buddy?
10. Weekly goals:

In the event that no one has told you yet today, you are beautiful. Both inside and out.

Don’t you ever forget that, okay? 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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