A quick look at the new Boots No7 Poppy King (of Lipstick Queen fame!) Lipsticks, $9.99 each. Available now at select Target stores and also online.
Review coming soon!
Boots No7 Poppy King Collection
Boots and Leaves, Vol. 7
Playing with texture again. 🙂
I took this last week in front of the Holiday Inn Express in Redding. Random: the hotel offers special pet-friendly rooms where dogs can bunk with their human companions! They don’t allow cats, though (boo).
MAC Unsung Heroes: Lady Danger Lipstick
“Lady Danger to Ruby Woo! Lady Danger to Ruby Woo! Come in, Ruby Woo! Do you copy? Over.”
“This is Ruby Woo. I read you loud and clear, Lady Danger. What’s your 20? Has Russian Red been neutralized? Over.”
“That’s affirmative, cap’n. Russian Red has been neutralized. I’m leaving the checkpoint now. Returning to base. Over.”
“Copy that, Lady Danger. Good work!”
Russian Red, Ruby Woo and Lady Danger may sound like secret agent codenames, but they’re actually three of MAC’s most popular red lipsticks.
If Russian Red’s too cool for you, but Ruby isn’t quite warm enough, give pinup worthy MAC Lady Danger a try ($14.50). More coral than red, it has a matte finish like both Ruby Woo and Russian Red, but it’s warmer than both of them.
I love all three colors, but I reach for Lady Danger more often when I’m in a playful mood. Like Ruby Woo, it’s on the warmer end of the spectrum, but I think it has a very faint shine that loosens it up a little. Ruby Woo seem more formal and dressier to me.
Lady Danger (left) with Ruby Woo (right) for comparison
You’re Sheer to Find A Season’s Worth of Pretty in Clinique’s New Holiday Palette for Eyes, Lips and Cheeks
How much pretty did Clinique squeeze into their new 13-piece holiday palette for eyes, lips and cheeks? Well, judging by the name they gave it, I’d say around “A Season’s Worth.”
The cool tones and neutral shades in the new $37 palette have a distinctly festive feel that reminds me of caroling and getting snuggles from Tabs. They’re the kinds of colors I can see myself wearing with scarves, boots and mittens wrapped around mugs of piping hot cocoa, yet they seem timeless enough to make the transition from winter to spring, and maybe even summer.
More than 20 years ago (egad!) I followed Clinique through a gateway that led to the World of Makeup! There, I found wonders like MAC and NARS, and yet even with such tantalizing temptations teasing my senses, I regularly return to my roots with Clinique.
I’ve never strayed for long from their easy, classic approach to color, even though their makeup, in particular their eyeshadows and blushes, hasn’t always been what I’d call cutting edge.
The reason? Because they make things easy. Sometimes I just think it’s quicker to go with Clinique’s sheer-to-medium pigment than with something richer from someone else. That, and when I wear Clinique, I know that I won’t have to worry about looking overdone.
To fill a Season’s Worth of Pretty, the palette comes with five Butter Shine Lipsticks, four Color Surge Eye Shadow Soft Shimmers, one Colour Surge Eye Shadow Super Shimmer and three Blushing Blush Powder Blushes — most of them cool and neutral colors, but I also see a smattering of warm shades. On my NC42 tan, several of the blushes and eyeshadows apply with sheer-to-medium intensity, which usually says to me that they’ll pop even brighter on gals with lighter skin.
With an iPhone for scale…
With a husky tabby for scale…
Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Nov. 28
- 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 three years, which I guess makes this somewhere around Vol. 196. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
- Mood:
- What do you miss?
- Which makeup counters do you visit first when you swing by a Nordstrom or other department store?
- Which would you choose if you could have all of the eyeshadows you could ever want, lipsticks or blushes?
- What would you like to do on your next birthday?
- Are you a Mac or a PC?
- Have you ever seen a ghost?
- List three good things about your life right now:
- What’s something that you think tastes better fried?
- Weekly goals:
Quietly overjoyed. 🙂 The last four days have been hectic, so I’m relishing the sound of silence right now.
Having long stretches of downtime, like I had back when I was in school. I also miss not having any/many responsibilities. Now it’s always go-go-go! And it seems like there’s always something to worry about, ya know?
MAC, Chanel and NARS, usually in that order.
OOH! Tough question…but I think I’d go with the blushes. Blush is a makeup must for me. Without it I look exhausted, no matter how much sleep I’ve had.
Sleep in, and then spend the afternoon surfing in a tropical ocean. Then, a big meal that night with all of my friends and family, and an ice cream cake from Baskin-Robbins for dessert.
Mac all the way! 
I think I have… It was about 10 years ago at my parents’ house, and it was terrifying!
1) I enjoy my job, 2) I like where I live, and 3) I just realized that I can fit into a pair of pants again that have been too tight for the past three years.
Potatoes. And they’re not simply better. They’re epic!
To tidy up my desk, which has gotten so out-of-control messy that I can’t see any of the desk’s actual surface area anymore; to write in my journal each and every morning; and to pay some extra attention to Tabs. He’s been acting up lately…
Back again after a long weekend, friend. 🙂 How’s it going out there? Anyone else suffering from a holiday food hangover? I think I’m still digesting my dinner from Thursday, LOL! Oh, so much stuffing, mashed potatoes and pecan pie…
What was your favorite dish on Thanksgiving? Do tell!
If you feel a little out of it this morning, you’re not alone. Sometimes it helps to ease your way back into the grind with something fun like the Monday Poll.
- To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.
1. Mood:
2. What do you miss?
3. Which makeup counters do you visit first when you swing by a Nordstrom or other department store?
4. Which would you choose if you could have all of the eyeshadows you could ever want, lipsticks or blushes?
5. What would you like to do on your next birthday?
6. Are you a Mac or a PC?
7. Have you ever seen a ghost?
8. List three good things about your life right now:
9. What’s something that you think tastes better fried?
10. Weekly goals:
Take care this week, okay? And please try to treat yourself to something nice, even if it’s just a cup of coffee and 15 minutes of people watching at a local cafe. Stuff like that really helps. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
New from Clinique: A Season’s Worth of Pretty Palette
The limited edition A Season’s Worth of Pretty Palette ($37; available December) by Clinique, new for holiday 2011.
Review/swatches coming soon. 🙂
Boots and Leaves, Vol. 6
Another shot taken in El Hub’s uncle and aunt’s front yard in Redding. I like the texture of the gray rocks beneath the leaves. I also like how the leaves in the center look like they’re mirroring each other. I didn’t rearrange them or anything; they just happened to fall that way.
Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 167
It’s that time of year again, and Tabs has been feeling fiercely festive. This week’s the big shoot for his annual personalized Christmas cards, and he’s looking for the perfect outfit to wear.
He could really use your help. This year’s theme is dapper yet approachable (his words).
Here are the 10 outfits in contention. Which of these do you think best suits Tabs?
1. The Under-the-Mistletoe Christmas Cat Hat
$18, available now at the ScooterKnits Etsy shop.
2. Green Christmas Cat Hat (with Red Trim)
$14, available now at the ScooterKnits Etsy shop.
3. Wool Embroidered Meowy Christmas Holiday Elf Hood
$85, available now at the CatAtelier Etsy shop.
4. Red and White Striped Kitty Harness
$17.95, available now at the RockingDogs Etsy shop.
