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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

NARS Fall 2011: I’d Sail the Seven Seas for NARS Outremer Eyeshadow

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nars outremer single eyeshadow

Like a bold accent necklace or a fun, floral scarf, bright blue NARS Outremer Single Eyeshadow ($23) does add a certain something special to a makeup maven’s look.

That said, could I see myself wearing it every single day? No, probably not, because I don’t think it’s that kind of shade, which is not to say it isn’t flexible. Oh, no. It most certainly is. 🙂

nars fall 2011 outremer single eyeshadow

NARS designed the mostly matte blue Outremer (see the tiny silver sparkles?), the French word for “overseas,” to contrast with the softer green, peach, taupe and rose eyeshadows in the fall collection.

“Fall is the perfect time to play with dramatic shades, bold color and rich textures, like a bright blue eye or a stormy gray nail.
I like the look of a bright blue eye and a pale pink lip, achieved with Outremer Eyeshadow and Pago Pago Lipstick. It’s striking and modern.”

— Francois Nars

Mission accomplished. Striking, it is, and flexible, too, easy to build from sheer to intense in just a few layers.

nars outremer swatches
Swatches of Outremer (applied on top of NARS Smudge-proof Eye Primer) from the left: one layer; four layers; and applied wet
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MAC Glitter and Ice for Holiday 2011: Johnny Weir to Star in the Upcoming Holiday Campaign

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Color me thrilled, MACaholics! We have some early holiday news. MAC plans to feature Olympic skater and three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir in their upcoming Glitter and Ice Holiday Collection (LOVE HIM!).

According to the New York Post, Johnny just wrapped up a shoot in Miami for Glitter and Ice, and all I have to say about that: there better be sequins in the house; otherwise, Tabs will throw a fit!

MAC loves offbeat collaborations with guys and gals (hello, Dame Edna!), and Johnny, with his funky fashion sense and sassy performances on the ice, sounds like a good fit.

He’s also a major MAC fan and makeup maven. We spoke last year about some of his MAC must-haves and tips…

Q: What are your top three tricks to getting your skin looking flawless on camera?

A: Conceal everything you don’t want the world to notice, like blemishes or dark circles, with an amazing concealer like Cle de Peau or MAC concealers. 2) Blot away your shine and oil with MAC’s Blot Powder and Bronzing Powders. 3) Take care of your skin. If your skin feels beautiful and healthy, it will look beautiful and healthy.

Q: What’s a makeup lesson you learned the hard way?

A: When I first started wearing makeup to perform I learned that you need to apply bronzer very evenly. You can’t go out with a mocha face, latte neck and custard ears. I saw a photo of myself and was horrified; needless to say, I never made that mistake again. For men, the important thing is to look like yourself but one hundred times better with the help of makeup… it defeats the purpose when everyone can see how much you’ve got caked on.

Q: What are your three favorite MAC products to use before a performance?

A: MAC Blot Powder, MAC Bronzing Powder [and] MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Soothing Beige.

Work that Glitter and Ice, Johnny!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The NARS Fall 2011 Collection Is Calling the Cool Girls to Come Over

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nars fall 2011

If I’d moved to New York all those years ago when the idea seemed like the greatest idea in the world, the NARS Fall 2011 collection would have been like my cool city friend. She would have strut down streets late at night wearing Helmet Lang dresses, black lace tights and sky-high stilettos, guiding us to all the best underground clubs and bars (long before they were written up in the New York Times).

I think there’s something very urban about this latest collection from NARS. While Summer 2011‘s carefree golds, greens and teals made me want to spend the day at the beach, these fall shades make me want to dress up and meet friends at a trendy restaurant downtown.

The nine piece collection for eyes, lips and nails (no blush this time) sets dark, bold hues against soft, subtle tones. I’m thinking gals with skin that sings in cool-toned dove gray, silvery taupe, rich plum and true blue will really like what they see when it arrives on NARS counters July 15.

I’ll post a few looks and detailed reviews soon, but for now, here’s a quick look at the entire collection, along with some swatches.

NARS Fall 2011 Collection

nars fall 2011 outremer single eyeshadow
Outremer Single Eyeshadow, $23

nars fall 2011 grand palais duo eyeshadow
Grand Palais Duo Eyeshadow (Limited Edition), $33

nars fall 2011 delphes trio eyeshadow
Delphes Trio Eyeshadow (Limited Edition), $45
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$1.49 Essence Metallic Eye Pencils and the Case of the Disappearing Colors

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essence metallic eye pencils

Funny how I can’t remember much from college chem lab, but I do recall the lyrics to Foxy Brown’s Get Me Home.


Uh-oh, uh-oh!

Both of them appeared in my life around the same time (in the mid-1990s), but while most of my chem lessons left me long ago, Foxy’s song is still fresh to def in my mind.

Of the few chemistry lessons that have, however, stuck with me after all these years, the law of conservation of mass seems particularly apt today. It states that mass can neither be created nor destroyed, or, as the 13th century scholar NasÄ«r al-DÄ«n al-TÅ«sÄ« put it, “A body of matter cannot disappear completely. It only changes its form, condition, composition, color and other properties and turns into a different complex or elementary matter.”

If true, then what the heck is up with these $1.49 Essence Metallic Eye Pencils?

With so many cheap beauty thrills coming from the Essence line lately — like the Stay With Me Longlasting Lipglosses ($2.29) and Colour & Go Nail Polishes ($0.99) — I’d just assumed these six $1.49 beauties would deliver the same affordable BOOM-BOOM-POW!

essence metallic eye pencils
From left to right: Iron Goddess, Green Day, Heavy Metal, Lilectric, Black Knight and White Divine

essence metallic eye pencils swatches with the flash
Swatches from left to right with the flash: Iron Goddess, Green Day, Heavy Metal, Lilectric, Black Knight and White Divine
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, June 27

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  • 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. 174. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    2. Pretty good. I mean, it is Monday, but I just had a cup of coffee and cleaned off my desk, so things are looking up.

  2. When did you first understand the meaning of heartbreak?

    3. I was 14, with my first case of puppy love, and had just broken up with my boyfriend. Looking back, I was probably too young to be dating at all, but I can still remember how I felt every time we’d see each other around after the split — like something stole the air out from under me and knocked the wind out of my chest. My world had been shaken, and it took me a long time to recover.

  3. What was your all-time favorite vacation?

    4. The trip El Hub and I took to Europe in 2005. We crammed four countries into 14 days — England, France, Spain and Portugal. It was an exhilarating, exhausting time, and it was on that trip, one night in a small, candlelit dining room at a bed and breakfast in Northern Spain, that El Hub got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. 🙂

  4. Platform shoes: yea or nay?

    5. Yea, but it totally depends. I can’t hang with platforms taller than 2.5 inches (disaster waiting to happen).

  5. Do you prefer ice cream cups or cones?

    6. How about one of each? Okay, if I have to pick one, I’ll take a cup, please. Less mess.

  6. Would you rather text, call or e-mail?

    7. These days I’d rather call. I’m a slow texter, and I’m already overwhelmed with email.

  7. When was your last haircut?

    8. April, and I’m way overdue. My bangs are out of control!

  8. Someone who changed your life?

    9. Believe it or not, Tabs. After leaving home for school and spending years without a pet, I’d forgotten how wonderful life with a a furry companion can be.

  9. Your favorite healthy snack?

    10. Frozen grapes! Especially on hot days. They’re low-cal and almost as satisfying as ice cream and froyo (almost).

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. I didn’t take good care of myself last week. Not enough exercise or water, and too many snacks. I have to do better this week, hook or crook, and I’m going to try to get to bed by 10 every night (okay, 10:30).

I knew today was going to be a great day when I checked my email and found this adorable picture…

Meet Sweet Pea, the kitty who lives with MBB reader Amber. Notice how she’s snuggling with Amber’s tube of MAC Lipglass in Evolution Revolution? Clearly, Sweet Pea is a cat of impeccable taste. 🙂

If you catch your cat (or dog/hamster/turtle or other animal friend) modeling with your tube of EvRev, send me a pic by e-mail to karen at makeupandbeautyblog dot com, or via Facebook or Twitter. They just might appear in future MBB pet modeling jobs.

Now, on with 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. When did you first understand the meaning of heartbreak?
3. What was your all-time favorite vacation?
4. Platform shoes: yea or nay?
5. Do you prefer ice cream cups or cones?
6. Would you rather text, call or e-mail?
7. When was your last haircut?
8. Someone who changed your life?
9. Your favorite healthy snack?
10. Weekly goals:

If you promise to have a good week, I’ll do the same. Pinky swear!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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