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A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Karen

Jouer Serves Up Cool Pink Lips and Sheer Bronzed Skin for Summer 2011

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I’ve heard about days like today — sunny days in San Francisco — but always thought they were myths or legends. 🙂 Just kidding, of course. San Francisco does get sunny days, despite the many postcard pics of the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in fog, and today was one of them. It was so sunny and hot, in fact, that I probably could have fried a petrified dragon egg on the sidewalk (yes, I’m obsessed with Game of Thrones).


Not a cloud in the sky!

Not expecting it to be as warm as it was today, I did a full face of makeup for my meeting in the city, with foundation, concealer, powder, blush, eyeshadow, mascara, eye primer — the whole nine yards. Then, after the meeting, I started sweating on the short walk back to the car. The tiny trickle o’ perspiration that tickled its way down the side of my face got me thinking about simple summer makeup, and I couldn’t wait to get home so I could slip into some Jouer.

The high-end indie brand recently launched two new pieces for sweltering summer days, a Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Peony ($20) and an Oil-Free Sheer Bronzing Tint with SPF 15 ($32), both of them designed to be worn together for a simple yet polished summertime look.

When it’s really hot out, the last thing I want to feel is makeup melting on my skin. With these two lightweight products, that’s not a problem at all.

Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Peony ($20) — Jouer modeled the color of this cool and creamy pink gloss after their Mineral Powder Blush in Peony, a cult fave from the line. Smooth and non-sticky with a faint vanilla flavor and scent, it feels lighter than butterfly kisses and lasts about three hours on me. When it’s not out having fun, this cool-toned pink hangs out at Henri Bendel stores, but it can also be found online. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Oil-Free Sheer Bronzing Tint, SPF 15 ($32) — I like the subtle warmth this sheer golden brown tint gives to my skin. The product is easy to layer, but it never looks cakey or streaky, and my pores still feel like they can breath when I have it on. As much as I like it, however, I would love to see it made available in more colors for pale pretties and darker damsels. Like the Lip Gloss in Peony, it isn’t the easiest product to find; it lives at Henri Bendel stores, but it can also be found online. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+


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NARS Unsung Heroes: Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

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When I finished my first tube of lightweight, colorless NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($24), the thought of not being able to reach for what I’d come to consider the best eye makeup primer currently on the market almost triggered a minor panic attack.

We’d been inseparable since we met last November, thanks to the Troublemaker Gift Set, and I was impressed from the start. Pro-Prime intensifies the color of products applied on top of it and extends wear time, too. It grips cream and powder shadows, eyeliners and brow pencils tighter than teeth on a night guard.

When I start with Pro-Prime in the morning, my eye makeup still looks fresh and crease-free at dinner, even on hot, muggy days.


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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, June 20

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Looking up in Union Square, San Francisco, California

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

    2. Downright chipper, I’m surprised to say, even though I was up before the songbirds this morning. I have to brave the traffic down to the city for an early meeting today, but I shouldn’t be long.

  2. Today’s outfit?

    3. A loose-fitting, bright blue dress, gray button-down sweater, nude pumps and an off-white Kate Spade bag.

  3. What’s a skill you’d like to master?

    4. I suppose this is going to sound all kinds of boring compared to something like learning Mandarin or making homemade pasta (YUM!), but truth be told I’d really just like to get better at project management and learn the techniques that people use to achieve long-term goals. I’ve always been more of an “in the moment” girl, which has been fine for short-term projects that take a day or two to complete, but I struggle when it comes to bigger projects.

  4. What has been one of the highlights of 2011 for you so far?

    5. Turning 36. 🙂 Just glad I made it this far.

  5. Your favorite summer dish/snack?

    6. OOH! So much to choose from — watermelon, corn on the cob, grilled everything veggie burgers, frozen yogurt, shave ice, barbecue, potato salad… I just heard my tummy rumble.

    I guess if I have to choose just one thing, though, I pick Trader Joe’s Mango & Cream Bars. Right now they sit atop Nutella on my list of favorite snacks. So creamy, flavorful, and only 60 calories each? I’ve heard they’re seasonal, boo! I wonder how many boxes I can fit in the freezer if I move some things around…

  6. Do you enjoy talking on the phone?

    7. Yes and no. Not as much as I used to. It’s faster than e-mail or texting, which people sometimes overlook or ignore, but I don’t look forward to really long conversations anymore. I’d rather use the call to arrange a face-to-face and talk to them in person.

    I can’t believe how much time I spent on the phone when I was a teenager. I must have been doing a lot of babblin’.

  7. Highlight of your weekend?

    8. Spending time with my parents and brother yesterday. My brother and I even went for a walk together around the neighborhood, just he and I. That was nice.

  8. This morning I told myself…

    9. …that today would be a great day.

  9. Makeup or beauty confession:

    10. For longer than I care to remember, I’ve been too lazy to wax my upper lip hair, but if I don’t get around to doing it soon, I’m going to have a mustache like Tom Selleck.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Just one thing this week — to be the best version of myself I can possibly be.

Up and at ’em, cutie pie! It’s Monday, Monday once again, which means you and I get to spend another week 1) kicking butt and 2) talking about our favorite things in the worlds of makeup and beauty.

Do you have a minute to say hi? If you do, please 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. Today’s outfit?
3. What’s a skill you’d like to master?
4. What has been one of the highlights of 2011 for you so far?
5. Your favorite summer dish/snack?
6. Do you enjoy talking on the phone?
7. What was the highlight of your weekend?
8. This morning I told myself…
9. Makeup or beauty confession:
10. Weekly goals:

You have a good one today, okay? 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 144

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Tabs for the MAC Bloggers' Obsessions Collection

Tabs does most of his blogging late at night because, he says, he likes to create in silence. Sometimes I’ll hear him from bed, his little paws click-clacking away at the keyboard downstairs.

He has a few feline colleagues/friends that he regularly communicates with primarily through his blog, partywithtabs.com, which is now mostly dedicated to cat fashion do’s and don’ts, although he also writes occasionally about life in the fast-paced kitty modeling world.

He says his blog is now more of a networking tool than anything else, and so it was a big surprise to hear from MAC Cosmetics the other day about the upcoming MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions Collection (coming June 21). He couldn’t believe his kitty ears when they said they wanted to include him among the bloggers in the release as a late addition.

Needless to say, he was beyond thrilled! His color, Runway Tabby, is a light shimmery lavender eyeshadow inspired by his favorite purple flowers in the front yard.

When the collection drops this Tuesday, be sure to check it out online. 🙂

Before you go, here are some highlights from Tabs’ kitty modeling portfolio this week.

Who is Tabs the Cat? About three years ago I befriended a stray, flea-bitten tabby cat with a bad case of worms. I could see he’d fallen on hard times, but his profound knowledge of high fashion and department store cosmetics led me to believe that he was more than meets the eye. We became fast friends, and now he’s actually my boss (and a successful kitty model).

Tabs for the Dior Harmonie Blush in Savannah
Tabs spent 8 hours in the makeup chair for this look…

Tabs for the Topshop Feral Collection
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Givenchy Acid Summer Swatches and Sunday Food Coma

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givenchy acid summer swatches

Among the many stipulations in Tabs’ employment contract is a rule in Section 47 that states, “There must always be at least one unopened (i.e. spare) 5-pound bag of Science Diet Optimal Care on the premises.”

So today, to ensure my continued compliance with the agreement, I zipped over to my nearby Petco…which also happens to be right next door to a Sephora.

I only popped in for minute to “look around” (please don’t tell Tabs because I was still on the clock).

It’s not easy to swatch while holding a hefty bag of cat food, but it can be done. 🙂 Today the bright, sparkly tubes and pans of the new Givenchy Acid Summer collection caught my eye.

Givenchy equipped the release with 12 lipglosses, two lip stains, a lip/cheek balm and a palette with nine eyeshadows. Since Tabs is a stickler when it comes to punctuality (but not as it pertains to him), I didn’t have time to try anything on, but from what I felt, saw and swatched in the store, most of the lipglosses looked sheer, and the brights in the eyeshadow palette were a lot tamer than I expected them to be.

givenchy acid summer swatches
Gelee D’Interdit ($26.50) from the left: 1. Tempting Rouge; 2. Celestial Black; 3. Transparent Shine; 4. Vibrant Fuchsia; 5. Explosive Raspberry; and 6. Frozen Rose; 7. Magic Lip & Cheek Balm Moisturizing Rosy Glow ($30)

givenchy acid summer swatches 2
Gelee D’Interdit ($26.50) from the left: 8. Blooming Pink; 9. Electric Purple; 10. Neon Orange; 11. Icy Peach; 12. Sparkling Petal; and 13. Elegant Nude; 14. Printed Lips ($24.50) in Pink Impression; and 15. Rose Impression
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