Karen

Sky High Glimmer for $49 With Tom Ford’s Two New Sultry Lip Shimmers in Solar Gold and Moonlight

April 28th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Tom Ford Lip Shimmers in Solar Gold (left) and Moonlight (right) — New from the Tom Ford Summer 2014 collection: Lip Shimmers in Solar Gold (left) and Moonlight (right), $49 each

To wear whilst yacht/mansion shopping, and/or counting your gold bars, two new lipsticks from Tom Ford.

These new Lip Shimmers might be best suited for the die-hard Tom Ford Beauty fans among us, and other lovers of super sheer, glimmering $49 lipsticks.

Both sultry shades are new for summer 2014 and limited edition (including the gorgeous packaging).

Warm, glimmering Solar Gold and cool-toned frosty white Moonlight are packed with Vitamins C and E, as well as shea butter, to nourish and moisturize yo’ dry pout.

In terms of texture, fragrance and wear time, I do detect the faintest hint of vanilla when I wear these lightweight, slick, non-sticky lipsticks, but the formula only lasts about an hour on my lips.

Tom Ford Moonlight and Solar Gold Swatches — Swatches of Moonlight (left) and Solar Gold (right)

Tom Ford Lip Shimmer in Moonlight — Lip Shimmer in Moonlight

Tom Ford Lip Shimmer in Solar Gold — Lip Shimmer in Solar Gold

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30 Days of NARS: Istria Lip Gloss, Day 17

April 28th, 2014 by Karen 5 Comments

Ooh! — sheer pink NARS Istria Lip Gloss ($26) has secret sparkle. It’s one of the seven brand new colors that were added to the recently reformulated NARS Lip Gloss line.

So soft…

So delicate…

This one’s a prime purse gloss, perfect for an easy, everyday lip look. 🙂

I like to wear it with bold eye looks because it doesn’t compete with whatever might be happening on my lids and lash lines.

Istria and her 29 glossy cohorts are available now in the new NARS Lip Gloss gang for $26 each.

The 30 Days of NARS series features a different NARS Lip Gloss every day

A Monday Face of the Day With the New Tom Ford Unabashed Eye and Cheek Compact

April 28th, 2014 by Karen 35 Comments

Tom Ford Unabashed Eye and Cheek Palette — Wearing Tom Ford’s new $95 Unabashed Eye and Cheek compact

The bright matte blue eyeshadow chilling in the corner of Tom Ford’s new summer eye and cheek compact is, well, unabashedly blue and comes, ironically, out of the blue, or so it seems to me.

Then again, maybe that was the point. The compact is called Unabashed, after all, and with a name like that, I guess it makes sense to have at least one outrageous color, methinks.

The bold electric blue looks like it wandered over from the Urban Decay counter and decided to kick it with TF for the summer, and it’s not one of those bait-and-switch blue eyeshadows, either — you know, the kind that scream from their pans, “Haaaay, look at me, playa!” only to apply all shy and sheer.

No way, this blue’s bright and bangin’ — perfect for bold blue eye looks, if you feel so inclined.

When I see blues like this one, my gut usually tells me to do a neutral lid and smudge the blue along my lower lash lines, or perhaps do a soft blue cat eye, but this morning my gut told me something else. It said, “Um, Karen, let the blue play with the other colors in the compact, OK?”

And I said, “Sure.” 🙂

The compact also includes a matte taupe eyeshadow, which looks a little like the taupe from She Wolf, only lighter; a glittery taupe; a shimmery golden peach blush; and a shimmery golden tan bronzer/highlighter.

I found out that if you layer the matte blue on top of the golden bronzer, it summons a dark and beautiful peacock feather teal.

COOL!

For my eyes…

Apply the bronzer/highlighter in the crease.
Sweep the matte blue into the lower crease.
Pat the matte taupe on the lids, then layer the glittery taupe on top (which I’ve applied here with a wet eyeshadow brush to intensify the glittery effect).
Line the upper lash line with Tom Ford’s Eye Defining Pen in Deeper.
Line the upper and lower water lines with Guerlain’s Black Jack Eye Pencil.
Smudge the matte taupe along the lower lash line.
Apply Katy Perry false lashes to my upper lashes.
And coat my lower lashes with Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara.

For the rest of the look, I swept the golden peach blush from the compact on my cheeks and applied the highlighter/bronzer on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid’s bow.

I finished by applying a single layer of Tom Ford’s sumptuous Sable Smoke Lipstick (THE BEST high-end nude lippie, EVAH!) and topped it with a little NARS Striptease Lip Gloss.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 320

April 28th, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for April 28, 2014

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 seven years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

What’s your idea of a perfect birthday party for you?
A very casual brunch, because brunch is my favorite meal of the day, where I order both a sweet and savory option, because I hate having to decide between the two, and everybody has mimosas.

Just a handful of people, and I don’t have to pick up the bill.

Oh, yeah! — and I’m wearing a tiara. 🙂

Tell me about your first car…
It was a beat up flesh-colored Ford pickup with a camper shell and a long bed, so I couldn’t see what was going on behind me, and the speedometer was broken. Every time my parents would drive with me, they’d yell about how I was going too fast, but how was I supposed to know how fast I was going!? The freaking speedometer was broken!

What’s one thing you always have with you wherever you go?
Cat hair. I’m covered in it. It’s on my shoes, on my clothes, on my purses, in my hair, on my lips sometimes. I can’t escape it.

Which of the following can you hear from your home: church bells, trains, busses, children playing, birds singing and/or wind chimes?
All of the above.

I’m not 100% sure about the train. I think I hear one sometimes, but I don’t know where it is. It’s like the ghost train…

Have you ever been lost — like seriously lost — in a city, a parking lot or someplace outdoors?
Yes, in the South San Francisco Daly City area. It’s like the Bermuda Triangle for me.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. What’s your idea of a perfect birthday party for you?
2. Tell me about your first car…
3. What’s one thing you always have with you wherever you go?
4. Which of the following can you hear from your home: church bells, trains, busses, children playing, birds singing and/or wind chimes?
5. Have you ever been lost — like seriously lost — in a city, a parking lot or someplace outdoors?

I was feeling really tense this morning when I woke up. Monday mornings are usually…yeah, difficult for me, as they are for a lot of people.

I tried some of my usual Monday morning brain-focussing tricks like mind mapping and list writing, but they weren’t working. Then I went for a 15-minute walk.

Lo and behold, I felt about a million times better! It’s a cliche, but those walks really work. Sometimes the best way to get out of your head is to get out of your head.

Anywho, have a great day today. Talk to you soon. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

30 Days of NARS: Ophelia Lip Gloss, Day 16

April 27th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Whenever I wear shimmery strawberry pink Ophelia Lip Gloss, I always think of Hamlet. I wonder if Francois is a Shakespeare fan…

He hath of late made many tenders of his affection for Shakespearean names.

Where is the beauteous Majesty of Ophelia!?

Ha. OK, that’s enough.

You can find Ophelia and her 29 siblings in new NARS Lip Gloss line now.

The 30 Days of NARS series features a different NARS Lip Gloss every day

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 293

April 27th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Ladies and gentle tabbies, next time your feline friend/employer goes hiking through tall grasses and ends up covered in pollen and smelly plant funk, may I suggest a waterless bath using John Paul Pet Waterless Foam Shampoo for Dogs & Cats ($12.99). It smells great and dries quicker than two swishes of a cat’s tail.

While on safari yesterday in my back yard, I wandered into uncharted territory. I cannot help it; I have an explorer’s heart, and I’m compelled to go where no other cat — as far as I know — has gone before. In this case, that included a tall patch of wildflowers and grasses.

Unfortunately, my curiosity left my normally immaculate coat in a state of disarray. I came out covered with pollen and a mysteriously stinky plant filth.

Back at the office, I charged my assistant with finding an immediate solution. I am a kitty supermodel, after all. There’s no way I’m going about my day with my fur in less than tip-top condition.

Meow! Time was of the essence because I had a nap scheduled for the early afternoon. My assistant rushed out to Petco and returned with John Paul Pet Waterless Foam Shampoo for Dogs & Cats ($12.99, part of a line that also includes a gentle puppy and kitten shampoo, paw wipes, and ear and eye wipes).

She squeezed a few pumps in her hand, and a smile spread across my feline face. Mmmm… It smelled faintly of powder and almonds.

It’s designed to penetrate, deep clean and deodorize coats for water-averse cats and dogs while gently soothing skin.

Ingredients: Water (aqua), cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, hydrolyzed whole oats (pending), chamomilla recutita (matricaria) extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, sodium hydroxymethlgycinate, cocamide DEA, citric acid, propylene glycol, fragrance (parfum).

She massaged the luxurious foam into my fur, avoiding my sensative ears and eyes, working all the way down to the tip of my tail.

I recorded the massage on my iPhone, and I think you can tell by my purrs that I enjoyed it.

After that, she brushed the product through my fur until it dried, which, much to my delight, only took a few minutes.

Ooh-la-la! My fur was incredibly soft. I could actually see the difference. It definitely looked smoother and smelled better. I felt like a million bucks and, because it dried so quickly, I didn’t have to reschedule my nap.

Tabby needs his beauty sleep!

According to the side of the bottle, the product was tested on humans first, and it’s cruelty-free. That gets two husky paws up from me.

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30 Days of NARS: Turkish Delight Lip Gloss, Day 15

April 26th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Milky pale pink perfection! Turkish Delight is definitely one of my ride-or-die NARS Lip Glosses.

I think this shade looks amazeballs with a classic black smokey eye, by the way.

You can find Turkish Delight ($26) delighting NARS fans with the rest of the newly revamped NARS Lip Gloss crew right meow.

P.S. Boy, the driving here in the Bay Area has been totes cray-cray tonight! We just got back from dinner for my dad’s b-day in the East Bay, and after dinner we swung by the city to drop off my brother, who lives in an apartment downtown.

Cars were swerving, zipping and zooming all over the roads! It was total chaotic car mayhem.

There must be some astrological shenanigans going on…

Now I’m home and really looking forward to pajama time. Hope you’re having a nice night. 🙂

The 30 Days of NARS series features a different NARS Lip Gloss every day

7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

April 26th, 2014 by Karen 334 Comments

Hey, boo! Good morning. How are you? How’s everything out there?

“Out there…” Sounds like I’m talking to an astronaut. 🙂

I hope you had a good week. I hope you experienced something new, got some nice weather, and had someone pay you a compliment, because that always feels good.

If not, then let’s do it now: “You’re sweet and kind and creative and have impeccably good taste, and I love you.”

Looks like the sun came out here this morning. It’s not as overcast as it was yesterday.

We actualy got more rain this week, which is starting to approach unusual weather territory, because here in this part of Northern California our last real rains of the season usually happen right around early April…

Most of the time. If I’m remembering correctly.

I don’t mind though. It makes my allergies a little worse, but it’s better for Mother Nature overall.

Keeps the flowers around and everything green longer.

Do you have any plans this weekend? All I really have is my dad’s bday dinner in the East Bay tonight and maybe a breakfast sammy and coffee at Panera Bread with El Hub in a few. Beyond that, I’m just sort of wingin’ it.

Best of luck in this week’s giveaway. I wish — WISH! — I was able to hold a giveaway where every single person could win. That would be a dream come true. I actually fantasize a lot about what kinds of things I could do for us here on the blog if I ever won the lottery. One of the ideas is to take a group of 10 readers off to Paris for an all-expenses-paid two-week adventure (because one week wouldn’t be enough). We could visit Chanel headquarters and spend one entire day in the Louvre.

Le sigh…

Have a great day today, babe. My tummy is rumbly, so I’ll talk to you soon. Panera is calling my name! 🙂

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- Where’s your favorite place to go for breakfast?
- Do you own any clothes handed down from your grandma or mom?
- What are your three favorite apps on your phone?
- What has been the highlight of your April so far?
- When I say “cats are” you say ________.
- What are you wearing on your nails?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, April 28, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen