Karen

For Makeup That Goes the Distance, There’s the New Long-Wearing MAC Retro Matte Collection, Pro Longwear Paint Pots and Eye Liners

August 29th, 2013 by Karen 24 Comments

The New MAC Pro Longwear and Retro Matte collections

Forget flash-in-the-pan and fly-by-night colors that disappear faster than you can say, “I’m going to need years of therapy to recover from that Miley Cyrus performance.” The new Retro Matte and Pro Longwear collections are built to last with long-wearing lipsticks, lip liners, cream shadows and pencils ready and waiting to go the distance this fall.

The MAC Retro Matte Collection

Down-and-dirty deets on the new MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks, Pro Longwear Paint Pots and Eye Liners

Permanent or limited edition: Limited edition
Availability: Next week! They’ll be online starting the week of September 3, in North American MAC stores/counters September 12, and available some time in September at all international MAC locations.
Inspiration: Actually? Ruby Woo Lipstick’s matte texture and finish. MAC decided to increase the number of shades available in Ruby Woo’s ultra-flat matte finish.
Includes: eight matte Lipsticks ($15 US, $18 CDN each) and eight Pro Longwear Lip Pencils ($19.50 US, $23 CDN each)

As someone who experienced the ’90s firsthand and owned several MAC mattes over that time, I have mixed feelings about this encore of matte lips…

To their credit, they last a looong time, which I like. They barely break a sweat after six hours, even through meals, but dayum! — what’s with all the flakes?!

At least these new MAC Lipsticks don’t seem as drying as the old-school versions, based on the couple I wore today, but they definitely aren’t heavy with hydration. I probably won’t be wearing them daily, no matter what, because matte formulas like these usually leave my lips drier than the Sahara.

I gotta admit, though, that flat finish looks really cool…

Can. Not. Wait. to wear the bright pinks and reds with cat eyes this fall.

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots and Pro Longwear Eye Liners

MAC Pro Longwear collection — All four of the Pro Longwear Eyeliners and four of 12 MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots from the new Pro Longwear collection

Permanent or limited edition: Permanent
Availability: Available now online, and coming to North American stores and counters September 5; internationally some time next month.
Inspiration: Vibrant colors and long-wearing cream shadows and liners.
Includes: 12 Pro Longwear Paint Pots ($20 US, $24 CDN each) and four water-resistant Pro Longwear Eye Liners ($19.50 US, $23 CDN each). There’s also a 242 Shader Brush ($25 US, $30 CDN)

Oh, boy! I’m stoked about the liners and Perky Paint Pot, in particular. Remember it from 2008’s Fafi? Yeah, good times… (Wow, can you believe we’ve been together that long? HOLY CANNOLI!)

The MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks…

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Have Any of Your Beauty Habits Rubbed Off on Your Significant Other?

August 29th, 2013 by Karen 32 Comments

Wearing MAC Antonio Lopez — Things that make ya go hmm… I’m wearing loads of MAC Antonio Lopez makeup in this look, by the way. Face/Coral on my cheeks, the 6 Eyes Palettes in Violet and Bronze on my eyes and the 3 Lip Palette in Fuchsia on my lips.

In short, no. 🙂

Okay, well, occasionally El Hub will wear a spritz of Dolce & Gabbana (Light Blue for Men), but that’s only when he doesn’t have time to shower after his morning workout and doesn’t want to be “too stinky” (his words) at work.

El Hub’s kind of a guy’s guy (no, he doesn’t moisturize, although I wish he would), and as much as I’ve tried to get him to moisturize, exfoliate or wear sunscreen on a daily basis…or drag him to do beauty things with me like go to the spa for a massage or a mani/pedi (hey, there are places that offer special nail services for dudes!), it ain’t happenin’.

Like, once I tried to put lotion on a dry spot on his leg, and he freaked out, yelling “It burns! It burns!” — jokingly, of course.

I have a feeling he does, on occasion, dip into my fancy hair products, because sometimes I’ll catch a whiff on his hair. “Hmm, that’s my Kerastase conditioner.” But it’s probably ’cause he wasn’t paying attention and grabbed the closest bottle in the shower, haha!

So, what’s it like with your guy/gal? Have any of your beauty habits rubbed off on them?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Ultra Long Lashes Are Ultra Pricey With Tom Ford Ultra Length Mascara in Raven

August 29th, 2013 by Karen 27 Comments

Wait — what? Tom Ford’s Ultra Length Mascara in Raven is $42?

Daaayuuum!

I’ve seen the future, girl, and it’s a world where mascaras cost almost $50 a pop.

Cats also roam free in supersonic airline cabins and Nutella-flavored Pop Tarts are free, and those are pretty cool, but I don’t know if they make up for the price of this mascara… Maybe.

Ultra Length Mascara is new to Tom Ford’s line. It’s designed to stretch and lengthen lashes while adding a deep, dark carbon-black color.

I’ve been wearing it a few days now, and I like what I seen. Two coats and my lashes look crazy long and dark. Plus, it doesn’t flake or smudge.

But truth be told…I was expecting even more considering the price. The formula stretches my lashes out so much that I also lose much of my lash curl, and I see lumps when I apply multiple coats, which I want to do to squeeze out more thickness and definition.

If Raven’s piqued your interest, it’s available now on Neiman Marcus Tom Ford counters and coming soon to neimanmarcus.com.

Bright Lips Are the Big Draw in the Illustrative MAC Antonio Lopez Lip Palettes

August 28th, 2013 by Karen 28 Comments

MAC Antonio Lopez: 3 Lips/Fuchsia in Candy Yum Yum — Wearing the new MAC Antonio Lopez: 3 Lips/Fuchsia palette lipstick in Candy Yum Yum

Bold lip lovers say what?! In your dreams, are your lips ever super saturated shades of red, pink or purple?

Heck, even if they aren’t, draw a big red Sharpie heart around September 12 on your calendar (or ask Siri to remind you), because that’s when the MAC Antonio Lopez collection lip palettes arrive.

MAC Antonio Lopez product packaging — Wants that hat!

MAC Antonio Lopez 3 Lips Nude Fuchsia Red Boxes — Oh! The boxes have the same design…

I’m pretty stoked about two of ’em — 3 Lips/Fuchsia and 3 Lips/Red. At least for me and my bold lip-lurving heart, they steal the limelight away from the 3 Lips/Nude palette.

If you like powerful pouts, watch out for 3 Lips/Fuchsia and 3 Lips/Red. Their smooth, super saturated colors do NOT mess around. Both palettes get mad love from me.

As for the Nude palette…

MAC Antonio Lopez: 3 Lips clockwise from the reds on the left: Red, Nude and Fuchsia — MAC Antonio Lopez: 3 Lips clockwise from the left: Red, Nude and Fuchsia

MAC Antonio Lopez: 3 Lips/Fuchsia shades from the left: Candy Yum Yum (a matte neon pink) and Moxie (a matte mid-toned bluish pink) and Violetta (a violet/purple with an amplified finish)

MAC Antonio Lopez 3 Lips Red — MAC Antonio Lopez: 3 Lips/Red shades from the left: Scarlet Ibis (a bright matte orangey red), MAC Red (a bright bluish red with a satin finish) and Deeply Adored (a matte deep scarlet)

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Keep Your Eyes on Neutral Shimmer With Sonia Kashuk’s New “Eye on Neutral Shimmer” Eye Couture Palette

August 28th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Shimmer — The Sonia Kashuk Eye Couture palette in Eye on Neutral Shimmer

Should you ever wake from a moment of reverie with your eyes closed and a big grin on your face as you cradle the new $19.99 Eye Couture palette in Eye on Neutral Shimmer to your bosom in the Sonia Kashuk section of your favorite Target store, I completely understand.

You see, I too have a weakness for shimmery taupes, grays, golds and browns.

Sonia Kashuk Eye Coutre in Eye on Neutral Shimmer — It’s easy to keep your eyes on a palette this sharp…

Sure, duochrome pink-to-purple shadow singles with rainbow glitter seem more exciting at first, but they’re like quick sugar fixes (the novelty wears off fast). Unlike Luna Bars and the Eye on Neutral Shimmer palette, they aren’t really designed for long-term sustenance.

That’s why I hold neutral palettes like this near and dear to my heart.

New for fall with 12 pans of powder shadow in shimmery neutral shades, these color temps are just right — neither too cool nor warm, and should flatter a wide range of skin tones from light to dark.

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Who Wore It Better? — The Anthropologie Pam Hiran Bib Necklace

August 28th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

The Anthropologie Pam Hiran Bib Necklace

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the cat-eat-cat world of accessories modeling, it’s that the cats will always win.

In the end, the cats will always win…

But I’ll do my best! 🙂

Modeling necklaces like this Pam Hiran bib from Anthropologie happen to be one of Tabs’ fortes.

I know that the chances of me taking this round are slim. I mean, how’s anyone supposed to compete against that silky fur?! It’s unfair!

Still, I refuse to go down without a fight…

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In other news…this behind-the-scenes video of Francois Nars shooting the NARS fall campaign doesn’t have anything to do with cats or bib necklaces, but I thought it was pretty rad.

Tabs wholeheartedly approves of the model’s smokey cat eye. 🙂

How Do You Line Your Eyes?

August 28th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

Clarins Intense Black Crayon Khol — Wearing Clarins’ Crayon KhÃ´l Eye Pencil in Intense Black ($25) on my lash and water lines, and contemplating eyeliner…

Applying eyeliner seems like one of those vastly personal things, ya know? Like fragrances, or buying skinny jeans. I have gal pals who always apply from the same direction, some who draw dots they then smudge, buddies who do both eyes at the same time… There are just so many different ways to go about it.

I was drawing my liner this morning with a new crush, Clarins’ splendidly smooth and dark Crayon KhÃ´l Eye Pencil in Intense Black ($25) when I started thinking about all the different ways we line our eyes.

I usually apply pencil liner one eye at a time following this approach…

Bottom water line, working from the outside (the side closer to me ear) inward toward my nose
Top water line, working from ear-side to nose
Roots of my upper lashes (gotta get between the base of those hairs!)
Upper lash line, again from ear to nose
Lower lash line, yep, from ear to nose
Then I’ll smudge when I want/feel I need to

It depends a little on the formula. I have a slightly different routine for liquid, gel and cream liners, but generally the steps are the same, except for how I handle my upper lash lines. I’ll line then from the opposite direction, working from the inside out (from nose side to ear). I don’t know why, but for some reason that’s just easier for me with liquid and gel liners.

How about you? How do you line your eyes? Do you have a time-tested technique, and what products have you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

3 Ways to Update Your Fall Makeup Bag for $20 or Less

August 28th, 2013 by Karen 5 Comments

Fall makeup is like the Super Bowl of beauty, far as I’m concerned. The boldest and best makeup for eyes, lips, cheeks, skin, brows and lashes take the field…or rather, the tops of makeup counters, all coming together for a major makeup event.

OH, GAWD, I LOVE IT ALL!!

Best thing about it is you don’t have to make it rain to switch up your fall makeup game. These 3 updates — each one $20 or less — will get your makeup bag in fighting shape for the new season.

Head on over to Gloss Daily, the Ladies’ Home Journal beauty blog, to read the rest of 3 Ways to Update Your Fall Makeup Bag for $20 or Less.

And if you feel like it, hit one of the buttons beneath the title to show some love. I’d really appreciate it!

Every time you like/tweet/comment, a husky tabby’s low-hanging tummy sways in the wind… 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Karen

The MAC Retro Matte Collection

Down-and-dirty deets on the new MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks, Pro Longwear Paint Pots and Eye Liners

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots and Pro Longwear Eye Liners

The MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks…

Who wore it better: Tabs or Karen?