Karen

A Valentine’s Day Look With the New NARS And God Created The Woman Palette

February 14th, 2013 by Karen 45 Comments

Oh, twist my arm, why don’t ya?!

That’s what I said to one of the Sephora gals who mentioned they were offering Valentine’s Day makeovers today. 🙂

I figured it would be a good chance to hang out, try some new products and play a little hooky. ‘Cause, ya know, I’m all about ~~playing hooky~~ multitasking.

When I sat down in the chair, Chelsea, the makeup artist who did this look (thank you, Chelsea!), asked me what I had in mind. I told her my makeup mantra (“No fear!”) and that she could do whatever she wanted, just as long as she incorporated the palette from the new NARS And God Created the Woman Set.

She used a mix of products from NARS, Too Faced, Make Up For Ever, Benefit, Kat Von D and Sephora.

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A New Side Gig Over at Gloss Daily…

February 14th, 2013 by Karen 28 Comments

Gloss Daily Secrets of the Eye Makeup Mavens — Yup, that’s me!

Not sure if I mentioned this yet, but I recently got a side gig contributing to Gloss Daily, the Ladies’ Home Journal beauty blog.

I’m pretty stoked about it. Today they’re featuring a post I wrote about bright eye shadow (especially if you’re color shy). If you get a chance, hop over and check it out, and if you’re feeling moved, please tweet/like/or leave a comment. 🙂

I’ll be contributing new articles to the site pretty often going forward.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Oh, if you happen to be on the market for a new blush, this may give you some ideas: Bolster Your Makeup Bag This Spring With a New Blush.

New Aerin Beauty Lip and Cheek Color in Sweet Pea Maximizes Space in Makeup Bags

February 14th, 2013 by Karen 24 Comments

Wearing the new Aerin Beauty Sweet Pea Lip & Cheek Color ($42), new for spring 2013

Why, yes, I am carrying eight tubes of gloss on my person at the moment. How ever did you know?

Oh, you say that my bulging makeup bag gave it away?

Well that explains it. 🙂

Part of me wants to believe that one day I’ll transform from a chronic makeup over-packing caterpillar into a streamlined beauty butterfly with a tiny makeup bag.

I mean, if a street cat like Tabs can rise to the top of the plus-size kitty modeling game, why can’t I get by with my makeup essentials in a tiny makeup bag? Crazier things have happened.

Should my transformation ever transpire, I’ll probably rely on multipurpose products, like Aerin Beauty’s new Sweet Pea Lip & Cheek Color, a satiny, cool-toned pink cream blush that also doubles as a lipstick.

Aerin Beauty, a pretty pricey high-end makeup line that only launched a few months back, carries products that appeal to my fussy-free side — products like Sweet Pea, designed for elegant, natural makeup looks that are also easy.

Blend in one layer with your fingers for cheeks that look like you just finished a brisk walk. Add a second layer, like I’m wearing in these pics, for a brighter flush.

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The Scent of Valentine’s Day: Korres Japanese Rose Body Butter and Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Eau de Parfum

February 14th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Eau de Parfum

I’m doing a rose and foral/fruity mix with Korres and Dolce & Gabbana today.

What scent are you wearing?

Korres Japanese Rose Body Butter ($29), available now at Korres counters and online

MAC’s Chilled on Ice Pro Longwear Paint Pot

February 14th, 2013 by Karen 6 Comments

MAC Chilled on Ice Pro Longwear Paint Pot Big

MAC’s Chilled on Ice ($18.50), one of eight new Pro Longwear Paint Pots available now at maccosmetics.com.

Pug Love

February 14th, 2013 by Karen 29 Comments

Meet Rex the Pug. He’s a 14-year-old cancer survivor who can no longer walk, but he still enjoys the great outdoors. Every day, his dad takes him out for daily strolls in his red Radio Flyer wagon.

Any day you get to spend time with a sweet old pup is a great day. 🙂

Is the New MAC Antique Diamond Pro Longwear Paint Pot a Dupe for Benefit Skinny Jeans?

February 13th, 2013 by Karen 8 Comments

My first thought when I saw MAC’s new Antique Diamond Pro Longwear Paint Pot?

Skinny Jeans. Benefit Skinny Jeans, because like my beloved Skinny Jeans cream shadow, Antique Diamond also has that grayish khaki thang going on.

But yeah…that’s just about where the similarities end. As soon as I got Antique Diamond on my lids, I could see that it wasn’t a lot like Skinny Jeans. I think both shadows are fab, but they are very, very different.

Olive green Antique Diamond looks lighter, cooler toned and shinier to me (hello, frosty finish!). Like, in trying to think of the inspiration behind it, I’m thinkin’…frozen lichen on the side of a tree on a sunny winter’s day?

Whatev, I like it. 🙂

Doesn’t it seem more delicate than Skinny Jeans? Could have something to do with Antique Diamond’s fine flecks of silver glitter.

Don’t get me wrong — I Skinny Jeans. I just think Antique Diamond is a little daintier, like if Skinny Jeans were motorcycle boots, Antique Diamond would be a pair of kitten heels.

I’ll usually pat a layer on my lids with a finger, and then, to offload a little of the color, buff it down by gently running a MAC 217 all over the lid, leaving behind an almost transparent tint of cool olive green (so pretty!) loaded with silver shimmer.

And it lasts from that first bite of French toast at breakfast till that last piece of pizza at night…

(Yes, someone’s hungry for junk food right now.)

MAC Antique Diamond and Benefit Skinny Jeans — Swatches of MAC Antique Diamond on the left and Benefit Skinny Jeans on the right

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Like Butter, These Bargain Glosses Make Everything Better: The $5 NYX Butter Glosses

February 13th, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

NYX Butter Gloss Peaches and Cream — Wearing NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches and Cream ($5), one of 12 new Butter Glosses for spring 2013

Just in case you were wondering, if you wear one of the new $5 NYX Butter Glosses while eating cinnamon walnut French toast with a heaping scoop of butter, you will not — I REPEAT! — will not experience butter overload.

(As if there were such a thing.)

On my lips, each of these 12 new moisturizing, non-sticky lip glosses feel all smooth and slick like little sticks of butter…but they don’t taste or smell like butter (whew!)

Nope, more like brown sugar and vanilla, yum!

Yes, yum. 🙂

I’ve had mixed luck with NYX lip product flavors and scents in the past, know what I mean?

Not these though. As far as my nose and palate are concerned, NYX nailed these. On a sensory level, these Butter Glosses represent probably the best experience I’ve ever had from the line. Both the brown sugar and vanilla notes are faint, too, just barely there, and dissipate quickly after 1-2 minutes.

One swipe from the doe-foot applicator leaves behind a sheer layer of color and satiny shine, while a second layer ups the coverage to medium.

Either way, these don’t last all that long on my lips. Most of the time I get about an hour.

NYX Butter Gloss Product Shot — From the left: Strawberry Parfait, Eclair, Peaches and Cream, Merengue, Creme Brulee, Peach Cobbler, Tiramisu, Apple Strudel, Vanilla Cream Pie, Cherry Cheese Cake, Maple Blondie and Cherry Pie

NYX Butter Gloss Swatches — Swatches from the left: Strawberry Parfait, Eclair, Peaches and Cream, Merengue, Creme Brulee, Peach Cobbler, Tiramisu, Apple Strudel, Vanilla Cream Pie, Cherry Cheese Cake, Maple Blondie and Cherry Pie

NYX Butter Gloss Strawberry Parfait — Strawberry Parfait

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