Karen

Look Like You Tried Without Looking Overdone by Treating Your Cheeks to Laura Mercier CrÃ¨me Cheek Colour in Oleander and Praline

January 9th, 2013 by Karen 20 Comments

laura mercier arabesque collection creme cheek colour — Wearing Laura Mercier’s new CrÃ¨me Cheek Colour in Oleander ($24) from the new Arabesque collection for spring 2013

In the comments this week, quite a few folks have asked, “What blush are you wearing?” which I take as a testament to Laura Mercier’s fabulousness.

You know something’s going well when after almost every pic you post of yourself, someone wants to know what you’re wearing on your cheeks. 🙂

I’ve been wearing the two $24 CrÃ¨me Cheek Colours, Oleander and Praline, from Laura’s new Arabesque collection for spring, and both of them love mugging for the camera.

They photograph really well and do a bang-up job of brightening, both in front of and behind the camera. Both of them give a nice flush to cheeks without looking overdone, or like you’re wearing too much makeup (perfect for a first date).

The colors aren’t new, but their packaging is, and thank gawd! — because the old packaging used to be a bear to close. Technically, both are re-promotes from the permanent collection.

I’ve actually worn the pink blush from this release, Oleander, off and on since 2007.

laura mercier oleander praline swatches — Swatches of Oleander on the left and Praline on the right

laura mercier arabesque lipstick — Praline

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Well, Halo There, Megatint! Okay, That Was Just Ridiculous… Introducing Smashbox’s New Halo Long Wear Blushes and Megatint Long Wear Lip Colors

January 9th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

smashbox halo long wear blush — The four new Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blushes ($24 each)

More new spring stuff from Smashbox! — a line of halo-inducing blushes (for angelic cheeks, perhaps?) and lipsticks.

These are the kinds of blushes where you twist and shave off what ya need. Little gimmicky, but I think it’s kinda fun.

When I swatched them, they seemed super sheer, so if you like the look of a lightly flushed cheek, or you just want something clutz-proof and easy, you might want to give ’em a try.

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MAC’s Brow Duos in Blonde, Brunette and Redhead

January 9th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

mac brow duos small — MAC Brow Duos from the left: Blonde, Brunette and Rehead ($27.50 each)

Three new brow duos, each with two shades of powder eyeshadow from MAC’s permanent line. The idea is to mix and match to create your own personal shade.

The shadows look light in the swatches but go on darker when applied with a stiff brush (I like the 214 Short Shader or the 266 Small Angle).

For me, these are the easiest, fastest and most natural-looking brow products from MAC’s Stylish Brow collection.

mac brow duos swatches — From the left: Blonde (Soba and Omega), Brunette (Coquette and Brun) and Redhead (Cork and Espresso)

mac-slightly-nude-tinted-lip-balm-k2 — Wearing the darker shade from the Brunette duo in my brows

PRICE: $27.50
AVAILABILITY: Available now at MAC counters, stores and maccosmetics.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A- (where’s Concrete?)

MAC’s Pro Longwear Eye Liner in Rich Experience

January 9th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

A blackish brown liner that’s extremely long-wearing on the lash and water lines. Just be sure to work really fast, because it dries quickly.

Also, it’s better for sharp lines rather than for smudgy looks.

mac rich experience — Wearing Rich Experience on my lash and water lines

PRICE: $19.50
AVAILABILITY: Available now at MAC counters, stores and maccosmetics.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Smashbox Approached the Love Me Spring 2013 Collection Whole-Heartedly

January 8th, 2013 by Karen 32 Comments

Okay, Tina Turner, what’s love got to do with it?

We’re looking at the new Smashbox spring collection, a six-piece release called Love Me, at the Sephora store in Novato.

Oh, and I’d also like to introduce you to my new friend/Sephora Novato mascott, Husky Dog. 🙂

husky-dog-2 — Have fun swatching. I’ll just stay here and guard this post…

I guess she was hanging out and waiting for her assistant. I tried to strike up a convo, but she paid me no mind…

First off, the two eyeshadow palettes from the collection. If I could only pick two things from the release, these are two I’d get. They’re really soft, almost creamy, and very pigmented. Mmm, hmm…

The line art on the packaging spells “Love Me.” (The heart is the “M.”) And when you open it, you see the curvy lines on the pan.

Nice touch.

And the blush. If you look closely, you’ll see hearts on the pan…

…and hearts on the two lipsticks. (Or are those peace signs?? Or rabbit ears??).
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A Makeup Artist’s Secret Squirrel Under-Eye Concealer Trick Using Laura Mercier’s Repair Eye Serum

January 8th, 2013 by Karen 34 Comments

laura-mercier-eye-serum-1 — Laura Mercier Repair Eye Serum…a secret to crease-free under-eye concealer!

Ooh! I picked up a great makeup trick last week from Courtney, a makeup artist/MBB reader/self-professed crazy cat lady at the Laura Mercier counter inside Saks in San Francisco’s Union Square. 🙂

Here’s the deal: I asked Court if she could recommend any secret weapons from Laura Mercier’s line — awesome products that maybe a lot of people didn’t know about — and she pulled out Laura’s Flawless Skin Repair Eye Serum.

This stuff is bright and tight. It contains green and white tea, arnica extract, caffeine and geranium to tighten skin and has a brightening pearlescent pink color.

Courtney’s trick? She uses it on herself and her clients as something of a primer for under-eye concealer.

Pat a minuscule amount — just a smidgen — beneath your eyes before concealer, let that sink in for a minute or two, and then apply your regular concealer on top.

BAM! It’s like P90X for concealer. You should see fewer concealer creases, all-day wear time and a lighter look from your concealer overall.

BEAUTY FUN FACT: according to Courtney, Laura Mercier uses Shu Uemura technology in all of their skin care.

Courtney said that a bunch of the makeup artists at Saks use the serum this way as a primer for concealers, and it doesn’t just work with Laura’s line. They also do it with concealers from other brands.
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The New Laura Mercier Stone Grey Eye Pencil Puts the Smackdown on Bold Blues With Something Work-Friendly and Wearable

January 8th, 2013 by Karen 37 Comments

I’m having a very hard time not referring to Laura Mercier’s new $20 Stone Grey Eye Pencil (from the Arabesque Spring 2013 collection) as, “Stone Cold Grey.”

And it’s all this man’s fault: Stone Cold Steve Austin.

I watched a lot of pro wrestling with my younger brother when he was kid, and back then Stone Cold Steve Austin was, like, a big, big deal.

For the record, it was usually my brother’s idea. I’d walk into the room while he was glued to the TV, his eyes wide with excitement, and ask, “Why are you watching that? You know it’s all fake, right?”

“Shut up, it’s real!” he’d reply, only taking his eyes off the action for a second.

Now, all these years later, I know how he must have felt, because the same thing happens to me when I’m watching The Hills…

Okay, tangent! Back to Laura’s Stone Grey. 🙂

One of two pencils in the Arabesque collection, this rich, pigmented cool-toned grayish blue, a limited edition piece (the other Arabesque pencil, Midnight Bleu, hails from the permanent collection), has a matte finish — almost like Stormy Grey liner’s shy cousin.

I think it looks lovely layered beneath Blue Zen eyeshadow — the one from the Free Spirit Palette — or by itself along lower lash and water lines.

If you’ve been wanting to test the waters with a blue liner but haven’t felt like diving into the deep end with a shockingly bright electric blue, this is the pencil for you. The grey really tones it down, keeping it quiet and soft.

It’s the kind of thing you could wear to work without your co-workers saying, “Ohmigod! Are you wearing blue eyeliner today!?” between TPS reports.

On my lash and water lines, it lasts from 5-6 hours, with minimal fading around the 4-hour mark, but touchups are easy, thanks to a soft, smooth texture.