Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

Who Wants to Get Pretty Naughty at Work? I Do, With the New Estee Lauder Pretty Naughty Pure Color Five Color EyeShadow Palette

December 20th, 2012 by Karen 16 Comments

Before I dive into V.I.M.R.I. (Very Important Makeup-Related Information) — aka why you should make room in your work purse for the new $48 EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Five Color EyeShadow Palette in Pretty Naughty — first, a question.

Do you ever mess around with song lyrics to make weird cover songs about your pet?

Anyone? Bueller?

El Hub and I have been doing it lately with the words to Bell Biv DeVoe’s Poison…

One of us will start by singing, “Tabs drivin’ me out of my mind, that’s why it’s hard for me to find…” and then the other person jumps in, “Can’t get Tabs out of my head. Miss Tabs, kiss Tabs, love Tabs (wrong move you’re dead). My cat is poison… POISON!!”

I know. Waaaaay too cat obsessed. 🙂

So let’s talk palettes instead! You might be thinking, “Heck, no. I don’t do pastels,” but hear me out.

I’m not always into pastels, either. Sometimes I think they’re just too light and chalky for my tan skin, but the smooth pastels in the Pretty Naughty palette are surprisingly intense, and they should show up well on light and dark skin tones.

Sweet.

This limited edition quint comes with three pastel shades (a matte sky blue, a shimmery soft pink and a shimmery violet) and two neutrals (a shimmery taupe and a glittery charcoal), and if you’re looking for, like, a palette you can wear to work, but you also want to have a little fun with color — not necessarily a hot pants/disco glitter/rhinestones on a Wednesday morning kind of fun, but more like a long Friday lunch break to look at shoes we can’t afford at Neimans — Pretty Naughty is the palette you’ll want in your makeup bag this spring.

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12 Days of Giveaways: Two Ways to Win a Glitterball Gia Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade (a $98 Value)!

December 20th, 2012 by Karen 326 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Emma B! Congratulations, Emma B! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

If…

You make grabby hands whenever you see a product covered in glitter
You firmly believe that the only correct answer to the question, “Is this too much glitter?” is “MORE, MORE, MORE!”
You will not stop until a layer of glitter covers every single, solitary thing you own

…then you’re a prime candidate for today’s 12 Days of Giveaways prize, the $98 Kate Spade Glitterball Gia.

GURL, I love this bag so much that I wish I could win it! It’s one of my favorite prizes in the 12 Days of Giveaways series, and I would very much like to borrow it from you, if you would be so kind.

Kidding! Kinda. 🙂

With the Glitterball Gia, you won’t be the only thing shimmering beneath the disco lights. This statement bag is all about sparkle!

The deets…

Glittery exterior with flat patent cowhide trim
Pouch with zip-top closure
14-karat light gold-plated hardware
Custom woven solid faille lining
Kate Spade New York light gold staple
7.2″h x 10.1″w x 0.4″d

It’s day six of 12 Days of Giveaways on Makeup and Beauty Blog (NOTE: click here and scroll down the page to enter any other ongoing giveaways). 🙂

One (1) Glitterball Gia Cosmetics Case from Kate Spade valued at $98.

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, are you wearing any glitter right now? Would you ever wear glittery shoes? What’s the last holiday party you attended? Egg nog or apple cider? Can you parallel park? What are you wearing on your lips today? Do you like to wear eyeliner along your water line? — you get the idea.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a Glitterball Gia Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade! http://bit.ly/VbVacU

The deadline to enter is Saturday, December 22, 2012 at 11:59PM (PST).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals in the United States who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. While you’re here…take a minute to enter these other ongoing giveaways (if you haven’t already). Including this one, that’s four ongoing giveaways you could enter right now.

Two Ways to Win a Sweetshoppe Stripe Small Natalie Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade (an $88 Value)! — Closes Friday, 12/21/12 at 11:59 p.m. PST
Two Ways to Win a bareMinerals Light Show Palette for Your Eyes, Lips and Face [6 WINNERS] — Closes Friday, 12/21/12 at 11:59 p.m. PST
Two Ways to Win a Birds Over Arches Davie Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade — Closes Thursday, 12/20/12, at 11:59 p.m. PST

Good luck! 🙂

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Emma B! Congratulations, Emma B! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

The Ears Say It All

December 20th, 2012 by Karen 11 Comments

Tabs is not impressed.

Tease Me, Please Me: The New $40 Estee Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelee Blush in Tease, From the Pretty Naughty Collection for Spring 2013

December 19th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

EstÃ©e Lauder's $40 Pure Color Illuminating Powder GelÃ©e Blush in Tease — Wearing Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelee Blush in Tease ($40) from the new Pretty Naughty spring 2013 collection

Stress-free shimmer. That’s what I think of Estee Lauder’s $40 Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelee Blush in Tease (and why I’ve been loving it to pieces).

EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Powder GelÃ©e Blush in Tease — A closeup of the pan

There are so many stressful things about our world right now, like practically every story on the nightly news, or that commercial for that new MTV show starring Snookie and J.Woww, but at least when it comes to makeup, that thing many of us turn to for fun and escape, there are still things as simple and beautiful as a great blush.

Every day we’re forced to make big, difficult decisions. At least blush doesn’t have to be one of them.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelee Blush in Tease, part of the new nine-piece Pretty Naughty collection, arrives with the rest of the release next month. In the collection, pastels feature prominently, but EL gave them a tough girl, street-chic vibe.

Picture the coolest city girl you know dressed in black from head to toe, plucked from her usual stomping grounds and plopped smack dab in the middle of the pastoral English countryside.

Basically, that’s this collection.

It includes products for eyes, lips, cheeks (Tease, what we’re looking at now, is the only cheek product) and a BEYOND gorgeous nail polish (review coming soon!).

estee lauder pretty naughty imagery — Pretty Naughty…

Tease, a semi-sheer, opalescent blush/highlighter/contour color shifts from a subtle rose to a pinkish peach, depending on the light.

Really pretty!

And I think it gives my cheeks a healthy, natural-looking glow that still has a cool girl kick to it.

With one layer, you get a soft wash of color (I like!), but you can also build it up for something brighter, KAPOW!

But before that, give this a try: run your finger across the pan…

Now that’s soft, right?

The formula — something Estee Lauder has been using for the past few seasons — combines some of the best things about gels, liquids and powders. They say that unlike conventional powders, something about it allows the pigments and shimmer pearl to float on top of the skin, creating a soft, subtle shimmer with a reflective finish.

“Subtle shimmer” — two words that make my 30-something-year-old ears perk up. 😀

When you’re a woman of a certain age (*cough* 37), shimmer products can be a little tougher to wear (well, at least for me sometimes) because the reflective particles can highlight pores and wrinkles.

Not Tease though. It has this beautiful, subtle glow that doesn’t highlight all of the other stuff going on around it…which I really, really appreciate.

You can apply it with a blush brush, but I’ve actually been liking the sponge applicator it comes with. I press a little on the apples of my cheeks, and blend out the edges with my fingers.

That’s it. And it lasts all day long.

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12 Days of Giveaways: Two Ways to Win a Sweetshoppe Stripe Small Natalie Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade (an $88 Value)!

December 19th, 2012 by Karen 242 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is April! Congratulations, April! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Stripes.

Love ’em! Tabs and I both love stripes. He likes ’em because they go with his fur. I like ’em because they’re just so…I don’t know, cheerful?

What can I say? I have a thing for stripes…

Like today’s 12 Days of Giveaways prize, the Sweetshoppe Stripe Small Natalie Cosmetics Case by Kate Spade. One look at that pink and red striped pattern and I smile. 😀

Can’t help myself.

And the stripes aren’t the only cool thing about this bag. It’s also roomy. Plenty roomy. Roomy enough to hold at least two pounds of makeup.

More deets…

Coated faille with laminated cotton twill trim
Zip-around closure
14-karat light gold-plated hardware
Wipeable, durable nylon lining
Kate Spade New York signature
4.7″h x 7.2″w x 5.3″d

Guess what? It’s day five of 12 Days of Giveaways on Makeup and Beauty Blog. 🙂

(NOTE: don’t forget to click here, and enter any other open giveaways before you jet.)

One (1) Sweetshoppe Stripe Small Natlaie Cosmetics Case from Kate Spade valued at $88.

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, which do you prefer, stripes or polka dots? Where’s one place you’d take your Sweetshoppe Small Natalie case? How do you take your eggs (over easy, over medium, scrambled, etc.)? What lip products are in your purse right now? Favorite makeup brush of all time? How are you wearing your hair today? Have you ever dated someone you met on the Internet (and/or have you ever Catfished, like the show?)? Red or black licorice? Do you give your pets presents? What’s your stance on toe socks? — you get the idea.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a Kate Spade Sweetshoppe Stripe Small Natalie Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade! http://bit.ly/VR58B7

The deadline to enter is Friday, December 21, 2012 at 11:59PM (PST).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals in the United States who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. More giveaways!!! If you’re reading this before midnight on Wednesday night (PST), there are three other open giveaways you could enter right now on MBB (if you haven’t already).

Do it!

Two Ways to Win an Abstract Signature Bow Small Natalie Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade (an $88 Value) — Closes Wednesday, 12/19/12 at 11:59 p.m. PST
Two Ways to Win a Birds Over Arches Davie Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade (a $60 Value) — Closes Thursday, 12/20/12, at 11:59 p.m. PST
Two Ways to Win a bareMinerals Light Show Palette for Your Eyes, Lips and Face [6 WINNERS]! — Closes Friday, 12/21/12 at 11:59 p.m. PST

Good luck! 🙂

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is April! Congratulations, April! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Chanel’s Printemps PrÃ©cieux de Chanel Spring 2013 Collection

December 19th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

chanel printemps precieux de chanel spring 2013

I literally took these pics of the new Chanel Printemps PrÃ©cieux de Chanel Spring 2013 five minutes ago. I just couldn’t wait to show ya!

More deets/pics/swatches/reviews over the next few days. 🙂 DOUBLE C’s 4-EVA!!

$chanel spring accessoire fracas emprise$

chanel printemps precieux de chanel swatches — Quickie swatches!

Two Ways to Win a bareMinerals Light Show Palette for Your Eyes, Lips and Face [6 WINNERS]!

December 19th, 2012 by Karen 628 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winners are Carolyn N, Tuhina Dayal, Adriana RP, Rosh Penn, Lennie and Sugarenia! Congratulations, everyone! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

It has been giveaway central up in here!

It just seems like the thing to do this time of year, and it’s been a blast for me. I like being able to offer you the chance to win these prizes over the holidays, and I always get a kick out of reading your comments.

As you can probably imagine, you get some pretty entertaining comments when all it takes to enter is a random comment about anything at all. 🙂

Comments like…

“I can so totally lick my elbow :p”
–CAROLINE ROYER

“Geometric shapes calm the mind.”
–CHELSEA

“The last time I wore a bow in my hair was Saturday. I also saw Robert Downey Jr that day.”
–LAURA

Ha! I love that last one up there. Bows and Iron Man… Very interesting. 🙂

Anywho, the giveaways are just a small way to say thank you for making MBB a part of your life.

So let’s get to it, shall we? This morning’s giveaway is an extra one on top of the 12 Days of Giveaways series (so check back for a SECOND giveaway a little later today) featuring the new $45 bareMinerals Light Show palette, and this one is open to international and local readers (with six different winners!).

Gorgeous palette, isn’t it? It comes with makeup for eyes, lips and cheeks in a nice variety of wearable and dramatic shades.

These are colors I’d totally wear to meet my girlfriends somewhere in the city at night, and I’d rock the heck out of those teal and bronze eyeshadows together…maybe adding a little swipe of purple along my lower lash line if I were feeling extra sassy.

The bareMinerals Light Show palette includes…

3 bareMinerals READY Eyeshadows: Spotlight (an opalescent cream), Flash (a matte purple clay), Flicker (an antique bronze) and Dazzle (a midnight teal)
1 Round The Clock Waterproof Eyeliner in 10PM (a burnished mocha)
1 bareMinerals READY Bronzer in The High Dive (a tan)
1 Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Super Power (a soft peachy nude)
1 golden makeup bag

Six lucky winners will each receive (1) bareMinerals Light Show palette valued at $45.

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what palettes do you take with you on trips? When was the last time you saw a live performance? What are your bareMinerals must-haves? Did you use any palettes when you got ready this morning? What’s your stance on skinny jeans? Do you have a makeup shopping buddy? In what room do you spend the most time at home? — you get the idea.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a bareMinerals Light Show Palette [6 WINNERS]! http://bit.ly/Ylbyil

The deadline to enter is Friday, December 21, 2012 at 11:59PM (PST).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals internationally and in the United States who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. While you’re here…take a minute to enter these other ongoing giveaways (if you haven’t already). Seriously, I bet it wouldn’t take you more than a minute to enter them both.

Two Ways to Win an Abstract Signature Bow Small Natalie Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade — Closes Wednesday, 12/19/12 at 11:59 p.m. PST
Two Ways to Win a Birds Over Arches Davie Cosmetics Case From Kate Spade (a $60 Value) — Closes Thursday, 12/20/12, at 11:59 p.m. PST

Good luck! 🙂

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winners are Carolyn N, Tuhina Dayal, Adriana RP, Rosh Penn, Lennie and Sugarenia! Congratulations, everyone! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂