Archives June 2023

The make up For ever artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave ($42)
Current cravings:

A Pink Power Smoothie, even though I already had one today for breakfast.
Is there an unwritten policy I don’t know about against drinking two of the same kind of smoothies in one day?! #deepthoughts.

A hug from Tabs, because I haven’t seen him considering that I fed him gravy this morning.
He normally “supervises” me in my office during the mornings because he likes the sun in here, but I think he’s terrified of the new pink shelves, so he’s hiding.

The poppin’ pigments in make up For Ever’s new $42 artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave

Make Up For ever artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave ($42)
May brings us two new artist Palettes from MUFE — Vol. 1, Nudes You Need, which I played with yesterday, and this brighter one here, Vol. 2, called colors You Crave.

Now, if my stomach rumbles through these next few paragraphs in this post, I apologize. You see, I am currently craving lunch, in addition to these colors.

The palette houses nine pans, which are set up into color-coordinating columns of three (or rows, if you turn it sideways), of make up For ever eyeshadow in their exceptionally soft, crazy creamy gel-dash-powder formula (they reformulated their eyeshadows last year).

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So, how soft are they? Well, this morning El Hub stopped by my desk to loiter as he often does and asked what I was doing. before I could answer, he reached out and touched the palette.

Of course, he gouged a big divot into one of the pans just by brushing his Tarzan hand against it, so you have to be a little careful with these… all of that is just to say that they’re very soft. They nearly feel like a cream, but they’re not. They aren’t wet at all. They’re still powders, but they’re squishy powders.

I haven’t been wearing this batch of colors for very long today, but the neutrals I wore yesterday, which I applied around 10 in the morning and removed around 8 at night, had lost about a third of their intensity over that time.

Not bad, but not epic either.

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But I wasn’t using my regular NARS pro Prime at the time because I was trying out a new concealer (new to me, IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye, which I’ll be examining soon) and was using it on my lids as a primer, so that could have affected the overall longevity of the shadows.

Make Up For ever artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave ($42)
Wearing the new make up For ever artist palette Vol. 2 colors You Crave on my lids
S-924, ME-302 and ME-930
For this look I took MUFE’s lead and used the three coordinating colors in the middle column. I used the top shade as my highlight (the shade on the left in the above pic), then mixed the teal and the sort of metallic green, which looks a little like MAC Club, together. I mixed them on the back of my hand and applied that on my lids.

There was a lot of shimmer going on, so I also wanted a transition shade. I ended up grabbing MAC texture and using that in my crease.

I also did a little something-something in the outer corners for depth using the black shade from the MUFE Nudes You need palette.

ME-910, ME-232 and ME-700
From the left: I-872, D-552 and ME-512
All told, Vol. 2 here is absolutely flashier than Vol. 1, but I think Vol. 1 is probably a lot more beneficial day to day — absolutely for me. I think Vol. 2 is a good every-once-in-a-while palette, like a fancy dress that you only take out every once in a while…unless you wear colors like these everyday, in which case, good for you!

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But normally speaking I see this one as a lot more of a special event palette for me, or, in combination with a batch of neutrals, a good source of spunky accent colors.

PRICE: $42
AVAILABILITY: available now online and at make up For ever counters and Sephora
MAKEUP and appeal blog RATING: A- (only thing is, I think the three lightest shades are a tad redundant)

Your friendly neighborhood appeal addict,

Karen

excuse me, um…why doesn’t this tube have a cat on it?

Dear friendly person at Paul & Joe,

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A kitty cat somewhere on the packaging of your ideal makeup primer would have turned it into the most Purrrrfect makeup Primer, in my humble cray-cray cat lady opinion. Please take this under advisement for future product modifications. thank you.

Feline wordplay aside, $42 Paul & Joe ideal makeup primer is one of two new makeup primers coming from Paul & Joe this fall, and it does a little bit of everything. It’s a tinted gel makeup primer to prep skin for foundation by filling in pores and fine lines, and it also moisturizes and improves wear time while adding a sheer veil of tinted color.

This is the option you want if you’re seeking heavy-duty spackling.

Swatch of Paul & Joe ideal makeup primer in 02

It does what any good primer should, mellowing out my pores, and one pump does the trick for my entire face, leaving homegirl to wonder, “Where my pores at?!” The gel formula dries to a smooth, canvas-like powder finish ready for foundation shenanigans.

Like many Paul & Joe makeup, it has a strong fragrance. My nose detects notes of Russian Blue, Ragdoll and Siamese…

Totally kitten (kidding) ya! It smells like baby powder, orange flowers and jasmine.

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Paul & Joe ideal makeup primer arrives in two shades — 01, a slightly bright ochre, and 02, a natural ochre (and the shade I wear) — this August 2015 online and at Paul & Joe counters.

PRICE: $42
AVAILABILITY: Coming August 2015 to Paul & Joe counters and online
MAKEUP and charm blog RATING: A- (a great, albeit a tad pricey, all-around primer)

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

The Essie holiday 2015 fringe Luxeeffects Collection nail polishes ($8.50 each, available now online, at salons, drugstores and Ulta)
Like a confetti party for your paws, Essie’s four new holiday 2015 Luxeeffects nail polishes have So. Much. Glitter.

Glorious gobs of glittering, glistening, lens-flare inducing glitter!

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And the glitter comes in different shapes, colors and sizes, all of it suspended in a clear nail polish base, so you won’t be stuck staring at standard-issue sparkle. No, way. There’s gunmetal gray and pink glitter in fringe Factor, platinum and cobalt in Frilling Me Softly, copper and bronze in Tassel Shaker and maroon sparkly flecks in fashion Flares.

Essiei fashion Flares
Essie Tassel Shaker

Essie fringe Factor

Essie Frilling Me Softly

I’m wearing each of the four by themselves in the swatches here (two coats, by the way), but because they all have a clear base, you can also use them to add a glittery topcoat to something else.

Essie fashion Flares
Essie Tassel Shaker
Essie fringe Factor
Essie Frilling Me Softly
The little glitter strips totally remind me of confetti.

All four $8.50 bottles are limited edition, and you can find them now online and at salons, drugstores and Ulta.

The only thing is…yup, like most glitters, they’re tough as nails to remove (ha, get it?). I do it right after I get out of the shower, and I use Essie naturally clean Purifying polish Remover.

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Stuff is terrific at removing glitters.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Delicious!

I indicate it went really well. My friend Alis who cuts my hair took off about four inches and gave me choppy layers.

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When she was done I felt like I’d lost 15 pounds, LOL!

Sigh… If it were only that easy (she said, reaching across her desk for another dark chocolate star cookie from Trader Joe’s…).

So my hair hasn’t been this short in three or four years. I’m delighted with it for now, but you know how it goes… I’m already thinking about growing it out again to give myself something to do.

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Hair goals.

Now that I think about it, I haven’t had a horrible haircut experience in a while (knocks on wood), thanks to Alis at Fox + stone Salon. I used to bounce around between stylists all the time, because it was hard finding someone who knew how to discipline and control my wavy hair. whenever I went to a new stylist I’d get stressed out. I never knew if I’d leave the place with something passably respectable or full-on wonktacular.

It only took, oh, 30 or so years to find someone who really understood my hair, and now we’re at the point where I know I can just sit in the chair and depend on Alis to do whatever she wants, and I’ll be good to go.

How about you? how was your last haircut? Did it go well, or was it a bit of a nightmare? Inquiring minds want to know.

I’ve literally lost count of how lots of times I’ve enjoyed this movie, but whenever I see it on Netflix I hit play. It’s as if forces from above take control of me and make me enjoy it…

Yet every single time I do see it I’m in awe of Holly Golightly’s fashion sense, and I think to myself, “Why can’t I look that cool?”

So I think I’m going to institute something new in my personal fashion life called the Holly Golightly Litmus test where I ask, “Would Holly Golightly wear this?”

Starting with this Sam Edelman leopard coat…

Happy Friday from (once again) rainy northern California! I feel like somebody has taken my little patch of hillside and transported it to Portland without me knowing it.

Whatever you’re up to today, I hope your feet are warm and dry, because wet socks = misery.

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Your friendly neighborhood appeal addict,

Karen

P.S.

What do you perform in Napa on a long, lazy weekend?

You take a nap.

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Or two.

Or three. You know, #priorities.

My good friends Jen as well as Cindy as well as I all agreed that the primary thing we wished to do on our girls’ weekend in Napa last weekend had to include maximum relaxation, as well as yes, napping was on the agenda. At the end of the weekend we tallied up our naps, as well as right here are a few of the locations where we collectively napped…

The pool (not inside however near it)

The covered lounge area adjacent to the pool (next to a significant bowl of French fries!)

In the “Serenity Room” at the Meritage hotel health club Terra

In the heavy steam space inside the health club area

In the whirlpool lounge inside the health club area

In our hotel room

On the hotel patio

Haha! who understood that three women on holiday might sleep so much as well as in so lots of places?

Besides napping in Napa, we likewise had some yummy meals (my preferred was Sunday brunch at a adorable bistro called Grace’s Table in downtown Napa), as well as we did some sightseeing along the waterfront…

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It was a great time, however I’m glad to be back house in Novato. Napping in Napa is fun, however napping in Novato is quite great, too.

Your friendly community appeal addict,

Karen

Mmmwaah! Smile by new NARS Audacious Lipstick in Annabella ($32)
It wouldn’t be a big NARS lipstick launch if there weren’t some bad-@ss reds up in the mix.

Oh! NARS does some ah-may-zing reds, don’t they? and there are lots of scintillating scarlets in the new NARS Audacious Lipstick collection ($32 each; 40 shades; available starting September 1).

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Red, she said! From the left, that’s Rita, Jeanne, Lana, Marlene, Carmen (a Barneys new York Exclusive), Audrey and Annabella
Yesterday when we were checking out the corals and hot pinks I pointed out how I felt that NARS did a really good job making each of the colors in this collection distinct, despite some of them appearing very similar at first. look closely, and you see the subtle differences among them. They don’t all just blur together into a hazy fog of reddish pink…

So, if you’re one of those unstoppable makeup fanatics (like myself) who, like the Terminator, will NOT stop until you find your personal red lipstick version of Sarah Connor (for me, it’s a incredibly warm tomato red with strong orange undertones), chances are you’ll find it among the reds in this launch.

Quickly, though, before we get to the reds, have I pointed out that my lips have been dry lately?

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I think I have…but it wouldn’t be a Wednesday unless I pointed out it at least 26 a lot more times, LOL!

So yeah, my lips have been very dry, which is what happens when you kayak on a windy lake for four hours. Of course, after doing this batch of swatches — which you know, took a while — they were in even worse shape.

But despite the currently critical lip sitch, I still think these lipsticks look smooth, which is yet another testament to the audaciously smooth Audacious Lipstick formula.

Now, on to the reds!

If you like warm, orangey reds…

Don’t miss Annabella (a poppy red), Carmen (a geranium red) and Lana (a brilliant orangey red) without taking a closer look.

Of the three, I think Lana is the warmest and the most orange. It’s generally like a creamy MAC lady Danger.

Lana
Lana
For a warm red with less orange than Lana, check out Carmen (slightly redder, less orange) or Annabella (even a lot more red, and less orange).

Carmen (a Barneys new York Exclusive)
Carmen (a Barneys new York Exclusive)
Annabella
Annabella

Super intense, right!? Incidentally, you know you’re hard-core into lipsticks when you contemplate things like the ratio of red to orange.

Now, if you like neutral reds…

Get to know Marlene and Rita.

Rita reminds me of a classic scarlet.

Rita
Rita
While Marlene is a brick red with a hint of brown…

Marlene
Marlene
If you like rich, deep reds with berry and/or plum tones…

Set a date with Audrey or Jeanne.

Audrey
Audrey
Audrey (like an amplified NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Hyde Park) exudes the plummier vibe, and she’s brighter than Jeanne’s rich, deep berry.

Jeanne
Jeanne
I bet any of these reds will be best for fall, and they’ll be here just in time. They arrive September 1 at NARS boutiques, counters and also online.

Within the 40-piece collection, 10 of the shades — Vanessa, Julie, Marisa, Kelly, Carmen, Dominique, Silvia, Vivien, Sandra and Ingrid — are exclusive to Barneys new York stores, but all 40 of them are permanent.

Swatches from the left: Rita, Jeanne, Lana and Marlene
Swatches from the left: Carmen, Audrey and Annabella
If you have a favorite in the NARS classic lipstick line, no worries, because the new Audacious Lipsticks are joining the classics in the permanent line, not replacing them.

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Whew! That indicates Schiap and Dolce Vita aren’t going anywhere.

Your friendly neighborhood appeal addict,

Karen

OK, as soon as I saw this collection, I knew it would be ideal for my pal Pearl. She and I went to art school together and have long because loved collaborating.

We essentially just make pictures and push each other out of our comfort zones. She has remarkable style, and her makeup is typically just mascara and lipstick (if any at all). The limited edition Aveda Indian Sunset collection is ideal for gals like her who don’t typically wear bolder makeup but still want to try out some color.

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Aveda Nourish-Mint sheer Mineral Lip color in sheer Clove $17, Nourish-Mint Lip liner in spring rose $17, Petal Essence single Eye color in Desert Clay, Peach Nectar, Lilac Glow, and amethyst Dawn $15, Petal Essence face Accents in Tesserae and Apricot whisper $24, Petal Essence Eye Definer in Violet blossom and Sea fern $17
The collection includes 11 new shades for eyes and lips, including four shadows — two purples and two orange shades. My favorites are amethyst Dawn (a purple satin) and Desert Clay (a matte, earthy orange), which are the shades I used on Pearl’s lid and outer corner, respectively.

On Pearl’s skin tone, the earthy shades look really natural and completely enhance the sunflower-babe vibe she’s always got going on.

The purples vibrate so lovingly with the warm shades. I put Peach Nectar in her crease and Lilac glow in her inner corner.

This collection is ideal for gals like Pearl because the shadows do the work for you. I call shadows like these slap-and-go, and the sunset shades just go together so well.

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There are also two eyeliners in the range — Violet blossom and Sea fern — and both shades are gorgeous. I used the purple to add a little extra oomph to Pearl’s lash line. 

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Jewel tones like these will flatter anyone. because Pearl doesn’t typically wear makeup, the purple looks softer than black and did much more for the color story much more than brown would have.

The lip liner is a versatile shade that would work under numerous different nude lipsticks, but we chose just the liner. It’s a nude, which is still ideal for my slap-and-dash ladies, but it still complements the shadows. The warmth of the liner pairs with the earthy tones on the eyes, and the hint of pink plays into the soft violet tones as well, creating a cohesive look that isn’t monotonous. 

Overall, I think this is a spectacular collection for the season.

Time to get the show on the road.

Heh! assumption who got out of seeing Fury last night.

Not that I’m absolutely against seeing it, mind you. I like Mr. Pitt, however I wasn’t in the mood for a heavy motion picture with a lot of dudes.

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Instead, I experienced the glory that is The Cheesecake factory Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake Pie. photo it: a pecan pie with a pumpkin cheesecake layered on top of it as well as two significant dollops of whipped cream on the side…

YES! YES!!

After that we just came home, as well as I took a truly long shower as well as did a body scrub as well as a hair mask. then we enjoyed some TV before bed.

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Today I have half-marathon final details to go to to, like I have to paint my nails as well as straighten my hair, since I’ve found that I like running with directly hair. as well as I have to finalize my music playlist. I understand this: the last three miles will be powered by Bloc Party.

Have a excellent weekend, my friend, as well as great luck in the giveaway. Your nephew states “mroww!”

One (1) Sephora eGift card consisting of $50 sent to the champion by email (international readers, you may opt to get $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter utilizing the Rafflecopter widget below.

Open to U.S. as well as worldwide readers.

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Your comment can be about anything at all, however right here are some concepts if you’re stuck:

On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being hairless as well as 10 being full-on Sasquatch, exactly how hairy are you ideal now?

Who’s the tallest person you know?

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The giveaway ends on Monday, October 20, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).

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Your friendly community appeal addict,

Karen

Running with the big cats!
Naturally, a tabby was the obvious choice to include on the packaging for this new spring palette from Paul & Joe.

Tabs and I approve.

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The palette is the face & Eye color CS palette in Les Flamants rose ($39), one of Paul & Joe’s new spring palettes, and the box is covered in cats.

But what do you expect? It’s Paul & Joe, and their design philosophy falls somewhere along the lines of “MOAR CATS.”

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Les Flamants rose ($39) is part of the new spring Menagerie Collection, an infinitely adorable mix of animals and colors available now with the rest of the launch at Paul & Joe counters and online.

I cannot wait to play with this makeup! The last time I freaked out this hard over a Paul & Joe launch was the cat lady one they did a few years ago.

I hope this one’s just as good. I’m gonna put it through its paces this weekend, woo-hoo!

Paul & Joe Menagerie spring 2015 face & Eye color CS in Les Flamants Roses
Face & Eye color CS in Les Flamants Roses
Face & Eye color CS from the left: Elephanteau (096), Les Flamants Roses (094) and Girafe (095), $39 each