Tag Archive | "beauty tip of the week"

Tags: ,

A Deeper Dive Into the NARS/Warhol Collection - A/W 2012


Andy Warhol once said that everybody in the world will be famous for 15 minutes. I guess certain celebrities never got the memo as they extend their 15 minutes into years. If only Andy were still around for the height of reality celebrities…I guess it would just be new material for him to work with.  But I digress….

Last week I took a few goodies from the upcoming NARS/Warhol collaboration for a spin. I graciously received a few items from the NARS PR team for review. Without further delay here are the goods…

Soft Touch Shadow Pencils ($24/USD) in Empire (Black) and Heat (Teal) - pictured above.

Larger than Life Gloss ($26/USD) in Viva (Rich Rose) and Satelite of Love (sparkling gold sand) highlighting powder ($28/USD):

Larger than Life Long-Wear Eye Liner ($23/USD) in 47th Street (Black with silver glitter). Sorry, I don’t have an image but it is featured in a few images below.

I also received one of the nail polishes ($18/USD) in 15 Minutes, a lemon yellow with a very subtle shimmer. Here it is on my daughter:

I did two different looks with the soft touch shadow pencils inspired by Warhol’s Superstar - Candy Darling. Candy was a male-to-female transsexual actress with undeniable beauty. She is my new inspiration when I want to take risks in my beauty repertoire.

Here’s my first look with Empire pencil along with a photo of Candy that inspired my look:

I blended a matte creamy beige with a shimmery champagne on my lids, from lash line to brow bone. I then used Empire to line my top and bottom lash line. I drew a line at the orbital bone and then lightly filled in my outer-v with the same pencil and with a fluffy tapered brush, I blended all the harsh lines.

I liked the feel of this pencil, it wasn’t too creamy but it wasn’t too dry either. It was very easy to blend with a brush and the color set pretty easily. I finished with a few coats of mascara, a peach blush, Satellite of Love highlighting powder and I used Scarlet Empress on my lips.

When using the teal pencil, Heat. This image immediately came to mind. Therefore, I am dying to buy this gift set at Sephora.

I drew thick lines of Heat from lash line right up to my orbital bone. This pencil is very creamy, almost greasy to the feel. The color budges so I’d wait a few seconds for it to set before blending. I then took the black from the Pandora duo and blended into my crease. I line with the 47th Street Larger than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner on my top lash line and a third of the way in on my lower lash line. I finished with black mascara, orange-pink cheeks, and rose lips. I used Viva Larger than Life Lip gloss on top of Never Say Never Velvet Matte Lip Pencil.

Here’s a quick swatch lineup on my arm:

L to R: Satellite of Love highlighting powder, 47th Street Larger than Life Eyeliner, Soft Touch Shadow pencils: Empire/Teal, Viva Larger than Life Lip Gloss.

So far I am quite pleased with this preview, if anything it makes me anticipate the launch of the gift sets from both the ‘Pop‘ and ‘Silver Factory‘ collections. I’m also surprised - I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Larger than Life glosses because something about the formula would make my lips itch and I didn’t like the thickness. After spending three days with this gloss, I learned to love the consistency and it didn’t make my lips peel or itch like past colors I have tried in the past. Satellite of Love highlighting powder didn’t show up very well on my tan skin so if you are like me, you may have to be heavy handed with your applications. I need to do more experimenting with the Heat pencil - the color is nothing like any of the shades in my existing collection of pencils and shadows. I know it’ll make an awesome base for other shadows once I can master the consistency. 47th Street eye liner also disappointed a little, the glitter fallout is heavy if you use this line your lower lash line, so keep a makeup remover soaked q-tip handy and do not use this on your waterlines, as the glitter may accidentally scratch your eyes. I do still like this liner despite the fallout.

I will say these products and shades will definitely bring out the inner superstar in you.  My favorite Warhol quote is, “If everyone isn’t beautiful, then no one is.” I think this collection will enhance the natural beauty of each wearer as it will spark reinvention by turning the meek into a fierce superstars.  Isn’t this what Andy would have wanted?

The products I reviewed are part of the the core color collection that will be featured in Sephora and department stores as well as online.

 

Posted in beauty & healthComments Off

A Quick Eye Look for the Perpetually Tired or Uninspired Beauty Warriors

Tags: ,

A Quick Eye Look for the Perpetually Tired or Uninspired Beauty Warriors



This may sound like a shock to you but even I have those weekdays where I just want to slick some lip balm on my lips, put my contacts on and call it a day. On the other hand, I love a challenge. So the other day, in a fit of losing my inspiration to paint my face I remember a tip I read about in Allure magazine. I want to share it with you.

For a quick polished smoky eye - line your top lash line with black eye pencil and line your bottom lash line with a brown pencil, then smudge that line.

This is a very easy look to pull off because I know you have these two eye liners already in your arsenal. I like this look best with taupe/nude lids but I’m sure it would look just as good with a charcoal or bronze. The nude lid is the easiest to do and least time consuming. Here I used a soft taupe shimmer shadow (Le Metier de Beaute, Corinthian) with MAC Omega (beige matte taupe) in my crease. I blended with a fluffy shadow brush, lined my lash lines, apply mascara and done. I think I want to try this with a smudge black liner - from lash line to lid crease for a super fast smoky eye.

Liners used:

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - Perversion (deepest matte black) and Demolition (deep brown matte).

This simple eye look is also great if you want to focus on bronze skin and peachy tangerine cheeks/lips. I spent more time applying blush and bronzer than I did on my eyes.

Go ahead, hit that snooze button one more time!

Other colors used:

Cheeks: NARS Liberte Blush (burnished apricot), Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer, Daydream (medium golden tan with shimmer).

Lips: MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil Nice ‘N’ Spicy (rusty, pink beige), Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss, Papaya (peachy coral with pink shimmer).

Posted in beauty & healthComments Off

I’m in Love: Lancome, Rouge in Love Lipstick

Tags: ,

I’m in Love: Lancome, Rouge in Love Lipstick


Back in 1989, I was into De La Soul, baby doll dresses with cowboy boots and 21 Jumpstreet. Yes, I know I’m old. This was also the time I was introduced to high end cosmetics. A bit much for a fourteen year old but it’s small when you compare that with the eight year old with an iTouch or your fourteen year old cousin showing off the iPhone she got for her birthday.  Since technology was dormant in the late 80′s my mother spoiled me with clothes and makeup. Our favorite makeup choice was Lancôme and if MAC made it’s debut in 1989 instead of 1994, I would have saved my mother a lot of money!

Another reason I was a fan: Isabella Rossellini: I adored this woman (and still do). She personified everything I found glamorous. Also, I yearned to sport a chic, short cut but my face isn’t perfectly sculpted like hers. I love that her daughter, Elletra is currently a feature Lancôme ad model.

You know how much I love and obsess over NARS cosmetics? Well this is how I was with Lancome back in the late 80′s - early 90′s. I was so obsessed that when we had to write predictions on our classmates in ten years in Creative Writing class, everyone wrote that I’d be some big shot makeup executive for Lancôme. Well at least they predicted that I’d still be obsessed over makeup ten years later accurately.

Unfortunately, I lost interest in Lancôme when I began to make my own money and eye other newer, shinier brands coming up around that time: Bobbi Brown, MAC, Urban Decay, NARS…I just fell out of love. You know when you experience your first love but then you realize it was lust because you had a wandering eye, then you stray and then you accept that you were immature and then you want to make nice again?

Okay maybe that’s just me but that’s exactly how I felt when I came across the new Lancôme lipstick collection - Rouge in Love. Cute packaging doesn’t hurt either!

It consists of eleven shades and categorized by three different moods: Jolis Matins (day wear), Boudoir Time (before cocktail hour) and Tonight is my Night (shades for full on glamour and seduction). This is a long wearing lipstick. New generation polymer guarantees up to six hours of featherlight, color rich intensity. It feels like a balm on the lips due to concentrated oils while shiny silicone provides glossy shine.

On my super sensitive lips, it dried down comfortably while leaving a rich violet stain. I got four hours of wear before reapplying. I do drink lots of water and coffee at the office so anything lasting over two hours is a big win for me. I don’t get a lot of irritation on my lips the next day after wearing but this does leave an intense stain after removal the night before. I probably will reserve this shade for date night, drinks with the girls or just when I need extra sass at the office. I am looking into another shade, perhaps from the Jolis Matin collection so I can wear it to work more than once a week.

The color I was drawn to is part of the Boudoir Time mood: #381B Violette Coquette and how could I pass up that sassy name?

(Photo taken with flash just so I could show the vibrancy of the color)

It’s a dramatic, cool tone red-violet. Normally, I would walk past this type of shade because it’s out of my nude pink comfort zone but I was looking for an alternative to the Summer orange lip and I was in the mood for a sultry night time lipstick.

I love this shade with a lightly lined eye (nude lids and black liner) or a very slight charcoal smoky eye. Also, I would pair with a berry toned blush. For extra definition, I lined my lips with MAC Vino (intense violet purple) lightly and blend on my lips then layer the lipstick straight from the tube. You should probably use a lip brush for neatness points but I’m lazy so that’s why I always lip liners.

This is a winner for me and perhaps the perfect way to lure me back to Lancôme but we would be friends with benefits because I am not ready for commitment just yet.

Retails for $25/USD and is available at all stores that offer the Lancôme cosmetic collection.

For more information click here.

Posted in FASHIONComments Off

Beauty Baller on a Budget: Essence Stay With Me Longlasting Lipgloss

Tags: ,

Beauty Baller on a Budget: Essence Stay With Me Longlasting Lipgloss



Looking for a great new lipgloss that will not break the bank but will leave a lasting impression on your lips? Give essence a try the next time you are at your local Ulta. The color featured is: kiss kiss kiss - a cherry red shade.

The texture is creamy with a pretty medium thick consistency and it’s not as sticky as a MAC Lipglass. and this is surprisingly pigmented.  I layered this on top of a brick red lip liner for a more intense color, but honestly I could have used this without any lip pencil assistance.

The lip wand has a special shape for specific application. It was a bit awkward at first but I am assuming the applicator is shaped this way to contour the lips, while the rounded tips glide along the natural lip line.

I’m a traditional girl - I love the basic doe foot applicators. But I will say that by the time I reapplied after lunch, I got the hang of using this wand.

I was quite surprised that this lasted longer than some of my favorite glosses. After morning coffee and water, I still felt some of this gloss still lingering on my lips. I made it to almost four hours before having to reapply again. If you are sensitive to scents, beware as this does have a cherry bubble gum scent. However, it doesn’t last very long.

This comes in six different colors ranging from a milky nude to this sultry red - I hope more colors will soon follow. You can find the essence cosmetics line at your local Ulta, Fred Meyers and H-E-B stores. This retails for $2.29/USD. If you are a gloss fanatic, like yours truly, buying all six shades really won’t break your bank!

As you can see it gives decent coverage (shown without lip liner) making this an office friendly look for those too shy to sport a full on red pout. I would also pair this with a nude eye and a red creme blush for a flirty look.

This was sample was sent to me for review.

Posted in FASHIONComments (1)

M.I.S.S. Beauty Tip of the Week: Recreate the Runway – NARS for Marc Jacobs Fall 2012

Tags: ,

M.I.S.S. Beauty Tip of the Week: Recreate the Runway - NARS for Marc Jacobs Fall 2012


I love Marc Jacobs, no I really LOVE Marc Jacobs. I paid attention to his talent since he designed for Perry Ellis. I even forgive him for his ill fated grunge collection in the early 90′s. Until I can afford a MJ signature Stam bag, I will rock my Super Sonic Snake Embossed PVC Hillier hobo bag and small fabric makeup pouch from his secondary line, Marc by Marc Jacobs. That said, I always pay attention to every Marc Jacobs runway show.

But most of all, I love when he collaborates with NARS for his runway shows - Francois Nars was the lead artist.

The beauty trend featured luminous skin paired with a dramatic eye. “Marc didn’t want the makeup to look to couture, and with the hats by Steven Jones framing the face as they did, we needed to focus on one aspect” said NARS Founder and Creative Director Francois Nars. “We really wanted to create really fresh, radiant skin, no blush and a heavily lined lower eye. The shape is round and a cloudy color, taking reference from 1920′s Italian style icon and muse Marchesa Casati.”

The following key products were used to create this exclusive look:

FACE
·         Aqua Gel Luminous Oil-Free Moisturizer (New for Fall 2012!)
·         Loose Powder
EYES
·         Pandora Duo Eyeshadow
·         Bali Single Eyshadow
·         Black Moon Eyeliner

I know this look is a bit severe but do understand that this is a runway look. The makeup helps tell the story of the woman that inspires this look. For the most part it is theatrical. But can this be translated for real life?

I take the beauty challenge and here’s my real-life translation:

I darken my brows with a cool toned charcoal brown shadow (MAC Showstopper, limited edition). I have really bad flashbacks of heavy black eye brows I sported in high school, therefore I wanted a really dark - almost black-brown eyebrow instead. When you have naturally light eye brows and you are a cosmetic novice at 15, you think that a black eye liner would make your brows look better. I am just glad I learned that mistake early in my cosmetic career! The rest of the eyes are super simple: (using NARS shadows) from the lash line to brow bone I used Abyssinia (delicate pearl sheen) and layered (lid only) Alhambra (golden champagne side of duo). I took a densely packed pencil brush and smudged the matte black side of the Pandora duo on my lower lash line. I finished with multiple coats of Armani’s Eyes to Kill Mascara. I also used NARS concealer duo Custard/Ginger under my eyes.

I left my cheeks bare and applied the Ginger concealer on my lips to neutralize my natural lip color and applied NARS lip gloss in Sweet Revenge (sheer grapefruit) for a touch of gloss.

Although my look is softer, I’m still not sure that I would be comfortable enough to sport this at the office. I would keep this on reserve for bar hopping with my girlfriends or going to a concert or art show openings with my husband. I like it because it’s a bit edgy but because of the lack of blush and bright lip color, it is also effortless.

NARS/MJ - never disappoint me!

I just learned the Francois’ beloved french bulldog and mascot to the brand, Marcel passed away on 2/22, RIP…

Posted in beauty & healthComments Off

Facebook Twitter Flickr Flickr