New York Fashion Week starts tomorrow! It’s a little weird for me to think about trends for Fall 2008 when I’m itching so badly for spring to arrive, but, alas, makeup and fashion wait for no one.

MAC Cosmetics is doing the makeup for the shows this year. Earlier this week I spoke with the fabulous Gordon Espinet, Vice President of Makeup Artistry for MAC Cosmetics, to get the skinny on the big makeup trends we’ll be seeing on the runway. Gordon really knows what’s up.

What big makeup trends can we expect to see on the runway for Fall 2008?

“All the elements of beauty that we think of in classic glamor are definitely going to be playing a big key for the whole beauty story for the fall,” says Gordon. Picture the classic Hollywood film star look — think Rita Hayworth and Lauren Bacall.

French film noir actress Simone Simon — Look for her look on the runways!

Pretty, yah? Are you feeling de ja vu/vu ja de? Yes, we’ve seen this look before. Over the past few seasons, dark lips, smokey eyes and flawless matte skin reminiscent of classic Hollywood glam have been huge trends on the runway, but they featured more greys and blues (which will still be big this spring). For fall, however, Gordon predicts a subtle shift away from cooler neutral colors to warmer earth tones — shades of burgundy and brown.

Rich, dark lips

Sorry, lipgloss lovers, gloss won’t be staging a comeback any time soon. “Everybody is moving definitely towards lipstick,” says Gordon. Look for lots of bold reds like burgundy, and brown lipstick colors like…

• MAC Paramount (holla!) – Reddish brown
• MAC Photo – Golden brown
• MAC Film Noir – Intense brown
• MAC Diva – Intense reddish burgundy

As far as matte lips, the looks you’ll see won’t be as extreme as the dark matte lip look of the 90s, though. “It’s really about a natural matte lip,” says Gordon. “It’s matte, but definitely much more wearable.”

Smokey eyes

Guess what kind of eyes we’ll see paired with these rich, dark lips? Why, brown smokey eyes, of course, so keep an eye out for lots of browns and burgundy.

Matte skin

Flawless matte skin rages on! — skin that looks perfectly groomed, elegant and glamorous.

“We’re defintely not going to be seeing a lot of shiny glossy skin,” says Gordon. “If there is sheen it’s going to be very specific — not all over the face, but maybe a touch of sheen on the top of the cheekbone, or on the center of the bridge of the nose.” Note: Applying sheen to specific areas adds dimension to a flawless matte skin look.

Lashes

You can’t have old Hollywood glam without big, larger-than-life lashes. Mascara and false lashes will be falling from the sky, yo!

Brows

The film stars of the 40s were famous for highly arched, overly-tweezed eyebrows. Thank jeebus that isn’t something that Gordon thinks we’ll see this year on the runway. “We’re definitely moving towards a natural-looking brow,” says Gordon. Expect well groomed (but not necessarily dark) brows that aren’t too thick or too thin.

Cheeks

Don’t expect a lot of bright cheek colors (boo!). “It’s much more about a sculpted cheek,” says Gordon. “So colors like MAC Taupe blush are a must have. It’s really about shading the cheek bone versus adding color to it.”

Stay tuned for more Makeup and Beauty Blog coverage of NY Fashion Week, on location in rainy San Francisco, yea!

And how are you feeling about these fall looks? I am so excited about the return of browns and burgundy lipsticks! After I did this interview with Gordon I went to the MAC counter and purchased a tube of my first MAC lipstick love, Paramount. The last time I wore it was in 1998 (omfg, that’s a decade ago)! I have so many memories connected to this lipstick because I wore it throughout the 90s, during my formative college years. Do you have a lipstick you feel a special connection to?

I hope your Thursday is going well. Hold on, ya’ll! We’re almost there!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

You know it’s going to be one of those days when you wake up and the first thing you do is call on jeebus (or whatever power-that-be of your choice) for some help to get you through the day…and you haven’t even rolled out of bed yet. I guess they call Wednesday hump day for good reason. Anyway I’m running around today but I couldn’t leave ya hanging, so here are a few lovely swatches for you on this lovely Wednesday.

Will be back this afternoon with detailed info and a review. I hope your day is going well and that you’re feeling happy and inspired!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Ah, the pre-date ritual… It’s one of the many perks of being in love on Valentine’s Day, and whether you’re on the low- or high-maintenance end of the beauty spectrum, the drill usually goes a lil’ something like this:

1. Crank up the music (a soundtrack helps when you’re getting sexified, yo)
2. Wash
3. Contemplate wearing your naughty or nice knickers
4. Do your makeup and hair
5. Pick your wardrobe (don’t forget the shoes!)

In a perfect world, I’d always have at least four leisurely hours to beautify myself for my Valentine’s date with El Hub, but with work and life the odds of having a solid block of four hours for anything are slim to none.

Still, a girl can dream, and if I had a world of time to prep for date night, this is how it would go:

Paint it Pink, Vol. 2…

1. Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Grapefruit ($13.50). First priority: getting the lips primed for a mega-makeout session. I’d definitely prepare early in the day to get my pucker in makeout-ready shape with a layer of Clinique’s Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss. It’s a pretty, light pink shade with lots of shine. Plus, it moisturizes the beejebus out of my dry lips and gets them soft and ready for lovin’.
2. Essie nail polish in Hard to Get ($8). This creamy pink polish is my favorite color from Essie’s spring line. It’s bubble-gum without being too Barbie — perfect for both finger and toes. Of course, in my fantasy I’m getting my nails done in a chair at San Francisco’s Bliss Spa. See, at Bliss they feed you brownies while you’re pampered. Yup.
3. Philosophy Amazing Grace Perfumed Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel ($22). Nothing is better than a long, indulgent bubble bath before (or during) a romantic date. With its light, floral scent, Amazing Grace Bath & Shower Gel relaxes me like no other and really gets me into a romantic state of mind. Bubble production is off the chart, and the suds have staying power, too. It leaves my skin feeling silky and soft, every time.
4. Borghese Fango Brillants Brightening Mud ($59.60). I like to wear a face mask when I do the bubble thing to turn the relaxometer up another notch and make my face extra glowy. Lately I’ve been digging Fango’s Brilliants Brightening Mud. Made from Italian mud (or so they say) and rich in Vitamin A, minerals and citrus peel, this seriously pink mask o’ mud removes dead skin cells, and gently smooths and refines skin. Note: the jar is absolutely ginormous!
   
   I apply a thick layer to a clean face, wait ten minutes for it to dry and then wash it off. You can also use it on your body, too. Imagine covering yourself in bright pink mud, ha!
5. Victoria’s Secret Beauty Ooh la la Shimmering Fragrance Mist ($22). My fave sexy scent is Chanel Mademoiselle, but I realize that floral oriental perfumes aren’t for everyone.
   
   For ladies who love lighter scents, one delicious option is Ooh la la Shimmering Fragrance Mist. It’s a very feminine mix of cherry blossom, vanilla and mandarin. If you like Victoria’s Secret Heavenly perfume, then I think you’ll dig this, too.
   
   While the product looks like disco inferno trapped in a bottle, it isn’t overly glittery on skin. I would definitely apply it before dressing, though, and not after (learn from my mistake!), to avoid the all-too-frequent glitter mishap.
6. Hillary Duff Wrapped with Love ($38). Every time I look at this bottle I think of Hillary Duff’s song, Come Clean (also the Laguna Beach theme song). “Let the rain fall down, and wake my dreams…” LOLOL. Anyway, I’ll fess up to being a Laguna Beach fan (Seasons 1 and 2, holla), but I am certainly NOT a Hillary Duff fan. That said, I gotta give the girl and her marketing people props for this fruity-floral perfume, and it’s even guy friendly. According to an informal poll of a handful of random guy friends, it was liked by 4 out of 5 of them.
   
   Wrapped with Love is Hillary’s second fragrance; it’s a playful, lighter, version of With Love, her first perfume. It’s not as spicy or heavy as its older sibling, with notes of honeydew, blood orange, and raspberry mixed in with white florals and musk.
   
   At first I was afraid… I was petrified (sing it, Gloria Gaynor!) it would smell too pre-teen, but the scent is surprisingly sophisticated, fun and sexy — definitely not as heavy as my fave, Coco Mademoiselle. If you prefer lighter, fruit-themed fragrances, you might want to check it out.

This morning I’ve been listening non-stop to this wonderful tune by Sara Bareilles called Love Song. Have you heard it? It’s one of those songs where I wish I wrote the lyrics — a wish usually reserved only for certain Beatles masterpieces like Blackbird and Here Comes the Sun.

Anyway, I’m glad we got through Monday together. To reward myself I’m going to drink another cup of coffee (WHEEE!) and peruse some shoes on Zappos.com. I really should get some practical work shoes that keep my feet warm and dry, but the siren call of impractical (but sexy) strappy high heels cannot be ignored.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I keep seeing these Burger King commercials on TV where they show footage of real people freaking out at the counter after being told the Whopper is no longer for sale. It’s all a prank with hidden cameras done for the commercial, but most of the unwitting victims stare ahead in utter disbelief; others totally flip out, launching into verbal assaults on the poor cashiers who delivered the bad news. It’s as if a major paradigm shift has occurred. I love passionate people, but jeebus, guys, it’s a fast food burger!

Still, it got me thinking…. Is there anything I love so much that losing it would make me freak out like that at a sales counter? I always strive to be nice to customer service folks because I worked in retail for many years (girl, don’t make me bust out my pocket-T folding moves on ya), and I know how it is to be on the other side of a full-fledged customer freak-out. It takes a lot to get me to launch into a Whopper-esque meltdown in front of a sales person. It would have to be the loss of something really frickin’ great to push me over the edge. Perhaps integral to my existence, even.

Such things do exist, however, and without further ado (drumroll, please), here are nine things I would FREAK THE EFF OUT over if a sales person told me, “Sorry, we don’t sell _____ anymore. And neither does anyone else.”

In no particular order whatsoever:

1. Saucony Grid running shoes
2. The T3 hair dryer
3. Strawberry Frosted Pop Tarts
4. DKNY bras (Side note: this would be a freak-out of epic proportions. It’s so hard to find a bra that really fits!)
5. Dental floss
6. Toilet paper
7. Bumble & Bumble hair products
8. iPods
9. The holy grail minimal makeup trifecta: MAC 266 Brush, MAC Concrete Eyeshadow, MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer

So what’s on your freak-out list?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

When I first heard about Vincent Longo’s Illumina Concealer Pencil, I really didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard it was a double-sided pencil with concealer on one end (to mask imperfections like dark circles and pimples) and an illuminator on the other (to highlight and brighten dull skin).

I’d never used pencil concealers before, always assuming they’d apply like many other pencils do — too matte, thick and waxy. A few years ago I had a bad experience with a pencil illuminator, Benefit’s Eye Bright. It was far too chalky for my taste and looked unnatural on me. That, coupled with my preconceived notions about pencil concealers, and I wasn’t expecting a lot from Vincent Longo’s.

But alas, I was wrong. Vincent Longo Illumina Concealer Pencil turned out to be a nice surprise.

Product: Vincent Longo Illumina Concealer Pencil
Use: To cover dark circles and skin imperfections
Price: $32.50
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Under-eye dark circles are no joke, ladies, and right now mine are terrible because I got about two seconds of sleep last night. I was up late watching a terrible 2005 remake of 1979′s The Amityville Horror, starring Ryan Reynolds, blech! This morning I needed a concealer to cover my dark circles.

When I look for new products to address beauty problems, I begin by looking for ones that are easy to use. It’s a well documented fact that I’m hella lazy, so, if something requires more exertion than dotting a liquid concealer under my eyes and blending with a finger, I won’t even attempt to go there.

Illumina Concealer Pencil’s gel-based formula gives it a slippery texture that glides on smoothly. Using it was a little like applying a silky lipstick under my eyes. Because the product applies smoothly and feels so lightweight on my skin, I half expected it would fail to camouflage my really dark purple I-got-two-seconds-of-sleep-last-night circles. I was wrong.

The concealer end concealed my dark circles, and the illuminator end brightened up my eyes. Honestly, the concealer didn’t fully hide the circles like my favorite heavy duty concealers are able to — Make Up For Ever Lift and MAC’s Select Moisturecover — but under most circumstances, it would do a fine job. It’s a great concealer for days when I only need light coverage.

The shade I have, codenamed Dark #3, is yellow with red undertones. To use it I applied the concealer end of the pencil to the inner corners of and directly under my eyes. Then, I added a few dots of the illuminating end on top of the concealer and blended with a finger. In the future, if I’m feeling motivated and have my jar of Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder #2 handy then I’ll add a layer of it on top to “set” the concealer. That should help increase its staying power.

I’m a bit of a concealer freak, so I actually have different concealers for various functions. Illumina Concealer Pencil is one I’ll use for “casual” days, like when I meet the girls for Sunday brunch, hit the gym with El Hub or if I’m just lounging at the beach. I plan to bring it with me the next time I go on vacation, which I hope will be sometime soon. Calgon needs to take my ass away, like, yesterday.

Whatcha got going on today? Brunch with the girls? Spending time with the boy or les babies? Whatever you’re doing today, I hope it’s fun.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Your weekend isn’t over yet! Check out the best posts from the Beauty Blog Network.
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