Tabs is usually down to hang out for HOURS at a MAC counter with me, but today he was absorbed in a new site he found. While I surfed the counter for makeup, he surfed the web on his iPhone.

Here are some of the links he bookmarked this week…

• Ever wonder what your emo alter ego would look like?
• Kiss me, you impetuous, glitter-studded, hard-rockin’ fool!
• Must. Have. These. Earrings!
• Is Neutrogena’s latest sunscreen a harbinger of what’s to come?
• Yes, please, I’ll take all of them to go, thanks!
• Um, I don’t think I brought enough sunscreen…
• Here’s a cool giveaway for an IcyBag and some goodies from Sephora.
• Having trubs keeping track of all your to-do lists? Never fear, Evernote is here!
• Here’s a way to get the beachy hair look on the cheap.
• Yah, the colors don’t really pop, but Chanel’s new Les Naturels Summer collection is still rocking my boat.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Can I ask you to recommend some lip glosses which have good color payoff? My natural lips are kinda plummy-pink…

Cheers,
Kewal

Hiya Kewal,

I love lip gloss more than Spencer Pratt loves his creepy, fleshy beard!

Here are some of my favorite pigmented lip glosses, in no particular order.

• NARS Lip Gloss ($24): These are semi-sticky with a medium weight; they’re also taste- and fragrance-free. The one I can’t get enough of is called Belize, a shimmery, pinkish mauve with golden pearl.
• MAC Lipglass ($14): Or, if you prefer a thicker gloss, check out MAC’s Lipglasses. They come in tons of colors! My favorites — Lychee Luxe (a shimmery, reddish coral), Nymphette (a shimmery, pinkish gold) and Spite (a creamy, plummy brown).
• Chanel Celestial Lights Glossimers ($27): If you’re looking for a little more bling than either the NARS or MAC glosses pack, splurge for one of the ultra-pigmented, uber-sparkly Chanel Celestial Lights Glossimers. I really heart Venus, a sparkly hot pink.

Do you have any other pigmented lip gloss suggestions for Kewal?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A few days ago I asked for makeup primer recommendations, and you replied with some *doozies*.

The crowd favorites were by Smashbox (Photo Finish Foundation Primer, $36-49), MAC (Prep + Prime, $19-28), Laura Geller (Spackle, $23) and Philosophy (The Present, $25).

A few of the others that were also mentioned more than once…

• Bare Escentuals Prime Time, $21 — “…really good for keeping my makeup long-lasting … but keeping oil at bay? nah, it didn’t do anything with the slick factor…” – noi
• Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel, $8 — “…chafing cream all over my face. Super cheap and works like a high end primer, has the same ingredients too. Google it. All the cool kids are doing it.” – Martha
• Tarte Clean Slate, $27 — “…a lightweight, clear gel primer that feels slightly thicker than Laura’s. After it absorbs, it feels drier and a touch smoother, too.” – Yours truly

One time, at WordCamp…

So WordCamp SF was pretty cool.

They hold them in cities all over the place, but this one was in my neck of the woods.

WordPress is the software that I and about 15 million other folks use to blog. When I’m writing a post, the screen I see looks like this:

If you have a WordPress blog or think you might like to start one, check here for dates of WordCamps in your area. Each all-day conference costs about $20 in the local currency and covers blog writing, video production, plugins (mini-programs to enhance blog functionality by adding the ability to do polls and stuff like that), mobile blogging and upcoming features. And they even throw in a buffet lunch.

I expected to see mostly dudes in the audience, but there were plenty of women, too (yay!).

I kept my eyes peeled for gals in blinged-out makeup but no luck.

My favorite part was listening to a presentation by Cali Lewis of Geek Brief TV. She talked about video podcasting (with iTunes), which is something I’m interested in trying. If you’ve done any online video production before, shoot me an e-mail.

I was beat by the end of the conference and just ended up chillin’ with a bean and cheese burrito, a bucket of dulce de leche Haagen Daaz and hella episodes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Totally exciting Saturday night, I know!

Are you having a good weekend? What did you do last night?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

When should you use loose powder, and when should you use pressed (click here to see the video)?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Today Rowena of the delicious Cosmetic Candy Blog takes us Far East with five of her favorite Japanese makeup primers.

The moment I made the transition from makeup enthusiast to junkie was the moment I discovered affordable Japanese cosmetics.

I was already in love with Hello Kitty and friendly with Kerokerokeroppi, so buying Japanese makeup seemed like a natural thing to do.

And now, a few years in, I can say that around 75% of my cosmetics collection is of Japanese origin or of brands sold primarily in Japan.

For me personally, I love the scope, the variety, the efficiency and the sheer sparkly goodness of Japanese cosmetics. I can br-br-br-break it down like this:

The packaging

Japanese packaging for Maquillage, for example, can be cute or elegant or just gadget heaven. Some brands will keep their basic packaging permanent like many Western brands do, but others will play around with the cases and lipstick tubes every couple seasons or so, keeping a fresh look and concept (Kate and Lavshuca do this often).

And I am genuinely impressed when companies think of new ways for us to apply our lipgloss other than plain sponge applicators!

Efficiency

You know what they say about Japanese engineering and attention to detail, right? It’s the same for the makeup. Only when I started playing with Shu Uemura did I finally find a mascara that didn’t run (and it wouldn’t come off without a fight either -– d’oh!); only when I tried Shiseido Hydro Powder cream eyeshadows did I find a base that didn’t budge; and only when kitty punched me with her paw (we don’t talk about that day anymore)…

Textures

I love the variety of textures available from Japanese makeup brands, especially the lipsticks and cream/liquid-based eyeshadows.

I’ve reviewed a number of cream colors on my blog here and here. These aren’t just the same old creamy textures we’ve seen so many times before. Some are water based, or light creams, thick creams, mousses, firm jellies, soft jellies…Phew!

Prices

Although some Japanese brands are ridiculously, eye wateringly expensive, my favourite ones are mid-priced to affordable (equivalent to drugstore brands). Even the brands that are sold in drugstores are extremely high quality, and in my opinion match many of the high-end Western brands in terms of pigmentation and finish.

Finally… the finish!

I find the many of the Japanese brands go for quite a shimmery, but natural look overall. This doesn’t mean that the products aren’t pigmented, but that many of them do suit being worn in quite a natural-glow-I-didn’t-even-try-hard way.

Japanese lipsticks are the best when it comes to creating a water based glossy finish, full of iridescent sparkles and glow and are never drying.

So without further ado, here are 5 brands which I think are lovely and you should try!

Jill Stuart

Jill Stuart may be better known for her fashion line, but her makeup and skincare range (exclusive to Japan) is just as good. The range stands out because its drop-dead gorgeous princessy silver packaging wins me over all the time.

Unfortunately, it’s fairly pricey at around $65 for a powder foundation and $45 for an eyeshadow quad (prices can vary a little).

Must try items: Jelly Eye color, the quads, fruit lip balm and lip lusters.

Kate

Kate is a drugstore-level brand made by Kanebo. It’s a funky, punky but pretty look, and the packaging is black and fairly basic, although they always find nice ways to present the shadow pans in the palettes. They have plenty of eyeshadow palettes, normally with 5 colours in each to play with, as well as a set of Gel eyeshadows I think are fab because they really last.

Must try items: Glam Trick Eyes palettes, Gel Eyeshadows, Gel Mascara.

MAQUillage

MAQUillag is a medium-end makeup brand made by Shiseido, aimed at a slightly older market than Kate. MAQUillage for me oozes class and quality, and I’m very rarely disappointed by a product they make. You can buy separate pans of cream and powder eyeshadows too to put together your own palette extravaganza!

Must try items: All the lip sticks and glosses (yep, all of them!), the eye creator palette (contains 2 cream shadows and 3 powders), and I personally love the Climax Moisture Foundation Compact.

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