I’m sitting here on the living room floor watching The Deep End on IFC and trying to decide on a polish to wear for my Friday night manicure. I’d like it to be something from China Glaze’s new Retro Diva collection.

Out next month, the collection features 12 groovy polishes (about $5/bottle) in shades of purple, burgundy, orange, red and taupe. China Glaze says the colors were inspired by platform shoes, hiphuggers and the rockin’ disco 1970s.

When I think ’70s colors, I think pea green drapes and mustard yellow shag carpeting, but whatev.

Cords

Short and Sassy

Let’s Groove

Stella

Skate Night

Far Out

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Happy Saturday, girls. I’m lucky enough to live close to my parents, so tomorrow I’m heading home to visit my mom for Mother’s Day. I thought it might be fun if she and I painted our nails a matching color. Here’s the twist: I would like it to be a slightly obnoxious color, so her yoga friends at the senior center can ask her about it (”Girl, I saw those nails from across the room while I was mid-downward dog!”).

Earlier this week, I painted my nails L8R G8R, a green shade from China Glaze’s OMG Text in Colour 2BHot collection. This weekend, just to switch it up, I think mom might like to rock one of China Glaze’s six cool, shimmery shades from the 2BKEWL collection ($27 for the entire set).

I’m trying to decide among…

OMG (Oh my gawd)- holographic grey with rainbow shimmer
2NITE (Tonight) - holographic blue
IDK (I don’t know) - holographic violet
BFF (Best friends forever) – holographic purple-blue
LOL (Laugh out loud) – holographic dark purple
DV8 (Deviate) – holographic teal

I’m leaning toward DV8, but I think all of them are pretty.

OMG


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Giddyup, girl! I always wanted to be a cowgirl, ropin’ steers and such and whatnot … but growing up in the suburbs and listening to Public Enemy didn’t lend themselves to the fulfillment of this dream. I’ve never even ridden a horse.

That said, I can still get my fingers and toes ready for the rodeo with China Glaze’s Rodeo Diva nail polish collection, my favorite China Glaze release of the year.

I found the China Glaze Rodeo Diva collection online for $2.68 per bottle.

I think these dark colors are perfect for fall, yet they pack enough shimmer to make ‘em fun and spunky at the same time. The shades aren’t as bold as previous releases like Ink, 2BHAWT and 2BKEWL, and I’m glad to see China Glaze is keeping things interesting.

Six of the 12 shades from the Rodeo Diva release…

Which of these China Glaze Rodeo Diva shades do you like best?

• Red Stallion: shimmery tomato red
• Branding Iron: shimmery deep burgundy-chocolate brown
• Cowgirl Up: shimmery plum
• Gussied Up Green: shimmery forest green
• Rodeo Fanatic: shimmery royal blue
• Midnight Ride: shimmery deep, dark purple

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I don’t have any tattoos, but I always knew that if I got one it would be colorful, maybe like these tattoo-inspired shades from China Glaze’s Ink collection ($24.12, 8-piece collection).

They’re sold either individually or as part of an eight-piece set. The set includes six bright and slightly obnoxious colors, a cute packet of nail decals, a wee bottle of black polish (great for drawing patterns on the other nail colors) and a bottle of orange-scented cuticle oil.

I was pretty stoked to give the colors a try when I spotted the kit because I’ve been going through a bright nail polish phase. I couldn’t wait to try these colors on.

Blue Sparrow

Flying Dragon

Rose Among Thorns


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How frickin’ awesome are these bright shades from the new China Glaze Kicks Collection?

I had a blast swatching these first six shimmery shades from the vibrant 12-piece spring collection ($3 a bottle; more swatches to follow).

The collection’s bold blues, greens, oranges and pinks were inspired by colorful tennis shoes — the young’ns call ‘em kicks — but they remind me of Skittles.

Custom Kicks is my favorite of the ones shown here. It’s the shimmery blueish teal at the top.

This one takes me back, all the way back to my very first shoe crush…

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If I don’t get my hands on some Skittles soon, I just might devour my nails, LOL! That’s because they look delicious all painted in fruit candy colors, courtesy of China Glaze Kicks.

Each of these six pink, orange and red nail polishes ($3 each; full collection contains 12 shades) looks good enough to eat — just like the first batch of colors did.

The 12-piece collection was inspired by brightly colored tennis shoes, and being a footwear enthusiast (aka I have a shoe obsession, but it isn’t pervy, I swear), I lurve this collection somethin’ fierce!

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Have you seen China Glaze’s OMG Text in Colour nail polish collection yet? OMG, these colors are GR8, QT!

The full collection first landed back in February, and I’ve been meaning to talk about it for a while. China Glaze released the collection as two sets, 2BHOT and 2BKEWL, with six colors each. 2BHOT carried the warmer shades; 2BKEWL the cooler ones. To describe the colors, China Glaze used a term I hadn’t heard used to describe makeup before: holographic. And it’s not just marketing nonsense, either. The polishes contain the tiniest little flecks of multi-colored glitter, and they do seem to change color (silver to green to red, for example) depending on the angle you look at them from.

I finally got around to swatching and photographing the six 2BHOT colors yesterday. Unfortunately, since their release the colors have become pretty hard to find, but you can still purchase all of them individually from Amazon for $4.20 (shipping extra) each.

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Hey, cheerios! Did any of my eagle-eyed makeup geeks/freaks peep the Stila Lip Glaze lookalike in this week’s episode of Glee?

Yesterday’s migraine rendered me mentally useless, so I spent last night on the couch resting and catching up on Glee, the musical dramedy about misfit teens who sing show choir.

It took me a few episodes to warm up to the show — the pacing’s kinda weird — but now I’m hooked. The world needs more spontaneous musical numbers, right? And I’m totes crushing on Mr. Shu, played by Matthew Morrison.

In this week’s ep, Rachel, one of the glee club girls, is primping in the bathroom with a gloss that looks an awfully lot like Stila Lip Glaze.

Hmm…

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With Halloween behind us (shoot!), it’s a straight shot from here to the holidays. For me that spells two things: 1) stretchy pants and 2) cute makeup mini-gift sets at Sephora.

I’d always wanted to try Stila Lip Glaze lipglosses before but never got around to it. Then, I saw the six colors featured in Stila’s new Shine On Gift of Glaze (special to Sephora, $28).

A regular, full-sized Stila Lip Glaze regularly sells for about $22, but the smaller mini-tubes that come with this six-piece set average out to $4.67 apiece — not a bad deal. Four of the shades are some of Stila’s currently best selling Lip Glaze colors; the other two are newbies, Raisin and Gumdrop.

• Grapefruit: a shimmery pink
• Apricot: a shimmery pastel peach
• Vanilla: a shimmery beige
• Brown Sugar: a shimmery golden brown
• Raisin: a shimmery golden plum
• Gumdrop: a creamy coral pink

Stila Lip Glaze in Grapefruit

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When did Avon get cool, ya’ll? Did it happen while I was in the potty? As far back as I can remember, Avon was something that “mature” women wore (aka my grandma), but lately I’ve come across a number of Avon products that are well, kinda awesome. Take the Glazewear lipstick pictured above. Pretty, yah? That’s Juicy Apricot.

Not quite a lipstick, not quite a gloss, this shimmery peachy-coral shade delivers shiny, sheer color that feels light on my lips. Avon calls it feather-light and says the non-sticky texture has to do with their Color-gel formula.

The formula stays put for about 3-4 hours and comes in a sleek, slim black tube. Lately, I’ve used Glazewear as an alternative to traditional, thick, goopy lipglosses. They pack plenty ‘o shine without the thick gloss look.

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Summertime means being able to wear brighter nail colors like corals, hot pinks and even sparkly blues or purples without looking like crazy nail lady. Here are a few ideas to brighten up your fingers and toes.

• Essie Summer 2008 Nail Polish Collection: Help!
  “After washing off my neon-orange fingers and chewing three Tums (note to file: do not eat half a bag of cheese crunchies in one sitting), I pulled out my Essie Summer 2008 nail polish stash and painted each of the nails on my left hand (and the pointer finger on my right) different colors. This is what too many cheese crunchies can make a woman do.”
• China Glaze Text in Colour 2BHOT: Holographic Hotness
  “The 2BHOT colors are a bit flashier/more club kid than my usual pink, peach, and coral nail color choices, but I really like them. The funky way the colors seem to change in the light adds another dimension to these polishes that makes them a lot of fun.”
• Chanel Flamingo Nail Colour: My Sunday Morning Manicure
  “Part of Chanel’s summer 2008 collection, Flamingo is a soft, pale pink with flecks of shimmery silver. I swooned when I first saw it in the store a few weeks ago; I have a well-documented weakness for pink.”
• China Glaze Ink Nail Polish: Wow, That’s Bright
  “The set includes six bright and slightly obnoxious colors, a cute packet of nail decals, a wee bottle of black polish (great for drawing patterns on the other nail colors) and a bottle of orange-scented cuticle oil.”
• China Glaze OMG Text in Colour 2BKEWL Nail Polishes
  “I’m lucky enough to live close to my parents, so tomorrow I’m heading home to visit my mom for Mother’s Day. I thought it might be fun if she and I painted our nails a matching color. Here’s the twist: I would like it to be a slightly obnoxious color, so her yoga friends at the senior center can ask her about it (’Girl, I saw those nails from across the room while I was mid-downward dog!’).”

Right now I’m wearing coral on my toes and sheer pink on my fingers. How about you? Do you have a current favorite nail color?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup for your alter ego

Get me across the pond, *STAT*, and point me to the nearest shoppe selling Illamasqua makeup!

Beauty at Paris Fashion Week

If you missed Paris Fashion Week like I did, here’s a makeup rundown straight from the runway.

Summer Days from China Glaze

That’s it! I’m finished waiting for summer. I think I’ll just enter to win a set of China Glaze’s Summer Days instead.

Now accepting applications

I need a *sugar daddy* to buy me all this lovely Chanel hotness.

Hot blues for summertime

I’m dreaming of all the blue and purple makeup shades from The Body Shop’s Hot Brights summer collection.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

• A most excellent mantra for October — Super Kawaii Mama
• Gucci, Versace and Marni, oh my! — Imelda the Despotic Queen of Shoes
• Can you guess the celebrities who have these 5 tattoos? — Bella Sugar
• The Garlic Years: An interactive guide to vampire obsession — Slate
• Artist Yayoi Kusama attribues art with saving her life — Icing
• Is it a cheese or a font? — Cheese or Font
• Ohh, sparkly! China Glaze Loves You Snow Much Holiday 2009 — Scrangie

At least it’s a sunny day out here in Marin, not that I’m outside enjoying it (pooh). I’m guessing whatever you’re doing today is probably a billion times more fun than what I’m doing — packing, moving and cleaning, bluh!

I’m so tired of talking about packing and moving … but they’re practically all I’ve been doing for weeks. We’re down to the wire now, which means disconnecting the computer and moving the kitteh. Then, tomorrow it’s the remaining furniture with the help of movers.

I can’t wait until I can focus on more interesting and important things like this time lapse video of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Whatcha up to?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Stila spokesmodel Tabs the Cat…

Rise and shine, morning glories. How’d you sleep? Tabs tells me it’s going to be a beautiful day today. He’s been taking good care of me, and my headache’s all but gone. I guess the bed rest and Stila Kitten holiday set swatches ($18 limited edition, one of 10 new Stila sets at Sephora) he prescribed finally did the trick.

This particular two-piece set comes with one full-size eyeshadow pan and a Lip Glaze, both in Kitten, the shimmery, peachy champagne shade much beloved by Stila fans and tubby makeup-loving cats.

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• Does L’Oreal Bare Naturale Mascara Thicken, Lengthen AND Separate Lashes?
  “Bare Naturale shines as a drugstore mascara; that $9 price kicks butt… If you’re on the market for a paraben-free mascara to lengthen and separate and aren’t in need of thicker lashes, then Bare Naturale should do ya just fine.”




• 10 Fantastic Smokey Eye Tutorials
  “One of my favorite things about makeup is that there’s always room to step up your game. I love to imagine all the tips and tricks that I’ve yet to learn. I’m always looking to get better at doing smokey eyes. I’ve come across hundreds of smokey eye tutorials, and I think these 10 are some of the most helpful ones.”




• Wedding Palette Auditions: Stila Cover Look No. 2
  “What do you think of the pink lips? I think it might be a little too disco for a church wedding. Don’t get me wrong — I’m usually pro-disco lips (WOOT!), but maybe not this time.”




• Estee Lauder Vintage Jewels Holiday Collection: Holiday Treasure
  “Estee Laduer should’ve called this a long-wearing eye pencil, too, because DANG, this stuff stays on forever. Once it’s on it hangs around longer than your stalker ex-boyfriend, on *both* the lash and water lines. I think I might love this even more than Lancome Le Stylo waterproof (gasp!), which I’ve been wearing practically non-stop for months, and I’m even tempted to get the two other shades.”




• Paul and Joe for Disney: American Debut Coming Soon!
  “The Paul and Joe for Disney collection, released earlier this year overseas, debuts at Bergdorf Goodman in New York next month. All I have to say about this is WOOTY WOOT WOOT! I’m a huge Disney fan so this collaboration is a dream come true.”




• Which China Glaze Rodeo Diva Shade Do You Like Best?
  “I think these dark colors are perfect for fall, yet they pack enough shimmer to make ‘em fun and spunky at the same time. The shades aren’t as bold as previous releases like Ink, 2BHAWT and 2BKEWL, and I’m glad to see China Glaze is keeping things interesting.”




• How Do You Wear Red Lipstick? Tips and Tricks
  “Like the Ol’ Faithful of lip looks, a red lip is one of the most reliable, fool-proof ways to steal the spotlight. But red and other bright lip shades can be challenging colors to wear. My secret to wearing reds like Lancome’s Absolute Rouge ($29) is to apply them using a MAC 316 Covered Lip Brush ($19).”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Got too much to remember? Save the mental energy, and sign up to receive my updates by email. At noon each day you’ll get an email with my latest posts … right around the time of day you need a little pick-me-up at the office. Or, if you’re sick and tired of email, subscribe to my posts by RSS.

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Sometimes, the easiest, least expensive way to switch up my look is with a polish change. One of my weekend mental health rituals has long been to set aside a few *me* minutes to paint my nails in front of the TV. A new nail color and a mani/pedi at home recharges my batteries and helps me start the coming week with a positive attitude.

Here are 6 ways to take your nails to the next level.

• Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
  “When a sales person at Pure Beauty introduced me to this product in 2003, I was initially turned off by the price. Ten bucks for a bottle of clear polish seemed ridiculous! She insisted that I wouldn’t regret it and oh-so-helpfully reminded me of their full-refund policy, so I happily handed her some cash and skipped off into the sunset.”




• Save a Few Bucks at the Nail Salon by Getting a Polish Change
  “What’s the difference between a polish change and a manicure? It depends on the salon, but usually during a polish change the nail technician won’t file your nails down, won’t cut your cuticles (you’re never supposed to cut your cuticles at the salon, anyway), and they may skip the soaking part.”




• Splurge or Steal: Essie Neon Delivers Chanel Nail Colors for Less
  “All of the colors, with the exception of Mini Shorts, have that thick, high shine, classic finish Essie is known for. Mini Shorts doesn’t seem to be quite as shiny as the other shades are, and I’m not sure why that is, but a high shine top coat like Seche Vite should bring the shine up to par.”




• The Lippmann Collection Nail Studio: A Manicure and Pedicure in Paradise
  “A Lippmann manicure is less painful than a typical mani/pedi treatment. Cuticles aren’t cut, hands and toes are soaked in large bowls of warm water rather than spa tubs with jets, and the nails are only filed in one direction to prevent breakage. It’s more of a holistic approach to nail care.”




• Play to Win with Lippmann Collection Fall Nail Colors
  “Lippmann Collection polishes have a reputation in the beauty world. They’re known for their durability, and that’s not hype, either; early last month I got a mani/pedi at the Lippmann nail bar in Hawaii, and the coral color on my toes is STILL fresh and intact. I’ve been reapplying top coat every five days, but even that, with most other brands of polish, would not have been enough to make the color last as long as it has so far.”




• China Glaze Ink Nail Polish: Wow, That’s Bright
  “I was pretty stoked to give the colors a try when I spotted the kit because I’ve been going through a bright nail polish phase. I couldn’t wait to try these colors on.”

OOH! I got some good makeup tips (and a fun smokey eye technique) in the MAC Studio Talk at Bloomingdale’s this afternoon. I’ll blog ‘em tomorrow, but right now I’m about to make some tea and get ready for bed.

Did you have a good day? What was the prettiest thing you saw today? Mine was a display of Annick Goutal skincare products. I thought the packaging was gorgeous.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Disney Does Shoes and a Bunch of Other Stuff

• Did you know that in addition to mouse ear hats, Disney also sells bridal gowns, shoes and chandeliers?

Shoe Lust, Part Deux

• I saw these red strappy sandals on Seychelles Footwear and instantly fell in lurve. With cold weather just around the corner my sandal-wearing days are numbered, but I’m oh-so-tempted!

Rabid About Twilight? Me Too!

• The Twilight Lexicon Blog features up-to-the-minute news and info on the upcoming movie! I check it every day.

Annie, Get Yer Gunn… Yer Tim Gunn, That Is

• Last night I watched my very first episode of Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style. Yes, I’ve been living underneath a rock. In the show T. Gunn (of Project Runway fame) helps women discover clothing shapes and colors to suit their body types, so they can make smarter fashion choices.

  The show’s website features this really fun game called The Wardrobe Room, where you can create outfits by paring up Tim Gunn’s wardrobe essentials — tops, bottoms, dresses and jackets (no accessories though, boo). It’s fun… and addictive. I spent WAAAY too much time playing this today.

Get Your China Glaze On For Mere Duckets

• The Eighty Eight Beauty Supply online store is not the flashiest or fanciest site, but they offer a staggering collection of nail polishes like China Glaze and OPI at bargain prices.

Smell Less Stinky, Naturally

• Looking for an all-natural deodorant? Bella Sugar suggests trying Bergamot Oil to mitigate that stinky pit sitch!

New Bath and Body Works Packaging

• Beauty Addict gives the run down on the redesign of the bottles, tubes and artwork on the new Bath and Body Works Signature Collection product packaging.

Heya! I’m off to do a short run before the sun sets. Gotta burn some calories so I can eat popcorn when I go to the movies tonight. I’m taking El Hub to watch Let the Right One In, a Swedish film about vampires!

Watcha up to tonight?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Lovely. My stomach just growled at me for not having lunch ready yet. It’s even worse than Tabs, always clamoring for something to eat!

I sure hope it likes steamed artichokes and tomato soup…

What are you up to today? I spent some time e-surfing this morning and found a few choice pickings (beauty and otherwise). Hope you’re having a nice weekend so far.

• Gwen’s Harajuku Lovers are rockin’ bikinis for spring, TOO CUTE! — Bella Sugar
• Up your style with these November tips — Icing
• G is for Glitter! Feed your inner glitter monster with China Glaze’s Meteor Shower — Temptalia
• Um, can I eat these (soap nuts)? — The Notice
• Let’s be better together with a week of slight improvements — Too Pretty For This
• 7 ways to avoid nail polish stains — All Lacquered Up
• All the things you DON’T have to know — A Beautiful Ripple Effect
• Kiehl’s Rare Earth Pore Minimizing collection keeps those pores in line — We Heart This
• 5 ways to fake healthy hair — Daily Beauty Reporter Blog
• What’s the secret to becoming amazingly great at something? — Zen Habits
• Why stress can kill your success or help your blog succeed — Pro Blogger

Amazing what some people accomplish in their spare time…

Found it!

If your kids ask you how babies are made…

I better get my booty in gear. This place ain’t gonna clean itself, LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Heya, pretties! How’s your Wednesday coming along? I’m a little giddy right now because I just met some friends for coffee.

My new homegirls, Foxy and Jewel, are two of the four limited edition beauty cans from Stila’s new Barbie Loves Stila collection ($40 each).

I must admit, as I sat there slurping java through a straw (gotta avoid staining those chompers!), I felt a little underwhelming in the presence of such hotties. Foxy and Jewel look so glamorous-flossy-flossy in their hot pink canisters.

But these girls aren’t just pretty on the outside; they each come with lipgloss, mascara and a gaw-geous coordinating palette with two eyeshadows and a blush.

Foxy’s sassy, summery orange, gold and berry shades are hard to ignore.

Swatches from left to right: Lash Visor Waterproof Mascara in Black, Stila Lip Glaze in Foxy (sheer orange with gold glitter), blush in matte berry, eyeshadow in shimmery goldish brown, eyeshadow in shimmery goldish beige

She’s the girl who commands attention when she enters a room, whereas Jewel’s the consummate girl next door (who just happens to be stunning, LOL!). Her makeup in shades of pink, peach and brown is all about flirty and fun.

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Good morning, cuties! I spent last night cruising the web, reading my favorite gossip blogs (OMG, what heck is going on with Chris Brown?!?) and scouring beauty sites for steals and deals.

Here’s what I found…

7 Steals: Makeup and Beauty for $10 or Less

1. Stila Glaze Lip Liner Collection, $7 (originally $42!)
Girl, if you don’t snag this collection of five Stila Glaze lip liners in brown, crimson, red, lavender and plum, I surely will!

2. Benefit Her Glossiness, $9 (originally $18)
It looks like Benefit plans to discontinue the Her Glossiness lipgloss line, but for now six of the colors are still up for grabs.

3. Smashbox Sheer Lip Pencil, $10.50 (originally $14)
If you don’t like the look of heavy, thick lip pencils, give Smashbox’s Sheer Lip Pencils a go. Choose from two sale shades, Craze (brown) or Muse (pinky brown).

4. Stila Sun Highlighter, $9.20 (originally $24)
I love Stila Sun Highlighter in Shade 2. It looks natural and never, ever turns orange on my skin.

5. Sephora Ivory Pencil Case, $10 (originally $15)
Need a place to store those five Stila Glaze lip liners from the top of this list? How about this sleek pencil case?

6. Too Faced Duo Eye Shadow Duos, $6.80 (originally $17)
Too Faced Shadows offer rich pigmentation and lots of shimmer. Better snag a few of these duos while we can.

7. Sephora Brand Glitter Lipstick $5 (originally $12)
Treat those lips special (after all, they’re been good to you, right?) with Sephora’s Glitter Lipsticks.

Here’s my question for you: Do you know of any good upcoming or ongoing makeup deals?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Dag nabbit! The new limited edition Barbie Loves Stila Decades of Beauty cans, which launched today on Sephora’s website, are already sold the eff out. *tears*

Instead of pulling the trigger this morning and hitting the check out button, I took my sweet ole’ time. I watched a Tivo’d episode of last night’s The Mentalist (so good) while I gnawed on some garlic naan, thinking that I had all day to make a decision. LOL, I was sooo wrong!

Am I the only one who missed out? Perhaps a round of WHAT WOULD YOU GET? will help ease our pain.

The four Decades of Beauty cans ($40 each) include:

• #1 Ponytail Doll (1959): Ponytail lip color (red), Liquid Eye Liner, 3-pan compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color, Look Book
• Malibu Doll (1971): Malibu Lip Glaze (pale pink), Lash Visor Mascara, 3-pan compact with two eye shadows and a bronzer, Look Book
• Foxy Doll (1980): Foxy Lip Glaze, Lash Visor Mascara, a 3-pan compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color, Look Book
• Jewel Doll (2000): Jewel Lip Glaze (bright pink), Multi-Effect Mascara, 3-pan compact with two eye shadows and a cheek color, Look Book

Your mission: choose one of the four Barbie Loves Stila Decades of Beauty cans to take home with your virtual cash!

Which of the Urban Decay Show Pony Palette eyeshadows do you like best?

• 1. Snatch
• 2. Mildew
• 3. Flash
• 4. Painkiller
• 5. Smog
• 6. Toasted

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I guess I’ll just have to wait for February, which is when the collection (which also includes a talking palette) arrives at Sephora stores.

Until then, I’ll take one can of virtual Foxy, please.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Seeing these Lippmann Collection fall nail polish colors ($15 each) for the first time, I thought one thing: VEGAS, BABY! The red, black, white and black-purple colors remind me of playing cards.

Beyond the occasional slot machine (free drinks!), I’m not much of a gambler, but when it comes to nail colors, I will take chances. I’ll wear yellows, blues and even purples.

Some may feel these fall Lippmann colors are a bit tame, but I think there’s enough variety among the shades to keep things interesting.

Stop and Stare, a blue-based matte red, looks like a sure bet. Picture a lounge singer in a smokey bar. She’s wearing a slinky, black dress and Stop and Stare on her fingertips. It’s a beautiful, classic red that would look great at dressy daytime events (meet me at the polo match, dahling), formal evenings out or even a day at the office. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Rhapsody in White takes me back. This frosty cool white looks exactly like a shade of Wet ‘n Wild I wore through most of the sixth grade. I wasn’t around for the 60s, but this reminds of that era, as in pale lips, bee hive bouffants and go go boots. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

The inky Fade to Black is darker than night. I’m on the fence about black as a nail color because of how high maintenance the shade can be, but all of the Lippmann polishes I’ve used before have chipped less often than most other brands do. If this black matte is as durable as the rest, it could really make a name for itself. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Pump Up the Jam, a dark purple shimmer, looks almost like another shade of black from afar, but it reveals its true color when seen up close. It’s the deepest shade of eggplant imaginable. I’ve always dreamt of owning a Chevy El Camino in this exact color (and ridin’ dirty in it, haaay!). Is that weird? Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Lippmann Collection polishes have a reputation in the beauty world. They’re known for their durability, and that’s not hype, either; early last month I got a mani/pedi at the Lippmann nail bar in Hawaii, and the coral color on my toes is STILL fresh and intact. I’ve been reapplying top coat every five days, but even that, with most other brands of polish, would not have been enough to make the color last as long as it has so far.

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El Hub and I are taking a trip out to Hawaii next month (May 15-25) to visit our family. I’m not sure if you recall, but El Hub’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last fall, right around the time of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I haven’t openly discussed it since mentioning the diagnosis the first time because I haven’t known what to say…

Positive energy

I always knew your thoughts and prayers were with us (and thank you), but I just set my heart and mind on maintaining a positive attitude on the blog here because I felt I needed to focus on something good.

But it feels like time for an update, and I have excellent news.

After twin mastectomies (staggered, each one at different times) and three months of brutal chemo therapy, Mom has been issued a clean bill of health.

It looks like she’s going to be alright.

Which brings me back to the purpose of this post. I could really use your help while I’m away, and there may be a way in it for you to have some fun.

Guest bloggers wanted

Because I may not have time to post three times/day while we’re there, I’m looking for guest bloggers to do product reviews, product shootouts (comparisons, i.e. Stila Lash Visor vs. MAC Splashproof mascara), makeup looks, tutorials, how tos/tips articles or videos to appear on the blog.

Now for the big question…

Why would you want to guest blog?

1. Because you’d be doing me a favor. I’ll feel better knowing that the blog is in good hands and that interesting posts are going up on a regular basis if I end up being unable to post as much as I usually do.
2. It’s FREE advertising. If you have a blog, other website or a business you’d like to promote, you’re looking for ways to get yourself out there. Guest blogging can really help, especially if you’re just starting out. Get yourself out there in front of another 7,000-8,000 readers/day, and definitely feel free to include links back to your own site!
3. Try before you buy. Have you thought about starting a blog but weren’t sure if you had anything worthwhile to say? LOL! Story of my life. Try a guest entry here (I won’t bite!) to see if it’s something you might like to do long term with a blog of your own.

Some ideas to jumpstart the creative process

10 Ways to Wear Red: Looks to Wear with Red Lipstick or Gloss
Why You Should Skip MAC A Rose Romance
My Favorite Makeup Brushes and Why I Heart Them
Improv Beauty: Getting By Without Your Makeup Case
Feeling Blue: A Face of the Day
China Glaze Neon Collection Nail Polish Review
5 Lip Looks for Date Night
My Take on a Classic Smokey Eye

Shoot me an email

If you’re interested, shoot me an email at karen@makeupandbeautyblog.com (or use my contact form) with an overview of your idea. We’ll brainstorm.

No, it does NOT have to be some hugely involved, time-consuming project (seriously, I know you’re busy too). Even just a single product review of something you got from Sephora last week and liked more than you thought you would. All I ask is that it be original and not something you’ve already published someplace else.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I am ALWAYS looking for guest bloggers, not just for my trip next month, so contact me if it sounds like something you’d like to try.

P.P.S. Every so often, I’ll choose a random guest blogger to feature with a custom illustration up in the header of the blog. You know how much I like Photoshop, right? Picture your name in lights, LOL! If you’re looking for attention for your blog or website, the header gets 18,000-20,000 pageviews/day.

Today the lovely Kelly of Vampy Varnish shares a review of OPI’s newest collection of nail polishes for summer.

OPI and Paige Premium Denim have paired up this summer to release a really great collection of matching nail polish and colored Paige Denim jeans!

I am a HUGE fan of Paige jeans and OPI, so what could be a better fit? I must confess, though, that I haven’t worn a pair of colored jeans since the ’90s, but I suppose all trends make their way back eventually.

All of these polishes are crèmes, and the application was excellent, as usual for OPI!

Over The Taupe is a gorgeous mushroom-y taupe. Offbeat colors like this one have always been some of my favorites, and they seem to be quite popular in general (such as Sephora by OPI’s constantly sold out Metro Chic). It’s similar to You Don’t Know Jacques, from their French collection, but a lot lighter. The application was perfect and this was three coats.

It’s A Grape Fit! is so pretty! It’s a fabulous medium lavender and perfect for summer. There have been a lot of lavender crèmes lately, but this isn’t a dupe of any of the ones I have. This was three coats.

Shorts Story is an amazingly flattering bright pink. The undertones are blue, so it leans toward the cooler side of pink. It was very opaque and creamy, and I only needed two coats.

In My Back Pocket is a pretty tangerine with yellow undertones. I think it would look especially great on those with darker skin tones. I can totally picture it on a pedi peeking out from a fabulous pair of copper colored Greek sandals!

No Room For The Blues is quite simply stunning. Sky blue is one of my favorite colors, and I think almost all skin tones could pull this one off. The color has cropped up a lot this season, but I could have a thousand different sky blues and be happy! The application was exceptionally creamy and smooth, and I only needed two coats.

On The Same Paige is a burnt orange. This picture shows it as being a tomato red, but really it’s much more orange and has a slight rusty tint to it that I like. There have been many oranges and reds this season, but its rustiness makes it unlike the rest. It’s very opaque, and I only needed two coats.

Overall, I think OPI really hit it out of the park with this collection. These polishes sell for about $12.50 apiece, and I was especially happy to see purple, blue and taupe in here, since they aren’t too conservative and are therefore more interesting to me.

Which of these are your favs?

• On the Same Paige
• No Room for the Blues
• Shorts Story
• In My Back Pocket
• A Grape Fit!
• Over the Taupe

This post was written by Kelly of Vampy Varnish, a blog featuring reviews and swatches of nail polish brands and colors. Her favorite nail polish brands include OPI, Rescue Beauty Lounge, China Glaze and Zoya. A long time MAC fan as well, she fell in love with makeup at the age of 13, when she started wearing heavy black winged-out eyeliner and bright Smurf blue eyeshadow.