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MAC counters nationwide are under constant attack today by crazed MAC fans (like me) dying to get their grubby, makeup stained hands on the new Cult of Cherry and Overrich collections. It’s total mayhem! :)

More on MAC Cult of Cherry and Overrich

I’m late for work and have to zip out the door, but here are swatches for now. I’ll post updates later today with more detailed reviews. Enjoy! :)

Eye Shadow Palettes ($36)

Shadowy Lady

Spiced Chocolate

Tempting

Lipsticks ($14)

Mattene Lipsticks ($14.50)

Tinted Lipglass ($14)


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Just a quick note for the MAC fans — MAC Cult of Cherry is now available online. Yup, the wait is over, and all MAC online purchases made by August 23 will also ship free.

Must. Exercise. Spending. Restraint.

Here’s a screen shot taken from an artsy-fartsy video MAC has posted on the Cult of Cherry page. It features a woman with a weird plaster cat. Interesting…

But Cult of Cherry isn’t the only MAC news of the day. The new Overrich pigment collection ($19.50 each) also launched online.

Featuring limited edition pigments in green, gold, mauve and copper shades, Overrich looks wearable and pretty. I’ve got a fetish for greens and golds and can’t wait to see both Vintage Gold and Antique Green in person.

You know it’s going to be a good day when you get your MAC fix before noon. ;)

Ladies, I’m on my umpteenth cup of coffee already and feeling kinda loopy! How goes your morning so far?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen


Here’s a brief peak at some of the products from MAC’s upcoming Cult of Cherry collection. I haven’t been this excited about a MAC collection since … well, since the last MAC collection.

What makes Cult of Cherry noteworthy? For me it’s the rich reds, dark plums and chocolate browns. The collection includes nine lipsticks (four Mattenes), two blushes, five Lipglasses, three eye shadow quads, two nail polishes and Zoom Lash mascara (also part of MAC’s permanent collection).

Tempting Quad

What do you think of Tempting Quad? It houses four shadows for $36.

  • Next to Nothing: A pinky beige shimmer shadow; on me it shows up more pink.
  • Tempting: OMG. Where has this rich, shimmery golden brown been all my life? It just melts into my skin. What a fabulous crease shade.
  • Dark Edge: A sheer, deep chocolate brown semi-matte that’s a bit on the cool side. I really like this in the outer V.
  • Sharp: This shimmery green-gold shade turned out to be a nice surprise. In the pan it looked a little garish, but I like the way it looks on my lids.

On this eye that’s Next to Nothing on my brow bone, Tempting in the crease, Sharp on the lid and Dark Edge in the Outer V. I have a feeling there are endless ways to wear this quad. It’s lurve, ladies!





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MAC Cult of Cherry: A Look at Some Lipsticks

Fri, 08/8/2008 by Karen | Posted in: MAC Makeup, News

G’morning, girls! :) I had makeup dreams last night. I dreamt I was sitting on my bed, gloriously happy and surrounded by makeup. I was playing with MAC’s upcoming Cult of Cherry collection, probably because I thought about it so much yesterday.

The entire MAC Cult of Cherry collection will include these and 10 other lipsticks and glosses when it arrives on MAC counters later this month.

So Scarlet Amplified Lipstick ($14)


MAC’s product marketing describes the shade as a “clean grape burgundy.” On me it’s a cool 40’s-style red with a touch of purple. I think it’s one of the most stunning shades I’ve seen in a while. It makes me want to don fishnets and dance to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy!

Jampacked Lipglass ($14)


Depending on the light, Jampacked ranges from a deep, rich purple to the softer violet in the picture above. It’s a gorgeous purple gloss with a hint of shimmer. The shimmer must be what makes it dance in the light.

Creme Cerise Lustre Lipstick ($14)


A pretty nude that looks tan on me.

Kirsch Mattene Lipstick ($14.50)


Deep, dark and moody, two coats of this burgundy matte left me with lips that my high school chola friends would have envied, but because the shade is so dark it’s also incredibly hard to apply. There’s no way in *hellz* I could wear it dark without a lip brush, lip liner and 20 extra minutes, but if I dot it directly onto my lips and blend it with my fingers, it leaves a light stain. If you want/need a vampire dark look (’cause you never know), then this is your shade.

America’s Best Dance Crew — Spoiler Alert!

Do NOT read past the break here unless you’re prepared to find out what happened on last night’s show. No joke.

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Am I the only girl out there who thinks watching The Golden Girls and playing with makeup constitutes a good time? I hope not, LOL!

Earlier this afternoon, with MAC’s Cherry Blossom face chart laid out on the floor in front of me, I did some experimenting with MAC Cult of Cherry’s Spiced Chocolate Quad, Plum du Bois blush, Creme Cerise lipstick and Cherry Blossom Lipglass.

Face charts for Cult of Cherry and MAC’s other makeup collections are available on the MAC website. The charts indicate which products and brushes to use for different looks, and, in some cases, indicate the proper placement of color.

The Cheeks and Lips

In the Cherry Blossom chart, the eyes are bold, but the cheeks and lips are soft and subtle. I reached for Plum du Bois and, following the chart, swirled some on my cheeks with a MAC 187 brush (aka the skunk brush).

Then, I lined my lips with Sublime Culture Cremestick Liner, filling them in with Creme Cherise Lipstick. I topped them off with a layer of Cherry Blossom Lipglass.

The Eyes

Eye Products I Used

I prefer to do one eye at a time, working each one to completion before I move on to the next eye. Some women prefer to work on both eyes at the same time, completing a step on one eye and then repeating it on the other, since they already have the correct brush in hand. I think it boils down to personal preference. For me, it’s faster if I finish one eye before moving on to the other.

The Eyes: Step by Step

  1. First, using a MAC 266 brush, I shaded in my brows with Concrete.
  2. Then, I highlighted the brow bone by dusting Nanogold onto it with a 252 eye shader brush.
  3. I applied Pink Couture Shadestick onto my lids, blending out the edges with my finger.
  4. Then, I swept Sweet Chestnut Eye Shadow directly on top of the Pink Couture Shadestick with a 217 blending brush.
  5. To add more depth to the eye, I added Spiced Chocolate Eye Shadow into the crease with a 219 pencil brush.
  6. With the same brush, I ran Sweet Chestnut Eye Shadow along the lower lash line.
  7. To finish the eye look, I curled my lashes, and then added two coats of Zoomblack mascara onto both the upper and lower lashes.

All done, my little cherry blossom! :)

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Coming Soon: MAC Cult of Cherry

Thu, 07/31/2008 by Karen | Posted in: MAC Makeup, Makeup, News

It’s gonna be on like Donkey Kong when MAC’s Cult of Cherry collection arrives this fall. I’m gonna be all over those rich chocolates, purples and reds.

I think everything in the collection looks sophisticated and very wearable, and I’m FREAKING OUT over the beautiful color combos possible with each of the three quads.

MAC Cult of Cherry Quads

Spiced Chocolate Quad ($36)

  • Nanogold: Sheer yellow pink with pink pearl (frost)
  • Brash: Frosty reddish copper (veluxe pearl)
  • Spiced Chocolate: Dirty deep reddish brown (matte)
  • Sweet Chestnut: Frosted cranberry (frost)

Tempting Quad ($36)

  • Next to Nothing: Sheer yellow beige with pink pearl (frost)
  • Sharp: Frosty bright yellow gold (satin)
  • Dark Edge: Dirty chocolate brown (satin)
  • Tempting: Rich coco (lustre)

Shadowy Lady Quad ($36)

  • Light Fall: Dirty light pink (satin)
  • Smudge Violet: Frosty blackened lavender with multi-dimensional pearl (frost)
  • Deep Truth: Very dark blue (frost)
  • Shadowy Lady: Darkly veiled plum (matte)

MAC Cult of Cherry Lipsticks

And it doesn’t stop there. Don’t the lipsticks look divine?

  • Crème Cerise: Sheer yellow taupe (lustre)
  • Lightly Ripe: Sheer mid-tone pink (lustre)
  • Russian Red: Intense bluish red (matte)
  • “O”: Intense purplish red with metallic gold (frost)
  • So Scarlet: Clean grape burgundy (amplified)

MAC rarely does wrong in my book. I love almost everything they release, but I’ve thought that several of their recent collections have been more geared toward a younger, teen audience. While releases like Naughty Nauticals, Fafi and Dazzleglass were colorful and cheeky … hot pinks, glittery glosses and teal blue eye shadows may be a bit too TRL for some.

Don’t get me wrong — I lurve fun makeup colors, but I’ve been eager for MAC to release another collection with a slightly more polished, sophisticated feel.

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Haaaay, shady lady! Okay, I know you’re not shady… It’s just that for some reason every time I think of the MAC Shadowy Lady quad from last week’s Cult of Cherry collection I am compelled to shout “shady lady!”

A few days ago, reader Lexi asked to see a face of the day with the Shadowy (Shady!) Lady quad. That sounded like fun, so here’s the look I wore to work yesterday — a light purple eye with a bright blue liner.

Lips

Products

How to Get the Lip Look

  1. First, I lined my lips with Pink Treat Cremestick.
  2. Next, I applied one layer of Lightly Ripe Lipstick directly from the tube onto my lips, blotted my lips with a tissue and then added a second layer for good luck.
  3. To finish the lips, I topped them off with a layer of Rich & Ripe Lipglass.

Cheeks

Products

Get the Cheek Look

  1. Using a 129 powder/blush brush, I swept Blooming atop the apples of my cheeks and then up into the hairline.
  2. Next, I applied Stila Sun Bronzer with a 116 blush brush, starting near the outer corner of my right eye and swiping down the curve of the cheek bone (under the apple of my cheek). Then, I swiped back up the same way. From there, I swiped the brush over the right temple onto my upper forehead just below the hairline (reverse and repeat the process on your left).

Eyes

Products

The Eyes: Step by Step

  1. First, with a 266 angled brush, I shaded in my brows with Concrete.
  2. Then, I patted Painterly Paint Pot over the entire eye with a 239 eye shading brush.
  3. Next, I dusted Light Fall over the Painterly Paint Pot on the eye with a 252 eye shader brush.
  4. Using a 217 blending brush, I applied Smudged Violet onto my lids, blending out the edges with the same brush.
  5. To make the outer corner look a bit smokier, I added Shadowy Lady with a 224 tapered blending brush and applied the color with a small, circular motion.
  6. To line my eyes, I wanted something a bit different than my regular old black liner, so I wet a 212 flat brush with a spritz of MAC Fix+ and swept the wet brush head across a pan of Deep Truth eye shadow. I applied the wet shadow to my upper lash line, thickening the line as it got closer to the outer corner my eye.
  7. To finish the eye look, I curled my lashes and added two coats of Prep + Prime Lash followed by two coats of Zoomblack mascara (on the upper lashes only).



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Lip Look: Clinique Cherry Bomb

Wed, 03/26/2008 by Karen | Posted in: Product Reviews

Gasp! A break in the pink madness? Yep. Now I’m crushing big time on red lip glosses like Cherry Bomb ($17.50), a sheer red gloss from Clinique’s Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine line.

clinique-cherry-bomb.jpg
clinique-cherry-bomb-final.jpg

They may call it a lip plumper, but I didn’t notice a difference in pucker plumpness. Not a problem, though, because I I love Cherry Bomb’s subtle shimmer and the light red stain it delivers to my lips. It’s tasteless, odorless, non-stick and has a fab shiny finish, too. Love it!

Oy, I’m having a killer day at work today. I’m heading straight to Rite Aid after I leave to grab an ice cream and do some haulin’ (I’m thinking Rimmel lip liners, ooh!). What’s crackin’ for you this afternoon, homie? I’ll hang tough if you will!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

day | walker

noun
1 a sub-species of vampire from European folklore, which, unlike traditional vampires, is able to survive in full sunlight; still must drink the blood of the living by biting their necks with long pointed canine teeth.

Yesterday, as I was “dropping the kids off at school” (ha, ha, TMI, I know!), I spent some quality time perusing this month’s issue of Sephora Beauty Authority magazine. The model’s dark, matte lipstick reminded me of vampires and MAC’s Kirsch Mattene.

I wanted to try a similar cat eye-dark lip look but had to keep it responsible enough for the office (boo).

Fun with MAC Kirsch Mattene


Guess who just watched Zoolander

The lips are my favorite part of this look! Following Gordon Espinet’s dark lipstick application method, I lined them with Chanel Nude Lip Liner followed by two layers of Kirsch, applied with a lip brush. Watch out, Count Chocula!

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bath-body-works-cherry-blossom-cream

Yet another reason to keep a small pair of scissors in your bathroom – they are handy for getting out the last remnants of product out of tubes or hair gel, acne medication, body lotion or whatever you’ve got in a tube that’s down to it’s last droplets. I’ve found this trick handy during moments of sheer product desperation. And truth be told, I use this trick a lot ‘cause I’m cheap and hate throwing out the last few bits of anything I paid good money for, ha ha ha.

So this morning after I got out of the shower I reached for my tube of Bath & Body Works Cherry Blossom Body Cream this morning I realized that I was all out. This product comes in a tube, not a bottle, so I first tried the old trick where you shake the tube, hit the cap against you palm a few times and then squeeze the remainder of the product out. After that didn’t work any more, I grabbed the scissors from the medicine cabinet, cut off the tube in two, and used my fingers to dig into the cap area where the last of the lotion remained. And then those last bits of lotion were mine!

The official vacation count down is on! I’m going to Hawaii in t-minus 28 days. I can’t wait to surf in warm water and to hang out with my family! What are your vacation plans for the summer?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

OMG! I forgot to mention the minor traumatic incident I had this morning while I was doing my hair — I found a gray hair that looked exactly like a crunchy cellophane noodle.

I kid you not. It was all dry and twisty… UGH!

Everyone in my family goes gray early (I’ve been getting gray hairs since my teens), but this was the first time I’d ever found one of these. How precious.

After plucking it out, I flailed about the bedroom for a few minutes, desperately searching for something to help me forget what had happened.

And that’s when I thought of MAC. I decided to do this playful pink and purple eye with eyeshadows from the MAC Cosmetics Infatuating Rose: 6 Cool Eyes palette ($38).



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It’s cherries, cherries everywhere as Laura Mercier boards the cherry train with her Cherries Noir fall makeup collection of colors inspired by 1940s Hollywood glam.

Due on counters nationwide September 1, the collection includes six matte and shimmer Eye Colour eye shadows ($22 each), one Illuminating Powder quad for cheeks ($35) and five Lip Velvet ($22) lipsticks.

Like last week’s MAC Cult of Cherry, Cherries Noir features some really striking lip products I think they’ll be the stars of the show.

A friend of mine who works for Laura Mercier said the new Lip Velvets aren’t exactly lipsticks but rather lip stains packaged like lip glosses, with textures similar to LM’s Glace lip gloss.

With a demi-matte finish (semi-matte, halfway between a matte lipstick and a shiny gloss), the wine, berry and plum shades look easy to wear. If you’ve been looking for a lip that leans toward dark without going full-on vampire, look out for Cherries Noir.

Cherries Noir Lips

  • Cassis: deep mulberry
  • Cherry Blossom: earthy berry
  • Mocha Rouge: tawny brick red
  • Naked Rose: neutral peachy pink
  • Royal Plum: muted wine

I’m looking forward to these and will stalk Nordstrom until I get my hands on ‘em!

What do you think about Laura Mercier’s Cherries Noir? Cherry overkill or can’t wait?


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mac cosmetics amber lights eyeshadow fotd

Ladies, thanks to your recommendations I’m now officially obsessed with MAC Amber Lights eyeshadow, aka the ultimate pan of peachy bronze goodness. :)

Yesterday, I borrowed a few of your color combination suggestions for this plummy bronze eye.

mac cosmetics amber lights eyeshadow fotd eye

I know spring is right around the corner and all, but the colors remind me of autumn leaves.

mac cosmetics amber lights eyeshadow fotd eye map

I used six MAC products for the look.

  1. MAC Indianwood Paint Pot cream shadow: shimmery bronze
  2. MAC Amber Lights eyeshadow: shimmery peachy brown
  3. MAC Saddle eyeshadow: matte orangey brown
  4. MAC Star Violet eyeshadow: shimmery plummy brown
  5. MAC Shadowy Lady eyeshadow: matte plummy black
  6. MAC Honey Lust eyeshadow: shimmery bronzy peach

It starts out with a thin layer of Indianwood Paint Pot patted over the entire lid. It’s a cream base that adds staying power to the powder eyeshadows and turns up the color intensity.

After Indianwood, I go straight for Amber Lights, aka my new eyeshadow crush, applying it on the lid with a MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush.

For added color and contrast in the crease, I follow Amber Lights with a sweeping of Saddle eyeshadow on the inner half of the crease using a MAC 217 Blending Brush. After that, I sweep Star Violet eyeshadow on the outer half with a MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush.

I’m shooting for a little more of a smokey look, so I grab my trusty pan of MAC Shadowy Lady eyeshadow (remember her from the MAC Cult of Cherry Collection?) and pat her in the outer corner with the MAC 239.

After lining both the upper and lower lash lines with a MAC 209 Eyeliner Brush, I sweep some Honey Lust eyeshadow onto the brow bone and into the inner corner of the eye with a MAC 217 Blending Brush.

A few coats of mascara and concealer under the eyes, and then I move on to the lips and cheeks…

mac cosmetics amber lights eyeshadow fotd eye 2

For the rest of the look, I decided to go with a strong lip and nearly-nude cheeks. I apply a single of layer of MAC O lipstick (a plummy red) on the lips and MAC Emote blush on the cheeks.
mac cosmetics amber lights eyeshadow fotd 2

I think I’ll wear this look with my plum dress (or maybe a white top and chunky gold jewelry) out to dinner tonight…

Weird urges


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For one precious hour last Saturday afternoon I got in some quality me time. El Hub had gone to the bookstore for something, so I had the place to myself. I plopped down on the living room floor with a bowl of chilled grapes, started an episode of Law and Order: SVU (lovin’ ya, Detective Stabler!) on the Tivo and reached for a few items from MAC Red She Said.

My mind was racing with thoughts of Tabs and other troubles, and I needed to distract myself with something uncomplicated, like Inter-view Mineralize Eye Shadow ($17.50), Enough Said Beauty Powder Blush ($18), Quiet, Please lipstick ($14) and Miss Dynamite Dazzleglass ($17.50).


From left to right: Enough Said Beauty Powder Blush, three shades from the Interview Mineralize Eye Shadow trio

I tried this brown, bronze and navy blue smokey eye. When I was done with the look, I walked around the room by myself, pretending I was contemplating impressionist paintings in a fancy art gallery.

Here’s how I did this look…

The Eyes

  1. I started by priming my lids with a layer of MAC Painterly Paint Pot applied with a fingertip.
  2. Next, I layered a mix of the brown and bronze shades from the MAC Inter-view Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio onto the inner two-thirds of my lid using a MAC 252 eyeshadow brush.
  3. Still with the same brush, I patted the navy blue shade from Inter-view onto the outer third of the lid and just barely into the crease, concentrating most of the color on the side closer to the ear.
  4. Then, I wet a MAC 239 eyeshadow brush with a spritz of MAC Fix+ and swept the wet brush head across the pan of bronze eyeshadow to load the brush and applied the rich, wet shadow to the inner third of my lid. With the edge of the brush, I lined the lower lash line.
  5. Using MAC Technakohl liner in Graphblack, I lined my upper and lower water lines.

To finish the eyes, I curled my lashes with the (legendary) Shu Uemura lash curler and added a couple coats of MAC Zoomlash mascara in Zoomblack.

The Cheeks


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Is Enormous Lash the Next Great Cult Beauty Item?

Thu, 11/13/2008 by Karen | Posted in: Makeup

Hi, ladies! I’m here at my fave MAC counter at Nordstrom picking up a tube of the new MAC Dazzle Lash Mascara ($12). I can’t wait to try it when I get home. I hope it delivers glamorous lashes.

Speaking of the eternal quest for bigger lashes, I was wondering if you’ve heard of a product by Beauty Society called Enormous Lash. It’s a liquid lash growth formula that’s supposed to dramatically increase the length of your lashes. You apply the serum to your lash line, kinda like a liquid liner, and in about 30 days your lashes supposedly grow longer and fuller.

Usually I’m very skeptical of lash growth products, but all the makeup artists here are raving about the results. Each person gushes over and over again, “Oh my gawd. It TOTALLY works.”

A single tube of Enormous Lash costs $95 (ouch), but they tell me that’s enough for at least six months.

While I’m tempted to get a tube for myself, I really want it more for my mom-in-law for when she starts doing chemo. She has really long lashes now (which El Hub inherited, the lucky bum), and I know they’ll probably fall out, so I want to give her something that will help her when that time comes.

Have you used Enormous Lash? Did you get good results?

Hope you’re having a great Thursday. I’m off to go play with some Dior shadows. :)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beauty Snacks: Sites of the Day, Jan. 24

Sat, 01/24/2009 by Karen | Posted in: Just For Fun

After the light, make a left turn at Butt Hole Road…

Britain takes the cake for embarrassing place names! My favorites: East Breast and Slutshole Lane, LOL!

I’ll have the Chanel No. 5 with a side of beans, please

Ever wonder why there are coffee beans at the fragrance counter?

The 80s are back! And this time they ain’t messing around

I guess if JT can bring sexy back, Urban Outfitters can revive the hair scrunchy. True confession: I have one in my bathroom drawer right now. It’s purple, and I use it to put my hair in a ponytail when I’m washing my face. :)

MAC Spring and Summer 2009 pics and previews

One word: HOT!

Who’s the final Cylon?

LOL! Okay, if you actually understood the above sentence (hint: it has to do with sci-fi), then you might be interested in the Battlestar Galactica series finale spoiler.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. It’s an overcast and dreary day out here on the lovely San Francisco Bay. :) Have a great day today, no matter what the weather’s like.

clinique-bamboo-pink-collection1

What’s up, my fellow makeup lovahs? Have I mentioned that Clinique’s Bamboo Pink is one of my favorite lip colors, ever?

When I heard Clinique was doing an entire release based on it I went nuts!

The color itself is a cool, silvery pink — a cult favorite — and I was stoked to see that a lot of you are just as hyped about the news as I am.

Who could blame us, right? The limited edition summer release for cheeks, eyes and lips (available now) includes a color palette of cool pinks, bronzes and taupes that work together beautifully.

So far, I’ve played with five items from the 11-piece collection.

Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad in Bamboo Pink, $25

clinique-bamboo-pink-colour-surge-eye-shadow-quad

The Bamboo Pink Eye Shadow Quad comes packed with four perfectly coordinated shades of shimmery light pink, shimmery copper, shimmery taupe and shimmery rose-pink.

All apply on the cool side, so I’m guessing cool-beauties will be able to TURN THIS MUTHA OUT.

No doubt, the shades are shimmery, but they aren’t overly frosty, which I think makes them pretty easy to wear. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Cream Shaper for Eyes Duo in Chocolate Lustre/Cocoa Shimmer, $15

clinique-bamboo-pink-chocolate-lustre-cocoa-shimmer-creme-shaper-for-eyes

Okay, I’ll come clean — at first glance this dual-tipped pencil didn’t give me lusty makeup thoughts. I thought Cream Shaper for Eyes Duo in Chocolate Lustre/Cocoa Shimmer looked kinda ho-hum on the outside, but inside it’s a gem. The pencils are super creamy and glide on without skipping. They’re also water-resistant and don’t smudge for nuthin’.

I like how well both Chocolate Lustre (a shimmery brown) and Cocoa Shimmer (a shimmer taupe) work as eyeshadow bases layered beneath the colors in the Bamboo Pink Quad, yes! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

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Behind the Scenes of Mad Men: MAC Makeup!

Mon, 08/31/2009 by Karen | Posted in: MAC Makeup

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Joan Holloway, played by actress Christina Hendricks

Good morning, chicas! I know a few of you gals are fiends for the TV show, Mad Men. Did you know MAC’s the genius behind the show’s 60s-inspired makeup?

I love, LOVE the clean, fresh and elegant looks the three main female characters — Joan Holloway (an office manager at an advertising agency), Elizabeth “Betty” Draper (a housewife) and Peggy Olson (a copy writer at an advertising firm) — wear.

This morning my friends at MAC sent me an interesting Q&A with lead Mad Men makeup artist, Lana Horochowski. She discusses the creative process (always a fascinating thing to me), along with the MAC products used to create each character’s distinct look. I thought you might enjoy it while you sipped on your morning cup o’ java. :) Enjoy!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. The Monday Poll’s coming at ‘cha in just a few. Sit tight!

You’re the new department head at Mad Men for season three. Will you be making any changes to any character’s makeup?

Since we are moving a little forward into the future, we have changed up the color palette for each character to go along with the time period.

When you were preparing for this season, did you do any research for inspiration? If so, what most inspired you?

Weeks and weeks of meetings and research. I love looking through the old magazines. They are a great reference and a huge source of inspiration; however, we do try to keep the characters looking like real people that do their own makeup and not like movie stars with a makeup artist standing by. Magazines and old movies are a great guideline for a basic look and color selection.

mac-cosmetics-and-mad-men-peggy
Peggy Olson, played by actress Elisabeth Moss

How would you describe the looks of each one of the characters? How do they differ?

  • Joan Holloway: Always put together, very sassy and sexy.
  • Betty Draper: Although she is a housewife, she is an ex-model, so her makeup is clean but very current for the period.
  • Peggy Olson: Peggy is a young and fresh-faced business woman of that period; she [has] very clean, natural makeup.

What are your key products for creating the makeup looks for the main female characters?

  • Joan Holloway: We do a heavier eye on Christina [Hendricks], so the key products would be eyeliner and strip lashes.
  • Betty Draper: Betty has two distinct looks: her at-home look and her going out/evening look. For home she is very natural — basically a sheer foundation [and] black eyeliner and mascara. Evening Betty goes a little thicker on the liner and [does] a brighter lipstick, [and is always] coordinated with her clothing.
  • Peggy Olson: Since the key to Peggy’s look is to appear as though she is wearing no makeup, a great foundation is super important. Also, a natural cheek and lip stain [are] applied to give her a little color.

What are your favorite MAC products for each character?

mac-cosmetics-and-mad-men-betty
Elizabeth “Betty” Draper, played by actress January Jones

Everyone always notices the lips on the show, but brows seem to play a very important part to the look. Can you talk about the brows on the show?

Women of the 60s had a stricter code of style and etiquette, so people tended to follow the trends closer to the book. Nowadays, women have a variety of different brow styles so we are constantly tweezing, shaping and filling the brows to recreate the look of the period.

Each character has the most perfect lashes framing her eyes. What are your favorite lashes to use to get that perfectly plump line of lashes?

We love the MAC individual lashes as well as the traditional strip lashes.

Do you collaborate with the hair and costume departments when coming up with a look?

Absolutely! We have at least three meetings per episode to create the look as a unit. I could not do this show without Lucia Mace (hair), Janie Bryant (costumes) and my fabulous key [makeup artist] Ron Pipes!

There seems to be a lot of making out on the show, how many times do you have to redo those red lips? Does it get messy?

We do what we can to seal the lip color, but we still have to go in every take to perform a minor clean up.

What can real women take away from the show’s look and incorporate into their everyday look?

Well, a great start would be lining the top lash line only with a gel liner like M·A·C Fluidline. We love this product for recreating the perfect 60s eye.

Also, replacing gloss and sheer or shimmer lipsticks with matte reds, bright pinks and corals help create a more retro look.

Lastly, instead of a powder blush try using creme in pinks and corals to create a flushed looking cheek. For evening, strip lashes are always a bonus.

make-up-for-ever-glossy-full-couleur-3-top

My brain was farting up a storm today. It took me forever to figure out what lip gloss I wanted to wear.

It was like rocket science or trying to build a better mousetrap or something. I dunno…

Finally, out of desperation, I reached for a tube that just so happened to match the earrings I had on (!).

Choosing a lip gloss to wearIf you’re ever at a loss for lip gloss and can’t decide on a color to wear, try a shade that matches a pair of colorful earrings.

In my case the color was Make Up For Ever Glossy Full Couleur Gloss in #3, a creamy coral with a ton o’ shine.

make-up-for-ever-glossy-full-couleur-3-swatch

Check out the teeny sample tube (the full-size .33-oz tube costs $19).

Isn’t it cute?

make-up-for-ever-glossy-full-couleur-3-in-hand

make-up-for-ever-glossy-full-couleur-3-k2

Right now Sephora has a set of three Glossy Full Couleur Glosses on sale for $35 (a $57 value) that comes with full-size tubes in #3 (coral), #1 (cherry) and #4 (fuchsia).

I’m not exactly sure why the matching lip gloss/earrings combo trick works, but I’m guessing that the pops of similar color in such close proximity reinforce the presence of the primary shade — HA! Listen to me sounding like I have any idea what I’m talking about. :)

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Beauty Snacks: Sites of the Day, November 14

Fri, 11/14/2008 by Karen | Posted in: Just For Fun, News

I Want All The Bags From the Hayden-Harnett Target Line

  • SO CUTE! I’m a total handbag ho, so I can’t wait for Hayden-Harnett’s Target Line (a collection of tote bags, clutches and a single, random umbrella) to debut on December 28th.

James the Vampire = Kinda Hawt

Say It Ain’t So

  • Are you ready for the return of the bowl bang? I used to have a Dorthy Hamill bowl cut with bangs just like these circa 1981, LOL. :)

Coming Soon

  • When you hit those day-after-Christmas sales on December 26, head over to MAC to peep the new Dame Edna collection. Also keep your eyes peeled for Clinique Instant Relief Mineral Powder ($32.50), a yellow, loose powder designed to cancel out red tones, which debuts in January.

The Return of the Pant Suit

The Case of the Disappearing Collar


OMG, scandal. I hadn’t seen Tabs all day yesterday, and when he arrived home last night his collar was totally MIA. This cat better not be cheating on me with another human. :( It’s one of those safety collars that’s designed to break away if a kitty gets stuck, so I am really hoping that unsavory human hands did not remove the stylish blue collar from my rotund, striped friend.

Still, I’m happy it’s Friday. It’s been a long week. Today I’ve got grand plans to buy Tabs a new collar (pink with rhinestones?), test my tube o’ MAC Dazzle Lash mascara and experiment with the Nars Jolie Poupee eye duo (from the Nars holiday 2008 collection). So excited!

Are you having a good day so far?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beauty Snacks: Sites of the Day, Nov. 25

Tue, 11/25/2008 by Karen | Posted in: Just For Fun

Gimme That Old School BH 90210

OPI is rolling out a collection in January inspired by the newly revamped version of the 90s TV classic Beverly Hills, 90210. To this I give a big fat BOO! I want shades inspired by the old school show, with names like The Brenda-Kelly-Dylan Love Triangle and Kelly’s In a Cult.

A Rainy Day Makeup Project

Bellasugar shows how to make a lipstick palette out of a pillbox.

Un-Wrinkle My Lips, Please

OOH! I’ve been wanting to try this stuff. Beauty Addict takes a look at Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Lip ($30), a peptide product that promises to plump, smooth and hydrate lips.

Are You Down With Slow Blogging?

Slow is the new blog! Well, that’s what those in the new slow blogging movement believe, LOL!

Shop Wisely This Holiday Season

Be a responsible shopper this holiday season with these savvy shopping tips.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Ernest Hemingway’s (1899-1961) most productive writing years were the 10 years he spent living on Whitehead Street in Old Town Key West. He spent his thirties on Key West and wrote 70% of his published life’s work — including For Whom the Bell Tolls and To Have and Have Not — in a small, second-story writing studio overlooking his estate’s tropical gardens. Surrounded by his many cats, he would peck away at a little typewriter from dawn until about noon, and then either head downtown to get drunk at Sloppy Joe’s saloon or spend the afternoon deep sea fishing.

Hemingway was many things — a womanizer, manic depressive, egotistical, an alcoholic — but he was also a brilliant storyteller and one of my favorite writers of all time.

Here are some pictures of the place he called home…

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whats-your-favorite-makeup-palette-final

I’m a palette junkie (love having multiple choices in one place), so this was a toughie!

urban decay get baked paletteLet’s see… If I had to pick just one, it would probably be Urban Decay’s Get Baked. It always comes with me on vacations because I love the mix of easy-to-wear gold, brown and teal shimmers — particularly that bright pop of teal! :)

So tell me — what’s your all-time favorite palette?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

clinique black tie violets fotd 2

Last Friday’s Clinique Black Tie Violets swatchfest ignited a serious makeup love affair. I’ve been wearing the eye, lip and cheek products from the new holiday collection all week long.

My favorite look so far? This violet eye, shimmery plum cheek and dark pink lip. That’s Colour Surge Eyeshadow Quad in Black Tie Violets ($25) and Brush-On Cream Liner in Violet Luxe ($15) on my peepers, Shimmering Stripes Powder Blush in Tuxedo Plums ($30) on my cheeks and Defining Liner for Lips in Pomegranate ($14) topped with High Impact Lip Color in Extreme Pink ($14) on my kisser.

clinique black tie violets fotd eyes

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glee-top

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. :)

oh-hai-mr-shu-1

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…

glee-stila-lip-glaze

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stila kitten collection and tabs
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.

stila kitten collection box

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. Stamp of makeup approval

stila kitten collection eyeshadow closeup

stila kitten collection lip glaze closeup

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