Perfect for the Office Holiday Par-tay

Why do they call office holiday get togethers “parties”? Everybody knows the only reason you show up is because you have to!

So, what do I do when I know I’ll be subjected to this farce o’ revelry? I buy a new dress to ease the pain a bit and work some fierce makeup, of course.

This year I plan to wear a bronze, gold and khaki smokey eye with punchy pink cheeks and lips. Lynn Furge, Becca cosmetics national artist and all around cool lady, created this look just for Makeup and Beauty Blog. Pretty, yah?

The beautiful Marcella Faustini, a Bay Area in-house artist for Becca, worked her magic when re-creating the look:

To get it, Marcella used the following products:

Face
- Becca Mattifying Primer to prep skin ($35.00)
- Becca Line and Pore Corrector to fill in spots and to smooth out lines and pores ($32.00)
- Becca Skin Color SPF 20+ as a tinted moisturizer ($40.00)
- Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter SPF 20+ as a highlighter and lumimizer ($38.00)
- Becca Concealer ($35.00)
- Becca Stick Foundation in Coffee ($39.00)
- Becca Fine Loose Finishing Powder in Mocha on t-zone only ($35.00)
- Becca Pressed Bronzing Powder in Salsa around frame of face and neck ($34.00)

Cheeks
- Becca Watermelon Beach Tint on apples of cheeks ($22.00)
- Becca Creme Blush in Geranium ($27.00)

Eyes
- Becca Eyeliner Compact and Waterproof Sealer in Barbarella on upper lash line ($27.00)
- Becca Creme Eye Color in Antique Gold on eyelid ($25.00)
- Becca Eye Color Powder in Lurex all over lid ($20.00)
- Becca Eye Color Powder in Chintz along lash line and outer corner ($20.00)
- Becca Eye Color Powder in Shantung ($20.00) and Chnitz on lower two-thirds of lashes

Lips
- Becca Geranium ($27.00)
- Becca Glossy Lip Tint in Angel Kiss ($22.00)

Chintz Eye Color Powder – khaki-gold shimmer

Lurex Eye Color Powder – silvery-gold shimmer


Shantung Eye Color Powder – antique-bronze shimmer

To see the Becca line in the SF Bay Area, visit the San Francisco Neiman Marcus, which has a Becca counter. If you see the lovely Marcella, tell her I sent ya!

Marcella Faustini, Becca Artist

Mega Becca Sale on Sephora.com

Sephora.com has a huge sale on Becca cosmetics right now. I picked up the Nut Tinted Moisturizer for $10.00 (normally 40 bucks!) and the Coffee Stick Foundation for $9.75 (usually $39.00). Many items are out of stock, but you still may be able to find a lil’ something on deeeeep discount.

Have a groovy Saturday! I’m off to the gym to do some cardio.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I went to the movies last night with El Hub to watch “No Country for Old Men” and to stuff myself silly with popcorn. Here’s the Antiquitease-inspired look I wore on our pre-Thanksgiving date!

Antiquitease – A Fantastic Date Night Look

This is my new favorite winter date night look. On the fence about trying it?

It’s easy. This look was easier to do than Gilty Kiss, fo’ sho. On date night I like to take my time doing my makeup, and this look took about 25 minutes.

It’s subtle. For a casual movie date, sometimes bold statement looks, like smoky eyes or glossy red lips, are too much. This look has subtle layers of color – blues, browns, golds – and is very feminine and pretty.

It pairs easily with lots of different outfits. I wore it with a powder blue turtleneck, which really brought out the blues from the Silversmith Mineralize eye shadow. This look would work great with a cream, gold, or grey top, too!

Get the Look

The face chart I used is from the “Antiquitease” look on the MAC Web site. I didn’t have all of the suggested colors, so I had to do some improv.

MAC face chart: MAC Wedge eye shadow (a soft, muted, golden beige taupe matte) in the inner crease.
Replaced with: A mix of MAC Cork (muted golden brown satin) and MAC Saddle (golden orange brown matte) eye shadows. I think when I do this look again I’ll be leaving out Saddle, ’cause it shows up waaay too orange on my skin.

MAC face chart: Hushabye blush (rich, red, plum sheertone) on the cheeks
Replaced with: MAC Frankly Scarlet blush

MAC face chart: Cream Colour Base Pearl (soft, pale gold with icy shimmer) in center of lid
Replaced with: MAC Bare Canvas Paint (champagne with shimmer)

MAC face chart: Mahogany lip pencil (intense reddish brown)
Replaced with: Nars Amazon lipliner (cool brick red)

I’m off to the gym to work on my fitness – gotta have that extra scoop of mashed potatoes, oy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Mind mind keeps telling me nooooo …

Against my better judgement, here’s a pic of a face of the day with makeup from MAC’s Antiquitease Limited Edition Collection. El hub walked into the bathroom and announced oh-so-loudly that it was time to eat, and subsequently scared the bejeebus out of me:

I know, right?

I’m so glad that I finally dug into the Antiquitease Mineralize Eye Shadows ($16.50 each) because THEY RULE!

I haven’t felt this way about a MAC eye product since I discovered Fluidline! I love how the shadows are so sheer but still have just enough color punch. Plus, they build super easily and they look kinda space-agey cool with their weird domes and veins of color.

Here are a few less goofy pics from the Antiquitease “Gilty Kiss” look that I tried last night:

Everything I used was from MAC, except the blush and lip liner, which are from Rimmel.

I think I just might have a new addiction. I’m gonna have to grab every single pan of MES that comes out in the future. Yay for my makeup collection, boo for my wallet.

Are you a Mineralize Eye Shadow addict? What are your favorite combos?

A potential New Year’s resolution?

Have you heard the song by Wyclef called “Sweetest Girl?” It’s fantastic. It’s got a very upbeat sound, but at the same time if you *really listen* to the lyrics, it’s very sad. The disconnect between the happy music and sad words somehow makes the song work.

I heard it driving home, so of course the first thing I had to do when I got to my computer was watch the video on YouTube. In addition to the original video, I also found several acoustic versions done by regular folks with just a guitar! And wow, there are so many talented singers out there. Check out this version of “Sweetest Girl.” It’s pretty good:

I love to sing (back in the day I used to take lessons), but I’m usually too shy to sing in front of people. I think in 2008 I’m gonna learn how to play guitar, and perhaps someday work up the guts to do a version of this song on my own.

Are you already thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions? Watcha got so far?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Better late than never: Here are the best of last week’s posts from the ladies of the Beauty Blog Network!
Continue Reading…

I wish I could get all of my closest friends diamonds for Christmas — they really are a girl’s best friend — but unfortunately I have yet to acquire vast riches and treasure chests of gold.

While makeup may not exactly be equivalent to a platinum pave friendship bracelet, there are several products out this holiday season that have just as much sparkle and shine. Here are three great choices for the best friend who is always there for you.

Make Up For Ever Professional’s Diamonds For Ever Kit

Sparkle, shine, drama: Make Up For Ever’s limited edition Diamonds For Ever Kit is not only beautiful but also multi-functional!

Every piece in the kit is geared toward creating a look infused with diamonds, and you can use pieces in the kit together or separately to create different looks.

The kit is just $49.00, but you get $110 worth of Make Up For Ever goodies including:

- Aqua Eyes Water Proof Eye Pencil 1L in Star Black
- Diamond Shadow 301 in Diamond White
- Diamond Powder 11 (a loose shimmer powder) in Champagne
- Fascinating Lip Gloss 1 in Pearly Transparent
- Waterproof Lengthening Mascara in 1 Black
- and a cute black vanity tote with a built in mirror and velcro closure to hold all of the goodies!

I know a few weeks ago I was ranting on and on about my glitter issues ,but the Diamonds For Ever set has officially made me one with the glitter.

I played around with the kit this weekend and totally fell for the Aqua Eyes Water Proof Eye Pencil, Diamond Shadow and Waterproof Lengthening Mascara. The Aqua Eyes is *the* standout product. It doesn’t tug at my lids and is super easy to apply. Once you get it on your eyes, it stays put all day. It performs similarly to MAC Technakohl, so if you are a MAC Technakohl fan then you might want to give Aqua Eyes a try. Methinks I love it even more than my Graphblack!

Here’s a fotd with all the products, along with MAC Dollymix blush on the cheeks and a layer of MAC Composure lipstick underneath a layer of Fascinating lip gloss:

The obligatory goofy pic…

Pick this set up for your glitter-lurvin’ best girl.

Givenchy Irresisistible Perfume: For the Girly-girl

I’ve been reviewing a lot of boyfriend-inspired perfumes lately like Covet, so I wanted to find a holiday perfume that would suit the other end of the perfume spectrum.

Feminine, floral, sparkly: Givenchy’s Very Irresistible is unmistakably girly.

(Oh, and in case you are wondering, I did give the new Armani “Diamonds” perfume — an obvious tie-in to this post — a sniff. I liked it but wanted to find something that was super-fem with strong rose notes.)

On me, Very Irresistible smells like a lovely bouquet of roses with hints of fresh, sparkling green notes — think emerald cut diamonds and fresh cut flower stems!

The scent notes include: Centrifolia Rose, Peony Rose, Fantasia Rose, Passion Rose, Emotion Rose, Verbena Leaf and Star Anise. In addition to being an uber-feminine scent, it’s also versatile, and perfect for both a work day and a date night.

Give your best girl the 2.4 Eau du Toilette spray ($69.00). The graceful pink bottle is huge, and like a diamond, will last forever.

Random fragrance fun fact: Givenchy recently celebrated their 50 year fragrance anniversary this year. Givenchy’s first fragrances were Le De and L’Interdit, and Audrey Hepburn (my style hero) posed for the advertising campaign, becoming the first celebrity to be associated with a fragrance launch.

Olay Definity Eye Illuminator, For Your Make Up Wearing Gym Buddy

What the heck does eye cream have to do with sparkly diamonds? Hear me out, ya’ll!

There’s been constant discussion on this blog about wearing makeup at the gym. If you are one of the lucky few who can brave the gym sans makeup, then props to you for being such a natural beauty! I wish I could get away with no makeup, but I’ve got to put at least some concealer under my eyes, otherwise I look like the living dead. It’s so not cute, especially when you’re watching yourself do bicep curls.

And lately my dark circles have been really bad. To remedy this pressing and slightly stressful issue I’ve been layering Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer on top of Olay Definity, an under eye treatment that helps to lessen darkness and shadows. And wowee wow wow!

I put a few small drops underneath my eyes and then layer concealer on top. It gives the tiniest amount of shimmer, and it makes my under eye area look brighter.

It’s a really subtle brightening effect, so don’t expect your dark circles to disappear in a magical poof of smoke. It’s an eye cream, not a Christmas miracle. However, if you’re uber-conscious like me about your dark circles, then you might find the extra step worth it.

Got a best friend who’s always working on her fitness and/or bemoaning her dark circles? Pop a tube of Olay Definity Eye Illuminator (about $22.00) in her stocking.

Enjoy this wonderfully sunny day, ya’ll!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

More Holiday Wish List 2007 – Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Perfume

It’s been months since I’ve gone surfing and I miss being in the ocean. Just looking at the blue packaging and bottle for Elizabeth Arden’s Mediterranean perfume makes me feel like I’m in Hawaii, sitting on my board and waiting for the next wave to come and carry me away.

Aside from the beautiful bottle and packaging, the best part about this perfume is that the scent isn’t too heavy or cloying. Mediterranean is described on the Elizabeth Arden Web site as a “radiant woody floral.” Imagine a hybrid between the best parts of Fresh’s Lemon Sugar perfume and Covet.

When I spray it on I get an initial burst that’s lemony and white floral. It then dries down to a light, black tea scent. On me Mediterranean smells gender neutral and not overly feminine or sweet.

If you have a girlfriend, sister or mom who likes perfumes that aren’t too sweet then she’ll love this. It would also be a great gift for a friend who loves beachy scents but doesn’t like strong “tropical” notes like pikake or tuberose.

The 1.7 fl oz bottle you see in the pic above is $47.50, but for the holidays Elizabeth Arden’s got a special set that includes the 1.7 fl oz Eau de Parfum Spray, Body Lotion and a wee Eau de Parfum replica for $52.00. Don’t you love the extra goodies in gifts sets? I sure do.

A Holiday 2007 Face of the Day with Clinique’s “Happy & Bright” Makeup

Here’s a face of the day I did with Clinique’s Holiday 2007 “Happy & Bright” makeup. What do you think?

I used the pink shade farthest on the left all over the lid, then the peach shade to highlight the browbone and inner eye. I put the lighter brown shade in the crease and used the darker brown on the far right to line the top and bottom. Then I finished it off with two coats of BECCA The Ultimate Mascara in Black.

On the cheeks I used the lightest touch of MAC’s Dollymix blush with Clinique Fresh Bloom Allover Colour in Peony layered on top.

I finished the look off with Raspberry Glace Different Lipstick and Camisole Full Potential Lipglass on the lips.

I really love these colors. They are buildable and pretty much mistake proof. My next Clinique Holiday 2007 mission: use the Pink Truffle quad to create a gentle smoky eye!

Weekend Reading Just For You

Your weekend isn’t over yet! Here’s the latest beauty buzz from The Beauty Blog Network.

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic – Christine Explains how Antioxidants Work
A Touch of Blusher – All About Japanese Cosmetics
All Lacquered Up - All Lacquered Up Reviews OPI’s Holiday in Hollywood Dazzling Darks & Neutrals
Beauty and Fashion Tech – Beauty and Fashion Tech Looks at the New MAC Holiday Collection and Provides Swatches
Beauty and Personality Grooming – Homemade rich nail cream
Etailers Mall – The Blog – PlumSmoke
Face Candy – Bridal Beauty
Makeup Moxie’s Beauty Blog - Makeup Moxie Reviews Cover Girl Lashblast Mascara
Musings of a Muse - The Muse’s First Look at the Sephora 2007 Catalog
Mystical Beauty’s Musings – How do you feel about your makeup talking to you?
Savvy Skin - Skimpy Thinning Eyebrows
SugarShock – Fragrance Notes: Factory Girl
Temptalia - MAC Curiositease Review, Swatches, and Photos!
Makeup Loves Me - Refreshing Facial at Fresh

And oooh girl, I know you didn’t miss Makeup and Beauty Blog’s MAC Holiday 2007 Curiositease Lip Sets: What to buy, What to pass up!

A Few More Random Thangs Currently Up in My Grill

Because the world is constantly moving toward randomness…here are few tidbits that have crossed my radar in the last few days.

In definance to all the laws of the universe, somehow Christian Bale came SECOND PLACE to Wentworth Miller in Entertainment Weekly’s Ultimate Hottie Poll, BOO!

That’s okay, I’ll comfort you, Chris

I saw this kid dancing on “The Soup” and I laughed for about 10 minutes straight. I kept rewinding and laughing, rewinding and laughing. He’s my hero.

Not that I need any more TV in my life, but Torchwood on BBC is FANTASTIC. Tivo it, yo!


What’s My Motivation?

Today I was in an infinitely better mood then yesterday because last night I slept twelve hours. No joke. Every moment of sleep was like manna from the heavens. Ahhhh!

In between working it out at the gym and watching the Colts and Patriots game (that Tom Brady is HAWT!) I thought of all the stuff I have to get done this week that I just don’t want to do.

“Hmmm,” I thought, “What’s the ultimate form of motivation? What’s gonna make me want to go the extra mile to get all this craptacular crapola done?”

The answer? C to the H to the A to the N to the E to the L.

The reward for finishing my first project…

And the second…

And the third…

The moral of this story? A little Chanel bribery goes a long, long way.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen