Beauty product reviews, makeup tips and news from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict.
September 5th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: Nails
When you see the dark nail polish colors in Zoya’s Dare Collection for fall ($36 for a set of six), what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
For me it’s more a feeling than a thought. Dare’s deep greens, blues and purples have an edgy and mysterious — maybe even a little dangerous feel to ‘em. MRRROWWW!
But then there’s the usual not-so-cute side effects that come with wearing dark nail colors, right? — the yellow stained nails and chips the size of Christian Siriano’s ego (still lovin’ ya, lil’ guy!).
All is not lost, my lovely Sookie Stackhouses. There are ways around the dreaded DPP’s (Dark Polish Problems).
Solution: Wear a clear base coat.
The pigments in these (and other) dark nail polish shades can leave nails yellow and stained, gross!
To deal, I wear a clear base coat like Essie First Base Coat ($8), my current nail secret du jour. Not only does it prevent staining, but it goes on smooth and dries hella fast.
But wait, there’s more. First Base Coat works like a primer, creating a smooth surface upon which polish can adhere. When I use it, my nail color looks silky smooove. Awesome, added bonus, right? Plus, it extends the life of my manicures by about 50 percent.
Solution: Apply a top coat.
The darker the polish, the more obvious the chips. A clear, sturdy top coat like Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat ($10) protects polish from chipping and leaves a shiny finish SO bright that I gotta wear shades. 
Solution: Get down with the drying drops.
Who has time to sit around waiting for all these extra layers to dry?? Not me. I’ve got pressing things to do, like watching YouTube clips of Heidi Montag “performing.”
Click only if you dare!
OPI’s Drip Dry Lacquer Drying Drops put the nail polish drying process on fast forward ($8). I’m not sure how this clear liquid works, but it penetrates the uppermost layers of coatings and polish, decreasing the time the top layers take to dry.
I use one drop per nail, which cuts down the dry time of the uppermost layers by about half. A word of warning, though. Because the drops only dry the uppermost layers, you still have to treat your paws gingerly for a good hour. Careful texting is probably cool, but maybe save the dishwashing and thumb war for later.
Vanessa
Pinta
Ibiza
Envy
Demi
Ciara
So tell me, ladies, does the Dare collection make you feel like taking chances?
Right now I’m ALL ABOUT Envy… Total sucker for green nail polishes.
Technically, absolutely nothing, but I can’t wait for both worlds to collide at my BFF Cindy’s house tonight!
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August 27th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: MAC Makeup, Nails
There’s something moody about the polishes in the new MAC Nail Trend F/W ‘09 by Jin Soon collection — not PMS moody, but Joy Division/black lipstick/angry love poetry kinda moody.
The bulk of the colors in this eight-piece collection feel dark, serious and hard-edged. The closest to puppies-and-flowers is Cool Reserve ($12), a creamy grayish purple.
Coincidentally, it’s my favorite!
Cool Reserve
I’m drawn to Cool Reserve’s softness and femininity. Some of the other colors, like Dry Martini (a creamy dark khaki), feel almost masculine to me. They’re cool, but not my style at the moment.
There are different strokes for different folks, though, so take a look at the rest of the swatches and let me know what ya think…
For Fun
Dry Martini
Beyond Jealous
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August 27th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: MAC Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To, Nails
Believe it or not, there are a few positives to accidentally hacking off your left eyebrow.
Besides discovering the psychological healing power of long bangs, Raul’s provided the opportunity to solve interesting new problems, like figuring out how to hide a partially bald brow while sweating like a pig (no offense, Miss P!).
Yesterday at hip-hop class, aka sweaty Karen central, I discovered a great trick to keeping filled-in brows put with the help of Too Faced Shadow Insurance ($17).
Normally, I use this invisible primer to lock eyeshadow down. Before heading to class last night, on a whim I patted some primer directly onto the sparse patch before filling it in with the Clarins Eyebrow Kit Pro Palette.
I figured the worst that could happen would be beads of black sweat streaming down my cheeks (ewww). Fingers crossed and hoping for the best, I went about getting my booty shake on.
You know what? It totally worked. As I Cabbaged Patched and Robo Copped my way through yet another old school routine, the filled-in spot miraculously refused to budge. And even though I was drenched at the end of the 90-minute class, Raul totally stayed on the ‘low. Yes!
While I lurves me some Too Faced Shadow Insurance, I’m guessing any invisible eyeshadow primer could work. A few to consider: Urban Decay Potion Primer ($17), Tarte Lifted Natural Eye Primer ($20) and Benefit F. Y. Eye ($22).
In two shakes I’m heading over to MAC to check out the new Nail Trend F/W ‘09 By Jin Soon collection.
I’ve been testing the polish for durability over the past week, and so far it’s held up really well. Here’s an updated photo of Dance All Night (a creamy brick red):
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August 26th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: Beauty Tips, Fragrance, Just For Fun, Nails
Oui, oui, I’ll be loving you forever, Coco, but a big hunk of my heart now belongs to Dolce & Gabbana.
I wore Light Blue on my wedding day, and Sicily scented my skin for years.
This fall, I plan to fashion more D&G memories thanks to their new Fragrance Anthology.
Each of the five complex eau de toilettes smells naturally lush — not synthetic or artificial — and lingers for hours on my skin.
My favorites are 18 La Lune (a white floral with notes of apple, lily, tuberose and musk) and 10 La Roue De La Fortune (a green floral with pink pepper, gardenia, jasmine and vanilla). I think both smell totally femme and just plain pretty.
To buy: Sephora, $65 each
They cover forehead zits and bald eyebrow patches — ’nuff said. For soft, flexible hold and shine, I smooth mine down with a pinch of Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine.
To buy: Bumble & Bumble, $20
I’ve been rocking out to Do You Believe in Love since Sunday, and dagnabbit I’m not ashamed!
Huey and his homeboys cranked out dozens of karaoke-worthy tunes in the ’80s.
Join me for this brief trip back to a time when the saxophone solo reigned supreme.
To buy: Greatest Hits CD, Amazon, $14
The pimp daddy of all toothbrushes! My dentist gave me one of these bad boys last week and I’m hooked.
The ultra-soft brush head has alternating rows of bristles with different heights. The long ones help it wiggle into those hard-to-reach nether regions between teeth. Brushing my sensitive teeth and gums with it is kinda like brushing with a big fluffy cloud (ha, nimbus clouds, get it?!).
If you brush and floss like you mean business, mamacita, give the nimbus a try.
To buy: Nimbus, $10 for a pack of five
So effortless, so yummy, so very last days of summer… It’s my new favorite meal for when I’m too hot or lazy to cook.
To buy: Head to your local grocery store or farmers market to get your ingredients, and prepare it at home (the recipe)
Zoya makes it easy to get durable, chip-free manis and pedis with this fantabulous six-piece kit.
Nail polish remover, base coat, nail strengthener, top coat — all the essentials for a salon-quality manicure — and the numbers on the bottles totally fool proof my process.
To buy: Zoya, $48
I’ve been a crazy stress case lately because of that condo sitch (yup, it’s still up in the air), but this caffeine-free tea has definitely helped. It’s probably the best stress relief tea I’ve ever tried.
It contains Kava, a root native to the South Pacific and used by islanders for centuries to calm the body and soothe the mind, and tastes like cinnamon and chicory. I like to add a little milk and sugar.
To buy: Vitamin Shoppe, $4
What are some things currently rocking your world (beauty or otherwise)?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
August 21st, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: MAC Makeup, Nails
I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that MAC’s Nail Trend Fall/Winter ‘09 Jin Soon Choi collection nail polishes break my MAC nail lacquer curse.
I haven’t always had the greatest luck with MAC’s nail polishes. Most have chipped like Cheetoes, but I’m hoping the Jin Soon Choi collection breaks the cycle.
A fixture in the fashion biz for more than 20 years, nail artist Jin Soon worked with MAC on this release. They aimed for trendy and chip-resistant, with rich lacquers and full coverage.
Colors in the collection include…
The shades arrive on counters this Thursday. I took a quick look at two of them today.
Nail Lacquer in For Fun
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