I’ve always wanted a Burberry coat like the one Harry Potter alum Emma Watson has on here, but the coat wasn’t what first grabbed my attention about this new ad campaign. It was her smoldering, smokey eyes!

The one-minute smokey eye

The look, in its many incarnations, never really goes out of style, and one of my favorite things about smokey eyes is how little effort they can take.

Take, for example, this one-minute smokey eye by MAC Senior Makeup Artist James Malloy, which breaks down a little something like this:

1. Start with a jet black eye kohl pencil like MAC Technakohl Liner ($14.50). Really get the black in between the root of the lashes and build outward.
2. End with a blackened silver shadow over the top of the kohl pencil, adding a spot of a steely gray, gunmetal shadow pressed in the center of the lid to add a highlight.

Or how ’bout a shimmery midnight blue?

A brownish black with false lashes?

This look by makeup artist Nancy Spencer starts with a base on the eyelid and an eye primer like Urban Decay Primer Potion ($17) to help the eyeshadow stay put.

Or a sexy red carpet look?

Experiment with your smokey eyes, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Like MAC Pro Artist Neil Young says, “It’s not a tattoo; it [makeup] comes off.”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Have you peeped the new Benefit Smokin’ Eyes Palette yet? With seven products for $36, I think it smacks of a pretty good deal.

Two women I love — my mother-in-law and my good friend Mary Anne — are breast cancer survivors (click here for info on performing monthly breast self-exams), and I know that many of you have also been touched by cancer in one way or another.

With their Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath ($7), OPI is trying to help women cope with changes in their appearance that can result from cancer treatment. Part of every sale goes toward Look Good…Feel Better, a national public service program with more than 50,000 participants each year.

Easy-to-wear color

Part of OPI’s Soft Shades Collection, Bubble Bath hides chips well, which is one reason I like it a lot. It applies as a non-streaky pale pink and dries quickly to a shiny finish.

Because it hides chips so well, I think it makes a great low-maintenance shade if you’re rough on your fingertips like I am (lots of typing).

Boosting self-esteem

Through the Look Good…Feel Better program women are able to take free workshops on makeup application, dealing with hair loss and taking care of nails both during and after cancer treatment.

Where to buy

Over 10,000 salons and beauty retailers nationwide will be selling OPI Bubble Bath this July and August, so look for displays featuring OPI Bubble Bath and information about Look Good…Feel Better.

Every bottle helps

OPI will donate a portion of proceeds from the sale of every bottle of Bubble Bath Nail Lacquer, with a minimum contribution of $25,000.

I like the idea of something as seemingly insignificant as a little bottle of nail polish making a positive difference in someone else’s life.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. The fabulous Christina over at Dishiness has chosen to donate her hair in honor of Farrah Fawcett. The decision is between two worthy groups, Locks of Love or Pantene Beautiful Lengths, that make wigs for cancer patients. If you’ve ever donated your hair before or know of someone who has, please let Christina know.

I bet this happens to you, too, but I miss so many awesome deals and announcements that come through as e-mails. Sometimes they get mistakenly dumped into my junk mail filter, especially when the titles sound overly advertorial: “Free and Heavily Discounted Makeup! Don’t Miss Your Special Chance!”

Sometimes I’m just not able to get to them before the deals have expired.

This morning, however, I managed to read a couple of the timely ones in time to pass them on.

Shu!

These are the last few days of Shu Uemura’s Art of Hair Sweepstakes. Click here to enter. The grand prize? A year’s worth of Shu hair products valued at $1,680 smackers! The deadline to enter is 11:59PM ET June 30.

Bobbi B

Looks like Bobbi Brown’s new Nudes Collection is almost here. Here’s a mini-PR snapshot. It looks pretty textbook Bobbi to me, but I respect how she stays true to her style. In her own words, “Nude makeup doesn’t mean monochromatic, barely-there makeup. It means makeup that’s right for your skin.” Expect to see it on counters in July (I’ll post a review soon).

A star is born

This one caught Tabs’ eye! Elle is looking for their next video star. Submit a video of your best/favorite makeup tips, and you might take home $250 in beauty swag. Each week Elle will give $250 to the person (or cat) who submits the most popular video tip of the week. Winners then have a chance at the $3,000 yearly grand prize.

If you submit a video to Elle, LET ME KNOW! We can mention your creation on the blog here and maybe help you become a star.

BEMATTE

In Sephora news, they’ve got a few ongoing deals good both in stores and online using coupon code BEMATTE at checkout. I’m interested in the free 10-day sample of Bare Escentuals’ Matte Foundation (free with any purchase). I might do it for the bonus baby kabuki brush.

Nailed!

I just looked down at my bare fingernails, le sigh… I need something to wear on ‘em while I wait for Duri’s Fall/Winter 2009 Rags to Riches Collection of fairy tale colors (click here to visit the Duri site). I haven’t seen any pics yet, but the names are cracking me up: Silver Spoon, Dress to Impress, Social Ladder, Trophy Wife and Formula for Success? LOL! I wonder what Trophy Wife looks like… Each will retail for $5, and the first six arrive this September.

Bon voyage

Lisa Hoffman must know how difficult it is to pack beauty products. She’s got these little travel packets that let you take a little of each product from the line wherever you go, and for the price they aren’t half bad. I like the sound of the 24-Hour Skincare one, but there’s also one for spa baths and another for showers. All three sell for $9.99. I couldn’t find them online, but I’m sure the folks in their customer service department can track ‘em down (info@lisahoffmanbeauty.com or toll free at 1-800-231-8311).

How’s it going today? It has been hot out here in Norcal this weekend, and our apartment doesn’t have AC! Even Tabs is uncomfortable. He’s sleeping next to his water bowl.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I’d like to apologize to those of you who e-mailed asking if there was something I could do to honor the passing of Farrah Fawcett and MJ, both historic style icons, but I was so overwhelmed by the news myself that I couldn’t think of anything worthy of them. I didn’t want to just throw something up and was too shocked to think straight. I may try after some time passes.

If you think you might like to give blogging a try, have a bug for writing/photography or just want to get your name or website out there in front of more people, drop me a line. I’m always looking for guest product reviews, makeup looks, tutorials, videos and tips.

Like these…

Here are just a handful of recent guest posts. If you’re interested, send me a quick note with an overview of your idea.

• 5 Japanese Brands You Should Try
• 5 All-Star Face Primers!
• Designer Impostor: A High Fashion Look from the Marc Jacobs Runway
• Benefit Posietint Lip and Cheek Stain: Gorgeous Yet Understated
• Stef Goes Cuckoo for Coral!
• Two Top Drugstore Gems: Good for Baby, Good for Mommy
• Lovin’ LUSH Massage Bars

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Angelenos, are you in the mood for makeup? If you are, you’re *so* in luck.

This weekend’s International Makeup Artist Trade Show (6/20-21) in Pasadena, California is the only show of its kind in the world. Thousands of makeup artists, manufacturers and makeup addicts will convene for the cosmetic world’s biggest brouhaha to discuss, display, discover and collect the best the makeup industry has to offer.

Want to hear how Hollywood made Benjamin’s button? — Attend Greg Cannom’s talk on Sunday at 3:30pm. He won this year’s Oscar for Achievement in Makeup for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Interested in Vulcan eyebrows and ears? — Take notes while members of the new Star Trek movie makeup team break things down Sunday morning at 10:30.

That’s not all!

Learn avant-garde makeup with Nolan Robert, winner of Lifetime TV’s Blush; compete for prizes in beauty student competitions; take a close look at beauty macro photography makeup; get answers to your questions about silicone; learn how to airbrush like a pro and SO MUCH MORE.

Advance tickets are available through today (6/18) at www.makeupartistshow.com. It’s $65 for both days or $35 for either. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on either day for an extra $5.

And the show’s 100% open to the public, meaning that you don’t have to be a makeup artist to attend (check out this video overview of the show).

The event’s being held at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA.

I wish I could go!!!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Photo: Copyright 2009 Paramount Pictures Corp. All Rights Reserved. Star Trek & Related Marks & Logos are Trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.