Beauty product reviews, makeup tips and news from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict.
September 4th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: Beauty Tips, News
This morning while I was admiring swatching the shimmery new Zoya Truth Collection of nail polishes for fall ($36 for a set of six), something kinda funkaaay happened.
I met a troublemaker, aka a rebellious nail polish brush. 
See that funky piece jutting out to the side? It looks like it’s trying to do its own thang, but this ain’t Sesame Street, buddy. Get back in formation!
What do you do when a nail polish brush goes against the grain?
Brushes with straight, smooth fibers work best. When bristles stick out at odd angles like Penny (a shimmery copper) is here, it can mess with my application. Hello, streaks!
Thankfully, whipping a bellicose brush back into shape is a breeze. Here’s what I do to reshape a wonky nail polish brush:
First, I set the brush head on a clean paper towel.
Next, I fold a section of the towel over and on top of the brush head and press down with my fingers. Still applying pressure, I slowly pull the brush head out through the towel with the other hand.
A few times will usually reshape the bristles and remove most kinks, restoring order to the world, LOL!
Allowing the brush to air dry for about 10 minutes should lock the corrected shape in place. That’s it — then it’s back in the bottle for you.
Why aren’t all of life’s problems so easy to solve, le sigh…
Funky brush action aside, I love all six of the warm, vibrant colors in the Truth Collection.
It seems like Zoya dipped their paint brushes into Mother Nature’s fall inkwell. These shimmery copper, orange, red, pink and magenta polishes remind me of autumn leaves crackling beneath my feet, fiery fall sunsets and the rich, buttery light of late afternoons.
Of the six shades, Anaka, the shimmery magenta, makes my heart beat the fastest.
Do any of these get you fired up for fall?
Anaka
Drew
Salma
Penny
Continue Reading…
August 31st, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: News
Daily Makeover wants to know your makeup and beauty buying habits, and they’re willing to pay you for your time.
How much are we talkin’?
What about $5 just for registering and answering a 29-question survey? It took me about 7 minutes from start to finish, with questions like, “Which of these best describes your hair type?” Answers: 1) Oily, 2) Normal or 3) Dry.
NOTE: In the comments, some of you said that you were asked more questions than I was (I had 29), so it looks like the number of questions varies based upon your answers along the way.
New surveys will appear from time to time (I’m not sure how often, but I’ll let you know when I find out), so check the site on a regular basis. Each survey you answer will earn you more cash.
For every $25 earned, you can elect to receive your cash securely through Paypal or redeem it for gift cards from Amazon or Nike — or even have your earnings donated to charity.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
August 29th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: News
I remember being a kid and loving the heck out of Sears. Why? Because back in the days before Sephora and MAC, Sears meant popcorn, warm nuts and Icees, yum!
Sears may not be the retail powerhouse it was when Reebok high-tops ruled, but they’re hoping to change that with the help of high-margin beauty products. Eight years after getting out of the cosmetics biz, the 115-year-old company is getting back in, hoping that beauty can give their flagging bottom line a boost.
The company plans to open full-service beauty counters at 13 pilot stores in LA, Chicago and New York this week, with hundreds more to open in other Sears locations over the next two years.
The words “beauty” and “Sears” don’t really go together in my mind, but they’ll be carrying big drugstore brands like CoverGirl, L’Oreal and Maybelline, as well as niche brands like Burt’s Bees and Yves Rocher (for which Sears will be the sole US retailer). Who knows, right? Stranger things have happened.
Sears will try to differentiate its beauty business by mixing mass-market prices and displays with department-store service in a mall.
I wonder if they’ll bring back the Icees and warm nuts…
Loading ...Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. According to Sears, grand opening celebrations are being held in each of the pilot Sears Beauty locations on Aug. 29-30 and Sept. 5-6, featuring complimentary makeovers and gift baskets (in case you live near one of the stores).
Other offers include a free cosmetic bag and brush set with any $25 cosmetics, fragrance or bath purchase and a $10 Sears reward card with any $50 cosmetics, fragrance or bath purchase.
August 19th, 2009 | Karen | Filed in: News
Good morning, ladies. It’s Wednesday, yea! We’re at the foot of the hump, working our way up to the crest.
To help us get over the hump day hump, Korres is offering MBB readers 30% off purchases with promo code MAKEUPBEAUTY entered at checkout (valid through Sept. 15).
Why Korres?
If you’re new to Korres, consider trying their Silicone-Free Face Primer (here’s my review from earlier this summer) or Lip Butters.
I have two of the seven Lip Butters — Jasmine (a light pink) and Plum (a bright berry). They add just a hint of color while moisturizing the lips and don’t have any funky flavor or scent to get in the way. The 30% off discount lowers the price of each one $9 to $7.30 — that’s a good price-quality ratio.
Plum
Plum
Jasmine
Jasmine
Continue Reading…
Hola, my little isla bonitas. Ever since news broke on Twitter a few weeks ago of Sephora’s intention to carry Illamasqua cosmetics at select stores nationwide, I’ve been trying to confirm the list of *exact* stores.
Here’s the list!
Of note — a contact at Illamasqua informed me of a change to the news as it was originally reported. The line will now be carried in 25 (not 27) U.S. Sephora stores, with the rollout taking place from mid-September through mid-October.
.-= ParisB’s last blog...
