To El Hub when he insists that there’s an upper limit on the number of liners I could possibly need on a trip, I say, “Pish-tosh!”

“We’re only gonna be two days!” he says. “Why would you need 10 liners?”

My response: to pack 20 eyeliners! And then to painstakingly describe every single one in great detail, and how my happiness — no, my very survival! — depends on having all of them with me.

Hey, you just never know when you’ll get the urge to do a two-color double-winged flick? YOU NEVER KNOW!

This is why I find LORAC’s new $28 Ready, Set, Splash kit appealing…

That, and the quick-drying, waterproof formula.

The set’s four twist-up pencils come in colors that work well with most of my favorite summer eye looks.

Ultra Black, Navy, Charcoal and Jade will take you from poolside to dinner party in the blink of a cat eye, and when I want a smudgy vibe, I can just flip one over, and use the sponge tip on the back side.

All of them are waterproof along the lash line. I just have to remember to keep my hands away from my eyes — no rubbing! Otherwise they start to disappear.

When I use these, I always try to remember to use short strokes, because they’re a little on the hard side. If I’m not careful, they’ll skip and look uneven.

If you’re hoping to wear these along your water line, you might want to pause (or as Tabs says, “paws”) first. I need from 3-4 layers to get the formula to really stick there, giving it about a minute between layers to dry.

Best for: Matte finish eye liner fans with a hankerin’ for a waterproof pencil to wear along their lash lines. And glide, these don’t, so you probably should be okay with harder textures.

PRICE: $28 (great price!) for four full-size 0.02-ounce pencils
AVAILABILITY: Limited edition, available now exclusively at Ulta stores and ulta.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The following is an excerpt from an actual email conversion between blogger and makeup/cat enthusiast Karen and her longtime friend and surf buddy Cindy that took place on the morning of Friday, May 17, 2013.

Immediately following this exchange, Karen swept MAC’s new Sun Dipped Pro Longwear Bronzer on her face…

KAREN: When was the last time we went surfing together?
CINDY: I don’t know. Hawaii in 2006?
KAREN: That can’t be right.
CINDY: Yeah, I think so. It was right before your wedding.
KAREN: Seriously? Why are we so lame? We have to fix that.
CINDY: You could always go with me to Ocean Beach.

[NOTE: Ocean Beach is cold. It runs along the Great Highway on the west/Pacific side of San Francisco, and it's so cold that just thinking about it is making my fingers and toes numb.]

KAREN: That’s not happening unless we’re being chased by zombies and the only way we can escape is by surfboard.

You know that moment when the water drips down the back of your wetsuit? Yeah, I hate that.

Okay, now I’m freezing cold. BRB! Need to put on some bronzer.

These are days of my life…

Don’t you feel warmer after putting on bronzer? Or is that just me…?

A light dusting of MAC’s new $33 Sun Dipped won’t turn Ocean Beach into Waikiki, but I think it does make me look tanned and toasty and gives me a sunnier outlook, too.

It can’t only be the power of suggestion, either. Sun Dipped has a sunny secret weapon: red tones!

Of the four powder bronzers in the MAC Temperature Rising collection, it’s by far the reddest one, and the one that most naturally simulates 30 minutes of fun in the sun.

Sun Dipped is just a shade darker than my NC 42 coloring, which works out because I like to apply it where the sun naturally falls on my face, like on my forehead, cheeks and down the bridge of my nose for extra warmth.

It blends easily and lasts all day long.

I don’t really use it for dramatic contouring since it’s so close to my natural coloring (I’d use something a little darker for that).

The powder formula has a slight sheen to it, but isn’t sparkly (I can see tiny flecks of golden glitter if I look really closely), so it’s not too Vegas bachelorette party.

If you’re darker than NC 42, this particular shade, Sun Dipped, might look a little ashy. You may want to go with something darker like MAC’s Refined Golden instead.

Best for: Guys/gals lighter than NC 42 who are looking for a reddish tan that looks natural.

PRICE: $30
AVAILABILITY: Available now online, and coming May 23 to MAC counters and stores
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I like makeup.

This probably comes as no surprise if you’ve been here before…but I’m particularly fond of blushes and highlighters that come in stick form.

Especially ones that leave my face looking all sweet and angelic, like I should be floating high above the earth on a bed of billowy clouds, sunlight dappling my skin, while a heavenly chorus sings, “Ahhhhhh!” The more people wondering if I had wings tucked beneath my blazer, the better.

Tom Ford’s two new summer 2013 Illuminating Cheek Colors ($58 each, OMG!) are the latest examples of this particular makeup weakness/obsession of mine.

Dewy, is that you?

Pinky peach Blush Guilt and Bronzed Amber represent TF’s take on cream stick blushes with an interesting twist. They give a sheer, glistening, almost wet look to cheeks.

It’s as if the team in charge of the finish part of this equation went on a week-long spa trip to Canyon Ranch and never quite recovered, because when I wear either of these colors, I feel like I look like I haven’t got a care in the world…like my only concerns are whether I should have a hibiscus or a peppermint tea between my facial and my 120-minute shiatsu massage.

Seriously, my cheeks just glow.

The texture’s the balm!

But the fun doesn’t stop there. Both blushes feel like a rich, hydrating face balm…that’s also slightly sticky, which might be a turnoff for some makeup lovers, but I dig it. I think it’s kind of different and neat.

Looks fab on bare skin or tinted moisturizer

From what I’ve been able to tell with my combination dry/oily cheeks, these seem to work best on bare skin or on top of tinted moisturizer, and I’ve worn them a bunch of different ways — layered on top of full-coverage foundations with various formulas and finishes, and with lots of different powders — but I didn’t think they ever looked quite right unless I was wearing them on bare skin or with a tidbit of tinted moisturizer.

I’m not sure why. Maybe the wet-ish finish makes my skin look unnaturally smooth to my eye, or like I’m wearing too much product. I dunno…

For me, either worn without any other face makeup, or with skin prepped with primer or a bit of tinted moisturizer or liquid foundation, is the way to go.

I guess it makes sense considering the other pieces in Tom Ford’s summer collection and the relaxed vibe, sunlit shades and bronzed, summer skin. These blushes would probably appeal most to girls/guys who don’t like to wear a lot of face makeup in summer.

That said, this might be a sticking point if you want/need your stick blushes to work with a wide range of looks.

Have stick, will travel

Now, when I plan to be out and about for a while, I’ll bring a stick along with me, just so I can touch up every 4-5 hours and maintain that dewy glow.

Best for…

Luxury makeup lovers who wear little to no foundation and like portable stick blushes and the look of dewy, barely-there color on their cheeks.

PRICE: $58
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Tom Ford counters (currently appears to be MIA online)
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B (pretty and pretty costly, and I wish I could wear these on top of foundation)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S.

My favorite thing about the three new Dolce & Gabbana Voluptuous Lipsticks in the True Monica collection? That even if you’re clad in frayed sweatpants and a t-shirt peppered with holes, and your hair passed the point when it probably should’ve been washed THREE DAYS AGO, and there are still sticky boogers all up in your eyes because you decided not to wash your face this morning…you’ll still feel like a seductive Italian screen siren wearing one of them, pouty lips and all.

The three $33 lipsticks, each of them inspired by Italian actress/model/all-around hot babe Monica Bellucci, whom you might remember from The Matrix Reloaded, or more recently from The Whistleblower with Rachel Weisz, and one of her signature makeup looks with smokey eyes and nude-toned, full lips.

For the all important question: “Which of these warm, creamy lip colors would I wear to jury duty or the DMV?”

The answer: “Any of them.” Creamy beige Nude Monica, pinkish beige True Monica or pale rose Gentle Monica.

But why stop at the courthouse? Slip one on anytime you want to stop traffic, perhaps with your hair down, a pair of femme fatale high heels and a body-con dress.

They have a classic rose lipstick flavor and scent, a smooth formula rich in pigment, a slight sheen and last about 2-3 hours for me. Wear ‘em alone — they like smokey eyes — or with something like a sheer golden gloss on top (love the way MAC Nice Buzz Plushglass looks with these).

PRICE: $33 each
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Dolce & Gabbana counters and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+ (Luxe deluxe! — but I wish they lasted a little longer)

Another reason I dig Dolce & Gabbana…

Can I get a what-what if you also love Light Blue??

I’ve got a soft spot for it because it’s what I wore on my wedding day. One of my favorite Dolce & Gabbana scents of all time. One of many (those Italians! — they sure get me when it comes to fragrances).

The line is prepping a new campaign for the scent this July. This sneak peak behind the scenes left me longing for the ocean and Italy… And the ocean off the coast of Italy.

Please tell me you had a wonderful Thursday. Actually, you can tell me either way, but I hope it went well.

Ready or not, Friday, here we come!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I love the new neutral Dolce & Gabbana Smoky Smooth Eye Colour Quad ($59) like…like Mariah loves wind machines. Like Iron Man loves tinkering. Like Portlandia loves bird motifs (“Put a bird on it!”). Like Ben Affleck loves beards. Like drag queens love contouring…

For me, good neutral quads are like tropical vacations. They just make everything better.

When I’m stumped for what to wear with crazy colors like that hot pink glitter over there (ooh!) or that matte red blush over there (ah!), I’ll go with one, two — or when I’m feeling more adventurous — three or four neutrals on my eyes.

Why?

Because they go with everything!

But…

…not all neutral quads get it right.

Sometimes, there are problems with the powders, and the shadows end up on my cheeks. Other times, they’re way too pigmented, or not pigmented enough, or they pull a David Copperfield and disappear right before my eyes, or they’re just annoyingly chalky.

But the matte black, pearly neutral gold, shimmery chocolate brown and shimmery golden beige in Dolce & Gabbana’s Smoky Quad do WERK!

These bunny soft textures would probably impress Peter Cottontail, and all of the easy-to-blend colors contain just the right amount of pigment, making them ideal for a wide range of eye looks from demure and dainty to smokey and sassy.

And because the shadows last as long as they do — all day long for me with barely any creasing or fading — you don’t have to carry the quad around with you while you go about your day plotting cosmetics conquests and beauty world domination.

The quad does cost a few tacos… About 50 of them at Taco Bell prices, plus tax (it’s $59), but Dolce & Gabbana knows a thing or two about pigment, texture and wear time when it comes to their high-end eye quads. Smoky isn’t all that flashy, but its shades should look great with just about everything (picture: a pair of black Manolo patent-leather pumps).

I could happily wear it a dozen days in a row.

PRICE: $59
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Dolce & Gabbana counters and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A (so many tacos!)

Wednesday mental wanderings…

Two things that I believe every girl needs: a pair of really great dangly earrings and her very own “intro” theme song (the music that plays in your head when you walk, very often in slow motion, into a crowded room).

My intro theme song changes fairly often, but it’s been the chorus of this song by Imagine Dragons for quite some time…

Man, that’s catchy.

Hope you had a lovely Wednesday.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen