Just For Fun

Just for Fun – Dear Justin Timberlake; Face of the Day (FOTD) – MAC Brun, Shroom, Vex and Next to Nothing

September 24th, 2007 by Karen 19 Comments

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Dear Justin Timberlake,

Thank you so much for your lovely concert last night! I, along with the gazillion screaming teenage girls and gay men, really appreciate you being there to showcase your musical and dancing talents. And imagine my surprise when you gave props to the bloggers who figured out why you canceled your original September 12th performance date! Honey, let this be a lesson to you…next time before you get your swerve on at the VMAs you better eat lots bread before the Grey Goose gets your boy feeling loose.

By the way, I saw you waving to me up there in the nosebleed section 211 seat 39 as you sang “Senorita.” As you were staring into my eyes, did you notice my attempt at becoming one with MAC Brun shadow, a dark brown that previously scared the beejebus out of me? I paired it with:

MAC Next to Nothing (Smoke Signals Quad) as a wash
MAC Shroom on browbone
MAC Brun on outer third of the lid and bottom lashline
MAC Vex on inner lid
MAC Technakohl liner in Graphblack on top lashline
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline on inner lashline
MAC Concrete in brows
MAC Select Moisturecover concealer under eyes
Tarte 4-in-1 mascara
And
MAC Mocha and Blushbaby on cheeks

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And did you notice that I was also wearing

MAC Barely Lit Lipstick
MAC Soft & Slow Lipglass

on my lips as I sang back to you? I hope so.

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While I loved your performance, I have to point out something that everyone at that show was thinking. During the frenzy of the “Sexy/Back” finale, the crowds’ collective hormonal state dictated that you take your shirt off, but alas – you didn’t. Why, Justin, why?

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Me and my girl Chris anxiously awaiting Justin Man Candy
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Honestly, we would’ve probably been happy even if you just walked around in that white tank top you were sporting underneath that sweat-soaked button down shirt, but noooooo.

I hope you know that we all paid good money to see you and truly expected to get our perv on in a socially acceptable setting. Even a few minutes of semi-nudity would’ve made the night one for the history books.

Nonetheless, my girls and I still had lots of fun. And thanks again for the offer to take us backstage to feed us chocolate covered strawberries and champagne, but we had a long drive home. Next time.

Take care!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Hair Product Reviews – Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo, Curls Milkshake and Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks; Just for fun – I’m going to see Justin Timberlake Tonight!

September 23rd, 2007 by Karen 15 Comments

Amongst the cameras and extra batteries and gum that I carried in my bag during SF Fashion week last month, there was also this save-the-date-card and a ticket to Justin Timberlake’s concert that my good friend Chris sent me:

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(Chris, you’ll be happy to know that several models and makeup artists thought your JT artistry was top notch.)

You’ll notice that the card says September 12th. Unfortunately JT cancelled that concert date, but tonight is the rescheduled concert date, so WOO HOO! I’m going with a bunch of girl friends, so I won’t be the only over-30 woman in hizzy and admiring JT’s sexy back!

These days, we all know JT for his closely cropped hair. (And I have to admit that like my girl Toya over at Life of a Lady Bug, I am an admirer of the shaved head look.) But does anybody remember Justin during his curly haired days?

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How do you feel about this version of Justin? More hot? Less hot? Honestly, I can’t really blame the boy for shaving all his Adonis curls off. I have wavy hair, and even though I love it sometimes it’s a big pain in the ass.

Sometimes I get tired of my hair too, girl, but you have to step away from the sheers until it passes
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For many curly/wavy haired girls and guys, the mission to find holy grail hair products is unending. I have a few products that I am loving on at the moment, like Clairol Herbal Essences Set Me Up Gel, but I’m always game to try more because you just never know what your curly/wavy hair will like.

So when I got the chance to try a few products from the Curls line I was really excited. The line is formulated for curly haired, multi-ethnic customers. The products are made from natural oils, butters and botanicals. They also have a cute line for kids called Curly Q’s, which tugged at my heart a â€˜lil bit because the information booklet included several pictures of cherubic looking multi-ethnic children of various shades of brown in their before and after pictures, awwww.

Anyway, here’s the skinny on three of the products I tested: Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo, Curls Milkshake and Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks.

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Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo, $12.00 for an 8oz bottle
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B-

What it does:
– Clarifies product build up
– Infused with pineapple and grapefruit extracts

What I liked about it:
– Light citrus smell
– Nice texture

What I didn’t like about it:
– Felt like it clarified almost too well
– Had to use a lot to build up a good lather
– Cap on bottle is a screw cap, which I felt made me use too much product; wish it was a flip-top cap instead

You might like it if:
– You have thick curly or wavy hair that you don’t color
– You use lots of products on a daily basis

This shampoo smells yummy, and I like that it’s not too expensive. Plus, it’s silicone-free.

It does a great job of clarifying — almost too great! My hair felt super-squeaky clean, but I swear my highlights looked like they were stripped of some color afterwards. I won’t be using this shampoo again because of this.

I think for my hair clarifying shampoos in general are just too harsh. Right now I only shampoo once or twice a week and I only use gentle, moisturizing formulas.

However, you may like this is you use a lot of product – and for many of us curly/wavy haired girls that’s simply our reality- and need a uber-clarifier to remove it all. And if your hair is thick and doesn’t have any color then you may also like this as well.

Curls Milkshake, $17.00 for a huge 8oz jar
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C

What it does:
– Styling product that softens, hydrates, defines curls and defrizzes all curly hair textures
– Made from coconut milk and organic aloe leaf juice

What I liked about it:
– Delicious coconut smell
– Does a fantastic job of weighing hair down
– Didn’t leave my hair feeling crunchy
– You can really make this go the distance because you get a lot of product for the price and don’t have to use that much
– Thick texture that isn’t sticky

What I didn’t like about it:
– Delicious coconut smell became extremely overwhelming after a few hours
– After I washed it out I got a few pimples on my back and shoulders (but this could’ve also been because I started using a new medication)

You might like it if:
– You have very thick, unruly, hard to tame curls that need to be weighed down
– You like smelling like a coconut

I really wanted to fall in love with this stuff because at first whiff it’s delicious! I love tropical smells, so I happily applied it to my hair with thoughts of Hawaii and all the great memories I have associated with surfing and the beach.

Unfortunately the coconut scent stays strong and doesn’t fade at all. After a few hours I couldn’t smell anything else but coconut, and it made me nauseous. My nose is very sensitive though, so it might not bother you as much as it bothered me.

Two big plusses with this product: does a great job of taming unruly hair and doesn’t leave it feeling sticky or crunchy. These two factors unfortunately don’t outweigh the fact that shortly after I washed this out of my hair I got a few pimples on my back and my shoulders, and I NEVER break out in the those areas. I have to acknowledge that at the time I started a new medication so it could’ve also been that as well, but I didn’t love this product enough to take that chance again.

Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks – $22.00 for a 2oz bottle
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B-/C+

What it does:
– A hair restoration treatment that encourages growth replaces lost keratin
– Improves elasticity, flexibility and shine

What I liked about it:
– Light citrus smell
– Good texture that isn’t too heavy or oily
– Full of natural ingredients

What I didn’t like about it:
– Can’t really say if it helped my hair grow or if it improved its elasticity and flexibility

You might like it if:
– You need something to make your hair glossier

Like the other two products, the light citrus scent from Champagne Curls & Kaviar Kinks initially drew me in. The natural ingredient list also impressed me. The first three ingredients are Tahitian Coconut Oil, Sweet Almont Oil and Olive Oil.

I can’t really attest to this products’ claims of hair growth because I have thick hair to start with.

It does give hair a nice shine though. For me, this really isn’t a “must have” product, but if you want a silicone-free glosser then you might like this.

Unfortunately being a beauty blogger does not earn one a backstage pass Justin Timberlake concerts (DAMN!), and I’m pretty sure our seats are of the nosebleed variety for tonight’s show. I’m bringing my uber SRL camera though, so I’ll try my best to work the zoom lens to my JT-admiring advantage. Hopefully I’ll snap a few drool-worthy pictures, which you an admire for your, ahem, own personal use.

Have a fantastic rest of your weekend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. You know that your weekend isn’t complete without the Weekend Beauty Roundup![Continue reading…]

Makeup Tips from Emmy Makeup Artist Bruce Grayson; Just for Fun – Talk Like a Pirate Day; Accessories – My New Luluemon Athletica Bag

September 19th, 2007 by Karen 10 Comments

With all the talk about red lips, TV and pirates around here lately, it was only a matter of time before www.makeupandbeautyblog.com found experts to wax philosophic on the subjects.

And while I was 100% unsuccessful in finding a legitimate pirate to interview (damn), I did manage to track down celebrity makeup artist Bruce Grayson, the Makeup Department Head for the 2007 Primetime Emmy’s (hooray).

He was nice enough to offer some tips how to get the perfect red lip, one of the dominant makeup these at this year’s Emmy’s, and how to have perfect makeup in HDTV conditions.

Makeup and Beauty Blog: This year we saw several stars at the Emmy’s rockin’ the red lips. While it’s pretty, many women have a hard time in real life recreating this dramatic look. What are your favorite tricks and products that real women can do and use to create the perfect bold lip?
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Xtina working the red lip. Photo credit: people.com

Bruce Grayson: Dramatic lips are easy to create if you have the right tools. Start with a good round tip lip brush.

Apply lipstick from the center of the lips and paint towards lip line. Use a complimentary colored lip pencil to draw the lip line.

Start at the bow of the upper lip and the center of the lower lip to the corners. Don’t be afraid to draw outside the lip line to recreate shape.

Use a cream highlighter with a brush or highlighter pencil above the bow and below the lower liner to define.

Makeup and Beauty Blog: HDTV is notorious for showing extreme detail in a makeup, and some makeup companies like Kryolan are even creating special products to adjust to the fine detail of High Definition TV. What tricks and products do you like to use to deal with the HDTV?

Bruce Grayson: The first thing I do is become buddies with the cameraman. Lighting is the most important element in HD.

Second I make sure that the skin is even tone using a minimum of foundation and thin concealers only where needed.

I always defuse eyeliners, especially black which can look harsh in HD.

Before I even begin to apply eye make-up, I like to start with Olay Definity Eye Illuminator ($25.99 at drugstores nationwide) because it has multi-colored micas that help to hide imperfections. It limits the amount of make-up I need to use around the eye.

I use shimmer eyeshadows and blush selectively, HD accentuates all contrast including shimmer makeups. I use shading to give the face contour. Blending is key!

Translucent pressed powders are used where needed to tone down areas of the face where reflection is distracting to create strategic shine.

The Products:
Nars Translucent Pressed Powders
Stilla Sheer pressed power
Olay Definity Eye Illuminator
Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturzer- a great underbase before foundation
Concealer: Amazing Cosmetics Concealers
Mac Shaping powders

Makeup and Beauty Blog: What are your three can’t-live-without products that you absolutely must have backstage and why?

Bruce Grayson: The three can’t-live-without products backstage are:

1. Mac Clear Lipglass- compliments any lipstick.

2. Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets- take the shine down without powder build up.

3. Laura Mercier Undercover Concealers- Comes in a variety of shades and are workable to provide just enough coverage to get the job done.

Makeup and Beauty Blog: Thanks Bruce! Now we’re all ready for our close ups!

ARGH! Tis Talk Like a Pirate Day, Mateys!

Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day, and yesterday it occurred to me that nobody does heavy black eyeliner like those crazy pirates.

And of course, in typical Karen fashion, this epiphany happened while I had my left arm stuck between an extremely heavy desk and a wall for 15 minutes:
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I work part time in a book agent’s office, so while she was out yesterday I had to install a new fax machine. Everything was fine and dandy until it was time to plug the damn thing in. The desk weighed about a million pounds and was pressed up so close to the wall that I couldn’t get the plug in easily.

Somehow I managed to snake my left arm in, and for five minutes I kept trying to get the plug in unsuccessfully. When I finally gave up I tried to shimmy my arm out and BAM, that bad boy is stuck. Really and truly STUCK. And it remains stuck for 15 minutes. And of course, the phone is three feet away from me, so I can’t call anybody.

During that time I contemplate spitting all over my arm to get it all lubed up (so gross). I comtemplate yelling, “HELP! CALL 911” at the top of my lungs on the off chance that someone in the office building might hear my cry.

And then I remember the episode of COPS I saw a few years back where a kid gets stuck between a toilet and a bathtub and the police have to bring the JAWS OF LIFE to get him out. I start sweating profusely.

So after the initial panic and then having my life flash before my eyes, I finally get myself to relax enough by thinking of Talk Like a Pirate Day. I start wondering whether Captain Jack Sparrow would prefer Technakohl or Fluidline (I don’t see him as a brush fanatic), and soon enough, that left arm slinks right back out.

I wonder what he uses on his waterline
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MACY’S PASSPORT 2007 is Tonight!

Tonight I’m heading to SF to attend MACY’S PASSPORT 2007, a fashion-charity show, and to interview MAC Viva Glam Spokesperson Dita Von Teese!

After attending SF Fashion week I realized that I need a big bag to fit all of my camera and tech equipment when going to these shows, so yesterday after I freed myself from the wall I went to the mall and picked up this lovely bag from Lululemon Athletica.

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It’s supposed to be a gym bag but it can also be a massive purse, overnight bag, makeup bag (!) or school bag. The best part? It’s only $64.00.

Check out the three cavernous sections and envision all of the crap you could put in it! All of my stuff fits in it; I stuffed my laptop, my cameras, my tripod and a bunch of other stuff in it and there was still room to spare.

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It’s lightweight, you can throw it in the wash and it holds 50 FRICKIN POUNDS! And there’s even a designated pocket for my Crackberry, awww!

So I’m all packed up and pretty much ready to go for the interview tonight! Wish me luck!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product Reviews: Neutrogena Ultra Soft Eye Makeup Remover Pads, Juice Beauty Green Apple Nutrient Eye Cream, LIERAC Paris Dioptigel and Dioptecerne; Just for Fun: The Hills Quiz

September 17th, 2007 by Karen 5 Comments

The Hills Have Eyes

“Staring at the blank page before you, open up the dirty window…”

If you have any clue to what this quote is, then you know that it’s Monday, and Monday means that The Hills is on tonight!

(And girl … if I had a dollar for every time I stared at a blank page before me I’d be one rich woman.)

I love all of The Hills ladies, but has anyone else noticed that many of the characters are looking a lil’ ragged around the eyes? I guess those late nights at Area and Les Deux are starting to take their toll. Hmmm…maybe I can give them some help with a few eye products that I’ve been moved by lately. Let me reach into my MONDAY BEAUTY GRAB BAG OF AWESOMENESS, where all the products rock my world (and hopefully will rock yours soon enough.)
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MONDAY GRAB BAG OF AWESOMENESS #1:
Neutrogena Ultra Soft Eye Makeup Remover Pads
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I don’t hide the fact that I’m one lazy bastard. What can I say? I like any type of makeup shortcut that makes my life easier; it gives me more time to do productive things like obsess over The Hills.

Lately I’ve been on a mission to find an eye makeup remover worthy of replacing my former holy grail Sephora FACE Eye Makeup Remover, which was recently reformulated and thus turned into useless crap.

Neutrogena’s Ultra Soft Eye Makeup Remover Pads are on their way to holy grail status. These plush round pads are a makeup remover and cotton pad in one. They smell good, and most importantly, take everything off – even Fluidline. I’ve even used this to remove Fluidline on my waterline and it doesn’t irritate or scrape at all. One jar has 30 pads and is about $6-$7, but you can make it last longer it by cutting each pad into fourths.

MONDAY GRAB BAG OF AWESOMENESS #2:
Juice Beauty Green Apple Nutrient Eye Cream
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Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Nutrient Eye Cream packs a lot of moisturizing punch. My skin has been dry and tight because the weather is changing, so I’ve been using this for the last two weeks on my eyes and around my mouth. It hydrates like crazy, feels thick but not greasy and doesn’t break me out. It’s $35 for a 0.5 fl oz jar with pump. Yes, the price is kinda steep but I find I barely need to use any, two to three drops tops, to get all the moisturization I need.

MONDAY GRAB BAG OF AWESOMENESS #3:
LIERAC Paris Dioptigel and Dioptecerne
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What is it with the French? They dominate in the cream sauce arena, the dessert arena, and arguably with skin care.

LIERAC is a new line from Paris, and dangit if I’m not already in love. The line is all about “botanicals” and “active plant synergy”, musical words to a former bontanist wanna-be.

Dioptigel is a “Reducing Gel” for undereye bags (Hello, LC) and is a yellow gel that comes in an aluminum tube. The texture is smooth without being sticky and it has a faint plant-y smell. I’ve only been using this for a week so I can’t really attest to the undereye bag reduction properties (and I don’t really have bad bags to start with), but I love how the gel instantly sinks in and feels like it’s tightening and hydrating. It’s active ingredients are plant based: ivy, horsetail, chamomile and alchemilla. $29.00 for a 0.3 fl oz tube.

Diopticerne is a “Treatment Cream” for dark circles (um…Hello, LC?!?!). It too, has lots of lovely plant ingredients like Arnica, Butcherbroom and Vitamin E. Like Dioptigel, I’ve only been using this for a week so I can’t tell the difference the darkness of my circles (the product insert says to use it for at least a month). The texture is a light cream that smells clean and absorbs easily. $29.00 for a 0.16 fl oz tube.

You can check out LIERAC at CVS or the beauty.com website.

Grab Your Black Liner and Let’s Go to Les Deux – The Hills Eye Makeup Quiz

So how well do you know the girls of The Hills? It’s time to get your Nancy Drew on. Guess each character’s eyes and leave your answers in the comments section.

C’mon, you know you wanna!

#1
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#2
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#3
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#4
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#5
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#6
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I hope your Monday is off to a fantastic start, and that you’re smiling and happy.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

YOU MUST CHOOSE: The Makeup and Beauty Blog Edition

September 12th, 2007 by Karen 26 Comments

A few years ago I worked in the legal field, and that’s where I met my good friend Naaman. Besides being the only straight guy I know who can tell the difference between squirrel hair and synthetic brushes (his girl is a makeup artist), he was/is a great break buddy. He and I would go on break together practically every day, and over time we came up with this game called YOU MUST CHOOSE.

The object of YOU MUST CHOOSE is to give the other person a scenario with two options, both which are disgusting/impossible/just really wrong, and they have to pick one. For example – would you rather: lose your left eye permanently and have to wear an eye patch for the rest of your life with a pirate scull and cross bones on it OR have two years of intense and painful butt pimples (both cheeks) but still retain your vision? YOU MUST CHOOSE.

It sounds simple, but honestly, you kill a lot of time, exercise your imagination (a skill hardly required in the field of professional legal lackey), and torture your good friend all in one swoop!

So when I was watching The Hills on Monday night, all of the sudden I thought:

Who would you rather be your baby daddy (and you can’t do it through in vitro) –

Disgusting, manipulative, neanderthal-esque Spencer Pratt?
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Or bloated, bar fight-prone, fresh-out-of-rehab Jason Wahler?
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YOU MUST CHOOSE.

Both options completely disgust me, but I’d have to go with Jason based on genetics and finances.

While I’m pretty sure Spencer is missing a chromosome or two, I’m almost positive that Jason is standard issue homo sapien. Jason also played sports waaaay back in the day (remember the innocent days of Laguna Beach?) so the baby would have a fighting chance to become an athlete, and thus could grow up to eventually kick @ss.

Chances are Jason will probably discover Jeebus or somethin’ while he’s in rehab, so he’ll be all about forgiveness, love thy neighbor, save the whales and whatnot. And should sh*t hit the fan, you know the boy won’t have any problems paying child support, because his family is loaded!

Who would you pick and why?

YOU MUST CHOOSE: The Makeup and Beauty Blog Edition

Now that you’ve had your intro to YOU MUST CHOOSE you’re ready to take it to the next level.

Please leave your answers in the comments. 🙂

Scenario 1

Which would you rather give up for the rest of your natural life – your 266 (or your favorite brow implement of choice) OR your beloved Shu/MAC/whatever brand eyelash curler? YOU MUST CHOOSE!
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Scenario 2

You are forced onto a desert island by Christian Bale and he says that you can bring only three makeup/beauty products. Which ones would you take with you to paradise and why? YOU MUST CHOOSE.
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Scenario 3

Would you rather give up lipgloss and lipstick for the rest of your life OR have a set of really, really, really yellow teeth (which you can’t get whitened) for the rest of your life? YOU MUST CHOOSE.
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