To tell you the truth, I didn’t want to do jack squat this afternoon that didn’t involve makeup, ice tea, sunshine and life’s unsolved mysteries like…
Why do I always find missing things when I’m not looking for them?
Why do dudes sit next to me on airplanes, pass gas, and then try to cover it up by spraying Coolwater cologne (swear to gawd, this has happened several times!)?
If matter is neither created nor destroyed, then where have all of my missing socks gone?
Why does watching SpongeBob SquarePants make me feel like I’ve been eating “special” brownies?
Why did Tony on Who’s the Boss? pronounce Angela’s name, “An-ge-lurrr”?
Does the universe have borders? And what happens to the stuff that gets sucked into black holes?
Why do I always seem to pick the longest line at bridge toll booths and grocery stores?
Does Fat Man Scoop ever whisper?
Why didn’t The Flintstones wear shoes? If they had the technology to build cars, airplanes and washing machines, why couldn’t they make sandals?
And…
What does it feel like to wear crazy purple lipstick?
Answer: It feels weird.
Cool, but weird.
I came across purple Kontrol a few weeks ago with Illamasqua’s fall collection, Theater of the Nameless, and even though it wasn’t quite like anything I’d ever worn before, I still really wanted to give it a try.
I wore it around the house today with a few other pieces from the collection…
Some products from the Illamasqua Theater of the Nameless collection, clockwise from the nail polish on the left: Nail Varnish in Faux Pas ($14), Powder Blusher in Ambition ($24), Precision Ink in Havoc ($27.50), Pure Pigment in Beguile ($24) and Lipstick in Kontrol ($22)
Swatches from the left: Lipstick in Kontrol, Precision Ink in Havoc, Powder Blusher in Ambition and Pure Pigment in Beguile
Lipstick in Kontrol
Pure Pigment in Beguile and Precision Ink in Havoc
Powder Blusher in Ambition on cheeks
Something about Kontrol’s rich, dramatic take on purple speaks to me, but I think I might be too goody two-shoes to pull it off (am I wearing it, or is it wearing me?). Maybe if I had a brightly colored vintage tattoo on my shoulder and hot pink ombre highlights…
Maybe.
Pour a 40 for Un-Stabler
Law & Order: SVU fans, did you catch the season premiere last night? I still haven’t finished processing the fact that Detective Stabler’s no longer on the show. As I watched Olivia do her detective thang without him, I quietly shook my head. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle the rest of the season without him. It just hurts too much.
For solace after the show, I turned to this video of Ryan Gosling wearing very tight pants…
You knew I couldn’t go an entire day without mentioning Ryan Gosling, right? 🙂
Is it just me, or does homeboy look really, REALLY bronze? His hands are like three shades lighter than his face. Okay, boo-boo, might want to cut back on the NARS Laguna for a bit.
Just sayin’…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Kimberly says
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:46 pmI wore purple lipstick in 8th grade. I thought it was cool 🙂 I have mixed feelings about this in my 30s.
Solangel says
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:47 pmI’d wear that purple without a second thought! Sooo pretty *-*
Solangel says
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:48 pmHm, guess this says a lot about my age…
Swatch And Learn says
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:38 amOr about your bravery and willingness to try something different. 😀
I actually love looking at people who wear purple or unconventional lip colours.
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looloolooweez says
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:20 pmYeah, the purple lipstick reminds me forcibly of ill-advised makeup experiments in middle school. Good: the color is so bright and pretty! Also good: cooler lip colors tend to make one’s teeth appear whiter (a nice trick for those coffee addicts among us). Not so good: it’s jarring and distracting. Like you said, maybe if your whole look was colorful/daring, it could work… but in general purple lipstick is probably one of those things that really only works on the very brave, the very young (because they don’t know any better and it’s cute in an innocent way), or the very old (because old ladies just don’t have to give a shit).
Adrienne says
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:50 pm“because old ladies just don’t have to give a shit”
Hahaha, love it.
Totally an awesome perk of being old…
Chryztyners says
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:20 pmbeen wanting to try purple lipstick too, but i guess not that dark. hehe.
aurora says
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:30 pmI was just talking about today how I can’t believe detective stabler is gone!
the ink eyeliner & lipstick looks good enough to buy. yes
Heidi says
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:31 pmI think the purple lips look pretty cool on you. I think it would stand out too much with my coloring. The eye look is really gorgeous on you. Love that eye liner.
Lilit says
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:38 pmKontrol looks surprisingly wearable on you, although I know what you mean about the lipstick wearing you. I don’t mind purple, like MAC Up the AMP, but when I tried that one on the Theatre launch night and it was definitely not me, i looked like a librarian trying to act rock n roll. Yeah not me. Ambition blush however is pure LOVE.
Lilit recently posted … Clarins Instant Definition Mascara Gives Me Mega Huge Lashes
Adrienne says
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:47 pmI was I intrigued by both the purple-y Mattenes in the Posh Paradise collection, almost seduced by the idea of being cool enough to pull off a funky purple lipstick while looking casual and not too, well, funky. Alas, the light lavender didn’t work at all, I looked like a bored graphic design student was playing with Photoshop color replace, and the dark one was just too goth. This looks inbetween, I’m totally trying this one out!!! I just wish we had it at work so I could try it on a slow night, not in a crowded sephora :/
Monika says
September 23rd, 2011 at 8:09 amAdrienne, have you tried wearing Fresh Amour with a lip liner like MAC Nightmoth or Magenta underneath it? I bought both the purple Posh Paradise Mattenes with the intention of layering them over those lip liners. They seriously make a huge difference in how wearable they can be!
gio says
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:01 pmPurple lips look great on you! I’d love to try purple lipstick but I don’t think it’d suit my coloring.
Marina (Makeup4all) says
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:34 amBut how gorgeous is the eye liner? I LOVE mine. I think the most amazing product from this collection is the Berber pigment, it is such a gorgeous & wearable auburn shade.
Marina (Makeup4all) recently posted … Yves Saint Laurent Makeup Collection for Holiday 2011
Lulle says
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:39 amI really love the liner! Amazing color!
Lulle recently posted … Swatch : UD 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencils Delinquent & Morphine
artemis says
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:54 ammaybe if it a bit pinkier but it’s bold and cool anyway
Odette says
September 23rd, 2011 at 5:07 amYou kind of have a Paz de le Huerta look in the purple lipstick. I don’t like the look on her (she usually just looks sweaty and tired), but you seem to be pulling it off really well. Maybe some gloss on top and it’d be even more “street” friendly? That said, I absolutely love the eyeliner and the shadow you’re wearing. Gorgeous!
whitepepper says
September 23rd, 2011 at 5:13 amI like this on you! You could put a gloss over it to tone down the full on weirdosity, too — maybe something with a bit of shimmer and a little red or pink to it?
Underworld (one of the other shades) would be really pretty on you — it’s like a very sheer purpley fuschia matte duochrome.
Twyla Munden says
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:03 amThe purple lipstick just took me back, way back to grade school… complete with white, pink & blue eyeshadow…. I rocked it then without knowing I was rocking it… today would not be the same.. lol.
Jill says
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:17 amLove the liner and the blush!
Nina says
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:17 amthat purple lipstick = want. it is gorgeous! the precision ink in havoc is pretty too!
i watched SVU. im torn. i miss stabler’s intensity. i also miss uber-cool dr. huang. but … i like benson. and munch.
ill give it a few more episodes before i decide, but im sad. svu aint svu without elliot!
Christina says
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:45 amYou always make me laugh!
Very pretty/edgy makeup. You wear it well. I don’t think I could pull it off though.
Becca says
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:51 amHow do you feel about the liquid liner? I wonder if they’re worth the price. I’m currently using Bourjois clubbing l/l because it doesn’t budge but there aren’t many colors out there.
Marty says
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:02 amYou know what? I think you pull off the purple lips surpassingly well! I think it’s the way you wear it here with the lovely shimmery (but subtle) eyes and scarf. All of it comes together and looks very very chic and sophisticated, instead of juvenile with mood changing lipstick. I like this look on you a lot!
Amanda says
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:22 amI can’t help but look at that purple lipstick and think PAZ DE LA HUERTA.
Chris25 says
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:42 amWet n Wild Ravin’ Raisin is like a more well behaved sister to Kontrol. It’s still purple, but it’s more subtle. Kontrol looks awesome on you! But then again, I am the chick who had purple highlights at 18. 😀
Lola says
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:55 amI like the liquid liner, not too sure about the purple lipstick…I just don’t think it would flatter me. I miss Stabler too girlfriend, he was just dripping Swagu
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Monika says
September 23rd, 2011 at 8:14 amI honestly love the look you have on, Karen! That close-up of your eye with Havoc on makes me understand why Dark Diversion sold out so quickly with Venomous Villains and MAC Me Over. It makes your eyes look gorgeous!
As far as the lipstick goes, I mentioned NIghtmoth and Magenta upthread. I feel like those lipliners (or probably any brown or red-brown liner) transform purple lipsticks. It totally takes away the immediate edge factor, though.
I also just wanted to mention that I love it when you experiment with your looks! I have pretty much the same exact skin tone and eye color, so it helps me out a lot when I’m not sure about choosing a more difficult color to wear. There have been so many times where I have thought to myself, “I remember this looking good on her when she blogged about it, so I should at least give it a try.”
Sarah S. says
September 23rd, 2011 at 8:30 amLife’s too short not to wear fun cray-cray makeup sometimes! I have way more purple lipstick than anybody needs 😛 I did a whole blog post with full-face purple lipstick photos 😀 Maybe I’m as naive as I was in middle school, or maybe I’m just like an old lady who doesn’t care (not sure), but I think makeup is still about expressing oneself and not only about looking good/being pretty!
Natasia says
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:26 amEek. I’ve done light purple, transparent gloss before and it’s cute. But I hope that deep of a purple doesn’t become a huge trend. I can’t pull that off and I don’t want to try!
Suzanne says
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:38 amI love the lipstick!
Kim says
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:42 amMy goodness, but you DO make me laugh. I was chuckling through your entire post. I think it’s because we have a lot of the same questions about life, except thankfully for the plane dudes. Sorry about that. 🙂 Oh, hey, did Tabs finally cough up your Shu? I mean, did you find your eyelash curler when you weren’t looking for it? 🙂
Btw, have you ever watched Ancient Aliens on the History Channel. I mean no disrespect to the makers of this show or the “experts” who appear on it. But I always find myself thinking “is this meant to be ironic? Can people actually believe this? I’m glad it’s on late at night when (hopefully!) no young minds are being molded by it”.
Melissa says
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:43 amThe eyeliner looks blood red! Might work well during Halloween! I will have to remember this
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Larie says
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:02 amThat eyeliner is intense! So is the lipstick 😀 I don’t personally think it’d work on me, but I love that they put it out there!
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Vonvon says
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:29 amNice swatches! Love the lipstick shade and the blusher too.
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Shubana says
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:49 amThe eyeliner is my favorite of the bunch ! Looks great on you 😀
viva says
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:48 amThat purple lipstick really blew my mind !
don’t know if I can carry it though…
But I LOVE the blush and pigment!
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jenn s. says
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:57 amOkay, it’s not you, Karen. So don’t take this the wrong way. The purple lipstick reminds me of shows I’ve watched on TV where they find a really cold or frozen corpse and the skin is super pale and the lips are a dreadful blueish-purple. I know if I dared try that look I’d have people running up to me trying to take my pulse and resuscitate me!
Instant Karma says
September 23rd, 2011 at 5:04 pmHAHAHA, you’re right! Oh, that color would look look incredibly cadaverous on someone who is already pale. I have light skin (NC20) and super pigmented (very berry-red) lips, and my lips turn that corpselike blue-purple color when I’m really cold. When it happens, I have people CONSTANTLY asking me if I’m okay (I am) or if I need medical assistance (no, I just want to go inside, thanks). Thanks, blood vessels! Yeah, I’ve learned to wear opaque red lipstick during the months of January and February…
Gina G says
September 23rd, 2011 at 2:57 pmI think it looks great on you!
Gotham Polish says
September 23rd, 2011 at 4:10 pmHehehe you look cold… but the pigment is stunning!
Instant Karma says
September 23rd, 2011 at 4:55 pmOMG YES I WANTED TO TALK SVU WITH YOU. Let me calm myself by looking at my computer background which is, of course, Christopher Meloni.
Okay, I’m calm now, lol. I really missed Stabler, but the presence of Munch comforted me (he’s definitely my favorite more peripheral character). I was also really happy that Cabot returned and to see Cutter from the original L & O. However, I flipped a shit when they referenced “the new DA” because it means Jack McCoy <3 is out of office, which is way too depressing to even process, lol. It was a better premiere than I expected to be considering I feared it would be a train wreck, but I still really miss Meloni. I immediately watched a re-run after the show was over to fill the void. It helped a bit, lol.
As for the rest of the season, I'm curious to see how they continue to deal. I hope that Cutter gets the chance to be interesting and not just a supervisory pain in Cabot's booty, and I hope that we get more of Munch and Fin. After watching the premiere, I think there's a chance the show will be able to cope. I'm cautiously optimistic.
Also, as for your socks/physics question, I'm pretty sure the 4th law of thermodynamics is that a certain percentage of socks must disappear. As someone who majored in physics AND has done a lot of laundry, I have performed the requisite experimentation to declare this, lol
Elizabeth Flaherty says
September 23rd, 2011 at 5:24 pmLike the purple!! I have a great purple lip gloss that is great, like a glaze.
yuri says
September 23rd, 2011 at 6:40 pmi have very pale skin, if I were to wear purple lips people would worry about me having hypothermia lol
Kate & Zena says
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:29 pmI know! SVU isn’t the same without Stabler! I miss Stabler.
Nina ML says
September 25th, 2011 at 1:26 pmI think the lip a tad lighter and a tad warmer (maybe layered?). Would be very awesome. I think with the gold in your skin it looks too blue. It would be the same on me
Misato-san says
April 22nd, 2012 at 5:23 pmI love this one on you!
Monique says
July 22nd, 2012 at 7:20 pmLOVE that eyeliner!!!