The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

Okay, so, yesterday’s mud bath was…interesting, ladies. 🙂 I don’t regret giving it a try, but I won’t be making a followup appointment anytime soon. Let’s just put it that way.

The weirdest part wasn’t that it felt like I was sleeping on wet dirt in a barn but that I went in thinking it would be a private thing, like at a regular spa where you get your own room. Nope! It was a big @ss room with mud troughs and lots of boobies hanging out, including mine. Not the most relaxing experience, LOL!

But more on that a little later in the open thread…

As for this week in makeup, the highlight for me was Smashbox Eye Illusion because of how much more I liked it than I thought I would. Honestly, it doesn’t look like much in the pan, but the moment I layered it on top of Urban Decay Rockstar liner, I knew it was something special.

I hope you had a good makeup week. Any awesome new finds or hauls you’d like to share?

While I prep today’s open thread and try to forget how traumatic my mud bath was, here’s a quick look at some of the topics we discussed.

SMASHBOX EYE ILLUSION
EQUALS MORE OPTIONS

Every makeup junkie has at least a few of ’em — sad, neglected eyeshadows and liners tossed into a miscellaneous junk drawer or lost at the bottom of a long forgotten makeup bag (aww!).

Smashbox must have felt terrible about all of that wasted potential because they designed their latest Smashbox Eye Illusion ($28, available at Sephora stores and Smashbox.com) trio to breathe new life into second string colors. When layered on top of other eyeshadows and liners, its sheer, iridescent blue, pink and gold change the hue of existing products and add a metallic finish. Read more…

BRIGHT GLOSSY LIPS
TIPS & TRICKS

I swear there’s a magic dial behind makeup counters that associates can use to crank up the brightness of their lipglosses because shiny shades of red, coral, fuchsia, neon orange and hot pink are blossoming right before my eyes!

Bright, glossy lips are among my favorite things about summer. Here are five hot tips to get your pretty kisser primed and ready to glow!

TIP #1: Prevent pigmented glosses from drifting past your natural lip line. Once I spent an entire day sightseeing in San Francisco without realizing I had bright red lipgloss smeared all over my chin… I’d assumed folks were staring because they wanted to be friends, but when a highly pigmented gloss creeps past your natural lip line, it’s like wearing a big sign on your forehead that reads, “WHEE! LOOK AT ME! I LOOK LIKE A CRAZY!” Read more…

CLARINS INSTANT SUN LIGHT
EYE QUARTET & LINER

Cute black shoes, jeans that make my bum look good, pictures of men with rippled abs, and wearable neutral eye palettes — these are some of the things I love.

Cue the band!

The Clarins Instant Sun Light Eye Quartet & Liner Palette ($36) has a lot to offer ladies who love warm, blendable neutrals. With four smooth, pigmented powder shadows and an accompanying cream liner, it’s ready and waiting to help you rock a range of casual to dressy eye looks.

Now available at Clarins counters and online, it’s part of the eight-piece Instant Sun Light summer collection. Read more…

HOT SUMMERTIME LIPS
FROM URBAN DECAY, LANCOME & ILLAMASQUA

Red often gets pigeonholed as a holiday color, but it can look great any time of year. In summer, I like reds with orange, coral or rose tones and a shiny, high-gloss finish. Bright lips can be tricky, but they’re well worth the work. Pair that pucker with a neutral eyeshadow (here I’m wearing colors from the Clarins Instant Sun Light Palette), and you’re good to go! Read more…

URBAN DECAY
SUMMER OF LOVE SHADOW PALETTE

I wish I could be a butterfly on the wall at Urban Decay HQ and watch the creative peeps plan the brand’s summer lineup. Do they huddle around a big table smoking blunts and eating brownies, hotboxing in a board room until someone proclaims, “Whoa! Like, Eureka!”

You know what I mean, right? And they must know, too. Those cheeky references to herbal refreshment — nope, I’m not talking about Celestial Seasonings — aren’t foolin’ anyone.

Your honor, let the record show that this year’s Summer of Love Shadow Palette ($29) is a little less obvious in its references than last year’s incredible Get Baked (LOVE!) was, but it still has that same vibe.

The palette’s been available online and at Sephora since March, but I only just recently took the time to explore its many charms. Read more…

MAC MASCARA X
LASH LENGTH, VOLUME & GLOSS

I love the look of big, bold tranny lashes, but I can’t wear them all the time (no matter how much I’d like to!). Now, when I need to look more professional than partygoer, I can reach for MAC Mascara X ($13). It delivers the perfect amount of lash volume with great separation and length.

Available for a while as part of the MAC permanent makeup line, it’s one of five mascaras designed to enhance lashes while maintaining a (somewhat) natural feel and appearance (Pro Lash, Splashproof Lash, Pro Longlash and Dazzle Lash are the others).

For volumized lashes that appear long, lush and separated — but still within the realm of possibility — I’ll apply two to three coats of Mascara X. It glides on smooth, dries to a glossy finish and leaves my lashes feeling light, flexible and soft. Read more…

TOKIDOKI CHROMATICO
EYE PALETTE

Okay, so, most of us probably need another eyeshadow palette about as much as RuPaul needs another blonde wig. Perhaps that’s why the marketing mavens at Tokidoki decided to up the ante by adding an alluring treat to each of their three impossibly cute Chromatico Eyeshadow Palettes ($25 each).

Bastardino, Adios and Diamante come with a tiny charm tucked away in the bottom compartment. Aww! They’re like Happy Meals without the calories, but instead of a burger, fries and soda, you get four coordinating shades with vibrant pigmentation. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen