I was wondering why my purse was so heavy. Includes but is not limited to Coty Vanilla Musk perfume ($13, drugstores), vitamins from Mom, YSL’s new stain gloss in bright cherry red which I adore, $6 in quarters from Grandma Ruby and oh yes, even a bra that I forgot to take off when I got my last spray tan. Yikes. I think it’s time for a new bag that isn’t so monstrous I can fit shoes in it.
I’m not going to apologize for my lack of posting lately. Let’s just be happy that I’m back - and hopefully, finally to stay!
I’m 75% done with my holiday shopping, which most definitely means I can buy myself a gift or two, right? Obviously my utmost wants & wishes are beauty related - here’s what I’d like to see under my (imaginary) tree.
La Mer The Concentrate - At $275+, this is a total wish. I’ll never ever get to call La Mer The Concentrate my own, unless my student loans just magically disappear into thin air. (THAT’S my Christmas wish, Santa.) But oh is it heavenly. I can’t even describe how pleased and swoony I feel when I get a sample to use for a day or two. My bad, temperamental skin is in love with this stuff.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I am obsessed with face sprays! (Currently I’m alternating between By Elizabeth Dehn, Wyndmere and All Nighter, Urban Decay’s makeup setting spray.) I think Caudalie’s version will make its way into my Sephora cart very soon - it’s just $16 and if supermodels are using it, I should be too. It’s half-toner and half-serum and just the thing for a little spritz during a manic Saturday at the MOA.
Cartier Baiser Vole - Lily perfume. ALL lily. Florals are not my thing; I belong to the spicy/sexy/warm/oriental/gourmand perfume camp judging from the fragrances I use (Prada Candy, Angel, YSL Elle, Prada, Shalimar), but I fell hard for this elegantly feminine green floral when I smelled it last fall. I think this is my Spring-Summer 2012 fragrance. Plus the bottle! I mean, just look at it! The lid flips up like a Zippo!
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils - I’ll take Damned, Cruella, Red Square and Dragon Girl, please. I don’t know how I resisted Dragon Girl for so long - it’s my third or fourth favorite red of all time. Besides the fact that you have to sharpen them with a special NARS sharpener, these things are my new lipstick jam. It’s like a lipliner AND lipstick (matte, of course) in one. Obsessed.
Confession: I already own most of this because, well, I’m a junkie.
MAC “MAC Me Over” lipstick in Runaway Red - ALL over the fall runways. My anticipation was such that I couldn’t wait to buy it and bothered my girl Masha about it each time I stopped by her Nordstrom counter. It looks a little different than the pictures I saw, but I like the dark raspberry red anyway. Another red obsession is Estee Lauder’s (I know!) Pure Color Matte lipstick in Red Velvet, a perfect retro red.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry/Violent Frenzy - As you know, I am a red lipstick girl through and through. But for fall, I’ve been romancing the idea of toying with a darker wine shade once in awhile. I grabbed Black Cherry on a whim and though it’s a little darker than I wanted (you can’t swatch Revlons on your hand at Target, much to my chagrin) and not appropriate for work, I’m excited to play with it. Violet Frenzy isn’t out yet; it’s part of Gucci Westman’s Fall 2011 Revlon collection inspired by classical painters. I just know it’s going to be beautiful.
Chanel Le Vernis Peridot & Graphite; NARS Night Series polish - Give me glitter and shimmer for my fall nails, please. As Maritza said, Peridot is capitvating. It’s different in every light. You see, the problem with Chanel polishes is that they get so much hype that perhaps that hype makes us want to buy them … and I was a little disappointed with some I’ve given in to. But I love Graphite and Peridot and will actually wear them both more than once. NARS Night Breed is like its accompanying shadow: black with chunky, multi-sized silver glitter … I purchased Night Breed and the blue Night Flight. (I also like OPI’s I Brake for Manicures and Road House Blues and Sally Hansen’s Plum’s the Word for fall.)
NARS Eyeshadow in Outremer/CoverGirl Liquiline Blast in Blue Boom - Yves Klein blue in a matte eyeshadow from NARS and a smooth-flowing, incredibly long-lasting eyeliner from CoverGirl. Thanks for taking the reins there, Pat McGrath. I use Outremer as a liner too, though perhaps I’ll get adventurous and wear it as shadow sometime soon.
BeneFit They’re Real Mascara/Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes mascara - When Maritza was doing my makeup one day at the BeneFit counter, she exclaimed at the length of my lower lashes. I guess I’d never noticed that they are indeed super-long. As a mascara adventurer, I tried BeneFit’s new wonder with a healthy dose of skepticism and liked it so much that my mom swiped it. Lancome’s new Doll Lashes is supposed to be equally great for long, Twiggy-style lashes (just the way I like them); Kimmy K used it on her ballyhooed wedding day.
Estee Lauder Pure Color Matte lipstick in Red Velvet - Matte lipstick is my FAVORITE lipstick texture. OBSESSED over this perfect retro red and hunted high and low for it til I secured the last tube at Nordstrom. Divine.
Prada Candy or Cartier Baiser Vole - Besides lipstick and nail polish, perfume is my other vice. I expected to hate Prada’s cheeky new fragrance, Candy, and found it a little too similar to Britney Spears’ awful Fantasy at first sniff. But then, after letting it settle for an hour or two, it begins to smell kinda dirty/sweet/sexy. And I like that. Cartier’s Baiser Vole (stolen kiss) is all lily - expected to hate it and kind of did at first whiff, but then it was love. But it’s $100, so Cartier and I will have to continue our romance from afar.
Maritza and I talk makeup/skincare/beauty a lot; our phones are always cheeping with texts about Chanel and mascara. She works in the industry and I, well, I keep the industry afloat. She asked if I’d been compiling my fall beauty wishlist and I said, “Duh, I’ve already bought it all!” Here’s hers!
1). Chanel Peridot le Vernis. I first saw this nail color a few months ago and immediately fell in love. It’s such an unexpected green-gold and when the metallic hits the light, it’s truly spectacular. I never thought I could love a nail color as much as I love peridot. For this fall, it’s the new black.
2). YSL The Black Collection eyeliner pen. A perfect pen for a precise cat eye or a dramatic smoky eye.
3). Laura Mercier creme lip color in Bing Cherry: Brick red is the THE color of the Fall 2011 runway. I love this particular formula, because there is no shimmer, just shine. With flattering pink-and-brown undertones, it will look great on every woman.
For night: YSL Rouge Volupte Perle No. 106 (purple)
4). Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer. Nobody does primer like Smashbox. I’m substituting my classic Photo Finish for the new hydrating version during fall/winter months. After just one use, my face felt smooth and moisturized without feeling heavy underneath my foundation. Hands down, this is one of the best products of the season.
5). NARS Illuminator in Copacabana. Because of the deep lipsticks, shadows and nail polishes I will be sporting, I want to keep my face as illuminated and light as possible. I plan on using this highlighter as a very light and natural blush.
6). Malin + Goetz lip moisturizer. I was on a mission to find the most effective lip treatment after a recent bout of extreme dry lips! After a dozen or so failed attempts, I turned to beauty expert Kara Nesvig and she had the answer in Malin + Goetz. Voila! My lips are supple and smooth and I’m never leaving home without this!
7). Cleanser 27 by M.E. SkinLab. Cleanser 27 is an oil-rich wax with the texture of a skin butter (scary, right?!) that transforms into a foamy emulsion when it comes into contact with water. It promises to soften, moisturize and brighten the skin, without stripping it of natural and very essential oils. When I first read about this, I was skeptical it would be right for me, but after reading endorsements by colete (http://www.colette.fr/) and Woodley & Bunny (http://woodleyandbunny.com/), I am dying to try this cleanser during the harsh, dry Minnesota winter.
8). Philosophy the microdelivery: mini peel pads. Simply the best at-home way to exfoliate your dry skin and rid your face of dullness. I like these because they are gentle and also work well on the neck and arms.
9). Kiehl’s Rosewater Facial Freshener-Toner: No matter the season, rosewater is a must in my skincare routine. It soothes and calms the skin, while providing aroma therapeutic benefits. Kiehl’s puts actual rose petals in the bottle, which provides an aesthetic appeal. Tip: I like to chill rosewater in the fridge and spritz it on my face in the morning for instant perkiness!
Spa trip:
10). Spa getaway: I’m headed to Ruby Room in Chicago (http://www.rubyroom.com/) for an ultra-indulgent birthday present to myself. I plan on getting an Arcona facial (my first ever!), an enerssage with cupping and the pumpkin hand and foot treatment.
You’re probably thinking, “What are these nudes doing in Kara’s Lipstick Corral?” Now that I’m platinum blonde, I needed a nude or two for when all-out red felt too retro. (I do like that the security guards at the City Center call me Marilyn, though.) Welcome to the family, NARS Blonde Venus and MAC Viva Glam V.
Of course, I had to temper the nude purchases with two bright reds, MAC Pro Lipmix in Red and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Harlot. Let’s see how they look!
Hi friends! Introduce yourselves! First we’ve got YSL Rouge Pur Couture in 01, followed by Tom Ford Lip Color in Cherry Lush. (Or as I like to call it, Swanky Princess Lipstick.) There’s Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick in A Go-Go and two from Aveda, Poppy and Cherrybud.
Yep. Problems. Anyway, I apologize for the delay in posts; I’ve been kinda busy with various things, like bachelorette parties. Let’s talk about three of these lipsticks; I haven’t spent much time with the Aveda pair yet, so they got ignored this post. Sorry, guys. You can play next time. (I will say that I am wearing one right now and it tastes good.)
I really want to talk about the Tom Ford Lip Color in Cherry Lush. This is the fanciest, most expensive lipstick I’ve ever owned and Amy had to go all the way to New York to get it for me. The tube is all heavy white Old Hollywood prettiness and it clicks shut in such a swoon-worthy way. If you’re a lipstick freak like me, I think you need one tube just to have it. But I wasn’t totally bowled over by the lipstick. It’s pretty, it applies like a dream and it sticks around, but is it worth $42? Not really. I like my MACS and my CoverGirl Lip Perfection just as well, if not more.
Let’s see what they look like!
Top: Cherry Lush; Middle: A-Go-Go; Bottom: Rouge Pur 01
Sorry for the lame-o swatches. I’m working on it. Cherry Lush is a really pink-tinged red. It manages to stay pretty glossy for a pretty long time. Still, not obsessed with it. A-Go-Go, on the other hand, I adore. It is bright orange with just a tinge of red, looks awesome with just bronzer and mascara and stays on forever. Rouge Pur 01, perfect red. Bleeds, though.
More, more, more? Tomorrow! I promise!
I like lipstick. A lot. I think about lipstick a lot. Weird? Maybe, but whatever. Like I tell my mom when she says I’m spending too much money on makeup, “It’s my cigarettes, OK?” And it is. If you’ve noticed, I’ve let my old Red take a rest for awhile and have been relying on some bright, springy colors for a few weeks now … maybe soon it will actually BE spring. Meet the newest stallions in my corral. I apologize for the ridiculous and awkward self-portraits.
NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage - Matte is my preferred lipstick texture because it lasts the longest, and while I don’t love NARS Pure Mattes as much as MAC’s version, I have acquired several tubes. I like the color range, especially the nude Tashkent, but I don’t always love the texture, which can feel a little flaky. Carthage is a bright fuchsia pink which will look 1000 times better on me when I have a tan. It really doesn’t photograph nearly as bright as it is, though I definitely wouldn’t call it a neon. Just … punchy.
MAC Amplified Lipstick in Neon Orange with Sephora Gloss in Orange Juice - Bright orange lips are absolutely it for spring … I’ve been flirting with orange since last spring, so I had a few tubes to fiddle around with, but nothing satisfies like a real, authentic neon orange. This one always gets a comment or two from customers at the store. To really amp up the bright factor, I added Sephora’s Orange Juice gloss; pretty to look at, not so pretty to get your hair caught in. (This is a major reason why I rarely wear gloss! I’m not kidding.) MAC is my favorite lipstick brand, hands down, and the Amplified lipsticks are creamy, highly pigmented and long-lasting. What more could a girl want?
MAC Amplified Lipstick in Show Orchid - Did you know Show Orchid is only available online? Well, I didn’t. Neither did the girls at the MOA MAC store; only my girl Masha at Nordstrom pointed me in the right direction. Show Orchid is another hot pink creme finish, but it’s got a teeny bit of microshimmer for extra kick. I usually HATE frost in my lipstick, but this is so subtle I barely even notice it. Pretty, right? And it matches my feather!
If you don’t know about Into the Gloss, the greatest beauty-related blog I’ve found so far, then today’s your lucky day. It’s run by Voguette Emily Weiss, who has the privilege to pry into the beauty habits of all kinds of fabulous people, from supermodels to magazine editors to stylists. Since I’m nosy as all hell, of course I find this inspiring. Jane did an ITG-inspired post of her own awhile ago, and since I’ve got strep and am quarantined today, here’s mine! (I know, Jane’s is way prettier. I get green with envy when I look at it.)
Aveda Smooth Infusion Glossing Straightener; Pravana Sulfate-Free Brightening Shampoo; Kiehl’s Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak; Manic Panic Virgin Snow toner; Jonathan Overnight Oil Treatment
Kerastase Elixir Ultime; Fresh Sugar Rose lip treatment; Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser; Bumble and bumble White Hair Powder; Clinique Even Better Clinical; Face Spray by Elizabeth Dehn; Origins Checks & Balances cleanser; Earth Sciences Almond-Aloe Moisturizer
(Purse essentials as of late) Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy; MAC Show Orchid; Revlon Really Red Matte; MAC Neon Orange, Lady Danger, Candy Yum-Yum; NARS Pure Matte Carthage; NARS Super Orgasm; Sephora orange gloss
China Glaze Flip-Flop Fantasy neon; American Apparel Butter; China Glaze Japanese Koi neon; OPI Apine Snow matte … and some of my newest thrift store books. (Yes, that IS Danielle Steel.)
A few more favorites; China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise neon; China Glaze Frostbite; Orly magenta I forget the name of; new favorite candle, Aloha Orchid from Capri Blue
Bunch of MACs; Fracas; Britney Spears Curious; J Lo Glow; Shalimar; Kiehl’s Musk; Prada; Stetson
And finally, bedside necessities. (And a stray D&G lipstick/Estee Lauder gloss … I don’t know how that got there.) Kiehl’s Lip Balm; O’Keeffe’s Working Hands creme; Rosebud Salve; hot pink earplugs for beauty sleep
Welcome to Baby Reviews, wherein I review (succintly) beauty products I’ve tried in the last month or so. Helpful, right? As always, helpful’s what I aim for.
Pravana Pure Light Brightening Shampoo (above) - Since I have a keratin blowout, I was instructed to stay far, far away from sulfates. This makes finding a purple shampoo to tone my blonde difficult, but I found Pravana thanks to Google and ordered it via Amazon. It’s runny. Really runny. And it stains your hair purple in the shower, but it washes out. And it tones like a dream. My hair is champagne platinum, not buttercup yellow.
Essie Bahama Mama polish - Pretty plum that isn’t too dark. Needs about three coats to apply evenly.
China Glaze In the Limelight polish - Neon green, so it dries matte. I needed about four coats for it to look opaque; better as an accent color, I think.
Bumble & Bumble White Hair Powder - Comes in a cutie-pie little travel spray size, but isn’t worth the money. (It’s $19 for the teeny size, $34 for the big one.) Gives nice texture and so-so coverage, but it sheds like snowfall … or dandruff. “Psssst!” or baby powder work just as well.
MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Perpetual Flame - Cool texture, easy application, long-lasting raspberry red color.
Dior Addict Lipstick in 578 Diorkiss - This is the color Kate Moss is wearing in the commercials. I probably like it so much because I like the tube, which is high tech and holographic. The pink lipstick inside is pretty too, but yeah, not $30 pretty.
Lolita Lempicka Fleur de Corail - Beachy with a side of laundry detergent. (Appealing to you? I’ll sell.)
