SPRING 2012 BEAUTY COLLECTIONS

Spring is indeed here even if the weather doesn't seem to know (at least not here in New York...it's cold & windy). During this time of year the makeup counters have all the latest spring beauty collections to bring your makeup to life with new colors and formulas.  Unfortunately most of these collections are Limited Edition so if you see something you love definitely BUY IT or you'll be hunting it down on Ebay and paying double. Trust me, I've been there and done that. Happy shopping all!!!!

DIOR – "Garden Party"The brand pays homage to Mr. Dior's passion for flowers and gardens with its Spring Collection Garden Party. A fresh spring bouquet of delicate pinks, soft greens & sweet violets. 

ESTEE LAUDER – "Bronze Goddess Capri"
A new collection of sunlit color and fragrance inspired by the seductive beauty of the Isle of Capri.

LANCÔME – "Roseraie des Delices"

For Spring 2012, Lancome is delighted to invite you to a makeup garden party! Inspired by a sumptuous garden party, this collection melts macaroons and sweets with nail polish and lipsticks. This collection was created by Aaron de Mey and inspired by the rose garden at the family home of Lancome founder, Armand Petitjean.

LAURA MERCIER – "Lingerie Collection"
This season, Laura Mercier's inspiration comes from the soft romantic hues and fabrics of the Victorian Age. This modern interpretation showcases a color palette inspired by vintage boudoir lingerie.  The look is ultra-feminine with lips and cheeks done in shades of warm corals and modern peaches while eyes are alluring in neutral browns and taupe grays.

SHU UEMURA  – "Celestial Gardens"
The inspiration for this collection is "the world above the clouds, surrounded by overflowing positive energy, full of colors and full of light.  The same scenery, the same world can look so different, if seen with all your senses full open.  Unchain yourself, play with the colors, enjoy make-up, and above all enjoy precious moments that exist in your life".

YSL – "Spring 2012 Collection"
An effervescent look of fresh colors, melting textures and transparent effects: a manifest of sweet, springtime shades created by Lloyd Simmonds for Yves Saint Laurent.

* Note - 1st photo in Blog post is of NARS 2012 Spring Collection but it hasn't launched yet...you can sign up to be emailed once products go "live" on their website by clicking here.

PRODUCT REVIEW: butter LONDON

I'll admit it...I'm a bit of an Anglophile with a fondness for most things British. One of my beauty obsessions from "across the pond" is butter LONDON.  I first fell in love with butter LONDON  when I ordered some of their nail polish (or nail varnish as they say in the UK) from one of my favorite online shopping sites - HauteLook.  The colors were incredible bright and bold, the wear was great and the polish went on like a dream...I didn't even need a top coat! Needless to say it was love at first sight.

Nonie Creme is the Founding Creative Director for butter LONDON and it's her creative genius that has lead to them being a cult phenomenon in the nail industry. Butter LONDON has worked with designers like Alexander Wang, Betsey Johnson, Vena Cava, Calvin Klein, Issa, Rachel Zoe, and many more. They have a passionate following in the U.S. thanks to their 3 Free (non-toxic) nail lacquers which are formulated without the use of harmful ingredients like Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP or Parabens. 

Now onto the good stuff my lovelies! I've swatched below my recent haul of butter LONDON goodies including not only nail polish but a few other of their products. Enjoy!!!

Dressing Table Duo #1 (Limited Edition) - ($25)
This duo includes the following two nail polish shades:

"The Black Knight" - A dark dazzler from butter LONDON, this glitter fusion contains black, pink, blue, and silver suspended in a black base.
Absolutely in love with this color....be still my beating heart! It's no wonder that it's currently sold out on the Butter LONDON website.

"Tart With A Heart" - Who says pink glitter can’t be girly AND sexy?! This pale pink parade of glitter carries a dash of grey to tone down the sugar and ramp up the spice.

I love girlie glitter polish and this is super glittery and pretty. Can be worn alone or layered over a variety of light or dark colored polish...oh the possibilities!

"HRH" - ($14)
Proper purple. Even the Queen would agree, and she never agrees with us. (P.S. - for you non Angophiles H.R.H. stands for Her Royal Highness - in other words, the Queen!)

This is my new FAVORITE purple nail polish - so sorry Illamasqua (another British cosmetic brand I like) but you are now bumped!

"The Black Knight" looks super gorgeous layered over "HRH".  Together they are the perfect dark duo for your winter mani/pedi. Even with my short stubby nails I can't stop staring at my hands!

"The Full Monty" - ($14)

Does what it says on the bottle. Full-on molten gold. A beautiful colour that is always classy, never brassy.

This nail polish looks like a burnished, antique gold color...it reminds me of an old M.A.C. pigment "Old Gold".  It makes me happy just looking at this color.

Layering "Tart With A Heart" over "The Full Monty" makes me think of glittery fun things like shiny disco balls...it's quite lovely.

Quick Change Artist  Duo -  ($15)

Go naked if you must, but never on your nails! This kit contains nail polish remover and "Yummy Mummy" nail lacquer. 

One of the worst things about nail polish remover is the awful smell...Butter LONDON's smells like baby powder.

"Yummy Mummy" - Our ‘magic’ lacquer. This medium beige colour is simply stunning on EVERY skin colour. If you can’t decide on a lacquer, then we will for you. It’s this.

They don't lie...I can image this color looking gorgeous on any and everyone. I like it as a cool-toned neutral for winter when I don't want too strong a color.

 "Master" Luxury Lotion - ($10)

 A unisex lotion for exceptionally soft skin with a Black Tea scent – sophisticated, smoky – just what you are craving.

 I love drinking different types of black tea (Earl Grey, Lady Grey, etc) so I decided to give this a try and I'm so glad I did. The fragrance is great for winter...alittle smoky, sultry and sexy. It also left my hands feeling soft and supple but not a bit greasy.

As an added treat I'm also including picture of butter LONDON's new 2012 Spring/Summer Collection:

My favs from the new collection are "Knackered" - A sheer, twinkling oyster shade flecked with micro glitter particles and "Slapper" - A truly teal lacquer, bold and very bright.


I hope you all enjoyed this blog post - it's the first time I've written a Product Review covering nail polish so curious to know what you all think. Please feel free to share your feedback on butter LONDON (or any other beauty blog post) by leaving a comment below. Thanks again for being a "Karen's World of Beauty" Reader!

URBAN DECAY: HAUL VIDEO & REVIEW

I recently purchased several Urban Decay products while they were having a big sale on their website so I decided to share my haul with my "Karen's World of Beauty" Readers.  Check out all the details by clicking the video below:

 As I mentioned in the video all of these products are currently unavailable on Urban Decay's website but if you click the name of each cosmetic products, I've embedded link to where they are for sale online.

Apocalyptic Nail Kit
An elegant lineup of the season's "it" shades, this kit includes seven gorgeous shades in "commitment-free" sized mini bottles in a zipper case. It's perfect thing for last-minute trips and events.
Colors in nail kit:

- White Widow (white with shimmer), Gunmetal (metallic taupey-grey), Apocalypse (almost black eggplant), Grunge (metallic peacock), Meltdown (royal purple), Big Bang (shimmery hot pink) and Fbomb (true red).

Cream Shadow
These Cream Shadows channels the sex appeal of the 70's and the science of today! Whipped to perfection, each shimmering shade dries to a weightless layer of color that will not crease, fade, or hide in fine lines. Unlike most cream shadows, UD gel-based formula features silicone technology, allowing time to blend, correct and smudge. 
"Suburbia" - medium bronze w/ subtle gold microsparkle
"Whipped" - golden peach w/ subtle gold micro sparkleCream
"Delinquent" - deep metallic purple
"Asphalt" - black w/ lots of silver & iridescent glitter

* Click here to see to samples of all the Cream Shadow colors.

Loose Pigment
Color-intense, super-fine pigments in a rainbow of shades. Try a little for a sheer wash of color, or layer for bold, shimmering hues. The spill-proof tube even includes a high-quality brush.
"Goddess" – midnight blue w/ electric blue microglitter
"X" – gold with peach shift
"Shag" – pale bronze

Ultraglide lip gloss
Over five inches of intimacy-enhancing lip gloss pleasure in pretty, semi-opaque shades. The love child of lip gloss and lipstick, Ultraglide provides the ultra-slick texture of a deluxe gloss with the semi-opaque color of a lipstick. The result is deep, rich color and beautiful coverage without the tackiness of other glosses.  And to further heighten your pleasure, each shade is laced with a unique flavor. Mmmm.
"Gash" - deep shimmering red, cola flavor

Eyeshadow Transforming Potion
Transform any eyeshadow to liquid liner or liquid shadow with this double-ended magic wand. Use thin brush end for precision lining or larger brush end to sweep color over your whole lid.

Clean and Sober Oil-free Makeup Remover
This unique gel-based makeup remover soothes the skin with lavender extract, while removing your most resistant makeup.  Mild cleansers, coupled with botanicals like jasmine, sacred lotus and manuka honey effortlessly dissolve makeup, while a touch of lavender scent provides much-needed serenity. The oil-free formula leaves skin soft and refreshed and won't irritate eyes, leaving you free to explore your other vices.

Well my lovelies, I hope you enjoyed this product review and please send me a note or leave comment if you've tried any of these Urban Decay products. I would love to know what you think!


* NOTE:  The sparkly, glittery glow you see on my chest and arms is Urban Decay's Sparkling Lickable Body Powder in "Cocoa". This is an item I already had in my personal arsenal of makeup. I LOVE the way it smells and it looks incredible on my skin. Sooooo delicious!!!

PRODUCT REVIEW - OJON Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo & Conditioner

This review has been a long time coming. I've been using Ojon's  Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo and Conditioner since earlier this year when I received a free sample from Sephora (that was a genius marketing offer!) yet somehow I didn't think to do a Review for my beauty blog.  Actually I've neglected reviewing any haircare products so this is my first Haircare Product Review! I have to say that I'm really in love with this shampoo and conditioner.

My hair is very dry and I need products that don't strip away my natural oils and is gentle on my tightly curled hair. Every day, sun, pollution, coloring, heat styling, diet, stress and the natural aging process do a serious number on hair. This shampoo and conditioner is fortified with Ojon oil - "nature’s golden elixir" and helps to mend, strengthen and restore shine to even the most damaged hair. Ojon oil is also rich in essential lipids similar to those in unprocessed, virgin hair. Found only in the rainforests of Central America, harvested and extracted by hand from the nuts of Ojon tree, Ojon oil is an amazing beauty secret used for centuries to restore perfect health and vitality to hair "broken by the blazing sun". 

I first tried Ojon's hair treatment years ago when it first debuted on QVC.  The conditioner worked amazing on my dry hair but it smelled awful! Everytime I moved my head it smelled as if I had treated my hair with compost...it was way too earthy and pungent! And to make it even worse the smell lingered for days...I eventually gave it away even though it cost $50 even back then. Luckily Ojon has worked out its fragrance issues while maintaining the jungle "magic".  The Sephora website describes the Damage Reverse™ Restorative line of product's fragrance as a "creamy, sweet aroma of Tonka Bean, Vetiver and Benjoin" but I just call it delicious!

OJON - Damage Reverse™ Restorative Shampoo ($24)
This luxurious golden gel fortified with nature's golden elixir, Ojon oil, wheat proteins, and creamy coconut-derived cleansers transforms into a rich lather that helps repair damaged hair in the shower. The formula smooths ruffled cuticles and unwinds tangles to prevent breakage.

OJON - Damage Reverse™ Restorative Conditioner ($25)
This lush, concentrated conditioning balm surrounds dry, brittle hair with nourishing lipids including Ojon oil, nature's golden elixir, antioxidant-rich Brazilian Buriti Oil, and Murumuru Butter, helping to seal in vital moisture and create the perfect buffer against daily damage.

What I also like is that Ojon's Damage Reverse™ Restorative Shampoo and Conditioner is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Phthalates
- Triclosan

For any of you ladies with dry, damaged or brittle hair I highly recommend that you give Ojon's Damage Reverse™ Restorative Shampoo and Conditioner a try.  I'm extremely picky when it comes to my hair care products but this Ojon duo makes it to the top of my list. And for Sephora's V.I.B. Holiday Shopping Event, which starts this Thursday, Nov 10th and ends Mon. Nov. 14th, I'll be purchasing the Ojon  Restorative Hair Treatment. If it's as good as the shampoo and conditioner then I'm sure I'll love it too!