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.

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 OF THE WEEK: Neutral Eye Palettes

Neutral eye shadows have been around for ages. They are the 'vanilla ice cream' of the makeup world - good but sometimes a little boring. But recently this beauty staple has gotten a new lease on life.  This trend started with Urban Decay's launch of the wildly popular "Naked" Palette which lead to an explosion of eye shadow collections in a neutral range of shades.  Here's my top picks of neutral eye shadow palettes that reflect a variety of price points. Happy shopping my lovelies!

 

Bobbie Brown -  "Sand Tortoiseshell" Eye Palette ($60)
The Tortoiseshell eye palette in "Sand" is for lighter skin tones, with light to dark shadows in flattering warm neutrals. This eye shadow collection let's you go from soft to smoky in no time flat. The eight shadows in this palette are designed to be layered - there’s no blending required. Start with the lightest shade, then layer the darker shades until you get the desired intensity.
* This eye palette is also available in "Bronze Tortoiseshell"  for medium to darker skintones.

Urban Decay  - "Naked" Palette  ($48)
Everybody wants to look good NAKED! Far from a group of boring beige shadows, the Naked Palette's long, lean, seductive case is packed with twelve gorgeous neutrals, including five NEW shades. This palette contains a range of textures: everything from glitter to shimmer to matte. Also included in palette is  the Good Karma eye shadow brush and a travel-size eyeshadow Primer Potion.

Stila - "Natural Eye Shadow" Palette ($39)
A beautiful palette consisting of Stila's award-winning Eye Shadows in wearable, neutral shades for every skintone that can be worn wet or dry and a limited-edition Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner. It also contains an eight-page lookbook with detailed how-to tips and tricks.

NYX - "Nude on Nude" Pallete ($25)
This set contains a classic medley of 20 neutral eye shadows and 10 vibrant lip colors that work for every skin tone and every occasion. What more could a girl ask for?

SLEEK Make-UP - "Storm" i-Divine Palette ($10)
The Storm i-Divine palette is comprised of 12 strong and rich shades perfect for accentuating the eyes and creating natural looks.

E.L.F. - "Essential Beauty School" 32-Piece Eyeshadow Palette ($5)
This 32-color Professional Eyeshadow Palette is the all-you-need eyeshadow assortment, perfect for on-the-go beauty! With endless colors & textures to choose from, this professional eyeshadow palette lets you create your own personal look whenever you wish, wherever you are. 



* Note - the first eye shadow palette featured in this article is Kat Von Dee's True Romance eye shadow palette in "Saint". This product is yet to be released on Sephora.com.

PRODUCT REVIEW - M.A.C._ Semi Precious Collection

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"Imagine the impact, gleam and depth of colour as ethically mined minerals from Brazil work their mystique on Mineralize Skinfinish and Mineralize Blush. Limited edition....Get rich while you can!”

So I made a trip last week to the MAC Pro store to re-purchase a Pro product I ran out of. To my surprise it's been over a year since I last purchased anything from M.A.C. and my Pro card was expired. (Booo!)  But the good news is that I got chance to check out the new Semi Precious collection in person. I'm not a huge M.A.C. aficionado but I have to admit, most of the products in this collection are gorgeous!

Since I was already in the store I decided to play and swatch all the products in the collection....be prepared to fall in love. This collection of products launched online and in MAC stores last Wednesday so if you like any of the colors get out your credit card immediately!

Semi Precious Eyes

Mineralize Eye Shadow ($20.00)

[from left to right, indoor light and natural light]

"Quartz Fusion" - soft pink, silver and deep pink

"Jade's Fortune" - bright yellow, blue, lime and black

"Faux Gold" - coral, gold, lime and bronze

 

"Clarity" - light pink, off-white, green, gold and black

"Mineral Mode" - white base with copper and grey

"Unsurpassable" - green, teal, purple and copper

"Blue Sheen" - navy, black and peach

"Hint of Sapphire" - pink, violet, teal, copper and blue

"Rare Find" - violet, brown and gold

Missing from Display (SOLD OUT):

"Golden Glaze" - pink and gold

"Dark Indulgence" - forrest green and black

"Smoked Ruby" - burgundy and black'

Semi-Precious Colour

 Lipstick ($20.00)

[from left to right, indoor light and natural light]
"Musky Amethyst" - deep plum (Frost)

"One of a Kind" - midtone rosy neutral (Lustre)

"Gem of Roses" - midtone strawberry pink (Lustre) SOLD OUT

"Lush Amber" -light nude beige (Lustre)

Cremesheen Glass  ($18.50)

 

[from left to right, indoor light and natural light]
"Richly Revered" - deep plum brown
"Looks Like Sin" -midtone reddish plum
"Geo Pink" - strawberry pink
"Natural Flare" - light caramel nude
"Pure Magnificence" - light grey pink

Mineralize Blush  ($23.50)

 

[from left to right, indoor light and natural light]
"Warmth of Coral" - coral and peach
"Pressed Amber" - nude, beige and brown
"Feeling Flush" - pink, deep blue pink, and brown SOLD OUT

Mineralize Skinfinish  ($28.50)

 

[colors from left to right - base, inner circle and mixed with indoor light and natural light]
"Semi Precious Crystal Pink" - Base: pink champagne, Inner Circle: pink, dirty green and bronze
"Semi Precious Pearl" - Base: beige champagne, Inner Circle: white, plum and bronze SOLD OUT
 
"Rose Quartz" - Base: rosy pink, Inner Circle: deep blue pink, and brown SOLD OUT 
"Semi Precious Goldstone" - Base: brown, Inner Circle: rosy pink, white, and gold 

Semi Precious Skin

Mineralized Charged Water ($22.00)
Mineralize SatinFinish spf 15 Foundation ($29.50)
Mineralize Face + Body Lotion ($29.50) SOLD OUT

Also part of the Semi Precious collection were two new brushes: # 179 Angled Split Fibre Buffer Brush ($47.00) and Split Fibre Blush Brush ($32.00)


My top picks from the M.A.C. Semi Precious collection are as follows:
Mineralize Eyeshadows in “Blue Sheen”, “Hint of Sapphire”, "Rare Find" and "Clarity"
Mineralize Skinfinishes in “Semi Precious Pearl” and “Semi Precious Gold Stone”
Semi-Precious Lipstick in “Lush Amber” and "One of a Kind"
Cremesheen Gloss in “Natural Flare” and “Geo Pink”
Mineralize Charged Water and Mineralize Face + Body Lotion
 
The only product I didn't like for myself was the Mineralize Blushes - they looked chalky and ashy on my deep skin tone. Not one of the colors worked which was disappointing. I especially loved the the Mineralize Eye Shadows...I tried to duplicate their color and effect using other mineral products but it just didn't work. Guess I'll have to pay full price for those little gems. I also really liked the Mineralize Skinfinishes as well - I would use them as highlighter or layer over blush though, instead of over my whole face.

So what do you think dear Readers? Are any of you planning to buy products from this MAC Limited Edition collection? I've heard through the social network "grapevine" that this is a much anticipated collection and its going fast so if you like anything, I'd advise buying it ASAP my darlings.  Happy shopping!!!

THE MAKEUP SHOW NY (2011) - DAY 2

As promised my lovely "Karen's World of Beauty" Reader's, I'm back with coverage of Day 2 of The Makeup Show in New York.  Like last year (and the year before) I stayed up late going through products and writing my blog post so unfortunately I was late for Day 2.  My whole schedule of planned activity got thrown off because I was late and then I got lured in by the vendors so I mostly spend time shopping and talking. So here's how the day went...

First stop was the NARS cosmetic booth to renew my Pro Discount and check out their new collection for Fall 2011...I'm so in love with this new eyeshadow trio:

It was so crazy at the booth that I couldn't swatch colors but I plan on making a trip to their new Soho boutique in NYC.  I'll be doing a review of the product line and their swanky new digs at 413 Bleecker (they even named a Pure Matte lipstick after their address). Stay tuned lovelies!

I was so happy that I made it to the 2nd Floor and checked out the Career and Resource Seminar "Women In the Industry" with several women I greatly admire; (from left to right in pic) Eve Pearl, Danessa Myricks, Eugenia Weston and Sue Devitt.

All the women on the panel were so geniue, informative, helpful, supportive, honest....I could go on and on. It really was refreshing and encouraging to hear their experiences and get their input as women working in the Beauty/Makeup Industry.  I got a chance to take a picture with one of my Makeup Mentors (in my head anyway) Eve Pearl.

When I decided to do makeup professionally, I took my first seminar with Eve Pearl through The Powder Group. That was almost 9 years ago and I still remember the lessons I learned from her...she was so patient and helpful. 

After seeing Eve I decided to head over to her booth to check out any new products.  Her "Salmon" Concealer was a big part of my evolution as Makeup Artist and understanding color theory. Thanks to that miracle product you can color correct the darkest under-eye circles even on the fairest skin. I love it!!! However since I have all the shades of concealer and alot of other products I only purchased her Moisturizing Primer and some mini powder puffs (Eve's only place I know to buy them). I did get the chance to swatch some of her eyeshadows quads...see below:

Velvet (Purples)  Eye Palette

 Sapphire (Blue) Eye Palette

Emerald (Green) Eye Palette

I also did a brief interview with Liz Sorgi of new online makeup resource, MugPaint.com. They will be posting my interview soon but you can check out their site in the meantime.  I will be posting some exclusive content to MugPaint's website from time to time so defintely register as a member.

One of my favorite Makeup Artist friend, Mia Hendrick, hipped me to a new makeup line called Beauty Addicts so I went to check them out.  Here's pictures of their cosmetic display...it's like candy to my inner little girl. Yummy!

 

 

Thanks to the lovely Jenine of Beauty Addicts, I was given the opportunity to test out several of their beauty products so keep an eye out for my video review in the near future Readers!

After that I went by OCC Makeup booth to chat with Creator David Klasfeld to give him my feedback on his new OCC Skin Tints.  They are awesome! I wore combination of OCC Tints in Y5 and R5 for today's makeup look along with "Anime" Lip Tar on my kisser. Everyone was asking me what lip color I was wearing. OCC's website describes color as an "intense, no holds-barred neon pink"...I just call it lovely! LOL. (I'ts hard to see lip color in this crappy BlackBerry phone picture but trust me this color is BOLD!)

I ran into some more Makeup Artist friends as I was making a final loop around the main vending floor. 

Time was running down so I made a few more stops to pick up some items for my professional makeup kit. I must admit though that the majority of my purchases were for moi!

I saw my of my favorite people in the world...Makeup Artist Valerie P. Hernandez from Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics!  She's their lead Makeup Artist and not only is she incredibly talented and informative about YB product's she's the sweetest person you'll ever meet. I love her to death!!!

Of course she talked me into buying (yes, I'm sure you know the answer already) more lipglosses!!! LOL! Here's swatches of some of their lovely mineral Lip Glosses...I swear I love every color they have. (I really do need help for my lip gloss addiction).

 

I also got a newer version of their incredible Hi-Def Hydrating Mineral Perfecting Powder, this one was tinted for warmer skin tones. Words can't convey how wonderful this powder is...its feel like cool silk on your skin and just melts into your face. I'm also a huge fan of their Minerals in the Mist spray. If you buy this spray please don't blame me if you get addicted because it's just lovely. My favorite is "Recharge" which smells like Tangerine and Grapefruit - it instantly perks me up and makes me feel happy.

The security guards were practically throwing us out of Metropolitan Pavillon as the makeup crowd was still lingering...talking and showing off their beauty hauls, etc. I managed to stop someone to take a picture of me in front of The Makeup Show logo wall to end my day at the 2011 edition of The Makeup Show New York. I look forward to The Makeup Show all year long and it goes by in a flash.

Here's pictures of my beauty haul for Day 2...I definitely went over budget but TMS only happens once a year so I guess I'm allowed. I just have to get back on strict beauty buying budget after this spending spree!

 

Well dear Readers, I hope you enjoyed my adventures at The Makeup Show 2011 and check back soon for product reviews and videos of several products.  Thanks again for your support!!