Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds

Ghost in the machine

Beauty vending machines are popping up everywhere. Check out this stalker-ish camera pic of the new ProActiv kiosk at my nearby mall:

Shoot, I remember when all you could buy from vending machines were cans of Coke and bags of Corn Nuts.

Remember how a few days ago I bemoaned the loss of the Elizabeth Arden counter at Macy’s? Well, I spoke too soon. Now, even Elizabeth Arden has vending machines:

I can stock up on Ceramide mascara and Eight Hour Cream when I visit the Westfield Shopping Center in San Francisco, hooray. (Side note: Bay Area girls, there are also vending kiosks in Westfield Oakridge Mall in San Jose and Westfield Valley Fair Mall, Santa Clara.)

Could this be the future of the cosmetics counter?

On the one hand I like that I can just walk in, get what I want and then leave without being stopped by a sales associate. Then again, I also really appreciate getting tips and recommendations from real, live, breathing makeup artists. I also like being able to touch and test products in-store, which you can’t do (legally) using these machines.

How do you feel about this trend? Yay or nay?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

‘Tis the season to store your makeup, fa la la la la…

The quest to rein in my makeup continues. At some point, I fear I’ll end up like those peeps you see on 60 Minutes who’ve trapped themselves in their homes behind stacks of boxes and crap. They end up living like sardines in a tin can.

I’ve told myself I can’t get my Christmas tree until I clear out the corner where most of the makeup is sitting, boo hoo.
I hate that it has to come to this, but I may have to make peace with the Container Store (why visit a store that solely sells crap to keep all your present crap in?) and shell out the dough for a Bisley Collection Cabinet.

The black cabinet on the right has 10 drawers, each 11 by 14 inches. That’s lots of storage for the shadows, blushes, palettes and perfumes that threaten to overtake my life. It also looks easy to clean.

But I wish it was a bit more girly, ’cause I don’t like looking at furniture that appears to belong in an office cubicle. Plus, at $199 it’s expensive. Do you know how many ugly Steralite drawers I could buy for $199? Holy crap!

Here’s a prettier, but even more expensive option: Z. Gallerie’s tall Borghese Lingerie Chest ($799), with seven 20-by-15 inch drawers and a lovely antique silver finish.

Oooh, purty. This could easily blend in with my furniture, and, where space is limited, vertical storage makes sense.

But it’s so pricey, ouch. Even though the four bottom drawers look roomy, having several shallow drawers like the Bisley would still be more practical.

Sigh. I suppose I could just stop the insanity and stop buying makeup, but where’s the fun in that?

Before it’s too late…

If you can still walk across your floor at home without stepping on random makeup brushes, then you can still save yourself from my current situation of makeup storage madness! I love Tarte palettes, and their We Wish You Wealth Palette provides all the makeup you need in one compact, easy-to-store palette.

This mother-of-all holiday palettes includes 16 eyeshadows, 16 lipglosses, four gel eyeliners, four gel cheek stains, four lip sheers, an eyelid primer, luminizer and some brushes, and everything comes in this pretty purple three-tiered box that fits easily into a bathroom drawer. Save yourself now, my friend, before it’s too late!

How’s your Monday so far? Are you holdin’ down the fort? I raise my coffee cup to you, *clink*!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

All Roads Lead Back to Shu

“So, what are your favorite products?”

I love that question. Everyone has their own list of favorites, but there’s one brand I hear mentioned over and over again. Among people who’ve tried the brand before, almost everyone mentions Shu Uemura. People rave with rabid fanaticism about Shu’s famous eyelash curler (considered an industry standard) or their eyeshadows. Once, a gal even pulled a Shu curler from her purse and offered to curl my lashes in front of the Old Navy on Market Street. I politely declined.

But that wasn’t my most shocking Shu moment. At brunch with my good friend, Cindy, who never wears makeup, I almost choked on my pancakes when she produced a Shu Uemura eyeliner brush from her purse and proceeded to explain in detail why she loved it so much. The cult of Shu is all around us.

A high-end Japanese luxury line developed by Hollywood makeup artist Shu Uemura, Shu creates clean, no-nonsense skin care products, brushes and makeup. The clear packaging is refreshingly simple, conveying just how serious their products are about getting down to business.

There’s so much hype surrounding the line that when I recently got the chance to play with the new Shu Uemura Holiday Muse collection, I was worried my expectations would be too high to meet.

Unfortunately for my wallet, Shu did not disappoint. Their superior product textures and colors melted my heart faster that butter on hot toast.

Inspired by warm gold shades and candlelight, the Muse look is sophisticated and elegant, yet natural. It’s totally my makeup style, and one of my favorite collections of 2007.

Here’s the collection from left to right:

Chocolate Brown Nail Enamel - rich, warm brown with metallic effects ($16.00)
Gold Beige Nail Enamel - subtle golden sparkles ($16.00)
Dignified Grace Pressed Eyeshadow Palette - three shadows and one blush ($65.00)
Chocolate Brown Rouge Unlimited Lipstick - rich and elegant brown ($23.00)
Pink Beige Rouge Unlimited Lipstick - soft pink-beige ($23.00)
Gold Beige Rouge Unlimited Lipstick - warm nude-beige ($23.00)
Enchanting Charisma Pressed Eyeshadow Palette - three shadows and one blush ($65.00)

First Impressions of the Shu Uemura Color Line

What grabbed my attention and held it tight were the textures and colors of the eyeshadows and blushes.

You know how chalky eyeshadows and blushes sit on top of your skin and look really obvious? Imagine the opposite of that to the Nth degree. Shu Uemura’s shadows and blushes are so finely milled that they look seamless on my lids and cheeks.

Despite the richness of these colors, they apply evenly in a single layer. It was most obvious with shadows in the Dignified Grace palette. All three color shadows contain extremely fine glitter, and when I swept the colors over my eyelids as a wash the glitter almost magically distributed evenly over the entire lid. Neat, and a little freaky at the same time.

I was fascinated by how the blush and shadow formulas have such a high concentration of color. Highly pigmented products can scare me because when there’s a lot of color there’s less room for error, but despite their pigmentation Shu shadows and blushes still manage to look natural; the color is there, but you don’t look like a crazy lady who can’t lay off the rouge.

Although I liked the three lipsticks, I wasn’t as wowed by them as I was by Shu’s shadows and blushes. They do have a soft, slick texture on my lips and feel hydrating, which I dig, and I appreciate how the earth-toned colors from the Muse collection are easy to wear.

Rouge Unlimited Lipsticks

If you’re a fan of MAC Lustre lipsticks then you’ll love Shu Uemura’s Rouge Unlimited lipsticks, which have a similar lightweight texture.

There are 65 Rouge Unlimited lipsticks in the Shu Uemura color collection, and each has:
- an exclusive hybrid of pigments
- high color payoff
- rich texture, ultra-smooth application
- a ceramide shield for 8-hour moisture comfort

Can’t decide among the three Muse lippies? If you’re on a budget, then pick up Chocolate Brown, my absolute favorite of the three.

Pressed Eye Shadow Palettes

With three pressed eyeshadows and blush apiece, the two Muse shadow palettes are a great introduction to the Shu Uemura color line.

What’s behind the magic of Shu’s pressed eyeshadows?

- micro-fine powders with two different shapes that adhere firmly to skin for an even, long-lasting finish
- silicone-coated powder, resulting in truest color pay-off and a non-fading finish
- light capturing powders to absorb and reflect light for a multi-dimensional finish

Shu also carries different finishes — Matte (M), Pearl (P), Iridescent (IR) and Metallic (ME) — for each color of shadow. Imagine finding your holy grail eye shadow color and then being able to get it in a variety of different finishes, too! I think this is very cool.

Girl, you need to seriously consider throwing down the cash for the Dignified Grace Palette. I LOVE all of its eyeshadow colors and the peachy-gold blush gives my cheeks that J. Lo glow.

Face of the Day

Here’s the Muse-inspired look I wore today while Christmas shopping.

That’s the Dignified Grace palette on my eyes and cheeks and a mix of Chocolate Brown and Pink Beige Rouge Unlimited lipstick. Oh, and those lashes are courtesy of Ceramide mascara!

Shu Uemura Online Friends and Family Sale is ON!

Right now there’s a fatty sale on the Shu Uemura Web site. Enter promotion code code HOLIDAY07 at checkout to get 20% off all purchases. That’s a nice chunk of change. Be sure to register when you log onto the site, too, because if you register and spend over $75, shipping is free. Hurry, though, because the sale ends Monday, December 17th.

Are you done with your holiday shopping yet? Maybe you should reward yourself with a few goodies from Shu!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

As promised, here are a few swatches from the MAC Royal Assets Pink Lips Palette ($22.50).

Like the new MAC Tan Lips palette, each of these sets includes two lipsticks and one gloss:

Courting Rose - soft midtone pink lipgloss
Reigning Pink - muted midtone pink lipstick
Ladyship - soft berry with pearl lipstick

The stand-out color in this trio is Lady Ship:

Loves it!

As of this morning, Pink Lips was sold out on the MAC Web site, but if it’s still available at your local counter then snag it, ASAP.

I’m off to the gym to work off the mountains of fried food and carbs I ate at that Puerto Rican restaurant in SF last night, but I’ll be back this afternoon with the Coral Lips swatches for you!

How was your evening? Did ya party like a rock star?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen