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

Genetics bestowed upon me wimpy, ho-hum lashes… and then made me so clumsy that I couldn’t apply false ones to save my life. Oh, the sweet eyelash irony! Enter the Shu Uemura lash bar, aka false eyelash nirvana, where the lashes are affordable and the appointment booking process couldn’t be easier. Whether you’re looking for a little lash extension, or you’re aching for crazy, over-the-top-lashes to overcompensate for many years of eyelash inadequacy (*ahem*), Shu’s got you covered.

Case in point:

Notice how fabulously non-wimpy these are. I done died and went to eyelash heaven, ladies!

Would you believe a trip to eyelash heaven is actually pretty darn affordable? From a Shu lash bar, all you do is purchase any pair of their false lashes, which run from $16 to about $50 a pair, and a Shu makeup artist will apply your new lashes (and answer any questions you might have about them) for free!

Gratis rules, but I know you work hard for your money, so to stretch those dolla-dolla-bills a wee bit further, here’s a great money saving tip I got from Jeccica, a Shu Uemura makeup artist and manager (and all around rad girl) at the San Francisco Fillmore store: buy a pair like False Eyelashes Luxe ($20) and ask the makeup artist to cut one of the lashes in half.

Ask the artist to apply each of the cut halves to your outer lashes only. It’s a simple way to get a sexy, yet natural-looking eyelash boost. Save that uncut lash for future use. Cut that bad boy in half and you’re good to go with a new pair. It’s like getting two sets of lashes for the price of one, yah?

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I’ve still got the fever!

Pink fever continues with Three Custom Color Specialists Dahlia Gloss. How do I love this blue based hot pink gloss?? Let me count the ways.

Color: Blue based tones work well with my coloring, and I love this pink’s vivid brightness. The glitter-free shade is highly pigmented and looks very, very, very pink on my lips… and I like it! It’s definitely not for the pink shy.

Product: Three Custom Color Specialists Dahlia Gloss
Price: $18.50
Use: As a lipgloss
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Shine: Typically, lipgloss formulas radiate a high shine when applied. Unlike MAC Lipglass’ high shine formulas, Three Custom Color Specialists Gloss has a subdued shine that’s less reflective than usual for a lipgloss, resulting in a finish more like a lipstick than a gloss.

I like its subtle shine because of how suitable it is for day wear. And if I want a sassier look for evenings out, I’ll just add a layer of MAC Clear Lipglass and then bam! Ready for a night out at the club with the girls.

Texture: As much as I loves me some gloss, I can’t stand it when my hair sticks to my lips. That doesn’t happen with Dahlia. It’s nonstick, light and long-lasting.

I’m really impressed with this gloss and intend to snag a few more shades. The Three Custom Color Specialists Web site breaks down the gloss colors into three families — warm, cool and neutral — to help you find the right shade. You can purchase your gloss online or from a store near you .

Ya’ll gotta bear with me as I work through this pink lip phase… Maybe one of these days I’ll be healed!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Lancome’s got a video on Youtube celebrating Pixel Pink Color Fever Shine lipstick, the limited edition shade created for fashion designer Thankoon Panichgul’s Spring 2008 runway show. While the entire video is an interesting insight into the inspiration behind the lipstick and the backstage goings-on at NY Fashion Week, my favorite parts are the animated sequences of “moving paintings” by experimental filmmaker Jeff Scher.

Still shots of Jeff’s moving paintings

There’s a segment at the beginning when Thankoon talks about what inspired the Pixel Pink shade (it starts at the 00:52 mark and runs through about 01:12) where you see the first animated series of Jeff’s paintings. They’re brightly colored, with vivid blues, greens and reds, and tell the story behind Thankoon’s muse, a carefree girl who ditches her job and moves to Hawaii to hang out, surf and to wear pink lipstick. Um, hello, Thankoon — that’s like, my life dream.

(Note: This video is only about 3 minutes long, not the 9 minutes reflected in the player.)

I love the video sequence in which the paintings change in rapid succession and the one with the Jeep (complete with surf boards in the back) driving over the Haleiwa Bridge on the North Shore of the island of Oahu:

… and here’s the real life Haleiwa bridge!

The bridge shots lead into a sequence in which Thankoon’s muse goes surfing. I so want to be this girl!

I’m purchasing my tube of Pixel Pink online from the Lancome Web site, but if you can’t wait for online delivery, you can also get it from Lancome counters at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus department stores, or at one of the five Lancome boutiques nationwide. And then there’s also ordering by telephone. To do it you’ll need to provide your credit card number and address over the phone. Here are numbers to the five U.S. Lancome Boutiques:

• Manhattan, New York: (212) 362-4858
• The Mall at Short Hills, New Jersey: (973) 258-0790
• Northpark Mall in Dallas, Texas: (214) 750-9364
• Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, California: (408) 244-8334
• Brea Mall in Brea, California: (714) 671-0267

Let’s just drop everything and head to Hawaii next week. Come on, the warm tropical breezes, the white, sandy beaches, the hot surfer dudes… YES!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Today I suffered a debilitating case of makeup buying indecision at the Neiman Marcus Beauty Event, a national event (in-store and online) in which visitors to Neiman Marcus stores who purchase $100 in beauty or fragrance products through March 2 receive a batch of six sample products along with their choice of tote bags in hot pink, teal or neon green.

Cute bag, yah? I entered the San Francisco Union Square store on a mission. I cruised the beauty department with my homegirl Jo-money, scoping out spring products from both Nars and Laura Mercier, but I couldn’t decide what to get.

I love both lines, but today I was caught between NARS Shanghi Lily and Laura Mercier Seduction. I knew I couldn’t get everything I wanted, but instead of actually getting anything, I ended up snapping pictures, assuming that as the day wore on I’d choose from one collection or the other.

I went to lunch thinking food might help (hey, it always does) and took a long walk down Market Street in SF, but the answer never came to me. I couldn’t decide between the two collections and went home empty handed.

Yeah, I know I should have just chosen a few products from each line, but I have until March 2 to make up my mind. Laura? Nars? BOTH? *Wallet throbs* HELP! What should I do?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen