Well these are kinda fun! The new MAC Hey, Sailor! collection also stars a couple of limited edition MAC To The Beach Body Oils ($22.50 each), shimmery sprays of soothing, moisturizing oil that dry down to a sheer, shimmery sheen.

Available in two lightly tinted shades — Seaside, a dirty, blushy pink with multidimensional sparkles; and Man Rays, a glowing tan with multidimensional golden shimmer — both have a very faint almond and honey scent.

They apply slick, but quickly dry in about a minute, and leave behind neither a heavy nor sticky film.

MAC formulated them with a soothing fusion of moderately moisturizing botanical oils. My dry skin appreciates the extra hydration, but it craves a little more, so I’ve been starting with a layer of a separate body lotion worn beneath (otherwise, I grow alligator skin!), and this week that’s been Caudalie’s Nourishing Body Lotion, which I’m loving so far.

I like the diminutive, almost microscopic flecks of glitter, but the formula’s quite thin. I mean, it probably should be thin for something like this, but it’s so thin that I find myself using a lot, like 5-6 pumps per arm or leg. Anything less on my NC42 skin, and the effect is barely noticeable, if at all.

It’s funny, but I didn’t expect the lighter shade, Seaside, to show up at all on my skin, but it does. In fact, I think it’s more visible than its darker Man Rays counterpart, which reminds me of a quieter version of Nuxe’s Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, whereas Seaside’s lighter pink and silver glitter contrast with my tan.

I think both are super pretty. I’m just afraid that one 1.7-ounce bottle won’t last long.

Oh, and bring the bottle and your big purse if you want the effect to last longer than 4-5 hours. On me, that’s about how long it takes for the glitter to completely flake away, making it time for a touch-up.

To the Beach Body Oil in Seaside (left) and May Rays (right), $22.50 each

(...)
Read the rest of MAC’s To The Beach Body Oils Gleam Like Seaside Man Rays on My Skin, LOL! (I Know That’s Total Nonsense) (56 words)

You might also be interested in...

1. Makeup Tips
2. Beauty Tips
3. Current Makeup Collections and Reviews
4. New Drugstore Beauty Bargains
5. Hair Care and Styling Ideas

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

I love bronzer. I do. And I wear it almost every single day to give my skin some extra warmth and definition. For sculpting, the general rule (of course, rules are meant to be broken) is to apply it to the areas of your face that naturally recede, like the hollows of your cheeks or your temples, and also to enhance your prominent places, and the areas of your face that you’d like to make more prominent (sometimes with the help of a highlighter), which are often cheekbones, brow bones and the bridge of your nose.

The MAC Hey, Sailor! collection features four limited edition powder bronzers, two in the MAC Bronzing Powder line ($24 each in Soft Sand and Refined Golden), and two MAC Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders ($28 each in Nude on Board and Sun Dipped).

This week I took two of them out for a spin, the Bronzing Powder in Soft Sand and the Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Nude on Board, the later being the one that really caught my eye.

Now, I’ve used the MAC Bronzing Powders before and like them just fine, but I do prefer some of MAC’s other bronzers, namely the Careblend Powders from last year’s Surf Baby collection, which feel smoother to me, with finer grains and, to my eye, I think they look more natural on my skin.

We didn’t get any new Careblends this time around (bummer), but that doesn’t mean MAC left us in the lurch. I think we got something equally great in the Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders, and I’ve been obsessively using and loving Nude on Board, one of the two Hey, Sailor! Longwear shades, this entire week.

The MAC Bronzing Powder in Soft Sand and Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Nude on Board

Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Nude on Board ($28)

I love the way this bronzed yellow’s sheen works with my NC42 skin. Like last year’s Careblends, the finish looks flawless, and the lightweight formula blends easily on bare skin and atop foundation.

Oh, and so far, no breakouts (knock on wood!).
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A (an A+ if my skin stays clear)

Bronzing Powder in Soft Sand ($24)

I’ve also worn Soft Sand a few times this week, one of the two Hey, Sailor! powders from MAC’s Bronzing Powder line, and I like it just fine.

No problems blending, and I think it looks natural, but it also feels a little grainier and takes a couple more minutes to blend. It’s a fine bronzer, but I think you get a lot for the extra $4 MAC charges for the Pro Longwear Bronzers.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Nude on Board, $24

Pro Longwearing Bronzing Powder in Nude on Board

Bronzing Powder in Soft Sand, $24
(...)
Read the rest of MAC Is Sailing Into a New Bronze Age: A Look at the MAC Hey, Sailor! Bronzing Powder in Soft Sand and Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Nude on Board (125 words)

You might also be interested in...

1. Makeup Tips
2. Beauty Tips
3. Current Makeup Collections and Reviews
4. New Drugstore Beauty Bargains
5. Hair Care and Styling Ideas

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

Good morning, glory. Let me be one of the first people in your life to wish you a happy Saturday. Not much going on for me other than cleaning, grocery shopping and relaxing…not necessarily in that order.

I figure I shouldn’t do anything too strenuous before the Bay to Breakers tomorrow. I’m setting two separate alarms for 4 o’clock tomorrow morning, just to be safe.

The costumes that some of the runners wear are a big part of the race. There’s even a costume contest. Last year a group of people won for their royal centipede of 13 people, which had newlyweds Kate and William, and a royal posse of the Archbishop, Prince Harry, Prince Beatrice and others.

I’m all for expressing yourself — daily — but I really, really hope that everyone on the shuttle tomorrow morning is fully and completely clothed (the race is famous for its nude runners) because, seriously, I don’t think I could handle smalltalk with a naked stranger at 5:30 in the morning. “So…is this your first Bay to Breakers? My, that is an interesting tattoo on your bum of a phoenix rising from the ashes… Boy, these seats are cold.” LOL!

Well, it’s that time again. Time for you to get lucky and hopefully win today’s Sephora giveaway.

What folks are saying…

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, would you (or have you ever) run a race naked? Do you have a workout buddy? What are you wearing on your lips today? Do you prefer waterproof or non-waterproof mascara (and why)? Are you working this weekend? When was the last time you had chocolate milk? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/J4P5tS

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

Here at Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, Tabs insists that we recycle as much as we can — paper packaging, plastic bottles and jars, aluminum Fancy Feast cans.

He’s very eco-conscious that way.

And yet while he’s a big (literally) advocate of household recycling, he generally opposes the recycling of products within MAC’s limited edition collections.

Personally, I’m okay with seeing certain colors pop up every now and again. In some cases they’re a reminder to stock up!

But Tabs says otherwise. With him and makeup it’s always, “Meow! Meow! Meow!” (“New! New! New!”)

You know fashion-forward feline supermodels… Always trying to stay ahead of the trends.

I could feel him looking over my shoulder this afternoon, judging me, as I played with the new MAC Hey, Sailor! Pigments in Old Gold and Naval Blue ($21 each).

If you’ve been following MAC for a while, both colors might look familiar. Old Gold is a re-promoted shade from MAC’s permanent line, and Naval Blue, a limited edition color, launched earlier this spring with the MAC Chenman collection.

MAC gave them snazzy striped outfits (cute!) this time around, and then raised the price of each one by $1.

Sure, neither one breaks new ground here…but that doesn’t make me like them any less.

The two MAC Hey, Salior Pigments

Old Gold

MAC calls Old Gold highly frosted and tarnished, which accurately describes the way I think it looks on my NC42 skin, although I also see flashes of green in it from time to time. I love it.

It’s like it turns on a light behind my eyes, and it looks ah-may-zing with bright green shadows like Fresh Flare.

Picture a darker, greener version of MAC’s Gorgeous Gold Eyeshadow, and you’ve got Old Gold.

Super pretty, but take it for a spin at a counter first if you have very cool undertones, because it can be quite warm.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Naval Blue

Now, if you took MAC Deep Truth, darkened it, turned up the intensity, and added tiny silver sparkles, you’d create a color just like Naval Blue.

Interestingly, I think it looks bluer and less purple on me than it did when I had less of a tan.

I do think it’s pretty, but it’s probably not something I’d wear all over my lids to Trader Joe’s. Instead, I’ll wear it as a liner, applying it with a wet MAC 266 brush along my upper lash line for a cat eye look.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Swatches from the left: Deep Truth, Naval Blue, Gorgeous Gold, Old Gold and Goldmine

Naval Blue

Old Gold
(...)
Read the rest of With the MAC Hey, Sailor! Pigments, Everything Old Is New Again (86 words)

You might also be interested in...

1. Makeup Tips
2. Beauty Tips
3. Current Makeup Collections and Reviews
4. New Drugstore Beauty Bargains
5. Hair Care and Styling Ideas

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

Lights, Camera, Action…Bazooka?

LOL! Which one of these things is doin’ its own thing? Maybe someday I’ll figure out what Bazooka, one of four bright shades in Essie’s Poppy Razzi release for summer 2012, is doing in this collection, but until then I’ll just try to enjoy the neon-ness of it all.

Lights (an electric pink), Camera (a brilliant coral), Action (a vibrant orange) and Bazooka (a bright orange) — again, Bazooka? What am I missing?? — are darn near picture-perfect summer shades. All four apply smoothly from my cuticles to nail tips, despite having a formula on the thicker side, which is pretty typical, from my experience, of Essie polishes.

All I need is one coat of Camera (my fave!) or two of Bazooka and Lights. Action, however, likes being babied. It goes on a little streaky, so I usually apply a third coat.

With a good base and top coat, I can get a solid seven days (at least) from these before any signs of chipping.

Lights

Camera

Action
(...)
Read the rest of BOOM! These Neon Nails Hit Me Like a Ton of Bricks, or a Bright Orange Bazooka: The Essie Poppy Razzi Nail Polish Collection for Summer 2012 (216 words)

You might also be interested in...

1. Makeup Tips
2. Beauty Tips
3. Current Makeup Collections and Reviews
4. New Drugstore Beauty Bargains
5. Hair Care and Styling Ideas

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

What could you do with a $500 Visa gift card?

How about a A $500 Visa gift card and an assortment of Buxom cosmetics?

Enter the Makeup and Beauty Blog Buxom Photo contest today, and you could be the lucky person asking yourself that very question, “What could I do with a $500 Visa gift card and an assortment of Buxom cosmetics?”

It’s easy to enter (details down below), and you probably already have a perfect picture of yourself that you could use. Something from a happy time.

Your pic doesn’t have to be makeup or beauty related, either, although it could (perhaps flaunting a bright mani, or smiling in a face of the day). It just has to portray you “living life vividly,” like how I’m jumping for joy in the pic above (see a few more examples here.

Yeah…you also don’t have to be jumping in your entry (I just like to jump!)

Here’s how to enter

1. Visit www.flickr.com and upload a photo that displays you “living life vividly,” as well as a short caption (200 characters or less) that explains the photo.
2. Mark the photo as “public” (so I’m able to view it).
3. Tag it with the following tag:
   • BuxomPhotoContestMakeupandBeautyBlog
4. Simply post a link to your Flickr photo in a comment at the bottom of yesterday’s post (or on one of the next two upcoming posts in this series). NOTE: Enter on yesterday’s post, and not on this one here.

How will the winner be picked?

Tabs and I will choose the winner based on the following criteria…

• Creativity/originality (33%)
• The overall quality of your submission (33%)
• How well it displays you “living life vividly” (34%)

What’s the prize?

A $500 Visa® gift card and an assortment of Buxom® cosmetics, including two (2) Buxom Color Choreography eye shadow palettes, one (1) Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish, and one (1) Buxom Lash (volumizing mascara).

Approximate retail value: $609!

What about the small print?

• The contest is open to adults 18+ in the US only (sorry, international babes!)
• The last date to enter is June 12, 2012 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
• Up to 3 entries per person (yup, you read that correctly: 3 entries per person)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. So far, I don’t think anyone has actually entered, so if you do the math, that means your odds of winning are currently VERY good, haha!

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

I was totally expecting to fall in love with these new limited edition $16 MAC Suntints because 1) I’ve been enjoying everything I’ve tried from the MAC Hey, Sailor! collection so far, and 2) I really liked last summer’s Suntints from the Surfbaby release, but the three new shades, well…

They just aren’t doing it for me.

Abalone

Sea Mist

Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balm from the left: Sea Mist, Au Rose and Abalone, $16
(...)
Read the rest of Funny — These MAC Suntint SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balms Have a Dry Sense of Humor (380 words)

You might also be interested in...

1. Makeup Tips
2. Beauty Tips
3. Current Makeup Collections and Reviews
4. New Drugstore Beauty Bargains
5. Hair Care and Styling Ideas

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article