Archives for October 2008

5 More Smokin’ Smokey Eye Tips

October 29th, 2008 by Karen 29 Comments

Ladies, when it comes to smoldering smokey eyes, the secret sauce is in the blending. Dark eye makeup looks best when it’s blended really well, and nothing can steal smokey eye thunder like a patchy makeup job that draws attention away from your eyes and onto your makeup. Lawd knows I’ve rushed through my share of smokey eyes. Regrettably, there are few eye makeup looks that can so easily go awry.

But don’t be discouraged! Try one of these tips the next time you’re feelin’ smokey.

1. Fingers Are Built-In Brushes

If you’ve never tried a smokey eye using your fingers before, give it a try. Using fingers can even be easier than using a brush. Start by loading up your ring finger with black shadow. Dab over your lid. Follow the black up with a shimmery gray shadow, and blend with a finger. Add mascara and you’re done! Just be careful you don’t drag shadow out of the lid area or too far into the inner corner of the eye.

2. Use Liner Pencils as a Base for Eyeshadows

Color the entire lid with a dark pencil before applying a lighter coordinating shadow (not necessarily the same color) on top of it. It’s a quick way to add more depth than eyeshadows alone and looks amazing!

3. Black Eyeliner and Eye Gloss Mashup

For uber-easy smokey eyes, use a jet black eyeliner smudged out with a bit of eye gloss. You won’t get a look that lasts forever, but a little loose powder patted over the edges will help prevent smearing. NOTE: don’t rub those eyes!

4. Get to the Root of Things

When lining your waterline with black, cover every nook and cranny. Get as close to the root of the lash as possible, even going in between them, to add as much black to the look as possible. What you don’t want is some of your natural skin tone along the waterline showing through to sabotage all your hard work.

5. Dab a Dot for a Pop of Color

For a pop of color, apply a neutral shadow to the entire lid. Then, smudge a dot of brighter shadow in the center of the lid and thoroughly blend.

Happy Hump Day!

How’s your week coming along? I’ve had better, but we don’t get to choose our days. All we can do is choose how we deal with them.

Have you seen the new holiday palettes for Shu Uemura? They’re called mika shu, and I think they’re adorable! I’ll post thoughts and swatches very soon.

Hang in there this week. This kind of comes out of nowhere … but that’s the kind of week I’m having. I’ve got something big on my mind. Our family’s going through some stuff that I’ll be ready to share with you soon, but for now I just want to thank you all for brightening my days and sharing your time with me.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Infatuating Rose: 6 Ways to Wear the 6 Cool Eyes Palette

October 28th, 2008 by Karen 39 Comments

I momentarily set aside my issues with the huge bling-bling jewel on the top of the MAC Infatuating Rose: 6 Cool Eyes palette ($38, part of the Passions of Red collection) today. Sure, the packaging is cheesy enough to pair it with crackers and wine, but I don’t care because the shadows inside this little cheese log more than make up for it.

6 Eye Looks with the 6 Cool Eyes Palette

From left to right: Satisfy, Cavort, Bon Fete, Platonic, Feast, Deep Feelings

1. Pink With Indigo Liner

I tried this subtle pink look with just a touch of indigo liner. It’s a simple way to wear a little daytime color.

First, with a MAC 252 eyeshadow brush, I applied Satisfy onto my entire lid, concentrating color on the lid area and fading up toward the eyebrow.
Then, I swept Bon Fete onto the lid, also with the MAC 252.
Taking a MAC 239 eyeshadow brush, I applied Feast onto the outer third of my lid, blending out the edges with a finger.
Next, with a MAC 266 angled brush wet with a spritz of MAC Fix+, I swept the brush head across the pan of Deep Feelings to grab some color and then lined both the upper and lower lash lines with it.
Finally, to complete the eye look, I layered Feast directly on top of Deep Feelings on the lower lash line with a Sonia Kashuk Angled Eye Shadow Brush.

2. Smokey Purple with Indigo Liner

A purple smokey eye can be a good way to wear some color during at work. It’s vibrant but not necessarily as bold as a bright blue or green. I plan to pair this with MAC Too Swoon For lipstick, a light pink shade, to keep the club kid factor in check.

First, I swept Bon Fete onto my entire eye with a MAC 252 brush.
With the same brush, I applied Platonic onto my lids.
And to complete the look, I lined the upper and lower lash lines with Deep Feelings using a wet MAC 266 brush spritzed with MAC Fix+.

3. Purple Parfait

This three-colored lid is a little out of my usual color comfort zone, but I thought it might be fun to try! I’ll be rocking this one in my living room until I build up the courage to wear it outside.

First, I swept Satisfy onto the brow bone with a MAC 252 eyeshadow brush.
Next, I patted Platonic onto the center of the lid with a MAC 239 brush.
Also with the 239, I applied Cavort onto the inner third of the lid (the side closest to my nose).
To add some smokiness to the eye, I used the 239 again to apply Deep Feelings onto the outer third of the lid. Then, with the edge of the brush, I extended the color along the lower lash line and ran a MAC 217 blending brush gently along the edges of the shades to blend away any harsh lines.

4. Simple Slice of Purple

Here’s another simple one with a pop of color. If you’ve just started wearing color, this could be a nice way to get used to seeing it on your lids!

I started the by applying Cavort onto the lids with a MAC 252 eyeshadow brush and then gently blending out any harsh lines with a finger.
To concentrate the color, I wet a MAC 239 eye shadow brush with MAC Fix+ and then swept it across the pan of Cavort to pick up the product. Then, I patted the wet shadow onto the lid area closest to the lash line, taking care to really concentrate the color by the lashes.

5. Purple with a Pop of Pink

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5 More Places to Buy Makeup

October 28th, 2008 by Karen 25 Comments

Last week I asked y’all where you like to buy your makeup. Not surprisingly, most of us prefer to shop for makeup at Sephora and MAC stores, but department stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom weren’t far behind.

But beyond those well known makeup outlets, here are a few more sources that may not be on your radar yet…

1. Amazon.com

Pretty soon Amazon’s gonna start selling trips to the moon because they already sell just about everything else, even makeup and beauty. Check out their discounted shipping program, Amazon Prime. For $79/year, you get free 2-day shipping or optional 1-day shipping for $3.99/item on a huge selection of already marked down products. I find that just about everything I buy from Amazon is eligible, and it really works out if you buy more than a couple things from Amazon.com per month and don’t like waiting 5-7 business days for your stuff.

2. Boots

I lurves Boots! The company was founded in Nottingham, England by John Boot, who opened his original shop in 1849. They burst onto the US scene a few years ago, and now the brand is carried at Target and other drugstores nationwide, yea! Their website doesn’t sell direct, but it does have this nifty Skin Wheel doodad, whee!

3. Walgreens

Walgreens? Never heard of ’em, LOL! That’s not likely seeing how there are almost 7,000 Walgreens stores in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. Walgreens carries a ton of drugstore makeup, has a great return policy (just keep your receipt!), and many stores are open 24 hours/day.

Through Oct. 31, they’re offering a free 12-month gift subscription to Marie Claire magazine with any purchase of $10 or more on select Beauty Insider products from the Walgreens website, so you could stock up on Biore Cleansing Cloths and get a year of Marie Claire for free.

4. Drugstore.com and Beauty.com

Two stores, one shopping cart. Stock up on beauty swag over at beauty.com, throw in some dental floss and deodorant over at drugstore.com, and then do one checkout for everything. New customers save an additional 10% on beauty and spa products and get free shipping with coupon code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. Straight up, drugstore.com has great prices.

5. Shoppers Drug Mart

If you’re ever north o’ the border and running low on concealer, stop by a Shoppers Drug Mart. They’re Canada’s largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,000 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories, and Pharmaprix in Quebec. They carry a wide selection of drugstore and department store makeup brands like Benefit, Boots, Clinique, Smashbox, Lancome and more. Their website doesn’t fulfill orders, though, so this is more for future travel reference than anything else.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. SPOILER ALERT! So whadja think of The Hills last night? Can you believe Audrina dumped that sweet Aussie boy? Damn, I was so Team Corey.

MAC Fascinating Ruby 3 Plum Lips: Is that Ruby Big Enough for Ya?

October 27th, 2008 by Karen 28 Comments

Stare deeply into the ginormous gem on the top of MAC’s Fascinating Ruby: 3 Plum Lips ($22.50) palette… IF YOU DARE!

Concentrate hard enough, and the gem will imbue you with mystical makeup powers and reveal the deepest secrets of the universe.

Okay, not really… This gem doesn’t do anything cool like that, but it does contain some pretty cool makeup.

From left to right: Mutual Attraction, Insinuate, Marvel

MAC likes to push the envelope with the packaging of their holiday stuff, and they’re at it again.

Part of the MAC Passions of Red holiday 2008 collection, Fascinating Ruby doesn’t work for me the way that the elegant and edgy packaging of last year’s Royal Assets holiday collection did. Matter of fact, I think it’s a little corny, but who cares, right? I’m here for the makeup more than anything else.

And speaking of that, I like each one of Fascinating Ruby’s three plum lip shades. The set comes with two lipsticks, a gloss and a teeny, tiny lip brush.

I ended up ditching the brush because using it to apply product was like trying to paint with a needle, so I opted for my trusty MAC 316 covered lip brush instead.

Mutual Attraction gloss: A shimmery, reddish plum gloss. The silver glitter turns up the drama factor, but I think I’d like it more if the glitter were gold.
Insinuate lipstick: I love this cool pink-plum with subtle golden pearl and can’t wait to wear it with purple smokey eyes!
Marvel lipstick: A shimmery, deep magenta plum. My lip color really brings out the red in this lipstick. I bet it’ll be a nice option for when I want to wear red with a conservative look.

From left to right: Mutual Attraction, Insinuate, Marvel
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Add Red to Your Lipstick Repertoire with these 10 Tips

October 27th, 2008 by Karen 32 Comments

Hi, ladies! Thanks for all your wonderful tips and tricks to wearing red lips. Here’s a list featuring a few of your secrets. 🙂

1. Set Down the Tube and Grab a Brush

My secret to wearing reds like Lancome’s Absolute Rouge is to apply them using a MAC 316 Covered Lip Brush ($19).

With the 316’s firm, pointed tip I can really get in where I need to get, precisely controlling my lines and delivering the right amount of pigment for my look — kinda like drawing with a sharpened pencil versus trying to draw with a stubby crayon. When applying directly from a tube of lipstick, I’ll often end up with uneven color or color breaking outside the lines of the natural shape of my lips. Not cute, ladies!

2. Use a Waxy Lip Liner

Use a very waxy lip liner to keep your color from bleeding; apply very heavily and blot. It helps the color sink in, and, when it begins to fade, your lips will still look pretty and stained.

3. Smooth That Pucker

Bright red looks great on super smooth lips, so consider using a lip exfoliator every other day.

4. Beet Juice, Baby!

Apply beet juice to your lips before you go to sleep. If your lips are darkened from smoking, it’ll correct the problem better than lipstick. It produces a semi-permanent stain that doesn’t rub off. Be careful not to overdo it, though. What you want is a stain very similar to your natural lip color.

5. Line with a Cream Concealer

After you’re done applying a red lipstick, take a cream concealer or foundation and a 266 brush and line just outside your lips; blend any harsh lines into your skin. It cleans up any crooked lip liner you may have, covers red smudges and really makes your lips POP!

6. Ease into Red

To ease your way into wearing red on your lips, don’t jump straight into something bold and bright. Start with cranberry colored lip gloss or a brown based red.

7. Cargo The Reverse Lip Liner

Try using Cargo The Reverse Lip Liner, a flesh colored liner used outside your lip line, and then apply a very thin layer of balm before applying red lipstick.

8. Tone It Down

If you’re unsure about red, consider toning down bright red shades with a darker red like MAC Kirsch Mattene.

9. MAC Russian Red!

Look for MAC Russian Red. It’s the perfect blue-based red for nearly all skin tones, and, instead of going for a full-on red pout, smear on some Chapstick and dab until you’ve got a pretty, stained effect. It lasts all day long and works well if you’re a little shy when it comes to wearing red.

10. Line with a Flesh Toned Pencil

Line and fill in your lips with a flesh toned pencil onto which you apply your red lipstick. The liner helps define and hold the color while helping to prevent blurring and fading around the edges of your lips as your lipstick fades over the course of the day.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, October 27

October 27th, 2008 by Karen 79 Comments

French toast from La Boulange bakery, Mill Valley, CA

Mood:

Relived because Tabs came home last night! 🙂

Fragrance:

Calvin Klein Secret Obsession.

Eyes:

MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow Trio in Inter-view from the Red She Said collection, MAC Technakohl in Graphblack, MAC Zoomlash mascara in Zoomblack.

Lips:

More MAC goodness: Spice lip liner, Quiet, Please lipstick and Miss Dynamite Dazzleglass.

Cheeks:

MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Enough She Said (yup, it’s a Red She Said kinda day!).

Shoes:

Bronze t-strap four-inch heels by Franco Sarto, circa 2003.

I’m lovin’ it (makeup related):

L’Oreal Skin Genesis Wet Cleansing Towelettes.

I’m lovin’ it (non-makeup related):

Life, seeing deer grazing in the hills around my neighborhood, Tabs sleeping in bed between me and El Hub last night, breakfast at the French bakery down the street.

Working out today?:

Yup, a jog around the neighborhood to take advantage of the fall weather.

Goals for the week:

To go running every day this week, to try something new every day this week, to cherish life and to appreciate the small things.

Let’s do this, ladies! Just copy the empty list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
Fragrance:
Eyes:
Lips:
Cheeks:
Shoes
I’m lovin’ it (makeup related):
I’m lovin’ it (non-makeup related):
Working out today?:
Goals for the week:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Oct. 26

October 26th, 2008 by Karen 40 Comments

Reunited, and It Feels So Good

Your girl’s *one* happy camper right now. Guess who showed his purty face after four full days on the lam. Maybe it’s hard out there for a pimp, eating lizards and fighting off the neighborhood cat thugs. He must have wanted a home cooked meal (aka Fancy Feast: Tuna in Gravy).

Look at that face… He’s a lover, not a fighter.

Life Is Short

Earlier this afternoon El Hub and I went to an outdoor memorial service for a family friend who died unexpectedly last week. He was only 42, a big, muscular guy almost 300 pounds who was larger than life and always had a smile on his face.

He suffered a bad asthma attack last Monday and wound up going to the emergency room. Then, suddenly, what had been a minor staph infection spiraled out of control. He passed away on Wednesday from the infection, just two days after being admitted to the hospital. It’s hard to believe how fleeting life is.

I didn’t know him well, but I was very touched by the speeches his friends and family gave at the memorial. I’ll never forget how the afternoon light filtered through the trees onto his widow’s face…

My heart was heavy when I got home. I was halfway up the stairs to the front door when I heard a meow and looked down to see Tabs crawling out from under a parked car.

That smokey-eyed beast has some hella good timing. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

This Week’s Most Popular Posts

October 26th, 2008 by Karen 2 Comments

Does L’Oreal Bare Naturale Mascara Thicken, Lengthen AND Separate Lashes?
“Bare Naturale shines as a drugstore mascara; that $9 price kicks butt… If you’re on the market for a paraben-free mascara to lengthen and separate and aren’t in need of thicker lashes, then Bare Naturale should do ya just fine.”

10 Fantastic Smokey Eye Tutorials
“One of my favorite things about makeup is that there’s always room to step up your game. I love to imagine all the tips and tricks that I’ve yet to learn. I’m always looking to get better at doing smokey eyes. I’ve come across hundreds of smokey eye tutorials, and I think these 10 are some of the most helpful ones.”

Wedding Palette Auditions: Stila Cover Look No. 2
“What do you think of the pink lips? I think it might be a little too disco for a church wedding. Don’t get me wrong — I’m usually pro-disco lips (WOOT!), but maybe not this time.”

Estee Lauder Vintage Jewels Holiday Collection: Holiday Treasure
“Estee Laduer should’ve called this a long-wearing eye pencil, too, because DANG, this stuff stays on forever. Once it’s on it hangs around longer than your stalker ex-boyfriend, on *both* the lash and water lines. I think I might love this even more than Lancome Le Stylo waterproof (gasp!), which I’ve been wearing practically non-stop for months, and I’m even tempted to get the two other shades.”

Paul and Joe for Disney: American Debut Coming Soon!
“The Paul and Joe for Disney collection, released earlier this year overseas, debuts at Bergdorf Goodman in New York next month. All I have to say about this is WOOTY WOOT WOOT! I’m a huge Disney fan so this collaboration is a dream come true.”

Which China Glaze Rodeo Diva Shade Do You Like Best?
“I think these dark colors are perfect for fall, yet they pack enough shimmer to make ’em fun and spunky at the same time. The shades aren’t as bold as previous releases like Ink, 2BHAWT and 2BKEWL, and I’m glad to see China Glaze is keeping things interesting.”

How Do You Wear Red Lipstick? Tips and Tricks
“Like the Ol’ Faithful of lip looks, a red lip is one of the most reliable, fool-proof ways to steal the spotlight. But red and other bright lip shades can be challenging colors to wear. My secret to wearing reds like Lancome’s Absolute Rouge ($29) is to apply them using a MAC 316 Covered Lip Brush ($19).”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Got too much to remember? Save the mental energy, and sign up to receive my updates by email. At noon each day you’ll get an email with my latest posts … right around the time of day you need a little pick-me-up at the office. Or, if you’re sick and tired of email, subscribe to my posts by RSS.

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