Archives for July 2015

Get Cuteness and Incredible Curl Hold With Paul & Joe Smudgeproof Mascara

July 29th, 2015 by Karen 6 Comments

paul joe smudgeproof mascara — Paul & Joe Smudgeproof Mascara ($26, available in four shades — Noir, Brun, Blue Hibiscus and Pink Samba)

Generally speaking, I have a high bar when it comes to the cuteness of mascara wands. Like, I’ll gladly gush over cute compacts and cute lipsticks, but cute mascara tubes?

Not usually enough to get me to go batsh*t cray.

What I REALLY want are mascaras that work well, but if the packaging is also cute, like I think it is with the Paul & Joe Smudgeproof Mascara in Noir I’ve been wearing lately, then that’s an extra bonus. 🙂

Barring disasters and other uncontrollable events, I curl my stick-straight lashes daily, and championship-caliber curl hold is one of the things I really like about this mascara.

That…and the super cute tube.

Smudgeproof sets, lengthens, lifts and locks lashes like it’s making it freakin’ rain at the club, and lashes stay elongated and lifted well beyond 12 hours — even through numerous naps (which I saw firsthand last weekend in Napa).

For me the sweet spot is two coats, which also adds some volume, but not a ton. Volume-wise, I’d say the effect is about two snaps shy of drag queen runway show.

So, it’s a good amount. I’m into it.

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L’Oreal $12.99 True Match Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator: For Highlights So Shiny That They Make Mirrors Quake in Their Shiny Boots

July 28th, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

loreal true match lumi powder glow illuminator

Sooner or later I’ll make through a day without saying the word “strobing” at least once, but today? — totally not that day.

Yes, sweets, these new $13 L’Oreal True Match Lumi Powder Glow Illuminators are all about that high-shine frosty life, and they’re just in time for strobing madness! — the latest craze sweeping the nation.

These three illuminating powders work a little like Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Bricks. Each pan is comprised of four different colors of varying levels of shimmer, glitter and opacity. You swirl ’em together and use the combined mix to highlight specific areas, or your entire face, although I’d be wary of doing the latter, unless your skin is smoother and more perfectly porcelain than a baby’s butt, because the frosty finish seeks out pores and fine lines like a tabby seeks out gravy.

I actually tried it once… I applied one of these all over just for kicks and ended up looking hella sweaty with, like, huge 3D horror movie-sized pores.

Basically, I’m not the biggest fan of frosty highlighters, and I kinda wish that the shimmery effect were subtler, but these could prove useful if you like dramatic frosty effects that shine like high-beam headlights, perhaps for spot highlights on your cheekbones and/or down the bridge of your nose.

They’re available now online and at drugstores, Walgreens and Ulta in Golden for warm skin tones, Ice for cool skin tones, and Rose for neutral skin tones.

Oh! — one last thing. Try not to drop these, because they’ll almost definitely shatter (see the sad pan of Rose?). 🙁

loreal true match lumi powder glow illuminator golden — L’Oreal True Match Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator in Golden

loreal true match lumi powder glow illuminator ice — L’Oreal True Match Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator in Ice

loreal true match lumi powder glow illuminator rose — L’Oreal True Match Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator in Rose

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Neat and New to Me: MAC Sheertone Blush in Pinch Me

July 28th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

mac pinch me blush — $22 MAC Pinch Me Blush

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

Is this real life?

Am I dreaming?

Somebody pinch me, please, because I can’t tell if MAC Sheertone Blush in Pinch Me ($22 for a 0.21-oz. pan) really is as good as I think it might be.

It’s a medium-toned matte rosy brown coral in the MAC Blush family, and I wore it all weekend long on my trip to Napa with the girls. Not once did Jen or Cindy ask, “Are you ready yet?” or dramatically sigh/groan (code for “Karen, hurry up!”).

You see, they’re both very low-maintenance (their idea of putting on makeup for dinner involves lip balm), so I’m the odd duck, and they always give me crap about taking forever to get ready (the truth is, they’re totally right). Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to dilly-dally when getting ready on this trip, I packed products I knew I’d be able to use quickly — among them tinted moisturizer, under-eye concealer, mascara, brow filler, gloss and MAC Pinch Me Blush.

mac pinch me blush swatch — MAC Pinch Me swatched on my NC42 skin

What makes Pinch Me such a good get-ready-quick blush?
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Paul & Joe Moisturizing Foundation Primer S: Helpful Hydration With a Heavenly Scent

July 28th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

paul joe moisturizing foundation primer s 1 — Paul & Joe Moisturizing Foundation Primer S in 03 Clear ($36)

According to ’80s spelling bee champion/hip-hop group J.J. Fad, the “S” is for super, and the “U” is for unique. The “P” is for perfection, and you know that we are freaks…

It’s that first part — the “S” part for super — that also applies to new $36 Paul & Joe Moisturizing Foundation Primer S, because dang if this stuff doesn’t smell super good!

It’s how I imagine it must be like to open the door to the penthouse suite of the Ritz-Carlton Paris when a cloud of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle mixed with fragrant orange flower shampoo and luxury baby powder wafts out…

Gimme a second because I need to take another sniff, aah! 🙂

paul joe moisturizing foundation primer s — Paul & Joe Moisturizing Foundation Primer S in 03 Clear

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Napping and Noms in Napa

July 27th, 2015 by Karen 21 Comments

What do you do in Napa on a long, lazy weekend?

You take a nap.

Or two.

Or three. You know, #priorities.

My friends Jen and Cindy and I all agreed that the main thing we wanted to do on our girls’ weekend in Napa last weekend had to involve maximum relaxation, and yes, napping was on the agenda. 🙂 At the end of the weekend we tallied up our naps, and here are a few of the places where we collectively napped…

The pool (not inside but near it)
The covered lounge area adjacent to the pool (next to a huge bowl of French fries!)
In the “Serenity Room” at the Meritage Hotel Spa Terra
In the steam room inside the spa area
In the whirlpool lounge inside the spa area
In our hotel room
On the hotel patio

Haha! Who knew that three girls on vacation could sleep so much and in so many places?

Besides napping in Napa, we also had some yummy meals (my favorite was Sunday brunch at a cute bistro called Grace’s Table in downtown Napa), and we did some sightseeing along the waterfront…

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I’m Going Gaga Over Too Faced Born This Way Foundation

July 27th, 2015 by Karen 34 Comments

too faced born this way foundation 1 — Too Faced Born This Way Foundation ($39)

Would Lady Gaga wear Too Faced Born This Way Foundation, and if she would, would she belt out the chorus to Born This Way while she applied it?

I’d like to think she would because I TOTALLY DO THAT, and then Gaga and I could do a duet together, and Tabs could be our backup dancer, and the whole thing would be awesome to the Nth degree…

You know you can see it happening. 🙂

There’s lot of good things to sing/say about this latest liquid foundation from Too Faced, which I’ve been wearing off and on now for about a week. Its medium-to-full coverage demi-matte finish delightfully diffuses pores while disguising imperfections, and the lightweight formula looks almost undetectable on the skin.

It’s maybe not quite as inconspicuous and skin-like as Dior Nudeskin Air Serum, but it’s pretty darned great considering the opacity of the coverage. It’s not uncommon for medium-to-full coverage liquid foundations to look pretty obvious, but this one doesn’t, depending on how I apply it.

And I’ve tried a bunch of different methods. It seems to work best for me and look the most seamless when I use very little (literally, like a small drop or two at a time), pat it on with my fingers and build it up slowly in layers.

Applied any other way — with brushes, a BeautyBlender, etc. — it looks heavier, thicker and more obvious.

So that’s one thing. I wouldn’t call it a catch, but still…

too faced born this way foundation before — Before (not wearing any foundation)…

too faced born this way foundation after — After applying Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in Honey

too faced born this way foundation k — And now wearing Too Faced Born This Way in Honey along with a full face of makeup

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These Limited Edition Paul & Joe Fall 2015 Cheek Color + Compacts Are Smoother Than the Fur on a Kitten’s Fluffy Tum

July 27th, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

Why should baby cats be the only ones who get to freely roam about looking all smooth and cute and silky? It’s not fair! Blush wearers should also be able to flaunt colorful cheeks with the same silky smoothness as a kitten’s fur, because silky smoothness is a right, not a privilege!

Thankfully, Paul & Joe has addressed this important issue facing the makeup loving cat lady community with their new Limited Edition Fall 2015 Cheek Color + Compacts.

Their new blush duos, which were inspired by French sweet treats, apply color evenly and smoothly to cheeks, and dude! — they’re really good.

paul joe cafe calva — Paul & Joe Fall 2015 Cheek Color in Cafe Calva 003 with the 07 Compact

paul joe glace a la fraise — Paul & Joe Fall 2015 Cheek Color in Glace A La Fraise 002 with the 08 Compact

paul joe cinnamon roast — Paul & Joe Fall 2015 Cheek Color in Cinnamon Roast 001 with the 09 Compact

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 383

July 27th, 2015 by Karen 46 Comments

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

My spirit animal is ______.
A tiger! ?

Because deep down inside I’m really just a big jungle cat who loves the water.

Plus, the stripes, and you know how those never go out of style.

Have you (or an airline) ever lost your luggage on a flight?
Yes, and it was hella stressful, but at least it was on the way back home, and not on my way to the destination.

It happened a few years ago on a quick connecting flight from Italy to Germany. It was one of those tight turnarounds where you have to run through the airport terminal to catch the connecting flight, and I guess my checked bag (which had all of my souvenirs in it, like boxes of Italian chocolate , which I really, REALLY wanted to eat, LOL!) got left behind.

I learned a valuable lesson though. Ever since then I do whatever it takes to avoid from having to check in my bags, especially bags containing makeup and chocolate.

Thankfully, the bag showed up at my doorstep in Novato about a week later (so I got my chocolate, yay!).

Does your family have any summer traditions?
No big ones, really, but El Hub and I do like to spend a weekend in Lake Tahoe. We like to kayak on the lake and hike and go out to dinner, but when we were planning to go a few weeks ago, we had to cancel at the last minute because it was straight-up raining up there, which is kind of weird for July.

I’m hoping we can still make it out there before it gets chilly, maybe next month or early September.

Bronzer makes me feel ______.
ALIVE! ALIIIIIVE!!!

And less like a member of the Army of the Undead.

Lattes: with or without foam?
Without, please.

The foam does absolutely nothing for me. I’d rather have the foam space dedicated to filling up the cup with more latte.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. My spirit animal is ______.
2. Have you (or an airline) ever lost your luggage on a flight?
3. Does your family have any summer traditions?
4. Bronzer makes me feel ______.
5. Lattes: with or without foam?

Hello, sweet pea!

I’m back and oh, so relaxed after spending the weekend with my high school pals Jen and Cindy. It was a belated birthday sleepover involving a whole lotta nothing and the hotel pool.

It’s amazing what a little lounging around can do for your soul. I feel like a reenergized Energizer Bunny Karen.

I hope you were able to get in some relaxing yourself last weekend. How are you doing today? How’s your morning been so far?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen