Archives for November 2016

This $42 Set Is a Buxom Stone Cold Babe

November 9th, 2016 by Karen 10 Comments

Who is that stone cold babe? That’s what I’d like to know. I guess she likes diamonds…

BIG diamonds.

Can you imagine having a diamond this big? Good lord. I wouldn’t even bother getting attached to it though. My mom would probably try to steal it from me, put it on a ring and wear it to her SilverSneakers aerobics class. Then she’d try to be all cool about it…

“Oh, this? This is just my diamond ring.”

But I would sell that thing in a heartbeat. Then I’d try to buy that island François Nars was selling.

The pans in the palette, which is part of this $42 set, are removable, and you can arrange them however you like. Or, if there are some other Buxom eyeshadows you prefer, you can replace some of these with them.

I would probably replace about haalf of these here… I’ve only swatched them, but a few seem pretty sheer, patchy and dicey to me. They’re also on the harder side.

I don’t know… I love cool tones. And I do like the thought of turning myself into a stone cold babe. 🙂

The mascara, by the way, is great for lash volume. I went through a couple of tubes when I was going through a Buxom mascara phase.

buxom stone cold babe swatches — Le swatches…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Mission Control to The Body Shop Down to Earth Eye Palettes, Come In Down to Earth Palettes…

November 9th, 2016 by Karen 22 Comments

body shop down to earth eye palette 05 — All five of The Body Shop Down to Earth Eye Palettes ($24 each)

When I hear the phrase, “down to earth,” like the name of these $24 quads from The Body Shop, I think of a day in the not-too-distant future when Captain Connor Claire is hurtling toward Mars in her spaceship, and I’m counting down the seconds till she comes back…down to earth.

OK, no big expectations, Connor. If you don’t want to be on the first manned mission to Mars, that’s OK. The second one would also be fine. 🙂

Seriously, though, I don’t think these have anything to do with astronomy, astrophysics or celestial bodies…. I don’t think they’re that deep. The colors are earthy, as in earth tones, so they’re figuratively down to earth, just like the plants, soil and stones in my front yard. These are shades I love to wear.

These new quads, which are completely new additions to the permanent line, are $24 each, and the way they feel and swatch totally reminds me of pricey Tom Ford. They’re soft, like Tom’s shadows, and have a good amount of pigment, but Tom’s eyeshadows are definitely much more intense.

These blend exceptionally well, but, ironically, because of that…I’m not completely sure what to make of them. They sheer out so much when I buff them down.

Superb blending is sometimes a catch 22, you know? And I think these blend even more easily than LORAC and Urban Decay, which is a double-edged sword, because if you blend them a little too much, you buff away most of the pigment.

The Body Shop Down to Earth Eye Palettes
$24 each and available now in five color combinations at The Body Shop stores and online.

“The individual shades all click in and out of the palette casing, so you can switch shades between palettes and quads. Shades come in three different finishes: true mattes, iridescent shimmers and eye-catching sparkles. All the shades can be used dry for easy blending or wet for more intense, vibrant color.”

— thebodyshop-usa.com

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A Busy Morning With The Body Shop Matte Lip Liquids

November 8th, 2016 by Karen 14 Comments

I haven’t had a coconut Lifesaver in years, but these $10 Matte Lip Liquids from The Body Shop smell and taste exactly like them.

Coconut Lifesavers were/are my favorite, favorite, favorite Lifesavers of them all. When I was just a little Karen and went grocery shopping with my mom, she would let me pick one piece of candy every week when we got up to the cashier, and I would always get the Tropical roll.

I’d rip it open and pick out all the coconut ones. Then I’d eat them all at the same time…but only after I finished all of the other ones.

Anyway, I just started testing these Body Shop Lip Liquid lipsticks today, and I’m loving them so far.

Like a lot of people today in the U.S., I had kind of a crazy morning because I woke up super early to vote, and Connor Claire came with me.

She was all bundled up in her baby carrier, and I’m pretty sure she was the youngest voter there. She even got a sticker. 🙂

When I got back home, I only had a few minutes before my early morning exercise class, but I still wanted to swatch and test these.

So…that’s why I’m not wearing any other makeup in these pics.

body shop windsor rose after class — Here’s the shade Windsor Rose after voting, working out (and sweating like a mofo!), watching Connor, eating a persimmon and some cottage cheese, and drinking about half a gallon of water…

The Body Shop Matte Lip Liquids

New to The Body Shop permanent line and available now at The Body Shop stores and online

$10 each and available in 12 shades

Cruelty-free and 100% vegetarian

#TheBodyShopUSA, #TheBodyShop

The Body Shop Matte Lip Liquid in Sydney Amaryllis 014

body shop tapei orchid 020 — The Body Shop Matte Lip Liquid in Tapei Orchid 020

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Giant Costco Bears

November 8th, 2016 by Karen 19 Comments

According to secret Costco security footage recently leaked on YouTube, when the lights go off at night, and the store shuts down, these bears come to life!

Now we finally know what they’re doing when they’re in the store by themselves…

They chug the wine and eat the massive jars of honey that are supposed to be for restaurants and, I guess…families that really, really, really like honey.

And then they sit in front of the big TV screens and watch really bad reality TV shows.

That makes sense, I guess… I mean, I can’t see them wanting to watch nature programs. After a tough day at work, most people like to watch TV to check out and get away from it all, so why would a giant teddy bear want to watch a bear show??

Well, it turns out that they watch Real Housewives, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — basically, shows involving people finding “true love” (quote, unquote) on TV.

Makes perfect sense to me. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Quick Look at Tarte Holiday 2016

November 7th, 2016 by Karen 9 Comments

Aha! Sometimes it pays to be a #hoarder, especially when things like the Tarte holiday collection come up, and it brings back a flood of memories of this dress that I’ve had since…I don’t know, ’98? ’99?

90s dress — Circa 1999 this dress was my jam

Girl, I had some good times in this dress… I had just moved to SF, so I was like “Girl in the City,” and this was the dress I was wearing during The Cosmopolitan Incident, which I think I may have told you about.

It was the night of the company holiday party. They held it at the SF MOMA. There were waiters and waitresses walking around with these cute cosmopolitans, and I thought, “I’m gonna get one because it matches my dress!” 🙂

Well, one cosmo led to two cosmos, which led to… Anyway, I still can’t look at one of those things without wanting to yak.

This dress, though? So many good memories, and the best thing about it? I freaking found it at T.J. Maxx! One of the waitresses at that party came up to me and said, “I love your dress.” Then she leaned in and whispered, “Versace?”

No, girl, T.J. Maxx! $20!

Coincidentally, the outside of this collection’s eyeshadow palette is made of fabric. Even cooler than that, when you open the palette, the shadow names have artsy references, like Water Lillies and Van Go With It.

Very clever, Tarte.

Items from the Tarte Holiday 2016 Collection

Limited-Edition Wing Workers Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set, $35

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Sculpted Cheeks Deluxe Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush, $35

Tarte Holiday Limited-Edition Color Wheel Amazonian Clay Blush Palette, $44

Tarte Holiday 2016 Pretty Paintbox Collector’s Makeup Case, $59

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Wing Workers Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set, $35

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Curl Boss Lash Essentials, $20

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Triple Threat Mascara Trio, $18

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Gallery Gals Deluxe Tareist Eyeliner Set, $19

tarte holiday 2016 pretty paintbox packaging — So pretty!

tarte holiday 2016 pretty paintbox — Tarte Holiday 2016 Pretty Paintbox Collector’s Makeup Case, $59

tarte holiday 2016 color wheel — Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Color Wheel Amazonian Clay Blush Palette, $44

tarte holiday 2016 sculpted cheeks — Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Sculpted Cheeks Deluxe Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush, $35

tarte holiday 2016 wing workers — Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Wing Workers Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set, $35

From the left: Curl Boss, Lash Essentials ($20), Triple Threat Mascara Trio ($18) and Gallery Gals Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set ($19)

Swatches of the Color Wheel Blush Palette

tarte holiday 2016 wing workers swatches — Swatches of the Wing Workers set

I’ve only just swatched these items, but it does seem like the shadows in this palette feel a little harder than the Tarte shadows I’m used to.

Oh, and the round blush palette here?When you open it, BAM! — a bevy of blushes, but here’s the thing: Even though there are pans on both sides, Tarte inserted a clear plastic divider between them to keep powder from falling from one side to the other.

This is just a smattering of items in the collection. I hope to spend more time with them this week.

So, hoarder-y dresses. Do you have any in your closet? Or other clothing that you don’t really wear anymore but keep for sentimental reasons? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The MAC Studio QuikTrik Sticks

November 7th, 2016 by Karen 8 Comments

mac studio quicktrik stick — There’s a new stick in town…

I’m no She-Ra/She-Hulk, but those push-ups and rows I’ve been doing in my high-intensity interval training classes must be paying off, because I accidentally broke two of these MAC Studio QuikTrik Sticks.

Mostly, it’s because they’re very soft, and in some ways, that’s great, because it makes them so easy to blend. On the other hand, though — broken sticks. Don’t press too hard.

These creamy $32 sticks do a bit of everything. They’re like blushes, contouring products and highlighting sticks in one.

Kinda sorta like MAC’s version of the NARS Multiples (except not explicitly recommended for use on your lips and eyes), they’ve been available for while, and MAC says they’re for use all over your face.

I’ve only used them as blushes and for highlighting so far, so if you’ve used them on your lips and eyes, please let me know how it’s gone for you.

They’re super creamy, super soft, easy to blend, and they look a little dewy on the skin, right? They’ve got that glow happening that I love.

The formula stays a bit — gosh, what’s the right word? — tacky? Wet?

I don’t want to say “wet,” so I’ll just say “creamy” instead. It stays creamy for an hour or so before completely drying down, and that makes them easy to blend. Of course, if they dried down to a powder more quickly, they would probably last longer…

On my combination skin, without anything else on top of them, they last between 4-6 hours, which isn’t bad. You could probably also extend that by layering a powder product on top and, depending on what you used, still keep the shine. For instance, you could add a powder blush with a sheen or a highlighter with a sheen or sparkle. But that’s if you’re hardcore.

MAC Studio QuikTrik Sticks
$32, available in six limited edition shades; available now online and in-stores through December 15, 2016

“Transformation is only a swipe away with M·A·C Studio QuikTrik Stick. Offering endless options for highlighting, contouring, bronzing or just adding the perfect pop of colour, these double-ended, multi-use sticks debut in smart shades to enhance your look anywhere, any way you choose. This multi-tasker’s creamy formula is sheer enough to provide subtle yet buildable colour. Who doesn’t love a little face time?”

— maccosmetics.com

Shades
BARE END / EARTHNUT – Bare End: Light golden champagne shimmer / Earthnut: Muted medium beige

SOFTLY DOES IT / TIGHT AND TAWNY – Softly Does It: Very light pink shimmer / Tight and Tawny: Light taupe

GINGER SPIKED / COUNTERPOINT – Ginger Spiked: Soft pink with fine spun gold shimmer / Counterpoint: Midtone bluish pink

A LATTE SHEEN / SEMISWEET – A Latte Sheen: Light copper with gold and silver shimmer / SemiSweet: Muted golden bronze

MISS CUPCAKE / TOMATO – Miss Cupcake: soft pinky peach with fine spun golden shimmer / Tomato: Vivid bright coral

ALL AFLUSH / HERE YOU GO – All Aflush: Rose with copper sparkle / Here You Go: Deep reddish burgandy

mac studio quicktrik counterpoint ginger spiked — Wearing Counterpoint and Ginger Spiked

mac studio quicktrik stick swatches — Ginger Spiked/Counterpoint, Miss Cupcake/Tomato, All Aflush/Here You Go

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 448

November 7th, 2016 by Karen 42 Comments

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 NINE (!) 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. 🙂

1. Team Contour, or Team Highlight?

Oh, my gosh! — pom-poms for Team Highlight, because a) for me it’s just so much easier to blend a shimmery highlight, and b) the results are much more instantly gratifying.

Honestly…I know that contouring is a big thing in makeup these days…but I just can’t stand it. I feel like it’s overdone, and everybody and their mama feels the need to reshape their face.

Why?? I don’t want to feel like I have to make my nose look straighter or my cheeks look more chiseled. I like the way my face is, and I don’t want it to be sharper. I like the roundness of it. I like the chubbiness of my cheeks.

Anywho…

2. Do you have any tie-dye anything?

Nope, and the only time I ever had a tie-dye anything was freshman year at college. It was one of those getting to know you events, and everyone had to bring a white shirt to tie-dye.

I really wasn’t feeling the whole tie-dye process, so I made a gradient on my shirt instead of a traditional tie-dye. It had a patch of blue, then a patch of green, then a patch of yellow… There was really nothing tie or dye about it, and that was the closest I’ve ever gotten.

3. What were you doing in the year 2000?

Fabulously messing up in life. I had just graduated from college, was in my early 20s, and I had no idea what I was doing… Still don’t have any idea what I’m doing.

I was living in San Francisco at the time and working as a junior legal assistant at a law office, which meant that I filed stacks of papers in a filing room that I had practically all to myself.

My boss was so chill… Some days I would come into the office, shut the door and actually take naps at my desk.

In hindsight, I recognize that this was a bad thing… 🙂

4. How often do you check social media?

Probably too much. I glance at Instagram and Facebook every few hours. I wish I checked them less often because…does anybody out there have a sloppy, messy life? I do.

5. Do you ever skip wearing makeup to work?

For sure. Even though I’m here writing about makeup, I don’t sit at my desk wearing false lashes every day. Some days when I’m testing products, I’ll wear just one thing, instead of doing a complete look, or I won’t wear any makeup at all because I’ll be working on a non-makeup project.

The early bird…

Waking up early on the mornings on the weekend — who knew? So bomb. I woke up early on both Saturday and Sunday, which I don’t do all the time, but I might do it more often now.

I got up early on Saturday because I had plans for lunch with a friend, and I wanted to take care of the grocery shopping first, so I got up, got ready and went to Trader Joe’s at the crack of dawn.

Dude, Trader Joe’s is the place to be at the crack of dawn. It was just me and five other focused ladies, and it was great because, for the first time ever, I had my cart with me the whole time! It’s usually so crowded there that I have to park my cart somewhere, stake out a spot, walk to the kale or whatever, and then walk back and put the kale in the cart.

It was nice to have my cart in front of me for once…

I also plan to get up early tomorrow to avoid the lines at my polling place. Tomorrow is Election Day here, and it’s gonna be…frantic.

In the spirit of trying new things, I also want to try some new looks this week. I hope that you try something new as well, whether it’s a new makeup looks or something else in your routine.

Life is short, ya know? You might as well switch things up every once in a while.

Whatever you’re up to, my fellow citizen of the earth, I hope you have a great week.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy and paste…

1. Team Contour, or Team Highlight?
2. Do you have any tie-dye anything?
3. What were you doing in the year 2000?
4. How often do you check social media?
5. Do you ever skip wearing makeup to work?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 422

November 6th, 2016 by Karen 11 Comments

I always wonder what Tabs is dreaming about when I see his little paw twitching in his sleep.

Is he thinking about the time he cornered a lizard outside on the hill, when he had his paw on it, and the lizard straight up and bit him, and he freaked out? Or is he thinking about the time when he was on his harness and caught a baby bird by the front door?

He only has a 10-foot leash, but he bolted instantaneously off the walkway into the yard. I didn’t have time to react. All of a sudden, I look down and my wonderful little tabby has a tiny bird in his mouth! It was a nightmare…

Well, it was a nightmare for me and the bird, but it might’ve been the greatest dream in the world to Tabs.

Or, is he thinking about the first time I gave him bacon? Maybe he’s just laying there thinking, “Uoh…bacon,” like Homer Simpson does.

Is he dreaming about his kittenhood and his kitty siblings? Does he ever dream about his kitty mom? Does he think about her? Sometimes that thought makes me sad…

I wonder… Do cats dream in images kind of like we do? Does he ever dream about us? Does he dream about me? Does he hear my voice? If he does, what do I sound like in the dreams? Do I sound like the grownups in Peanuts cartoons? “Wah-wah wah-wah-wahhh.”

Is he just feeling emotions like comfort, happiness and fear, or does he actually see memories of things that have happened to him in his life?

Does he make up stories in his mind? Are his dreams fantasies? Like, does he dream of walking into the dining room one day to find a stack of bacon three feet tall? Does he dream of a litter box the size of a playground or other things like that?

I wonder…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen