Archives for May 2018

The “New” MAC 224 Synthetic Tapered Blending Brush…

May 18th, 2018 by Karen 20 Comments

Hey, can I borrow your hot tub/DeLorean time machine for an hour? Pretty please?

I need to get back to 2017 or, really, any time before MAC revamped their brush line and changed so many of their classic brushes. Like this one: the 224.

If you say “yes,” I’ll babysit your cat or bake you brownies. What do ya say? Deal? 🙂

MAC 224S Synthetic Tapered Blending Brush ($34)

I wish I could stock up those old 224s because — HELLO, CRANKY PANTS — this new version is scratchy and stiff, several of the bristles have fallen out, and the ferrule is already loose.

Such a bummer, too, because the old-school 224s are beasts. I have two that are more than five years old and still going strong, but they’ll have to be replaced sooner or later.

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Does Wearing Makeup Make You a Happier Person?

May 18th, 2018 by Karen 26 Comments

Most of the time for me, yes, makeup does make me generally happier.

Not to say that my happiness hinges on wearing makeup, because if I don’t fill in my brows on any given Friday, the world does not fall apart, nor do I have a meltdown, although that partly depends on where I am in my cycle. I have been known to launch into a full-on Kim K. ugly cry when I can’t find my tube of MAC In Extra Dimension.

Just sayin’…

Generally, though, yes, I think it makes me a happier person. I like the process. I feel artistic and creative. Plus, I feel more comfortable and capable when I’m wearing at least a little makeup. It doesn’t have to be a full face.

A few years ago, I went through a phase where putting on makeup started to feel a bit like a burden. Almost? I was spending a lot of time looking at makeup on Instagram at the time, and you know how it is… There are lots of peeps who do full-on super intricate makeup on IG, and it’s complicated and takes a long time (at least for me), and I was trying to get better at makeup myself, so I was spending a lot of time on my makeup — like two hours per day.

It was great at first. I learned some new things, but it got to feeling like an obligation. My perspective started changing to where I was feeling like I had to go through all that effort just to leave the house. Like, I had to spend two hours getting ready so that I could go to Target to buy bread.

Yeah, that phase is over now! 🙂

So there’s my long-winded answer. Yes, wearing makeup does make me a happier person, but it’s not a miracle cure for a bad day, of course.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF. ???

Will Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid Be Your Concealer’s New Best Friend?

May 17th, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

**BEEP** **BEEP** **BEEP**

We interrupt this blog post to bring you this very important announcement: Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid is NOT a full-on concealer. It may look like one, but it’s not. If you apply it by itself on top of dark circles, those bad boys won’t disappear. They’ll be like, “What’s up, lady? HOW YOU DOIN’?” ?

Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid ($32)

But, if you apply it on top of another concealer you already happen to be wearing — in other words, you retouch — you should see a slight difference…

“Meet your concealer’s new best friend. Veil Retouching Fluid is a multitasking complexion enhancer that you won’t want to leave your house without. This weightless, oil-free fluid adds just the right amount of brightness, coverage, and hydration that your skin needs during the day. It’s like your morning cup of coffee, your 3pm piece of chocolate, and your post-workout glow all rolled into one.”

– sephora.com

When I dab and blend it on top of Make Up For Ever Ultra HD, which has been my under-eye concealer du jour lately, and by “lately,” I mean the past couple years, my dark circles look a little brighter.

Bonus: it doesn’t get cake-y or break up the concealer, either.

It would be pretty innovative if you didn’t know about Trish McEvoy’s Instant Eye Lift, which has been around a hot minute.

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In What Areas Do You Prefer to Save/Splurge on Skin Care?

May 17th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

no makeup selfie with tabs — When your cat asks to take a no-makeup selfie with you but gets annoyed when you dominate the shot…

My preference? I’d rather save on cleansers, because, really, they aren’t on your skin *that long* (compared to moisturizers and serums).

I’ll splurge on moisturizers when I have some extra lunch money, but if I’m in a hardcore save mode, I know that my skin is OK with drugstore moisturizers from Olay and Neutrogena.

I’d rather splurge on treatments, and I can’t/don’t like to skimp on acne creams and acid toners.

As for sunscreens, I go back and forth between drugstore and high end, because on the one hand, I use so much that I’d spend mega $$$ if I only used department store, but I also feel like some of the pricier sunscreens layer better beneath makeup, and they usually absorb faster.

So that’s me! How about you? In what areas do you prefer to save/splurge on your skin care?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

bliss Got a Makeover! (Yes, the Iconic ’90s Skin Care and Spa Brand)

May 16th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

Remember how hot bliss spa was back in the day? Flashback to 1999… There I was, stomp-walking down the windy streets of downtown SF, where I worked as a legal assistant. Wherever I went, I left a trail of spicy white pepper and blood orange in my wake, thanks to bliss, and the brand just got a makeover. The products, some of which are classics that stuck around, and some of which are newbies, are now available at Target with new packaging, new formulas and lower prices. They’re also cruelty-free and sans parabens, phthalates, SLS and SLES.

Here are some of them I’ve been testing lately…

Poetic Waxing Hair Removal Kit ($24 for a 5.3-oz. cup of wax, a few spatulas and a bottle of pre/post-wax oil)

This is THE BEST at-home waxing kit I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried quite a few). It isn’t messy, it’s relatively painless to use, it removes even the babiest baby hairs, and you can get it done quickly.

Like, this morning I stuck the cup of wax into the microwave on high for three minutes (30-sec intervals; it’s all in the instructions), smeared it on my fuzzy bits, let it cool, then riiiiiipped that sucka off. Now, no more ‘stash! 🙂 It’s totally GONE.

And this works just as well on brows and the bikini area. It comes with a detailed how-to, which pretty much nails all of the insider tips you need to know for a quick, relatively painless wax. It’s REALLY helpful, too, so read it.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 5 out of 5 hearts.

Did you know? I consider this a pro tip: I usually take two Advil about an hour before waxing (to take the edge off)…

Lemon & Sage Refreshing Body Wipes ($8 for a pack of 30 wipes)

These disposable body wipes whisk away sweat, dirt and oil to leave you with a non-sticky neck (also great for the inside of your elbow and the back of your knees), and they smell like a lemon drop. 🙂

As an HSP (hella sweaty person), I find these useful and refreshing, but I’d like them even more if they were individually wrapped (like the ones by Sweat Cosmetics).

❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4 out of 5 hearts.

Did you know? According to bliss, these wipes contain a mild plant-based deodorant that relies on enzymes to reduce odor.

Makeup Melt Wipes ($7 for 30 wipes)

Pros: ? These wipes really do lift everything, including waterproof mascara. ? Plus, no oily residue. ? Also plus, they don’t make my sensitive eyes water, even when they touch my water line.

Cons: ? You have to put your back into it when you use them (translation: you have to rub your lashes quite a lot) to remove waterproof stuff. ? Also, the wipes feel kinda dry.

❤️❤️❤️ 3 out of 5 hearts.

Did you know? These Makeup Melt Wipes are oil-free and made for all skin types.

Blood Orange & White Pepper Body Butter ($12 for a 6.7-oz. tube)

This is pretty much the same as the old-school version, only much less expensive. It’s moderately moisturizing and smells like a peppery orange soda. The old one was $4.11 per ounce, and now it’s $1.79 per ounce. Love!

I’m a lizard person and use it twice per day, once in the morning and once at night.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 5 out of 5 hearts.

Did you know? This body butter, like all of the items in the line now, is cruelty-free and doesn’t contain parabens, phthalates or SLS.

Your Situation Hair-softening Oil & Bump Minimizer ($22 for a 2-oz. glass bottle with a dropper)

Does one need a lightweight, quick-absorbing oil for one’s lady parts? No…but it’s kinda nice having fuzz that doesn’t feel like crispy ramen noodles, and the explosion of red bikini line bumps I got from shaving with a cheap razor has subsided considerably.

❤️❤️❤️ 3 out of 5 hearts.

Did you know? You can also use this under your arms and on your chest, and dudes can use it on their beards.

Bump Attendant Ingrown Eliminating Pads ($22 for a jar with 25 pads)

I’m happy to see that bliss kept these around. I used one pad — ONE! — on a slew of red, angry ingrown hairs that cropped up along my bikini line, and they were gone within 24 hours. As much as I like how effective these are, though, I’m a little irked that they increased in price. Now they’re 88 cents per pad instead of 76. Booooo.

❤️❤️❤️ 3 out of 5 hearts.

Did you know? These pads contain both glycolic and salicylic acid exfoliators.

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EYESHADOW/EYELINER/EYE PRIMER: What Are Your Current Fave Products?

May 16th, 2018 by Karen 52 Comments

***ALERT*** Nosy noodle over here. I love hearing about what other people are into…’cause I’m a nosy noodle like that! Here are my current favorite eyeshadow, eyeliner and eye primer. What are yours?

—> Eyeshadow

Whenever I wear the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Medium, which I’ve been doing a lot lately, I get compliments, which is kinda weird to me because it isn’t a flashy palette at all, but hey, I’ll take it!

It’s a pared down nude eyeshadow palette in their permanent line, and it has a couple of matte cool-toned browns, a shimmery beige and shimmery gold, and a matte off-black (there are also two other recently added versions in Light and Dark).

I love how uncomplicated it is and that I can just put it on my lids and go (browns in the crease, black to line, and beige to highlight). Even though it doesn’t look revolutionary or unique, it’s gorgeous and uniquely great. The powders are sensationally soft, and blending them isn’t even a thing.

—> Eyeliner

MAC Coffee! Thank you, Tatiana, for letting me know that Coffee mysteriously reappeared on the MAC website sometime in the past few weeks. I may or may not have pulled the trigger on a stick or two…or five. LOL. Seriously, it’s the BEST brown liner known to womankind. It’s not too red or orange or too anything, really, and it lasts on the water line without making my eyes water.

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REVIEW! MAC Mirage Noir Slow As You Go Eye Shadow and Mother o’ Pearl Pearlmatte Face Powder

May 15th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

I went for ’80s today… Don’t know if I quite got there, but it’s all good. 🙂 I still like how this look turned out.

So, plums and purples today. And I found this top that I’ve had forever. It’s by Halogen, and I got it at Nordstrom a zillion years ago.

I wanted my makeup to complement the top, which is something I don’t do very often — coordinate my makeup with my clothes — especially lately. Lately my clothes have basically been an afterthought (although I’m working diligently to change that), but today I thought I’d coordinate. Plus, big hair. I was going for ’80s hair…or a modified version, but I’ll get to that in a sec.

First, the two key ingredients in this look… LOL! Ingredients. 🙂 What, are we making brownies? OK, the two key “elements” are a purple eyeshadow called Slow As You Go, and a plummy golden bronzed cheek/face powder called Mother o’ Pearl.

Both are from the new MAC Mirage Noir summer collection available now.

MAC Slow as You Go Eye Shadow ($17)

You’re gonna dig this if you’re a fan of MAC Trax. Slow as You Go is similar, but I actually think I like it more than Trax because it’s shinier (in a good way) and more richer. Like Trax two point oh. It’s also silky soft and blends like a dream. And — this is important — it doesn’t make my eyes water like so many other purples do.

❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4 out of 5 hearts.

Did you know? Golden purples like Slow as You Go pair very well with MAC Powersurge and MAC Prunella eyeliners. 😉

mac mirage noir mother o pearl slow as you go — Makin’ mah heart flutter!

MAC Mother o’ Pearl Pearlmatte Powder ($34)

This plummy gold has a slightly warm bronze undercurrent. It’s like a combo bronzer, blush and highlighter. Normally I just mix it all together and sweep that on my cheeks and blend.

Technically, it’s a powder, but it feels almost like a cream, and the opalescent finish is pure purr-fection.

It’s like a bronzier MAC Plum Foolery, but not as shiny.

❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4 out of 5 hearts.

Did you know? You can also use Mother o’ Pearl as an eyeshadow. Yup, it’s also approved for lids.

mac mirage noir other o pearl k — CHEEKS!

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Shout-Out to the MAC Cream Colour Bases!

May 15th, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

Old-school MAC right hurr! It’s been a minute since I’ve talked about the Cream Colour Bases, but I’ve been wearing Improper Copper and Vintage Rose as cream blushes lately and just remembered what makes them so, so good.

mac cream colour base swatches — Hello, my pretties!

mac cream colour base insert — Not all of the shades are eye, cheek and lip safe.

These multitasking creams moonwalk across the skin and stay put on my lids, lips and cheeks. You can easily blur the edges with your finger, too, even if you consider yourself blending-challenged.

I wear Shell and Hush as eyeshadow bases and highlighters all the time, and I give them ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5 hearts for being awesome.

Do you have a fave? Which one, and how do you use it? Inquiring minds want to know.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen