Archives for May 2018

Cookies by the Creek

May 9th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

path to bridge — This way to tasty things —–>

Why do I always feel better near a body of water?

It must be some kind of primitive woman thing… Like, the prehistoric part of my brain feels safer knowing that I could wash my hair in this creek if I had to…

After story time at the library today, Connor and I crossed this bridge to visit a bakery we like called Creekside. They give the kids that go to story time a free cookie. 🙂

creekside bakery — The quintessential post-library pit stop

connor cookies — Behold, the REAL cookie monster

And sometimes the nice person working the counter hooks me up with a cookie too. 🙂

This place has almost every kind of cookie imaginable, many of which taste even better with a cup of tea, or dipped into a cup of coffee.

I love their cookies, but I spend most of my time ogling the cakes. In my fantasy world, I’m the winner of the The Great British Baking Show, and I can bake everything in this display with my eyes closed.

caroot cake tarte strawberry short cake — I’ll have one of each! (You think I’m kidding but I’m not.)

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Copper Wings on a Wednesday With Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Lucky From the Beached Collection

May 9th, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

urban decay lucky — Red Bull isn’t the only that gives you wings!

I can’t remember the last time I wore colorful winged liner like this on a Wednesday, and you know what I did with it on? I wore it to baby story time with Connor. 🙂 Yup, and ya know how that felt? I tell you how it felt. It felt really good to wear something jazzier than usual.

I’m still committed to pushing myself out of my comfort zone, because let’s get real — I’VE BEEN STUCK, and I’ve been stuck for a while.

I’m not trying to go ham or full-on Instafabulous, but I’m sorry — I still like makeup, and I still like getting dressed up, but I’m also constrained, you know? Time is undeniably of the essence at this point in my life, so 1) I don’t have loads of time or patience, and 2) I don’t really like the way my skin feels when I’m wearing a sh*t ton of makeup.

This is the journey, and I’m up for the challenge! 🙂

On that note, here’s what happened this morning: I did this winged liner thinking that it looked massive — like big-@ss predatory hawk wings spanning across the sky and blocking the sun! — and then I took a selfie (which is easiest way to see if your wings are even, BTW) and saw that my flicks had disappeared into nothingness.

What the!? Where’d they go…?

I looked at the copper wings in the mirror (that’s Lucky, one of the new eyeliners from the Urban Decay Beached collection), and they looked pretty substantial, but they look minuscule in these pics.

Such a weird makeup mystery!

I’m still feeling the liner, though, and yes, I probably know what you’re thinking. How many times has UD done a warm metallic bronze/red/copper eyeliner?

SO MANY TIMES.

But this one has the cutest, tiniest pieces of silver micro-glitter, so you get a mixed metals vibe. It’s an out-of-the-box move, IMO, because most brands would’ve picked gold glitter to complement the copper’s warmth. So go on with your bad self, UD!

urban decay lucky swatch — Lovin’ the little flecks

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Try This Skin-Like Base Combo ASAP: MAC Face and Body Foundation Set With Mineralize Foundation/Loose

May 9th, 2018 by Karen 20 Comments

mac face body mineralize skinfinish loose — These two together are pretty epic!

Shout-out to my fellow Bay Area gal pal Kelly (Say hi to her in the comments!) for the 4-1-1 on this awesome base combination. She said it was the BEST combo for skin-like results and said that it had just enough coverage for her to be able to skip concealer.

She. Was. Right! I wholeheartedly agree. I started wearing it last weekend, and I don’t plan to stop.

I’m wearing a mix of Face and Body in C4 and C5 in these pics with a dollop of the new Light Pearl from Mirage Noir. And I set it with Mineralize Foundation/Loose in Medium Dark.

mac face body mineralize skinfinish loose 2 — The face of a happy girl who just found her new favorite face base combo… 🙂

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IT’S BACK, BABY! Trader Joe’s Rose Oil Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream Is Back!

May 8th, 2018 by Karen 21 Comments

trader-joes-rose oil hand cream on shelf — Time to stockpile!

When it comes to rumors, generally I take the advice I got from Timex Social Club when I was in sixth grade.

I choose to ignore them.

Started by the jealous people…

BUUUUUT when a friend told me that she asked a clerk who told her that TJ’s famous Rose Oil Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream (which sold out at our store in, like, two seconds) would be back in time for Mother’s Day, I told myself that it was probably just a rumor started by a bored TJ’s employee who messes with the hearts and minds of skin care enthusiasts.

Still, I always checked the shelf in the beauty aisle, just in case, hoping and against hope that I’d see my beloved hand cream again.

Lo and behold, I did! It’s baaaaaaack! ?

If I’d had a portable fainting couch with me, I would’ve whipped it it out in the store.

I grabbed two boxes like I was grabbing bottled water for the apocalypse, and yet I’m already kicking myself for not getting more.

I’m serious, this cream is the only thing keeping my hands from going full-on T. rex ? claw. Look for it every time you go to TJ’s. It’s marvelous!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Testing the MAC Mirage Noir Collection Eye Shadow in Sun, Tan and Repeat, and Lipstick in Twig

May 8th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

mac sun tan repeat eye shadow k 1 — Sun, Tan and Repeat!

OK, every time I sit down to do my makeup and say to myself, “Karen, don’t do smoky eyes,” I end up doing smoky eyes, so at this point I’m thinking that I should just tell myself to do smoky eyes and assume that via the power of reverse psychology I’ll do something other than smoky eyes. 🙂 Let’s see if that logic holds. LOL!

Today I used Sun, Tan and Repeat, a duo chrome teal shadow from MAC Mirage Noir,, to see how it performs.

First off, it looks awfully similar to MAC Club, one of my favorite MAC shadows of all time. They’re actually surprisingly similar, so you may not need this one if you have already Club. They’re essentially dupes to my eye… Practically. They’re dupe-esque. Or dupe-like. I think you have to look really closely to see the differences between them, or be like a total eagle-eyed color hound.

Sun, Tan Repeat pops a bit more on lids… It’s a bit brighter and more teal (tealer?) than Club, so it seems a tad more cheerful than Club, which has those deeper charcoal tones… Club is moodier.

Sun, Tan and Repeat is also shinier than Club, so if you always end up applying Club with a wet brush to amplify the shimmer, then ST&R could be a worthy addition.

Here’s it in action…

Every day I tell myself to wear something other than a smoky eye and then I end up wearing smoky eyes. ? The green smoke is @maccosmetics Sun Tan and Repeat eyeshadow layered on top of @urbandecaycosmetics liner in Invasion. ???? #maccosmetics #urbandecaycosmetics #makeupoftheday #instamakeup #igmakeup

A post shared by Karen | Makeup and Beauty Blog (@karenmbb) on May 8, 2018 at 9:40am PDT

Something else I’m noticing: I prefer ST&R’s texture. It’s MUCH softer and creamier than Club.

ST&R, by the way, looks really beautiful if you line your lash lines with a deep, dark forest green or a blackened green liner. You could do an iridescent liner, but I prefer a matte finish because I like the contrast of the matte against the shimmer, so you get that extra interesting element. I’m wearing it today with Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Invasion on my lash line and water lines (although I’m not sure if I’ll be using this particular shade on my water lines again because my left eye is all watery now… I think I’m destined for a life of only wearing certain MAC liners and Chanel Stylo Yeuxs on my water line).

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I Can’t Fit Into My Old Pre-Pregnancy Clothes Anymore, and at This Point I Don’t Know if I Ever Will

May 8th, 2018 by Karen 62 Comments

One might think that someone drowning under a landslide of laundry would be able to find something to wear at any given moment.

Nope. Not the case.

This is why I was running late to the last mom’s group lunch — because I was trying on all of the clothes in that top Leaning Tower of Pisa pic, but nothing fit right. Everything was too small.

This is probably one of those instances where my inside thoughts should not be outside thoughts, because I feel self-absorbed and selfish even contemplating something like this, but I need to know if I’m the only person who’s had these thoughts in such great detail…

It’s been two years since Connor popped out of my body, and for two years I’ve held on to my pre-pregnancy clothes.

I’ve tried to squeeze into my old pants and shorts a few times since then, but… Well, it didn’t work. My body is completely different now.

Before Connor, I just assumed that by the time she was two years old I’d be able to get back into those clothes again. Other moms have told me that your hips and ribs eventually shift back to where they had been before, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen for me at this point. Everything is just wider than it used to be. My hips, my booty, my upper body. Everything.

Part of me knows I need to turn the page and build a new wardrobe at my current size, because, well…even though I don’t fit into those old clothes anymore, I’m generally happy with my body. Yes, I look different than I used to, but I’m physically stronger than I was when I was skinnier a few years ago, and I KILL IT when we do burpies and weighted switch lunges in HITT class. Oh, and is that a heavy sand bag?? Yeah, I can press that bad boy over my head!

When you casually try to take a selfie in HIIT class but end up making a funny face because everyone is poking fun at you for taking said selfie in class… (Winged Liner Tee from my store, connorclaire.com)

I may have been able to fit into my short shorts back then, but I know I wasn’t strong enough to do things like that.

My current shirt and pant size are the largest I’ve ever worn, and sometimes I wonder if I should keep fighting against that, or accept it. I don’t know if accepting the size I am right now is me just giving up.

Even though I’m happy with where I’m at, I feel like I should keep trying to get back into those clothes, which sounds like a contradiction, I know, but yeah, I am conflicted! I don’t know what to do! LOL. Part of me thinks, “I can do it. I know I can.”

But do I want to? Do I care that much? Is it necessary? Am I just being vain?

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MAC Mirage Noir Collection Extra Dimension Bronzing Powder in Delphic and Face and Body Foundation in Light Pearl

May 7th, 2018 by Karen 4 Comments

I’m wearing a few items makeup from the new @maccosmetics Mirage Noir summer collection. The two pearly Face & Body foundations are super pretty. #maccosmetics #macmiragenoir #igmakeup #instamakeup #makeupcollection

A post shared by Karen | Makeup and Beauty Blog (@karenmbb) on May 7, 2018 at 2:17pm PDT

Mission “Ketchup Run to Target” was a smashing success this afternoon, and Delphic Bronzer from MAC Mirage Noir looks just as swoon-worthy as it looked when I put it on a few hours ago. Also, just as swoon-worthy as it looked the first time I saw it back in — HOLY CRAP! — the MAC Alluring Aquatic collection in 2014.

Has it really been that long??

Incidentally, I think this is the best bronzer MAC has ever done. Yes, even better than Give Me Sun MSF. Seriously, it’s that creamy, dreamy, buttery, silky Extra Dimension formula, man. It’s amazeballs. It’s like applying pure color to your skin without a trace of powdery residue.

I don’t think there’s anything else quite like it. I’ve been rationing my one from Alluring Aquatic (yes, I don’t care how old it is) for years… Glad I don’t have to do that anymore.

That’s also MAC Eye Shadow in Sun Speck on my lids, which ended up being frostier than I expected, and MAC Face & Body Foundation in Light Pearl, which I mixed with Face & Body C4 and C5… I wouldn’t wear Light Pearl all by itself, except for maybe on my arms and legs, because it’s pearly, but I love it mixed with another Face & Body shade.

Oh, and haha! Yes, that’s the Coywolf saying “hello” in the background of the video. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I put pics and swatches of the collection in this post here.

MAC Mirage Noir Collection for Summer 2018: Pics, Swatches and My First Look Using the Products

May 7th, 2018 by Karen 23 Comments

Serious question for you: is this “bronzed peach” look too glam for a ketchup run? — because from among the list of “things that go well on BBQ,” I do believe that ketchup is the least fancy of them all. FOR SURE, the fanciest has to be dijon mustard, because — hi — if something can be prefaced with a word en français, it’s officially fancy. 🙂

Speaking of my limited high school French, can anyone out there confirm what Mirage Noir means? Is it “black illusion”?

Pics and swatches coming at’cha…

MAC Mirage Noir: Summer 2018

LE and coming May 17th, 2018, to select MAC locations and the MAC website.

LIPSTICK ($18.50 each)

Nothing to Wear: Cool nude (Cremesheen)

Twig: Soft, muted brownish pink (Satin)

Goodbye Kiss: Cool mid-tone pink (Amplified)

Beach Nut: Deep violet (Matte)

Noon Noir: Frosty brown (Frost)

LIPGLASS ($17.50 each)

Oysterized: Soft white shimmer

Strip ‘n’ Dip: Pink bronze with shimmer

Soft Shell: Mid-tone brown

Midnight Dip: Mid-tone violet shimmer

Treasure Beach: Bright fuchsia

EYE SHADOW ($17 each)

Dust Off: Soft beige shimmer (Frost)

Sun Speck: Light brown shimmer (VLXP)

Slow as You Glow: Purple shimmer (Frost)

Sun, Tan and Repeat: Forest green with purple sparkle (VLXP)

EXTRA DIMENSION BRONZING POWDER ($34 each)

Golden Rinse: Light brick reddish bronze with fine shimmer

Delphic: Coppery bronze with gold sparkle

BRONZING POWDER ($27 each)

Baiana Bronze: Medium deep-tone neutral matte bronze

Matte Bronze: Bare-shouldered bronze

PEARLMATTE FACE POWDER ($34)

Mother o’ Pearl: Gold (mid-tone golden brown), Pink (muted peach beige), Berry (red plum), Brown (warm chestnut brown)

M∙A∙C STUDIO FACE AND BODY FOUNDATION ($30 each)

Light Pearl: Light with added bronze pearl

Medium Deep Pearl: Medium deep with added bronze pearl

BRUSH ($42)

140SES Full Fan Brush

mac sun tan repeat — Sun, Tan and Repeat ($17)

mac slow as you go — Slow as You Go ($17)

mac mother o pearl — Pearlmatte Face Powder in Mother o’ Pearl ($34)

mac mirage noir lipstick — Lipsticks in Nothing to Wear, Twig, Goodbye Kiss, Noon Noir and Beach Nut ($18.50 each)

mac mirage noir lipglass — Lipglasses in Oysterized, Strip & Dip, Soft Shell, Treasure Beach and Midnight Dip ($17.50 each)

mac face body light pearl medium deep pearl — Studio Face and Body Foundation in Light Pearl and Medium Deep Pearl ($30 each)

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