Karen

A Lil’ Fall Makeup Edit: Playing with Plum

November 16th, 2023 by Karen Leave a Comment

You know those days when you just cannot deal with your hair? Yeah, I’m having one of those right meow. LOL!

Alright, so remember the lip liner and lip balm trick from yesterday’s post? I did the same thing today but with a plummy lip with MAC Plum Lip Liner and Laneige Lip Glowy Balm in Gummy Bear.

Side note, if you’re gonna go the lip liner route, it helps to have a pencil sharpener dedicated solely to your lip products. That way, you don’t ever have to deal with black or brown eyeliner bits getting all up in your soft pinks and whatnot. I use and like the one by NARS.

So I tried something a little different today; I started with the plum lip and then put on the rest of my makeup afterwards. I recently saw in a video about dark lips about how putting them on first helps you gauge how much makeup to wear with the rest of the look.

I think in my case, it totally helps because I’m always trying to see how little makeup I can get away with (it’s my jam these days).

Try it the next time you feel like wearing darker lipstick and tell me how it goes.

As for the rest of the look, to echo the plum vibe, I swept NARS Sin blush on my cheeks and Chanel Rouge Noir (one of their eyeshadow-liner-kohl sticks) on my upper lash line.

Before you jet, I just had to share this chicken enchilada recipe with you! I made it yesterday for the first time with some rotisserie chicken from Costco and it was SO GOOD.

You’ll have to excuse the pic with the half-eaten pan of enchiladas, LOL! We were really hungry. I served it with a salad and cut apple pears for dessert. Yum!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Lil’ Fall Favorite Makeup Edit with NARS and MAC

November 15th, 2023 by Karen 3 Comments

I’m on a mission to wear fall looks that are simple, elegant and easy. I gotta say, I feel pretty put together together in this one, which features a few of my favorites — NARS Kalahari II eyeshadow, NARS Amour blush and MAC Half Red Lip Pencil.

A lifted liner tip

For this makeup, I tried a new-to-me eyeliner technique from a makeup artist that Jane from Daly Beauty introduced me to recently, Erica Taylor! She’s been doing makeup for over 20 years and posts a lot of tips for beauties who are 40 and up.

She suggests applying liner strategically on the outer corner to make your lids appear more lifted.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erica Taylor (@ericataylor2347)

I’m really happy with how it turned out; I definitely think my hooded bits look a little less hooded! Plus, it’s really easy to do.

Also, lip liner is so your friend

Oh, and shout-out to the Wet Seal sales associate back in 1996 who taught me about the power of lip liner, LOL! She was the one who convinced me to try lining and filling my lips in with a lip pencil, and then topping it off with lip balm.

I did that in here with MAC Half Red Lip Liner and Biossance Lip Balm. 🙂 Try it sometime with your favorite lip liner.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 807

November 13th, 2023 by Karen 12 Comments

Words of wisdom from author A.A. Milne (he wrote “Winnie the Pooh”)

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Pen or pencil?

Pencil! I love a mechanical pencil with an eraser attached to it. Ideally with lead that’s 0.7mm 2HB. If you know, you know.

2. Your most used emojis?

Some combination of the following – 😭🤣😂!

3. Do you wear glasses?

GIRL. So many glasses. I pretty much quit wearing contacts during the pandemic, so now I have glasses for distance, reading glasses, sunglasses (prescription and non-prescription)… SO. MANY. GLASSES.

4. How easily do you fall asleep?

It depends on what’s on my mind and/or what part of my cycle I’m in. Generally, though, if I get enough exercise in that day, I can fall asleep pretty quickly.

5. Ice in your drink – yes or no?

In iced tea and fruity juices, sure, why not?

6. MAC or Bobbi Brown?

Oooh. MAC, always.

7. One of your biggest hopes?

I would love to make it to a ripe old age so that I can be around enough to help Connor get through the tough parts of her 20s and 30s. I had her later on in life (I was 40), which has pros and cons, but that’s another story for another time.

Good morning, friend! Happy Monday to you.

How are you feeling today? I hope you’re OK.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to stay grounded and present in my body lately because I’ve been feeling a little more anxious than usual, and so I’ve started doing this practice called “5, 4, 3, 2, 1” again.

I learned it years ago and find it helpful when I feel like I’m getting too much in my head. It’s a quick way to draw yourself back into the present moment and find some focus. I hope you give it a try this week.

Enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Pen or pencil?
2. Your most used emojis?
3. Do you wear glasses?
4. How easily do you fall asleep?
5. Ice in your drink – yes or no?
6. MAC or Bobbi Brown?
7. One of your biggest hopes?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 786

November 12th, 2023 by Karen 1 Comment

Little did they know…

Little did EVERYONE know that the squirrels were on to something. Rosie’s research indicated as much. She’d been studying the squirrels in the neighborhood for months, watching them through the windows, examining their habits, trying to figure out what made them tick.

For the past two months, they’d been extra busy. She watched them, and she knew it had something to do with nuts. Or rather, acorns.

They were hoarding them for some reason, and Rosie was determined to figure it out. So, today she set out on her walk to get to the bottom of it.

As luck would have it, not only did she find a bunch of acorns to continue her studies with, but she also found a very rare gold one!

A solid gold acorn!

Truly incredible…

It’s worth enough to fund her research for the next two years!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in 158 Bright | Red Lips for Friday!

November 10th, 2023 by Karen 4 Comments

Sometimes you just need to wear red lips on Friday. 🙂

This red lippie by Chanel from the Rouge Coco Bloom line is a little glossy, a little shiny and a lot of fun. Say hi to Bright!

The Rouge Coco Blooms are Chanel’s line of long-wearing and hydrating lipsticks with a plumping effect that’s supposed to last 8 hours.

I don’t really notice fuller lips but I rarely see a difference in most plumping formulas, though. *shrugs* I mostly like Bright because of the intensity of the pigment and how soft my lips feel when I wear it, plus the color, of course.

How’s your Friday going so far? Do you have the day off for Veteran’s Day? Connor’s home with me and hanging out with a friend, so I’m off to take them to the park with some snacks.

Have a great rest of your Friday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Purple and Blue Liner, and a Handy Makeup Tip for Hooded Lids

November 9th, 2023 by Karen 4 Comments

Do you ever suddenly get the urge to wear colorful liner? If you do, I totally get it. Yesterday I grabbed a bright blue (Urban Decay Chaos) and a sparkly purple (UD Vice). I popped the blue on my upper lash line and then layered a couple sparkly shades from the Chanel holiday eye palette on top, then I blended the purple on my lower lash liner because why the heck not?

It ended up looking a lot more summery than I anticipated!

Hmm, I’m thinking that if I went with a darker, more navy blue it would’ve taken it in a fall direction. I guess this is what happens when your current makeup philosophy is “just go with it and see where it takes you.” Ha ha ha!

A makeup tip for hooded lids

Oh, so for this look, I remembered a handy tip that’s good to keep in your back pocket on those days when your liner ends up too thick for your lid space. This happens to me all the time, by the way, especially now that my hooded bits are more prominent than they used to be 10 years ago.

Anywho, if you’re doing your makeup and notice your liner looks too thick, start by buffing out the edge of the line as best you can.

Then, with a flat brush or your fingertip, layer a bit of your favorite sparkly shadow on top, taking care to have just the tiniest bit of liner peek through.

A combo of blurred liner and sparkly shadow helps make your lid space look a little bigger while making the liner look thinner. Try it sometime and let me know how it goes. 🙂

While we’re on the subject of eyeliner

I’ve been using the dark brown and bronze twist-up liners by Hourglass for months now, and while I love the comfy formula, there’s just not a ton of colors to choose from.

If your lash and water lines are moody and sensitive like mine are, I’d love to hear what liners you like. I need a new blue and purple!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Checking In | Beauty Nerd Things on “The Morning Show” | Chanel Midnight Red Lipstick | Crazy Brussels Sprouts Stalks

November 8th, 2023 by Karen 7 Comments

Do you watch “The Morning Show” with Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston? If you do, I wonder if the episode that aired last week got your nerdy beauty wheels turning! There’s a scene towards the end where Reese’s character is in her dressing room, and numerous beauty products are displayed in the background.

Like the beauty nerd that I am, I hit pause and tried to name as many brands I could! I spy with my little eye…

Mario Badescu
L’Occitane
Clinique
Biossance

I think the tall bottles in the middle (the dark blue, periwinkle and mint green ones) are Oribe, but I’m not sure. Hmm.

Don’t ask me why these things feel like a treasure hunt, but they do!

By the way, Reese’s hair in this scene is my dream hair. Love the loose curls, love the volume, love the smoothness. I especially love how the layers around her cheekbones frame her face. Ugh, so good. I try to get there as best as I can with my hair, but I don’t want to put in the extra work to get the little spiky bits around my hairline to play nice. Ha!

The most effort I’m willing to put in is to clamp them down with these weird little flat clips and then spray them with hairspray.

When you’re trying to tame your hair but it doesn’t wanna listen

BTW, I put this makeup on just for fun, and from far away it seems pretty chill, but when up close, it has more of an ’80s vibe. I’m wearing the new Chanel holiday eye palette and one of the pigmented red lipsticks, Rouge Allure L’Extrait in Midnight Red.

Connor’s home a lot this week because it’s parent-teacher conference time, which means I get to hang out with my little sidekick, just like the good old days!

We went to TJ’s in the middle of the day (what a luxury, truly) and she begged me to buy her this brussels sprouts stalk.

I’ve never seen a child so excited about vegetables! I had no idea how to pick a good stalk, so I just went with my gut and hoped for the best.

How’s your week going so far? Anything new to report on your end?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 806

November 6th, 2023 by Karen 14 Comments

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. How good are you at crafts?

I do okay if there are very detailed instructions. As long as I can follow a standard operating procedure (SOP), everything’s gonna be alright!

2. Do you speak any other languages besides English?

I understand the commonly spoken Filipino language, Tagalog, but to a limited capacity. I can follow conversational Tagalog, but if it’s academic or the news, I can’t keep up with the vocabulary.

I can also speak simple sentences in French. Nothing truly useful, just things like, “I’d like a croissant, please,” and “Hurry up, we’re going to miss the bus.”

3. Have you started thinking about Thanksgiving yet?

A little bit. It looks like we’re sticking to a small celebration this year — me, Connor and El Hub — so I don’t have to do any big meal planning. We’re going to do a crab feast instead of turkey, with a few sides and a pie or two. Maybe we’ll go to a movie afterwards.

4. How would your partner do if you sent them to Ulta with a list?

I think he would be OK if I put the exact name of the product on the list and included screenshots and links. LOL! I would also have to specify the exact size of the item; otherwise, I’d end up with sample sizes of everything.

5. Charlotte Tilbury or Dior?

Dior.

6. Your 20s or 30s?

30s! I was traveling a lot for MBB and working really hard. Good times.

7. Lipgloss or lipstick?

Gloss.

8. Baby age or toddler age?

I loved both so much so it’s hard for me to choose. I do miss the cuddly baby years a lot.

9. Summer or fall?

Fall.

10. Tell ’em off or walk away?

Sigh. Tell ’em off because I can’t help myself. Then hopefully I’ll walk away.

11. Something you’re grateful for today?

The sprinkling of rain we got over the weekend. The ginger slices at Trader Joe’s (so sweet and spicy). The second season of “The Gilded Age” (I love getting lost in a story that’s not too scary). My chosen tribe. Sunshine early in the morning. Honeycrisp apples, especially when they’re sliced, cold and crunchy.

Happy Monday to you, sweet pea

In case you need it, here’s a big hug and a reminder that you’re doing OK. You’ll probably run into some challenges this week, but I know you’ll be able to handle them with patience and grace.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. How good are you at crafts?
2. Do you speak any other languages besides English?
3. Have you started thinking about Thanksgiving yet?
4. How would your partner do if you sent them to Ulta with a list?
5. Charlotte Tilbury or Dior?
6. Your 20s or 30s?
7. Lipgloss or lipstick?
8. Baby age or toddler age?
9. Summer or fall?
10. Tell ’em off or walk away?
11. Something you’re grateful for today?