Charlotte Tilbury

Another #PSL Pumpkin Spice Look (I Call It “Pumpkin Spice Jewels”), and Bowing Down to the Wonder That Is Charlotte Tilbury

October 4th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

I don’t want you to think I’ve been neglecting my pumpkin spice devotion, seeing as how it’s now October, and therefore officially pumpkin season.

SO MANY PUMPKINS EVERYWHERE. One can’t even whip her high pony without bumping into one, and I still have mad love for pumpkin spice, as demonstrated by this look, which I call “Pumpkin Spice Jewels.”

A few things I learned in the process of doing my makeup…

1. This Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino will shake you to the core

Or, should I say, “shake your core”? Because when I’d finished about half of it my body literally started shaking from all the caffeine.

I’d never had one of these before. It’s just a pumpkin version of a regular frap (like the other drinks I’ve tried in this series, I got the recipe from theMacroBarista on Instagram).

I could only finish half of it because I couldn’t take any more caffeine. I dunno… Maybe you’re made of stronger stuff than I am, but if not and you’re also a wimp when it comes to caffeine, you can still admire it from afar (because it’s certainly nice to look at).

pumpkin spice frappuccino — WHOA there, sweet tooth.

2. I may need to build an alter to worship Charlotte Tilbury

Her stuff is so spendy, but when it comes to that effortless, dewy skin-that-looks-like-skin, C.T. has that game on lock. I’m wearing her new Magic Away Liquid Concealer ($32) and Genius Magic Powder ($45) in this look, and I didn’t really have to do any of the buffing, blending and dabbing that’s usually involved in achieving a no-makeup makeup look.

I just swiped a concealer wand on my face (I’m wearing shade 8 underneath my eyes and shade 9 on the rest of my face), blended with my fingers, then dusted a sheer veil of the powder with a fluffy brush, which took all of two minutes.

I love how my skin looks when I wear C.T.’s stuff. Like, I can’t even tell I’m wearing makeup, and it doesn’t budge. Not one bit.

[Continue reading…]

The Limited Edition Charlotte Tilbury Bigger Brighter Eyes Palette, and a New CC Cream From It Cosmetics

July 17th, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

charlotte tilbury transformeyes — I’m wearing the limited edition Charlotte Tilbury Bigger Brighter Eyes Palette ($53)

What does a makeup-lovin’ lady do when she wants to “play up” her peepers, but she only has minutes to pull herself together for a Sunday funday meeting with a beauty brand? (Side note: The brand was It Cosmetics! More on this in a second…)

Shockingly, this particular time crunch was not due to my usual lollygagging.

I know! Instead, it was due to my oldest child (the cat), who decided that my youngest child (the toddler), didn’t need to eat her plate of scrambled eggs for breakfast…

Let’s just say that a series of swift cat paw swats led to scrambled eggs on the floor, which led to silky scrambled eggs ending up in one husky tabby’s tummy. As for the rest of the eggs, well, they ended up in his partner in crime’s tiny (but surprisingly powerful) toddler hands, and that resulted in scrambled eggs strewn about the living room like confetti in Time’s Square on New Year’s.

All of this in the span of 60 seconds… How? No, seriously, HOW?!

Needless to say, I was officially running laaaaate.

Charlotte Tilbury Bigger Brighter Eyes Palette ($53)

With my makeup window whittled down to 10 minutes, I grabbed the Charlotte Tilbury Transformeyes Palette, because you know the old saying — when it doubt, buff an expensive gold and brown eyeshadow out.

OK, I just totally made that up. 🙂 But it’s an accurate way to describe what I do with this palette for some everyday low-key glam.

What it is: A limited-edition filter palette to morph your eyes into the biggest, brightest, most sparkling eyes ever.

What it does: Inspired by the sparkling, eye-widening filters of social media, this palette is color-curated and coded to make your eyes look instantly bigger and brighter, as well as putting what Charlotte famously calls the lights-into-the-eyes. Charlotte has de-codified that application into an easy Prime, Enlarge, Define and Pop sequence, with each micro-finely pigmented shadow color-formulated to give the optical illusion of widening, brightening and playing with the light in specific areas after application.

How to use: Apply the Prime color, a warm, eye-brightening hue, to the inner corners of the eyes to give the effect of broadening the whole eye area. Apply the Enlarge shade to lightly contour and give a lifting effect to the socket; it can be built up or washed across the eye lightly. Define with a universal hue that adds instant definition to the lashline and makes eyes look brighter. Then, apply Pop in targeted areas to widen and brighten eyes throughout the day.

–nordstrom.com

[Continue reading…]

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter Customizable Complexion Booster

July 11th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

charlotte tilbury hollywood flawless filter 5 tan — Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

For some people, hairy spiders, public speaking, or accidentally farting loudly in tiny windowless rooms during important work meetings are the stuff of their worst nightmares.

My nightmare scenario? Life without ALL. THE. FOUNDATIONS.

Yes, I know, life will (probably) go on if we didn’t have hella options for glowing skin, but — and I ask mean this in all sincerity — what would be the point?? Where’s the fun in that? 🙂

My latest “Is she or isn’t she wearing makeup?” love is Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter Customizable Complexion Booster, and when I wear it I feel like I’m in a living, breathing, real-life version of Instagram, because sh*t blurs EVERYTHING. Seriously, WHAT PORES?

“Discover a brand new REVOLUTIONARY category in face makeup with the Hollywood Flawless Filter. This MUST-HAVE customisable complexion booster has the versatility of a face primer, with the mega-watt glow of a highlighter and the perfecting properties of your favourite digital filter. Choose your level of GLOW with filter makeup to illuminate your skin just where you want it for a radiant complexion.”

— charlottetilbury.com

The barely-there coverage is also — as the kids say — on point, and the glistening, opalescent glow looks literally LIT.

OK, I’ll stop…

It’s a dramatically dewy finish — even dewier than MAC Face & Body or L’Oreal True Match Lumi — and some may call it borderline sweaty.

But I like it.

Sometimes I will matte it down a tad with a light dusting of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural or MAC Mineralize Loose, and you can also matte it down even more by mixing it with your favorite matte liquid foundation or matte tinted moisturizer (’cause it’s good at that, too).

charlotte tilbury hollywood flawless filter 5 tan flash — With a flash!

[Continue reading…]

Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Lover Lipstick, Cookies, and Ali Wong’s Long Lost Twin

June 21st, 2018 by Karen 27 Comments

charlotte tilbury sunset lover k — Wearing Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Lover Lipstick. Apparently, I’m also Ali Wong’s long lost twin?

YOU GUYS. Not a week goes by without someone saying that they think I look like comedienne Ali Wong. I guess it’s the glasses? I dunno, I don’t really see it…

It happened again yesterday at lunch, and by “lunch” I’m referring to the cookies I had at the bakery after story time. (We also had a chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, so there was some actual nutrition involved.)

The nice lady behind the counter who always helps us said, “You look EXACTLY like Ali Wong.”

“Really?” I asked.

“It’s the smile,” she said, “it’s the glasses, it’s everything. I could’ve sworn you were her. I was wondering what she was doing in Novato.”

The next time this happens, I’ve decided that I’m just gonna pretend I’m Ali Wong, maybe even sign an autograph, haha! But if I’m wearing Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Sunset Lover at the time, I’ll be screwed, though, because Ali-Karen will probably be inundated with questions about what she’s wearing on her lips, because that’s what goes down whenever I wear this matte peachy pink.

(It’s a new color, by the way, and just launched.)

Don’t even think about wearing this when you’re feeling anti-social, because every person you run into will ask about it.

charlotte tilbury sunset lover — $34, matte finish, a little drying, so prep with a balm.

[Continue reading…]

The Lust List, Vol. 8: Stuff I Kinda Want

May 10th, 2017 by Karen 31 Comments

What is it about pricey makeup palettes — or me, for that matter, haha! — that makes me wish I could give them all a happy home? Especially the warm ones with a golden brown, a taupe, golden beige and/or peach?

I want to tell them all, “Come live with me, little lovelies, and we shall skip and prance under the light of the full moon.”

On that note…please try to ignore the crazy lady typing on her keyboard, and proceed ahead to this week’s Lust List. 🙂

Charlotte Tilbury Seductive Instant Look in a Palette ($75) — Thanks, gals, for telling me that the Charlotte Tilbury Seductive palette looks great on medium and darker skin tones! Now it’s on mah wish list.
MZ WALLACE Mia Bedford Nylon Crossbody Bag ($325) — This is a straight-up mom bag, and yes, I want it. I’ve been carrying around the same brown Kipling nylon bag FOR YEARS, and it’s starting to look a little long in the tooth… This one’s much more stylish. I like the gold hardware and the red accents. Classy. PLUS, LOOK AT ALL THOSE POCKETS. They’ll come in handy for Connor’s binkies and all the Ziploc plastic bags I seem to need at all times.
Tom Ford Nude Dip Palette ($83) — I have one of Tom’s quads with this same powder shadow formula (it’s even silkier than TF’s other quads, and the shimmer looks almost glossy), and this version? [INSERT DROOL HERE] I’m all about neutral taupe, browns, peach and beige.
Been wanting this FOREVER but have yet to add it to my collection. One could probably wear it along with the Charlotte Tilbury Seductive palette, yes?
BECCA X Chrissy Teigan Glow Face Palette ($46) — I’ve put this in my cart — no joke — at least five times, and when I finish writing this post, I’ll probably do it again. This palette is a collab with model and cookbook author Chrissy Tiegan, and it sold out on the Sephora website in about two seconds.
It’s still on the BECCA site, though! There’s a bronzer, two highlighters and a blush in it, and everything’s warm toned, which is so my jam. My rationale for getting it is that if I also get one for my mom (despite the fact that she hardly ever wears makeup, so this makes NO SENSE AT ALL), I should also be able to get one for myself. Right? RIIIIIIIGHT!
Chanel Contour Eyeshadow Brush #20 ($38) — I’m doing a terrible job of convincing myself that I don’t need any more Chanel eyeshadow brushes…
Why do they have to be SO SOFT?? I keep picturing a whole slew of them in a dainty jar on my desk, and now I can’t un-see that image.

Hit me with what you got on your lust list. I can take it! (And I just might add to mine, haha!)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation: Hallelujah for This Hocus Pocus!

April 26th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 31 Comments

I’ve long been enamored with Charlotte Tilbury. The UK-based makeup artist exudes old Hollywood glamour, and her personally designed makeup collection is to die for.

Burgundy and rose gold packaging, names that evoked cosmetic legends and breathtaking hues… For months I agonized over what to buy. Did I want to test a shadow palette first? What about a lipstick? And why was the gorgeous Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds gloss already sold out? Each time I thought I’d made a decision, my mind was promptly changed by another more beautiful item.

But, as I’ve mentioned several times, my head can always be turned by a good foundation, and turned, it was, when a buzz built into a roar over the new Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation.

The care a brand takes in formulating and marketing a base product says a lot to me. Foundations and concealers are often overlooked in favor of more exciting, colorful products like eye shadow, blush and lipstick, so when a foundation, of all things, generates this kind of fuss, I knew I had to have it.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in Shade 2 Fair ($44)

While not quite as costly as some high-end foundations, Magic Foundation is no less luxurious at $44 per fluid ounce, but despite the price, it’s hard to resist the allure when this is how Charlotte describes this bewitchment in a bottle…

“My Magic Foundation is a miracle in a bottle that transforms skin for all ages, skin tones and skin types. I have worked with laboratories for five years to create a “hyper-intelligent” formula that gives full-coverage yet feels completely weightless, with all the anti-aging and protective benefits of a luxury skin cream. It conceals imperfections, glides on like a dream, and literally feels like a second skin. Whether your skin needs just a bit of perfecting, or you struggle with a frustrating issue like acne, melasma or rosacea, my Magic Foundation will give you a perfect looking skin day, every day!”

— charlottetilbury.com

Given the buzz, I bet you’re wondering what to expect.

Magic Foundation promises a laundry list of beauty advantages, like universality (regardless of age, skin type, or condition), weightlessness, anti-aging benefits, imperfection concealment, glide-on texture — the list goes on!

And if those weren’t enough, Charlotte’s YouTube page also features several tutorials of the makeup artist concealing a variety of skin concerns with Magic Foundation alone. It’s hard not to feel like a moth to a flame with that promise and potential!

I’ve said before that I’m a tinted moisturizer girl, but even though Magic Foundation provides full coverage…it doesn’t feel like full coverage, so I’m going to say what many makeup lovers have already said before: this literally feels like my skin alone.

I have some dry areas on my face, and Magic Foundation doesn’t cling. Even after a long day, Magic Foundation doesn’t need to be touched up. I often wear several concealers, but when applied and set right, Magic Foundation conceals everything for me. It’s like an eerily perfect boyfriend… You keep searching for something wrong, but he’s always bringing you flowers and grande lattes!

[Continue reading…]