Covergirl

A Warm Neutral Drugstore Makeup Look for Zoom Calls

May 7th, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

drugstore neutrals — All the makeup I’m wearing in this look is from the drugstore.

I seriously thought about wearing this makeup look for a Zoom call I had with my bakery coworkers a few days ago (we still keep in touch) but decided to wear it with warm neutrals instead.

All drugstore today because I’m on a budget beauty kick! I’m wearing a mix of old faves (a nude Revlon cream eyeshadow palette and Fig eye kajal, Almay eyeshadow and Covergirl Trublend foundation) and some new things I recently found.

Latest drugstore loves

Honest Beauty Tinted Balm in Dragon Fruit: THIS IS SO GOOD! It’s a bright, moisturizing sheer fuchsia balm that doesn’t settle into lip lines (so smooth!). Two-hour wear time, and it’s unflavored and unscented. It’s similar to the very sheer Clinique lipsticks, but at a fraction the price. $8.99 each and comes in bunch of colors.

Covergirl Trulbend Base Business Illuminating: This is a pearly golden pink skin primer you can wear on its own underneath foundation/concealer, or mixed into other base products to sheer them out and give them an opalescent finish, which is what I do. It’s like a more sparkly version of BECCA Backlight. You *will* see the tiniest flecks of golden glitter reflecting off your skin when you wear it, so be prepared for disco fabulousness while you frolic in full sunlight. If you’re indoors, however, it isn’t visible at all from more than a few feet away. $11.49 for a 1-oz. tube.

Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow: I used Clear on the inner part of my brow (which has a good amount of hair) and Medium on the outer part (not so much hair). Both are on the stiffer side of brow gels so your brow hairs won’t move. Medium, a gray brown, is *very* pigmented and not the easiest to control, so use it sparingly. I loooove the Clear, though. It’s comparable to Benefit’s clear brow gel. $9.49 for a 0.16-oz. tube.

Makeup worn in this look

Base: Covergirl Trublend Base Business Skin Primer Illuminated mixed wtih Covergirl Trulend Matte Made in M50 and Covergirl Trublend Undercover Concealer in Golden Honey

Eyes: Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow in Clear (inner part of brow) and Medium (outer part of Brow), Revlon Illuminance Cream Shadow in Not Just Nudes, Almay Eyeshadow in Pure Gold Baby, Revlon 2 in 1 Angled Kajal in Fig, Maybelline the Falsies Mascara

Cheeks: Covergirl Clean Fresh Cream Blush in Butterflies, Maybelline City Bronzer in 300

Lips: Honest Beauty Tinted Balm in Dragon Fruit

What are your drugstore go-to’s at the moment? I’m playing “put all the makeup in my cart” on the Ulta site right now. 🙂

Nail “painting” is easy and fun.

One of Connor’s preschool teachers sent this fun art idea for painting nails! Grab some nail polish (I used quick-drying ones by Sally Hansen), a black marker and a piece of cardboard. Draw hands with nails on cardboard, and then have your “coworker” help you paint them. Or do it yourself. This kept me and CoyCoy entertained a long time.

Some of my hand drawings ended up looking like weird lizard fingers…but she didn’t seem to mind.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Covergirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk

February 13th, 2020 by Karen 7 Comments

I just found your new favorite base for no-makeup makeup days. 🙂 And guess what? It’s less than 10 bucks! (Technically, $9.99.)

Say, “Oh, hai,” to Covergirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk, which for the official makeup record is a foundation, but performs like a sheer tinted moisturizing rock star.

Remember the limited edition Hydrating Glow Tints NARS did a couple years ago? Clean Fresh Milk has the same effect (although Covergirl’s is thinner, like a liquid, and not a fluffy cream like the tints from NARS).

It doesn’t cover or disguise freckles or pimples — don’t expect to hide anything — however, the beauty is its subtly. Clean Fresh Milk quietly evens out your complexion as it ever-so-slightly blurs pores. It slightly amplifies your natural complexion, resulting in the look of freshly washed skin that’s dewy, but not shiny. For weekend no-makeup makeup, or for de-zombifying yourself before preschool drop-off in the morning, it’s lovely.

covergirl clean fresh skin milk swatches — Swatch out…

From the official PR:

“Show off fresh, healthy skin with COVERGIRL Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation. Formulated without formaldehyde, phthalates, parabens, sulfates and talc, this lightweight nourishing liquid foundation gives your skin the moisture boost it craves with a delicate infusion of coconut milk and soothing aloe. You’ll experience a glowing, dewy finish that lasts all day long, blurring imperfections and creating a more even skin tone. Get Sheer, buildable coverage with 14 expertly designed shade-adaptable formulas to match 99% of the skin tones and all undertones. Pro-tip: Make Skin milk Nourishing Foundation your go-to for no makeup, makeup days.”

And yup, you guessed it. The mom in me loves that it’s so, so easy. I squirt a little bit onto my fingertips and blend it into my combo oily/dry face. I like that I don’t have to buff it in with a brush or blend it with a sponge, because, yay! — it doesn’t streak. Instantly, with a few swipes, I’m done with my base.

covergirl clean fresh skin milk tan rich final — I’m wearing shade Tan/Rich (I’m an NC42 in MAC).

Oh, and best part? I don’t feel like it’s sitting on top of my skin. It feels like I’m not wearing anything at all.
[Continue reading…]

Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Oil Lip Oil Review

February 6th, 2020 by Karen 10 Comments

covergirl clean fresh tinted lip oil — Lightweight and lovely new lip oils by Covergirl

Has anyone, throughout the history of makeup-kind, ever sat around thinking to themselves, “You know what I *really* wish I could have? — flaky, thirsty-as-all-hell chapped lips. That would be so great.”

As a person of the parched pout persuasion, I can 100% assure you that this has never happened.

What exactly are lip oils?

I’ve got enough lip oils to last me into the next century, lady, because unlike many lip balms and glosses that will coat your lips without actually moisturizing ’em, lip oils are designed to seep into the skin, as opposed to sitting on top, which means hydration, BAM! And, of course, soft, pillowy plush lips.

Affordable, with lots of extra benefits

If you live near a CVS (because that’s the only place you can find them), the new lip oils by Covergirl are a pretty affordable drugstore option at $10.49 a pop. Available in six sheer shades (including a transparent option), the oils are vegan and made without parabens, formaldehyde phthalates, parabens, sulfates and talc. Also, they aren’t tested on animals.

The main oils doing the heavy lifting are cranberry seed oil, olive oil and coconut oil, so there’s gooood stuff happening!

But how’s the moisture?

I’m at a place in life where the higher-end lip oils I love, like the $48 Hourglass one, give me pause whenever I sit down and do the math before purchasing one of them. I love them, but I can’t help but think of how many ballet lessons that could fund, so I’m all about Covergirl’s price point.

It’s pretty moisturizing, too. Not the most moisturizing oil I’ve used, like it isn’t as moisturizing as the Hourglass and Clarins Lip oils, but it’s pretty good. It feels like it helps for about an hour.

And even though many of colors look similar on my pigmented lips, I can still see a sheer tint in each one, which I appreciate.

covergirl bad apple — I’m wearing Bad Apple.

Other items of note…

Lightweight: Texture-wise, they’re thicker than a MAC Cremesheen Gloss but thinner than a Lipglass.
Not-goopy: These aren’t sticky at all, so they’re comfy, but they don’t last long on me — an hour at most – so they have a very brief wear time. I reapply often (at least it’s easy with the doe-foot.)
Fruit punch: All the shades have a faint fruit punch scent and flavor, which lingers for about 15 minutes.

The final word

I think these are good. Now, are they life-changing? Nah, but they’re good enough to keep in your purse with your collection of nude lip products (which, by the way, I’m beginning to carry around in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag! SEND HELP). Bust one out when you want some shine, moisture and a bit o’ color.

From covergirl.com:
Packed with shine and long-lasting moisture, COVERGIRL Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Oil has you covered for comfy, all-day wear. Full of good-for-you ingredients like coconut and pomegranate oils, this tinted lip oil moisturizer also contains vitamin E to keep lips soft, smooth, and conditioned–for up to six hours! It’s available in a variety of bold, beautiful shades, letting you transform your look anytime you want. No apology needed. Pro-tip: Try this lip color as a topcoat over any COVERGIRL Exhibitionist Cream Lipstick for an extra pop of shine.

Ingredients:
COVERGIRL Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Oil, Swipe Ripe POLYBUTENE, OCTYLDODECANOL, DIISOPROPYL DIMER DILINOLEATE, CRAMBE ABYSSINICA SEED OIL, RAPHANUS SATIVUS (RADISH) SEED EXTRACT, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, SILICA DIMETHYL SILYLATE, OLIVE OIL DECYL ESTERS, PHENOXYETHANOL, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL, PUNICA GRANATUM SEED OIL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, SQUALENE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, BENZYL BENZOATE, ALUMINA, GERANIOL, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL, BHT. MAY CONTAIN: IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), D&C RED NO. 27 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 45410), D&C RED NO.7 CALCIUM LAKE (CI 15850), D&C RED NO. 6 BARIUM LAKE (CI 15850), FD&C YELLOW NO. 5 LAKE (CI 19140), FD&C BLUE NO. 1 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 42090), D&C RED NO. 21 (CI 45380).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Glittery Green Gradient Wings: A Quick and Easy Holiday Makeup Look

December 11th, 2019 by Karen 16 Comments

Current dilemmas du jour?

What to do with the five pounds of lemons Rosie’s former foster mom gave me (she has a tree in her yard that produces a RIDICULOUS amount of lemons).
What’s some festive and colorful holiday makeup that won’t take me till Valentine’s Day to finish? (I’m only half-kidding.)

As of yet, I still have no clue what to do with the lemons (ugh, lemon bars and lemonade? Maybe some kind of lemon marinade?), I figured out a trick to flying through different colorful looks.

And here it is…

Play with your winged liner. THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS!

Like with this look here with glittery green gradient wings. It was surprisingly quick and easy to do.

The step-by-step

Start by drawing your winged liner with a dark green matte liner as the base (I used Urban Decay Mainline). Be as subtle or dramatic as you like.
Then, for a bright shimmer POP, layer a bright green glitter in the center (I’m wearing Urban Decay Stage Dive) on your lash line.
Lastly, to create a color gradient, dip an angled brush into a black eyeshadow (MAC Carbon for life!), and pat that on top of the outer portion of your wing.

Green goes well with warm browns and peaches, which is what I’m wearing on my lids, lips on these cheeks in this look. If you want to be more adventurous, however, pink would be a playful complementary color… I’m just sayin’. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

COVERGIRL Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara: New and Less Than $10

August 29th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

Two layers of COVERGIRL Flourish on my upper and lower lashes

I haven’t surfed warm waters in five years, babes. FIVE. That’s a minor tragedy when you’re a water baby at heart. Still, I’m not salty about the mermaid vibes emanating from this teal tube of Covergirl mascara, even though looking at it makes me wish I was paddling out in Diamond Head’s shadow at Waikiki Beach instead of googling gluten-free Pop Tart recipes at my desk in Novato…

COVERGIRL Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara ($9.49)

Now, the actual mascara, which has one of those all-around formulas for a “boosted but natural” lash look, inside the tube isn’t teal (it comes in Black, Brown and Very Black), so if your lash situation can currently be described as long and full, cool. You might like this because it doesn’t flake, doesn’t feel stiff or heavy, and it’s also easy to remove (and it’s less than $10).

However, as you probably already know because I’ve only said it about a million times, I crave all the mascara bells and whistles to the extreme! — so I want/need my mascara to deliver enough drama to rival a Real Housewives season finale.

[Continue reading…]

COVERGIRL Trublend Matte Made Foundation Doesn’t Budge for Nothin’

July 6th, 2018 by Karen 7 Comments

covergirl trueblend matte made foundation T15 outdoors — Soakin’ up some early morning sunshine with COVERGIRL Trublend Matte Made Foundation in T15 Golden Honey on my face. I took this pic in natural light wearing only the foundation without any powder on top.

There are SOOOO many reasons for me not to wear white shirts.

Like cat hair.

Baby food, which is like Liam Neeson in Taken. IT WILL FIND YOU.

And makeup, of course, especially foundation.

Even before Tabs and Connor came along, I was never the type of person who could wear a white shirt without getting loads of foundation all over the place, but it’s never stopped me, which is why I was shocked to discover after wearing this epic new COVERGIRL liquid foundation a few times, coincidentally on days when I was wearing white shirts (go figure) that there was absolutely NO foundation on my clothes at the end of the day.

covergirl trueblend matte made foundation — It’s so good!

Like, none. Not even a smudge of foundation on my neckline, WHICH IS TOTALLY UNUSUAL FOR ME.

Since I’m pretty sure that my body hasn’t been taken over by aliens (yet), I think it’s safe to say that it’s the COVERGIRL foundation, which doesn’t go anywhere once it’s on your face.

Before finding this drugstore gem, the only liquid face base I knew of with this magnitude of staying power was MAC Face & Body. Trublend Matte Made has Face & Body’s mega-magnetic staying power, but the finish is matte instead of instead of dewy. But it isn’t so matte that your skin looks fake or weird when you put it on, ya know?

“From your favorite COVERGIRL foundation line comes a matte formula that isn’t drying or cakey. TruBlend Matte Made’s formula is developed with flexi-hold technology that creates a strong, yet flexible film on skin for durability and comfort, while the mattifying powders absorb oil and minimize pores for a soft matte, flawless finish. Up to 12 hours of wear. 12 HR comfort matte.
Pore minimizing. Oil control. Transfer resistant. All in 40 shades.”

— covergirl.com

covergirl truelbend matte made foundation trublend T15 flash — T15 Golden Honey indoors with a flash (I’m not wearing any setting powder, by the way, just the foundation)

[Continue reading…]

The Katy Kat Eyeshadow Palettes | Katy Perry Covergirl Collection | WEIRD CAT LADY GUILT!

April 11th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

katy kat palette — I’m wearing a mix of the blue and green shades from the Katy Kat Cool Kat palette on my lids and the matte medium brown from the Hot Kat palette in my crease

I always feel weirdly guilty whenever I bite an animal cracker or ruin an animal design on a pan of makeup (like these cute kitties!). Like, I know I’m not hurting them because…they’re inanimate, but I still nibble on the corner of the cookie that I imagine would hurt the least, like the tip of the ear or the tail or a toe… I can’t just go in and RWAARRRR! — dig my fangs into the tummy or, worse, bite the entire head off. IT FEELS SO WRONG!

These kitties in these pans look so peaceful and happy that I actually did everything I could to avoid their eyes and smiles when I wanted to use them. I dipped my brush into one ear, took a li’l from the chin, and I even used my brush to pretend that I was petting them…

What can I say, man? I’m a weirdo.

The Katy Kat Eyeshadow Palettes

I like these! They have a bit of fallout, so they aren’t perfection in a palette, but they’re pigmented, they’re affordable, they’re super soft, and there are kitties in the center! — which of course is cat lady catnip.

I like Hot Kat a little more than Cool Kat… Actually, a lot more, because most of the Cool Kat shadows are chunky and frosty. I think the blue and green in Cool Kat are beautiful, though, whether mixed together or worn separately (I mixed them together for my makeup here). Super pretty.

katy kat palette hot kat palette — Hot Kat

[Continue reading…]

Katy Kat Gloss | Covergirl Katy Perry Collection | 3 Recent Revelations (Feline and Otherwise)

April 11th, 2018 by Karen 25 Comments

A few recent revelations…

1. Wearing opaque white lipgloss makes me feel like I have four rows of teeth.

katy kat white catillac — Katy Kat Gloss in White Catillac

One, two, three, four. FOUR ROWS OF TEETH! When I wear this gloss and look in the mirror, I see a mythological Greek beast staring back at me.

2. Kissing my cat these days is a seriously sketchy endeavor.

OK, I just realized how weird “kissing my cat” sounds. Haha!

Anyway, he’ll go from kissy-kissy-lovie-dovie to “Molly, you in danger, girl…from my claw! And I’m gonna stick it in your iris if you don’t get the-eff-out of my space!” in less than a second.

[Continue reading…]