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MAC Cosmetics

Red Hot Summer Lips!

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I’m not a fan of Red Hot candies (too spicy), but I do love me some matte red lipstick!

Yesterday’s Monday Poll question about matte red lipstick inspired this makeup look with glowing skin, softly defined brows, lush lashes, pearly lids and a matte orangey red lip.

It’s amazing how much heavy lifting a red lip can do, and equally amazing how I seem to forget this lesson time and time again, LOL! When I put this red lipstick on yesterday (it’s MAC Quite the Standout, by the way), once again I realized how red lips can carry most of the makeup since it’s such a strong focal point. One really doesn’t need much to round out the look.

To contrast with the opaque matte lip, I went with a sheer, glowing base with low-level pearl (Rose Inc Skin Enhance in 80), with just a touch of concealer (Hourglass Retouching Fluid in Sand) on the parts where I wanted more coverage — underneath my eyes and on my upper lip, and oh, side note, damn that pigment mustache.

I set the areas with concealer with a tiny touch of powder by loading a small face brush with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden. I tapped most of the powder off before lightly dabbing the brush head on my face.

I also wanted to play with texture, so I blended a cream blush (Chanel Les Beiges No. 25) on my cheeks, and dabbed a pearly liquid highlighter (MAC Strobe Cream) on my cheekbones and lids.

To round out the look, I went with softly filled in brows and separated, long, lush lashes to keep it fresh and summary.

I think this look could also be lovely with a glossy coral lipgloss or lip tint, too!

Do you have a red lipstick that you adore? Drop your go-to shade in the comments; I want to hear all about it.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Quick Makeup Tip: Let Your Liner Do All the Heavy Lifting

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urban decay light liner
Clockwise from the white on the upper left: Urban Decay Yeyo, Urban Decay Scorch, Urban Decay Goldmine, Urban Decay Heartless, Esum Rose and Urban Decay Cuff

When you’re pressed for time, use your eyeliner as your shadow! Pencil liner usually works best; I like pencils with a little bit of slip, but not too much, like the MAC liners — Powersurge and Teddy are two of my favorites.

I’m wearing Powersurge all over my lids in the pic below…

mac powersurge swatch

Oh, and try not to overthink it! Just sketch a rough shape on your lids with your pencil, then smudge and blend with either a finger or a fluffy domed shadow brush.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Quick Makeup Tip: Bronzer Unifies Your Look

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mac give me sun
Well hi there, MAC Give Me Sun!

Your makeup can be as complicated — or as simple — as you’d like. If you’re in the mood to streamline, then grab your bronzer, and apply it strategically to multiple places. This not only simplifies your routine but also unifies your look. Sweep it on cheeks as a blush-slash-contour, around the edge of your face to add warmth, and in the crease for depth. The result? Easy monochromatic makeup.

Today I’m wearing an old favorite, MAC Give Me Sun Mineralize Skinfinish. It’s a warm medium golden brown with a slight sheen and a finish that looks natural on skin. I’m wearing it on my lids (just in the crease), on my cheeks, across my nose and around the edge of my face.

mac give me sun

This natural, fresh look with warm browns and neutrals was easy peasy and took me 15 minutes! The other items I used…

  • Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Wheat
  • Kevyn Aucoin Super Natural Conceaeler in Medium EC05
  • Hourglass Retouching Fluid in Sand
  • MAC Costa Riche Liner
  • MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash
  • Anastasia Beverly Hills in Medium Brown
  • MAC Boldly Bare Lip Liner with MAC Spite Lipglass

Building those happiness muscles, day nine

Hiya! It’s time to build those happiness muscles.

Anywho, the two things I’m grateful for today are 1) listening to music first thing in the morning (it always does so much to get my mind right for the day), and 2) stretch videos on YouTube.

Feel free to join me in the comments, if you want.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Mother’s Day Shopping Trip: Self-Care at Ulta

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Good morning, my friend. I’m raising my cup of coffee to you in a *toast.* Here’s to another beautiful day (it’s a sunny one here in Marin county this morning), and to being tender and gentle with yourself.

I’ve been needing TLC, so last Sunday, I took a Mother’s Day self-care trip to Ulta.

My brows and lashes have been driving me crazy, so I decided to restock some old school favorites in the hopes they’d help.

For my brows, I grabbed the OG of brow fillers, Anastasia Brow Wiz (my shade is Medium Brown) and Clear Brow Gel.

As for mascara, I turned to an old friend, MAC Extended Play Gigablack, which I’ve been wearing on and off since 2013 (!). If you want curl hold, length and separation, this mascara is great.

I’m trying to get back into the habit of painting my nails! Right now I’m using the three-step OPI Infinite Shine system, which combines lacquer and gel technology. I already have a couple of colors and the top coat, so during this trip I bought the base coat and a nude pale pink, Bubble Bath.

Oh, and since Connor was with me, I let her pick out a polish. She close Turn It Up by Orly, a glittery beauty!

My hair… I can’t even. It desperately needs some TLC! I’m scheduled for a cut next Tuesday, thank goodness. I just gotta make it to next week without chopping it all off in the middle of the night.

To tide me over until then, I thought it might be nice to try some new things: a claw clip by Kitsch (I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from them so far), a minty scalp conditioner by Not Your Mother’s Naturals (I’m hoping it will make a good co-wash) and a leave-in by Verb (ended up returning it because the scent was too strong).

You know what? I’ve decided to fully embrace the fact that I’m a lady who loves fancy body lotion. With that in mind, I bought this gorgeous, heavy glass jar of Body Cream by KEYS Soulcare, which is the skin care line by Alicia Keys (yup, the singer).

It’s a shea and cocoa butter body cream, so it’s rich and thick, and it’s scented with a gorgeous warm, herbal mix that smells like sandalwood and sage to my nose. The scent is present enough to notice, but it doesn’t overwhelm my senses. I really love it.

Oh, and random, while I was reading the copy on the box, I noticed that e.l.f. is mentioned as the distributer. Neat!

Last but not least, I bought some cotton pads and a nail polish remover. All in all, a very satisfying self-care trip.

Building those happiness muscles, day two

For the next fourteen days, I’m noting a couple things that I’m grateful for. If you care to join me, please share in the comments.

Anywho, today it’s sliced fruit in my water (strawberries are especially yummy) and mechanical pencils. Both are simple pleasures which make my life so much better.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Quick Makeup Tip: The Best Brush for Effortless Powder Blush or Bronzer

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Feeling rushed? This blush and bronzer brush is your new BFF.

You can’t go wrong with a duo fibre synthetic brush when applying powder blush or bronzer. This type of brush lays down a sheer layer of product, so matter how rushed you’re feeling, you’ll always apply just enough color — but not too much! When I have a very narrow window of time to apply makeup, it’s the brush I reach for when I do my cheeks.

I used it today for a 10-minute makeup look that I did before a video work call. I layered Laura Mercier Ginger Blush and MAC Give Me Sun MSF Powder for a sheer, warm flush on my cheeks.

You might hear this blush referred to sometimes as “skunk brush.” Lots of brands make them; I have one by MAC (the 188) which I’ve used and loved for ages. It’s in the pic above! What I like about it is that width of the brush head. It’s on the smaller side, so it’s easier to control exactly where the color goes.

Makeup worn in this look

Here’s everything I’m wearing in the 10-minute look above, in the order in which I applied the products.

  1. MAC Omega Eyeshadow – In my brows.
  2. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Wheat – Dotted all over and blended with fingers.
  3. Ilia Dusk Gel Liner – Waterlines and lash roots.
  4. Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid in Sand – Under my eyes and round my mouth.
  5. MAC Medium Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium Golden – I applied the sheerest layer to my under eyes, cheek, between my brows and around my mouth
  6. Ilia Cool Nude Eyeshadow Palette – Just the taupe shade, Infinity, applied with a finger and blended out with a tapered brush.
  7. Ilia Fullest Volumizing Mascara – Upper lashes, but to be honest I’ll be ditching this soon. It’s thick and hard to control.
  8. Lilah B Lip Oil in Be Remarkable – Lips, applied with the wand and then blended in with a finger.
  9. Laura Mercier Ginger Blush – Did this first for a light flush of color.
  10. MAC Give Me Sun Mineralize Skinifinish – Layer this on for instant warmth. Also works fab as a crease color!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Unsung Heroes: Cork Eye Shadow

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mac cork
MAC Cork Eye Shadow, an Unsung Makeup Hero

This workhorse MAC brown is a must. Also, I miss this hair, LOL! Hope you guys are having a great week so far. Enjoy this throwback post.

Whenever I take MAC Cork out for a spin, I hear champagne bottles popping. “POP!”

If it were possible to place 1,000 butterfly kisses on a pan of brown eyeshadow, I totally would.

Wait — that actually is possible. Never mind! 🙂

It’s a medium neutral golden brown with MAC’s Satin finish, and it’s part of the permanent line.

It’s also not the only Cork at MAC. There’s Cork Brow Sculpt Pencil and a Cork Lip Pencil, too.

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.

Cork isn’t flashy, but it’s a damned good workhorse shade. It’s one of those shadows that’s easy to miss when you’re perusing those tiered MAC shadow displays.

The Satin finish is totally key. It makes Cork a great transition shade. It can double as a matte eyeshadow and deepen the crease, and because it has a hint of shimmer, it has a little more character than a basic matte. And it’s much easier to blend.

mac cork in crease
Cork in my crease and along my lower lash line (my lid shade is MAC Club)

Cork may fool you at first because it can really look like a straight up matte, but if look closely, you’ll see the tiniest twinkle (it’s barely there!).

I like using Cork in my crease when my lid color is a cool or neutral shade, and I think it’s GORGEOUS with blues, greens, purples and grays.

Oh, my gosh! Try it with MAC Club on your lids one of these days. That’s what I’m wearing in these pics. The two are like Shakespearean sonnets together. MAC Greensmoke too.

mac cork swatch

Cork is also my secret weapon when I look in the mirror in the morning, and my lids look more hooded than usual. The neutral-ness (?) of the brown sculpts a deeper shadow in my crease than warmer shades like MAC Soft Brown or Saddle.

By the way, it’s also darker than MAC Soba, which is another neutral brown MAC Satin eyeshadow I use a lot as a crease color. I’ll alternate between the two, but I choose Cork more often when I’m wearing a super saturated lid color because it’s easier for me to transition a bold lid shade to a more medium-toned brown like Cork (the gradient isn’t as dramatic as going to something lighter).

mac cork
Wearing Cork in my crease and along my lower lash lines

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Thoughts on Beauty, March 25, 2022

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Yes, I still read magazines

I just got the latest “Allure” in the mail! Whenever I get a new magazine, the first thing I do is flip through all the pages, front to back, to look at the pictures. You know what I noticed in the April edition? So much diversity in the models!

Sure, most of them are still young, thin and have shockingly symmetrical features, but it’s still refreshing to see so many different skin tones. It’s a different scene compared to the magazines I read in my teens and early 20s! I’m crossing my fingers and toes in the hopes it’s not just a passing trend.

I also hope print magazines will still be around when Connor’s a teenager. I spent so much time in my formative years pouring over the pages of “YM,” “Seventeen,” “Jane” and “Sassy.” Good memories!

Tempting skin care sales

Lots of skin care I want need is on sale right now, like the 25% off anniversary sale at Colorscience. I’ve been playing chicken with my shopping cart for the past week.

Shopping Is My Cardio Sweater by Wildfox
Working on my fitness

On my list…

The Colorscience sale ends on March 27, in case you’re interested.

Another sale I’m flirting with is at Biossance. Their annual 25% off spring sale is happening right now. I’m close to finishing the Squalane + Omega Repair Cream I bought during their Black Friday Sale (one full-size jar lasts me about four months), so I plan on buying another one, but I might as well try something new while I’m at it, right?

biossance jar empty

I’m also super curious about the Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum, the 100% Squalane Oil, the Squalane + Caffeine Toning Body Cream and the Squalane + Mega Repair Hand Cream.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — you know you’ve crossed a certain bridge when you get hella excited about skin care sales. LOL!

Not the kind of Chili you eat

Last but not least, I need to buy another tube of MAC Chili because I can’t find mine. 😭

mac chili lipstick
Hot stuff! MAC Matte Lipstick in Chili

I just read in “Allure” that this brick red is a fan-favorite in 19 countries! Of course now I want to wear it and of course I can’t find it. GAH. If you have a tube of Chili in striking distance, do me a favor and slap some on, will ya? I will live vicariously through you.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Warm Golden Lids With Bronzed Liner Breakdown | Prioritizing Rest | Eyeshadow Tips

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Starting a new book today!

Heya! Happy Friday. How’s your day going?

Mine has been pretty good so far. Today I have the day off, my first in ages, and I have a few hours to myself while Connor is in school, and I almost don’t know what do. I’ve been working on the weekends for the past few weeks, and while I usually don’t mind keeping busy, I’ve decided that this is the year I’m going to fully embrace rest, so today I’m going to do my best to just relax.

All I’m allowed to do are things that help refill the well, so to speak, both mentally and physically. Good luck to me, LOL! There’s always something to do around here, and I’m already ticking off all the things I could accomplish with the extra time, like cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry, going grocery shopping, prepping meals for the weekend, getting ahead on writing for work, etc. etc. BUT, NOPE. Not gonna do it. Rest is the priority today.

I’m going to curb the need to be productive and just do fun things for me today. I’m going to watch a period piece (I’m thinking “Remains of the Day” or “The Age of Innocence”), order a Blue Barn salad, start a new book and maybe paint my nails if I’m feeling ambitious. Oh, I’m going to drink decaf Nespressos all day long, hahaha. I may even take a nap, GASP!

Ate my favorite salad in the world, the Tostada salad with grilled shrimp and avocado from Blue Barn Marin


Love me a period piece


Let’s do this

Are you good about being proactive about your periods of rest? I’m so not. I’m trying to get better about it, though.

Anywho, so this note is marginally related to makeup, Kathleen said this in the comments last Friday on the two-toned liner makeup post:

Teach me your ways! I can handle the cool liner situation. But can you walk me through the eyeshadow, please? Is the Honey Lust on the lid and the Woodwinked on the inner corner? And Saddle underneath both as a base? I never wear shadow, so I appreciate your tips – Thanks!

Hey, Kathleen! Thank you for your question. Here’s a breakdown of where I put each shadow on my lid; hope this helps.

Some general tips:

  • Practice, practice, practice. With eyeshadow, I think it’s always a good idea to just keep practicing. Place your shadows on your lids, blend as much as you can (use a light touch), and repeat until you get the hang of it. Eventually you’ll figure out what placement works best for your eye shape.
  • Keep it simple. I would keep it relatively simple. Do one, two shades at the most. Oh, and simplify by skipping the primer if you want (or don’t). I usually opt out and just do shadow, no primer.
  • Smooth it out. That said, if you’re having trouble smoothing out your gradients, try dusting a light layer of powder on top of your lids first. And just keep practicing!

Alright, I’m off to go and do absolutely nothing.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

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