Tarte

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately: Senita Athletics, Tarte Rose Gold Blush & Glow, It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under-Eye Concealer, The Good Place, and an Epic Egg Salad Sandwich

August 30th, 2017 by Karen 16 Comments

1. Senita Athletics workout wear

I took this pic last night from “That ’70s Bathroom,” which is my nickname for our guest bathroom, because everything in it is straight outta the ’70s.

Note the adorable sports bra and shorts.

Well…at least I think they’re cute.

They’re from Senita Athletics, which I found out about from Abbey, who suggested that I look into them in the comments on a post where I mentioned that I was looking for a new pair of workout shorts for my HIIT class.

I’m wearing them here. They’re the Swift Shorts 2 in the Bahamas print. I’m also wearing the matching Sarah Sports Bra and the Boyfriend Muscle Tee.

I love, LOVE Senita’s clothes and their prices, which are way better than Lululemon and Zella.

I’ve washed these items a bunch of times (mind you, I’ve only had them about a month), put them in the dryer on low, and they haven’t faded, unraveled or stretched out. I think they’ll hold up well.

And, best thing ever, they have pockets everywhere. There’s a pocket on the back of the bra, hidden pockets in the shorts — seriously, there are SO MANY POCKETS. It’s glorious.

2. Tarte Blush and Glow Blush & Highlighter in Rose Gold

tarte rose gold blush glow — Tarte Blush and Glow in Rose Gold ($30)

One side of this split pan blush/highlighter combo from Tarte’s fall collection is a sheer matte rosy brown, and the other side is a rose gold shimmer. The powders aren’t as pigmented as the powders in the Amazonian Clay Blushes, but I’m totally fine with that, because there are days when I just want a little bit of cheek color.

Also, the highlighter is seductively subtle.

tarte rose gold blush glow swatches — Tarte Blush and Glow in Rose Gold: swatches

It goes with any and all nude pinkish brown lippies I’ve tried. Check it out with Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo in Believer.

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Tarte Make Believe In Yourself Collection for Spring 2017

April 13th, 2017 by Karen 15 Comments

tarte make believe in yourself spring 2017 collection — Time to unicorn yourself…with Tarte

Unicorns at Coachella!?

Yes, unicorns. ?

If you and I were wandering around Coachella — and, in this scenario, I would be completely clean and devoid of all mud/dirt, because I ain’t got time for dirty feet — and we happened upon a secret set where Katy Perry was performing acoustic versions of all of her songs for an audience of unicorns, I would hope that we’d be wearing the new Tarte Make Believe in Yourself Spring 2017 Collection.

tarte fairytale — The Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Fairytale, Make Believe in Yourself Eye & Cheek Palette and Tarteist Pro Glow Liquid Highlighter in Sparkler

Why?

Because it was made for unicorns. And festival life. At least that’s the impression I get based on the preponderance of shimmer, rainbows and glitter. And the bright green matte lip that whispers “fairy forest.”

As I think we’ve touched on before (LOL), unicorns are having a moment in makeup right now. Yes, lots of second grade Lisa Frank dreams are coming true (including mine, haha), and I think it’s unicorn-credibly fun.

Highlighter heavy

This is a highlighter heavy collection, for sure. In terms of highlighting, there are three $29 liquid highlighters (Tartiest Pro Glow Liquid Highlighters in Exposed, Stunner and Sparkler) and a $30 powder highlighter (Spellbound Glow Rainbow Highlighter) with four mixable pastel shades in the same pan (combined they create a cool-toned white gold).

There’s also a duochrome powder highlighter in the $40 Make Believe in Yourself Eye & Cheek Palette that flashes from pink to gold.

These are the kind of highlighters that will make your cheeks beam with more shimmer than color, since all of them are subtle variations of beige or gold.

tarte make believe in yourself eye cheek palette packaging — That’s a big palette

Love the Rose Gold Glitter Liner

Surprisingly, the thing I ? love the most in this entire collection is actually the Rose Gold Glitter Liner ($24). One end has a metallic rose gold liquid liner, and the other has a rose gold liquid glitter liner, and when I swipe either end along my lash lines, my eyes look outrageously open and wide awake. It goes really well with warm matte browns like the matte brown in the Make Believe in Yourself Cheek & Eye Palette, which is super soft and easy to blend.

Wearing the Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Festival, Rainbow Highlighter in Spellbound, Make Believe in Yourself Eye & Cheek Palette and Tarteist Pro Glow Liquid Highlighter in Sparkler

tarte make believe in yourself swatches 1 — Tarte Make Believe in Yourself Eye & Cheek Palette

tarte make believe in yourself swatches 2 — From the top: the Rainbow Highlighter in Spellbound Glow; Tarteist Pro Glow Liquid Highlighters in Exposed, Sparkler and Stunner; Glitter Liner in Rose Gold; and Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Festival and Fairytale

Make Believe in Yourself Eye & Cheek Palette, Matte Lip Paints and the Magic Wands Brush Set

I feel that the metallics in the Eye & Cheek Palette are chunky and difficult to feather. The shimmers are easier to blend, but I do have to put on a few layers to build up the color.

It’s a fun palette…but I don’t think it’s as earth-shattering as the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Vol. 2 palette, which, I kid you not, shook me to my core…

The $20 Tarteist Quick Matte Lip Paints are super opaque (yes!), but they make my lips look dry (bah!). And I was surprised by how much I like the green shade, Festival. It’s definitely more fun than I thought it would be.

tarte make believe in yourself quick try matte lip paint — Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Festival (left) and Fairytale (right)

Lastly, I think the brushes in the $39 Magic Wands Brush Set are so cute AND functional. I like the soft brush heads, but the long unicorn horn handles are a tad tough to maneuver.

Watch your eyes around those pointy ends…

tarte magic wands brush set — Magic Wands Brush Set

tarte make believe in yourself quick try matte lip paint ingredients — Tarteist Quick Dry Lip Paint ingredients

tarte make believe in yourself glitter liner rose gold ingredients — Tarteist Pro Glitter Liner in Rose Gold ingredients

tarte pro glow liquid highlighter ingredients — Tarteist Pro Glow Liquic Highlighter ingredients

tarte spellbound glow rainbow highlighter ingredients — Rainbow Highlighter in Spellbound ingredients

tarte make believe in yourself eye cheek palette ingredients — Make Believe in Yourself Eye & Cheek Palette ingredients

The verdict

What a fun collection! There’s lots of shimmer, though, and light-catching finishes, so you have to be fine with that. If you have an interest at all, definitely don’t miss the Rose Gold Liner, and, if you can, try on that green liquid lipstick. 🙂 I think you might be surprised by how much you like it.

tarte make believe in yourself spring 2017 collection boxes — Packaging fit for a unicorn

The collection is available now on Tarte counters (and wherever ? unicorns are found) for a limited time.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What I Wore Wednesday, Vol. 2: Blue, Taupe and Gold Eyes

February 8th, 2017 by Karen 16 Comments

tarte rainforest of the sea volume ii eyeshadow palette k — Today’s makeup look!

I contend that Wednesday is the best day of the week to wear blue eye makeup, because you’re halfway through the week. You made it halfway, which calls for something of a mini celebration. You’re saying to the universe, “You can’t stop me, universe! I’m halfway there, and I’ll be chilling on Saturday watching Magic Mike in my pajamas very, very soon.”

I wore a bit of blue today — blue, purple and taupe (Yes! Taupe is dope.), gold and a smidgen o’ brown on my eyes, along with pink cheeks and lips.

axiology lipstick identity — Axiology Lipstick in Identity

So much shimmer

I’m using the RainForest of the Sea II Skin Twinkle Lighting Palette, which is super shimmery, for some glow. I applied a layer underneath my blush and bronzer, just to tone down the shimmer a bit.

tarte rainforest of the sea volume ii — Clockwise from the upper left: Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume II Skin Twinkle Lighting Palette and Tarte Blot Party, Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume II Eyeshadow Palette, Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealer, Axiology Lipstick in Identity, Tarte Color Your World Color-Correcting Palette, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronze in Luminous Bronze Light and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Radiant Magenta

tarte rainforest of the sea volume ii lighting palette — Swatches of the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume II Skin Twinkle Lighting Palette

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What I Wore Wednesday, Vol. 1: Copper With a Splash of Gold and Natural-Looking Skin

February 1st, 2017 by Karen 11 Comments

tarte happy girls shine brighter palette — My Wednesday makeup ensemble

Here’s the makeup I wore today! It was a pretty chill Wednesday overall… I got up, wrote for a bit, took Connor out for a morning walk (yes, our Coywolf is walking now!), worked and went to an appointment to see my therapist (just a regularly scheduled thing I’ve been doing once a month; it’s been very helpful).

And that’s what I did! I didn’t want to wear anything too elaborate or heavy, but I was in the mood for a little spice, which is why the gold glitter liner was up in the mix. 🙂

All about that base: Tarte’s version of MAC Strobe Cream, and a new IT Cosmetics cream foundation

I started with an old fave, Make Up For Ever Face Smoothing Primer (THE BEST!), then patted Tarte Brighter Days Highlighting Moisturizer ($32), a face moisturizer with pink pearl that looks a lot like a slightly thicker MAC Strobe Cream, all over my skin, because I wanted a little bit of glow to show through my foundation.

Then I buffed new $38 IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Compact Solid Serum Foundation in Tan all over my face (it’s a cream foundation).

The compact says that it’s full coverage, which I think is totally possible because it’s pretty opaque, but I sheered it out because I wanted my skin to look as natural as possible. Plus, I wanted the glow from Brighter Days to show through.

Anyway, it’s very lightweight and so, SO creamy, and my skin, which was feeling extra dry today, likes it a lot.

Happy Girls Shine Brighter

I grabbed this cute new $29 Double Duty Beauty palette from Tarte with the most adorable name ever for my eyes and cheeks. It’s called Happy Girls Shine Brighter.

See? Isn’t that sweet!?

tarte happy girls shine brighter — The Tarte Double Duty Beauty Happy Girls Shine Brighter Palette ($29)

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Smoky, Cool and Shimmery Plum With the Tarte Pretty Paintbox Set, Bite Beauty Cashew and MAC Dancing Flowers

November 14th, 2016 by Karen 8 Comments

tarte pretty paintbox fotd — Feeling plummy today with Tarte’s Pretty Paintbox from the holiday 2016 collection

Look. At. This. Makeup.

Where was a going that I needed to put on makeup like this? I don’t know… I don’t think I was going anywhere. I wish I could say that I was going out to dinner or something, but I think the most exciting thing I did while I was wearing this look was take out the trash…

I did run into my neighbor, though, and we talked about her dog a little, so at least somebody got to see the fruit of my labor IRL.

I’m wearing the Bite Beauty Multistick in Cashew here, and I tell you — it’s the best color! It’s underneath a bunch of things on my lids. I sort of used it as an eyeshadow lid primer.

I think it’s SO beautiful, especially with colors like the ones I’m wearing.

Eyes: Bite Beauty Cashew Multi-Stick, Tarte Pretty Paintbox eyeshadows (Van Gogh With It in the crease, and First Impressionism, Hot MOMA and Get Surreal mixed on the lids), Tarte Tarteist Black Eyeliner (from the Wingworkers holiday set), Tarte Tartiest Mascara (from Pretty Paintbox)

Cheeks: Moment blush, Authentic highlighter and Unique bronzer from Tarte Pretty Paintbox

Lips: Dancing Flowers from the MAC Nutcracker Sweet Retro Matte Plum Kit

I’m wearing kind of a rosy taupe-ish brown in my crease, and there’s some shimmery cool-toned purplish gray action happening on my lids that I made by mixing a bunch of colors in this Tarte palette (I marked them with hearts down below).

I grabbed a bunch of shades with the same brush, buffed them on the back of my hand, and then popped them on my lid.

It’s just a phase I’m going through. I like making my own colors. It makes me feel like I’m a mad scientist in a beauty lab or something…

OK, so, my lid color is very cool toned, but I think it balances with the warmth of the browns in my crease. I like that juxtaposition, but of course you could totally stick to one or the other using just cool-toned shadows or warm-toned shadows, and still do a look like this.

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A Quick Look at Tarte Holiday 2016

November 7th, 2016 by Karen 9 Comments

Aha! Sometimes it pays to be a #hoarder, especially when things like the Tarte holiday collection come up, and it brings back a flood of memories of this dress that I’ve had since…I don’t know, ’98? ’99?

90s dress — Circa 1999 this dress was my jam

Girl, I had some good times in this dress… I had just moved to SF, so I was like “Girl in the City,” and this was the dress I was wearing during The Cosmopolitan Incident, which I think I may have told you about.

It was the night of the company holiday party. They held it at the SF MOMA. There were waiters and waitresses walking around with these cute cosmopolitans, and I thought, “I’m gonna get one because it matches my dress!” 🙂

Well, one cosmo led to two cosmos, which led to… Anyway, I still can’t look at one of those things without wanting to yak.

This dress, though? So many good memories, and the best thing about it? I freaking found it at T.J. Maxx! One of the waitresses at that party came up to me and said, “I love your dress.” Then she leaned in and whispered, “Versace?”

No, girl, T.J. Maxx! $20!

Coincidentally, the outside of this collection’s eyeshadow palette is made of fabric. Even cooler than that, when you open the palette, the shadow names have artsy references, like Water Lillies and Van Go With It.

Very clever, Tarte.

Items from the Tarte Holiday 2016 Collection

Limited-Edition Wing Workers Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set, $35

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Sculpted Cheeks Deluxe Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush, $35

Tarte Holiday Limited-Edition Color Wheel Amazonian Clay Blush Palette, $44

Tarte Holiday 2016 Pretty Paintbox Collector’s Makeup Case, $59

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Wing Workers Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set, $35

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Curl Boss Lash Essentials, $20

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Triple Threat Mascara Trio, $18

Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Gallery Gals Deluxe Tareist Eyeliner Set, $19

tarte holiday 2016 pretty paintbox packaging — So pretty!

tarte holiday 2016 pretty paintbox — Tarte Holiday 2016 Pretty Paintbox Collector’s Makeup Case, $59

tarte holiday 2016 color wheel — Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Color Wheel Amazonian Clay Blush Palette, $44

tarte holiday 2016 sculpted cheeks — Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Sculpted Cheeks Deluxe Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush, $35

tarte holiday 2016 wing workers — Tarte Holiday 2016 Limited-Edition Wing Workers Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set, $35

From the left: Curl Boss, Lash Essentials ($20), Triple Threat Mascara Trio ($18) and Gallery Gals Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set ($19)

Swatches of the Color Wheel Blush Palette

tarte holiday 2016 wing workers swatches — Swatches of the Wing Workers set

I’ve only just swatched these items, but it does seem like the shadows in this palette feel a little harder than the Tarte shadows I’m used to.

Oh, and the round blush palette here?When you open it, BAM! — a bevy of blushes, but here’s the thing: Even though there are pans on both sides, Tarte inserted a clear plastic divider between them to keep powder from falling from one side to the other.

This is just a smattering of items in the collection. I hope to spend more time with them this week.

So, hoarder-y dresses. Do you have any in your closet? Or other clothing that you don’t really wear anymore but keep for sentimental reasons? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

15-Minute Makeup: ’90s Fall Vibes With the LORAC Mega Pro Palette 3, Urban Decay Loaded, Tarte Brownie and Tarte Seduce

September 30th, 2016 by Karen 26 Comments

Seriously, I did this makeup in 15 minutes, ’cause I just can’t handle much more than that right now. I just can’t.

I was feeling kinda ’90s today, hence the matte cheeks and lips. And all the brown.

ALL THE BROWN!

But I needed to have a little bit of color up in the mix, so I also threw some green liner on my lash lines.

I used some of the matte browns from the LORAC Mega Pro Palette 3 and did the matte cheeks and lips with Tarte.

I was going for a tonal thing. Brown on the eyes, cheeks and lips, and also matte everything. That way the green liner, which has a little shimmer, would stand out.

At least that’s what I was going for…

I mean, whatever. It’s 15-minute makeup. Not all of it’s gonna be perfect, but I figure, unless someone is staring at me intensely from across a room, no one is really going to notice that perhaps this line is thicker than that line, or maybe my shadows aren’t blended perfectly. I’m cool with it. 🙂

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The Tarte Kiss & Blush Cream Cheek & Lip Palette

July 29th, 2016 by Karen 11 Comments

tarte kiss and blush — The new Tarte Kiss & Blush Cream Cheek & Lip Palette ($42)

Oh, OK… I get it.

I was wondering why Tarte decorated their new Kiss & Blush Cream Cheek & Lip Palette with sand dollars, since I usually associate those with summer and beaches, and the palette is out for fall, but check it: when you open the palette, the six pans are arranged in a star shape, like the shape in the center of a sand dollar.

See it?

Kinda cute, right?

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