Urban Decay

Ringing in the New Year With Warm Browns and a Splash of Blue on the Waterline

January 1st, 2020 by Karen 12 Comments

urban decay stay naked threeesome in naked swatches — There’s a 100% chance I’m wearing pajamas right now.

First, hello and welcome to 2020, my friend! ? Hope you’re having a happy new year so far!

Second, I know there must be a scientifically explainable reason why warm orange browns look sooooo good with blues (is it because orange and blue are on opposite sides of the color wheel?), and my left brain knows this, yet when I see the two colors happening on my face, my right brain steps in and is like, GIRL, YES. My heart begins to flutter, and I get that tingly crazy makeup lady feeling in my toes! It’s one of those electric color combinations I love to wear.

I wore the combo yesterday to work at the bakery, where, speaking of color, I made the most beautiful blush pink buttercream frosting. Check it…

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Made the most beautiful blush-colored buttercream frosting at the bakery today! I would love this as an opaque pastel nail polish. ?? ? Also, watching the frosting get fluffier is the most satisfying thing.?

A post shared by Karen | Makeup and Beauty Blog (@karenmbb) on Dec 30, 2019 at 9:19pm PST

I KNOW. I’m going to shop my nail polish stash for a similar opaque pale pink today.

But first, back to the warm browns and blue…

I knocked this out in about 10 minutes yesterday because, basically, it’s just a neutral look with a slice of color on the lower waterline.

If you’re wearing something like this and going about your business, most people won’t be able to tell that you’re wearing blue liner, but ya know, if I were to run into you at TJ’s and we’re chatting about the Mini Brie Bites, if you’ve got blue liner on like this, then I’m gonna be like, “BABES, whatcha got there? Tell me about this business on your waterline.”

This blue, by the way, is one of my MAC favorites. It’s called Take the Plunge, and it’s one of the Technakohls (which I love for the waterline because they don’t move), but (SAD PANDA) I just looked on the MAC website, and it appears to be missing in action. So, if you can’t find it, try something like Urban Decay Mainline, or really any of the dark blue/teal 24/7 Glide-Ons. Basically, if it’s a dark blue/teal, you’re good!

If you struggle to get bright colors to look bold on your waterline, you’re not alone. It’s common for blues like this to look muddy, especially if you wear liner on your upper lash line or upper waterline, because they can get mixed in with the blue and tone it down.

So here’s whatcha do…
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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

Monochromatic Makeup: Playful Pinks, and a Play on Cat Eyeliner

December 6th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

mac steady going lipstick k smile — Inspired by this pink sweater!

I was inspired to do this monochromatic pink look by this quilted sweatshirt I found at the Eddie Bauer outlet store for 50% off (!).

I can’t remember the last time I walked into an Eddie Bauer store, but there’s one of their outlet stores at Vintage Oaks in Novato, and El Hub wanted to check it out one day to look for a jacket, which he found…and I found this. It’s incredibly soft, and I love the color.

I almost didn’t use any brushes for this look. I used my fingers to press the pink glitter eyeshadow on my lids and to pat the pink cream blush on my cheeks. Really, the only brush I used was an angled eyeshadow brush, which I dipped in a dark brown shadow to diffuse the edge of the liquid black cat eye liner (Tom Ford, baby!).

Speaking of the liner, next time you want to flip the script on your cat eyeliner game, try this: after you finish your cat eye flicks, line the inner corner of your eyes with the thinnest, skinniest line you can get away with.

urban decay glitterrock

Then line the outer portion of your lower lash line with your liquid liner, and connect the inner and outer sections by smudging the most infinitesimal amount of a coordinating eyeshadow color.

If you like to geek out over makeup, this is a fun way to do something a little different with your liner.

mac glitter rock
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Space Buns and Sparkly Purple Lids

November 12th, 2019 by Karen 11 Comments

triple hair buns — I may or may not have about a billion bobby pins in my hair at the moment.

I’m sure this tri-bun hairstyle has an official/formal name, but I intend to call it “space buns,” because there’s something undeniably Star Wars about it…

If I were hurtling through space on a rocket bound for Mars, and I was required to wear my hair up (to protect the sensitive electronic equipment from static discharge, you see), you better believe I would NOT be rocking a basic low pony.

SPACE BUNS ALL THE WAY, GIRLFRIEND.

Side note: Connor calls this a “pony hairstyle” because she’s into horses at the moment.

Maybe it’s the stars twinkling in the firmament…but sparkles and space buns just seem *right* to me, hence the purple glitter in this look.

mac wishful thinking — Wearing some newness from the MAC Holiday collection

I got a few compliments from my coworkers when I wore this to the bakery the other day. 🙂 It was nice. I think it was because this is one of those looks that isn’t too over the top in terms of base and lips (I kept the foundation super sheer and the lips glossy and subtly sparkly, which boosts the wearability for daytime), but I think the glitter is punchy and fun enough to catch your eye.

If you like this type of makeup, you need to follow Katie Jane Hughes on Instagram ASAP. She’s a celeb makeup artist known for her sheer base, the wings she does, and her penchant for sparkle. It’s very inspiring!

I’m using some new MAC products from the very sparkly Staring You holiday collection, by the way. This collection, which is out now, has new Spellbinder Shadows in glittery holiday shades (you might remember these ionized eyeshadows from 2016).

mac starring you holiday 2019 — The new, limited edition MAC Starring You holiday 2019 collection, available now

Two things if you plan on picking up one of these loose shadows: 1) most definitely DO NOT skip wearing an eyeshadow base; and 2) apply it using a stiff, flat eyeshadow brush, or your fingers.

If you’d like to chat more about the Spellbinders, drop me a comment. I’m happy to help!
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3 Powerful Tips for Doing Quick, Colorful Makeup (And a 20-Minute Bronze/Green/Gold Eye Look With Pink Cheeks and Nude Matte Lips!)

October 31st, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

urban decay on the run g train — Today’s 20-minute makeup look

Working at the bakery has been such a blessing in so many ways, makeup and otherwise. I’ve been learning so many new things, and the loneliness I’ve felt for a long time is finally starting to leave.

In terms of makeup, though, my goodness! — the 15-minute window I typically have now to don my face paint in the mornings has been the catalyst for all manner of shortcuts.

Like these three powerful tricks you can use when you want to do quick, colorful makeup (but don’t have a lot of time). I used them for to do bronze, green and gold eye look (paired with pink cheeks and a matte nude-pink lip), which I wore to the bakery yesterday…

Tip No. 1: Intensify and extend the wear time of your eyeshadow by using a long-wearing pencil liner as a base

This is one of the speediest ways I know to 1) get your eyeshadow to last longer, and 2) to amplify the intensity of your shadows to make them look brighter and richer.

For this, you want to use a liner that sets relatively quickly…like in less than 30 seconds. I love the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-Ons because they come in tons of colors and finishes. And, because they dry very quickly, I’m forced to work fast!

Note: When you’re using a quick-drying pencil liner as a base, your best friend is a stiff (but still soft) synthetic brush, ideally something with a slightly domed tip, like the Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush.

Synthetic bristles tend to be more rigid than natural bristles, so you can push and blend that liner and tell it where to go, LIKE RIGHT MEOW!

In the look I wore yesterday, I wore Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Smog as a base. I roughly drew a few fatty-bo-batty messy lines all over my lids, and then I took the Real Techniques brush and buffed the liner into a thin, even layer.

Then, I applied warm browns and bronzes from the new Urban Decay On the Run Palette in G Train.

Tip No. 2: Use an angled brush to line your eyes with the darkest shade from your favorite eyeshadow palette

Not only is lining with an eyeshadow and angled brush super speedy, but it’s also forgiving, so you can make mistakes and nobody will even realize it!

Note: If you want the most room for error, keep the brush head dry for a soft and diffused line.

You can also wet your brush head with a setting spray to dial up the richness of the color, but FYI, it’s not as forgiving as a dry application.
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What I Wore this Week: 3 Looks With the Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette

September 20th, 2019 by Karen 13 Comments

urban decay naked honey swatches — Playtime with this Queen Bee

Herald the trumpets, because I actually wore eyeshadow this week…repeatedly. ?

I KNOW.

I wore the new Urban Decay Naked Honey Eye Palette a few times and was surprised by the variety of eye looks I was able to do with it. Before I tried to test its limits, I didn’t expect it to be as versatile as it turned out to be because there isn’t a ton of variation among the shades, but you can actually do a lot of different things with it!

Like…

Look 1: “Tropical vibes”

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadows in Sweet (lightly buffed all over the lid as a base), Hive and Drip (crease), Honey (lash line to crease)

Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Loaded (upper lash and water line), Heartless (inner corner), Ether (lower water line), Psychedelic Sister (lower lash line)

Mascara: It Cosmetics Lash Blow Out

Brows: NARS Brow Perfector in Komo, MAC Brow Set in Clear

Blush: Kosas Papaya 1972 High Intensity, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Give Me Sun

Foundation: MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick (as an all over base), Zoeva Authentic Skin in 200W Genuine (cheeks), Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation (around mouth)

Face Powder: Nada

Lipstick: MAC Love Me Lipstick in Let Them Eat Cake (purple lips); MAC Love Me Lipstick in French Silk (neutral lips)

Look 2: “Crimson and chocolate”

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadows in Swarm (lightly buffed all over lid as a base), Hive and Drip (crease), Sting (outer crease), HBIC (lash line to crease)

Eyeliner: MAC Teddy

Mascara: Chanel Dimensions de Chanel

Brows: NARS Brow Perfector in Komo, MAC Brow Set in Clear

Blush: MAC Fleur Power Blush buffed out with MAC Sun-Soaked Strip Bronzer

Foundation: MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick (as an all over base), Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation (cheeks and around mouth)

Face Powder: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden

Lipstick: MAC Love Me Lipstick in My Little Secret, MAC Lip Liner in Cherry

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The New Urban Decay Loose Powder Has a Brush With Convenience, What to Eat With Your Veggies, and Distracted Waxing

September 17th, 2019 by Karen 12 Comments

urban decay ultimate brush off — A new way to get loose with Urban Decay

Do you ever skip loose powder because you don’t want to lug around an extra brush for touch-ups?

If so, I feel you… Also, Urban Decay’s new $34 Ultimate Brush Off Setting Powder might be of interest.

Bring your brush with ya

It comes with a synthetic flat-top kabuki brush attached to the lid, which makes it easy to dust a little on whenever and wherever you want.

It’s a demi-matte loose powder to set your makeup, blur pores and absorb oil and shine, and it’s available now at UD counters and online in five cruelty-free shades — Universal Translucent, Fair, Medium, Deep and Dark.

Speaking of new things… Well, new to me and my tummy!

Bolthouse Salsa Ranch Dressing is MAGIC. I picked it up at Target, and now I’m addicted.

bolthouse farm salsa ranch — A yummy, healthy snack

It’s funny to me that this is named “Salsa Ranch” because it isn’t spicy. It tastes like a blend of the best thousand island and ranch — a little tangy, a little sweet, and VERY tasty!

I like the Bolthouse dressings because they’re made from yogurt, and are consequently less calorically dense than most creamy dressings, so consequently I eat TONS of it, which I do with whatever vegetable I’m crushing on at any given moment. (It’s delish with snap peas!)

If you could use some extra motivation to eat your veggies, then you need what Connor calls “the pink ranch dressing” in your life.

OK, so I had a major upper-lip wax fail…

Please note that waxing your ‘stach while plumbers work on an underground water leak in your front yard is inadvisable. There’s a significant chance you’ll have low-grade anxiety because you don’t know if the plumbers will have to break open the concrete to access the leaky pipe, thereby causing the budget to skyrocket, and you could also end up with a sinkhole underneath your garage…
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The New Urban Decay Naked Honey Is a Sweet New Golden Eyeshadow Palette

September 6th, 2019 by Karen 23 Comments

urban decay naked honey open — Feelin’ the buzz

Oh, sugary golden brown nectar of the eyeshadow gods… I SEE YOU, URBAN DECAY. The hive’s buzzing ? over Naked Honey, the brand’s newest Naked palette, a festoon of gilded golds, tantalizing tans and burnished bronzes, with none of those challenging-to-wear reds or orange reddish brown eyeshadows from the past few years in sight.

*Breathes sigh of relief*

Finally, a neutral palette that actually looks…kinda neutral. ?‍♀️

The $49 powdered shadow palette flies into Sephora stores and arrives online September 13th, and then a little later on September 23rd to ulta.com, macys.com, nordstrom.com and belk.com; and to Ulta, Macy’s, Nordstrom and Belk stores a few days later on September 26th.

Queen bees who crave toasty tones will probably like that it hums with warm shades, and I’m buzzing over all those golden browns!