Clinique

Bold Lip of the Day: Chanel Rouge Allure Ink in Luxuriant

October 19th, 2021 by Karen 10 Comments

I used to think makeup lovers adored the cat eye and bold lip combo because it’s a classic, but now I’m starting to think the reason why people love it so much because it’s 1) easy and 2) packs a major punch. That’s the main reason why I’ve been wearing it so much lately, LOL!

Today’s bold lip is with a beautiful matte liquid lippie by Chanel, Rouge Allure in Luxuriant! It’s a bright matte red with a fuchsia undertone. I like how lightweight it feels and how it doesn’t suck the moisture out of my pout. Oh yeah, I also think it looks absolutely beautiful!

BTW the liner is my go-to liquid liner, Clinique Pretty Easy Pen in Black. If you’ve ever felt like cat eye liner is just too hard, give this pen a try. It has a flexible tip, the ink flows out steadily and is smudge-proof. I always have one in my makeup bag.

clinique pretty easy liquid eyeliner pen 3 — This is the finish after it dries. Sorry for my sloppy lines… I just drank a ton of coffee and was hella shaky, LOL.

Have a very happy Tuesday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Springy, Joyful Taupe and Plum

May 4th, 2021 by Karen 11 Comments

plum and taupe — Sometimes you just need 15 minutes and some time with makeup

Today’s minor victory? It has been two full weeks since my second shot, so I’m officially fully vaccinated! To celebrate, I ironed my shirt.

HA HA HA! No, seriously, one cannot embark upon “the after” as a wrinkly mess. I also put on some makeup, since wearing face paint with a crisp celebratory white shirt seemed like the right thing to do. ?

I did a 15-minute quickie look with taupe lids and plum cheeks using mostly new-to-me makeup from Laura Mercier, Giorgio Armani, Chanel and Clinique, because I’ve been trying to expand my horizons a little with some new products.

plum and taupe products — A mix of new-to-me items and old faves

First impressions…

Giorgio Armani Lip Power in Confident: This creamy plum lipstick’s cup runneth over with pigment. It’s creamy, lightweight and doesn’t have an obnoxious flavor or scent. I especially like using it as a lip stain.

Chanel Ombre Premier Lacque in Desert Wind: This shimmery liquid shadow dries quickly, so you have to blend with speed and purpose. No time to dilly-dally! It’s also long lasting and quite shimmery.

Clinique Pretty Easy Liner in Brown: I’ve used the black version of this liquid liner for years, and the brown is just as easy to apply. It also lasts all day long.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in 4W: I’m only wearing this dual-ended brightening and camouflaging concealer in this look. No foundation at all. It’s lightweight but certainly covers everything. It also looks and feels natural, but dagnabbit if it doesn’t just slide right off my face, even when I set it with powder.

plum and taupe swatches — Plum lips and cheeks with taupe lids

Do you ever wear taupe lids with plum cheeks and lips? It’s a combo I like to wear all year long, but even more so now because the plum cheeks and plum lip stain feel very springy to me.

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Brighten & Correct Duo in 4W, Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
CHEEKS: Clinique Plum Pop
EYES: Chanel Boy de Chanel Eyebrow Pencil in Deep Brown, Chanel Ombre Premier Lacque in Desert Wind, Chanel Stylo Ombre Et Contour in Contour Clair, Clinique Pretty Easy Liner in Brown, Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Mascara, Chanel Espresso Liner
LIPS: Giorgio Armani in Lip Power in 600 Confident

Culinary adventures

Speaking of trying new things, last weekend I gave this vegan coconut rice and chickpea dish a go (got the recipe from Yeung Man Cooking).

Basically, it was just a’ight… I liked it enough to finish, but my eyes didn’t roll to the back of my head or anything.

I’m on a kick to find some great new recipes, so if you have one (or more!) you’ve made recently and love, send ’em my way! Thanks in advance.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Latest Ulta Haul: Skin Care, Sunscreen and Makeup

April 27th, 2021 by Karen 17 Comments

ulta skin care haul april 2021 — Goodies from Ulta

Look what you made me do, Ulta! ?

Remember how I mentioned there’s a new Ulta in my town? And how it’s barely a five-minute drive away from mi casa?

YES, I know. They ran a 20% off sale on everything last weekend, and this is what found its way into my basket…

ulta basket sunscreen skin care april 2021 — Ooh-la-la!

Lots of sunscreen and skin care as you can see. Yup, I still love makeup, and I was tempted by quite a few things (like this palette and these cream shadows), but I resisted *this time* around because I’ve decided that it’s time to get serious about fighting the good fight against hyperpigmentation. If I’m going to go to the effort of doing retinol, Vitamin C, AHAs and BHAS, I’ve got to get the sun protection part of the equation right, so sun protection was my main goal on this trip.

Side note: having a product game plan before beauty shopping helps a ton. I’ve blacked out at Ulta and Sephora one too many times, leaving with a basket of things I didn’t even plan on getting, and I know I’m not alone in this either. Having a plan stopped me from being tempted by things I probably don’t need, so I wholeheartedly recommend this strategy next time you head to the mothership.

Back to the sunscreen! What I really wanted was a face sunscreen, specifically a tinted one because I’ve heard that tinted sunscreens can help medium and darker skin tones prevent hyper pigmentation.

cerave cotz sunscreen swatches — I’m on a mission to keep the hyper pigmentation at bay.

The Cotz one is going back, unfortunately. I like how smooth and fresh my skin looked after applying it, and I liked the depth of the tint (I couldn’t see it at all on my skin), but it made my face itch. ?

The tinted Cerave, though, is a keeper! The tint is a little lighter than the Cotz one so I can see a slight cast at first, but it fades after it settles in.

I also like how lightweight and moisturizing it is. Only thing is…the tint rubs off on my mask and clothes, so I’m going to use the La Roche Posay Melt In Milk sunscreen on days when I wear white shirts or tees (which I do often).

la roche posay in milk swatch — LOVE THIS!

OMG, this is SO GOOD. The name “Melt In Milk” really does it justice because it absorbs incredibly quickly and completely, leaving behind absolutely no cast whatsoever. Plus, it’s moisturizing but isn’t sticky or heavy. I also like the amount of SPF protection and that it doesn’t have a strong sunscreen-y scent.

Speaking of scents…don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind scented skincare at all. I just prefer that the stuff I wear on my face not smell like a margarita. But on beach days or fishing days or camping trips, I do love a summery, sunscreen-y scent, which is why I picked up a couple things from Sun Bum, including this SPF70 lotion.

It smells like a coconut and pineapple smoothie, and it doesn’t leave a cast. I also bought the spray version because I’m really trying hard to get better at reapplying, and I figure that having a spray might help me stay motivated, since it’s faster and easier to apply than the lotion.

In non-sunscreen news…I stocked up on the retinol cream I’ve been using from Neutrogena, and I grabbed an old-school fave of mine by Proactiv.

pro activ neturogena in hand — Pimples and wrinkles… GOOD TIMES.

I wore this benzoyl peroxide cream back in my early 30s, back before I discovered Kate Somerville Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion. I still love the Kate Somerville, but they just keep jacking up the price! Last time I went to Sephora it was $52 (it was $39 when I started using it back in 2013). I’m pretty cranky about the price increase, so I’ve been trying to find an alternative… When I re-stumbled on this cream at Ulta for $35, I was stoked. I hope it still works for me.

Other stuff I picked up: a bottle of Pattern leave-in conditioner and couple of Clinique liquid eyeliners in basic brown and black.

clinique pretty easy liner brown and black — This liner really is pretty easy!

Have you done any beauty shopping lately at Ulta or anywhere else?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Best Day Ever Makeup (I Got My Second Shot!), Plus Mini-Reviews of Revlon ColorStay Light Cover Foundation, Clinique Even Better All-Over Concealer + Eraser and More

April 22nd, 2021 by Karen 27 Comments

I got my second vaccine shot yesterday and, FYI, this Band-Aid is officially the best Band-Aid that ever was or ever will be. After it falls off, I may tuck it away in an envelope so that years from now, when everything is back to “normal” (“air quotes”) and we’re doing things like going to the Catalina Wine Mixer again without feeling creeped out about crowds, I’ll find this Band-Aid and think, “Eww, you’re super gross, Karen,” and “Gosh, I sure was happy that day.”

You know this is one of my favorite movies, right?

This is the most hopeful I’ve felt in a long, long time.

Because I didn’t want to forget how happy I feel, I put on some fun temporary tattoos by Tattly and some makeup to commemorate the day. I’m wearing a mish-mosh of classic NARS eyeshadows (the Cordura and Isolde duos, and Blondie, Biarritz and Abysinnia) and a few new-to-me products for everything else.

I’m wearing a mix of classic NARS and a few new-to-me base, cheek and lip products

Some first impressions

Revlon Colorstay Light Cover Foundation: I (incorrectly) assumed that because this has “Light Cover” in the name, it was a shot-out to sheer coverage, but nope! — it’s a reference to how light this full-coverage matte liquid foundation feels on skin. It’s light as a feather! The coverage of one layer is just shy of full, which is enough to hide red areas, freckles and uneven pigmentation. Then, you can add more layers, which is easy to do because it blends so well, if you want to bump up the coverage to full. For reference, my skin is dry on my cheeks and oily on my forehead, and this foundation handles both areas like a champ. Available in 12 shades, $13.99 each.

Clinque Even Better All-Over Concealer + Eraser: Normally, full-coverage concealers look thick, dry and cakey when I wear them in my under-eye area, so I kind of avoid them, but this demi-matte liquid concealer completely steers clear of fine lines. Even after it dries down, it remains smooth and flexible, which is very cool! I plan to use this as a foundation, actually, because I think it’ll be great for that too. Available in a whopping 42 shades, $26 each.

L’Oreal Shiny Lip Stain in Be Outstanding: This is neato. It’s a long lasting, lightweight, non-sticky liquid lipstick with an ultra-shiny finish. Sort of like an amalgam of every lip product under the sun! This particular one, Be Outstanding, is a rosy brown, but there are lots of other colors to choose from in the line, which, FYI, is BOGO right now at Ulta. Available in 12 shades, $11.99 each.

Laura Mercier Blush in Chai: I love LM’s blushes for their pigment and smooth finish, and this matte rose is one of her prettiest and most natural-looking ones, IMHO. Available in 10 shades, $32 each.

second shot closeup — Temporary tattoos by Tattly

The pandemic and the lockdowns have transformed me into something of a hermit, and I’m still freaked out a little (OK, a lot) about the thought of being among large groups of people, and like…doing things. LOL! I keep reminding myself that this too shall pass, and we’ll be able to do more things very soon. Like, I texted an old friend I used to work with at the bakery and asked her if she wanted to go on a hike in a couple weeks. I’m also starting to mentally psych myself up to go to an outdoor small-group HIIT class at the gym sometime in May!

Part of me still worries that we could backslide if the virus takes a different course, so I keep telling myself not to get too excited about returning to normal life right away…but another part of me also wants to be hopeful.

This past year has changed me so much, and I’m betting it’s changed you too.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

10-Minute Makeup With the Clinique Chubby Sticks

May 5th, 2020 by Karen 22 Comments

clinique portly plum ample amber eyes — When your messy bun just isn’t messy enough! The shirt is from connorclaire.com. 🙂

I’m currently not picky about precision placement (I JUST WANNA GET ANY PLACEMENT, TBH!), so hooray for these Clinique Chubby Sticks.

See the rounded tip? They’re not exactly the tool you’d grab to surgically insert a pocket of precise color in the outer third of the crease, you know what I’m saying? This, my dear, is pandemic makeup at its finest. Le sigh… I never thought I’d ever type those words.

clinique portly plum ample amber eyes products — Yay for the Clinique Chubby Sticks!

If you haven’t tried the Clinique Chubby Sticks, get on it! They’re semi-sheer creams, so you don’t have to fuss too much with blending. I mainly use the eyeshadows and blush because I like the finishes. They’re super-forgiving and blur pores beautifully.

So ya want more color? No worries, just add layers and blend a little more ’til you get where you want to go. I find that I can really pack the eyeshadows and blushes on before they look heavy on my lids or cheeks, and before they break up into chunky patches on my skin.

I have combination skin — some oiliness — but it’s mostly dry on my cheeks and lids, and the blush fades faster than the eyeshadow, but they both last long enough to make it through a day without touching up.

clinique portly plum ample amber eyes down — I like big hoops and I cannot lie!

I’ve done this same exact look three or four times in the past couple weeks. Last time you saw it was a couple Saturday Surfings ago. It’s the same thing, different day, and I’m not mad about it. Because sometimes I think you’ve gotta lean into the predictability, especially when everything else feels crazy.

clinique portly plum ample amber eyes 1 — Same makeup, different day, but I’m OK with it.

I made myself put on makeup this morning (even though I didn’t want to at first), and I almost feel semi-normal today, which is a good thing, because if you ask my coworkers, I’ve been very crabby lately. But today, not so much. I may have already smiled a bunch of times. ???

Key products in this look

Base: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer in Tan, Kevyn Aucoin Super Natural Concealer in Medium ECO6, Clinique Airbrush Concealer in Medium Caramel

Eyes: Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tints in Portly Plum and Ample Amber, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara, MAC Broque Technakohl Liner, MAC Brow Set in Clear

Cheeks: Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in Amp’d Up Apple

Lips: NUDESTIX Lip + Cheek Balm in Ally

Tee: Long Live Lipstick Tee in Driftwood

A social distance date

Remember Milo the cat? He’s an orange and white kitty who lives in our neighborhood, and back in the pre-Rosie days he’d pop by our house and hang out in our kitchen. Anyway, Connor and I had an accidental social distance date with him yesterday afternoon. We were playing “zoo” in a grove of trees in our neighborhood, and when we looked up into the branches, there he was, just chillin’ like he was waiting for his cat ladies to show up.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Quad Crush! 5 Reasons to Commit to Clinique Going Steady

October 14th, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

clinique going steady quad — This $32 quad from Clinique is very much loved.

Question: do kids still say, “Will you go with me?” when they want to go steady? I’m asking for a very unhip friend (a.k.a. me).

Hmm… Now that I think about it, I also wonder if this still happens in person. Like, are kids texting to ask if someone wants to be their boyfriend or girlfriend now? Technology is crazy, man!

Anyway, I’m crushing on this $32 taupe eyeshadow palette from Clinique, and here are five reasons why you should be, too.

Fine lines say what? The softly shimmering satin finishes stay outta those fine lines.
A quad for all skin tones. Neither too warm nor too cool (Clinique is REALLY good at this; see their Teddy Quad) means that it works with almost all skin tones.
Taupe is dope. If you’re a MAC Satin Taupe die-hard, you’ll love this, because every shade is like a riff on Satin Taupe.
No panda eyes! Fallout is minimal (but still do your base first).
It’s not going anywhere. Going Steady is part of the Clinique permanent collection, so if it does become a staple, there’s no need to worry about it disappearing anytime soon.

[Continue reading…]

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Clinique All About Shadow Quad in Teddy Bear

August 2nd, 2019 by Karen 9 Comments

clinique teddy bear — “Yeah, don’t even TRY to take my palette. I’m warning you!”

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.

One of these Teddy Bears is not like the other (and it’s more comfy to hug).

But right now, I’m talking about the makeup one, and it’s a quad of all-matte eyeshadows from Clinique. If I were a betting gal…I’d wager that the Clinique All About Shadow Quad in Teddy Bear is probably better than the other neutral palette in your makeup bag, and it’s the most “neutral” of the neutral palettes I wear. The shadows are neither too warm nor too cool (they’re in the coveted Goldilocks Zone), and there’s very little burnt orange, brick red, gray or pink undertones in sight.

clinique teddy bear swatches — Yup, still an NC42 in MAC

The powder shadows in Teddy Bear are just as soft as the bear at the top of this post, and Clinique stuffed it with all of the basics to contour lids and add depth to eyes, including a matte beige bone, a matte golden brown, a peachy golden tan and a dark chocolate brown. In MAC-speak, I’d call these the matte (so, neither warm nor cool) equivalents of Brule, Soba, Soft Brown and Brown Down.

[Continue reading…]

Two $22 Liquid Liners Worthy of Wings

June 17th, 2019 by Karen 12 Comments

urban decay perversion waterproof liner — Easy to use and won’t quit on you.

I worked out hard for an hour at the crack of dawn, then showered in water hot enough to melt bones, AND THEN I gallivanted for an entire day wearing black cat-colored PERVERSION Waterproof Fine-Point liquid liner Eye Pen by Urban Decay, and not once did I look in the mirror and think, “Ew, gross… I should probably take this off.”

I’m now 100% convinced that I could enter my final resting pyramid (with all of my kitty companions, of course), explore the afterworld for 2,000 years, and then be discovered with my cat eye flicks shiny, glossy, pitch black and totally intact. Yes, this liner is that serious.

First, I should say that I’m a Clinique liquid liner fan through and through because of how easy it is to draw crisp edges with their flexible pen tip. I also love that their formula isn’t too runny and goes exactly where I want it to go. IMO, it’s the overall best liquid liner around, but I think UD PERVERSION is very nearly equally great. It matches Clinique’s iconic status, and it’s just as easy to use, but the final look has even more oomph. It’s blacker than Clinique’s, too, with a high shine finish vs. Clinique’s demi-matte, so it draws attention in a way Clinique’s does not.

Interestingly, both of them are also $22.

UD’s dries quicker, so you don’t have quite as much time to fix wonky wings, although you can always correct them with a Q-tip dipped in an oil-based remover, of course, or do what I do, which is just say, “Eff it” and go with it, man. Not everything’s gotta be Insta-perfect, and most of the time nobody’s gonna notice anyway, unless your wings are, like, totally perpendicular, LOL!

All told, I’d recommend the Clinique one if you want a subtle black liquid liner that’s totally foolproof, and the UD one if you want to make a bolder statement.

Either way, though, you can’t go wrong.

BOMB bread at Trader Joe’s

Now that’s a phrase I never thought I’d type, since almost all of the sliced bread I’ve ever gotten from TJ’s (with the exception of the brioche) has been nothing short of tragic.

trader joes organic whole wheat bread — Hella good

[Continue reading…]