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Makeup

Try Pairing Liquid Eyeshadow With Liquid Eyeliner for Lots of Bang For Your Makeup Buck, and More Chat About Hobbies!

January 19th, 2022 by Karen 12 Comments

rare beauty stay vulnerable nearly neutral
Hi there!

Good morning, friend! I’m still on my liquid eyeshadow kick. I’m wearing Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow in Nearly Neutral and Clinique Pretty Easy Liner in Brown. This is my new favorite way of getting of lots of bang for my makeup buck — a liquid eyeshadow and liquid liner combo. It’s not too fussy and at the end of it, I feel very put together, especially when I do a monochromatic makeup look like the one pictured above.

Makeup worn in this look

  • Eyes: Rare Beauty Liquid Eyeshadow in Nearly Natural, Clinique Pretty Easy Liner in Brown, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara (side note: I’m not loving this as much as I used to), Chanel Boy Eyebrow Pencil in Deep Brown
  • Base: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Wheat, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden, Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid in Sand and Rare Beauty Blush in Nearly Apricot
  • Lip: MAC Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour in A Little Tamed

Remember a few weeks ago when we talked about hobbies? I’ve been thinking a lot about the conversations we had in the comments, and I’ve decided to start slow and take it easy. My natural inclination is to jump into a challenging hobby, like rock climbing or learning a new language, but since this is the year I’m going to treat myself with extra gentleness and TLC (that’s my plan and I’m sticking to it!), I’ve decided to do something different.

All the hobbies I explore have to be simple, easy and fun. Here’s what I got so far:

Reading fiction purely for pleasure.

I’ve always loved to read, but then somehow along the way I got the idea that if I read a book, I had to review it here on MBB or on social media to make it worth my time. I’m going to let that go. If I really love something and want to talk about, sure, I’ll do that. No pressure, though.

coycoy reading in lady sanctuary
Fun, fun, fun

Listening to podcasts.

I mean, is this even considered a hobby? I don’t know, but I like doing it, and I can listen while I’m walking, doing my hair or washing dishes. My current favorite podcast is NPR Life Kit. I like that the shows are 20 minutes or less and how I always learn something interesting or new. I recently just listened to one on what to do if your car ever gets caught in a flash flood!

Walking.

Sometimes I listen to a podcast, sometimes I just enjoy the sounds around me outside.

sonoma plaza ka walking
Let’s go for a walk!

I’ve also recently bought an adult coloring book! I set an alarm to remind myself to do it every couple days, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.

I think eventually I’ll have more time and more energy to open myself up to hobbies that push me more. For now, I think this is a good start.

Have you picked up any new hobbies recently? Or would you like to talk about a hobby that you do and love? Please let me know in the comments. I think it’s interesting and also very important that we do things solely just for us, and I’m going to make that a priority this year.

I hope you’re having a super Wednesday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup, Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

5 Reasons to Love Bright Lipstick

January 18th, 2022 by Karen 5 Comments

dog lipstick
Too cute

1. It does so much makeup heavy lifting.

I swear, I can get away with wearing so much less makeup when I’m wearing a bright lip. I can feel completely put together with just a bright lipstick, mascara and concealer.

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 1
Honest Beauty Happiness Lipstick

2. Bright lipstick shouts however you’re feeling out loud to the world.

A smile is that much bigger and brighter with a bright lip.

mac billion dollar smile makeup uniform
MAC Billion Dollar Smile

3. It’s a classic.

Red lipstick never goes out of style!

chanel rouge allure rebelle
Rouge Allure in 172 Rouge Rebelle

4. The long-wearing matte formulas have improved so much.

They last through water, coffee, cat kisses…

mac quite the standout feels so grand mac smash
Time for some red!

5. They’re just so fun to collect!

You can never have enough. 🙂

mac lipsticks at union square store
Is there even such a thing as too many brights?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Lips, Makeup

5 Things I Love About Liquid Eyeshadow

January 13th, 2022 by Karen 5 Comments

ilia saie september 202 -k2
From the mascara wand: Saie Mascara 101, Ilia Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Temptation, Ilia Clean Line Gel LIner in Dusk and Ilia Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint in Fresco

1. The packaging’s cute.

Plus, if by some weird coincidence one needed to defend themselves using solely the contents of a makeup bag, I feel like chucking an Ilia Liquid Eyeshadow with all my might would do more damage than a pan of MAC Soft Brown, ya know? There’s some weight to those tubes!

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora
Rare Beauty Liquid Eyeshadow in Nearly Neutral

2. You have SO many options.

You can keep it simple and just wear a single liquid shadow shade as is on your lids, or you can make things deliciously complicated by layering other liquids, creams, pencils or powder shadows on top, aka, the story of my life. How many times have I said to myself, “K-Dawg, we’re just going to use this matte liquid taupe and call it a day,” only to have it turn into a whole thing with cat liner, three shades in the crease and a smudged lower lash line? TOO. MANY.

wander beauty exquisite eye liquid shadow swatches
I went through a phase when I was really into these liquid shadows by Wander Beauty

3. The liquid doe foot applicators.

Seriously, why is the sensation of a doe foot on my lid so soothing? It’s like having a tiny bunny paw lovingly caress my face. I’m also very grateful for the precision that doe foots offer now that my lids are getting more hooded seemingly by the second. I have to be very careful with where I place my color these days, and a doe foot from a liquid shadow offers more control than a brush loaded with powder shadow.

chanel desert wind black wood swatch
Love me some taupe! That’s Chanel Desert Wind liquid eyeshadow, by the way.

4. Eye primer? What even is that?

As someone who’s enthusiastically worn eye makeup for most of her life, I’ve gotta say, in the last 10 years, liquid eyeshadows have just gotten better and better in terms of wear time. I remember in the ’90s and early Aughts how it would just disappear from your lids into some mysterious makeup black hole. Now, there’s so many long-wearing liquids that last from morning ’til night. It’s glorious!

5. There are so many finishes and colors to choose from!

Matte, satin, shimmer, and oh, all of the brights, neutrals and everything in between. The possibilities are endless!

What do you love about liquid eyeshadow, and which ones are your favorites? My go-to shades as of late are Ilia Fresco (a satiny taupe) and Rare Beauty Nearly Neutral (a warm pinkish beige).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Hey, friend! How’s it going? I’ve been deep in a project at work with a deadline that’s just around the corner (this Friday), so I’ve been glued to my chair. Things have been OK on this end, although I’m having major 2020 flashbacks right now because Omicron’s surging in our neck of the woods. We’re doing all the things we used to do ’round this time two years ago–anticipating school shutting down, ordering groceries online, avoiding busy places, desperately searching for paper towels… Same sh*t, different year. Sigh. We’re living in a unique time in history, that’s for sure!

Stay healthy, stay safe, stay fabulous.

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Chanel, Eyes, Ilia, Just For Fun, Makeup, Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez, Wander Beauty

MAC Unsung Heroes: Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow

January 12th, 2022 by Karen 7 Comments

mac swiss chocolate eyeshadow
Got a sweet tooth?

I was at the gym last week when we started talking about desserts (These are the things you do when you hang out with a bunch of people who do HIIT together. You talk about desserts!), and the teacher, Nicol, said that if you put anything chocolaty in front of her, she’s basically toast.

I’m the same way with chocolate desserts AND eyeshadow, and especially MAC Swiss Chocolate Eyeshadow.

mac swiss chocolate swatch
Chocolatey delicious

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.

Oh, my goodness, I’ve been wearing this shades for eons! — and I start busting it out more often in the fall because I love the way it looks with vampy fall berry, burgundy, purple and wine lip shades. A little MAC Swiss Chocolate added to your eyeshadow mix ties everything together in a DEEEEE-luscious chocolate bow.

mac swiss chocolate heroine 1
I’m wearing Swiss Chocolate in my crease and MAC Heroine Lipstick

[Continue reading…]

There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Unsung Heroes

Friday FOTD Vibes: Unexpectedly Glittery

January 7th, 2022 by Karen 9 Comments

rare beauty discovery eyeshadow palette

I totally didn’t expect this look to end up so glittery and pink, but hey, it’s Friday, so might as well, right?

I’m using the new Rare Beauty products I picked up earlier this week! As you can see, the Discovery Eyeshadow Palette in True to Myself leans very warm. Not my usual style as of late (I’ve been really into cool tones), but I’m having fun with it.

rare beauty swatches

Did you notice the variety of intensity in the eyeshadows? The two darkest shades (the matte reddish brown and the matte plum) are on the sheerer side, which I don’t mind, because it makes it easier for me to control the level of intensity.

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

I find that as I get wiser in years, I have to be much more careful when I wear darker shadows; if the shadows go too dark and intense, my hooded lids appear heavier. So, I gotta go easy, and build that color slowly, steadily!

rare beauty discovery eyeshadow palette

It’s a rainy, overcast day here in Marin county, so I’m happy to be wearing sparkles. 🙂

I hope your Friday is going great so far!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), Makeup, Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

A 10-Minute Makeup Look With Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

January 6th, 2022 by Karen 23 Comments

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

Yesterday I had a DAY (work has been a little challenging), so I did some therapy of the retail variety at Sephora! I picked up some products from Rare Beauty, a vegan and cruelty-free makeup line by actress, singer (and cooking show host!) Selena Gomez.

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

After reading your nice comments on the 5-minute real life FOTD post the other day, I realized that many of you have the same take on makeup as I do at the moment — you love it, but don’t want to necessarily spend a ton of time putting it on.

That’s why I ended up grabbing a few pieces that I thought would work for fast and fresh looks…

  • Rare Beauty Discovery Eyeshadow Palette — I liked the variety of finishes. Matte, glitter and shimmer!
  • Rare Beauty Melting Blush in Nearly Apricot — This formula is supposed to be kind to dry skin.
  • Rare Beauty Nearly Natural Cream Eyeshadow — A matte, warm beige. It kinda reminds me of MAC Soft Brown, but in cream shadow form.
  • Rare Beauty Dewy Lip Balm in Empathy — Don’t laugh, but I bought this mostly because I liked the name.

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

rare beauty by selena gomez sephora

Have you tried anything from this brand? What do you like/don’t like?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 23 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), Makeup, Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

Braids, a Bright Lip and Blush Blended With Bronzer

January 4th, 2022 by Karen 15 Comments

I’ve been hesitant to post any FOTD’s lately because I don’t feel like the makeup I wear on a daily basis is fancy enough. Most of the looks I’ve been wearing are in the “five minute makeup range” these days, but ya know what? I figure I can’t be the only person out there who loves fast, fresh real-life looks. Like, I just got off a video call 15 minutes ago and this was the makeup I was wearing! Hello, real life. So here we go!

I want to call out a couple things. The lipstick is a workhorse liquid lipstick I love, Honest Beauty Liquid Lipstick in Goddess. If you’re into bright corals that light up your face in an instant, you need it in your life ASAP. It’s non-drying and totally comfy.

Another makeup item of note: for a quick hit of color on your cheeks, load up your blush brush with bronzer and blush. I just take my blush brush and dip it into both pans and then swirl the mix onto my apples. It’s the fastest way for me to get a good amount of color on my face without having to deal with layering and blending. Here I mixed Laura Mercier Blush in Rose with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Give Me Sun.

I’m about to jump on my second video meeting of the day! How’s your Tuesday going?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), Honest Beauty, MAC Makeup, Makeup

MAC Unsung Heroes: Costa Riche Eye Kohl

December 29th, 2021 by Karen 3 Comments

mac costa riche
Wearing $16 MAC Costa Riche Eye Kohl on my lower lash lines

I’ll be paying a visit to the MAC Pro Store this week as part of a super-secret spy girl mission tomorrow (stay tuned!), which means that poor El Hub will be left to play outside on his phone while I clear out the store’s inventory of MAC Costa Riche.

How many times have I talked about this Eye Kohl…? Five? Six? Two dozen?

It is well past time for me to give it the Unsung Heroes treatment. 🙂

A warm golden brown Eye Kohl in the MAC permanent line, Costa Riche has been my brown eyeliner bae since late 2013.

Seeing as how I fall in love with new products every other week (sorry, it’s true), you might think that my obsession with it would have waned, but nooo. I still reach for Costa Riche at least three or four times a week because 1) it goes well with so many different eyeshadows, and 2) it feels good on my lash and water lines (when my eyes are irritated and/or watering due to allergies or something else, Costa Riche is one of the few things I can still wear that won’t make things worse).

And it does so much for different eye colors. Brown eyes look more chocolatey, and blue, green, hazel and gray eyes rock it, too. I think it brings out more beauty in all of them and makes your natural eye color stand out.

I’ve never met a person who hates how they look in Costa Riche. It’s the people’s liner!
[Continue reading…]

There are 3 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Makeup, Unsung Heroes

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