Makeup

Trying the Jane Iredale Beyond Lash Volumizing Mascara, and Happy Friday!

November 5th, 2021 by Karen 3 Comments

jane iredale beyond lash mascara — A new mascara for volume by Jane Iredale

Happy Friday, friend! Question for ya: when it comes to mascara, do you tend to stick to the same thing, or do you like to bounce around and try different formulas? While I do have my favorites (here’s looking at you, Laura Mercier Caviar!), I’m always down to discover something new, especially if it’s the type of formula that maxes out volume. Jane Iredale’s new Beyond Lash Volumizing Mascara does just that. Two coats and my lashes look thicker and longer, and dare I say, beyond!

Some info on key ingredients

Bamboo Stem Powder: A natural alternative to nylon fibers, bamboo stem powder has been shown to help add length and volume to lashes.

Basil Root Extract: A strong antioxidant that helps lashes feel fuller and look healthier.

Rice Bran Wax: A vegetable wax used as a vegan alternative to beeswax that helps provide a strong yet flexible coating.

Additional info: Made without carbon black, parabens or teflon. Made from 98% naturally-derived ingredients.

— Jane Iredale PR

I appreciate the hourglass-shaped brush because the curves hug my lashes tightly and coat each lash from root to tip. I also like how lightweight and flexible my lashes feel after two coats.

jane iredale beyond lash mascara closeup — After two coats!

Because my fringe doesn’t have a lot of natural curl (thank goodness for lash curlers), I need lots of curl hold, and although this mascara has a good amount, I feel like it could use a little more. If you’re one of the lucky gals/guys blessed with plenty of natural curl, then you should be good to go. If you’re like me, then layer your favorite waterproof or curling mascara underneath first to retain that sky-high lift.

If you’re curious, a tube is $28, and there’s one shade to choose from, black. You can find it online and at Jane Iredale counters right meow!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Friday! TGIF!

Stuck on These Sticks

November 3rd, 2021 by Karen 18 Comments

laura mercier caviar stick eye color 2 — I should probably collect a few more colors, yeah?

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a Halloween for makeup lovers 👻💄– a day specifically for makeup aficionados where one could walk up to a house, ring the doorbell and squee, “Trick or Treat!” and the person at the door would hand out makeup? I’d go to the house handing out Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks over and over, ha ha ha! 😂

These have been my jam lately. You don’t even really need a brush to blend them! Fingers do just fine. Add a swipe of liner and a swish of mascara, and you’ve got a polished eye look in mere minutes.

That’s impressive!

I usually do a lighter color all over my lids and a darker color like Plum or Cocoa in the outer corner.

Please tell me you’ve got Cocoa in your makeup collection. I think it’s a must!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Face of the Day: Rosy Neutrals for Work With Laura Mercier

October 27th, 2021 by Karen 9 Comments

rosy neutrals for work laura mercier — Shimmering lids with matte cheeks and lips for a polished work look

Happy hump day! 🤗

So…this is my new favorite work look. I’m calling it “rosy neutrals,” and it’s been in steady rotation for the past couple weeks.

Cream shadows FTW

I stumbled onto it quite accidentally. See, I didn’t have any clean eye brushes around (story of my life), so I ended up grabbing a few Laura Mercier cream stick shadows and let my fingers do the blending.

Gotta love cream shadows, right? They’re great for those quick and easy eye looks! I’m thinking I need more LM cream stick shadows in my life ASAP. Do you have any favorites? I want to get some matte and shimmer finishes.

A multitasking blush/highlighter brush

OK, back to the brushes… Now that I think about it, I actually only used a total of two brushes for this look — a fan powder brush to dust some MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, and a split fiber brush to blend and apply my blush and highlighter (Laura Mercier Ginger Blush and Indiscretion Illuminator).

Have you ever used a split fiber face brush? They’re interesting. One side of the brush has bristles that are better for more intense application, and the other side has another type of bristle better for more diffused application.

MAC makes one I use and love called the 127 Synthetic Split Fiber Face Brush. To apply blush with it, I use the side with the tan bristles (the more intense side), and for highlighter, I go with the black bristles (the diffused side). To blend, I sweep the tip of the brush to buff out any hard edges.

It’s a pricey brush at $37, but it’s a workhorse IMHO! Worth the investment. I use it almost daily.

Speaking of workhorses…

If you’re on the market for a rosy brown neutral, you need to get Laura Mercier’s Nu Prefere Lipstick into your life! If you’re a MAC Velvet Teddy girl, you’re going to LOVE this shade. It’s a lot like MAC Velvet Teddy, but a little pinker (more pink?), so it’s slightly brighter with a little more sheen. I also think Laura Mercier’s Rouge Essential Creme Lipstick formula is a tad more user-friendly and isn’t as drying as the MAC Matte Lipsticks are.

Makeup worn in this look

Eyes: Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colors in Wild Rose and Kiss From a Rose (inner corner), and Rose Thorn (outer corner); Ilia Clean Gel Liner in Dusk (tightline), Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Mascara, Chanel Boy de Chanel Eyebrow Pencil in Brown

Cheeks: Laura Mercier Blush Color Infusion in Ginger, Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Indiscretion

Lips: Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Lipstick in Nu Prefere

Base: Laura Mercier Tinted Moiturizer in Wheat, Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfectiong Foundation, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden

Skin care prep: Laura Mercier Refining Creme Polish, Laura Mercier Illuminating Eye Creme, Laura Mercier Multi-tasking Moisturizer, Nourishing Rose Oil, Laura Mercier Hydrating Lip Balm, Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer

I’m having the craziest week!

I’m talking deadlines upon deadlines at work, and lots of quick, last-minute turnarounds. I’m trying to get through it with a smile on my face! 😅

It helps when I force myself to take breaks, and I actually schedule them into my day. When a break comes around, I make myself take a walk so I’m not tempted to do anything else productive. Haha.

While I walk, I often listen to music, and here’s what I had on rotation yesterday:

Take me back…

The more I listen to this, the more I hear old-school MJ!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

Checking In: M2U NYC Eye Primer, Sugar Rush Eyeliner, Beauty Advice From Mom and Cute Hair Accessories

October 15th, 2021 by Karen 8 Comments

If you’re going to keep a tube of lipstick on your desk so you can touch up before video calls, then you should probably also remember to check your teeth for lipstick before you start said video call! — and that, my friend, is your daily makeup advice from the virtual beauty-loving sister you never wanted but ended up with anyway, ha ha ha! 😹

bowl of lipsticks — Bold lips will save us all

The other day at work, we were talking about makeup, and one of my coworkers mentioned that when she was growing up her mom was always dressed to the nines before she left the house, even if she was just going to the grocery store. She said her mom would always drop these nuggets of beauty advice, like “Never go outside with your curlers on,” and “Always put on lipstick before you leave the house.” This, of course, blew my mind, because when I was a tween and teen, I got all my advice from “Seventeen” magazine… I think when I was about eight my mom told me to put some lotion on my legs before I went outside to play, and that was the extent of my beauty education at home.

What sort of beauty advice do you remember your mom giving you?

Speaking of makeup, I tried a couple more things that are new to me from the Ipsy box — an affordable $8 (!) eye makeup primer from an indie, cruelty-free brand called M2U NYC. The brand is similar to e.l.f. in pricing and style.

The primer has the same texture and finish as Urban Decay’s eye primer, and while I like how light it feels on my lids and how it blends into my skin, I’m not blown away by it. I do see a little bit of creasing toward the end of the day when I wear it with the Vizart Petite Pro Un Palette.

I also tried an eyeliner from the Sugar Rush Line, which is Tarte’s new-ish sister line. Easy on the Eyes is a twist-up gel pencil with a built-in sharpener on the other end. I like the rich black color and how quickly it dries (less than a minute!), but I find that the tip isn’t thin enough to really reach near the base of my lashes.

sugar rush easy on the eyes — Sugar Rush Easy on the Eyes liner in Black

Before I head out, one last thing (it’s hair related): I keep seeing these cute scrunchies with what appears to be a long scarf attached to them, so when you put your hair up, it looks like you tied a scarf in it… I really want this one!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Checking In: Another Tube of Avene Mineral Sunscreen, Danessa Myricks Colorfix and Holiday Sets

October 8th, 2021 by Karen 3 Comments

Hi, guys! Happy Friday. It was kind of a slow week on this end, beauty wise, and the only remotely exciting thing I did was buy another bottle of Avene Solaire SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen. Side note: am I the only person that gets excited about sunscreen?

Anyway, this is my second bottle, and I’m pretty sure eventually a third bottle will be in my future in the next few months because it’s the best non-tinted mineral face sunscreen I’ve found so far. It doesn’t leave a white cast, absorbs into my skin quickly and isn’t drying at all.

FYI, the finish is slightly dewy, but not sparkly, so if you prefer a matte look, something like Bliss Block Star might be a better fit.

I popped in and out of Sephora yesterday to check out the Danessa Myricks Color Fix Pigments! Unfortunately the store closest to me only had, like, five shades, and they were all colors that didn’t do anything for my soul, so I didn’t pull the trigger.

I also had ice cream melting in the back of my car (FYI, I’m the “ice cream lady” at Connor’s school) so I didn’t have time to stick around and play. I’m going to try to stop by on the weekend.

Oh, on my way out I noticed holiday kits already out on the shelves! I know that we’ll all collectively blink and suddenly the holidays will be here, but I’m not quite ready yet to do any Christmas shopping. How about you? I also know myself way too well. I’d buy kits allegedly for others and just end up keeping them, ha ha ha!

I hope you’re having a great Friday so far! TGIF!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

This Week’s Makeup and Hair Uniform: Monochromatic Makeup With a Casual Braided Crown

October 5th, 2021 by Karen 12 Comments

ilia multi use pigment — I’m wearing Ilia Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Temptation on my lids, lips and cheeks

Good morning and happy Tuesday! I’m trying a new makeup and hair uniform this week — monochromatic lids, lips and cheeks with a casual braided crown.

I used a multi-use cream by Ilia in a warm coral pink to easily pull the makeup together before a video meeting. Technically the cream is designed to be worn as blush and lipstick, but I decided to wear it as an eyeshadow just for fun. I see makeup artists doing this kind of thing all the time so I’m comfortable with experimenting, but ya know, you do you!

So, this hairstyle. I call it a “casual braided crown” because it’s one of those looks that’s supposed to be a little messy. I didn’t really realize just how messy it was until I took a pic of the back, OMG!

I just made this face when I realized the craziness happening back there…

Nobody on video calls actually sees the back of your head so I’m totally fine with it, but I’m seriously cracking up with how crazy it is, LOL!

Anyway, anybody else trying a “uniform” this week?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

#FoundationFocus: Mostly Matte With a Subtle Pink Sheen Using MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 and Strobe Cream in Pinklite

September 29th, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

mac studio fix nc 42 k final look 2 — Natural-looking skin with a classic MAC foundation

This MAC classic foundation is still one of my favorites!

I threw it waaaaaaay back to the old school today with MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation.

C’mon, MAC girls, I know y’all went through a phase when you wore this for a minute. I know I totally did! It was my jam back in the day. I’m talking late ’90s, early 2000s. It was the first MAC Foundation I ever tried.

Oh, the trouble I got into while wearing this… So great. 😉

macfixfam — MAC Studio Fix Fluid — old school and effective!

Full-coverage matte MAC Studio Fix Fluid is THE foundation I think of when I picture classic full-on glam MAC makeup, but here’s the deal: it’s surprisingly flexible. You can easily change the look of it if you’re feeling creative, which is how I was feeling this morning after I watched this video with MAC Artist Nemah Hasan.

She mixes Studio Fix Fluid Foundation with Pinklite Strobecream…

So genius, right? Why didn’t I ever think to try that?

Anyway, it inspired me, so today I put my own spin on it. I did a mostly matte, skin-focused makeup look with a subtle pink sheen. I think it’s quite sheer and natural looking, which I’ve been loving lately.

Here’s how I did the foundation…

1. Prep your skin first by spritzing a few sprays of moisturizing MAC Prep + Prime Fix+.

LOL! I look like I just emerged from an ocean swim in this pic! My face is drenched. For the record, it’s not easy to take a self-portrait when you’re spraying your face with Fix+.

I do this to moisturizing my skin and make the foundation look smoother.

2. Prime your skin with MAC Prep + Prime Skin.

Today was my first time trying this smoothing face primer. The colorless formula contains tiny, seductive sparkles that I can’t really see once they’re blended in, unless I look very closely. I like it. It smooths ‘ze pores while delicately blessing you with radiance. Ah…

mac prep primes skin k — Don’t forget to let it dry before applying foundation.

3. Mix equal parts MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation and MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite.

mac studio fix strobe cream pinklight brush — MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 in NC42, MAC Strobecream in Pinklite, and the 190 Foundation Brush

Adding Pinklite Strobe Cream sheers out the Studio Fix Fluid a bit.

I wanted to keep the sheen on my cheeks and chin, so, when I was done with the foundation, I set my forehead and the sides of my nose with a little MAC Mineralize Slinfinish Natural in Medium Golden using a MAC 140S Synthetic Fan Brush.

mac 190 foundation brush — I mixed equal parts on the back of my hand.

mac studio fix nc42 k — Fingers work too, but I was feeling fancy today.

[Continue reading…]