Makeup

Checking In: Creative Mascara Placement, a Makeup Uniform and Jones Road Beauty

September 28th, 2021 by Karen 18 Comments

mac fashion legacy winged liner coycoy — With my co-pilots!

I tried to take this picture by myself, but my sidekick and her sidekick (his name is Teddy, by the way, and he goes on all the adventures these days!) wanted in on the action.

Creative mascara placement

I realized a couple of makeup related things yesterday. Beauty epiphanies, so to speak. First of all, let’s talk mascara. Specifically, mascara placement!

I read somewhere that applying mascara just to the outer half of your upper lashes — and leaving the inner half completely bare — makes your eyes appear more lifted, because the thicker lashes draw all the attention to the outer corner. I tried it yesterday, and lo and behold, it totally works!

It’s a small tweak, and probably more obvious to people who love makeup, but I definitely see a difference.

It’s such an automatic habit for me to coat every single lash with mascara, though, so I don’t know how long I’ll keep it up, but I do like the effect. Try it! And then let me know if you see a difference.

A makeup uniform

I’ve decided to also try something new this week — a makeup uniform. I’m wearing a similar eye and cheek every day — blackish-brown winged liner, mascara on the outer half of the upper lashes and a wash of warm blush — with a different bold lipstick each day of the week. Yesterday was a warm bright red, MAC Fashion Legacy.

I really need to simply my mornings, and I think wearing a different lip with the same eye and cheek will provide me with some flexibility, while still giving me structure. I might be bored by Wednesday, but eh, I’ll try it anyway. If it works, maybe next week I’ll wear the same lipstick, and swap out different shades of bright winged linger.

Jones Road Beauty?

One last thing. I’m contemplating a few things from Bobbi Brown’s new-ish minimalist makeup line, Jones Road Beauty. Have you tried anything yet? I’m interested in the eyeliner (it won an Allure Best of Beauty Award), the Miracle Balm (although I’m not quite sure what it is exactly… A foundation? A blush? A bronzer?) and the Lip and Cheek Stick. If you’ve found anything good, please be sure to drop a comment for me below.

Have a good Tuesday, and talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product Spotlight: Ilia Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm in Runaway

September 22nd, 2021 by Karen 6 Comments

ilia runaway — Seriously, one of the best “throw it on and go” lip colors!

If you have any plans to start your holiday shopping early, girlfriend, I’m going to support that 100%! I’m currently on a kick where I do things hella early, as in waaaay before they’re due, and I flat-out love it (more on this in a few).

Going back to the holiday shopping… May I suggest you start with this lovely little number from Ilia for your friends and fellow makeup lovers? I love it so much I’ve given it as a birthday present twice, and I already intend to put it in a Christmas stocking or two.

Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm in Runaway ($28) is a neutral rosy nude with a creamy finish and subtle shine. It’s more pigmented than most lip balms but less intense than a typical lipstick, and you know what? It’s absolutely fabulous and just so easy to wear. I’ve worn it in pretty much all of my work meetings over the last couple days… Have there been four? Or was it five? Seriously, I’ve lost count. I forgot that working with other people means a whole lotta meetings. Thankfully, this lip balm looks great on camera and in real life, and I’ve been wearing it a ton!

It’s lightweight yet moisturizing, so my lips feel good when I’m wearing it, and I also like the light vanilla flavor and scent. The whole vibe is very comfy, like stretchy pants, except for…your lips.

And the color? Now, this might sound gross, but for some reason I really like lip colors that are the same color as my gums! Weird, I know, but “gummy pinks” light up my face. It’s very my-lips-but-better, and I suspect that this particular shade will work across a wide range of skin tones.

Fittingly, it’s called a lip balm, which I think makes it sound a little less intimidating and more approachable than a full-on lipstick. Sure, it’s less intense than something full-coverage like Stila Beso, but when all I want is a quick touchup, I’ll grab Runaway over Beso any day of the week because it requires less precision.

I purchased Runaway at Sephora because I wanted the option to return it, but next time I think I’ll go to the Ilia website instead. I heard they had a Black Friday Sale last year with 20% off everything. If they do that again, I’ll be there.

OK, so, back to doing stuff and showing up early…it’s my new favorite thing in the whole wide world! Lately, I’ve been showing up to appointments 15-20 minutes early — from dropping Connor off at school, to going to meetings, to arriving to school-related events — and my world is forever changed. Parking has been easier, I’m not stressed out about showing up late, and it just feels great being one of the first to arrive. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if I’m there early, I’m a happy camper! 😊

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy first day of fall! 🍂

Ilia The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Nude

September 17th, 2021 by Karen 10 Comments

ilia the necessary eyeshadow palette cool nude — The Ilia Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Nude

I wonder… At what point in history did the word “cool” turn into a way to say that you liked something?

“Keanu Reeves asked you to marry him? That’s cool.”

“Wait, you adopted a fifth cat? SO COOL!”

“How cool is that Ilia eyeshadow palette?”

Cue segue into today’s review! 😂

The Ilia Cool Nudes palette is pretty cool — both in terms of color temp and how cool it is to use — and it’s all about easygoing eyes.

It comes with six moderately pigmented powder shadows. You get:

A matte nude beige
A shimmering bronze-taupe
A matte lavender gray
A matte cool brown
A matte burgundy
A shimmery dark golden violet

Ilia wrapped everything up in a very sleek but simple, modern-looking white case with a mirror.

ilia cool palette swatches — The Ilia Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Cool Nude swatched on my skin (I’m an NC42 in MAC)

First, these shadows blend like they mean it! No harsh lines here. I do a few swishes with a tapered blending brush, and I’m good to go.

Next, there’s barely any fallout from them, and the wear time is quite good. After a long day, I’ll see only slight creasing on my lids. My lids are dry, by the way, so I usually skip primer.

It’s a more natural look and perfectly in line with Ilia’s laid-back aesthetic. I’m guessing that Ilia purposefully designed the pigments to be only moderately punchy, which I appreciate when I only want a little something on my lids, and I don’t plan on taking pics (more on this in a second).

If you enjoy wearing color but prefer eye looks that define and highlight your lids without screaming “I’m obvious,” you’ll probably like it too. I think fans of the Clinique quads — which have a very similar vibe — will be into it. It’s a total errands-work-everyday piece.

With all that said, however, I’m not a fan of the way this palette photographs. The shadows simply don’t pop in pics like Honest Beauty’s Get It Together Palette does (my current go-to).

I took a few pictures of the eyeshadows the other day, and while I could see them in real life, I looked like I was barely wearing any eye makeup at all in the pics. On their own, the shadows mustn’t be vibrant enough to handle flash photography on my skin unless I do trickery to amplify the pigments, like by layering a base primer underneath them and using a wet eyeshadow brush.

Bottom line? I like it. This palette is lovely for casual makeup and everyday eye looks, but IMHO it’s not really for special occasions. Mind you, I think it’s purposefully designed that way, so I say go for it if wearable, everyday eyeshadow is your thing.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

September 16th, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

mac mineralize skinfinish natural — MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Tan and a Chanel travel0size face brush

I’ve been wearing the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powders for years, and hands down, they’re one of my favorite things about the line.

MAC has a looot of face powders, and I think many of them are rock solid performers (see: MAC Blot and Careblends Pressed), but if you and I were at a counter at this very moment, and you asked me, “What’s your favorite, best-of-the-best, most natural-looking, comfortable MAC face powder available now?” I’d say one thing: the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Naturals.

Depending on which color you choose, you can use the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural line of baked pressed mineral powders for a number of different things, like cutting down on shine, evening out your skin tone, blurring pores, bronzing, and setting your foundation and/or concealer.

They have a semi-matte finish and a moderate amount of pigment, but they can be sheered down. They’re available in the permanent line in 15 shades for $32 each.

In MAC parlance, I’m an NC42, and I have combination skin that ventures between oily and dry. I wear the color Medium Tan as my face setting powder daily, and I also use Give Me Sun sometimes as a bronzer.

mac mineralize skinfinish medium tan — MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Tan on my NC42 skin

I love so many things about this powder! — but I’m going to try to keep this short (yeah right, Karen), because otherwise we’d be here ’til next Tuesday. 🙂

The gist of it is this: in powder-land, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is my current favorite powder across the board — not just from MAC — for casual, dewy, natural-looking skin.

I’ve worn it for everyday makeup looks, big events, pictures, HD video, daytime work meetings, dinner dates and taking Rosie out for her walks, and I think it looks just as good on camera as it does in real life. Unlike many pressed powder formulas, the Mineralize Skinfinish Naturals look more like loose powders than pressed powders when they’re sitting on the skin.

After having taken a zillion pictures over the years, I think that loose powders generally look better than pressed powders in person and in pics — softer, I guess. Less like makeup and more like real skin. But MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural bucks that trend. When I wear it, my skin looks even toned, smooth, and it doesn’t look shiny (nor does it look severely matte). The powder also doesn’t look super obvious.

The effect reminds me of Chanel’s Loose Powder, which is absolutely beautiful, but Chanel’s powder is also 1) much more expensive ($52 vs. $32 for this), 2) available in fewer shades.

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Two Things to Try If You Get Stuck While Decluttering Your Makeup

September 9th, 2021 by Karen 9 Comments

ilia saie september 2021 — Out with the old, in with the new!

Hi, friend. You may or may have been around last week when I mentioned the plateau I’d hit in my ongoing makeup decluttering process.

Quick recap, but I’ve been working on it since early summer, and for reasons I don’t fully understand yet (and perhaps never will), I’ve reached the event horizon of said process. In other words, I’m at the point where it’s become just really hard for me to say goodbye to things I never actually use.

I want to power through it and, quite frankly, I’m tired of looking at the totes piled up in the corner of my dining room! — so I’ve been thinking deeply about next steps.

Last weekend, I stumbled upon a couple of ideas that seemed to help the process along, including 1) physically putting myself into the decluttering process by opening the totes and standing there amongst them, and 2) using good old-fashioned bribery to motivate myself.

These are strategies I’ve employed before to get moving on projects, and I know they work well for me when it comes to projects I don’t necessarily want to do. I’ve found them very useful for powering through plateaus.

Put yourself into the situation (quite literally)

So, with all the old makeup in the totes, what I’ve been doing is unstacking each tote — which isn’t an easy task, mind you, because they’re big and heavy — and opening them all up in the dining room. Then, I stand there amongst them for a few minutes.

Most of the time after standing there twiddling my thumbs for a few minutes, I get down to business. It sounds so simple and basic, but sometimes that passive aggressive push is all it takes to get moving.

I started doing this trick in high school when I was in band. I’d go through phases when I didn’t want to practice whatever instrument du jour I was into at the time. (Side note: I was a massive music nerd and played a bunch of instruments, but in high school band, I mostly played flute. Anywho!)

I never quite learned how to play the drums, though. Also, vintage CoyCoy!

Whenever I’d go through one of those spells, I’d physically put myself into a practice situation by setting up my music stand and my sheet music, and getting all set to go. Then, I’d sit down, open my flute case, put my flute together, and proceed to tell myself that if after sitting for five minutes I still didn’t want to practice, I could put everything away and go do whatever else I wanted.

Most of the time, like 99% of the time, I’d end up practicing because I figured I was already there. Might as well do it at that point since I made the effort to set everything up. 😉

The idea of “physically putting myself into a situation” is also helpful when I feel like bailing on a workout. I’ll sausage myself into my workout clothes and shoes, wrangle my hair into a bun, set out my mat and whatever weights I might need, and fill up my water bottle. Then I’ll stand there, quite literally, until I realize, “What the hell; I’m already here. I might as well get started.”

Try it the next time you need a little motivation.

Good ol’-fashioned bribery

The second motivational strategy I use is one that really helps me — using bribery as a reward!

Years ago I did a half marathon, and at the start of every week, I’d write down how many miles I wanted to train that week and on which days I planned to run those miles. If by the end of the week I hit all my goals, I’d treat myself to a meal at my favorite sushi restaurant or would buy myself a piece of clothing or a new pen and a notebook.

Last weekend, I started telling myself that if I decluttered a certain number of items, I could then purchase one new thing, and I ended up decluttering a ton and rewarded myself with a trip to Sephora and Ulta.

Here’s the key though: writing everything down so you track your progress! (Tip: it helps to use cute steno.)

Every time things go out, I write “# things removed = 1 new piece of makeup.”

Another key to this is to reward yourself as soon as possible after accomplishing your goal. I’ve found that the quicker I reward myself, the easier it is to stay motivated.

Also, um…I do realize the irony in rewarding myself with new makeup for getting rid of old makeup, and I absolutely DO NOT WANT to find myself in a situation where all the totes are just refilled again. I want to be more careful and selective about the makeup I keep in my space and my life from this point forward. I only want to have items I actually use and love.

That’s my plan and I’m sticking to it. 😊

So far, I’m loving the Ilia Color Haze Blush and the Liquid Powder Eye Tint!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Easygoing, Effortless Daytime Makeup With Ilia and Saie

September 8th, 2021 by Karen 14 Comments

I treated myself to some new makeup last weekend — a taupe cream shadow, a matte coral-pink cheek and lip cream, a brown pencil liner and a new mascara.

ilia saie september 2021 k3 — Swatches from the top: Ilia Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint in Fresco, Ilia Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Temptation, Ilia Clean Line Gel Liner in Dusk and Saie Mascara 101

I’m still in the “getting to know you” stage with everything, but here are some quick thoughts on these pieces, all which are part of Ilia’s and Saie’s permanent collections.

Ilia Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint in Fresco: So good! Pigmented and easy to blend, with a crease-free formula that lasts. The sheen finish is forgiving on fine lines, too.
Ilia Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Temptation: Where has this been all my life? It’s long-lasting on cheeks and lips, and a little goes a long way. Blends and layers like a dream.
Ilia Clean Line Gel Liner in Dusk: I bought this mostly because the color reminds me of MAC Coffee, and I like the twist-up packaging. It stays on my lash and waterlines all day long.
Saie Mascara 101: Just OK. Great length and decent lift, no flaking or smudging. Easy to remove. I could use more of a volume boost, though, especially at the roots.

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

ilia saie september 2021 k1 — I popped on a little bit of gloss (Chanel Rouge Coco in Physical) on top of the lip pigment just for fun!

I’ve liked what I’ve tried from Ilia so far, and so I just added these things to my wish list.
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Some Makeup Inspiration

September 3rd, 2021 by Karen 9 Comments

estee lauder 80s vibes — Some makeup inspiration

Earlier this week, I sat down to put on makeup and…after an awkwardly long pause and “Hmm…” realized I’m majorly lacking in inspiration. The proverbial makeup “well” hath runneth bone dry.

BONE. DRY.

My creativity needs a boost, so I found a stack of Allure mags and bookmarked a few looks, starting with the one in this Estée Lauder lipstick ad.

I’m getting a very ’80s vibe, and it’s working for me! The bold, glossy red statement lip; massive shoulder pads; the big jewelry. Sign me up!

I like:

The sheen on her inner lids
The strong liner on her upper lash line and the outer half of her lower lash line
Her Brooke Shields brows!

I also love the lack of heavy-handed bronzer and “highlights from space.”

Also, you might also notice that the model’s eye makeup isn’t perfectly symmetrical, and it’s interesting and refreshing to me that she isn’t Photoshopped into a completely symmetrical version of herself, since ultra-symmetrical eye makeup has dominated social media for so long. It’s cool, and I hope to see this more often.

This is a very dressy makeup look and probably not something I’d wear out and about right now, but I do love it. I still might try something similar just to wear around the house.

Next, up — the makeup in this Lancôme ad with a very “Hunger Games” Zendaya. I see you channeling Katniss Everdeen with your bow and arrow, girl!

“I volunteer as tribute!”

And can we take a second to admire her brows? I’m really into bold-but-soft arches right now.

I also like the liner in this look. There’s a thin wisp of it on her lash lines. (I’m guessing it’s pencil?) See how the liner hugs her lower lash line tightly but doesn’t spill over onto her waterline? I think that’s just lovely. I also like how defined but not overly crisp it is. The edges are softened just a touch with some golden bronze eyeshadow.

I like her cheeks, too, with their barely-there hint of peachy tan bronzer and blush. There are subtle highlights on her upper cheek bone and underneath the arch of her brow, and I like how they’re blended. They don’t just look like shimmery stripes on her skin.

And then there’s her lip color, that nude pink with a little shine, to round out the look.

This whole thing is something I’d want to wear in everyday life!

This last look below is similar to my current makeup aesthetic — when I wear it, ha! — except for her brows. Hers are a little too bold for me, but everything else, I dig. I love the shine on her lids and the peek of color on the outer corner in the inner corner. Everything is blended so well and seamlessly, too! I’m guessing the artist went with creams.

Love the fresh, dewy skin because it’s just shy of shiny. It also doesn’t look like she has much on her cheeks at all, and I’m loving that.

Also totally into her lipstick, which matches her gums! I think it looks so natural.

I hope some of these ideas inspire you like they’re inspiring me. I don’t know how it’s been for you lately, but whenever I put some makeup on, I feel like I’m wearing…a lot of makeup. Maybe I’ll want to wear a full face again someday, but with everything still going on, I’m nowhere close to that right now!

If you’d like to, please share what makeup you’re into these days. I’d love to hear about it.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Major Makeup Inspiration From the ’60s! You’ve Got to Watch “The Last Letter From Your Lover” on Netflix ASAP

August 12th, 2021 by Karen 16 Comments

Oh, my gosh! OK, got a movie recommendation for you. It’s a real gem too.

OK, are you ready? Here it goes: it’s called The Last Letter from Your Lover, and it’s streaming on Netflix. It’s a sweet romantic drama starring Shailene Woodley and Felicity Jones, set in England and France, and it’s all about two women — a journalist in the modern era (Felicity Jones) and a housewife in the ’60s (Shailene Woodley) — and the story flips back and forth between the eras as a mystery unfolds. The story follows both women finding love in unlikely places.

For various reasons, I can’t watch anything too heavy before bed, so I was so happy to stumble on it because — it’s really good! It’s not just sweet and easy to watch, but ooh! — the makeup, the hair, the fashion! It’s totally worth watching just for the visual inspiration IMO, especially with fall makeup just around the corner.

The makeup in the ’60s scenes with Shailene Woodley is just…SWOON. Her character is trapped in an unhappy marriage to a wealthy tycoon, and she’s always dressed to impress from head to toe.

She wears so many variations on winged liner (or cat eyeliner, if ya will!), and she rocks the bold black matte with lots of long lashes and big brows in many scenes, of course, but sometimes she also wears softened versions with subtle smudging along the edges, or with the liner smoked out with a soft gray. Seriously, if you’re a big ol’ makeup nerd like I am, I think you’ll like it.

Oh! — there are also many scenes with very subtle cut creases, which are just too good!

And then there’s the ’60s hair. I mean, none of it looks wash-and-wear air dry (my usual go-to), but I still love how structured it looks, how all the coifs are smooth and perfectly pinned into place with loads of volume and bounce. Sure, does any of it move naturally? Not really! But dang if it doesn’t look fantastic on camera. It reminds me a little of ’80s hair because it’s just so big and bouncy and absolutely beautiful. I love that it looks “done.”

Now, would I take the time and effort to do hair and makeup as structured and intricate as the styling in the movie? Probably not now, but if I had a 24/7 glam team at my disposal like Mariah Carey does (I swear I saw this once on a TV show! She has people around to do her hair and makeup at any time!), I just might. I’d say, “Hey, miracle makers! Please style me like a wealthy woman with a yacht on the French Riviera in the ’60s, and do that every day for the rest of my life.” HA HA HA!

I can’t forget to mention the clothes! Like the hair and makeup, the outfits in the ’60s are very structured and tailored and “done.” There’s lots of next-level matchy-matchy happening, which I adore. Shailene’s character never ever looks sloppy, which I think is super cool.

Anywho, I found this movie in the most random section on Neflix called “movies based on books,” and I stopped because I saw that it was based on a book by an author I like, Jojo Moyes. I recently read a book she wrote called The Giver of Stars and loved it! That’s another thing for you to check out if you’re looking for something not-too-scary to read before bed!

I’m off to do some winged liner now…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen