Makeup

The New Benefit Hoola Spring 2016 Collection

February 29th, 2016 by Jen Clark 47 Comments

It’s official! You can now literally smother Benefit Hoola all over your bod without going through an entire pan of bronzer.

You haven’t done that? Oh, just me?

They’ve expanded on the crazy popular Hoola bronzer by adding a liquid bronzer called “Dew The Hoola”. Aw, super cute! They’ve also come out with an all-over body bronzer called “Zero Tan Lines”. Last, but most definitely not least, the cutest bronzing brush with blue hairs on a handle made of golden bamboo. The collection officially releases on February 26th.

This release was an answer to my prayers because this has to be my palest winter yet. I have to (get to) look at my Hawaiian husband and son’s golden tans year round, and I start to feel pretty bad for myself come February, so I slathered myself in all things Hoola in a desperate attempt to pretend that I just came back from Hawaii.

Let me tell you what I thought.

Dew The Hoola is meant to be a liquid version of the famous Hoola powder bronzer, which is a beautiful cool brown shade that looks like an actual tan on your face. I think that’s why it’s been so popular, because it looks so natural compared to so many of its orange competitors.

I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed the first time I pumped out the bright orange liquid, because it wasn’t at all what I expected. But still, I pressed onward and applied it to the hollows of my cheeks, around the perimeter of my face, and on my nose and chin. Then I blended it in with a damp Beauty Blender. I also tried it with a fluffy face brush, but it didn’t blend out nearly as well.

As soon as it was all blended in, it ended up looking…not too bad. I really like the consistency and workability of the liquid, but I think the color is off for me.

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A Shimmery Green Chanel Spring 2016 Makeup Tutorial

February 19th, 2016 by Karen 16 Comments

There should be a video right up here in this post, but if it isn’t appearing for any reason, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

Green.

Like the coat of moss the oak tree outside my window is wearing, and the color of the tiny buds springing to life on the tips of its beautiful branches.

Green means spring is coming! 🙂

Aaand green also happens to be the color of baby poo…which is neither here nor there, but you can’t really blame me for mentioning it because, SERIOUSLY, I am so ready for this baby to check out of Hotel Karen already.

Ugh. Still. So. Pregnant.

Yup, greens: they aren’t just for smoothies anymore. Green is good, and I thoroughly support wearing green eyeshadow, especially in the spring.

Green gets top billing in this shimmery, springy makeup look I’m wearing with a bunch of products from the Chanel spring 2016 collection, which is brimming with bright shades of green, teal, purple and pink, but they’re handled in that elegant Chanel way.

I think that if my granny saw me wearing this look, she’d still recognize me, ya know what I mean? I feel like I still look like me, because sometimes, when I’m experimenting with colorful makeup, I look into the mirror and think, “WHOA! Who is that girl?”

To subdue some of the bright green intensity on my eyes, I incorporated a satiny pink, and then also a black liner on my lower water lines to sort of neutralize some of the intensity of the purple and bright blue. Then, to balance, instead of compete, with my eyes, I’m wearing soft peach, pink and tan on my cheeks, and pink lips.

chanel griffith green — Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Griffith Green

chanel might moonlight pink — Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Mighty (left) and Illusion D’Ombre in Moonlight Pink (right)

chanel sunkiss ribbon blush — Chanel Sunkiss Ribbon Blush

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Life’s a Beach of Champagne Peach With the NARS Hot Sand Collection

February 18th, 2016 by Karen 16 Comments

Billed, first and foremost, as a celebration of a NARS cult classic, the brand’s Illuminator in Hot Sand, the new NARS Hot Sand collection is that and more, like, it’s also an opportunity to say, “Oh, hello! It’s you again?” to two popular NARS re-promoted regulars, Orgasm and Laguna, except that this time they aren’t in the same duo…which does make them kindasorta different (I guess?).

The collection also gives us a glossy, creamy highlighting stick in a peachy champagne shade and a good excuse to take the new Hanamachi Kabuki Brush and rub it all over yo’ face like a cat all up in your grill…

Nothing in the collection, however, feels like walking on actual hot sand, which is a good thing, because that, my friend, would be absolute misery.

Because have you ever trekked barefoot across a sweltering beach?? It’s not fun at all… It’s right up there with cleaning a dirty toilet (bluh) or trying on skinny jeans in terrible lighting when you’re feeling extra bloated.

No, this release is all about peachy, highlighted eyes, cheeks, skin and lips. And good old reliable (or, played out, depending on your point of view) Orgasm and Laguna.

So, yeah, I wouldn’t recommend walking across hot sand under any circumstances, but I can recommend giving a few things from this five-piece collection a try.

The NARS Hot Sand Illuminating Multiple ($39)

If someone turned one of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders into a creamy stick, it would be a lot like the NARS Hot Sand Illuminating Multiple. It has that same gorgeous, subtle ability to highlight skin without leaving it looking greasy or frosty, and I think you’ll like it if your pores and fine lines are often an issue (because it doesn’t highlight either of them for me), or, if you just like highlighters that don’t put it all out there, if you know what I mean.

Like, if this highlighter were your secret admirer, it would write you a sweet poem in iambic pentameter and slip it under your door, instead of texting you an unsolicited dirty picture of its naughty bits.

Anywho…for a very subtle highlight, I like layering it beneath my foundation. I’ll swipe the stick directly on my cheekbones, then blend it out with the Hamanachi Kabuki Brush, also from this collection.

The Hot Sand Duos ($42 each)

nars hot sand duo — NARS Hot Sand/Laguna Blush/Bronzer Duo ($42) on the left and NARS Hot Sand/Orgasm Blush Duo ($42) on the right

With the Hot Sand/Orgasm Blush Duo, one side has a peachy champagne powder version of Hot Sand, and the other has an Orgasm blush… I like this one mostly because of Hot Sand, which shines more intensely than the Hot Sand Illuminator, but by no means would I call it frosty. It’s still subtle and on par with something like the new Hourglass Ambient Strobing Powders.

I think it’s very pretty and very beachy, boho glam, and it lasts all day long.

As for Orgasm blush…yep, it’s a classic, and I love how my face looks lively and fresh when I wear it, but how many pans of Orgasm blush does one person really need? I kinda wish NARS had released Hot Sand all by itself, instead of pairing it with Orgasm…

And in the Hot Sand/Laguna Bronzer Duo, you also get the same Hot Sand powder, except with NARS Laguna, instead of Orgasm. Aaand again, I’m still wishing that Hot Sand were sold individually, even though Laguna is a bronzing favorite of mine. It isn’t too cool toned or warm, so I can use it to bronze and/or contour.

The Hanamachi Kabuki Brush ($42)

nars hot sand lip gloss hanamachi kabuki brush — NARS Hot Sand Lip Gloss on the left ($26) and the NARS Hanamachi Kabuki Brush ($42) on the right

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Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Honeymoon: With These Shadows, the Honeymoon Period Lasts and Lasts and Lasts…

February 16th, 2016 by Karen 34 Comments

tom ford honeymoon — Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Honeymoon ($80)

Competely proven, statistically verifiable facts (well…) about the new spring Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Honeymoon…

It costs $1 BILLION!
OK…it’s more like $80, but it feels like a billion dollars because we’re only talking about four eyeshadows.
Studies show that upon applying any of these four luminous shades, nine out of 10 people exhibit the following symptoms: their eyes roll back in their head, they bite down on their fist and scream, “OHHHH!” in sheer ecstasy. The tenth person just face plants directly on the ground from a standing position.
You could probably live without it (LIES!!!).

I mean, seriously, there are so many things (price notwidthstanding) about this quad that make me want to do the snake in my chair. In terms of texture, finish and wear time, it knocks it outta the park.

tom ford honeymoon swatches — Swatches of the Tom Ford Eye Quad in Honeymoon (for reference, as you may or may not already know, I’m a MAC NC42)

It’s as if Tom probed my mind like a creepy makeup alien from The X-Files (have you been watching the new ones?) and molded all of my lusty eyeshadow dreams into these pans. When I load my brush with these shadows and apply them to my lids, the pigmented powders glide, blend and buff like they were put on this planet solely to make my makeup life easier.

A few days ago, I got it into my head to use the palette, and it was a day when I didn’t have a lot of time to get ready. No joke — I had my eye makeup all blended and done in less than five minutes, and even though I blazed through everything, I didn’t have to clean up anything under my eyes.

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The Guerlain Spring Glow 2016 Collection: For Ladies (and Lords) Who Love Luminous Looks

February 8th, 2016 by Karen 20 Comments

You know what? Eff it! Let’s play hooky this afternoon. Whatdya say?

COME ON! Let’s do it. 🙂 The sun’s out; we could drive into the city, go to the Japanese Tea Gardens, walk around, check out the cherry blossoms, have a cup of tea and watch the pink petals glide in the wind… Doesn’t that sound nice?

I would love that, actually, and by the way, I’ll be wearing the Guerlain Spring Glow 2016 collection, because this collection is all about that laid-back spring lifestyle.

No, not like you’re hiking up a mountain or, like, parasailing or doing X games. More like just enjoying a sunny day outside at the park, or kicking it in the city with your girlfriends.

guerlain spring glow 2016 packaging — Highlights from the Guerlain Spring Glow 2016 collection…

guerlain spring glow 2016 — A few pieces from the Guerlain Spring Glow 2016 collection

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The Day in Beauty, Vol. 9: A Good Hair Day, Aveda Color Conserve, Low-Maintenance Hair, and Guerlain Spring 2016

February 5th, 2016 by Karen 31 Comments

Slowly, she pulled herself up atop the rocky plateau, then stood tall and gazed out across the vast horizon. It seemed like all of eternity stretched out before her. She could see for hundreds of miles in every direction, the mountains, the rivers, the valleys and forests, the endless sky and the distant sea. There were towns and cities far below that looked like little dots. Suddenly, with every fiber of her being, she roared into the great beyond: “I DID MY HAIR TODAY!!!”

Honestly, I just needed to feel a little bit more like myself, ya know? — because I’ve had it up in a messy bun all week long. Seriously, I haven’t even bothered to run a brush through it. That’s how tired I’ve been, but when I woke up this morning, I was like, “Karen, do your damned hair.”

So I did. I did my damned hair. 🙂

Here’s a great hair tutorial on using the T3 Bodywaver to get BIG curls

I was randomly cruising “the YouTube” last night and looking for different ways to use my T3 Bodywaver curling iron when and came upon this short video by one of T3’s head stylists (head as in top, haha). It shows this technique where you slowly unwrap each section of hair from the barrel in such a way that the curls retain more of a wavy pattern at the ends.

I tried it this morning, and yay! Pretty good results.

So it’s all about the small victories. 🙂

Time to stock up on Aveda

I also wanted to do my hair today because I washed it last night (and I’m so happy about that!) partly because I wanted to try some things from Aveda. I’ve been stocking up on color preserving shampoos and conditioners because, ya know…I’m getting my hair done and colored tomorrow, and I figure that since I don’t know how long it’ll be before my next trip to the salon (kinda revolves around BG’s schedule), I want to get as many color preserving products up in the mix now as I can.

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The $44 Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals

February 3rd, 2016 by Karen 25 Comments

make-up-for-ever-artist-palette-vol-3-florals — The $44 Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals

I know that April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, but what about the January showers? What do we get for all of those? LOL!

Hurry up with the flowers already please! Perhaps just an early spring bloom?

And might I suggest tulips and freesia? I think they’d go well with the new $44 Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals.

make up for ever artist palette vol 3 florals 2 — Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals

make up for ever artist palette vol 3 florals 3 — Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals

How pretty is that first row? I wanna smear that blue, purple and taupe all over my… I was gonna say lids, but heck, I want it all over my body! Then I’d put it on Tabs, too, so we could be all matchy-matchy.

Yes…I’m a crazy cat lady. 🙂
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Tuesday Quick Tip: For Easier Eyeliner Application, Warm Up Your Liner on the Back of Your Hand

February 2nd, 2016 by Karen 20 Comments

Improv leopard spots or liner trick? You be the judge…

This one’s just a super quick makeup tip, but I wanted to mention it before I forgot.

To make lining your water and lash lines a little easier, and your application smoother, try warming up your liner first on the back of your hand. Just run the tip of the pencil back and forth a few times to get that warm friction going, which slightly softens the product.

I always do this before I apply liner. It’s just a simple thing, but it makes a noticeable difference.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Aaand since we’re on the subject of liner, do you have any good liner tips? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂