Makeup

Final Word on the Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette | A Pretty Pink Cheek and Lip Combo With Jane Iredale Clearly Pink Blush and Origins Dusky Rose Lipstick

April 2nd, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

urban decay wild west april 2021 — I say YAY to Urban Decay Naked Wild West!

After spending a month with the new Urban Decay Naked Wild West palette, I’m happy to say that I can totally recommend it. I enjoy its mix of practical neutrals (a mélange of matte brown, beige, taupe and gray) with colorful teals, bronzes and golds, and if you’re like me and love a wearable, easy eye look, you can get that look quite easily.

Here’s what you do: 1) mix one or two of your favorite mattes with a blending brush, and sweep that onto your lids. Then, 2) wet an angled eye brush, load it up with any of the shades from the palette, and use it to line your upper lash line.

I like to think of this palette as a neutral matte palette with a bunch of fun liner shades. ? And when you use Naked Wild West in this way, you’ll have an endless (and easy) array of wearable combinations to choose from!

One item of note for my ladies with hooded lids — Laredo, the matte gray taupe, is totally key! Since most of the Naked Wild West mattes are warm-toned browns, I like to mix in the cooler-toned Laredo to create the illusion of a deeper crease.

urban decay wild west laredo — Laredo is the key!

urban decay wild west april 2021 closeup — The teal here looks so effortless, methinks.

OH! — I stumbled on a new wearable pink lip and cheek combo I like with Jane Iredale PurePressed Blush in Clearly Pink and Origins Dusky Rose Lipstick.

jane iredale clearly pink blush origins dusky rose lipstick — A pretty pink lip and cheek combo!

Jane Iredale Clearly Pink is a powdered pinky beige blush that leans slightly cool, and it totally looks like something Chanel would do! I love how it looks like a matte pink when you sweep it on your cheeks, but you can see the tiniest little flecks of silvery glitter peek when you look closely. It’s sophisticated, and a little goes a long way.

If you like Chanel Pink Explosion or Clinique Cupid, you’ll probably be into Clearly pink.

As for Origins Dusky Rose Lipstick, like the blush, it packs a pigmented wallop. It’s a brownish rose with a cream finish… Have you ever worn MAC Cosmo Lipstick? Because if you have and you liked it, I’m betting Dusky Rose will work for you!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ???

Fresh, Fun Spring Trends to Try

April 1st, 2021 by Karen 12 Comments

Which of these spring trends would you like to try?

Peach and plum layered blush

This trend combines two of my favorite shades of blush — peach and plum!

Start by sweeping a satin or matte peach blush on your cheekbones; then, dab a touch of a satin or matte plum just on the apples of your cheeks.

Gently blend the colors with a blush brush for fresh, glowing cheeks. ?

Matching or complementary pastel nails and liner

This is an easy way to add some fun color to your look during these mask-wearing times.

First, if you want foolproof, choose a matching nail polish and liner. If, instead, you’re in the mood to play, then pair pastels together. Here I’m wearing a creamy pastel purple polish (Chanel Purple Ray; it isn’t available nowadays, but Chanel Mirage is similar) and shimmery pink liner on my upper lash lines.

The hottest trend in liquid liner

Introduce an unexpected element into your makeup with some unique, organic shapes. To make the most of this up-and-coming spring trend, I suggest incorporating your mask in some way.

[Continue reading…]

Rainbow Nails and Bright Lips, Funfetti Cake, and the MAC Makeup in “Promising Young Woman”

March 23rd, 2021 by Karen 16 Comments

skittles mani mac all fired up — It’s a rainbow of color

For the record, it’s very, very awkward to take a picture of yourself that has your hands in it and have it look natural! Why do I feel like my paws look bigger than my head here? ?

I haven’t worn rainbow nails in a minute, but I absolutely HAD TO after we rented Promising Young Woman last weekend. It’s a thriller starring Carey Mulligan as Cassie, a young 30-something woman who experiences something traumatic that leads her to drop out of medical school, move back in with her parent and…pursue other ends. I don’t want to give away too much, but it involves some revenge.

Cassie wears a pastel rainbow manicure throughout the movie, and it’s front and center at a few key moments.

I’ve been reading about the styling for the film, and it turns out that the manicure was writer/director Emerald Fennell’s idea, and fun fact for ya — she’s the lady who plays Camilla Parker-Bowles in The Crown!

Symbolically, Cassie’s nails and makeup represent both her armor and a weapon. Her sweet girlishness at times conceals her anger.

I just wanted to wear rainbows on my hands to have a little fun, but I definitely appreciate using makeup as armor.

Pink: Smith & Cult Plastic Beach
Orange: Chanel Orange Fizz (no longer available, try Chanel Cruise)
Yellow: Sally Hansen Lemon Heaven
Mint Green: Sally Hansen Prince Char-Mint
Baby Blue: Essie First View

Near the end of the film, there’s a scene with Cassie in a candy-colored wig putting on a bright lipstick, and dagnabbit, even without my glasses on, and consequently being half-blind, I knew it was MAC. The movie’s makeup artist, Angie Wells, used MAC All Fired Up Retro Matte Lipstick.

I’m wearing it here with MAC Beet Lip Pencil.

Speaking of bright and colorful things…I got a gluten-free sprinkle boxed cake mix and a matching sprinkle cake frosting (both by Pillsbury) at Target a few weeks ago to make a cake, and you know what? It was pretty darned delicious. Both the boxed Funfetti cake and the frosting were surprisingly tasty and flavorful (I could really taste the vanilla). The cake was also light and fluffy, and the frosting spread easily.

Everything was so good that I went back to the store and got more for the next time I have to bake something last-minute!

You know that I’m totally 100% down to bake a cake and make frosting from scratch, but sometimes it’s sooooo nice to have something easy around for when you get a hankerin’ for cake.

While we’re on the topic of baking, look what I found at Michaels…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Elegant Brick Brown Lids and Charcoal Wings (and a Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cake Recipe!)

March 18th, 2021 by Karen 15 Comments

I feel like I’m wearing a lot of makeup here, but I’m not…comparatively speaking. Compared to what I used to rock on the daily five or six years ago! ? ? I swear, if I just do a little concealer and foundation these days, and maybe a light dusting of powder, bam! — I feel ready for a black-tie ball from The Great Gatsby.

chanel arthur urban decay naked wild west down swatches — Swatches

Funny thing is…I was trying for an “everyday look” here with UD’s Naked Wild West Palette, which is why I used the matte, neutral workhorse shades — gray, a reddish brick brown, a taupe and a beige. I dunno though… I also couldn’t resist adding a little glitter in the inner corner!

Truth be told, my threshold for “dressing up” is very low now. Basically, whenever I put on a T-shirt and jeans that, ya know…fit, I feel dressed to the nines!

The Naked Wild West workhorse shadows blend beautifully with very little fallout, and I also like how smooth they look on my lids. They don’t look heavily creased or dry.

To go with the warm red brick tones on the lids, I added a warm reddish blush (Hourglass Diffused Heat, an old standby that goes really well with so many different shades of red lipstick) and sheer warm red Chanel Rouge Coco in Arthur on my lips.

DUDE, I am on a total Chanel Rouge Coco kick right now! It’s fancy yet approachable, with just the right amount of shine and opacity (or rather, semi-sheerness). The shade on my lips here is called Arthur, which I applied by dabbing the tube lightly on my lips. Then I pressed it in with a finger to create a warm reddish stain.

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: Chanel Ultra Le Tint Ultrawear All Day Comfort Flawless Finish Foundation in BD51, bareMinerals Original Liquid Mineral Concealer in Medium/Tan 3.5 C, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden

EYES: Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette (Standoff as a base, Laredo and Ghost Town on lids, Pony Up as eyeliner, Cowboy Rick as an inner corner highlight), Lancome Lash Idole Mascara, IT Cosmetics Brow Power in Universal Taupe, Neutrogena Smokey Grey Eyeliner

CHEEKS: Hourglass Diffused Heat Blush

LIPS: Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Arthur

And now…

Chocolate chip applesauce cake

Quite a few gals requested this recipe, so here it is, from my tummy to yours! I originally billed this as a “one-bowl baking job,” but I was overzealous there. You will need two. I hope that doesn’t stop you from trying it because the batter comes together really quickly, and the cake bakes in about 30 minutes.

When you’re done, listen for the sound of angels singing (AAAAAHHHHH!!!!), as you’ll be rewarded with the most shockingly delicious, otherworldly, melt-in-your-mouth cake!

If you’re looking to cut down on the simple carbs, feel free to dial back the granulated and brown sugar, or, you could leave out the topping entirely. Or, you can just make it as is!

Since it’s a good amount of cake for just me, El Hub and my sous chef, I usually divvy up the cake and pass on the sugary goodness to my neighbors. You could also try cutting the slices and freezing them, although I haven’t done that yet.

INGREDIENTS

For the batter, wet ingredients:

2 cups no-sugar added applesauce
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) lightly packed brown sugar

For the batter, dry ingredients:

2 cups (10 ounces) gluten-free flour, or all-purpose flour, either one works great
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (3 ounces) chocolate chips, I like Guittard Semi-Sweet because that’s the brand we used in the bakery

For the topping:

2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 ounces) chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. If you’re using a glass pan like I did, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients — the applesauce, melted butter, vanilla, eggs, granulated and brown sugar.
In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients — flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chips. You’ll want to coat the chocolate chips with the dry ingredients to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake while it bakes.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined. Whatever you do, please don’t overmix!
Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan, then sprinkle the brown sugar and chocolate chip topping evenly across the top.
Bake for 28-30 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top springs back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (a little bit of melted chocolate is just fine). If you’re using a glass pan, you may need to bake a little bit longer… My cake ended up taking about 38 minutes total.
Store well-covered at room temperature, and it should keep for several days!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Soft Teal Wings With the Urban Decay Naked Wild West, a New Tea From Trader Joe’s, and Chocolate Chip Cake!

March 16th, 2021 by Karen 39 Comments

I was chatting with someone IRL a couple weeks ago, and she told me that sometimes she puts on her makeup in the morning before sitting down to work because it makes her feel more productive, and I was like, “YES! You are my people!” ? That’s totally what happened in this look here. I was researching luxury vinyl flooring, so these soft teal wings happened…

Side note: over the years, our carpet has become completely thrashed thanks to the cats, so now I’m learning all about laminate versus vinyl plank flooring versus hardwoods… If you have any flooring knowledge bombs to drop on me, I’m all ears!

I’m wearing the new Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette here. Just a couple of the brown matte shades on my lids (Spur and Nudie) and the shimmery teal (Bud) on my lash lines.

I’m still on the fence about this palette and haven’t quite figured out if I think it’s must-have… This is my third time using it, and although I do like the mix of brown, taupe and gray mattes, coupled with the fun blues and golds, I don’t know if it’s that practical. I’m gonna give it a couple more tries, then check back in with you…

By the way, I’m also testing a new concealer from bareMinerals called The bareMinerals Original Liquid Mineral Concealer. It’s a medium-coverage brightening liquid concealer you can build up in layers to full (specifically for the under-eye area). It’s comes in 17 shades, and it’s available on qvc.com for $25 a tube now.

This was my first time using it (I’m wearing Medium/Tan 3.5 C!). So far, I think it’s alright… It’s a little more coverage than I’ve been wearing lately, so it’s kind of shocking to see real-deal concealer on my skin again.

To its credit, it doesn’t pool up in my fine lines or anything, so it’s not super obvious, but I do have to blend out the edges quite a bit because the pigment is very concentrated. I think it should be fine on its own, but it might be a tad too heavy if you like to set your concealer with powder.

In non-makeup related news, I found a delicious new herbal tea at Trader Joe’s called Blood Orange Rooibos, and it’s naturally very sweet to my taste buds (I don’t even add sugar). It has just a touch of citrusy tang too.

I’ve been drinking less Earl Grey tea lately because I read somewhere that cutting down on the caffeine might help with my migraines, which, ugh, have been terrible lately.

I mean, I love me some tea and coffee, but I’ll try anything at this point.

Anywho, if you see this one TJ’s, grab a box. Then grab an extra one for me, hahah! Kidding. It’s super good though, especially with dessert.

I had a cup last night with a slice of gluten-free chocolate chip cake that Connor and I made last weekend.

Not only is this cake easy and delicious, but it’s light and moist, and it just melts in your mouth (the secret ingredient is unsweetened applesauce). If you decide to make it, you could have it in your tummy in less than one hour.

The fact that the star ingredient is applesauce almost makes me feel like it’s healthy… 🙂 Yeah, maybe that’s a stretch! It’s still good though, and it’s one of those cakes that’s nice to have around in case company stops by (for when the pandemic’s over).

If you came over, I’d cajole you into having a cup of tea and a slice, for sure!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Bite Beauty Upswing Extreme Longwear Liquid Eyeliner

March 10th, 2021 by Karen 6 Comments

This product does not bite.

There, I said it. ?

Bite’s new $25 matte black liquid liner has flower power. (Side note: I just threw up a double-peace sign.) By flower power, I don’t mean in the “Let’s come together and love one another, man!” way. I’m referring to passion fruit flowers.

It’s the not-so-secret ingredient in this “clean” (air quotes) formula to stop smudging, transferring and flaking.

Also, remember when “carbon black” was the hottest thing in eyeliner and mascara? So many products boasted about being “carbon black.” Well, this liner is actually carbon black-free (I’m honestly unsure if that’s a good or bad thing).

The liner has a long wand with a flexible, thin brush, which broke my heart a little when I first saw it because I typically do better with pen-style liners. For whatever reason, they’re just easier for me to hold and easier to execute a wing or a baby kitten flick with. Just a personal preference.

I’m fine using this wand along the lash line, and I can draw thin, precise lines with it there, but when I get out to the wing with it, I’m a mess. I can eventually get there, but it requires cleaning up the edges with a Q-tip and some makeup remover to get a chiseled edge I like. So there’s that.

The liner itself is really beautiful, though. It’s a deep, dark true black without any blue or red undertones, and each layer is intensely pigmented.

The formula also glides and dries in about a minute, which is nice and quick, so it doesn’t transfer up into my lids when I blink.

I haven’t worn it for a full 12-hour period yet, but I have worn it from shortly after dawn till dusk, and it does just fine. No flaking or fading in that time.

If you’re good with a wand applicator and looking for a “clean” product in the $25 range, put it on your list of possibilities to try.

FYI, Honest Beauty’s liquid liner is comparable. It also has a wand with a flexible tip, a similarly rich black color without any weird undertones, and it’s $9.99. That said, the Beauty Beauty one is a smidgen darker and smoother, IMO, and consequently a little easier to use, but both are quite good.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Bronze and Gray Lids With the Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette

March 4th, 2021 by Karen 9 Comments

urban decay naked wild west swatches — Yup, more naked. ?

Seriously, how many more of these are they gonna do?!

The newest incarnation of ze Naked palette calls itself Naked Wild West (no relation to Kanye), and it’s inspired by the California desert.

No, not dessert. DESert. ?

I patted Rustler, the shimmery bronze shade, on my lids and was surprised to see taupe-y grey undertones when I blended out the edges.

Kinda cool…both literally and figuratively, hahaha. To complement the gray, I lined my upper lash line with an angled brush that I’d dipped into Pony Up, the matte dark gray.

I did remember to tap my brushes to unload any excess powder before applying but still ended up with a little bit of fallout on my cheeks. Not a lot though…

I hadn’t done my base yet (a 50/50 mix of Urban Decay 24-Hour Hydration in 50 Medium, and Lancôme Skin Feels Good in Tan, set with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural) so I just wiped it off. No biggie.

For my cheeks, I swept a low-key hero from the UD permanent line, the Stay Naked Threesome trio in Naked, onto my cheeks (the bronzer and the blush).

Incidentally, I’m still on an Origins sheer lipstick kick, so I layered two shades on my lips — Honey Blush and Fuchsia Fields — to finish the look.

Just for fun, I tried the makeup with a brighter lip using Honest Beauty Passion.

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It’s nice to have options, ya know?

In other news…I’m all “mommed out” from the birthday excitement of the past few days, and I’m super tried right now! I skipped exercising yesterday, so I told myself this morning that I had to work out today…but right now all I want to do is take a nap.

Ugh, I know I’ll feel better when I’m done with it though. I just have to remind myself that I don’t have to give it 100%… 50% today will do!

You already know this, but Target has some weird stuff.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Smudged Cat Eye | Day 4 With the Honest Beauty Get It Together Eyeshadow Palette

February 26th, 2021 by Karen 9 Comments

honest beauty smudged cat eye side — Today’s smudged cat eyes; I really love this!

Leave it to the cat lady to love a smudged cat eye, hahaha! This is yet another look — I’ll say “inspired by” the tutorial card that comes with the Honest Beauty Get It Together Eyeshadow Palette.

honest beauty smudged cat eye swatches — Just four eyeshadows

The tutorial suggests using the beige shade all over the lid as a base, but I thought that might look a little weird on me, so I buffed the matte brown shade (Soft Bronze) on top of the beige to define my crease.

Gosh, these shadows blend so well! But that’s just one of the great things about this palette.

Can we talk about lips for a second, because I need to know if anyone else out there has been into tinted lip balms lately? They’re SO MY JAM, which is kinda funny because until recently I’ve been solidly Team Liquid Lipstick for the last few months. My previous lip logic was that if I’m going to wear something on my pout during the pandemic…it had to last long enough under my mask to ensure that I wouldn’t have to keep removing my mask to reapply it.

I know, interesting logic. ?

Turns out tinted balms are a great no-drama/low-effort option, since I can 1) easily apply one without a mirror (doing it right now, as a matter of fact), and 2) remove it just as quickly with a tissue when I’m about to mask up. Plus, hello moisture! (Side note: my lips have been dry lately.)

This sheer plum tinted balm by Origins is called Night Bloom, and it’s low-key epic in terms of moisture. I get old-school Clinique Black Honey vibes from the color because it looks crazy dark in the tube, but it’s just a sheer plummy tint when it’s applied.

Night Bloom pairs really well with mauves, taupes, browns and bronzes, a.k.a. all of the colors in the Honest Beauty Get It Together Palette. It’s also sheer enough to wear with just bare skin and mascara.

In case you’re wondering, it smells and tastes a little minty, but it’s not overwhelming.

origins night bloom — Moisturizing, sheer and just lovely

Another thing I’ve been into: the look of barely-there blush. MAC Warm Soul is great for this!

honest beauty eye palette mac warm soul — Love ya, MAC Warm Soul!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ?