Makeup

Can You Remember the Very First Thing You Bought From MAC?

December 16th, 2020 by Karen 22 Comments

mac lipsticks at union square store — First MAC lipstick love: Paramount!

My first tube of MAC Paramount happened circa 1995.

It was at the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, and the counter was just a tiny little stand right next to the entrance.

I remember the sales associate talking me into Mahogany Lip Pencil to go with Paramount Lipstick and me being, like, “SURE, GIRL, RING ME UP!” And I paid cash from money I’d saved working retail over the holidays that year… Little did I know that that small tube of Paramount would send me on a crazy, wild makeup ride that would someday take me to MAC headquarters in Toronto years later (craziness) and also lead to me make my very own MAC Lipglass.

I wish I had kept that first tube!

urban decay starfire — Wearing Paramount and Mahogany

mac powell street store sept 2015 — I miss this place! Oh…Connor is in my belly in this pic!

How about you? Can you remember the first thing you ever bought from MAC?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Urban Decay Decades Collection Swatches and Impressions

December 10th, 2020 by Karen 10 Comments

urban decay mini eyeshadow palettes — Takin’ a trip through the decades with Urban Decay’s latest

Watch out, Elon Musk! ? Urban Decay just took the lead in the race to develop a time machine, but no, science fiction nerds, I’m not referring to a hot tub time machine (although I secretly wish I was). I’m talking about their $25 LE Decades eyeshadow palettes, which are up on the UD website now.

Each one is themed around a different decade from the ’70s through the early 2000s, and they’re cute! They fit in the palm of your hand with colors and finishes reminiscent of that decade’s style of makeup.

No surprise here, but my favorite is 1993, and not just because of the great plaid packaging. The colors are also wearable. I was really surprised when I put them on the other day by how non-scary my eyes looked, because that did not line up with my first impression when I opened the palette and immediately thought, “Oh, boy…”

“Flattering” wasn’t the first word that came to mind, but then I put them on. ?

When I did my makeup the first time with these shadows, I did my eyes first, and I vividly remember that there wasn’t any fallout. I didn’t have to clean up any eyeshadow on my cheeks afterwards, which was great.

I think the standout’s gotta be Collect Call, a dark brown that looks intimidating in the pan but turns out to be a surprisingly wearable matte brownish purple on my skin. I blended it into my outer corner and was pleasantly surprised. It feathered out quite easily.

Grunge is another surprise. It looks like a baby threw up all over Oscar the Grouch’s fur in the pan, but no! — it’s actually a lovely satiny golden olive.

Overall, the colors in the 1993 palette are totally, and surprisingly, wearable. Who’d a thunk it?

I put the shadows on bare lids and wasn’t wearing any primer with them at all, because that’s how I roll these days, and even after five hours, I didn’t see any creasing. The shades looked just as vibrant as they did when I put them on in the morning.
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A 15-Minute Face With Shimmering Cocoa Brown, Pink and Gold

November 27th, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

For the record, I absolutely did *not* look this fabulous on Thanksgiving (this was from the day before), and to the ladies who can pull off prepping a full T-day spread while looking fab, I salute you!

I wore the above 15-minute look the day before Thanksgiving when Connor and I dropped off Thanksgiving cookies and cards to our neighbors. Pretty simple, pretty classic and wearable, and done completely with permanent collections products!

As for my look on Thanksgiving day itself? — it was far less fashionable. I cooked all day long, and it was all I could do to run a brush through the mop on my head and change my pajama pants into joggers. ?

Please excuse my very non-Instagrammable mauve-toned Golden Girls-circa-1992 kitchen. It came with the house, and I make do with it because…eh, it works! #normalizeregularkitchens #itswhatigot

Anyway, the above pic was taken before the hurricane of baking and cooking happened, and waaaaaay before these happened…

These gluten-free cheesy cheddar garlic drop biscuits, which are like mini savory scones, were the last, and by far the best, T-giving thing I made this year. We had maple glazed ham as our main dish (no Turkey this year), and we sliced the biscuits in half and put a slice of ham in the middle. There was also Yukon gold mashed potatoes, a sweet corn casserole, homemade cranberry sauce, GF pumpkin pie and Christina Tossi’s Milk Bar Pumpkin Pie.

MAN. SO GOOD. I’m drooling just thinking about them again… They were so easy to make, too!

If you want the biscuit recipe, let me know, although I do have to warn you… There’s a lot of butter and cheese, so if you’re trying to make healthier food choices…it ain’t exactly health food.

Happy Friday. What are you up to today? Are you doing any Black Friday shopping?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Fresh, Feel-Good Wearable Makeup With Sparkling Champagne Lids (Just One Product!), and Peach Cheeks and Lips

November 19th, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

lancome ombre hypnose erika f k smile — Fresh and sparkling lids, nude lips and cheeks with minimal products. Here’s my shirt!

I went to a candy store yesterday, and this is the makeup I had on while engaging in a deep discussion with my loved ones about popcorn-flavored jelly beans.

Seriously, why do people get so worked up about popcorn jelly beans? I think they’re absolutely delightful and will go so far as to call them my favorite flavor. Everyone else around me thinks they’re gross. Where do you stand on this OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT MATTER?

(Side note: I didn’t actually end up choosing the jelly beans as my treat though. I went with an old classic instead, the Cadbury Fruit and Nut Bar).

cadbury fruit and nut bars — My fave since I was a child!

Raise a glass to shimmery champagne shadows

This is a one-and-done eye makeup look with a single shimmery cream champagne shadow stick worn as liner and eyeshadow. If you don’t have one of these already in your makeup arsenal, I highly recommend finding one you like ASAP.

The champagne shade adds brightness and shine to lids, and in my experience, it’s one of those colors that instantly perks up your face, especially if you look like you haven’t been sleeping well (which has been me lately).

If you can find a champagne stick that works as a liner *and* a shadow, then that’s even better. The one I’m using here is a long-wearing one by Lancôme called Ombre Hypnose Stylo in Erika F.

lancome ombre hypnose stylo erika f graphite — Shimmery cream shadows by Lancôme

lancome ombre hypnose erika f graphite swatches — I’m wearing Erika F.

The Hourglass Sunset trio

To keep the look easy and fresh, I blended a trio of sheer cream products onto my cheeks. I used the Hourglass Sunset Trio, which has a cream bronzer, blush and highlighter, all tucked conveniently into one compact. It used to be part of the permanent collection, but then Hourglass discontinued it, and this season they brought it back. It’s expensive at $62, but it’s SO GOOD (here’s a review if you’re interested).

hourglass illume sunset trio — OH, HAI, GORGEOUS!

Then I lined my lips with nude liner and dabbed a peachy pink gloss on top. (Oh, and yes, I ended up blotting the gloss off before I left for the candy store because I didn’t want it to transfer onto my mask).

lancome hypnoselancome hypnose erika f closeup erika f closeup — This look is quick and elegant.

lancome hypnose erika f hourglass usnset trio swatches — Makeup worn in this look

blush is my crush gloss is my sauce — Blush Is My Crush Tee ($34).

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: Bare Minerals Original liquid Mineral Foundation in Tan Nude 17
CHEEKS: Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio in Sunset
EYES: Lancome Ombre Hypnose Stylo in Erika F, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara, Urban Decay Brow Beater in Neutral Brown
LIPS: Charlotte Tilbury Liner in Pillow Talk and Hourglass Canvas Gloss

This will kick your butt!

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DIY Eyeshadow: Mixing Bronzer and Highlighter for Effortlessly Glowing Lids (And Another Lazy Girl Glam Look!)

November 17th, 2020 by Karen 9 Comments

lancome skin feels good lazy girl glam eye closeup — Multi-use creams up in the mix!

I stumbled onto this fun way to make your own customized shadow yesterday while I was putting on some makeup to run errands — mix bronzer and highlighter together with a brush, and swish all over your lids. The result? Effortlessly glowing eyes!

I used equal amounts of a multi-use cream bronzer and a highlighter (both by Lancôme), and all I did was dip a tapered blending brush into the pan, swirled everything together on the back of my hand, and then swept the mix on my lids.

lancome skin feels good lazy girl glam eye closeup head tilt final — Lovin’ on the gray eyeliner.

I think this is a cool way to customize your eyeshadow, because you can add more or less of either product, depending on your mood.

Multi-use in the mix

You can easily complete the eye look by curling your lashes and loading up on mascara, which would be super pretty, especially if you used a lengthening and separating mascara to really stretch out your lashes.

I did that here and still felt like something was missing, so I also lined my upper lash lines by loading an angled brush with a shimmery gray cream shadow stick that also doubles as liner.

I love how the gray adds some definition to my eyes but doesn’t look too harsh, and I also love how the gray cream stick isn’t as finicky as a liquid liner or gel. It’s so much easier to control, and you don’t end up with liquid liner running amuck across your lids! ?

lancome skin feels good lazy girl glam eye closeup smile final — A bit of a bold brow, just for fun!

To streamline the look even further, I also used the bronzer and highlighter on my cheeks. Then I used another multi-use cream as a blush and lipstick.

Skin is in

One more item of note — I’ve been really into sheer bases, and the one I’m using here is a new one to me called Skin Feels Good By Lancôme. It’s a tinted moisturizer with SPF 23 and a demi-matte finish, and it comes in 11 shades.

I like it a lot! The tube and pump also make it easy to control, and I never feel like I’m wasting product. The formula feels lightweight too. It’s also pigmented enough to even out the pigmentation on my cheeks but doesn’t look too “made up.”

Good stuff! If you’re into that “no-makeup makeup” look, this is perfect.
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Using the Multi-Use Le Monochromatiques by Lancôme for Today’s Lazy Girl Glam: Daytime Golden Brown Smokey Eyes, Coral Cheeks and Lips

November 13th, 2020 by Karen 4 Comments

lancome le monochromatique k french affair down — Lil’ bit of smoke

It’s Friday the 13th! IN THE YEAR 2020! Seriously, good luck to us all… ?

Side note: are you superstitious? I like to think of myself as not overly superstitious, but when given a chance to maximize my luck by knocking on wood or putting coins underneath my doormat on New Year’s Eve (it’s a Filipino thing), I’ll do it. And if there’s ever something that looks sketchy, like a doll made with button eyes and hay with hella needles stuck to it, or an old glass bottle filled with teeth! — there’s ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I’m touching it.

lancome le monochromatique k french smile — Watch out for those ladders and black cats!

On that somewhat weird note…here’s today’s face of the day, which is kinda related to luck because I was lucky enough to stumble onto these fabulous multi-use pans from Lancôme. Have you heard of the Le Monochromatiques? They’re in the permanent line. They’re these creamy multi-use products in chic black compacts with clear tops (which I love, by the way, because I can quickly find the exact color I need), with a bouncy soft texture, and you can wear them on your lids, lips and cheeks. They blend like a dream!

lancome le monochromatique swatches — I’m an NC42 in MAC, by the way.

I’ve been really into what I like to call “lazy girl glam” lately, which are looks that rely on multitasking makeup and incorporate a subtle element or two of glamour (like a hazy smokey lid or glowing cheek highlights), but, like, toned down enough so I feel comfortable wearing them to run errands. I purposefully give myself 15-20 minutes to do everything from start to finish; that way I don’t get tempted to pile more stuff on my face, LOL!

Anyway, the Le Monochromatique line is fantastic for this type of look. Here I used the matte coral shade French Affair as a blush and a lipstick. Next, I dabbed a little bit of pearly champagne Eclat on my upper cheekbones and in the inner corners of my eyes as a highlighter (you can also use it as a eyeshadow). Then I swept a bit of matte brown Ooh La La (which doubles as a bronzer) on my lids atop a black pencil for soft, daytime smokey eyes.

lancome le monochromatique k french affair — When you’ve got 12 pounds of hair you might as well do something with it, hahah!

Besides looking effortless — I love how these creams don’t look too thick or obvious — I love how you can use them in so many different ways. I plan on mixing the brown and the champagne on my eyes next to see what happens.

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: Lancôme Skin Feels Good in Tan

CHEEKS: Lancôme Le Monochromatique in French Affair (blush), Eclat (highlighter)

LIPS: Lancôme Le Monochromatique in French Affair

EYES: MAC Smolder liner, Lancôme Le Monochromatique in Oh La La, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara, Urban Decay Brow Beater in Neutral Brown

Speaking of black cats

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This or That: The Blush Edition

November 11th, 2020 by Karen 14 Comments

blush is my crush gloss is my sauce this or that — When you love blush so much it makes you wanna dance! Blush Is My Crush Tee, $34

How to play

Pick one or the other for each of the questions below, and copy/paste your answers in the comments. Can’t wait to see your picks! Mine are listed below. ?

This or That: The Blush Edition

Cream or powder?

Liquid or gel?

Sheer or pigmented?

Pink or peach?

Berry or brown?

Loose or pressed?

Nude blush or bright blush?

Matte or shimmer?

Which one would you rather layer with your blush — bronzer or highlighter?

NARS Orgasm blush — “all that” or overrated?

Cream or powder?

UGH. Don’t make me choose! My gut is saying cream…but I adore powder blushes to bits.

Liquid or gel?

This one’s easy — gel. The gel blush by Chantecaille, by the way, is all that and a bag of chips!

Sheer or pigmented?

Hmm… Sheer, because it’s always easier to add color than take it away.

Pink or peach?

Peach!

Berry or brown?

Berry.

Loose or pressed?

Pressed, please.

Nude blush or bright blush?

This one is surprisingly difficult for me. Most of the time I wear nude blush because (SURPRISE) it’s easy, but a pop of color from a bright blush really does make me seem less undead, and I need all the help I can get these days, so I’m going with bright… NO, NUDE.

Ask me again in five minutes. ?

Matte or shimmer?

Matte.

Whew! — at least that was easy.

Which one would you rather layer with your blush — bronzer or highlighter?

I love me some bronzer, but I’ll go with a subtle highlighter because there’s less risk of my skin looking muddy…and I do like having a bit of reflection on my upper cheek bones.

NARS Orgasm blush — “all that” or overrated?

I’ve always liked it, but I don’t love it in the way I love the other NARS classics like Amour and Deep Throat.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen ?

P.S. My mom just sent me a box of persimmons! These are the last bunch of the season from the tree in their backyard.

Do you like your persimmons crunchy or soft? I like mine just a smidgen soft. Connor likes ’em extra soft and squishy and will refuse to eat them if they’ve got any crunch whatsoever.

Product Spotlight: You’ll Be Drawn to Maybelline Color Strike Cream-to-Powder Shadow Pens If You Love One-And-Done Eye Makeup

November 10th, 2020 by Karen 7 Comments

Your amusing factoid of the day!

The part of a pen responsible for the click-click-clickity sound is called “a thrust device.” ?️

You’re welcome! ?

There’s no thrust device in these new $7 Maybelline Color Strike Cream-to-Shadow Pens, and aside from their cylindrical packaging, they aren’t very much like pens at all… When you twist them open, there’s a sponge tip inside, which is basically a fairly traditional preloaded eyeshadow applicator. In fact, there isn’t a felt tip or a ball-point pen applicator or a thrust device anywhere in sight.

Semantics, schemantics.

These cream shadows are great for a single, purposefully messy sweep of color on the lids because they’re only moderately pigmented, so they’re perfect for washes of quick, easy color.

The formula is on the thinner side, but I wouldn’t call it watery. It’s almost like someone melted a MAC Paint Pot and thinned it out a bit. It’s slick and slippery when it moves across your skin, and it takes some time to set, so you have a good 10-15 minutes to blend.

I would caution against using too many “pens” (“air quotes”) on your eyes in one sitting, though, because there seems to be a tipping point after which too much shadow results in the colors mushing into a muddy mess.

I also find the applicator a challenge to use and, even with the pointed sponge tip, the shadow always ends up a little bit off…which makes these difficult to use for layered looks with multiple placements.

That said, the price is right, though ($7 MSRP). They’re less than $10 each! And the wear time is fabulous. They last all day long on my dry lids with barely a hint of creasing, and that’s without using any primer with them.

If you’re a fan of one-and-done eye makeup, I think they’re great. Just remember to stick to single shadow looks, OK?

I would suggest starting with Flare, the matte cool-toned taupe. It’s the one I wear the most, and it’s a neutral everyday shadow color a lot like MAC Groundwork Paint Pot but more gray.
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