Makeup

FOTD: A Clean Makeup Look With Chocolate Wings and Matte Peach and Pink Tones

September 2nd, 2020 by Karen 23 Comments

mac mull it over powder kiss liquid lipcolour k front smile — Forever loving and wearing peachy pink and chocolate brown tones!

Yesterday was a good day because 1) I managed to put on some makeup, and I felt really good about it (especially the base, because dang, it’s been a minute since I’ve mixed and layered and just played, ya know?), and 2) I did something almost, well…normal.

Connor’s fall dance classes started yesterday, so I took her to her dance studio for the first time since February? March? I can’t remember. It’s been a loooong time.

Underneath that mask is a smile a mile wide!

It’s still hard for me to believe it was somewhere we went every week for two years…

Anyway, she started doing outdoor, socially-distanced dance classes this week, so for the first time in six months I dropped her off to do something without me, and yeah, I teared up a little. Happy tears, though, because she was overjoyed to do something with other kids. ?

While she danced, I ran errands around town and popped into TJs, where it occurred to me that once upon a time, in pre-pademic life, days like this were commonplace, and I didn’t give them a second thought, but yesterday it just felt SO GOOD. Maybe it was because it was a little taste of normal life again, which made it that much sweeter.

Regarding my makeup, I’m wearing chocolate brown wings on my lash lines here, along with matte peach and pink tones on my lids, cheeks and lips. It’s a very clean, classic look.

I put a little more effort into the base than I usually do, and I think it made a difference. I started by applying a foundation primer, then mixed a full-coverage foundation with a pearly illuminating lotion and buffed a thin layer of that all over my face.

Next, I mixed a couple drops of face oil into a medium-to-full coverage concealer, then applied it in thin layers on my cheeks, nose and around my mouth, taking care to seamlessly blend all of the layers together.

To finish, I set everything with the lightest dusting of loose powder…

What I like about this type of base is that you get a good amount of coverage, but it doesn’t look or feel heavy!

Oh, and one last thing — I test drove a few new-ish things in this look from MAC and Laura Mercier for the first time. I used a couple of the Powder Kiss Soft Matte Eye Shadows, a MAC Powder Kiss Liquid Lipstick and a Laura Mercier Translucent Honey Loose Powder. I’ll let ya know how I feel about them after I’ve had some time to ruminate!

mac mull it over power kiss liquid lipcolour — When simple-looking makeup is deceptively complicated, LOL!

mac mull it over best of me what clout — Yeah, man, I’m still an NC42!

[Continue reading…]

Summer Faves and Raves: Stila Convertible Color, Complete Harmony Lip & Cheek Stick, Double Dip Suede Shade and More!

September 1st, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

stila summer faves — Current summer faves from Stila

Can you believe it’s September? I can’t. It’s already the first month of fall! That’s craziness. Time really doesn’t give an eff how topsy-turvy the world gets. It just keeps on keepin’ on…

I guess makeup is kinda similar in a way… The world around us may be b-a-n-a-n-a-s, but you can count on that pan of Stila cream blush to keep doing its thing.

Speaking of Stila, their makeup has been a nice respite from the stress of this summer, which so far has been a era in which I’ve been doing things I never thought I would, like drafting a six-page family pandemic emergency response plan, or writing a pros/cons list to send Connor back to preschool — a list that includes Health Department metrics for COVID.

Like I said, bananas! ?

But blush is just blush. Nothing more, nothing less. And there’s something comforting about that.

Here are some of my faves from Stila I’ve been having fun with this summer…

Convertible Color in Peony and Gerbera, $25 each

This creamy blush blends seamless gradients and dries to a satin finish, all while adding soft, translucent color to cheeks. My pick for tanned and darker skin is Peony, a brownish rose, which I adore and have been wearing a ton for 5-minute makeup looks. If your skin is lighter than mine, try Gerbera, a rosy peachy pink.

Complete Harmony Lip & Cheek Stick in Sheer Gerbera, Sheer Lilium and Sheer Peony, $26 each

Like the Convertible Colors, these twist-up cream sticks can be worn on cheeks and lips. They’re like a less expensive NARS Multiple, but much sheerer ($26 vs. $39), so if you’re into barely-there, natural-looking cheeks and lips and a matte finish, they just might be your new favorite thing.

stila swatches summer faves — My skin tone (for the official makeup record) is NC42

Double Dip Suede Shade & Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Camera Ready, $24

I’m a little obsessed with this long-wearing cream shadow duo, which comes with a velvety matte purple on one side and a glittery purple on the other, because it’s one of the fastest ways I know to do an easy colorful look. Start by sweeping the velvety matte from your lash line and fading up toward the crease and brow bone. Then push the glitter toward the base of your lashes before coating them with mascara. Takes all but five minutes!

creamy dreamy purples side view glitter — I’m wearing Camera Ready on my lids, Peony on my cheeks and lips, and Magnum Mascara on my lashes!

Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Bronze, $32

Creamy and soft to the touch (so easy to blend with just fingers!), this golden bronze highlighting powder lights up skin with a warm, shimmery glow.
[Continue reading…]

FOTD: Glowing and Natural Makeup With Coppery Lids and Nude Lips

August 20th, 2020 by Karen 30 Comments

When the going gets tough, the tough wear MAC (at least they do in my world, ha!). MAC is my makeup comfort food… It’s like an In-n-Out Double Double with grilled onions, fries and a vanilla shake (of course). When I need a little TLC, Saddle and Soft Brown usually work for me. ?

I’m wearing both of them in this look here, along with some coppery action on my lids via two In Extra Dimension Eyeshadow faves — Amorous Alloy and Havana.

Girlfriend, have you gotten on the In Extra Dimension train yet? They’re a sub-family of eyeshadows in the permanent line, and they’re so, so good. They feel light and airy, almost like a cream, but blend like a powder, and all of them have a very distinct shiny finish, which is a little bit more intense than a satin but less intense than a frost. They’re also super long lasting, too, and incredibly easy to blend. Talk about unsung makeup heroes.

Back to the copper shades…Havana is a warm chocolate brown with that has a secret hidden coppery glint (grab it if you want a mostly brown with a touch of copper), and Amorous Alloy is a reddish orangey copper (it’s the one for you if you love how orangey or reddish browns look on your lids).

I blended both together because I was in the mood to experiment, but either looks fantastic with any number of the MAC classic neutrals, like Saddle and/or Soft Brown. You could also do Texture or Soba. I haven’t tried either with Groundwork Paint Pot, which is a cooler-toned brown that’s also a go-to neutral, but I’m curious to see if the contrast between the cool and warm colors would work well or clash (note to self, try this out).

By the way, the In Extra Dimension family also includes blushes and highlighters. I’m wearing one of the blushes here — Just a Pink layered on top of MAC Gingerly blush and Give Me Sun Mineralize Skin Finish Natural Powder (another underrated hero).

OH! — and if you’re into the whole wet/dry application thing, you can just as easily apply any of the In Extra Dimension products with a wet brush to amplify the shimmer.

I applied Havana and Amorous Alloy with a dry tapered brush here, but, as you can see in the pics, the shimmer is still there, and it does a pretty good job of not highlighting fine lines, so it’s very forgiving.

All in all, the In Extra Dimensions are one of MAC’s most blendable eyeshadows, so if you haven’t tried them yet, you must, ASAP.

Makeup worn in this look

EYES

NARS Tinted Eye Primer in Light
MAC Saddle, Soft Brown, Amorous Alloy and Havana eyeshadows
MAC Costa Riche
Urban Decay Brow Blade in Dark Drapes
MAC Clear Brow Set
Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara

LIPS

MAC Subculture Lip Pencil
The Lip Bar Baby Bellini Lipstick
MAC Myth Lipglass

CHEEKS

MAC Just a Pinch and Gingerly blushes
MAC Give Me Sun Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

BASE

Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Face oil
Wander Beauty Hidden Glow Brightening Cream
MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Sticks in NC42 and NC45
Kevyn Aucion Supernatural Concealer
Estee Lauder 24HR Concealer

Question for you

I took this pic last night as the sun set and just before the whole sky went red and purple. Marin County where I live in the North Bay Area is close to many of the fires burning around the Bay Area, and one of the…silver linings (?) has been that our sunsets and sunrises have been particularly beautiful and eerily apocalyptic lately.

When you walk outside, the air smells like a barbecue… ?
[Continue reading…]

FOTD: A Clean and (Almost) Effortless Makeup Look Using Mostly MAC Classics

August 18th, 2020 by Karen 30 Comments

I PUT ON EARRINGS TODAY!

*And* a full-face of makeup.

Take that, pandemic blues! ?

I was going for clean and effortless with simple matte browns to define the lids and an elegant dark brown winged liner. And, yes, girlfriend, you read that correctly: Dark. Brown. Winged. Liner.

Back in the day (uh, two years ago?), winged liner was hallowed ground reserved solely for either black or jewel tones. I liked — and still like — the intense drama of the contrast of a solid black or a brightly colored line against my lids, but I’ve reached the point where I’ll try anything to get myself out of the makeup funk I’ve been experiencing over the last couple months, which currently involves playing with makeup in ways that aren’t overwhelming. Like, there’s no way homegirl is about to knock out a look with five colors in the crease right now, but I’m certainly down to try a dark chocolaty wing.

And, ya know, I really like it! It’s like the kinder, gentler version of winged liner without the stark black edges. I mean, you still see the crisp lines, but I think there’s something less severe about the brown.

For the liner, I used a mix of MAC Coffee and MAC Brushbrown (liquid liner), and the rest of the makeup is pretty heavy in MAC classics, because when I’m not feeling super great, those go-tos always hit the spot. MAC was my first love ❤️, and I could go on about old-school colors like Saddle eyeshadow and Melba blush for days.

Basically, if you like listening to me ramble about MAC permanent collection classics, let me know. ?? I’ll take any excuse to talk about those O.G. shades.

Speaking of O.G.s, I can’t find my MAC Spice liner, and I’m borderline panicking about it! I wanted to wear it in this look but ended up using Boldly Bare instead.

Makeup worn in this look

EYES

NARS Tinted Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Light (several shades lighter than my skin tone, but I used it to brighten up matte browns)
MAC Groundwork Paint Pot
MAC Saddle eyeshadow
MAC Coffee pencil liner
MAC Brushbrown liquid liner
Urban Decay Browblade in Dark Drapes
MAC Clear Brow Set
Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara

CHEEKS

MAC Melba Blush
MAC Coppertone Blush
BECCA Rose Gold highlighter

LIPS

MAC Boldly Bare lip liner
MAC C-Thru Lipglass

BASE

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC42 mixed with Pinklite Strobe cream (applied a thin layer buffed all over the face)
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter in 5 Tan mixed with Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural Concealer in Medium EC06 (applied on under eyes, cheeks, nose and around mouth)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden

Seriously, you can’t go wrong building up your makeup collection with some staples from MAC.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. HAPPY TUESDAY! We’ve made it past Monday, which is an accomplishment. It should get easier from here.

FOTD: Low-Key Bronzed, Glowing Skin With Bright Pink Lips

August 14th, 2020 by Karen 14 Comments

Good morning and TGIF! Extra TGIF, right? ? So…you know your world has taken an unexpected turn when you choose to wear a wrinkled shirt and low-key bronzed J Lo.-inspired skin to go get your blood drawn at the hospital and it’s like you’re about to walk the red carpet at the Met Gala.

All is well, by the way. I just had my annual checkup to make sure everything’s working correctly, and it is (*knock on wood*).

So yeah, I was wearing this look under my mask when I went to the lab, and I felt happier and more outgoing than I have in ages. I cracked jokes with the lab tech who drew like 10 vials of blood from my arm (it was actually three, but who’s counting?), and I more than enthusiastically told everyone I ran into to “HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY!”

There’s definitely something to be said for pushing yourself to do the things you know make you feel better, even when you aren’t really feeling it at first!

By the way, the blush/bronzer and eyeshadow are all from the same palette, a multi-use powder palette called the Pixi Summer Glow Palette. I like it when my eye makeup ties into my blush/bronzer, and this palette is one of those no-brainers that allows you to pair colors without having to ponder colorimetry and trichromatic theory…

And the lipstick is Honest Beauty Happiness, also known as “Karen’s Summer 2020 Jam,” because it’s a chameleon! With the fuchsia top in these pics it looks more like a cool pink, but when I wear it with coral clothes it looks warmer and more like a pinkish coral.

If you don’t have this liquid lippie in your makeup bag, you need it ASAP. So, so good.

Makeup worn in this look

EYES: Pixi Summer Glow Palette, Pixi Large Lash Mascara, Pixi Eyeshadow Stick in Matte Cocoa, Pixi Endless Shade Stick in Copper Glaze, Honest Beauty Liquid Liner, Urban Decay Brow Blade in Dark Drapes, MAC Clear Brow Set

CHEEKS: Pixi Summer Glow Palette

LIPS: Honest Beauty Liquid Lipstick in Happiness

SKIN: First Aid Beauty Tinted Moisturizer in Tan

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY! ?

Product Spotlight: Stila Peony Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream

August 12th, 2020 by Karen 7 Comments

stila peony blush — Stila’s creamy, dreamy blush doubles as a lip color.

Are there actually peonies on Stila’s $25 Peony Convertible Color cream blush?

Hmm… Don’t those flowers on the lid kind of look like succulents?

Inquiring minds want to know! ?

stila peony blush closed — Perhaps they are succulent peonies…? (Thank you, I’ll show myself out.)

This brownish pink cream blush has a matte finish that is faboo for video calls. When I sweep it on the apples of my cheeks, which I just do, BTW, with my fingers, it instantly warms up my face with a delicate, translucent rosy brown flush. If you like a natural cheek look, both on camera and in person, I think you’ll like it as much as I do.

It feels like a non-sticky (unlike some cream blushes), practically weightless cream concealer, except it comes in a pan (think Laura Mercier Secret Concealer or MAC Studio Finish concealer), so it’s thin and creamy.

stila peony swatch — I’m an NC 42 in MAC, and Peony looks like a brownish rosy pink on my skin.

I love that it isn’t incredibly obvious on my skin either. It just adds a little color to liven things up without looking like I went through makeup heavy lifting.

Added bonus: Peony doubles as a lipstick (and, I suspect, could also work as an eyeshadow). In this pic I’m wearing it blended on my cheeks and tapped lightly on my lips.
[Continue reading…]

Summer Faves and Raves: Skin Care and Makeup From Honest Beauty

August 11th, 2020 by Karen 3 Comments

Got some thoughts on the latest makeup and skin care from Honest Beauty. Here are some things I’ve been using and loving…

Cat Eye Kit – Mascara & Eyeliner

This one comes with 1) a dual-ended mascara with a primer on one side and a black lengthening mascara on the other, and 2) a fine-tipped black liquid liner with a flexible felt tip. The primer and mascara combo stretches and lifts lashes for a natural-looking fringe that feels lightweight and doesn’t smudge. As for the liner…it’s SO GOOD. It’s long lasting, deeply pigmented (no blue undertones) and extremely precise. I’ve sweated and cried with it on, and it doesn’t move. Surprisingly though, it’s still easy to remove at the end of the day.

$19.99 for a 2-piece kit.

INGREDIENTS
Mascara Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Beeswax (Cera Alba), Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Cellulose, Glyceryl Behenate, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sodium Benzoate, Cellulose Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Phosphoric Acid, Iron Oxides (CI 77499).

Lash Primer Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Beeswax (Cera Alba), Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Acacia Senegal Gum, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cellulose, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Phosphoric Acid

Liquid Eyeliner: Water (Aqua), Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Pullulan, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Hectorite, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510).

Prime + Perfect Mask

This “daytime mask” is a combination skin care/makeup prep product containing antioxidants (via fruit extracts), shea butter and sunflower seed oil to plump and smooth skin before makeup. A nice little extra if you’re in the mood for a little everyday indulgence. ?

$19.99 for a 2-oz. tube.

INGREDIENTS
Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Kaolin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cetyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Wine, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Maltodextrin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Leaf/Seed Extract, Alcohol, Citric Acid , Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499), Limonene.

Beauty Sleep Resurfacing Serum

If you’re interested in exfoliation without irritation, give this gentle AHA night serum a try. It contains glycolic, lactic, citric, malic and tartaric acids (all naturally derived), combined with hyaluronic acid.

It’s a good “starter” exfoliator IMO.
[Continue reading…]

Glam on the Go: A Creamy, Dreamy Purple and Gold Look With Big, Bushy Brows

August 7th, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

Note to self: stop overcomplicating things, both in life and in makeup! Because sometimes taking the easy route is actually, well…easier. And sometimes it turns out better than you expect!

I did the *least* complicated eyeshadow placement in this eye look, and I ended up liking the final result so much that I can’t wait to wear it again (I might do it again today, ha!).

creamy dreamy purples eyes closed — See the sparkles on the upper lash line?

How to do creamy, dreamy purple and golden bronze lids with a smattering of sparkle

Here’s what I did:

I started with a layer of matte purple cream liner as a base with a satiny bronzy gold blended directly on top.
Then, I rimmed my water lines with a creamy warm brown eye pencil and buffed a little bit of it from the lash line to my crease, and on the outer third, for a subtle hint of depth.
Next, I pushed a bit of glittery cream shadow onto the upper lash line, whacked some mascara on my lashes, and that’s it. DONE!

UD Brow Blade is the best

If you’re into bold brows, my brows are epically bushy — again, with minimal effort! — thanks to Urban Decay’s brilliant Brow Blade. Have you tried it? If you want to exert minimal effort but get maximum bushiness, it’s the way to go.

First, apply the twist-up pencil to fill in those sparse spots. The pencil acts like an anchor/base, so that when you layer the liquid pigment from the felt tip pen on top, it has something to grab onto. Super fast, super easy and super bushy.

creamy dreamy purples open — Pandemic hair, don’t care.

Effortlessness of creams

Gotta give a shout-out to the cream bronzer, highlighter and blush (which also doubles as a lipstick) on my cheeks and lips, because, like the eye makeup, blending happened in a flash. I did everything with a single brush!

I also love how cream face products look on skin because you can’t really see the makeup sitting on top of your face. If you’re going for the whole “Is she or isn’t she wearing anything?” kind of vibe, creams are great for seamless, effortless makeup.

Now that I think about it, the only powder I used for this look was a subtly illuminating setting powder I lightly tapped on specific parts of my face (cheeks and the center of my forehead). An illuminating powder is great to have around if you want to set your cream blush, bronzer and highlighter without altering the color or finish. The trick is to find a powder with a finish that’s closer to a sheen or a satin, rather than a full-on frost. A powder with a sheen or satin finish is less likely to pool up in your pores and highlight them.

creamy dreamy purples smile — Smile and the whole world smiles with you. 🙂

This is definitely making it into my 15-minute-look rotation.

Makeup worn in this look

EYES
Stila Liquid Eye Shadow in Camera Ready, upper lash line
Stila Glitter & Glow in Camera Ready, outer corner
Stila Magnum Mascara, lashes
Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Bronze, crease
MAC Costa Riche
Urban Decay Brow Blade
MUFE Ultra HD Y42

CHEEKS
Nudstix Nudes in Bondi Bae
Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream in Peony
Hourglass Vanish Highlighter in Champagne

LIPS
Stila Convertible Color in Peony

BASE
Kevyn Aucoin Concealer Medium EC06
First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Smoothie Primer Moisturizer
Stila Illuminating In the Buff Powder Spray

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ???