Makeup

Drugstore Makeup Look: ’90s-Inspired Plummy Pink!

June 3rd, 2020 by Karen 20 Comments

Let me be the first person to say that my hair looks absolutely BONKERS in these pics, and that’s even AFTER trying to actually do something with it.

I am one YouTube video away from hacking it off! Note to self: next time a global pandemic approaches, book a hair appointment before the world shuts down.

Sigh… Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I was thinking about a Monday Poll question from a while back (’80s or ’90s?) before I started doing my makeup, which is how this ’90s-inspired plummy pink look came about. Everything I’m using is drugstore makeup because I’m still riding a may-jah budget beauty wave right now.

A drugstore dupe for an iconic ’90s lipstick

My main inspiration was an old-school ’90s standby that’s still around called Clinique Black Honey Lipstick. It’s a sheer, ever-so-slightly shiny lippie that all of my college friends wore back in the day. There used to be a Clinique counter inside the UC Davis bookstore, and every quarter when it came time to buy books, we’d all go to that counter to get our books so we could avoid the regular long lines. The only thing you had to do to use that line was buy at least one piece of Clinique makeup, which is how every girl I knew ended up with countless tubes of Black Honey.

Anywho…I recently found a drugstore dupe for it in Honest Beauty Plum Drop Lip Tint, and it looks exactly like Black Honey! To keep with the plum theme, I paired it with an awesomely affordable plummy-pink eyeshadow palette I found over at Covergirl, and pink cream blush cheeks (which I did with a Revlon lipstick).

Covergirl So Saturated Eye Palette in Posh is so good!

The palette is the Full Spectrum So Saturated Eye Shadow Palette in Posh, which comes with eight powder eyeshadows in pink, plum and burgundy tones. The powders are on the fluffier side, so there’s definitely some fallout if you aren’t careful and forget to remove any excess from your brush head, but, on the flip side, the colors are rich and practically blend themselves.

Just a few wrist flicks and you’re good. These are long lasting too. I wear mine without a primer, and it’ll last the day. Posh is $13.49 over at Ulta, if you’re interested.

That layered liner life

To break up all the pink and plum tones, I layered two liners on my upper and lower waterline — a matte black and a sparkly purple. The purple didn’t really show up on its own, which is why I drew the black liner on first, then layered the purple on top. If you ever have a liner that doesn’t deposit as much pigment as you’d like, starting with a layer of black liner beneath it is the fastest way to ramp up the intensity. You can also do this trick with white liner, by the way!

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Product Spotlight: Urban Decay Inked Brow

June 2nd, 2020 by Karen 3 Comments

This cruelty-free vegan brow-filling gel is pigmented and lasts a loooong time. If you’re a fan of Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow, you’ll like this too. Inked Brow comes in seven $26 shades and is available now at UD counters and online.

Things I’ve done to dislodge Urban Decay Inked Brows from my face: 1) Chased a preschooler while they sprinted and splashed in rain puddles. 2) Grunted, thrusted and sweated (get yo’ mind out of the gutter) through a 1-hour booty building HIIT workout. 3) Sang Just What I Needed over and over for 10 minutes in the shower.

ALL FUTILE ATTEMPTS, MIND YOU.

This line of long-wearing brow gels is built to last. Urban Decay even goes so far as to call it “semi-permanent” and claims it lasts up to 60 hours (with the caveat that you need to refrain from washing your brows for three days… Who does that?!).

urban decay inked brow neutral nana — The shade Neutral Nana over the course of one day

It’s like hella pigmented maple syrup for your brows, except that it isn’t sticky and you can’t eat it…so please refrain!

My point is that the viscous formula makes it better for adding color to brows than for molding and shaping. If you’ve got mad scientist brows, you might require the help of an additional brow gel to hold everything in place.

urban decay inked brow brush — Closeup of the brush

Before engaging in the aforementioned shenanigans, I painted it on my bare brow spots using the angled brush it comes with, then ran a brow brush through my brows a few times.

(Do not skip the latter step, or you risk being mistaken for a pirate!)

urban decay inked brows dark drapes neutral nana — Two of the seven shades

I have no desire to leave any product in my brows for three days…but if I did, this would be that product.

Remember — if you decide to use this, don’t use too much, and brush, brush, brush through your brows with a brow brush.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Bushy Brows and Soft Matte Lips: Drugstore Beauty Strikes Again!

May 27th, 2020 by Karen 18 Comments

Covergirl So Saturated Palette in Reverence k closeup — Bushy brows, babe!

If you’ve ever experimented with the bushy brow look you probably already know this: there’s a fine line between “full and lush” and “full-on cray.” Sometimes ya unintentionally cross that line (whoops!), and sometimes you don’t… The latter happened to me today when I stumbled onto this bangin’ bushy brow combo.

Budget beauty brows

Both products are from the drugstore, and to that I say, “Huzzah!” (Sorry, I’ve been binge-watching The Great on Hulu for the past few days.)

HUZZAH!

The two things: Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow in the shade Medium ($9.49) and Maybelline Tattoo Studio Brown Pen in Soft Brown ($7.59).

Easy Breezy Brow Gel is an intensely tinted gel loaded with color, and it dries to a super stiff hold. If you’re a fan of the awesome Hourglass Arch Brow Gel, this Covergirl product is practically a drugstore dupe.

Covergirl So Saturated Palette in Reverence k tee — I’m a makeup nerd and I’m proud of it! Makeup Nerd Tee from connorclaire.com (Yup, that’s my store. Named it after my boss, hahaha.)

It deposits tons of color and pushes brow hairs upwards and outwards (especially those on the inside/closer to the nose), so if you’re going for fluffy, full brows with defined hairs, it’s perfect. Just be sure to remove any and all excess gel from the brush before you use it, because this stuff is intense!

After running the brow gel through my brows, I fill the sparse spots with the Tattoo Studio Pen, which like because it has juuust enough pigment, so it doesn’t make your brows look “blocky” or overly filled.

Oh, and if you’re feeling adventurous, it also doubles as a pen for drawing fake freckles. ?

Covergirl So Saturated Palette in Reverence k front closeup — Wherever you are, and whatever you’re doing today, I hope you’re having a good one!

A lip oil hack for soft matte lips

Speaking of products you can use in different ways…if you have a good lip oil sitting around, try mixing a little into your favorite matte liquid lipstick for a custom lip color with a soft matte finish.

Just dab a bit of both the liquid lipstick and lip oil on the back of your hand, mix them together with a finger or a brush, and pat that blended beauty combo on your lips.

I did it for this look with Pixi liquid lipsticks and a Covergirl lip oil for a finish just shy of matte. I also dabbed a tiny bit of highlighter on my Cupid’s bow to add contrast to the soft matte finish.
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Affordable Drugstore Makeup Mini Reviews: Concealer, Blush and Eyeliner From Maybelline and Covergirl

May 21st, 2020 by Karen 9 Comments

Good morning! A few speedy reviews of drugstore makeup I’ve been wearing lately…

Covergirl Clean Fresh Cream Blush

I like the squeeze tube in this line of shimmery cruelty-free cream blushes and how the blushes last a good six hours on my cheeks (my skin’s combo oily/dry), but feathering out the edges is a challenge. No matter what base I wear them with, I always end up with uneven patches and hard edges… Covergirl says that you can also wear these blushes on your lids, so I’m going to try that next to see if they work better as eyeshadows. Available in four shades, $10.99 each.

Maybelline Lasting Drama Light Eyeliner Pencil

These waterproof twist-up liners for your lash and waterline come in five shimmering shades to brighten yo’ eyes. I’ve used the black shade to tightline and the gold shade on my inner corners as a highlighter, and I like how they glide across the skin without skipping and don’t transfer — not one bit! The’re truly long wearing. The shimmer is also pretty subtle, so there aren’t any big chunks of glitter. Available in five shades, $5.99 each.

Maybelline Eyestudio Master Precise Liquid Liner in Black

This flexible felt tipped black liquid liner pen has a shiny finish. Among the pros: it’s intensely pigmented, long lasting, and it dries faaaast (so when I blink, I don’t have to worry about the liner ending up in my crease). The cons: the felt tip is touchy and skips, so carving out razor sharp lines with it is a challenge. If I’m not super careful, I end up with jagged edges. Available in three shades, $7.99 each.

Maybelline Washable Snapscara

These easy-to-remove, washable mascaras are made to load lashes with volume sans clumps, but I find them lacking in the volume department… I need to apply at least three layers to see any difference. They get points for being easy to remove, though. Available in five shades, $7.77 each.

Maybelline Volum’ Express the Falsies Washable Mascara in Navy Glam

I don’t see the navy when I wear this, and my lashes look and feel clumpy and stiff… Navy Glam is one of four shades, each for $8.77.

Covergirl TruBlend Undercover Concealer

This full-coverage vegan, cruelty-free liquid concealer has a matte finish and comes in SO MANY SHADES! There are 30, which is kind of amaze. It disguises discoloration without feeling heavy or looking “caked on,” but since the finish is *very matte*, when I wear it underneath my eyes, it emphasizes fine lines… Still a good concealer, though, if you just want to even out your skin tone. 30 shades, $11.99 each.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Friday Eve! ?

Product Spotlight: Physicians Formula The Healthy Lip Velvet Liquid Lipstick

May 20th, 2020 by Karen 17 Comments

I’m wearing Physicians Formula The Healthy Lip Liquid Lipstick in Vitamin Beet. Winged Liner tee is from my store, connorclaire.com.

I loved these matte liquid lipsticks by Physicians Formula when they first came out a couple years ago, but I gotta give ’em a quick shout-out again because I wore the magenta shade the other day and dang! — the wear time is INSANE.

physicians formula healthy lip — Bare With Me, Dose of Rose, Berry Health, Mangentle Formula, Tu-lip Treatment, Vitamin Beet

I had Magentle Formula on for six hours, and no joke, it barely budged, and that was after lunch, snacks, multiple cups of caffeinated beverages (EARL GREY IN THE HOUSE, YO), and three big cups of water.

physicians formula magentle before — The shade Magentle Formula, right after I first applied it

physicians formula magentle after — And here it is after six hours and countless snacks and drinks

Right now they’re on sale on the Physicians Formula website for $5.52 (originally $8.49)! A few shades are sold out, but most are still there. [Continue reading…]

A Wearable, Colorful Drugstore Makeup Look: Navy Liner and Lashes With Orange Cheeks and Lips

May 14th, 2020 by Karen 6 Comments

honest blood orange — All the makeup I’m wearing today is from the drugstore.

Totes on a budget beauty kick right now, and everything in this navy and orange look is drugstore.

honest beauty blood orange — Budget beauty at its best

I’ve been slowly but surely mining my makeup collection lately and rediscovering old loves. Also finding new faves…

Budget brow wow

Case in point: Maybelline’s brow pencil. It’s the one in peach packaging with the angled applicator, and it’s just as good as the $$$ Anastasia brow pencils at Sephora IMO. It has the perfect amount of pigment — enough, but not so much that it makes you look like you’re plotting someone’s demise. Plus, it doesn’t budge! It stays put through long runs, planks and burpie push-ups (so fun…NOT). You’ll find it in four shades for $5.99 each — Blonde, Soft Brown, Deep Brown and Medium Brown. I wear the Deep Brown one. It’s a beautiful ashy brown with a hint of gray.

The ace of budget base

Speaking of affordable, can we talk about this base combo for a second? — Neutrogena Hydro Tint plus Maybelline’s Age Rewind Concealer equals magic?

I’ve been a fan of both products for a while, but I never realized they could be such a great budget-friendly combo for no-makeup makeup.

Hydro Tint ever-so-slightly evens everything out while keeping your skin looking natural, and then I dab and blend a little Maybelline Age Rewind where I want a little more coverage (like on the hyperpigmentation on my cheeks and dark areas underneath my eyes).

The end result looks natural and even (and doesn’t look thick). The two products layer perfectly.

Long-lasting liner for under ten bucks

I’ve also recently discovered some new-to-me things that totally deserve the spotlight, including these Coverigrl twist-up eyeliners, which are available in six $7.99 shades (and currently on BOGO for 50% at Ulta!).

I’m also wearing a shimmery deep blue here on my upper lash lines, and I love that glimmer. I had to do a few layers (like three), but once it’s on, it doesn’t transfer into the crease or creep into the lower lash line.
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Product Spotlight: Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balms

May 12th, 2020 by Karen 15 Comments

honest beauty tinted balm — Moisturizing and vibrant lip balms by Honest Beauty, each an affordable $8.99, hooray!

I just found your latest lip addiction, a.k.a. my latest lip addiction! — but you’re not going to get addicted in a bad way, I promise.

You know how some tinted lip balms hook you into a vicious cycle of lip balm-ing yourself every 10 minutes? Not gonna happen with the Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balms, because unlike other tinted lip balms, they don’t suck every molecule of moisture from your lips and lead you to reapply them over and over…which is my main point o’ pain with most lip balms.

Small victories, ya know?

honest beauty dragon fruit — Dragon Fruit, a semi-sheer fuchsia. Also, I’m wearing the Dear Tabby Tee in Daffodil from my online store, connorclaire.com.

Lots of moisture

So tell your dry lips to chill already, man! You will not be looped into a dysfunctional relationship with your lip balm, and since these are practically dripping with moisture, thirsty, flaky lips will thank you for the hydrating TLC.

What they are

I love ’em. They’re like a cross between a lip balm and a creamy lipstick, so you get all the color (but not too much) and lots and lots of moisture. They’re permanent to the Honest Beauty makeup line and come in seven shades, including clear, and are an affordable $8.99 each.

The formula is cruelty-free and vegan, so no animal testing, and no animal-derived ingredients, either.

They feel like a typical balm to me — lightweight and smooth, with a non-sticky texture — and have a barely-there, fleeting honey flavor and scent. As for wear time, they last about two hours for me.

Vibrant color

These are so intense! It’s bomb. (Or, should I say, it’s balm? Sorry, I had to go there!) I have pigmented lips, so it isn’t always easy for me to find pigmented lip balms that show up on my lips, but each of these shades is so vibrant and distinct that I can immediately see the difference (no layering required!). They don’t all look the same, which I lurve and appreciate.

This is casual, low-maintenance lip color at its best. I can easily use my phone as a mirror to apply a layer… Heck, I’m doing that right now with Lychee Fruit (the beige-pink!).
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A Warm Neutral Drugstore Makeup Look for Zoom Calls

May 7th, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

drugstore neutrals — All the makeup I’m wearing in this look is from the drugstore.

I seriously thought about wearing this makeup look for a Zoom call I had with my bakery coworkers a few days ago (we still keep in touch) but decided to wear it with warm neutrals instead.

All drugstore today because I’m on a budget beauty kick! I’m wearing a mix of old faves (a nude Revlon cream eyeshadow palette and Fig eye kajal, Almay eyeshadow and Covergirl Trublend foundation) and some new things I recently found.

Latest drugstore loves

Honest Beauty Tinted Balm in Dragon Fruit: THIS IS SO GOOD! It’s a bright, moisturizing sheer fuchsia balm that doesn’t settle into lip lines (so smooth!). Two-hour wear time, and it’s unflavored and unscented. It’s similar to the very sheer Clinique lipsticks, but at a fraction the price. $8.99 each and comes in bunch of colors.

Covergirl Trulbend Base Business Illuminating: This is a pearly golden pink skin primer you can wear on its own underneath foundation/concealer, or mixed into other base products to sheer them out and give them an opalescent finish, which is what I do. It’s like a more sparkly version of BECCA Backlight. You *will* see the tiniest flecks of golden glitter reflecting off your skin when you wear it, so be prepared for disco fabulousness while you frolic in full sunlight. If you’re indoors, however, it isn’t visible at all from more than a few feet away. $11.49 for a 1-oz. tube.

Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow: I used Clear on the inner part of my brow (which has a good amount of hair) and Medium on the outer part (not so much hair). Both are on the stiffer side of brow gels so your brow hairs won’t move. Medium, a gray brown, is *very* pigmented and not the easiest to control, so use it sparingly. I loooove the Clear, though. It’s comparable to Benefit’s clear brow gel. $9.49 for a 0.16-oz. tube.

Makeup worn in this look

Base: Covergirl Trublend Base Business Skin Primer Illuminated mixed wtih Covergirl Trulend Matte Made in M50 and Covergirl Trublend Undercover Concealer in Golden Honey

Eyes: Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow in Clear (inner part of brow) and Medium (outer part of Brow), Revlon Illuminance Cream Shadow in Not Just Nudes, Almay Eyeshadow in Pure Gold Baby, Revlon 2 in 1 Angled Kajal in Fig, Maybelline the Falsies Mascara

Cheeks: Covergirl Clean Fresh Cream Blush in Butterflies, Maybelline City Bronzer in 300

Lips: Honest Beauty Tinted Balm in Dragon Fruit

What are your drugstore go-to’s at the moment? I’m playing “put all the makeup in my cart” on the Ulta site right now. 🙂

Nail “painting” is easy and fun.

One of Connor’s preschool teachers sent this fun art idea for painting nails! Grab some nail polish (I used quick-drying ones by Sally Hansen), a black marker and a piece of cardboard. Draw hands with nails on cardboard, and then have your “coworker” help you paint them. Or do it yourself. This kept me and CoyCoy entertained a long time.

Some of my hand drawings ended up looking like weird lizard fingers…but she didn’t seem to mind.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen