Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Makeup

10-Minute Makeup With the Clinique Chubby Sticks

by 22 Comments

clinique portly plum ample amber eyes
When your messy bun just isn’t messy enough! The shirt is from connorclaire.com. 🙂

I’m currently not picky about precision placement (I JUST WANNA GET ANY PLACEMENT, TBH!), so hooray for these Clinique Chubby Sticks.

See the rounded tip? They’re not exactly the tool you’d grab to surgically insert a pocket of precise color in the outer third of the crease, you know what I’m saying? This, my dear, is pandemic makeup at its finest. Le sigh… I never thought I’d ever type those words.

clinique portly plum ample amber eyes products
Yay for the Clinique Chubby Sticks!

If you haven’t tried the Clinique Chubby Sticks, get on it! They’re semi-sheer creams, so you don’t have to fuss too much with blending. I mainly use the eyeshadows and blush because I like the finishes. They’re super-forgiving and blur pores beautifully.

So ya want more color? No worries, just add layers and blend a little more ’til you get where you want to go. I find that I can really pack the eyeshadows and blushes on before they look heavy on my lids or cheeks, and before they break up into chunky patches on my skin.

I have combination skin — some oiliness — but it’s mostly dry on my cheeks and lids, and the blush fades faster than the eyeshadow, but they both last long enough to make it through a day without touching up.

clinique portly plum ample amber eyes down
I like big hoops and I cannot lie!

I’ve done this same exact look three or four times in the past couple weeks. Last time you saw it was a couple Saturday Surfings ago. It’s the same thing, different day, and I’m not mad about it. Because sometimes I think you’ve gotta lean into the predictability, especially when everything else feels crazy.

clinique portly plum ample amber eyes 1
Same makeup, different day, but I’m OK with it.

I made myself put on makeup this morning (even though I didn’t want to at first), and I almost feel semi-normal today, which is a good thing, because if you ask my coworkers, I’ve been very crabby lately. But today, not so much. I may have already smiled a bunch of times. ???

Key products in this look

A social distance date

Remember Milo the cat? He’s an orange and white kitty who lives in our neighborhood, and back in the pre-Rosie days he’d pop by our house and hang out in our kitchen. Anyway, Connor and I had an accidental social distance date with him yesterday afternoon. We were playing “zoo” in a grove of trees in our neighborhood, and when we looked up into the branches, there he was, just chillin’ like he was waiting for his cat ladies to show up.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A “TGIF” 10 Minutes With MAC Selena La Reina | Fun With Glitter | *Not* Dancing With Myself

by 16 Comments

mac selena la reina fotd bronze glitter liner closed eyes
Peep the bronze on my upper lash lines (it’s glitter eyeshadow!)

I can’t even… I am SO HAPPY it’s Friday, my friend. I don’t know, but this week was draining. Even though it was just more of the same, really, the whole sameness of it all is wearing on me. I know you’re probably in a similar boat, or you’re an essential worker out there doing your best, or you’re unemployed because of this. Whatever the case may be, I’m sorry this is happening to you. To all of us. These are strange, unsettling days indeed. ?

But what can we do, other than our best every day to get through it? And none of us knows the “best” or the “right” way to deal with something like this. We all have different needs and responsibilities, different situations. I want you to know I’m with you, and I support you. You’re doing your best, just like I am too. ??

With that, here’s a little something makeup-related, because why not right? For this look I used a glitter eyeshadow as my liner (the bronze glitter from the MAC Selena La Reina palette).

Such a handy hack!

mac selena la reina fotd bronze glitter liner crazy face
Another day, another 10 minute makeup look

You just load an angled eyeliner brush (I like the NARS #47) with your glitter shadow of choice, spray the brush head with setting spray, and, because fallout isn’t fun, tap it to unload any excess powder bits, and then run the brush along your lash lines.

The result?

The same shiny effect you get from a shimmery liquid eyeliner, except that’s it’s easier to do because you don’t have to deal with wet liner spreading all over your lids or getting up into your crease.

And you know I like easy, especially lately.

Makeup worn in this look

  • BASE: MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance and MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Stick in NC42
  • EYES: MAC Selena La Reina eyeshadow palette (matte medium brown in crease, glittery bronze on the upper lash line), Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara (lashes), MAC Cool Jazz Technakohl Liner (upper water line)
  • CHEEKS: MAC Pinch Me Blush
  • LIPS: MAC Selena La Reina Lip Pencil in Entre a Mi Mundo, MAC Love Nectar Lipglass

By the way, there are many setting sprays that work well with this trick. I’ve used MAC Fix+, Urban Decay All Nighter; the ones by Make Up For Ever and Shiseido are also great. In a pinch, even water will do.

If you plan to do this to a pan of glitter, I suggest designating one area of your pan to be the place where you *always* dip the wet brush head; otherwise, if you’re grabbing from all over the place, you can turn the top layer of your shadow into a hard, clumpy mess.

For the life of me, I haven’t been able to take a normal pic today, because my coworkers have been ALL UP IN MY BUSINESS.

mac selena la reina fotd bronze glitter liner coycoyhand 1
Never alone

Did you notice the mystery hand in the lower corner?

mac selena la reina fotd bronze glitter liner coycoyhand 2
Not for one second!

I’ve been making a self-quarantine playlist and have been playing Billy Idol’s Dancing With Myself like nobody’s business, but I’m very thankful that, throughout this period of isolation, I haven’t really been by myself. Thank you for stopping by and keeping in touch.


When I was a kid and this played on MTV, I’d change the channel because it scared me.

You’re welcome to join The Girl’s Club! So far, it’s just me, Rosie and the CoyCoy. Lifetime membership!

girls club
Wanna join The Girls Club?

If you’re going to join us, just know that you’ll be required to either play hopscotch, ride bikes or jump rope. Standard Girls Club stuff, ya know.

Last weekend, I jumped rope for the first time in…I don’t even know how long, and OH, MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS, I’m still recovering. My body hella hurts, dude!

I’ve been teaching Connor how to jump rope (this is what she gets in her classes at “mom home school,” ha ha), and for some demented reason, I thought it might be kinda fun to take up jumping rope as my new form of cardio…

Wow, that was a questionable idea.

bob the jump rope
I’ve named my jump rope “Bob.”

I jumped for three minutes straight (well, I tried to, at least), rested for a minute, then repeated the cycle. I did this seven times. I figured, hey, I’m not in terrible shape. I can jump rope for a total of 24 minutes, right? Piece. Of. Cake.

Nope! Apparently, one doesn’t need much rope jumping to hobble themselves for an entire week. The next day, I could barely walk. Who knew?!

Can you remember the last time you jumped rope? If you can, did you do a double under?! (Yes, it’s a thing.)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ?❤️

10 Minutes With MAC Selena La Reina, and the Revival of the Lady Sanctuary

by 36 Comments

lady sanctuary with coycoy reading
The spot to be

Hey, my friend. How’s it going? ?❤️ Check this out…

lady sanctuary corner 2020
Welcome to our cozy corner.

This is called the “Lady Sanctuary” — a.k.a. the deck off my bedroom. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s quiet, soothing, has some plants, and it’s protected in the shade of a tall, old oak tree.

It’s a good place to have a cup of coffee or tea and read a book. It’s one of my favorite spots right now, and I’m happy to share it with you.

coycoy reading in lady sanctuary
Grab a book and get cozy.

Even though it’s technically only for the ladies (hence the name), if you’re a makeup-and/or-cat-loving dude, you’re still welcome (I’m talking to you, Efrain!).

lady sanctuary gerbera daisy
Raise your paw if you love gerberas!
Trying something new this year — a strawberry plant!

Connor and I were out there this morning. She read a stack of Disney princess books, and I willed myself into putting on 10-minute makeup.

mac selena k down
I’m wearing mostly MAC, with products from the new Selena La Reina collection.

Question for ya… Have you been wearing makeup regularly? If so, are you sticking to your pre-Corona makeup routine? It’s been touch-and-go for me. I’ll go for stretches where I’ll happily wear a full face, but then — BAM! No makeup for a week.

I’m cool with going bare-faced, but I definitely feel more mentally “on” when I wear at least mascara or gloss, which is why I put on some makeup today. I’ve been feeling kinda lonely this week, so I told myself, “Self, you have 10 minutes. That’s it. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Just do a little.”

I think this helps. —-> Give yourself permission to skip things, like today I didn’t want to fill in my brows (just used a clear brow gel), and I didn’t do pencil eyeliner. But I still had it in me to apply some eyeshadow, mascara, a little sheer foundation and a lipstick (which I also used as a cream blush).

Definitely felt more like myself when I finished. ? I even put on earrings and a necklace, too, and spritzed a body splash.

mac selena la reina k side
A little glitter never hurts.

[Continue reading…]

MAC Selena La Reina Collection Swatches (NC42 Skin)

by 8 Comments

mac selena la reina collection
The MAC Selena La Reina collection, coming to MAC in North American starting April 21st (today!)

Your first Selena fun fact of the day: One rainy spring day during my senior year in college, I sat, bawling my eyes out, while parked in my red Honda Civic listening to Selena sing I Could Fall in Love on the radio. LIKE, FULL-ON EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN IN MY VEHICLE.


Don’t mind me! I’m just crying in my car! ?

Your second Selena fun fact of the day: The new MAC Selena La Reina collection is available now on the MAC website, and it’s a follow-up to the MAC Selena collection released in 2016. (Wow, it’s been four years already?)

The new collection is BIGGER! — and unlike the 2016 release, it leans toward lip products, with three liquid lipsticks, four lipsticks, three glosses and two lip pencils. (There is also an eyeshadow palette, a very Chanel-esque highlighter and a bejeweled bag.)

Plenty to make your heart sing. ???‍?

mac selena la reina paletta
The highlighter and eye palette both come with this pic inside of Selena wearing a cute jeweled bra (which I would wear in a hot second!).
mac selena la reina packaging
The design on the outer packaging of the highlighter and palette look like Selena’s jeweled bra top.
mac selena la reina highlighter
Yup, that red is eye-safe.
mac selena la reina highlighter
I’m getting Chanel vibes from this highlighter.
mac selena la reina lipsticks
Love the rose detail on the lipstick bullets.
mac selena la reina liquid lipsticks
The Retro Matte Lip Colours

mac selena la reina lipglass
Lipglasses

[Continue reading…]

Peachy Golden Brown Cheeks and Eyes With a ’90s-Style Lip #throwbackthursday

by 7 Comments

mac amber lights
#throwbackthursday to this ’90s lip look

A pic popped up in my feed a few days ago of a friend wearing a classic ’90s lip with an unblended dark outer edge, a light lipstick, and lots and lots of gloss in the center.

I was moved!

I wore the heck out of this lip look when I was in college, and apparently you can trust muscle memory to kick in when you attempt to do old favorite makeup looks, because it all came back to me like *that*.

mac amber lights

What you’ll need

To do this type of ’90s lip look, grab the following…

  • A dark matte lip liner (I’m wearing two shades of brown).
  • An opaque matte lipstick significantly lighter than your lip liner, because you’re going for contrast here. I chose a matte beige.
  • A very shiny gloss, either clear, or in a shade that compliments your lipstick.

Step-by-step: the ’90s girl unblended lip look!

  1. Apply a layer or two of your lipstick first. I just did it directly from the tube.
  2. Line the outermost portion of your lips with the liner. Be sure to sharpen the tip beforehand for a crisp edge.
  3. Dot the gloss on the center of your bottom lip. I like to swipe a little first on the back of my hand, and then I dab the gloss on with a finger to avoid touching the doe-foot applicator directly to the lipstick. That way I can keep the lipstick from mixing into the gloss and changing the color.
  4. DO NOT rub your lips together or blend the liner with a lip brush, or do anything that will reduce the definition of the edge. This is totes key!

mac amber lights

If you do a beige-brown lip like the one I’m wearing here, peachy golden brown colors work well on the cheeks and eyes.

mac amber lights

Makeup worn in this look

Social media is weird, man.

Have you seen the thing going ’round social media where people post their senior high school pic to support the seniors graduating in 2020? Now, how is posting one’s own senior portrait supposed to cheer up a senior in high school who’s missing prom and graduation? I dunno. That said, I’ve been enjoying seeing everyone’s throwbacks, especially all the makeup and hair. It’s great for inspiration!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Warm Browns With a Matte Bright Blue and Shimmery Teal

by 8 Comments

urban decay chaos electric eyeliner

Banged out these bright eyes during the golden hour, otherwise known as “afternoon rest time,” otherwise known as “the two hour break when Connor takes a nap and I get to put on a li’l makeup.”

Lower lash line surprise

I’m wearing warm brown eyeshadows with a bright matte blue on the upper lash line and a shimmery, glittery teal on the lower lash line…but look closely! You’ll also see a thin line of the same matte bright blue I’m wearing on my upper lash line hugging the roots of my lower lash line for an unexpected makeup surprise.

Sharpen those weapons

You could totally do this look with other accent combos. For the bright accent here (in this case blue), I think the key is to combine a darker matte finish with a lighter shimmer. I think that’s what makes it work.

urban decay chaos electric swatch

Whichever colors you choose, have your favorite eye pencil sharpener handy, because the sharper your liner, the more control you have over the width of your lines. I used to overlook this and would line my lash lines with dull tips until I found an eyeliner tutorial by The Goddess Her Makeup Majesty Charlotte Tilbury (GOODNESS GRACIOUS, I LOVE HER). She emphasized, over and over, the importance of a sharp tip whenever you’re working with pencil. Lo and behold, when I started religiously sharpening, lining got much easier and less messy.

Big ups to Char for forever changing my life. ?

Spirit makeup animal shout-out

I also gotta give it up to another one of my favorite makeup artists, Brittany Sullivan, for inspiring this look and for temporarily lifting me out of my bronze/brown/neutrals rut routine. Follow her if you aren’t already because her hair and makeup style (how she perfects the base without it looking overdone = AMAZING) is the stuff of effortlessly casual dreams. Serious #foundationgoals.

urban decay chaos electric eyeliner

urban decay chaos electric eyeliner

urban decay chaos electric eyeliner

Makeup worn in this look

Base: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (to prep skin), MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick in NC42 (cheeks, nose, around mouth) and Estée Lauder 24HR Concealer in Medium Warm Deep (just a single dot underneath each eye)

Eyes: MAC Soft Brown and Saddle (lids and crease), Urban Decay Chaos liner (upper lash line, and very thinly along lower lash line), Urban Decay Electric (lower lash line), MAC Hush (inner corner and brow bone), Hourglass Arch Brow Gel in Dark Brunette, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara

Cheeks: Nudestix Lip & Cheek Pencils in Blush and Purity (cheeks) and MAC Hush (upper cheekbones)

Lips: Nudestix Lip & Cheek Pencils in Purity (lip liner) and Blush (lipstick)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Coral, Bronze and Plum Makeup With a Natural-Looking Base for Outdoor Adventures

by 23 Comments

mac sable eyeshadow

This is what “fancy dress” is for me these days: a semi-wrinkled striped sweater, pants with paint spots on them (I wore them to paint Connor’s room a few months ago, and dagnabbit if they aren’t my most comfortable jeans I own!), and my “good” pair of Nike Winflos.

Oh, and a little makeup of course! ?

mac sable eyeshadow

Targeted coverage

To chase PGR around the house and the Coywolf around the block yesterday, I wore bronze and plum on my eyes and cheeks with a sheer coral lip. And I paired it with what I like to call “a semi-sheer base,” which is all-over barely-there coverage with a tinted moisturizer, as well as a few targeted areas with slightly more opaque coverage. I did this by blending a sheer layer of stick foundation on my cheeks and around my mouth, and then buffing a tiny amount of liquid concealer underneath my eyes.

mac sable eyeshadow

I didn’t set it with a powder because I wanted my skin to look as skin-like as possible, but you totally could… Just be sure to not go too heavy with it if you want to maintain the skin-like effect.

I really like this type of targeted coverage, especially how it looks in outdoor light, which can be notoriously unforgiving. Highly recommended. Try it on your next picnic.

Unearthed MAC gems

In other news…I’m weeding my way through my makeup collection right now, and I keep unearthing old gems. I wore two of my recent finds yesterday — Cheeky Bronze Mineralize Skinfinish and MAC Liquidlast Liner in Coco Bar.

Cheeky Bronze is a soft, shimmery golden coral face powder. Technically, it’s a highlighter, but you can also use it all over your cheeks as an all-in-one bronzer/blush/highlighter, which is what I have on my cheeks in these pics.

If you’re feeling creative, you can also use it as an eyeshadow. I wet a MAC 217 brush, flicked it across the pan a few times to load it up, then buffed it onto the inner part of my lids to go with the bronzed plum shadow I was wearing on the outer half (MAC Sable, in case you’re curious).

Coco Bar is a dark neutral brown MAC Liquidlast liner, and it will not move for nothing! It’s like a liquid version of MAC Coffee pencil liner, which is why I love it. I drew a line directly along my upper and lower lash lines, then smudged the edge with a flat eyeshadow brush. If you’re looking for a soft, diffused chocolate liner that stays put, you gotta give it a go, ASAP.

mac sable eyeshadow

Makeup worn in this look

Base: MAC Peachlite Strobe Cream (to prep skin), First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer in Tan (all over face), MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation in NC42 (cheeks, around base of nostrils and mouth), Estée Lauder 24H Concealer in Medium Warm

Eyes: MAC Teddy eyeliner (buffed all over lids as an eyeshadow base, then applied as liner on waterlines), MAC Sable eyeshadow (outer half of lids), MAC Cheeky Bronze (inner half, applied wet), MAC Hush (inner corner), MAC Liquidlast in Coco Bar (smudged along upper and lower lash lines), Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Mascara

Cheeks: MAC Cheeky Bronze

Lips: MAC Ravishing Lipglass (a sheer coral that appears to be, sadly, discontinued. BOO!)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Low Key “No-Makeup” Makeup With Creams (MAC Pro Face Palettes)

by 11 Comments

mac face palette fotd

If the day ever comes when an inquisitive young child asks me about the meaning behind Prince’s song, Cream, I’m going to tell her it’s about cream makeup. Cream blush, cream eyeshadow and cream foundation.

CREAM! creampurple_guitar

Prince loved wearing makeup, so why wouldn’t he write a song about cream products? ? the_symbol

And should I ever be moved to compose a catchy tune about creams (because I’d have to write a love song about cream, obvs!), I would have to dedicate a verse to how cream eyeshadow and blush look on skin — like you’re wearing makeup, but not the heavy, powdery obvious kind. (The second verse would be dedicated to blending with your fingers, and the chorus would be all about how much creams love dry skin.)

Anyway, that’s my plan and I’m stickin’ to it.

A few items of note about this particular no-makeup makeup look…

  • Here’s a way to add more dimension with your cream blush. I’m wearing two blushes on my cheeks — a sheer layer of orange all over my cheeks, with a pop of pink on the apples — to create a gradient. I diffused the edges of the pink into the orange by laying the flat side of a foundation brush against my skin and using short strokes. Try this technique sometime using two of your favorite cream blushes (one lighter, one darker) for natural-looking blush with dimension.
  • The MAC Pro Face Palettes rock. For a low-key look, I’m wearing sheer layers of the Bright Blush Palette on my cheeks and the Contour Palette on my lids (worn as eyeshadow and layered on top of a light wash of MAC Teddy). And if you want more dramatic glam, you can still easily get there by layering the creams for amplified pigment. SO flexible and blend beautifully, too. If you’re a fan of the MAC Cream Colour Bases, you’ll love these.
  • About that glossy lip. It’s a tinted lip oil — Hourglass Cameo — and it’s a gorgeous warm rose (but it’s redonk expensive at $49!). It’s next level when it comes to moisturizing dry lips, which is mainly why I wear it (mine have been annoyingly dry lately), but I also adore its “your lips but better” effect.

    • mac pro palette fotd swatches

    mac face palette fotd

    mac face palette fotd

    Makeup worn in this look:

    Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

    Karen

    P.S. Happy Good Friday, and TGIF! ?

    P.P.S. Click here to read a random post!

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.