Makeup

Product Spotlight: Laura Mercier Rosé Cheek Color

March 23rd, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

laura mercier rose blush swatch — Rosé all day

“No-makeup” makeup people, take note: This warm pink powder blush will release you from your “blahs” while summoning your cheeks back to life.

I barely wore any makeup last weekend (real talk: I’ve been feeling kinda blah), but I *did* manage to put on some mascara, brow gel and Laura Mercier Rosé today, AND THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT!

Rosé is a warm-toned pink matte powder blush, and I didn’t realize just how much I’ve been neglecting my usual beauty routine lately until I looked in the mirror this morning and saw a mustache worthy of a Disney villain on my upper lip.

via GIPHY

A little makeup was definitely in order.

So, yeah, if you want to feel somewhat functional/normal, if only for a moment, wear blush — ideally, one like Rosé, which has that patented “no-makeup makeup®” thing going. It’s colorful without being intense, and matte, and it doesn’t look heavy or harsh.

Are you the type of person who skips foundation? Or do you just wear a touch of tinted moisturizer? If so, this blush is at its best when it’s dusted directly on bare skin or on top of a minimal base.

Hopefully, someday soon we’ll all have places to go with actual real live people in them again, and Laura Mercier Rosé will be ready. It’s available now on the Ulta website for $30.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product Spotlight: Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Mascara

March 19th, 2020 by Karen 15 Comments

laura mercier caviar mascara — Ready to give you a lift

FOR DECADES I believed that a lash curler was a non-negotiable when dealing with stick straight lashes (mine will flex the curl outta everything), but that’s totally not so, man! My opinion changed when Laura Mercier’s marvelous Caviar Volume Mascara, which is part of LM’s permanent collection and available at Ulta for $25, rocked my world.

It all started one day a few weeks ago… I was running late for work and couldn’t find my lash curler, so out of desperation I whacked a few coats of this stuff directly on my uncurled lashes, and it finessed a perfectly lifted curl into place.

I was shocked! In fact, I’m still in awe, and I really have no idea how it works. I almost feel like I’m messing with supernatural blood makeup magic and probably shouldn’t go there, but I can’t help myself, ya know? Not only does this mascara lift and curl lashes without the help of a lash curler, but it also separates and elongates lashes while imparting a noticeable amount of volume, but not so much that your fringe looks fake or spidery.

laura mercier caviar mascara before after — No lash curler needed, babe.

It also doesn’t smudge or flake, and even though it isn’t technically waterproof, I’ve cried wearing it a few times (yes, I’m a big cry baby), and it didn’t run.

It comes in one shade, a glossy black, and you can find it at Ulta for $25 a tube.

Your friendly neighborhood fringe addict,

Karen

Spring Makeup Ideas: Sparkly Taupes and Purples With a Soft Hint of Pink

March 19th, 2020 by Karen 31 Comments

wander beauty wanderess k3 — Big hair, big dreams

It’s weird. Even though the world around me feels like it has gone full-on BONKERS, when I go outside for walks with the Coywolf (and we’ve been going for a lot of them), the great outdoors seems unaware of the sitch in the human world.

Spring, in all her glory, keeps coming.

Case in point: One of the showiest trees in the neighborhood is blooming, and she’s absolutely gorgeous.

(Yes, she’s a dainty lady in my eyes.)

Coy-Coy and I went for several walks yesterday, and on one of them we stopped by to visit our favorite tree. As we stood under the canopy of flowers and looked up, tiny pink petals gently floated onto my hair, and I felt a song in my heart.

Thank you, tree, for your inspiration — makeup and otherwise!

For this springtime makeup look, I did shades of taupe and light purple on the lids, with plummy cheeks and soft pink lips.

wander beauty wanderess taupe look swatches — Key items in this springy look

wander beauty wanderess taupe look — Feelin’ springy

Key items worn in this look

EYES: MAC Groundwork Paint Pot (eyeshadow base), Wander Beauty Wanderess Escape Palette (Nude beach and Enchanted in the crease, Flourish on the lids, and Moonlit in the inner corner), MAC Coffee and Cargo Liner (lash and water lines), Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara (lashes)

CHEEKS: NARS Sin (blush)

LIPS: MAC Oak pencil (outer lip edge), MAC Boldly Bare pencil (inner portion of lips), MAC Oyster Girl gloss (all over lips)

BASE: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (to prep skin), Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Honey Bronze mixed with MAC Strobe Cream, Estee Lauder 24H Concealer, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Golden Tan

What does spring look like in your neck of the woods?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product Spotlight: Laura Mercier Cocoa Caviar Stick Eye Colour

March 18th, 2020 by Karen 4 Comments

What you need to know: Laura Mercier Cocoa Caviar Stick Eye Color is a flexible brown cream shadow stick your time-pressed self needs, so if you’re building a better makeup bag and you love a workhorse brown neutral, this absolutely HAS to be in there because it doesn’t move, and you can wear it a bunch of different ways. (It’s available at Ulta for $29.)

This cocoa is a pain in the butt.

It’s the cocoa powder we use at the bakery, and whenever I have to dig into the bin, the powder is so fine that it gets all over the place! — my apron, my leggings, my face, everywhere. As adept as it is at making stuff taste good, it’s highly annoying, especially when you accidentally leave two big ol’ cocoa powder palm prints on your backside and don’t realize it until a stranger buying tuna at Trader Joe’s points it out.

This other Cocoa by Laura Mercier is not a pain in the butt…

laura mercier cocoa swatch — A swatch of Laura Mercier Cocoa, which is like a less red cream eyeshadow version of MAC Teddy liner. I’m an NC42 in MAC, by the way!

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Shelter in Place / Social Distancing / Homeschooling Activity: Adventures in Makeup Artistry

March 17th, 2020 by Karen 22 Comments

If you’re sheltering in place over the next couple weeks and looking for things to do with someone in the house, let them unleash their inner artist by doing a makeover…ON YOU!

I busted out an old LE Tarte palette I’ve had for ages but haven’t used, a few matching bright eye pencils, a handful of brushes and a bright lipstick (which I let Connor Claire choose…so of course she picked the brightest reddish orange!).

Then we parked ourselves in her room, played some tunes, and I let her have at it.

On, in case you’re wondering, the lipstick is MAC Retro Matte in Dangerous.

I’m pretty impressed with her application, LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Dreaming of Vacay With Wander Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, MAC and More

March 11th, 2020 by Karen 15 Comments

I woke up wishing I was on vacation this morning. There weren’t any viruses to worry about, no freaky headlines on the news, or piles laundry to fold, no meals to plan. Ah…

When I dream of vacation, it usually involves a beach, ‘cause I’m a sand, surf and sun girl.

I LIKE ALL THE TROPICAL PLACES, and I’m equally happy at remote, out-of-the-way secret beaches that are only accessible by rickety rope ladders as I am at Disneyland-like resorty beaches with all the accoutrements, including a big umbrella, a comfy chair, a clean bathroom and a snack shack. (Gimme all the snacks!)

Walking down to Hideaways beach on Kauai

A play on sheen, shimmer and shine

You know how when you’re at the beach on a hot day, you’re always kinda sweaty, even if you’re just sipping on strawberry shave ice? Well, that’s what I was aiming for with the base in this look. I wasn’t going for “sweaty” necessarily, but rather glistening. There’s an all-over subtle sheen on the skin (thanks, Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter), paired with bright, shimmery spots beaming from specific areas — the inner corners of the eyes, in particular, and the bridge of the nose. Then, there’s just the faintest amount of shine on the lips, thanks to a bright reddish coral lippie with a creamy finish.

I know I talk about “Char’s” Flawless Filter all the time, but really, it’s that good. I like it just as much as I ever have, and I still routinely say, WHAT THE HELL KIND OF MAGIC IS IN HERE? when I blend it in and look in a mirror.

If you’ve tried it and didn’t like it because you felt like the opalescent finish made you look sweaty, try setting it with a face powder that has a matte or demi-matte finish. For this, I’m a massive fan of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. And Chanel’s loose powder is good with Flawless Filter, too. Both temper the sheen a tad for a purrfect glow.

Cue the contrast

Did ya notice the matte lids and lash lines? Yup, that’s on purpose. I wanted a flatter finish on those areas to play against the intense inner corner highlight, and I’m wearing shadows from the new Wander Beauty Wanderess Escape Palette, which has a mix of matte, shimmer and glitter shadows in warm, summery shades of brown, bronze, gold and peach (there’s also a pop of teal in there). If you’ve ever fallen in love with any of the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess palettes, I think you’ll like it.

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NARS Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo -> Love!

March 10th, 2020 by Karen 19 Comments

I’m still playing my way through that custom NARS palette, and I’m still rediscovering classics that keep speaking to me (because, obviously, my makeup talks to me), saying nuggets of wisdom like, “Karen, you seriously need to consider wearing us every day for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.”

nars alhambra products — Key makeup in this look (lots of NARS)

Case in point: the magic combo of Madrague and Alhambra. If these two duos sang a duet, it would go a little something like this…

The sound of disco perfection

Madrague is a matte combo with a creamy brown caramel and a warm beige… Think elevated basics for your crease and brow bone.

Alhambra has a glowing rose gold on one side and a shimmery champagne on the other, and I’ll wear either one, or a mix of both on the inner lids for a wide, doe-eyed effect.

Draw some dainty winged liner, add a couple layers of mascara, and you’re set.

I think this eye look is neutral enough to go with most blushes, but it looks extra pretty when you wear it with warm golden pink. I’m wearing it here with NARS Deep Throat blush, which I’ve always thought was the better, more wearable version of Orgasm…

I know Orgasm gets all the love, but Deep Throat is more pink and less coral, so I think it’s closer to the actual color of flushed cheeks. Plus, Deep Throat’s shimmer is more opalescent and less frosty than Orgasm’s, so it’s more forgiving when skin has visible pores and texture.

Swatch it next time you’re at the counter. I think you’ll like it.

nars alhambra swatches — Yeah, man, still an NC42!

Key makeup for this look

Eyes: Cargo Black Pencil and MAC Coffee (winged liner), NARS Alhambra (inner lids), NARS Madrague (brown side in the crease, and the beige side on brow bone), Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara

Cheeks: NARS Deep Throat (blush)

Lips: NARS Viebke lipstick and NARS Tasmania gloss

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Springy Purple and Orange Makeup Look Inspired By Purple Rain

March 3rd, 2020 by Karen 19 Comments

prince purple rain — When the Purple One inspires your look

The first time I saw Purple Rain I was eight, and it was at my friend Peachy’s slumber party.

Peachy’s mom let us pick out whatever movie we wanted at the video store (this was right after she took us to Chuck E. Cheese, of course, where I killed it at ski ball), and I’m 100% positive she had no idea what the movie was about when she rented it.

Even though none of us understood what was going on when we watched it, we knew that Prince was in it, and that’s all we really needed to know. To this day, the soundtrack from the movie is one of my favorite albums of all time.

I don’t care pretty baby, just take me with you.

To take it a step further, the colors on my Purple Rain tee (thanks, Target) inspired this orange and purple makeup look…

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