Makeup

The MAC Oh, Sweetie Lipcolour Collection Is a Frosted Sugar Rush

June 21st, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

mac oh sweetie collection — Got a sweet tooth?

I like to bake.

Naw, dawg, I LOVE TO BAKE.

Love. It. ?????❤️??

What’s that? You need a cake baked from scratch? Brownies? Lemon bars? A loaf of artisan bread?? I GOT YOU, GIRL.

That said, when someone tells me that they don’t like sweets, or they claim to never, ever order dessert, my lips immediately form into a tight smile and my right eye starts twitching…because I’m completely short-circuiting inside.

HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE DESSERT…? 1011101011010101111010110100010011101010111

That does not compute.

Thankfully, it’s sweet stuff galore in the MAC Oh, Sweetie Lipcolour collection. In fact, the glosses are named after desserts.

Here’s a look at some of them…

The MAC Oh, Sweetie Lipcolours ($17 each, 15 LE shades)

The collection is fronted by jet-setting German fashion influencer Caro Daur. (I’ll pause for a moment if you want to google her…) She’s so chic, right? I would like some of that Euro girl magic, okpleaseandthankyou.

Honored to be part of the new @rogervivier book #LoveVivier ??? featured next to icon @inesdelafressangeofficial and all my favorite fashion colleagues ? thank you for the loyality, trust and kindness @rogervivier – adore the brand and the amazing team behind it???

A post shared by Caroline Daur (@carodaur) on May 24, 2018 at 12:53pm PDT

These Lipcolours are like metallic MAC Cremesheens, and they vary in terms of the amount of opalescent pearl they contain (some have more than others). The non-sticky formula is on the thinner side, too, and they shine just like a Cremesheen.

I like the less shimmery ones like Raspberry Pavlova more than the others, because the super shimmery metallic ones like Banana Muffins and Strawberry Mousse make me look CAH-RAY-ZAY.

And I don’t need any help in that department. 🙂

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Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Lover Lipstick, Cookies, and Ali Wong’s Long Lost Twin

June 21st, 2018 by Karen 27 Comments

charlotte tilbury sunset lover k — Wearing Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Lover Lipstick. Apparently, I’m also Ali Wong’s long lost twin?

YOU GUYS. Not a week goes by without someone saying that they think I look like comedienne Ali Wong. I guess it’s the glasses? I dunno, I don’t really see it…

It happened again yesterday at lunch, and by “lunch” I’m referring to the cookies I had at the bakery after story time. (We also had a chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, so there was some actual nutrition involved.)

The nice lady behind the counter who always helps us said, “You look EXACTLY like Ali Wong.”

“Really?” I asked.

“It’s the smile,” she said, “it’s the glasses, it’s everything. I could’ve sworn you were her. I was wondering what she was doing in Novato.”

The next time this happens, I’ve decided that I’m just gonna pretend I’m Ali Wong, maybe even sign an autograph, haha! But if I’m wearing Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Sunset Lover at the time, I’ll be screwed, though, because Ali-Karen will probably be inundated with questions about what she’s wearing on her lips, because that’s what goes down whenever I wear this matte peachy pink.

(It’s a new color, by the way, and just launched.)

Don’t even think about wearing this when you’re feeling anti-social, because every person you run into will ask about it.

charlotte tilbury sunset lover — $34, matte finish, a little drying, so prep with a balm.

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Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation Has Potent Pore-Pleasing Power

June 19th, 2018 by Karen 6 Comments

Things that make me happy:

Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake
Lifting heavy weights
Cats (obvs)
Sleeping in
Hearing Connor say her name for the first time (“Cah-nah”)
The happy heart eyes on these Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation bottles

Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation ($29, 12 shades)

I like this lightweight matte liquid foundation primarily for its pore-blurring prowess and SPF 15, and as long as I only blend the tiniest amount on my combo dry/oily skin — literally, just a few drops! If I use any more than two or three drops on each cheek, and yes, YOU KNOW I COUNTED THEM, it looks pretty obvious.

“Hello YOU! This lightweight foundation evens out skintone and blurs imperfections with soft-focus optical blurring spheres. With a natural-matte finish and light-to-medium coverage, it looks like skin and feels like nothing at all. Happy looks good on you!”

— benefitcosmetics.com

Use a few drops, a few gentle taps with your fingers or a damp beautyblender (don’t rub, lest it pill up), and poof! — homegirl be like WHAT PORES? Of course, my pores aren’t completely vanquished, because this is light-medium coverage makeup, not magic (although, one could make the case that makeup IS a form of magic, but that’s another discussion for another time), but still, the difference is significant enough to make me go DAYUM! — I see you Benefit. I see you. 😉

benefit hello happy swatches — For reference, I’m a MAC NC42, and I wear shade 6 (I could probably also go with 7 as well).

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Have You Tried Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camouflage + 24-Hour Wear?

June 15th, 2018 by Karen 6 Comments

clinique beyond perfecting super concealer review — uh…24-hour wear time = wishful thinking

Once upon a time, after seeing a picture of myself in cropped, flared capris with a camo print, I made a pact with myself to stay far, far away from camouflage.

“Karen,” I said to myself, “no. Stop. Don’t do it, unless you wanna look like a sassy Filipino Oompa Loompa.”

I did not.

So I stopped. (Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camouflage + 24-Hour Wear doesn’t count because it’s a concealer, so it’s exempt from this pact.)

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camouflage + 24-Hour Wear ($19.50, 0.26-oz. tube)

It’s a highly pigmented liquid concealer available in 18 shades (including a color-correcting Apricot one), and I really like a few things about it, like the fact that it hides everything, it doesn’t settle into the lines under my eyes (although the matte finish might emphasize severely dry spots), it’s easy to blend, and it doesn’t look cake-y or obvious. Even when I get all up in my scary magnifying mirror, I can’t tell it’s there.

At least in those ways, it’s like Make Up For Ever’s amazing Ultra HD Concealer, which I love beyond reason.

“Cover up without touching up for 24 life-proof hours. Instantly and easily blends into skin to flawlessly conceal imperfections. Transfer-resistant formula stays put—even through sweat and humidity. Provides immediate hydration to keep eye-area skin feeling comfortable, looking fresh and natural. 18 shades in total—including a must-have apricot-colored corrector shade to help tackle dark circles and discolorations.”

— clinique.com

clinique beyond perfecting super concealer — I’m wearing a mix of Medium 18 (which is yellowish) and Medium 22 (which is peachy) under my eyes. Because it’s very matte, I skipped setting powder… I’m still in awe of how you can’t see it at all in this pic.

clinique beyond perfecting super concealer review swatches medium — Medium 18, Medium 20 and Medium 22

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The Urban Decay Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette

June 14th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

Hello, Born to Run! Have we run into each other before…?

No, I think I’m just confusing you with another UD palette (Naked on the Run)…or maybe it’s because I’ve seen your same (or very similar) colors in other Urban Decay palettes before.

Urban Decay Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette ($49, 21 shades, full-size mirror)

According to UD, 17 of the 21 eyeshadows in the Born to Run palette are new, but I swear, the orange-y and reddish browns look like they teleported straight outta Naked Heat and the Petite version.

And the metallic magenta, green and purple could’ve been pulled out of the Distortion or Trouble Maker palettes. The peach and golden look familar, too…like a few shades from Daydream.

It’s as if UD went fishing for shadows from their other recent palettes and baked them into a wearable “everything” palette — good for anyone, any time, any place.

Makeup in my current corner of the world is usually pretty casual and conducive to writing at home, chasing Tabs around the house, running errands and taking Connor to toddler things, so I’m all about the shadows in top row, which are the most job/errand/everyday-friendly ones.

For the most part here at the headquarters of Tabs the Cat Industries LLC, the employees (haha, it’s just me) don’t like to wear makeup that looks too overdone (it’s a rare day when I don falsies or do dramatic liquid liner), so I like wearing matte beige Weekender with matte golden brown Riff in the crease, and shimmery pale rose gold Stranded on my lids with a teeny bit of satiny dark emerald Radio on my upper lash lines as a liner.

urban decay born to run natural light 2 — Don’t mind me… Just smiling to myself on this bridge, la-la-laaaaa! ?

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I’m Wondering What It’s Like to Be a Young Person Into Makeup These Days…

June 13th, 2018 by Karen 38 Comments

karen awkward in the 90s — Waaay back before teens contoured…

I just watched a makeup video on Instagram with a pre-teen girl with porcelain, pore-less, perfect skin applying 10 beauty products to achieve “flawless skin.”

There was baking and contouring and lots of Shape Tape involved, and she also exclusively used premium products, namely MAC, Fenty, Laura Mercier and Tarte.

Now, when I was that girl’s age, I had one Corn Silk Pressed Powder from Thrifty’s, and for me that was luxurious. My mom wouldn’t even let me wear mascara (“too mature”).

The girl in the video looked to be about 12, and she was in full-beat glam with false lashes. I think she did an excellent job. I can appreciate it from an artistic and technical standpoint, because I know how hard it is to do what she did and how long it takes…but part of me also felt awkward because of her age, like she was too young to be looking like someone about to hit the club on a Thursday night.

When it comes to makeup, what is it like for girls that age now? I don’t know many middle schoolers and don’t have friends with children that age, and I’m curious. I get that it’s much more socially acceptable now for young teens and even preteens to wear what used to be called “grownup” makeup, but is it just me, or does it seem like the minimum age when it’s appropriate to wear “adult” makeup is getting younger and younger?

No…? Do I just sound uptight and old?

I can’t lie, though. I kinda miss kids looking like kids. Childhood is so short as it is.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Wearing the New MAC Aaliyah Collection (VIDEO REVIEW)

June 7th, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

You know what I just realized? I just realized that I can tie different eras from my teens and 20s to Aaliyah’s music. Like, Jen, Cindy and I played Back and Forth so much in the summer before I left for college, and then in the spring of my senior year at Davis, Are You That Somebody was almost constantly on the radio whenever Eleanor, Mary Anne, Christine and I drove anywhere (In-N-Out after class, to the city late at night to go clubbing, house parties, the library, to go rollerblading all over town, to the gym).

And then around the time El Hub and I met, Rock the Boat was THE JAM.

Aaliyah’s legacy lives on through her music, and her fans lobbied hard for a MAC collection.

I wore my first look with it today (I plan to do at least one more with a lip), and here are pics, swatches (NC42) and some thoughts (in the video). First impression: holy shimmer!

Mini reviews of a few pieces from the @maccosmetics Aaliyah collection (swipe to see the second vid): Age Ain’t Nothing Eye Shadow X 9, Baby Girl Bronzer and Li Li’s Motor City Lipglass. Coming to maccosmetics.com June 20 and to select counters June 21. #maccosmetics #aaliyahformac #makeupreview #igmakeup #instamakeup

A post shared by Karen | Makeup and Beauty Blog (@karenmbb) on Jun 7, 2018 at 4:24pm PDT

mac aaliyah age aint nothing eye shadow x 9 — Eye Shadow X 9 in Age Ain’t Nothing ($32)

mac aaliyah bronzing powder — Bronzing Powder in Baby Girl ($27)

mac aaliyah lipglass — Brooklyn Born, Li Li’s Motor City, At Your Best You Are, 1 in a Million ($17 each)

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The Revamped MAC Eye Brows Styler Stands Up to Sweat

June 6th, 2018 by Karen 9 Comments

It cooled down quite a bit here since last weekend. At least 20 degrees. Last weekend it was freakin’ ? hot. Like, the type of hot that makes you feel like your thighs are going to spontaneously combust into beef jerky slabs when you climb into your car.

To beat the heat, I left the house to get my errands done early on Saturday morning, but I was still sweating like a nervous teenager on a first dance. I was really surprised when I got home to find that my brows were still doing their thing. HELLO! — it’s the little things, ya know? Like not sweatin’ your face off while you’re buying watermelon and strawberries.

Thanks, MAC Eye Brows Styler pencil!

MAC revamped it recently, and I’ve been using the new version. I like it! Did you ever use the old one? I used it once or twice, and I can’t remember why I didn’t use it on the regular.

This new version is cool. Granted, I don’t remember how I felt about the previous one, but this one doesn’t budge at all.

“Self-propelling, self-sharpening, brow-defining – and now with an updated water-resistant formula and added spoolie. Offers grooming alongside extreme colour precision in one dynamic microfine pencil that emulates fine hair-like strokes on brows for a perfected look. Confidently adds what you need: shape, colour and/or density. Like a pen, creates its own just-right point for striking arches. Easy to tote around — no sharpener needed.”

— MAC website

The old one didn’t have a spoolie, but this one does, and I like it because it means that I can fill in my brows without having to grab a separate brow comb.

Also, the tip of the pencil is thinner than it was in the old version, and it’s crazy precise. I can draw individual tiny brow hairs without really thinking about it. By comparison, it’s more precise than MAC Brow Sculpt, which I also like.

Overall, I like the defined look and overall shape of my brows when I use this (they’re sharp, but not Insta-sharp, although you could easily do that too if you wanted).

mac brows styler stud — Stud in my brows, along with a bit of MAC Clear Brow Gel

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