Estee Lauder

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

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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NARS Kalahari Love

February 27th, 2020 by Karen 10 Comments

They say, if you love something, set it free, which I guess makes sense if you love butterflies or toucans, but in the case of makeup, if you love something, I say you should talk about it ALL THE TIME, which is why I’ve been raving about NARS Kalahari for years!

Kalahari eyeshadow duo is perfect for lightly defining your lids. One side is a shimmery rosy bronze, and the other side is a shimmery taupe — two colors, granted, that you can find in almost any line, but here’s the kicker: NARS found a way to avoid all of the typically problematic side effects that befall so many shimmery shadows.

For instance, Kalahari is reflective, but it isn’t frosty, so fine lines aren’t even a thing. When you sweep and swirl it on your skin, a sweet, bronzed glow remains. It’s very “J. Lo running errands in her velour track suit.” Casual, but still noticeable. (This is a good thing in my book.)

Here’s one of my favorite ways to wear it:
Mix the two shades together with a domed shadow brush, then apply from lash line to crease (or just above the crease if your eyes are hooded like mine). Build it up if you want more color intensity, but don’t worry — this is eyeshadow that won’t look heavy, since the powder is very delicate and fine.

Next, wet that same brush, and apply more of the mix on the mobile part of your lid, which is the part of your eye that “blinks.” Leave it a few minutes to dry, and work on the rest of your face. Once you’ve almost gotten to the end — I usually wait until I’m done with almost everything, including blush and lipstick — take a clean tapered blending brush, and gently rock it back and forth in your crease and along the outer corners to blend.

If you want, you can also rim your lash or water lines with chocolate brown eyeliner, which I did for these pics. I also smudged a cooler taupe liner (Urban Decay’s Mushroom) on the bottom lash line ’cause I like the subtle contrast of tones.

Makeup worn in this look

Eyes: Nars Kalahari (lids), MAC Coffee (water line, upper lash line, smudged between lashes and layered beneath Kalahari), Urban Decay Mushroom (lower lash line smudged with the darker side of Kalahari), It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara (lashes)

Blush: MAC Glow Play Blush in No Shame

Lips: BECCA Lush Lip Colour Balm in Almond Fraise (on sale now!) topped with BECCA Glow Gloss in Snap Dragon

Base: Estee Lauder in Honey Bronze, Estee Lauder 24H Hydra Prep concealer, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Golden Tan

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5-Minute Makeup: Bright Berry Lips and Glowing Taupe Lids

November 22nd, 2019 by Karen 19 Comments

mac craving lipstick — Yes, Bay Area people will wear scarves and thermals when it’s 63 degrees outside. ?

So…you know those mornings when everything goes smoothly, and you even have extra time to do a load of laundry or stop by the drive-through coffee shop to get a latte before you start your day? On top of that, you also get to work 15-minutes early (so you don’t have to drive around the block two times to find good parking)?

Yeah…this was not one of those mornings. LOL!

I don’t know what happened, but Connor and I made it out the door by the skin of our teeth. We made it, though!

And I still managed to 1) get out of my pajama bottoms (although I seriously considered wearing them to the bakery, HA HA HA!), and 2) put on 5-minute makeup.

I grabbed what was within reach and moved with a quickness. Funny thing is, I even got compliments on my makeup today!

You know, sometimes the quickie looks are the best ones…

I think the bright berry lipstick really helped. Berry is great when you’re rushing because it’s just so colorful, and it instantly brightens up your face, but it’s usually also less labor-intensive than red or bright pink.

Also, you can pair it with a bunch of different colors. Purple and gray work, but a lightly shimmering taupe is my go-to to wear with berry. If you’re ever in a serious time crunch, go with a berry lipstick, 100%.

mac art library nude model palette k — When you have a photoshoot in your car…

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Adventures in Long-Lasting, Sweat-Proof Makeup (and a Shout-Out to Urban Decay)

August 13th, 2019 by Karen 13 Comments

long lasting makeup top — Anatomy of an (easy) long-wearing makeup look!

I wore makeup to the gym for the first time in forever yesterday (There was a reason… More on this in a sec.), and guess what? It led me to develop a list of go-to sweat-proof long-lasting makeup products that I know won’t budge an inch, even after an intense 60-minute HIIT class!

Not that I ever wear a full face when I exercise, but it never hurts to be prepared, right? At least now I know what to grab if Sydney Cummings ever asks me to do a workout video with her.

long lasting makeup products — The go-to gang

I think having a number of sweat-proof, water-proof products on hand is a good idea for people who do performances (dude, those stage lights are HOT), or if you’re going to be a guest at a destination wedding in a tropical locale, or if you’re going to Vegas to sit by the pool — basically, any situation where you know you’ll be sweating and you don’t want your brows/lashes/lips to melt off.

long lasting makeup before — The before pic: Let’s get sweaty!

Anyway, the reason this particular makeup challenge came about was because my HIIT teacher asked me to be the “member of the month” at the gym for September 2019.

Being member of the month entails having your picture taken, which will appear on a big ol’ poster in the middle of the gym (EEK), and answering some exercise-related interview questions.

long lasting makeup after — The after pic: Makeup after a 60-minute HIIT workout

We did the picture part during Monday night’s class, and that included some action shots of me sweating (and hopefully) looking somewhat cute with makeup on, even in that terrible overhead florescent lighting.

I used the least amount of product I could get away with because I didn’t want to be wearing layers and layers of heavy makeup. Also, most of the items I used were from Urban Decay, a line with a solid reputation for long-wearing makeup.

BROWS

I’ve noticed that filled-in brows make all the difference in pics, so I used Urban Decay Brow Blade Waterproof Pencil and Ink Stain in Dark Drapes to fill them in (pencil first, then the ink).

By the end of the workout, the drawn-in tail on my right brow had faded ever-so-slightly, which wasn’t surprising, really, with the amount of sweat that was pouring out of me, but both brows remained more or less intact.
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Neon Lights: 3 Colorful Looks

July 1st, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

The three colorful looks in this post have a couple things in common.

I wore them all to preschool drop-off in the last few days (the pink look at the top was from this morning!).
I did all of them using the $29 LORAC Neon Lights palette.

In the Neon Lights palette, that yellow is more of a goldenrod, which I’m kind of disappointed by because I wish the palette had a lemon yellow… The goldenrood just isn’t yellow enough for me.

Wow, that’s something I never thought I’d ever say!

Say “what,” Karen? You’re not wearing a sh*t-ton of browns for once? LOL. Neutrals are normally my wheelhouse, it’s true. I usually default to them because they fit my my lowest energy state, ha ha ha! Plus, you can’t really muck up neutrals.

Still, I’ve been itching to wear more color. I’ve just been trying to think of ways to feel comfortable doing it, because as fun as bright, intense glittery looks are, I feel a little crazy wearing that kind of makeup when all I’m doing is bringing coywolf to school or toddler ballet class.

The colorful looks here are my speed because, even though there’s a bright focal point in every one, there are still subtle-ish elements, like the foundation.

Something Sam said in that ’90s makeup video I mentioned the other day resonated with me. To paraphrase, she said that it’s not the things you pile on that make a look look cool. It’s what you leave out, so I basically went super minimal on the base in all of these colorful looks.

I’ve also been VERY inspired by Katie Jane Hughes lately. She’s a makeup artist I follow on Instagram, and she is JUST SO DAMN GOOD. She’ll paint a delicate swish of sparkly green shadow or sketch a skinny slice of neon yellow liner, so you can tell she loves wearing color, but she also likes to go minimal with the base.

I’m a little obsessed with her at the moment!

LOOK 1: PINK SUMMER SUNSET

Eyes: Bolt, Girls and Atomic eyeshadow from the LORAC Neon Brights Palette, Chanel Dimensions de Chanel Mascara, Maybelline Bold Brown Tattoo Studio Liner, IT Cosmetics Brow Power Micro in Universal Taupe, Urban Decay Yeyo liner (as a base)

Base: MAC Next to Nothing Foundation in Medium Deep (all over, applied with fingers) and Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Honey Bronze (patted with fingers on cheeks, nose, around the lips, and under the eyes)

Lips: MAC Stripdown Lip Pencil and MAC Open Presence Lipstick

LOOK 2: BLUE NOTE

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A Detailed Deep Dive Into My Current Skincare Routine

April 25th, 2019 by Karen 27 Comments

current skin care top pic — All about retinol these days, babes.

I’ve been meaning to do an updated skin care routine breakdown, and today seems like a good day for it. But before I jump in, I feel like I should let you that I’m standing in my bathroom right now looking into my cabinet, which stands just behind and above the toilet, and having PTSD flashbacks of my Velvet Teddy lipstick falling into the toilet. ?

I keep hearing that *plunk* over and over again…

That said, here we go!

Everything I’m doing in my routine now revolves around how sensitive my skin is feeling on any given day, because I started using a retinol with vitamin C recently. It’s called Kate Somerville Retinol Vitamin C Power Serum, and I’m trying to ramp up slowly to be able to use it seven days a week. Right now, I’m at three days, and I find that introducing it slowly over weeks and watching everything else that I use in conjunction with it allows me to keep going without my skin turning red or freaking out.

Morning routine

In the morning, I’ll wash one of two ways. If my skin’s feeling extra tight and red and sensitive and angry, then I’ll do a few splashes of warm water on my bare face, then gently blot with a towel. If, on the other hand, my skin’s feeling OK, then I’ll use a squirt or two of Clinique Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser directly on bare skin (I’ll work it in with my fingers). Then I’ll remove it with a washcloth dampened with warm water. After that, I’ll do a few splashes of ice cold water to help me wake up.

At that point, I’ll wait…usually between 30 minutes and an hour (depends on how much time I have and what I’m doing in the morning), and then I’ll apply all of my skin treatments.

I wait because I want my skin to be completely dry before I put anything aggressive on there, because if I don’t wait, and my skin is wet when I apply a BHA or benzoyl peroxide, they’ll just aggravate it even more.

So. Completely dry!

current skin care routine — It’s less complicated than it looks, I swear!

At that point, I’ll do an eye cream. (Right now I’m using this one by Nyakio, and I think it’s just “eh.” I’ll replace it eventually with something else when I get around it.) Then I’ll use two pumps of my ride-or-die Kate Somerville Anti Bac Acne Clearing Lotion all over my face to prevent the pimples from taking over.

After that, I’ll apply a thin layer of Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream (which has been my skin savior ever since I introduced the retinol), followed by a healthy dollop of sunscreen, specifically Clinique Super Defense Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 for Very Dry to Dry Combination Skin.

Sometimes, before I do the two pumps of Anti Bac, if I feel like my skin can handle it, I’ll do a little with Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence, just because I like to sneak some exfoliation in during the day if I can. I’ll do that two or three mornings a week, so it’s not an everyday thing for me.

Fast forward to the evening…

First, a double cleanse. On completely dry skin (as in my makeup is still on), I’ll massage an oil cleanser on my face and eyes to break everything down. I like DHC Deep Cleansing Oil or Fresh Seaberry for this.

At that point, I’ll take a clean, warm washcloth and gently wipe everything off. Next, I’ll do a second cleanse with either Clinique Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser, if I haven’t been wearing a ton of makeup, or if I haven’t been sweating; or the H2O Plus Elements Keep It Fresh Cleanser. I use that one when I’ve been wearing a little more makeup, or if I’ve been perspiring a lot. It’s just a stronger, more potent gel cleanser.

Again, I wait from 30-60 minutes (this generally depends on how tired I am), then apply eye cream, and I’ve been using this one called Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Supercharged Complex.

It’s OK… I’ve yet to find an eye cream that blows my mind.
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Product Spotlight: Estée Lauder Double Wear Instant Fix Concealer 24H Concealer + Hydra Prep

April 22nd, 2019 by Karen 8 Comments

estee lauder double wear instant fix concealer — Hydration and coverage from Estée Lauder

As you know, I am solidly, steadfastly Estée Lauder #teamdoublewear (their Double Wear Light and O.G, Double Wear Foundation are iconic!), and this latest addition to the Double Wear fam has been one of my go-to under-eye concealers as of late.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Instant Fix Concealer 24H Concealer + Hydra Prep ($28, available in 22 shades) is a dual-ended situation with a brush-on moisturizer on one end and a medium-coverage liquid concealer on the other, and it’s made for dry skin with fine lines… HELLO, YOU TALKING TO ME?! LOL.

I like it because the moisturizer smooths everything out and plumps the skin. It’s kinda slippery and silicone-y feeling, and similar to MAC Fast Response Eye Cream, which is famous for under-eye concealer prep.

The concealer chills on top where it hides shadows and dark areas, and it does this without looking leathery after a few hours (again, very similar to another MAC Product — their old-school Select Moisturecover Concealer).

No likey ‘ze crepe-y concealer? This concealer combo is your dawg.

estee lauder double wear instant fix concealer before after — I’m wearing Medium Deep (Warm) in the after pic.

I do feel like the 24HR claim is a stretch, because it fades a little by the end of the day, but eh — I’d rather have a little bit of fading than a little caking and heavy concealer all up in my experience lines.

I think this product is best for peeps who like sheerer concealer coverage and have dry skin and fine lines. If you prefer Tarte Shape Tape levels of concealment, however, then something like Maybelline’s concealer would be a better fit (it hides everything!).

Also, if your under-eye area is oily, again, probably not the best fit.
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