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Eyes

NARS Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo -> Love!

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nars alhambra fotd

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 Fab Friday With Rosy Brown Lids and Lips + Mauve Cheeks

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mac keep stijl

I swear, in real life this eye makeup is not as orange as it looks in these pics…

I think the bright top (J. Crew, found at The Rack last fall) is throwing a monkey wrench in the mix.

Hmm… I should probably just be grateful I’m dressed in something that makes me appear to be a real, live grownup. It’s all about the little victories, you know? ?

I was going for a springy pinkish brown for this look but ended up more summery orange… Oh, well! I like it.

mac keep stijl

I’m wearing several pieces from the new MAC Loud and Clear, and Glow Play, collections, which I’m still (clearly, ha ha ha) into. If you run across something you love, I’d suggest picking it up sooner rather than later because things are either selling out quickly or have already sold out.

One of my coworkers from the bakery is also a MAC gal, and she barely was able to get her hands on one of the lipsticks (Baroque the Internet), so don’t hesitate, MAC-aholics!

One more item of note about this look: I blended the blush I was wearing on my cheeks into my into my crease, an old trick to tie your lids and cheeks together in a neat little bow!
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NARS Kalahari Love

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nars kalahari
Love ya, NARS Kalahari!

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.

nars kalahari

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

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Electric Eyes and Urban Decay Wired

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urban decay wired bright eyes
B-A-N-A-N-A-S

*ring* *ring* ☎️

Hello? Is anyone there? Hellooooo. It’s me, Karen, calling on my fruit phone, because this eye makeup is BANANAS. ???

urban decay wired bright eyes

There’s a lot going on here, I know! Not my usual neutral style at all, but I was inspired by the rainbow eye makeup on the model for the new Wired pressed pigment palette. ?

Plus, I was in the mood to try something new, which I highly recommend doing as often as possible, even if your cat is the only creature around to appreciate it…

Or, maybe not, since I can’t tell if Rosie likes brights! ?

urban decay wired bright eyes

Just in case you’re wondering, the fallout on this isn’t an issue. I hardly had to do any cleanup with a makeup wipe, which was great, but I could have done with more intensity.
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The Urban Decay Wired Palette Gives Color an Electrifying Jolt! (Swatches)

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urban decay wired
Clear. Concise.

A few years ago, Urban Decay released a pressed pigment palettes similar to Wired, their newest neon offering, but Wired will not make your brain short circuit while you’re blending it.

UD identifies which colors can be worn on your eyes and which can’t right on the compact.

Everything is mapped out, and the total package is concise and clear.

The Wired palette is part of a larger limited edition collection of florescent liners and lipglosses, and it’s currently available now.

From the Urban Decay website…

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
A 10-pan palette of pressed pigments in shockingly bright yet ultra-blendable shades for face, eye, and body.

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW
Go electric with the Wired Pressed Pigment Palette, a 10-pan lineup of velvety-smooth pigments that deliver insane color payoff while being super blendable and buildable. Experiment with these hyperpigmented shades or dip into Glitch, a pure white hue, to transform bright shades into ultra-modern pastels.

OH, YEAH, IT’S ALSO…
Cruelty-free

Fill Weight: 10 x 1.2 g POIDS NET / NET WT. 10 x 0.04 oz

Urban Decay is 100% cruelty-free.

Side note: I see makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts creatively using palettes with shades labeled “for use on eyes only” on their lids all the time, and I swear the model in the UD promo picks looks like she’s wearing the red from the “Face & Body” side on hers…

There’s a reason why companies choose to mark some shades as “approved” for use on the eyes while others aren’t, and in most cases, it’s due to the use of ingredients that aren’t approved for use on the eyes.

All I can say is what I’ve done and what I’ve seen…so what’s the moral of this makeup tale? Answer: You do you, baby boo!

See the red wing?
urban decay wired
Electrically bright colors by Urban Decay
urban decay wired
Cute cover

Sooo, I kinda love all the color blocking on the model’s eyes in the promo pic, and I might try that look just for fun, but generally these colors are a bit cray for me during this season in my makeup life. I do love the idea of doing something wearable by applying one or two of the shades with a wet angled brush as winged liner, and I’ll probably also apply a bit of white underneath one of the brights to punch up the color even more!

And, hey, maybe one day I’ll actually stumble upon an occasion to paint my body and finally sport a lively lime green on my booty or a crazy crimson on my elbows. If, and when, that occasion arrives, it’ll be electrifying. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

3 Unexpected Beauty Lessons I Learned This Week

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expressie express to impress
Things I learned this crazy week!

Happy Valentine’s Day, my friend!

My goodness, it has been a week. The run-up to Valentine’s Day at the bakery was cray! Yesterday, I made frosting for 4 hours in the biggest mixer we have. Simply put, I was buttercreamed out by the end of my shift.

Somehow, I still had it in me to wear some makeup this week, believe it or not, and in the process I may have stumbled upon a few new beauty lessons.

Just goes to show ya — not even buttercream can stop the beauty learnin’. 🙂

Unexpected Beauty Lesson #1: A 24-hour mint green mani is totally worth it.

We don’t wear nail polish while working at the bakery, but I painted paws on my day off with Essie Expressie Polish in Express to Impress.

It’s a quick-drying formula with a base and top coat built in, and it takes me about 5 minutes to do two layers — and that includes drying time.

expressie express to impress swatch
Two layers of Expressive Express to Impress

Unexpected Beauty Lesson #2: Face oil is a friend to your lashes and lash curler.

Does your lash curler ever crimp your lashes with an overly aggressive curl? — like, when the bend is almost at a crisp 90-degree corner? If it does, try massaging a little of your favorite face oil on your lashes beforehand, and the lash curl should be curved — more like a letter “c” than a hard, right angle.

I’ve been doing this all week long with Kahina Giving Beauty Prickly Pear Seed Oil, and my lashes have been curling perfectly! The moisturizing face oil makes lash hairs more receptive to a softer curl.

Unexpected Beauty Lesson #3: Use the “leftovers” in your brow brush.

I found the best shortcut for busy ladies and gents who rush through filling in their brows with an angled brush.
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A Simple Everyday Makeup Look That Fits in the Palm of Your Hand

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mac yash in hand
I gotta hand it to these products…

Just a quick reminder that makeup doesn’t have to be overly complicated. 🙂

I did this look with makeup that I could quite literally carry in the palm of one hand!

It’s non-fussy, natural-looking makeup that I wore to go to dinner and window shopping with the fam-bam last Saturday, so, minimal base coverage with an ultra sheer tinted moisturizer and soft, barely-there color on my lids, lips and cheeks. There’s also the teeniest, tiniest wing on the outer corners.

The liner was the most “complicated” (air quotes) part. First, I drew a line of black liquid liner along my upper lash lines, then winged out the ends. Then, after it dried, I layered a light-colored liner directly on top, stopping about three fourths of the way from the inner corner to the outer corner. I did this to open up my eyes a bit so they appear a little less hooded.

mac yash lipstick
My makeup on most weekends looks like this.

Makeup worn in this look

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day to you! 🙂

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

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earl grey
YUM

1. Earl Grey

I like mine with milk and ? honey…lots of honey. I’ve been downing it daily, sometimes twice, and I’m freaking out a little because I just made myself a cup and realized that I’m out of tea now…

I think I’m low-key addicted!

2. Sparkly pencil eyeliner

In particular, anything with tiny flecks of glitter, because when you buff out the liner, it’s so sparkly! And, seriously, it’s the easiest way jooj up weekday work makeup.

urban decay oil slick swatch
See the sparkles? LOVE.

3. Morning affirmations

You are 100% permitted to call me corny, because this video sounds like something b-list comedians would make fun of on Saturday Night Live, but listening to positive affirmations first thing in the morning helps. A lot. I repeat them internally while I’m washing my face, brushing my teeth, getting changed and making my bed. Gets the day started right.

4. Cats on my couch

Cats make a house feel like a home, amirite?

Everyone should have at least one content kitty on their couch at any given moment. Currently, there are two napping on mine…

5. Level Up by Ciara

I feel like Ciara is so underrated, man. This song is about learning from your mistakes (I think) and having the strength to get over your fears. Also, that beat is bangin’! I have it on my running playlist.

What have you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF.

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