Eyes

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Match Stix Shimmer Skinsticks

September 12th, 2017 by Karen 15 Comments

fenty beauty yacht lyfe rum wheat — Have cream sticks, will travel

It’s the little things, ya know?

Like the fact that I can stick these Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Match Stix, which have magnets in them, on my fridge.

fenty on my fridge — “Fenty on my fridge,” 2017, by Karen

Officially, the magnets, which are embedded in the little tubes, are there so that the sticks cluster together when you have more than one of them in your makeup bag, thereby making them easier to find at the bottom. The fridge-sticking component is just a bonus!

Why I love this as much as I do, I have NO idea, but maybe it’s because I like having easy access to cream highlighter while I have my coffee in the morning.

Technically, these are cream-to-powder sticks, and they’re split among two different families in the line — the matte family for concealing and contouring, and the shimmers for highlighting and adding color to your cheeks, eyes and even your lips, if ya want.

fenty beauty yacht lyfe rum wheat 2 final — I’m testing three — Wheat (a matte, which I’ll be reviewing soon), Rum and Yacht Lyfe

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Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette Vol III

September 8th, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

tarte rainforest of the sea vol iii — The Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Vol. III palette

I’ve always been intrigued and a little bit confused by the name of Tarte’s “Rainforest of the Sea” palettes.

Because it’s a little confusing, right? I picture a rainforest literally emerging from the sea like an Amazonian Atlantis, or something from a kids cartoon.

There’s absolutely no way sober people came up with it.

Tarte’s latest color canopy, the Rainforest of the Sea Volume III Palette, is available now for $36.

Yup, they made a third one!

I don’t know if you remember the second one, but I thought it was epic. EPIC.

I never tried the first Rainforest of the Sea palette (my friend Jessica reviewed it for MBB), but I love the heck out of the second one and its beautiful, buttery, satiny blues and browns.

They’re to die for and so creamy. Easy to blend too.

tarte rainforest of the sea vol iii closeup — I see you, shimmer!

Volume III is more metal. It has seven high shine metallics and one matte beige. Like Volume II, the shadows are a super creamy combination of a powder and a cream, and they feel slightly bouncy, so you can practically blend them in yo’ sleep.

Or, when you’re half-awake because you didn’t get enough sleep, ha!

tarte rainforest of the sea vol iii k — I’m wearing Jewel and Rays mixed together on my lids, and Tiki in the crease. The lip is NARS Powermatte in Get It On topped with MAC Lipglass in Goldfinch. Cheeks are MAC Sunbasque Blush.

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It Cosmetics Perfect Lighting Radiant Touch Magic Wand Corrects, Conceals and Brightens

September 8th, 2017 by Karen 13 Comments

Fueled by drinking coffee at 5 p.m. yesterday, which was not my best move, but I needed a boost before HIIT class, and killer PMS insomnia, I spent way too many hours last night binge-listening to this awesome beauty podcast called Fat Mascara.

Very entertaining!

It’s my latest fave thing.

But that’s not the point of this post. The point of this post is that I don’t think most people will be able to tell that I was up till 3 in the morning listening to ladies dish about lipgloss because I’m wearing this KICK-@SS new concealer by It Cosmetics called Perfect Lighting Radiant Touch Magic Wand, which is just like $42 YSL Touche Éclat, but soooo much better and less expensive. It’s $29.

it cosmetics perfect lighting radiant touch magic wand before after — Before and after applying Perfect Lighting Radiant Touch Magic Wand in Radiant Honey beneath my eyes. I’m also wearing the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Vol. III palette on my lids, MAC Sunbasque on my cheeks, and the lipstick is NARS Get It On.

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Tarte Lid Lock Clay Base 12-Hour Eye Foundation

September 7th, 2017 by Karen 8 Comments

I think I’ve watched too many Lifetime movies about women who are kidnapped and forced to live in terrifyingly small spaces, because I would really like to learn how to pick locks and crack safes.

Something about those skills is very appealing to me.

That reminds me: locks. Tarte has a new vegan, cruelty-free (of course) cream eye primer called Lid Lock Clay Base on counters now for $21.

It comes in a cute little glass pot with a top that looks like petrified amber.

Pretty!

It’s a warm, opaque matte peachy beige, and I love the color. Used as a base, it neutralizes some of the purple or blue on my lids, but you can also use it by itself as a shadow with the cool side-effect of having it even out your skin.

It feels like a MAC Paint Pot to me — dense and a sort of dry, which also means that if I put too much on, it’s “Hello, Cake Town!” It’ll look thick and heavy, and then when you blend eyeshadow on top, your eye makeup looks even thicker and heavier.

Now that I think about it, Lid Lock is like a warmer, peachier version of MAC Painterly Paint Pot.

tarte lid lock swatch final — A beautiful matte warm peachy beige

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Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spice

September 7th, 2017 by Karen 8 Comments

tom ford spice — $46 Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes Cream Eyeshadow in Spice

I’ve been trying to get myself out there more in the beauty biz lately, going to more work lunches and work coffees, partly to get out of the house/baby jail, and when I do venture out, Connor usually chills with my mom, but also to network and get some different perspectives and career ideas.

I don’t really think about not blogging on MBB, but it’s been 10 years, and I do feel the urge to spread my wings and also try other things. I don’t know, really.

So when I’ve gone to these lunch meetings this summer, I’ve worn Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spice to quite a few of them. In my opinion, it says, “Yes, I’m responsible…but I also know makeup, and I can blend the living crap of the outer third if need be.”

LOL!

Ironically, or at least interestingly to me, lately when I’ve meet people who work in the makeup industry, most of them aren’t wearing a lot of makeup. I used to expect that people in the biz would, because, you know, they’re in the trenches, but most of them don’t do a glam full-face beat to go to coffee on a Tuesday.

When I go to these meetings, I want to make a good impression, and I like the pairing of warm golden bronze Spice with a matte powder shadow in my crease (usually MAC Soba or Saddle).

Then I tight line with some black liner and add a couple coats of mascara.

I think it’s an elegant, timeless, professional eye look.

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MEOWZA! Tarte Sex Kitten Liquid Eyeliner

September 6th, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

Let’s step into the cat lady confessional for a moment, shall we? Because I have a couple things to get off my chest…which is currently covered in tabby fur.

First: sometimes I think about kidnapping my neighbor’s cat Harris, and I may or may not have already concocted an elaborate plan to lure him into my home.

I know this is wrong, but I can’t help it.

Super obsessed with this magnificent beast! (Please don’t tell Tabs.)

Second: mostly, I like using Tarte Sex Kitten Liquid Liner because there’s a cat head on the end of it.

Look how cute he is!! He looks kinda grumpy, too, which speaks to my soul, especially in the morning.

OK…now I’m looking closely at this cat head, and I just realized that he looks a little beat up. My bad for not taking pictures of him (yes, he’s a boy) sooner.

Beauty blogging is weird, man. Most of the time I choose not to use a product until after I’ve taken pics of it first, but sometimes — LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE A CAT HEAD ON THE CAP OF YOUR LIQUID LINER — I get so excited that I forget to take the “before” pics. Then I end up with a slightly tow-up cat head.

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Say Hi to the Benefit Foolproof Brow Powder Kits

September 5th, 2017 by Karen 11 Comments

benefit foolproof brow powder swatches final — New from Benefit: Foolproof Brow Powder ($24 each)

I have this theory that everyone at some point in time goes through a big ol’ bold brow phase, where all you want in life is OTT BROWS BROWS BROWS for days.

Mine happened circa 2014-2015, and when they happen, you gotta get them out of your system, like dating bad boys or wanting a pony or getting food poisoning. You just have to let it pass through you.

If you happen to be going through that era of your makeup journey right now, Benefit has three new brow kits you might like.

The Benefit Foolproof Brow Powder kits come in 1 Light, 3 Medium and 5 Deep. Each one has two shades — a lighter shade for the inner part of your brow and a darker shade for the outer tail — to get that bold ombre brow effect. They’re $24 each and available on counters right meow.

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The $32 Tarte Make Magic Happen Eyeshadow Palette

August 29th, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

tarte make magic happen palette 1 — Current palette crush: the Tarte Make Magic Happen Eyeshadow Palette, $32 and available meow!

This new Tarte eye palette is called Make Magic Happen…but I keep calling it Make Magic Mike 3 Happen, haha!

tarte make magic happen palette packaging — The limited-edition Tarte Make Magic (Mike) Happen Eye Palette, $32

“Amazonian clay eyeshadow palette featuring a magical, plush powder formula in 9 pigmented mattes & metallics to make you sparkle & shine EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.” –tarte.com

imagine (ivory)

abracadabra (copper)

charm (pink shimmer)

twinkle twinkle (gold)

enchantment (pale pink)

believe it (greige)

impress (slate)

fantasy (rose gold)

miracles (plum)

This palette must have powers, because every time I post a picture of it here or Instagram, I get lots of questions, like who makes that!? Why is it so effing gorgeous!? If I wear that, will Magic Mike/non-husky Channing Tatum show up in a leather thong!?

I totally get the attraction. I’m low-key obsessed with it too, which is why I keep taking pictures of it…

tarte make magic happen palette closeup — Hello, my pretty!

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