Face of the Day (FOTD)

FOTD Candy Colored Bright Blue With Urban Decay Chaos

July 15th, 2021 by Karen 6 Comments

Rosie-Pose would like to inform you that she is queen of everything within paw-striking distance, including board games.

That board game above is Candy Land, and, FYI, the artwork in the latest version is…slightly terrifying. (Or is it just me?)

Speaking of candy, the electric blue on my lower lash and waterlines totally reminds me of sweets from my youth. It’s Urban Decay Chaos 24/7 Shadow Stick in Chaos, a vibrant matte blue with a touch of pearl. The formula’s long-wearing and waterproof, and it sets really quickly. You have less than 30 seconds to blend it out, so blend with a purpose, girl!

I tried it by itself first, and it looked good, but then I got curious, so I added a layer of shimmery blue and purple from Born to Run, my favorite colorful UD eyeshadow palette of all time. I love the rich jewel tones, and every one of the bold, intense shades is still surprisingly wearable. The mattes and shimmers are easy to blend, too. Whenever I’m in the mood for brights, I reach for this palette, and I love it so much that I have a backup. 😁

Now, I’ve worn a LOT of UD over the years, and Born to Run is truly a standout for me, which is why I’m bummed that it appears to have been discontinued. It’s not easy to find anymore; however, I did some digging and found a few online at JC Penney (remember JC Penney!).

urban decay born to run — Urban Decay Born to Run

If you’re ever looking for discontinued UD products, periodically search the sale section on the Urban Decay website. A friend who works in PR for UD suggested this tip, and it’s turned up gold! I found the sadly discontinued Cannonball Mascara there, and I got three tubes! It’s something to keep in mind if you love a particular UD product that’s no longer stocked on shelves.

Anyway, candy. My childhood next door neighbor Karrie and I would ride our bikes to the corner store to buy candies that would probably break my teeth now if I ate them, ha ha ha! Lemon Heads, Boston Baked Beans, and these little hard blue jawbreaker-like candies whose name I can’t recall… I want to call them “blueberry somethings,” but I can’t remember.

We also loved Nerds and the powder dips where you’d get a sugary stick to dip into even more sugar. 😁 We’d gorge on candy right in front of the store, then take our sugar high onto our bikes and ride around the neighborhood for hours.

By the way, about this look I’m wearing, the upper lid has a swish of black liner via Chanel Hyperblack, which I’ve been extra loving lately. It’s similar to MAC Blacktrack but so much better because it’s darker and more intense (so less layering), and it sticks like glue to lash and waterlines. SO GOOD!

Also, the only base products on my skin are tinted moisturizer and concealer, as I’ve been into very minimal skin lately. And lightweight, dewy medium-coverage Aveeno Tinted Sunscreen has been on repeat.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. In TV news, has anyone seen The White Lotus yet on HBO? I watched the first episode the other night and…I’m just…confused. Is it good? Junk? Strange? I just can’t figure it out. I like so many of the actors in it (like Connie Britton rocks), but it’s not what I expected.

FOTD With New Palettes by Pixi, and Finding Joy in Makeup

July 14th, 2021 by Karen 16 Comments

pixi louise roe tina young — Feeling the joy

Today, I joyfully applied my makeup. I thoroughly enjoyed the act of putting on makeup. It was just me, a few things I wanted to try (a couple new Pixi palettes), and absolutely no pressure to overachieve or create something extraordinary, and no difficult-to-reach expectations. It was simply easy and fun.

It might not be the edgiest, most interesting or most complicated makeup I’ve ever worn…but you know, I had a spring in my step when I finished, and I felt good about it all day long.

First of all, before I started doing it, I let go of the idea that I had to do it. I didn’t have to do this look or any look today, and letting go of the pressure was liberating.

There seems to be a lot of pressure to go around these days, or is that just me? Every day I feel this self-imposed — and probably completely unnecessary — pressure to be the best version of myself and to push myself past my limits… I know that in some ways, to want to do this is a good thing, but in other ways it’s not all that great.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the pressure we put on ourselves, like the pressure to be the best at so many of the things we do. Best at our job, great partner, best friend, best daughter, best mother, sister, neighbor, best student, best teacher. The pressure to be Insta-fabulous and keep up with other people’s seemingly perfect lives. If there’s some way to put pressure on myself, I will find it, it seems…

Like, with putting on a full face, for instance. I wore makeup two whole times (!) last week, and the other day I found myself thinking, “Hmm… Can I do three times this week? Four? HOW ABOUT FIVE? And how do I do better? Should I do an all-matte face, so it’ll read better on camera? Or maybe I should dig out some false lashes because I haven’t done that in a minute. I should really, really should do a colorful look because it’s been a while…” Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Why do I do this? I don’t really know. I finally stopped the spiraling by reminding myself that 1) putting on makeup isn’t something I ever have to do, and 2) if I did put it on, it could be as elaborate or as simple as I wanted. As long as it left me feeling great, then cheers to that. 🥂

Because, note to self, it — whatever “it” is in any given circumstance — doesn’t always have to involve going hard at 110% max effort and “taking it to the next level.” There is no shame in modifying your expectations for yourself. If all I can handle is painting my face once or twice a week for no apparent reason at all, then so be it. One can wear black eyeliner with a single eyeshadow (or even no eyeshadow), or just bright lipstick and a tinted moisturizer, and the world will most certainly keep turning.

For now, it’s good enough. And that’s just fine! 😊

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

FOTD: Glowing Rose Gold Lids With Black Winged Liner for Anniversary Date Night, Laura Mercier Rose Glow Caviar Sticks, and an Excellent, Affordable Hair Oil by Hask

July 8th, 2021 by Karen 23 Comments

I brought a whole bag of makeup with me to Hawaii last week, and I did not crack it open once…

I know! Pandemic-era K-Dawg continues to amuse me. ? Packing that bag wasn’t for nothin’, though, because I used it yesterday to put on some makeup. We went out to dinner last night to celebrate our wedding anniversary (15 years!), and, yes, I actually painted my face. Then I had to snap a few shots because if ya don’t take a pic (or two) with your cat, then it officially didn’t happen.

FYI, in case you were wondering what 15 years of marriage is like, in a nutshell…it feels like lugging around your husband’s pain-in-the-butt XXL bottle of gluten-free tamari in your Kate Spade purse when you go out to eat sushi (fun fact: soy sauce isn’t gluten-free), but then having so much fun once you get to the restaurant, HA HA HA!

The Warriors Roll from Sushi Tri restaurant in Novato: real crab and avocado topped with spicy mayo, seared salmon, tobiko, crispy fried onion and scallions with unagi sauce

The Pretty Lady Roll with fresh salmon and avocado topped with fresh scallop, ikura, lemon slices and special sauce

Anyway, MAKEUP! I HAZ IT! This look uses a mix of the products from the makeup bag I packed to go on my trip (so, lots of tried-and-true Chanel faves because I’m on a Chanel kick) and some new cream shadow sticks from the recently launched Laura Mercier Rose Glow collection, which, side note, IS GORGEOUS!

The shadows have shimmer, but it’s a low-level glow, not a high-shine metallic frosty finish, and it’s dreamy! The shadows blend like butter, too, so my eye makeup came together in a flash.

All in all, the look took about 20 minutes from start to finish…

laura mercier rose gold swatches — These swatches are Rosie-Pose approved!

I’m really happy with how it turned out, and I’ll definitely wear it again soon.

Before my Hawaii trip fades away to a distant memory, I’ve gotta give a shout-out to these travel-friendly hair oils by Hask I found at Ulta. I originally brought the Argan Oil Repairing Shine and Monoi Coconut Oil Nourishing Shine Oil vials with me because they were super compact and just $2.99 each, but I ended up LOVING them.

They’re great if you’re looking for an oil to apply to freshly washed and conditioned hair and want mega moisture without weight or greasy strands.

FYI, the oils do contain silicones, so keep that in mind if you’re particular about silicone-containing hair care products.

I spent a lot of time last week at the beach and the pool, and my hair would have looked and felt rough if it hadn’t been for these bad gals. Good stuff, and so, so affordable!

Hard to believe that we’re already in full-on summer, isn’t it? Back-to-school is just around the corner, and I’ve already noticed the beach items and swim suits at stores are starting to be replaced by notebooks, pencils, highlighters and book bags. It’s been so long since I’ve lived with the rhythm of a school year, and it’s just sinking in right now that since Connor will be starting kindergarten in the fall, this will be my schedule for the next few years.

Before you go, take a second to let me know what the weather’s like on your end. It’s been comfortable and relatively cool here in the North Bay Area…for now. It’s a dreamy upper 70s, which won’t last but a moment, I know, but I’m enjoying it while I can.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

3 Summery, Bold and Bright Red Lipsticks From the Chanel Permanent Collection

June 24th, 2021 by Karen 10 Comments

chanel brights top — Bold, bright summer lips by Chanel

I’ve been affectionately calling summery shades like these my “popsicle lipsticks” because they’re juicy, shiny and absolutely delicious…in the figurative sense, of course! You ~~probably~~ won’t find me nibbling these tubes when I’m feeling peckish, haha!

Side note: I think I may have just invented something!

Are you ready for it? Here goes: ice cream that looks like lipstick. ?? Boom. Wouldn’t that be cool? I’d be all over it. MAKE IT HAPPEN, TRADER JOE’S.

Anywho, I’m revisiting my Chanel lipsticks, and these three are in Chanel’s permanent collection. I think they’re all perfect brights for summer.

Rouge Allure Velvet in 43 La Favorite ($40), a reddish coral with a matte finish that has a touch of luminosity, represents something I think Chanel does extremely well: finish. This lippie has je ne sais quoi, and you can build it up or sheer it out. Of course, both ways are super pretty.

Rouge Coco in 472 Experimental ($40) is a warm red with a touch of orange, and it reminds me that I’m a big fan of the Rouge Coco line because of how moisturizing the lippies are. My dry lips greatly appreciate that.

Rouge Allure in 172 Rouge Rebelle ($40) is a bright neutral red with a satin finish, and it works particularly well with warm brown eyeshadow!

chanel summery bold bright lipsticks — I’m on a Chanel kick, as you can see.

chanel brights swatches — Hello, swatches!

chanel rouge coco experimental — Rouge Coco in 472 Experimental

chanel rouge allure rebelle — Rouge Allure in 172 Rouge Rebelle

chanel rouge allure velvet la favorite — Rouge Allure Velvet in 43 La Favorite

Additional makeup worn in this look

BASE: Avene Solaire UV Mineral Multi-Defense Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50+, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in 50 Dore, Chanel Le Corrector de Chanel Concealer in 40 Beige, Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid in Sand
CHEEKS: Chanel Fleurs de Printemps Blush and Highlighter Duo, Chanel Le Blanc Rosy Light Drops
EYES: Chanel Healthy Glow Natural Palette in Medium, Chanel Stylo Ombre et Contour Eyeshadow-Liner-Kohl in Electric Brown, Chanel Hyperblack Liner, Chanel Boy Brow Pencil in Black

It’s a Cruel Summer.

No, I’m not talking about the Bananarama song… ?

Is it just me, or can these girls only barely sing?

I just started watching this young adult-ish mystery show called Cruel Summer, and I blame it for my lack of sleep last night!

It’s about two girls whose lives become intertwined after one gets kidnapped.

The episodes bounce back and forth between 1993, 1994 and 1995, and I’m having all sorts of nostalgia for my ’90s-era wardrobe. I wish I hung on to my oversized overalls, striped knit shirts, baggy Levis and floral dresses, le sigh!

Also, the suspense is keeping me up at night. Note to self: GO TO SLEEP EARLY THIS EVENING. Don’t say I didn’t warn you if you start marathoning it on Hulu (that’s where I found it).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

3 Playfully Pink Chanel Rouge Allures From the Permanent Collection

June 23rd, 2021 by Karen 7 Comments

chanel rouge allure ink 170 euphorie — Fun with some Chanel lippies!

Chanel. Pink. Permanent!

Thou speaketh magic words to mine ears! Or, should I say “magic words to my lips”? Hmm!

I’ve been wearing lipstick very infrequently over the past few months (sunscreen, however, is a totally different story!), so when I started downsizing my collection in May, I promised myself that the only legacy lipsticks I would keep going forward are ones I absolutely adore.

I’ve gotten rid of most of the dead weight by now and am finally at the point where I actually have to try stuff on to determine if I want to keep keeping it, and these three Chanel lippies are the next ones on deck.

chanel rouge allure 170 91 24 swatches — So pink!

Raspberry reddish pink Rouge Allure Ink in 170 Euphorie ($40) is a lightweight matte liquid lipstick that, for some reason, looks more red in these pics! — but less so in person.

Rouge Allure Velvet in 42 Eclatante ($40) is a bright and summery coral pink with a soft matte finish and like Euphorie it feels light on my lips. It also looks fantastic with black cat eye liner!

Rouge Allure in 91 Seduisante ($40) is a warm pink with a creamy finish, and I can see it being a lovely everyday color.

chanel rouge allure 91 seduisante — Rouge Allure in 91 Seduisante

chanel rouge allure velvet 42 eclatante — Rouge Allure Velvet in 42 Eclatante

chanel rouge allure ink 170 euphorie swatch — Rouge Allure Ink in 170 Euphorie

The rest of the makeup in this look

Lately, I’ve been trying to find ways to wear makeup that work for me… By that I mean that I don’t want to feel overwhelmed by the thought of blending, or, like I’m wearing a sh*t-ton of stuff on my skin. I just want to feel pretty in makeup again, ya know?

I think I’ve finally found a philosophy that works for me (at least for now). I just wear a little bit of eye makeup, coupled with keeping my skin as simple as possible. Then, I incorporate a fun lipstick in a joyful color.

In this look, I’m wearing a lot of Chanel!

For the skin, I started by applying a new tinted mineral sunscreen by Avene called Solaire UV Mineral Multi-Defense Tinted Sunscreen Fluid. It’s fragrance- and oil-free, and the tan tint actually works on my NC42 skin tone. I’ve yet to test it out on a very sunny day, but so far, I’m into it!

Then, I blended a few drops of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Sunscreen Makeup on my cheeks, my nose and my upper lip; added a few drops of Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid in Sand under my eyes; and dabbed a golden tan cream blush (Chanel Les Beiges in No 20) on my cheeks.

For my eyes, I started by lining my upper lash line with Hyperblack, Chanel’s long-wearing cream liner in a pot. Next, I swept the golden brown from the Chanel Road Movie quad to give some depth to my lids, and smudged the edges of the liner with the matte navy shade from Road Movie. To finish, I filled in my brows with Chanel Boy Brow in Black and coated my lashes with Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara.

Done! ?

What makeup looks have you been into lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day! ?

Makeup Looks of the Day: Soft and Smokey on My First Makeup Client, and Runway-Ready Avant Garde Glitter

June 17th, 2021 by Karen 13 Comments

glittery avant garde soft smokey top — Serving “lewks”

Technically, I don’t know if you can call Connor “my first makeup client,” since no monetary compensation occurred for my beauty services, HA HA HA!

We did each other’s makeup yesterday, and to absolutely nobody’s surprise, I did a wearable soft and smokey look on Connor. Adding to that, can I just say how much easier it is to do makeup on eyes that 1) aren’t heavily lidded and 2) aren’t my own? Blending eyeshadow is like night and day!

For her eyeshadow, I used the Honest Beauty Get It Together Eyeshadow Palette, which is still my current go-to favorite eye palette. I didn’t think I could love it even more than I already do, but after seeing it on her skin, I’m convinced that this is a palette everyone can wear.

Oh, and tangent — my friend recently told me that she was shopping on the Honest Beauty website when she saw someone familiar…

Does this mean that Jessica Alba and I are connected in “a six degrees of Kevin Bacon” sense? I wonder!

Anyway, back to the makeup. I told Coywolf that she had free artistic reign to do whatever she wanted, and so that’s how I ended up with this runway-ready look with ALL THE GLITTER.

The stick she’s holding in the pic is the new Pixi Beauty On-the-Glow Blush stick, by the way, and you can wear it on cheeks and lips.

Early on in the process. I feel like this could be a look you’d see in Allure!

While she was piling product on my face, I mentioned that makeup artists often use their fingers to paint on their model’s faces, and she took this info and ran with it…

Here are our final looks! Let me know which one you would wear. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

FOTD: One Lipstick, Two Looks: Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Silky Crème Lipstick in Nu Prefere

June 16th, 2021 by Karen 9 Comments

Good morning, fellow makeup lover! Today, my colleague and I are wearing the same lipstick, a creamy pinky brown by Laura Mercier called Nu Prefere, and, quite frankly, I think my colleague’s lewk is so much more interesting than mine. ?

New Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer

If you’re a Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer fan, 1) CONGRATS, because it’s one of the best tinted moisturizers out there, IMO. The coverage is even, and it looks like legit real skin. Plus, they’ve just expanded their range to 20 shades!

The one I wear is called Wheat, and it’s the only thing, beyond a touch of under-eye concealer, that I’m wearing as a base in these pics. No setting powder, no smoothing primer, nothing! I think it looks great on its own.

Makeup I’m wearing in this look

EYES: Urban Decay Brow Blade in Dark Drapes, Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Mascara, Laura Mercier Stormy Grey Eyeliner, Clinique Black Pretty Easy Pen, Laura Mercier Eye Colours in Cocoa and Nude Rose, Laura Mercier Indiscretion Face Illuminator
CHEEKS: Laura Mercier Blush in Ginger, Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Indiscretion
LIPS: Laura Mercier Nu Prefere Lipstick
BASE: Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Wheat

Makeup Connor is wearing in this look

Pixi On-The-Glow Blush in Juicy, Ruby and Fleur
Laura Mercier Nu Prefere Lipstick
Zoeva Eyeliner

It’s going to be a hot one today, so the itinerary at “mama camp” will involve a trip to the pool, where we’ll be wearing PLENTY of sunscreen, of course!

Hope it isn’t too hot where you are.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup Musings: F*ck Imperfections

June 4th, 2021 by Karen 22 Comments

I put on some make up yesterday, and to be honest…I didn’t feel super great about it.

For one, I am deeply out of practice, and blending is a perishable skill, let me tell ya. So, my blending skills aren’t as “keen” as they once were. Two, I wore much less makeup than I normally wear when I plan to take pics of it with a DSLR camera, photography lights, off-camera flash and the other photography doo-dads, and makeup intended to be photographed is a whole different beast than makeup for everyday real life. Mainly, the lighting is different, and mobile phone cameras incorporate a bunch of fancy AI to compensate for the smaller optical sensors. Long story short, things don’t always translate the same in pics.

ALSO, lately, all I’ve wanted to wear are “real life looks.” This is my face, this is who I am and, quite frankly, I’m rarely in the mood to go through the 2,341 steps I used to do when I put on a full face for pics.

Thing is, though, when I look at these pics, I’m having a hard time focusing on the good stuff. I keep comparing myself to the Karen from years ago, a girl who was photo-ready all the time… Heck, I’d contour just to take walk around the neighborhood and pet the cats, LOL!

I see these pics of myself now and think, “Oh, boy. I probably should’ve used a color corrector to hide that dark spot in my inner corner more thoroughly, and I should also cover that dark patch above my upper lip with concealer, and why didn’t I do something about that heavy lid?!” I should’ve done this, I should’ve done that, yadda-yadda-yadda.

I hear all of these things in my head, but I realize that most people who see these pics aren’t going to perceive all of these things as “faults.” They’ll probably just see pictures of a smiling mid-40s stranger wearing bright lipstick.

If I were my daughter and was picking apart pictures of herself, I’d be heartbroken to hear her criticize herself so intensely. 🙁 I’d tell her that I can only see the happy look in her eyes and that I’m impressed by how beautifully and naturally she blended her blush. I’d tell her that I love the joy in her smile.

I don’t know where this propensity to constantly critique myself comes from, but I also know that we are our own worst critics. I know logically that most of the things I perceive as faults are issues that are simply not there, or things that people don’t notice at all…but that doesn’t stop me from seeing them!

I’m working on it, though. I’m working really, really hard on loving myself more, both inside and out, and that’s why I’m saying to the universe (or really anyone who’ll listen), f*ck the idea of imperfections. I don’t want to live feeling like I need to correct things that are “wrong” with my face anymore. I’m soooooooo done.

So, here’s a gentle reminder for me (and for you just in case you need it), that what you may perceive as faults aren’t as bad as you think they are.

I think you look pretty freakin’ fabulous, OK? So here’s to us — as I raise my cup of Earl Grey tea with a splash of creamer! Here’s to our sparkling eyes, our joyful smiles and our beauty, both inside and out.

I hope you have a wonderful Friday. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!