Face

Both the Lune + Aster Sunrise Bronzer & Blush Palette, and the Moonrise Glow & Contour Bronzing Palette, Love Minimal Base Makeup on Skin

July 27th, 2017 by Karen 4 Comments

lune aster sunrise moonrise palettes — The Lune + Aster Sunrise Bronzer & Blush Palette, and the Moonrise Glow & Contour Bronzing Palette ($46 each and available meow)

I think it’s so weird that some powder face products, like blush, bronzer and highlighter, seem to look better to me when I wear them with very minimal base products, like maybe just a sheer BB or CC cream, or even just bare skin.

Because the long-term makeup-addicted part of my brain expects them to look better layered on top of a full-coverage foundation or a medium-coverage tinted moisturizer.

First time I wore these Lune + Aster face duos (one is the Moonrise Glow + Contour Bronzing Palette, and the other is the Sunrise Bronze & Blush Duo), I wore them on top of a full face of makeup — primer, medium-coverage foundation, concealer and powder, and I thought the powder grains looked a little heavy. In the case of the highlighter, it looked frosty and obvious.

Not flattering.

Then I tried the same products on top of the Lune + Aster CC Cream, and it was a bold nude squirrel! The highlighter looked dainty and delicate, and the blush gave me a natural-looking flush. Even the bronzer, which I was a little iffy about at first. It thought it would be a little too cool-toned and sparkly for me, but it looked downright good on a that light base.

What’s up with that?

Lune + Aster makeup is made for looks that can be done in mere minutes, and apparently the powders are formulated to flatter skin wearing minimal base makeup.

lune aster sunrise moonrise k — I’m wearing a mix of the blush and bronzer from the Sunrise Bronzer & Blush Palette on the apples of my cheeks, and the lighter shade from the Glow & Contour Bronzing Palette on my upper cheek bones, down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid’s bow.

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Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Sticks: Your Makeup Bag Needs One Right Meow!

July 25th, 2017 by Karen 5 Comments

Every day after Connor and I have lunch, we go outside to play on the grassy knoll in the front yard common area here in our little condo complex, and almost every day we go out there, I’ve got some degree of craziness on my face — mismatched eyeshadow, false lashes with the wingspan of a bird of prey, bright green Hulk gloss, etc. — so I usually look a little nuts and get some sidelong glances.

Do I really care? Nope!

It is nice, though, when I’m not testing some new makeup and actually, ya know, look kinda normal and someone gives me a compliment, which happened last week while I was wearing the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour stick No. 24.

Actually, come to think about it, whenever I wear one of these cream blushes, somebody asks about it. I’d probably do the same if I saw a gal wearing one, because they’re bomb!

chanel les beiges healthy glow sheer colour stick swatches — I wish I could wear all of these on my cheeks at the same time and not look completely cray-cray. From the top, that’s No. 21, No. 22, No. 23 and No. 24. There’s also a tan shade called No. 20 that I haven’t tried.

They’re twist-up cream blush sticks sort of like the NARS Multiples, and there are five of them, all available on Chanel counters now in the new Les Beiges collection. Also, yay! — I’ve been told that they’re permanent.

They feel similar to the Multiples but aren’t quite as dry. They’re wetter and creamier, so they’re also 1) easier to blend and 2) don’t push around whatever you have on your cheeks, like foundation, tinted moisturizer, concealer, etc.

chanel les beiges healthy glow sheer colour stick no 22 — No. 22

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New Face Products From Too Faced: Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray, and Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder

July 20th, 2017 by Karen 11 Comments

too faced hangover primer spray born this way powder — Two new Too Faced face products: Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray, and Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder ($32 each and available now)

Why you gotta be so cute, Too Faced? Between the pink ombre action on the Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray and the heart sifter in the Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder, your cuteness level is off the charts.

These two face products are new to the Too Faced fam and available now in the permanent line for $32 each.

Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray ($32)

Does Hangover ring any bells?

Wait — that didn’t come out right.

I’m referring to the original Too Faced Hangover primer (the one in the tube), which inspired the new multitasking Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray. The latter can work as a primer, moisturizing mist and/or setting spray.

It’s packed with beauty buzz-worthy ingredients like hydrating coconut, and probiotic lactobacillus, which, by the way, is pretty darned cutting edge. Probiotics are trendy in skin care right now, with the idea being that “good” bacteria helps to keep skin in balance and regulate skin issues (Too Faced founder Jerrod Blandino loves all things skin care, so this totally makes sense). The spray is also silicone-, alcohol- and oil-free.

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NYX Away We Glow Liquid Highlighter Makes It Easier for Makeup Lovers to Get Their Affordable Glow On

July 18th, 2017 by Karen 11 Comments

nyx away we glow swatches final — And Awaaaaay We Glow! The NYX Away We Glow Liquid Highlighters from the top in Moonbeam, Daytime Halo and Gold Rush.

~~Calgon~~ NYX, take me away! Take me to that place where highlighters don’t have to be so totally in your face, and where folks cherish a subtle pearly glow.

Oh, my goodness! The NYX Away We Glow Liquid Highlighters are so, so good! I was expecting a chunky, obvious “hello from the outer reaches of the universe” type of highlight from these liquid highlighters, but they aren’t like that at all. I’ve tried three of the nine shades, all of which are available in the permanent line, and they’re gloriously subtle. They have more of a pearly sheen than an in-your-face frost, and I think they look just like the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfectors (but at a fraction of the cost).

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Models Own Sculpt & Glow Can Highlight My Cheekbones Any Time

July 13th, 2017 by Karen 4 Comments

I wonder what Models Own was aiming for when they designed these Sculpt & Glow Highlighting Powder pans…because sometimes when I look at them I see the cross section of a tree trunk’s rings. Or a bullseye. Or a nipple (says the woman who just KonMari’d her nursing bras to Goodwill!!!).

British makeup brand Models Own is available in the U.S. now at Ulta. They’re kind of a trendy line and have quite a few product types that are popular in makeup land right now, like a neutrals palette, matte liquid lipsticks and, yes, highlighters.

models own golden sand swatches — Take it from the top! That’s Models Own Sculpt & Glow Highlighter Powder in Golden Sand 02, Scultp & Glow Highlighter Powder in Peach Pearl 02, Sculpt & Glow Highlighter Stick in Moonlight 02 and Sculpt & Glow Highlighter Stick in Incandescent 03

The Sculpt & Glow Highlighter Powder (looks like nipples in a pan) is available in two $11.99 shades, and theSculpt & Glow Highlighter Sticks are also available in two shades for $11.99 each.

I can totally get behind the Sculpt & Glow Highlighter Powders, which are like drugstore versions of the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfectors. They’re aren’t exact dupes, though. The Models Own powders aren’t anywhere near as creamy as the BECCA Skin Perfectors. I remember reading somewhere that BECCA’s highlighters contain a lot of water, which is why they’re so soft, buttery (and fragile). The Models Own Sculpt & Glow Highlighter Powders definitely don’t feel as creamy, but they do feel as soft. They also have a similar opalescent finish that you can dial up or down, depending on your mood for pearl. I like them, love the price, and I’m sure they’d be great starter highlighters.

models own sculpt glow highlighter powder golden sand — I’m wearing the powder highlighter in Golden Sand on my cheeks and the cream highlighter in Moonlight down the bridge of my nose and along my brow bones.

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The 3 Best Makeup Setting Sprays to Stop Your Face From Melting Off in the Heat

June 21st, 2017 by Karen 27 Comments

The best setting sprays for hella hot weather!

It’s hot today in the North Bay (or, as we say in the Bay Area, it’s “HELLA hot here right now”). It’s a heat wave.

Weirdly, it’s been way hotter here in Novato than it was in Hawaii last week.

Super hot and super sweaty. Currently, my house is like an armpit, so baby and I are going to escape to air-conditioned pastures in a bit, but before we go, let’s talk makeup setting sprays…

When it’s hot like this, they’re a must for me, and here are a few I love.

1. Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix O2 ($30)

The best all-rounder. You can probably guess that this one’s my fave because — look, there’s only a teeny bit left in the bottle! 🙂 It doesn’t matter what type of finish I’m wearing (matte, dewy, glittery, shimmery, whatever!), it holds on to everything and keeps it in place.

I can sweat like crazy — even rub at my eyes or touch my face — and it keeps whatever I’m wearing from melting off or disappearing.

make up for ever mist fix — Note to self: restock this soon,
as in almost immediately

Also, I think Mist & Fix is the best spray for applying shimmer eyeshadows, glitter shadows and/or loose pigments with a wet brush because it’s almost like a lightweight liquid glue. It doesn’t leave your lids or your face feeling tacky or anything like that, and yet somehow binds those shimmery or glittery particles to the skin.

2. Urban Decay Chill ($31)

The best for dewy skin looks, and you know I’m all about that dewy skin. 🙂 I think Chill is the best spray for that type of look.

It’s weird, but there’s a very fine line between dewy skin and skin that looks oily, right? A little shine is good — great, even! — but too much shine starts to look greasy. Chill walks that line without crossing it, and it feels fab, too. There’s a slight cooling sensation, so when you spray it on a hot day, ah… It’s so refreshing.

Did I mention that it creates the finest mist ever? The droplets are finer than those of the other the sprays I use, and it’s a wide mist. A single spritz covers a lot of area.

3. Shiseido Ibuki Quick Fix Mist ($25)

The best for keeping shine in check. I use this spray when I do matte looks or when my combo skin is oilier than usual. It has what Shiseido calls an “Anti-Shine Complex” to keep greasy spots in check, and dang if doesn’t werk! When I use this, I feel like my skin looks like it did in the ’90s (from what I remember, haha) — uber-matte, with no shine whatsoever.

The mist kinda bugs me, though… Sometimes big droplets hit my face in random spots, but other than that, it’s good stuff.

Stay cool in the heat, babe!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Take Me With You, Milk Makeup Blush Oil!

June 8th, 2017 by Karen 4 Comments

Travel makeup bag, meet the Milk Makeup Blush Oils, otherwise known as “convenience in tube.”

These are so cool! They have the same click-pen packaging as Milk’s Sunshine Tint. There’s a clicker on one side and a roller ball on the other, and inside is a liquid blush oil that looks pigmented in the swatches below (I went a little cray-cray drawing the rose designs, whoopsies), but once it’s blended in, it looks effortless and natural.

milk makeup blush oil flush crave — Swatches of Flush (top) and Crave (bottom)

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The Lust List, Vol. 12: Stuff I Kinda Want

June 6th, 2017 by Karen 20 Comments

I realize that there’s absolutely NOTHING lust-inducing about makeup remover. Nothing. But sometimes you just gotta take a break from all the schmexy makeup dreams (I’m talking to you, Charlotte Tilbury), and put stuff on your lust list that, ya know, you actually need.

On that note…

R+Co Analog Cleansing Foam Conditioner ($29) — La, la, la! Don’t mind me as I fall deeper into the hole that is my current R+Co obsession! Analog is the brand’s approach to conditioner washing. Technically, it’s called a cleansing foam conditioner, so I’m assuming that it’s light, fluffy and mousse-y. And if it’s anything like the other R+Co products I’ve tried and have fallen head over heels for, it’s probably all sorts of amazing and smells divine.
Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Powder in Golden Glow ($56) — Even though I don’t need another highlighter AT ALL, this one by Dior looks like perfection.
SEPHORA COLLECTION Lavender Foot Mask ($5) — Why? Because I looked down the other day and saw Fred Flintstone’s feet. 🙁
Bioderma Sensibio Make-up Removing Micelle Solution ($14.50) and H2O Wipes ($9.90) — Completely not sexy at all, but I’m running dangerously low on liquid eye makeup remover and makeup wipes. It’s time to restock. I went through a huge bottle of Bioderma a few months ago and used every last drop because it removes everything, including long-wearing mascara and liner. But I’ve never tried the makeup wipes… I hope they’re just as good as the liquid. Have you tried ’em before?
Milk Makeup Flex Concealer ($28) — I’ve been using and loving Sunshine Skin Tint by Milk Makeup, and now I want to try some of their other face products, like their Flex Concealer, which is supposed to be full-coverage and fab.
Fresh Fresh Life Body Oil ($48) — I’ve obviously been living far away from society in a secluded cave somewhere because I had NO idea that Fresh made a Body Oil version of Fresh Life, my favorite scent in the line. Based on the ingredient list, it looks promising. The first five things on the list are oils (sweet almond, sunflower, apricot kernel, jojoba and purple passionflower). Waaaaaant!
Leahlani Champagne Serum ($32) — I’m going to try to track down this face serum while I’m in Hawaii next week. It’s a local brand from Kauai, and their Champagne Serum (“Happy hour for your face”) is loaded with antioxidants to make your skin happy…and I really want to make my skin happy. 🙂
Kate Spade Kasie Sunglasses ($180) — I’m still kicking myself for not buying that pair of black Kate Spade sunnies at Nordstrom Rack a couple weeks ago… The more I think about them, the deeper I slip into the hole of retail regret. Damn! I hope the store restocks them soon. Until then, I’ll just obsess over Kate’s Kasie sunnies.

Got any restocks on your lust list this week? If you do, I’m sure they can’t be as boring as makeup remover, LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I started packing for my trip last night, and so far…I’m not doing very well with the whole “packing light” thing.

Is there some biological leftover from ye olde cavewoman days that fuels the need to bring everything in my suitcase?? I’m trying to be rational about it, but what’s the deal? Why do I have the unrelenting urge to over pack.