Face

It Cosmetics Confidence In Your Glow Blushing Bronzer, or Neapolitan Ice Cream? You Be the Judge

April 25th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

it cosmetics confidence in your glow 1 — The new It Cosmetics Confidence in Your Glow Blushing Bronzers counterclockwise from the top in Instant Natural Glow, Instant Nude Glow and Instant Warm Glow, $32 each and available now

Clearly, the universe doesn’t want me to go low-carb because it put these blush pans in front of my eyes.

Don’t they look like Neapolitan ice cream? Seriously, I’m starving over here.

OK, it could just be me and my tum making that jump, LOL!

At any rate, these are the new It Cosmetics Confidence In Your Glow Blushing Bronzers, and each pan has a separate bronzer, blush and highlighter.

Now available in the It Cosmetics permanent line

These are new this month and available in three combo shades. There’s Instant Nude Glow, Instant Warm Glow and Instant Natural Glow.

Peachy Nude Glow is the lightest, Warm Glow is smack dab in the middle, and Natural Glow has the deepest shades. All of them lean warm with satiny, glowing finishes similar to the MAC Extra Dimension blushes, and they’re $32 each.

Basically, It Cosmetics squished a powder bronzer, blush and highlighter together in a single pan, which isn’t exactly a brand new concept in the world of makeup (peeps have been doing it for years), but I do think these are cuter than usual.

You can use the three products in each of the pans separately, but with combo powder pan products like these, I almost never do. Most of the time I mix them together with my brush and apply the combo to my cheeks.

it cosmetics confidence in your glow swatches — From the top: Instant Warm Glow, Instant Nude Glow and Instant Natural Glow

Smooth, and not patchy

Whenever I’m mixing multiple cheek products together, I’m always hoping that the products will blend well, but a lot of the time they end up patchy.

With these I was afraid I’d see a blob of bronzer on one part of my cheek and a spot of blush on another, but the soft, silky powders melt into each other. When you swirl your brush in the pan and sweep the combined color on your cheeks, it goes on evenly.

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New From Hourglass for Summer 2017: The Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes and Two New Shades of Ambient Lighting Bronzer

April 19th, 2017 by Karen 18 Comments

hourglass ambient strobe lighting blush bronzer — There’s a new line of Hourglass single pan blushes for summer and two new shades of Hourglass bronzer (available now online and coming soon to stores)

I think we should start a petition to promote ice cream ? as a legitimate dinner option. Because why not? It’s got protein and…calcium. It’s totally real food.

Thanks, Hourglass, for giving me an ice cream ? craving. All I can see when I look at these new bronzers and blushes from Hourglass is ribbons of caramel in rich chocolate. Mmm…

A new line of Hourglass blushes and two new shades of bronzer

Hourglass has some new things for summer, yay! This is epic news for me because they’re one of my all-time favorite high-end brands. Their products are pricey, but they work amazingly well, and they’re BEAUTIFUL. The brand carries things that you just can’t find anywhere else (like the Ambient Lighting Blushes and their Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Sticks).

Now there’s a new line of super shimmery blushes (although we have seen them in a palette before) called the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes, which are $38 each and available in four shades, and two new $50 shades of Ambient Lighting Bronzer, bringing the new total up to four.

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush in Incandescent Electra (left) and Euphoric Fusion (right)

hourglass iridescent flash brilliant nude strobe lighting blush — Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes in Iridescent Flash (left) and Brilliant Nude (right)

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Get Fresh-Looking Skin in a Flash With Three Products

April 17th, 2017 by Karen 28 Comments

fresh skin in a flash top pic — Keepin’ it simple

Holy, mackerel! I’m amazed (and sometimes intimidated, to be honest) by how complicated some YouTube makeup tutorials are, even when it comes to foundation and under-eye concealer.

Sometimes I don’t mind following a lot of steps, but it depends on whether I’m just having fun, or whether I’m watching the clock. When it comes to my basic face makeup aesthetic, though, which is effortless (looking) and natural, I don’t necessarily think that your face makeup routine needs to be complicated.

You can get fresh-looking skin in a flash with three products — a sheer foundation (or a BB cream, CC cream or tinted moisturizer), a full-coverage concealer and a face powder. You can even out your skin tone, keep the coverage looking light, and it doesn’t have to take forever.

Step 1: Prep

Start by applying moisturizer and/or primer to your skin to prep it and smooth your canvas for foundation.

Or…you can skip this step and just make funny faces ? in the mirror. Totally up to you. Your foundation might not look quite as smooth, but it’ll still look fine.

Step 2: Grab your favorite sheer foundation and a full-coverage concealer

Put one or two pumps of your favorite sheer foundation (or BB cream, CC cream or tinted moisturizer) on the back of your hand, then add one or two dots of full-coverage concealer, and mix them all together with a finger.

Adding the full-coverage concealer dots boosts the coverage of your sheer foundation to even out your skin a bit more, and it also saves you from having to apply and blend concealer on top of your foundation.

Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Concealer in Y41 and MAC Next to Nothing Foundation in Medium Plus

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The New MAC Extra Dimension Blushes in Telling Glow and Faux Sure

April 13th, 2017 by Karen 24 Comments

mac telling glow faux sure — MAC Extra Dimension Blushes in Telling Glow and Faux Sure

UPDATE!

Well, more like a part deux…or an addendum, if you will, to last week’s Extra Dimension post. You might remember that there’s a new line of blushes and highlighters in the exquisitely soft and long-lasting Extra Dimension formula now at MAC counters and online, and these two blushes, Telling Glow and Faux Sure, are the ones I was waiting to swatch.

Ooh! So worth the wait. Aren’t they beautiful?

mac telling glow faux sure swatches — Telling Glow (top) and Faux Sure (bottom)

Bright coral Telling Glow (which also has golden pearl in it) and pinkish mauve Faux Sure (haha, love that name) both have warm, subtle terra cotta undertones, and I think they flatter the heck outta toasty caramel-colored cheeks. My fellow tan babes, you’re gonna want to get these ASAP!

mac telling glow — Telling Glow, a bright coral

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How Important Is Color Correcting to You?

December 28th, 2016 by Karen 15 Comments

make up for ever primers — Mix and match your primers!

I don’t really have many areas that I feel would benefit from me doing a separate color-correcting step. The main area for me is under my eyes, so it depends on the person. It’s not something I do every day, just because I’m usually going for the natural look these days and I don’t want to be puttin’ on layer upon layer of makeup, so I’d say that it’s moderately important to me.

Sometimes when my dark circles are particularly dark, I will color correct them first with a peach/orange primer, then set it with powder, and then I’ll top it with a concealer in a shade that’s closer to my natural skin tone. I’ll do this because my dark circles are a purplish blue, and if I just go directly on top of them with a yellow-based concealer, they can look grayish (especially in pics).

But the orange corrector cancels out the blue, so that when I put my concealer on top, it looks natural.

There are other kinds of color-correcting products, too, and they can make a huge difference. In one of the free Sephora Beauty Classes I went to (you should totally go!), the model was very fair-skinned and had red spots on her cheeks, so the teacher used a green corrector to cancel out the red before she applied foundation and concealer on top.

It looked amazing. I couldn’t even tell there’d been any red on the model’s skin at all.

Here’s a rundown of my current skin care/skin prep/makeup process, except that my current concealer regimen has changed a little. Now I use either Sephora Future Gel Serum Concealer by itself if I don’t do any separate color correcting (the shade I use already has a subtle peachy tone), or Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Concealer if I feel like going the extra mile and doing more robust color correcting, because of the two shades that I use, one has an orange tint for correcting my purplish blue dark circles.

I set whichever one I use with NARS Translucent Crystal Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder. And here are some additional tips on how I use color correcting primers in general.

For me, it’s mostly a step I’ll do when I’m doing a full-on makeup look. It’s not something I do every day, but I’m curious. Is color correcting part of your regular makeup routine, or is it a once-in-a-while thing for you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The NARS Unfiltered I and Unfiltered II Cheek Palettes

December 1st, 2016 by Karen 13 Comments

Surprise! No Orgasm.

[awkward pause]

Um…why is it that everything I say lately sounds unintentionally dirty? I don’t know. 🙂

These two new NARS Unfiltered Cheek Palettes are coming soon to the Sephora website on December 6th and then to narscosmetics.com and Sephora stores on December 15th, and they. Are. Gorgeous!

nars unfiltered i unfiltered ii — The NARS Unfiltered I Cheek Palette on the left and the Unfiltered II Cheek Palette on the right ($59 each)

Each one has five new limited edition blush colors and one repromote.

That bright red, though!!? You might recognize it. That’s Exhibit A in the Unfiltered I palette, and the other repromote is Hot Sand in Unfiltered II.

I’m so impressed with these palettes! The blushes are NARS soft, NARS smooth and NARS pigmented. This right here, girlfriend? This is the brand at its best.

And, yeah, no Orgasm.

Unfiltered I (new LE shades marked with an *)

*WATCH ME: Opalescent gold (sheen)
*ME FIRST: Apricot (sheen)
*TAKEOVER: Copper rose (sheen)
*OUT THERE: Deep russet (matte)
*CHIC: Rich raspberry (matte)
EXHIBIT A: Red (matte)

Unfiltered II

*CONQUEST: Pastel peach (matte)
*UNDEFEATED: Pale pink (shimmer)
*POWER PLAY: Vivid pink (matte)
HOT SAND: Peach champagne (sheen)
*FAME: Pink amber (sheen)
*CANDID: Mauve raspberry (shimmer)

nars unfiltered i closeup — Closeup of NARS Unfiltered I, starting with the top row from the left: Watch Me, Me First, Takeover; bottom row: Out There, Chic, Exhibit A

nars unfiltered ii closeup — Closeup of NARS Unfiltered II, starting with the top row from the left: Conquest, Undefeated, Power Play; bottom row: Hot Sand, Fame, Candid

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NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer Review + Swatches

November 30th, 2016 by Karen 20 Comments

I just pulled two NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealers out of my makeup bag because I’ve been rockin’ them 24/7.

OK, maybe not 24/7…but most of the waking hours. Yes, I NEED concealer, LOL!

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer
16 shades, permanent, $30, available January 1 at NARS boutiques and online
Chantilly (true ivory shade for a light complexion), Vanilla (tiny cast of pink or a light complexion), Creme Brulee (fair with a light pink undertone), Cannelle (light with a peachy undertone), Honey (warm peach for a light to medium complexion), Custard (yellow tone for a light to medium complexion), Macadamia (medium with a peachy undertone), Ginger (golden undertone for a medium complexion), Biscuit (medium dark natural balance of pink and yellow undertones), Caramel (medium dark yellow and golden undertones), Chestnut (medium with a pink undertone), Amande (medium dark with golden olive undertones), Hazelnut (medium dark with a warm red undertone), Cafe (dark shade with warm red undertones), Cacao (dark shade with deep golden brown undertones), Dark Coffee (dark brown with an olive undertone)

“NARS’ highest coverage concealer yet delivers natural natural-looking coverage in an oil-free cream formula that blurs, concealers and smooths imperfections with its soft-focus smoothing complex. Optimal Diffusion Powder helps maximize light diffusion with spherical surface powders designed to absorb and refract light with a powerful optical effect. Instantly transforms the look of skin to help blur imperfections. Advanced powders created with a unique, interwoven structure lay flat while staying connected for the highest level of coverage with the lightest touch. Resists settling into fine lines and pores. Collagen-boosting peptides smooth and reduce the appearances of wrinkles and pores. Hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate, soften and plump the skin for a healthier-looking complexion. Antioxidant Daily Defense delivers a cocktail of Vitamin A, C and E for environmental defense.”

— NARS PR

They’re full coverage, stay out of my fine lines and blur my pores. That’s a concealer triple threat!

I’m wearing Macadamia under my eyes in this video and Ginger on my cheeks and around my mouth.

They’re $30 each and coming to NARS counters in January 2017.

nars soft matte complete concealer — Swatches of all 16 shades of NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer

Thank you as always for watching. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The MAC Studio QuikTrik Sticks

November 7th, 2016 by Karen 8 Comments

mac studio quicktrik stick — There’s a new stick in town…

I’m no She-Ra/She-Hulk, but those push-ups and rows I’ve been doing in my high-intensity interval training classes must be paying off, because I accidentally broke two of these MAC Studio QuikTrik Sticks.

Mostly, it’s because they’re very soft, and in some ways, that’s great, because it makes them so easy to blend. On the other hand, though — broken sticks. Don’t press too hard.

These creamy $32 sticks do a bit of everything. They’re like blushes, contouring products and highlighting sticks in one.

Kinda sorta like MAC’s version of the NARS Multiples (except not explicitly recommended for use on your lips and eyes), they’ve been available for while, and MAC says they’re for use all over your face.

I’ve only used them as blushes and for highlighting so far, so if you’ve used them on your lips and eyes, please let me know how it’s gone for you.

They’re super creamy, super soft, easy to blend, and they look a little dewy on the skin, right? They’ve got that glow happening that I love.

The formula stays a bit — gosh, what’s the right word? — tacky? Wet?

I don’t want to say “wet,” so I’ll just say “creamy” instead. It stays creamy for an hour or so before completely drying down, and that makes them easy to blend. Of course, if they dried down to a powder more quickly, they would probably last longer…

On my combination skin, without anything else on top of them, they last between 4-6 hours, which isn’t bad. You could probably also extend that by layering a powder product on top and, depending on what you used, still keep the shine. For instance, you could add a powder blush with a sheen or a highlighter with a sheen or sparkle. But that’s if you’re hardcore.

MAC Studio QuikTrik Sticks
$32, available in six limited edition shades; available now online and in-stores through December 15, 2016

“Transformation is only a swipe away with M·A·C Studio QuikTrik Stick. Offering endless options for highlighting, contouring, bronzing or just adding the perfect pop of colour, these double-ended, multi-use sticks debut in smart shades to enhance your look anywhere, any way you choose. This multi-tasker’s creamy formula is sheer enough to provide subtle yet buildable colour. Who doesn’t love a little face time?”

— maccosmetics.com

Shades
BARE END / EARTHNUT – Bare End: Light golden champagne shimmer / Earthnut: Muted medium beige

SOFTLY DOES IT / TIGHT AND TAWNY – Softly Does It: Very light pink shimmer / Tight and Tawny: Light taupe

GINGER SPIKED / COUNTERPOINT – Ginger Spiked: Soft pink with fine spun gold shimmer / Counterpoint: Midtone bluish pink

A LATTE SHEEN / SEMISWEET – A Latte Sheen: Light copper with gold and silver shimmer / SemiSweet: Muted golden bronze

MISS CUPCAKE / TOMATO – Miss Cupcake: soft pinky peach with fine spun golden shimmer / Tomato: Vivid bright coral

ALL AFLUSH / HERE YOU GO – All Aflush: Rose with copper sparkle / Here You Go: Deep reddish burgandy

mac studio quicktrik counterpoint ginger spiked — Wearing Counterpoint and Ginger Spiked

mac studio quicktrik stick swatches — Ginger Spiked/Counterpoint, Miss Cupcake/Tomato, All Aflush/Here You Go

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