Face

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Maybelline Age Instant Age Rewind Concealer

March 11th, 2019 by Karen 22 Comments

maybelline instant age rewind concealer review — A steal of a deal at just $10

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Dear beauty industry people…just stop, collaborate and listen. Enough with the attached sponge applicators already! The sponges get all thick and nasty, and then when I press them against my skin, there’s a weird sucking sound, like “thhhmeeeeeeee,” which is the makeup equivalent of someone saying the word “moist” repeatedly.

MOIST, MOIST, MOIST.

It’s super, super gross.

The attached sponge applicator is the only thing I don’t like about the otherwise awesome Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer. I would prefer one of ye olde standard-issue doe-foot applicators, buuuuuut since this concealer is only $10, and it’s available in a nice shade range, and it’s practically a drugstore dupe for the much pricier Charlotte Tilbury under-eye concealer, which I’ve used to the very last drop, I put up with it, because seriously, WHATCHAGONNADO? You can’t spend all your time and energy fighting city hall. *shrugs*

Anyway, this concealer is fantastic for women (and dudes… More on this in a second.) who have fine under-eye experience lines, and who also like a decent amount of coverage but don’t feel the need to go full-tilt, so FYI, Tarte Shape Tape, MAC Pro Longwear and Sephora Bright Future Gel Concealer it is not; however, if you like light-to-medium coverage (a la Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid, which I’ve grown to love, or Tatcha Softlight), it’s magic in a click pen, because the concealer never appears caked-on or thick when applied to mature skin with lines.

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New Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation (And a Book Review of Lilac Girls!)

February 27th, 2019 by Karen 24 Comments

hourglass vanish seamless liquid — The newest foundation in the Hourglass line: Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation ($56). I wear the shade Beige.

If you were wondering if new Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation by Hourglass is just as good as their B.O.M.B. Vanish Stick Foundation…well, sorry to bum you out, babe, but the stick is so much better.

I know. I was also hoping for a new go-to liquid version of Vanish with the same “Oh, I forgot I’m wearing makeup!” super power.

hourglass vanish beige swatch — Swatch of Beige. (I’m an NC42 in MAC.)

I wanted the stick’s same medium-to-full coverage and satiny finish, but importantly, I wanted the eeeeease. With the stick, you just draw a few stripes and blend with whatever you can grab first — a buffing brush, a sponge, your fingers, a cat’s paw… It’s like a minute, tops.

The liquid version, though? Bah, so complicated! The liquid has intensely concentrated pigment, and it’s like an airtight alibi (it completely covers its tracks, ha ha), but the finish settles into pores and fine lines if you use more than a drop or two.

hourglass vanish seamless before — Before: No makeup and a smile with my sidekick.

hourglass vanish seamless after — And after! I’m wearing Beige without any setting powder (just the foundation), because I felt like it looked kinda heavy already on its own. Eyes: MAC Art Library Nude Model palette and It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara. Cheeks: Hourglass Ambient Blush in Brilliant Nude. Lips: MAC Matte Lipstick in Down to An Art.

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The New NARS Exposed Collection: Swatches, Quick Look

February 12th, 2019 by Karen 19 Comments

Exposed! — a new collection from NARS — is NOT (I hope) named after flashers, because I was flashed several times when I lived in San Francisco, and let me tell ya…it ain’t pretty, folks.

This collection, on the other hand, is gorge. ? There’s a new $59 six-pan blush palette (a.k.a. the Explicit Cheek Palette) with an allegedly new NARS formula and three mini lip kits (called the Explicit Lip Duos), with a matte pencil and a shiny gloss and $22 each, all coming to the Ulta website, and very likely other places on/after, February 17.

nars exposed collection swatches — Swatches of the Cheek Palette and the Lip Duos

nars exposed cheek palette — Exposed Cheek Palette

nars exposed collection 2 — Clockwise from the lower left: Explicit Color Lip Duo in Intimate, Explicit Color Lip Duo in Sex Machine, Exposed Cheek Palette and Explicit Color Lip Duo in Dragon Girl

In other news…

Chapter 27 in the never-ending saga that is my teeth…

Yay! I have to go to the dentist again! ?

My bite has been funky since my last filling, and it hurts when I chomp down on my right side, which is not at all amusing when you’re mildly addicted to ? eating carrots (especially baby carrots).

Speaking of carrots, what’s up, doc? ? How are you doing today?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Bay Area Beauty Love: Benefit Gogo Tint

February 7th, 2019 by Karen 8 Comments

Yay for the Bay! In this series, for the month of February 2019, I’ll be featuring products from and around my stomping grounds, the San Francisco Bay Area.

Question of the day: Is the “gogo” in Benefit Gogo Tint a shout-out to the Wham song or a shout-out to gogo dancers?

Neither? Both?

Seeing as how the very first Benefit stain was a nipple tint made for exotic dancers…I’m gonna go-go with option B, ha ha!

It’s been a minute since I’ve worn one of these. They’re $30 liquid lip and cheek stains, and this newest member is a vibrant matte cherry red that looks like an intensified version of the original Benetint I loved like heck in my early 20s.

benefit gogo tint 2 — Wake me up before you Gogo!

Gogo Tint isn’t as watery as the O.G. one. The liquid formula is milkier and creamier (similar to the ChaCha and Lolli tints). The thicker consistency makes Gogo user-friendlier because, unlike the original, it doesn’t immediately drip or roll down your cheeks. It’s also smoother and easier to blend.

I also feel like the slightly creamy consistency makes it less patchy than the more viscous original and easier to blend, which I usually do with my fingers.

Like all of the Benefit Tints, you can wear Gogo on your lips, too. It’s a bright matte red that looks like just-kissed lips, and it’s beautiful if you can get it to apply evenly. Although I appreciate its multitasking prowess, I’m not fond of wearing it on my lips because the tint grabs on to the center areas more than the outer edges, so I end up with an unintentional edgy gradient effect.

I mean, it would be cooler if I were a high-fashion gal, but when I’m out and about in a sweatshirt, stretchy pants and messy bun, as I am 99% of the time…it just looks like I forgot to touch up after lunch.

More deets…

Wear time is about 5-6 hours.
Doesn’t taste or smell like anything.
A little drying on the lips, but not drying on my cheeks, though.
Best on bare skin or skin prepped with BB or CC cream, or tinted moisturizer , can be streaky on a full-coverage base).
Always make sure that the cap is sealed shut; otherwise, it could spill all over your makeup bag.

benefit gogo tint swatch — Gogo Tint, blended (top) and unblended (bottom)

I see this as a great blush for low-maintenance gals and a good option for first-time blush wearers, or anyone who likes makeup that doesn’t look powdery or obvious. A large 0.33-oz. bottle is $30, and a travel-sized 0.13-oz. mini is $12. You can find Gogo at Benefit stores, Ulta and Sephora.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Geez, why are these chairs so comfortable? Is it the chair, the shave ice, the hibiscus flowers around them, the fancy swimming pool? Or all of the above?

Aloha again! This has been a very low-key trip so far with a definite lack of adventure sports and water activities. Yup. Connor, El Hub and I all came down with viruses, so we haven’t been pushing the envelope in terms of activities, but it’s still been wonderful to just hang out, rest and take in the atmosphere (and consume large quantities of shave ice, fresh papaya and pineapple).

I’m gonna go get another shave ice now. What can I get you? You can mix ‘n match any flavors you want…

Banana, Vanilla, Bubble Gum, Cherry Coconut Cotton Candy, Watermelon, Grape, (Sour) Green Apple, Green Tea, Guava, Yuzu, Lemon, Lemonade, Li Hing Mui, White Cake, Lilikoi (Passionfruit), Lime, Mango, Lychee, Melon, Mizore, Orange, Papaya, Pickled Mango, Piña Colada, Pineapple, Raspberry, Root Beer, Strawberry, Peach, Ume, Banana Cream, Coconut Cream, Strawberry Cream

(*Cream flavors have condensed milk pre-mixed into the syrup.)

Sugar-Free Banana, Sugar-Free Strawberry, Sugar-Free Vanilla

Crazy About Creams! Clarins Creams

January 30th, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

This month I am CRAZY ABOUT CREAMS. Stay tuned for some of my favorite cream makeup products all throughout January.

Just to clarify, this is a joke:

And this is NOT a joke:

(Side note: Thank you, Internet, for making me ? laugh every single day.)

I’d be remiss to not include my favorite face creams in this series, and… —–> these babies by Clarins ARE NOT PLAYIN’. I always keep at least one jar around because whenever my combo skin starts feeling tight and dry and painful and just plain WEIRD, Clarins is there to rescue me, man. I dab a little on my skin (you don’t need a lot, thank goodness, because these jars, while decently sized, are still expensive), and my tight spots always feel instantly better.

French luxe line Clarins has been around forever, and while the brand may not be as buzzy as Drunk Elephant or Glossier at the moment, I know I can always count on their marvelously moisturizing creams to NOT break me out — and, seriously, EVERYTHING makes me break out.
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Fresh Friday: If Your Skin Needs Extra Moisture and TLC, This New Australian Brand Might Be Your New Go-To

January 25th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

go to skin care — Why dry skin goes AHHHHH

MBB’s “Fresh Friday” series takes a look at new beauty brands (and venerable O.G. brands that are new to me). Let’s discover new makeup!

After last week’s epic deluge, I’ve been basking in the glow of this week’s sunshine. Funny thing is…just because the sun has been out here doesn’t mean it’s actually been, ya know, warm. I swear, the sunny days are colder than the rainy days, which means that all the dry spots on my face and body hurt more than usual… I mean, really, smiling at strangers isn’t easy when the skin on your cheeks feels like it’s about to crack. ?

A new skin care line at Sephora called Go-To has been saving me from walking around town with a perpetual RBF. It’s a dream for dry-skinned dames!

A non-fussy skin care line for all skin types

Hailing from Down Under, Go-To is the brainchild of Australian author and former Cosmopolitan beauty director Zoë Foster Blake. A scroll through her Instagram feed is like a visit to a glamorous land where everything’s beautiful and picture-perfect, and so I guess it’s fitting that her first beauty venture has that familiar “I’m doing it for the ‘gram” look — white and pastel packaging, fun names and playful fonts. Some might call it “millennial marketing.”

go to skin care useful face cream — Very Useful Face Cream ($31)

All of the products in the line are made for all skin types (even sensitive) and ages, but since so many of the cheeky and lighthearted skin care brands out there target 20- and 30-somethings, I mistakenly expected the products to be a better fit for someone who already has perfect skin and cherub cheeks and hasn’t been around the block as many times as I have, if you know what I mean… But once I got the cream on my face, the balm on my lips and the oil on my body, I was sold. This stuff means business. I’m talking majorly moisturizing KAPOW.

Some quick deets…

The products don’t contain parabens, PEGS, sulfates, GMOs, mineral oils, petrolatum or synthetic colors, and they aren’t tested on animals.

The number of products is on the smaller side for now, with items priced between $12 and $39.

You can find them in the US at Sephora and online.

There are more products available on the Go-To website, and they currently offer free shipping on US orders over $50.

Why dry cheeks go AHHH

Definitely peep the Very Useful Face Cream ($31). I started using a retinol cream by Kate Somerville a couple months ago, so my skin periodically freaks out and hurts as a result of the dryness that comes with the aggressive exfoliation. Very Useful Face Cream, which contains two powerhouse antixidants in coQ10 and amla berry (it’s also in IGK’s Bad & Bougie Shampoo and Conditioner), just makes everything feel better. Weirdly, it feels light and thin at first, but it starts to thicken up and feel more like a balm as you work it into your skin.

Once it’s absorbed…AHHH.

It’s supposed to be for all skin types, but if you happen to have dry skin that needs extra TLC, I think you’ll REALLY appreciate it.

go to skin care exception oil — Exception-oil ($39)

Exception-Oil body oil is another standout. It’s thick, creamy and smells like gardenia, and you only need a tiny bit. It’s so moisturizing that even my hella dry hands and feet are happy afterwards. I just put some on my paws, and now they feel like completely new hands, LOL!

And then there’s the Face Hero Oil, which I’ve used on my neck a few times… I like it just fine for moisture, but I’m still deeply committed to Fresh Seaberry Oil (THE BEST). Face Hero smells like green tea ice cream, though, which is a plus in my book.

go to skin care face hero — Face Hero Oil ($34)

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Crazy About Creams! Say Hi to MAC Pro Face Palette Blush

January 23rd, 2019 by Karen 19 Comments

mac pro face palette bright blush — Oh, ya know, just some Casual Colour with the $40 MAC Pro Face Palette: Bright Blush.

This month I am CRAZY ABOUT CREAMS. Stay tuned for some of my favorite cream makeup products all throughout January.

I know I’ve mentioned the MAC Casual Colours before. They’re brilliant. They’re creamy. They’ve popped up in limited collections before (Beth Ditto, Mia Moretti and Diane Kendall, to name a few). You can wear them on your cheeks and lips, and now MAC has them in three options — Bright Blush, Deep Blush and Light Blush.

To this, all I have to say is YES.

mac pro face palette deep blush — MAC Pro Face Palette: Deep Blush ($40)

Well, obvs, that’s not all I have to say, ha! 🙂 Hello, my name is Karen, and my ability to get straight to the point is questionable.

I will also say this: If you’re a makeup lover who likes fresh, shiny cheeks and plump, juicy lips, you’ll probably appreciate Casual Color’s semi-glossy finish and creamy texture.

These palettes are a go-to when I’m wearing a sheer base (bare skin, BB or CC cream, or a tinted moisturizer), because the semi-glossy finish goes well with minimal coverage.

The trick is to gently tap-tap-tap the tiniest amount (either with your fingers or a stippling brush) you can get away with because these creams are very concentrated. You only need the most minimal of minimal amounts.

Once you figure out how little you can get away with, you’ll be rewarded with surprisingly good wear time. I get about five hours on my cheeks and three on my lips.

mac pro face palette swatches — Arm status: NC42

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Fresh Friday: Blending Feels Good With the Super Soft Bristles in This New Cruelty-Free Vegan Makeup Brush Line

January 18th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

MBB’s “Fresh Friday” series takes a look at new beauty brands (and venerable O.G. brands that are new to me). Let’s discover new makeup!

One of the issue I’ve had with some synthetic makeup brushes is how stiff their bristles are, but that is not a prob for the brushes I’ve tried from aDesign, a new makeup brush line exclusive to Amazon. The angled buffing brush, for one, is so soft that it feels like you’re getting kitten kisses. Sometimes I’ll sit at my desk just rubbing it all over my face. If soft is what you want, soft is what you’ll get with these cruelty-free vegan brushes.

The line is the beauty brainchild of Anisa Telwar Kaicker of Anisa International (Forbes recently gave them a shout-out as one of the best small companies of 2018). Incidentally, Anisa makes brushes for some of the biggest beauty brands out there (Estée Lauder, NARS, Sephora, MAC, Hourglas, La mer and Laura Mercier, to name a few), so I guess it’s safe to say they know brushes.

The new aDesign line has 30 brushes, which are sold in sets of two brushes each. The sets range from $14 on the lower end (for a pair of eye brushes, which breaks down to $7 a brush = not bad!) to $34 on the higher end (for two face brushes). The brushes are lightweight with medium-length handles, and they feel a lot like It Cosmetics brushes in my hand.

How do you choose which set to get? Well, they’re categorized by function. For example, the Eye Power Duo ($14) is all about smoky eyes and comes with two eye brushes for applying and blending cream or powder shadows for smoky looks.

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