Honest Beauty

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

August 27th, 2020 by Karen 18 Comments

New favorite way to enjoy a refreshing drink

1. Drinkin’ fruit-flavored water from my Fressko Water bottle

I have about 1,354 water bottles in my cupboard. ?‍♀️

This one from Australian brand Fressko is probably the coolest. It can be used for hot or cold drinks, comes with a tea infuser, and is made from double-insulated glass. I use it to make my favorite beverage at the moment: green tea infused with sliced lemon and lime!

The bottles come in 10-, 13- and 16-oz. sizes. I have the 16-oz. bottle, which is $39.95. I think it’s a well-designed, useful something special to have around, and the possibilities for beverages to make with it are endless.

2. Pared down makeup using a brow pen/pencil combo, mascara and liquid liner (and sometimes a liquid lipstick)

Lately I’ve been getting back in the habit of wearing a little makeup a little more regularly than I had been earlier in the pandemic because it boosts my mood, like a daily workout (but without the sweat!). And sometimes when I don’t feel like working out, I’ll just do my makeup, so that way I’m still doing a little something to help my mood.

urban decay brow blade honest beauty liquidliner laura mercier caviar — Three loves of my makeup life right now…

I like to start with this three-piece pared down combo using a brow pencil, mascara and liquid liner: Urban Decay Brow Blade (seriously, SO GOOD), Urban Decay Cannon Ball or Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara (or a combo of both), and Honest Beauty Liquid Liner (easy to use and dries quickly).

If, when I’m done with those three, I still want to wear more, I’ll wear more. If I don’t, I’ll just stop there!

3. Victoria’s Secret Amber Sunset

It’s a little funny to me that I now consider this my “late summer scent” because I originally bought it as a mosquito repellant. ? LOL!

But you know what? It I think it actually smells REALLY good. Please give it a try.

victorias secret amber romance pool — Smells like late summer (and not like mosquito repellant)

Amber Romance has notes of warm vanilla, sandalwood and amber, with a pinch of tart cherry, and it’s not strong. It’s juuuust right. Added bonus: it does keep mosquitos away!

4. This giant, overstuffed anatomically-shaped heart stuffed toy

I don’t know who needs this giant stuffed heart in their life right now, but apparently I think I do.

I love how BIG it is, and I especially love that it has valves, LOL! ❤️

5. How people are creatively adapting to life in the pandemic

I admire how people have adapted to “the new normal.” It’s been a lot to handle, but people will do what they have to do. Many small businesses are also coming up with some amazing ideas to keep their places going, like Connor’s dance studio. They couldn’t hold their annual spring dance recital in a big theater like they used to, so a few weeks ago the instructors taped the routines outside in a parking lot in the back of the studio. They added a hand washing station, tents for shade, and then built individual mini “stages” spaced six feet apart for the dancers to perform their routines on while the performances were recorded on iPhones.

We’re witnessing a very unique time in history, aren’t we? It was definitely a dance recital I’ll never forget. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Summer Faves and Raves: Skin Care and Makeup From Honest Beauty

August 11th, 2020 by Karen 3 Comments

Got some thoughts on the latest makeup and skin care from Honest Beauty. Here are some things I’ve been using and loving…

Cat Eye Kit – Mascara & Eyeliner

This one comes with 1) a dual-ended mascara with a primer on one side and a black lengthening mascara on the other, and 2) a fine-tipped black liquid liner with a flexible felt tip. The primer and mascara combo stretches and lifts lashes for a natural-looking fringe that feels lightweight and doesn’t smudge. As for the liner…it’s SO GOOD. It’s long lasting, deeply pigmented (no blue undertones) and extremely precise. I’ve sweated and cried with it on, and it doesn’t move. Surprisingly though, it’s still easy to remove at the end of the day.

$19.99 for a 2-piece kit.

INGREDIENTS
Mascara Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Beeswax (Cera Alba), Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Cellulose, Glyceryl Behenate, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sodium Benzoate, Cellulose Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Phosphoric Acid, Iron Oxides (CI 77499).

Lash Primer Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Beeswax (Cera Alba), Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Acacia Senegal Gum, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cellulose, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Phosphoric Acid

Liquid Eyeliner: Water (Aqua), Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Pullulan, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Hectorite, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510).

Prime + Perfect Mask

This “daytime mask” is a combination skin care/makeup prep product containing antioxidants (via fruit extracts), shea butter and sunflower seed oil to plump and smooth skin before makeup. A nice little extra if you’re in the mood for a little everyday indulgence. ?

$19.99 for a 2-oz. tube.

INGREDIENTS
Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Kaolin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cetyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Wine, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Maltodextrin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Leaf/Seed Extract, Alcohol, Citric Acid , Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499), Limonene.

Beauty Sleep Resurfacing Serum

If you’re interested in exfoliation without irritation, give this gentle AHA night serum a try. It contains glycolic, lactic, citric, malic and tartaric acids (all naturally derived), combined with hyaluronic acid.

It’s a good “starter” exfoliator IMO.
[Continue reading…]

Summer Glam on the Go! Coral Lips and Peachy Bronzed Lids

July 15th, 2020 by Karen 10 Comments

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 2 — Today’s summery glam on the go!

The other day, when I was wearing this makeup, I ran into my neighbor, and she asked if I was going anywhere special, to which I replied, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, “I’M GOING TO SPORTS BASEMENT!”

You know the bar for your entertainment is set reeeeeeeally low when you dress up like you’re going to fancy brunch on vacation, but in reality you’re going to a sporting goods store to look for weights…

Oh, the pandemic stories we’ll have to tell! ?

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 4 — A summery color palette

This summery look has a few of my favorite warm-weather shades — coral and bronze! — and looks fancy, but it’s very easy to do. It also feels light and weightless, which are must-haves when the temperature’s rising.

This look has three distinguishing features — long, lifted, lush lashes; warm, peachy bronze lids; and luminous skin.

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 5 — Streamlined and summery makeup

1. Primer on the outer lashes

To make your lashes look longer and more dramatique, coat your outer lashes with a lengthening lash primer before loading them up with mascara. This creates a lush lash effect without the time and effort of falsies.

2. Bronzer is your buddy for glam-on-the-go eyes

Bronzed eyes are a summer staple, and while you could always search your makeup collection for that perfect shade, why not save yourself a little time and swish your favorite bronzer on your lids instead?

Here, I layered a warm golden tan bronzer atop a satiny peach cream shadow…

3. Define your lash line with brown and black eyeliner

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: gradients are your friend.

This brown-into-black eyeliner gradient on the upper lash line is subtle, but I think that’s the beauty of it.

Start by lining your upper and lower waterlines with a matte brown pencil. Then, draw a thin line on your upper lash line, and smudge the outer edge of that ever so slightly.

Add depth to the gradient by etching a very thin line of black liquid liner along the top lash line.

Added bonus: the black liner also creates the illusion of a thicker lash base!

Flexible face oil

You probably already know I’m a fan of customizing foundation — mixing in a few drops of concealer for added coverage, or adding a few drops of liquid highlighter for a luminous effect. Well, here’s another one to try: blend a drop or two of face oil into your foundation to dial down the opacity of your base. This trick is handy for applying base to sections of the face where you want more of your natural skin to peek through, and it’s what I did here for my forehead and the outer edges.

Fastest updo

If your hair is crazy from quarantine, and you’re tired of rockin’ your fun bun, gather it into a high pony, and secure it into small sections with tiny hair ties (I like these. Three bucks at Ulta!). You can keep the hair ties bare, like I did here (I think the shiny effect looks like jewelry), but if you want to boost the sophistication factor, cover up the ties by wrapping a small piece of hair around each one and securing it with a bobby pin.

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 1 — See the shine from the hair ties?

Makeup worn in this look

I listed everything on my visage below, so please feel free to ask about any of these products in the comments. ?
[Continue reading…]

Drugstore Makeup Look: ’90s-Inspired Plummy Pink!

June 3rd, 2020 by Karen 20 Comments

Let me be the first person to say that my hair looks absolutely BONKERS in these pics, and that’s even AFTER trying to actually do something with it.

I am one YouTube video away from hacking it off! Note to self: next time a global pandemic approaches, book a hair appointment before the world shuts down.

Sigh… Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I was thinking about a Monday Poll question from a while back (’80s or ’90s?) before I started doing my makeup, which is how this ’90s-inspired plummy pink look came about. Everything I’m using is drugstore makeup because I’m still riding a may-jah budget beauty wave right now.

A drugstore dupe for an iconic ’90s lipstick

My main inspiration was an old-school ’90s standby that’s still around called Clinique Black Honey Lipstick. It’s a sheer, ever-so-slightly shiny lippie that all of my college friends wore back in the day. There used to be a Clinique counter inside the UC Davis bookstore, and every quarter when it came time to buy books, we’d all go to that counter to get our books so we could avoid the regular long lines. The only thing you had to do to use that line was buy at least one piece of Clinique makeup, which is how every girl I knew ended up with countless tubes of Black Honey.

Anywho…I recently found a drugstore dupe for it in Honest Beauty Plum Drop Lip Tint, and it looks exactly like Black Honey! To keep with the plum theme, I paired it with an awesomely affordable plummy-pink eyeshadow palette I found over at Covergirl, and pink cream blush cheeks (which I did with a Revlon lipstick).

Covergirl So Saturated Eye Palette in Posh is so good!

The palette is the Full Spectrum So Saturated Eye Shadow Palette in Posh, which comes with eight powder eyeshadows in pink, plum and burgundy tones. The powders are on the fluffier side, so there’s definitely some fallout if you aren’t careful and forget to remove any excess from your brush head, but, on the flip side, the colors are rich and practically blend themselves.

Just a few wrist flicks and you’re good. These are long lasting too. I wear mine without a primer, and it’ll last the day. Posh is $13.49 over at Ulta, if you’re interested.

That layered liner life

To break up all the pink and plum tones, I layered two liners on my upper and lower waterline — a matte black and a sparkly purple. The purple didn’t really show up on its own, which is why I drew the black liner on first, then layered the purple on top. If you ever have a liner that doesn’t deposit as much pigment as you’d like, starting with a layer of black liner beneath it is the fastest way to ramp up the intensity. You can also do this trick with white liner, by the way!

[Continue reading…]

A Wearable, Colorful Drugstore Makeup Look: Navy Liner and Lashes With Orange Cheeks and Lips

May 14th, 2020 by Karen 6 Comments

honest blood orange — All the makeup I’m wearing today is from the drugstore.

Totes on a budget beauty kick right now, and everything in this navy and orange look is drugstore.

honest beauty blood orange — Budget beauty at its best

I’ve been slowly but surely mining my makeup collection lately and rediscovering old loves. Also finding new faves…

Budget brow wow

Case in point: Maybelline’s brow pencil. It’s the one in peach packaging with the angled applicator, and it’s just as good as the $$$ Anastasia brow pencils at Sephora IMO. It has the perfect amount of pigment — enough, but not so much that it makes you look like you’re plotting someone’s demise. Plus, it doesn’t budge! It stays put through long runs, planks and burpie push-ups (so fun…NOT). You’ll find it in four shades for $5.99 each — Blonde, Soft Brown, Deep Brown and Medium Brown. I wear the Deep Brown one. It’s a beautiful ashy brown with a hint of gray.

The ace of budget base

Speaking of affordable, can we talk about this base combo for a second? — Neutrogena Hydro Tint plus Maybelline’s Age Rewind Concealer equals magic?

I’ve been a fan of both products for a while, but I never realized they could be such a great budget-friendly combo for no-makeup makeup.

Hydro Tint ever-so-slightly evens everything out while keeping your skin looking natural, and then I dab and blend a little Maybelline Age Rewind where I want a little more coverage (like on the hyperpigmentation on my cheeks and dark areas underneath my eyes).

The end result looks natural and even (and doesn’t look thick). The two products layer perfectly.

Long-lasting liner for under ten bucks

I’ve also recently discovered some new-to-me things that totally deserve the spotlight, including these Coverigrl twist-up eyeliners, which are available in six $7.99 shades (and currently on BOGO for 50% at Ulta!).

I’m also wearing a shimmery deep blue here on my upper lash lines, and I love that glimmer. I had to do a few layers (like three), but once it’s on, it doesn’t transfer into the crease or creep into the lower lash line.
[Continue reading…]

Product Spotlight: Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balms

May 12th, 2020 by Karen 15 Comments

honest beauty tinted balm — Moisturizing and vibrant lip balms by Honest Beauty, each an affordable $8.99, hooray!

I just found your latest lip addiction, a.k.a. my latest lip addiction! — but you’re not going to get addicted in a bad way, I promise.

You know how some tinted lip balms hook you into a vicious cycle of lip balm-ing yourself every 10 minutes? Not gonna happen with the Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balms, because unlike other tinted lip balms, they don’t suck every molecule of moisture from your lips and lead you to reapply them over and over…which is my main point o’ pain with most lip balms.

Small victories, ya know?

honest beauty dragon fruit — Dragon Fruit, a semi-sheer fuchsia. Also, I’m wearing the Dear Tabby Tee in Daffodil from my online store, connorclaire.com.

Lots of moisture

So tell your dry lips to chill already, man! You will not be looped into a dysfunctional relationship with your lip balm, and since these are practically dripping with moisture, thirsty, flaky lips will thank you for the hydrating TLC.

What they are

I love ’em. They’re like a cross between a lip balm and a creamy lipstick, so you get all the color (but not too much) and lots and lots of moisture. They’re permanent to the Honest Beauty makeup line and come in seven shades, including clear, and are an affordable $8.99 each.

The formula is cruelty-free and vegan, so no animal testing, and no animal-derived ingredients, either.

They feel like a typical balm to me — lightweight and smooth, with a non-sticky texture — and have a barely-there, fleeting honey flavor and scent. As for wear time, they last about two hours for me.

Vibrant color

These are so intense! It’s bomb. (Or, should I say, it’s balm? Sorry, I had to go there!) I have pigmented lips, so it isn’t always easy for me to find pigmented lip balms that show up on my lips, but each of these shades is so vibrant and distinct that I can immediately see the difference (no layering required!). They don’t all look the same, which I lurve and appreciate.

This is casual, low-maintenance lip color at its best. I can easily use my phone as a mirror to apply a layer… Heck, I’m doing that right now with Lychee Fruit (the beige-pink!).
[Continue reading…]

New From Honest Beauty: Liquid Lipstick

August 6th, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

honest beauty happiness — Happiness — an aptly named bright peachy pink ?

If you feel like you can’t toss your high pony, toast a Pop Tart, or brush the cat fur from your shoulder without bumping into a liquid lipstick, you’re not alone. Especially over the past few years, they’ve been errrrywhere — from fancy brands like Chanel to big drugstore lines (I like the ones from Maybelline and Physicians Formula), and at all price points in between.

Now there’s a “clean” beauty option from Honest Beauty, and guess what? It’ll make you cabbage patch right outta your office chair, which is what happened to me when I tried one of the nudes.

Mauve nude BFF is the perfect “there but not there” lip color (and you know I love me a nude lip!).

I’ve tested four of the seven shades, and all of them feel smooth and flexible on my lips. The mousse-like formula stays put through breakfast, lunch, snacks and copious amounts of coffee and water without settling into my horizontal lip lines. Plus, most importantly, NO CAT BUTT LIPS. ?

Even after wearing one for a full day, my lips feel comfortable and moisturized, and there’s nary a flake in sight the next day.

honest beauty goddess — Goddess (a bright reddish pink)

[Continue reading…]

Crazy About Creams! Honest Beauty Creme Cheek Blush

January 7th, 2019 by Karen 14 Comments

honest beauty creme cheek blush swatches final — Affordable and long-lasting!

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

BRRR! You guys…it’s so cold! ⛄

I know that that must sound mildly hilarious coming from a ☀️ Californian, but seriously, there’s a big difference between Northern California and Southern California. Here in NorCal, it gets almost freezing…

Hardy-har-har, yes, I know that 37 degrees isn’t arctic, but let me tell ya, it’s been so cold in the mornings that my butt bones, my teeth and even my eyebrows are cold!

Now, you’re probably thinking, “DUDE, why are we talking about the weather??” Well, because — gotcha! — cream makeup makeup, i.e. eyeshadow, cream blush, foundation, what have you. When the temperature drops, cream products come in extra handy because they tend to last longer when you aren’t sweating buckets.

Truth be told, though, I’m an all-year-round cream product junkie because I like how smooth they look on my skin (unlike powder), and I’ve been all about cream everything since I hit 40.

That said, the theme this month on MBB is “Crazy About Creams,” and I’ve been wearing today’s guests of honor off and on for more than a month. They’re the Honest Beauty Creme Cheek Blushes.

“Buildable and blendable color right at your fingertips, our cream blush is your go-to for an instant, dewy flush for cheeks. The lightweight formula melts onto skin seamlessly and comes in a stashable compact for easy on-the-go application.”

— honestbeauty.com

Directions:
Use your fingers or a sponge to lightly dab the cream blush onto the apples or your cheeks. Blend upward toward cheekbones in a circular motion.

Tips:
Smile to easily find the apples of your cheeks for spot-on application every time.

“Here at Honest Beauty, we pride ourselves on delivering clean beauty products that work. Our Crème Blush is formulated with naturally derived fruit extracts (like apple, raspberry and grape!) which means that, sometimes, natural separation can occur. You may or may not notice small droplets on the surface of the product, please rest assured that these droplets are completely normal and will naturally absorb back into the formula after use. This does not impact the quality of the product. We got you, babe. Keep on being beautiful.”

I’ve been using two of the four shades — a coral pink and a wine — and both are sheer-ish, so they’re natural looking. Plus, the satin finish goes well with any number of foundation finishes, including velvet, matte, satin and even dewy finishes. It’s all good.

The shades are also super affordable at $12.99, although you’d think you were working with a $32 Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge or a $29 Laura Mercier Cheek Cream), and beyond the awesome price, these have something else elevating them beyond the average cream blushes, and that’s longevity. They actually stay where they belong and don’t pull a disappearing act halfway through the day.

Ingredients:
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Triethyl Citrate, Alcohol, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract. MAY CONTAIN: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Ultramarines (CI 77007)

If the MAC Cream Colour Bases work well on your cheeks, you’ll probably also like these because they feel very similar. Just like you can with the CCBs, when you pick this up from a pan with a fingertip or a sponge, you can grab a good amount, even though they’re somewhat dry (as in not wet) for a cream. They apply creamy, even and smooth, even around dry spots.

[Continue reading…]