It Cosmetics

Crazy Clips for the Win!

July 16th, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

Question for ya: Have you arrived at that point in life when you don’t care if the world sees the weird things you do to bend your hair to your will? Although I’m not quite the lady at the supermarket with the giant pink curlers in her hair yet (because she don’t give an eff what people say when she’s buying frozen breakfast burritos!), I’m almost there. I’ve taken to wearing these long hair clips when I’m chillin’ at home, or driving in my car, or taking a walk around the neighborhood. I use ’em on wet hair, along with half a pound of flexible hairspray to smooth and flatten out my roots (which are getting progressively more wiry and untamed with each and every new gray hair) as they air dry. El Hub says I look a little crazy, but I’m like, “Hey, man, you gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

Trader Joe’s alert!

Speaking of the shameless things we do in the name of beauty, I was waiting in line at TJ’s last week when I noticed the woman in front of me had four bottles of this lotion in her cart — and absolutely nothing else. No food, no Joe-Joe’s cookies, NOTHING. Of course, then I asked her to watch my wagon so I could run to the beauty section and grab a bottle of my own.

They’re only $3.99! For a big 16-oz. bottle! I may or may not have done a victory dance in the middle of aisle. 🙂

trader joes midsummer nights cream — A dreamy cream for $3.99

I have lizard lady skin, but a few pumps of this lotion makes my legs look and feel smooth and moisturized without making my skin feel slick or greasy. Even my heels are happy!

trader joes midsummer nights cream ingredients — It’s cruelty-free, too.

Heads up: Even though the label says it’s unscented, I think it smells a little like a kale, spinach and apple green smoothie…which I don’t mind at all.

This is IT

And that wasn’t the only new thing I tried last weekend. I also took this It Cosmetics foundation for a spin.

it cosmetics color correcting full coverage cream tan — I wear the shade called “Tan,” which is the closest to MAC NC42.

The foundations in the It Cosmetics line are famous for doing a little bit of everything and then some, and their CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream lives up to that multitasking rep. The It crew packed seven products into one tube — a full-coverage foundation, a physical sunscreen with SPF 50, a brightening color corrector, a hydrating anti-aging serum, a pore-less finish primer, a dark-spot concealer and a moisturizing day cream. Plus, a tiny bit goes a long way.

it cosmetics color correcting full coverage cream tan before after — I applied about half a pump and sheered it out with the It Cosmetics No. 22 Brush, which I dampened with MAC Fix+.

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Easy Everyday Makeup Look: Summer Breeze

June 25th, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

Today I wore this summery look to run a couple errands and drop off Coywolf at her first day of summer fun/school. I used lots of Chanel, with a mix of new and old faves, because I love the way they handle color. They use juuuust enough, so you don’t go from zero to rodeo clown in a hummingbird heartbeat.

Swatches and details on the key products down below.

Key items

Base: All I’m wearing is a 50/50 mix of It Cosmetics CC+ Illumination and Oil-Free Matte Tinted Moisturizers (the shade I wear is Tan), which I applied with my fingers on top of Aveeno Baby Sunscreen. No setting powder, no concealer.

I like the way this base looks and feels, especially when it’s hot out, because I get medium coverage with minimal product. My pores feel like they can still breathe, and the makeup stays put no matter how much I sweat. Of course, you could go for either Illumination (which works wonders as an under-eye concealer, by the way) or Matte, but I like to mix the two because HI, MY NAME IS KAREN, AND I LIKE TO COMPLICATE THINGS.

If mixing doesn’t sound appealing to you, then I recommend going for the Matte, but still adding one or two drops of your favorite liquid highlighter (MAC’s Strobe cream is the best for mixing into foundations, IMHO).

Eyeshadow: The Chanel Les Beiges Natural Eyes palette is SO GOOD. The eyeshadows have the smooth glide of gel-powder hybrids, and you can blend any combo of the colors with just few windshield wiper swipes. If you love the Chantecaille cream shadows in pots (which are fantastic but very $$$), these Chanel shadows have a similarly creamy consistency and light-as-air appearance. You won’t find any of them, even the shimmers, settling into fine lines.

Brows: Speedy brows! This was my first time trying It Cosmetics Brow Power Micro Universal Defining Eyebrow Pencil in Universal Taupe, and I’m LOVING it. There’s a super skinny twist-up pencil on one end to draw precise lines, and a stiff brow spoolie on the other. I did these brows in a minute, and it was completely non-stressful because the pencil deposits a good amount of color, but yet it’s mellow enough to not look harsh or blocky.

Cheeks and Lips: I love how Chanel’s cream blushes blend right into your foundation without lifting it up or moving it around. I also like how they never look obvious. The blush I’m wearing here is an older one that looks like it isn’t around anymore (No. 25), but there are many other creams available on the Chanel site.

The lip combo is Rouge Allure Ink (Chanel’s lightweight liquid lipstick) in Amoreux, topped with Rouge Coco Gloss in 172 (semi-sticky but long-lasting).

More pics!

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Product Spotlight: It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara

February 20th, 2019 by Karen 8 Comments

There’s a new superheroine in town (THIS girl) thanks to this mascara’s crazy insane curl hold. I’ve been wearing It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara for the better part of the past two months because the curl hold is simply out of this world, and even though the formula isn’t technically waterproof, it might as well be in at least one way because the hold is just as good as any waterproof mascara I’ve tried.

I’m talking long, luscious black lashes with wide-eyed, locked-down CURLS. FOR. DAYS. Boom! — instantaneously dramatic lashes.

I wore it to coffee with a girlfriend a couple weeks ago (hey, Fern!) and cried about, oh…five times during the conversation. (It was one of those emo visits. You know how it goes sometimes.) When I looked in a mirror afterward, I expected to see something completely different, but this mascara hadn’t budged or smudged at all.

In Hawaii I also wore it to the pool and beach a few times, and it lasted surprisingly well there, too, despite it not being classified as waterproof, which is something I’ve been trying to avoid lately, because I’m convinced that wearing full-on waterproof makes my lashes fall out more easily.

Here’s where things get a little complicated, though: To get this mascara to do the wonderful things it can do, you’ll have to work with it a while, because the already-thick-to-start formula thickens up even more over time, and once it has, you won’t be able to just swipe two coats on your lashes and ride off into the sunset with Keanu Reeves.

Now, after having used mine for about two months, whenever I draw the wand out of the tube, the brush loads up with an obscene amount of mascara. Like, I’m not kidding, enough mascara to coat five sets of lashes!

So you gotta take the time to remove the excess if you want to unlock this mascara’s riches. I’ll either run the brush across a paper towel, or I’ll unload the excess on the edge of the tube. If you don’t, brace yourself for a clumpy mess.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte With SPF 40

July 25th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

it cosmetics cc oil free — Super new! —> It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Oil-Free Matte SPF 40 (I wear it in Tan, which is fine for everything below my eyes but borderline ashy on my forehead right now because, somewhat ironically, I have a tan at the moment.)

Does It Cosmetics CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte tinted moisturizer hold the secrets of the universe?

Nah, but wouldn’t it be nice if it did, though?! I could finally figure out what the heck happened to Jon B.!

My club jam back in the day. Someone please rescue him from whatever wormhole he feel into.

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte with SPF 40 ($38 for a 1.08-oz. bottle)

The teal tube may have a summery look, but it’s something I’ll wear year round. It’s a lightweight medium-coverage tinted moisturizer that’ll have everyone around you believing you’re having a seriously sweet skin day — although, heads up, it won’t fool the frenemy who goes straight for the jugular and points out a ripe zit immediately before saying something like, “Me? Oh, I never get pimples.”

Bless her heart!

“Developed with plastic surgeons, Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte delivers color-correcting full coverage, anti-aging skincare, and SPF 40 broad-spectrum physical sunscreen—all with a poreless, natural-looking matte finish that lasts. This multitasking, complexion-perfecting breakthrough instantly camouflages skin imperfections including dark spots without creasing or cracking and is clinically tested to reduce shine and control oil for up to 12 hours. It’s also infused with charcoal to detoxify, colloidal clay to absorb oil, and tea tree extract to combat blemishes—plus, an advanced anti-aging serum made of hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, vitamins, and antioxidants. You’ll see powerful results instantly and more dramatic results over time.

“It delivers seven benefits, all in one! Full-coverage matte foundation, SPF 40 UVA/UVB broad-spectrum physical sunscreen, brightening color corrector, hydrating anti-aging serum, poreless finish primer, dark spot concealer, and moisturizing day cream.”

— sephora.com

Smaller pores and even tone? Yes and yes. And here’s the kicker, which takes it over le top: the matte finish totally locks down shine, and it’s just matte enough. Not too harsh.

it cosmetics cc oil free tan- — A tan girl wearing Tan

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Ditching Under-Eye Concealer: Chapter 1

July 25th, 2018 by Karen 26 Comments

it cosmetics cc illumination oil free — Here’s to trying new things! *raises coffee cup*

For the next seven days, I will be ditching under-eye concealer, which is craziness, considering the fact that there was a time when I’d literally never leave home without it.

No, seriously, I used to apply under eye-concealer to pick up the mail…right outside the house.

Lately, however? Nuh-uh. It has NOT been doing me any favors, and I don’t know exactly what happened, because I really haven’t changed my skin care routine. Suddenly, though (or so it has seemed to me), everything I put under my eyes looks heavy and thick and textured and like — pardon my French — crêpe. I feel like I’m looking much older than I am.

It appears that I have come to a fork in the road, and I can either completely cover the dark areas under my eyes but look 10 years older, or, I can wear less (or maybe nothing at all?) and look kinda tired…but closer to my age.

I’ve also realized that maybe the darkness I see under my eyes is all (or mostly) in my head, and that, my friend, is kind of blowing my mind right now…

Anyway, still not ready to quit concealing cold turkey, so my plan is to experiment at length with non-concealer-y products, like illuminators, tinted moisturizers, sheer foundations, and basically whatever else I stumble upon that looks like it might work. I hope to find a solution that doesn’t age me as much as standard concealer.

And hey, maybe I’ll get better at accepting myself and the inevitable march of time along the way.

So, in my last non-concealer-y product experiment, I tried It Cosmetics CC+ Illumination Color Correcting Full-Coverage Cream in Tan under my eyes, and I wore it with the new It Cosmetics CC+ Oil-Free Matte (also in Tan) on the rest of my face.

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It Cosmetics Perfect Lighting Radiant Touch Magic Wand Corrects, Conceals and Brightens

September 8th, 2017 by Karen 13 Comments

Fueled by drinking coffee at 5 p.m. yesterday, which was not my best move, but I needed a boost before HIIT class, and killer PMS insomnia, I spent way too many hours last night binge-listening to this awesome beauty podcast called Fat Mascara.

Very entertaining!

It’s my latest fave thing.

But that’s not the point of this post. The point of this post is that I don’t think most people will be able to tell that I was up till 3 in the morning listening to ladies dish about lipgloss because I’m wearing this KICK-@SS new concealer by It Cosmetics called Perfect Lighting Radiant Touch Magic Wand, which is just like $42 YSL Touche Éclat, but soooo much better and less expensive. It’s $29.

it cosmetics perfect lighting radiant touch magic wand before after — Before and after applying Perfect Lighting Radiant Touch Magic Wand in Radiant Honey beneath my eyes. I’m also wearing the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Vol. III palette on my lids, MAC Sunbasque on my cheeks, and the lipstick is NARS Get It On.

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Some Thoughts on Pimples and Perfectionism…and a Review of the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout Full-Coverage Treatment Concealer and Powder

September 6th, 2017 by Karen 16 Comments

it cosmetics before bye bye breakout — Meet Julian!

I have a pimple.

BAM! — right there on my chin.

I’ve named him Julian (hi, Julian!).

Julian really hurts and feels like he has roots that dig miles and miles into my skin. He probably came about due to a combination of factors — eating more dairy than usual, not sleeping enough, randomness and PMS.

Julian is kind of a pain in the @ss, but in light of everything happening in the world today, he’s manageable.

We’re all human. Bare skin is beautiful, but so is bare skin with pimples (although they can be very annoying and painful).

Now, I love Instagram. It feeds my creative well, and I just wanna gobble it all up! But sometimes all of that faux perfection makes me feel like I’m doing everything wrong in my life. I’ll be scrolling and thinking, “Geez, I must be mucking it all up royally.” All the perfect makeup, perfect bodies, perfect houses, perfect flat lays on perfect marble tables with perfect flowers. Hell, even the pets pose perfectly on perfect white furniture in perfectly lit rooms! It’s exhausting.

But you know what? I like my real life, with all of its messy mistakes and moments.

And that’s why you’re looking at Julian the pimple. 🙂

it cosmetics bye bye breakout concealer — $28 It Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout Full-Coverage Treatment Concealer (0.35 oz., available in Fair, Light, Medium, Medium Tan, Tan, Rich and Deep)

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout Full-Coverage Treatment Concealer ingredients

Cyclopentasiloxane, Aqua/Water/Eau, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Isododecane, Silica, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone, Polysilicone-11, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Butylene Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Methicone, Hexyl Laurate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Water, Zinc Oxide, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Colloidal Oatmeal, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer, Kaolin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Silk, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sulfur, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Tribehenin, Ceramide Ng, PEG-10 Rapeseed Sterol, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Steareth-20, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Magnolia Acuminata Bark Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Agaricus Bisporus Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499)

Weirdly enough, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, Julian has impeccable timing, because now I have a legit reason to test some new things from It Cosmetics. They launched a couple of new pimple cover-up products for fall — Bye Bye Breakout Full Coverage Treatment Concealer ($28) and Bye Bye Breakout Powder (also $28).

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout Powder ingredients

Silica, Soluble Collagen, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aqua/Water/Eau, Benzoic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Silk, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Steareth-20, Glycerin, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Zinc Oxide, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Sulfur, Acacia Senegal Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Kaolin, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sorbic Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Colloidal Oatmeal, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Magnolia Biondii Bud/Flower Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Water, Alcohol, Mandelic Acid, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Lithospermum Officinale Root Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Mentha Aquatica Leaf Extract, Azelaic Acid, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Berberis Vulgaris Root Extract, Gluconolactone, Lactobacillus Ferment, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Alumina, Triethoxycaprylylsilane. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77499, CI 77492, CI 77491), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140)

it cosmetics bye bye breakout concealer powder — It Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout Powder, available in Translucent, Light/Medium and Tan Rich ($28 each)

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Full-Coverage Flashy: New It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder Illumination With SPF 50+

September 1st, 2017 by Karen 4 Comments

it cosmetics your skin but better airbrush perfecting powder illumination — Cute pink packaging! The new $35 It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder Illumination with SPF 50+.

Whenever the word “illuminating” gets up in the mix when you’re talking about face powders, things can get a little dicey, because, on the one hand, like, when you’re — *ahem* — a lady of a certain age, I think a little dewiness on the face looks great, especially if you’re wearing face powder, which is why MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural has been my partner in crime for the past few years.

I like a little light-reflecting oomph on my 40-plus skin (as opposed to a flat matte), but I reeeeeeally don’t want to cross the line between dewy and straight-up sweaty, because then it’s “Whoa, Karen! Why are you so freakin’ sweaty? Did you just get kicked out of the Stars Hollow 24-hour dance marathon? Or did you just finish a hot yoga class with Viggo Mortensen?”

Side note: I wish these were plausible scenarios!

it cosmetics your skin but better airbrush perfecting powder illumination 2 — So pretty…

Anyway, the unintentionally sweaty face thing is kinda happening to me when I use this new $35 illuminating pressed powder in the It Cosmetics permanent line. It’s called Your Skin But Better CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder Illumination with SPF 50+ (wow, that’s a mouthful). There are seven shades, and I wear the one called Tan.

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