Just For Fun

Rise and shine, morning glory. It’s a beautifully foggy here day in Novato, haaaaay!

So what happened last night? Did you party like a rock star or become one with the couch at home like an overworked student/cog in a wheel? I did the later (watched a couple missed episodes of 30 Rock on my laptop in bed), but Tabs and I DID get a Christmas tree before I conked out. 🙂 A small 4 footer. We haven’t decorated it yet, so it’s just sitting in the stand filled with water, and so far, Tabs has partaken of more of the water than the tree has. I’m not sure if that’s a good idea…

Oh, what was the highlight of your week from a beauty perspective? The very best thing that happened? Was it a new product discovery, a sale on something you love, a fantastic hair/skin/makeup day? Mine was going to the hair salon, because I like how it turned out. And I always learn something new from the stylists (this time, Kerastase hair oil is great, but Orofluido is also great, and cheaper).

Before this week becomes yet another fond (hopefully) memory, here’s a brief look back at some of the things we talked about on the blog…

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

$8 NYX EYE & LIP
MAKEUP REMOVER

Um, why do I feel like rubbing orange slices all over myself? Oh, yeah — I remember. NYX Eye & Lip Makeup Remover ($8), one of the best smelling makeup removers I’ve EVER sniffed.

Fo’ reals! This dual-phase liquid (an oil and water emulsion; it turns a pale blue when shaken) smells fresh and sweet like a yummy (blue?) orange, and it digests le war paint almost as well as the much more expensive Lancome Bi-Facil, also a dual-phase formula.

They say the nose knows. Well, mine stopped paying attention as soon as it caught a whiff of this fragrant potion of orange and papaya extracts. As a matter of fact, I like the smell so much that I’m willing to overlook its few shortcomings, one of which has to do with mascara. It’s not that good at removing it as Bi-Facil (or any number of other eye makeup removers), but nothing’s perfect, right? Except perhaps the way NYX Eye & Lip Makeup Remover smells, LOL! Read more…

URBAN DECAY GREED
PRIMER POTION

Blending powder, cream and pencil eyeshadows on top of the new Urban Decay Greed Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($18) might not be as effortless as it is to blend shadows on top of NARS Pro Prime, arguably one of the best eye primers on the market, but there are times (like these) when beauty trumps ease of use. The newest shade in Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion Line and the most glittery one yet, its striking shimmery gold intensifies eye looks with a long-lasting, water-resistant formula that helps it make up for sub-par blending.

My non-scientific tests involved a swipe on the back of my hand (it lasted through four vigorous washings and only came off with an oil-based makeup remover) and a late night out with the girls (dinner, drinks and then four solid hours of dancing). Greed withstood everything with nary a crease and no fading at all.

Girls who go ga-ga for golden glam looks might love Greed’s flexibility. Not only does it amplify the wear time and vibrancy of shadows when worn beneath them, but I think it even looks great all by itself.

Or how about supersizing your eyes? Use Greed’s light-reflecting golden metallic color to create an eye-widening effect. Pat and blend it into the inner V (the area next to the tear ducts) to cancel out any darkness from the eye and nose area. Then, dab a little under the brow bone to give your eyebrows a lift. Read more…

URBAN DECAY 24/7
GLIDE-ON LIP PENCILS

So who’s ready to go nude with me? Wait — button up those skinny jeans, ya perverts (although I applaud you for your willingness to let it all hang out!); I’m talking about the two newest additions to the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil line ($18 each).

Waterproof, with a matte finish and a creamy texture that’s smoother than my favorite werewolf’s chest, rosy nude Illegal and plummy nude Midnight Cowboy live up to the long-lasting standard set by UD’s pencil liners, staying put for about six to eight hours on my lips.

This morning I slipped into Illegal, and two big @ss bottles of water, a chai tea latte and a bowl of pumpkin soup later it still looked (almost) as good as new.

These also don’t leave my lips flaky or dry like some of the other matte lip liners I’ve tried, perhaps due to the jojoba oil and vitamin E they contain.

Mostly I’ve worn them by themselves — just line, fill and go — but you could easily spruce ‘em up by adding your favorite clear or nude gloss on top. Read more…

5 EASY STEPS TO
AN EVEN SKIN TONE

Oh, to have perfect skin again… Wait, I’ve never had perfect skin. I’ve always wished I could just peel my head off the pillow in the morning, splash a little water on my face, tie my hair back into a ponytail and face the day with clear skin, bright eyes, my chubby cat and a smile.

I can handle the smile part by myself, but I need feline cooperation and makeup assistance for everything else.

Luckily, great looking natural skin tone doesn’t require hundreds of layers of foundation and every minute you can spare. Follow these five easy steps to an even skin tone.

1. Get Wet — Moisten a makeup sponge with water or a multi-purpose spray like MAC Fix+ ($19). It’ll thin out the liquid foundation we’re about to use it with and help it adhere evenly to your skin. Read more…

MAKEUP
FOR MEN

Yes.

Recently, I’ve turned three of my good friends, all male, onto makeup. Now, not full-on, dare-I-say, girly makeup, but simple, natural, corrective aesthetic enhancements.

Makeup has done more for my self-confidence than any amount of plastic-surgery, psychology, and good friends who lie really well could ever do. I don’t use it to change anything about myself, but to “correct” minor tarnishes to my ego — blemishes, spots, and the dreaded dark under-eye circles. Since converting them to my faith, these male friends have all thanked me profusely, saying they’ve gotten more attention from girls and just feel better about themselves around other people.

Mind you, these weren’t easy converts — I had to drag them kicking and screaming into Sephora and plunk them down in front of the Make Up For Ever aisle while I shopped for them before I got even a smidgen of cooperation — but you should see ‘em now!

Hooked.

Most men could benefit from three things: foundation, concealer, and blush or bronzer (depending on their skintone). I’ve found that Make Up For Ever is a great brand to get ‘em started on, as the packaging is relatively indiscrete, the products are easy to use and relatively foolproof (even the foundation), and the display is far from daunting. Read more…

BENEFIT BELLA
BAMBA FACE POWDER

Bus riding babes and y’all on-the-go lovelies, feast your eyes on this: the new Benefit Bella Bamba Face Powder ($28) promises to change the face of quick touchups this spring.

You know how Benefit’s boxed blushes have that unattached lid (see: Sugarbomb and Coralista)? Well, as much as I love the colors, I’m always afraid they’ll open in my bag. Once, while I was applying blush on the train to work, one of the lids got away from me and shot straight up in the air, OOPS! Luckily it landed in a cute boy’s lap, but I digress…

Bella Bamba comes with new improved flip-top cap that uses a magnet to stay shut. And that’s not all. It even has a mirror inside, so you can stare at your sassy self while you’re sweeping on this shimmery golden pink.

Benefit calls Bella Bamba a 3D, multi-dimensional pink face powder (what is this, Tron? LOL!), and it’s designed to brighten, sculpt and define.

I don’t know much about 3D, but I do like using this as a blush.

It applies as a neutral watermelon pink (even smells like watermelon, too!) with a generous amount of golden pearl. Sparkle-shy gals might want to go easy on the application here, because it is very, VERY shimmery. Read more…

URBAN DECAY 24/7 GLIDE-ON
EYE PENCIL 15-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SET

Girl, Urban Decay knows how to throw a party. They do it by releasing great stuff! Great stuff like the 15-Year Anniversary 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set ($92; 15 pigmented pencils; 15 heart palpitations, oy vey!).

Many makeup mavens consider these pigmented, long-wearing eyeliners, which also happen to be smoother than silk, some of the best and brightest in the biz, and seeing so many of them together in the same place is enough to drive me to drink…bourbon (my favorite one).

With the set, a limited edition release for spring, you get nine classic 24/7 colors in Baked, Binge, Bourbon, Electric, Mildew, Ransom, Rockstar, Stash and Zero, and six brand new shades — Asphyxia, Corrupt, Midnight Cow, Perversion, Stray Dog and Uzi. Purchased individually, the whole kit ‘n kaboodle would set you back a painful $255 (they’re regularly $17 apiece), but here they work out to just $6 each. Read more…

JK JEMMA KIDD
CATWALK I-KIT

Like the Dom Pérignon of drugstore makeup palettes, the $26 JK Jemma Kidd Catwalk I-Kit will set your holiday budget back, but you may not mind if you’re a lover of sheer shadows and/or the classic neutral colors across the way at MAC.

The kit comes with a single creamy eye primer, a pair of dual-tipped mini-brushes and eight shadows (two of them, the highlight shadows, share a single large pan), quite a few of which look like sheerer versions of staple MAC neutrals to me.

At least they picked great products to use for inspiration, right? 🙂

Shimmery taupe Editor reminds me of MAC Satin Taupe, shimmery golden beige Vintage of MAC All That Glitters and matte brown Vanity Fair reminds me of MAC Cork. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Rise and shine, morning glory! Breakfast is served. 🙂 Come grab a seat at the table. There’s plenty to go around. We’re having Spam and rice with a fresh cut papaya and King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread. So ono!

Howzit going this morning? What are you up to today? I’m just getting up now so everything’s still a little blurry (OOPS! Sorry Tabs. Mommy didn’t mean to step on your tail). I didn’t get in until 3 this morning because I met some friends for dancing in the city last night, and now I’m paying the price.

I seem to remember the process of extricating myself from bed after staying up late being a bit easier in prior decades, LOL! Oh, well… C’est la vie.

No big plans on my end for today. I would love to catch a movie, maybe Black Swan, Tangled or Unstoppable. Have you seen any of them yet?

Oh, what do you think about the guest posts that have been running here on the blog lately? Pretty great, right? I still can’t believe that Sam is only 17. What the hell’s up with that?!? I don’t remember being that together when I was 17… I just hope that when he makes it big he remembers his Aunty Karen, ha!

And guest blogger Olga is one of the best photographers I’ve come across in a while. I love how she uses textured fabrics in some of her product shot backgrounds. It takes everything up a notch, and she’s not afraid to put herself out there in closeups if it means helping you make more informed product decisions.

My girl Audrey — you remember her post from Friday that took us behind the scenes at a fashion shoot — isn’t just a successful freelance makeup artist here in the Bay Area. She’s also one of the friendliest people I know. I hope to hook up with her for lunch (and makeup recon) one of these days soon.

If you haven’t stopped by in a while, I encourage you to scan through the recent guest posts before you leave. You’re sure to find a new makeup tip or two.

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

6 FAST FIXES
FOR MAKEUP BOO BOOS

Do you ever have those “Doh!” moments when it comes to makeup? Those little hiccups from time to time? I sure do. Here are six that I encounter with some simple solutions for each.

Boo Boo #1: Glitter Fallout — I recently busted out my Urban Decay Naked palette and was in the process of applying the Sidecar shade across my lids when I saw them: tiny flecks of glitter. Grrrr… That’s definitely one of my makeup pet peeves, and although I did my best to tap off any excess from the brush before applying, there were still tiny flecks of glitter all over my cheeks. Read more…

MAKEUP MATH
YOUR FACE IS A GRID

Think of your face as a grid.

Draw an imaginary line vertically down through the center of your nose, and a horizontal line going across the tip of said nose. The more something interacts with these lines, the more noticeable it is. Following this logic, a small pimple on the very center of the nose is going to attract more attention than a larger one near the jawline, and the same concept applies to makeup.

A grid can help us figure out where to focus our efforts. Should we spend more product and effort covering up that blemish near our cheekbone (bingo!), or that one near our hairline? Or should we aim that concealer brush at that red mark on the center of our chin, or the port-wine stain near our earlobe?

But maybe concealing isn’t your problem. Maybe you want to enhance your bone structure instead. Read more…

URBAN DECAY SPRING 2011
24/7 GLIDE-ON SHADOW PENCILS

The new Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencils ($20) are the jam, but if you’re gonna do any blending you’ve gotta work hella fast.

“Run, Forest, run!”

New for spring 2011, these 12 creamy shadows in a stick are spin-offs of Urban Decay’s famed 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. They’re just as smudge- and crease-proof as the originals with the same smoooove texture.

For all my ladies in the sisterhood of the perpetually 15 minutes late, the 24/7 Shadow Pencils should do you right, especially if you love wearing lid looks with a single shadow. One swipe draws solid, shimmery color — it’s like instant eyeshadow gratification in a stick. Read more…

A LOOK AT 3 FUSION BEAUTY
LIP PLUMPERS

Many beauty brands carry one lip plumper, if any, but not Fusion Beauty. Known for “fusing beauty with science” and their “tested on scientists, not animals” motto, the company carries many plumping lip products, like the three I recently got the chance to test thanks to a Sephora 500 point perk.

No. 1: LipFusion XL — Also known as 2x Micro Collagen + HA Advanced Lip Plump, XL is advertized as “a spearmint-flavored nighttime lip plumping therapy.” Despite the way they promote its use, my lips look their plumpy best within the first few hours of application (although the effect does last longer than that). This lip plump feels cool and tingly on my lips but doesn’t hurt like some of the other plumpers I’ve tried. If your lips are very sensitive, I recommend the less tingly LipFusion Infatuation (below), but overall LipFusion XL is the most effective lip plumper I have ever used. It’s clear and works equally well alone or over a lipstick or another gloss. It’s also hydrating and long lasting.

So what’s not to love? How about the price. I don’t see myself paying $50 for the full-size product any time soon, although it would make a great Christmas gift (wink-wink!). Read more…

THE ESSIE WINTER 2010
NAIL POLISHES

De ja vu — the feeling you are doing something you’ve done before.

De ja vu — the feeling you are doing something you’ve done before.

De ja vu — the feeling you are doing something you’ve done before.

De ja vu…

I started feeling kinda funny when I was swatching the new Essie Winter Collection, and I’m pretty sure it’s not because of jet lag (I’m back in the Bay, by the way… haha, I just made a rhyme).

About halfway through I figured out why the de ja vu had set in; the limited edition collection ($8 per bottle or $48 for a boxed set of six) kinda looks a little like their last one. Read more…

BALM HAWAII
PINEAPPLE LIP BALM

Yes, I made it out of the Land of Aloha with more than handmade, cold process soap! For starters, I brought home a bag of red coconut ball candy…

They look kinda scary, but trust me — these are great (if you like coconut). One could easily devour a bag in a single sitting. Um, not that I’d know.

Besides crazy technicolor sweets, I also brought home a tube of Pineapple Lip Balm ($3) from a local company called Hawaiian Bath & Body.

They’re a natural bath and body company from Oahu’s North Shore with an extensive product line of lip balms, handmade soaps (surprise!), bath salts, body washes, body mists, body oils, lotions and scrubs.

Pinapple’s one of six balms in Hawaiian Bath & Body’s Lip Balm line (there’s also Coconut, Sugar Cane, Ocean Mint and unscented Kukui Nut). Its light pineapple taste and scent are downright yummy, and the balm’s soft texture glides easily onto my lips.

To top it all off, it’s moisturizing as all heck! I wore it on the plane ride home yesterday (damn that dry, recycled air!) and my lips stayed hydrated the entire time. Read more…

5 WAYS TO BEAUTIFULLY
TRANSITION INTO WINTER

As the weather gets colder and that rosy glow pops into your cheeks every time you step outdoors, your beauty routine needs to follow suit. This winter has its own set of trends, as well as some general guidelines to help you switch from your fall face to a chillier complexion.

No. 1: Layering — And not just your sweaters. In winter, it really helps to layer your skincare and makeup products to protect your skin and your hard work. In cold locales, where the weather leeches moisture from your skin, try layering a serum under a heavier lotion to really lock in that moisture. Read more…

A MAKEUP ARTIST’S TAKE
ON A MAGAZINE FASHION SHOOT

Have you ever been curious about what goes on behind the scenes at a fashion shoot? Well you’re about to find out! I recently had the honor to be the makeup artist for the winter issue of Scene Magazine, a women’s style magazine based in northern California, and I’m going to take you behind the closed doors to get a peek on all the fun that was had!

The day started at 9AM where the hair and makeup team immediately got started on beautifying our two lovely models, Brooke and Gina, from Ford Models. Meanwhile, our talented photographer got to work on setting up the lights in the studio while the stylists were in a separate room getting all the looks together.

Before I went to work, I made sure to discuss the desired makeup look, a bold smoky eye, with the editor-in-chief, Katharine Fong, and the contributing fashion and beauty editor, Donna Kato. I also ran over to the styling room to see what ensembles the models would be wearing so I could have a complete vision of the entire look. Once I had that, I was ready to go! I did Gina’s makeup while the two hairstylists, Karie and Shayne from Aveda at Santana Row, styled Brooke’s hair and then we switched models. It probably took about an hour and a half to get them ready. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen