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Laura Mercier

One Bronzy Mauve Eye Look, Two Lip Options

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wander beauty wanderess escape palette mac dance with me
One bronzy mauve eye look, two lip options

Looking for an easy eye makeup look that looks better than the bare minimum and works with a wide variety of lipstick colors? If you are, have I got an eye look for you! ? Check out this bronzy mauve…

Yeah, yeah, who’s wearing lipstick these days? Well, I mean, I think a lot of us are. I was chatting with a few gals on Instagram (here’s me, BTW), and it turns out there are a lot of people out there spending a lot of time at home right now (no, really!?), parenting, surviving and hopefully thriving, in, like, full-on bright red lips because they simply miss wearing lipstick. So, before you put your hands on your hips, shake your finger at me and say, “Karen, everybody’s masked up, so lipstick is total and complete nonsense now!” I politely disagree.

We’re still wearing lipstick, y’all. HEAR US ROAR! ?

LOL!

wander beauty wanderess escape palette eye look
A closeup of the eye look

So, back to the eye makeup… Curl your lashes, fill in your brows, and grab the following:

Key eye makeup products

  1. A bronze cream shadow stick
  2. A matte mauve powder shadow
  3. A matte cool brown eyeshadow
  4. A black or blackish brown pencil liner
  5. A shimmery warm champagne shadow

Here’s what you do

  1. Apply and blend the bronze cream shadow all over the part of your lid that moves when you blink (a.k.a. your mobile lid), as well as the crease, diffusing the shadow into a soft gradient as you move up toward your brows.
  2. Layer the matte purplish mauve eyeshadow directly on top of the bronze cream shadow, first using a flat eyeshadow brush. Next, grab a clean tapered or domed blending brush, and soften out the edges. Now, if you want, run the brush along your lower lash line with however much product remains on the brush.
  3. Next, line your lash lines with the black or brownish black pencil. Then, load a pencil brush with the dark cool brown shadow, and soften the liner by running the tip of the brush along the liner’s edge.
  4. Dab a touch of the shimmery warm champagne into the inner corners…
  5. And finish with mascara, false lashes and a shot of tequila (kidding).

If you want, you can also do the following

  1. Optional step 1: Tightline your waterline. Side note — I *always* do this! Makes my lashes look thicker. ?
  2. Optional step 2: Blend some of the cool matte brown eyeshadow in the outer corner for more depth.

Two lip options

I think this works with so many different lip colors because the balance between the warm bronzy shadow base and the cooler mauve and brown tones makes it suitable to wear with neutral, cool and warm lipsticks. I’ve paired it here with a neutral rosy brown lipstick and a warm cranberry red lipstick to give you two options; I also think this look would be great with dark brown, wine or brick shades.

wander beauty wanderess escape palette mac dance with me
The eye makeup with warm cranberry red lipstick
wander beauty wanderess escape palette laura mercier beige intime
Same eyes, but now with a rosy brown lipstick (t-shirt: Mascara & Kitties)

Product links

What I’m wearing

wander beauty wanderess escape palette laura mercier beige intime mac dance with me
Swatches!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

3 Steps to a Sheer, Fresh Base (That Looks Effortless)

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laura mercier beige ultimae pyt no bs palette
Waiting on spring!

It’s always kinda amusing to me when I watch a tutorial for “skin that looks like skin,” or “effortless foundation,” and it involves, like, 12 steps to get there!

I know, I know! It comes with the territory of doing makeup. But still. ?

Admittedly, I’m guilty of over-complicating makeup on occasion (*cough* sorry! *cough*), but sometimes I really do just want easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, and this three-step process to a sheer, fresh base is exactly that.

The goal here? A low-effort base that looks natural and polished, with a few areas of strategically placed slightly dewy (but not shiny) finish peeking through. Please bear in mind that this type of base will not completely cover everything. Yes, we’re purposefully letting lots of actual skin show.

You’ll need…

Three is the magic number here, starting with how much time you’ll need.

About three minutes.

Also, you’ll need the following…

  1. An opalescent, low-shimmer highlighting lotion, ideally one without any bits of glitter in it
  2. A sheer-to-medium-coverage stick or cream foundation that works for your skin type and tone
  3. A synthetic blending brush

The step-by-step

  1. First, dab a few dots of the pearly lotion all over your face, and blend. I like to include a few dots beneath my eyes to lift and brighten that area. After blending all of your dots, wait about a minute for your pearly lotion set.
  2. Apply the foundation you selected wherever you want the highest coverage. Gently press and blend it in with clean fingers (ideally, your fingers should be warm for this, and not freezing cold like my fingers get sometimes). I typically do my cheeks, underneath my nose, around my mouth, and in the center of my forehead. This should take just about another minute.
  3. Gently diffuse the edges of your foundation with the blending brush, seamlessly blending the foundation into your natural skin. The trick is to not lift off and remove too much product here. That is, you do want some coverage, after all, so use a light touch.
  • Optional: dab some concealer under your eyes, and I’d suggest something sheer because a full-coverage concealer will look disjointed alongside such a sheer base.
  • Additional optional step: set your foundation with a sheer powder (I usually skip this step).

Here’s a closeup of the base! As you can see, there are a few freckles on my nose and a few places where a little pigmentation is peeking through above my upper lip and on my cheeks, which I’m totally cool with. Like I said, this is the type of makeup that isn’t meant to fully conceal everything.

laura mercier beige intime pyt no bs palette closeup
Well, hi there!
Fresh skin, olive lids and rosy beige cheeks and lips
See the freckles on my nose?

What to pair this base with

If you want to keep it casual and underdress this base, you could pair it with a combination of brow gel, mascara and eyeliner, but for a little extra polish, you could dress it up like I did here by pairing it with something like a cool-toned olive and taupe on the lids, a matte rosy blush on the cheeks and a light pinkish brown lipstick.

laura mercier beige intime pyt no bs palette swatches
Swatches of the key eye, cheek and lip products
laura mercier beige intime pyt no bs palette products
Featured products I’m wearing on my eyes, cheeks and lips

Product links

What I’m wearing

Additional pearly/low-shimmer highlighting lotion options

Additional stick or cream foundation options:

Synthetic blending brush options:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Tuesday! ?

Elegant and Polished Makeup for All Occasions With Playful Pink Cheeks and Lips, and Cool-Toned Matte Grays to Contour Lids

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mac cozy grey honest beauty forever
10-minute makeup with cool toned lids and lips

I always say, “I threw this look on,” but I really did! This took about 10 minutes, not including the few minutes it took to gather my arsenal of supplies, which in this case was not very much. Those are cool-toned grayish-brown lids and rosy beige lips, and I did it right before going to get Connor from school the other day. The highlight was showing it off to a couple of my neighbors when we got home and practiced Connor’s bike riding and did some sidewalk chalk.

I’m telling you, these days, the highlight of my day is often those socially distanced chats with my neighbors. That’s where it’s at!

Anywho, I really like this look. I feel so polished in it and, dare I say, almost cute?!

I like the slight definition on the lids and lashes, the pink blush on my cheeks, the lipstick and the somewhat bushy brows, which are defined but not overly bold.

Here it is in action…

I’ll definitely wear this again, maybe even on a date night (if one of those ever happens again). Ooh! — or on a girl’s night out, or a Saturday at a museum, whenever we can do those things again. I think you could wear pretty much anything with it.

The full breakdown is below, but I think the eyeshadows are the key. I’m wearing two matte cool-toned shadows — a light taupe-gray called MAC Cozy Grey all over my lids. It’s a workhorse from the permanent collection. And a darker gray-brown called MAC Brun.

I have hooded eyes, and I chose the matte taupe-gray because I wanted to contour my lids. The cooler gray along with the matte finish creates the illusion of a shadow, which I think makes my lids look like they’re more deeply set.

mac cozy grey honest beauty forever
Somebody cut my hair please!

If you’re over 40, or if you have naturally hooded eye, definitely consider adding a matte cool-toned grayish taupe eyeshadow to your collection. I would go with a shade slightly darker than your skin tone — maybe one or two shades — because you want to be able to see the shadow and get that contoured effect, but you don’t want anything too dark; otherwise, you’ll be sitting there blending for days!

duri forever beautiful swatch
Here’s a closer look at my nails. I’m wearing Duri Forever Beautiful, an opaque creamy cool pale pink.

In my outer corners, I buffed a tiny touch of matte gray-brown MAC Brun. This shade… SO GOOD. You can also wear it in your brows to fill ’em out, or you can smoke it out over a dark chocolate brown or black base, or even use it as a simple upper or lower lash liner. It’s a staple I turn to over and over again… I’m never without a pan of Brun, it’s that serious!

One last thing I’d like to point out about the eyes, and it might seem subtle at first, but if you look closely at my lash and water lines, there’s a hint of shimmer, which I think really makes the eyes pop. I’m wearing a pencil liner called MAC Prunella, which is a shimmery warm dark purplish bronze. I happen to like how it contrasts with the cooler tones on the lids.

mac cozy grey honest beauty forever
Same look, different lighting

Makeup in this look

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I hope you’re having a great day so far! 🙂

Romantic Rose Tones With Brilliant Bronzed Browns

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mac chatterbox lmac chatterbox laura mercier roseaura mercier rose
I like this palette of luscious golden browns and dainty, rosy pinks. ?

OK, so, I wore this look yesterday, and doggone it — I felt good about my makeup. The pink blush and lipstick spoke to my soul… You can’t go wrong with springy, romantic rosy pinks. Methinks they’re downright therapeutic. Wearing pink in winter reminds me that we will see the sun again.

mac chatterbox laura mercier rose
Just a little makeup!

I’ve been doing the bare minimum in terms of base for months, but I put a little more polish into this look, and I really like how it turned out.

For starters, I mixed a dab of pearly lotion into a matte, medium-coverage foundation, then applied a thin layer with a skunk brush all over my face. Then, for slightly more coverage, I loaded a tiny, pointy-tipped concealer brush with the most minimal amount of concealer and strategically dabbed it where I have a little extra pigmentation (spots on my cheeks and around my mouth). And those couple extra things took my base makeup to the next level! Dare I say it? — an elegant level. 🙂

mac chatterbox k down havana
Swatches of the key products on NC42 skin

I felt like myself again for the first time in a while.

Yeah…I was wearing lipstick around the house again, LOL! MAC Chatterbox is an awfully pretty, playful reddish pink, and it can be quite bold if you apply a layer straight from the tube. I was in the mood for something more mellow, so I blotted it down, then used my finger to push in whatever lipstick remained to create a beautiful rosy pink stain… I think it’s springy and cheerful, and I love it. MAC Chatterbox, man! Don’t sleep on it.

Speaking of MAC, Powersurge eyeliner with Havana eyeshadow = magic. Layer Havana on top of Powersurge the next time you’re wearing warm browns or bronzes on your lids, and don’t forget to send me a thank you note when you’re done. ?

mac chatterbox laura mercier rose 1
MAC Havana eyeshadow + Powersurge liner = magic!

Makeup in this look

  • Base: It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare in Tan 41, Kevyn Aucoin Concealer in Medium 06, MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite
  • Eyes:Urban Decay Brow Blade in Dark Drapes, MAC Saddle and Havana eyeshadows, MAC Powersurge pencil liner, Bite Beauty Upswing Mascara, MAC Clear Brow Gel
  • Cheeks and lips: Laura Mercier Soleil 1 Bronzer, Laura Mercier Rose Blush, MAC Chatterbox lipstick

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

FOTD: Elegant Rose Quartz Gemstone Lids With a Smokey Bronze Lower Lash Line

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urban decay stoned palette wander beauty

I wore this look to drop Connor off at her dance class (she’s taking outdoor classes two days a week now, and yay for seeing other kids her age!), and then to go to Trader Joe’s, because doing that kind of regular everyday stuff is the adult equivalent of going to your high school senior prom now. (Dance studio drop-off IS AN EVENT. Ya gotta do it up!)

I took the new Urban Decay Stoned Vibes Palette for a spin for the first time in this look. It’s a new palette with 12 powder eyeshadows, the majority of them with this chonky-looking glitter formula that has a bit of squish to it. They look like they could potentially look like you’re wearing big flakes of glitter on your skin, but there was hardly any floof, fallout or flakes when I got Tiger’s Eye on my lids. The formula applies smoother than I expected it to, but you get WHOA, WHOA, WHOOOOOA levels of shimmer.

So…Urban Decay isn’t shy about their 420 references, but in this case I think “Stoned Vibes” actually refers to, ya know…gemstones, although Tiger’s Eye looks nothing like a stone on my eyelids. It’s a lovely pinkish bronze (heavy on the pink!), which is why I paired it with rose cheeks and lips.

OH! — I gotta point out the lower lash line. I’m wearing MAC Teddy, yet again, because apparently this fall is going to be my greatest hits tour of Teddy smoked along the lower lash line. I just kinda forgot how great it is when worn that way?! It’s fantastic.

I think I’m going to do a look with the purples in this palette (it’s $54, BTW) next because they remind me of my birth month gemstone, Alexandrite…which leads me to a question for you!

What’s your birth month gem? Drop it in the comments, along with any Qs you might have about the palette or this look, if you have ’em. As usual, the full breakdown of products is down below.

urban decay stoned palette wander beauty

urban decay stoned palette wander beauty
Hey, that arm’s an NC42!
urban decay stoned palette wander beauty
Key products worn in this look

urban decay stoned palette wander beauty

Makeup worn in this look

EYES

  • NARS Tinted Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Medium — all over the lids as a base
  • Urban Decay Stoned Palette Eyeshadows — Good Karma (brow bone), Antidote (crease), Hexed (outer crease), Third eye (outer v), Tiger’s Eye (lids, applied with finger)
  • MAC Whisper of Gilt — inner corner highlight
  • Urban Decay Brow Blade in Dark Drapes and MAC Clear Brow Set — brows
  • MAC Teddy — lower lash line
  • Honest Beauty Liquid Liner — winged liner
  • Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara — lashes

CHEEKS

  • Laura Mercier Soleil 1 — bronzer
  • Laura Mercier Rose — blush

LIPS

  • Wander Beauty B.B. and Riviera Dual Lipstick — mixed together

BASE

  • Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Face Oil — prep
  • Laura Mercier Foundation primer — prep
  • Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter in Tan — foundation, all over face
  • Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural Concealer in Medium 05 and 06 — under eyes, cheeks and around mouth
  • Laura Mercier Translucent Honey Loose Powder — forehead, down the sides of nose, around mouth and along the jawline

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

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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! ❤️

giant stuffed heart
LUB-DUB!

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. ?

Tiny dancer!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

FOTD: Khaki and Copper Tones for a Zoom Call

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tom ford spice mac coppertone

Wore this look on a Zoom call with a beauty brand yesterday (it was Urban Decay to talk about their latest Naked palette, for the nosey noodles who were wondering!), and in classic K-dawg fashion I banged it out in 15 minutes before it started because that’s how I roll.

And, um…Connor also had a social distancing playdate at the park shortly before the call was scheduled to start, and we made it back home by the skin of our teeth, ha ha ha! Whenever I’m pressed for time but want to look gussied up, I always fall back on smokey eyes and nude lips. This khaki and copper version relies on just two products.

tom ford spice mac coppertone 3

I paired the eyes with peach lips and cheeks because EASY. PEASY.

tom ford spice mac coppertone

I’m also wearing a little more base makeup than I have been lately because I knew that “makeup people” (air quotes) were going to be present, so if there were ever a time to load up on a little more concealer, this was it.

Since we’re on the topic of quick looks, what’s your default medium-impact makeup look when you’re pressed for time?

tom ford spice mac coppertone 2


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Warm Browns With a Matte Bright Blue and Shimmery Teal

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urban decay chaos electric eyeliner

Banged out these bright eyes during the golden hour, otherwise known as “afternoon rest time,” otherwise known as “the two hour break when Connor takes a nap and I get to put on a li’l makeup.”

Lower lash line surprise

I’m wearing warm brown eyeshadows with a bright matte blue on the upper lash line and a shimmery, glittery teal on the lower lash line…but look closely! You’ll also see a thin line of the same matte bright blue I’m wearing on my upper lash line hugging the roots of my lower lash line for an unexpected makeup surprise.

Sharpen those weapons

You could totally do this look with other accent combos. For the bright accent here (in this case blue), I think the key is to combine a darker matte finish with a lighter shimmer. I think that’s what makes it work.

urban decay chaos electric swatch

Whichever colors you choose, have your favorite eye pencil sharpener handy, because the sharper your liner, the more control you have over the width of your lines. I used to overlook this and would line my lash lines with dull tips until I found an eyeliner tutorial by The Goddess Her Makeup Majesty Charlotte Tilbury (GOODNESS GRACIOUS, I LOVE HER). She emphasized, over and over, the importance of a sharp tip whenever you’re working with pencil. Lo and behold, when I started religiously sharpening, lining got much easier and less messy.

Big ups to Char for forever changing my life. ?

Spirit makeup animal shout-out

I also gotta give it up to another one of my favorite makeup artists, Brittany Sullivan, for inspiring this look and for temporarily lifting me out of my bronze/brown/neutrals rut routine. Follow her if you aren’t already because her hair and makeup style (how she perfects the base without it looking overdone = AMAZING) is the stuff of effortlessly casual dreams. Serious #foundationgoals.

urban decay chaos electric eyeliner

urban decay chaos electric eyeliner

urban decay chaos electric eyeliner

Makeup worn in this look

Base: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (to prep skin), MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick in NC42 (cheeks, nose, around mouth) and Estée Lauder 24HR Concealer in Medium Warm Deep (just a single dot underneath each eye)

Eyes: MAC Soft Brown and Saddle (lids and crease), Urban Decay Chaos liner (upper lash line, and very thinly along lower lash line), Urban Decay Electric (lower lash line), MAC Hush (inner corner and brow bone), Hourglass Arch Brow Gel in Dark Brunette, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara

Cheeks: Nudestix Lip & Cheek Pencils in Blush and Purity (cheeks) and MAC Hush (upper cheekbones)

Lips: Nudestix Lip & Cheek Pencils in Purity (lip liner) and Blush (lipstick)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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