Lips

Lip of the Day | Laura Mercier Louise | The Best Christmas Present, Ever

December 15th, 2023 by Karen 23 Comments

I saw this glass at a local gift shop and nearly short circuited in the middle of the store!

If you know, you know.

So, I know I’ve been quiet this week. Beyond the usual last-minute Christmas stuff that one deals with at this time (wrapping, gift hunting, card writing and feeding all the humans in your immediate orbit because everyone is so hungry ALL THE TIME), I’ve also been fighting a cold and dealing with lots of paperwork because, drumroll please, I’m starting a new job in January.

*Insert happy dance here.*

Seriously, the relief of having a steady gig is the best Christmas present ever!

I’ll be working at a college doing a mix of marketing, editing, writing and administrative duties, which include interacting with students and professors (I almost wrote “purr-fessors,” ha). I’ll get to work with the public, which I think takes advantage of social skills I’ve always had but haven’t really used since I’ve been freelance writing from home. Anywho, it’s close to Connor’s school, the hours are great for a working mom, and the benefits are insanely good.

THE BENEFITS, omg. Retirement! Healthcare coverage! Union membership! Paid time off!

I almost cried when I read about them, for real.

Side note, you know you’ve crossed a bridge when benefits excite you. LOL!

Anywho, I can safely say — I’m really, really happy. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to say that, but I am.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, ha ha ha. 🙂

All this rambling to lead up to today’s lip of the day!

It’s a vivid yellow pink that reads more as a bright red on my lips, Laura Mercier Louise, another beauty from her twist-up line of soft matte lip pencils.

I think it’s a fun and festive color. Give it a swatch if you happen to be at a Laura Mercier counter.

Before I head out, I have to share this song with you because it’s been stuck in my head all week long. It’s “Black and Gold” by Sam Sparro, and the senior competitive dance team at Connor’s studio is dancing to it.

Love it

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Are ya done with all your holiday shopping and wrapping?

Lip of the Day | Laura Mercier Chloé

December 13th, 2023 by Karen 9 Comments

I’m still on a bright lip kick! Today’s beautiful warm red is 381 Chloé by Laura Mercier, and it’s from her Petal Soft Lipstick Crayon collection, a line of twist-up matte lipsticks.

I like this line of matte lippies because the finish is flat but not harsh. You get the matte effect without the heaviness of a true flat matte. The brights are also vivid but not overwhelmingly intense; I think it’s an approachable way to do reds, corals and hot pinks.

Anyway, I’m really enjoying taking pics outside lately because of all the festive holiday decorations in my neighborhood.

Case in point — if you stand in front of a tree with ornaments you kinda look like you’re surrounded by glittery floating planets!

I love this tiny Santa in my neighbor’s yard. Is he just arriving? Or is he leaving? Only Santa knows, I guess!

Oh, and if you happen to see a red berry wreath and you stand in front of it at a certain angle, you can look like you’re wearing a crown that magical forest creatures made especially for you.

I’m about to take this red lip on the road with me to do some Christmas errands. 🙂

Have a great rest of your Wednesday, and if you’re so inclined, feel free to share your lip of the day color in the comments.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Lip of the Day: MAC Quite the Standout | Some Good News

December 6th, 2023 by Karen 29 Comments

Do you ever find seemingly random piles of items from nature near your door? At our house, there’s always a pile of something. LOL! Rocks or sticks or pinecones or acorns — this morning it was a stack of fallen leaves, all the size of one’s head or bigger.

Connor’s always gathering and collecting treasures from the great outdoors. 🍂🍁

Anywho, I needed to wear something fun and joyful today because I got some good news from the doctor’s office this morning. Long story short, the health issue I’ve been concerned with for months doesn’t appear to be THE BIG SCARY THING that I feared.

It’s been a couple of draining weeks on my end taking tests and waiting for results. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am to wear a colorful red lipstick to celebrate (hopefully) making it to grandma status someday in the very, very far distant future.

The warm orangey red I’m wearing today is MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Quite the Standout. I feel like it has a vintage vibe to it.

Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day. And as cheesy as it sounds, if you get the chance, take a moment to please tell your body “thank you” for everything it does for you, especially if you’re reasonably healthy.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Lil’ Fall Favorite Makeup Edit with NARS and MAC

November 15th, 2023 by Karen 3 Comments

I’m on a mission to wear fall looks that are simple, elegant and easy. I gotta say, I feel pretty put together together in this one, which features a few of my favorites — NARS Kalahari II eyeshadow, NARS Amour blush and MAC Half Red Lip Pencil.

A lifted liner tip

For this makeup, I tried a new-to-me eyeliner technique from a makeup artist that Jane from Daly Beauty introduced me to recently, Erica Taylor! She’s been doing makeup for over 20 years and posts a lot of tips for beauties who are 40 and up.

She suggests applying liner strategically on the outer corner to make your lids appear more lifted.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erica Taylor (@ericataylor2347)

I’m really happy with how it turned out; I definitely think my hooded bits look a little less hooded! Plus, it’s really easy to do.

Also, lip liner is so your friend

Oh, and shout-out to the Wet Seal sales associate back in 1996 who taught me about the power of lip liner, LOL! She was the one who convinced me to try lining and filling my lips in with a lip pencil, and then topping it off with lip balm.

I did that in here with MAC Half Red Lip Liner and Biossance Lip Balm. 🙂 Try it sometime with your favorite lip liner.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in 158 Bright | Red Lips for Friday!

November 10th, 2023 by Karen 4 Comments

Sometimes you just need to wear red lips on Friday. 🙂

This red lippie by Chanel from the Rouge Coco Bloom line is a little glossy, a little shiny and a lot of fun. Say hi to Bright!

The Rouge Coco Blooms are Chanel’s line of long-wearing and hydrating lipsticks with a plumping effect that’s supposed to last 8 hours.

I don’t really notice fuller lips but I rarely see a difference in most plumping formulas, though. *shrugs* I mostly like Bright because of the intensity of the pigment and how soft my lips feel when I wear it, plus the color, of course.

How’s your Friday going so far? Do you have the day off for Veteran’s Day? Connor’s home with me and hanging out with a friend, so I’m off to take them to the park with some snacks.

Have a great rest of your Friday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Checking In | Beauty Nerd Things on “The Morning Show” | Chanel Midnight Red Lipstick | Crazy Brussels Sprouts Stalks

November 8th, 2023 by Karen 7 Comments

Do you watch “The Morning Show” with Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston? If you do, I wonder if the episode that aired last week got your nerdy beauty wheels turning! There’s a scene towards the end where Reese’s character is in her dressing room, and numerous beauty products are displayed in the background.

Like the beauty nerd that I am, I hit pause and tried to name as many brands I could! I spy with my little eye…

Mario Badescu
L’Occitane
Clinique
Biossance

I think the tall bottles in the middle (the dark blue, periwinkle and mint green ones) are Oribe, but I’m not sure. Hmm.

Don’t ask me why these things feel like a treasure hunt, but they do!

By the way, Reese’s hair in this scene is my dream hair. Love the loose curls, love the volume, love the smoothness. I especially love how the layers around her cheekbones frame her face. Ugh, so good. I try to get there as best as I can with my hair, but I don’t want to put in the extra work to get the little spiky bits around my hairline to play nice. Ha!

The most effort I’m willing to put in is to clamp them down with these weird little flat clips and then spray them with hairspray.

When you’re trying to tame your hair but it doesn’t wanna listen

BTW, I put this makeup on just for fun, and from far away it seems pretty chill, but when up close, it has more of an ’80s vibe. I’m wearing the new Chanel holiday eye palette and one of the pigmented red lipsticks, Rouge Allure L’Extrait in Midnight Red.

Connor’s home a lot this week because it’s parent-teacher conference time, which means I get to hang out with my little sidekick, just like the good old days!

We went to TJ’s in the middle of the day (what a luxury, truly) and she begged me to buy her this brussels sprouts stalk.

I’ve never seen a child so excited about vegetables! I had no idea how to pick a good stalk, so I just went with my gut and hoped for the best.

How’s your week going so far? Anything new to report on your end?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Rouge Allure L’Extrait in Rouge Puissant | Red Lips Inspired by Fall Leaves

November 3rd, 2023 by Karen 9 Comments

There’s a joke around where I live in Northern California about the Bay Area not having a real fall season. I think the trees around my neighborhood would have something to say about that, LOL! Here’s a stunner that I see every day when I walk Connor to school.

Gorgeous, right? I strolled by her today and couldn’t help but feel inspired to wear a bright red lip.

I’m wearing a super intense, super concentrated red from Chanel’s holiday 2023 collection, Rouge Puissant.

chanel rouge puissant lipstick — Chanel Rouge Allure L’Exrait in 854 Rouge Puissant

It’s a long-wearing formula that takes a bit of elbow grease to remove, so if ya prefer lippies that pack a ton of pigment, you might love it.

Happy Friday to you, my friend! I’ve got a video interview in just a few, and I feel so ready with this makeup. 🙂 Please send good vibes. I’ll take ’em!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Trying on Lipsticks Just for Fun

October 5th, 2023 by Karen 7 Comments

A few months after Connor was born, I went to a lunch mixer with a local mother’s club, and as we were all going around introducing ourselves, one of the ladies said she recently had a baby, and that day was the first day in weeks she actually got dressed and combed her hair. She then said, “I even put on earrings,” and then she started crying, and oh my gosh, I totally understood what she felt at that moment in every cell of my body.

Sometimes it’s a heavy lift just to put on earrings. Or mascara. Or pants that are acceptable to wear in public, if I’m totally being honest.

But you do it, and you keep on keepin’ on.

Anywho, I thought about that woman today as I got ready for a video meeting. I ironed a shirt, did my hair and put on makeup for the first time in, oh, I don’t know how long.

I even put on earrings…