Lips

A Glamorously Grungy Makeup Tutorial: Smoky Reddish Brown Eyes and Vampy Matte Lips

February 7th, 2018 by Karen 24 Comments

I’m warning you now — ONLY wear this makeup when you want to feel like a total bad-@ss capable of capturing, and then breaking, all of the hearts in a room within the span of 5 minutes.

This beauty buddy movie pairs two bold focal points together — a messy reddish brown smoky eye and a crisp blackened red matte lip — to create a jammin’ juxtaposition of grungy and glam, and you know I’m all about the contrasts in makeup.

To keep the overall look approachable and well out of Insta-glam territory, I paired the eyes and lips with moderately matte skin (there’s a semblance of a sheen), casual, messy brows and a warm bronzed mauve cheek.

Are you ready to rock?

What you’ll need

FACE PRODUCTS

Face Primer with pearly sheen (BECCCA Backlight)
Medium coverage liquid matte foundation (NARS Natural Longwear Radient Foundation in Stromboli and Valencia)
Concealer for your under eye area, if you want (MAC Matchmaster Concealer in 4)
Face Powder (MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Golden Tan)
Warm pinkish mauve powder blush (MAC Extra Dimension in Faux Sure!)
Peachy tan bronzer (MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Give Me Sun)
Matte blackened red lipstick (MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick in Carnivorous)
Reddish brown lip liner (MAC Mahogany)

EYE MAKEUP

Brow gel, either clear or a color that matches your brows (Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Gel in Warm Brown)
Two powder eyeshadows: a warm reddish brown powder eyeshadow (MAC Swiss Chocolate) and a glittery bronzy peach (MAC Honey Lust)
A warm reddish brown eyeliner, ideally something creamy which you can buff out and blend (MAC Costa Riche)
Mascara (Benefit BAD Gal Bang!)

TOOLS

Smudge brush (MAC 219S)
Fluffy angled eyeshadow brush (MAC 275S)
Blush brush (MAC 127S)
Flat eyeshadow brush (or, you can just use a finger)
Something to blend your foundation (BeautyBlender)

[Continue reading…]

14 Days of Ravishing Red! — Day 6: Bright Reddish Coral Lips With MAC Relentlessly Red Lipstick

February 6th, 2018 by Karen 15 Comments

Are you ready for 14 Days of Ravishing Red? Stay tuned as we explore ravishing red ? lipsticks, lip liners and glosses every day on our way to ? Valentine’s.

When I say the words, “red lipstick,” and I picture a tube of a righteously redolent red, I don’t picture matte pink or coral. I picture a raucous rouge. Of course. But that’s why shades like MAC Relentlessly Red are so fun and interesting — because they don’t just fall into the basic, run-of-the-mill red category.

Relentlessly Red is red…but just barely, because it’s infused with mucho coral.

[Continue reading…]

14 Days of Ravishing Red! — Day 5: Blackened Red Lips With MAC Carnivorous Lipstick and MAC Mahogany Liner

February 5th, 2018 by Karen 21 Comments

mac carnivorous mahogany — Deep moody reds are my jam, man!

Are you ready for 14 Days of Ravishing Red? Stay tuned as we explore ravishing red ? lipsticks, lip liners and glosses every day on our way to ? Valentine’s.

Blackened matte red lips were my “going out” lip color in the mid-’90s, and I still lurve them, but back then I couldn’t just whip out a matte red tube of magic from my makeup bag, like BAM! There was a lengthy process involved.

First, I had to line my lips with a matte black eyeliner. Next, I had to fill them in with said liner, and finish with one, or sometimes two, meticulously applied layers of my red lipstick du jour.

On the occasions when the lipstick wasn’t matte enough for me, I would then dust a layer of loose matte powder on top.

I knew I had it right when I looked like a vampire ? who’d just eaten a few people for dinner but forgot to wipe her lips.

This ravishing blackened matte red is the result of two products…and neither one is an eyeliner! I’m wearing MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick in Carnivorous and MAC Mahogany Lip Pencil.

[Continue reading…]

14 Days of Ravishing Red! — Day 4: Classic Matte Red Lips With NARS Dragon Girl

February 4th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

Are you ready for 14 Days of Ravishing Red? Stay tuned as we explore ravishing red ? lipsticks, lip liners and glosses every day on our way to ? Valentine’s.

I’ve been wearing this classic NARS matte red lipstick for, oh, almost 10 years now, and for the life of me, I still can’t get the name right. I always call it “Dragon Roll” instead of “Dragon Girl.” I guess I REALLY like sushi.

This is a classic red matte to me because it’s right in the middle between cool and warm, and it isn’t too blue or too red. I’m wearing it here with a warm gold cream shadow along my lash lines, but sometimes I wear it with cool silver or platinum cream shadows, and I like it just as much with those colors, too.

‘Twas an Emo Super Bowl

I watched the entire game, except for the last 15 minutes, which was when El Hub made us turn it off because he couldn’t take it anymore. He made me laugh so hard, LOL. He said, “I just love sports so much. I can’t handle it!” (This was right after the Patriots took the lead.)

Fly, Eagles, fly!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

14 Days of Ravishing Red! — Day 3: Glossy, Cool-Toned Lips With Neutrogena Deep Cherry Gloss and NUDESTIX Mystic Lip Pencil

February 3rd, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

neutrogena deep cherry nudestix mystic k peace — Anyone else get THIS excited about HomeGoods? Anyone?

Are you ready for 14 Days of Ravishing Red? Stay tuned as we explore ravishing red ? lipsticks, lip liners and glosses every day on our way to ? Valentine’s.

It was good hunting today, and by “hunt,” I’m referring to my trip to HomeGoods, where I went hunting for farmhouse decor for my office…even though I didn’t really find anything farmhouse-related that I liked.

It was still a productive hunt, though! — and I mean “hunt” in the truest sense of the word, because let’s get real, HomeGoods is like The Hunger Games of home decorating stores. If you see something you want, you better chase that down like a lioness chases down her prey.

But ya know, it was Caturday, and even though I was wearing sweats and a messy bun, I still wanted to wear red lips for #14DaysofRavishingRed.

An opaque lipstick seemed like a little too much for today, so I went with one of my favorite casual ways to wear red instead — by layering a red gloss on top of a nude lipstick.

The deep, cool-toned cherry red gloss I’m wearing borders on magenta. It’s Neutrogena Hydro Boost Lip Shine in Deep Cherry, and when it’s layered on top of a creamy nude brown (NUDESTIX Mystic), the brown tones down the intensity of the red, so that you end up with a casual glossy brown lip with a hint of red.

Of course, you can do this with any red gloss — doesn’t have to be a cool-toned cherry red like this.

[Continue reading…]

14 Days of Ravishing Red! — Day 2: Creamy Scarlet Lips With NARS Rita Lipstick and MAC Brick Lip Liner

February 2nd, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

Are you ready for 14 Days of Ravishing Red? Stay tuned as we explore ravishing red ? lipsticks, lip liners and glosses every day on our way to ? Valentine’s.

Me when El Hub said that all of my red lipsticks look the same to him:

I mean, come on! Sure, this NARS Rita lipstick and MAC Brick liner combo I’m wearing above is red, and warm, and has a touch of orange in it, just like the Thrillest/Holy Red combo yesterday, but it has WAY less orange in it.

Like, if that Thrillest/Holy Red look has a dollop o’ orange, this Rita/Brick look has just a tinge.

Still, both are warm and red and orange-y, but within that similarity, they’re completely different!

At least that’s what I tell myself as I lust over my 573rd tube of red lipstick…

[Continue reading…]

14 Days of Ravishing Red! — Day 1: Creamy Warm Red Lips With Kosas Thrillest Lipstick and NARS Holy Red Lip Liner

February 1st, 2018 by Karen 18 Comments

Are you ready for 14 Days of Ravishing Red? Stay tuned as we explore ravishing red ? lipsticks, lip liners and glosses every day on our way to ? Valentine’s.

“Warm it up, Kris!”

Oh, I’m about to. 🙂 Kosas Thrillest lipstick and NARS Holy Red lip liner both have the subtlest, least obnoxious yellowy orange undertones, but there’s no mistaking them for cool-toned colors. They’re definitely warm reds, but they aren’t as warm as some orange reds (MAC Lady Danger comes to mind).

I think opaque warm reds like these are vintage va-va-voom! — and I love this look, especially with bronzed lids and/or lash lines.

[Continue reading…]

Awesome for $8: Physicians Formula The Healthy Lip Velvet Liquid Lipstick

January 26th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

physicians formula bare with me — Bare With Me

Yeah, I’m still in my pajamas, but I’m in the comfort of my home, which leads me to two recent revelations…

1. Pajamas in public

It’s been ages since I’ve seen anyone, adult or teen, wearing pajamas in public, and to this I say HALLELUJAH.

2. I found a really lovely drugstore matte liquid lipstick

It’s an $8 one (technically, $7.95) by Physicians Formula called The Healthy Lip, and it’s… Honestly, I think it could rival the NARS liquid lipstick I love, love, LOVE to pieces.

physicians formula healthy lip — Bare With Me, Dose of Rose, Berry Health, Mangentle Formula, Tu-lip Treatment, Vitamin Beet

I mean, it isn’t an *exact* dupe, so don’t grab your car keys and run to the door yet. 🙂 But it’s very similar. The NARS one is, like, probably the smoothest, most comfortable liquid lipstick I’ve ever tried, and if you have vertical lip lines like I do, it’s also one of those rare liquid lipsticks that hugs your lips and just looks very, very smooth. Plus, it’s completely opaque. One layer does the trick, and it also doesn’t suck the moisture from your lips.

The Healthy Lip is all of that and more because it’s eight bucks!

physicians formula healthy lip dose of rose — Dose of Rose

physicians formula healthy lip vitamin beet — Vitamin Beet

[Continue reading…]