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Neon Lights: 3 Colorful Looks

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The three colorful looks in this post have a couple things in common.

  1. I wore them all to preschool drop-off in the last few days (the pink look at the top was from this morning!).
  2. I did all of them using the $29 LORAC Neon Lights palette.

In the Neon Lights palette, that yellow is more of a goldenrod, which I’m kind of disappointed by because I wish the palette had a lemon yellow… The goldenrood just isn’t yellow enough for me.

Wow, that’s something I never thought I’d ever say!

lorac neon lights
Fun colors

Say “what,” Karen? You’re not wearing a sh*t-ton of browns for once? LOL. Neutrals are normally my wheelhouse, it’s true. I usually default to them because they fit my my lowest energy state, ha ha ha! Plus, you can’t really muck up neutrals.

Still, I’ve been itching to wear more color. I’ve just been trying to think of ways to feel comfortable doing it, because as fun as bright, intense glittery looks are, I feel a little crazy wearing that kind of makeup when all I’m doing is bringing coywolf to school or toddler ballet class.

The colorful looks here are my speed because, even though there’s a bright focal point in every one, there are still subtle-ish elements, like the foundation.

Something Sam said in that ’90s makeup video I mentioned the other day resonated with me. To paraphrase, she said that it’s not the things you pile on that make a look look cool. It’s what you leave out, so I basically went super minimal on the base in all of these colorful looks.

I’ve also been VERY inspired by Katie Jane Hughes lately. She’s a makeup artist I follow on Instagram, and she is JUST SO DAMN GOOD. She’ll paint a delicate swish of sparkly green shadow or sketch a skinny slice of neon yellow liner, so you can tell she loves wearing color, but she also likes to go minimal with the base.

I’m a little obsessed with her at the moment!

LOOK 1: PINK SUMMER SUNSET

lorac neon lights 1

lorac neon lights 1 side down

  • Eyes: Bolt, Girls and Atomic eyeshadow from the LORAC Neon Brights Palette, Chanel Dimensions de Chanel Mascara, Maybelline Bold Brown Tattoo Studio Liner, IT Cosmetics Brow Power Micro in Universal Taupe, Urban Decay Yeyo liner (as a base)
  • Base: MAC Next to Nothing Foundation in Medium Deep (all over, applied with fingers) and Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Honey Bronze (patted with fingers on cheeks, nose, around the lips, and under the eyes)
  • Lips: MAC Stripdown Lip Pencil and MAC Open Presence Lipstick

lorac neon lights 1 closeup 1

lorac neon lights 1 1

LOOK 2: BLUE NOTE

lorac neon lights down

lorac neon lights 2 closeup

lorac neon lights 2 side
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A Summer Solstice Look: Hot Summer Nights

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Turn up the heat

Welcome to summer! (It officially starts today for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, in case you didn’t notice.) Although I’m not a fan of sweltering hot days (especially since we don’t have an air conditioner in our place at the moment), one thing I’ve always loved about summer is when the sun sets and everything cools down juuuuuuust enough so you can walk around comfortably in the evening wearing shorts and a tank top or a dress.

This look was inspired by hot summer nights, and by one of my favorite crimson lipstick colors to wear when the weather heats up: matte coral red. This particular shade is MAC Relentlessly Red, which is available in the permanent line.

I usually apply matte coral reds like this one straight from the tube, but this time I decided to try something a little different by lining my lip line with a slightly darker red lip pencil and leaving the edges mostly unblended.

I’ve been into the unblended lip liner Kelly Clarkson usually wears on The Voice, so I wanted to dip a toe into the look! I haven’t worn unblended liner since 1998, so it was fun to try it again, even if the red-on-red combo is subtler than the stark dark plum liner-frosty pale beige lipstick combo I used to wear in college.

Oh, and did ya notice the cooler-toned olive taupe smudged on my lower lash line? I went for a foil to the warm shades on my eyes, cheeks and lips… I like those unexpected contrasts in makeup looks, don’t you?


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It’s MAC Electric Wonder Swatches: That’s Watt’s Up

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mac electric wonder collection swatches
ZAP!

Ponder, if you would, how much fun it would be to have an electricity-themed dance party.

Question: How much fun would it be?

Answer: Shockingly fun. ?

Of course, all of the song titles would have to include a reference to electricity. I suggest we start with the following…

Speaking of shocking developments (ha ha), I just realized that it’s a LOT harder to draw a thunderbolt on your arm than you might think. Seriously.

Below are swatches of the new MAC Electric Wonder Summer 2019 collection, errrrthing on my NC42 skin. Overview pics first, followed by closeups.

As you might expect from such a highly charged topic…there’s lots of glimmer, shimmer and glitter!

The collection is available now in stores and on the MAC website.

Overview swatches

mac natural vice
Eye Shadow X 12 in Natural Vice ($48)
mac desert lightning
Eye Shadow X 12 in Desert Lightning ($48)
mac ignite wonder face palette
Ignite Wonder Face Palette ($42.50)
mac iridescent powder next to nothing
Electric Wonder Iridescent Powder ($36) and Next to Nothing Bronzing Powder
mac electric wonder lipstick
Lipsticks ($19.50 each)
mac electric wonder lipglass
Lipglasses ($18.50 each)

Closeup swatches

mac desert lightning swatch 1
Eye Shadow X 12 in Desert Lightning
mac desert lightning swatch 1
Eye Shadow X 12 in Desert Lightning

mac natural vice
Eye Shadow X 12 in Natural Vice

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Lady Unicorn

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GIRL. I haven’t worn big lashes in how long? But it’s just like riding a bike!

I’m also wearing a lot of glitter in this lady unicorn look, I know.

I was inspired by unicorns because my daughter is obsessed with them at the moment, and, let’s face it, so am I.

Oh, and body glitter. I’m wearing it too because WHY NOT? FYI, body glitter has come a loooooong way since I wore it back in the day. This one from Urban Decay comes in a tube, and you kinda just put it anywhere — on your face, in your hair, on your arms, on your neck, your legs.

And, seriously, it does not come off! My goodness, I remember the old stuff lasting about 2.5 seconds in my clubbing days, so props to the sparkly scientists who finally discovered a way to get glitter to stick to yo’ body.

  • Eyes: Urban Decay After Dark Palette, Urban Decay 24/7 Pencils (Roxy, Electric Empire), MAC 75 Lashes, MAC Graphblack liner, MAC Princess Jasmine Palette (from the Aladdin collection), Urban Decay Glitter Liner in Disco
  • Face: MAC Studio Fix in NC42 mixed with Pinklite Strobe Cream, NARS Summer Lights palette (bronzer and highlighter), Urban decay Heavy Metal Glitter Gel in Saturday Stardust
  • Lips: MAC Honey Love Lipstick, Hourglass Prose Lip Gloss


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MAC Aladdin Collection Swatches

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mac aladdin collection
The new limited edition MAC Aladdin Collection, available now

Even though I’ve had very little real-life experience with magic lamps, I do know this much: Your wish, no matter what it is, will always end up a little wonky.

OK, usually a lot wonky.

HELLA WONKS, if you will.

Like, if you wish for a million dollars, you’ll get a million dollars…but it’ll be in shredded $5 bills that have been stuffed into random prickly cactus plants spread out across the Mojave Desert.

Those genies, man. They’re tricky.

I may not be a genie, but if you wish to see swatches of the new MAC Alladin collection on NC42 skin, I can make that come true, no strings attached!

Below are swatches of the entire collection — the first three are overview swatch pics, and closeups with the product names come after.

FYI, the eye quad and black liner are sold out (but the black liner is just a re-promote of Technakohl in Graphblack, which you can still get in the permanent collection in the regular packaging), but everything else is still available.

Overview swatch pics

mac aladdin lipsticks
The Lipsticks ($20 each)
mac aladdin lipglass
The Lipglasses ($19 each)
mac aladdin princess jasmine
Eye Shadow X 9: Princess Jasmine ($35), Technakohl Liner in Graphblack ($20) and Pigment in Rose ($24)
mac aladdin powder blush
Powder Blushes ($35 each) and Crystal Glaze Gloss ($24)

Detailed swatches

mac aladdin friend like me princess incognito
Lipstick in Friend Like Me and Princess Incognito
mac aladdin rajah whole new world
Lipsticks in Rajah and Whole New World

mac aladdin jewels on jewels diamond in the rough
Lipglass in Jewels on Jewels and Diamond in the Rough

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Blue Kitten Flicks, Lessons From My Cat, and Chanel (Because It’s the Right Thing to Do)

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chanel les beiges water fresh tint 1

Tabs: “Don’t you do it. Don’t cry.”

Me: *sniffs* “But what if this is our last photo shoot together?”

Tabs: “Then you should probably wear Chanel. It’s the right thing to do.”

Me: “I’m really trying not to cry but…”

Tabs: “No buts, lady. Think about all of the pics we’ve taken together over the years. How many have there been? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Think about how lucky we’ve — no, how lucky you’ve been to have me in all those pics, because, quite frankly, your poses are hella boring. You’re kind of a hot mess…”

Me: “Oh, man. I’m gonna miss you so much.”

Tabs: “Will you promise me something?”

Me: “Anything.”

Tabs: “Promise me you won’t let grief consume you. Because I know you. I KNOW YOU. And you can’t let that happen. Under any circumstances.”

Me: “I can’t guarantee that, my love.”

Tabs: “You’re going to have to be brave. When I’m gone, you’re going to get out of bed in the morning, comb your fur, get out of your pajamas, and maybe put on a little makeup. Every single day. Most importantly, I want you to smile.”

Me: “People will judge me for grieving too much or too little, for sharing too much or too little, for being weird…”

Tabs: “Kid, I thought you were tougher than that.”

Me: “Apparently, I’m not.”

Tabs: *sigh* “Look, here’s the deal: I’m leaving soon, and I’m sorry but that’s the reality. You’re going to have to keep going, and I want you to do it with love in your heart. If there’s anything I’ve taught you, I hope it’s that. Radiate love, and send your joy out into the world.”

Me: “I’ll do my best…”

Tabs: “That’s all any of us can do. Now, will you smile for me? Let’s play some music, take pictures and enjoy the day.”

Me: “That sounds like a good idea.”

chanel les beiges water fresh tint 3


I think this song perfectly captures his spirit/cattitude, and it’s the one we listened to while we took these pics. Now it will always remind me of him.

Makeup I’m wearing in these pics…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict(s),

Karen and Tabs

More MAC Strip Down

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mac strip down lipsticks
A few of the MAC Strip Down Collection Lipsticks, $18.50 each

Tabs slept in my office and provided supervisory support while I did these lip swatches. These are from the MAC Strip Down Collection of nude lipsticks and glosses.

More from MAC Strip Down…

mac brick o la lipstick
Amplified Lipstick in Brick-O-La
mac smoked almond lipstick
Amplified Lipstick in Smoked Almond
mac soar lipstick
Matte Lipstick in Soar
mac del rio lipstick
Satin Lipstick in Del Rio
mac good form lipstick
Lustre Lipstick in Good Form
mac bad n bare lipstick
Satin Lipstick in Bad ‘N’ Bare
mac feeling myself lipstick
Amplified Lipstick in Feeling Myself
mac s sexy lipstick
Amplified Lipstick in S’Sexy
mac move your body lipstick
Amplified in move Your Body
mac double fudge lipstick
Matte Lipstick in Double Fudge
mac creme cup lipstick
Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup
mac pink power lipstick
Frost Lipstick in Pink Power
mac leave me breathless lipstick
Amplified Lipstick in Leave Me Breathless
mac act natural lipstick
Matte Lipstick in Act Natural

Tabs isn’t working anymore, but that hasn’t stopped him from giving me side eye for not doing my hair or putting on makeup.

Getting lots of lurvies today

It was also sunny and warm here, and Tabs felt like doing some relaxing catnip gardening on the back deck.

You know, a lot of people don’t know this, but in addition to being a world-renowned kitty modeling mogul, former professional feline football player, entrepreneur, chef and Cat Academy Award-winning movie star, Tabs is also a gifted landscape architect. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Simple Acts of Bravery (And MAC Viva Glam I, II and III Lipstick Swatches)

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mac viva glam 25 anniversary
Celebrating 25 years!

The renowned photographer Man Ray once said that “Lipstick is the red badge of courage.”

For me, today, this quote means that even if you’re wounded in some way (emotionally or physically), doing a few simple, mundane tasks like brushing your teeth, putting on pants, doing your hair, or putting on your makeup — and just showing up to face the world, even when you don’t think you can — all add up to a major act of bravery.

You may be grieving, off balance, confused, out of whack, but then you put on your lipstick (and hopefully also your pants), and you keep going.

Since I’ve been blogging every day for millennia (since 2007), and I would normally be blogging on a day like today, doing this post right now as if today were any old day is giving me some comfort.

Who knew that swatching lipsticks could be emotionally soothing?

More than the lipsticks, though…something tells me that it’s more about the familiar routine — talking to you, setting up the camera, checking the lights, swiping the bullet across my lips, taking the pics, glancing over at Tabs as he watches me, etc.

Because no matter how much some things change, other things, like sharing lip swatches, stay the same.

I did these swatches of the MAC Viva Glam I, II and III Lipsticks ($18.50 each) today, and I laughed a little when I remembered this…

Tabs for MAC Viva Glam

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the debut of Viva Glam, the initiative MAC started back in 1994 to help men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. Every dollar raised from the sale of Viva Glam celebrity-promoted products since then has gone to support the cause.

viva glam I
Matte Lipstick in Viva Glam I, an intense brownish blue-red

Matte Lipstick in Viva Glam III, a muted brownish plum

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