Makeup Tips/How To

Makeup Tips for the Red Carpet and/or Black-Tie Events

August 26th, 2014 by Karen 23 Comments

My Emmys makeup look — With my sweetpea, Stef, from @weheartthisdotcom. #emmys

I can say this with absolute certainty: I never, ever expected that I would ever be doing actual red carpet makeup on myself.

Soooooooo, to prep for the Emmys this year, I asked LA-based makeup artist and all-around-nice-gal Vanessa Haro for some of her best red carpet makeup tips.

Vanessa has done makeup for the Oscars, for photo shoots in magazines, and for gajillions (I don’t know if that’s an actual number…) of brides in the So Cal area.

She also glams up some of the seriously sexiest models in LA — and those girls have butts — swear to gawd — that make me want to do squats every hour for the rest of my life. LOL!

TMI, but it’s so true.

So yeah, girlfriend is busy.

Anywho, before the show I told her, as calmly as possible, that I was kind of freaking out about my Emmys makeup situation. I couldn’t figure out what to do, and she was kind enough to help.

Here are four of Vanessa’s top black-tie/formal/gala extravaganza makeup tips.

1. Grab your mattes

“Red carpets need makeup to be a little heavier than normal, but no glitter/shimmer on the face. It tends to look cray. I use mostly neutral matte shadows and matte peachy blush with matte peachy bronzers.”

2. Place shimmer strategically

“Highlighter should be very soft. If you can, get your hands on Kohgendo’s Liquid Illuminator in Beige. It looks beautiful above the cheekbones, on the inner corners of the eyes, and right along the Cupid’s bow. Or, try a very finely milled powder — the BECCA ones applied very lightly may work. For the eyes, I add a touch of pearl finish shadow right on the lid, keeping it closer to the lash line and maybe a teeny bit of shimmery eye shadow along the outer part of the crease.”

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Can You Do the Splits? With the $24 Sephora Dramatic Performance Longwear Lash Kit, Your False Lashes Can

July 31st, 2014 by Karen 4 Comments

#makeupconfessions. It wasn’t the double-ended glue stick that caught my eye when I stumbled on the $24 Dramatic Performance Longwear Lash Kit at Sephora the other day, although I did think it was interesting and unlike anything I can recall seeing before. (One end has a thin, flexible brush tip for applying the adhesive, and other end has a mascara-like wand. Neat.)

And it wasn’t the false lashes themselves, although I do think they look pretty cool. Rather than a full or partial strip for each eye, they’re split into two halves to give you customized lash look control.

Like, if you want a more natural false lash look (natural false lash look?), apply just the outer portion to each eye. Or, if you want more lash volume around the inner corners of your eyes, go with just the inner ones. Or, if you’re in the mood to turn that ish up, apply all four pieces, two per eye.

Yeah…that’s a lot of work. And it sounds kind of complicated, doesn’t it?

But wait, there’s more.

These lashes are designed to be applied under your natural lashes. Not directly on top.

Yup, under yo’ lashes.

Wha?!

I know, it’s blowing your mind. 🙂

I actually heard about the under-the-lashes false eyelash technique from a makeup artist friend a while back who herself learned it from a seasoned drag queen. I remember at the time I thought, “That’s completely crazy pants. I’m not coordinated enough to do that.”

But with this kit, maybe I am. I think I should give it a try in the name of makeup science.

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At the Intersection of Makeup and Microprocessors, the Sephora + Pantone Color IQ Foundation System Promises To Help You Find a Better Foundation Match

July 30th, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

The Sephora Color IQ Foundation System — The Sephora + Pantone Color IQ Foundation System. Goooooo science!

Ah, technology… It’s not just for sending obnoxious text messages to your best friend about how you really feel about capri pants anymore.

At Sephora tech is also helping women (and makeup-lovin’ dudes) get a better foundation match.

At the intersection of makeup and microprocessors, the Sephora + Pantone Color IQ system promises to put processor cycles to work to help you find an exact foundation shade match.

At least that’s the idea.

“Color IQ is the first and only beauty service to scan the surface of your skin, assign it a Color IQ number, and then find your scientifically precise foundation match from over 1,500 options.”

— sephora.com

How does it work?

I’m glad you asked! 🙂

A Sephora makeup artist places the Color IQ device, which basically looks like a hybrid handheld camera/Star Trek tricorder, against your skin in three places to take color readings.

You can match to either your face or neck. I opted to go with my neck, because my face is much redder (I use a lot of exfoliating products).

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What YouTube Channels Do You Turn to When You Don’t Know How To Do a Specific Makeup Technique or Look?

July 18th, 2014 by Karen 45 Comments

I feel like there are a lot of looks I can do on my own, but sometimes I want a different way to approach things, like a fresh perspective on a smokey eye or a cat eye.

When I need some inspiration, new ideas, or just want to see how someone else is doing things, I go to YouTube…which I think is one of the greatest inventions on earth.

Seriously, where was YouTube when I was 13 and had that purple Lancôme pencil and no clue? That’s what I want to know… It would have saved me a lot of heartache!

Lisa Eldridge

When I want to do something, or try something new, or get a different perspective, there are a few YouTubers I really enjoy watching, and the first one is Lisa Eldridge.

First of all, she has a cat, and her cat’s name is Betty Kitten. Betty Kitten is absolutely adorable so, of course, cat lady bonus points. 🙂

Lisa’s also worked with a lot of celebrities, so her work’s all over the place, and you know she’s totally legit.

Third, she has this wonderful British accent, and she delivers information in a way that I think is very accessible and thoughtful, and it’s not like you ever feel like she’s telling you that “you absolutely have to do it this way!” or if you don’t do it this way you’re doing it wrong. She just seems like a cool girl I’d want to hang out with.

Her tutorials are… You feel like you can do them, you know? Sometimes when I watch YouTube tutorials, I’m like, “There’s no freaking way I’m going to be able to do this eye look in 30 minutes,” but she delivers information in this sort of simplified, accessible way that I really enjoy. It makes me feel like every woman can sincerely do this.

Jaclyn Hill

Another person I like is Jaclyn Hill. Her style’s very different than Lisa’s in that she tends to do things that are a bit more glam. She loves smokey looks, which I like as well, and she’s got a lot of energy, which I think you’re either going to really gravitate toward, or not, LOL! But I like her perkiness and her bubbly personality.

Her looks generally take a little bit more effort. They’re not as simplified as Lisa’s, but I find that she explains things in a way that works for me. If you want to go that extra step with your makeup, she’s easy to understand.

Batalash Beauty

Another person I enjoy is Samantha from Batalash Beauty. She’s relatively new, and young, and very spunky.

I appreciate her spunkiness, and she does these very dressed up glam looks along the same lines as Jacqueline Hill, but her style’s a bit harder, a bit edgier. She curses sometimes, so you know…but she’s just, like, a sassy young person whose attitude I appreciate, and her makeup’s very pretty. She’s got a big Instagram following too.

Pixiwoo

Ooh! — last but not least, the Pixiwoo sisters. Points for having that kick-@ss British accent. They’re two sisters who work on the same channel. They both have different styles, so you get different perspectives.

Besides seeming very cool to hang out with (and they’re kind of, like, my age), their tutorials are easy to grasp, yet they also do some out there things, too. One of the sisters, Sam, does these crazy fancy looks sometimes that I wouldn’t do on myself…but they’re neat to see! 🙂

They also do a wide range of different tutorials from glam to everyday to more artsy-fartsy, so you get a bit of everything.

How about you? What YouTube channels do you turn to when you don’t know how to do a specific makeup technique or look?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

3 Things That Helped My Hormonal Chin Acne

July 18th, 2014 by Karen 65 Comments

Wearing no makeup — Wearing absolutely zero makeup

Shortly after I turned 36, all hell broke loose on my chin, and what had previously been the clearest part of my face was suddenly a pimple farm.

They were the painful pimples, too! A mix of tiny bumps that seemed to never go away and big ol’ painful zits that felt like they had 100-year-old roots.

I went to the dermatologist, tried antibiotics and different prescription topical meds, but nothing really helped. Not enough.

Eventually, I discovered a few things that did work. It took a while, some experimenting with my diet and lots of weeding through ineffective products, but over the following year, my chin situation improved a lot.

Here’s what helped turn the tides against my hormonal chin acne!

1. Creating a skincare cocktail by combining and layering different products

I had hoped to find one magic bullet, but it turned out that the best thing for my combination oily/dry skin was a cocktail of different over-the-counter products.

It took a lot of trial and error to find the right combination of products for me. My skin seems to respond best to benzoyl peroxide, antioxidants and exfoliating acids. That may not be the case for you, but in the hopes that it is, the products I’ve had the most success with are…

3 Things That Helped My Hormonal Chin Acne

Kate Somerville’s Anti Bac Clearing Face Lotion ($39), a 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion that absorbs quickly, layers well underneath makeup and doesn’t have that funky benzoyl peroxide scent. I’ve tried a bunch of BP lotions before, and this was the one that made the biggest difference for me.
Skinceuticals CE Ferulic ($153), an antioxidant serum with Vitamins C, E and ferulic acid (an antioxidant). Designed to bolster skin against the damaging effects of UVA and UVB rays and to stimulate collagen production, it really helped reduce the flakiness and post-acne discoloration I was seeing.
Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment ($105). This lightly hydrating serum contains unneutralized lactic acid and seems to improve the smoothness and texture of the skin around my chin.
Neutrogena All-in-1 Acne Control Daily Scrub ($8). I keep this cleanser, which contains beta hydroxy acid (or BHA), in my shower and use it every morning.

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If You Have Sensitive Eyes, Can You Recommend Any Eye Makeup Removers, Eyeliners and/or Eyeshadows That Don’t Sting or Make Your Eyes Tear Up?

July 17th, 2014 by Karen 59 Comments

Trish McEvoy Long-Wear Face and Eye Makeup Remover; Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips; Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliners and MAC Smolder Eye Kohl

Thank you for all the AWESOME suggestions you left in the comments! I’m bookmarking this post so I can refer to it in the future as a resource. 🙂

My eyes are so sensitive — they get so teary — that you’d think I was watching The Notebook 24 hours a day.

So yes, I have a few things I use and love, but I’m always looking for more, so if you know of any good things, let me know. These are the products I’ve been using and loving for the past six months or so (during which time my eyes seem to have gotten much more sensitive).

For eyeliners, just good ol’ MAC Smolder Eye Kohl. It’s been around forever. It’s kind of like your basic creamy black eye kohl. It’s super dark, super smudgy, super soft, and it stays on your water lines and lash lines. And it doesn’t, for whatever reason, irritate my eyes. I can tolerate it.

Also, the Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliners — I feel like I keep talking about these — but they’re so great, even though they’re kind of expensive. They stay on, they’re twist-up, and they’ve got that skinny point, so you can really get in between the roots of your lashes, and they come in lots of wonderful, really wearable, pretty colors.

For eye makeup removers, I’ve been using two different ones — actually three. The first is DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which works great. It doesn’t sting my eyes, and it takes off mascara really quickly.

If I’m wearing waterproof or long-wearing makeup and the DHC stuff doesn’t remove it, then I’ll use either Trish McEvoy Long-Wear Face and Eye Makeup Remover or Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips. Both of those remove everything, and they don’t sting my eyes or irritate that sensitive eye area.

Eyeshadows for me — it seems like certain colors tend to aggravate my eyes more than others, like purplish colors, especially. And stuff with glitter.

How about you? If you have sensitive eyes, can you recommend any eye makeup removers, eyeliners and/or eyeshadows that don’t sting or make your eyes tear up?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Minimalist Makeup Marvels You Might Want To Try

July 16th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Minimalism!

It’s not just for Smurfs anymore.

This time of year it also describes my appetite for makeup, as in not wanting to wear a ton of it on my face, and if your makeup cravings are also leaning toward the minimal side, here are five of my current favorite minimalist makeup products.

These are all in active minimalist makeup rotation right now.

1. The marvelous MAC Paints! ($20 each)

These $20 cream shadows dry to a powder finish and come in five natural-looking neutral shades.

If you don’t blend them out perfectly, no worries, because the colors are all pretty low contrast, so you can’t really mess up — or, rather, if you do, you can’t really tell.

Perfect for people who are frequently running behind (she said, raising her hand in the air while saying, “Ooh! Ooh! Like me.”).

All five shades also have a hint of a sheen to ’em (it’s very subtle and nothing dramatic like a frost), which makes them quite forgiving of fine lines — something I greatly appreciate.

MAC Paint Swatches from the left: Bamboom, Stilife, Untitled, Sublime Nature and Bare Canvas — MAC Paint swatches from the left in Bamboom, Stilife, Untitled, Sublime Nature and Bare Canvas

Beyond all of that, they’re also just straight-up easy to use. Creamier and more viscous than many other cream shadows like the MAC Paint Pots, they’re a breeze to spread and blend.

Just squeeze a small amount from the tube, and pat and blend that on your lids with your fingers. You can even skip primer with them if you want. I usually do (saves time).

My favorite color? Golden beige Bamboom.

I also love that name (although Bare Canvas is also pretty cool).

2. The Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks ($28 each)

No, these sticks do not contain caviar (as far as I can tell). If the MAC Paints are for work, then Laura’s Caviar Sticks are for fun. 🙂

These cream shadow sticks come in a wide range of colors and finishes, from mellow mattes to shimmering jewels.

Like the MAC Paints, brushes are totally optional. I usually just swipe one of the shades (Rosegold is my personal fave) directly on my lids, and then blend out the edges with a finger.

Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks Swatches from the left: Cocoa, Moonlight, Rosegold, Copper and Burnished Bronze — A handful of Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks from the left in Cocoa, Moonlight, Rosegold, Copper and Burnished Bronze

Because they glide on the skin and contain oodles of pigment, one layer is usually enough. You can literally be done with your eyeshadow in less than a minute.

3. Yves Saint Laurent Kiss & Blush Volupte Lips & Cheek Color ($40 each)

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Five Kitten Steps to Purr-Fect Black Cat Eyeliner

July 15th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

I love the look of crisp black cat eyeliner…

And that’s not just because I’m a card-carrying CCL (although I admit that’s a contributing factor).

I just think it’s timeless, elegant and pretty much goes with everything.

Still, sometimes, like when Tabs is threatening to shred my ankles if I don’t immediately drop everything I’m doing to prepare his morning gravy, I’m not in the mood to concentrate and fuss over getting those jagged edges crisp and clean.

So, what’s a liner-loving cat lady to do when she wants a cool cat eyeliner look but doesn’t have the wherewithal to fret over getting sharp, crisp lines?

Answer: incorporate a black powder eyeshadow into her cat eyeliner routine by following these five easy steps.

1. Now we’re gel-ing!

When I do this trick, which is a path to a softer, easier cat eyeliner look, I start by lining my eyes with gel liner using an angled liner brush, and the way it turns out, you can probably see that the edges could use some extra refining.

2. Clean that brush

Gotta make sure my tools are in tip-top shape for this next part, so before smoothing out the edges I created in step one, I clean the same angled liner brush I just used by swiping it across a paper towel to remove any excess product.

3. Loading zone

Next, I load the brush with a black powder eyeshadow, and tap the head against something (like the side of the sink, or I’ll just tap it with my finger) to remove some of the excess and any little wayward bits.

Products I used for these pics…

Gel liner — Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black

Black eyeshadow — NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in Sycorax

Angled eyeliner brush — NARS Angled Eyeliner Brush 47

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