Makeup Tips/How To

Makeup and Beauty Blog on Video

January 18th, 2009 by Karen 13 Comments

This month I re-entered the sparkly world of online video! Really, what I mean to say is I found my little camcorder, which had been buried under a stack of paper and some boxes for months.

Here are some recent clips, ranging from dance moves to a primer on blush.

Makeup and Beauty Blog on Video…

Tabs and I have a whole bunch of hopefully helpful videos (and other things) planned for the next few weeks, so as they say in the TV biz (LOL!) … stay tuned!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How to Apply Eyeliner: Soft Lines with Kohl Pencils

January 16th, 2009 by Karen 32 Comments

There are so many ways to apply eyeliner, and depending on the look I’m going for I tend to switch things up.

One of my favorite eyeliner techniques is to use a kohl liner for a soft, diffused lower lash line. Softly lining the bottom lash line without the top (or vice versa) still draws attention to the eye but doesn’t look too harsh or unnatural.

It’s also really easy to do (yay!) and kinda fun because it involves connecting the dots. 🙂

lancome-le-stylo

I like this technique with Lancome’s soft and smudgy Le Stylo Waterproof in Noir. It has a great texture and doesn’t migrate or disappear once applied. That, and the attached sponge smudger eliminates the need for a separate brush. Hello, lazy. 🙂

To use it I place the tip of the pencil on the outer most corner of my lower lash line and draw a small dot about the same size as the tip (shown above).

Working inward (toward the nose), I draw more dots, evenly spaced, shooting to get each one as close to the roots of my lashes as possible. Really digging the pencil tip between the lashes really helps to get the color “up in there.”

I’ll draw dots until I’m about a fingertip’s length away from the innermost corner of my lash line. If I go to far with my dots, I think the look ends up a little too harsh.

The dot approach doesn’t take but a minute. It helps to keep in mind that all of the dots are going to get smudged, so each one doesn’t have to be perfect. I usually do about five messy dots that look kinda Clockwork Orange before they’re smudged.

With my dots in place, I take the sponge tip of the Lancome Le Stylo pencil and start blending them together, gently running the tip back and forth between each dot. I like to think it’s connecting the dots for grownups.

I continue along the lash line, smudging dot by dot…
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Blush for Beginners

January 15th, 2009 by Karen 32 Comments

Hi, ladies! How’s your day been?

Mine started out rough because I woke up sleepy, but things have steadily improved (coffee = joy).

Here’s another attempt at a video. This one’s about blush, and I apologize because I let Tabs do the editing. I think he got a little carried away. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Urban Decay Spring 2009: A Recessionista’s Guide

January 13th, 2009 by Karen 45 Comments

The economy’s got a lot of us rethinking our beauty spending habits. If you’re looking to save dough but still want in on the spring collection action, Urban Decay’s Eric Jimenez suggests looking for makeup that multitasks.

“In this economy-friendly environment,” suggests Eric, international makeup artist and Urban Decay worldwide retail director, “you want products with multiple functions.” Budget beauties are looking for lipsticks that double as blushes and lip colors that also work around the eyes. “Every woman wants something that she can do more than one thing with in her handbag.”

Urban Decay cosmetics, a line known for highly pigmented and colorful makeup, offers a few interesting multitaskers for spring.

Fellow members of Club Recessionista, here are Eric’s suggestions on how to get the most bang for your buck with items from the spring collection (in stores next month).

Strike a pose, Eric!

New Sin Potion Primer, a multitasking monster!

One of the most flexible items in the spring line is the new Sin Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($17), a shimmery, champagne version of Urban Decay’s cult classic, Primer Potion.

While intended as an eyeshadow base, Sin works well as a highlighter, too. Apply it along the bridge of the nose, under the brow bone and along the inner corner of the eyes to brighten and glow.

Eric even uses Sin on the lips. “Use it on the lips with a transparent or a see-through gloss over it,” he suggests, where it adds a frosty, fawn color and extends the wear time of lipsticks and glosses.

Oh, and if you’re running late (or just plain lazy, haaaaay), swipe Sin on your eyelids and blend with a finger. Voila! — instant eyeshadow.

Double duty with Cream Shadows and 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils

From top to bottom:Whipped, Weeds, Delinquent and Moonshine

The new Cream Shadows ($17 each; available in 12 colors) and the four 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil spring shades ($16) multitask like mo’ fo’s.

Cream Shadows work as both eyeshadows and liners. When Eric uses Asphalt, a shimmery black, as a liner, he sweeps the doe-foot applicator along the lower lash line and blends away harsh lines with a finger.

Have any black eyeshadows at home that you haven’t used in years? Bring ’em back to life atop a base layer of shimmery Asphalt.

Packed with moisturizing ingredients like Jojoba oil and Vitamin E, the four new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils — Graffiti, Flipside, Rasom and Underground — double as liners and eyeshadows.

From left to right: Graffiti, Flipside, Rasom and Underground

The 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils are great as shadows when you want a quick pop of color. Just line the top lash line with one of them, and blend the color up into the crease with a finger.

Midnight Cowboy lipstick for nude cheeks and lips

Midnight Cowboy lipstick ($22), a shimmery fawn with flecks of gold glitter, might turn out to be Urban Decay’s next cult classic. According to Eric, “Midnight Cowboy is beautiful on everybody.” He’s used it on women of all shades and calls it universally flattering.

To really stretch out those dolla-dolla-bills-ya’ll, Eric advises against just slathering on Midnight Cowboy and other lipsticks and blotting away the excess with a tissue.

Instead, waste less lipstick by lightly tapping the tube against the lips and patting with a finger to blend.

Then, take the leftover lipstick on your fingertip, and work it into your cheeks. 🙂
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How to Apply Liquid Highlighter

January 12th, 2009 by Karen 29 Comments

I wanted to make a little video showing how I apply liquid highlighter, and wouldn’t ya know it? — I decided to do it today, a horrendous day for my dark circles, yippee!

It’s just been one of THOSE days…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How to Apply Bronzer

January 10th, 2009 by Karen 36 Comments

Good morning, ladies!

Here’s a quickie video showing one of many ways to apply bronzer. I call it the Karen Quickie Bronzer Especial! 🙂

Have a great day today. Tabs says hi!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beginners MAC Makeup Brushes

January 8th, 2009 by Karen 67 Comments

The clouds parted, angels sang, and there they were — the four makeup brushes that rocked my world. Here’s a short video on the MAC makeup brushes I couldn’t live without. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Rouge Double Intensite Ultra Wear Lip Colour: 5 Application Tips

January 2nd, 2009 by Karen 15 Comments

While nude lipsticks and lipglosses rule Chanel’s Spring 2009 Bohemian Fantasy Makeup Collection, Coco and company did include a few rich, colorful lip shades for good measure.

Like the new Rouge Double Intensite Ultra Wear Lip Colour lipsticks ($34 each) — both of them deliver long-lasting lip drama.

Alexandrite: shimmery brick red
Opal Rose: shimmery rose gold

The double-sided wands come with a separate lipstick (base coat) and a clear gloss (top coat) designed to be worn together.

Coco wasn’t kidding about the “long wearing” part

These babies are the Terminators of long wear lipsticks. They last all day and don’t stop for nothin’! One morning I applied a layer of Alexandrite, and six hours and several cups of coffee later, my lips were still a rich brick red.

There’s always a catch…

These have mad pigmenation and staying power, but there’s a catch, or at least there was one for me. They aren’t the easiest lipsticks to apply. My first attempts left me with blotchy, streaky lips. Totally gross.

After a few dreadful attempts, I found a few application techniques that seemed to work.

1. Start with smooth lips

When my lips weren’t completely smooth, these lipsticks settled into the cracked and peeling areas, resulting in uneven color. Applying a lip conditioner or lip balm overnight helped a ton. I slicked on a layer of Philosophy Kiss Me before I went to bed and in the morning my lips looked smooth and felt soft.
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