Neat and New to Me

Neat and New to Me: Clinique Chubby Sticks in Bountiful Beige, Ample Amber and Fuller Fudge

September 25th, 2015 by Karen 19 Comments

clinique chubby sticks bountiful beige ample amber fuller fudge — Clinique Chubby Sticks from the left: Bountiful Beige, Ample Amber and Fuller Fudge

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

You know when you’re driving along and you see someone on the corner waving and spinning one of those huge signs for the discounted furniture warehouse or the Little Caesar’s $2 Tuesday Pizza Special? I feel like I should be doing the same thing next to a Clinique counter, except my sign would read, “EYE MAKEUP LOVERS, IF YOU’RE HELLA TIRED, GO HERE!”

You don’t even know how much their Chubby Sticks have been rocking my world lately. They’re perfect for makeup minimalist mode, or if you haven’t been sleeping well lately (seriously, I go to the bathroom at least four times a night), or if you just want to wear eye makeup but don’t want to spend half your morning blending sh*t out on your lids.

My favorite three shades are Bountiful Beige, Ample Amber and Fuller Fudge, and if you’ve been visiting the blog this week, you may have already seen them in action in this quick blush tip post or when I talked about those Sephora Beauty Classes.

Lightweight, semi-sheer cream shadows in a twist-up stick, they’re $17 each and not too heavily pigmented or shimmery, which I really, REALLY like when I don’t want to deal with intense blending.

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Neat and New to Me: Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage Quad

August 30th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

The girl crawled along the hot sand as the relentless Novato sun beat down on her. “Water…” she croaked into the dry air, pulling herself forward by her fingertips, “or chocolate… Either one.”

Then she saw it, something in the distance — no, not a shimmering, but something…matte?

What was it, she wondered, sitting up to get a better look.

She squinted and focussed on the distant object. “Is that a…mirage?”

It was!

A Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage. 🙂

–END–
Well, look at you, eagle eye! Yes, this is the same quad I wore in my last couple of makeup tutorials. It’s the Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage Eye Color Quad, and it’s…

Well, it’s redonkulously expensive (it’s $80).

I know! That’s redonkulous to the max, but please don’t start throwing rotten fruit at me, or if you do, please try to avoid my head, because I’m having a decent hair day, and my eyeshadow’s off the chain because, well, Cocoa Mirage.

There are no ifs ands or buts about it. Tom Ford is an expensive brand, and for the price of this quad you could probably buy a gold grill for your cat (shoot, maybe even one with diamonds), but hot damn! — if this isn’t THE BEST neutral matte eyeshadow quad I’ve ever worn, and yes, I’m stating that for the official makeup record.

At first, it seems hella basic and uninspired when you open it. There’s a matte warm beige, a matte neutral golden tan, a matte neutral dark chocolate brown and a warm, mid-toned reddish brown with extremely subtle shimmer. It’s also a very safe bet that you’ve seen these colors in some form or fashion before (I know I have), but the thing is, they’re executed so remarkably well here that I can’t find a single thing I don’t like about them. I think they’re the most perfect mattes to have ever graced my lids.
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Neat and New to Me: MAC Sheertone Blush in Pinch Me

July 28th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

mac pinch me blush — $22 MAC Pinch Me Blush

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

Is this real life?

Am I dreaming?

Somebody pinch me, please, because I can’t tell if MAC Sheertone Blush in Pinch Me ($22 for a 0.21-oz. pan) really is as good as I think it might be.

It’s a medium-toned matte rosy brown coral in the MAC Blush family, and I wore it all weekend long on my trip to Napa with the girls. Not once did Jen or Cindy ask, “Are you ready yet?” or dramatically sigh/groan (code for “Karen, hurry up!”).

You see, they’re both very low-maintenance (their idea of putting on makeup for dinner involves lip balm), so I’m the odd duck, and they always give me crap about taking forever to get ready (the truth is, they’re totally right). Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to dilly-dally when getting ready on this trip, I packed products I knew I’d be able to use quickly — among them tinted moisturizer, under-eye concealer, mascara, brow filler, gloss and MAC Pinch Me Blush.

mac pinch me blush swatch — MAC Pinch Me swatched on my NC42 skin

What makes Pinch Me such a good get-ready-quick blush?
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Neat and New to Me: MAC Springsheen Sheertone Shimmer Powder Blush

July 23rd, 2015 by Karen 34 Comments

mac springsheen blush — MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Springsheen ($22)

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

I affectionately refer to MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Springsheen as “strobing for lazy people.” (Like me!) 🙂

It’s a beautiful pinkish coral color with golden pearl, and I can’t be the only person who also likes the name. I keep hearing the words “Bruce Springsheen,” and then I picture the little compact with tiny arms and legs playing a guitar…

Anyway! It illuminates the apples of my cheeks with a pretty pinkish coral while the golden pearl in it makes my cheekbones softly glow.

mac springsheen blush swatch — Swatch of MAC Springsheen Blush on my NC42 skin

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Neat and New to Me: MAC Matte Blush in Coppertone

July 21st, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

mac coppertone blush — MAC Matte Blush in Coppertone ($22)

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

This peachy brown matte blush’s name reminds me of going to the beach back in the day, back when it seemed like every family had a bottle of good ol’ Coppertone sunscreen with them.

Oh, the way it smelled! — like long sunny days, sand in your toes, salt water in your hair, ham and cheese sandwiches… Or was that just in my family? LOL!

I can’t deny that I was hoping MAC Matte Blush in Coppertone ($22) would smell the same way, but alas, it doesn’t. It has the familiar non-fragrance of a regular blush.

Even so, this Coppertone is anything but regular. It’s similar (but not identical) to MAC Gingerly Blush — like the two of them could be sisters. Coppertone, with her deeper, richer red, would just be the bossier, more outgoing older beach babe sister.

When I wear it on my cheeks, I feel like I’ve just spent an entire day playing in the sand and riding the rides at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (I haven’t done that in YEARS).

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Neat and New to Me: For the Love of Ginger! MAC Sheertone Blush in Gingerly

July 17th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

Ginger!

I am surrounded by ginger…

I’ve been drinking a lot of ginger ale this week because my tummy’s been obnoxiously gurgly, and I’ve also been, at times, simultaneously wearing MAC Gingerly Blush ($22).

Maybe this is more than a coincidence…or maybe it isn’t, and I just have a need to find deep connections between totally unrelated things (story of my life).

My fridge has an entire shelf dedicated to ginger ale. THANKS TUMMY TROUBLES. — My fridge has an entire shelf dedicated to ginger ale…

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