Product Reviews

Fresh Friday: Hungry for Color? This Indie Makeup Line Names Palettes After Tasty Treats!

February 1st, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

dominique cosmetics berries and cream — Looks good enough to eat! (But don’t.)

MBB’s “Fresh Friday” series takes a look at new beauty brands (and venerable O.G. brands that are new to me). Let’s discover new makeup!

OK, so I like to think that I’m NOT ruled by my stomach, buuuut the fact that the eyeshadow palette I rocked yesterday is called Berries & Cream may or may not have something to do with why I like wearing it. ?

Berries & Cream is from Dominique Cosmetics, a new-to-me indie makeup line by YouTuber Christen Dominique. Christen has just over four million subscribers, so she’s kinda Internet famous (to put it mildly).

Dominique Cosmetics has products spread out among three mini sub-collections, and each of the eyeshadow palettes in them are named after something delicious. There’s Berries & Cream, Latte and Lemonade).

YUM! A girl after my own food-lovin’ ~~tummy~~ heart.

I wore the Berries & Cream palette to lunch yesterday with a friend, who asked, “That, on your eyes? Are you wearing purple or burgundy?”

By the way, she asked me this after we’d been talking for an hour, LOL!

I was like, “Girl, I’m not sure! I was hoping it would distract you from the white hairs sticking up every which way!”

dominique cosmetics berries and cream collection swatches — Swatches of the Berries & Cream palette eyeshadows and matte liquid lipsticks

dominiuqe cosmetics plum berry lipstick — Wearing Creamy Matte Liquid Lip in Plum Berry on my lips and the Berries & Cream palette on my lids.

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Ravenous for Red Lipstick: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick

January 31st, 2019 by Karen 14 Comments

Valentine’s Day ? is right around the corner, so this is a purr-fect time to celebrate that most sanguine of seductresses — scarlet! The Ravenous for Red Lipstick series features the crimsons I’m currently cuckoo for.

Your makeup fun fact of the day: Beso, as in the name of Stila’s stunning Beso lipstick, means “kiss” in Spanish.

MWAH!

I actually kissed everyone in sight while I was wearing this lipstick yesterday.

OK, maybe not everyone… I didn’t think the grumpy checkout lady at Target would appreciated it, but Tabs got a smattering of kisses on the top of his head (right between the ears is the sweet spot), Connor got a few tummy kisses, and El Hub got a few kisses on the cheek.

Matte true red Stila Beso liquid lipstick left a whisper of crimson behind, so FYI, Beso isn’t kiss-proof, but it is long-lasting enough to survive two cups of coffee, a snack and a meal.

I think it fades very well, as a matter of fact, and it doesn’t leave that gross line of product on your bottom lip as it wears off (you know the one).

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The New MAC Hyper Real Glow Palettes in Get Lit and Shimmy Peach

January 31st, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

mac hyper real glow shimmy peach get lit — It’s glow time with the new MAC Hyper Real Glow Palettes. I’m wearing the Get Lit Palette on my cheekbones and Shimmy Peach on my lids as an eyeshadow.

Conversations with my overstuffed makeup bag (Part 1)

ME:
“Hey, do you think I need another highlighter?”

MY OVERSTUFFED MAKEUP BAG:

I mean let’s get real here. Chances are you already have a go-to highlighter (or highlighters, because MOAR SHIMMER), and you’re probably attached to it, but if you, by chance, “need” a new one, or if it’s your life’s mission to become the antithesis of all that is Konmari, then…MAC ATTACK! MAC is adding two new highlighting palettes to their Hyper Real Glow line.

Like the bronze and rose gold palettes in the permanent line now, these new ones look and feel like the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Powders on the skin. They’re super silky, with ultra-fine grains of powder and an opalescent finish you can turn up or tone down, depending on your mood, your tool and your technique.

In fact, I think the MAC Hyper Real Glows actually feel softer than the BECCA powders do, so if you’re a clumsy-pants who drops everything, be careful…because the cardboard packaging feels dainty and delicate.

Both of them would work for a wide range of skin tones, but one of the new palettes is lighter and cooler-toned than the other, with pink, lavender and pale champagne shades, while the other, darker one has a peach and two coppers.

mac shimmy peach swatches — MAC Hyper Real Palette in Get Peach

mac get lit swatches — MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette in Get Lit (for reference, I’m an NC42)

This time of year, my medium tan skin (I wear an NC42 in MAC foundation) is a little lighter than it is in August, and I like using the cooler pinks and purples in Get Lit as traditional highlighters on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and in the inner corners of my eyes, along with using the peach palette on my eyes as shadow by buffing the shimmer on my lids and brow bones for an otherworldly glow.

A few more deets…

Coming February 4, 2019 to the MAC website, and February 7 to MAC stores and select MAC counters (call your counter to check ahead of time).
The palettes are $39.50 each and come with three 0.15-oz. pans (decent size).
The Shimmy Peach palette is shinier and frostier than the Get Lip Palette.
With these, a little goes a long way.
I get a solid six hours from these powders without seeing any fading.
You’ll like these if you’re a fan of BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector, or if you like flexible highlighters that can go from subtle to ***BLING***.
These may not be the best fit for you if you prefer candlelit glows a la the Hourglass Ambients.

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Crazy About Creams! Clarins Creams

January 30th, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

This month I am CRAZY ABOUT CREAMS. Stay tuned for some of my favorite cream makeup products all throughout January.

Just to clarify, this is a joke:

And this is NOT a joke:

(Side note: Thank you, Internet, for making me ? laugh every single day.)

I’d be remiss to not include my favorite face creams in this series, and… —–> these babies by Clarins ARE NOT PLAYIN’. I always keep at least one jar around because whenever my combo skin starts feeling tight and dry and painful and just plain WEIRD, Clarins is there to rescue me, man. I dab a little on my skin (you don’t need a lot, thank goodness, because these jars, while decently sized, are still expensive), and my tight spots always feel instantly better.

French luxe line Clarins has been around forever, and while the brand may not be as buzzy as Drunk Elephant or Glossier at the moment, I know I can always count on their marvelously moisturizing creams to NOT break me out — and, seriously, EVERYTHING makes me break out.
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Fresh Friday: If Your Skin Needs Extra Moisture and TLC, This New Australian Brand Might Be Your New Go-To

January 25th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

go to skin care — Why dry skin goes AHHHHH

MBB’s “Fresh Friday” series takes a look at new beauty brands (and venerable O.G. brands that are new to me). Let’s discover new makeup!

After last week’s epic deluge, I’ve been basking in the glow of this week’s sunshine. Funny thing is…just because the sun has been out here doesn’t mean it’s actually been, ya know, warm. I swear, the sunny days are colder than the rainy days, which means that all the dry spots on my face and body hurt more than usual… I mean, really, smiling at strangers isn’t easy when the skin on your cheeks feels like it’s about to crack. ?

A new skin care line at Sephora called Go-To has been saving me from walking around town with a perpetual RBF. It’s a dream for dry-skinned dames!

A non-fussy skin care line for all skin types

Hailing from Down Under, Go-To is the brainchild of Australian author and former Cosmopolitan beauty director Zoë Foster Blake. A scroll through her Instagram feed is like a visit to a glamorous land where everything’s beautiful and picture-perfect, and so I guess it’s fitting that her first beauty venture has that familiar “I’m doing it for the ‘gram” look — white and pastel packaging, fun names and playful fonts. Some might call it “millennial marketing.”

go to skin care useful face cream — Very Useful Face Cream ($31)

All of the products in the line are made for all skin types (even sensitive) and ages, but since so many of the cheeky and lighthearted skin care brands out there target 20- and 30-somethings, I mistakenly expected the products to be a better fit for someone who already has perfect skin and cherub cheeks and hasn’t been around the block as many times as I have, if you know what I mean… But once I got the cream on my face, the balm on my lips and the oil on my body, I was sold. This stuff means business. I’m talking majorly moisturizing KAPOW.

Some quick deets…

The products don’t contain parabens, PEGS, sulfates, GMOs, mineral oils, petrolatum or synthetic colors, and they aren’t tested on animals.

The number of products is on the smaller side for now, with items priced between $12 and $39.

You can find them in the US at Sephora and online.

There are more products available on the Go-To website, and they currently offer free shipping on US orders over $50.

Why dry cheeks go AHHH

Definitely peep the Very Useful Face Cream ($31). I started using a retinol cream by Kate Somerville a couple months ago, so my skin periodically freaks out and hurts as a result of the dryness that comes with the aggressive exfoliation. Very Useful Face Cream, which contains two powerhouse antixidants in coQ10 and amla berry (it’s also in IGK’s Bad & Bougie Shampoo and Conditioner), just makes everything feel better. Weirdly, it feels light and thin at first, but it starts to thicken up and feel more like a balm as you work it into your skin.

Once it’s absorbed…AHHH.

It’s supposed to be for all skin types, but if you happen to have dry skin that needs extra TLC, I think you’ll REALLY appreciate it.

go to skin care exception oil — Exception-oil ($39)

Exception-Oil body oil is another standout. It’s thick, creamy and smells like gardenia, and you only need a tiny bit. It’s so moisturizing that even my hella dry hands and feet are happy afterwards. I just put some on my paws, and now they feel like completely new hands, LOL!

And then there’s the Face Hero Oil, which I’ve used on my neck a few times… I like it just fine for moisture, but I’m still deeply committed to Fresh Seaberry Oil (THE BEST). Face Hero smells like green tea ice cream, though, which is a plus in my book.

go to skin care face hero — Face Hero Oil ($34)

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NEWNESS: The MAC In Monochrome Color Collections (Velvet Teddy, Ruby Woo and See Sheer)

January 24th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

Do yourself a solid, you sensational señorita, and tap a little MAC Velvet Teddy lipstick on the apples of your cheeks as an impromptu cream blush.

Don’t mind me; I’ll wait [waiting]…

It’s one those tried-and-true multitasking tricks many MAC addicts (myself included) like doing.

Also up there? Using lippies like Heroine and Ruby Woo as eyeshadows or even eyeliner!

Which brings me to this: The new MAC in Monochrome collection, which is available now. It takes what MAC fiends have already been doing for ages — re-purposing products — and makes it…official.

Going beyond lipstick

Six cult-classic MAC Lipsticks (Velvet Teddy, See Sheer, Ruby Woo, Heroine, Diva and Candy Yum Yum) get the props they so richly deserve in the form of their own sets of matching lipgloss, eyeshadow, blush and glitter inspired by their respective color. (Side note: Why’d MAC stop there? They should have gone all out with perfume and liner. After all, Velvet Teddy, Ruby Woo and Candy Yum Yum have already been released as fragrances. HMMM!)

mac in monochrome velvet teddy — Velvet Teddy

Playing with finish and texture

Like cat eyes and red lips, monochromatic makeup is a classic theme that transcends trends. I remember having a convo with a makeup artist once who said that monochromatic looks (where you wear matching eyeshadow, blush and lipstick) are one of the easiest ways to do elegant makeup, and I agree 100%. I don’t do it nearly enough, though.

That will be easy to rectify with the help of these sub-collections.

Subtle variations in the colors, along with different textures and finishes, keeps each of these sets from hitting a monotone note. Like, if I’m going to wear a matte beige lipstick like Velvet Teddy, I need to have at least a little shimmer on my eyes to contrast with my lips, and that’s the case with this collection. Each of the items riffs on its namesake lipstick color without being identical.

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Crazy About Creams! Say Hi to MAC Pro Face Palette Blush

January 23rd, 2019 by Karen 19 Comments

mac pro face palette bright blush — Oh, ya know, just some Casual Colour with the $40 MAC Pro Face Palette: Bright Blush.

This month I am CRAZY ABOUT CREAMS. Stay tuned for some of my favorite cream makeup products all throughout January.

I know I’ve mentioned the MAC Casual Colours before. They’re brilliant. They’re creamy. They’ve popped up in limited collections before (Beth Ditto, Mia Moretti and Diane Kendall, to name a few). You can wear them on your cheeks and lips, and now MAC has them in three options — Bright Blush, Deep Blush and Light Blush.

To this, all I have to say is YES.

mac pro face palette deep blush — MAC Pro Face Palette: Deep Blush ($40)

Well, obvs, that’s not all I have to say, ha! 🙂 Hello, my name is Karen, and my ability to get straight to the point is questionable.

I will also say this: If you’re a makeup lover who likes fresh, shiny cheeks and plump, juicy lips, you’ll probably appreciate Casual Color’s semi-glossy finish and creamy texture.

These palettes are a go-to when I’m wearing a sheer base (bare skin, BB or CC cream, or a tinted moisturizer), because the semi-glossy finish goes well with minimal coverage.

The trick is to gently tap-tap-tap the tiniest amount (either with your fingers or a stippling brush) you can get away with because these creams are very concentrated. You only need the most minimal of minimal amounts.

Once you figure out how little you can get away with, you’ll be rewarded with surprisingly good wear time. I get about five hours on my cheeks and three on my lips.

mac pro face palette swatches — Arm status: NC42

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Product Spotlight: Oribe Free Styler Flexible Hold Working Hairspray

January 22nd, 2019 by Karen 12 Comments

I don’t love cowlicks, but cowlicks love me. [Insert crying-face emojis right here ???.] My cowlick situation was almost mildly tolerable before I started growing out my grays, but now it’s next level orange alert!!!

It’s the texture of the gray hairs, man. They’re wirier than my non-gray hairs, and the short, stubby pieces stick out, especially the hairs right smack dab in the middle of my hairline and in the center of my part.

If I leave them be, I look like I’m being mildly electrocuted… Hence Oribe Free Styler Working Hairspray.

Expensive as it is [$42 for a 9-oz. bottle, OMG!], I love this stuff. I’ve been into it ever since I sprayed about half a can on my bangs for the victory rolls I did for Halloween. The rolls stayed put and weren’t crunchy, and you know me when it comes to crunchy hair (not a fan). When I took my hair down that night before bed, even after ALL that hairspray, I was able to run a brush through it without any flakes or tugging.

Which is rad.

What takes this stuff from “nice” to “must-have” for me is how well it handles crazy cowlicks and those stubs of wayward gray hair. It tames them easily, and I use it daily now as part of my routine. I like that my hair can still move around with it and doesn’t look lacquered into place like a helmet.

It freezes your hair in place but doesn’t make it stiff. Your hair also won’t look too shiny and “done,” thanks to the satin finish, which I also like.

Here’s how I work it: When I’m done curling or braiding or whatever I’m doing on any given day, I almost always have a crown or crazy cowlicks sticking out along my hairline and in my part, so I spray a fine layer of Free Styler directly on top, then finesse them down with a fine-toothed comb from Sally Beauty.

If there are any wayward bits left standing, I’ll repeat the process until I’ve coaxed everything into place.
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