Product Reviews

Desperately Seeking Persistent Polish: 7 Days With Smith & Cult Ceremony of Secrets

August 31st, 2018 by Karen 25 Comments

Desperately Seeking Persistent Polish is a series where I wear a nail polish for seven days and take before and after pics to document the condition of my paws over the course of the week!

One good thing came out of my recent gel manicure debacle. I have a new passion for finding kick-@ss non-gel long-wearing nail polishes, i.e. nail polishes that can actually handle my life!

I do my nails at home once a week now, and over the course of that week my paws take a beating. I’m typing, I’m cleaning, I’m taking care of the dual divas who room and board with me (human and otherwise), I’m gardening, I’m preparing meals (gluten-free sometimes!), I’m working out… Basically, going about my day like busy women do.

Wanted: long-lasting nail polishes

So, a few weeks ago I started a project to track down some lovely long-lasting polishes, and when I find a new contender, I follow the following process: I use the same base and top coats for consistency — Smith & Cult’s tough-as-nails (lol) The Basis of Everything and Above It All — and I paint my paws with two coats of that week’s nail polish.

Then I take some pics to document the condition of my paws over the seven days before removing the nail polish and starting all over again with something else.

Let’s get ready to rummmbllllle! In this corner, Smith & Cult Ceremony of Secrets ($18)

I put Smith & Cult’s Ceremony of Secrets, a rose gold micro glitter, through its paces a couple weeks ago, and that week, on top of the usual life things I had to do, I also spent a day at a beach on the Russian River, which meant futzing with beach umbrellas and chairs, sand, and opening and closing multiple zippered totes (those zippers man… They’re like death traps for nail polish!). I also constructed three sand castles and, of course, swam.

Also, that week I lifted heavier free weights than usual at the gym, and those dumbbells and kettle bells are rough and will totally shred a manicure like *that*.

Despite those extracurricular activities, this glittery manicure held up exceptionally well. By the end of the week, I saw some small chips at the tips of my nails, a few chunks taken out along the base of my nails, and some cracks along the sides where I could’ve done a better job with the edges and top coat, but Ceremony of Secrets held up well overall.

I’m sure I could’ve worn it at least another day.

Day 1: So fresh, so clean

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MAC Golden Bronze Iridescent Powder/Loose Is Back! — and It Wants to Bathe You in Buttery, Lovely, Long-Lasting Sunset Lighting

August 30th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

Every MAC artist I’ve ever chatted with about Golden Bronze raves about it and basically showers it with love. (Side note: If you caught the Surface reference, you and I were probably at the same eighth-grade dance.)

Shower me with your looooooooove

MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in Golden Bronze ($29)

This peachy golden loose highlighting powder briefly peace’d-the-eff out for a while, and I didn’t hear about it or see it around (I gave it the Unsung Heroes treatment in 2012), but it’s back with a new version, and it’s just as epic as before.

Kits everywhere are sighing with relief, I’m sure. 🙂

It’s easy to see why this multipurpose miracle-worker is a staple at photo shoots and on runways. You only need the littlest bit to gleam with a gorgeous glow, and it requires, like…zero skill to blend.

Seriously, if you breathe — if you literally JUST EXIST — you can blend this powder.

It’s fantastic as a basic powder highlighter, or mixed into a face/body lotion or oil, or even sprinkled into tinted moisturizer, BB or CC cream, or foundation.

Tip: Load up a tapered eye brush like the MAC 224 with it to precisely place Golden Bronze down the bridge of your nose, on your upper cheekbones, in the inner corners, and on your Cupid’s bow.

You may be thinking, “OK, but can’t other loose highlighters do the same thing?”

Naw, babe, they don’t.

mac golden bronze swatch final — NC42 in MAC

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COVERGIRL Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara: New and Less Than $10

August 29th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

Two layers of COVERGIRL Flourish on my upper and lower lashes

I haven’t surfed warm waters in five years, babes. FIVE. That’s a minor tragedy when you’re a water baby at heart. Still, I’m not salty about the mermaid vibes emanating from this teal tube of Covergirl mascara, even though looking at it makes me wish I was paddling out in Diamond Head’s shadow at Waikiki Beach instead of googling gluten-free Pop Tart recipes at my desk in Novato…

COVERGIRL Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara ($9.49)

Now, the actual mascara, which has one of those all-around formulas for a “boosted but natural” lash look, inside the tube isn’t teal (it comes in Black, Brown and Very Black), so if your lash situation can currently be described as long and full, cool. You might like this because it doesn’t flake, doesn’t feel stiff or heavy, and it’s also easy to remove (and it’s less than $10).

However, as you probably already know because I’ve only said it about a million times, I crave all the mascara bells and whistles to the extreme! — so I want/need my mascara to deliver enough drama to rival a Real Housewives season finale.

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Estée Lauder Double Wear Deep Dive: Double Wear Custom Coverage Correcting Duo

August 28th, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

estee lauder double wear custom coverage correcting duo — Another fab find in EL’s Double Wear line

What is Deep Dive? I’m glad you asked! It’s a new series in which I’m reviewing a bunch of Estée Lauder Double Wear products from their permanent collection. Let’s find out what’s good! ?

Swear to gosh, ditching under-eye concealer and opting for things like tinted moisturizer and pearly eye creams instead has completely changed the game for my dark circles.

Who knew one could still look lit-from-within without having to wear layers of powder and other products?

Plus, not having to deal with creasing concealer has been SO liberating (also trimmed out about 10 minutes from my routine!), buuuuuuut…plot, meet twist. The lack of sleep in my life right now is taking a toll on my under-eye area, and I look a little more “tow up” than usual.

This morning, just as my inner dialogue was hitting the gas (“Should I just walk around with pantyhose over my head like an O.G. bank robber? Maybe I should stick My Little Pony Band-aids under my eyes?”), I suddenly remembered the Double Wear Custom Coverage Correcting Duo.

I’ve been using it off and on all summer, and today was a reminder of what it can do.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Custom Coverage Correcting Duo ($32)

“No-Sleep Karen” is all about this two-tone skin-perfecting duo, which comes in a bunch of different colors, and, depending on what shade you go for, you can use it to spot-correct dark circles, spots, redness and dullness. Technically, it’s supposed to be used before concealer and foundation, but I use it in Tangerine all by itself for dark circles without anything else on top. (For reference, I’m a Honey Bronze in Double Wear Foundation and an NC42 in MAC.)

“Correct, conceal, transform. Skin-perfecting duo helps custom-correct dark circles, spots, redness, dullness and more. Each duo has two levels of coverage. On one end, a light, luminous wears-all-day formula with brush applicator to sweep across larger areas. On the other, a full-coverage hydrating concentrate with sponge tip to cover targeted areas for up to 24 hours. Helps blur the look of imperfections for a flawless, even skintone. Creates a flawless base for concealer and/or foundation. For best results, apply before concealer and/or foundation. Gently tap on with applicator and lightly blend with fingertip or a brush.”

— esteelauder.com

There’s a satiny peach shade on one end and a darker satiny peach on the other, and both are warm enough to cancel out purple or blue areas (totally key). Neither one is too obviously orange, either (also totally key), so you won’t look like you’ve got two traffic cones under your eyes.

Both peachy shades are also opaque enough to do some serious brightening, and they do it without settling into fine lines. Best of all, once the color corrector dries, it does not move! I don’t even need to set it with a powder. It stays PUT.

estee lauder double wear custom coverage correcting duo tangerine k — Tangerine in action

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When You’re Wondering About Winged Liner at 3AM (and Reviews of the PTY Beauty No BS Eyeshadow Palette, a Fab Crease Brush for Hooded Lids, and a Drugstore Beauty Staple)

August 27th, 2018 by Karen 28 Comments

pyt beauty no bs eyeshadow palette 1 — WINGS!

I haven’t been sleeping through the night lately, and by “lately” I mean for the past two weeks, which was approximately when Tabs started his new workout regimen where he does wind sprints up and down the stairs beginning at the witching hour, and Connor started having dreams that wake her up in the middle of the night. (Last night she woke up saying, “Mama, NO! Those are my bubbles. MY BUBBLES!”)

The routine has gone something like this: After I’ve comforted all of the little animals, I crawl back into bed and lie there for an hour or two with my gumbo stew of thoughts.

Among last night’s ponderings…

Is it possible to make a gluten-free roux for a white sauce?
If all of your teeth were pointy, could you still eat Popsicles?
When was the last time I wore winged liner?

I have a pretty good memory for makeup-related tidbits, like what lip liner I wore with Clinique Black Honey circa 1994 (it was Wet ‘n’ Wild 666, which is still around!), so to NOT remember when I wore winged liner last is a minor tragedy in my book, which is why I busted them out today with a mix of products, old and new…

PYT No BS Eyeshadow Palette ($28)

Ooh, can’t say enough about this cool-toned palette with its eight neutral powder eyeshadows. Whether you’ve taken a two-year hiatus from serious blending (LIKE ME), or you’ve just started experimenting with making windshield wiper motions, these buttery powders will make your crease work look like you can blend in your sleep. The shadows combine the fineness of NARS eyeshadows with the softness and smoothness of Dior, and they feel much higher end than $28 to me.

pyt beauty no bs eyeshadow palette swatches — I’m an NC42 in MAC for reference.

For my wings today, first I lined my upper lash line with a black pencil liner to sketch out the wings, and then I dipped an angled brush into the matte dark brown and layered directly on top to set the pencil and soften the color just a touch.

pyt beauty no bs eyeshadow palette k — Dark brown eyeshadow + black pencil liner = a kinder, gentler wing

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The New MAC Patrick Starrr Oh No She Beta Don’t/Patrickstarrr Kit

August 24th, 2018 by Karen 11 Comments

mac patrick starrr sugah mama quad — Oh no she beta don’t!

You know, whenever anyone mentions Patrick Starrr, my mind immediately goes to the MAC glam-bassador’s over-the-top makeup style, and so when a dude at the gym last Wednesday night asked during the stretching part at the end of HIIT class if we could do the “Patrick Starrr,” I just automatically assumed he wanted everyone to bust out their falsies and bake their contours. (As one does at the end of a particularly brutal set of lunges, naturally.)

mac patrick starrr fall 2018 — Oh No She Beta Don’t/Patrickstarrr

Turns out homeboy was talking about another nickname for the “corpse pose” — ya know, the one where you literally just lie there on the floor?

Ha ha ha!

But you can’t blame my brain for going there! Patrick’s been doing his thang with MAC for the past few seasons, and he’s all over the place. Why wouldn’t he be a gym reference, too?!

MAC Patrick Starrr Oh No She Beta Don’t/Patrickstarrr Kit ($21, coming September 6, 2018 to maccosmetics.com and select counters)

His latest MAC collab? — two fall kits, each with an eyeshadow quad and a liquid lippie. I’m wearing the one called “Oh No She Beta Don’t,” which to me sounds like it would be an awesome intro to a Ru Paul song from back in the day.

The other one is called “Boy About Town.”

My breath stopped short at the sight of the shimmery golden purplish taupe in the Sugah Mama eyeshadow quad, since it looks so much like a powder version of one of my fave discontinued cream shadows, MAC Lilacked (RIP).

I tried it on, and gah! — it’s so deliciously toasty and taupe-y and sparkly. Picture an extra shimmery Satin Taupe with the tiniest flakes of golden glitter.

Yummy, right?

I had a little fallout with the darkest blackened brown eyeshadow when I smudged it on my outer corner and swept it into my crease, but the three other shades (including the purply taupe) did just fine.

mac patrick starrr sugah mama — I’m wearing the Sugah Mama eyeshadow quad on my lids and Ulitmate Diva on my lips.

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Desperately Seeking Persistent Polish: 7 Days With Smith & Cult Analog Fog

August 24th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

Desperately Seeking Persistent Polish is a series where I wear a nail polish for seven days and take before and after pics to document the condition of my paws over the course of the week!

At one point over the seven days I wore Smith & Cult Analog Fog on my paws, the weather took a decidedly dark, chilly turn…

It started to look like fall.

We closed the windows and contemplated turning on the heater.

Also, I started baking stuff in my oven again. I cranked out three lasagnas (one was even gluten-free, what-what!), two banana blueberry oatmeal bakes, a gluten-free pizza from Costco, and two batches of oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies. Really, Smith & Cult should have named this polish “When It’s Cold, Bake Your @ss Off” instead.

Taking everything I did into account, and considering how much time I spent blending, chopping and whisking while wearing this polish, my manicure held up well. It was still shiny and relatively chip-free after five days, with just a few dings around the tips of my fingers.

It jumped the shark after I made the third lasagna and washed the dishes without gloves, which was probably, um…not the greatest idea. That’s when I really started to see pieces of polish chipping at the base of a couple of my nails (granted, they weren’t big chips).

Like I did for my last seven-day nail experiment, I wore two coats of the polish atop a base of Smith & Cult Basis of Everything, and with Above It All as a top coat on top. Point being to isolate the polish to try to figure out how it holds up to real life.

Also like last time, I didn’t refresh the top coat at all over the course of the seven days, but I think if I had, like if I’d refreshed it on day three or four, I could’ve made this mani last at least one or two more days.

I think Analog Fog did great, all lasagnas considered! Plus, the color is gorge! It’s one of those mysterious, elusive purples… Ooh-la-la! It’s a cream, so there’s no shift or pearl or anything like that, but sometimes it looks like a pinkish purple. Other times, it looks like a straight-up plum.

I’ll definitely be wearing it again. ?

❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4 out of 5 hearts.

Smith & Cult Analog Fog: Day 1

Smith & Cult Analog Fog: Day 7

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The New $12 Maybelline Super Stay Multi-Use Foundation Sticks (and Connor’s First Day of School!)

August 23rd, 2018 by Karen 30 Comments

maybelline super stay stick foundation review — A new foundation by Maybelline

You know Hourglass Vanish Stick Foundation? Well, I’d hoped that Maybelline’s new cream-to-powder foundation stick would be a drugstore dupe for it because it’s only $11.99…which is a lot less than $46.

Both feel velvety and satiny smooth, but one costs A LOT less than the other.

Maybelline Super Stay Multi-Use Foundation Stick ($11.99, 16 shades)

Just like you do with Vanish, you swipe the stick wherever you want coverage, then blend it out with your fingers. Or, you can use the attached sponge, but I think it’s kind of dumb, since you can’t remove it from the tube to clean it…

From the Ulta website:

“Whether you’re looking for a cream foundation or a contour foundation, this multi-tasking Super Stay Multi-Use Foundation Stick is a must-have essential that conceals, contours, highlights, and covers. Maybelline’s 1st all-in-one foundation stick features a cream-to-matte foundation and a precision pointed blender sponge that is perfect for applying cream foundation at home or touching up your look on-the-go.”

Benefits:

Maybelline New York’s first multi-use foundation stick

All-in-one foundation stick for up to 24HR wear

Cover, Conceal, and touch-up anywhere, anytime

Features a precision pointed tip blender sponge

Unlike Vanish, which you can easily push to full coverage, Superstay lives in the sheer-to-medium coverage lane, and to keep it fully locked down, you’ll reeeallly need to dust a fair amount of setting powder on top; otherwise, it’ll stay creamy and keep moving around.

This step is non-negotiable, unfortunately, and if you skip it, most of the product will have disappeared by midday.

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