Product Reviews

Product Spotlight: Pantene Miracle Moisture Boost Shampoo and Conditioner With Rosewater

October 6th, 2020 by Karen 8 Comments

pantene miracle moisture boost rose water — A couple of my drugstore hair loves

I absolutely love this stuff! If you’re looking for a budget-friendly, moisturizing shampoo and conditioner for smoothing frizzy hair, this drugstore duo is a star. The most tragic thing about Pantene Rosewater Shampoo and Conditioner is that they aren’t sold in wine barrel-sized vats!

Yes, they’re both that good. I went to Target yesterday and picked up my fourth bottle of each!

This sulfate-free drugstore shampoo and conditioner is made to moisturize dry strands and tame frizzy hair, and it’s been a minor miracle for my grays, which I’ve been growing out for over a year now. My grays, especially the ones around my bangs and hairline, are totally and completely unruly, and this set helps to smooth down the noodle strands that stick up at all kinds of weird angles.

Here’s the kicker: both the shampoo and conditioner tame the crazies without weighing my strands down.

I don’t like most hair products designed to defrizz and smooth because they usually leave a noticeable residue, and I don’t like it when my hair looks and feels like it’s covered in “stuff.” Not a fan of flat helmet head, ya know?

Even though these work well, they don’t leave a thick residue behind. Just smooth strands with lots of volume, lift and movement.

And they smell good too! They have a fabulous faint rose fragrance.

FYI, if you’d like to get just the shampoo or the conditioner separately, they’re about $8-9 each at Target (8-oz. bottle). Pantene also sells a boxed set with both for $12.99.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product Spotlight: $10 Honest Beauty Liquid EyeLiner

October 1st, 2020 by Karen 9 Comments

Dude, this long-lasting black liquid liner is SO GOOD, and it’s only 10 bucks at honest.com!

How do I love thee, Honest Beauty Liquid Eyeliner? Let me count the ways…

1. Concentrated

Despite the fact that it only comes in a single matte black shade, it’s deep and dark like the most gorgeous black cat coat, and it doesn’t have any blue undertones at all.

2. Durable

It isn’t quite waterproof, but it’s very water resistant and long lasting (also doesn’t transfer). I’ve been wearing it all summer long.

3. Flawless

It comes in a tube with a wand that has a long, flexible felt tip that’s absolutely foolproof to use. The wand is just the right length to perfectly cradle in my paw, and the dainty felt tip draws crisp thick and thin lines equally well. Normally, I wouldn’t even think of drawing with liquid liner when I’m rushing through a fast face, but I can do it with this one.

honest beauty liquid eyeliner swatch — A matte deep black

4. Flexible

Thin lines, thick lines, dainty flicks, big ol’ bat wings — it can do it all.

And if you love diffused edges like I do (no harsh lines, baby!), the formula is easy to smudge, too. Just be sure to do your smudging before it sets, which takes about 30 seconds for skinny lines and a minute for thick ones.

INGREDIENTS:
Water (Aqua), Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Pullulan, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Hectorite, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510).

5. Swift

Also, as if it needed even more going for it, the fast-setting formula won’t creep up into your crease when you blink!

What a gem for only $10! I’m going to wish upon a star for Honest Beauty to add a few more colors, as I would LOVE a dark brown option (a liquid version of MAC Coffee would be my Disney princess dream come true) — ooh! — and a gray for everyday looks.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Brand Spotlight: Bossy Cosmetics

September 25th, 2020 by Karen 4 Comments

bossy cosmetics sexy — Feeling Bossy! I’m wearing Bossy Cosmetics Liquid Matte Lipstick in Sexy

Bossy Cosmetics is a new cruelty-free Black-owned indie makeup line of lip products that caters to all skin tones. I’m a fan, especially of the lipgloss!

Do you know the Kelis tune, “I’m Bossy?” It’s practically my theme song, ha ha ha!

If you’ve ever been called bossy by your friends and family, you’ll probably get a kick out of this.

Hues for bossy gals of all shades

Bossy Cosmetics cruelty-free, vegan line of lip products launched in 2019, so they’re pretty new. The founder, Aisha, is a mom of three and a self-proclaimed “lipstick junkie” who worked in investment banking before starting the brand with the intent to 1) help women feel beautiful, and 2) pay it forward, as part of the proceeds go toward charities that support women and girls.

Inclusivity is one of their main pillars, so you’ll find colors for all skin tones and ethnicities.

Prices range from $16.99 for a liquid lipstick, to $13.99 for a lip liner, to $14.99 for a gloss and $18.99 for a lip/eye/cheek glitter, so they’re pricier than Revlon or Neutrogena, but slightly less than MAC.

bossy cosmetics — Sexy Liquid Lipstick, Shiraz Gloss and Rush Lip Pencil

Take me back to the ’90s, please

I’ve tried a few of their items, including a lipgloss, liquid lipstick and a lip pencil, and I’m impressed! IMO the makeup is on par with MAC.

Liquid Matte Lipstick in Sexy: This O.G. ’90s-style flat matte brown takes me back to my college days! It’s warm with a slight hint of red (but the red isn’t as present as MAC Paramount or Revlon Rum Raisin). The texture’s a light-as-air mousse, so you can lead it to the corners of your Cupid’s bow exactly where you want it to go… Smells a little like cocoa butter at first, and I kind of want to eat it, LOL! (Don’t do that, though.) Very faint sugar cookie flavor. A little goes a long way, and the product completely coats my lips without settling into horizontal lip lines.
Hydra Gloss in Shiraz: This semi-sheer pearly mauve-pink feels like one of the revamped MAC Lipglasses. It’s thick, so it’s THERE and you know it. It’s not sticky, though, and it’s pretty moisturizing too. I get a faint sugar cookie flavor, but it’s not all up in your grill. If you’re like me and nude, glossy and lips are your thing, Shiraz is a color you’ll reach for all the time.
Lip Pencil in Rush: A high-pigment matte rosy pink that glides across lips without tugging. Contains shea butter for moisture!

[Continue reading…]

Product Spotlight: MAC Powder Kiss Eye Shadow

September 15th, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

mac powder kiss eye shadow swatches — These are fantastic!

MAC should just make these Powder Kiss Matte Eyeshadows permanent already. Come on, MAC! Dooo it! Make our lives a little easier. ?

If you like ultra-blended, blurred and blown-out eyeshadow as much as I do, the Powder Kisses will get you there without drama. They’re highly pigmented, for one thing. Two, they apply in the thinnest, smoothest layers imaginable, so they look and feel featherweight on your lids. At the same time, they’re super saturated, which is kinda crazy!

Even though you don’t have to use very much, if you do, they still won’t look chunky. It’s FASCINATING. MAC must’ve assigned the “A” team to these when they cooked them up in the lab.

Many matte powder shadows look thick and cakey on my lids (got some fine line action!), especially when I build up layers, but not these. The Powder Kisses definitely don’t emphasize my fine lines.

There are some crazy colors, of course, because it’s MAC, after all, but as far as everyday workhorse colors, I’ve been loving What Clout, a matte mid-toned warm brown that looks like a cross between Soft Brown and Soba with maybe a hint of Kid. I also dig Warm beige Best of Me. I think it’s a lovely lid shade, or along the brow bone as a subtle highlight. Also, Dark chocolate brown Give A Glam is a little bit like Brun.

As for other notable shades, don’t be terrified of Devoted to Chili (I was!) because it looks so reddish and orangey brown. Keep an open mind about it because it’s surprisingly wearable on lids.

mac devoted to chili eyeshadow mask — I’m wearing Devoted to Chili!

MAC is selling them in packaging for $20 each, and as bare pans sans the packaging for nine bucks(!).

MAC doesn’t normally offer both options for every LE eyeshadow launch, so “Cosmetics Conspiracy Theory Karen” is thinking, “That’s gotta be a sign they’re coming to the permanent line!”

I hope so because the neutrals, in particular, are fan-frickin’-tastic, especially if you’re a fan of matte eyeshadows, which you know I am.

Fingers and toes crossed they go permanent. Hey, if it can happen to the Paint Pots (remember them from Fafi, OLD SCHOOL?!) and the In Extra Dimensions from Alluring Aquatic, I think it can happen for these bad gals.

Let us will it into being and manifest that right now! ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Target Hair Haul! Help for Dry, Thirsty Hair With Hask Argan Oil Hair Mask and Shampoo, Pantene Damage Repair Nourishing Overnight Restoring Serum, Odele Leave-In Conditioner and Air Dry Styler

September 9th, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

odele pantene hask — Just a few affordable hair goodies from Target!

Hi, guys! ? Got dry hair? GIRL. I feel you. ?? I went to Target last week because my ends have been feeling bone dry lately, and here’s what I picked up. I think you might like these things, too!

Lately when I get up in the morning, my first thought is, “What’s gonna happen today in this level of Jumanji?” Because seriously, life right now could pass for a crazy dangerous video game. Smoke-filled air from wildfires, ash falling from the sky, dusky twilight at 10am, economic crisis, a pandemic… If I stepped outside and saw a herd (flock?) of angry ostriches stampeding toward me, honestly, I would not be shocked.

Weird and unexpected things are happening almost daily, on both a large and small scale. In the category of “not a big deal in the larger scheme of things but still mildly concerning in my immediate world” is the current state of my hair.

It’s wicked dry!

Has your hair ever gone from pretty decent to crazy wicked dry in a matter of weeks? Something verrrry mysterious has sucked the moisture out of the ends of my mane, which has gone from relatively healthy (for someone who hasn’t cut it in over a year) to drier than horse hay.

My best Scooby Doo detective agency guess is that it has something to do with the smoke in the air, coupled with the stress from the wildfires and the virus the past few weeks. I’m also long overdue for a cut, and that’s not helping, either.

Anywho, I recently went to Target and picked up a few things that have helped with the dryness. If you have dry, thirsty hair, they might help you, too.

Two goodies by Hask

This first one is an old love, Hask Argan Oil Hair Mask ($2.49). When I reviewed this workhorse for dry hair last year, I said:

My hair feels silky soft, but not in the way that feels like your hair is coated in sedimentary layers of silicone… The tangles and knots are gone, and the obnoxious white ramen noodle flyaways in my hairline — which normally stick up at every unfortunate angle you can imagine — are relatively tame and smooth and lying in one direction (SAY WHAT?!).

Ya know what? It’s as fabulous as ever. Just as great as the $$$ masks at high-end lines like Kerastase.

hask argan oil mask shampoo — Hask Argan Oil Repairing Shampoo and Hask Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditioner

I stretch one package out to use it twice. Depending on how thick your hair is, you should be able to get anywhere from 2-5 treatments, I think.

I also grabbed a bottle of the Argan Oil Repair shampoo by Hask ($5.99), although I’ve yet to try it. I’m hoping it’ll be just as good as the mask. It’s sulfate- and paraben- free.

A lightweight but rich hair serum with volume for days…

Now, onto Pantene, which is currently one of my favorite drugstore hair brands and has been ever since Rosewater Shampoo and Conditioner from the Nutrient Blends line came into my life. If you have unruly or dry hair that needs TLC, the Rosewater line is a gamechanger.

This time around, I grabbed a bottle of their Fortifying Damage Repair Overnight Repair Serum ($7.99), a rich, moisturizing serum for dry hair that doesn’t weigh it down (and therefore preserves your volume).

pantene fortifying — Pantene Fortifying Damage Repair With Castor Oil Overnight Restoring Serum

It feels like a thin, runny lotion, so it’s easy to work through your strands. Massage it through your mane, starting from the ends and working up, after you shampoo and condition, and let it air dry.

I’ve used it a few times so far, and I’m already in love because my ends are definitely a lot softer and smoother and less crunchy overall. I also love how bouncy my hair looks. I’ve been embracing my natural volume lately, and this definitely does not weigh it down.

It’s pronounced “oh-dell.”

Their Leave-In Conditioner ($11.99) and Air Dry Styler by the Odele ($11.99), which is a vegan cruelty free line only available at Target, are also new to me.

Confession time: I bought these two because I liked the font. LOL!

odele leave in conditioner hair styler — The Odele Leave-in Conditioner for Deep Moisture, Detangling + Frizz Control, and the Air Dry Styler

odele closeup — That lower case “e” though! ?

Speaking of fonts, I’m pretty sure that seeing Papyrus on the Hask Argan Oil Shampoo is slowly going to chip away at my soul every time I see it in the shower! ?

Gosh, I’m all over the place today… OK, technically, Odele is pronounced “oh-dell” (which is a phonetic translation of Norwegian for “to share”), but I keep wanting to call it “oh-dah-lay,” as in “Órale” in Spanish.
[Continue reading…]

Practical Things I Like: Caraa Non-Medical Masks

September 8th, 2020 by Karen 25 Comments

caraa mask review universal brights — These cheerful ? masks by Caraa are the most comfy masks I’ve found.

These masks by Caraa (a New York travel bag company) are THE BEST masks I’ve tried since March, and I’m not just saying that because the colors are conducive to matching with eyeshadow and eyeliner, hahaha!

I got these after a recommendation from a friend who, using “The Patented Mom Scientific Method” (LOL), ordered several masks from a ton of different brands and had her kids ~~be guinea pigs~~ try them out. Based on all of the masks they tested — and there were a lot of them, apparently! — the Caraas won. The kids *and* adults loved them particularly because of how comfy they are.

After wearing them for a couple weeks, I completely agree. These are fabulous! The best masks I’ve found…which is a sentence I’ll filing away in my “Sentences One Does Not Expect to Write, Ever” and “Things One Says During a Pandemic” folders.

Customizable to fit your face

The secret sauce is how adjustable they are!

Each mask has a lightweight, bendable wire tucked into the top seam that rests on the bridge of your nose, and it holds the masks firmly in place so they aren’t constantly slipping down your face.

That’s just the start of it though.

The loops that go around your ears also have these plastic pincher things that toggle up and down the loop so you can easily tighten or loosen them to fit.

The masks themselves are double layer 100% cotton and sufficiently breathable without being flimsy. The cotton on the inner portion feels slightly thinner than some of the more robust masks I’ve tried, and I’ve read that the inner layer wicks away moisture. I’ve definitely noticed that, compared to other masks I’ve worn, the Caraas feel less humid and damp after wearing them for a while, and my glasses don’t fog up as much as they do when I wear other masks.

I guess I have a weirdly shaped head or lopsided ears or something because this is the *only* mask I don’t feel the need to constantly adjust every few minutes. I pop it on, and it stays put for hours, so I’m free to go forth on my merry way spreading glittery sparkly joy. No, really though…I’ve used masks that’ve been too hot or too tight or rubbed up against my chin, or they caused my glasses to fog up and therefore left me extremely crabby, but that never happens with the Caraas!
[Continue reading…]

FOTD: Matte Monochromatic Makeup in Rusty Brown Tones (And With One Eyeshadow!)

September 4th, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

mac devoted to chili k down smile — This eye look involves just one eyeshadow!

Some days, you wanna wear three eyeshadows, or maybe even four or five. Or six if you’re feeling extra feisty! Other days, you just wanna wear one, and that’s what happening here in this matte monochromatic makeup look.

Gosh, don’t you love a little alliteration? I certainly do.

Now this is one of those looks that seems more complicated than it actually is. I didn’t use many products. Like, for starters, the eye look only involves one eyeshadow, and it’s a very intense rusty, reddish brown matte from MAC called Devoted to Chili.

It’s one of the new MAC Powder Kiss Matte Eye Shadows, and it’s $20. (You can also buy it as a single pan without a case for $9.)

I’ve tried a few of them, and they’re super intense when you first pile them on, but they also blend and buff out beautifully. You can layer them to amplify the saturation, and yet even when you do, they don’t look heavy on your lids, which is unusual for mattes. Every one I’ve tried so far has impressed me!

mac fotd devoted to chili swatch — Living that NC42 life

Devoted to Chili is one of those eyeshadows that looks like it would be super scary, because it’s just *so* red in the pan, but, particularly if you wear orangey browns like MAC Texture or Saddle or Soft Brown well, Devoted to Chili really pops on lids. It works very well on warm-toned skin.

mac devoted to chili fotd products — Key products in this look

And that’s it for the eyeshadow. ONE SHADE!

I mean, there’s also some liner action happening, too, but that was easier. Just a little bronze liner smudged along my lower lash line (MAC Teddy) and bronzy brown MAC Powersurge on my lower water lines.

So the eyes were easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

Another thing that makes the look a little more glamorous is the repetition of that rusty brown matte eyeshadow shade on my lips. The liquid lipstick is also from MAC and called Devoted to Chili (also from the new Powder Kiss collection).

I applied it directly from the wand, where I think it looks soft and approachable. I didn’t want my lips to look too crisp or “done,” since the color is a very ’90s lipstick shade, but if you want to go full-on ’90s, I’d suggest using a reddish brown pencil liner instead, and be sure to sharpen it until the tip can cut glass if you do! Something like MAC Mahogany Lip Pencil would totally work. Then, after applying the lipstick, line your lips with the pencil, and leave it as is. Don’t blend it, because you want to see that strong edge.

Or, just wear it like this. ? It’s up to you. Next time I wear this combo, I’m going channel my inner ’90s diva, methinks.

One last thing — since the eye and lip colors here are so intense, I pulled back a bit on the blush by going with nude tones. I used a mix of two nude MAC Glow Play Blushes, which are the creams that came out a few months ago, and yes, they’re epically easy to blend. Also yes, they’re still available!

Makeup worn in this look

[Continue reading…]

Summer Faves and Raves: Stila Convertible Color, Complete Harmony Lip & Cheek Stick, Double Dip Suede Shade and More!

September 1st, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

stila summer faves — Current summer faves from Stila

Can you believe it’s September? I can’t. It’s already the first month of fall! That’s craziness. Time really doesn’t give an eff how topsy-turvy the world gets. It just keeps on keepin’ on…

I guess makeup is kinda similar in a way… The world around us may be b-a-n-a-n-a-s, but you can count on that pan of Stila cream blush to keep doing its thing.

Speaking of Stila, their makeup has been a nice respite from the stress of this summer, which so far has been a era in which I’ve been doing things I never thought I would, like drafting a six-page family pandemic emergency response plan, or writing a pros/cons list to send Connor back to preschool — a list that includes Health Department metrics for COVID.

Like I said, bananas! ?

But blush is just blush. Nothing more, nothing less. And there’s something comforting about that.

Here are some of my faves from Stila I’ve been having fun with this summer…

Convertible Color in Peony and Gerbera, $25 each

This creamy blush blends seamless gradients and dries to a satin finish, all while adding soft, translucent color to cheeks. My pick for tanned and darker skin is Peony, a brownish rose, which I adore and have been wearing a ton for 5-minute makeup looks. If your skin is lighter than mine, try Gerbera, a rosy peachy pink.

Complete Harmony Lip & Cheek Stick in Sheer Gerbera, Sheer Lilium and Sheer Peony, $26 each

Like the Convertible Colors, these twist-up cream sticks can be worn on cheeks and lips. They’re like a less expensive NARS Multiple, but much sheerer ($26 vs. $39), so if you’re into barely-there, natural-looking cheeks and lips and a matte finish, they just might be your new favorite thing.

stila swatches summer faves — My skin tone (for the official makeup record) is NC42

Double Dip Suede Shade & Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Camera Ready, $24

I’m a little obsessed with this long-wearing cream shadow duo, which comes with a velvety matte purple on one side and a glittery purple on the other, because it’s one of the fastest ways I know to do an easy colorful look. Start by sweeping the velvety matte from your lash line and fading up toward the crease and brow bone. Then push the glitter toward the base of your lashes before coating them with mascara. Takes all but five minutes!

creamy dreamy purples side view glitter — I’m wearing Camera Ready on my lids, Peony on my cheeks and lips, and Magnum Mascara on my lashes!

Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Bronze, $32

Creamy and soft to the touch (so easy to blend with just fingers!), this golden bronze highlighting powder lights up skin with a warm, shimmery glow.
[Continue reading…]