Stila

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.
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Product Spotlight: Stila Peony Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream

August 12th, 2020 by Karen 7 Comments

stila peony blush — Stila’s creamy, dreamy blush doubles as a lip color.

Are there actually peonies on Stila’s $25 Peony Convertible Color cream blush?

Hmm… Don’t those flowers on the lid kind of look like succulents?

Inquiring minds want to know! ?

stila peony blush closed — Perhaps they are succulent peonies…? (Thank you, I’ll show myself out.)

This brownish pink cream blush has a matte finish that is faboo for video calls. When I sweep it on the apples of my cheeks, which I just do, BTW, with my fingers, it instantly warms up my face with a delicate, translucent rosy brown flush. If you like a natural cheek look, both on camera and in person, I think you’ll like it as much as I do.

It feels like a non-sticky (unlike some cream blushes), practically weightless cream concealer, except it comes in a pan (think Laura Mercier Secret Concealer or MAC Studio Finish concealer), so it’s thin and creamy.

stila peony swatch — I’m an NC 42 in MAC, and Peony looks like a brownish rosy pink on my skin.

I love that it isn’t incredibly obvious on my skin either. It just adds a little color to liven things up without looking like I went through makeup heavy lifting.

Added bonus: Peony doubles as a lipstick (and, I suspect, could also work as an eyeshadow). In this pic I’m wearing it blended on my cheeks and tapped lightly on my lips.
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Glam on the Go: A Creamy, Dreamy Purple and Gold Look With Big, Bushy Brows

August 7th, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

Note to self: stop overcomplicating things, both in life and in makeup! Because sometimes taking the easy route is actually, well…easier. And sometimes it turns out better than you expect!

I did the *least* complicated eyeshadow placement in this eye look, and I ended up liking the final result so much that I can’t wait to wear it again (I might do it again today, ha!).

creamy dreamy purples eyes closed — See the sparkles on the upper lash line?

How to do creamy, dreamy purple and golden bronze lids with a smattering of sparkle

Here’s what I did:

I started with a layer of matte purple cream liner as a base with a satiny bronzy gold blended directly on top.
Then, I rimmed my water lines with a creamy warm brown eye pencil and buffed a little bit of it from the lash line to my crease, and on the outer third, for a subtle hint of depth.
Next, I pushed a bit of glittery cream shadow onto the upper lash line, whacked some mascara on my lashes, and that’s it. DONE!

UD Brow Blade is the best

If you’re into bold brows, my brows are epically bushy — again, with minimal effort! — thanks to Urban Decay’s brilliant Brow Blade. Have you tried it? If you want to exert minimal effort but get maximum bushiness, it’s the way to go.

First, apply the twist-up pencil to fill in those sparse spots. The pencil acts like an anchor/base, so that when you layer the liquid pigment from the felt tip pen on top, it has something to grab onto. Super fast, super easy and super bushy.

creamy dreamy purples open — Pandemic hair, don’t care.

Effortlessness of creams

Gotta give a shout-out to the cream bronzer, highlighter and blush (which also doubles as a lipstick) on my cheeks and lips, because, like the eye makeup, blending happened in a flash. I did everything with a single brush!

I also love how cream face products look on skin because you can’t really see the makeup sitting on top of your face. If you’re going for the whole “Is she or isn’t she wearing anything?” kind of vibe, creams are great for seamless, effortless makeup.

Now that I think about it, the only powder I used for this look was a subtly illuminating setting powder I lightly tapped on specific parts of my face (cheeks and the center of my forehead). An illuminating powder is great to have around if you want to set your cream blush, bronzer and highlighter without altering the color or finish. The trick is to find a powder with a finish that’s closer to a sheen or a satin, rather than a full-on frost. A powder with a sheen or satin finish is less likely to pool up in your pores and highlight them.

creamy dreamy purples smile — Smile and the whole world smiles with you. 🙂

This is definitely making it into my 15-minute-look rotation.

Makeup worn in this look

EYES
Stila Liquid Eye Shadow in Camera Ready, upper lash line
Stila Glitter & Glow in Camera Ready, outer corner
Stila Magnum Mascara, lashes
Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Bronze, crease
MAC Costa Riche
Urban Decay Brow Blade
MUFE Ultra HD Y42

CHEEKS
Nudstix Nudes in Bondi Bae
Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream in Peony
Hourglass Vanish Highlighter in Champagne

LIPS
Stila Convertible Color in Peony

BASE
Kevyn Aucoin Concealer Medium EC06
First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Smoothie Primer Moisturizer
Stila Illuminating In the Buff Powder Spray

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ???

Summer Glam on the Go! Coral Lips and Peachy Bronzed Lids

July 15th, 2020 by Karen 10 Comments

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 2 — Today’s summery glam on the go!

The other day, when I was wearing this makeup, I ran into my neighbor, and she asked if I was going anywhere special, to which I replied, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, “I’M GOING TO SPORTS BASEMENT!”

You know the bar for your entertainment is set reeeeeeeally low when you dress up like you’re going to fancy brunch on vacation, but in reality you’re going to a sporting goods store to look for weights…

Oh, the pandemic stories we’ll have to tell! ?

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 4 — A summery color palette

This summery look has a few of my favorite warm-weather shades — coral and bronze! — and looks fancy, but it’s very easy to do. It also feels light and weightless, which are must-haves when the temperature’s rising.

This look has three distinguishing features — long, lifted, lush lashes; warm, peachy bronze lids; and luminous skin.

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 5 — Streamlined and summery makeup

1. Primer on the outer lashes

To make your lashes look longer and more dramatique, coat your outer lashes with a lengthening lash primer before loading them up with mascara. This creates a lush lash effect without the time and effort of falsies.

2. Bronzer is your buddy for glam-on-the-go eyes

Bronzed eyes are a summer staple, and while you could always search your makeup collection for that perfect shade, why not save yourself a little time and swish your favorite bronzer on your lids instead?

Here, I layered a warm golden tan bronzer atop a satiny peach cream shadow…

3. Define your lash line with brown and black eyeliner

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: gradients are your friend.

This brown-into-black eyeliner gradient on the upper lash line is subtle, but I think that’s the beauty of it.

Start by lining your upper and lower waterlines with a matte brown pencil. Then, draw a thin line on your upper lash line, and smudge the outer edge of that ever so slightly.

Add depth to the gradient by etching a very thin line of black liquid liner along the top lash line.

Added bonus: the black liner also creates the illusion of a thicker lash base!

Flexible face oil

You probably already know I’m a fan of customizing foundation — mixing in a few drops of concealer for added coverage, or adding a few drops of liquid highlighter for a luminous effect. Well, here’s another one to try: blend a drop or two of face oil into your foundation to dial down the opacity of your base. This trick is handy for applying base to sections of the face where you want more of your natural skin to peek through, and it’s what I did here for my forehead and the outer edges.

Fastest updo

If your hair is crazy from quarantine, and you’re tired of rockin’ your fun bun, gather it into a high pony, and secure it into small sections with tiny hair ties (I like these. Three bucks at Ulta!). You can keep the hair ties bare, like I did here (I think the shiny effect looks like jewelry), but if you want to boost the sophistication factor, cover up the ties by wrapping a small piece of hair around each one and securing it with a bobby pin.

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 1 — See the shine from the hair ties?

Makeup worn in this look

I listed everything on my visage below, so please feel free to ask about any of these products in the comments. ?
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When In Doubt, Red Lip It Out

December 10th, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

stila beso 121019 current uniform — Standard-issue #OOTD

Big kisses to you, Stila Beso, for always being there for us makeup lovers who apply lipstick at the last minute in the car using the rearview mirror before dashing into work. You make it easy to look like we, ya know…actually had our act together. LOL.

Friend, I predict that this could be your new default matte red lip color (if it isn’t one of your faves already), because Beso is opaque. Beso is smooth. Beso has a lovely liquid-y texture, and it starts off creamy and slick. It eases along lips and around edges, so you definitely don’t need a lip liner.

Basically, it’s completely devoid of the bad kind of drama.

I had three massive cups of coffee before putting this on yesterday, in the car (we’re working longer hours at the bakery this month because of the annual holiday cupcake rush), and even though my hands were vibrating at a high frequency due to all the caffeine, I was still easily able to paint this lip in under a minute.

Say what?!

Yes, you get a bright red matte lip that moves as you smile and laugh through your day (I hope). This particular lip lasted through the making of 600 sugar cookies.

And if you’re prone to lip flakes like I am, fear not, because this lippie also won’t dry out your lips.

You can pretty much wear anything on your eyes with Beso, too. It’s a very cooperative color. I whipped up this matte taupe lid with the Viseart Neutral Palette without much thought and just went with it.

stila beso 121019 eyes — When you do your eye makeup in a blur…

I usually wear Beso with some type of neutral eyeshadow, but it also works well with colorful lids.

In fact, we have a holiday sprinkle mix at the bakery that we’ve been using on glazed sugar cookies… It’s a mix of bright red, green, purple and teal sprinkles, and I think the color palette would totally work for a makeup look — teal, blue and purple on the lids with a red lip.

I’m not 100% sure I could pull it off in a wearable way (can totes see it going unintentionally crazy), but hey, you never know till you try. 🙂

Other (somewhat) important items of note

Since I was the first one at the bakery yesterday in the back of the house, I got to choose the music…so we bumped ’80s hits all day long (we’re also catering an ’80s party, so I felt it was appropriate).

I heard so many songs I hadn’t heard in ages!

I don’t know why, but I’m consistently shocked by how much I’m moved by Phil Collins songs…

Who the heck is Billy, anyway?

Even after all these years, I still have NO idea what this song is about…

If you can break down Sussudio for me, I would really appreciate it… He’s talking about a woman with an unusual name that he has a crush on, right??

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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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Stila Stay All Day Cover Powder Finish Foundation & Cream Concealer

September 26th, 2017 by Karen 3 Comments

stila stay all day cover powder finish foundation concealer honey 8 packaging — Matte AND full coverage!

If James Bond’s tech team also made beauty gadgets, one would look like this. To the untrained eye, this doohickey may appear like a run-o-the-mill stick foundation, but flick the top and voila! — a hidden concealer. 🙂

Stila Stay All Day Cover Powder Finish Foundation & Cream Concealer ($36 and available now at Stila and Ulta) is for girls and guy who are committed to a full-coverage glam face beat, and it’s like getting three products in one, because the creamy, matte stick foundation dries to a matte powder finish, so you’re kinda-sorta also getting a setting powder.

Both the foundation and its peachy partner-in-crime satin-finish under-eye concealer cover everything, including post-pimple pigmentation, freckles, sunspots and under-eye circles. It comes in 16 shades, too.

Now, being a 40-something-year-old gal who loves natural-looking coverage and is brutally picky about concealers and face powders (I don’t like cake-y face makeup), I was skeptical about this at first, but turns out I like it a lot.

It lasts a solid eight hours and makes my skin look super smooth. I won’t wear it every day, though, because it feels heavier than the face makeup I normally wear, but if you like full coverage and don’t want your foundation to move, Stila’s got’chu covered.

stila stay all day cover powder finish foundation concealer honey 8 open — Sadly, a chunk got stuck to the cap when I opened it. 🙁 But see the secret concealer in the cap?

stila stay all day cover powder finish foundation concealer honey 8 before after — Before and after Honey 8, which looked like it would be a tad too light for me, but these oxidize a step. It looks a little light, yeah? But shortly after I took this pic, the foundation had oxidized about half a step, so it ended up being darker than it is in this pic.

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Stila One Step Primer Preps, Primes, Conditions and Smooths Skin

September 25th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

Is there a more science-y looking primer than Stila One Step? Seriously, I don’t think so. It’s got that double helix-looking DNA thing swirling around in the bottle, which is kind of cool.

Stila’s moisturizing primer

So, Stila has a bunch of different face primers. I know there’s one for illuminating and one for color correcting, but One Step is their moisturizing, smoothing water-based primer.

The clear liquid surrounding the helix is a combination of water and other moisturizing ingredients. The primer contains a mix of vitamins and 15 botanicals, buuuuuut the plant extracts are mostly all down near the bottom of the ingredient list, which is just something to keep in mind.

I’m not completely sold on this primer’s hydrating power… I have combination skin, and I don’t really feel like this primer does much for my dry spots. (Side note: If you want straight-up hydration, check out MAC Natural Radiance.)

Stila One Step Primer: Ingredients
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Sodium Chloride, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Disodium EDTA, Phytantriol, Hexylene Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Dextrin Palmitate, Palmitic Acid, Octyldodecanol, Stearic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Lysine, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Montmorillonite, Illite, Kaolin

In case you don’t know primers from pancakes

Primers are applied after your skin care but before your foundation, and a lot of brands carry a number of different primers designed to help address different skin issues.

Generally, though, they all smooth the skin by filling in your pores and fine lines to make the products that you apply on top of them appear smoother and last longer. Many primers, like this one from Stila, use silicones to fill the dips and valleys on the surface of the skin.

TECHNIQUE TIP: After I apply primer, I give it a couple minutes to completely dry before I layer anything else on top, because when there are wet spots, my foundation or concealer won’t adhere very well to those areas.

I don’t wear primer every day, because I don’t think I need it if I’m just going out to buy a loaf of bread, but when I’m going to be meeting someone for lunch, or taking certain kinds of pics for MBB, then yeah, I’ll make the effort, because primer makes a night-and-day difference in terms of smoothness and wear time, especially on my cheeks.

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