Unsung Heroes

Unsung (Hair) Heroes: Revlon Essentials Maximum Hold Extra-Thick Elastics

July 10th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

revlon maximum hold extra thick elastics — If you have thick, heavy or otherwise wild, unruly hair, these will make you believe in unicorns (again).

My stylist buddy Alis likes to joke that I have enough hair on my head for three people (although, for the #officialmakeuprecord, I don’t have as much hair as I did pre-baby), but it’s not all kittens and rainbows, because having a decent amount of hair comes with its own challenges, like destroying every single hair elastic within striking distance.

When I’m putting my hair up in a ponytail, most elastics either break, or get stretched out so far that they look like the granny panties you should’ve thrown out THREE YEARS AGO (but still continue to wear when you’re on your period), and are thus rendered utterly and completely useless.

There’s also the whole “ponytail falling out while I’m merely existing” thing, which is a pain.

At HIIT class last week, I decided that enough was enough. I. Am. Done. Pulling up my ponytail every third burpee or switch lunge.

DUUUUUDE…Revlon has this little packet of miracles called the Maximum Hold Extra-Thick Elastics, which just changed everything in one fell swoop. It’s the strongest, thickest, sturdiest and most bass-@ass hair elastic I’ve ever worn.

Normally, I have to double-up elastics to keep my hair from falling all over the place, but in last night’s HIIT class, I used just one — ONE! — and my ponytail stayed perfectly in place through 60 minutes of intense jumps and sprints. Not once did I have to readjust.

When I took off the elastic before showering, I noticed two things. First, that my ponytail was in the exact same place it was when I first put it up. Second, that the elastic wasn’t stretched out at all. Not one teeny, tiny bit.

I also can’t get over how affordable they are. Three bucks for 15 of ’em!

So, so, good, you guys!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Chanel Mat Taupe Is Dope! Chanel STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Mat Taupe

June 27th, 2018 by Karen 24 Comments

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Who am I? What have you done with Karen? What’s happening to me? I don’t know why — whether some otherworldly entity has commandeered my body — but I’m having a majorly transformational moment with eyeliner right now, specifically brown eyeliner.

Actually, I do know why… Lately, whenever I look in a mirror, I feel like my eyes look even more exhausted than usual, and black liner makes it worse. Ironically, I used to almost exclusively wear black liner, and I LOVED it.

Then I discovered dark brown MAC Coffee.

MIND BLOWN.

It filled the same need that black liners filled — creating a thicker lash base, bigger-looking lids, defining the shape of my eyes — but didn’t look as harsh.

So…I just figured out that even lighter shades than brown, like taupe, can work like this too. And taupe. Is. Dope.

I’m super in love with this $33 liner from the Chanel Le Stylo Yeux line called Mat Taupe, which is — surprise! — a matte taupe. Like MAC Coffee, it doesn’t have red undertones, but it’s slightly lighter and less gray.

When I wear it to tight line and along my lash lines, it does ALL THE GOOD STUFF — defines my eyes, makes my lashes look thicker, etc. — but it’s even less harsh than dark brown.

For years, I pooh-poohed the idea of wearing brown liner because I thought it was boring (“Why wear brown when you could wear black?”), but now I get it. Now I know.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: NARS Deep Throat Blush

June 22nd, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

I realize that NARS Orgasm is widely believed to be the true tour de force of the NARS blush multiverse, and for sure, I totally get why so many people love it…but NARS Deep Throat to me is a far better peachy pink option. Hands down.

Like Orgasm, it looks incredible on a wiiiide range of skin tones, but it lacks Orgasm’s intensely golden pearl, which in this case is a good thing, particularly if you have pores — like I do.

I actually like that I can’t see Deep Throat’s golden shimmer unless I’m way up in a magnifying mirror. Most of the time, all you see is the lovely color.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana

May 31st, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

mac havana extra dimension eye shadow — Havana oh-nah-nah

Girl… One day. One day I’ll sit down, put on my makeup for the day, and NOT do a brown smoky eye.

But today was not that day. 🙂

I had to run errands, and I wasn’t about to spend 45 minutes on my makeup just to buy some Charmin, so I went with something I’m (very) familiar with. I had to go to the pediatrician’s office to get a form for Connor’s pre-school enrollment, and then hit Target to get an industrial-sized case of toilet paper because last night I realized that we only had four rolls left in the house — total — which amplified my anxiety by like a million percent, so out came one of my favorite brown eyeshadows in the world, MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana.

I think it deserves more love than it gets.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

mac havana swatch — Oh, my gosh! It’s a floating arm!!

Side note: whenever I say “Havana,” I think of that Camila Cabello song.

Havana, oh-nah-nah… La-la-la-la-la-la Havana oh-nah-nah…

That’s about the only part I know, LOL!

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint

May 4th, 2018 by Karen 15 Comments

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

ANNOYING FACTOID OF THE DAY: Ya know…I bought a $50 YSL face tint at the Sephora VIB sale, and I don’t like it anywhere near as much as Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint.

Grrr…

Hydro Boost is so, SO good. I started using it when it came out about a year ago, and I’ve been wearing it off and on ever since.

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned (a zillion times), I have combo skin. Some parts are dry, others are oily, and even though I’m a little irked that Neutrogena raised the price from $14.99 to $16.99 in that time, whenever I wear this stuff I remember why it’s one of the best drugstore foundations out there (right up there with L’Oreal True Match Lumi).

It feels like nothing at all, keeps your skin looking like actual, you know, human skin, and it looks just as amazing in pics as it does in real life, even outside on a sunny day!

As a tint, it starts off sheer, but you can build it up to medium. You can’t really push it further than that, though, unless you mix in a concealer (and, if you do that, I recommend Make Up For Ever Ultra HD because they blend very well together).

Hydro Tint has a natural demi-matte finish, so it reflects light ever so slightly, and it also has a slight pore-blurring effect. Very similar to the awesome (and more expensive) NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tints, but with a touch less coverage and a more moisturizing formula.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Burnt Spice

April 25th, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

mac burnt spice — Why do I keep smiling like a coy piano teacher? I do not know.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Burnt Spice… That name always cracks me up. I picture the (hopefully it didn’t actually happen, and if it did, I’m sorry) rejected member of the Spice Girls who got cut at the last minute and therefore did not experience worldwide fame and fortune. She still holds a grudge against Baby, Sporty, Scary, Posh and Ginger…

LOL.

Matte rosy brown Burnt Spice MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour adds just enough color to my face without overwhelming whatever else is going on, and it superbly complements smoky and winged eye looks IMO. And bright blush.

It reads as a nude on my NC42 skin #nudelipsforlife #nudelipsforever and may look more lusciously brown and dramatic if you’re a lighter lass.

mac burnt spice swatch — MAC Burnt Spice

MAC’s liquid lipsticks are some of my favorites out there because they don’t make my lips peel or crack. I thought I was the only person who was all about them for that reason, but nope! I was texting with my friend Jen, who’s really not even a hardcore makeup person like you and I are, a few weeks ago, and she said that she loves Topped With Brandy. The Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolours are the only liquid lipstick formula that doesn’t dry out her lips, and I was like, “Me, too!” And when a liquid lipstick formula can ignite zeh passion in someone who’s only marginally interested in makeup, you know it’s good.

That was my long-winded way of saying it isn’t drying. ?

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Mineralize Foundation/Loose

April 23rd, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

mac mineralize foundation loose medium dark before after — Seriously, what a difference 10-minute makeup can make!

This powder is So. Dang. Good.

I don’t think it’s as overall epic as MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, because that’s just… Well, it ticks off all the boxes, and I’m not gonna go there again because I know I talk about it all the time, so I won’t put you through that again. 🙂 But Mineralize Foundation/Loose provides more coverage than MAC Next to Nothing and MAC Blot, but less than MAC Studio Fix Loose. Basically, it has the same magical “your skin but better” mana that Mineralize Skinfinish Natural has, but with a tad more coverage.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

mac mineralize foundation loose — —–> Fantastic for when you need a quick base

Never cake-y, never heavy, never overly shiny or overly matte, it’s phenomenal at controlling oil (although, if you have an oil slick situation, by mid-morning you’ll probably do better if you use something like MAC Blot instead). The main difference between Mineralize Foundation/Loose and MSF Natural is the level of coverage, as the loose version is straight-up medium coverage, and the pressed version is sheerer, but still build-able up to medium.

Technically, it’s a foundation, and you can wear it by itself, which is really handy for quick makeup looks, but I also think it looks lovely on top of a sheer tint or a BB or CC cream.

I would love Mineralize Foundation/Loose even more if it wasn’t only available in seven bizarrely staggered shades. It’s just so wonky… MSF Natural comes in 17 shades, so what’s the deal with only seven shades of Mineralize Foundation/Loose? And the steps between the the shades make absolutely no sense to me. I’m a MAC NC42 and wear Medium Deep, but the next darker shade, Medium Dark, is like three shades darker than that and super orange.

I don’t get it, but I hope you find a match, because if you do, I think you’ll fall in love.

mac mineralize foundation loose medium dark — Wearing the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyehadow Palette, MAC Coffee liner, MAC Gingerly blush, MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Burnt Spice, and MAC Dazzleglass in Tangerine Tropica

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Urban Decay Urban Defense Complexion Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

February 28th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

Where do you fall on the face primer issue?

Well, it’s not really an issue… I mean, do you love ’em or hate ’em? Because it seems like most people are in one of the two camps. I don’t come across a lot of middle ground. Most folks either love face primers…or they don’t.

I love ’em, and I usually wear one daily, even if I’m just doing minimal makeup to take my cat for a walk. I’m not a huge fan of the extra step, but I’ve come to terms with the effort. It doesn’t take a ton of time for me to rub some primer on my cheeks and my forehead, and the payoff is smoother-looking skin, better texture and longer-lasting makeup.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

There’s no shortage of great face primers out there, but this one by Urban Decay is one of the best. It’s $34 Urban Decay Urban Defense Complexion Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30, and it’s clear, even though it has sunscreen in it, which makes it something of a makeup unicorn…because, as you know, primers that contain SPF often leave a noticeable white cast on the skin — especially tan skin and darker skin tones — and, frankly, it can be hella annoying.

Sometimes it’s really obvious, but I don’t see any white cast when I use this. It’s completely invisible, and that’s one of the reasons I like it so much.

This feels light, absorbs and dries quickly, doesn’t give me breakouts, and when I wear it under foundation, BB cream, powder, concealer — you name the face product — my skin just looks…better. Smoother. Oh! — and my pores look less aggro, LOL! I have combination skin, by the way (dry on my cheeks and oily in the T-zone), and this works well all over my face.

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