Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

This Week’s Makeup and Hair Uniform: Monochromatic Makeup With a Casual Braided Crown

October 5th, 2021 by Karen 12 Comments

ilia multi use pigment — I’m wearing Ilia Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment in Temptation on my lids, lips and cheeks

Good morning and happy Tuesday! I’m trying a new makeup and hair uniform this week — monochromatic lids, lips and cheeks with a casual braided crown.

I used a multi-use cream by Ilia in a warm coral pink to easily pull the makeup together before a video meeting. Technically the cream is designed to be worn as blush and lipstick, but I decided to wear it as an eyeshadow just for fun. I see makeup artists doing this kind of thing all the time so I’m comfortable with experimenting, but ya know, you do you!

So, this hairstyle. I call it a “casual braided crown” because it’s one of those looks that’s supposed to be a little messy. I didn’t really realize just how messy it was until I took a pic of the back, OMG!

I just made this face when I realized the craziness happening back there…

Nobody on video calls actually sees the back of your head so I’m totally fine with it, but I’m seriously cracking up with how crazy it is, LOL!

Anyway, anybody else trying a “uniform” this week?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 698

October 4th, 2021 by Karen 18 Comments

have a beautiful week fall pumpkins sunflowers bus — Sending you sunshine, sunflowers and pumpkins on this gorgeous Monday!

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start. ?

1. You can never have enough (FILL IN THE BLANK).

Savings. True friends. Clean underwear. Lotion and hair conditioner. Honestly, this list could go on forever!

2. Someone you enjoy makeup/beauty shopping with?

My friend Marisol, because she’s into beauty, she’s fun and she also has great curly hair product recommendations for me! I also quite enjoy beauty shopping with the Coywolf. She asks a lot of questions, and it’s interesting to see what catches her eye.

3. Are you into the Beautyblender sponge?

Currently, not really. I loved it for blending concealer and foundation back when it first came out, but now I wear less base than I used to, so I don’t really need it. I’d rather just use my fingers and call it a day!

4. Something on your beauty bucket list?

I’d love to try Latisse someday.

5. Black licorice or jelly beans?

Ideally, neither, because I’m not a fan of either candy! If I had to choose, though, then jelly beans. The popcorn ones by Jelly Belly.

6. Least organized part of your life?

Connor’s toys, OMG! They’re all over the place! I try to organize and contain them with labeled totes and whatnot, but it’s a losing battle. In the end the Legos, stuffies and art supplies always end up taking over.

7. A simple thing you can do to make your life better today?

Drink a green smoothie! Oh, and go to bed early.

8. Something that simplifies your beauty routine?

Planning what hair and makeup I’m going to wear the next day. It takes the guesswork out of figuring out what to do at the last minute.

9. Your favorite type of apple?

Honeycrisp all the way! I also like Pink Lady apples for baking.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. You can never have enough (FILL IN THE BLANK).
2. Someone you enjoy makeup/beauty shopping with?
3. Are you into the Beautyblender sponge?
4. Something on your beauty bucket list?
5. Black licorice or jelly beans?
6. Least organized part of your life?
7. A simple thing you can do to make your life better today?
8. Something that simplifies your beauty routine?
9. Your favorite type of apple?

P.P.S. Hey there, my friend. Good morning and happy Monday to you! Here’s a big hug in case you need it today. I’ve got you, OK? 🤗 Have a lovely week, and take good care of yourself.

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 680

October 3rd, 2021 by Karen 3 Comments

Even though it was crazy hot this weekend, it still felt like full-on fall. There are leaves everywhere, it gets chilly and breezy at night, and people and cats are starting to put their Halloween decorations up.

As I’m sure you can imagine, Tabs never missed an opportunity to celebrate Halloween. For him it was an entire season, and it lasted more than a month. Sure, he wore costumes all year round, but he took it to the next level in October.

One day he’d be punk rocked out, the next he’d be decked out like a dinosaur.

Rosie

We put up some decorations already, and Rosie helped. She has a great eye.

She also loves fall and Halloween almost as much as Tabs did.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, October 2nd, 2021!

October 2nd, 2021 by Karen 3 Comments

G’morning, my friend! Happy first Saturday of October. Boo! 👻

I awoke to a bevy of breakfast treats this a.m. — hot coffee and a box of pastries from Rustic Bakery. El Hub goes first thing every Saturday morning so Connor and I can start our day with hot croissants.

I used to love making a big, fancy breakfast on the weekends, and I’m sure I’ll get back to that eventually, but for now I very much enjoy taking it chill. I think one of the most underrated joys in life is reading magazines on a weekend morning while having a buttery, yummy Meyer lemon croissant with coffee you didn’t have to make!

Side note: I don’t know why, but for some reason the act of filling the coffee maker and pushing the “on” button on Saturday morning is particularly brutal on my brain. Any other day of the week is fine, though.

Anywho, that’s what’s going on here this morning. I’m behind on my reading, so I’m catching up on the October issues of “Allure” (it’s their Best of Beauty edition) and “Real Simple.” I also bought this special edition of “Better Homes & Garden’s Meal Planning” because I’m getting so tired of scrambling to figure out what to feed the animals (specifically, El Hub and Connor) every night. I need help! I’m going to bookmark a few recipes that look good…

How’s it going for you this morning?

This week’s reading

Meet the ladies who are bringing back two iconic Black makeup brands.
The latest collection from MAC and an upcoming collab with the estate of Whitney Houston (how do we feel about this?).How to wear red the French way, according to makeup artist Violette.
In case you were wondering what lipstick Meghan Markle was wearing on the cover of “Time.”
Oh, speaking of French things, here’s what an American take on a French manicure looks like.
Shout-out to ferulic acid!
Does skin care made with gemstones actually do anything?
A dermatologist weighs in on how long you should wait between products when you’re layering skin care.

Fall fashion trends to try

Love this look

Feelin’ mellow

So, we’re heading to the Prozini pumpkin patch in Petaluma (gosh, that was a lot of “p” words) shortly just for fun. Anyone need a pumpkin?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Happy Friday, and a MAC Billion Dollar Smile

October 1st, 2021 by Karen 11 Comments

Hey, guys! Happy Friday to ya. I’m happy to report that this week’s makeup and hair uniform experiment was a success. I was afraid I would get antsy to try something different halfway through the week, but it was quite the opposite; knowing I already had a basic template to work from was, in a way, strangely freeing.

I especially looked forward to picking a lip color, and the one I wore yesterday is one of my favorites from MAC called Billion Dollar Smile.

Another thing I noticed was that as the week progressed, the liner got progressively bigger. I started off the week with the tiniest wisp of kitten liner and ended the week with a thick flick! LOL.

I’m planning next week’s “uniform” and am contemplating doing something like this crown braid.

And maybe perhaps pairing it with monochromatic makeup on eyes/cheeks/lips? I’m thinking fall tones, like warm orangey browns and whatnot. What do you think?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

A Hair “Uniform,” Answering a Foundation Question and a Friendly Reminder About This Hot Pink Lipstick

September 30th, 2021 by Karen 4 Comments

makeup uniform hair uniform candy yum yum — Hello, hair uniform.

Good morning, friend! How are you today? 🤗 I’m actually a little less frazzled than I was yesterday because of this glorious thing I stumbled onto called “a makeup uniform” (we talked about it the other day).

Which leads me to…

A hair uniform

In that post, I think I forgot to mention that, along with the makeup uniform, I’ve also been doing a hair uniform. To go with the bold lips and winged liner this week, I’ve been doing a simple low ponytail with a smooth side swoop. I think the structure of the hair works well with the makeup, and — bonus! — I can whip it out in less than five minutes.

[Continue reading…]

#FoundationFocus: Mostly Matte With a Subtle Pink Sheen Using MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 and Strobe Cream in Pinklite

September 29th, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

mac studio fix nc 42 k final look 2 — Natural-looking skin with a classic MAC foundation

This MAC classic foundation is still one of my favorites!

I threw it waaaaaaay back to the old school today with MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation.

C’mon, MAC girls, I know y’all went through a phase when you wore this for a minute. I know I totally did! It was my jam back in the day. I’m talking late ’90s, early 2000s. It was the first MAC Foundation I ever tried.

Oh, the trouble I got into while wearing this… So great. 😉

macfixfam — MAC Studio Fix Fluid — old school and effective!

Full-coverage matte MAC Studio Fix Fluid is THE foundation I think of when I picture classic full-on glam MAC makeup, but here’s the deal: it’s surprisingly flexible. You can easily change the look of it if you’re feeling creative, which is how I was feeling this morning after I watched this video with MAC Artist Nemah Hasan.

She mixes Studio Fix Fluid Foundation with Pinklite Strobecream…

So genius, right? Why didn’t I ever think to try that?

Anyway, it inspired me, so today I put my own spin on it. I did a mostly matte, skin-focused makeup look with a subtle pink sheen. I think it’s quite sheer and natural looking, which I’ve been loving lately.

Here’s how I did the foundation…

1. Prep your skin first by spritzing a few sprays of moisturizing MAC Prep + Prime Fix+.

LOL! I look like I just emerged from an ocean swim in this pic! My face is drenched. For the record, it’s not easy to take a self-portrait when you’re spraying your face with Fix+.

I do this to moisturizing my skin and make the foundation look smoother.

2. Prime your skin with MAC Prep + Prime Skin.

Today was my first time trying this smoothing face primer. The colorless formula contains tiny, seductive sparkles that I can’t really see once they’re blended in, unless I look very closely. I like it. It smooths ‘ze pores while delicately blessing you with radiance. Ah…

mac prep primes skin k — Don’t forget to let it dry before applying foundation.

3. Mix equal parts MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation and MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite.

mac studio fix strobe cream pinklight brush — MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 in NC42, MAC Strobecream in Pinklite, and the 190 Foundation Brush

Adding Pinklite Strobe Cream sheers out the Studio Fix Fluid a bit.

I wanted to keep the sheen on my cheeks and chin, so, when I was done with the foundation, I set my forehead and the sides of my nose with a little MAC Mineralize Slinfinish Natural in Medium Golden using a MAC 140S Synthetic Fan Brush.

mac 190 foundation brush — I mixed equal parts on the back of my hand.

mac studio fix nc42 k — Fingers work too, but I was feeling fancy today.

[Continue reading…]

Checking In: Creative Mascara Placement, a Makeup Uniform and Jones Road Beauty

September 28th, 2021 by Karen 18 Comments

mac fashion legacy winged liner coycoy — With my co-pilots!

I tried to take this picture by myself, but my sidekick and her sidekick (his name is Teddy, by the way, and he goes on all the adventures these days!) wanted in on the action.

Creative mascara placement

I realized a couple of makeup related things yesterday. Beauty epiphanies, so to speak. First of all, let’s talk mascara. Specifically, mascara placement!

I read somewhere that applying mascara just to the outer half of your upper lashes — and leaving the inner half completely bare — makes your eyes appear more lifted, because the thicker lashes draw all the attention to the outer corner. I tried it yesterday, and lo and behold, it totally works!

It’s a small tweak, and probably more obvious to people who love makeup, but I definitely see a difference.

It’s such an automatic habit for me to coat every single lash with mascara, though, so I don’t know how long I’ll keep it up, but I do like the effect. Try it! And then let me know if you see a difference.

A makeup uniform

I’ve decided to also try something new this week — a makeup uniform. I’m wearing a similar eye and cheek every day — blackish-brown winged liner, mascara on the outer half of the upper lashes and a wash of warm blush — with a different bold lipstick each day of the week. Yesterday was a warm bright red, MAC Fashion Legacy.

I really need to simply my mornings, and I think wearing a different lip with the same eye and cheek will provide me with some flexibility, while still giving me structure. I might be bored by Wednesday, but eh, I’ll try it anyway. If it works, maybe next week I’ll wear the same lipstick, and swap out different shades of bright winged linger.

Jones Road Beauty?

One last thing. I’m contemplating a few things from Bobbi Brown’s new-ish minimalist makeup line, Jones Road Beauty. Have you tried anything yet? I’m interested in the eyeliner (it won an Allure Best of Beauty Award), the Miracle Balm (although I’m not quite sure what it is exactly… A foundation? A blush? A bronzer?) and the Lip and Cheek Stick. If you’ve found anything good, please be sure to drop a comment for me below.

Have a good Tuesday, and talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen