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A Soft, Springy Plum Look With Bronze and Mocha (and Warm Nude Lips)

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honest beauty get it together eyeshadow palette
Feels like spring!

I got an idea! I decided I’m gonna do looks with this eyeshadow palette from Honest Beauty all week long, and this first one — a soft, springy plum look with bronze and mocha — is firmly in my comfort zone.

I’m intrigued by this palette… I like the combo of cool and warm plums and browns. Plus, most of the shades are in that mid-toned range, which means that if you have a tan (like yours truly), there’s no extra trickery involved in getting the colors to actually show up on your lids!

Also, don’t laugh, but I also love that there’s a matte beige and matte black in the palette.

Is it weird to be thrilled by that? I dunno. Maybe. Probably. 🙂 But let me tell you — having both of them is convenient, because you can use either of them as an eyeshadow base or a liner. Or, mix them with the other shadows in the palette to lighten or darken them up.

Shoot, you could even mix together to make gray (also super handy).

Having both a black and gray shade on hand is so useful! I’m a little concerned about the pans being so close together, but eh, you know… When you’ve been to this rodeo before, you can make it work.

honest beauty get it together eyeshadow palette
The Honest Beauty Get It Together Eyeshadow Palette, $19.99

honest beauty get it together eyeshadow palette

honest beauty get it together eyeshadow palette

Makeup Worn in this Look

I ran out of time to do swatches because I had to get Connor’s birthday present — a hot pink scooter. She turns five next week (!), which means that 1) spring is right around the corner, 2) I’ve been wearing ill-fitting pants for half a decade (I really need to just bite the bullet and buy clothes to replace my pre-pregnancy wardrobe, which hasn’t fit in a long time), and 3) pretty soon I’ll be living with a kindergartner.

Birthdays in our neck of the woods also mean birthday lasagna!

lasagna from connors 2nd birthday
You know somebody loves you when they give you pasta for your birthday…

I got the idea to make birthday lasagnas from a coworker years ago. Her mom would make her a lasagna every year on her birthday, and I thought that was just the coolest thing ever. I promised myself that if I ever had a kid I’d do the same, and here I am, showing love through carbs and copious quantities of cheese. 🙂

Last year I made Connor cupcakes from scratch, but this year I decided to make it easy on myself and bought a confetti cake mix and frosting from the store. I’ve used Pillsbury mixes for brownies and liked the results, so I’m hoping this one turns out well too.

pilsbury gluten free funfetti
Let’s. Do. This.

Even though parts of the country are literally freezing, spring is getting closer, and the Easter/spring decor stuff is rolling out again, all of which I luuuuurve.

Girlfriend, give me a springy lemon print, and I am in HEAVEN.

Throwback to when this girl one was a tiny little lemon!

I spent a good chunk of last night putting ALL OF THE THINGS into my cart at Williams Sonoma because they have the cutest set of springy, citrus-themed dishes.

(Side note: did I ever mention that I have a thing for nice plates and table settings?)

This collection is called Citron, and I love everything about it.

Love the colors, love the botanical print vibes of the lemon drawings, love the graphic patterns on the plates with the leaves and the lemon slices, love it all. Don’t love the price, obvs (SO EXPENSIVE). But le sigh… This makes my heart sing for spring!

daffodil spring 2021
The neighborhood’s first official daffodil

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 666

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you will figure it out
Little steps, babe. Keep moving forward! I’m with you.

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. A city you love?

    I love a lot of cities, but today? Honolulu, Hawaii. I love the weather, the beaches, the vibe.

    MISS YOU, HAWAII! ?️?? Aloha nui loa!

    2. Lemonade, lemon bars or lemon pasta?

    Lemon bars, but only if I don’t have to make them. LOL!

    3. Big brows or big hair?

    Big hair for the win! — specifically ’90s supermodel hair.

    4. Pick one — lash curler or tweezers?

    Both are necessary objects, but I’ll go with the tweezers, because chin hair is no joke… I could get around the lash curler by using a curling mascara.

    5. Have you ever had your tarot cards read?

    I vaguely recollect someone reading my cards years ago…so yes?

    6. Head to toe denim — yes or no?

    I think if you break up the denim visually in some way, like by having darker pants and a lighter shirt, it can work. If you go too matchy-matchy though it’s a mess.

    7. Something you have a love/hate relationship with?

    UGH, Pilates (and all core exercises in general). I love how I feel when I’m done, but I hate really, really dislike how terrible I am at abdominal exercises now. I’m hoping I get better…someday.

    8. Blazer or cardigan?

    I would love a blazer because I feel like my closet needs one, but ya know…am I really going to wear a blazer to take Connor to a playdate? Or to sit around my house? I guess I’ll go with the cardigan then. One with pockets, please!

    9. Would you like fries with that?

    Yes, please, with the ketchup ON THE SIDE (I cannot stand having my fries doused in ketchup).

    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. A city you love?
    2. Lemonade, lemon bars or lemon pasta?
    3. Big brows or big hair?
    4. Pick one — lash curler, tweezers or nail file?
    5. Have you ever had your tarot cards read?
    6. Head to toe denim — yes or no?
    7. Something you have a love/hate relationship with?
    8. Blazer or cardigan?
    9. Would you like fries with that?

    P.P.S. It’s a new week, sweet friend, and I would like to remind you that you are loveable, and you have more to offer than you know. Be extra gentle with your soul this week, OK? ?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 647

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This week Rosie learned that space and fashionable style are not mutually exclusive.

She was very excited about the Perseverance landing on Mars last week and wanted to celebrate with a special collar commemorating the event.

You know Rosie; she’s normally all about numbers, and she’s a no-nonsense, no-frills kind of girl, so I was shocked when she chose this sparkly space rock-inspired pendant for our stroll around the neighborhood this morning. She and Connor pretended they were exploring the Martian surface. Of course, Rosie insisted on taking point. She was Mission Commander, after all.

They collected several Martian rock specimens for study, hoping to find signs of underground gravy. It was one small step for Rosie, one giant leap for kitty kind.

I would like to call special attention to the following photo. I know that Rosie doesn’t aspire to be a kitty model, but if anything were to indicate that she could work it like the best of ’em, like the legend — you know who — this pic would do it.

Look at those lashes! And that nonchalant intensity!

I swear I’m not trying to push her into any particular direction, but if somebody called to ask if she wanted to star in an upscale luxury campaign, I would have to sit down and have a serious talk with her about potential and it not being wasted.

Colonel Tabs, Astrocat/Supermodel

It’s a well-known fact that Tabs washed out early from the astronaut training program. I mean he was gorgeous, and he got high scores for his ability to connect with people on camera, but when it came to the actual science…let’s just say that numbers weren’t his strong suit.

He did star in quite a few space-related kitty modeling campaigns though…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, February 20, 2021

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tray of play food
YUMMY!

Good morning and happy Caturday, fellow feline-and-fabulosity aficionado! ??? Guess which lucky lady got treated to this delightful tray of breakfast treats this morning?! Chef Coco prepared this spread for me, and I gotta say…my family knows me pretty well because I love to start my Saturdays with a croissant.

How much do you wanna bet there’s a real café somewhere on this planet that serves French fries and bow-tie pasta for breakfast? I bet.


But can it beg for treats?


GET IT, MIMI!


Will somebody please pry these worn-out skinny off me and put me in these clothes, THX.


I can’t stop looking at her nails.


My fave Britney video…


Note to self…


A fighter’s mindset


One of the reasons I love Pilates: you don’t have to wear shoes.


Well, I think I found my next makeup project.

So, what’s for breakfast today? Whatever it is, I hope it’s tasty! Can I have some? ?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Lancôme Idôle Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara’s Got Lift and Length Locked Down When It Comes to WFH Chic

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lancome idole lash
Lancôme’s latest mascara lifts and fans.

Can we talk about how great mascara is for a minute?!

I mean, very few things survived The Great Makeup Culling of 2020 in my makeup bag. But mascara did.

I usually go for “all teh drama” (See: Bite Beauty Upswing, Laura Mercier Caviar) because I like my fringe brash and bold. I like volume, length, curl and all the drama for your mama, but if you primarily want length and lift, you might like Lancôme’s latest. It’s called Idôle Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara, and it’s $26.

It lifts, fans, curls and separates lashes with a cool curved brush and a lightweight gel formula that doesn’t make my lashes crunchy, clumpy or heavy.

I think it creates a lovely natural-ish lash look that really goes well with minimal makeup, like brows that a lightly filled in, sheer bases, soft blush tints and maybe a lipstick or balm. Think WFH chic.

If, however, you need more KAPOW in the same price range, check out Bite’s or Laura’s mascaras.

lancome idole mascara after
Wearing two layers of Idôle
lancome idole mascara before
The before!
lancome idole lash
Best for separation and length

Idôle is available now, and it comes in just one shade, Glossy Black. A full-size tube is $26, but they also have a travel-sized tube for $14.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!!!!

Honest Beauty Everything Cream Foundation and Honestly Bright Eyes Tinted Eye Cream: A Sheer Base and Concealer Combo for a Natural Look

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honest beauty cream foundation bright eyes tinted eye cream
Current sheer base situation: Honest Beauty Everything Cream Foundation and Honestly Bright Eyes Tinted Eye Cream

Connor Claire has been home with me this week for winter break, so I’ve been relying on these two base products from Honest Beauty because, if you’re in the mood for something cruelty-free and easy with very sheer coverage, check ’em out! They’re in the permanent line.

Honest Beauty Everything Cream Foundation, $21.99

This demi-matte cream foundation comes in a compact with a sponge, which you can use to sheer them out or build them up from sheer to medium coverage. As for myself, I have dry cheeks and an oily t-zone, and this foundation does really well on the oily patches. It also does well on my dry cheeks, as long as I keep it sheer there. When I build it up on dry skin, the formula latches onto any dry flakes.

I think if you are going to wear this strictly as a sheer base, you should be fine no matter what your skin type, but if you’re going for something with more coverage and you’ve got a lot of natural texture via flakes and whatnot, something like MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick would be a better.

Everything Cream Foundation is available in 12 shades:

  • Snow — fair, warm undertones
  • Shell — cool peachy undertones
  • Vanilla — light-tan with warm undertones
  • Bisque — light-medium with peachy undertones
  • Beige — medium with cool undertones
  • Camel — medium with warm undertones
  • Amber — medium-tan with cool undertones
  • Honey — medium-deep with neutral undertones
  • Almond — medium-deep with cool undertones
  • Cocoa — deep with cool undertones
  • Walnut — deep with neutral undertones
  • Espresso — deep-dark with cool undertones

I’m an NC42 in MAC, and Camel is my shade match in this line.

Basically, this stuff is fab if you have oily skin and like a sheer base, with the option of dialing up the coverage.

Honestly Bright Eyes Tinted Eye Cream, $23.99

This tinted eye cream is packed with hyaluronic acid and has a subtle pearly finish. It brightens your under-eye area but doesn’t look heavy and doesn’t exaggerate any fine lines. I’m at the point in my makeup life where under-eye concealer is a tricky subject…because if I put too much on, I end up looking older than I am, but if I don’t use enough, I look really tired… With this product, I get a good amount of brightening and coverage, and I can get there without the obviousness of traditional concealer. It’s genius! — however, there’s one MAJOR downside.

It only comes in two shades. 🙁 BOO. I’m wearing the lighter shade, Sandstone, right now, but by late spring and early summer, I’ll probably end up having to mix some Terracotta, the darker shade, into it.

The final verdict? This is really good, guys, especially if you’re in the 40+ camp like I am, and you don’t need your under-eye concealer to cover you like a thick blanket.

Just wish it came in more shades!

honest beauty everything cream foundation camel honey
The two shades closest to my tan skin tone (I’m an NC42 in MAC) are Honey and Camel. Camel is currently a better fit.
honest beauty everything cream foundation camel after
I’m wearing Everything Cream Foundation in Camel and Honestly Bright Eyes Tinted Eye Cream in Sandstone.
honest beauty everything cream foundation camel before
Obligatory before shot without any makeup!

honest beauty cream foundation bright eyes tinted eye cream

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

New Hair! (February 2021)

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new hair february 2021
Fresh chop!

I finally got my hair choppity-chop-chopped, and oh, my gosh! — the relief is palpable! After carrying what felt like a 10-pound wet dog on my head since early last year, I feel like a whole new person. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. All the “lly” words. It felt great to unload that reminder of 2020 for me.

I found a salon in my area that offers outdoor haircuts and made an appointment with a gal named Ariana Benoit (found her through a local moms group on Facebook).

One of the group members posted a pic of her layered lob after Ariana had cut it, and she looked so happy and cute. I always get a little nervous when stylists I haven’t gone to before cut my hair because I’ve have so many bad haircuts. Plus, pandemic. But I had to do something because the weight from my hair had been giving me headaches every day.

Even though everyone was masked up and taking precautions, to reduce the amount of time I’d have to be in the chair, the salon suggested I wash my hair at home and arrive to the appointment with it wet, so that’s what I did. I also double-masked and wore my glasses.

I brought a couple of inspiration photos with me to the appointment, with the idea that I would keep my hair long for now.

Truth be told, I’ve been a little out of my mind lately (I think I’ve hit the pandemic wall, le sigh), and although I was tempted to ask her to chop it all off, I didn’t want to do anything too extreme. It’s probably not the best idea to make big changes when you aren’t feeling emotionally super strong, ya know?

Ariana really took the time to see where my hair naturally wanted to part, then guided me through what realistically it would and wouldn’t do. She suggested going with a Bridget Bardot-style cut with curtain bangs so I could keep the length, yet drop the weight. The curtain bangs would also allow some softness around my face for when I need to throw my hair up into a bun or a ponytail (which is often).

new hair february 2021
Lots of layers and curtain bangs
new hair february 2021 pony
I wanted some softness around my face for the days when I wear my hair up.
new hair february 2021 pony
Ponytail action

I’m really happy with how it turned out, and I almost feel like myself again. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

This or That: The Eyeliner Edition

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bright eyeliner
It’s time to play!

How to play

Pick one or the other for each of the questions below, and copy/paste your answers in the comments. Can’t wait to see your picks! Mine are listed below. ?

This or That: The Eyeliner Edition

  • Wing or no wing?
  • Thin or thick lines?
  • Tightline — yes or no?
  • Black or brown?
  • Liquid or pencil?
  • Brights or neutrals?
  • Cream or gel?
  • Waterproof or non-waterproof?

Wing or no wing?

After being Team Wing FOREVER, I’ve been taking a sabbatical from wings as of late, and ya know what? It’s been fabulous! Mind you, wings don’t stress me out or anything…but not having to deal with matching the angle and the length of the wings has been one less thing to think about, and I’ve been really trying to keep things simple lately. I would even go so far as to say that skipping the wing has made me want to wear makeup again.

Thin or thick lines?

For everyday makeup, I’ll take thin please because I need all the mobile lid space I can get, and thick liner makes my hooded eyes look more hooded.

Tightline — yes or no?

TIGHTLINE ALL THE WAY!

Black or brown?

Brown. 100%.

Liquid or pencil?

Pencil. Super sharp!

Brights or neutrals?

Neutrals because I can do more with them (you know I’m all about the makeup basics). Plus, when I get antsy for color, I can just layer a bright on top of a black liner!

Cream or gel?

Gel because I like how they glide across my lids.

Waterproof or non-waterproof?

Right now, non-waterproof. Easier to remove, ya know?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen ?

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