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

Chanel Eclosion Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme Lipstick and Boy de Chanel Brows: Bright Lips and a Beret

January 6th, 2021 by Karen 10 Comments

chanel Eclosion swatch jan 2021 — Bonne année!

I was going for a little French girl flair today, hence the beret. Admittedly, I’m also wearing it because I didn’t feel like dealing with all the stray, crazy baby hairs sticking out of my head at every angle this morning…so I just covered them up, hahaha!

I need more berets in my life.

chanel ecolsion swatch jan 2021 — I love this type of makeup look!

What, exactly, is French girl chic? To me, it’s easygoing yet elegant — makeup that isn’t heavy-handed or harsh, so no severe contouring or bladed brows or big spiderweb falsies.

I’m here for it!

Actually, I’m here for any makeup at all, LOL! I didn’t wear much over the holidays, and it feels good to get back into it.

Here I’m wearing bold but basic lips with just a single lipstick, softly defined eyes, a light cheek flush and a sheer base.

Most of the products I’m wearing are Chanel (French girl vibe and all), with a couple of the pieces from the new Chanel Spring-Summer 2021 collection.

chanel ecolosion primtemps — Today’s color palette

First is a bright, velvety matte reddish coral lipstick called Eclosion. It’s a lightweight, pigmented lipstick that feels so smooth and soft on my lips; however, despite being full coverage and matte, it does transfer a little, so if you’re going around kissing things, including humans, dogs and cats, you’ll leave lipstick marks all over the place.

The highlighter I’m wearing on my upper cheekbones is the lighter peach shade from the Fleur de Pritemps highlighter/blush duo. It has a lovely subtle, satin shine and works well with peach and coral blushes, which leads me to Malice blush… Good ol’ Chanel Malice! If you wear warm peachy coral blushes like MAC Melba well, you will LOVE this satiny blush. It’s part of the Chanel permanent collection and looks fantastic with most lip colors. I’ve been wearing and loving it for years.

Last, but certainly not least, the brows! I’m wearing a bolder brown than usual, thanks to Boy de Chanel in Deep Brown, my new favorite brow pencil. It’s from the Boy de Chanel sub-collection, which is marketed as makeup for dudes, but ya know…you won’t turn into a pumpkin or anything if you’re a lady and use it, LOL! I like it because the pencil isn’t too soft and creamy and therefore has a good wear time, and I also like how pigmented it is. Good stuff!

Makeup worn in this look

Eyes: Chanel Tisse Vendome Quad (light brown shade on lids, dark brown shades on lash lines), Chanel Espresso Waterproof Eyeliner, Bite Beauty Upswing Mascara, Chanel Boy de Chanel Eyebrow Pencil in Deep Brown
Cheeks: Chanel Malice (blush), Chanel Les Beiges in No. 50 (bronzer) and Chanel Fleurs de Printemps (highlighter)
Lips: Chanel Eclosion Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme Lipstick
Base: Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter in Tan set with Chanel Loose Powder in Translucent 3 (foundation and powder), Estee Lauder 24Hr Hydra Prep Concealer in Medium Deep Warm and Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural Concealer in EC06

Speaking of berets…

I’m still hoping to find a dark reddish purple beret in a secondhand store one of these days!

One of my favorite Prince songs

Dare to dream!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

It’s a CeraVe Jamboree! Hydrating Facial Cleanser Handles Dry Skin Like a Champ ?

January 5th, 2021 by Karen 14 Comments

cerave hydrating facial cleanser — A staple in my skin care routine

This month I’ll be highlighting skin care products from CeraVe, a most-excellent drugstore brand. It’s a CeraVe jamboree! Kicking off the series is a facial cleansing all star — Hydrating Facial Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin.

Things that are common knowledge…

The third cat is always — always — the gateway cat. ?
The second bottle of CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is the gateway bottle.

I’m living proof of that second one, as this is my second bottle of CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, and I just placed an order for a third and fourth!

In my defense, the fourth bottle will remain on standby for when the third one runs out… Yes, it’s that good. All I have to say to my dry skin is HA! Take that. ?

cerave hydrating facial cleanser ingredients — Ingredients

I have combo skin, so it’s dry in some spots and oily and acne prone in others. I also have quite a few anti-aging and anti-acne products around the house, so my skin is constantly being exfoliated by retinols, acids and benzoyl peroxide… It’s a lot, but this cleanser keeps my skin happy. With it, my skin never gets too dry and never feels painful due to all of the other business happening to it on a daily basis.

WHAT IT IS: An unscented, hydrating, creamy and non-foaming facial cleanser for normal and dry skin.
IT’S MAIN JOB: To keep the skin barrier (the outermost layers of your skin) happily hydrated using a time-released formula containing ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
HOW IT HANDLES MAKEUP: It easily removes light layers of makeup, but I do a double cleanse (as in wash once with this product, then repeat again) just to be extra sure. As for removing long-wearing makeup and/or sunscreens, I recommend using an oil-based cleanser or eye makeup remover first before following up with CeraVe Cleanser.
WHAT’S IT SIMILAR TO: If you’ve ever used Cetaphil cleanser and loved it, CeraVe’s is similar in the way it feels and how gentle it cleanses. That said, CeraVe’s cleanser is more moisturizing. With the Cetaphil cleanser, I always have to follow it up with a layer of moisturizer, which I don’t feel the need to do with the CeraVe one.
WHO WILL LOVE IT: Someone with dry or combo skin, or someone who uses a number of anti-aging or anti-acne products.

CeraVe on sale at Ulta

A big 16-oz. bottle with a pump is $15.99 at Ulta, and right now they’re having a buy-one-get-one-40%-off deal.

Don’t sleep on this one, queen!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 659

January 4th, 2021 by Karen 50 Comments

words for 2021 — Three things I’m striving for in 2021

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. Your favorite green vegetables? (Yes, you can name more than one!)

Broccoli (you can do so much with it), spinach (like broccoli it’s super flexible), bok choy, napa cabbage and green beans.

2. Something you plan to do this year when “this is all over”?

First thing on the list is to invite my parents and brother over to spend the night so we can all just chill, eat pizza and watch a couple movies.

I’ve also decided that once the world starts really and truly opening up again, I’m going to wear sequins everywhere. All over the damn place. To the grocery store, to the library, to the park. SEQUINS EVERYWHERE!

3. What mascara are you wearing these days?

Bite Beauty’s new one has been in the rotation as of late.

4. Eyeliner — pencil or pen?

Pencil liner. That way I can also wear it on my waterline. ?

5. Lipstick — crayon or liquid?

Crayon!

6. Where do you go if you have to buy someone (or yourself) a birthday cake?

There’s a bakery in town called Creekside that makes a delicious, light-as-air vanilla cake with whipped cream and strawberries. YUM! They’re my go-to for birthday cakes.

7. How good are you at hemming pants?

Well…not good at all! You’d think it would be a skill I’d place a high priority on since almost every pair of pants I’ve ever owned has needed to be hemmed, but alas, no.

Mind you, I can make a borderline functional hem in a pinch… Borderline though.

8. When was the last time you built a snowman?

I honestly haven’t a clue. It may have been sometime in the early 2000s? I vaguely recall going someplace snowy with El Hub early in our relationship and being very grumpy while we were there because I was so cold, LOL!

9. What’s your signature makeup look?

Some variation of smokey eyes with a nude lip, but that might change in 2021! You just never know.

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. Your favorite green vegetables? (Yes, you can name more than one!)
2. Something you plan to do this year when “this is all over”?
3. What mascara are you wearing these days?
4. Eyeliner — pencil or pen?
5. Lipstick — crayon or liquid?
6. Where do you go if you have to buy someone (or yourself) a birthday cake?
7. How good are you at hemming pants?
8. When was the last time you built a snowman?
9. What’s your signature makeup look?

P.P.S. Hi there! I hope your morning has been going great, my beautiful friend. Sending you a warm hug and a high five. We’ve got this! ?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 640

January 3rd, 2021 by Karen 4 Comments

Glamour-puss. Diva. “It cat.” Tabs wasn’t simply a trendsetter. He was a kitty supermodeling savant, a feline fashion icon and the cat kingpin of kitty accessories.

But Rosie is no slouch when it comes to cat style, and she’s been feelin’ herself lately. As you know, she’s more academically oriented than Tabs was. She holds PhDs in astrophysics, mathematics, biology and mechanical engineering, among other disciplines, but ever since she started working for Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, she’s been expanding her horizons into kitty modeling.

Dr. Rosie

Last week she 3D printed this solid gold digital calculator pendant so she can perform her calculations on her walk.

The only thing is, the bling is attracting unwanted attention from cat ne’er-do-wells, like the shifty individual Rosie noticed hiding underneath a truck…

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Saturday Surfing, Jan. 2, 2021

January 2nd, 2021 by Karen 4 Comments

waterfall hike novato — Happy Saturday ?

Hi, friend. Happy Saturday! I’m taking extra time to spend with the fam-bam this weekend before the rhythm of regular life returns, so short-and-sweet Saturday Surfing today.

That top pic, by the way, is how we spent our first day of 2021. In the great outdoors! We hiked up to the Fairway Waterfall in Novato along Buck Gulch Trail. It’s a family-friendly, easy hike about 2 miles there and back, so just purrfect for a leisurely stroll.

On this journey, we encountered a fairy garden (moss-covered rocks), an enclave of rock giants (big boulders), a raging river (dry creek bed) and an enchanted waterfall. ?

Pat McGrath is the first makeup artist in history to be awarded a damehood from the Queen!
A brief look at the history of makeup used as a means of protest and power.
Fifteen products from indigenous-owned beauty brands.
Keep an eye out for these five small-batch Bay Area beauty brands!
The inventor of the Clarisonic has come out with a new skin care gadget.
Here are the skin care products one clinical chemist, who formerly worked for SkinCeuticals, swears by.
What happens when you fall in love with “a cheating cat”? Inquiring minds want to know…
This cafeteria in Taipei feeds stray kitties.

We are Siamese, if you please.

You know I love a good deal.

This looks fun.

We can make it if we try.

A throwback fave!

OK, so now I want a rebounder…

How was your New Years, by the way?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Happy New Year ✨??

January 1st, 2021 by Karen 6 Comments

Happy new year, my friend. You made it! I’m starting 2021 with love in my heart and hope for good times to come.

Sending you hugs and hope on this beautiful day!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for Your Body and Face: Highly Recommended for All My Alligator People!

December 31st, 2020 by Karen 9 Comments

OK, so the packaging for CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ($18.99 for a 16-oz. jar) is a bit…clinical, and it isn’t particularly schemxy, which is why, if you aren’t in the know, you might end up passing it by, but let me tell you…this jar is a gem! It’s a drugstore miracle for My Fellow Alligator People because it’s so, so moisturizing.

My skin gets dry and itchy this time of year, and this actually keeps my face and body completely moisturized. I can’t even count how many jars I’ve finished. It’s so good! — even arguably the best moisturizer I’ve ever found for super dry-skinned peeps.

The formula is chock-full of hydrating ceramides and hyaluronic acids — ingredients thirsty skin loves — but I think most of the heavy lifting is based on how the ingredients are delivered. The fine folks at CeraVe found a way to time release the moisturizing power slowly over the course of 24 hours, so your skin is constantly receiving hydration all day (and night) long.

Developed with dermatologists, Moisturizing Cream for Normal to Dry Skin has a unique formula that provides 24-hour hydration and helps restore the protective skin barrier with three essential ceramides (1,3,6-II). The formula also contains hyaluronic acid to help retain skin’s natural moisture.

With ceramides 1, 3 and 6-II

Hyaluronic acid to help retain skin’s moisture

Non-comedogenic

Fragrance-free, non-irritating formula

–ulta.com

cerave moisturizing cream ingredients — What’s inside

The thick, rich cream melts right into my skin the moment it hits it. Plus, it’s unscented, so my current favorite fragrance, Lancôme Idole, remains front and center stage.

I use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream on my knees, elbows, shins, feet, hands and cuticles… Heck, even my friend Jane over at Daly Beauty swears by it as a face moisturizer. I usually get the jar that comes with a pump, but it’s also available with a regular ol’ screw top.

Oh, and if you like to save money (um, who doesn’t?), CeraVe has a coupon right now for $4 off any of their products.

So, yeah, this stuff kicks dry scaly skin’s boo-tay! I have to warn you, though — it just might be a CeraVe gateway product. The Moisturizing Cream opened the doorway for me to several other CeraVe loves, including the Hydrating Facial Cleanser, Renewing SA Cleanser, Skin Renewing Night Cream and Healing Ointment. Half my bathroom is now filled with CeraVe, and I’m not mad about it.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Our plans tonight involve chillin’ at home, watching movies and eating bread! Yup, I made a brioche in my new bread maker yesterday, and it turned out pretty good — soft and a little sweet, with a slightly yeast-y tang.

It’s delicious!

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Hanging With the Chanel Les Fleurs de Chanel Spring-Summer 2021 Collection

December 30th, 2020 by Karen 8 Comments

Maaan, I gotta hand it to Chanel. They have a knack for releasing righteous reds that are preternaturally easy to apply.

How do they do it?!

I didn’t even need a lip liner or lip brush for Pivoine Noire, the matte berry red I’m wearing in this look. It’s an LE shade in the new Les Fleurs de Chanel Spring-Summer 2021 collection, and yes, I can’t get over the fact that we’re talking about a spring/summer release.

I applied it freehand without much thought, straight from the tube.

chanel pivoine noire — Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme in 136 Pivoine Noire, a dusty berry red

Now I’m wondering if I could apply it while driving a car like Jessica Chastaine’s character does in Ava in the opening scene. She’s a soldier-turned-assassin, and with one hand she opens a tube of what I’m pretty sure is a Chanel lipstick and proceeds to flawlessly apply a layer of dark burgundy while racing down the freeway.

It’s impressive!

chanel movie lipstick — A novel way of opening a Chanel lipstick while prepping for a nefarious deed…

I wonder if I could do that… Survey says, “probably not!” LOL!

This new collection is inspired by spring blooms and warm pink, red, rose and coppery brown hues, and it lands on counters and the Chanel website next month (which starts this week!). There are lots of finishes — matte, metallic and satin — in various levels of coverage.

Here are some notes on the items I’m wearing…

The powder blush/highlighter duo

The coral-pink blush lays down a sheer flush of luminous color, so if you like blushes that don’t scream “Look at me! I’m obvious!” you might like it. I also love the finish on the peach highlighter. It’s a soft eggshell shine similar to the Hourglass Ambients. No bling-bling highlighter here.

The matte red lipstick

On the opposite end of the coverage spectrum is this gorgeously opaque matte berry red. Chanel’s Velvet Extreme formula applies flawlessly and glides along the skin without tugging, but it’s not too slick to easily control. Basically, it’s suuuper smooth, and it smells and tastes like rose hard candy.

The metallic mascara

The coppery bronze color actually shows up on dark lashes, which is super cool (colorful mascaras rarely show up on my lashes), and the Le Volume de Chanel formula delivers the thick, dramatic lash look the line is famous for. If you’ve got lighter lashes, the effect will probably be more dramatic and flattering than it is on me. On me, I think the color tends to make my eyes look smaller and more hooded than a standard-issue black mascara…

chanel metal terracotta mascara — My black lashes actually look terra cotta!

The Chanel Les Fleurs de Chanel Spring-Summer 2021 collection includes…

FLEURS DE PRINTEMPS Blush and Highlighter Duo
An Exclusive Creation powder duo with a satiny peach highlighter and luminous pink coral blush. Embossed
with a floral motif. Use the included brush to sweep the blush onto cheeks and the highlighter onto center of
forehead, tops of cheekbones, brow bones and Cupid’s bow. Limited edition. $70.00

LE VOLUME DE CHANEL Mascara
Now in a limited-edition rose-copper shade, the innovative mascara adds a colourful touch to lashes. The
CHANEL-exclusive brush and volumizing formula help achieve greater length and thickness in a single stroke.
$32.00

ROUGE ALLURE VELVET EXTRÊME Intense Matte Lip Colour
Introducing limited-edition berry red and warm coral shades of the extreme matte lipstick. The intense
longwearing formula glides on smoothly and doesn’t dry out lips. $40.00

ROUGE ALLURE LAQUE Ultrawear Shine Liquid Lip Colour
The new ultra-intense, ultra-longwearing satin shine liquid lipstick in a limited-edition metallic aubergine shade.
The creamy, fluid texture applies easily and wears comfortably, while the special doe-foot applicator ensures precise,
even results. $40.00

LE VERNIS Longwear Nail Colour
The high-shine nail colour features carefully selected pigments for even application and lasting wear. Available in 3
new shades: a soft peach, a light raspberry red and a metallic red. $28.00

AVAILABLE ON CHANEL.COM AND AT CHANEL BOUTIQUES: JANUARY 2021

AVAILABLE AT DEPARTMENT AND SPECIALTY STORES: FEBRUARY 2021

Adventures in bread making

So, I made my first 1-1/2 pound loaf of French bread in my new Cuisinart bread maker yesterday!

Isn’t the loaf cute? It was a test loaf. It’s pretty small, enough for about four sandwiches.
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