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

Saturday Surfing, Dec. 5, 2020

December 5th, 2020 by Karen 10 Comments

rosie-polipstick swatch a thon mug coffeese-lipstick-swatch-a-thon-mug — I’m obsessed with her orange marbling! Lipstick Swatch-a-thon Mug.

Hello and happy Caturday! Rosie sends her regards (along with a healthy dose of torbie-tude.) I am SO EXCITED to drink coffee today because I’ve recently discovered the joy of half-and-half. Seriously, what cave have I been living in? — because half-and-half is where it’s at!

I used to be a whole-milk-in-my-coffee girl, but lately I haven’t been liking how the milk takes over, so I can’t taste the coffee in the background. With half-and-half, I can still get the coffee flavor along with the cream. I’ve been doing a splash in my coffee in the morning (about two tablespoons), and my life is forever changed.

lipstick swatch a thon mug coffee — GET IN MY BELLY!

While I dive into this cup (SO GOOD), go ahead and grab your morning beverage o’ choice, because it’s time for this week’s reading.

If you were looking for a few new words to use this weekend, here are some good ones to try: vamoose, crapulous and canoodle.
There is a burgeoning field of research in the reconstruction and preservation of scent. Scientists, historians and cultural heritage specialists are working together to catalogue the smells of our times — particularly those that may disappear in a few decades.
Speaking of scents…historians, scientists and perfumers are using AI to capture what Europe smelled like between the 16th and early 20th centuries. (Apparently, it was kinda stinky!)
In case you’re just as obsessed with The Crown as I am, here are 14 fun facts about Princess Diana’s wedding.
A cat may soon be moving into the White House. I wonder if it’s going to have stripes? I would love to see a “First Tabby.”
Will somebody PLEASE buy this bed with a cat maze inside?

THIS IS SO GOOD!

A Sunday kind of love on a Saturday

I’m on a Cerave kick right now.

Feel-good music

When I think about Connor in the future as a young woman in the world, I watch videos like this one.

Whatcha got on deck today?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Wearable Glittery Pink Lids and Lips | MAC Extra Dimension Foil Eye Shadows | Tips for Wearing Pink Shadow

December 4th, 2020 by Karen 4 Comments

mac explosive chemistry — Playful pink! Shirt: Long Live Lipstick Tee

Ya know…sometimes you just need to wear a little pink glitter to go with your pink cat socks!

The glittery pink on my lids is MAC Explosive Chemistry from the new super sparkly Extra Dimension Foil Eye Shadow line of intensely shiny glittery powder shadows in a foil base.

I’ve been playing with ’em and have consequently figured out a few things…

The MAC Extra Dimension Foil Eye Shadows

Ditch the brush. If you want to take advantage of the glistening, gleaming foiled finish, use your fingers to apply them. Not brushes. Because brushes end up just pushing the shadow around and mellowing out the highly reflective finish.
Skip the setting spray, too. I’ve tried applying these shadows wet to test if they look shinier (with a finger sprayed with setting spray), and it makes absolutely no difference in the payoff. You really don’t need that extra step!
And while you’re at it, pooh-pooh the primer. Typically, with a bold foil or glitter, I’d reach for a primer to help the sparkles stick to my lids, but this formula doesn’t need it. It happily sticks to bare skin.

Sale alert!

If you’re interested and want to save a few bucks, FYI, I hopped on the MAC site yesterday and found out they were marked down from $21 to $12.60. Only the red, silver and white with multicolor pearl are still available, but I would keep checking back because you never know if and when they’ll restock more.

The Foils are also on sale on the Nordstrom site for $17.85. Macy’s has them on sale for the same price as well! Last time I checked, Explosive Chemistry was available on both Nordstrom and Macy’s.

Tips for wearing pink eyeshadow

I know you’re probably thinking, “When am I EVER going to wear a warm pink glitter on my lids?” but listen. You *can* do it in a way that is daytime friendly and super wearable, and all you have to do is…

Sweep a warm orangey brown matte or satin shadow into your crease to counter-balance the flashy glitter. You could do something like MAC Soft Brown or Saddle. Your favorite bronzer will work too (mine is MAC Give Me Sun, which I’m wearing here).
Swap your standard-issue black liner with a brown. It’s softer than black, yet yields a similar effect by defining your lash and waterlines.
Summon your concealer. I’m a huge advocate for skipping under-eye concealer when you can, but with pink shadow, I don’t think that’s an option. Pink shadow can sometimes make you look like you’ve been crying, and wearing concealer helps to lessen the effect.

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC42 mixed with Strobe Cream in Pink Lite
CHEEKS: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Give Me Sun (bronzer) and Hourglass Diffused Heat (blush)
EYES: MAC Explosive Chemistry Extra Dimension Foil Eyeshadow (lids), MAC Costa Riche liner (lash lines), MAC Coco Bar (upper lash line), Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara (lashes), MAC Give Me Sun (crease), Urban Decay Brow Beater in Neutral Brown (brows)
LIPS: MAC Edge to Edge Lip Pencil with Cerave Healing Ointment

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF to the extreme!

What Makeup Colors Currently Scare (or Used to Scare) the Living Crap Out of You?

December 3rd, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

Right now, nothing makeup-wise really scares me, and I’ll try any color — lip, cheek, eyeshadow, whatever. I’ll try it at least once… Black lipstick, red eyeshadow, you name it, I’ll give it a go, but I do have to say that red eyeshadow was absolutely terrifying when I first started using it. There were many, many failed attempts, and more than once I ended up looking like a I had been crying for weeks! It took me a while to figure out a few tricks to make it work (layering it with a bronze liner, or wearing a black pencil on the waterline really helps).

Now I’m more comfortable with it and feel like I can kinda-sorta pull it off.

That said, is red eyeshadow my first choice for colorful eyes? No. It is not. Gimme a jeweled purple or blue any day! But I do at least feel like I kinda-sorta know what to do with red.

How about you? What makeup colors currently scare (or used to scare) the living crap out of you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Two-Ingredient Smokey Red-Bronze Eyes | Totally Wearable and NOT Crazy!

December 2nd, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

mac teddy nub — Every MAC Teddy I’ve ever owned ends up looking like this! (Sweatshirt: Thank You For Being a Friend)

Can I get a whoop-whoop from my friends out there who have worn MAC Teddy down to the nubbiest of nubs?!

I was using this teeny, tiny stub yesterday and couldn’t help but laugh because I have been to this rodeo many times before. I grind and grind that pencil down until, one day, I look and realize, “Oh! I should probably replace it soon because I can barely hang onto it with two fingers.” HA HA HA HA!

MAC Teddy liner is a rockstar for a multitude of reasons (LET ME COUNT THE WAYS), but one standout for me is how well it layers with copper and red eyeshadows. That bronzed brown just werks with copper and red shades.

You can keep it easy-peasy lemon squeeze-y by lining your lash and/or waterlines with Teddy and then sweeping your copper or red shadow on your lids.

Or, optionally, you can do what I affectionately refer to as “sandwiching,” which is when you layer Teddy underneath and on top of a shadow for a smokey eye. I think it’s a surefire way to make even the craziest colors wearable.

The shadow I’m wearing here is MAC Firewerk the Room (from the new holiday collection), and it’s a straight-up red. On its own, it’s borderline bananas, but layered with Teddy it magically transforms the look into a wearable daytime smokey eye.

Start by buffing a layer of Teddy on your lids with a finger before sweeping a little Firewerk the Room (or any other red shimmery shadow) directly on top. Then buff with your favorite eyeshadow brush to feather out the edges.

Finish by lining your lash and waterlines with MOAR TEDDY, and don’t forget your mascara!

mac firewerk the room smile forward — Blanche, Dorothy, Rose or Sophia?

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC42 mixed with MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite, Estee Lauder 24HR Concealer in Medium Deep
CHEEKS: Hourglasss Radiant Bronze Light bronzer and Diffused Heat blush
LIPS: MAC Subculture Lipliner with Nuxe Lip Balm
EYES: Urban Decay Brow Beater in Neutral Brown, MAC Clear Brow Set, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara, MAC Firewerk the Room eyeshadow, MAC Teddy liner
CLOTHING: Here’s my sweatshirt!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A 10-Minute Glittery Neutral Makeup Look With the MAC Frosted Firework Holiday Collection, Swatches on NC42 Skin, AND HORSES!

December 1st, 2020 by Karen 15 Comments

My new motto for the next few weeks, months and possibly years is to “wear glitter, and wear it everywhere, because you never know when the world will unexpectedly grind to a halt because of a pandemic.”

(Hmm, that probably won’t translate well onto a bumper sticker…)

One of the coolest things about the new MAC Frosted Firework holiday collection IMO is the oh-so-sparkly Extra Dimension Foil Eye Shadows ($21).

I’m wearing a few things from the LE launch in this — peachy nude glimmer Sparktacular, along with a highlighter used as a crease color, a dual-ended pencil liner, and a lipstick and lipgloss.

I think you’ll like it if you’re into the shiny stuff. Sparktacular and the other Foils have a soft powder base that feels almost like a cream, and they’re packed with small- and medium-sized pieces of glitter. I think the easiest and best way to apply them is to load a clean finger, then pat or gently swipe it across your lids (this minimizes the fallout, and the pressure from your figure intensifies the glossiness). The result is the wet, shiny, glossy effect I have here on my eyes.

Some might say it’s a tad too dramatic for dropping off and picking up a four-year-old from preschool, but heck, it’s 2020. If we can wear pajamas everywhere, we can do whatever we want with glitter.

Crazy for horses

Ever since Connor rode a horse for the first time last month, we’ve all been a little horse crazy ’round here.

Over the holiday break, we went hiking at the Indian Valley Preserve, one of our favorite spots in town, in the hopes that we’d spot a horse on a trail, and we did!

Say hi to Jiminy…

We also said hello to a few of the horses who live at the stable down the street.

The gold horse was a little obsessed with CoyCoy and kept staring at her like he knew her! My guess is that he knows a special little girl, and Connor reminded him of her.
[Continue reading…]

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 654

November 30th, 2020 by Karen 26 Comments

hello monday november 30 2020 — It’s a good day!

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. Best thing about my day so far: ________.

Frankly, the best thing about my day so far has been the coffee! I bought a bag of Trader Joe’s Light Roast coffee for the first time in ages and forgot how good it is.

Mmm… It’s mellow, very little bite, which is perfect for me because I’m a coffee wimp. I don’t need to be challenged by my morning beverages, but I digress… I’m drinking it with a splash of half and half, and it’s absolutely delightful. ?

2. Pick one — I [LOVE/LOATHE] surprises.

LOVE

3. In my spare time, I ________.

…wonder why I don’t have more spare time. LOL!

4. I’m very picky about ________.

…eye makeup brushes, Thanksgiving side dishes (I can’t do stuffing or mashed potatoes out of a box, or gelatinous cranberry sauce out of a can), liquid foundation, oranges, underwear, socks, jeans, dental floss, pasta, hair ties, face lotion and writing utensils.

Seriously, this could go on FOR DAYS.

5. I’m not picky about ________.

…plastic sandwich bags, dryer sheets and canned beans.

6. The first three places I’d like to visit when all of this is over are ________.

1) My mom and dad’s house
2) Kauai
3) The Rotunda at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco for high tea (it’s temporarily closed, so hopefully they will eventually open up again)

7. Baggy sweat pants or the Reeboks with the straps?

Baggy sweat pants!

8. My current hair essentials include ________.

…scrunchies and anything by Odele!

9. My current makeup essentials include ________.

…ALL OF TEH EYE PRODUCTS, but especially brow pencil and mascara.

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. Best thing about my day so far: ________.
2. Pick one — I [LOVE/LOATHE] surprises.
3. In my spare time, I ________.
4. I’m very picky about ________.
5. I’m not picky about ________.
6. The first three places I’d like to visit when all this is over ________.
7. Baggy sweat pants or the Reeboks with the straps?
8. My current hair essentials include ________.
9. My current makeup essentials include ________.

P.P.S. Happy Monday to you, my friend! I hope your day got off to a calm and peaceful start. Give yourself a hug for me, and if you can, take a few minutes to play in the fallen leaves. It’s GREAT for the soul, I promise. ?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 635

November 29th, 2020 by Karen 2 Comments

There were a few months — a very brief window — when Tabs was just, like, checked out and burnt out from kitty modeling, and he actually packed up all of his things and headed to big sky country in order to pursue cowboy life.

Yes, it’s totally true! I guess I should’ve become suspicious when he had me play Bon Jovi’s acoustic version of Dead or Alive on repeat for three weeks straight. Next thing you know, I’m ordering cowboy boots, 10-gallon hats and elaborate belt buckles (which, believe me, are not easy to find for overweight tabby cats).

Don’t ask me why I was so shocked when he announced one day that we were moving to his ranch in Montana.

To be honest, I actually really loved it there. I liked being off the grid, and I appreciated Tabs’ affinity for horses. Looking at him, you wouldn’t think he was a horse cat. I mean, he was all soft paws and immaculately groomed fur, but he got down and dirty, man! Ranch life suited him well.

There were a few instances when I could have sworn he was communicating with his ponies telepathically. I asked him about it once while we were cooking beans out of a can over a campfire, and he said that he felt a deep camaraderie with the horses. He admired their inability to be tamed.

Obviously, we came back to the Bay Area. His tech companies kept calling, and the fashion people eventually found us, so he had to return to real life, and so did I.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, Nov. 28, 2020

November 28th, 2020 by Karen 7 Comments

Is it just me, or does today feel like the third Saturday in a row? ? MAN, sure is nice to have some time off. I love Thanksgiving week!

I’m about to head out soon for a hike at the nearby College of Marin Indian Valley campus and to play “soccer” with li’l bean on their field. I say “soccer” in airquotes because I don’t really know anything about actual soccer at all, because I grew up majorly Asian, and our equivalent of playing soccer was playing piano (seriously, everyone I knew did it), but CoyCoy really seems to enjoy kicking the ball around, so that’s what we do. It’s fun.

Oh, regarding the gluten-free cheddar garlic biscuit/mini scones recipe I mentioned on Thanksgiving, I’m going to whip up another batch this weekend (twist my arm, why don’t ya?!) and take some pics and notes along the way. Then I’ll post it later this week. That is, if I don’t pass out from butter and cheese-induced ecstasy, HAHAHA!

Onto this week’s reading…