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A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

How to Cover Up Dark Circles For a Wedding, Prom or Party with MAC Cosmetics Studio Finish Concealer

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Dark Circle Trubs, Volume 5,472

I suffered through a really bad bought of insomnia a few weeks ago, and my dark circles were extra terrible. My regular concealer, MAC Select Moisturecover, just wasn’t gettin’ it done.

My friend Jen’s wedding was right around the corner, and I didn’t want to show up looking like death warmed over. I needed serious coverage, and I needed it fast.

MAC to MAC

I spoke with Michelle, a lovely MAC makeup artist at a nearby counter, and told her what I needed…

  1. Complete coverage for my dark circles.
  2. Something that wouldn’t make my skin look ashy under flash photography.
  3. Something that would last a full 10 hours and wouldn’t look cakey.

She suggested three MAC products: MAC Fast Response Eye Cream, MAC Studio Finish Concealer and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.

MAC Fast Response Eye Cream

MAC Fast Response Eye Cream ($28.50) is a lightweight, moisturizing cream that smooths fine lines around the eyes and provides a better surface for the application of concealer.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

MAC Studio Finish Concealer ($15.50), a very concentrated cream, straight up covers everything — dark circles, pimples, moles, tattoos and even birthmarks! I have it in the shade NW 25.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Pressed Powder


MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural sets the concealer, helping it stay put all day long. It’s a low coverage (read: sheer) pressed powder and won’t look heavy or cakey applied around the eyes. My shade is Medium.

The MAC Concealer Triple Play Performed Great on the Day of the Wedding!

My circles stayed hidden all day long (and lawd knows they were still there!), and I think my makeup still looked natural in the pictures.

How to Cover Up Dark Circles for a Wedding or Big Event Using MAC Cosmetics Studio Finish Concealer

When applying MAC Studio Finish Concealer, lighting makes a huge difference. The product’s very pigmented, and I tend to over apply it in poorly lit rooms (like my bathroom at home), so applying the product in a space that gets good natural light yields the best results.

I begin the process with MAC Fast Response Eye Cream, applying a few dots under my eyes and patting them into the area with a fingertip until they’re thoroughly absorbed.
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Benefit the Overnighter: Covering Your Bum Since 2008!

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Being married, I’m gonna wager a guess that I wasn’t in Benefit’s target market for the Overnighter Set ($38).

Designed for life’s “unexpected sleepovers,” (I think the technical term is booty call, haaay) it comes with four pieces of mini-makeup and a cute pair o’ drawers.

Even the happily betrothed/attached can still appreciate a cute pair o’ drawers.

Speaking of drawers, these are frilly black and magenta and made by Hanky Panky. If you’ve never heard of Hanky Panky before … you need to remedy that ASAP, girl. I think they make the most comfortable bum floss EVER! They’re one of those gifts that keeps on giving.

This set is all about flirty wordplay. Take the Justine Case (“just in case,” get it?), for example, designed to keep all your booty call booty safe and sound, LOL! — perfect for the single and ready to mingle. 🙂

But what about the makeup?
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MAC Infatuating Rose Face of the Day: Pink with Indigo Liner

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OMG! I forgot to mention the minor traumatic incident I had this morning while I was doing my hair — I found a gray hair that looked exactly like a crunchy cellophane noodle.

I kid you not. It was all dry and twisty… UGH!

Everyone in my family goes gray early (I’ve been getting gray hairs since my teens), but this was the first time I’d ever found one of these. How precious.

After plucking it out, I flailed about the bedroom for a few minutes, desperately searching for something to help me forget what had happened.

And that’s when I thought of MAC. I decided to do this playful pink and purple eye with eyeshadows from the MAC Cosmetics Infatuating Rose: 6 Cool Eyes palette ($38).


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With Pop Beauty Cat Eyes Liners It’s Good to Be Catty

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OBSESSION ALERT! Pop Beauty Cat Eyes Liners ($16) make applying eyeliner easy and, well, kinda fun.

Slanted like the tips of calligraphy pens, these three three highly pigmented pencil liners are built to hit the right angles for slick cat eyes (think Amy Winehouse pre-hot mess).

  • Black Dahlia: matte deep plum
  • Black Olive: matte kahki
  • Black Onyx: matte blue-black

I heart them all. The colors are vibrant, the liner creamy, and the formula doesn’t tug at my lids. I found them easy to use and appreciated the design once I got the hang of ’em (and once my Sephora homegirl Jenny helped me out).


From left to right: Black Onyx, Black Dahlia, Black Olive

How to Apply Pop Beauty Cat Eyes Liner

Knowing where to place the pointy end of the liner is key…

I start by placing the liner parallel to my lash line with the pointy side of the liner positioned closest to my nose.

Then, with the flat side flush against my skin, I use short strokes to draw a line across my upper lash line, thickening the line as it moves toward my ear.

I prefer a very subtle flick at the end of the line. To get it, I continue to draw the line just slightly upward when I get to the end of the lash line. If you want a bigger flick and a more dramatic cat eye look, keep extending the line upward a little more.

All done. 🙂


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Nicole Kidman: Her Best Hair?

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Since her breakthrough role in 1989’s Dead Calm, Hawaii-born Australian beauty Nicole Mary Kidman has changed hair styles more often than Madonna’s changed accents. Here are some of the styles she’s worn over the years. No. 5 in the middle is from Australia, costarring Aussie cutie Hugh Jackman.

Which of Nicole's hairstyles do you like best?

View Results

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Curly Hair Tips

Nicole’s been sporting straight blond hair a lot lately, but her natural hair is light red with curls. Love your curly locks with these 4 tips for curly-haired gals.

  1. Look for a stylist who specializes in cutting curly hair. To see the natural shape of the hair, curly hair needs to be cut wet. Try layering, but avoid going too short, otherwise you risk poofy hair!
  2. Use your fingers to comb through your curls, rather than a brush.
  3. Have a few anti-frizz products (try serums or gels) to keep frizz away.
  4. Naturally curly hair is usually more fragile than straight hair, so air dry your hair to minimize damage.

Are you gonna watch Australia? I’m going to try to see it this weekend. I like Baz Luhrmann’s film making style (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Strictly Ballroom).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Benefit Cosmetics 24K Sexy Gold Set: Blingin’ It Down for the Holidays

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I can appreciate the over-the-top-ness of gold grills and pimp cups as much as the next girl, but I don’t always want my gold makeup all blinged out, ya know?

That’s where the new 24K Sexy Gold Set ($32) by Benefit Cosmetics comes in. It delivers frosty golden sparkle without going over the top.

The three-piece limited edition set comes with a lipstick, loose gold powder and a cute mini-purse…

24K Sexy Gold Lipstick: A moisturizing, frosty golden lipstick in hawt metallic packaging, this baby washes lips in warm bronzy-gold. I like to wear it with a layer of MAC Clear Lipglass on top, but I think it’d look wonderful with warm pink or red lipstick shades, too. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

24K Nugget Shimmering Loose Powder for Eyes and Face: This shimmery pale lemon-gold is quieter than I expected. It almost looks like a neutral beige with tiny flecks of blue and green glitter on my lids. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

Gold clutch pouch with 24K logo: I’m going to fill this soft, small zippered pouch with lipstick and gloss to take some of the pressure off my heavy duty purse, aka the over-the-shoulder turkey holder. My only wish is that it had its own wristlet… Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A


From left to right: 24K Sexy Gold Lipstick, 24, Nugget Shimmering Loose Powder for Eyes and Face

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The $256 Olay Giveaway! Drawing Wed., Dec. 10

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UPDATE: The contest is closed! I’ll be notifying the winners shortly. Thank you for entering! 🙂

I love Olay. I’m a big fan of the line. Over the past 10 years I’ve probably gone through about 20 bottles of Oil of Olay Complete for Sensitive Skin SPF 15! 🙂

Did you happen to catch the Oprah show on The Science of Beauty a few weeks ago featuring Dr. Oz and Paula Begoun? They discussed some of their favorite beauty products, and among the products given props were two from Olay — Foaming Face Wash and Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum.

Some of my favorite Olay…

What do ya say to Olay? Is winter making your skin go nuts? Would you like to try some new beauty products?

The $256 Olay Giveaway!

Get your skin in shape this winter with products from Olay. Enter the giveaway by signing up to receive my updates by email or by leaving a comment on this post (or both!). If you’re already signed up for the updates, you don’t have to do anything else to be entered to win — you’re already entered — but you can double your odds by also leaving a comment on this post (a comment about anything at all).

The Prizes

Two winners will each receive $256 in Olay face and body products…

  • Olay Regenerist 14-Day Skin Intervention ($25)
  • Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream ($25)
  • Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum ($19)
  • Olay Regenerist UV Defense Regenerating Lotion ($19)
  • Olay Hydrate & Cleanse Micro-Bead Cleansing Serum ($8)
  • Olay Spa Exfoliating Ribbons Body Wash ($4)
  • Olay Quench Deep Moisture Body Lotion ($8)
  • Olay Definity Night Restorative Sleep Cream ($28)
  • Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion & Peel System ($25)
  • Olay Definity Anti-Aging Eye Illuminating Treatment ($25)
  • Olay Definity Anti-Spot Treatment ($28)
  • Olay Foaming Face Wash ($5)
  • Olay Mascara and Makeup Remover ($9)
  • Olay Total Effects UV Moisturizer with Touch of Foundation ($19)
  • Olay Total Effects Revitalizing Cream Cleanser ($9)

How to Enter

There are two ways to enter the giveaway, and you can do both of them to double your chances to win.

  1. If you haven’t already signed up to receive Makeup and Beauty Blog daily email updates, then enter your email in the pink box below (or click this link).
  2. If you have already subscribed to the email updates but want to double your chances of winning, add a brief comment at the bottom of this post (be sure to use a valid email address).

Enter your email address:

I’ll choose the winners at random from among the people who enter by 11 PM PST on Wednesday, December 10. The contest is open to all US and international readers. GOOD LUCK! Err, I should say, OLAY!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Congratulations to Indian Girl for winning last weekend’s Sedu Revolution Styling Iron giveaway!

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Dec. 8

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Lisbon, 2005

  1. Mood:

    2. Contemplative.

  2. Craving:

    3. Portuguese food.

  3. Lipstick:

    4. Benefit 24K Sexy Gold lipstick.

  4. ____ makes me happy:

    5. Getting all my laundry done…

  5. ____ makes me b*tchy:

    6. Eating less refined sugar…

  6. Blush:

    7. Benefit Coralista (yes, I’m on a Benefit kick).

  7. Highlight of my weekend:

    8. Spinning class on Saturday morning! I haven’t been to one in ages.

  8. Eyeliner:

    9. MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.

  9. Brows:

    10. MAC Concrete Eyeshadow applied with the mighty MAC 266.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. To not cry and/or freak out about all the work I have to do this week, to eat less sugar (grrr) and to go to spinning class on Tuesday AND Thursday.

What do ya say we make this week a good one? I’m game if you are. 🙂

To do the Monday Poll, just copy the empty list below, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
Craving:
Lipstick:
____ makes me happy:
____ makes me b*tchy:
Blush:
Highlight of my weekend:
Eyeliner:
Brows:
Weekly Goals:

I can’t wait to hear how you’re doing. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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