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

Lipstick Lovers, Your Summer Wardrobe Needs This!

July 9th, 2020 by Karen 3 Comments

Good afternoon! Hi, friend. Happy Friday eve. You might already know this, but I have an online store (connorclaire.com) in addition to Makeup and Beauty Blog. It’s been a fun side project since a few months before Coywolf was born in 2016, where two of my favorite things — cats and makeup! — collide. Please check it out if you haven’t already. You’ll find some cute tees, bags and other things.

During this surreal, indescribably crazy time in history, I’ve had a chance to slow down a little, and that, at least, has been an unexpected gift. I’ve started to focus more on connorclaire.com again, which means a slew of new products coming atcha soon.

First up…a summery update on our bestselling Long Live Lipstick Tee.

This summery new version comes in a breezy white tank top now to keep ya cool on those hot summer days and nights!

It’s one of those shirts you’ll be wearing all season long.

I hope you stop by my little “corner shop” sometime soon. And if you’ve purchased anything from the store before, thank you so much for supporting this here small business! It means a lot to me. I’m excited to bring more cute cat- and beauty-related goodness to brighten your days and bring a smile to your face. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Bronzer Collection Swatches on NC42 Skin!

July 8th, 2020 by Karen 3 Comments

mac bronzer collection summer 2020 top pic — Bronzed and beautiful ?

Things that say, “Summer has officially arrived…”

The sun setting at 9 p.m.
Barbecuing on a random Wednesday night just because you can
Challenging someone to a sword fight with a pool noodle
Sweating buckets every time you walk from any air conditioning building to your car
The MAC summer makeup collection (of course!)

This summer’s MAC Bronzer Face and Body collection is all about bronzed shades for tanned skin, but there’s also a twist… It includes a plethora of shades designed for warm *and* cool skin tones.

Hot and cool

Sure, MAC stocked it with the kind of warm summery coral, gold, bronze and peach tones you might expect from a MAC summer launch, but this year’s collection also sports some surprising cooler-toned shades of taupe, pink and pale lavender in the Foiled Shadows (apply with a wet brush for a slick, foiled finish) and the Strobe Face Glazes (*very cool* gel-like highlighters you can wear over foundation or bare skin).

mac bronzer collection summer 2020 — Love the limited edition packaging!

mac bronzer collection summer 2020 foiled shadow — MAC Bronzer Foiled Shadows, $26 each

Silky, satiny bronzers

As for the bronzing powders in the Bronzer collection — be careful! — the velvety Radiant Matte Bronzing Powders will shock your fingertip if you swatch them (ME: “Why is this powder SO SOFT?!”), and there are absolutely no orange undertones in sight.

Totally Taupe, the darker of the two options, is brown with yellow undertones, and Beige-ing Beauty is a light yellowish brown (I’m an NC42, and I could probably wear it as a face powder).

Technically, they’re matte with a slight sheen, which keeps them from looking too flat on your face.

mac bronzer collection summer 2020 strobe face glze — 143SES Medium Face Face Brush ($38.50), Strobe Face Glaze ($28 each), Prep+Prime Fix+ in Bronzelite ($30) Strobe Body Lotion ($35)

mac bronzer collection summer 2020 radiant matte bronzing powder — Radiant Matte Bronzing Powder, $32

A refreshing take on highlights

If you’re totally over the trend of shimmery, frosty highlighters that are visible from space, then the dewy, shiny Strobe Face Glazes might be worth checking out. They’re dewy and shiny but not blindingly glossy. There’s just a little something-something there… I think it’s super cool.

They feel slightly sticky, like a typical face gloss, but don’t worry — your high pony won’t stick to your cheekbones once you pat and blend them in because they aren’t thick. On minimal makeup days, I’ll do a swipe of Bronzejour on my lids with waterproof mascara (waterproof is a must, since whatever the Glazes touch will break down and smudge eventually) and use Let’s Make Waves as an upper cheekbone highlighter.

Like most face glosses, Face Glaze isn’t built for longevity, so expect it to move a bit when it’s on your skin, and anticipate having to touch up every four hours or so.

mac bronzer collection summer 2020 lipsticks — MAC Bronzer Lipsticks, $20 each

mac bronzer collection summer 2020 lipglasses — Lipglass, $18.50 each

mac bronzer collection swatches lipglasses — Lipglasses

mac bronzer collection swatches foiled shadow lipsticks — Lipsticks

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Innisfree Mini Reviews! An Affordable, Wearable Korean Makeup Brand Blush, Highlighter, Lip Balm and Mascara

July 7th, 2020 by Karen 12 Comments

Well, hello there, $8 blush!

I’m really excited about Innisfree, even though I’ve only just discovered them. They aren’t exactly new. They’re a Korean makeup and skincare brand with some great deals. The products are made with ingredients from the protected island of Jeju, and they say that every product contains an average of 80% naturally-derived ingredients they source responsibly from the island… Sounds very mysterious. The brand name, Innisfree, is from a William Butler Yeats poem, BTW.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

Innisfree has a few freestanding stores here in the Bay Area, and they’re also available online and at select Sephoras across the US.

Here are a few of their products I’ve been using and loving…

My Blusher in Pink Coral ($8)

This one’s a sheer powder blush that doesn’t look or feel heavy. If you like sheer blushes like the ones from Clinique and Neutrogena, it’s an affordable dupe.

My Highlighter Cream in 1 ($8)

Picture an understated MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl. It’s pale beige pearl with a satin sheen, and it almost looks like a gloss sometimes. It’s long lasting, too.

(I can’t believe this is only eight bucks!)

innisfree swatches — Cream blush, highlighter and powder blush swatches

juvias place wahala bright purple — I’m wearing Innisfree My Blusher in 19 and Innisfree My Highlighter Cream in 1 on my cheeks, and I used the My Lipbalm in Green Peppermint Tea to prep my lips.

My Lipbalm in Green Peppermint Tea ($10)

Ooh, good stuff! It’s colorless, thick and rich, almost like a cuticle cream (in fact, sometimes I use it on my cuticles!). Tastes and smells like mint tea and NOT toothpaste, and it layers seamlessly underneath lipstick. Green Peppermint Tea is just one of the “flavors.” There are also 10 other options, each one tinted with a different shade of sheer pink, orange, berry or coral.

Skinny Waterproof Mascara ($12)

The newest version of this waterproof mascara comes in different packaging, but the ultra thin wand is the same. I like this for the lower lash line and outer and inner corners because the dainty wand easily stretches and lengthens each individual lash.

Smart Drawing Blusher in Cherry Blossom (about $12)

Seems like this cream tube blush has been replaced by a pan, but if you’re overseas, I hear it’s still available. Unlike a lot of cream blushes, it completely dries down after it’s blended in. It almost has a silicone-y smooth consistency, and I really love how this blush doesn’t separate or break up when it’s layered on top of tinted moisturizer or foundation. It does a bang-up job of staying intact.

Have you tried anything from Innisfree before? I’m low-key obsessed.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 634

July 6th, 2020 by Karen 25 Comments

sparkle shimmer shine — Shine on, sweet friend!

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. ?

The Nail Polish Edition!

1. Matte or glitter finish?

Glitter finish…but I DO NOT look forward to taking it off, since glitter is such a pain to remove, ugh! I have no patience for it.

2. Cream or shimmer?

Cream, please.

3. Would you rather…skip your base coat or skip your top coat?

Skip the base coat. Top coat, at least for me, makes more of a difference in wear time.

4. Nail polish color(s) you wear the most?

Jade and pastel greens, baby blues, teals, purples (all shades!), and nude shades of peach, rosy taupe, pink and beige.

5. Nail polish color(s) you wear the least?

Black, red and orange.

6. When was the last time you had a manicure or a pedicure?

Honestly, I can’t remember. I think it might’ve been the Gel Manicure Incident from 2018?

Geez, that was a while ago!

7. Which fingernails do you usually paint first — the ones on your left, or right hand?

I always use my left hand to paint my right hand nails first, because when I was a teenager I read an article in a magazine (remember those?!) that said you should always start by painting the nails on your non-dominant hand first.

I don’t remember the logic behind it, but I think it had something to do about lessening your chances for smudging.

8. Accent nails — yea or nay?

I used to be a “yea,” but now I’m a “nay.”

9. Have you ever worn press-on/stick-on fake nails?

Actually, I have! They come in handy if you have an event or something to go to and you run out of time to paint your nails.

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. Matte or glitter finish?
2. Cream or shimmer?
3. Would you rather…skip your base coat or skip your top coat?
4. Nail polish color(s) you wear the most?
5. Nail polish color(s) you wear the least?
6. When was the last time you had a manicure or a pedicure?
7. Which fingernails do you usually paint first — the ones on your left or right hand?
8. Accent nails — yea or nay?
9. Have you ever worn press-on/stick-on fake nails?

P.P.S. Hope you’re having a nice day so far. ? How was your Fourth? Camping at Clear Lake was fun. I watched a family of deer foraging wild blackberries by our campsite yesterday morning, and it very nearly brought me to tears.

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 614

July 5th, 2020 by Karen 4 Comments

I don’t know how Tabs did it. I spent, what, two days “in the woods,” and I was ready to tap out, but Tabs was famous in the backpacking and wilderness worlds for his ability to live off the land for weeks and months. I suspect it could have been years, but he had his busy modeling career to tend to.

Today I was put in charge of navigation on the drive back from the lake, and the only way I was able to get home was by remembering Tabs’ tried-and-true map tips. Up is north. Down is south. West is left. East is right. And always use a compass.

I think he would have laughed at El Hub’s campfire building skills. Tabs was known to create a roaring flame using just two sticks and his paws.

One thing we did get right was the making of the s’mores. Tabs would have been proud. Turns out my marshmallow roasting skills are superb, but that’s only because Tabs taught me the secret. The more marshmallows you use, the more chances you have to satisfy your tum.

As we were snug in our tent last night, I couldn’t help but think of the time Tabs designed a series of cat tents for REI. Some of the designs were sleek and simple, like this one, but there were also luxury options too for the cat who believes that more is more. His was outfitted with a solar powered gravy dispenser and genuine Louis Vuitton print.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, July 4th, 2020!

July 4th, 2020 by Karen 12 Comments

Hello, friend! Good morning and happy Independence Day to you! Sending major good vibes for a safe, wonderful weekend. The fam and I are about to head off grid for a brief camping trip, and by “off the grid,” I mean that we’re going car camping to Clear Lake about two hours north, and just south of Mendocino Forest. It’ll be just the few of us, masks coming along too, of course. Fun fact: at 2.5 million years old, Clear Lake is the oldest lake in North America.

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, please stay safe, especially if you’re going to be on the road. A nurse friend once told me that her patients awaiting organ transplants, and their loved ones and caregivers, couldn’t help but think about the possibilities around the Fourth of July weekend due to the number of fatal car accidents… That’s life. So please be careful.

Men’s makeup goes mainstream at CVS drugstores with the introduction of Stryx, a makeup line (a.k.a. “men’s grooming”) made especially for dudes.
A very fancy makeup mirror for all the tech nerds out there.
Sandy Linter is a 72-year-old celebrity makeup artist, and these are her favorite foundations and concealers.
Get schooled by Bobbi Brown.
Not that many people are traveling by airplane at the moment, but when that time comes, here are all the travel-friendly makeup bags you’ll want to have with you.
Meghan Markle’s wedding day makeup artist joins the Tatcha team.
What five dermatologists do to keep their skin in tip top shape during quarantine.
Who wants a perfume that smells like ? space? (My answer: ME!)
This long lost perfume bottle was recently unearthed during a shipwreck excavation.

I feel seen.

I can’t go for that.

You’re beautiful.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

You Get 60 Seconds for Makeup: What Do You Do?

July 3rd, 2020 by Karen 29 Comments

laura mercier caviar mascara — My mascara jam for the past few months, Laura Mercier Caviar

Do you swipe on blush? Brush up your brows? I’m curious to hear what you would do if you were totally pressed for time.

I used to know a girl when I was doing theater who’s “quick and dirty” version of 60-second makeup was black liner on her water lines and loads of mascara. Another friend of mine did a swipe of red lipstick — and that was it! (She looked fantastic in it, by the way.)

For me, it’s my lash curler and mascara, and the mascara has BRING IT. I’m talking length, volume, curl, everything. Gimme all the drama, please. (Here’s my current go-to.)

If there’s any extra time in that minute, then I’ll either 1) run a clear brow gel through my brows, or 2) blend cream blush onto my cheeks.

How about you? If you had only 60 seconds to do your makeup, what would you do?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

What’s Something Beauty Related You Used to Do That Makes You Cringe Now?

July 2nd, 2020 by Karen 31 Comments

Honestly, so many things…and that makes me wonder what I’m doing now that will make me cringe in the future, ha ha ha!

A couple have been relatively recent, like not washing my hair every day. This was during the phase when my hair was long and caramel brown with blonde streaks, and so to help retain the color and keep it from getting too dry, I would try to see how long I could make it through the week without washing my hair. Some weeks I’d go four or five days without washing it.

On the one hand, this saved me SO MUCH TIME in the morning because I could just do my hair on day one, and then not really have to do it until after I washed it again, so my hair styling time was like one minute in the mornings, which was FANTASTIC.

Also, not having to spend the time in the shower washing and conditioning was great too, but ya know…eventually I just got tired of dealing with an itchy scalp and greasy-feeling roots, and I slowly got back into the habit of washing it every day. This really kicked in when I started working out consistently. Now the thought of having even one-day roots grosses me out.

I also went through a spell where I was wearing full-coverage base every day — primer, foundation, color corrector, concealer, powder, the whole nine yards. It looked great in pics! — but dang, girl…it was WORK. I think at that point I was blocking out at least 45 minutes just to put on makeup.

Now I rarely wear full-coverage base because I can’t tolerating feeling like I’m wearing a ton of stuff on my skin, and the thought of wearing full-coverage all day, every day makes me go YEEOUCH!

And, of course, there were the many questionable beauty decisions I made in the ’90s. The one that haunts me the most is plucking all my eyebrows away!

How about you? What’s something beauty related you used to do that makes you cringe now?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen