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

Product Spotlight: Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balms

May 12th, 2020 by Karen 15 Comments

honest beauty tinted balm — Moisturizing and vibrant lip balms by Honest Beauty, each an affordable $8.99, hooray!

I just found your latest lip addiction, a.k.a. my latest lip addiction! — but you’re not going to get addicted in a bad way, I promise.

You know how some tinted lip balms hook you into a vicious cycle of lip balm-ing yourself every 10 minutes? Not gonna happen with the Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balms, because unlike other tinted lip balms, they don’t suck every molecule of moisture from your lips and lead you to reapply them over and over…which is my main point o’ pain with most lip balms.

Small victories, ya know?

honest beauty dragon fruit — Dragon Fruit, a semi-sheer fuchsia. Also, I’m wearing the Dear Tabby Tee in Daffodil from my online store, connorclaire.com.

Lots of moisture

So tell your dry lips to chill already, man! You will not be looped into a dysfunctional relationship with your lip balm, and since these are practically dripping with moisture, thirsty, flaky lips will thank you for the hydrating TLC.

What they are

I love ’em. They’re like a cross between a lip balm and a creamy lipstick, so you get all the color (but not too much) and lots and lots of moisture. They’re permanent to the Honest Beauty makeup line and come in seven shades, including clear, and are an affordable $8.99 each.

The formula is cruelty-free and vegan, so no animal testing, and no animal-derived ingredients, either.

honest beauty blood orange — Blood Orange

They feel like a typical balm to me — lightweight and smooth, with a non-sticky texture — and have a barely-there, fleeting honey flavor and scent. As for wear time, they last about two hours for me.

Vibrant color

These are so intense! It’s bomb. (Or, should I say, it’s balm? Sorry, I had to go there!) I have pigmented lips, so it isn’t always easy for me to find pigmented lip balms that show up on my lips, but each of these shades is so vibrant and distinct that I can immediately see the difference (no layering required!). They don’t all look the same, which I lurve and appreciate.

This is casual, low-maintenance lip color at its best. I can easily use my phone as a mirror to apply a layer… Heck, I’m doing that right now with Lychee Fruit (the beige-pink!).
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 626

May 11th, 2020 by Karen 26 Comments

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. Olives or ice cream?

Ice cream…which reminds me, I haven’t had Baskin-Robbins since February. ? Someone needs to inject me with a scoop of pistachio almond ASAP.

2. Hair spray or hair gel?

Hair gel, but only the kind that feels soft after it dries.

3. Creamy or crunchy peanut butter?

Creamy.

4. Cream or powder products?

Creams all the way, homegirl!

5. Handwritten or typed out?

Handwritten for notes, to-do lists, journaling and the occasional first draft when I’m feeling stuck. Typed out for everything else.

6. Frizzy or fine?

Frizzy is my middle name at the moment.

7. Chaos or quiet?

What the hell, we’ll go with chaos!

8. Manicure or pedicure?

Manicure, because all I wear these days are Nikes, so nobody’s looking at my toes.

9. Pudding or jello?

Ewww to both (it’s a texture thing), but if I had to choose…I’d go with Jello.

10. Culottes or capris?

Culottes that hit just above my knee, since capris make me look about three feet tall.

11. A bicycle built for two or a unicycle?

A bicycle built for two if I can be the person in the front driving and calling the shots. If I can’t, then I’ll take the unicycle and wear, like, a sh*t ton of pads all over every inch of my body.

12. Daisies or tulips?

Both. ???

13. Bacon or pizza?

Pizza!

14. Sandwiches cut into rectangles or triangles?

Triangles all the way.

15. Hula hoop or jump rope?

Jump rope.

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. Olives or ice cream?
2. Hair spray or hair gel?
3. Creamy or crunchy peanut butter?
4. Cream or powder products?
5. Handwritten or typed out?
6. Frizzy or fine?
7. Chaos or quiet?
8. Manicure or pedicure?
9. Pudding or Jello?
10. Culottes or capris?
11. A bicycle built for two or a unicycle?
12. Daisies or tulips?
13. Bacon or pizza?
14. Sandwiches cut into rectangles or triangles?
15. Hula hoop or jump rope?

P.P.S. Good morning! ?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 606

May 10th, 2020 by Karen 6 Comments

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there — the moms to human children, the cat moms and dog moms and rabbit moms and moms to all the fur kids. And we all know that our kids can be biological and non-biological. Sometimes, our kids choose us, and I was lucky enough that Tabs chose me. He will always be my oldest boy.

It’s funny, but even though I was technically his lackey/assistant/underling, I still felt like he was my 20-pound furry baby.

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Saturday Surfing, May 9, 2020

May 9th, 2020 by Karen 30 Comments

Hi, friend! Happy Mother’s Day Eve. ? Short and sweet intro today, as my services are required in the front yard. We’re in the midst of a front yard makeover, and I am the team’s official “remover of all the randomly placed rocks.” Sometimes I also serve as the unofficial “dead leaf scraper.”

It’s a hoot.

So, while I go do my best to avoid crossing paths with giant earthworms (it’s a weird, irrational fear), here are some articles and videos that caught my eye this week…

How the pandemic is changing beauty spending habits
Yes, this is a thing —-> People are painting tiny faces on their noses.
I just started watching this show on Netflix called Hollywood, mostly for the ’40s-era makeup, hair and clothes. According to cosmetics historian Gabriela Hernandez, “There were only three or four reds you could use in that time period, and that’s what we did,” she says. “There’s a brighter red, a deeper red, and then a dark red. We wanted it to be very authentic.”
The NY Times ponders the question, “How Will We Buy Our Perfume Now?”
Speaking of scents, here’s how to make your own DIY fragrance, step-by-step.
Perfumer Frédéric Malle cracks me up. ? When asked what the worst smell is, he said “The smell of vulgarity. I won’t name any names. I’m being polite [laughs]. There’s a lot around. The smell of duty free.” Dude! What’s wrong with duty free? LOL!
Be prepared for your next trivia night with these fragrance fun facts. Did you know that fresh lilies have notes of ham? Yup, BOOM. Now you do.
How to mix your own nail polish
Keep your best feline friend looking runway ready with these at-home grooming tips.
If you’re living with a senior kitty, here’s how to tell if he or she has arthritis.
Did you happen to catch the Disney Family Singalong last month? SO FUN. We really enjoyed it. There’s going to be a new one coming out Sunday night, and I can’t wait.

Hello, welcome to my childhood.

One of my favorites of the “supers” from the ’90s, Christy Turlington, on aging (she’s 51!)

Somebody please open a club for moms that opens at 6:30 p.m., closes at 8:30 p.m., and only plays hits from the 2000s.

Dear Michael McDonald, what hair products do you use? BECAUSE YOUR MANE IS ALL KINDS OF FABULOUS!

Six women who changed fashion and beauty

I won’t be doing a Spartan Super in Monterey this year thanks to The ‘Rona, but here’s what it would’ve been like. Right now I would’ve been hardcore training. Instead, I’m eating cookies, LOL!

Would you try this recipe?

An old fave of mine

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What’s Your Go-To Shelter-In-Place Hairstyle?

May 8th, 2020 by Karen 19 Comments

I don’t know if squeezing this mop on the top of my head into a bun and loosely securing it with a scrunchie qualifies as a hair “style,” but that’s as good as it gets at the moment. ? I figure, as along as most of the hairs are in the bun, I’m doing OK!

Soon enough, the time will come when I’ll be able to get a trim. Until then, I’m going to refer to my mussed mane as “editorial” and tell everyone that it’s messy on purpose, ha ha ha! ?

How about you? What’s your go-to shelter-in-place hairstyle?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! OMG, TGIFx10!

A Warm Neutral Drugstore Makeup Look for Zoom Calls

May 7th, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

drugstore neutrals — All the makeup I’m wearing in this look is from the drugstore.

I seriously thought about wearing this makeup look for a Zoom call I had with my bakery coworkers a few days ago (we still keep in touch) but decided to wear it with warm neutrals instead.

All drugstore today because I’m on a budget beauty kick! I’m wearing a mix of old faves (a nude Revlon cream eyeshadow palette and Fig eye kajal, Almay eyeshadow and Covergirl Trublend foundation) and some new things I recently found.

Latest drugstore loves

Honest Beauty Tinted Balm in Dragon Fruit: THIS IS SO GOOD! It’s a bright, moisturizing sheer fuchsia balm that doesn’t settle into lip lines (so smooth!). Two-hour wear time, and it’s unflavored and unscented. It’s similar to the very sheer Clinique lipsticks, but at a fraction the price. $8.99 each and comes in bunch of colors.

Covergirl Trulbend Base Business Illuminating: This is a pearly golden pink skin primer you can wear on its own underneath foundation/concealer, or mixed into other base products to sheer them out and give them an opalescent finish, which is what I do. It’s like a more sparkly version of BECCA Backlight. You *will* see the tiniest flecks of golden glitter reflecting off your skin when you wear it, so be prepared for disco fabulousness while you frolic in full sunlight. If you’re indoors, however, it isn’t visible at all from more than a few feet away. $11.49 for a 1-oz. tube.

Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow: I used Clear on the inner part of my brow (which has a good amount of hair) and Medium on the outer part (not so much hair). Both are on the stiffer side of brow gels so your brow hairs won’t move. Medium, a gray brown, is *very* pigmented and not the easiest to control, so use it sparingly. I loooove the Clear, though. It’s comparable to Benefit’s clear brow gel. $9.49 for a 0.16-oz. tube.

Makeup worn in this look

Base: Covergirl Trublend Base Business Skin Primer Illuminated mixed wtih Covergirl Trulend Matte Made in M50 and Covergirl Trublend Undercover Concealer in Golden Honey

Eyes: Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow in Clear (inner part of brow) and Medium (outer part of Brow), Revlon Illuminance Cream Shadow in Not Just Nudes, Almay Eyeshadow in Pure Gold Baby, Revlon 2 in 1 Angled Kajal in Fig, Maybelline the Falsies Mascara

Cheeks: Covergirl Clean Fresh Cream Blush in Butterflies, Maybelline City Bronzer in 300

Lips: Honest Beauty Tinted Balm in Dragon Fruit

What are your drugstore go-to’s at the moment? I’m playing “put all the makeup in my cart” on the Ulta site right now. 🙂

Nail “painting” is easy and fun.

One of Connor’s preschool teachers sent this fun art idea for painting nails! Grab some nail polish (I used quick-drying ones by Sally Hansen), a black marker and a piece of cardboard. Draw hands with nails on cardboard, and then have your “coworker” help you paint them. Or do it yourself. This kept me and CoyCoy entertained a long time.

Some of my hand drawings ended up looking like weird lizard fingers…but she didn’t seem to mind.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Stress Baking While Social Distancing: A Glorious Gluten-Free Glazed Lemon Blueberry Loaf!

May 6th, 2020 by Karen 25 Comments

glazed gluten free lemon blueberry loaf — Get this yummy in your tummy, ASAP.

This mug by Kate Spade succinctly expresses how I feel about this gluten-free glazed lemon blueberry loaf. ?

My sentiments exactly! (Mug by Kate Spade)

But really, you could have it for tea, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, snack time, and it totally works for dessert, too! (So basically all teh meals.)

The sweet blueberries beautifully balance with the tartness of the lemon, and the powdered sugar glaze is juuust enough. It’s an irresistible, ideal partnership of sharp and sweet.

Oh, and the texture?! A lot of gluten-free cakes and loaves have a dense, tough crumb, but this one’s light and fluffy.

What’s the secret?

It’s the sour cream! It makes each bite so silky that it yearns to melt in your mouth.

This cake is divine, but I have to warn you… There is a strong chance you’ll be bombarded with requests to bake it again and again and again. And again. I know this because when I first served it to El Hub and Connor Claire, they took a few bites and, with cake still stuffed in their cherub cheeks, asked me to make it again!

Gluten-Free Glazed Blueberry Loaf

DESCRIPTION
Topped with a powdered sugar glaze, this loaf’s plump blueberries and tangy lemon notes create a perfect balance of sharp and sweet. It’s especially lovely as an afternoon treat with tea, but it works extremely well for breakfast too (I can attest to this!). If you don’t have any gluten-free 1-to-1 flour around, no worries. It’s just as delicious with full-gluten all-purpose flour.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Bake time: 50-65 minutes

Total-ish time: 2 hours (including cooling time and glaze prep)

Yield: 1 loaf (makes 8-10 nice slices)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE LOAF

1-1/2 cups (213 g) gluten-free 1-to-1 flour (I like King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure, or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (71 grams) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (225 g) sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature (out of the fridge is fine, but they’ll take longer to incorporate)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (115 grams) sour cream
1 cup (142 grams) blueberries

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GLAZE

1 cup confectioners’ sugar (115 g)
1 tablespoon evaporated milk (you may not need all of it, and you can substitute with whole milk)

INSTRUCTIONS
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The Pandemic Playlist

May 5th, 2020 by Karen 7 Comments

Tunes currently on my pandemic playlist, inspired by The ‘Rona…

SUITIN’ UP FOR THE SUPERMARKET

Get Back, by Ludacris

Posting the squeaky clean version here, but believe me, next time I roll up to Target I’ll be blasting the unedited version in my Mazda.

Move B*****, by Ludacris

Never in a million years did I expect Ludacris to create so many songs appropriate for social distancing.

Beat It, by Michael Jackson

What you sing to the person who’s been standing in front of the baby carrots for five minutes and refuses to acknowledge that you’re politely waiting six feet away.