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

The New Urban Decay Naked Honey Is a Sweet New Golden Eyeshadow Palette

September 6th, 2019 by Karen 23 Comments

urban decay naked honey open — Feelin’ the buzz

Oh, sugary golden brown nectar of the eyeshadow gods… I SEE YOU, URBAN DECAY. The hive’s buzzing ? over Naked Honey, the brand’s newest Naked palette, a festoon of gilded golds, tantalizing tans and burnished bronzes, with none of those challenging-to-wear reds or orange reddish brown eyeshadows from the past few years in sight.

*Breathes sigh of relief*

Finally, a neutral palette that actually looks…kinda neutral. ?‍♀️

The $49 powdered shadow palette flies into Sephora stores and arrives online September 13th, and then a little later on September 23rd to ulta.com, macys.com, nordstrom.com and belk.com; and to Ulta, Macy’s, Nordstrom and Belk stores a few days later on September 26th.

Queen bees who crave toasty tones will probably like that it hums with warm shades, and I’m buzzing over all those golden browns!

urban decay naked honey swatches — Honey, I’m an NC42 in MAC foundation, BTB.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Props if you can remember when MAC did Naked Honey first. ?

P.P.S.

Loose or Pressed Powder?

September 5th, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

hourglass veil loose powder — Feelin’ loose?

I tend to wear pressed more because my holy grail face powder (MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is THE BEST!) just happens to come in pressed form.

But hey, if it also came in a loose powder version, I’d probably be all over that, too.

I do like wearing both pressed and loose for different reasons, though. I think pressed powder is better in terms of convenience and for on-the-go touch-ups (obvs), and when I apply it with a brush, I swear it looks less obvious/more natural than loose powder does. When I run my brush across a pan of pressed powder, the bristles pick up less product than they do with loose powder, so the end result is less powder, and a more natural look. For everyday looks, I prefer pressed.

Now, when I want more of a finished, formal look, like for pics or special occasions when I’ll be wearing more makeup, I’ll go for loose powder instead. It’s a heavier look, but I think loose powder does a better job of blurring pores and making the skin look much more perfected than pressed powder does.

If you’re looking for ultra-polished, loose is the way to go!

Which one do you prefer? Loose or pressed?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Messy, Chunky Braid Adventures

September 4th, 2019 by Karen 21 Comments

Soooooo, this is what happens when you try to braid your own hair but can’t see what’s going on in the back of your head:

You take pics.

Then you look at those pics and wonder if your hair is too messy to wear out in public.

Then you post said pics on the interwebz.

Oh, and peep the gray hair! I’m coming up on the one-year anniversary of my endeavor to grow out my grays.

Y’all know I love messy ‘dos, but I think this might be a tad *too* disheveled. What do you think?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What Changes Do You Make to Your Skincare Routine in the Fall?

September 4th, 2019 by Karen 28 Comments

Oh, my gosh! I make so many changes. Creamier cleansers, richer moisturizers (dry skin 4-eva) and ‘ze intensification of exfoliation.

Fall is still officially a few weeks away, but unofficially for me it’s starting right meow…

I’m guessing that your opinion of fall partly depends on where you fall (ha ha) on the Pumpkin Spice/Halloween spectrum, am I right? You’re either delighted by the idea of cooler weather, cozy sweaters and crunchy autumn leaves crackling beneath your ankle boots, or you’re supremely bummed about it.

I’m somewhere in the middle…

At heart, I will always be a summertime baby, but as I get older (and grow more intolerant of being hot and sweaty), I’ve learned to love fall. And now I’m into it, man!

Here are the fall changes I’m making to my skincare routine…

Falling temps turn the normally dry areas on my cheeks even drier, so creamy cleansers become a must. I plan to pick up a tube of Kate Sommerville Goat Milk Cleanser to help with that this week.
I also need to add a rich moisturizer up in the mix. Hello, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream!
And because I won’t be getting as much sun soon (and won’t have to worry as much about sun sensitivity), I’ll be upping my exfoliation game. To that end, I just started using Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, and I’m also thinking about doing a professional chemical peel. (Side note: I’ve never had one before. Have you?!)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Sticks: The Latest Way to Get Your Fix

September 3rd, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

Update for all MAC foundation fan-atics: Thanks to the new MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Sticks, this fall we’ll have yet another reason to stick around the MAC counter.

One of my tried-and-true all-time MAC faves is their Studio Fix Foundation (it’s wicked dermatological wizardry when mixed with a few drops of Strobe Cream and set with Mineralize Skinfinish Natural), so I’m excited about this cream stick foundation, which comes in 33 colors and hits shelves beginning September 5.

Like the O.G. Studio Fix Foundation, these sticks promise a flawless finish and a formula that’s theoretically supposed to last 86,400 seconds…which is 24 hours, in case you were wondering.

However, unlike the original Studio Fix Foundation and its ultra-perfected, complete coverage, Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation is medium coverage and made to appeal to makeup minimalists, a la the low-maintenance girl (or guy) looking to even out their skin tone and ever-so-slightly blur some pores.

From the official MAC PR:

“There’s a definite skin moment happening right now,” says Terry Barber, MAC Director of Makeup Artistry in London.” We’re not talking rawness here, or the whole no makeup, makeup thing. “It’s premium skin; enhanced, plumped, smooth and packed with moisture. Matte in the past was associated with dryness and dullness, whereas the new matte is about soft focus and blur with no blanket coverage and light hitting in all the right places.”

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 590

September 2nd, 2019 by Karen 25 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. Your last beauty purchase?

I just ordered some metal duckbill hair clips because I’m on a mission to inject BIG-@SS volume into the roots in my bangs. (Side note: I got a blowout last week, and the stylist [Hi, Robyn!] used them.)

2. How do you keep track of your appointments?

El Hub and I share a Google Calendar, which works somewhat well, but sometimes we still tune out the notification alerts and emails. I’m thinking about also putting a big old-school calendar in the kitchen where we can write things like holidays, half-days, bill due dates and appointments and be reminded of those things day in, day out.

A few friends have recommended getting one of those extra large desk pad calendars but putting it on the wall, so I might try that, unless I can find a cute dry-erase calendar I can hang.

3. Whom do you call when you’re having a meltdown?

El Hub, ’cause he knows how to talk me off the ledge.

Or I call my friend Cindy, who’s good at putting plans in place and calming me down.

4. Which would you rather have for your first meal of the day — a bagel and cream cheese, OR a breakfast burrito?

Uh…both?! I’m always starving when I wake up in the morning. For the bagel, I’d like a plain bagel with smoked salmon cream cheese, and for the breakfast burrito, I’d like it with mild salsa, scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes (Mmm…carbs) and shredded cheddar cheese.

5. When is your bedtime?

Girl, don’t laugh, but I aim for 8:30. ?

If I’m not in bed by then, the next day’s gonna be rough!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Question time! Here they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon!

1. Your last beauty purchase?
2. How do you keep track of your appointments?
3. Whom do you call when you’re having a meltdown?
4. Which would you rather have for your first meal of the day — a bagel and cream cheese, OR a breakfast burrito?
5. When is your bedtime?

P.P.S. SO LATE today because Connor is fighting a cold, and guess what? So am I. I think it’s a mild one though…

Have a great Labor Day and a wonderful week! ? May multiple cute kittens cross your path. Talk to you soon.

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 569

September 1st, 2019 by Karen 9 Comments

Serenity meow! As as I’m sure you’re aware, Tabs was a huge advocate for cat-friendly gardening and creativity-stimulating power walks in the great outdoors.

He was also the cat who coined the phrase, “purr-fect zen,” to describe the state of becoming one with your garden…

While a lot of cats enjoy hanging out in nature, Tabs actually enjoyed gardening.

In fact, he grew and harvested his own salads.

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Saturday Surfing, Aug. 31st, 2019

August 31st, 2019 by Karen 3 Comments

Hiya, friend! ?

OK, listen… I’m all for healthy, balanced meals, but sometimes you just gotta start Saturday with a cupcake.

The one above is a carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

Mmm… ??

I guess one could argue that the shredded carrot counts as a serving of veggies… Perhaps? Yes? Am I reaching?

I think I may have mentioned this before, but I recently stumbled upon a new career as a toddler chauffeur, and in case you were wondering, no, I don’t get overtime or time-and-a-half on holidays (I wish!).

That said, while I go drive my top customer to a playdate at a local park, here’s a little light reading for you on this sweet Saturday…

Got a little extra fun money? Here are 15 Labor Day beauty sales to shop this holiday weekend.
My favorite read of the week: To Be Loved, I Had to Let Go of My Makeup.
Tortoiseshell eye makeup is a thing.
Buzzy direct-to-consumer brands like Glossier are giving the cosmetics giants a run for their money.
Poor little things! Multiple infants in Spain developed what they’re calling “werewolf syndrome” after drinking a particular cough syrup.