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

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

Simple Acts of Bravery (And MAC Viva Glam I, II and III Lipstick Swatches)

by 15 Comments

mac viva glam 25 anniversary
Celebrating 25 years!

The renowned photographer Man Ray once said that “Lipstick is the red badge of courage.”

For me, today, this quote means that even if you’re wounded in some way (emotionally or physically), doing a few simple, mundane tasks like brushing your teeth, putting on pants, doing your hair, or putting on your makeup — and just showing up to face the world, even when you don’t think you can — all add up to a major act of bravery.

You may be grieving, off balance, confused, out of whack, but then you put on your lipstick (and hopefully also your pants), and you keep going.

Since I’ve been blogging every day for millennia (since 2007), and I would normally be blogging on a day like today, doing this post right now as if today were any old day is giving me some comfort.

Who knew that swatching lipsticks could be emotionally soothing?

More than the lipsticks, though…something tells me that it’s more about the familiar routine — talking to you, setting up the camera, checking the lights, swiping the bullet across my lips, taking the pics, glancing over at Tabs as he watches me, etc.

Because no matter how much some things change, other things, like sharing lip swatches, stay the same.

I did these swatches of the MAC Viva Glam I, II and III Lipsticks ($18.50 each) today, and I laughed a little when I remembered this…

Tabs for MAC Viva Glam

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the debut of Viva Glam, the initiative MAC started back in 1994 to help men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. Every dollar raised from the sale of Viva Glam celebrity-promoted products since then has gone to support the cause.

viva glam I
Matte Lipstick in Viva Glam I, an intense brownish blue-red

Matte Lipstick in Viva Glam III, a muted brownish plum

[Continue reading…]

Searching for Rainbows

by 41 Comments

searching for rainbows

Thank you all so much for your sweet and kind words yesterday. Both Tabs and I can feel your love on this side of the keyboard. ❤️

One of the weirdest things I’ve learned about grief over the past few days is that no matter how monumental a shift in your world feels, no matter how massively your reality changes, life, with all of its needs and wants (bill “due by” dates, meals to be made, plants that need to be watered, pajamas that need to be changed) keeps “keeping on.”

It’s odd to move through my same routine while having everything changed around me so profoundly…

It’s also strange to have my heart feel so heavy, and then have these moments here and there when it feels weightless and so, so full of love. Like yesterday evening, Tabs and I sat on my bed and watched the sunset together for a few minutes.

I felt so much joy. ?

It feels very odd to have these two seemingly opposite feelings exist together at the same time.

Gonna try my best to keep on keeping on this week. Lots of hugs and love, my friend.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 551

by 119 Comments

This is very hard to do, and I’m trying to do it without falling apart, but I can’t guarantee that I won’t…

If you’ve been with MBB since the beginning, you know that one of the cornerstones of the blog is Tabs, our — and I mean our as in all of us — our sweet, sassy kitty model extraordinaire.

There’s no easy way to tell you this, but my constant companion for the last 12 years will soon be leaving this earth.

We got news from the vet last week that Tabs has terminal cancer, and that if we’re lucky, he’ll be with us for anywhere from three to six weeks.

Not even that is a guarantee, though. He could be here for a day, two days… I just don’t know. And it’s been difficult to process all of this. On one hand, part of me wants to say, “You sweet, sweet cat. You came home to say goodbye to us and to let us have more time with you, and even as you’re on the kitty runway to heaven, you’re allowing me, El Hub, Connor and all of your fans to spend a little extra time with you, and to try to fathom how it’s going to be when you’re gone, just to allow us to love you a little bit longer.”

I can’t believe that this cat who has taught me so many things about love, and the unconditional giving of love, is still teaching me things… How to grieve and how to mourn.

The following pics were taken today on our morning walk.

I read somewhere once that grief is a lot like standing on the shore of the ocean when the tide is high and the waves pummel you over and over again. You don’t know if you’re going to drown, and then when the tide goes out, occasionally, it’ll touch you and your toes. Then, when it’s really far out but your feet are still wet, and you barely perceive it?

That’s what I’ve been feeling for the past few days. It alternates between the sense of dread of knowing that the house will be empty without him, but knowing how it’ll feel, if that makes any sense…


[Continue reading…]

Saturday Surfing, April 27th, 2019

by 4 Comments

happy saturday tulips

You are looking at these beautiful tulips ? because every time I walk by them at Trader Joe’s, they just make me smile. ? And I hope they bring a smile to your face today, too.

Good morning, friends! Happy Caturday weekend. We’re heading to the East Bay soon to visit my folks and have a barbecue because it’s my dad’s birthday.

Speaking of that…it’s weird to me now to go to family functions where I’m not in charge of the cooking. Over the past few years, more and more of the big holidays/life events have happened at our house, so now whenever there’s something involving a celebration with food, I have a hard time relinquishing control to other people… I’m already thinking, “OK, how can I persuade my dad to not overcook the ribs so they don’t turn into a leather shoe?” And, “What can I do to add more fiber to the salad?”

I know, I should just be grateful that we have anything to eat, and I am.

On that note, this week’s beauty reading…


Honestly, if I had been on this train, I would have wished this was real.


I’ve been binge-watching Nikol’s videos all week long…


The backstory behind Lizzo’s song, Juice.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The bareMinerals Clean Glow Collection: Swatches and First Impressions

by 5 Comments

bareminerals clean glow collection summer 2019 1
New highlighters, bronzers, brushes and a setting spay from bareMinerals

It’s been a minute since I’ve “bareMineralled it up,” but, lest my eyes deceive me, they took a beachy BECCA-esque approach to their summer makeup this year, and I’m all for it. Their new Clean Glow Collection is out now with brand new bronzers, highlighters (powder and liquid) and a dewy makeup setting mist (YASSS!).

bareminerals glow collection swatches
From the left: BarePro Glow Bronzers (Warmth, Faux Tan), Endless Summer Bronzers (Warmth, Faux Tan), Endless Glow Highlighters (Zen, Whimsy, Joy, Free and Fierce)

The Endless Summer Bronzer is a pressed powder bronzer with a matte finish. bareMinerals recommends sun-kissed bronze Faux Tan for medium-toned mavens and terracotta Warmth for medium-to-deep skin. Both are $29 each.

If you love your multitasking products (and who doesn’t?), the BAREPRO GLOW Bronzer is a liquid bronzer that you can wear by itself, or mixed with foundation, tinted moisturizer or even your daily moisturizer. It’s also available in Faux Tan (for medium skin) and Warmth (medium-to-deep skin) for $29 each.

The Endless Glow Highlighter is a luminous, non-glittery powder highlighter with pore-blurring powers. Available in Free (a champagne), Fierce (a bronzed gold), Joy (a peachy pink) and Whimsy (a holographic shade that shifts from pink to purple) for $29 each.

There’s also a liquid version… BAREPRO GLOW Highlighter is a multitasking opalescent liquid highlighter that doesn’t contain any glitter and also comes in Free, Fierce, Joy and Whimsy, also for $29.

And then to set your bronzed, dewy glow, there’s the new moisturizing $28 Dew Mist Setting Spray.

More deets…

  • Cruelty-free
  • No Parabens, Phthalates, Formaldehyde, Chemical Sunscreens, Triclosan, Triclocarban, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Coal Tar and Microbeads
  • Available now at Ulta, Sephora, Macy’s, Nordstrom, QVC and bareminerals.com

“Get glowing—fast. Customize your levels of color and illumination in three simple steps using the NEW Clean Glow Collection from bareMinerals. Bronze, highlight and set with clean formulas that build a lasting, good-for-skin glow. bareMinerals Global Makeup Artist, Nikki DeRoest, uses this collection to impart her signature lit-from-within look on clients. “Together, these products blur the look of pores and give the most beautiful luminosity to the skin,” says DeRoest. “I love how fresh and glowy skin looks after application.” Made for all skin tones and types, these formulas are non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic and dermatologist-tested.”

— bareMinerals PR

bareminerals clean glow collection summer 2019 2
For your summery, bronzed glow…

Have you used bareMinerals before? What’s your overall favorite beachy vibe makeup brand?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Tea, gee, eye, eff.

The NARS Summer 2019 Collection: Swatches and First Impressions

by 7 Comments

nars summer 2019
New from NARS!

SURPRISE!

Guess what? NARS just did a traditionally summery summer collection.

Wha!?

Yup, NARS has been all about artsy, edgy non-summery summer collections for a few years (last year’s looked more like a fall or holiday release to me), but the Summer 2019 collection is the most summery collection I’ve seen from them in a really long time.

Technically, the “Summer 2019” collection is one a few summer season NARS collections, and it’s the one actually called Summer. The items are all limited edition and available now on the NARS website. There are two $59 face palettes, each with four eyeshadows, one highlighter and a bronzer; four new $27 Satin Lip Pencils; and four new $27 Velvet Matte Lip Pencils.

First impressions…

  • The eyeshadows: Sumptuously silken, they feel softer than satin sheets. These are powders, but they could almost pass for creams. They’re the closest things I’ve found to Chantecaille’s awesome Mermaid Matte Cream Shadows, which practically meld into lids and blend crazy well. I can’t even tell where these shadows begin and end.
  • The highlighter and bronzer: Also powders, and also creamy like the eyeshadows. I’m REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THESE! (Although I’m mystified as to why NARS omitted a blush?)
  • The Velvet Matte Lip Pencils: Is it weird that I’m shocked that all of these lip colors are so summery and wearable? I’ve tried Good Times and Take Me Home so far, and like the other Satins and Velvet Mattes, they’re on the drier side…similar to a MAC Matte Lipstick, but they’re still very smooth, which is convenient because they’re also super opaque.
  • The Satin Lip Pencils: Um…one is called “Golden Gate.” Holla! BAY AREA ❤️ LOVE.
nars summer lights face palette
Summer Lights Face Palette ($59)

nars summer 2019 satin lip pencil velvet matte lip pencil
From the left: Satin Lip Pencils in Balboa, Exbury, Giusti and Golden Gate; Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in Dance Fever, Good Times, Promiscuous and Take Me Home

[Continue reading…]

A Detailed Deep Dive Into My Current Skincare Routine

by 27 Comments

current skin care top pic
All about retinol these days, babes.

I’ve been meaning to do an updated skin care routine breakdown, and today seems like a good day for it. But before I jump in, I feel like I should let you that I’m standing in my bathroom right now looking into my cabinet, which stands just behind and above the toilet, and having PTSD flashbacks of my Velvet Teddy lipstick falling into the toilet. ?

I keep hearing that *plunk* over and over again…

That said, here we go!

Everything I’m doing in my routine now revolves around how sensitive my skin is feeling on any given day, because I started using a retinol with vitamin C recently. It’s called Kate Somerville Retinol Vitamin C Power Serum, and I’m trying to ramp up slowly to be able to use it seven days a week. Right now, I’m at three days, and I find that introducing it slowly over weeks and watching everything else that I use in conjunction with it allows me to keep going without my skin turning red or freaking out.

Morning routine

In the morning, I’ll wash one of two ways. If my skin’s feeling extra tight and red and sensitive and angry, then I’ll do a few splashes of warm water on my bare face, then gently blot with a towel. If, on the other hand, my skin’s feeling OK, then I’ll use a squirt or two of Clinique Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser directly on bare skin (I’ll work it in with my fingers). Then I’ll remove it with a washcloth dampened with warm water. After that, I’ll do a few splashes of ice cold water to help me wake up.

At that point, I’ll wait…usually between 30 minutes and an hour (depends on how much time I have and what I’m doing in the morning), and then I’ll apply all of my skin treatments.

I wait because I want my skin to be completely dry before I put anything aggressive on there, because if I don’t wait, and my skin is wet when I apply a BHA or benzoyl peroxide, they’ll just aggravate it even more.

So. Completely dry!

current skin care routine
It’s less complicated than it looks, I swear!

At that point, I’ll do an eye cream. (Right now I’m using this one by Nyakio, and I think it’s just “eh.” I’ll replace it eventually with something else when I get around it.) Then I’ll use two pumps of my ride-or-die Kate Somerville Anti Bac Acne Clearing Lotion all over my face to prevent the pimples from taking over.

After that, I’ll apply a thin layer of Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream (which has been my skin savior ever since I introduced the retinol), followed by a healthy dollop of sunscreen, specifically Clinique Super Defense Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 for Very Dry to Dry Combination Skin.

Sometimes, before I do the two pumps of Anti Bac, if I feel like my skin can handle it, I’ll do a little with Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence, just because I like to sneak some exfoliation in during the day if I can. I’ll do that two or three mornings a week, so it’s not an everyday thing for me.

Fast forward to the evening…

First, a double cleanse. On completely dry skin (as in my makeup is still on), I’ll massage an oil cleanser on my face and eyes to break everything down. I like DHC Deep Cleansing Oil or Fresh Seaberry for this.

At that point, I’ll take a clean, warm washcloth and gently wipe everything off. Next, I’ll do a second cleanse with either Clinique Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser, if I haven’t been wearing a ton of makeup, or if I haven’t been sweating; or the H2O Plus Elements Keep It Fresh Cleanser. I use that one when I’ve been wearing a little more makeup, or if I’ve been perspiring a lot. It’s just a stronger, more potent gel cleanser.

Again, I wait from 30-60 minutes (this generally depends on how tired I am), then apply eye cream, and I’ve been using this one called Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Supercharged Complex.

It’s OK… I’ve yet to find an eye cream that blows my mind.
[Continue reading…]

What’s Your “Never Again” Lipstick Color?

by 18 Comments

mac chromat shockvalue lipstick
(I can’t even remember what this blue color is called, but I think it’s from MAC?)

You know I hate to say “never,” because you just never (ha, ha!) know. You never know when you’ll find a $100 bill in a grocery store parking lot, just like you’ll never know what you’ll be into next week, next month or next year, but if I were to choose a color of lipstick that I don’t think I should ever wear again…I’d have to go with blue.

It’s been “on trend” over the past few years to wear cray-cray Hunger Games lip colors, and blue, while I think it can look cool in pictures, looks ridiculous on me.

I’m not hip enough for blue.

I cringe just thinking about it…

Also, there was the frosty purplish gray lipstick I used to wear circa 1997. It was SO terrible! I wore it with dark plum — almost black — lip liner, which, of course, was unblended.

And we can’t forget the dab of clear gloss in the middle of the bottom lip.

OMG! It was fashionable at the time, but now I realize that it looked pretty terrible. I hope it never comes back in style, but if it does, I may try it just for kicks…

Nah. Nuh-uh. NOPE. Never again.

How about you? Do you have a “never again” lipstick color? Is it a dark brown from the ’90s? A bright Barbie pink? A pastel matte beige? Please do tell.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.