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

I’m Partial to Playful Pinks

April 8th, 2019 by Karen 4 Comments

you hair me tee plumeria pink mac please me — MAC Matte Lipstick in Please Me with the You Hair Me Tee

Pink nail polish, pink lipstick, pink clothes… GIVE ME ALL THE PINK!

I harbor a strong belief that everyone is secretly a pink lover. You may not realize it yet, but one day the part of you that loves pink will awaken, and she’ll want to wear pink in every shade under the sun. The power of pink will compel you!

you hair me plumeria pink mac pink plaid — MAC Matte Lipstick in Pink Plaid

I almost never wore pink — not in my wardrobe or my makeup — until I was in my 20s. Before that, I thought of pink as a little kids’ color. Then I met a friend at work named Tanya, and her love of pink was absolutely infectious. She loved pink shirts, pink shoes and pink makeup, and she was the first person who pushed me to play with pink. She was unabashedly in love with the color, and I wanna be that person for you, because pink is pure cheerful.

you hair me plumeria pink mac fanfare — MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Fanfare

It’s one of those unapologetically girly colors, and I just can’t help but smile when I wear it. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 548

April 7th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

Katy Perry once sang that California girls are unforgettable. I think she also meant to say that California cats are unforgettable. Yes, Tabs is a Cali boy through and through, and he’s especially proud of his CA roots when the state flower, the California poppy, can be seen everywhere, including his newest favorite collar. He commissioned an award-winning botanist to create this for him, and as you can see, he’s all about authenticity.

I had to do a double take because I thought he was wearing fresh flowers on his collar, which would also be a totally Tabs thing to do, but he told me that he wanted to preserve the collar for generations. He even said that I could wear it on my wrist someday, and that Connor Claire’s future cats could also borrow it.

He’s so thoughtful that way. ?

He does love how the orange pops against his fur, so his motives weren’t entirely altruistic.

[Continue reading…]

Saturday Surfing, April 6th, 2019

April 6th, 2019 by Karen 28 Comments

If your current favorite lipstick fell into the toilet, would you fish it out and keep using it? ASKING FOR A FRIEND.

Oh, girlfriend. I had MAC Velvet Teddy, a tube in the LE packaging that matches the color inside, which for some reason gives me so much joy… Anyway, I had it in my back pocket yesterday and sorta forgot about it. I was rushing around right before going to go pick up Coywolf from preschool. Went to the bathroom, and right before I was about to leave, pulled down my stretchy mom jeans, and next thing you know I hear a PLOP!

First thing I think is, “Holy sh*t, my phone!” Was not my phone, thank goodness. It was my tube of MAC Velvet Teddy, which I love, love, love, love, love so much.

I fished it out and set it on my desk to dry, and now I don’t know what to do with it!

So, the toilet was um…”not used,” so the water was fresh, and it’s my toilet, so I might use the lipstick again? I don’t know. I’m still very grossed out by this. It would be a totally different story if it had been a public toilet, alright? And if there had been some kind of “action” (ha ha) in it. But it was my toilet, and nothing was in there, and I dunno… I’m still freaked out by this.

Let me also say, though, that I have an irrational fear of things like my toothbrush, my phone and other random things falling in the toilet. I dunno…

Would you still use a lipstick that fell in your toilet? Let me know.

This also makes me think of a story… I can’t remember where I heard it, but it involves poop in soup.

Wait! — let me explain. If there were a massive, wine barrel-sized vat of soup, and you were STARVING, but you also knew there was just a tiny little bit of poop in there (let me clarify — IT’S NOT YOUR POOP. IT’S A STRANGER’S POOP!), would you still eat the soup knowing that there was a minuscule amount of poop in it?

I totally couldn’t. And I feel that way, kind of, about this lipstick now.

Granted, I have a backup on hand because that’s how much I love Velvet Teddy, so I busted it out today, and now that’s what I’m using instead. But it’s not the fancy packaging, ahhh!

On that note, on to today’s reading!

MAC is releasing a new line of nude lipsticks and glosses called Strip Down that are supposed to work for all skin tones, including the darkest of damsels.
Your daily dose o’ science history is of the life and times of Hedwig Kohn, a German-American physicist who was one of only three women physics professors at the university level in Germany before World War II. She was forced to leave during the Nazi regime due to her Jewish heritage.
Let’s hop into the hot tub time machine to revisit early 2000s makeup, just for kicks, yeah?
The best in beauty in face makeup for darker skin tones, according to Essence.
Here’s a collaboration I didn’t expect: Sunday Riley skin care is teaming up with United Airlines.
Does having your own personalized shampoo made just for you make any difference in your hair?
Best quote I’ve read all week: “If you’re going to hang around someone all day, you might as well make sure they smell amazing, too.”
Even though they act like they don’t, cats can recognize their own name, according to this new study.

The science of the meow!

Why you need retinol, according to Sephora

A different take on one of my favorite dance songs by Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Three steps to transform your life

So it’s raining here in NorCal again, and I thought I was gonna take the baby out to go play at a park, but now I have to find some creative ways to wear her out indoors. Good luck to me! I think we may have to get Tabs involved… Maybe Hide and Go Seek. Connor tells him to go hide behind the couch, and he’s like, “WHA?”

I hope you have a great rest of your day. Talk to you soon!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What Was the Last Compliment Someone Gave You on Your Makeup?

April 5th, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

mac velvet teddy 10 minute makeup — MAC Velvet Teddy 10-minute makeup

It was something someone said just the other night. I was at one of the Mothers Club meetings I’ve mentioned before here in town (we were stuffing plastic eggs for the upcoming Easter egg hunt), and one of the other moms kindly said that my makeup was “on point,” which to me was really sweet and surprising, since all I’d done was the usual 10-minute makeup look I do before leaving the house.

I think that talking about and thinking about makeup so much makes me forget sometimes that “wearing makeup” (“air quotes”) doesn’t always refer to blending three colors in the crease and carving out a brow arch and mixing three shades of concealer. Sometimes it’s just the simple, pretty looks one does to get out the door so they can make it to a Mexican restaurant on time to stuff plastic Easter eggs, LOL!

What was the last compliment someone gave you on your makeup? Did they say something nice about your lipstick? Your lashes? Liner? Whatever it was, I hope it made you feel good. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Oh…TGIF big time today, babe. BIG time.

What Are the Hardest Things for You to Let Go of When You’re De-Cluttering Your Makeup Collection?

April 4th, 2019 by Karen 27 Comments

Totally a first-world problems question, I know, but we’re all makeup addicts here (aren’t we?), so this is an issue I’ve run into in the past and one I’m experiencing presently because I’m trying to clear out the makeup clutter, but it is SO HARD with certain things — especially eye palettes and blushes, and especially the pricey stuff, like Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana.

Why is a 12-year-old Chanel eyeshadow quad THAT I NEVER WEAR so difficult to part with? I swear, Marie Kondo would have a field day with me.

Easiest things for me to let go of are old mascaras. I can toss those tiny tubes without a second thought. Same goes for lipgloss. Oh, and liquid foundation, but that’s probably because I have a low-key foundation addiction and find a new one to love every five seconds, ha ha ha.

How about you? What are the hardest things for you to let go of when you’re de-cluttering your makeup collection?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Current Makeup Inspiration

April 4th, 2019 by Karen 15 Comments

I’m always about *this* close to quitting my subscription to Allure, because every time a Kardashian or a Jenner pops on the cover, I’m just like, “I can’t. I can’t do this anymore.” But then, ya know, another issue will arrive, and I’ll start flipping through the pages, and it’s just makeup inspiration up the wazoo, so I keep subscribing.

In the April 2019 issue…AH! — so much color inspo from the beautiful actress Gemma Chan. She’s one of the stars of Crazy Rich Asians and the sci-fi drama Humans, where she plays a preternaturally beautiful robot who gains self-awareness.

There’s a lengthy piece on her with pictures of different looks, and what strikes me the most is all the color. There’s a lot of it, but so much of it is done in a way that looks totally doable and wearable. In fact, I think they could be turned into 10-minute versions, like her cover look… The lip? Oh, I love the red lip. The edges are perfect! I also love the soft flick in the outer corner and how it looks like she’s only wearing one or two eyeshadows on her lids (they don’t look cray complicated).

Also, may I point out her black nail polish?! Love it. ? From a practical standpoint, however, I know I’d only get a day or two out of it before seeing chips, but it looks so good in these pics, man. It’s an edgy counterpoint to the classic, timeless makeup.

Could this be the catalyst for me breaking out of my pastel polish phase? Maybe!

I’ve also got mad love for this second look here with the perfectly matching pink lids and the pink lips…

And see her lashes? I love how natural they look. Definitely not OTT. They just look like lashes with mascara on them, and same goes for her brows. They’re full, but yet still look like regular brows.

I’m also getting major inspiration from this Lancôme foundation ad on the back cover. This is my favorite type of makeup to wear — neutral shades with a low-key glam style. I love that all of the looks have one focal point (black kitten liner, a smudgy bronze lower lash line, and that gorgeous plum lip), and everything is “pulled back.”

It just goes to show that neutrals are anything but boring.

[Continue reading…]

Budget Beauty for $10 or Less: Maybelline Tattoo Studio Gel Pencil Liners

April 3rd, 2019 by Karen 9 Comments

maybelline tattoo studio eyeliner pencil — Long-lasting liners

Hooray for budget beauty! In this new series, we talk about sweet finds you can get for $10 or less.

Maybelline is famous for their potted Tattoo Studio Gel liners, and I’m happy to say that their gel pencils are just as good — AND at $7.99 each, they’re crazy affordable.

I used to wear gel pencils all the time because of the epic wear time (Bobbi Brown Jet was my jam back in the day), but I quit a few years ago when my skin became drier than all earthly deserts combined! Gel pencils just got to be too uncomfortable as they sucked the moisture outta my skin, so I switched to regular old kohl liners instead.

The Maybelline gel pencils are different, though. They’re on the moisturizing side (for gel liners). They’re creamy and easy to feather for perfectly smudgy, soft lines.

One big caveat? Their quality varies based on the color. Like, the brown and gray shades, which I wear all the time, are bulletproof; however, other shades like the blues are softer and have more “give.” Both the navy and the teal tips broke the very first time I used them.

Grrr… After I sharpened the tips, the pencils stayed solid and didn’t crumble, but still, it’s always annoying to waste product right off the bat. Keep your receipt just in case you get a wonky one.

I’m still a Chanel twist-up liner girl all the way, but it’s nice to have affordable options. If you can’t decide which colors to get, I say go for the gray or the bangin’ brown. Both last all day without even a touchup.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup Lovers…We’re All Artists! (And a Peek at the MAC eL Seed Collection in Action)

April 3rd, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

I’ve had painting on the brain lately for two reasons — one, because I’ve been spending practically every free moment at Home Depot because we’re planning some much-needed repairs and updates to the house this summer, including painting the place from top to bottom, because when El Hub and I purchased our place and moved in about a decade ago, we had no idea what we were doing. We were first-time homeowners, and the whole process was (and still is kinda) a mystery. We painted the interior with a flat finish, but flat finish is not your friend when you live with a toddler and/or a perpetually ravenous tabby who eats with reckless abandon and gets gravy splashes on the walls. Go with eggshell, homie. Eggshell is the way! It’s so much easier to clean.

The second reason I’ve had painting on the brain lately is because of the new MAC eL Seed collection, which is coming out in a few days. It’s one of those LE releases that just feels so artsy to me, which I guess makes sense since it’s a collaboration with an artist. eL Seed is a Tunisian graffiti artist who was raised in Paris, and he’s famous for combining Arabic script with graffiti.

It gave me the urge to paint! — and not just because of the gorgeous eye and face palette…

mac el seed cicero full face kit — The Cicero Full Face Kit, which is mostly eyeshadows and two blushes (the pink shades)

It’s the brushes.

Ooh, the brushes… They’re unusually long for makeup brushes.

They look like legit painter’s brushes to me.

I was doing makeup with them the other day and got to thinking about how I forget all the time that makeup really *is* painting. When you think about it, it’s so much like what painters do when they put brush to canvas. You’ve got your pigments and paint, and when you sit down to buff and blend everything on the blank canvas that is your face, you paint a temporary work of art. It’s so cool!

Funny thing is, I never really thought of myself as an “art person.” When I was in high school, I was in band and played every instrument under the sun, so I was a total music nerd, and I was also on the newspaper, but the last true art class I took was in eighth grade (which I got a B+ in, by the way!). That’s the extend of my art training.

mac el seed swatches final — Swatches of the Cicero Full Face Kit (the two pink shades are blushes) and three of the Lipsticks — Declaring Love (pink), Maya La Belle (red) and Une Caresse (plummy brown)

So I don’t think of myself as an artist, but makeup is art! For a few minutes (almost) every day, as I’m painting my lids and my lips and everything else, I get to be in touch with my inner eighth-grade artist, or rather, ahr-teest.

[Continue reading…]