A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
Clinique Black Honey, Wet n Wild #666, Revlon Cherries in the Snow. Girlfriend, I totally get it. Sometimes you wanna wear Papaya, and sometimes you don’t. If you want a neutral tee that won’t steal the spotlight from your ? lips, the Long Live Lipstick Tee in Driftwood is for you.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
First thing this morning, I got the following text from Tabs:
hi. come 2 office when u get up. bring gravy n hire photog.
Even though Tabs doesn’t work on as many modeling gigs as he used to, he hasn’t technically retired. Being an entrepreneur and a feline philanthropist, he still has a number of side hustles and kitty modeling projects.
Like, today he wanted to update his multimedia portfolio, so he hired his personal photographer, his digital team and his army of stylists for the day.
I, of course, was brought in to assist.
We walked around the neighborhood taking pics, and then the visual effects specialists turned the pics into what you see here…
Good morning from the DAWN OF TIME!
Really though, happy Saturday…from someone who’s been up since before the crack of dawn, LOL! I wish I could say that I got up at 3:30 because I was up to no good doing something interesting, like, I dunno…going to a sunrise rave, but no. It was just good old-fashioned insomnia. *shrugs shoulders*
On one hand, I wish I got more sleep because — HELLO. BODY. TIRED. — but on the other hand, I got HELLA stuff done early, and that makes me feel great. I’m still definitely NOT a morning person, but waking up shortly before 4 today allowed me to conquer most of the tasks on my to-do list, including finishing a pilates workout *and* doing a comprehensive moisturizing skin care regimen using the Wander Beauty goodies above.
It’s been a Wander Beauty-ful morning…
- Drift Away Cleanser ($32): This gel-to-foam cleanser is great for oily skin, and it whooshed away all of the oily gunk from my t-zone, lickety-split.
- Extended Stay Hydrating Mask ($38): This super soothing mask smells delectably ?? fruity.
- Baggage Claim Eye Masks ($25): Tightening, and — dare I say it — even a little brightening?
- Glow Ahead Face Oil ($48): Richer than a rapper’s gold chain collection
- Dive In Moisturizer ($36): I like the featherweight formula, but I’d hoped for more…
The gold under-eye masks certainly do a good job of hiding my dark circles, ha! They have a slightly tightening effect while you wear them, which woke me up a little.
As for right now…I’m about to pass out, but that’s OK ’cause Caturdays are good for cat naps. ?
Enjoy your coffee. Here are some interesting tidbits I found for your morning beauty reading. Talk to you soon.
You have a great day, ‘kay?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
To anyone who says that makeup is meaningless, or who dismisses makeup as something shallow or frivolous, all I have to say is, “Kiss my wannabe J.Lo booty,” because that sh*t is powerful.
Those tiny tubes of mascara and lipstick can change worlds.
I’ve worn makeup practically daily for decades, and sometimes I just go through the motions and take it for granted as part of my habitual routine, but there are those other days, like yesterday, when I really realize just how potent it is.
I was having a sh*tty day yesterday, as was Connor Claire, because poor thing is sick again. She got croup, again, so I’ve been tending to her needs, which has made it more difficult to balance my other responsibilities.
I don’t want to whine but…I’m going to! LOL! ? Basically, I haven’t been sleeping well because I’ve been staying up to comfort Connor, and it all kind of came to a head yesterday afternoon. I felt super grumpy and defeated, but I still wanted to go to my HIIT class at night, because I knew that if I continued to sit around the house, I’d feel progressively worse.
Normally, I don’t wear makeup to work out, and that’s mostly because I usually don’t have time to put any on. It’s not that I don’t want to, because I used to back in the day, but these days I look at the clock, and it’s like “OH, SNAP!” It’s all I can do to don stretchy pants and go.
But yesterday, even though I was running behind as usual, I said to myself, “Self, you need to do something.” I needed to put on my proverbial armor, lest I burst into tears in the middle of class mid-burpie.”
So I curled my lashes, put on the new MAC Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash curling mascara (It’s smudge-proof!), a little Urban Decay Naked Lipstick and, the piece de resistance, I combed my hair! I actually applied some hair paste, strong-hold hairspray on my cray-cray wiry witch hairs, combed my hair, and put it in a high pony.
Then I went to the gym, and ya know what? Even though I wanted to cry for the first 20 minutes, I swear to you, there was something about that little bit of makeup “armor” I was wearing — like the mascara was a suit of Medieval chain mail — that slowly but surely made me feel a little tougher. I said, “Ya know, I can get through this. I don’t have to be the toughest I’ve ever been, but I can make it through this workout without bursting into tears,” and I did. At the end of the class, I actually felt like pushing a bit. I felt really, really good.
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The 10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves series shows off some of *the best* makeup for speedy (but sensational!) skin, eyes, cheeks and lips.
This is gonna sound so cheesy, but this is my feel-good blush. ? I just feel really good when I wear it. It’s Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in Amp’d Up Apple, and it’s $24. When I put a bit of this beautiful matte pinkish brown on my cheeks, I look like I just finished a round of crossover jumping jacks (which are surprisingly difficult)!
Wearing this blush is like working out…without having to actually work out. Cheeks look lovely and healthy with Amp’d Up Apple’s wash of pink color, so you look like you *did* show up, and you’re ready to bring it. When you want a little more than basic contrast, it’s a great way to go. Methinks there’s something very chic French girl about it.
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Unsolicited life tip #546: If you’re going to paint your own nails, DoNt dO iT rIgHT aFeTer yOUvE haD A MaSsIVe AmOUNt oF CoFfeE. ☕☕☕☕☕ Like, if the cup was as big as your head, refrain! — because sure, one hand may turn out OK, but the other one? Wonky-wonk.
I did it the other day, LOL! I was telling my friend Tatiana about it in the comments like, “Yeah…I just painted my nails high on coffee.” My left hand looked great because I’m right-handed, but my right hand? Whole ‘nother story.
That pic at the top are the good nails, HA HA HA! On the other hand, the middle nail is all patchy, and there’s a big lump in it.
I don’t even know how it got there. ?
But you know, I was just happy to have my nails painted, because, believe it or not, once upon a time, I was the person who always had her nails and her toes done. If I were going out, I wouldn’t have dared to go without having my toes painted. Bare toenails used to be MORTIFYING for me, but time flies, life happens, things change… You pop out a kid, things happen. Now I’m overjoyed whenever I actually sit down and paint my nails, so I was absolutely thrilled (despite the wonky right hand) to have my nails did.
The shade I’m wearing here is called Boss Gloss, from Sally Hansen’s new Mega Strength line. Side note: Did you know that Sally Hansen was actually a real person?! For the longest time, I just thought it was a name someone made up, but no. She was a businesswoman and led a *very* colorful life.
Anywho, nails… I did two coats of Boss Gloss with layers of the Mega Strength Base Coat and Top Coat.
About that, there are three Mega Strength colors on my desk right now — Boss Gloss, Her-Oine and She-Ro.
I wore She-Ro last week, and I loved the wear time (more on that in a sec), but the color didn’t really do anything for my soul (because that’s important). It’s a mid-toned purplish mauve… I like it just fine, but generally speaking, if I’m gonna wear purple on my nails, I prefer either an Easter-egg pastel purple, or something super intensely bold.
There’s no in-between when it comes to purples with me. Are you like that too with any colors?
Back to She-Ro again — the wear time was awesome! I had it on for a full seven days, during which time I only saw the smallest of chips at the tips until the evening of the seventh day…
Wow, that sounded like the start of a very foreboding tale! ?
And so it began… She was in the shower washing her hair when the edge of the polish at the base of one of her nails kept lifting up and catching on her wet hair…
GIRL, it was all downhill from there. I stood there under the water for gosh knows how long, peeling my nails off. (YOU KNOW YOU DO IT, TOO.)
Anyway, I’ve got those three colors on my mind right now, and if Boss Gloss and Her-Oine do well, then I’m gonna go back to get some more colors, because they also have some dark colors that look really pretty.
Other things nail polish related… I painted the Boss Gloss mani in the morning before going to my HIIT class later that night, which I think is one of the biggest tests for nails. If a polish can survive a workout with weights, that nail polish is LEGIT. I walked into the class that night thinking, “Aw, man, I just did my nails,” because, on any given day, there are barbells, dumbbells or kettle bells (ALL THE BELLS) involved, and handling weights will chip your nails quicker than you can say, “No way, lady, Keanu is MY BOYFRIEND.”
That evening, we used sandbags, which are the worst for chipping. We did this funky move called “the sandbag clean and press,” where you take a heavy sandbag, flip it over, and do a squat. So now I’m bruised all up and down my arms.
The 10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves series shows off some of *the best* makeup for speedy (but sensational!) skin, eyes, cheeks and lips.
Oh, how do I love 10-minute makeup? Let me count the ways… LOL.
I’ll spare you the lengthy soliloquy, but here’s the gist of it: I like putting on a full face without spending HELLA YEARS applying and blending. Sometimes it’s just nice to do a quick makeup look that doesn’t look like a rush job. That said, even *I* get a little tired ? of doing the same brown smoky eye with peachy coral cheeks and a nude lip every day… I mean, I LOVE THAT LOOK, but sometimes you need to switch things up when you’re feeling “makeup restless,” ya know?
That’s where these new NARS Multi-Use Glosses come into play…
These glittery glosses are limited edition and available now on the NARS website for $24 each, so if you see something you like, you better grab it sooner than later because they won’t be around forever.
They feel like lip gloss and look like lip gloss, but you can wear them on your lips (of course), your eyes and your face (as a highlighter!).
All five of have the daintiest flecks of graceful glitter, so they sparkle and shine, which kicks them up a level.
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Toddlers be cray, man.
SO CRAY!
There are days when I feel like I’m living in a hostage negotiation situation, where I’m the hostage, and I’m doing everything I can to keep my toddler captor from losing her sh*t!
No really, though. I mean, it’s hard because she’s still learning how to manage her emotions, and when she just can’t deal, her frustration flows out of her through in fierce and epic tantrums. I, in turn, am also learning how to be the most patient version of myself (OH, LAWD, GIVE ME STRENGTH!). That part of toddler-hood is utterly and completely exhausting, no doubt, but for the most part, life with this newly minted threenager is fun.
One particularly cool part of this time is hearing her put together complete sentences and using new words. The other day she said that the book she was “reading” (she sits on the couch with a book, which is usually upside-down, and looks at the pictures) was complex. “Mommy, this story is so complicated! There are so many pictures of different frogs.”
Oh, and then there’s the running toddler commentary on anything and everything. “Mommy, do you see the airplane? Is the plane going to Hawaii? Mommy, THE MOON! I see the moon, and the moon sees me. Mommy why are stopping? Is the light red? Oh, look mommy, THERE’S A BUS! I see a bus! And a fire truck!”
?
Even though she definitely has her meltdowns and crabby days (don’t we all), the good times outweigh the hard stuff. Like, the nicest thing happened last week. We were driving to Target to look at nail polish, which she’s been more and more interested in lately. I figure that if I make the fruit too forbidden, it’ll be that much more enticing, so I told her that, as a reward for having a good week at school and for listening to mommy and daddy and being nice to her big brother (Tabs) and picking up her toys, she could pick out a nail polish of her own that I would do her nails with.
On the way to the store, while we were waiting at a stoplight, Connor got really quiet and said, “Mommy, you’re a really good mama. You listen. You REALLY listen.”
I almost burst into tears right then and there, but instead I said, “Thank you, Connor. That’s a really nice thing to say. You’re a really good daughter.”
My heart… ❤️ It felt like it was going to explode.
Note to self: Hold on to this memory, because she’ll be a teenager soon enough, and that’s gonna be a hoot!
She ended up picking out a sparkly blue, pink and purple glitter by Sally Hansen, and she insisted that we paint our toes the same color so we could match, awww!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
Karen