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

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 539

February 3rd, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

It’s halftime in the big game, and Tabs’s team is down 3 to nothing. The Rams really aren’t looking great so far, and Tabs is having a tough time with it. Being a former football player, he has strong opinions about what the Rams are doing wrong. He keeps yelling “Meow! Mrrow!” at the TV, which, loosely translated, means “Give it to Gurley!”

While El Hub, Connor and I watch the game here in Hawaii, Tabs and his pet sitter threw their own Super Bowl party back at the home office.

Tabs would have come along on this trip, but he was just in Hawaii last October, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with the humidity and his fur…

Ah, but the Super Bowl always bring back memories for Tabs… He loved his days in the CFL (Cat Football League) as a professional cat football player.

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Saturday Surfing, February 2nd, 2019

February 2nd, 2019 by Karen 4 Comments

aloha orange and-red hibiscus final — See ya soon!

Aloha, friend! Chances are, as you’re reading this, I’m on a plane ✈️ soaring over the Pacific Ocean, because we’re headed to Hawaii ? today (the island of Oahu) to see family. Word on the street is that it’s “cold” (air quotes) over there right now, but you know…if cold means upper-70s with an occasional downpour, I’ll take it. I’m still crossing my fingers that it’ll be sunny a few days, though, so I can go to the beach and make friends with some beach cats. Tabs, who will be working closely with (a.k.a micromanaging) his favorite pet sitter here at the home office, has tasked me with finding new kitty modeling talent while I’m there, and as I’m sure you’re aware, Tabs won’t accept anything less than excellence.

Good luck to me!

On that note, your Saturday reading…

Serious question: Are you ready for this jelly?? Because jelly makeup is allegedly the next big thing in beauty.
OTT fashion designer Betsey Johnson has a new line of makeup.
The latest trend in beauty? Pop-up destinations that combine makeup and cuisine.
How Daniel Martin went from working at MAC to doing Meghan Markle’s iconic wedding day makeup.
Maria Hatzistefanis, founder of Rodial skin care, built a $90 million biz with no beauty industry experience. Here’s how she did it.
Artist Laetitia Ky is “Insta-famous” for her gravity-defying hair sculptures, which are simultaneously playful and political.
In case you were wondering just how cold it was in Iowa this week, it was cold enough to freeze this girl’s hair.
To go with your favorite leopard-print ? cardigan or leopard-print scarf: leopard-print hair.
What do felines do when they’re “extra”? Well, Louise and Tina, two up-and-coming Silicon Valley tech-mogul kitties, live in their own $1,500-a-month studio apartment, complete with a cat tree AND Apple TV.
Skin care line Joanna Vargas takes a less-is-more approach to aging.
Actress Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones, walks us through the evolution of Sansa’s hair throughout the seven seasons.
The best red lipsticks, according to the Rockettes.
The people of Amazon have spoken, and apparently they love these leggings, all of which cost $30 or less.

I love ? her so much! That flute solo is NO JOKE, either!

Holla if you ever wished you were a Solid Gold Dancer.

My favorite kind of Saturday morning music

Note to self: Find a yoga class where dogs are allowed to hang out.

A VERY detailed step-by-step for a smoky look on hooded lids.

See you on the beach soon. Have a wonderful weekend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Fresh Friday: Hungry for Color? This Indie Makeup Line Names Palettes After Tasty Treats!

February 1st, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

dominique cosmetics berries and cream — Looks good enough to eat! (But don’t.)

MBB’s “Fresh Friday” series takes a look at new beauty brands (and venerable O.G. brands that are new to me). Let’s discover new makeup!

OK, so I like to think that I’m NOT ruled by my stomach, buuuut the fact that the eyeshadow palette I rocked yesterday is called Berries & Cream may or may not have something to do with why I like wearing it. ?

Berries & Cream is from Dominique Cosmetics, a new-to-me indie makeup line by YouTuber Christen Dominique. Christen has just over four million subscribers, so she’s kinda Internet famous (to put it mildly).

Dominique Cosmetics has products spread out among three mini sub-collections, and each of the eyeshadow palettes in them are named after something delicious. There’s Berries & Cream, Latte and Lemonade).

YUM! A girl after my own food-lovin’ ~~tummy~~ heart.

I wore the Berries & Cream palette to lunch yesterday with a friend, who asked, “That, on your eyes? Are you wearing purple or burgundy?”

By the way, she asked me this after we’d been talking for an hour, LOL!

I was like, “Girl, I’m not sure! I was hoping it would distract you from the white hairs sticking up every which way!”

dominique cosmetics berries and cream collection swatches — Swatches of the Berries & Cream palette eyeshadows and matte liquid lipsticks

dominiuqe cosmetics plum berry lipstick — Wearing Creamy Matte Liquid Lip in Plum Berry on my lips and the Berries & Cream palette on my lids.

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Ravenous for Red Lipstick: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick

January 31st, 2019 by Karen 14 Comments

Valentine’s Day ? is right around the corner, so this is a purr-fect time to celebrate that most sanguine of seductresses — scarlet! The Ravenous for Red Lipstick series features the crimsons I’m currently cuckoo for.

Your makeup fun fact of the day: Beso, as in the name of Stila’s stunning Beso lipstick, means “kiss” in Spanish.

MWAH!

I actually kissed everyone in sight while I was wearing this lipstick yesterday.

OK, maybe not everyone… I didn’t think the grumpy checkout lady at Target would appreciated it, but Tabs got a smattering of kisses on the top of his head (right between the ears is the sweet spot), Connor got a few tummy kisses, and El Hub got a few kisses on the cheek.

Matte true red Stila Beso liquid lipstick left a whisper of crimson behind, so FYI, Beso isn’t kiss-proof, but it is long-lasting enough to survive two cups of coffee, a snack and a meal.

I think it fades very well, as a matter of fact, and it doesn’t leave that gross line of product on your bottom lip as it wears off (you know the one).

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The New MAC Hyper Real Glow Palettes in Get Lit and Shimmy Peach

January 31st, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

mac hyper real glow shimmy peach get lit — It’s glow time with the new MAC Hyper Real Glow Palettes. I’m wearing the Get Lit Palette on my cheekbones and Shimmy Peach on my lids as an eyeshadow.

Conversations with my overstuffed makeup bag (Part 1)

ME:
“Hey, do you think I need another highlighter?”

MY OVERSTUFFED MAKEUP BAG:

I mean let’s get real here. Chances are you already have a go-to highlighter (or highlighters, because MOAR SHIMMER), and you’re probably attached to it, but if you, by chance, “need” a new one, or if it’s your life’s mission to become the antithesis of all that is Konmari, then…MAC ATTACK! MAC is adding two new highlighting palettes to their Hyper Real Glow line.

Like the bronze and rose gold palettes in the permanent line now, these new ones look and feel like the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Powders on the skin. They’re super silky, with ultra-fine grains of powder and an opalescent finish you can turn up or tone down, depending on your mood, your tool and your technique.

In fact, I think the MAC Hyper Real Glows actually feel softer than the BECCA powders do, so if you’re a clumsy-pants who drops everything, be careful…because the cardboard packaging feels dainty and delicate.

Both of them would work for a wide range of skin tones, but one of the new palettes is lighter and cooler-toned than the other, with pink, lavender and pale champagne shades, while the other, darker one has a peach and two coppers.

mac shimmy peach swatches — MAC Hyper Real Palette in Get Peach

mac get lit swatches — MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette in Get Lit (for reference, I’m an NC42)

This time of year, my medium tan skin (I wear an NC42 in MAC foundation) is a little lighter than it is in August, and I like using the cooler pinks and purples in Get Lit as traditional highlighters on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and in the inner corners of my eyes, along with using the peach palette on my eyes as shadow by buffing the shimmer on my lids and brow bones for an otherworldly glow.

A few more deets…

Coming February 4, 2019 to the MAC website, and February 7 to MAC stores and select MAC counters (call your counter to check ahead of time).
The palettes are $39.50 each and come with three 0.15-oz. pans (decent size).
The Shimmy Peach palette is shinier and frostier than the Get Lip Palette.
With these, a little goes a long way.
I get a solid six hours from these powders without seeing any fading.
You’ll like these if you’re a fan of BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector, or if you like flexible highlighters that can go from subtle to ***BLING***.
These may not be the best fit for you if you prefer candlelit glows a la the Hourglass Ambients.

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Today’s (7-Minute) Makeup: Monochromatic Lids, Cheeks and Lips

January 30th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

I’ve recently come to the following conclusion:

Five-minute makeup is bullsh*t.

Rather, it is if you (correction, I) want to do more than tinted moisturizer, brows, mascara and a nude lip.

I mean, I do five-minute makeup looks all the time. I like ’em. They’re easy, convenient… Well, those are their main selling points, but they aren’t really that much fun, because it’s just not enough time to do more than the basics.

And sometimes I want to have fun! — and I have more swag when I’m feeling my makeup, and when I have more swag, Beyoncé better watch out.

Therefore, in the pursuit of swag…seven-minute makeup is where it’s at.

It’s the sweet spot for me. It’s just enough time to go a little extra (with liner, blush, what have you), but it’s still lazy girl doable.

So, here was my seven-minute makeup look today. I did it using some new products from the MAC in Monochrome collection, but there’s also some Hourglass up in the mix. Everything is listed below in the order applied. If you have any questions, you know where to find me. ?

mac velvet teddy monochrome — Baby, how YOU feeling?

mac in monochrome velvet teddy makeup of the day final — Seven minutes, I can do.

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Crazy About Creams! Clarins Creams

January 30th, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

This month I am CRAZY ABOUT CREAMS. Stay tuned for some of my favorite cream makeup products all throughout January.

Just to clarify, this is a joke:

And this is NOT a joke:

(Side note: Thank you, Internet, for making me ? laugh every single day.)

I’d be remiss to not include my favorite face creams in this series, and… —–> these babies by Clarins ARE NOT PLAYIN’. I always keep at least one jar around because whenever my combo skin starts feeling tight and dry and painful and just plain WEIRD, Clarins is there to rescue me, man. I dab a little on my skin (you don’t need a lot, thank goodness, because these jars, while decently sized, are still expensive), and my tight spots always feel instantly better.

French luxe line Clarins has been around forever, and while the brand may not be as buzzy as Drunk Elephant or Glossier at the moment, I know I can always count on their marvelously moisturizing creams to NOT break me out — and, seriously, EVERYTHING makes me break out.
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Ravenous for Red Lipstick: Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink in Dancer

January 29th, 2019 by Karen 31 Comments

maybelline dancer — I may or may have just busted out my six-step before taking this picture

Valentine’s Day ? is right around the corner, so this is a purr-fect time to celebrate that most sanguine of seductresses — scarlet! The Ravenous for Red Lipstick series features the crimsons I’m currently cuckoo for.

This warm red matte liquid lippie is called Dancer.

Yes, its name is one of the reasons I like it.

I also like it because it’s smooth and very pigmented, and there are NO vertical lip lines in sight whenever I wear it, which I typically do without a lip liner, because ya really don’t need one (it’s pretty easy to freehand).

I identify with the name because, once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away, a.k.a “my single life in San Francisco,” I would BOOK IT the second the clock struck quitting time and head directly to one of the many dance studios in the city to take a dance class, and I did this three or four times a week for a while.

I was addicted to dance, but can you blame me? There’s nothing quite as therapeutic as shaking your @ss for 45 minutes, except maybe Calgon…

Nowadays, I do most of my dancing in my living room with Tabs and Connor (we have MANY impromptu dance parties). On the plus side: no cover charge. Also on the plus side: hip-hop battles with cats and toddlers are HILARIOUS.

Dancer is one of Maybelline’s Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipsticks with the thick, “grippy,” mousse-like formula. It’s easy to place it where you want it to go, and you can feel it latching on to your lips as it dries.

For me, it’s a very present lipstick, so it’s not one of those lighter-than-air situations. I like how warm and intense it is as a red (looks great with khaki liner and golden brown eyeshadow, BTW), too. Keeping with the dance metaphors, it really POPs.
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