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

Crazy About Creams! The Chantecaille Mermaid Eye Mattes

January 17th, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

chantecaille mermaid eye mattes 1 — Hello, my pretties.

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

One of these freakin’ days, man… One of these days after I’ve finally squatted my way to a J. Lo booty (please pause while I send up a short prayer to the booty gods), I’m gonna pop-pop-pop that thing whenever I wear the matte Chantecaille Cream Shadows, because they’re worthy of a booty pop or two. Or 12.

chantecaille mermaid eye mattes swatches — Say what, Karen? You’re an NC42 for reference? NO WAY!

Unfortunately, they have a pearl-clutching price of $34 for a 0.14-oz. jar, which, I know! — so expensive — but if it’s any consolation, French brand Chantecaille has been doing high-end clean beauty since before it was trendy, and with these pots (I use Silvie, Bee and Olivia), I do think you get what you pay for. These things make my lids smoooooooth.

Mind you, these are still cream shadows, so they aren’t a Christmas miracle. Technically, yes, my ~~wrinkles~~ experience lines are definitely still there, but whenever I wear these I find myself wondering where the heck my fine lines went! Trust me, you won’t be mad about it.

chantecaille mermaid eye mattes k — I’m wearing Bee on my lids, Sylvie in my crease and a touch of Olivia on the inner lids. The bronzer/blush is Hourglass Illume in Sunset, and the lip is NUDESTIX Lip + Cheek Pencil in Sin.

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Low-Key Obsessed With Lizzo at the Moment

January 16th, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

Low-key obsessed with Lizzo at the moment…

Oh, you haven’t heard of her? Neither had I until like two days ago, and after playing her new single, Juice, over and over for two hours straight, then deep-diving through her videos on YouTube, I’m wondering why she isn’t running the free world yet a la Beyoncé. I really hope her singing career blows up this year.

Do your self-esteem a favor and press play now.

She’s like Missy Elliot meets Beyoncé meets the Shirelles meets Lil’ Kim meets Cece Peniston, all wrapped up into a single gorgeous package. I just started following her on Instagram, too. She’s talented, hilarious, fearless when it comes to fashion, and all about the boooooty.

AND DID I MENTION THAT SHE PLAYS THE CLASSICAL FLUTE?! WHILE SHE TWERKS?!

Seriously, who does this…?

A lot of her songs are about positivity and loving yourself, and her videos feature women of different shapes, sizes and colors.

I’m suddenly feeling the need to get my hair done and check my nails…

That baby in the bathtub is too cute!

I’m getting a Tweet vibe from this song (remember her?). Also, everyone looks so moisturized and fabulous!

Her older stuff is good, too.
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Crazy About Creams! Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio in Sunset

January 16th, 2019 by Karen 23 Comments

hourglass illume sunset trio — OH, HAI, GORGEOUS!

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

First, happy hump day to ya. Second, here are a couple fun facts about the $62 Hourglass Illume Trio in Sunset (you know, to get you ready for Makeup Final Jeopardy!).

Like the name implies, it’s a trio. It has a cream bronzer, a blush and a highlighter, and the first time it launched was back in 2010 (my gosh, have I really been writing about makeup that long?). Back then, it was only a duo, and it was $40 instead of $62. It came with just a cream blush and a bronzer in some fun-kay packaging. It had a different logo and this huge swivel mirror that you could turn 360 degrees around.

hourglass illume sunset trio swatches — The trio on medium tan, warm skin. For reference, I’m an NC42 in MAC.

The new version looks totally different on the outside (no more cray-cray mirror), and now that it’s a trio, it also comes with the cream highlighter.

Quality-wise, I think the trio is just as good as the O.G. duo, and yes, I still have one of the original duos because I am Marie Kondo’s freakin’ nightmare, and I’ve kept it around ~~because I’m a hoarder~~.

What can I say? I don’t use it anymore…although I probably could. It doesn’t smell or look funny (which is my totally unscientific way of determining if I need to throw something out).

hourglass illume sunset trio k — Cheeeeeeeks!

Anyway, the colors in the current trio version are similar to the colors in the O.G. one. You get the same medium peach blush and warm golden bronze, but now you also get a pearly golden beige highlighter.
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Current Foundation Routine —> All About That Base

January 15th, 2019 by Karen 30 Comments

OK, it’s true, I seemingly have a new foundation routine every two seconds because I like to switch things up all the time. Lately I’ve been using a slightly different combo of some old faves, and I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what I’ve been doing with my skin. So I guess it’s working for me! Here’s the product lineup in order from start to finish…

MAC Fix+: A few spritzes on bare skin
MAC Prep+ Prime Natural Radiance: One pump applied all over face
MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion: One pump on oily spots (forehead, nose, chin)
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC42 mixed with a few drops of Pinklite Strobe Cream (1-3 very thin layers)
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Liquid Concealer in shade 7 (under the eyes) and shade 8 (on cheeks and around nose)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder in Golden Tan
MAC Fix+: A few more sprays after all of the powder products have been applied (powder, blush, bronzer, highlighter, etc.)

I’d call this a medium-coverage base. The coverage is just shy of full, and I like that this combo doesn’t feel heavy, but there’s still enough coverage to even out the skin.

It does take time, though. Definitely more than a one-minute job with tinted moisturizer and concealer applied with my fingers and buffed out with a brush or sponge (which is also a totally legit process, but also a totally different look).

If you’re gonna go this route, I recommend doing a couple things…

1. Wait for your face primer to dry

I usually apply my face primer at the start of my makeup, then do my brows and eyes to give the primer time to absorb. If I’m in a hurry, I’ll wait a minute or two, and then blot down as much as I can with a tissue or paper towel, but you basically want the primer to have fully absorbed so it can do its thing. You don’t want to jump to the next steps while it’s sitting on top of your skin.

2. Thin layers are key!

OH, THE MAGIC OF THIN BASE LAYERS. I could talk about this for ages, but here’s the gist of it: If you’re going for a good amount of coverage but don’t want your base makeup to look like cake frosting, use multiple thin layers of foundation and/or concealer, as opposed to just piling a ton of product on bare skin.

The thin layers will give you the coverage you want without looking like batter.

It does takes time and effort, though…

Apply each thin layer with your fingers or a sponge or brush, and blend it in with a buffing brush (you want to get the layers as close to your skin as possible). Also, wait for the previous layer to dry (at least a minute or two) before applying the next one, and repeat until you reach the coverage you want.

It’s like walking around with a goat in your arms…

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Crazy About Creams! NUDESTIX Magnetic Eye Color

January 15th, 2019 by Karen 13 Comments

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

Hey, man, if you’re looking to break your neutral eyeshadow addiction, I 100% can’t help you there. Sorry ~~not sorry~~ to say that the NUDESTIX Magnetic Eye Colors ($24) will just throw metaphorical makeup gas on the neutral ? fire, because hello glowing gold, bronze, beige and taupe!

I’m crazy about these creams. They’re smooth enough to spread on toast! They’re like buttah, baby! Once they set, which takes about 30 seconds, you can pretty much forget about touching up for the rest of the day. They’re the creamiest, longest-lasting eyeshadow pencils I own.

nudestix magnetic eye color swatches — Swatches of my favorite shades

Every time I wear one, I wonder if I should just ditch powder eyeshadows completely. Being able to practically paint by numbers and apply shadow with a pencil tip is so much less hit or miss than applying shadow with a brush, since you know EXACTLY where the color’s going, and you’re in complete control. And when you have a hooded lid situation, precise placement is everything.

nudestix magnetic eye color 2 — Why, yes, I’ll have a cup.

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First Recital/Future Dance Mom

January 14th, 2019 by Karen 25 Comments

cocobaby dance recital 1 — All signs point to yes.

It may be a little too early to stake this claim, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the label “dance mom” is in my near future.

Not in the cray-cray reality TV sense, of course, LOL! I’m not about to launch sordid plots and stir up drama about costumes and choreography.

It’s just that Connor Claire started taking toddler dance lessons at a local studio last fall, and they had their winter recital on Sunday, and man! — the kid’s a total ham. She took to the stage like a duck to water.

The show had it all — a big auditorium with bright lights, loud music and an announcer with a game show voice. Since this was Coywolf’s very first time on a stage in front of lots of people, El Hub and I thought she might cry or go all “deer in the headlights,” but to our surprise, she was totally into it, and when the lights came up and the music started, she started shaking her hips like she meant business.

Even with the sparkly costumes and the lights and the stage, the program was pretty low-key, which I really liked. There were kids of all ages, shapes and sizes (even boys), and even some adults who also attend grownup dance classes. It wasn’t intensely competitive, and it seemed like everyone was having fun.

Mostly, I just want Connor to do something active that she enjoys, ya know? And I’m so happy that she appeared to like her first experience performing.

It sure went differently than my stage experiences did as a kid. Mine were piano recitals, and they were absolutely terrifying because it was just me, a big-@ss grand piano that sounded louder and scarier than the one at my house, no sheet music (we were required to memorize our pieces), and my hella grumpy piano teacher frowning in the wings. Needless to say, I did not look forward to them, and performing on stage was something merely to endure, not to enjoy.

But this dance show seemed like a lot of fun for the kids, and as long as Connor wants to keep doing them, I’ll be there with glitter and hairspray.

Any day you get sequins, a cookie, glitter and a trophy is a good day.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 559

January 14th, 2019 by Karen 32 Comments

glow for it monday poll — Let’s do this, babe!

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. Goofy or serious?

G o o f y.

2. Hella sharp Instagram brows OR hella sharp Instagram contour? (Oh, and “neither” is not an option. You’ve gotta pick one.)

Ough… I have to go with the brows, even though I’ll look OTT, because Instagram contour on me is even more OTT. (Hint: Ever seen a real life Skeletor?)

3. Matte red lipstick or false lashes?

Wow. OK, since my lashes are thin right now, and I don’t want to risk accidentally pulling them out while taking off the falsies, I’ll pick matte the red lipstick…even though getting those edges crisp and even is a pain in the @ss.

4. What are you having for lunch today?

One of those Trader Joe’s cheese pizzas with the cauliflower crust. (They taste like real pizza, I swear!)

5. Something on your desk?

The Revlon Cream shadow palette I got at Ulta last week.

If it ain’t broke…

I sat down to put on my makeup yesterday and did a glowing bronze BECCA-inspired look for the fifth day in a row.

This got me thinking about signature looks, one of which I apparently have at the moment… Do you ever think about having a signature look, or do you have one meow? I’m all for evolving and changing (particularly this year, since one of my “themes” for 2019 is embracing change), but if I already know what works for me, why not stick to it a while? So many style icons do it, so why can’t we regular folk? Ariana Grande’s got her high pony. Anna Wintour’s been wearing that same helmet bob for years, and my patron saint of coolness, Stevie Nicks, has been rocking the whole boho-witchy thing since the dawn of time!

Do you ever think about adopting a signature look? Contrary to popular belief (a.k.a. Tabs), mine would NOT be crazy cowlicks and questionable brows. If I were to stake claim to one right now, it would be bronze and glowing a la J. Lo!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

1. Goofy or serious?
2. Instagram brows OR Instagram contour (and “neither” is not an option; you’ve gotta pick one)?
3. Matte red lipstick or false lashes?
4. What are you having for lunch today?
5. Something on your desk?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 536

January 13th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

The white narcissus are blooming here, and Tabs felt it was his duty to show the kitten kitty models out there how to rock a statement floral collar.

Off the shoulder…

BAM!

In other news, this morning’s patrol was uneventful. Ever since Harris and Tabs signed their peace agreement, all of the cats on the circle have ceased hostilities, so we’re enjoying a period of diva détente, however brief it lasts…

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