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

The Easiest Way to Wear Red Lipstick

December 12th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

urban decay tryst lipstick — —-> I’ve found your new favorite way to wear red lipstick. ?

Nine times out of 10, I’d rather wear a nude lip than a red, because I just don’t like having to deal with the precision, man. I don’t want to spend the time loading a lip brush or dealing with red lip liner, or correcting any wonkiness with concealer. I just wanna put on some lipstick, quickly, and get on to living my cat’s best life, ha ha ha!

Be that as it may, this doesn’t mean I don’t ❤️ wearing red lips because I totally do! — especially during the holidays. ‘Tis the season for red, after all, so I have a workaround way to wear red that I’ve been loving lately, and I think you will too.

Note: It’s SUPER easy.

I’ve been doing it a lot lately with Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Tryst ($18), a charming creamy reddish fuchsia.

Here it is straight from the tube. No liner, no lip brush.

urban decay tryst lip swatch — Crazy for crimson (but not the time it takes to apply it)

I like this red full-on by itself, but it does take some elbow grease to get everything all even, and to do it semi-decently in a moving car, which is where I usually put on my lip color these days, because I’m always cutting it this close to getting somewhere on time.

So lately I’ll start with a layer of nude lipstick (Honest Beauty Blossom is my current fave, but any nude should work) instead. Then, after I get a layer down, I apply a thin layer of red lipstick on top, directly from the tube. Then I rub my lips together to mix everything, and feather the edges with a finger.

urban decay tryst on top of honest beauty blossom — You can totally do this in a moving vehicle, I swear.

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Going for the Glitter? Get Thee a Fluffy Brush, ASAP!

December 12th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

nars ignited palette k — Glitter during the daytime hours? WHY NOT!

Friends, please raise your coffee mugs and join me in congratulating my dayum self!

Now, you might be asking, “Um…Karen, what the heck are we toasting to?” And if so, fair enough. ? See, I’ve come to the life-changing conclusion that using a fluffy brush to apply glitter changes lives.

Why a fluffy brush?

Correction: It has to be a specific type of fluffy brush. What you want is a fluffy flat or angled eyeshadow brush — something like the MAC 275S or my fave, the Sephora Pro Angled Shadow Brush #13, which, sadly, is discontinued.

Basically, though, a fluffy flat (or angled) brush deposits the perfect amount of glitter onto lids while simultaneously minimizing fallout.

I’ve only just started doing this because I normally just use a finger to press the glitter on my lids to pack that ish in place, but the thing is, when I wanna wear glitter during the daytime, BECAUSE WHY NOT, this approach can be a little too disco.

nars ignited palette k2 — Pretty subtle as far as glitter goes. I’m wearing the NARS Ignited Palette, by the way. It has lots of pink and purple and warm reddish browns, and methinks it looks ***good*** with rose-colored tops and dresses.

Sheer, but precise

Fluffy brush, though? Yes, life-changing! The key is the low density of the brush head. The fluffiness sheers out the glitter just enough to leave you with a dusting of elegant sparkle on your eyes, as opposed to full-on rave glitter (err, do people still call those parties raves? #datingmyself). The shape of the brush head is also a may-jah player. Since flat or angled eye brushes are precise, and much more precise than, say, domed or tapered eye blending brushes like the MAC 217 or 224, so you can put your glitter exactly where you want it.

I mean, of course you’ll have to tap off your brush first, and then pat, rather than sweep, the glitter on your lids to reduce as much fallout as you can (obvi), but using a fluffy brush results in a sheerer, more elegant and subtle application that *totally* works for daytime makeup.

Fix that fallout

And if you do end up with fallout, no worries. Just use a little Scotch tape or the sticky part on the back of a Post-it, and gently press it onto any wayward glitter flecks to lift them away!

What I’m wearing in these pics

I used the Sephora #13 brush to apply some glitter from the new NARS Ignited palette ($59, limited edition, available at Sephora) that I wore last week, and it was a look I also happened to be wearing when I picked up Connor Claire at preschool.

nars ignited palette packaging — I like the packaging, too.

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Product Spotlight: Honest Beauty Demi-Matte Lip Crayons

December 11th, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

Why aren’t more people obsessed with these lip crayons from Honest Beauty?? They’re so good! They’re the $12.99 Demi-Matte Lip Crayons, and they’re available at Target (and you can also get them online through the Honest Beauty website).

They come in a bunch of colors, but the two I wear are nudes. Or rather, nude-ish. Easy-to-wear Blossom is a warm-toned pinkish beige — completely opaque with just one swipe (no settling into vertical lip lines, either!) — with a demi matte finish that’s ever-so-slightly shiny and creamy, like someone mixed a morsel of matte lipstick into a MAC Cremesheen Lipstick.

And note: Unlike many pinkish beige nudes that are SO DIFFICULT to wear, it’s neither super skippy, nor will it make your lips look like a cat’s butt. If you like MAC Creme Cup, you’ll probably love Blossom.

Rosy brown Marsala is the other shade I’ve been all about, and like Blossom, it’s smooth, opaque and easy to wear. I have very pigmented lips, and it’s slightly deeper than my natural lip color, so on me it works as a nude shade, but it may look like a more standard ’90s-style brown lip, depending on your skin tone.

Neither of these has a noticeable flavor, but if I get my nose all up in there — seriously, I gotta get one of them up into my nostril — I can smell a little rosy waxiness, but it’s far from overwhelming.

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This Week’s Makeup Inspiration: Cindy Crawford ’90s Supermodel Makeup

December 11th, 2018 by Karen 30 Comments

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A post shared by Cindy Crawford ?• (@wonderfulcindy) on Dec 1, 2018 at 2:18pm PST

Over the past few days, I’ve probably spent more time that I should readily admit deep-diving into Cindy Crawford’s supermodel days, and I need to say this next bit aloud: Her makeup from the ’90s slays my life.

Smoky eye ’til I die, man. Where do I even begin?

One could characterize her makeup from that era as “classic,” but COME ON — Cindy Crawford at the height of her supermodel-ness was freaking iconic!

I loved her makeup back then, and I still love those looks now. I think that says something when… Wait — let me stop and do the math. This was almost 30 years ago! It says something when anything is still relevant after so long, and I’d bet my tubby tabby that those makeup looks will hold up pretty much forever. They’re timeless.

My fave thing for sure are the brows. She’s got full, lush brows that are a may-jah focal point, but they’re still soft, without any sharp edges or hard definition, so while they’re prominent, you’re not sucked into staring solely at those fuzzy little caterpillars.

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A post shared by Cindy Crawford ?• (@wonderfulcindy) on Sep 26, 2017 at 1:37pm PDT

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A post shared by Kimmy Blanco (@thekimmyblanco) on Nov 27, 2018 at 1:20pm PST

In many of her makeup looks, she wears some kind of variation on a smoky eye that usually looks matte or semi-matte, and then she either does a nude or a red lip.

Look closely at the nude lip looks… See how there’s usually a darker unblended line at the edge? It’s so very ’90s. I haven’t worn unblended liner like that in ages, but I’ve been mildly curious about trying it again ever since I noticed that the makeup artist who does Kelly Clarkson’s makeup on The Voice does it a lot with Kelly’s nude lip looks.

I’m gonna revisit it again this week…

Oh, and then there’s Cindy’s cheeks! There’s something happening there, for sure, with the contouring and highlighting, but I love that there are no visible stripes of bronzer or over-the-top bling.

I really wonder who did the makeup in these images… I know Kevyn Aucoin worked with her a lot, but I have no idea if he did any of these looks.

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A post shared by vintage gallery (@agelessfilms) on Nov 8, 2018 at 8:39am PST

Can’t forget to mention the hair. Maybe it’s because I came of age during the prime “hair bear” years, but I love me some big Cindy Crawford hair. My friend Gloria told me the other day that whenever she gets a blowout, she tells the stylist to give her Cindy Crawford ’90s hair, which is genius! Why haven’t I thought of that before? I rarely get a blowout, but if I ever get an opportunity to have someone work their magic on me with a T3 and a round brush, I’m gonna tell them to dial up the volume to the highest of ’90s Cindy Crawford hair heights.

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November 2018 Favorites

December 10th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

Because it’s cold, I’m already getting nostalgic for November! Here are some things I loved the heck out of last month…

1. Onomie Boosting Lip + Cheek Sticks ($30 each)

These are super sheer compared to some other creams products out there, like the MAC Cream Colour Bases, but don’t walk away just yet. I don’t really use them when I’m gonna be taking pics for MBB, because they’re too subtle for photography, but for regular life, like when I’m wearing the most minimal of minimal makeup (a recurring theme when you live with a demanding tabby and a toddler), they’re B-O-M-B. They add just enough color to cheeks and lips to liven things up so I don’t look totally dead, ha ha.

I blend concealer under my eyes and skip the tinted moisturizer/foundation completely, then plop on a coat of mascara, and dab and blend one of these tints on my cheeks and lips.

It’s a very Megan Markle makeup look, and I’m into it.

Comes in six shades. I wear the Berry the most.

2. Juno & Co Microfiber Velvet Sponge ($6 each, or four for $20)

You can use this soft and squishy makeup blending sponge wet or dry to apply or set foundation, powder and/or concealer. The surface of the sponge feels velvety, similar to velvet fabric, which makes a big difference in the finished look. It’s a more airbrushed and polished look than you get with the beautyblender-y makeup sponges out there.

3. R+Co Television Perfect Hair Shampoo and Conditioner ($30 each)

You know when your hair feels coated, weighed down and heavy? UGH, I hate that feeling. It’s like living with a family of filthy forest animals on your head 24/7. Anyway, with this shampoo and conditioner, you can completely avoid that issue. They’re for smoothing, moisturizing *and* volume, and they’re made for all hair types, from fine to thick and wavy like mine, and everything in between. When I use this set, my hair is what I call, “light and fluffy.” My only wish is that they came in bigger bottles!

The scent is lovely, too. I detect lavender, pineapple, tangerines and warm, white musk.

4. R+Co Waterfall Moisture + Shine Lotion ($29)

Again for the girls and guys who like hair that isn’t coated with a thick layer of goo. (R+Co is good at that.) This intense leave-in conditioner and frizz-fighter is just as moisturizing as their High Dive Moisture + Shine Cream (don’t even ask me how many bottles of that I’ve gone through), but it retains more volume in your strands, so it flattens the hair less than High Dive.

Both are brilliant, but if you have long or medium-length hair, and you’re all about floofy marshmallow volume, this is the one you’ll want, especially if you like violets, oranges and caramel, which is how it smells.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 554

December 10th, 2018 by Karen 43 Comments

It’s a Dolly kinda mornin’.

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. Winged liner or glitter shadow?

Glitter shadow. I love me a wing, but I feel like you get more bang for your buck with a glitter shadow. Plus, it’s less stressful.

2. Cheese or chocolate?

EHRMAHGAWD. Well this is hard…but I’m going with chocolate, since the chocolate cravings I get are more intense than the cheese cravings.

3. Over-the-knee boots or ankle booties?

Over-the-knee boots. But only if they’re flats.

4. Would you rather 1) run into your ex while buying granny panties at Costco, OR 2) have your mom or dad see you making out with someone on the street? And I’m not talking a cute little church kiss. I’m talking full-on, grabby-hand making out, HA HA HA!

Granny panties at Costco, for sure, because chances are I’ll never see the dude again.

5. Would you rather have your dream job or your dream house?

GIRL, don’t make me choose! OK…dream house, please. Ideally, one that also comes completely organized and with cat-friendly furniture. ?

Something to stream ASAP

Super cute Netflix movie starring Jennifer Aniston

On your list of things to do this week — watch Dumplin’ on Netflix, because any movie 1) with a soundtrack comprised solely of Dolly Parton songs, and 2) in which drag queens save the day, is A-OK with me.

It’s about a Texas teenager dealing with the loss of her beloved aunt, and her rocky relationship with her beauty pageant mom (played by Jennifer Aniston). It’s very sweet and fun.

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. Winged liner or glitter shadow?
2. Cheese or chocolate?
3. Over-the-knee boots or ankle booties?
4. Would you rather 1) run into your ex while buying granny panties at Costco, OR 2) have your mom or dad see you making out with someone on the street? And I’m not talking a cute little church kiss. I’m talking full-on, grabby-hand making out, HA HA HA!
5. Would you rather have your dream job or a your dream house?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 531

December 9th, 2018 by Karen 1 Comment

Only two weeks to go before Catsmas! ???

Some of the employees have been taking advantage of the season to crawl into work a little late and sneak away a little early, which Tabs ain’t having none of, so he guarded the front entrance today to make sure there weren’t any stragglers dilly-dallying.

Because, as you know, according to the Tabs the Cat Industries LLC Employee Handbook, employees must be seated in their chairs or on top of their desks 30 minutes prior to their official start time, with their computers booted up so they can peruse the latest kitty modeling pics of Tabs on the company website.

While Tabs was outside, he spotted a rival doing a photo shoot in the area and surveilled her to assess her kitty modeling potential.

After determining that her posing wasn’t all that, he did a little gardening, and then returned to his security duties…

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Saturday Surfing, December 8th, 2018

December 8th, 2018 by Karen 5 Comments

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Fresh paint with @smithandcult Vegas Post Apocalyptic ? #glitternails? #smithandcultnailpolish

A post shared by Karen | Makeup and Beauty Blog (@karenmbb) on Dec 7, 2018 at 8:37am PST

G’morning! Got glitter on my mind today because I painted my nails for the first time in weeks yesterday (FINALLY), and I used Smith & Cult Vegas Post Apocalyptic. It’s a clear glitter base with mostly lavender glitter flecks in it, but also some holographic blue, pink, yellow and green flecks as well.

Yup, this is my idea of holiday nails. ?

I don’t really do traditional Christmas color combos like red and gold anymore because one year everyone I ran into (SERIOUSLY, EVERYONE) assumed that whenever I wore a red/gold mani, it was a shout-out to the San Francisco 49ers, which was fine…but that wasn’t what I was going for. I must’ve said, “Christmas nails, not 49ers nails” three thousand times, ha ha! So, yeah.

This particular glittery polish isn’t on the Smith & Cult website anymore (boo!), but there’s a super similar color called Take Fountain, which I think might actually be the same polish with a different name.

Also, I think A Little Lovely looks very cool, too…