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

Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Lover Lipstick, Cookies, and Ali Wong’s Long Lost Twin

June 21st, 2018 by Karen 27 Comments

charlotte tilbury sunset lover k — Wearing Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Lover Lipstick. Apparently, I’m also Ali Wong’s long lost twin?

YOU GUYS. Not a week goes by without someone saying that they think I look like comedienne Ali Wong. I guess it’s the glasses? I dunno, I don’t really see it…

It happened again yesterday at lunch, and by “lunch” I’m referring to the cookies I had at the bakery after story time. (We also had a chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, so there was some actual nutrition involved.)

The nice lady behind the counter who always helps us said, “You look EXACTLY like Ali Wong.”

“Really?” I asked.

“It’s the smile,” she said, “it’s the glasses, it’s everything. I could’ve sworn you were her. I was wondering what she was doing in Novato.”

The next time this happens, I’ve decided that I’m just gonna pretend I’m Ali Wong, maybe even sign an autograph, haha! But if I’m wearing Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Sunset Lover at the time, I’ll be screwed, though, because Ali-Karen will probably be inundated with questions about what she’s wearing on her lips, because that’s what goes down whenever I wear this matte peachy pink.

(It’s a new color, by the way, and just launched.)

Don’t even think about wearing this when you’re feeling anti-social, because every person you run into will ask about it.

charlotte tilbury sunset lover — $34, matte finish, a little drying, so prep with a balm.

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Street Art in the Burbs Be Like…

June 20th, 2018 by Karen 9 Comments

“More bows, mama! MOAR BOWS.”

I spent part of my afternoon drawing pink and yellow bows in the street, and while I quite enjoyed being bossed around by a toddler determined to decorate the neighborhood with drawings of pastel hair accessories, holy wow! — sidewalk chalk is so messy. Your hands, your clothes, your hair — everything gets covered in chalk dust.

How did I forget such a messy, fun part of childhood?

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Cute Jewelry at Target, Muumuus, Custom Cat Caftans and Mrs. Roper Dreams…

June 20th, 2018 by Karen 29 Comments

mrs roper caftan green 1 — The Rainbow Brights iPhone Case, and the mu’umu’u is from Ross.

I’ve been wanting to dress like Mrs. Roper lately. *shrugs shoulders*

I’ve probed the depths of my mind trying to find a reason why I’ve been wanting to rock her style (you might remember her from Three’s Company infamy!), and the most rational reason is the weather.

When it’s hella hot and you don’t have air conditioning in your house, the idea of wearing a big, breezy gown that’s flow-y, isn’t too clingy, and has a fun pattern and perhaps pockets (POCKETS!) and a ruffle or two sounds very appealing (note: it may also have a hem that lightly dusts the floor).

Maybe I’ll eventually come to my senses and seek out a chic black maxi dress, but for now, it’s MRS. ROPER FTW! 🙂

A friend of mine mentioned that Ross has some good cotton caftans, so I popped in and found a couple crazy and colorful ones that were less than $10 each!

I couldn’t decide between these green and burgundy numbers (and was super shocked that the bottom hem didn’t drape along the ground ’cause I was in flats), but ultimately nixed both because neither of them had tassels, fringe or ruffles…and if I’m going to wear a muumuu or something similar, it’s gonna have at least one of those things.

Also, the women’s dressing room at Ross, OMG! It was like walking into a wet, sweaty sock that had been sealed in a dirty underwear drawer for 10 years. (Fun fact: stinky places severely mess with one’s muumuu decision making powers.)

Another friend suggested an online store called Lava Hut, which has some really cute prints, styles and, yes, ruffles. LOTS OF RUFFLES. I like these black muumuus because I really like the idea of wearing a muumuu that make me look like Mrs. Roper working at a MAC counter.

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Trader Joe’s Hack! A Waldorf-y Tuna Salad With Their Mediterranean Style Salad Kit (5-Minute Meal)

June 19th, 2018 by Karen 3 Comments

trader joes hacks waldorf tuna salad — Got 5 minutes and a rumbly tummy?

Had this for lunch today for, oh, I dunno…the second time this week! 🙂 It’s savory, sweet, flavorful, fast, and there’s hardly any chopping involved. It’s my healthy twist on a Waldorf salad, which usually has apple, grapes and mayo. And sometimes chicken.

I usually eat the whole thing in one sitting, but it could serve two as a side salad.

How do I make it?

I’m glad you asked! 🙂

I start with a bag of Trader Joe’s Organic Mediterranean Style Salad (you might remember it from this gnocchi hack), then I set aside the red wine vinaigrette, and add half the greens to a bowl, along with the other accouterments it comes with — the roasted chickpeas, flatbread, dried tomatoes and feta cheese.

(Bag up the rest of the greens, and save for another meal.)

After that, I wash and dry some grapes and cut them in half. Or, sometimes I’ll just leave them whole when I feel super lazy/hungry. Totally up to you!

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Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation Has Potent Pore-Pleasing Power

June 19th, 2018 by Karen 6 Comments

Things that make me happy:

Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake
Lifting heavy weights
Cats (obvs)
Sleeping in
Hearing Connor say her name for the first time (“Cah-nah”)
The happy heart eyes on these Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation bottles

Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation ($29, 12 shades)

I like this lightweight matte liquid foundation primarily for its pore-blurring prowess and SPF 15, and as long as I only blend the tiniest amount on my combo dry/oily skin — literally, just a few drops! If I use any more than two or three drops on each cheek, and yes, YOU KNOW I COUNTED THEM, it looks pretty obvious.

“Hello YOU! This lightweight foundation evens out skintone and blurs imperfections with soft-focus optical blurring spheres. With a natural-matte finish and light-to-medium coverage, it looks like skin and feels like nothing at all. Happy looks good on you!”

— benefitcosmetics.com

Use a few drops, a few gentle taps with your fingers or a damp beautyblender (don’t rub, lest it pill up), and poof! — homegirl be like WHAT PORES? Of course, my pores aren’t completely vanquished, because this is light-medium coverage makeup, not magic (although, one could make the case that makeup IS a form of magic, but that’s another discussion for another time), but still, the difference is significant enough to make me go DAYUM! — I see you Benefit. I see you. 😉

benefit hello happy swatches — For reference, I’m a MAC NC42, and I wear shade 6 (I could probably also go with 7 as well).

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 529

June 18th, 2018 by Karen 28 Comments

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Good question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll. 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 gazillion years (more than 10!). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a great start. ?

1. Best music festival?

It’s been years! Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t know if I’ve ever been to one? I vaguely recall wanting to go to Lilith Fair in the late ’90s but not going, and then somehow ending up with a reusable Starbucks cup that said “Lilith Fair” on it. So I’m gonna say Lilith Fair.

I’ve never been, but I’ve heard good things about BottleRock in Napa, which isn’t too far from my house. Bruno Mars was at the last one.

2. _____ has leading man hair.

Mr. Big from Sex and the City. I re-watched the first movie a couple days ago, and he’s the first well-haired person who popped into my mind.

That reminds me, I just finished marathoning the best show! It’s called The Bold Type, and I found it in Entertainment Weekly. It’s about three 20-something millennial women who work in the magazine industry in New York, and I really, really like that the show isn’t afraid to let them fail. The characters are also generally pretty likable. It’s like Sex and the City in a way, but I think the girls seem nicer.

3. Favorite accent?

If we’re talking about speaking accents, I wouldn’t mind having an English accent. If I could sound like a royal, that would be cool.

If, however, we’re talking home accents, I do like throw pillows for my couch. 🙂

4. I wish I had a robot that would…

Do everything I didn’t want to do, like pick up Connor’s toys at the end of the day, and if it could also cook every single meal for me and watch Connor for a couple hours every once in a while to give me a break, that would be great!

5. Which has been causing you the most drama lately — makeup, skin or hair?

My skin. I mean, I haven’t been breaking out or anything like that, but I’ve been staying up late playing with my phone, which I know I shouldn’t be doing, and reading books from the library, so my dark circles are darker than usual.

~ The best Chinese food ~

(Yes, I’m hungry right now.) Up here in the North Bay, the options are kinda limited, but I’m not picky when it comes to Chinese food. I like almost everything (lately, especially Jenny Low’s!).

I will say that I think a lot of the Chinese food around here tastes a little bland, for lack of a better word. I can’t explain it, but it doesn’t taste like I remember Chinese food tasted when I would go to Cindy’s house in high school and her grandma would make us stir fry. There was just so much flavor! And I don’t remember having anything like lemon chicken.

Have an amazing week, babe! I hope you also have some yummy Chinese food. Talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions for you to copy and paste with your answers in a comment:

1. Best music festival?
2. _____ has leading man hair.
3. Favorite accent?
4. I wish I had a robot that would…
5. Which has been causing you the most drama lately — makeup, skin or hair?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 506

June 17th, 2018 by Karen 9 Comments

As a member of the First Order and a former Sith, Tabs has embraced The Dark Side…

Actually, he alternates between Sith and Jedi, depending on the gravy situation.

This weekend for Father’s Day, to give props to his male human assistant, who’s a big Star Wars fan and a daddy, Tabs wore his new Stormtrooper tie on patrol.

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Saturday Surfing, June 16th, 2018

June 16th, 2018 by Karen 21 Comments

strawberry ricotta toast — If all my food looked like this! ?

If every dish was a work of art garnished with edible flowers, I strongly believe that road rage would end as we know it, and every Internet comment on every news website in the world would be exceptionally civil and polite from now on.

I mean…LOOK AT THAT TOAST. It’s like fine art. How can you not revel in its beauty? Just looking at it makes me happier…

That’s ricotta cheese, and those are strawberries, pistachios, honey, and what Creekside Bakery in Novato (which is where I got it the other day) calls “edible flora.”

I’m not sure what kind of flowers these are… If you know, don’t be shy. Hook a wanna-be horticulturalist up!

I’m gonna make this for breakfast as soon as I find some tasty edible ? flowers… Not today, though. This morning I’m getting down with Eggo waffles with peanut butter and raisins on top (breakfast of champions).

Whatcha having for breakfast this morning? Please know that I won’t judge you if you inhale your food while reading this week’s Saturday Surfing stories. I wake up a ravenous beast ? every morning, and the beast proceeds to rampage through my life until it gets some food in its tummy.

Did you know that these clear lipstick caps were a thing? I didn’t, but I guess you can buy them to replace your opaque standard-issue opaque caps, and they come in different sizes to fit different brands.

Yes, there’s a MAC one. ? MIND BLOWN!!

Wishing I’d thought of this, because I’ve probably spent three years over the course of my life opening and closing lipstick caps to find the right color if I add up all the time I’ve spent.
Like, it’s a mascara wand. How high tech can it be…? Well, apparently, Chanel’s latest wand for the new Volume Révolution de Chanel Mascara sounds pretty fancy.

First of all, it’s the first mascara wand made by a 3D printer. To prevent clumping, the brush has a honeycomb structure designed to gradually siphon out the mascara, so it doesn’t all rush out at once.
If you’re looking for a job in the indie beauty biz, here’s a story about how beauty entrepreneurs hire people for their companies.
Even though the number of women running for U.S. House seats and state governorships in the upcoming 2018 midterm elections has surpassed previous years, the media still insists on critiquing what they’re wearing…

“In politics, it’s still true that unless men’s outfits are out of the ordinary — wrinkled, stained, or downright unusual — their apparel isn’t generally subject to critique. Chintan Desai, who is running for Congress in Arkansas, summed it up well when he wrote to me: ‘I have never, not once, been asked about or had my wardrobe commented on while on the campaign trail.’

“The catch for women is that even when they do show up dressed professionally, they’re still privy to scrutiny. Oscar de la Renta famously criticized Michelle Obama’s cardigan when she met with Queen Elizabeth II, despite the fact that her outfit was perfectly ‘in code.'”

— racked.com
YO. Ever since I moved my feet into the Land of Practical Flat Mom Shoes, my footwear choices haven’t been terribly interesting, but day-um, these summer sandals with the toes painted on them are too hideous, even for me.
I’m really like Carisa Janes, the CEO of Hourglass Cosmetics. I interviewed her once, and she was very cool.
Here’s how she quadrupled sales by spinning a $1 million packaging fail into a big success.
Don’t stomp your little last season Prada shoes at me, honey, and dust off ye olde bend and snap, because Reese Witherspoon is coming back for Legally Blonde 3.

YES! ?

Truth? I’m ambivalent about Legally Blonde 2, but I’ve watched the first one more times than I can count. I luuuuuurves it.

And whilst we’re Legally Blonde-ing, this story reveals eight behind-the-scenes secrets from the movie. Like, did you know that it was supposed to be set at Stanford in Palo Alto, and that the final graduation scene (which was filmed in England because Reese was filming something else there at the time) was a last-minute change, so it wasn’t the original ending?

So many fun facts!

Agreed.

A look at beauty behind prison bars

When a family muumuu comes full circle…

Oh, and if you happen to have any other creative toast topping suggestions, please let me know, because I cannot eat another piece of avocado toast. I JUST CAN’T DO IT.

(Well…yes I can, but you know what I mean.)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen