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Saturday Surfing: July 29th, 2017

July 29th, 2017 by Karen 5 Comments

mac lispticks nudes pinks — It’s National Lipstick Day!

Good morning and happy Caturday! — and, dun-dun-dun! — happy National Lipstick Day. Celebrating lipsticks nationally, all across the land. ?

This whole week I kept planning to wear a bright and crazy color on the actual day, but I ended up wearing one of my go-to MAC everyday pinkish browns, Creme in Your Coffee , and I’m actually going to wear it when I head out to Starbucks to get a coffee in just a bit.

mac creme in your coffee — MAC Creme In Your Coffee

Speaking of MAC, if you happen to be headed to the counter or store this morning, they’re giving away free full-sized lipsticks to celebrate National Lipstick Day. You don’t have to buy anything, either, just show up! Get there early, though, because it’s while supplies last.

Before you go, if you’re interested in doing a little more reading, here are a few stories that caught my eye this week…

Super Mario cosmetics are coming to Japan! Seriously! On that note, does anybody in Japan wanna track these down for me?!
Totally down for this: the glorious ’90s aquatic perfume genre is back.
Luxury beauty brands may soon be coming to Amazon.
How to use acids and retinols in a skincare routine
A solar eclipse is coming, and here’s what you’ll see from where you live (this tool is U.S. only).
Sephora tries a teeny, tiny store format.
How It Cosmetics became a top-selling beauty brand
Pretty matte and metallic palettes by Stila
Techniques to help you practice positivity
50 ways women entrepreneurs can fund their businesses
I have no desire to be in a giant maze (I’m a little claustrophobic), but if I had to be stuck in one, it would be the giant lavender labyrinth in West Michigan.
Millennials are buying homes, not for kids or marriage, but for their dogs.
Boomer parents: “One day, this will all be yours.” Grown children: “Noooo!” Seriously, though, I can relate to this sooo much. My parents tend to hang onto things, and I’m trying desperately to get them to get on the Konmari train.
5 ways to smell like the beach
Yellow eyeshadow is a do at all ages.
5 habits that can make you mentally tougher.

Of course you’ve gotta listen to a song called “Lipstick” on National Lipstick Day. And yes, sometimes I listen to country music!

An acoustic version of “Gypsy,” one of my favorite songs. Love you, Stevie!

What lipstick are you wearing today?! Did you go with a bright shade or a mellow shade?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Countdown to National Lipstick Day on July 29th! Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Colour in Edith

July 28th, 2017 by Karen 3 Comments

chanel edith rouge coco — That’s my girl, Edith! (Chanel Rouge Coco in Edith, $37)

One more sleep ’til National Lipstick Day! (As if we needed a formal holiday to celebrate lipstick.)

Today I wore warm pink Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Colour in Edith ($37), one of my faves in the moisturizing Ultra Hydrating Lip Colour line.

I guess I didn’t have enough water yesterday (bad Karen!), because when I woke up this morning, my lips were extra dry, and when my lips feel particularly parched, Rouge Coco it is! Ah, so moisturizing…

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When I Wear These Lune + Aster Vitamin C+E Lip Glosses, I’m a Rebel, Artist, Editor-In-Chief and a Soccer Mom

July 28th, 2017 by Karen 5 Comments

Connor Claire carries her soccer ball ⚽ everywhere. When we play outside, she kicks it around and chases after it, laughing the entire time and smiling with her eyes. It’s the cutest thing!

connor soccer ball — Future goalie for Team USA?!

I’m wondering if this means that I’m a soccer mom now and can legit rock this gloss by Lune + Aster called Soccer Mom?! I’m going to go with a “yes.”

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I Found a Cute, Comfy Bra at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! The Brooklyn Bra by Passionata by Chantelle

July 28th, 2017 by Karen 20 Comments

passionata brooklyn bra — I found a super cool bra!

You’d think that buying a bra online — one you’ve never worn before! — would be a bad idea, right?

Possibly?

But I was shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary sale last week for a bra, just because, I mean…so many weird things happen to your body after you have a baby. Everything shifts around, so your old pre-baby clothes don’t fit the same way, but that’s another story for another day…

Anyway, I was looking for a bra to replace some bras that don’t fit anymore, and I saw that this one, the Brooklyn bra by Passionata by Chantelle, had hella five-star reviews.

The Brooklyn Bra is usually $55 but currently on sale for $35, so I thought, why not? If it doesn’t work out, there’s always that awesome return policy! Also, I have experience with the Chantelle bra line.

passionata brooklyn bra 1 — The three colors on sale

French lingerie maker Chantelle has been around for more than 100 years. I found them one day when I went into Nordstrom to buy some bras after my umpteenth Victoria’s Secret bra fell apart (those things don’t last more than a few months). I asked the sales associate to recommend a bra that would last me, no joke, “Forever, or until the Kardashians go away,” and she recommended Chantelle. I now have three Chantelle bras, and I love them. They’re comfortable and have lasted forever (so far), but they’re super expensive, though, like in the $80 price range (!!!), so I always try to get mine on sale.

It’s still a lot to pay for a bra, but I tell myself that, ya know, you wear a bra all day, every day, and you should get one that lasts and fits well.

Because Passionata is a sub-brand of Chantelle, I hoped their bras would be Chantelle-caliber good.

Based on this Brooklyn bra? Man, it is that good. So far. Those Nordstrom reviewer ladies got it right!

Mind you, it only arrived in the mail yesterday, so I’ve only worn it for a few hours, but it fits true to size, and it’s crazy comfortable. The straps don’t dig into my shoulders, and the cups don’t cut into my skin.

I like the soft material, the lace (it isn’t itchy, yay!), and they have just the right amount of padding. They’re padded, but they aren’t so padded that my boobs feel super crunchy.

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Meet the MAC Girls, and Rock Out With Rockin’ Rebel

July 27th, 2017 by Karen 13 Comments

mac girls collection review top1 — Howdy, MAC Girls!

Hmm… Looks like a few palettes are missing from the new MAC Girls collection. (Coming soon! August 3rd!)

I see a Rockin’ Rebel, a Fashion Fanatic and a Mischief Minx…but where’s Feline Friend? Or Pooped Parent? Or Nutella Nut? Methinks MAC missed an opportunity. Those would have spoken to many real life MAC Girls.

Which MAC girl are you?

MAC’s limited edition MAC Girls collection contains six $39.50 palettes, each with eight eyeshadows and a big pan of highlighter. Every palette has a different personality. There’s Rockin’ Rebel, which is the one I’m wearing today, with blues, greens and golds. Mischief Minx, a.k.a. “the warm palette,” keeps cozy with toasty tones of orange, gold and brown. Fashion Fanatic flirts with bright berries, purples and pinks. Basic Bitch — the smokey palette — is a bad-@ss bevy of cool grays, purples and silvers. In Prissy Princess, pinks, grays, browns and taupes reign supreme. And Power Hungry is the only palette in the release that doesn’t have an alliterative name…and it’s bugging me because I can’t think of a catchy pun that starts with “P.” It’s the palette with neutral beiges, browns and bronze.

A couple things are jumping out at me. Like, I can’t remember the last time MAC released a collection that was exclusively comprised of palettes. Can you? Because their palettes are usually just one component of a larger launch, like they usually do for holiday. So that’s cool (and weird!).

mac rockin rebel — I’m about as rebellious as a slice of cheese…but I’d still wear Rockin’ Rebel.

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Both the Lune + Aster Sunrise Bronzer & Blush Palette, and the Moonrise Glow & Contour Bronzing Palette, Love Minimal Base Makeup on Skin

July 27th, 2017 by Karen 4 Comments

lune aster sunrise moonrise palettes — The Lune + Aster Sunrise Bronzer & Blush Palette, and the Moonrise Glow & Contour Bronzing Palette ($46 each and available meow)

I think it’s so weird that some powder face products, like blush, bronzer and highlighter, seem to look better to me when I wear them with very minimal base products, like maybe just a sheer BB or CC cream, or even just bare skin.

Because the long-term makeup-addicted part of my brain expects them to look better layered on top of a full-coverage foundation or a medium-coverage tinted moisturizer.

First time I wore these Lune + Aster face duos (one is the Moonrise Glow + Contour Bronzing Palette, and the other is the Sunrise Bronze & Blush Duo), I wore them on top of a full face of makeup — primer, medium-coverage foundation, concealer and powder, and I thought the powder grains looked a little heavy. In the case of the highlighter, it looked frosty and obvious.

Not flattering.

Then I tried the same products on top of the Lune + Aster CC Cream, and it was a bold nude squirrel! The highlighter looked dainty and delicate, and the blush gave me a natural-looking flush. Even the bronzer, which I was a little iffy about at first. It thought it would be a little too cool-toned and sparkly for me, but it looked downright good on a that light base.

What’s up with that?

Lune + Aster makeup is made for looks that can be done in mere minutes, and apparently the powders are formulated to flatter skin wearing minimal base makeup.

lune aster sunrise moonrise k — I’m wearing a mix of the blush and bronzer from the Sunrise Bronzer & Blush Palette on the apples of my cheeks, and the lighter shade from the Glow & Contour Bronzing Palette on my upper cheek bones, down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid’s bow.

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Countdown to National Lipstick Day on July 29th! Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Refillable Lipstick

July 27th, 2017 by Karen 14 Comments

hourglass confession lipstick review — I love these new Hourglass lipsticks to bits.

Two more days ’til National Lipstick Day!

I must confess… Sometimes when I drink too much coffee, which I did today, I get so hyper that 1) I annoy myself, and 2) my hands get really sweaty, and when my hands get sweaty, I have a hard time opening the Hourglass Confession Lipsticks.

They look so cool, but man! — they’re slick.

hourglass confession lipstick packaging — A bullet you don’t want to dodge…

Shout-out to the person (or peeps) who decided to put these in bullet-shaped packaging, though. Very clever. 🙂 A bullet-shaped case with a lipstick bullet inside? Oh, the symbolism. The layers within layers. That kind of thing gets me every time (it’s the former English major in me).

hourglass confession lipstick refill — Oh, hai!

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Grab the Best of the Best From Space NK at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

July 26th, 2017 by Karen 7 Comments

best of space nk exclusive edit — The Best of Space NK Set, a.k.a. “The Out-of-This-World Bestsellers,” a sweet six-piece set of Space NK bestselling products available now during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale through August 6th.

Did someone say “sale?”

I’m there!

It’s moments like this when I realize that I am truly my mother’s daughter. 🙂

It’s that time of year again. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (I LOVE THE DANCING ON THEIR WEBSITE) is happening right now. You can score fab fall clothing, shoes, accessories and beauty products, including some exclusive sets, at steep discounts.

This one, which is kind of weird in that it contains six Space NK bestsellers, but it’s exclusively available at Nordstrom (kind of like how some JCPenney stores have a Sephora inside them), is on sale for $159 (a $237 value). And it comes with a chic bag!

After August 6th, all of the sale prices at Nordy’s go back up again, so it’s a good time to stock up on things you know you’ll use (I bought a sh*t-ton of these Caslon tees and a couple of Zella High Waisted Leggings!). It’s also a good chance to grab a beauty set or two, because some brands will bundle items together and slash the price, like the Best of Space NK Set. It’s exclusive to the Anniversary Sale and comes with six items (seven including the bag), five which are full-size.

The only thing that isn’t full-size is the bottle of Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment, which is more of a deluxe sample-size. It’s about half the size of the regular bottle (which costs $105 all by itself), so it’s not that small.

best of space nk exclusvie edit 2 — Everything except the Sunday Riley Good Genes is full-size.

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