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

Happy Independence Day!!!

July 4th, 2017 by Karen 8 Comments

It’s the Fourth of July, babe!!!! Fireworks! Picnics! Barbecue!!! It’s a national holiday here in the U.S., and most peeps have the day off. If you’re headed to any fun outdoor festivities, don’t forget to wear sunscreen. 🙂

To celebrate ye olde red, white and blue, I’m wearing a red lip today, the new NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Starwoman, a warm matte red.

The Powermattes are a new permanent line of 20 lightweight, long-wearing liquid lipsticks coming out July 6th online and at NARS boutiques.

I love the look of warm reds with copper shades, so I paired it with an oldie but goodie called Creative Copper from the MAC Warm Neutrals Palette (which is also perm).

Coppery golden tan Creative Copper has low-level shimmer, and it looks GREAAAAT on lids with MAC Saddle Eye Shadow, which is what I’m doing here. It’s a quick, cool eye look that doesn’t need intense blending, and it goes with a bevvy of beautiful warm lip colors — reds, of course, as well as pinks, corals and oranges. You can also wear it with a warm nude lip, too.

OK, we’re outta here! El Hub and I are taking the baby to Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, a local amusement park for wee little ones. Fun should be had by all.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How Makeup Helped Me Decorate My Deck (and Some Sweet New Finds at Marshalls)

July 3rd, 2017 by Karen 11 Comments

portobello cat cup on mosaic table — Buried treasure!

Oh, gosh. So, I’ve always thought of myself as home-decorating challenged, mostly because I get overwhelmed by all the choices. Too many options, and I completely shut down, but this weekend I finally figured out something major (I think), and it’s related to makeup, which kind of blew my mind…

I learned that if I take certain… I don’t want to call them rules; I’ll call them themes instead. If I take certain themes that I know work for me when I’m putting together a makeup look, and apply those themes to decorating, it makes things so much easier!

Contrasting elements

Like when I’m putting on makeup, if I incorporate contrasting elements into whatever I’m doing, that looks right to me. Whether it’s contrasting colors or finishes or something else. Like, for example, satiny skin with glossy lids and a matte lip. There’s something visually appealing about combining different finishes together, because when the finishes are too similar, it reads as flat or monotone.

plant stand curved and straight — Varying heights

When I went to Marshalls to look for good deals on pots and things to decorate “the lady sanctuary,” I had that idea of contrast in mind as I picked out plant stands, of all things. I thought that if all of the potted plants ended up being low to the ground, it would look too monotone, and too much like just one note, so I got some plant stands of varying height.

Then I took it a step further with some other contrasting elements, like, some of the stands have straight legs, and some have curvy legs. Some are newer-looking with a black wrought iron finish, and some have more of an aged bronzed finish.

plant stand various heights — And straight lines

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 482

July 3rd, 2017 by Karen 16 Comments

I found this cute kitty cup at Marshall’s last week (it’s by a brand called Portobello By Inspire).

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past 10 (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

1. Something you don’t need but want anyway?

So, I’m totally not a car person, but I love my li’l 2010 Mazda (zoom, zoom!). It’s reliable, and I REALLY like not having a car payment…but I wouldn’t mind having something a little bigger.

With power locks.

And those fancy seat cushion heaters that keep your butt and back warm when it’s cold.

2. What shoes are you wearing today?

Team flip-flops, baby! I’m wearing an ancient pair of black and hot pink Reef slippers that I probably shouldn’t be wearing in public anymore.

I sooooo love them, though.

Have you ever worn Reef flip-flops? My friend Cindy introduced me to them years ago, and now I can’t wear any other brand. They’re squishier and thicker than usual for slippers, and after you wear them a few times, they mold to the shape of your feet.

3. How’s your skin doing?

Aghh! It’s moody today. I used a nighttime retinol by Chantecaille a couple times last week, and my skin is still crabby about it. I’m definitely not used to it yet, and the skin at the base of my nose and the corners of my mouth feels tight and dry, blergh…

4. How often do you say exactly what’s on your mind?

Oh, gosh. Not that often anymore, but when I was younger and completely clueless, I’d blurt out any old crazy thing that crossed my mind. I quit doing it when I hit my 30s and realized that some things are better left unsaid. Basically, sometimes it’s hurtful when people say whatever they want.

5. Have you ever dated someone who had longer hair than you?

Hmm, nope. Never have. One guy I briefly went out with in college had hair that was long enough to hit his cheekbones, but now that I think about it, it was more like a bowl cut than “long hair” (air quotes).

Hey, at least he used conditioner.

Happy Monday, friend

Drink an extra cup of coffee for me today, will ya? I need the energy!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy and paste…

1. Something you don’t need but want anyway?
2. What shoes are you wearing today?
3. How’s your skin doing?
4. How often do you say exactly what’s on your mind?
5. Have you ever dated someone who had longer hair than you?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 456

July 2nd, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

This weekend I decorated the upstairs deck and turned it into… Well, it was supposed to be my lady sanctuary, where I could go to relax for a bit, unwind, do some reading, sip my morning coffee and clear my head, but I didn’t have the heart to tell Tabs when he sneaked out there, so I guess it’s also going to be an occasional tabby sanctuary.

Perfectly understandable, though, because he did help. He was responsible for conducting the various inspections, like the echinacea plant taste test, and for making sure that the proper kitty condo codes were followed.

In order to perform his job to the utmost level, he set up a Curious Cat Cube as his personal on-site field office, from where he made sure that everything in the lady/tabby sanctuary was in tip-top condition.

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Saturday Surfing: July 1st, 2017

July 1st, 2017 by Karen 7 Comments

Hi, babe. Happy first of July.

Yup, you read that correctly. It’s July! Summer is chugging right along. Here in the US, this is our Independence Day holiday weekend. If you have a four-day weekend, lucky you! I hope you get to sleep in.

So, after I got home from dinner last night, which was fun, I watched an episode of American Nina Warrior, and for a brief moment, between bites of a chocolate chip cookie and sips of pink lemonade (which sounds like a weird combo but totally works), I thought, “I could do that.”

Then, I came back to reality, LOL!

Have you ever watched that show? It’s addictive but kind of stressful to watch, especially late at night, because you start to really pull for the competitors.

Right now I’m about to catch on some reading. El Hub got an issue of Popular Science, which I started reading last week and want to finally finish (this one’s all about climate change), and I’m also going to finish a few chapters of The Wolf Road, the young adult novel I’ve been chipping away at for the past month.

If you happen to be looking for something to read, I got ‘chu, girl! 🙂

Can someone please give the FDA more money? Because they’re getting complaints about beauty side effects.
The writer behind Netflix’s awesome GLOW (the show about women’s wrestling) tells you exactly how she got her job.
When you start reading about urine therapy as a treatment for pimples and you just can’t look away…
I’ve been following luxury perfumer Frederic Malle for a while now, and ever since I read this quote from him, I’ve loved him that much more: “I was at Chateau Marmont yesterday in the elevator and there was this girl preparing for a party, and I was really sad for her because she smelled like a Duty Free.”
Perfumers. They throw shade, too.
Big hair. Let’s go there! Maybe this list of the best and worst luxury and drugstore volume shampoos will help us get there?
For all my red lip lovers: I think you’ll love this Urban Decay Red Lipstick Guide.
Aaaaand MOAR reds! Because summery MAC reds are always a good thing.
Now that it’s summer, gimme all the schemxy summer body oils, please.
Taylor’s such a babe! I love her makeup aesthetic. Here are some of her picks for natural, luminous beauty.
Rae has the 411 on Make Up For Ever’s new Ultra HD Lip Booster.
In case you’ve been totally baffled by it, here is the Unicorn craze, explained.

I hope your Saturday Cinderella chores go by in a flash so that you can promptly get on to the important business of enjoying your weekend. 🙂 Have a great one, my friend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Soft Glam Makeup for a Friday Night With NARS Kalahari and Mekong

June 30th, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

nars kalahari amour mac patisserie — Baby wing!

I got a little gussied up because I’m going out to dinner tonight (as if I needed an excuse to put on makeup, ha!). It’s a belated Geminis birthday dinner with my friend, Marisol, who also celebrated her birthday this month.

I’m calling this “soft glam makeup,” although that’s not my phrase. I’m borrowing it from SoCal sweetheart and makeup artist extraordinaire Vanessa Haro. Vanessa does makeup for weddings and various other photo shoots for booty-licious babes, and I love her style. It’s classic yet très schmexy, and very similar to what I like to wear.

nars kalahari eye closeup — Get a little closer

Anyway, lately I’ve been rediscovering spectacular shades from the permanent collections of some of my favorite brands, and I’m wearing a duo called NARS Kalahari in this look that I’ve worn off and on for years. It has a satiny, plummy taupe on one side and a shimmery golden taupe (you know I love those golden taupes, girl!) on the other, and both sides are drenched in pigment.

Normally when I wear this duo, I try to keep it (relatively) simple by blending the satiny plum on the outer half of my lids and my lower lash lines with a tapered blending brush. Then, I pat the shimmery golden taupe side on my inner lids with a finger and soften the edges with a matte neutral taupe or a tan shadow in the crease, and a matte beige on my brow bone (I’m wearing two NARS single pan shadows here called NARS Blondie and NARS Biarritz).

The “soft glam” part comes from combining Kalahari on the lids with the winged liner, because winged liner is cool, man! And you can modify it in an endless number of ways.

I’ve been totally into a “baby wing,” where I start from the midpoint on my upper lash line, then flick out toward the outer corner, and I do juuust the thinnest flick when I do it.

It’s noticeable, but it doesn’t take over the entire eye look, like when you use black liquid or gel liner and do a massive flick, and it takes over your entire look and you start feeling like you have to put on falsies to balance everything…

Talk about opening a can of worms.

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10 Playfully Pink MAC Summer Lipsticks

June 30th, 2017 by Karen 5 Comments

mac pink lipstick — Think pink with, from the left, MAC Pink Pearl Pop, Star Magnolia, Pink Pigeon, Chatterbox, Candy Yum Yum, Pink Nouveau, Pink You Think, Fusion Pink, Speed Dial and Speak Louder ($17 each and available now in the MAC permanent line)

I’m not just cuckoo for coral. I’m also passionate about pink. 🙂 And these 10 playfully pink MAC summer lipsticks are purr-fect.

1. MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Speak Louder

mac speak louder — Speak Louder — a clean bluish poppy pink

2. Matte Lipstick in Pink Pigeon

mac pink pigeon — Pink Pigeon — a bright clean pink

3. Amplified Lipstick in Fusion Pink

mac fusion pink — Fusion Pink — a bright pink

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The Summer of Skin Care! Glycolic Acid Goodness With Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser, Glow Tonic To-Go, and Overnight Glow Serum

June 30th, 2017 by Karen 24 Comments

In the many late-night hours I’ve spent ~~watching kitten videos~~ reading about skin care on my phone, a topic that has repeatedly come up over and over again is glycolic acid.

Actually, acids in general. In the skin care world, they’re a big deal, especially when it comes to anti-aging products.

There’s a ton of info available about them online, but this is basically what I’ve gathered: skin goes through a cycle of shedding and renewal, where it sheds old cells and generates new ones, and, as we get older, the cycle slows down. But glycolics kick the cycle into higher gear again, which improves skin tone and mellows out pigmentation, among other things.

In a nutshell, glycolics are today’s anti-aging all-stars, and if I’ve learned anything from skin care goddess Caroline Hirons (a.k.a. my BFF in my mind), it’s that you gotta get an acid up in the mix if you want to get “serious” about anti-aging.

A couple of the skin care peeps I follow, Caroline and Stephanie Nicole, recommend a potent glycolic acid toner called Biologique Recherche P50 1970 Toner, which I want to try eventually, but it’s supposed to be super strong, so I started with a few over-the-counter products first from Pixi.

You know Pixi. They’re a cruelty-free, paraben-free line available at Target, and all of their stuff comes in the cutest green bottles. I love how it all matches. 🙂

Anywho, they have a bunch of glycolic acid products and good-looking ingredient lists. The glycolic acids are usually listed up near the top along with the percentage included, which isn’t something that all brands do (and that’s frustrating!). Pixi also often adds soothing aloe vera (also up near the top of the ingredient list) to help offset the exfoliating power of glycolic acid.

Pixi Glow Tonic To-Go Exfoliating Toner Pads with 5% Glycolic ($18 for 60 pads)

Pixi soaked these travel-friendly pads with their famous Glow Toner, which I’ve used before and like. I think it makes a big difference in the texture and evenness of my skin. It makes it smoother.

I have these slightly darker spots, which I like to call my “freckles,” but let’s get real here. They’re more likely sun spots from sun damage. I also have larger patches on my cheeks that are slightly darker than my normal skin tone, but not as dark as those freckles (also likely from sun damage). Glow Tonic ever-so-slightly evens out the tone of those larger areas of uneven pigmentation.

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