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

Do You Bring Everything and the Kitchen Sink With You When You Pack Your Makeup for a Trip?

June 2nd, 2017 by Karen 17 Comments

it cosmetics minis — Tiny travel minis by It Cosmetics (SO CUTE!)

Or are you one of those annoying people like my friend Jen who can naturally streamline her makeup down to the bare essentials?

The last time I took a trip with her, her makeup bag was this teeny, tiny thing smaller than an envelope (!), and I brought a train case bursting at the seams (of course).

(Oh, and um…the trip was only two days.)

I think you can guess which camp I’m in. 🙂 Deciding what to bring, and what not to bring, is not my forte, because I can easily justify bringing…oh, just about anything.

NO, SERIOUSLY.

Anyway, I’m trying to do better on my trip to Hawaii, since the baby and I will be sharing a suitcase, and she’s a total clotheshorse. LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Drugstore Needs and Nopes, Vol. 3

June 2nd, 2017 by Karen 16 Comments

1. Yes To Liquid Hand Soap ($3.99 each)

I’m the weirdo who washes her hands about, oh, let’s see… 20 times a day? I’m so not kidding, either. And I’m REALLY picky about my hand soaps, but I thoroughly plan to love the dickens out of this bottle of Yes to Liquid Hand Soap because it doesn’t dry out my skin, even when I wash my hands hella times.

Also, the Marula Oil Mango var-eh-TAY smells like marvelous mangoes, but here’s the thing: it doesn’t smell fake, which is important if you wash your hands as much as I do, because, as you know, it’s nice to have a yummy fragrance waft up into yo’ nose.

It removes dirt, oils and all manner of baby goo, and it easily rinses off and doesn’t leave behind an annoying residue.

VERDICT: Need!

Yes To Liquid Hand Soap ingredients
Water (Aqua), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Glycerin, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil, Mangivera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Chloride, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal Linalool

2. E.L.F. Cosmetics Illuminating Palette ($6)

elf illuminating palette — E.L.F. Cosmetics Illuminating Palette ($6)

The four-pan E.L.F. Cosmetics Illuminating Palette is darned-near perfect for the price. The finely milled powders look really expensive and natural.

The highlighters are on the neutral- and cool-toned sides, which is a cool surprise (haha, bad pun) because of how many highlighter palettes skew warm.

The shimmer in these shades is also low-key — which again makes them seem higher end than they are.

Heck, I’d go so far as to call these drugstore Hourglass Ambient powders.

VERDICT: Need!

E.L.F. Cosmetics Illuminating Palette ingredients
Talc, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Dimethicone, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Boron Nitride, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Tocopheryl Acetate (Ve), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)

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Take Me With You, Nudestix Nudies!

June 1st, 2017 by Karen 15 Comments

I don’t how this happened, because it feels like I’ve been looking forward to this trip forever, but I’m leaving for Hawaii in less than two weeks! — which means that I probably should start packing RIGHT NOW.

It’s all about portable beauty, and I’m hell-bent on finding multitasking makeup to bring that won’t take up a lot of room, so as to have more room to bring home dashboard hula girls, macadamia nuts and the like.

Let’s make this a series! I’m gonna call it “Take Me With You,” and the first entry is these new Nudestix Nudies. They were recently added to the Nudestix permanent line.

Nudestix is a cruelty-free Canadian brand, and everything in their line comes in a pencil or some kind of stick packaging.

Yes, this makes them great for travel.

The Nudies are multipurpose creams for your cheeks, lids and lips. They’re $30 each and come in five shades. One end has a cream stick, and the other end has a dense, soft brush to apply and blend the product.

I’ve tried two of them — cool pink Bare Back (um…which I’m pretty sure refers to something naughty) and rosy nude Naughty N’ Spice.

nudestix nudies bare back — Bare Back on my cheeks and Naughty N’ Spice on the lower part of the apples of my cheeks. And that’s Kosas Undone Lipstick on my lips.

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Life Right Now

June 1st, 2017 by Karen 17 Comments

Just some snapshots of life right meow!

I’m weeks behind on brush washing. No, seriously. WEEKS. ?

My happy baby first thing in the morning.

The best big kitty brother a girl could ask for!

I bought these strawberries at TJ’s and DAYUM. They’re quite possibly the best strawberries I’ve ever eaten! ???

Speaking of fruit, I like it when you get a piece from the store and there’s a leaf still attached to the stem.

I spend 75% of my day with these weird clips in my hair.

The rest of the time is spent with this stuffed cat in a stroller. LOL!

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Classic Summer Colors and Oversized Blush and Bronzer Palettes Make Me Wanna Swing! (Lancôme Summer Swing)

June 1st, 2017 by Karen 11 Comments

lancome summer swing k — That’s the Lancôme Patio Mediterraneen Palette, Lancôme Le Metallique Metallic Liquid Eyeshadow in Or Farniente, and the Lancôme Waterproof Eyeliners in Tempo Mediterraneen and Brun Frivole on my eyes. I’m also wearing the Patio Mediterraneen and Patio D’Une Nuit D’Ete palettes on my lids.

Ah, good play on the “s” sound, Lancôme, with your Summer Swing Collection, ’cause this lady loves a little alliteration. 🙂

“Swing,” in this particular case, does not refer to playground equipment. Or swing states. Or swingers (Oh, boy! What would THAT collection be like?!). It’s a reference to swing rhythms, as in music, and the sounds of summer.

Summer Swing is a limited edition release, and it’s already been out a little while. Lancôme Global Makeup Creative Director and All-Around Super Cool Gal (that’s her official title) Lisa Eldridge designed it.

I love me some Lisa.

lancome summer swing open — Feelin’ summery

This one goes the traditional route with classic summer colors like bronze, gold, teal, coral and hot pink — colors that really sing on tans and warm-toned skin.

lancome patio dune nuit dete — That’s a big pan, yo!

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The Lust List, Vol. 11: Stuff I Kinda Want

May 31st, 2017 by Karen 18 Comments

Last week I told myself, “Self, if you run at least three times this week, you can get yourself something from your Lust List, and ya know what? It totally worked! And now I get to treat myself to a pair of Senita shorts, woo-hoo! 🙂

Does this mean that I no longer have the itch to give any more cute things a happy home (a.k.a. SHOP TILL I DROP)? Nope!

Hence my latest Lust List…

Ann Taylor Stripe Puff-Sleeve Linen Sunday Tee ($39.50) — Why is it so hard to find a decent striped tee?? I think I may have finally found THE ONE, though. It’s from Ann Taylor. The stripes are the right width, and there aren’t too many of them. It’s black and white, which goes with everything, and I like the puffy sleeve action in the shoulders. Everything I’ve gotten from Ann Taylor also holds up well, so I’m hoping that it won’t spring holes after I wash and wear it a few times. Since Ann Taylor has 40-60% off sales every other second (no, seriously, they do a LOT), I’m going to wait until this one goes on sale.
Street Level Reversible Faux Leather Tote & Wristlet ($48) — I’ve been really into totes lately, because sometimes it’s nice to just reach in and grab what I need without having to dig through hella pockets. But it can’t just be any old tote. The size, shape and weight of said tote is a really big deal (at least it is for me), and this reversible faux leather tote by Street Level ticks off all the right boxes. It’s slim, lightweight and roomy, but not overtly big. It comes in a bunch of colors, too. I have the Black/Cognac one pictured above, but the Sage/Ivory also looks super pretty). This one is $48 and comes with a matching wristlet. WANT!
Viseart Sultry Muse Satin Eyeshadow Palette ($80) — I feel that the Viseart Neutral Matte Palette I got a few weeks ago needs a satiny sister to keep her company. If the satins are as fab as the mattes, then sh*t, girl. My wallet’s in trouble.
Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream ($39) — Please don’t tell Caroline Hirons that I’m stalking her. I totally am! Anyway, she did a post on BB creams a while back and recommended this one. I haven’t tried it yet, but I really want to now because I’ve been all about that BB cream life.
Gola Rainbow Stripe Sneakers ($68) — OK, I know I’m probably going to get these white tennies dirty in the first five minutes of wearing them, but the rainbows. THE RAINBOWS! I’ve never heard of this British brand, but apparently they’ve been around since 1905, so, technically, the Downton Abbey ladies could’ve worn them (yes, I know that probably didn’t happen because FICTION). I’m so curious! They sure look comfy…
Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Color Paint Shadow ($25) — Cream shadows! New ones! I don’t think they had these out when I went to Sephora a couple weeks ago. Must check next time, because, hi! — they aren’t all shimmery. There’s a handful of mattes and satins (and some shimmers, too, of course), which means that the browns and taupes will have to enter my life sometime very soon.
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense ($100) — I wore the original Light Blue on my wedding day, so I’m sentimental about this scent. I wonder how different this version is and if they boosted any particular notes.
Kate Spade Frames (Price TBD) — I’ve been putting off buying new glasses for…I don’t know, a ridiculous amount of time. I’m talking YEARS. I tried on some Kate Spade sunnies at Nordstrom Rack the other day, and I liked how they fit my face, so I’m thinking that the eyeglass frames might be a good fit too. I googled some pics and found this one. I think it’s the Catrina, but I’m not sure. I’m hoping to find a similar style soon (ideally at Costco, because I have a membership there, and the glasses are pretty affordable).

If you’ve tried the Smashbox BB cream, gimme the scoop. Did you like it? (I’m hoping you say yes.) Or, if you have another BB cream that you’re into, lemme know, because clearly I “need” another sheer-to-medium base in my life. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I forgot to talk about the baby shower last weekend! My sweet friend Mary Anne (she wrote a wonderful post on the blog some years ago) is having a girl!!! They did the gender reveal at the shower.

I’ve got a mild case of baby fever at the moment… Who am I kidding? I am full-on baby crazy, and I’m counting down the seconds till I can hold that newborn!

Urban Decay’s The Velvetizer Instantly Transforms Base Makeup Finishes Into a Velvety Satin

May 31st, 2017 by Karen 5 Comments

urban decay velvetizer — The new Velvetizer from Urban Decay is available now exclusively at Sephora ($34 for a 0.28-oz. jar).

At the risk of totally dating myself, one of the old-school makeup tricks we used back in the day was to dust a little loose powder on my lips after applying lipstick. I’d dust it right on top with a finger (or, if I was feeling extra fancy, a brush!) to transform any lipstick finish into a matte.

It’s a similar idea to how the new Urban Decay The Velvetizer works.

Velvetizer is a loose, translucent powder ($34 for a good-sized 0.28-oz. jar, a Sephora-only product). You mix a little with your favorite tinted moisturizer or foundation, and it instantly transforms the finish into a velvety satin without futzing with the color.

The trick is getting the ratio right of powder to liquid, and it can take some practice. I’ve found that if I add too much powder, the mixture will pill up, almost like it’s peeling.

This isn’t a big surprise, considering the fact that the second ingredient is dimethicone, and products with a lot of dimethicone in them do tend to pill up when I use too much on my skin.

It’s not a perfect science. I just kinda eyeball it, but Urban Decay suggests using a dime-sized amount per full pump of foundation or tinted moisturizer, but I rarely use a full pump of my base makeup anymore. So I use more like a half a dime-sized amount.

I shake it into my palm, add a bit of Naked Skin One and Done, mix them together with a finger, then apply that with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

urban decay velvetizer ingredients — Ingredients

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R+Co Trophy Shine + Texture Spray Takes First Place

May 31st, 2017 by Karen 16 Comments

r+co trophy k — Shiny, textured hair by a genius new hair styling product, R+Co Trophy

I’ve been loving a little texture lately.

“A little texture,” she says, as her hair expands into the firmament, LOL!

No, seriously! I’ve been into spraying a texturizing spray on my hair lately (mid-shaft) to kind of rough it up and make it look more voluminous (hopefully) and windswept, in that just-stepped-off the runway way.

But the thing about texture sprays is that most of them don’t do squat for shine. Most are matte, so if you want shiny AND tousled hair, you have to add a separate shiny product (usually an oil), but that can then weigh down your hair, thereby defeating the whole purpose of using a texturizing/volumizing spray in the first place.

OH, THE HORROR!

R+Co (pronounced “R and Co”) is a hair care line I’m totally obsessed with at the moment (I blame my hairstylist friend Alis, who lives, breathes and sleeps hair, for telling me that “This line is amazing, and their products will change your life.”), and they figured out a way to add good texture and shine in the same product with their new R+Co Trophy Shine + Texture Spray.

You get lovely, tousled, windswept action, along with a healthy dose of shine (that doesn’t look greasy). The product has clay in it for texture, and sweet almond oil for shine, and it’s $29 for a bottle…which hurts so good, but like all of the R+Co products I’ve tried, it’s amazeballs.

r+co trophy — You could say that I’m a little enthusiastic about this spray (just a little)…

Use it on freshly washed hair (slightly damp) before air or heat drying, or apply it on dry hair before or after styling. I usually do a few sprays on my hair when it’s dry after curling with an iron. Then I spray a little on the mid-shaft section and go layer by layer. Then I rough up the waves by scrunching them with my fingers.

Here’s a helpful how-to video

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