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

I’m Nuts About the Bite Beauty Cashew Multistick

November 14th, 2016 by Karen 7 Comments

Girl, this is the best color…although I don’t know what it has to do with cashews.

It did give me an excuse to eat some shortly after I took this picture…

You might remember the $24 Bite Beauty Multisticks from earlier this fall when they came out in a bunch of colors. You can use them on your lids, your cheeks and/or your lips, and this particular shade, Cashew, is a warm rosy mauve.

I like to use it as an eyeshadow base for cooler-toned purple and gray eyeshadows — especially shimmery purples and grays — but I think it also looks really pretty on its own.

Sometimes on minimal makeup days, I’ll just stick this on my lids directly with the stick and kind of draw on my lids, which is weird and fun at the same time. Then I’ll use either a finger or a tapered brush to buff out the edges.

After that, I’ll curl my lashes and tightline my upper lash line with black liner, and that’s it. Easy and it looks natural.

If you want to do more than that, you could take whatever shimmery purplish gray shadow is rocking your world at the moment, and the one I love right now is MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Fathoms Deep (it’s what I’m wearing with Cashew in the second pic — the one where I’m wearing a bit more makeup), and just pop that right on top. Then blend them together.

bite beauty cashew swatch — A Cashew swatch…with actual cashews

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 449

November 14th, 2016 by Karen 26 Comments

Monday essentials: a cup of coffee, my favorite watch, a new notebook, a handmade calming fragrance from my friend and one of my favorite necklaces — Monday essentials: a cup of coffee, my favorite watch, a new notebook, a handmade calming fragrance from my friend, and one of my favorite necklaces

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 NINE (!) 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. Have you ever done a choreographed dance in public?

I wouldn’t be me if I said no, right?

Yes, I totally have, and I wish I could say that it was in some cool-@ss flash mob in the middle of Union Square, but no. It was a two-minute dance routine to a New Kids on the Block song in high school (I can’t remember which song; I think I blocked it out).

Oh, it gets worse…

We did it to promote this one band girl’s party.

I don’t even know what we were thinking, but we were like, “Let’s do a dance!” and then at the end of it we all yelled, “Party at Rochelle’s house!!!”

Haha!

2. Do you like to go antiquing?

I like to go with people who enjoy…

Wait –what am I saying?

Um…no. I don’t really like to go antiquing. It’s just not my thing, and I’m always afraid that I’m going to buy something haunted, to be honest.

3. Do you listen to music while you work? If so what kind of music gets you going?

If I’m reading or writing, I need to have silence or some kind of white noise, but for tasks that don’t require any verbal or written skills, I like all kinds of music.

It depends on my mood that day, but I listen to a lot of music on YouTube, or I like to stream directly from radio station websites.

4. I wish there was a _____ emoji.

Persimmon

5. Have you ever been in a food fight?

Sadly, no.

A new week…

Most of the time on the blog I don’t like to get too deep when it comes to politics, just because I’ve always viewed this as my little island away from all the…I guess, hard stuff in the world, but I want to say that no matter what side of the fence you’re on, I hope you can remember that there are still good people out there.

You’re a good person, the people around you are good people, and we’re all just doing the best we can.

It’s a new week, my friend. I hope you have a good one.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

1. Have you ever done a choreographed dance in public?
2. Do you like to go antiquing?
3. Do you listen to music while you work? If so what kind of music gets you going?
4. I wish there was a _____ emoji.
5. Have you ever been in a food fight?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 423

November 13th, 2016 by Karen 9 Comments

10 things you may or may not know about Tabs

He’s a ho for egg yolk, a.k.a. an “egg yolk connoisseur.”
He’s a decent babysitter. He’ll hang out with me and Connor as long as he gets pet by someone’s hand, whether it be mine or the baby’s.
He’ll politely harass you to get his wet food at 9:30 every night, on the dot. He’ll sit in the kitchen doorway staring and staring and staring until you feed him…
He likes to supervise me when I use the loo first thing in the morning, and he’s very insistent about it. He’ll scratch at the door, and even if it’s only open a sliver, he’ll use his girth to push his way in.
In his old age, he just doesn’t give a sh*t anymore. All the things that used to bother him as a younger cat, like me running on the treadmill when he’s napping on the bed. He used to leave the room because of the noise, but now he’s like, “Whatev…” and just keeps napping.
He still gets fired up after eating wet food. He’ll save up all of his energy to go completely buck wild for 15 solid minutes after finishing his gravy.
If I’m in the kitchen and open a can of anything, he’ll be down there in less than 10 seconds, no matter what. I actually time it. I count out loud. Last night I opened a can of black beans, and it took him 7 seconds to show up.
He’s getting worse about hanging out around my feet, especially when I’m turned around. I’ve almost tripped over him a few times. This usually happens in the kitchen.
Honestly, sometimes I think he teases Connor. When he’s outside her Pack ‘n’ Play and she’s inside it, he stares at her as if to say, “Neener, neener. I’m outside and you’re not.”
He’s WAY bolder than he used to be about stealing food. When he was younger, he was quite polite about leaving human food to the humans, but now I have to watch him like a hawk. I can’t leave any food unattended, because he’ll grab it in his mouth and run away or start drinking your milky tea when you’re not looking.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addicts,

Karen and Tabs

The Buxom Freezes Over 15-Piece Mini Lip Collection and 6 Degrees Below Sexy Plumping 6-Piece Mini Full-On Lip Polish Collection Sets

November 12th, 2016 by Karen 7 Comments

Um…this coat is ridiculous.

I live in Northern California and freak out when it drops below 40 degrees. What do I need an arctic explorer’s coat for? I can barely see out of the hood!

Haha! Yup, I made myself laugh. 🙂 I love that.

I’m wearing the coat because it seemed fitting for pics of these two new holiday lip kits from Buxom — the 15-piece Buxom Freezes Over kit and six-piece 6° Below Sexy.

The bigger kit has three different mini lip formulas, including five super shiny Full-On Lip Polishes, five not-so-shiny Full On Lip Creams (both of which apply with a good deal of pigment but get sheerer over time) and five even less shiny Wildly Whipped Lightweight Liquid Lipsticks, while the smaller kit’s lippies are just straight-up tinted shine.

All of the items in both kits are supposed to be plumping, but they aren’t the kind of plumping that hurts (thankfully!). There’s no sting. It’s more of a visual illusion (one that I can’t say I really notice), and they’re all very comfortable, just like every Buxom lip product I’ve ever worn.

I’m wearing the dark plummy Wildly Whipped Lightweight Liquid Lipstick, which smells and tastes faintly of vanilla, to go with my plum eye look, and the formula feels light and wonderful, kind of like painting my lips with fluffy cream cheese…

Buxom Freezes Over 15 Piece Mini Lip Collection, limited edition, available now, $59
This set contains:
– 5 x 0.07 oz/ 2.07 mL Mini Full-On Lip Polish in Sugar, Jane, Emma, Nicole, Sandy
– 5 x 0.07 oz/ 2.07 mL Mini Full On Lip Cream in Dolly, Berry Bramble, Sangria, Berry Blast, White Russian
– 5 x 0.06 oz/ 1.7744 mL Mini Wildly Whipped Lightweight Liquid Lipstick in Devious Dolly, Criminal, Dominatrix, Lover, Centerfold

Buxom 6 Degrees Below Sexy Plumping 6 Pc Mini Full-On Lip Polish Collection, limited edition, available now, $32
This set contains:
– 6 x 0.07 oz/ 2.07 mL in Dominique (glittering ice), Amy (golden nude), Celeste (prismatic soft peach), Clair (starry plum haze), Starr (brandy cordial), Jasmine (black cherry)

buxom wildly whipped lightweight liquid lipstick criminal — Here I’m wearing Wildly Whipped Lightweight Liquid Lipstick in Criminal from the Buxom Freezes Over set

Pretty good coverage, too.

I’m not sure how long it lasts because I’m about to take it off to have breakfast (El Hub got donuts!!!!), but based on the feel, I expect it would last a few hours.

buxom freezes over wildly whipped lightweight liquid lipstick swatches — Buxom Freezes Over Wildly Whipped Lightweight Liquid Lipstick swatches

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Bold Lips or Nude Lips?

November 11th, 2016 by Karen 27 Comments

red lips or nude lips — Bold lips? Nude lips? Decisions, decisions!

Which one do you like to wear more: nude lips or bold lips? Girl, you know me. I feel like a one-trick pony because all I do is wear nude lips, but I am trying to do Karen 2.0 and wear more bold lip colors.

So, I’m gonna say “bold lips 4 life” right now. This shade, by the way, that I’m wearing, that bold lip on the right, ’cause I know you’re gonna ask me — 🙂 — is The Body Shop Sydney Amaryllis Matte Lip Liquid.

That’s what I’m wearing. It’s a warm red, and it’s awesome. And the nude is from the Too Faced Funfetti set. It’s a lipgloss — a very warm nude, and super sheer. It’s nice if you just want a little sum’n sum’n.

How about you? Nude lips or bold?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIFFFFFFFFFF!!! What a week for the ages.

P.P.S. Happy Veterans Day!!!!

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer: A First Look

November 10th, 2016 by Karen 12 Comments

Hey, want some pot?

If you live in California and voted on Tuesday, you will probably get that joke. 🙂

No, I’m not talking about that kind of pot. Well…

I’m talking about these pots of NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, a new full-coverage concealer coming to NARS counters in January.

Are you familiar with NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer? Comes in a little tube with a wand like a lipgloss? It’s great and has pretty good coverage. It’s one of my favorites, but I’m kind of a concealer ho…

Err…well, maybe I shouldn’t phrase it that way. How about, “I try a lot of different concealers”?

Anyway, NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer is supposed to be more opaque and have fuller coverage.

If you use NARS Radiant, you might also recognize these shade names. They’re the same names, which makes it easy to find your color (yay!). I did a quick swatch on a piece of paper yesterday and, just eyeballing it, the colors look very similar, too.

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer
16 shades, permanent, $30, available January 1 at NARS boutiques and online
Chantilly (true ivory shade for a light complexion), Vanilla (tiny cast of pink or a light complexion), Creme Brulee (fair with a light pink undertone), Cannelle (light with a peachy undertone), Honey (warm peach for a light to medium complexion), Custard (yellow tone for a light to medium complexion), Macadamia (medium with a peachy undertone), Ginger (golden undertone for a medium complexion), Biscuit (medium dark natural balance of pink and yellow undertones), Caramel (medium dark yellow and golden undertones), Chestnut (medium with a pink undertone), Amande (medium dark with golden olive undertones), Hazelnut (medium dark with a warm red undertone), Cafe (dark shade with warm red undertones), Cacao (dark shade with deep golden brown undertones), Dark Coffee (dark brown with an olive undertone)

“NARS’ highest coverage concealer yet delivers natural natural-looking coverage in an oil-free cream formula that blurs, concealers and smooths imperfections with its soft-focus smoothing complex. Optimal Diffusion Powder helps maximize light diffusion with spherical surface powders designed to absorb and refract light with a powerful optical effect. Instantly transforms the look of skin to help blur imperfections. Advanced powders created with a unique, interwoven structure lay flat while staying connected for the highest level of coverage with the lightest touch. Resists settling into fine lines and pores. Collagen-boosting peptides smooth and reduce the appearances of wrinkles and pores. Hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate, soften and plump the skin for a healthier-looking complexion. Antioxidant Daily Defense delivers a cocktail of Vitamin A, C and E for environmental defense.”

— NARS PR

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Red Lips and Reverse Liner With the Too Faced Funfetti Set and Sydney Amaryllis Matte Lip Liquid From The Body Shop

November 10th, 2016 by Karen 9 Comments

Reverse liner.

Sounds kinda funny, right? Like, if there’s a reverse liner…shouldn’t there also be a forward or a sideways liner too?

No? OK, maybe not. 🙂

But there is such a thing as reverse liner. It’s actually legit. It’s when your lids are darker than your liner, which is the opposite of the normal style of wearing a darker color along your lash lines than your lids.

I did it today to do something different and exercise my makeup skills.

Oh, gosh. I’m still so out of practice after having Connor Claire. Honestly, makeup is a perishable skill. If you don’t use it, you freaking lose it.

So this look is a little different for me because of the reverse liner, but I still did smoky lids…because what else am I gonna wear? You know how much I like smoky lids.

I used the new Too Faced Funfetti set, which goes on sale tomorrow (Nov. 11) on HSN.

I also tried something different with my lids. I mixed a few of the Funfetti eyeshadows together, and by “mixed” I mean that I took a dark matte purple, a shimmery bronze and a shimmery olive from the palette, swooshed them all together with a brush on the back of my hand, and used that to make my own custom color. Then I patted that on my lids.

I just felt like creating my own color today. I don’t know… I’ve been into that lately.

too faced funfetti palette fotd shades — The shades marked with the heart are the ones I used

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ConnorClaire.com Product Spotlight: Coffee First Tee

November 10th, 2016 by Karen 18 Comments

This is me pretty much every morning. I wake up feeling more or less like a zombie. Then I have that first cup of coffee, and it’s like, WHOO-HOO! WOW!!!

And that’s with decaf, girl. Just imagine how I am with real coffee, LOL!

What kind of coffee do you like, and when do you like to have it? First thing in the morning when you get up, or do you like to wait until you get to the office? Or do you stop on the way at your favorite Starbucks or Peet’s or, hey, if you’re here in SF, your favorite Blue Bottle?

I like my coffee first thing because, let’s get real, I wake up a grouchy, grumpy goat.

I also like my coffee mild (my favorite is Kona), so not too bitter, and I drown it in 2% milk with just a teaspoon of sugar.

If you don’t come to life in the morning until you have your first cup, the Coffee First Tee is for you.

I instinctively reach for it now when I’m particularly crabby. Then I just quietly point to it if El Hub starts talking to me. I won’t say anything either. I just point to the cat on the front… It works though! 🙂

The fabric is a soft poly/cotton/rayon blend, and the oatmeal color goes with everything — dark blue jeans, light blue jeans, stretchy pants, leather pants…not that I have a pair of leather pants, but I bet it would go with them, too.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen