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

The Benefit Brow Collection Has Everything You Need to Tame Your Brows!

June 30th, 2016 by Adia Goss 16 Comments

I could not wait to review these new Benefit brow collection products! I’ve been teased and tortured by all the sneak peaks on social media, and y’all don’t even know the level of restraint it took for me to snap these pictures before tearing apart the packaging. 🙂

Benefit recently released these new-and-improved brow products, and I’m pretty sure there’s something here for everyone.

First up, there’s the Goof-Proof Brow Pencil.

I wanted to try the $24 Goof-Proof Brow Pencil first because it’s what I would typically use for my brows — a brow pencil. I like the ease of just doing a few swipes with a pencil and then blending it out with a spoolie.

The level of pigment surprised me! I mean, you definitely want to use a light hand when filling in your brows with Goof-Proof because this smooth, creamy pencil is no joke.

It’s flat and rectangular, unlike most brow pencils, and it took me a couple of tries to get used to the shape. But I like it. You can use the wider end to quickly fill in your brows or the thin edge to get more precise.

I still haven’t *quite* mastered it yet, but I love the pigmentation and the sturdy brush at the other end.

Although this is one of the softer brow pencils I’ve ever used, I haven’t had any issues with it fading throughout the day.

I tested these Benefit brow products over the course of a week or so, and here’s a quick snap of me trying Goof-Proof:

Next up is $24 3-D Browtones. I pretty much always wear some sort of brow gel because my brows are bushy as hell, and I need something to tame these bad boys! So, while brow gel isn’t new to me, I was really intrigued by 3-D Browtones, which is described as a subtle highlighting gel for brows.

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This One-Trick Pony Broke Away From Browns Today and Swapped Them for Mauve #FOTD

June 30th, 2016 by Jen Clark 8 Comments

I have a horrible habit of only wearing browny/goldy/bronzey eyeshadow.

I’m kind of a one-trick pony when it comes to that.

But it’s good to break out of your routine every now and then, so I decided to try using some mauve and taupe shades, and I loved it!

Obviously, I’ve used mauve and taupe before, but I just forgot how pretty they can look! I was super happy with how this look turned out, so I thought I would document it and share the products I used.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation has crawled its way back into my heart. I always do this — I rediscover things and wonder why on earth I ever stopped using them! Sheer Glow gives such a flawless look to the skin without looking like heavy makeup.

Nars Sheer Glow in Monte Blanc — NARS Sheer Glow in Monte Blanc

Under my eyes, I used Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer, of course, because it’s the only concealer I ever use these days. It’s literally the best concealer I’ve ever used.

I’m pretty sure I’ve blabbed about it a lot before, so I’ll keep it short today. It’s lightweight, lovely and covers everything I need it to without going cakey. I use it to conceal under my eyes and to highlight my cheekbones, nose, chin and center of my forehead.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Light Neutral

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What an Amazing Moment… I Remember It Like It Was Yesterday #sponsored

June 30th, 2016 by Karen 28 Comments

"So, are the shrimp appetizers ready?" — “Are the shrimp appetizers ready?”

As a participant in the Dove Clinical Protection Amazing Moments campaign, I received compensation in exchange for creating this post. Although the post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. @Dove #DovePartner #SimplyStylist #sponsored

Thank goodness for waterproof mascara, because every single time I watch this video from Dove, I get super emo.

Part of the reason — and I still can’t believe this is real — is that my 10-year wedding anniversary is coming up (first week in July!), and this short film is about a young lady named Louisa and her proposal story with her fiancé Rob.

All of us have amazing moments in our lives, and some of them seem almost impossibly unexpected and unreal. In this short film by Dove, a real woman named Louisa surprises the love of her life with a marriage proposal and puts Dove Clinical Protection Antiperspirant to the test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN-h0-bgduQ

When I watch it my insides turn to goo. It also brings back memories of my wedding day…

I know that everyone says this, but for reals! — it seems like it was yesterday. El Hub and I got married on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, which is where his family is from. It was at a resort on the North Shore called Turtle Bay, and I’ll never forget how nervous I was about everything going smoothly because we decided to do the planning ourselves instead of hiring a wedding planner (note to self: it was MUCH harder than I expected).

On the actual day, literally as I was getting my hair and makeup done, I was also on the phone making sure the musician got paid and that the caterers were remembering to put the toppers on the wedding cake — basically handling all of those little last-minute wedding details — and this was going on right up until the instant I put on my shoes and my veil!

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Mixed Prints and Wiggles

June 29th, 2016 by Karen 36 Comments

Oh, boy, sweets, I think your niece is going to be a handful. This baby… She does not stop wiggling! I tried to take pictures of her in this lovely outfit with mixed prints, and for the life of me I couldn’t get her to sit still.

Notice how her limbs are always in a different position!

It’s a good thing, I suppose, and it’s great to see that she’s active and interested and playful (although I may live to regret those words when she’s running around the house like a bouncy kitten).

El Hub has a theory that she’s going to be a high energy baby, and I’m inclined to agree. This week she discovered her feet, and now when she’s lying on her back she uses them to scoot herself across the floor. She also just figured out how to turn herself over. I found her in her baby gym on her tummy with her head up.

It’s exciting and scary at the same time. Our little angel is officially on the move!

Oh, and this outfit is yet another example of baby clothes that I wish were available in adult sizes, LOL! I’d wear striped rainbow pants with a polka-dot shirt in a hot second. Wouldn’t you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

7 of My Favorite Affordable European Makeup Products

June 29th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 24 Comments

Best Affordable European Makeup — Some of my favorite (affordable) European makeup

Europe definitely has a lot to offer the international traveler. I mean, so many different countries and cultures concentrated in a relatively small area…

But visiting a dozen countries in a month can get extremely expensive, so what’s a beauty lover to do? Pass on the makeup shopping??

Of course not!

On the good ol’ continent, you can find lots of top quality products that cost less than a latte.

Here are my top recommendations!

1. Catrice Defining Blush in 040 Think Pink (€3.99)

If someone made me try the Catrice Defining Blush in 040 Think Pink after having depotted it, I’d for sure think it was a high-end blush.

I swear, I’d bet my entire makeup collection on it! It’s that good.

Creamy and not in the least bit powdery, nicely pigmented but easy to blend, and long-lasting, too.

Oh, and here’s the best part: it’s only €3.99!

2. Catrice Camouflage Cream in 010 Ivory & 020 Light Beige (€3.49)

If you’re blessed with oily skin and occasional hormonal spots like this mama, then you’ll know that liquid concealers just don’t last.

To cover up those angry red zits and the marks they usually leave behind, I think it’s much better to use a dry-texture concealer.

In my opinion, the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage ($35) is the best in this category, but Catrice’s Camouflage Cream comes in a close second, and it’s just a fraction of the price.

Should you ever spot a Catrice stand during your European adventures, make sure you put your paws on this fantastic concealer.

3. Essence Long-Lasting Eye Pencils in 01 Black Fever & 02 Hot Chocolate ($2.49/€1.99)

Ok, I know that you can get Essence at Ulta these days, but wouldn’t it be cooler to pick up something from this affordable German brand after admiring the majestic Cologne Cathedral or visiting the breathtaking Neuschwanstein Castle?

My first recommendation would be the Long-Lasting Eye Pencils in 01 Black Fever and 02 Hot Chocolate, because I mean, who doesn’t need black or brown eyeliner?

These glide on super easily and last amazingly well both on the waterlines and lashlines.

4. Essence Sun Club Matte Bronzing Powder in 01 Natural – Blondes/Lighter Skin ($4.99/€4.99)

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Bringing Back the ’90s With MAC Tendertalk Lip Balm

June 29th, 2016 by Adia Goss 11 Comments

mac tender talk balms — You just might need a MAC Tendertalk Balm

These MAC Tendertalk Lip Balms 100% sent me on a trip down memory lane. 🙂 They’re meant to react to your natural pH level to give you a perfect lip tint. Now all I need is a mood ring and I’m set!

Please tell me I’m not the only one totally reminiscing about those Hypercolor T-shirts that changed color with your body heat!! Lightweight but super hydrating, the Tendertalks are available now in five sheer shades at Nordstrom for $20 each.

Candy Wrapped, Play With Me, Pretty Me Up, Side Dish and Teddy Pink adjust and intensify ever-so slightly after being applied to give you a very natural flush, but to me the best thing about them is how incredibly moisturizing and shiny they are without feeling heavy or sticky at all. They also work great as bases under liquid lipsticks because they provide lots of slip but don’t affect the wear time or the look of matte liquid lipsticks.

mac tender talk balm — Available in five sheer shades

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Thowin’ Baby Shade

June 28th, 2016 by Karen 46 Comments

I don’t know what I did in this lifetime or a past life, but somewhere along the way I got lucky because Connor Claire is a pretty happy baby.

Well, most of the time… I’d say like 83.5% of the time… Maybe 87. She’s easygoing, quick to smile and a joy to be around. It’s easy to snap pictures of her smiling or looking thoughtful because those are her usual states of being.

But sometimes in pics she looks like she’s throwing SO MUCH SHADE. It totally cracks me up!

It’s like when you’re just about to leave the office, and you’ve turned off your computer and swung your bag over your shoulder, and you feel like this inside…

But then your boss shows up out of nowhere and says, “If you could do this one last thing for me, that would be great…”

So much baby shade, HAHA! Yeah, I’m pretty sure I made this face on the daily when I was a legal assistant.

Oh, and this is the face she gave me when I made her promise to never star on a reality TV dating show.

The reason for this request was because I’ve recently started watching The Bachelorette.

Yeah, apparently I’m one of the last people on earth who had never seen it before. It’s streaming on Hulu right now, and I put it on one day while I was feeding Connor.

Holy freakin’ crap! It cracks me up, but in an unintentionally funny sort of way. I know it’s been on for years and tons of people love it, and I can TOTALLY see why it’s addictive, but are these dudes for real?! Because they really seem like they’re trying to “make a connection with Jojo.”

Do people actually get married and stay married after meeting each other on this show?? I guess it’s not technically impossible that you could find someone to marry on a reality show… I guess…

Dearest Connor Claire,

Please note that as of June 2016, the official transcript states you promised your mother that you would refrain from ever starring in a reality TV dating show.

Thank you. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

My Office Approved FOTD for Fearless Job Hunting!

June 28th, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 11 Comments

Finished results! — My fearless job hunting face of the day

Hey, everyone! I know I haven’t mentioned it often, but at this current time, I don’t have a full-time job. As such, I apply to a LOT of jobs, and I try to go on as many interviews as I can, when I’m lucky enough to get one.

It turns out I was, in fact, lucky enough this week! It was yesterday, and I spent a lot of time last weekend planning what I would wear, how I would handle the interview, and my favorite part: my makeup.

I wanted to show you guys the neutral look I wore and the products I used to achieve it.

group 1 — From top left to right: Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Makeup ($32), Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield SPF 30 ($65), Milani Blush in luminoso ($8.49), E.L.F. Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Peals($4), European Wax Center’s Brow Powder Duo ($22), Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette ($36), NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray ($8), E.L.F. Eyeshadow Primer ($2), Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Light($6.99) and Sephora Full Action Mascara ($12)

The interview was for an office coordinator position at the same school I attended for my graduate studies. I’ve worked in a few offices, and those are the kinds of positions I’ve been looking into lately for full-time work.

When I interview, I like to wear things that make me feel comfortable, because, well…I’m normally a nervous wreck when it comes to interviews. I still haven’t mastered them. Sometimes I shake worse than when I’m at the dentist’s office, and that’s a LOT of shaking.

So for this look I started with freshly cleansed and moisturized skin.

Then I applied a good layer of Murad Invisiblur Primer (I reviewed it here). It gives me a good starting point for Clinique Oil Free Stay Matte Makeup.

foundation — Clinique Oil Free Stay Matte Makeup in Linen

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