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

BECCA Backlight Priming Filter Is Worthy of Backups Upon Backups

December 2nd, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

In photography, backlighting drives me bonkers…unless it’s something I’m trying to do on purpose, which I’m usually not, but in the case of BECCA Backlight Priming Filter ($38 for a 1-oz. bottle), I have absolutely no problem with it.

Oh, my goodness! Where do I start? There are just so many things I like about BECCA Backlight, notwithstanding the $38 price, which doesn’t qualify as drugstore bargain awesome sauce, but still… I fully intend to use every last drop (and then may even crack open the bottle to get a little more).

BECCA says that Backlight functions like a filter thanks to these things called Filtering Luminescent Pearls, which are supposed to make pores and fine lines look smoother and your whole skin sitch more radiant.

And yup, it does that. It’s got that whole signature BECCA luminescence thing going.

becca backlight swatch — Swatches of BECCA Backlight unblended and blended (for reference, I wear BECCA foundation in Bamboo)

On my skin, Backlight, which came out earlier this fall, looks like a pearlescent beige with the pearl turned waaaaay down. Less shimmery than a BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector, it’s only lightly luminous and glowing, so it doesn’t look like I’m sweating.

Now, even though it’s classified as a general purpose primer, it doesn’t exist solely to extend the wear time of your foundation, concealer and complexion makeup. It specializes in blurring pores, illuminating, moisturizing AND prepping and priming your skin so that anything you layer on top of it goes on smoother.

I use it as a lightweight, illuminating, pore-blurring lotion to prime my face before I apply my foundation, or whatever else I plan to layer on top. I don’t notice it significantly extending the life of my complexion products when I use it with them, but that’s fine by me because that isn’t something it’s designed to do.

Fascinatingly, it somehow manages to illuminate my skin without emphasizing my pores, which is a rare thing indeed, so this is like a magic potion you can keep in your makeup bag.

nars mekong eye closeup — Here I’m wearing BECCA Backlight mixed with foundation and under-eye concealer

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Oh, You Teas! The $6.99 Herbal Infusion Anthology Tea Sampler Set at Trader Joe’s Looks Like a Good Gift

December 2nd, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

I’d say that I do about forty to fifty percent of my total holiday shopping in and around the check stand/register area.

It’s a problem of mine, and the stores know exactly what they’re doing. It’s all shopping psychology. Everything in that area — all the cute little gift sets, stocking stuffers and snacks — are all placed strategically right in your line of sight, so you can’t HELP but see them and think, “Oh! I need that!” or “Jen would totally love one of those!” Doop-da-doo, I’ll just drop one in mah basket…

Yup, I’m that person. Raise your hand if you are too. 🙂

So that’s basically how I found this Trader Joe’s Herbal Infusion Anthology Tea Set filled with eight samples of different loose-leaf teas (just $6.99). It was in a basket by the cashier, and you know how it goes… You went to get a loaf of bread, but you left with two bags of groceries and some new teas.

How cool is this, though?! The teas are all caffeine free, which could be a good thing if you’re giving it away as a gift to someone you don’t know very well, and there are cool combinations I’ve never seen before, so no “Peach Passion” run-of-the-ill herbal teas. The names sound more exotic than that, like Golden Coconut Masala, Lapacho Apple and Thai’d Lemon Mint.

Golden Coconut Masala one is a bright goldenrod color and has turmeric, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, fenugreek, black pepper and cayenne pepper. You can see all the interesting tea ingredients because each one comes in a transparent plastic pouch. (I like looking at loose-leaf teas, BTW. I’m nerdy that way.)

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Latest Heavenly HomeGoods Haul/Life Hack Happiness Helper: The Herbal Hug Microwavable Aromatherapy Wrap, aka The Best Gift Ever

December 1st, 2015 by Karen 35 Comments

Sometimes I just need a good hug, and this Herbal Hub Microwavable Aromatherapy Wrap gives gooood hug. 🙂

If you live anywhere within 500 miles of a HomeGoods store, I’d start driving there immediately. LOL!

But seriously, next time you go, make a beeline for the bath section, and see if you can find one.

I think they’re regularly $20, but HomeGoods has them marked down to $12.99, and they’re worth every penny (thanks for the awesome rec, Marisol!).

It’s shaped like one of those airplane neck pillows, except that it’s soft like a beanbag and filled with herbs and magic beads (actually, cinnamon, clove and eucalyptus…for aromatherapy!).

You can warm it up in the microwave or chill it in the freezer (if you use it cold, it’s supposed to reduce swelling and ease headaches), and the magic beads retain the heat or cold for about 20 minutes. You can use it on your neck, your shoulders, your back or wherever, and it REALLY helps.

So far I’ve only used it warm, and when you heat it up in the microwave, it releases a soothing herbal scent, ahh…

It’s great for relieving muscle tension after a long day, and um…have I mentioned that I’m 26 weeks pregnant now and that my back aches pretty much from the moment I open my eyes in the morning till the moment I fall asleep at night?

But this thing sure helps, and now I use it every day.

Best dang $13 I’ve spent in a while…

I like to tuck it into the back of my maternity pants (sexy), or sometimes I’ll wear it around my neck to relieve tension in my shoulders.

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Neat and New to Me: NARS Mekong Shimmer Eyeshadow

December 1st, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

NARS Mekong has been making me smile! 🙂 And rhyme!

That was a rhyme, right? (Mekong making…?)

It has a dark brown espresso matte base with golden micro glitter, and it’s take-your-breath-away gawgeous with warm reddish browns and purply browns on the eyes, and reds, burgundies and plums on the lips.

I recently discovered it, which means that I finally gave it a try, and I feel like such a goofball for waiting so long. Give it a swatch if you can before the end of winter, but I warn you — brace yourself. It’s a total knockout.

nars mekong swatch — NARS Mekong Shimmer Eyeshadow

I’ve been wearing it for smoky eyes, and also as a liner, and when I use it for smoky eyes, I pack it on my lids with a flat eyeshadow brush, and then blend out the edges, drawing just a smidgen up into the crease, before incorporating a couple of matte transition shades.

Then, to offset the heaviness on the top area, I line and smudge a purple or warm reddish brown pencil liner, usually MAC Prunella or MAC Teddy, both of which I think really complement Mekong well, along my lower lash line.

nars mekong — Wearing NARS Mekong on my lids in a smoky eye look with MAC Prunella along my lower lash lines…

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With These Revamped Clarins Joli Rouge Lipsticks, Dry Lips Don’t Stand a Chance

December 1st, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

This is the time of year when matte lipsticks are snapping their gum and stomp-walking around the tetherball courts and jungle gyms of the makeup playground like queen bees of the makeup playground/world.

They run the show, and yeah, I’m cool with that, but sometimes my dry lips and I need a break. Please! Teleport me away to the land of supple, moisturized lips!

Incidentally, that’s where these $27 Clarins Joli Rouge Lipsticks live. 🙂

A long-term staple of the Clarins line, they’re shiny, sheer and — oh, I could kiss them — so moisturizing. Clarins revamped them this fall, making them over in gold packaging (remember they used to be silver?) and revitalizing the color palette with 16 new shades.

I love these, and they’ve been seeing a lot of action on my pout lately, particularly the pinkish nude shades, Lilac Pink and Pink Ginger, which go with everything. I pair them often with casual weekend makeup looks, like with tinted moisturizer, mascara and a little bit of blush.

clarins joli rouge swatches — Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick swatches from the left in 701 Orange Fizz, 705 Soft Berry, 707 Petal Pink, 711 Papaya and 713 Hot Pink

Oh, and uh…did I mention how freakishly moisturizing they are? It’s cray-cray to the extreme, and when you have dry lips like I do, they’re a gift from ye makeup gods. Being lightweight and silky, they’re a welcome respite from all of the drying, heavy mattes that come out to play in fall in winter.

The formula lasts about two or three hours on my lips, so they aren’t incredibly long lasting, but they don’t have any annoying flavoring, for what that’s worth. I do, however, detect a very, very faint floral scent, but it’s not annoying at all (I can hardly tell it’s there).

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Purple Smoky Holiday Makeup Tutorial With Boots No7 [SPONSORED] #MyBestSkin

November 30th, 2015 by Karen 37 Comments

There should be a video in this post, but if you can’t see it, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

We’re basically on the cusp of December, so from here on out it’s all holidays, all the time, and that definitely means more holiday makeup.

This purple smoky eye might look more complicated than it really is, but you can totally handle it. If you can blend even just a wee bit, you can follow along with this tutorial, which shows how to do the eyes, complexion makeup and cheeks. And there are also four different ideas for lip combos.

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Comment to Win a Boots No7 Skin Care Anti-Aging Serum [SPONSORED] #MyBestSkin

November 30th, 2015 by Karen 100 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **
This giveaway is closed, and the winners have been contacted (congratulations, E. Jones, Ashleigh, Darbie and Maria!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

In partnering with Boots Beauty USA on this giveaway for the No7 Skincare #MyBestSkin Campaign, I’ve received product samples and/or compensation for my time and effort in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #sponsored @bootsbeautyusa #MyBestSkin #BootsNo7

It was a whirlwind backpack adventure across the continent of Europe (complete with hidden diamonds and sleeper train car rides), and the year was 2005…

That’s when I first discovered the Boots No7 beauty line.

El Hub was El Boyfriend at the time, and neither one of us had ever been to Europe before, so we crammed as many countries into our 16-day trip as possible, and one of them was England.

This was also the trip when El Hub asked me to marry him (he sneaked the ring over on the plane hidden in his contact lens case), and if I learned anything on that trip, it was this: if a man willingly allows you to drag him into every pharmacy and drugstore you pass on your vacation just so you can look at beauty products…you better put a ring on that! LOL!

When we arrived in London toward the end of our trip, I discovered Boots No7, and they were EVERYWHERE, but I’d never seen or heard of them before in the U.S., so they were très exotic and interesting to me. Intrigued, I brought home — I kid you not — five full-size bottles of Boots No7 lotion, and I was crushed when I finally finished the last one back at home months later. *tear* 🙁

Fast forward to now, and Boots No7 is also here in the U.S. (and has been for a while). Target carries an extensive selection from the brand, which has a huge range of affordable hypoallergenic products, including makeup, skincare and body care products.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with the brand, but if you’ve been wanting to give them a try, maybe I can help. I’ve partnered with Boots Beauty USA on this here giveaway for their No7 Skincare #MyBestSkin Campaign, and I’m also putting the finishing touches on a Boots No7 purple holiday-ready smoky eye tutorial (here’s a link to the tutorial!).

In the meantime…

I’ve noticed a lot of interesting ingredients in their products, especially in their skincare, and the brand is well known for their anti-aging serums, all of which have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal here in the U.S.

They have four main anti-aging categories, each one with a different serum, and I’m giving away one of each.
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How to Make the No-Poo Movement Work for Your Hair Type #sponsored

November 30th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

Advertorials like this one are brought to you by my sponsors. They’re carefully chosen based on what I think you might like; however, this post was entirely written by the sponsor.

You’ve probably heard of “co-washing” or the “no-poo movement” by now, where women everywhere are opting to skip the shampoo and just use conditioner instead. But while this method has its benefits, eventually it will result in greasy, lifeless locks. However, what if we told you it didn’t have to be this way? The right no-shampoo formula can provide a total transformation in just one step. It’s simple: Conditioning agents nourish and protect hair, and then the formula morphs into a soap-free cleanser, washing dirt away without stripping hair. The result? Smoother, softer, and more manageable locks.

As you probably know, your hair’s texture and porosity can play a big part in finding the products that work for you. With that said, knowing a little more about your locks will help you choose a regimen that’ll enhance your hair’s natural beauty. Lucky for you, there is a great line of products by Matrix Biolage that work wonders for any hair type, whether it’s fine, medium, coarse or curly. We’ll tell you how this trend can make your hair your crowning glory, no matter what kind of hair you have.

FINE
Fine hair tends to be fragile than other hair types. It can be easily damaged and hard to style because it often falls flat. It has a tendency to look thin, and is often weighed down with heavier products, so it’s important not to over moisturize! Interestingly, people with fine hair actually have more hair in total than people with other textures. Take the no-poo route with a low-lather, fast-rinsing, soap-free cleansing conditioner designed to enhance shine, suppleness, and anti-static control. Our go-to formula contains non-stripping ingredients to cleanse and condition for optimal manageability … in other words, it won’t weigh hair down.

MEDIUM
Medium hair holds style and responds well to chemical processes. For optimal results, opt for a no-poo formula for medium hair with natural ingredients such as acai to cleanse and condition to restore suppleness, shine, bounce, and anti-frizz control.

COARSE
Coarse hair is stronger than other hair types. It tolerates heat well and resists breakage better than fine or medium hair along with being resistant to many types of chemical treatments such as coloring. Use a formula that’s jam-packed with moisturizing ingredients like avocado — it’ll cleanse and deep condition for smooth, shiny and supple results.

CURLY
Whether they’re tightly coiled or loose; curly strands can be particularly complex because each individual stand can define its own curl pattern. Challenges include frizz, lack of definition and separation, length shrinkage and dryness. Use a lightweight no-poo shampoo that’ll enhance your natural curl definition and bounce — and be sure it’s not made with parabens, heavy silicones or harsh salts.

Ready to experience a new movement in hair care? We thought so. Click here to learn more about this innovative one-step transformation.