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

Neat and New to Me: MAC Crème D’Nude Cremesheen Lipstick

October 28th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

mac creme d nude — MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Crème D’ Nude ($17)

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.

Makeup rules are meant to be broken, but I still got mad love for the makeup law-abiding classics, like looks with bold smoky eyes and nude lips, which I blame, in part, on $17 MAC Crème D’Nude Cremsheen Lipstick.

Some makeup looks are like zombies, ya know? (Because it always comes back to zombies…) But I mean that figuratively this time. 🙂 Basically, they never stay out of style for long.

So while I’ll always love my fellow makeup rule-breakers, especially when you do that smoky eye-bold lip thing (keep workin’ that emerald green smoky eye with those glossy, opaque hot pink lips, hunty!), I still gotta have my classics.

Pale muted peachy beige Crème D’Nude totally understands that. It’ll make you want to strip down to your skivvies and run around the office screaming in ecstasy.

OK, maybe not…but it does flat-out rock. It’s full coverage, smooth, moisturizing, and its warm peachy tones keep me looking like I’m actually running a healthy 98.6°F temperature. By comparison, I can’t stand it when pale beige lippies make me look like I just crawled out of the ground like an extra in MJ’s Thriller video.

Hell no! That’s sooo not happening with Crème D’Nude.

[Continue reading…]

Quick Tip: Get Hotter Smoky Eyes With the Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadows

October 27th, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

urban decay zodiac — Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac ($21)

Here’s a quick way to take nighttime smoky eyes from “glam” to “Glam! Bam! Thank you, ma’am!”

Just do this: add glitter. 🙂

Yup! I know, right? What a huge shocker… After you finish doing your smoky eye, if you feel like full-on hot dayum drama, grab a glitter eyeshadow, and pop that ish on your lids.

The $21 Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadows are great for this.

[Continue reading…]

The BECCA Holiday 2015 Collection: It’s All About the Glow

October 27th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

Pop the champagne, homegirl! — and if you can do it with a sword, more power to you, because that would mean you’re only about two degrees away from Michonne-level bad-@ssery, and I’D BOW DOWN!

We have a totes legit reason to celebrate today. First, because it’s Tuesday, and Tuesdays are terrific. 🙂 And second, because BECCA has several sparkly, shimmery sets on deck for the holidays, and they’re all available now, so you can get dat glow on your cheeks in time for the office party. (For the record, if there will be karaoke involved, please know that it may take more than two glasses to turn you into Mariah Carey… Yes, I speak from firsthand experience.)

This year’s holiday collection includes three limited edition sets, and they’re all about the glow — in other words, skin highlighted to high heaven.

becca holiday 2015 champagne glow 1 — BECCA Holiday 2015 Champagne Glow Palette ($34)

If you’re a die-hard BECCA shimmer fan, you might want to get your paws on the $34 Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne Glow Palette highlighter trio. It’s available now exclusively at Sephora and the Sephora website.

One of the three shades, pale linen Pearl, is a limited edition shade making its debut right here in this palette, while the other two — Champagne Pop, a soft gold with pinkish peach undertones (the shame shade BECCA released last fall with YouTuber Jaclyn Hill); and Blushed Copper, a warm copper with rose gold (also appeared earlier this year).

becca holiday 2015 champagne glow 2 — BECCA Holiday 2015 Champagne Glow Palette ($34)

[Continue reading…]

Quick Makeup Tip: Fight Glitter Eyeshadow Fallout by Shielding Your Under-Eye Area With a Tissue

October 27th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

This is what I like to call “the tissue trick,” even though I’m doing it here with a paper towel.

To avoid getting glittery fallout all over the freakin’ place, I like to shield my under-eye area by tucking a tissue under my lower lash line and using it as a protective glitter-catching barrier.

Ah, the joys of glittery fallout!

It comes with the territory when you’re working with glitter eyeshadow. The stuff gets everywhere! — under my eyes, on my cheeks, on my nose, on my chin, in my brows, in my hair, on my cat, the counters, my clothes — and it isn’t always easy to remove, especially on my face when I’ve already done my concealer and face makeup.

But the tissue trick works great, and not just with glitter fallout. You can also use it with dark eyeshadows or bold blues, greens, etc., and loose eye pigments, too. It’s like Captain America’s fallout-fighting makeup shield.

Try it sometime. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Don’t You Hate It When…

October 26th, 2015 by Karen 74 Comments

Don’t you hate it when you show up to the Halloween party and see someone across the room wearing what looks like the EXACT same outfit?

“Nah,” you think. “There’s no way! What are the odds!?”

But then you sneak across the room to take a closer look…

[Continue reading…]

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll: The Open Thread Edition

October 26th, 2015 by Karen 65 Comments

Good morning, my sweet friend!

How’s your day going so far? Mine’s been pretty good, even with the chill in the air and the fog creeping ominously up the oak tree-covered hill outside… It’s thick as soup!

I’m in the mood to try something a little different with the Monday Poll today. I feel like mixing things up with an open thread instead.

Wait a second… That totally rhymed. MC K-Dawg in the house! 🙂

Let’s just chat about whatever we want — makeup, cats, noms (I have grand plans to bake brownies this week), something you’re looking forward to (or dreading), fall boots, shopping, last night’s soul-crushing episode of The Walking Dead (OMG, I JUST CAN’T!!!) — whatever’s on your mind.

Right now, I’ve got lipstick on mine. I just realized that I’ve barely worn gloss AT ALL this fall, and I’m usually a gloss girl. How ’bout you? What have you been wearing on your lips lately?

Have a wonderful day, and thank you for stopping by. I hope to see you in the comments.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. So that’s a big SPOILER ALERT in the comments if you want to, but haven’t, seen last night’s The Walking Dead yet.

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 369

October 25th, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

My Darlings,

There’s an old saying in the plus-size kitty modeling world: “Go big or go home,” and I take that phrase to heart when it comes to hosting parties. I want my guests to be talking about them for years to come.

Being a famous feline supermodel, I’ve hosted many Halloween shindigs in my time, and I have almost a decade of party-planning experience. In that vein, here are the four essential components of a successful feline Halloween party.

1. Invitations

First things first — the invitations. In the digital age, e-vites and group invites via Facebook are acceptable; however, I’m a little old fashioned. I prefer paper invitations. Do what I do, and ask your assistant to design you a custom invite.

Don’t forget to include all of the pertinent details, like date and time, location, how to RSVP and, most importantly, the dress code.

2. Food

As you can tell by my husky girth, food is EXTREMELY important to me. Catering is always an option, of course, but if you are lucky enough to have an in-house chef/gravy preparer (I do), spend some time with them brainstorming fun Halloween-themed beverages, hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

I start scouring gourmet cat culinary magazines months beforehand, and this is what I’ll be serving this year. Feel free to riff on any of these ideas.

Purrfectly Simple Halloween Cat Cookies, Mighty Delighty blog — Purrfectly Simple Halloween Cat Cookies, Make Me Cake Me, via Mighty Delighty blog

[Continue reading…]

Comment to Win a $50 eGift Card From MAC! (Ends Monday)

October 24th, 2015 by Karen 345 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **
This giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted (CONGRATULATIONS, KIM!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

Good morning, glory (or evening, or afternoon, depending on what time it is where you are). It’s morning for me here in foggy Novato. 🙂

I’m still chugging along. Yesterday I took it easy and just caught up on some me time. Right now I’m on the way out the door to the Sephora Nighttime Smoky Eyes class, and THAT should most definitely be fun. I’m really looking forward to it.

I hope you have a great weekend and do something fun. Thank you a million times over for all of your help and your sweet email and comment notes over the past few days. Now I have a much better handle on the baby supplies thing and which things are really needs versus nice-to-have wants (the main takeaway: I need a lot, but it’s less than I thought).

And also, thank you for just being sweet and kind. There’s not enough of that these days, but a little kindness still goes a long way in life. I thank you and love you very much, my friend.

One (1) MAC eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter by leaving a comment below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being bangin’), how would you currently rate your brows?
- Have you ever gone on a trip with a large group of people?
- Who’s your favorite drinking buddy?
- What’s the biggest (as in physical size) book you own?
- Have you decorated your home for Halloween? If so, tell me about it.
- What’s one of your favorite textile patterns?
One entry per person.
You must use a valid email address to win.
The giveaway ends on Monday, October 26, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen