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

A Cocktail Party Makeup Look

August 31st, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

I can tell you the last time I had a cocktail, because it was last June at a jazzy lounge on Frenchman St. in New Orleans, and when in NOLA, you must drink fruity, froo-froo drinks with silly names like Champagne Supernova, but I can’t tell you the last time I went to an actual cocktail party.

Because I can’t remember.

It may have been 2005. Or 2006? Possibly in Toronto? I’m not sure. My memory gets progressively fuzzier in my advanced age. If I could only take the places in there that store the lyrics to Chris Brown songs and reallocate them to more important things, like dates involving cocktail parties…

Anyway, I’d very much like to go to more cocktail parties, but not for the cocktails or the convo (although they’re usually pretty great too). More for the fun of just getting dressed up and putting on fancy makeup (two of my favorite things to do!).

Dear El Hub,

If you’re reading this, let’s go to more cocktail parties.

Love,

Your darling wife.

P.S. Please make tacos for dinner tonight. 🙂

So, this look here. We’re coming up on holiday party season (it’s really not that far away), so I thought it would be good practice to turn it into a tutorial.

I wanted to do something a little different than standard-issue black winged liner and a bright red lip (although that’s a good look, too, and it never goes outta style), because parties are the perfect excuse to try something new, am I right?

I went for a slightly smoky taupe and navy eye with a hint of light blue iridescent sparkle, but I think the special sauce is the bright white on the lower water line and the shimmery white highlight on the lower tear duct. They give the look a bit of a subtle edge and elongate the eye. A warm nude lip and peachy cheeks complete the ensemble.

There’s a little color in the look, which might be intimidating if you’re unaccustomed to wearing anything other than browns and beiges, but I think it’s very wearable.

You could couple something like this with a little black dress, of course, or maybe a gray or white dress (a body con one would be cute if you’ve got the figure to pull it off). Basically, anything neutral would allow the color on your eyes to really pop.

Now, take a dainty chug from that cocktail glass, and let’s get started!

1. Apply primer and powder

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 388

August 31st, 2015 by Karen 55 Comments

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

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 seven 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.

Are you more polished or punk rock?
Polished, for sure.

But I think there’s a little punk rocky part of me waiting to come out one of these days, upon which she will start a revolution. 😉

Houndstooth or leopard print?
I feel like it would violate a sacred covenant of cat lady-dom to say anything but leopard print, but it’s leopard print…

MEOW!

Bun or braids?
Braids please! — preferably messy ones.
When was the last time you wore false lashes?
Just last week. I’m still clawing and scratching my way outta my makeup rut, and I thought that putting on a pair of Eylure 117s would help.

They did, but I haven’t worn falsies in months, so it took longer than usual… I’m out of practice.

It’s a perishable skill, you know, false lash application? You gotta do it regularly, or else the muscle memory thing with all the atrophy and stuff. Whatever. 🙂

Something that made you laugh over the weekend?
Not just laugh. I cracked up for 20 minutes!

I was doing some cleaning when I struck gold. I came across some old handwritten notes that my friend Jen and I passed back and forth in high school band. The notes were buried in a random file folder labeled “Misc stuff that I’m holding onto for god knows what,” which, now that I think about it, was a perfect label for that file.

Jen and I used to sit next to each other in band and would pass written notes back and forth to each other during rehearsal, and we did this almost every day for years.

One of the notes was written shortly after we’d gone on a double-date with two brothers from school (we went to a musical; I think it was Camelot), and the note was about how the date went, and how were were enamored with these boys (SO LAME). There were also random references to Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, and wanting to read so-and-so’s letter to so-and-so.

Just the mundane but now hilarious stuff from the minds of two 17-year-old girls.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. Are you more polished or punk rock?
2. Houndstooth or leopard print?
3. Bun or braids?
4. Last time you wore false lashes?
5. Something that made you laugh over the weekend?

Good morning to you, my friend! Happy Monday. It’s the last day of August, and it feels a little bittersweet to me. Where did the summer go?

My main goal for today is pretty unambitious. I just want smooth sailing. Low stress — not that I’m feeling particularly anxious or anything. I’m just not in the mood to stress.

So my wish for you (and for myself) is to have a peaceful, productive day. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 361

August 30th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

Talent.

What is “talent”?

Mysterious. Hard to define. That certain je ne sais quoi that only some cats have. Just look at all of the kitty models who never quite make it to supermodel status, and all of those broken hearts and broken dreams… Tabs has a great eye for discovering talent, believe it or not, and throughout his career as the world’s first and foremost plus-size kitty model, he has cultivated a number of talented photographers, kitty models, cat actors and designers. You just don’t hear about them all the time because he’s not the braggy type.

His latest discovery is poised to set the photography world on fire. Tabs found him through an underground network of feline friends and professionals because, you know, he’s a cat from the street. He likes to keep his ears and paws close to the ground where the action is. He’s not just about Chanel and Dior and that jet-set life. No matter what, he never forgets where he came from.

So he started hearing about this photographer named Z.

Yes, that’s his real name. Not “Zi” or “Zee.” It’s just the letter Z. He’s so mysterious…

Z has this really unique photography style, and Tabs, being part talent scout, spotted it from a mile away. He knew that Z was destined to be a big star in the photography world, so Tabs commissioned a series of portraits for Z to do, and because Tabs doesn’t do anything halfway, he had the corporate jet fly out to New York to pick Z up (he’s from Brooklyn, apparently), and fly him out here to the West Coast.

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Neat and New to Me: Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage Quad

August 30th, 2015 by Karen 14 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.

The girl crawled along the hot sand as the relentless Novato sun beat down on her. “Water…” she croaked into the dry air, pulling herself forward by her fingertips, “or chocolate… Either one.”

Then she saw it, something in the distance — no, not a shimmering, but something…matte?

What was it, she wondered, sitting up to get a better look.

She squinted and focussed on the distant object. “Is that a…mirage?”

It was!

A Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage. 🙂

–END–
Well, look at you, eagle eye! Yes, this is the same quad I wore in my last couple of makeup tutorials. It’s the Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage Eye Color Quad, and it’s…

Well, it’s redonkulously expensive (it’s $80).

I know! That’s redonkulous to the max, but please don’t start throwing rotten fruit at me, or if you do, please try to avoid my head, because I’m having a decent hair day, and my eyeshadow’s off the chain because, well, Cocoa Mirage.

There are no ifs ands or buts about it. Tom Ford is an expensive brand, and for the price of this quad you could probably buy a gold grill for your cat (shoot, maybe even one with diamonds), but hot damn! — if this isn’t THE BEST neutral matte eyeshadow quad I’ve ever worn, and yes, I’m stating that for the official makeup record.

At first, it seems hella basic and uninspired when you open it. There’s a matte warm beige, a matte neutral golden tan, a matte neutral dark chocolate brown and a warm, mid-toned reddish brown with extremely subtle shimmer. It’s also a very safe bet that you’ve seen these colors in some form or fashion before (I know I have), but the thing is, they’re executed so remarkably well here that I can’t find a single thing I don’t like about them. I think they’re the most perfect mattes to have ever graced my lids.
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Comment to Win a $50 eGift Card From MAC! (Ends Monday)

August 29th, 2015 by Karen 340 Comments

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

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine. It’s going to be a beautiful day!

I know this because it’s Caturday, and Caturdays are the best. 🙂

How’s it going this morning? OK, movie share time… I saw a pretty good one on iTunes last night called Z for Zachariah. It’s a post-apocalyptic thriller set after a nuclear war. A young woman (Margot Robbie) survives alone with her dog on her family’s farm in a secluded, idyllic mountain valley that was spared the fate the befell the area around it, which is now a radioactive wasteland. One day another survivor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) — the only other survivor the woman has seen in a year — happens upon the valley, and she’s overjoyed to finally have human companionship again. They start to build a life together.

Then another dude shows up (Chris Pine, aka Captain Kirk), and BOOM! — love triangle, and all hell breaks loose, haha!

It’s good though. Good science fiction.

In other news, I’m heading out to my parents’ house in a little while for a visit. I hope you’re doing something fun this weekend.

I can’t believe it’s almost September! Where did this summer go?

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:
- Have you ever worn a karate gi or judogi?
- Something that made you very happy this week?
- If you could shapeshift at will into your choice of three things, what would they be?
- Have you been waiting for anything to go on sale?
- Three of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen?
- Complete the sentence, “If I were a __________ I would __________.”
One entry per person.
You must use a valid email address to win.
The giveaway ends on Monday, August 31, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The MAC Vamplify Collection!

August 28th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

What’s Going On!?

And I mean that both literally, and also in reference to one of these new $20 Vamplify Lipglosses. What’s Going On is the hot, intense fuchsia shade.

I haven’t felt this amped about a MAC lip product launch in a while. First time I tried one on, I was about ready to drop my stretchy pants, no joke! 🙂 These lipglosses are what your brain cooks up when you’re having a really fantastic makeup dream that you never, ever want to wake up from. There’s just So. Much. Pigment. I needed someone to pinch me at first because I wasn’t sure if I was straight trippin’.

And there’s so much to love about them beyond the pigments and colors. If these fly off the shelves, I won’t be surprised.

Here are swatches and pics, but I go into a lot more detail in the video.

As always, thank you for watching! I hope you like these as much as I do.

mac vamplify pro longwear lip pencils — 11 of the 12 MAC Vamplify Pro Longwear Lip Pencils ($20 each)

mac vamplify collection reds — MAC Vamplify Lipglosses from the left: Suggestive (an intense blue-red), Tease Don’t Touch (an intense true-red), Flash Drive (an intense coral-red), Push Some Buttons (an intense orange-red) and Everybody’s Talking (an intense coral)

mac vamplify collection pinks — MAC Vamplify Lipglosses from the left: What’s Going On (a hot intense fuchsia), A for Attitude (a hot pink) and Speed Up (a bubblegum pink)

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4 Steps to Clearer Skin With the Neutrogena #LetsSolveIt Campaign

August 28th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

Somewhere between trying to squeeze in as much outdoorsy time as possible in the second half of summer, a bunch of stressful side projects, a particularly bad bout of insomnia (I keep waking up around the Witching Hour and then can’t fall back asleep) and the steady stream of ice cream I’ve been eating after dinner (even though I know what happens when I have too much dairy), I’ve started breaking out.

It’s nothing too bad…yet (knocks on wood), definitely not as bad as the huge humdingers I get sometimes along my jawline. These are just little whiteheads on my chin and around the edge of my forehead, and a couple of body breakouts on my chest and booty.

Yes, girl, booty — specifically, my left butt cheek, if you must know.

Is that TMI? Probably, but it’s not like I’m the first person (or the last) to get a painful pimple on their bum.

Anyway! When Neutrogena and Walgreens asked if I was down to switch up my acne-fighting game with their #LetsSolveIt campaign and take the quiz at SolveMyAcne.com, I thought, “Good timing!”

I’ve had great luck with Neutrogena skin care over the years, and I dig Walgreens (I used to go there on my breaks every day when I worked in SF), so I said “sure!”

Getting back into the swing of things at school after summer break is stressful enough. Who needs the ADDED stress of a bad breakout? Get expert skin care recs with the Neutrogena #LetsSolveIt campaign by taking the Acne-Fighting Quiz at SolveMyAcne.com, and feel fabulously confident in clearer skin.

First step: the quiz. And it’s not one of those quizzes that they say is only going to take two minutes but ends up taking 20. It really is just a handful of easy questions.

Like so…

Based on my answers, here are the four products the quiz recommended for me and my combo dry/oily skin:
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Does Your Significant Other Have Any Grooming Habits That You Wish You Could Change?

August 28th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

GURL, you don't even know... — GURL, you don’t even know…

I love El Hub to bits, but “Great Caesar’s ghost!” — I wish I could get that man to trim his toenails.

It drives me absolutely freakin’ crazy! They’re like Wolverine’s claws, and sometimes in bed when our feet cross paths, he’ll actually scratch my legs!

On the one hand/claw, they’ve come in handy for certain things like April Fool’s pranks, but I can’t take it anymore. They’re one of the banes of my existence. I have no idea why this man, who is generally clean for a straight guy who doesn’t really care about grooming, has toenails this long. He says he just forgets to cut them, but how can that be? — because the moment I notice that my toenails have gotten even the slightest bit long, they start to bother me.

So this is my longwinded way of saying that I wish El Hub would just cut his damn toenails already.

How about you? Does your significant other have any grooming habits you wish you could change?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ?