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

The NARS Matte/Shimmer Palette for Fall 2015: A Quick Follow-Up

July 8th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

In today’s episode of The Annals of Awkward Phrasing…

Karen meets Kim at the diner after closing to discuss makeup and teh kittehs. “If you had a fluffy kitten for every time I wished for an eyeshadow palette that included a few mattes,” Karen exclaims, “you’d have enough cats to qualify as a full-blown CCL!”

LOL! Yes, I have no idea what I’m talking about… 🙂

The mattes were/are the main reason I got so stoked about the new $65 NARS Matte/Shimmer Palette. Four of its eight powder shadows are mattes, and the other four are shimmers.

nars narsissist matte shimmer eyeshadow palette — NARS Matte/Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette

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Bootie, Bootie, Bootie, Bootie Rockin’ Everywhere! These Summery, Stylish TOMS Majorca Peep-Toe Booties Give Your Flip-Flops and Sandals a Break

July 8th, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

TOE LIBERATION, Y’ALL!

I summery sandals and flip-flops because they 1) give me an excuse to not wear socks and 2) free mah feet.

But ya know…shoe hoarders like moi also like to have many, many options, and that’s why these TOMS Majorca Peep Toe Booties ($97.95) have just entered my summer shoe rotation.

I got these for myself as a belated birthday present from Nordstrom, and I’m so glad I did. They’re made of super soft suede, so there’s no breaking-in period, and the 2-3/4″ heel adds some height without sabotaging my balance…so I don’t feel like I’m going to topple over every time I take a step.

I like ’em with jeans and tank tops, but I bet they’ll also be cute with a summer dress or denim shorts and a loose tee.

This nude shade here is called Stucco, but they also come in Black Suede (also very cute).

And did I mention that these are comfortable? — ’cause homegirl is all about comfort these days. 🙂

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Crank Up the Coverage of Your Favorite BB Cream or Tinted Moisturizer With This Time Saving Tip

July 7th, 2015 by Karen 38 Comments

BB creams.

What do you think about ’em? I’ve been on a kick lately (MAC Lightful C has been my bae for a week or so), but ya know…sometimes a girl needs/wants a little more coverage, and sometimes (well, all the time) that same girl is also in a hurry. 🙂

And that’s how I figured out this makeup tip.

Basically, instead of applying a BB cream (or tinted moisturizer) first, and then applying a concealer on top of it, you can save a little time by blending a bit of your favorite concealer into your BB cream to create a magical brew.

Mixing the two together increases the opacity of the BB cream, which gives you more coverage.

I’ve been mixing MAC Lightful C in Medium Plus with a smidgen of MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in NC42. Then I buff MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural on top, and then spray a little MAC Fix+ all over my face.

The result is medium coverage with a natural-looking semi-matte finish. It’s what I’ve been wearing in my pics lately. 🙂

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Dior’s New Diorshow Pro Liner Waterproof Pencil Is Angling for Your Liquid Liner Love

July 7th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Dior Diorshow Pro Liner Waterproof in Backstage Black #092 ($32)

I like to think of myself as a somewhat creative person who also happens to put necklaces on her cat, so I totally appreciate it when makeup brands think outside the box and approach everyday products from different angles.

Take Dior’s new Diorshow Pro Liner Waterproof eyeliner ($32), for example. It quite literally takes a different angle!

LOL! I made myself laugh…

Dior calls this new eyeliner a “hybrid” because it comes in pencil form but has the glide and color intensity of a liquid liner. Instead of having a regular pointy pencil tip, it has a beveled, angled edge, so that you can draw lines of different widths.

Hold the liner perpendicular to your lids, and you’ll draw a thin line. Place it parallel to your skin, and the line will be thicker.

It comes in six $32 shades — Backstage Black #092, Backstage Brown #582, Backstage Blue #272, Backstage Grey #042, Backstage Khaki #472 and Backstage Purple #182 — now available in the Dior permanent collection.

I struggled a bit the first few times I tried to use it. The shade was Backstage Black #092. I dunno… Maybe I have a funky tube, but the pencil felt very stiff, and it wasn’t that pigmented. It clearly did not want to glide across my skin, at all.

Then I accidentally broke the tip — twice! — which was probably my bad, because I twisted the pencil tip up too far and, apparently, this liner doesn’t want you to do that.

Oops.

dior diorshow pro liner waterproof 2 — Wearing Dior Diorshow Pro Liner Waterproof in Backstage Black #092 on my upper lash lines

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Dior’s Newly Reformulated Diorshow Mascara and Its Connection With Toothbrushes

July 7th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

dior diorshow mascara — The newly reformulated and relaunched Diorshow Mascara in Pro Black #090 ($27.50), and yes…a toothbrush

Toothbrushes!

That’s what this new tube of Diorshow Mascara reminds me of, which I know is a weird connection to make, but back in 2002 when Diorshow first launched, it had an oversized brush head inspired by the toothbrushes that makeup artists would use backstage to create long, dramatic lash looks on runway models. Dior hacked the idea and turned it into Diorshow’s XXL brush (your fun fact of the day).

Well, when Dior recently revamped and relaunched Diorshow Mascara, you can rest assured that they did not forget to give it an oversized brush, because without it, it wouldn’t have been Diorshow! 🙂

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Wow, You Can Also Use a BeautyBlender to Apply Eyeshadows and Face Powders? Who Knew?

July 7th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

While makeup shopping at Nordstrom the other day I happened upon a beautyblender training class for the makeup artists on the floor and, um…of course you know I had to sneak my way into the group. 🙂 I even asked a whole bunch of obnoxious questions (yes, I was *that* student back in the day).

Like, did you know that you can apply eyeshadow with a beautyblender?

Yeah! Who knew, right?

Using a wet beautyblender Micro Mini (the smallest-sized sponge; a pack of two sells for $18), swirl the larger rounded bottom end of the beautyblender into your powder eyeshadow pan to mix the powder up into something of a temporary cream shadow and to load the sponge. (Applying shadows wet like this will also intensify the colors.) Then, tap that directly on your lids to apply.

Now do the same thing with the smaller pointed end of the beautyblender to apply color in your outer V.

It’s a great way to do simple, single-eyeshadow looks without any fallout so you can get out the door quickly.

Kind of cool, right?

This works with face powder, too! But instead of the mini beautyblender, take a damp regular-sized one, swirl the rounded base into your favorite pressed powder pan, and then tap that on your face wherever you want powder. It’ll apply evenly, without any fallout, and give you full coverage.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Fabulously Frugal Fashion Find: The $12 Old Navy Relaxed Slub-Knit Tank

July 6th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Yeah, this green print Relaxed Slub-Knit Tank by Old Navy is only $12! But wait, it gets better. When I saw it at the store yesterday, it was on sale for $4!

I couldn’t say no, so I grabbed two — the print I’m wearing here, and another one in a bright solid orange.

They’re pretty basic relaxed-fit tanks, 60% cotton, 40% modal (which equals 100% soft), but you can jazz them up with some jewelry or other accessories.

They’re also machine washable (YAY!), although I won’t be putting them in the dryer. The material is on the thinner side, and every other thin Old Navy top I’ve stuck in the dryer has always ended up with holes.

So it’s air dry all the way, baby!

Also, if you can, try them on in the store, because these run big, and because you might be able to get a better price than the $12 listed online. I’d size down. Plus, Old Navy’s sizing tends to vary a lot, even among different colors of the same shirt.

Did you hit up any sales over the Fourth of July weekend? Inquiring shopping-loving minds want to know.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencils Get Some New Shades: 1993, Bad Blood, Bittersweet, Blackmail and Stark Naked

July 6th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

urban decay glide on lip pencil — The Urban Decay Glide-On Lip Pencils from the left in 1993, Bad Blood, Bittersweet, Blackmail and Stark Naked

The year was 1993… The city was Novato. Makeup police were investigating a case of beauty Blackmail that resulted in Bad Blood between two makeup-loving friends. According to the unofficial report and secondhand eyewitness accounts, the story had a Bittersweet ending involving a crazy woman running Stark Naked through the streets!

See, this is what happens when someone with an overactive imagination plays with these five new Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencils ($20). 🙂

These new matte lip liners match colors from the new Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick line, namely medium brown 1993, deep red Bad Blood, bright purple Bittersweet, deep berry Blackmail and light nude Stark Naked.

Bad Blood, 1993, Bittersweet and Stark Naked get enthusiastic high-fives from me, because they’re super creamy and glide across my skin without skipping a beat (much like typical 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencils), but Blackmail is kind of a mess… It’s dry, patchy and pulls at my skin, bah!

urban decay glide on lip pencil 2 — Urban Decay Glide-On Lip Pencils from the left in 1993, Bad Blood, Bittersweet, Blackmail and Stark Naked

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