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

Summer Beauty Buddies: Trader Joe’s Brazil Nut Body Wash and Body Butter

June 21st, 2023 by Karen 9 Comments

It’s a total coincidence that today’s summer beauty buddies match my dress!

Side note, it’s the Athleta Conscious Dress. I bought the petite version in the color Salvia Pink on sale a while back for like $30! And oh la la, it has pockets.

Anywho, Trader Joe’s limited edition Brazil Nut Body Wash and Body Butter, last time I checked, were $5.99 each at our local store, but dang, I’ve been seeing it on online resale sites for crazy inflated prices, like $25 for the Body Wash and $45 for the Body Butter. I guess people really like it!

Or, maybe they’re so hooked they’ll pay whatever it takes because the scent is crazy addictive.

Major mood lift

It’s a mix of delicious food notes – salted caramel, pistachio, vanilla and coconut. Typically I’d consider these cozy notes for winter scents, but the addition of the coconut tips it into summer territory.

It’s strong but not cloyingly sweet, and when I can smell it on my arms and on my hands, I can’t help but feel the tropical island vibes! It’s a major mood lifter.

And it keeps going and going and going

I think you’ve gotta do both the Body Wash and Body Butter together. When I layer the two, I’m happily surrounded by the deliciousness all day long.

No need for a separate body splash or perfume on top, although I wouldn’t be surprised if TJ’s launched something next year to round out the whole experience.

Rich and creamy

The Body Wash is creamy and foams up into a lovely, soft lather. The Body Butter has a whipped consistency, so it easily sinks into the skin, and is rich enough for my uber-dry spots.

Neither are tested on animals, which is a nice plus!

Would I buy this again?

Oh, most definitely. If you’re shopping at TJs and see them on shelves and you happen to like tropical notes with a foodie vibe, grab ’em while you can!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Summer Beauty Buddies: Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+ and Supergoop Lipshade Hydrating Lipstick

June 20th, 2023 by Karen 2 Comments

I’m wearing Supergoop Lucky Me Lipshade on my lips and cheeks.

Gotta love it when you find beauty products that 1) travel well, 2) are totally useful and 3) make you feel good when you wear them. I get all of the above with these two cuties that I picked up last week at Sephora!

I was there to buy a present for my dad for Father’s Day. He’s an avid gardener, and I want him to step up his sun protection game, so I got him a sunhat from REI and a bottle of Shiseido Sunscreen. Now that I think about it, I should’ve purchased two bottles because my mom will probably end up stealing his sunscreen, LOL!

Anywho, I’ve been wanting a touchup sunscreen to keep in my purse, something portable and small that won’t leak, so I bought a Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50 ($30). It’s so easy to pop it open and slide that little stick all over my face for a touchup (in fact, I just did it right before I typed this sentence). It’s lightweight, non-greasy and has a lovely light summery citrus scent. Even Connor doesn’t mind applying it, which is a nice bonus.

If you wear minimal makeup like I’ve been doing lately, it’s so easy to use before going on a walk, or if you’re driving and want a little extra sun protection.

I love, LOVE the Supergoop Lipshade ($24). What a treat!

It’s a mineral lip sunscreen with SPF 30, and it’s LEGIT pigmented, like a full-on lipstick. I bought Lucky Penny, a rich dark rose, and have been wearing it for the past few days.

I love it because it’s smooth and doesn’t feel heavy. Also, most lip sunscreen sticks leave my lips feeling cracked and dry, but this one doesn’t! It’s actually pretty hydrating, which could possibly be because it has a good amount of rich moisturizers — avocado oil, jojoba oil, shea butter and mango seed butter, for starters.

I’m planning to get a few more colors… I’ll keep checking the Supergoop website to see if they have any sales coming up, and if they do, I’ll let ya know.

How is your Tuesday going? Tomorrow is the official first day of summer. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m already shopping for Connor’s school uniforms because I just know that I’ll blink and it’ll be the first day of school again.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 786

June 19th, 2023 by Karen 13 Comments

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Rose notes: cute or cloying?

Cute, for sure. I love scents with rose notes, and my first “grown up” perfume was Paris by YSL, which has beautiful rose notes.

2. Have you ever had a tattoo removed?

Nah. I don’t have any tattoos.

3. How are your nail painting skills?

They used to be excellent, but I’ve lost a little bit of my edge ever since my closeup vision started going to sh*t. LOL! I still do OK, though.

4. What did you have for breakfast?

Oatmeal with milk, a dollop of peanut butter and a handful of chocolate chips. I used to eat it often before I got pregnant with Connor a few years ago, and I used to love it, but now I think it tastes a little gross. I think I must’ve overdone it back in the day.

5. Something you’d like to learn?

How to properly use a rowing machine!

6. When was the last big concert you went to?

Um, I think it was an “I Love the ’90s” concert, which I think was in 2018? That seems so long ago. I was supposed to see Lizzo in March of 2020 but the pandemic had other plans.

7. Did you have a pogo stick when you were a kid?

I did! It’s a miracle I didn’t crack my head open using it.

8. Last beauty goodies you bought?

I bought a stick of Shiseido sunscreen and a mineral lipstick from Supergoop at Sephora last Friday.

Hello, my friend. Just a quick reminder in case someone hasn’t told you lately – you’re beautiful inside and out! I hope that you’re feeling rested and happy today. I’m doing my best to stay positive and hopeful about the universe sending us all good things. 🙂

How was your weekend, by the way? Did you do anything fun?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Rose notes: cute or cloying?
2. Have you ever had a tattoo removed?
3. How are your nail painting skills?
4. What did you have for breakfast?
5. Something you’d like to learn?
6. When was the last big concert you went to?
7. Did you have a pogo stick when you were a kid?
8. Last beauty goodies you bought?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 766

June 18th, 2023 by Karen 1 Comment

I’m buggin’ out!

Err, well…Rosie did.

I mean today she was buggin’ out, just like Tabs used to.

Allow me to explain… 😂

Tabs used to really enjoy Entomology. You could even say he was an Entomology enthusiast.

Sure, he enjoyed birding more, but he did like looking around the neighborhood for lovely insects, especially ladybugs. Praying mantises were another fave.

This shouldn’t come as a big surprise. After all, he was an extremely creative cat.

How do you think he came up with so many colorful feline fashion ideas? Obvs, right? Insects were a major source of his fashion inspiration.

Some are even pretty tasty.

Rosie

Rosie has carried on this particular hobby too. As a matter of fact, she accompanied Connor around the neighborhood today to look for rollie pollies.

As I understand it, they found quite a few.

According to Rosie, Rollie pollies are miracles of nature.

Get this: they aren’t actually insects. They’re crustaceans! Like crabs and lobsters! 🦀🦞

Who knew?!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, June 17, 2023!

June 17th, 2023 by Karen 3 Comments

A pretty pale purple that’s perfect for summer: Chanel Immortelle 135!

Hello and happy Saturday from me and my freshly painted paws.

You might say that I’m on a nail polish kick right now, LOL! What can I say? Painting nails is fun and kinda therapeutic. Plus, I figure when you can get some extra color in your life, that’s always a good thing. Gotta find joy in all the ways you can.

Today I’m wearing two coats of Chanel Immortelle 135, a light creamy purple in the newly reformulated formula. It’s an opaque pale purple that I think is super cute on short nails.

Seriously, if left unchecked, I’d just hoard all the purple polishes.

What are you up to today? Painting nails? Going out to brunch? Taking a nap? I hope whatever you’re doing lifts you up!

This week’s reading

Honestly, I don’t know why I never get tired of these types of stories, but here’s how dermatologists reapply sunscreen over makeup — without making a mess! Side note, I just bought a Shiseido stick sunscreen.
Favorite story of the week: “Photographer doesn’t force young girls to smile in photos and the results are powerful.”
A behind-the-scenes look at a busy day in makeup artist Nick Barose’s workday.
Science explains why you get the urge to sniff old books.
The hidden risk of hair-lightening sprays.

This is so pretty and totally my style right meow

Chaka is a LEGEND!

How cute is she?

You learn something new every day

I’ll take all the advice I can get

Note to self

Have a great rest of your weekend. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Summer Friday Check In: A Most Excellent Co-Wash, Manifesting and Moving On

June 16th, 2023 by Karen 3 Comments

Happy Friday! All I’ve been wearing lately is sunscreen, LOL! And yes, I know my hair is crazy.

Happy Friday, friend.

I have a new weird favorite thing to do first thing in the morning: checking the pollen count on multiple weather sites! My allergies have been out of control lately, so it’s been really insightful to know what things floating around in the air my body is rejecting, ha ha ha.

Apparently I’m wildly allergic to ragweed pollen, which has been popping off in my neck of the woods for the past couple days.

All this to say I’ve gone back to washing my hair every day to remove whatever pollen’s up in there.

I was previously on an every-other-day washing schedule because as I’m getting older, my hair’s getting thinner, and washing it less seems to help a lot with keeping more of it on my scalp.

At this point, though, I’d rather have less pollen in my hair to aggravate my sinuses at night, which leads me to something I picked up at Ulta the other day, Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk 3-in-1 Conditioner.

You can use it as a leave-in conditioner, a traditional rinse-out conditioner after shampooing or a co-wash, which is what I do. It’s one of those tried-and-true products I always come back to.

It’s lightweight and doesn’t weigh my wavy hair down, and it keeps the frizz in check. I also like how it feels when I rinse it out. Some co-washes leave behind a thick, heavy coating on my strands, and this doesn’t.

Even if you don’t have curly hair, I think it’s still worth a try, especially if you prefer conditioners that leave your hair with a lot of bounce.

Oh, and the price! A 12-ounce bottle is $8.99. Super affordable and easy to find — two of my favorite things.

FYI, if you’re sensitive to scent, it does smell a little bit like fruit punch, but it’s not overpowering.

Anywho, besides dealing with allergies, everything else on this end has been just OK. I found out earlier this week that my time at Amorepacific/Laneige will be coming to an end very soon. They won’t be needing a freelancer come August, so while I’m a little disappointed to be moving on, I’m gonna assume it’s because the universe has bigger and better writing plans for me.

On that note, I’m now trying to manifest a gig with Olive & June! Sending those nail polish writing vibes into the universe…

Otherwise, though, I’m feeling good. It’s summer and Friday, and I get to hang out with this little dancer! She doesn’t have camp today, so we’re going to do nails, and then she’s going to help me find some Father’s Day gifts.

Hope you’re doing well, and that things on your end are peaceful.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What Are the Things That Make You Feel Like the Best Version of You?

June 15th, 2023 by Karen 4 Comments

What are the things that make you feel like the best version of you?

I was thinking about this today, because one of my goals this week is to do the things that serve me in a positive way, and I started by doing my hair this morning.

It’s amazing what getting my mop out of a messy bun does for my mood. Fun-buns are easy, and easy can be gloriously good, but sometimes Fun-buns make me feel disheveled, so when I take the time and make the effort to style my hair, I feel better and more capable.

Other things that help me…

Going to bed early (this one’s a challenge for me because all I wanna do at the end of the day is veg out on my couch.)
Cutting down on screen time, especially mindless scrolling before bed. If I leave the phone alone for at least an hour before I go to sleep, I fall asleep so much faster, and my next day is so much better.
Eating lots of fresh vegetables (I have so much more energy when I do this, so yay for leafy greens!)
Being militant about time management and keeping track of time (otherwise, every task will take two times longer than it needs to)
Stretching for at least 10 minutes every day
Putting on a little bit of makeup. At the very least, blush, bronzer, mascara and a lippie!

Also, trying to help other people always makes me feel like the best version of myself, and when I radiate happiness and light, it comes right back.

What are the things that make you feel like the best version of you? Volunteering? Drinking enough water (it makes a HUGE difference, doesn’t it)? Curling your lashes? Going to the beach?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Fun with Summer Brights with Olive & June Jellies, Part Deux

June 14th, 2023 by Karen 3 Comments

The Olive & June Nail Polish Remover Pot is like the gift that keeps on giving! I just figured out yet another reason why I love it so much; it makes it really easy to remove any excess oils or lotions or products from nails before laying down that first layer of polish.

Side note, apparently this is a critical prep step, and if you skip it, then your polish won’t grip onto your nail as effectively, so you risk it chipping more readily.

So, say for example, you’re about to paint your nails, but you give yourself a quick hand massage with a rich lotion and cuticle oil. You have to remove all those products from your nails first before painting them.

I feel like this is one of those steps that I learned a loooong time ago but kinda forgot – whoops!

Basically it’s no effort to pop a finger into the pot and wipe off whatever lotions or whatnot are on my fingers at that moment.

Anywho, this pot that is giving me so much unexpected joy, LOL!

The sun is finally out in Marin County, so I grabbed the chance to walk around the neighborhood with freshly painted paws, which were Olive & June, of course. The shades I’m wearing happen to go perfectly with all the blooming trees and plants. 🙂

Bocce Ball is Olive & June’s bright green with a jelly finish. Flowerpot is also a jelly, but in a terracotta shade. Both remind me so much of summer days spent just hanging out in nature.

Like the other polishes from the summer collection, the jellies have an element of transparency that’s not immediately apparent when you see them from an arm’s length away. Get up close, though, and you’ll notice the whites of your nails peeking through the polish, which is kinda cool.

Two layers of Bocce Ball (and my neighbor’s amazing jade plant)

It’s been a minute since I’ve felt excited to do nails, so I’m really happy this manicure set came into my life.

For a while painting my nails felt tedious, and I think part of it was because I didn’t really have a centralized kit with all my stuff in it. I have a drawer that I chuck polishes into along with random bits and bobs for nail maintenance. It’s low key out of control and hard to find stuff. Not fun. Now that I have a cute box with everything I need, it just makes it really easy and pleasant.

Another thing that I think made it feel like a chore was that I didn’t realize until the last few months that I needed to be wearing reading glasses! I’ve basically been painting my nails half blind for over a year now… YOWZA. It’s a whole new world when you can see what you’re actually doing, which leads me to another thing that I wanted to ask you about — READING GLASSES. If you have any recommendations for brands/styles, please let me know. I need a few new pairs.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen