• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

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

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

Ulta Adventures: Bliss Fuzz Off Hair Remover

May 21st, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

bliss fuzz off

Bliss-Fuzz-Off-Hair-Remover-catThis cat.

He works at a rival kitty modeling agency. His name is Jim, and he’s my cat employer’s current number one arch enemy. According to Tabs, “Mrow! Fft! Fft!” (“Don’t trust Jim!”)

Jim is currently featured on the promotional material for the new Fuzz Off Body Hair Removal Spray Foam by Bliss ($32).

Don’t tell Tabs this, because the last thing I need right now is him questioning my allegiance, but I’m super interested in this foam. I’ll try anything that promises to improve the Sasquatch situation, you know?

There are also Fuzz Offs for the bikini area and the facial area, too, but they’re creams instead of foams.

I walked out of Ulta last week with a tube of the Bliss Fuzz Off Precision Hair Removal Cream ($24), but I haven’t tried it yet.

Soon… Soon… I’ll let you know how well it works.

Watch out, Tom Selleck’s mustache! I’m gunning for you…

bliss fuzz off foam

bliss fuzz off bikini

bliss fuzz off facial hair

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Bliss

Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony 001 Pink Sunrise Is Pretty Like a Postcard

May 21st, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

dior diorskin nude tan pink
$57 Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition in 001 Pink Sunrise

Have you ever seen a real life pink sunrise? Like, with your very own eyes and not in the movies or anything?

Aren’t they glorious? We get them out here sometimes in the fall, and whenever we get a really good one, where it’s like a postcard in the sky, I’m that one weirdo neighbor in her pajamas taking pictures in the front yard at the behind crack of dawn.

A Novato pink sunrise

A Novato pink sunrise

A Novato pink sunrise

Like a real life pink sunrise, Dior’s Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony in 001 Pink Sunrise is pretty glorious, too. One of two $57 Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony powder blushes in the Dior Summer 2015 Tie Dye Collection, it’s the lighter, pinker, cooler-toned option. The other one, 002 Coral Sunset, is warmer, deeper and coral.

dior diorskin nude tan pink
Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony in 001 Pink Sunrise ($57)

There are four colors infused in these pans. Pink Sunrise has a cool-toned light pink, a cool-toned medium pink, a soft white and a cool-toned plum, and you know how this story goes… Mix all the colors together with the included kabuki brush (or a separate blush brush) by swirling it in the pan, and then dust that on your cheeks for blush.

Following this, rejoice. 🙂

dior diorskin nude tan pink
Swatch of Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition in 001 Pink Sunrise on my NC42 skin

I think I might be too warm-toned and tan to really pull this one off, because I feel like it kinda washes me out, but I don’t know… Maybe that’s more because I think the other Dior Tie Dye Edition blush in the collection, 002 Coral Sunset, is a tan girl’s jam.
[Continue reading…]

There are 11 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Dior, Face, Makeup, Product Reviews

Paul & Joe Nail Polish in Bitter Lime: This Bitter Got Better

May 21st, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments






paul joe bitter lime

paul joe bitter lime

OK, yeah…I admit it. It took me a little while to get on board with Paul & Joe Nail Polish in Bitter Lime ($16).

I don’t know why, but it reminds me of funky ’70s kitchen decor. I vaguely recall our fridge and countertops at home being this color back in the day.

My gut said, “Ew…” when I applied Bitter Lime for the first time, but I kept it on for the sake of experimentation. Within a few hours, my opinion if it started to change for the better. I like how it looks in different light, like in the natural light through the window in my office, it’s like a highlighter yellow, but under the “warm white” bulbs in the bathroom, it’s more of a lime green.

I might be too easily amused (not might — am).

And I love the shiny finish. (*makes grabby hands*) In these pics I’m wearing two coats without a base or top coat.

The formula’s also incredibly sturdy, like OPI-caliber sturdy. When I applied it last week with just two coats and nothing else to help it along, it lasted me three or four days before I saw any chipping at all, and I’m full-time typist tough on my nails. If I were to wear it with a base and top coat, I’m sure it would lasts me six or seven days at least, which would be pretty darned good for me.

Bitter Lime is a limited edition $16 lacquer in the new Paul & Joe Summer Collection, and it’s available now online and at Paul & Joe counters.

paul joe bitter lime

paul joe bitter lime

paul joe bitter lime

Also wearing…

Clutch — LOFT Art Floral Pouch
Dress — LOFT Striped Strappy Flare Dress
Necklace — an oldie from Kate Spade (but here’s something similar)
Nails — Paul & Joe Nail Polish in Bitter Lime

P.S. How’s it going today, my friend? On a scale of 1-10, how’s your Thursday been so far? I’d say mine’s been about a 7.5, which rounds up to 8. 🙂

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty, Nails, Paul & Joe

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter: Same Butter, Better Price

May 20th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments




soap glory righteous butter
soap glory righteous butter
Soap & Glory’s (now) $15 The Righteous Butter

You’re doin’ it right, Soap & Glory!

In an era when so many beauty brands are charging more for less product, Soap & Glory bucked the trend by actually reducing a price.

Yup, that’s right! They’re making it more affordable to get your body butter on.

They used to charge $22 for a 10.1-oz. tub of The Righteous Butter body moisturizing lotion, their epically hydrating heavy-hitter, but now it’s $15! — and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

I discovered this stuff last Christmas and literally used my tub all the way down to the last drop.

No, for real. I was in my bathroom one day, just out of the shower and naked as the day I was born, and I ran my fingers around the inside of the tub to get every last drop. This stuff is the real deal if you have alligator skin like moi. It’s super moisturizing and doesn’t leave an annoying residue behind.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who loves this fluffy body butter either. According to Soap & Glory, a tub of The Righteous Butter is sold every 20 seconds worldwide.

That’s a lotta buttah, baby! (4,320 per day)

It contains glycerin, cocoa and shea butters, and cocoanut oil (fancy talk for “coconut”) to lock in moisture, and it smells divine. It’s like a lotion-y version of my favorite Chanel Coco Mademoiselle fragrance, although I’ve heard through the grapevine (also known as the comments here on MBB, LOL!) that it also smells like the discontinued old-school Dior Miss Cherie.

And now it’s $15! I mean, seriously, who does that?? I can’t even remember the last time a beauty brand made one of their top products this much more affordable. Hats off to you, Soap & Glory. I’m your new #1 fan. 🙂

soap glory righteous butter
Soap & Glory’s The Righteous Butter, $15

[Continue reading…]

There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo, Product Reviews, Soap & Glory

Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony in 002 Coral Sunset Will Help Cheeks and Sunsets Make Beautiful Music Together

May 20th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

dior diorskin nude tan
$57 Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony in 002 Coral Sunset, one of two new Blush Harmony blushes in the Dior Summer 2015 Tie Dye Collection

Do you need to fall in love with a $57 blush?

If you’re like me, probably not. But just in case you do, and you’re looking for a new blush with which to have a summer love affair, Dior 002 Coral Sunset is a heartbreaker. It’s all that and a bag of Trader Joe’s Cheddar Puffs.

What is Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony in 002 Coral Sunset?

Like an actual tropical sunset, Coral Sunset has multiple shades. It’s a warm powder blush with four different colors in the same pan (orange, coral, rose and golden beige) that are designed to be mixed together and applied to cheeks. It’s one of two limited edition $57 Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmonies released with the Dior Tie Dye Summer 2015 Collection and comes with a blush pouch and a kabuki brush for application.

It adds a natural-looking orangey coral warmth to cheeks and skin, and the finish is key to the “natural-looking” part. It looks shimmery in the pan, but on the skin reads more like a matte-on-the-verge-of-a-sheen. If you look closely, though, you can see tiny flecks of glitter…but they’re small. No need to worry about any glitter bomb situations.

How do you use it?

Just take the kabuki brush that comes with the blush, swirl it in the pan, and then tap off the excess. Apply what remains to the apples of your cheeks.

There you go. 🙂

You can also lightly dust on parts of the face where the sun naturally falls for added warmth, like across the forehead and down the nose.

You don’t have to use the included kabuki brush, of course, and I think this one works pretty well, but I prefer to use a fluffy wide blush brush instead. Because this blush is quite pigmented, I find that it’s easier to blend and feather out the edges with a wider, fluffy face brush.

Is it worth the price?

So…this is crazy expensive for a blush. It’s $57! But if you can get over that hump (and it’s a BIG hump), you’ll find that it’s an absolutely beautiful blush.

It’s so pigmented that I only have to use one layer, and that single layer lasts six or seven hours between touchups. I’m betting that a pan of this could possibly last years, even with daily use, because you hardly have to use.

dior diorskin nude tan
Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony in 002 Coral Sunset ($57)

I also really love how it rests on the skin. It’s very finely milled, so the grains of powder don’t attract attention, and the application is perfection. A quick sweep of my wide blush brush, a bit of blending action at the edges, and I’m properly blushed in less than a minute, literally.

In trying to think of comparable high-end blushes, the closest I can come up with is Chanel Malice. The two aren’t identical, as Dior’s has more of a rosy tone, which I think makes it every-so-slightly more flattering on bronzed skin with reddish undertones because the rose shades play off the red tones that typically come with a tan. I also think that the addition of that warm rosy shade is why this blush is something other than your standard issue coral.

Yes, it’s cray expensive, but it’s absolutely on point. Recommended for gals/guys who live for high-end makeup and want a warm-toned blush that goes great with a tan. Also recommended for mature skin.
[Continue reading…]

There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Dior, Face, Makeup, Product Reviews

MAC Matte Lipstick in Whirl: Take ’90s Lips for a Whirl With This MAC Matte

May 20th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

mac whirl lipstick
Wearing MAC’s new Matte Lipstick in Whirl ($16)

5 Things you can do TODAY to transport yourself to the ’90s

  1. Listen to your favorite Salt-N-Pepa CD (or, alternately, cassette tape) on repeat, and sing/rap the lyrics to Whatta Man aloud, because you know them back and forth, and inside out, and upside down. My man is smooth like Barry, and his voice got bass! A body like Arnold and a Denzel face!

  2. Slip on a flannel shirt as a nod to the crispy Seattle weather (or to just stay warm in front of the refrigerator)…
  3. On that note, quote the movie Clueless with ABANDON.

  4. Dust off your little black backpack (it’s in the back of your closet next to your Doc Martens), and use it as your purse for the day.
  5. Wear new matte rosy brown MAC Matte Lipstick in Whirl ($16), one of 22 matte shades in the upcoming The Matte Lip collection, coming to the MAC website May 28 and MAC stores and counters June 11.

GIRL, funny story. My friend Jen’s been more or less wearing the same color of brown matte lipstick since the ’90s, and I’ve been bugging her to break out of her comfort zone for years.

Corals, pinks, reds, nudes — seriously, any shade other than that same ’90s matte brown, but now that the ’90s lip, also known as (airquotes) “the Kylie Jenner lip,” is back in style, I don’t feel like I need to bug her anymore, LOL!!

The lip Jen’s loved all these years has made a comeback, and you can bet she’s ready for it. 🙂

Me, on the other hand, to be honest, I require some handholding. Back in the day I loved wearing matte brown lips, and it was all I wore, pretty much 24/7, but I’m having a hard time now re-seeing myself in the color.

I’ve gotten attached to fun brights and nudes!

But, in the spirit of breaking out of comfort zones, I’m trying to take my own advice by giving these circa-1995 colors a whirl.

Enter MAC’s new Matte Lipstick in Whirl ($16).

mac whirl lipstick
A swatch of MAC Whirl on my NC42 skin

[Continue reading…]

There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup

Outfit of the Day: A Strappy Flare Dress, and Playing With Prints

May 20th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

loft striped strappy flare dress
Playing with prints

As Tabs likes to say, “Mrow, meow-rrow-wow.” Translation: stripes are always a good thing. 🙂

Yes, my hair is still dark in these pics because I took them before I left for the salon yesterday; hence the chocolate brown.

This striped “strappy” flare dress is yet another find from LOFT that I’m absolutely loving. (I swear, that store needs to stop having sales every five seconds, because they’re very hard to resist!) I got it on sale on their website a while back for 40% off. Woop-woop!

It’s soft, comfortable cotton, for starters, and you know me. If something pinches or binds, or if it’s itchy or otherwise uncomfortable in any way, I’m SO not having it.

It also has some stretch to it, so the dress moves as you do, and hello, jackpot! — you can throw it in the washer at home. You don’t have to take it to the dry cleaners.

I’m wearing it here with a white collarless jacket because I was in the mood to dress it up little, but it also looks pretty cute with a cardigan or a denim jacket, or all by itself on a warm day.

loft striped strappy flare dress
[Continue reading…]

There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fashion

Restocking Old MAC Faves: MAC Groundwork and Soft Ochre Paints Pots, and Select Cover-Up

May 19th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

mac groundwork soft ochre
mac groundwork soft ochre
Clockwise from the left, that’s MAC Select Color-Up in NC42, and the MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots in Soft Ochre and Groundwork

Oh! These cuties — oldies but goodies — came home with me last Sunday after a trip to the mall with El Hub.

It was part of Operation Get My Sh*t Together, otherwise known as The Great Office Purge of 2015. My mission: to stop by the MAC counter and make some long-overdue replacements.

The night before the mission, I found an old stash of MAC Paint Pots at home that desperately needed to be tossed and replaced. Two of my ride or dies, Soft Ochre and Groundwork, were effectively deceased, and since I can’t function without them, I had to restock. ASAP.

LOL! I made myself laugh. 🙂

Anyway, Soft Ochre and Groundwork are both cream shadows, but they have a matte finish. I like using them as eyeshadow bases, or sometimes just on their own.

mac groundwork soft ochre
Clockwise from the lower left, that’s MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre, Select Color-Up in NC42 and Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Groundwork

MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot ($21)

I think matte warm beige Soft Ochre looks really pretty under warm neutrals like Soft Brown, Saddle, Ricepaper and Swiss Chocolate. I use it sometimes to sort of blank out the natural color of my lids (similar to how you might use concealer on your lips to blank them out).

Like, if I have a palette with shades that are slightly lighter than my skin tone — like pale taupes, tans or beiges, which wouldn’t normally show up well on my NC42 skin — I’ll start by buffing a thin layer of Soft Ochre on my lids with a MAC 217, then apply the shadows on top. Soft Ochre acts kind of like a buffer between my skin color and the shadows, and makes the shadows more closely resemble the way they look in their pans. It also intensifies whatever I layer on top.

LOVE this color. It’s a must-have MAC staple of mine.

MAC Groundwork Paint Pot ($21)

Oh, MAC Groundwork… How I heart love thee.

Groundwork is a neutral mid-toned taupe-ish brown with a matte finish, and I love it for everyday looks. I use it as a base for neutral brown and taupe eyeshadows, and I also think it’s just really pretty on its own.

When I’m in a rush — you know, like every day of my life — I like to do a layer all over my lids, and then apply some quick cat eye liner.

mac groundwork soft ochre 3

MAC Select Cover-Up in NC42 ($19)

Select Cover-Up, the last thing I grabbed at the counter, is something I used a lot waaaaay back in the day when I first started wearing MAC face products.

Let’s see… When was that? 2001? 2002?

It might’ve been 2000.

Yowza.

Needless to say, it’s been around a while.
[Continue reading…]

There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty, MAC Makeup

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 601
  • Go to page 602
  • Go to page 603
  • Go to page 604
  • Go to page 605
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 1912
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

Recent Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 878

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 894

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 893

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 892

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 891

/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things – do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 771

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.