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

New From FLOWER Beauty: Lip Radiance High Shine Lip Lacquer Extremes, That’s So Kohl! Kohl Eyeliners and D.B. Daily Brightening Undereye Cover Cremes

April 21st, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

flower beauty spring 2015 — Look! Something’s blooming at FLOWER Beauty

I’m in the mood for a walk. Care to come with?

Ooh! I’ll take you to a beautiful garden… Have you heard of FLOWER Beauty? Don’t worry — you won’t need your allergy meds. The flowers there are actually some of the new products in Drew Barrymore’s affordable makeup line available exclusively at Walmart.

Now, before I go off on a Drew fangirl moment (I LOVE her)…

FLOWER Lip Radiance High Shine Lip Lacquer Extreme ($7.98 each)

These full-coverage, unflavored, unscented Lip Lacquers start out creamy and opaque but fade while you’re wearing them to a soft semi-matte stain. I can definitely feel them on my lips — the formula has the heft of a MAC Lipglass without the stickiness. They’re also paraben-, phthalate- and sulfate-free.

I’m totally in love with these… They’re pigmented, smooth, super comfy and bright, and still very natural-looking. I can’t believe they’re drugstore and less than $10 each (just $7.98)!

Available in five shades — Pink About Me, Give Peach a Chance, Cherry-O!, Autumn Rose and Classic Nude.

FLOWER D.B. Daily Brightening Undereye Cover Creme ($8.98 each)

flower daily brightening undereye — FLOWER D.B. Daily Brightening Undereye Cover Creme in DB3 and DB4, $8.98 each

I had high hopes for this rollerball-like concealer contraption. You’re supposed to roll it on your under-eye circles, where it leaves behind an illuminating full-coverage concealer that you then pat with fingers or a brush.

It sounded like fun!

And it is. I like the rollerball part of the equation… It feels great on my skin, but the concealer doesn’t wow me. It’s close to full coverage, but not quite there, and the formula’s a little on the dry side, so it settles into my fine lines.

I also can’t seem to find a good shade for me. I’ve tried two of the darker ones, and neither is anywhere near dark enough for my NC 42 skin.

Available in four shades — DB1, DB2, DB3 and DB4.
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Say “Chai” to the Aveda Light the Way Candle: Limited Edition for Earth Month

April 21st, 2015 by Karen 7 Comments

Mmm…chai tea.

That’s exactly what the new Aveda Light the Way Candle ($12) smells like to me. I have one scent-ifying my office right now, and oh my gosh, it smells good! — like vanilla and cinnamon (but not like someone dumped out two bottles of pure vanilla and cinnamon in the room).

Happy Earth Day Eve. 🙂

This limited edition Aveda soy wax candle is made from soy and other plant waxes, and it burns for about 30 hours (!). All of the proceeds from it go toward supporting water-related projects funded by the Global Greengrants Fund. According to Aveda, one Light the Way Candle purchase provides a year’s worth of drinking water for a person.

The glass it comes with is made entirely of recycled glass beverage bottles, too. Isn’t that cool? Even the box is made from 90% post-consumer recycled paperboard, and the candle’s scented with certified organic essential oils, including organic vanilla, cinnamon and ylang-ylang from Madagascar. Aveda also says that children living in the Manakara region of Madgascar drew the artwork for the packaging.

Established in 1993, the Colorado-based Global Greenrants Fund provides grants to grassroots environmental causes around the world. Read more about their work at greengrants.org.

Look for the Light the Way Candle now at Aveda salons, spas, stores and online at aveda.com while supplies last.

By the way, if you purchase one online, the shipping is free. 🙂

Coral, Bronze and Gold: A Natural, Summery Face of the Day With Tom Ford Summer 2015, NARS Eyelashes, RMS Beauty, Paul & Joe and More

April 21st, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

tom ford naked bronze — A Face of the Day with some products from Tom Ford Summer 2015, NARS Eyelashes, RMS Beauty and more

My father-in-law does this thing where he answers every “when” question with the word, “Tuesday,” like, “When did you guys go to that dinner?”

And he says, “Tuesday.”

Or, “When was that storm you mentioned?”

To which he says, “Tuesday.”

And he giggles every time like it’s the funniest joke in the world.

Big sigh…

Buuut, I’m borrowing the joke today! 🙂 Basically, I was in the mood to wear something natural-ish, summery and spiced up with sparkling garnish because, dude! — as my father-in-law might say, it’s Tuesday, and Tuesdays are the best days to wear glitter.

I used quite a few new products, too (some of them from Tom Ford Summer 2015!), along with some older faves like Diorskin Air Nude Serum for this bronzed brown and gold eye with pink cheeks and coral lips.

A trick for mornings when you wake up with puffy eyes…

I had majorly puffy eyes this morning thanks to my spring allergies, so to offset that puffiness I deepened my crease with a matte brown. Instead of using an eyeshadow, though, I grabbed Tom Ford’s Terra Bronzer.

Yup! I used it as a transition shade, which I like it for, as it isn’t orangey. It’s more of a golden tan warm matte brown, and I think it layers and blends beautifully.

I really didn’t want to accentuate my puffy lids, so I kept all of the shimmers/glitters on my “mobile lid.”

Yup, mobile lid. It’s the part of the lid that moves when you blink. You can see it when you look straight into a mirror and blink. That part that moves is your mobile lid.

Anyway! For this look, I did a matte in the crease and kept the shimmer confined to the mobile lid. The combination of shimmer on the lid and matte in the crease appears to deepen and define the crease.

Or at least that’s the idea.

IMO, the best thing from Tom Ford Summer 2015

For the shimmer, I used Tom Ford’s Cream and Powder Eye Color in Naked Bronze. I dabbed the cream bronze shadow on my lids with a finger, let it dry, then went back in and patted the glitter eyeshadow in the center of my lid to create a focal point.

I really like Naked Bronze, by the way. It’s annoyingly expensive ($60), but it’s so pigmented that I don’t have to use much, and both the cream and the glitter layer and blend sans drama. Even if you did use a ton, it would probably still look effortless.

I think Tom Ford’s cream shadows are among the best products in the line, and if I were to choose one thing from the Summer 2015 Collection, it would be one of the Cream and Powder Eye Colors.

Cream blushes: a makeup tip

For cheeks, I also turned to Tom. I dabbed golden pink Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand on the apples of my cheeks for a soft, subtle sheen and some natural pink color.

My favorite way to apply cream blush is to do it right after foundation. That way the foundation is still a little wet and the cream blush blends into it more easily. If, on the other hand, I wait until my foundation is dry, the blush seems to sit up on top of my skin where it looks more obvious.

For this look, I stippled the blush with a Real Techniques Multi Task Brush.
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SPONSORED: 4 Steps to Flawless Skin With the Four Eco-Friendly EcoTools Complexion Collection Brushes

April 21st, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

As a participant in the #EcoInspire campaign sponsored by Paris Presents, Inc., I’ve received product samples and/or compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Until the day science synthesizes that breakthrough organic ice cream-making molecule that gives you perfect skin after you eat it (you know that would be HELLA amazing!), makeup lovers like myself are left having to fake a flawless look.

Hey, that just means we get to experiment with more products, right? — which is totally fine by me, because I’ll take any excuse to play with these new Complexion Collection Brushes by EcoTools.

April is Earth Month, and I’ve got eco-friendly beauty on the brain. Like all EcoTools brushes, these four new Complexion Collection face and eye brushes are made with cruelty-free bristles, bamboo handles and recycled aluminum ferrules. Even the pouches that come with them are made from natural materials.

Oh, and by the way, the brushes are affordable (less than $10 each, and available now at Walgreens). On top of that, with every Complexion Collection brush sold, EcoTools will make a $1 donation, up to $100,000, to Global Green USA, a national environmental organization. That’s not bad considering that the brushes cost from $5 to $9 each, so a $1 donation on a $5 brush is 20%.

Walgreens is celebrating Earth Month by featuring eco-friendly brushes and other products to help you look your best. See what else Walgreens has been up to on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Really, though, as if the packaging alone wasn’t enough. Because hello! — that packaging. Look at all teh pretties…

I’m a visual person, and that teal and gold on the ferrules is totally doin’ it for me.

Essentially (in spirit, at least), these Complexion Collection brushes tell pores, fine lines, dark circles and spots to “slow ya roll!” They’re designed to work together as you use them to get skin looking as close to perfect as possible.

Oh, and did I mention that the bristles feel as soft as the lock of Ryan Gosling’s hair that I keep in my bra…?

I wish. 🙂

Step one: Perfecting Brush ($7.99)

I usually start with the Skin Perfecting Brush ($7.99), which blends BB and CC creams to a flawless finish.

Shout-out to the angled brush head, which tucks neatly into the hard-to-get-to spaces around my nose. I’ve used this brush to apply and buff BB cream, tinted moisturizer and foundation, and no matter what the formula, it blends to a natural-looking finish. None of those telltale “Hey! I’m wearing tons of face makeup!” streaks.

With the $7.99 Perfecting Brush, it’s kind of like you’re getting a beauty multitool. I use it to apply cream contour products (the angled shape of the brush head makes it easy to get right under the cheekbone), cream highlighters and cream blushes. Yay for drugstore multitasking!

Step two: Correcting Concealer Brush ($4.99)

After I’ve evened out my skin, I do spot touchups on my cheeks and around my eyes with the Correcting Concealer Brush ($4.99). Use this one to dot liquid or powder concealer on the areas where you want additional coverage.

It has a nicely shaped head…although it took me a little while to get used to it. The brush head is bigger and wider than the head on most flat spot concealer brushes. Once I got the hang of it, I liked it. It diffuses concealer in a way that looks soft and effortless.

Oh! — and I also tried it with cream concealers, and it works great with them, too.
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Meatless Monday: Colorful Cabbage Salad

April 20th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

Look at all the pretty colors! (she said, making grabby hands.)

Last night I prepped a huge batch of this salad with cabbage, carrot, bell pepper and celery to eat for lunch this week. I also made a tahini lemon garlic dressing, too, which I like to toss in at the last moment.

I got the recipes from ohsheglows.com.

Do you ever read Oh She Glows?

Dang, I love that site…

To mix up the flavors a little each day so it doesn’t seem like I’m eating the same salad over and over again, I throw some herbs into my bowl at lunchtime. Today I used cilantro. Tomorrow, basil. 🙂

I had mine today with a side of quinoa with a pat of butter, a sprinkle of garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Everything was so. Good. Together.

Do you ever do meatless Mondays? Or how about prepping your lunches for the week? What kind of dishes do you make?

Nails of the Day: Essie Garden Variety

April 20th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

Irrespective of this super creamy, smooth, streak-free paw paint’s proper name, it’s not your garden variety creamy teal. Essie’s Garden Variety Nail Polish ($8.50) is so preternaturally pigmented that 1) it’s liable to make nearby flowers jealous, and 2) you can easily get away with wearing just one layer.

But I’m wearing two here (force of habit).

With a base and top coat, Essie polishes usually last me five or six days before I start to see any chips, but I’m pretty tough on my nails.

Garden Variety is part of the Essie Flowerista spring collection, available now at salons, Ulta, Target, Nordstrom and wherever else Essie is sold.

Oh! If you’re curious, the pants are the Destroyed Boyfriend Jeans by Blank NYC, and the bracelet is a random no-name bauble I’ve had for a while.

I like how it matches the polish. 🙂

What about your paws today? What are you wearing on your nails?

Pacifica Natural Deodorant Wipes: Wiping Out Odor One Swipe at a Time

April 20th, 2015 by Karen 8 Comments

With Wednesday being Earth Day, the big thing out here in California is water.

(Bottom line, we don’t have enough of it.)

I’ve been trying to use less, and I read somewhere that you can save 5-10 gallons — which is a lot! — by turning off the shower while you’re in there shampooing your hair, shaving and doing your thing.

I got to thinking about my shower habits…

Most days, I hop in the shower to quickly rinse off after my morning run, and then I take a real-deal shower at night (which is when I wash the pollen out of my hair, shave, and do stuff like that) before bed.

But to save a little water, for whatever it’s worth, I’ve started skipping my morning shower and just using these wipes by Pacifica instead.

When I’m done with my run, I wipe down with these Pacifica Underarm Deodorant Wipes ($9 for a pack of 30).

They’re pretty cool. Not quite a “shower in a pack” cool, but still…

First and foremost, they’re billed as an underarm deodorant (but not an antiperspirant, so if you’re looking for something to actually stop you from sweating, these won’t do that). The biodegradable wipes are moistened with a blend of essential oils and coconut milk to keep you from getting stinky.

Ingredients
water, alcohol, zeolites, saccharomyces ferment filtrate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, crambe abyssinica seed oil, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, cocos nucifera (coconut) milk, hydrogenated castor oil, limonene, glycerin, salvia officinalis (sage) leaf extract, parfum (all natural with essential oils

They aren’t aluminum-based like most over-the-counter antiperspirants, and aren’t made with any animal products (or tested on animals), mineral oils, parabens, pthalates, petroleums or SLS. All you do is swipe one under yo’ pits as needed, or whenever you feel like it, throughout the day.

The wipes leave behind a subtle coconut scent (which I think smells great!).

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 369

April 20th, 2015 by Karen 26 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.

What’s your take on ruffles?
I like them in moderation… I’ll take one or two dainty, well-placed ruffles, perhaps around the hem of my shirt or the edges, but I can’t handle it when they’re all gigantic, or when there’s 25 ruffles everywhere.

And I don’t like ruffles on my sleeves. It’s too Captain Jack Sparrow for me.

Would you rather wear a necklace or earrings?
Ouch, that’s a tough one… I guess if I had to choose, I’d pick necklace. I love wearing earrings too — studs, hoops, dangly earrings — but I’m in a necklace phase right now, especially statement necklaces. I love the statement necklaces from Kate Spade, and Kristin Perry makes some really cute ones (or these lady bugs!).

I also recently started getting into this store called LOFT, and they’ve got some cute necklaces, too.

How did you feel about your hair growing up?
Uh…I don’t think I really liked it. My hair and I had a love-hate relationship until I was about 22 or 23.

When I was a kid, I had some really bad haircuts. This one time, my grandma, after she decided to go to the beauty school at the community college, learned how to perm, and she somehow talked my mom into giving me a terrible poodle perm.

It looked like…I dunno. The curls were so tight, and my hair was so short. I had a bowl cut to start, and then she put the poodle perm in it, and it was just a mess. I think I was four or five.

Then when I was in third grade, my mom made me get a boy’s short haircut, yay!

I ended up looking like all of my Filipino uncles…

Have you ever drawn a fake mole on your face?
I have. I drew a fake mole on my face when I dressed up as Madonna for Halloween years ago. I also went through a phase in high school where I drew one just above my lip, because back then Cindy Crawford was really popular.

If you had your own store in a perfect location, what would you sell?
Posh cat toys for the discriminating cat lady. Think Kate Spade meets Petco.

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

1. What’s your take on ruffles?
2. Would you rather wear a necklace or earrings?
3. How did you feel about your hair growing up?
4. Have you ever drawn a fake mole on your face?
5. If you had your own store in a perfect location, what would you sell?

Hello, sweet friend. Good morning! 🙂 It’s Monday… Wake up!

I’m having a hard time gettin’ going today. I didn’t sleep well last night. I stayed up late watching Game of Thrones and this show called Girls on HBO (HBONow has a free 30-day trial where you can watch everything HBO online, which is what we’re doing). I just started watching it last week, and now I can’t freaking stop.

I hope you had a nice weekend. I got a lot of gardening stuff done on my deck. It’s coming along nicely. I planted a whole bunch of tomato plants and basil plants and flowers and sweet peppers, but now there’s just, like, dirt all over the place. It’s almost done, though, so that’s exciting.

Anywho…have a nice day today and a great week. Talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen