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

What Are You Wearing on Your Nails?

January 14th, 2015 by Karen 56 Comments

Chanel Nail Colour in Tenderly and Deborah Lippmann Polish in Dream Weaver — I’m wearing Chanel Nail Colour in Tenderly with Deborah Lippmann Polish in Dream Weaver as an accent nail… I’m also holding one of my favorite scents du jour, Aerin Beauty Iris Meadow Eau de Parfum (available now at Neiman Marcus stores and online).

Ya all about that accent nail life, babe? You know I am. 🙂 Right now I can’t even fathom the idea of wearing the same color on all 10 claws. It would just seem…wrong.

There are too many cute colors to choose from!

So my mani mantra these days has been, “So many polishes, so little time.”

Today’s mani mixes two different finishes and plays with lovely lavender.

The main star of the show is Chanel Tenderly ($27), from the spring 2015 collection. It’s a creamy limited edition lavender with an undercurrent of tenacious tough girl grayish taupe and a faint whisper of traditional springy pastel.

Yeah, like something a tough-but-tender biker gal might wear on Easter Sunday.

FYI, if you’re going to take on Tenderly, treat her with kid gloves/paws. I sandwiched two coats between my standard issue base and top coats by Givenchy, thinking that altogether they’d last at least five days, but bah! — two significant chips appeared the very next day.

Don’t even think about doing a full sink of dishes without wearing a pair of gloves.

Heck, just leave the gloves in there, and then maybe your husband will take care of them. 🙂 (hint-hint) Or, perhaps that magical housecleaning fairy that you’ve been wishing for and dreaming about for the past 30 years will materialize… You never know.

To tango with the violet tones in Tenderly, I used Deborah Lippmann’s Dream Weaver ($18) as an accent nail. It’s a moody, iridescent peacock polish that leaves me weak in the knees. The fine, complex shimmer complements Tenderly’s creamy sweetness nicely, methinks.

Ooh! I love this shade… The first time I saw it flash from forest green to deep teal to dark purple, my heart fluttered, and even though it’s “officially” (air quotes) a winter color from the Deborah’s holiday 2014 collection, it has killer summertime pedi polish painted all over it. 🙂

Next time I wear this mani, I’m going to use Dream Weaver as the main shade. I also seem to have better luck with Lippmann polishes lasting longer. With a base and top coat, this shade should stay chip-free at least six or seven days.

So, friend, tell me about your mani situation right meow. What are you wearing on your claws?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day.

How Did Your Last Eye Look Turn Out?

January 13th, 2015 by Karen 31 Comments

Wearing the new Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes in Color Field and Obscura on my lids — Yesterday I went army green with the Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes in Color Field and Obscura on my lids.

Not too shabby, tabby. But I didn’t venture far out of my comfort zone. It was yesterday, and I wore matte browns in the crease with a satiny army green on my lids and lower lash lines.

I keep telling myself to push myself (telling myself to push myself, myself?) and try more different kinds of looks, but I’m hooked on hazy, blown-out and smokey.

I mean, all ya gotta do is keep blending, you know?

How about you, babe? How did your last eye look turn out?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Link me to pics! I wanna see pics. 🙂

10 Things I Love About January

January 12th, 2015 by Karen 33 Comments

1. Early springs

On my walk today I saw — get this — early cherry blossom blooms!
We get that out here in Northern California some years, and I guess it’s happening now.

It’s been sunny for a week or so since the heavy rains, and everything is growing like crazy now. This tree here is right down the hill behind my house where Else the Tortie hangs out. I looked for her today, but she was nowhere to be found (sad face).

On the bright side, I did see…

2. This neighborhood kitty

He’s very skittish and never lets me get too close, but he’s just unaware of how this little game of ours is going to play out.

Soon… Soon we will be BFFs.

The Long Haired Tabby Neighbor — What up, playa?!

3. Scarves

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to have Tabs draped across your neck, just wrap yourself up in your coziest scarf. 🙂

I wear scarves pretty much 24/7 throughout January because dude! — they feel so wonderful. I like it when the back of my neck and the bottoms of my ears are all cozy and warm.

Wearing Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Ether — Scarf action all day, every day!

4. Moisturizing face masks

I’ve been putting one on every night after I wash my face.

So not kidding! My skin gets dreadfully dry this time of year, so I give my favorite moisturizing face masks a mega workout. Current faves in rotation include Glamglow Thirsty Mud, Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask and Fresh Creme Ancienne Ultimate Nourishing Honey Mask.

Side note: I’m looking for a HELLA moisturizing drugstore mask, so if you have any recs, let me know in the comments. 🙂

5. These Walkers Scottie Dog Shortbread Cookies

Totally a January thing for me because I always seem to get them for Christmas.

I have a very specific method to eating them, too. First, I line all of them up on a plate. Then I bite their heads off.

I let the guilt course through my veins…

And then I wash everything down with a big gulp of tea or coffee.

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Make Army Green Your New Neutral: A Fresh Way to Wear Olive and Neutral Eyeshadows Starring the Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette

January 12th, 2015 by Karen 59 Comments

Wearing the new Hourglass Modernist Eye Shadow Palettes in Color Field and Obscura on my lids, $58 each

Ten-hut! Members of the neutral eyeshadow makeup army, fall in, and salute the newest member of our ranks. Her codename: army green.

Also known as olive, who, I know, you may have seen around base last summer, but she’s also trained as a fully functional neutral, like agents beige, taupe and tan.

Let’s be real. Woman cannot live on brown shadow alone. At some point, even our favorite neutrals, as classic and timeless as they are, need refreshing, and the brass feels that army green eyeshadow is the new way to go.

My favorite army green finishes are satins and shimmers, but I think some of the mattes are beautiful too. But then, some of them (the mattes) also tend to fall a little flat, or end up being difficult to blend. I’m a mattes girl through and through, but gimme a satin or shimmery army green any day of the week.

The trick is finding the right finish for you. In my case, I like shimmers that don’t showcase my fine lines, and I don’t want a formula that’s going to give me any grief (also known as patchiness and fallout), because oy! — I already get enough of that from mah cat.

(Incidentally, he’s been so naughty lately! At night he scratches the stairs, noisily fiddles with cabinets and knocks things off shelves onto the floor.)

The army greens in the new $58 Hourglass Modernest Eyeshadow Palette in Color Field are so my jam.

The new Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Color Field ($58)

One of seven new Hourglass powder eyeshadow quints coming this spring, Color Field has two army greens you need to get on yo’ lids LIKE RIGHT NOW.

The lighter one has golden pearl, and the darker one is richer and filled with flecks of micro golden glitter. Both are so completely forgiving on my lids that they make me feel like 29-year-old Karen, the wee lass she was… 🙂

Color Field also contains a matte beige (which is kind of like a powder eyeshadow version of MAC Painterly Paint Pot), a neutral shimmery gold, and a neutral mid-toned tan.

Last weekend Color Field and I had a blast. Picture a draped dress that effortlessly flows in all the right places, and these shadows are like that.

The shades fluidly transition into each other with hardly any fallout and last all day long with primer.

I’ve already made room in my Hourglass drawer for more of the seven Modernist palettes, which are available now online for VIB Rouge members, and soon to be available for errryone else.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 355

January 12th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for January 12, 2015

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.

When was the last time you “MacGyvered” a solution to a problem?
Um, like two days ago…or maybe one day ago, or maybe this morning. 🙂

Tabs does this thing where he loves to press his face against mine. He’ll rub his face all over my face, which is cute, I suppose, because it makes it seem like he loves his mom, but really, I think it’s mostly because he’s territorial. I think he’s claiming me, like, “This is MY mommy. This is MY assistant.”

Anyway, it leaves fur all over my face, and it’s incredibly annoying. Sometimes when I’m driving I’ll feel a mystery cat hair that I cannot find!

Drives me crazy.

So what I did was take a pet hair roller that I keep in the car, and I just kind of rolled it all over my face.

And it worked! So that’s my MacGyver solution to removing a pound of cat hair from your face.

Have you ever changed your makeup and/or your hair so much that you didn’t even recognize yourself?
I mean, only at lame times, like after, you know, you break up with somebody, and you’re like, “I’m gonna cut my hair!”

It’s so cliche, but I’ve definitely done it before. Once I think I was 18 or 19, and I had this really long, wavy ’90s hair.

I chopped it all off. Not into a pixie cut — I wasn’t brave enough for that — but I chopped it into a chin-length bob. Granted, it wasn’t the best chin-length bob because it did the whole triangle thing where it puffed out, so my hair was shaped like a triangle, but I thought it was cool at the time.

I think it was in winter, because I remember feeling so cold when the wind hit the back of my neck, but still thrilled at the same time whenever I’d see my face in the mirror because I looked so different.

I’m addicted to…
Netflix, coffee, cat lady anythings. Also coral lipsticks, obviously, and mascara, and stretchy pants, shoes and anything with a leopard print.

That’s all I can think of right now.

I’m really looking forward to…
February, which is when we usually have a spell of warmer weather and the cherry blossoms come out.

I’m also looking forward to sleeping in next weekend (yes, even though it’s only Monday), and I’m looking forward to a time when my house is FINALLY clean and organized (Actually made a little progress last weekend… We hung a big mirror on the wall, huzzah!). I’m also looking forward to getting my roots done again, because even though it’s only been five weeks since the last time, they’re starting to peek through, and it’s super annoying.

The first place I take visitors when they visit my town is…
Sephora, in case they need anything.

Just kidding! I’m kidding. 🙂

Honestly, it depends on how outdoorsy they are. If it’s my parents or my in-laws, and they’re not super outdoorsy, we’ll usually go to a restaurant, and I’ll try to swing us toward someplace I like to eat, like My Thai II in downtown Novato, and then we’ll just walk around.

Downtown Novato is cute. There are some shops, and it’s not totally overwhelming. My parents and in-laws are getting up there in years, so they can’t walk for miles and miles on end.

If, however, the visitors are younger people who like to be outside, I’ll take them to Indian Valley, which is this beautiful nature preserve with hikes and rolling hills and beautiful views.

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

1. When was the last time you “MacGyvered” a solution to a problem?
2. Have you ever changed your makeup and/or your hair so much that you didn’t even recognize yourself?
3. I’m addicted to…
4. I’m really looking forward to…
5. The first place I take visitors when they visit my town is…

Hello, friend. 🙂 Good morning. I know it’s Monday again…but if we’re gonna have a Monday, we might as well have a happy Monday, a fun Monday, a Monday in which we feel good about things.

I’m game to try if you are.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 329

January 11th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

You might be wondering, “What does an international cat of modeling and mystery do on his Sunday afternoon?”

Answer: kack at birds, that’s what, because it’s sunny bird weather here today, and the birds are out in force. There are way more birds than usual for this time of year, I guess because of the heavy rains, so more things are blooming and the grasses are going off. There must be lots of stuff for them to eat.

Tabs takes a very official approach when it comes to birds. He sees monitoring the bird situation outside as one of his primary job responsibilities, so he sits on the windowsill in the living room kacking, literally for hours, while El Hub and I watch TV, and the poor guy sounds so concerned… He’s like, “MOM! Do you SEE!? Do you see that bird out there on the hill??”

Yes, buddy, I see.

Poor guy…

This was a busy week for Tabs. After the holiday break, it’s back to business again. There’s a lot of work out there for kitty models right now, and here are some of the latest ad campaigns… 🙂

Those Vans tho! I would just die.

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7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

January 10th, 2015 by Karen 332 Comments

Black Mirror. OK, damn… I don’t even… Holy! That show… To put it mildly, I am freaked out.

Every. Episode. So far. And I’ve only seen five of the seven so far! — but I can’t stop thinking about them.

My goodness, how cynical and/or twisted does a person have to be to come up with stories like those? Haha! That second episode, with the bicycling and the talent show (Hot Shot!), what a sad, sad world…and yet I can see something like that existing. Brilliant sci-fi in the vein of Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, only VASTLY, incomparably more jaw-dropping and twisted (I’m warning you!) than anything I ever saw on either of those shows. If you’re interested, it’s up on Netflix now.

In other news, happy caturday, my friend! 🙂 The sun is actually shining here in Novato, and that is so damned awesome! I’m getting outside today, no matter what. I think sun like this calls for a trip to the mall.

Whatever you’re up to, I hope you’re doing great. Good luck in the giveaway, and I’ll talk to you soon.

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget 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:
- Which of these two mundane makeup powers would you rather have? 1) Perfect makeup recall, where you can remember every single tool and shade name, finish, formula, detail and application technique you’ve ever seen; or 2) the amazing ability to use your index finger as an airbrush that can shoot pigments (all colors) without ever running out?
- If you were a character in a video game, what would the game be about?
- What’s the most annoying piece of makeup in your collection that you wish you could figure out how to use better?
- Have you downloaded any cool new apps?
- Best thing you’ve seen on YouTube this year (yeah, it’s only the first month of the new year so far, but still)?
- If you had carte blanche total control (all expenses paid) over your day tomorrow and could do anything you want, what would you do?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, January 12, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Like a Multi-Tool for Makeup Lovers, the Cheeky Chic Kaleidoscope Blush Palette by Le Metier de Beaute Will Save You From Falling Into the Too-Much-Rouge Trap

January 9th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

Le Metier de Beaute Cheeky Chic Kaleidoscope

The Cheeky Chic Kaleidoscope by Le Metier de Beaute, $95

In classic Karen fashion, I brought three blush palettes with me when I went out of town to visit family over the holidays but ended up using just one of them the entire time, the new Cheeky Chic Kaleidoscope by Le Metier de Beaute.

I love the way it looks on my cheeks, but I do NOT love the redonkulous price.

It’s $95.

Yeah…

I could totally wear this palette every single day, and I did over a period of about two weeks.

It’s like a Swiss Army knife. It contains three matte blushes and a golden highlighter that swivel in and out. Nifty idea and awesome for travel.

All three of the blushes look delicate and natural on the skin, and when I top them with the golden highlighter, I feel like a glowing angel in a shampoo commercial… 🙂

The whole effect reminds me of the Ambient Blush Palette by Hourglass.

The Cheeky Chic Kaleidoscope by Le Metier de Beaute ($95)

Comes with three matte blushes (a matte salmon-pink, a neutral pink and a beige nude) and a sheer golden highlighter, which Le Metier refers to as a luminizer.
I like to wear the matte salmon pink or matte neutral pink on the apples of my cheeks (sometimes, I even mix them together) and the golden highlighter, which has a finish that’s more of a sheen than a shimmer, on the tops of my cheekbones.
I don’t mind the nude beige blush, but I think it’ll be better for lighter skin tones than mine. Sometimes I’ll mix it with one or more of the other blushes because, by itself, I can’t even see it until I’ve applied three or four layers.
The blushes and highlighter feel fantastically soft (like the Calvin Klein blanket I got at Costco for $16, yo!). They’re easy to blend, and when I wear them, I never feel like I’m drowning in rouge.
As beautiful as these workhorse colors are, the palette is terribly expensive. You could definitely find similar shades for less, but consider this: the powders work out to about $24 each, which is “cheaper” than a Chanel blush.
Available now at Le Metier de Beaute counters, Neiman Marcus stores and online.

Before blush/highlighter

Before applying the Le Metier Cheeky Chic Kaleidoscope on my cheeks — Before blush/highlighter

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