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

Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing Is Putting Pores on Alert

September 10th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing k — Wearing the new Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing ($39) under Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide Foundation

“I want pores tighter than Matthew McConaughey’s butt,” she whispered into the darkness, slowly drifting into a deep slumber. Her head sank into her pillow as she snuggled her tube of Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing ($39). “We don’t want no stinkin’ pores…”

— Me, last night, 10:12 p.m., my bed

In my dreams, wishes come true, even seemingly frivolous makeup-related ones, like wishing for smooth, pore-less skin akin to the skin I had when I was 18 (and sadly too young to truly appreciate it).

In real life, however, wishes need help.

That’s where Smashbox’s new Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing comes in.

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Use a Matte Balm on Your Lips and Cheeks for Double-Duty Beauty When You’re in a Rush

September 10th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

As a participant in the Totally Her program, I’ve received product samples and/or compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Crunched for time and crazy busy? If you’re running ragged and barely have any time at all to get ready, let matte lip balms like Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm be your makeup BFFs.

Say “Hallelujah, thank you!” to matte orange Audacious and hot pinkish coral Unapologetic, two of the batch of shades available now at Walmart for $6.48 each.

And here’s the kicker: in these pics, I’m wearing them on my lips and my cheeks.

Revlon Matte Lip Balms, $6.48 each, available at Walmart

210 Unapologetic (left) and 245 Audacious (right)

Yup, cheeks!

Talk about no-brainers. Not only are these multitasking matte balms available at Walmart (read: easy to find), you can use them to add color to your lips and/or cheeks, which also makes them versatile.

Before Revlon Matte Lip Balm in 245 Audacious (left) and after (right)

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Reader Poll: What’s the Best Concealer (or Combination of Products) for Dark Under-Eye Circles?

September 10th, 2014 by Karen 51 Comments

Another way to cover dark circles... — Another way to cover dark circles…

You probably already know which one I’m currently using to disguise the permanent purple half moon residents living underneath my eyes (seriously, I should charge them rent) because I regularly shout it from the rafters, but for the cheap seats in the back, it’s MAC Pro Longwear Concealer.

It’s a full-coverage liquid concealer that comes in a glass bottle, so it’s a little fragile, and it has a pump dispenser, which isn’t always easy to use (I squirt too much!).

I usually mix it with MAC Careblends Grapefruit + Chamomile Essential Oil (I do about a 50/50 ratio of each) to sheer Pro Longwear out a little, because of how pigmented it is. I love MAC Pro Longwear by itself, but for me, mixing it with the oil helps to keep it from camping in my fine lines and makes the coverage look even more natural, and not as heavy.

I love this combo, but I’m always looking for a better option…because I can’t stand Pro Longwear’s pump. If you have a recommendation for an end-all, be-all under-eye concealer that’s been rocking your world, please share. My dark circles and I beg you. 🙂

What’s your pick for the best under-eye concealer (or combination of products) for dark under-eye circles?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Look for Less: This $5 Covergirl Cheekers Blush Is Almost a Dupe for $28 Benefit Dallas Boxed Blush

September 9th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Werble, werble, bleep-bleep, boop!

Oh! That’s the beautiful sound of the Dupe Alert 3000, an advanced, cutting-edge alarm system I secretly acquired from Cyberdyne Systems this week.

Shh… Don’t tell anyone, but I keep it in my office right next to the cat treats, and it chimes whenever a drugstore product that could pass for a more expensive product is in its proximity.

Today it was Covergirl’s $5 Cheekers Blush in Soft Sable that set it off. Soft Sable is a peachy brown with shimmer that could easily stand in for Benefit’s $28 Boxed Blush in Dallas.

To the blush snobs, don’t knock it ’til you try it. Soft Sable buffs more easily than a bodybuilder and blends beautifully. When I wear it, I can usually go six or seven hours between touch-ups.

Plus, and this is my favorite part, it’s only $5.

Dispatch your personal robot assistant to the nearest drugstore or Ulta to find it. It’s also available online.

Werble, werble, bleep-bleep, boop! 🙂

Vintage Paul & Joe Cures Cat Crankiness Caused by the New Shupette Collection

September 9th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

I think Tabs and I have our cycles synched.

OK…that sounded crazier than I thought it would in print.

It could be true, though, except for the fact that he’s a neutered male kitty.

I mean, except for that.

Still, based on my current PMS-fueled moodiness and his fussy tabby rage, one could logically conclude…

No, not really. 🙂

I’m cranky because of hormones, but Tabs is cranky because of Choupette Lagerfeld’s new collaboration with Shu Uemura on the cleverly named Shupette Collection, an upcoming holiday makeup release.

They’ve been rivals for a few years (Tabs and Choupette). Sure, they’re polite in public, but in private, well, let’s just say that they’re not exactly cuddling in the cat tower.

I’ve been trying to soothe Tabs by showing him pieces of kitty-themed makeup, like these vintage Paul & Joe pieces from spring 2012.

It’s kind of working so far…

Remember this launch? Pure purr-fection. Definitely a great moment in cat-related makeup history.

The Smashbox Be Legendary Lip Lacquers: Some Legends Last, and Some Don’t

September 9th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Smashbox Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquer, $24 each (available in 20 shades)

“Gather round, young’ns,” said granny Karen, “and let me tell you the story of a long-wearing lip lacquer so shiny, so smooth, so long-lasting and revered that it was legendary!”

I can see it now…the spunky granny version of myself telling the story of Smashbox’s Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquers ($24 each and available in 20 shades) to a group of gum-smacking, eye-rolling tweens, although, really, there’s no way I’m going to make it past 75 with my sanity intact.

I can see myself handing down vintage tubes of my go-to colors to my favorite granddaughter — let’s call her Jem because she has pink hair and sings lead in a punk rock band — while telling her tales of my legendary adventures with my legendary cat.

Smashbox Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquer from the top to bottom: Beet It, Pink Social, Rosewater and Legendary — From top to bottom, Smashbox Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquers in Beet It, Pink Social, Rosewater and Legendary

But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be. My dearest Jem will not be acquiring her feisty granny’s beloved and precious tubes of Be Legendary Lip Lacquer. She will, instead, get amusing anecdotes meant to teach her life lessons, as well as a few pieces of stale butterscotch hard candy. 🙂

Smashbox Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquer in Pink Social — Pink Social, a warm pink

Smashbox Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquer in Beet It — Beet It, a deep purple

Smashbox Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquer in Legendary — Legendary, a blueish red

Smashbox Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquer in Rosewater, a warm light pink — Rosewater, a cool light pink

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Have You Tried the Tricky Grinder? Gotta Get Loose With Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush In Bloom

September 9th, 2014 by Karen 6 Comments

Wearing Smashbox's Halo Long Wear Blush in In Bloom ($24) on my cheeks — Wearing Smashbox’s Halo Long Wear Blush in In Bloom ($24) on my cheeks

TRICKY GRINDER IN THE HOUSE, Y’ALL!

TRICKY GRINDER — in the mix!

I know, “tricky grinder” sounds like a DJ name, right? Like some guy spinning at da club on a Tuesday night. Normally, you wouldn’t go because it’s a school night, but sometimes you just gotta dance.

Dun-cha-dun-cha-dun-cha-dun-cha!

Sorry to burst your house music bubble, but today’s “tricky grinder” is not in reference to spinning the phat jamz.

It’s the contraption that is both a blessing — and a curse — of these $24 Halo Long Wear Blushes by Smashbox.

Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush in In Bloom — Matte warm pink In Bloom, one of the six Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blushes

Come on, baby, let’s do the twist

You might remember seeing these Halo Longwear Blushes before. They first bounced on the scene in 2013. I took a look at them then but didn’t give them a good try until this week. Now they’re available in six shades for $24 each.

The one I’m wearing in the picture at the top is one of them, In Bloom, a natural-looking matte warm pink.

Solid blushes that come in a jar with an attached cheese grater-like thingamabobber, they let you easily control how much loose powder you use. Just twist the inner ring like a pepper grinder to shave some of the solid blush into the pan.

Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush in In Bloom closeup — A closeup of the grinding contraption…

Big surprise! I get a weird kick out of this. When I use the twisty top, I feel like I’m earning my blush, like I’m a pioneer on the plains, planting, growing and gathering fresh non-GMO vegetables in my garden and sh*t. But with makeup.

Why loose blush?

I’m usually not a big fan of loose powder blushes because they can be super messy, and I’m super clumsy, but I love the way they look. I know it sounds like a bunch o’ hooey, but I’ve been taking makeup pictures of myself pretty much daily for eight years, and I see a distinct difference between the way that loose and solid powder blushes appear on my skin. Loose powders just seem to have that certain something, that je ne sais quoi, that solid powder blushes generally lack.

Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush In Bloom, one of the six available shades, looks amazeballs on skin, both in pics and real life. I like this particular matte pink because it’s forgiving (doesn’t emphasize pores) and fantastic for pics. Wear it, and your cheeks will be the envy of all the baby cherubs, son. On top of that, its 14-hour wear time kicks so much @ss. I’m talking solid color from start to finish, with minimal fading.

A couple of Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blushes with a MAC Lipglass for sale — A couple of the six available Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blushes next to a MAC Lipglass for scale…

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Smashbox Full Exposure Waterproof Mascara Totally One-Ups the Non-Waterproof Version

September 9th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Smashbox’s latest waterproof wunderkind, the brand-spankin’-new Full Exposure Waterproof Mascara ($20), earns the Raging Hormone Stamp of Approval (also known as the R.H.S.A in less formal circles).

In my testing this week, it withstood not one, not two, but THREE spontaneous PMS-fueled crying fits.

One of those fits may have been triggered by sad-looking, slow-motion kittens on YouTube, but that’s a topic I’d rather not analyze right now…

Full Exposure Waterproof Mascara is the waterproof alter ego of Smashbox’s original Full Exposure Mascara, which my BFF Jen happens to be obsessed with. We’ve had a surprising number of text convos that reference that O.G. version (“It’s good work makeup and doesn’t smudge.”), but to be honest, I’ve always felt that the original one is just OK. I like the color but feel like the formula doesn’t hold a curl as well as I’d like.

This waterproof Clark Kent-ian alter ego version, however, does. It lifts curls like Atlas lifts the earth and lasts at least 10-12 hours. It gives good length, volume and separation; plus, it’s even more resistant to smudging and flaking than the non-waterproof version.

As far as the lash look itself, I love it. It’s dramatic but doesn’t go over the top. I’d say it’s about two drag queens, a martini and a pair of Swarovski crystal-encrusted roller skates shy of the MEGA GLAM look I get from Guerlain’s Cils D’Enfer Waterproof, which is my current out-to-THERE waterproof mascara, but I think both are great. Full Exposure Waterproof just happens to be better for a slightly less flashy lash look.

Smashbox Full Exposure Waterproof Mascara before and after — Before and after two coats

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