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

Read My Lips: This Nude Lip Gloss by theBalm Deserves Big Snaps

July 22nd, 2014 by Karen 5 Comments

theBalm Read My Lips Lipgloss in Snap (1)

Oh, snap, honey! As far as nude lipglosses go, theBalm’s Read My Lips Lip Gloss in Snap has it — *three snaps in a Z formation* — on point.

I find that many lipglosses, particularly nude lipglosses, aren’t pigmented enough to completely cover my naturally pigmented lips, and so my natural lip color peeks through.

And then with opaque nude lipglosses, so many of them look chalky or patchy or just plain weird.

Snap by theBalm ($15) suffers from none of that nonsense/crazy-business. It’s incredibly smooth and completely full coverage. A subtle injection of rich, rosy brownish pink gives it just enough color to lift up my lips…so I don’t look like some unfortunate extra on CSI who got picked off early in the first few minutes of the show.

PRICE: $15
AVAILABILITY: Available now at theBalm counters and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

Another Day, Another Serving of Food Pics: Artichoke Puree Soup and an Open-Faced Chickpea Spread Sandwich From Rustic Bakery

July 22nd, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Chickpea Spread, Artichoke Puree Soup and Iced Tea from Rustic Bakery (1)

I had this open-faced sandwich with a chickpea spread for lunch at Rustic Bakery in Novato yesterday, and that whole top veggie action was dayum good.

Served with a side of pureed artichoke soup, and I washed it down with iced tea.

Those are kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chives and sprouts on top of the sammy.

The chickpea spread was interestingly tasty. Not quite as smooth as hummus. More chunky and a little citrusy (Meyer lemon, I think), with lots of fresh herbs.

It was nice and filling, which is great because I’m always hungry.

I’m going to try to reverse engineer the sandwich at home, so wish me luck. I’ll need it, because my taste buds, like my vision, ain’t all that.

But I make up for it with my freakishly strong sense of smell! Seriously, if you ever need someone to let you know if your neighbor six doors down is baking brownies, I’m your gal. 🙂

Recently Reformulated Rouge Bunny Rouge Witchery Modelling Mascara in Midnight Casts Its Spell on Even the Littlest Lashes

July 22nd, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

I’m always down for makeup magic. (Somebody pass girlfriend some eye of newt.)

Rouge Bunny Rouge Witchery Modelling Mascara ($29) leaves lashes so defined, separated and fanned out — even the tiniest little lashes at the corners — that I wouldn’t be surprised to find out they were made at Hogwarts.

That’s because magic is the idea behind Rouge Bunny Rouge Witchery Modelling Mascara and its new formula, which does not contain bat wings, frog toes, lizard legs, triethanolamine, silicone, fragrance or alcohol.

The creamy formula does, however, contain pure pigments, soft waxes keratin and conditioners to keep the mascara lightweight, flexible and easy to layer.

Seriously, pile that ish on! It does not clump.

I actually never tried the original Witchery formula, so I can’t compare this new version to that, but I can tell you how much I lurve it. 🙂

When it comes to getting those individual lashes separated and pinpoint defined, it’s bad@ss like a 20th-level wizard. The plastic brush works like a fine-toothed comb, drawing out even the littlest lashes from their secret hiding places.

Besides separating and darkening lashes (ooh, blacker than my cold, cold heart), Midnight also turns them into a ballerina — and by that I mean that it grants them excellent extension.

(Picture Ryan Gosling doing hot yoga.)

Wait, what?

I guess the most important question now is this: is Witchery perfect?

Is it the UFC-champion, gold-medal-winning tube of lash crack I’ve been looking for since, like, forever?

No, I wouldn’t say that. I don’t think it’s the world’s greatest mascara for lash curl or lift, or for increasing thickness at the base, although I do think it does some of that, but it’s a wizard when it comes to enchantingly dark, super separated lashes.

Witchery comes in two shades — Midnight, the deep black I’m wearing here on both my upper and lower lashes; and Golden Darkness, a dark auburn. They’re $29 each.

Rouge Bunny Rouge is sometimes still tough to find here in the U.S., but a few stores do carry the line, and they’re also available online at beautyhabit.com.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Witchery Modelling Mascara before (left) and after two coats (right) — Before (left) and after two coats (right)

[Continue reading…]

The Tarte Rainforest After Dark Colored Clay Eye & Cheek Palette: When This Snake Bites, It’s Good for Your Skin

July 22nd, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Tarte Rainforest After Dark Palette — Wearing the new Tarte Rainforest After Dark Colored Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ($38) on my eyes and cheeks

Snakes.

Freak out, man! SNAKES! They’re all over Tarte’s fall collection, including the Rainforest After Dark Colored Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ($38), which is kind of like the star serpent of the nine-piece release slithering now across Tarte counters and online.

The collection includes both limited edition products and new pieces bound for the permanent line, with the After Dark palette being one of the limited edition items.

The palette houses nine powder products — six eyeshadows, a bronzer, a highlighter and a blush — in colors inspired by the deep orchid hues of a rainforest at dusk, and in true Tarte fashion, the whole enchilada is cruelty-free, and made without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate or gluten.

Like many of Tarte’s products, this one is designed to deliver skin benefits which, in a way, I’m kind of conflicted about…

I mean, I love that whole idea — the idea of makeup that doubles as a skin care product — but I’m just not sure how well it works.

With serums and moisturizers, I can actually see and feel them being absorbed into my skin, but with makeup, it’s kind of just sitting right there on top, ya know?

Is it doing anything? I don’t know, but I figure it can’t hurt.

The secret ingredient in these is something Tarte calls colored clay, a super absorbent clay able to auto-magically color correct and address your specific skin and complexion concerns, and these powder definitely do absorb oil well.

Might be something to consider if you have very oily lids and/or cheeks.

The colors — plums, tans and golds — are all fairly neutral, and not too cool nor warm, making them good fits for a wide range of skin tones.

It’s hard to really mess up when using the eyeshadows, too, no matter how much I pack on, because they aren’t crazy pigmented (I’d say they’re about a medium). They blend out beautifully without looking too heavy.

I do notice a little fallout, but it’s not a big deal. Just tap off your brush first, or work it into the back of your hand.

In terms of performance, the eyeshadows put up major points. In a perfect world, though, I might darken the darker shades a bit.

As for the blush, wow, so beautiful. That matte plummy tone sure looks natural on the skin, but the Park Ave. Princess bronzer? Eh. I think that one’s just OK. Probably better suited for lighter skin tones than mine.

Oh, about the gold highlighter and gold eyeshadow — holy highlight that, man! We’re talking really, really shimmery.

All and all, I’d say it’s a lovely palette — perfect for gals/guys who like natural looks with a kick.

I usually prefer a little more oomph from my eyeshadows, but I still see a lot here I’m sure I’ll wear this fall.

[Continue reading…]

Bright Eye Makeup: What’s One Makeup Tip or Technique That Adds a Lot to Your Look?

July 22nd, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Wearing greens, purples and an orangey copper eyeshadow with a brown liner on my water lines — Wearing green, purple and coppery orange eyeshadow with brown liner on my water lines

Most of the time when I wear bright eyeshadow, I like to add liner along my water lines or top lash lines to ground the look.

Granted, this is not a hard and fast rule. It’s makeup; you can do whatever you want. But when I’m wearing a color that isn’t brown or beige — something bright, like a green, blue or purple — I’ll line it with black or brown eyeliner, or sometimes a darker version of whichever eyeshadows I’m wearing.

I’m always thinking about the transitions between colors when I do a look, like from light to medium to dark — that kind of thing — and when I have, say, a purple or a green eyeshadow on my lids or lower lash lines, and the color runs flush up against the whites of my eyes, that transition seems very stark to me. The green against the white.

MAC Moody Blooms Eye Shadows in Artistic License (inner corner near the tearduct and on brow bone), Deep Fixation (lid and outer crease), Blooming Mad (inner crease), Hidden Motive (outer part of lower lash line) and Lucky Green (inner part of the lower lash line) — That’s MAC Costa Riche Eye Kohl on my water lines

I think that adding a liner smooths out the transition between the shadow and the whites of the eyes, and sort of marries the two together, kind of like stitching.

What’s one bright eye makeup tip or technique that adds a lot to your look?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Next Time You Go to the Cheesecake Factory for Lunch…

July 21st, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Remember this: the grilled salmon on the lunch menu at the Cheesecake Factory.

BOMB.

I remembered my mom-in-law mentioning it, so I ordered it the last time I was there, and it totally hit the spot.

The fish was cooked perfectly and lightly seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper. Simple, but delicious.

It also comes with mashed potatoes and broccoli, but I substituted the potatoes for white rice because fish plus rice equals one happy Karen. 🙂

You know a meal is good when the food comes out and everyone at the table immediately stops talking because they’re so busy chomping and scarfing it down, LOL! Seriously, you don’t mess with a Filipino girl getting down with some fish and rice. Best to just get out of the way until she’s done, for real.

So I Was Wearing This Pink Lip Gloss From theBalm When All of a Sudden, Bam!

July 21st, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

“BAM!”

For some reason, this is what I imagine Tabs says in his little kitty brain whenever he strikes a pose that involves showing off his butt (which is often).

Wait for it… Wait for it… Aaaaand, BAM!

LOL!

That was probably a little too much crazy cat lady to admit in print, but what the hell.

Full-coverage yellowish pink Bam is one of the new Read My Lips Lip Glosses from theBalm, a gang of 11 glosses with a comic book theme. They’re enriched with green tea, antioxidants and moisturizing aloe, with coverage ranging from medium to full, depending on the color. Cost, $15 a pop.

The basics on Bam

Finish: Creamy, with no glitter at all.
Texture: Comfy. Bam’s non-sticky formula goes on smoothly and feels great.
Moisture level: More moisturizing than Aquaman and Prince Namor combined, aka hella moisturizing.
Wear time: About 2-3 hours on my lips.
Flavor and scent: Yup, both. Bam has a faint berry flavor and scent that quickly fades.

Bam has been a steady member of my purse gloss superhero team for about a month because it goes with everything. Smokey eyes, neutral eyes — you name it. And because it’s highly pigmented, I can get a nude lip look with just a couple swipes.

Plus, the warm yellow undertones keep my lips from looking too flat or blah…which can happen sometimes with light pink glosses.

I can only think of one thing that would have taken it to the next level… Wear time. Four hours would’ve been nice (instead of 2-3), but that’s just me being picky.

Other than having room for a little longer wear time, Bam is a winner with me.

PRICE: $15
AVAILABILITY: Available now at theBalm counters and online at thebalm.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Better Together: MAC Nail Lacquers in Quick Million and Erogenous

July 21st, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

MAC Nail Lacquers in Quick Million, Erogenous, Underlacquer and Overlacquer — MAC Nail Lacquers in Quick Million and Erogenous, next to MAC Underlacquer and Overlacquer base and top coat ($12 each)

Yeah, I made my first quick million by being erogenous.

Haha. No, not really. 🙂

But what if I could? I don’t know. I would not…say no to that. Perhaps. Maybe?

Anywho, I wanted to paint my nails last weekend with something summery but not all-out bright, and these two shiny, almost gel-like polishes from the recently relaunched MAC nail polish line ($12 each) fit the bill.

I’ve been inspired by pale rose and peachy golden tones lately, and they seemed like they’d go well together.

Creamy peach Erogenous just said “summer” to me, but I felt like it needed a dance partner…

Enter glittery yellowish gold Quick Million, with its little yellowish golden flecks of glitter and larger flecks of hexagonal peachy rose.

Great by itself, which is how I’m wearing it here (two coats), Quick Million can also work as a top coat.

You know, in case you’re interested.

I like these two together even more than I like them apart. The peach in Erogenous goes well with the hexagonal flecks in Quick Million.

Both are available now, along with the rest of the Studio Nail Lacquer line, for $12 each.

Incidentally, I’m also wearing them with MAC’s Underlacquer and Overlacquer base and top coats (also $12 each), and I have to say that despite it being only two days since I put these polishes on my paws, I’ve typed a lot and cleaned my office during that time, so my nails have already taken a beating, but the polishes have handled it with aplomb.

Because of how hard I am on my nails (especially the nails on my right hand, for some reason), I always — always — see chips within one or two days, but I barely see any signs of chipping now at all.

Good sign.

MAC Erogenous (peach shade) and Quick Million (glitter)

MAC Quick Million and Erogenous Nail Lacquers — Accent nail, yo!

[Continue reading…]