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

Saturday Surfing, January 14, 2023!

January 14th, 2023 by Karen 3 Comments

Good morning and happy Saturday, my friend. Well, it looks like we’re getting a short break from the rain, so I’m going grocery shopping in a bit and hopefully will not get drenched! *fingers crossed*

Ya know, I can’t remember the last time I watched a movie in a movie theater; I think it was right before everything shut down, so I’m guessing it was the fall of 2019? Ages ago.

I’m going to have to venture back into a theater soon, though, because this spring one of my favorite books of all time is finally hitting the big screen.

I cannot wait to see this!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reread “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” by Judy Blume — the OG writer of young adult novels.

I think I tried to estimate once how many times, and it was in the hundreds!

Anywho, it’s a coming-of-age story about a teen girl growing up in the suburbs in the 70s, and even though I actually had no real idea what was going on when I first read the book in elementary school, there’s something so approachable about the main character’s awkwardness that resonated and still resonates with me. I’m going to have to dig out my old copy and read it again before I watch the movie, for sure.

Speaking of books, which ones have you liked enough to read again and again and again?

This week’s beauty reading

Just in case you were looking for a new place to live with 20,000 square feet, nine bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and a custom scent. Yes, it’s a house that comes with its own perfume.
In Prince Harry’s new book, “Spare,” he talks about how the use of scent during therapy helped process his emotions surrounding Princess Diana’s passing.
Skin care on deep discount at Sephora!
Pink lips were on the red carpet at the Golden Globes this year.
I spy Malaga Wine in this list of the 13 best shades from OPI.
And because I love finding new-to-me beauty brands, here are a few to check out:
- Berdoues is a French fragrance house that’s been around since 1902.
- Better Not Younger is a hair line that’s made for women over 44.
- Babba Rivera, the founder of Ceremonia, says it was “born out of the desire to celebrate the richness of Latin culture, while highlighting the next-generation of Latinx.”

Love the lip.

Apparently it’s a science.

Korean skin care 411.

One of my favorite songs.

Have a great rest of your weekend, and talk to you soon!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Shiny Lids With Tarte Quick Stick | Thoughts of Sunshine and Spring

January 13th, 2023 by Karen 1 Comment

I think the more makeup feels like you’re just foolin’ around in art class, the more fun it is! I definitely get that vibe from the Tarte Quick Sticks ($25 each).

The artsy girl gang of eyeshadow and pencils comes in six wearable neutral combinations. On my lids is Rose Gold Luster/Brown, which has a shimmery warm golden pink eyeshadow stick on one end and a creamy brown pencil liner on the other.

I like to line my lash and water lines first, smudge-smudge-smudge with a finger, then do a few dashes of the shadow on top. A quick swish of my blending brush and my lids shine bright like a diamond. Totally recommended if you’re like me and currently into looks that don’t require a heavy lift.

I want to try the Matte Tan/Brown and the Bronze Luster/Black combos next. I bet any of the combos would layer well with the Tartelette In Bloom Palette, too.

Happy Friday to you, my friend. How’s it going today out in your neck of the woods? If the sun is out, please do me a favor and bow down and worship it, LOL! It came out yesterday for the first time in weeks, and it was a truly dazzling sight. It’s raining again today, though, so for now I’ll enjoy the sound of raindrops on my window while I dream of the spring days that are coming…

Speaking of spring, this new Guerlain perfume is giving me warm weather vibes! It’s a Mattise collaboration, which I think is pretty cool.

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The colors make me feel like this scent could be sunshine in a bottle!

What do you think?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Hourglass Brilliant Nude Blush

January 10th, 2023 by Karen 3 Comments

This Hourglass Blush has been a staple in my makeup bag for years. I recently re-discovered it, and it truly is brilliant! And by the way, the pic at the top was taken before I grew my hair color out. 🙂

When some people think of brilliant nudes, they might think of Venus de Milo or the statue of David… I think of a blush from Hourglass, LOL! Brilliant Nude Strobe Lighting Blush by Hourglass, you guys, is so, SO good, especially if you love a fresh-faced look where your cheeks glow without looking overdone.

Can’t-miss fresh-faced color that isn’t obnoxiously obvious

It’s the same effect you get from NARS Madly Blush or the Kevyn Aucoin Neo-Trio, you know, where you have a hint of color, a whisper of shine, and your face and skin look livelier and peppier, like you just took a brisk walk or somebody sneaked up and started tickling your ribs.

Your cheeks will have that beautiful flush! That’s what you get from Brilliant Nude.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Peachy amber mixed with a shimmery highlighter

Brilliant Nude is a peachy amber blush mixed with a gorgeous golden shimmery highlighter. It’s one of the Ambient Strobe Lighting Blushes, which is the blush family in the Hourglass permanent collection that has a more obvious and visible highlight (there’s also the Ambient Lighting Blushes, like the shade Diffused Heat, which are great, too, but they have a quieter highlighting effect).

Not to say that the Ambient Strobe Blushes like Brilliant Nude have an obnoxious highlight. Ya know, it’s Hourglass, they handle their finishes with a very refined touch. It’s softly reflective and luminous, but it isn’t metallic or garish or harsh, so women of all ages (and pore sizes!) can wear it.

A healthy glow on all shades of skin

When you mix the highlighter and blush together you have that perfect combination of color and shine that’s just a little something but not too much. I’m a tan gal, an NC42 in MAC, but I’ve seen this on both lighter and darker ladies, and it’s beautiful across the board. On lighter skin, you get more of the blush effect. On darker skin, it functions more as a highlighter, but in either case cheeks have a healthy flush and glow.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 763

January 9th, 2023 by Karen 22 Comments

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. An old school scent you loved back in the day?

In high school, I always wanted a bottle of Electric Youth, which was Debbie Gibson’s perfume. I wonder if I would still like it if I got a whiff of it now!

2. What did ya have for breakfast?

Oatmeal with blueberries, a dollop of peanut butter, a splash of oat milk and a drizzle of maple syrup. Oh, and coffee, of course.

3. Something that helps you stay organized?

A relatively clean desk with minimal clutter is VERY helpful. Also, physically writing things down helps me a ton! I don’t know what it is about the act of putting pen to paper, but organizing on a piece of paper works much better for me.

4. Rain coat or rain boots?

Boots. I could do with a new pair, sigh. No more wet socks!

5. Last time you danced in public?

Um, now that I think about it, it was with Connor last week, while we waited in line at Chipotle. Hey man, the Chipotle by our house plays the jams!

6. Have you started making plans for summer yet?

Yes, believe it or not. I don’t know if it’s just because things book up quickly here in the Bay Area, but over the weekend we made plans for camping in June and July.

7. A piece of makeup you wore recently?

Milk Rise Mascara. Still don’t know how I feel about it.

8. What’s next on your to-do list?

I gotta prep for an interview I have on Thursday. On that note, please wish me luck!

9. Something you watched over the weekend?

A movie called “The Menu” with Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes. It’s BANANAS.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. An old school scent you loved back in the day?
2. What did ya have for breakfast?
3. Something that helps you stay organized?
4. Rain coat or rain boots?
5. Last time you danced in public?
6. Have you started making plans for summer yet?
7. A piece of makeup you wore recently?
8. What’s next on your to-do list?
9. Something you watched over the weekend?

P.P.S. Happy Monday, my friend. I hope that you find plenty of focus this week. I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, but I believe in you. You’re going to do great!

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 744

January 8th, 2023 by Karen 1 Comment

OK! Fun’s over! We have had so much rain lately! It’s been…well, yeah. Rainy. I don’t know how many inches we’ve gotten, but it’s definitely been way more than usual, and with all that rain comes power outages and trees falling and flooded roads, and I hope that’s all…because Rosie and I are over it.

I gotta say, it’s been a little scary not having Tabs around for this round of storms because he was amazing under pressure.

Whenever we had a storm while Tabs was around, he immediately took charge.

He would jump into action managing the emergency from the Tabby Command Center…

And like he always said, rain means rainbows, so it’s nothing to be afraid of. 😊

Rosie

Like Tabs, Rosie is also a mover and a shaker. She’s stayed very busy throughout these storms, lending a helping paw to the emergency services personnel in Novato on storm mitigation efforts while simultaneously studying the meteorological aspects.

Still, we’re expecting another rough night of rain and wind, and like I said, she’s officially over it. All of us can’t wait for the sun to return. 🌞

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, January 7, 2023!

January 7th, 2023 by Karen 4 Comments

Happy Saturday, friend! Here’s a bright lip for an overcast day. It’s MAC Billion Dollar Smile lipstick, and it also happens to be the shade Coywolf is wearing in her dance team pictures this year.

This bright pink is so fun. I wore it the other day with a yellow raincoat, and the pink lip with the yellow coat was *chef’s kiss.* Note to self: remember this combo!

This weekend is a dance weekend for our family, and we’ll be shuttling back and forth between two rehearsals today and two performances tomorrow.

I know this stage in life will go by quickly, and I’m loving little things like getting her to rehearsal on time, and making sure her clip-on earrings and hair bow are just right. 🙂

How are you doing? What are your plans for this beautiful Saturday?

This week’s reading

Here are 9 gel eyeliners beloved by makeup artists, and side note, I spy my favorite Chanel potted liner on this list!
There’s a new brand to look forward to at Sephora — Ami Colé.
Cloud skin is a thing.
… And so is underpainting, which apparently, is an old school technique used by oil painters.
Lancôme launched a motorized makeup tool to assist makeup lovers with limited mobility.
Mark your calendar for these awesome 50% off skin care deals during the Love Your Skin Event at Ulta.
Are you over applying your skin care?
10 best lavender perfumes to chill you the eff out.
12 scents that take you around the world.
The power of mood-enhancing scents.

Talk to me, Dr. Alexis!

Mood music.

One of my favorites.

LOVE HER!

I’m ready for all the good stuff the universe is sending all of us.

I hope things are great on your end of the keyboard and that you’re having a lovely weekend so far.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Some Days You’ve Gotta Flip Your Hair

January 5th, 2023 by Karen 7 Comments

Quick five minute makeup today!

I followed this tutorial by one of my faves, makeup artist Hung Vanngo.

The key makeup products I used are MAC Date Maker lipstick (so good), Laura Mercier Corsica liquid blush, Chanel Espresso eyeliner (THE BEST), Chanel Rosy light Drops liquid highlighter and YSL Faux Cils mascara. I also tried a new-to-me concealer — Revlon Colorstay Skin Awaken in 050.

If you’re in the Bay Area… How did you fare during the storm last night? I was a little freaked out when I drove Connor to dance because the rain was coming down in sheets and the roads were starting to flood. Our power stayed on, though. (Knock on wood.)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Rainy Days and Wednesday | Makeup by Jane Iredale

January 4th, 2023 by Karen 7 Comments

There’s a big rain storm happening right now in Northern California…

Fingers and toes crossed that the electricity stays on and that flooding isn’t too bad.

On a totally frivolous non-weather related note, I did my hair and put on some makeup (mostly by Jane Iredale), and this is the most done I’ve looked in weeks. Funny how all I did this all to putter around the house on a stormy day. Ha!

Key makeup thangs include the Jane Iredale Naturally Matte Eyeshadow Kit, Glow Time Blush Stick in Enchanted and Forever Pink Lip Stain.

Oh, and I even put on perfume (it’s been ages) — Tocca Graciella! It’s a light floral that I recommend to people who don’t like heavy scents.

Welp, I just got an email from Connor’s school saying everyone needs to be picked up by 3:30 because of inclement weather. It’s the first time that’s happened in the time she’s she started going to school there, yikes.

And now the wind is starting to whip through the trees, so there’s a strong possibility that we’ll be eating bagged popcorn by candlelight for dinner tonight.

Stay dry and stay safe, OK?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen