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

An Everyday Neutral Eye Look Using Classic MAC Colors (Permanent Line)

March 5th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Before heading to the dentist today, which is always one of my favorite things in the entire world to do (that’s actually not true at all), I did a neutral look using some classic MAC colors from the permanent line.

When I posted about this look before, a few people asked for a tutorial, so here goes!

It’s just that — uh…it ran a little long.

Dude, I’m sorry, but I ramble. It’s an ongoing struggle. 🙂

Here are the products mentioned in the video…

That’s MAC Blush in Cantaloupe on the apples of my cheeks and MAC Iridescent Loose Powder in Golden Bronze on my upper cheekbones.

Oh, and that’s MAC Plushglass in Fulfilled on my lips.

I hope you like it, and thank you for watching (and for putting up with my rambling!).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. So earlier at the dentist, I actually did cry. It was supposed to just be a cleaning, but the hygienist said she needed the dentist to look at something in my mouth, and when he came in, he started sharpening his dental tools in front of me!

I was like, uh…no, we’re not going to do this right now.

I guess I just freaked out a little. Anywho, now I have to go back at some point to finish my cleaning.

Have you ever freaked out like that in the dentist’s office?

Urban Decay Turns Up the Voltage on Brights With the Urban Decay Electric Pressed Pigment Palette

March 5th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Urban Decay Electric Pressed Pigment Palette

I’m back from the dentist! — and, yes, I cried (it’s a long story).

Buuut, it turns out that crying through my makeup gave me a good reason to soothe myself with the new Electric palette of pressed pigments from Urban Decay.

Woo-hoo!

I’m still in the “staring at it” stages… I haven’t tried it on yet, but I have lots of ideas for those blues and that green.

I’m not sure what I’ll do with Thrash, though, that funky chartreuse. Hmm…

Electric shocks Urban Decay counters and urbandecay.com March 18.

Which Do You Use More Often — Highlighter or Bronzer?

March 5th, 2014 by Karen 38 Comments

Wearing MAC Antonio Lopez — Highlighter or bronzer, babe?

Ohmigosh! — bronzer, for sure. I feel weird without it.

I love both of them and wear one or the other (or both of them at the same time) practically daily, but I definitely do grab bronzer more often, especially when my foundation is a little intense.

Too Faced Bronzers — “I call this meeting of the Too Faced Cosmetics Bronzers Society to order!”

I used to not take bronzer very seriously because — hello! I’m already pretty tan — but then I started using it for very soft contouring and to slightly warm my skin tone when I wore medium- or full-coverage foundations.

Now I’m hooked!

“Let the record show that I heart Guerlain Crazy 68 Terracotta Bronzer.”

Whenever I wear a medium- or full-coverage foundation, I feel like my skin looks kind of flat, especially in pics, but sweeping a bit of bronzer below my cheekbones, around the edge of my forehead, down the sides of my nose and beneath my chin puts the lifelike contours back where they belong.

It’s just sort of reflex now. Sometimes I think I actually do it in my sleep, LOL!

Jouer Sunswept Mattifying Bronzer, $28 — Jouer Sunswept Mattifying Bronzer

As for highlighter, I wear it year round, but I wear it more often in spring and summer. A little dusted on the tops of my cheekbones after tinted moisturizer, followed by a light sweep of blush, and guurrrrrl…good stuff.

Oh, and I keep meaning to mention this: I just recently re-discovered a couple of highlighter loves in the MAC permanent line — Silver Dusk and Golden Bronze.

MAC Golden Bronze Iridescent Powder/Loose

If you don’t have them already, drop everything immediately, and get thee to a MAC counter ASAP! You need them in your life (well, you don’t need them, but I think they’re great).

Both are very fine, loose shimmery powders that make skin glow, and a little goes a long way. I’ve met some MAC artists who use both of these often on brides.

mac silver dusk — MAC Silver Dusk Iridescent Powder/Loose

I can’t seem to find them on the MAC website right now…and that’s freaking me out a little (I hope they weren’t discontinued!), but if you happen to stumble across a jar in your makeup adventures, grab it.

Looks like they are available now on nordstrom.com, if you’re interested.

How about you? Which one do you use more often — highlighter or bronzer?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Welcome to the hump!

Have a good one today. I have to go to the dentist on my lunch break, and I’m already anxious about it…

Perhaps I should reward myself afterward with makeup. 🙂

Now That’s a Hawt Pink

March 4th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Why, yes, that was me taking 200 pictures of raindrops on flower petals in that flower planter at the mall. I do that kind of thing all the time. 🙂

I could spend (and probably have spent) hours snapping pics of wet flowers on sidewalks, like after a rain or they get watered by sprinklers.

It’s the reflections in the droplets… I love them.

Mother Nature always seems to place the little droplets perfectly on the petals. She’s the most talented artist I know.

New Additions to My Never-Ending Sephora Wish List…

March 4th, 2014 by Karen 28 Comments

This will only take a minute, wink-wink! — “This will only take a minute (wink-wink). I’ll be right out.”

Man, there’s like some weird temporal vortex Arthur C. Clarke thing going on inside the Sephora by my house. Today I meant to just run in and get a tube of NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, thinking that I’d be in and out of there in two swishes of a tabby’s tail but, uh, that totally didn’t happen.

I don’t know how long I was in there, but it was long enough to add all of this to my ever-growing makeup wish list…

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer in Lux, $18

Laura Mercier Baked Eye Colour, $24 each

Laura Mercier Baked Eye Colour in Aubergine (left) and Smoky Topaz (right), $24 each

[Continue reading…]

Strapping Gladiators and Sandals: The Quest for Spring Footwear Continues at DSW!

March 4th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

DSW Spring Shoes — The quest for spring sandals…

When you gotta go, you gotta go.

Uh…no, I’m not referring to “dropping the kids off at school.” (Hehe! I love that phrase.)

I’m talking about shoe shopping, ma! 🙂

You know how when you get the sudden urge to drop everything and just go look at shoes? Happens to me all the time, and there’s no rhyme or reason to it at all. I could be eating a grapefruit on the couch and watching The Walking Dead, and then BAM! — I gotta go look at platforms.

I swear, if we could figure out the science behind it, we could rule the world!

Anywho, I had some boring errands to attend to today (drop something off at the UPS Store, get a loaf of bread, do some filing, pay a few bills) and a to-do list longer than my arm. I really should’ve spent the afternoon with my butt glued to my chair, but instead I looked at shoes.

Yup. Spring sandals at DSW. And from what I saw on the shelves, there are going to be a lot of weird tan lines on feet and calves this spring and summer. Strappy gladiators and sandals with intricate cutouts were all over the place!

Michael Antonio Jeselle Gladiator Sandal, $49.95

Steve Madden Grete Gladiator Sandal, $59.95

Madden Girl Knots Gladiator Sandal, $39.95

[Continue reading…]

A Girl Can Never Have Too Many…

March 4th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Jouer Powder Eyeshadows in clockwise from the lower left corner: Mahogany, Walnut, Caviar and Espresso

Who was it that said, “A girl can never have too many shoes, secret admirers or neutral eyeshadows”? I can’t recall. Hmm…

Wait — I think it was me. 🙂

Hi, babe. Sorry I’ve been incomunicado today. I hope you’re chugging along out there.

I’ve just been trying to get ahead on a couple of projects, and one of them took me to Sephora and DSW this afternoon. I’ll share some pics of those soon, but first! — these neutrals Powder Eyeshadows are by Jouer. hey’re available now for $20 each at Jouer counters and online.

Clockwise from the lower left corner, that’s Mahogany, Walnut, Caviar and Espresso.

Pretty, yah?

One Pan of Eyeshadow, A Trio of Looks! A Smokey Plum Eye Makeup Tutorial Trifecta

March 3rd, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

Are you ready for three ways to work a smokey (or smoky, depending on your preference) plum eye?

Here are THREE different ways to rock the new Clarins Smoky Plum Ombre Minérale Mono Eye Shadow ($21)…or any other eyeshadow you like.

(Click here to watch the video on YouTube.)

The first look is the most casual one, good for daytime. The second is slightly turned up, like for grabbing drinks after work, and the third is a full-on smokey look with lashes, drama and the whole nine yards.

Definitely one for a big night out…or perhaps just to run errands around town, if you’re a diva like that. 😀

I’m using a shimmery purplish taupe shadow in the video, but you could definitely swap that out for another purple or taupe from your collection.

OOH! I think something like MAC Satin Taupe or Shale would look really pretty.

Or, you could skip the purple entirely and go with something like a shimmery bronze, brown, green, gold or blue. Seriously — whatever your heart desires at this moment! The most important thing is that you like it. Whatever it is, you’ll do great. 🙂

Clarins Smoky Plum Eye Shadow — Lashes, BAM! (Yup, this is the third look…)

A smokey plum eye makeup tutorial — A better look at my lids from the final look…

Products mentioned in the video…

Clarins Ombre Mineral Mono Eye Shadow in Smoky Plum ($21)
MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder ($16)
MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush ($25)
MAC 217 Blending Brush ($24)
Katy Perry Lashes in Punk Princess ($6.99)

Thank you for watching! If you give it a try, snap a quick pic and tweet it to me @karenmbb, or tag me at hashtag #makeupandbeautyblog on Instagram. Please!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen