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

Jouer’s New Nude Pink Glace Moisturizing Lip Gloss Looks Great Dressed Up or Down

February 26th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Can I get a what-what from my fellow nude gloss fiends?

ALERT! ALERT! We’ve got a nude gloss lover over here, especially easy-to-wear, low-maintenance shades like Pink Glace ($20), a new one from Jouer.

Please, please tell me you’ve tried Jouer’s nude glosses before.

I think they’re kind of fab… Every nude Jouer gloss I’ve tried has had the perfect amount of milky pigment. They’re sheer, but not too sheer — equally at home in a dramatic Kim K-style smokey eye or in casual brunch makeup. That’s what Jouer does really well.

Pink Glace, a sheer, shimmering nude pink with wee little bits of sparkly golden glitter, is a new addition to their permanent line, and she’s a beaut.

I bet she’ll look absolutely perfect on her own or layered on top of your favorite pink, peach or nude lippie.

Look for it soon at Jouer counters and online at jouercosmetics.com.

MAC Unsung Heroes: Style Blush

February 26th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Wearing a single layer of MAC Powder Blush in Style ($21) on my cheeks

I’ve had to do rapid-fire makeup to get out the door and catch appointments two days this week. From start to finish, I’m talkin’ 10, 15 minutes tops.

This pressure cooker of time has led me to MAC Style, a shimmery golden coral Powder Blush in the MAC permanent line.

I picked it up a while back during a stress shopping session (girl, you do it too!) but set it aside when I became totally infatuated with MAC Cantaloupe.

I guess I was just feeling more like matte cheeks and full-on wintery makeup looks for a while there, and Cantaloupe fit the bill. I had a blast layering different highlighters and shimmer products with it, too, but that was when I had enough time to play…

When my schedule doesn’t allow for that and I have to leave the house in a hurry, extra little makeup touches like highlighter usually get cut.

Which is where MAC Style comes in…

A lovely soft coral powder blush with a delicate golden sheen, I think it’s great for getting out the door in a flash. Its moderately pigmented coral base has just enough color to give a nice flush to my cheeks.

It’s not so intense that I have to spend precious breakfast time buffing and blending everything out if I inadvertently over-apply, and it’s easy to control. No exaggeration, but I can get it on my cheeks and be done with blush in less than a minute.

MAC Style Blush Swatch on NC42 Skin — Style Blush on my NC42 skin

But that’s not my favorite thing about Style. That distinction goes to its fine golden sheen.

Swoon!

While delicate and subtle, it totally takes this blush to the next level for me, transforming it into a hybrid blush/highlighting butterfly, and I smile every time I see a flash of its pearly golden glow.

Not only is Style dynamic, it also shaves a couple steps off my makeup routine.

MAC Style Blush Swatch on NW25 Skin — Style Blush on a good samaritan’s NW25 skin

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What Is Your Most Irrational Makeup or Beauty-Related Fear?

February 26th, 2014 by Karen 42 Comments

Fully-accredited professional worrywart, at your service!

Being a card-carrying, professionally certified worrywart, I have quite a few irrational makeup and beauty-related fears, but the most serious one has to be getting my brows professionally done.

I’ve always taken care of my brows myself and have never had them professionally waxed, plucked, threaded or otherwise tended to by a stranger, mostly because of the aforementioned fear. I’m terrified of someone (else) accidentally messing them up.

If I mess them up myself, OK, that’s one thing, and I am guilty of making bad brow decisions, for sure.

But I don’t know… I can just see myself sitting down in a chair and having someone accidentally wax off half my left brow or pluck both of them into a weird shape where I look permanently surprised. I’m seeing too many different doomsday brow scenarios play out.

Really, though, that’s the tip of the irrational beauty iceberg. I’m also afraid of…

Accidentally shaving off my own eyebrows in the shower with a body razor.
Don’t ask me why, but I can totally see this happening.
Being startled by El Hub coming around a corner while I’m curling my lashes with my lash curler and accidentally pulling them out mid-curl.
Losing my makeup bag on an important work trip. My rational mind says, “Don’t worry, Karen. You could find replacements for everything in a pinch.” But my irrational mind says, “OMG! I’m freaking out! What am I going to do?!”

OK, babe. Spill them beans. 🙂 What’s your most irrational makeup or beauty-related fear?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Greetings! Welcome to the hump.

I’m happy to report that there’s silence at the end of the noisy tunnel… That construction project I’ve been talking about is (hopefully) winding down today. Or at least this week. As we speak, they’re pressure washing the windows, so there’s a generator humming and a high-pressure hose hissing outside, but honestly, those are like a whisper compared to the racket of the past few weeks.

Or maybe I’m just becoming immune to it all, haha!

I’m off to make another cup of coffee (Target’s Archer Farms Light Roast Breakfast Blend). Can I get you one?

Three “Tees” for Tuesday: A Trader Joe’s Treat, a New Tea and a Weirdo Tabby

February 25th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

Have you partaken of the pinched, paper-thin goodness that is the Pretzel Slim?

I found these at Trader Joe’s last weekend, and they’re my latest “Best snack EVER!”

They’re thin, salty and crunchy like potato chips, but they’re much lower in calories and not greasy. One serving of 23 Slims is just 110 calories.

That’s pretty good.

Another good thing, the ingredient list is short and sweet — wheat flour, sugar, salt and barley maple syrup. No preservatives, and they’re fat free.

The shape makes ’em perfect for dipping. I had them for my afternoon snack today with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

That’s all kinds of yum, yo.

I had them with a delicious cup of sweet peachy Bonita Peach Rooibos Tea from the Spice and Tea Factory.

I didn’t even need to add sugar. Delicious!

I’m starting to get a little freaked out, Tabs…

Oh, and while I was eating, Tabs was staring up at the drapes. For a long time, which he’s been doing for the past couple of days, and El Hub and I cannot figure out why.

Is it a bug? Something else he sees up there? I don’t know, but we’ve looked, and there’s nothing there. He just stares and stares and stares…

It’s kind of freaking me out.

P.S. Note how extra rump-y his rump looks from this angle, LOL!

Spring Fever Fashion: Anthropologie Dresses and Sandals From Nordstrom

February 25th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Would you feel my forehead please? I think I’m running a fever…a spring fever. 🙂

It’s supposed to rain here tomorrow and, yeah, I’m happy about it because we need the water, but the sunny, warm weather we’ve been having has been such a treat.

If there were a doohickey I could press or a gizmo I could use to fast forward through the rest of winter, I wouldn’t mind that at all. Nope. Is there an app for that?

So over you, winter — Dear winter: I’m so over you.

Earlier this afternoon after my hair modeling experience, I swung by the mall (and the MAC counter) in Corte Madera and walked around for a couple minutes enjoying the sun.

When it starts raining tomorrow (if it starts raining tomorrow), I have to remember that spring is right around the corner.

Perfect time to think “spring wardrobe updates.”

That’s what I told myself when I went into Anthropolgie to look at dresses and Nordstrom to see shoes!

The embroidered flowers on this Gathered Vines Tunic by Tiny at Anthro totally reminded me of the spring blossoms I hope to start seeing soon.

I liked this dress. A lot. It was comfy…but I felt a little like I was wearing a table runner from Pier One.

Speaking of comfy, not only did this HD in Paris Cabernet Dress feel as good as a broken-in t-shirt, but it was also ON SALE! Marked down to $69.95 from $118.

I didn’t get it, though. I was just window/dressing room shopping, but I leave the option open to change my mind and go back later this week.

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Adventures in Oribe: Getting To Know the Oribe Hair Product Line, and Insider Hair Stylist Tips

February 25th, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

Today I was a hair model for an Oribe class — Hair modeling for my friend Alis in a class on Oribe products…

I experienced, not one, but two major revelations in that class on Oribe hairstyling products earlier today at Corte Madera’s Fox + Stone Salon.

The first, how to pronounce the word, “Oribe.”

Oh-ree-bay? Or-rib-bay? Oh-ruh-hibe?

This is where I get my hair done! Fox + Stone Salon in Corte Madera, California.

Turns out it’s OR-bay! — she said, her eyes widening to the size of saucers when she heard Northern California Brand Manager Karen Kerr pronounce it.

I swear the clouds parted when I heard it, LOL!

Karen was there at the salon to teach the stylists there about Oribe’s products, and I was invited, along with two other ladies, to be a hair model.

Which brings me to the second revelation I mentioned — that I now know what it feels like to be a puppy at a dog park, because there was a lot of petting going on…and by that I mean that the stylists in the class were instructed to repeatedly touch my hair and that of the other models.

Yup, another one to cross off ye olde bucket list. 🙂 “Have 20 people touch my hair in one day.” Check.

Three Hair Models, Three Hairstyles

There were three separate stations, one for each of the models, among which the stylists would move to play with the products on each person’s hair.

There were three hair themes — Curl Power, Full-Blown Bombshell (which I was desperately hoping to be picked for, not gonna lie) and Big, Bold and Beautiful, which was the theme I was assigned.

Big, Bold and Beautiful

My hair’s job was to sit there and showcase three products from Oribe’s line — their Foundation Mist, Creme for Style and Maximista Thickening Spray.

I use Oribe’s Shampoos and Conditioners at home and have had really good luck with them, so it was interesting to learn more about the products, the best ways to use them and what makes them tick.

Step 1: Wash and Condition

After washing my mop with Oribe’s Shampoo for Brilliance and Shine ($46) and Conditioner for Beautiful Color ($42), they sat me in my chair and went to work.

Step 2: Prep With Foundation Mist

Oribe’s Foundation Mist ($24) works kind of like a makeup primer for your hair. I found out that it’s not really designed for hold, but rather to prepare hair for styling by evening out the texture of every strand from root to end.

My stylist buddy Alis, who works at the salon and invited me today, explained it like this: sometimes hair has natural dips in the strands, which are like potholes. Foundation Mist does something called “evening out the porosity,” which means that it fills in those potholes, turning the strands into one long, smooth road.

With the strands filled in, any styling products layered on top apply more smoothly and evenly, and basically perform better.

Oribe Products for Big Bold Beautiful Look from the left: Foundation Mist, Creme for Style and Maxinista — From the left: Foundation Mist, Creme for Style and Maxinista

On top of that, Foundation Mist also offers UV protection, which is particularly helpful for color-treated hair.

To use it, just spray it all over your hair, from roots to ends, and don’t be afraid to saturate those strands!

Step 3: Condition With Creme for Style

After prepping my hair with Foundation Mist, the stylists worked in Oribe’s Creme for Style ($38), a creamy leave-in conditioner ideal for thick, heavy hair.

Layering is an important part of the Oribe philosophy, and this lightweight cream adds firm, yet flexible, hold and volume, among other things. You can apply it to either wet or dry hair, curly or straight, for shine, separation and body. It’s also great for giving extra oomph and structure to blowouts.

The stylists squeezed a pearl-sized amount into one of their palms and rubbed their hands together to thin and distribute the product, which they then applied from the mid-shaft, all the way to the ends. Whatever was left over, they ran through my hair at the crown of my head.

Creme for Style also conditions hair, and like Foundation Mist, it provides UV protection.

Step 4: Crank Up the Volume With Maxinista Finishing Spray

Next came the blow dryers! Two stylists dried my hair until it was about 80 percent done. Then it was time for the finishing touches with a round brush and the final product for my big, bold and beautiful look, volumizing Maxinista Thickening Spray ($28), which is used to create BIG volume, like the kind you see in big, puffed-out, blow-dried hair.

K with Alis — That’s my friend Alis on the right

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One To Cross Off the Wish List: MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul

February 25th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

I just got back from the salon (Fox + Stone Salon in Corte Madera) and that Oribe class!

Being the hair model was fun, and I learned a lot while I was there. Check back a little later this afternoon because I have some pics and hairstyling tips to share.

It’s girl code, of course: friends always share hairstyling tips. 🙂

In unrelated news, I also swung by the MAC counter on my way home to replace my broken ~~heart~~ bottle of Pro Longwear Concealer and get a new industrial-sized bag of MAC Bulk Wipes (also known as the best wipes for removing makeup while you’re swatching) and a pan of Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul ($25).

That last one was unplanned, but I’d been coveting it since I saw it last week. Now it’s mine… MINE! Mwahahahahaaa!

The sales gal who was helping me pushed me over the edge. When I mentioned it, she nodded knowingly and said, “That’s going to look perfect on you.”

Yeah, girlfriend. Sold.

MAC Warm Soul Swatch on NC42 skin — Warm Soul on my NC42 skin

What’s the Earliest You’ve Ever Had To Wake Up and Do Your Hair/Makeup?

February 25th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Oh, gosh. Maybe 4 a.m. or so?

Whenever it was, it was sinfully, criminally early.

I had one of those mornings last summer. I had a very early flight, so I set the alarm for 4 to give myself enough time to fix my mop and put on le warpaint before heading to the airport.

El Hub just doesn’t get it. Whenever we have to catch an early flight, he militantly insists that we sleep until the very last second before the alarm goes off, but he wakes up fully alert like a ninja! It’s like BOOM! Eyes open, wide awake. I swear he needs less than five minutes to get ready.

Simply put, I do not function that way. I need at least 20 minutes just to get my brain turned on. I like to get up, put something in my tum (doesn’t matter what time it is, I’m always starving when I wake up), have some coffee, and then I need 30-45 minutes to do my hair and makeup. Then maybe another 20 minutes to check and double-check and re-check everything to make sure I don’t forget something important like my driver’s license.

El Hub always gets super cranky when I set the alarm for an hour before we have to leave. It’s gotten to the point where I just tell him, “Sure, babe, the alarm is set to go off five minutes before we have to leave,” but really, I just set it for the real time I want to get up anyway, LOL! 🙂

How about you? What’s the earliest you’ve ever had to wake up and do your hair/makeup?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. BRB! I’m on my way out the door right now. I’m going to be a hair model this morning for my hairstylist buddy Alis, who’s teaching a class on Oribe products where she works. I’ve never done that before… I think it’ll be fun.

Then on the way back I have to swing by the MAC counter at the mall.

No, really, I “have” to, because yesterday I dropped my brand new bottle of Pro Longwear Concealer on the kitchen tiles, and it shattered.

I was probably more crushed than it was. 🙁

Grr… Those damned glass bottles.

Anywho, I should be back in a few hours. Have a great Tuesday. I’ll see you soon.