Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
It appears I won’t be quitting my day job any time soon, ha! But winning a whopping $25 is better than nothing (that’s one Chanel Glossimer). I’m headed back home tonight, so tomorrow I’ll put up a post of my Barney’s New York in Vegas adventure. Hope you’re having a great weekend so far!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
No matter how hard I try, I am physically unable to pack light for trips. My main weakness: makeup. I always bring way more than I should.
If I were forced to pick just one eyeshadow palette to bring with me on, say, a three-day trip to Las Vegas, that palette would have to be the new Lancome Stylish Neutrals Color Design Artist Palette.
This Friday morning El Hub and I catch a flight to Las Vegas (4:00 a.m., OUCH!) to hang out with my in laws, who are flying over from where they live in Hawaii to meet us there. We haven’t seen them in a while. It’s just a short three-day trip, so I don’t want to bring my entire makeup collection (actually, I do). Lancome’s Stylish Neutrals Palette has everything I should need.
It would be an understatement to say I’m a lil’ obsessed with this palette. I’ve been rocking the colors for a week. Here’s a super easy tutorial of a pink and light purple eye using four of the shadows.
This map shows where the shadow placement should go:
First, prep your eyelids. Apply a few dots of your favorite concealer and blend it thoroughly with a concealer brush. I used Dior Long-Wearing Moisturizing Concealer and Billy B’s Paintbrush #5.
Next, apply MAC Shadestick in Pink Couture to your lids and barely into your crease.
Use warm fingers to gently smooth out the edges.
Now, grab a fluffy rounded edge brush, like the MAC 252 or Sephora Shader brush, and apply Lancome’s Optic eyeshadow (#1), a cool grey shimmer, to the brow bone.
With the same brush, apply Off the Rack eyeshadow (#2), a metallic light pink, to your lids on top of the MAC Pink Couture Shadestick. Concentrating most of the color on your lid, bring the eyeshadow color up into the crease, fading it as you move upward.
Next, still with the same brush, apply a shimmery mauve like Exhibition eyeshadow (#3) into the outer V. It’s a light but highly pigmented color. Go easy on it if you plan to wear the look to work. Be sure to dilute it first by tapping the brush against the side of the sink, or swipe the brush head against a piece of tissue or the back of your hand. Apply the color slowly, one layer at time. It’s always easier to add color than to take it away.
Now, using a stiff angled brush like the MAC 266 (yay!), apply Backstage Pass eyeshadow (#4), a dark matte burgundy, beneath the lash line. I prefer soft lines, so I applied the shadow dry. If you prefer more intense color and defined lines, wet your brush before using it.
Next, grab a small fluff brush like the MAC 228, and blend a little more Optic eyeshadow (#1) just beneath the line you created with Backstage Pass (#4).
To finish the look, fill in your brows, curl your lashes and add two coats of mascara.
For my brows I used a MAC 266 brush with Concrete Eyeshadow, and on the lashes I used the Shu Uemura curler and Shu’s Precise Volume Waterproof Mascara.
Don’t forget your blush and your gloss! Here, on my cheeks I went with MAC Mocha blush, and on the lips that’s MAC Spice lipliner and Chanel Pink Crystal Glossimer lipgloss.
I like this look’s lil’ color punch. It’s not over-the-top and takes my laziness to new and glorious heights. All six shadows and the Shadestick work so well together and in so many different combinations that I can create any of several different eye looks in 10 minutes from start to finish.
I hope you had a mellow Wednesday. Keep on truckin’, girlfriend!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Smokey eyes are all over the frickin’ place at NY Fashion Week. Check it: warm brown smokey eyes and neutral lips at the Boy By Band of Outsiders show.
Le sigh… I both love and hate this at the same time. Love it because it’s really pretty and sexy (and dare I say, smoldering); hate it because for the life of me I can’t get it right. I’ve got two left feet (hands?) when it comes to doing smokey eye looks. I aim for “stylish rave vampire” but end up more “barefoot Britney walking into a gas station restroom.”
There are times when I feel like your friendly neighborhood beauty addict won’t ever prevail over the elusive smokey eye. She’ll be forced to hang up her brushes to live a life of smokey eye-free debauchery.
Despite my proclamations of klutziness, Gordon Epsinet, Vice President of Makeup Artistry for MAC Cosmetics, insists that just about anyone (even me) can do a hot smokey eye.
“To do a beautiful smokey eye you must start with a fabulous dark pencil,” says Gordon. “You have to have MAC Smolder [eyeliner]. “It blends beautifully together with shadows and cream colors and MAC paints as well.”
“Start with lots of black pencil on the eye,” says Gordon. “Apply the pencil around the rim of the eye first, then blend it with the #219 brush, which looks like a fat little pencil.”
“You’re going to blend that, smudge it in a bit, so it looks like a smokey stain.”
Next, blend a dark brown eyeshadow into the black liner to create a mix of brown and black colors. Blend the brown shadow over the black pencil stain you just created. Gordon suggests using…
For this I chose MAC Brun, and here’s what it looks like after I blended it on top of Smolder.
Gordon then suggests using a MAC #224 brush (a soft, fluffy, tapered brush), to blend a lighter eyeshadow into and above the dark brown layer you just created. His favorite colors are…
I have a MAC #224 but find it gets shadow all over the place, so I ended up using a Billy B Paint Brush #6 to apply Soba over the Brun/Smolder mix.
Ultimately, says Gordon, the final look should have the darkest colors at the lash line, and the colors should transition into lighter colors the farther you get away from the lashline.
And here I am in the final look. The only thing missing from this picture is a black beret and a copy of On the Road.
Okay, okay, this wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. With a lil’ bit of practice, I think I’ll be able to get the color transitions to look more subtle and smoother. Come fall I’ll be ready to rock it with the other trendsetters.
Speaking of smokin’, the other night I watched Donnie Darko for the umpteenth time and was reminded of how totally unfair it is for Jake Gyllenhaal to be so hot. Why doesn’t he call and ask me to make out with him?
Of course I’d say no (married, hi), but it would still be nice to be asked.
Anyway, if you’re hunkered down in front of a TV watching the Superbowl, I’ll be with you in spirit. Besides the tight pants and the prospect of eating profound amounts of junk food, I don’t care much for the big game, so I’ll be out and about running errands today. Eat a hot dog for me!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Your weekend ain’t over yet! Here are the best posts o’ the week from the Beauty Blog Network…[Continue reading…]
Ah, the pre-date ritual… It’s one of the many perks of being in love on Valentine’s Day, and whether you’re on the low- or high-maintenance end of the beauty spectrum, the drill usually goes a lil’ something like this:
In a perfect world, I’d always have at least four leisurely hours to beautify myself for my Valentine’s date with El Hub, but with work and life the odds of having a solid block of four hours for anything are slim to none.
Still, a girl can dream, and if I had a world of time to prep for date night, this is how it would go:
This morning I’ve been listening non-stop to this wonderful tune by Sara Bareilles called Love Song. Have you heard it? It’s one of those songs where I wish I wrote the lyrics — a wish usually reserved only for certain Beatles masterpieces like Blackbird and Here Comes the Sun.
Anyway, I’m glad we got through Monday together. To reward myself I’m going to drink another cup of coffee (WHEEE!) and peruse some shoes on Zappos.com. I really should get some practical work shoes that keep my feet warm and dry, but the siren call of impractical (but sexy) strappy high heels cannot be ignored.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The other day Lilan over at the Daily Cookie asked me what was in my purse, so I pulled out my bag, took out one item at a time and wrote everything down in a list.
When I finished, I felt cleansed and pure, like the pocketbook gods had absolved me of all my purse-stuffing sins.
Not only was writing out this list strangely cathartic, it was also slightly alarming. Does one (relatively sane) woman really need to lug around all this crap?
Let me preface my list by saying that I AM NOT A HOBO. I just happened to get a big, slouchy purse a few months ago, thinking it would look chic. Sure, it’s cute, but it’s also heavier than a stuffed Thanksgiving turkey.
Right now my purse contains…
Yep… That’s about it. Oh, and yesterday there was also one Fuji apple in there but I ate it.
What can I say? I like to make lists, and I’m also a bit of a voyeur (but not in a pervy way, dirty birdies). Now it’s your turn!
What’s in your purse?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
If I had a nickel for every time I rocked the brown eye shadow back in the day I’d be a rich woman. Even though I’ve recently ventured into brighter colors like blues and greens, I’ll always have a place in my heart for my first eye shadow love — beautiful, basic brown.
Brown may be neutral, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Brown doesn’t mean you can get away with yawn-worthy makeup, young lady. The face of the day below, inspired by the Avarice face chart from MAC’s Originals collection, shows that brown can still be fun.
Eyes
When I wear different shades of brown at the same time, I choose browns in the same tonal family (cool browns with cool browns, warm browns with warm browns) that don’t have a lot of contrast between them. This makes them easier for me to blend.
The only semi-difficult part about this eye look was getting the darkest brown, A Little Folie, into the crease with a MAC 219 brush, a brush I have a love/hate relationship with. Used to apply a fine line of color in the crease or underneath the eye, the 219’s pencil tip-shaped brush head doesn’t always distribute color evenly. It could be faulty design, but more than likely it’s because I haven’t discovered the brush’s sweet spot yet. Using the 219 well takes a lot of practice.
Despite the range of products I used for this look, the whole thing took about 10 minutes because there wasn’t any complicated layering or lining of the waterline (which for me can take SO MUCH TIME).
Cheeks
The original Avarice face chart called for Raizin blush (a gold reddish-brown matte) and Reflects Blackened Red Glitter, but I don’t own Raizin, and Reflects Blackened Red looks terrible on me, so I opted for two Shu Uemura Glow On blushes instead.
Lips
I’m a total klutz, so it took me forever and a day to get this red lippy going. My biggest issue? I couldn’t get the Rozz Revival to apply evenly, and because I didn’t use a lip liner the Rozz was revival-ing all over the place. I resorted to applying two layers of it and one layer of Avarice Lipglass with a MAC 316 covered lip brush. Next time I’m going to use a lip-colored pencil, like MAC Pink Treat Cremestick Liner, to make it easier!
Clue eyeshadow. When I first swatched this I wasn’t moved, but after I got it on my eye I totes fell in love. A mid-tone dirty grey with silver pearl, this eyeshadow has a pretty finish, soft texture and is very easy to work with. For a simple, subtle grey eye, I use Groundwork Paint Pot over the entire lid and then swipe Clue from the lashline into the crease. I give my lashes a quick curl, add two coats of mascara and I’m done!
Rozz Revival lipstick.When I think of red lipstick I usually think of sophisticated and serious looks, but Rozz Revival is a fresh, young and fun twist on red. With a high shine, lustre finish, this watermelon reddish pink lippie would look great with a tan! I can’t wait for summer!
Coffee eye pencil. This pencil is a fantastic deep brown with no red or orange tones. Even though it isn’t a Technakohl, I love it because it’s soft and easy to blend.
Are ya rocking the browns today, or did you go crazy with color?
I’m in the middle of my first cup of coffee and the caffeine is starting to work its magic – wheeeee! I hope you’re Tuesday is off to a fantastic start!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I’m sick and feeling like complete crap, but, alas, beauty stops for no one! — so I chug onward. *Achoo!* Sniffling, sneezing and coughing won’t stop your girl from aching for…
Swarovski sparkles
Did you know L’Oreal has two free-standing retail stores, one in Connecticut and the other in Southern California? Too bad the closer one to me is approximately 400 miles south at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles because I’d love to peep Red Carpet, a fancy shmansy mirrored compact designed by Kwiat for the Golden Globes.
It doesn’t come with any product inside and costs $50 (oy!), but 20 percent of the purchase price goes to support the Ovarian Cancer Fund, which I think is awesome. I dig the curvy star pattern of Swarovski crystals. Pretty, yah?
Eye-safe glitter
There seemed to be a lot of reader distress last week about MAC Glitters not being safe for eye use. In the spirit of glitter and makeup research, I went to Nordstrom and asked a few makeup artists for some recommendations.
They tipped me in on Prescriptives Eye Shadow Effects ($25), a fine glitter powder safe for use around eyes. One of the makeup artists applied some Cool Effects shadow on top of my Chanel Aurora Blues, and the tiny silvery flecks made my eyes really pop!
Both the Cool Effects (silver) and the Warm Effects (gold) shadows can be used to transform a matte look into a shimmery one. Too bad the counter was out of stock of both products at the time. Le sigh.
Japanese language comprehension
Would someone please translate this screenshot for me? I’m looking for a button that says, “spend all your money here.”
I found out about this super cute limited edition collection by Paul & Joe for Disney via Muse Media. Check out her blog sometime. It has lots of awesome Japanese makeup.
The collection contains two powders, a hand cream and a lip cream in cute Disney themed packaging. Too bad it’s only available in Japan because it’s too cute, and my irrational self says that I need it all!
Sidenote: Speaking of Disney, I just read a story today about how one of their Disney World Florida restaurants actually banned children, LOLOLZ!
Sorry for the short post, ya’ll, but I gotta get back to the couch to eat more chicken soup and then pass the eff out. Will (hopefully) be back tomorrow in full force. 🙂
Have a great makeup-filled night.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Ahhh, the last day of 2007. I always get a little sad when I know something is coming to an end; I guess it’s the thought of a part of my life ending and knowing I’ll never be able to go back (unless I drop $10 million for those time travel plans on eBay).
When I started this blog, I never imagined how much fun it would be. This year has been, to quote my eighth grade East Bay self circa 1989, “hella cool.”
Dita Von Teese – Interviewing MAC Viva Glam spokesperson Dita Von Teese at the Macy’s Passport fashion show was a trip. She was so stunningly beautiful and I was so nervous. The other day, I listened to the audio recording of the interview and laughed because I even SOUNDED sweaty.
Paris Hilton – The Dita experience really helped, though, when the time came to interview Paris Hilton for the release of Can Can, her new perfume. It was a level of celebrity that I’d never experienced before — body guards, press folks, rabid fans foaming at the mouth. It was the first time I’d interviewed a really high profile celebrity AND the first time I had to do it in a room filled with people watching me. What a learning experience.
SF Fashion Week – But my favorite event of the year was hanging out with MAC backstage at SF Fashion Week. I fell in love with a few products, learned a lot and met other beauty bloggers, like Erika and Christine.
Laura Mercier – There was plenty of Laura Mercier love last spring.
Tokidoki bag – The Tokidoki bag fit all my stuff AND rocked my world.
Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash – Unfortunately, I experienced getting pimples on my butt for the first time. Fortunately, Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash saved my ass (pardon the pun).
43 makeup things – Thanksgiving was an excuse to eat turkey, wear stretchy pants and think about the 43 makeup things I’m thankful for.
43 non-makeup things – Thanksgiving also provided an opportunity to give thanks for everything else.
Chanel Glossimers – I became a fiend for Chanel Glossimers.
Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple – And Purity Made Simple simply rocked my world.
Chanel Garden Party Quad – Chanel’s National Artist John Fussell helped me fall in love with the Chanel Garden Party Quad, and now there’s no turning back!
Smashbox’s Lori Taylor – Smashbox’s Lori Taylor gave some backstage tips from L.A. Fashion Week.
Billy B. – I met and interviewed one of the nicest guys in the beauty biz.
MAC’s awesome Louise Zizzo – Louise Zizzo saved me from myself when the MAC Mattene collection came out.
Celebrity makeup artist Bruce Grayson – Bruce Grayson’s makeup tips from the Emmy’s red carpet.
Dear Makeup and Beauty Blog – I heard from Shy in Chi-town.
Guide to Smart Clubbing – You asked for tough love, and in the Guide to Smart Clubbing I gave it to ya (hey, I’ve had a lot of practice).
Curiositease – And my number one makeup love, MAC, didn’t let me down.
Pigments and Glitters – Remember when I was grouchy about Pigments and Glitters?
MAC Loose Beauty Powder – I fell in love.
Smoke Signals – It rocked my world.
MAC Mad Libs – We had a lil’ fun together.
MAC Mattene lipsticks – Where’s my plaid shirt and my Pearl Jam CD? MAC Mattene lipsticks took me back to the 90s.
A quick smokey eye with MAC shadow – Oh, this is old school.
But the best thing that happened to me this year was meeting all of you. It’s been fun getting to know you and learning about your lives. You’d think that it would be hard to make a connection behind a computer screen, but sometimes I feel like we’re all just having a cup of coffee together and gabbing about makeup.
I hope you make the most of this fantastic last day of the year!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen