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Search Results for: smokey

A Ghost Bride Vibe: Sooty Smokey Lids With Matte Black Lips

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mac caviar retro matte liquid lipstick samantha

Is this look wearable? I guess it depends on who you’re talking to. If you’re chatting with El Hub, he’d probably say, “Um, not really,” and he would encourage you to *not* wear this sooty smokey purplish blue smokey eye to pick up a small child at her preschool.

(Side note: I seriously considered it, but then I chickened out at the last minute, and now I deeply regret not cementing my legacy as the crazy-@ss mom who showed up at pickup in black lipstick.)

If you ask Samantha, though — she’s the Halloween ghost who haunts my doorway — she would first say, “B*tch stole me look!” LOL. Then she’d she’d say, “One hundred percent, YES, channel your inner goth Billy Idol White Wedding bride.”

mac caviar retro matte liquid lipstick

mac caviar retro matte liquid lipstick

This is my “take two” at Samantha-inspired makeup! I wanted to push it a little further this time and tried to go more “edgy,” as opposed to wearable, but ultimately I think it ended up looking kinda casual cool, and yes, totally wearable. If we were back in the ’90s when I went through my (very brief) baby goth phase, I would’ve legit worn these lips and eyes everywhere.

Layering is the key

I really, really enjoyed putting this face on, and part of the reason was because it happened so quickly. I didn’t really think about it. I just started layering and mixing and blending and 20 minutes later there it was. With this type of smokey editorial/edgy eye makeup, I think the following things really help:

  1. Embrace the imperfection. This is the type of smokey eye makeup that, I think, almost looks better the messier it gets. Let your brushes and your imagination push past what you’d normally do, and take your products higher up the lid and further down the lash line than you’d usually go. It might look weird to you at first (it always does for me because I’m not used to seeing that type of placement), but do it anyway.
  2. Layers, layers, layers. Really, this is key. If you want the effect of a puff of smoke around the lids, where that super-blended gradient leads one color easily into the next, bust out ALL THE THINGS. At the minimum, you’ll need your favorite smudgy eye pencil, a cream shadow or two, and some powder eyeshadows that you also like that work with your color palette.
  3. Blend that sh*t. When your fingers are about to fall off, you’re probably close to done.

mac caviar retro matte liquid lipstick

mac caviar retro matte liquid lipstick

Oh, and about that black lip…I applied a matte liquid lipstick first (MAC Caviar), then defined the edges with a super sharp matte black pencil liner. Yes, girl. Black eyeliner as lip liner! My friends and I used to use it both as liner and lipstick back in the ’90s when we wanted to wear matte black lips.

Makeup worn in this look

A couple weird things

I was craving an egg over easy yesterday for lunch and look what happened when I cracked my egg open…

I dunno, maybe I’m fully in superstitious Halloween mode, but I was kinda freaked out! I couldn’t help but wonder if it’s part of a scary Filipino old wives tale, and even though it (irrationally) scared me a little, I still ate most of it…although toward the last few bites I ended up psyching myself out.

On a (somewhat) related weird note, look what I found this morning in the middle of my bed!

I’m guessing Rosie Posie got hold of it during the wee hours of the morning, LOL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Moody Makeup Time! Smokey Blue Lids and Matte Berry Lips (and a Trip to Gabriel Farm)

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mac burning love maybelline ace front
When your hair and makeup evoke Disney Villain vibes

You know you’re a makeup lover when your penchant for puffs of sooty blue drives your Halloween decor decisions.

samantha the ghost closeup
OF COURSE I would want the ghost wearing makeup.

Behold the floaty ghost bride currently welcoming visitors to our humble abode. Despite being undead, she’s very proud of her dark lip and blue smokey eyes.

Oh, and her dark burgundy nails.

This is Samantha, and she hangs out in my doorway. I haven’t asked her yet, but I’m kinda wondering what her wedding theme was and whether Billy Idol was the groom.

Inquiring minds want to know…


This video scared the living crap out of me when I was a kid!

Samantha was the one who inspired this look I’m wearing, and if we were to hold a “Who wore it better?” battle, she would definitely have won this round because I could’ve/should’ve pushed it further.

mac burning love maybelline ace with samantha
Just the girls

I was going for a wearable version of her look, but I’m feeling like, with these blue lids — which, by the way, I did with an awesome new product from Maybelline called Color Strike (they call it “a cream-to-powder shadow pen”) — I should’ve just taken the shadow all the way up into the brows and maybe even further down the lower lash line. Oh, and what if I’d layered the blue shadow with a black or dark purple pencil and switched out the berry lip for a straight-up black? That could have been even cooler.

Hmm… I think I just figured out tomorrow’s FOTD!

mac burning love maybelline ace closeup

mac burning love maybelline ace smile

samantha the ghost
Samantha?!

By the way, if you’re admiring Samantha’s mani, I highly recommend Smith & Cult’s Dark Like Me. 🙂

samantha smith cult dark like me

Makeup Worn in this look

Fall adventures at the farm

Connor had last Friday off from preschool, so she and I met up with her bestie (and her BFF’s mom) for a fun day at Gabriel Farm in Sebastapol.

It’s an organic family-run farm that offers a yearly seasonal membership valid from June through November. A family membership is $40, and when you join you get a HUGE box of delicious, sweet and crunchy Asian pears. You also have access to the farm during those months and can visit as often as you like to pick and pay for whichever fruit and flowers are in season that month (fruit is charged by the pound). They grow berries, tomatoes, apples, Asian pears, persimmon, pineapple guava and flowers.

There’s also a cute picnic area tucked away in a gorgeous grove of persimmon trees, so when you’re done picking your goodies you can relax in the shade with your bounty.

The girls had fun picking berries and exploring the farm, and then played for hours under the trees. If you have a little person to entertain, or if you’ve got a hankering to spend some time outside, I highly recommend it.

persimmon grove gabriel farm

There were multiple hand-washing stations around the property, and masks and social distancing were required. Connor and I went as guests of our friends this time, but next year I’m definitely signing up for a membership!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

FOTD: Elegant Rose Quartz Gemstone Lids With a Smokey Bronze Lower Lash Line

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urban decay stoned palette wander beauty

I wore this look to drop Connor off at her dance class (she’s taking outdoor classes two days a week now, and yay for seeing other kids her age!), and then to go to Trader Joe’s, because doing that kind of regular everyday stuff is the adult equivalent of going to your high school senior prom now. (Dance studio drop-off IS AN EVENT. Ya gotta do it up!)

I took the new Urban Decay Stoned Vibes Palette for a spin for the first time in this look. It’s a new palette with 12 powder eyeshadows, the majority of them with this chonky-looking glitter formula that has a bit of squish to it. They look like they could potentially look like you’re wearing big flakes of glitter on your skin, but there was hardly any floof, fallout or flakes when I got Tiger’s Eye on my lids. The formula applies smoother than I expected it to, but you get WHOA, WHOA, WHOOOOOA levels of shimmer.

So…Urban Decay isn’t shy about their 420 references, but in this case I think “Stoned Vibes” actually refers to, ya know…gemstones, although Tiger’s Eye looks nothing like a stone on my eyelids. It’s a lovely pinkish bronze (heavy on the pink!), which is why I paired it with rose cheeks and lips.

OH! — I gotta point out the lower lash line. I’m wearing MAC Teddy, yet again, because apparently this fall is going to be my greatest hits tour of Teddy smoked along the lower lash line. I just kinda forgot how great it is when worn that way?! It’s fantastic.

I think I’m going to do a look with the purples in this palette (it’s $54, BTW) next because they remind me of my birth month gemstone, Alexandrite…which leads me to a question for you!

What’s your birth month gem? Drop it in the comments, along with any Qs you might have about the palette or this look, if you have ’em. As usual, the full breakdown of products is down below.

urban decay stoned palette wander beauty

urban decay stoned palette wander beauty
Hey, that arm’s an NC42!
urban decay stoned palette wander beauty
Key products worn in this look

urban decay stoned palette wander beauty

Makeup worn in this look

EYES

  • NARS Tinted Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Medium — all over the lids as a base
  • Urban Decay Stoned Palette Eyeshadows — Good Karma (brow bone), Antidote (crease), Hexed (outer crease), Third eye (outer v), Tiger’s Eye (lids, applied with finger)
  • MAC Whisper of Gilt — inner corner highlight
  • Urban Decay Brow Blade in Dark Drapes and MAC Clear Brow Set — brows
  • MAC Teddy — lower lash line
  • Honest Beauty Liquid Liner — winged liner
  • Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara — lashes

CHEEKS

  • Laura Mercier Soleil 1 — bronzer
  • Laura Mercier Rose — blush

LIPS

  • Wander Beauty B.B. and Riviera Dual Lipstick — mixed together

BASE

  • Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Face Oil — prep
  • Laura Mercier Foundation primer — prep
  • Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter in Tan — foundation, all over face
  • Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural Concealer in Medium 05 and 06 — under eyes, cheeks and around mouth
  • Laura Mercier Translucent Honey Loose Powder — forehead, down the sides of nose, around mouth and along the jawline

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Summer Glam on the Go! Gray-Black Cat Eyes With an Unexpected Swish of Shimmering Bronze on a Smokey Lower Lash Line

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neutrogena protect tint tinted moisturizer
A small twist on your fave classic looks can make all the difference

On days when you crave just a little glam, like a level 3-4, this look hits the spot. It involves just a couple minor tweaks on classic eye makeup elements — black cat eyeliner and a smokey lower lash line — to give it a fresh twist.

Gray-black cat eyes

If you look closely at the liner, you’ll see soft dark gray along the outer edge of the upper lash liner, and the gray on the water lines. With black cat eye liner, you’ll typically see black pencil along the water lines, and black pencil liner is also commonly used as a base for black liquid liner when doing cat eyes, too.

But rather than reaching for the standard-issue black pencil, I used a gray liner instead, because it isn’t as stark, so it leads to a softer, more approachable look… And I like the subtle gradient of gray as it merges into black. (I’m all about that gradient life!)

I also paired the liner with matte warm browns on the upper lids and added a shimmery gold on the inner corners.

neutrogena liquid eyeliner
See the shimmery bronze peeking out from the lower lash line?

A shimmering bronze POP

Switch up your typical black or gray smokey lower lash line by layering a shimmery bronze eyeshadow. Place it right in the center of the lower lash line (aim for right underneath your iris).

To do this, I drew a thin line with a matte gray pencil liner along my lower lash line, then smudged it with a flat, compact head (super handy to have around for small, fine detail work).

neutrogena first crush blush
The gray pencil liner softens the edges of the black liquid liner on the upper lash line.

Then, I wiped the brush head on a paper towel, loaded it with a shimmery bronze powder eyeshadow, wet the brush head with a setting spray, and dabbed the wet brush head along the center of lower lash lines.

Tip: skip blending out the edges of your shimmering bronze eyeshadow. I think it looks cool to have the stark edge against the smokey gray! Not only do you save a step by skipping the blending, but you also maintain the intensity of the bronze, which is great because you really want it to stand out against the matte!

Where else am I gonna go?

As for the rest of the makeup, I kept the base and cheeks super sheer with a tinted moisturizer and cream blush because it’s hot here in Novato, and I wasn’t in the mood to wear a thick layer of makeup on the rest of my face… You always have the option of turning up the coverage to whatever you’re feeling on a given day. The world is your pickle, after all, so I’ll take bread-and-butter pickles, because I don’t do dill.

I ended up wearing this look to Trader Joe’s yesterday because, really, where else am I gonna go?? It’s one of the handful of places that’s 1) open, 2) somewhat entertaining, and 3) doesn’t skyrocket the low-level anxiety I’m living with lately.

On the way there, I drove past the bakery I worked at prior to the stay-at-home order, and I realized that, in a few weeks, I’ll have been out of work there *longer* than I actually worked there… It feels like I was living another life.

So, yeah, wore this to TJ’s, with the exception of the lipstick, lip liner and gloss, which faded after I ate my lunch (grilled cheese and tomato soup, if you’re curious). I didn’t bother to reapply since I was going to be wearing a mask anyway.

I think a half set of falsies on the outer corner would have been a nice touch, too, and I kinda wish I’d put some on!

Makeup breakdown

twist on classic swatches
Today’s color palette

Here’s everything I wore in this look! Lots of new-ish drugstore makeup from Neutrogena (one of my all-time favorite brands!).
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Smokey Eyes, Smudged Sparkly Eyeliner, and Why Clean Tapered Blending Brushes Are Your BFF

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smokey eyes sparkly lashlines
Back in my happy place!

Can I get a whoop-whoop from all my kindred spirits out there? — the makeup lovers who love rubbing freshly washed air-dried brushes ever-so-gently across their face, and love the fresh scent of those baby soft bristles? (Side note: If this describes you, I bet you also like sticking your face in clean laundry when it comes out of the dryer, too!)

clean brushes
So fresh, so clean

The reason you’re staring at this bevy of brushes is because I built a big-@ss pile of dirty brushes I’d been needing to wash since — gulp! — before Thanksgiving. Weeks ago, I tucked them away in a corner of my office and kinda forgot.

WHOOPS!

Well, I washed them yesterday because the bakery has been closed this week. Apparently, no one comes in this time of year because many people are still on their New Year’s diets, but folks start to fall off the wagon toward the end of January.

So…I finally had time to wash this big-@ss pile of brushes, and I also had time to do the makeup love of my life: SMOKEY EYES.

smokey eyes sparkly lashlines
I even put on falsies (I have a couple bundles on the outer corners).
smokey eyes sparkly lashlines
Subtle sparkle on the lash lines

A few things…

I always forget what a difference clean tapered blending brushes can make. Just in case you don’t know what I’m talking about, this is what they look like:

tapered blending brush clean
It’s handy to have a few around.

Whenever I’m doing smokey looks, clean tapered blending brushes are very, very handy… At the very least, I like to keep two or three on deck. Having bristles that don’t have any eyeshadow on them is key because the clean brush hairs pick up/remove excess eyeshadow while also softening any hard edges, so everything looks that much smoother and more seamless.

Another thing? You’ll want to use the lightest touch while blending, and avoid pressing so hard that the bristles splay out (this just presses the powder into your pores, which makes it harder to sheer out your shadow). All you want is the very tip to lightly touch your lid.

smokey eyes tapered blending light touch
Please don’t smash your brush head into your crease.
smokey eyes sparkly lashlines unblended blneded
You know those pics of yourself online where you look crazy? YUP.

Last, but not least, always keep a clean tapered brush around for a last blending pass at the end. After you’ve done everything — base, blush, lips, the whole schebang — lightly blend your eyeshadow one last time, both on top of the lids and along the edges of the shadow to finalize the shape of your eye makeup.

It makes all the difference!

Makeup worn in this look

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KARL LAGERFELD + MODELCO Kiss Me Karl Choupette Eyeshadow Palette in Smokey/Burgundy

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karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette
Mrrreeeeow, Choupette!

OK, I realize that this is technically one of the items in Uncle Karl’s latest collab collection, but let’s get real — I’m only here for Choupette. ?

KARL LAGERFELD + MODELCO Kiss Me Karl Choupette Eyeshadow Palette in Smokey/Burgundy (Nordstrom exclusive)

($65, 0.48-oz. palette with 16 powder eyeshadows)

Can you say “no” to a cat-shaped palette?

I DIDN’T THINK SO.

See, that’s why you’re a card-carrying member of Team Cat Lady, and Choupette’s looking extra cute here with her heart-shaped nose and her “K” collar.

Color-wise, I really like the cool-toned browns in this palette, which is one of two palettes in the collection (the other one, Warm/Nude, leans warmer), and the abundance of mattes, and how almost all of the eyeshadows, with the exception of the glittery burgundy, are soft and buttery enough to practically scoop themselves with a brush or finger.

Here’s what I don’t care for: how the mattes handle my fine lines. Mind you, my kitten-hood was many moons ago, but still. I’m not a senior kitty yet.

karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette 2
Cool and warm tones in the Smokey/Burgundy palette

Despite being creamy soft, the powders have large grains that draw mucho attention to my lines.

karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette k
I’m wearing shades from the top top row on my lids

karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette swatches 1

karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette swatches 2

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A Chanel Summer 2015 Collection Méditerranée Face of the Day With Smokey Brown Eyes and Purple Liner, and Red Lips and Tips

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chanel summer 2015
Wearing pieces from the new Chanel Summer 2015 Collection while intensely gazing off into the distance…

Bonjour, Chanel!

chanel summer 2015

Honestly, I have no idea why I look so serious in all of these pictures, because while I took them I was thinking about…

chanel summer 2015

KITTENS! 🙂

One of the many perks of decluttering your office is finding gems like this copy of a Japanese magazine devoted entirely to cats.

Can I read Japanese? No. But since cats are the international language of love, things like this find their way into my life (I actually got it from this amazing bookstore in Japantown). I’m keeping it forever, obviously. It’s staying far, far away from the purge pile.

chanel summer 2015 visual

My makeup here was inspired by the visuals for Chanel Summer 2015 Collection Méditerranée Collection, which is available now at Chanel counters and online.

Gah! — I love this look. Now, if I could only figure out how to pose with my hands by face in a way that doesn’t make me look like I have E.T. fingers.

How do models do it? I have no idea.

chanel summer 2015
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Springy and Smokey! Smokey Brown and Purple Cat Eyes and a Bright Coral Lip With New Makeup From Benefit, Dior and Smashbox

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Smashbox Double Exposure Palette

The sun’s out, I’m not wearing socks (FOOT FREEDOM!), I am wearing coral lipstick, and the eye look I tried this morning did not result in a complete disaster…

Yeah, it’s been a terrific Tuesday so far. 🙂

Today I felt springy and, I dunno, kinda smokey, so this purply brown smokey eye with soft cat eye liner happened.

Note to self: do this liner more often! It’s fairly easy — just black eye pencil with a dark shimmery purple shadow blended on top with a pencil brush — and it takes about half the time as a super crisp black cat liner, otherwise known as “the time-suck of my makeup existence.”

As a side, am I the only person who regularly attempts black cat liner when there’s, like, absolutely no time to get ready, and then inevitably ends up with their two tiny kitten flicks morphing into huge, unsymmetrical bat wings that don’t match?

Yargh.

Siri, remind me to wear soft cat eyeliner like this the next time I need to be saved from myself.

Oh! — this look was also an excuse to try a few new products from Benefit, Dior and Smashbox.

Some quick notes…

  • Benefit’s new Roller Lash curling mascara — This stuff is black, and glossy, and it lifts and curls lashes, but you absolutely, positively must comb out your lashes while they’re wet; otherwise, they’ll stick together like mean girls in the cafeteria.
  • Dior’s Nude Air Serum Foundation — This lightweight, medium-coverage hybrid skin care serum/foundation looks amazing on the skin. My homegirl at Sephora hooked me up (‘sup Nini!) with a fatty-bo-batty sample in shade 040, and when I finish it…I’m probably gonna throw down 53 large ($53) for a full-size replacement.

    Yeah, that good.

  • Smashbox Double Exposure Palette — Yep, these gorgeous, mostly cool-toned shades are a dream to blend.

Smashbox Double Exposure Palette

products I used for this look
Key products I used for this look

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