Karen

Saturday Surfing, Nov. 16th, 2019

November 16th, 2019 by Karen 9 Comments

trader joes 12 days of beauty items — Mmm… All the yums…

Happy Caturday, my friend!

One of the perks of adulting 24/7 is that you can actively pursue unapproved, unsanctioned frivolous endeavors, like buying yourself an advent calendar from Trader Joe’s and opening everything at once WEEKS before the actual holiday officially starts!

Having the freedom to do things like this almost — almost — makes up for having to deal with people stealing your parking spot. Or, for having to pay the bills. Forever.

(Kinda sorta. Not really.)

Quick TJ’s advent calendar update

I’ve been using a few of the things from my new 12 Days of Beauty Calendar this week, and all I have to say is, “HELLO, YUM-YUMS,” because everything I’ve tried so far smells like food!

Delicious-smelling delights are to be found in the…

Blueberry & Acai Facial Scrub: This smells exactly like a fresh blueberry smoothie, and the grains are the perfect level of “scrubiness,” in that they aren’t too aggressively gritty or too unhelpfully gentle.
Warm Vanilla Body Butter: The scent of hella bougie vanilla extract will follow you around for hours when you slather this thick, moisturizing butter on your bod.
I need an XXL size tub of this ASAP.
Brown Sugar Scrub: How many people are singing D’angelo to themselves when they use this in the shower I wonder? Hmm… It’s super moisturizing (watch out, though, because it makes the bottom of the bathtub slippery after you rinse off), and the sugar grains are substantial. It smells like freshly baked sugar cookies.
Rose Facial Oil: This scent of this light, yet hydrating, face oil takes me back to my childhood, when my friends and I would roll up to the Asian store and buy French rose pastille hard candies!

If you live near a TJ’s, I recommend grabbing one for yourself (and the ladies in your life) ASAP. It’s sooooo good, you guys.

Anywho…since it’s Caturday and all, Rosie Posie wanted to say a quick “meow” from her own personal fainting couch, which is also known as “Connor’s big girl bed.”

These girls have the cutest bedtime ritual. Every night, right before bed, Rosie hangs around and listens while I sing Connor her goodnight lullabies and read her a book. Then, when I turn off the light and leave the room, Rosie hops on the bed and stays with Connor till she falls asleep.

Every day I learn a little more about Rosie and fall more in love. 🙂

On that note, here’s this week’s reading…

This reusable $7 beauty spatula is designed to scrape out every last morsel of goodness from your beauty products. WANT!
The best drugstore primers, according to makeup artists
16 under-the-radar skincare products beloved by dermatologists
*The* must-have beauty item that active members of the military always pack when they’re deployed might surprise you.
What to do when you try a new product and your skin freaks-the-eff out
Red lipstick superstars under $10
Allegedly, these half-sized Christmas trees prevent curious kitties from attacking ornaments, but I’m pretty sure Tabs would’ve still found a way to destroy one…
How to use beauty products that you probably have sitting around your house to remover stickers from books!
Who, exactly, is Estée Laundry?

I’m so ready.

Pecan or pumpkin pie?

YES!

Note to self

Don’t believe me, just watch.

Step by step

What’s on your plate for today? I hope you’re doing at least a little something for yourself, and I hope it feeds your soul.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Layer Your Liner for Flickering Feline Flicks in a Flash

November 15th, 2019 by Karen 8 Comments

urban decay starfire — Kitten flicks with a little flash of glitter give you a lot of bang for your buck.

Layering liners. I’ve been doing this a lot lately because 1) it’s fast (since you don’t have to be terribly precise or do any razzle-dazzle complicated eyeshadow blending) and 2) because it lets you unleash the full fury of your creative side by conjuring up all sorts of fun finishes.

For this look, I drew a baby cat eye flick on my upper lash lines with a black felt tip pen liner, then ran a glittery bronze liner right along the edge for sparkle.

Next, I lined my lower lash lines with a pearly bronze pencil liner, smudged the edges, and topped it off with the same glittery bronze liner I used on the upper lash line.

I also defined my lids with a quick sweep of orange-brown eyeshadow, but that was totally optional. You could skip it and just wear liner, and do your brows and mascara, for a complete eye look.

One last thing: my feline flicks are pretty subtle here because I wore this to work, but if you’re going to a par-tay or other to-do, you could go bigger and bolder with your cat eye flicks. Or, you could pat EVEN MOAR GLITTER on your lids.

Makeup worn in this look

Eyes: MAC Texture (lids), Charlotte Tilbury Feline Flick Liquid Eyeliner (upper lash line), Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Starfire (upper and lower lash lines), Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Smog (lower lash line), It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara (lashes), Covergirl Ultrafine Brow Pencil in Soft Brown (brows)

Cheeks: MAC Sunbasque blush

Base: MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC42 mixed with MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite set with Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden (this is my go-to base combo)

Lips: MAC Mahogany lip liner all over with a little bit of MAC Paramount lipstick blended on top

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ?

Product Spotlight: MAC Opalescent Powder in Rising Star, From the New Starring You Holiday 2019 Collection

November 14th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

mac rising star — Shoot for the Stars, Rising Star!

This Rising Star from MAC ? is shooting straight to the top of my list of “Best of the Best Makeup to Wear With MAC Teddy.”

(Wait…doesn’t everyone keep that list around?)

Of all the things in the new MAC Starring You holiday makeup collection (which is the sub-collection of makeup within the mega collection of LE holiday items, including the kits and palettes), warm golden Rising Star ($36) face powder is the 1) most wearable eye product IMO, and 2) the kindest to fine lines, which makes it the star of the show in my book.

And, oh yeah, it looks amazing when you wear it with MAC Teddy! (Totally key.)

Rising Star is a warm golden pressed powder in the MAC Opalescent Face Powder fam. It’s a pressed powder with finely-spun grains of granulated powder that practically float atop your skin, and it’s designed to be worn as a highlighter.

Are you familiar with the Hourglass Ambients? If so, MAC’s Opalescent Face Powders are very similar in terms of texture and finish, but with slightly higher shine.

As a highlighter, it gives cheeks a soft, subtle candlelit glow…but I like to take my cues from MAC artists who use it as an eyeshadow! That’s where I think it really shines (pun intended).

I buff it on top of my lids with a MAC 217, and it automatically adds a glam “Charlotte Tilbury-ness” to my lids, especially when I wear it atop a base of MAC Teddy liner.

It’s an easy and elegant eye look, which is totally my style, and best of all, the powder lasts all day. I wore this eye makeup to the bakery the other day, and it stayed put for a solid 14 hours!

mac rising star k — Rising Star Powder layered on top of a base of MAC Teddy liner

mac rising star look — Makeup worn in this look

Makeup in this look

Eyes: MAC Teddy (base), MAC Rising Star (lids), Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (crease), MAC Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash (lashes), MAC Concrete and It Cosmetics Prow Power (brows)

Base: Estee Lauder Double Wear mixed with Becca Backlight Priming Filter

Cheeks: NARS Amour (this looks really great with MAC Smoked Almond lipstick)

Lips: Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, MAC Smoked Almond, NARS Chelsea Girls

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

To Me, From Me

November 13th, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

trader joes 12 days of beauty — You guys, I had to do it!

LOOK WHAT I FOUND AT TJ’s!

This 12 Days of Beauty gift box is $20, and it comes with 12 beauty minis exclusive to Trader Joe’s. Everything it comes with is listed on the back (and reproduced below), so it’s not a super-hard-to-figure-out surprise…but if you don’t wanna know what it comes with (SPOILER ALERT), look away meow.

I’m serious, look away!

This is your last warning…

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The MAC Holiday 2019 “Starring You” Collection! (Swatches on NC42 Skin)

November 13th, 2019 by Karen 7 Comments

mac starring you holiday 2019 collection — The new limited edition MAC Starring You Holiday 2019 collection, available now

As the name would imply, “you,” or “we,” are intended to be stars of this show — the MAC Holiday 2019 “Starring You” collection show — since it’s starring…you, buuuut as much as I love ya, the real stars of this show are the glitter and frost.

Sorry! But yeah. Lots. O’. Glitter.

This release is all about big bling.

Quick MAC backstory: every year, MAC releases a massive limited edition holiday collection that includes a bunch of gift sets and at least one large makeup collection. The swatches here (all on my NC42 skin) are of the products in this year’s makeup collection.

First, the LE packaging stands out with glossy black compacts and tubes and caps sprinkled with multicolored disco glitter, and it’s very disco ’70s over-the-top glam. 🙂

Me like.

It definitely makes a certain kind of impression…that we are here to have a party!

Also, I mean, I guess one could wear every product here on their face at once, because why not, right? Life is short. Might as well wear all the glitter you can, but for me, that would be a lot of look, especially to wear to work during the day. So, I’m much more likely to pick just one element, maybe two at the most, of bling, and keep the rest of my makeup low-key.

My favorite things in this collection are the intensely pigmented, sparkly loose eyeshadows, which are amazingly still totally wearable. Definitely give the purple and coppery bronze ones a swatch (the coppery bronze one looks like a loose eyeshadow version of MAC Teddy!).

I also like the glosses, which, like the eyeshadows, are shimmery, but still subtle enough to wear to most jobs.

My faves are the lightest colors — Counting Stars and Young Star — which look like nude, glossy lips when you pair them with MAC classic liners like Subculture and Whirl.

mac holiday 2019 swatches — Swatches of the entire Starring You makeup collection on my NC42 skin

mac starring you kiss of star lipsticks — Kiss of Stars Lipsticks, $20 each

mac starring you spellbinder — Spellbinder Shadows, $25 each

mac starring you face powder — Opalescent Powders, $36 each

mac starring you holiday 2019 packaging — Glitter, glitter everywhere!

OK, if it’s MAC Holiday collection time already, then the holidays are officially near! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Space Buns and Sparkly Purple Lids

November 12th, 2019 by Karen 11 Comments

triple hair buns — I may or may not have about a billion bobby pins in my hair at the moment.

I’m sure this tri-bun hairstyle has an official/formal name, but I intend to call it “space buns,” because there’s something undeniably Star Wars about it…

If I were hurtling through space on a rocket bound for Mars, and I was required to wear my hair up (to protect the sensitive electronic equipment from static discharge, you see), you better believe I would NOT be rocking a basic low pony.

SPACE BUNS ALL THE WAY, GIRLFRIEND.

Side note: Connor calls this a “pony hairstyle” because she’s into horses at the moment.

Maybe it’s the stars twinkling in the firmament…but sparkles and space buns just seem *right* to me, hence the purple glitter in this look.

mac wishful thinking — Wearing some newness from the MAC Holiday collection

I got a few compliments from my coworkers when I wore this to the bakery the other day. 🙂 It was nice. I think it was because this is one of those looks that isn’t too over the top in terms of base and lips (I kept the foundation super sheer and the lips glossy and subtly sparkly, which boosts the wearability for daytime), but I think the glitter is punchy and fun enough to catch your eye.

If you like this type of makeup, you need to follow Katie Jane Hughes on Instagram ASAP. She’s a celeb makeup artist known for her sheer base, the wings she does, and her penchant for sparkle. It’s very inspiring!

I’m using some new MAC products from the very sparkly Staring You holiday collection, by the way. This collection, which is out now, has new Spellbinder Shadows in glittery holiday shades (you might remember these ionized eyeshadows from 2016).

mac starring you holiday 2019 — The new, limited edition MAC Starring You holiday 2019 collection, available now

Two things if you plan on picking up one of these loose shadows: 1) most definitely DO NOT skip wearing an eyeshadow base; and 2) apply it using a stiff, flat eyeshadow brush, or your fingers.

If you’d like to chat more about the Spellbinders, drop me a comment. I’m happy to help!
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 600

November 11th, 2019 by Karen 28 Comments

monday fall hill novato — Keep looking ahead, my friend.

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 five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start.

1. Black liquid liner or brown pencil liner?

I’m equally passionate about both (hello, Clinique Easy Liner and MAC Coffee), so this is a very difficult choice for me…but I’m going to have to go with brown pencil, and here’s why: if I want to, I figure I can make the brown pencil look darker by layering a black or dark brown eyeshadow on top, whereas with the black liquid eyeliner, you can’t really make it lighter.

You know what I’m saying? It’s easier to go from lighter to darker than from darker to lighter.

2. Skincare products you put on your face this morning?

Here we go!

Fresh Soy Cleanser
Paula’s Choice BHA
Lilfox Kalahari Serum, Aloha Youth Serum and Laurel Skin Sun Serum (got these all from a recent Beauty Heroes box)
Kate Somerville Anti Bac (always and forever)
Elta MD Clear Sunscreen, which I’m testing this week

3. For tonight, cooking at home or eating out?

I actually don’t mind cooking at all, but I REALLY don’t love the washing dishes part, so tonight, I’d rather go out to eat… We probably won’t, because it’s a school night, but I gotta admit that it’s nice when someone else does all the work!

4. What foundation do you wear when you need your makeup to last?

Estée Lauder Double Wear! — because you can’t go wrong with the O.G.

5. Velvet or lace?

Velvet, because it’s soft, it keeps me warm, and it doesn’t itch!

600 Mondays

G’morning, sweet girl! ?

As this is the six-hundredth installment of the Monday Poll, that means that we’ve started approximately 11 years (!) of our Monday mornings together. ??

That’s over a decade of silly ramblings and, of course, pictures of cats.

Can you believe it’s been that long?? Sometimes it feels like I blinked, and BAM! — here we are. So many changes, big and small, both about lipstick and life…

It’s been fun, hasn’t it?

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. Black liquid liner or brown pencil liner?
2. Skincare products you put on your face this morning?
3. For tonight, cooking at home or eating out?
4. What foundation do you wear when you need your makeup to last?
5. Velvet or lace?

P.P.S. To quote the The Golden Girls again on this lovely morning, as I hope I’ve told you often over the years, thank you for being a friend. ❤️

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 579

November 10th, 2019 by Karen 4 Comments

I feel so lucky to have been able to work with one of the most iconic figures in feline fashion history. Tabs was a fiercely fashionable cat who cared just as much about his coat as he cared about his accessories.

He was also the first cat to make affordable fashion-forward feline felt merchandise for the masses, thanks to his huge distribution deal with Target. He was a legend in the feline fashion community. He really was.

His Gorgeous Glistening Gourd Pumpkin Travel Backpack is still the bestselling cat accessory of all time.

And his Wicked Whiskers Wizarding Hat is still a favorite among kittens.

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