Karen, Author at Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup - Page 221 of 1879

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

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 575

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The days are getting shorter…

Tabs became more of a night owl in his senior years after his retirement, up at all hours, but he still managed to stay busy and productive.

Of course, I made it explicitly clear to him that I could not chauffeur him between the hours of midnight and 3, but he took it upon himself to find alternate means of transportation to his gigs.

Like Uber Black for Cats…

I would just hear the click of the front door sometimes and know he was off to work.

One of his favorite sayings was, “Night time is the right time.” The right time to what, I never quite knew…


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Saturday Surfing, October 12, 2019

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charlotte tilbury makeup happy saturday
Let’s makeup. ?

Do you ever wake up, walk to the mirror and say to yourself, “I’m gonna put on all the things”? I felt that way this morning (happy Caturday, by the way!).

It’s been about two weeks since I’ve done a full face. I’ve been mostly just doing a lash curl here and some brow gel there, but today? Today I want it all!

First, a little backstory…

Connor spent pretty much all of last week sick with a bad cold. Then, as luck would have it, I caught it, so it’s been a while since I’ve truly played with face paint.

Today will be all about Ms. Charlotte Tilbury. Every time — and I can’t be the only one who does this — I put on her makeup, I hear her silky British voice in my head saying something like, “DAA-LING! I want you to coat your fringe with my fabulous, Full Fat Lashes. Literally every lash. See, daa-ling?”

Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this. ?

On to today’s reading…


My favorite U2 song done with a gospel twist = GENIUS


Seriously, I freakin’ love it.


The tap dancer just takes it to the next level.


I guess you’re just what I needed.

What’s the plan for today, my friend? I hope it involves lip liner. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Let It Go…

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let it go pic

Did homegirl just quote Frozen? She sure did. Can you blame her (me), though? My primary source of social interaction is a toddler, LOL!

“Let it go” isn’t just a song lyric. It’s also a gentle reminder for both you and me to just let the little things go, a.k.a. not sweating the small stuff.

That’s hard for me — not getting too frustrated about all of the little annoyances that happen throughout the day. I’ve been diligently working on it for a month, and it’s been…a challenge, to say the least. I have to keep working on it, but so far, at least, the effort has done a lot for my spirit. I just want to take more things in stride, ya know? — but it’s hard to remember that there are many things I don’t have control over (like people, and some circumstances).

You know how it is… The only thing we really have control over is how we react. ?‍♀️

Case in point, last night I was on hold on the phone for — I kid you not — a full hour trying to sort out a situation with Connor’s school pictures. There was a snafu with the ordering, and what I thought was going to save me time ultimately ended up taking A LOT more time to straighten out.

While I was on hold, my shoulders grew increasingly more tense, and my jaw clenched tighter. I started to run through a mental checklist of questions and answers that went a little something like this…

  • What about this situation is bugging me so much? Answer: That I’m wasting so much time, and also a decent amount of money.
  • Do I have control over how long I’m having to wait on hold? Answer: I don’t. I just have to keep waiting until I can speak to someone who can hopefully help me sort things out.
  • Does being angry right now make my life better in any way? Answer: No. It just makes me even MORE stressed.
  • Will being crabby toward the person on the other end of the phone make me feel any better in the long run or help me get back my lost time? Answer: No.
  • Do I have control over how I react in this situation? Answer: I do. I can either let this ruin my evening, or I can take it in stride, do what I have to do, and move on.

You get the picture.

It’s fascinating to me that there are people out there who just do this naturally, because I have to REALLY work at it.

It’s such a cliche, but it’s also true. We really don’t have control over many of life’s annoyances, just like we don’t have control over how other people treat us throughout the day, and for me, it is a struggle to be chill, because I’m so not chill, but I’m working on it… I find that the more I closely I watch my breathing, and the more attention I pay to how I’m feeling, like when I ask myself questions in situations I’m bothered by, the better and less stressed I feel.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Doing the Dew With MAC Cream Colour Base in Luna

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mac luna
MAC Cream Colour Base in Luna

Dear 1990s-era mattes,

Enjoy your moment in the makeup world, my friends, because in 30 or so, tastes will shift, and people will be all about shimmering skin. They’ll even go so far as to talk about varying levels of dewiness… Can you imagine? I KNOW. It’s craziness.

Your friend,

MBB

As you know, I’ve been into dewy skin for… What has it been now? Years? And what has propelled this obsession to stratospheric levels has been the sheer breadth of different types of dew and shininess (yes, there are varying levels of dewiness).

One of my favorite ways to “do the dew” is to have skin that glows with just the sheerest, subtlest opalescence, and that’s what you get with MAC Cream Colour Base in Luna ($24).

Now, I realize that Luna looks a little like a stark and scary full moon in the pan… I think of it as a cream version of MAC Strobe Cream, but without the pink or gold tones. The color is a warm pearly white sheen sans any glitter or frost, and as long as you don’t pile too much of it on (because it’ll start to look harsh and obvious), it’s totally wearable. When you blend a thin layer on your skin, Luna reflects light in soft, subtle ways… It’s the polar opposite of hard, harsh metallic creams and powders, and it looks very natural.

Luna is most often used as a highlighter, but I think it also shines (ha ha ha, very punny, Karen!) when you layer it underneath other products. I love it as an eyeshadow base for neutral tan, taupe and beige powder eyeshadows because it brightens up your toasty tones a tad while adding the softest hint of pearl.

The overall effect? Fresh-faced, sightly dewy lids.

Side note: if you have MAC Satin Taupe, Naked Lunch or Era on hand, Luna looks magical underneath any of ’em.

Oh, you can also layer Luna with blushes, too. Yup, both powder and cream blushes. Dab a little on the apples of your cheeks, then tap your blush on top with either fingers or a skunk brush. Or, mix it with your cream blush on the back of your hand before applying from there with your fingers.

mac luna swatch
Blended and unblended on my NC42 skin

Luna feels like an ever-so-slightly thinner and creamier MAC Paint Pot. Don’t worry if it seems stark white in the swatch because you won’t see it sitting on top of your skin if you blend it.

Yes, because it’s a cream, Luna will scoot a little bit…or a lot, depending on your skin type. I’m combo oily/dry, and my dry spots like the Cream Colour Bases. They latch onto them for about five hours (maybe six in winter), and I don’t normally reapply them throughout the day because if/when my makeup shifts and changes, I’m usually cool with that.
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Saturday Night San Francisco Streets

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cable car up

I snapped a few pics in the city last weekend. El Hub and I went to meet some old friends who were visiting the city and stopped by a couple of bars for a few hours on Saturday night, mostly in the Union Square/Nob Hill area.

I used to live in San Francisco and walked all around this neighborhood when I worked in one of the tall buildings near Union Square. Just when I think I’ve seen ever corner and there’s nothing new to see, hello! — I’m wrong, and I stumble upon something I’ve never seen before. Every time I visit, I see the city with fresh eyes all over again. There’s always something fascinating and interesting to see in San Francisco.

san francisco maiden lane

cable car up

barabary coast sidewalk

jones sf gate

powell place

pyramid building cable car
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Unsung Makeup Heroes: e.l.f. Solid Sponge Cleanser

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elf solid sponge cleanser
Clean brushes in the shake of a kitty’s tail.

What’s an unsung hero in beauty-speak? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup (or polish!) morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. My long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

If you’ve been visiting MBB for a while now, you might already know that my ride-or-die makeup brush cleanser has been good ol’ Dr. Bronner’s solid soap for years; however, one thing that drives me crazy and has always driven me crazy about Dr. B’s is that once you use that white bar, it never looks anywhere near as pristine as it did when you first opened it, and it ends up looking dirty and gross in the soap dish…

The part of me that’s morphing into a lady who only wears muumuus and yells at kids on her lawn does not like this, which is why I bought the e.l.f. Solid Sponge Cleanser. It’s black, so you can’t see any dirt on it, which I adore. Plus, it works crazy well. Even your jankiest brushes will sparkle quicker than you can say, “GET OFF MY LAWN.”

elf solid sponge cleanser review
Ahhh!

This soap is made to clean makeup sponges like Beautyblenders and whatnot, but you can also use it on natural and synthetic fiber makeup brushes. It foams up in a hummingbird’s heartbeat, and then BAM! — cuts through whatever’s in your bristles. Then it rinses out with just a few splashes of water. When I leave my brushes out to air dry, the next time I use them, they feel soft, not crunchy, and they smell kinda minty… I wonder if that has something to do with the charcoal they added to the soap, which is supposed to have anti-bacterial properties).

Hmm…

Dare I say that it works faster Dr. B’s?! ?

Oh, and P.S., it’s only $4, bargain hunters. I get mine at Target.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product Spotlight: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder Glow

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laura mercier translucent loose setting powder glow
Let’s get loose!

To quote the great Lizzo (Lizzo for president!), it ain’t my fault if I’m out here getting loose. And I say that because I’ve been wearing Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder Glow ($39), so, ya know…I’m getting loose with it, ha ha ha!

(I don’t blame it on the goose or my juice, in case you were wondering.)

This face setting powder is a rare gem. It has a subtle pearly finish (I know, blowing your mind right now!), which sets makeup without making pores look like moon craters (an issue with any sort of powder with shimmer or sheen).

laura mercier translucent loose setting powder glow
Going for the glow with the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Yes, you can wear it all over your face! It adds a hint of dewiness, so your face doesn’t look flat or too matte, and it does this without showing off your fine lines or smile lines, a.k.a your experience lines.

You can also wear it like a traditional highlighter as well, if all-over glow is a little too much for ya.

Oh, and did I mention that it feels weightless and doesn’t look cake-y? It’s so good, you guys. So, so good.

laura mercier traslucent loose setting powder glow swatch
I’m an NC42 in MAC, by the way.

You know, if you like that dewy skin look, but you don’t want to look greasy or a shiny metallic robot, this is it.

A big 1-oz. jar is $39 (comes with a sifter, but it doesn’t come with a brush or powder puff though), and there are two shade options — one lighter and one darker. I wear the lighter option, and it works fine with my NC42 skin.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 595

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she took a deep breath and let it o
Gentle reminder for today and the rest of the week.

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. Liquid or cream eyeshadow?

    Cream eyeshadow, please!

    2. Your greatest beauty achievement?

    Figuring out how to do a smoky eye on my slightly hooded lids. MAN, that was challenging!

    3. What’s your current makeup philosophy?

    Don’t worry so much. ?‍♀️

    4. Would you rather wear a perfume that smells like pizza, like hamburgers or like clam chowder?

    A margherita pizza…with fresh tomato and basil.

    5. Mascara on your lower lashes? Yay or nay?

    Lately, it’s been a nay. I’ve been trying to wear less underneath my eyes because it seems like the less I wear in that area, the less tired I look.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Question time! Here they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon!

1. Liquid or cream eyeshadow?
2. Your greatest beauty achievement?
3. What’s your current makeup philosophy?
4. Would you rather wear a perfume that smells like pizza, like hamburgers or like clam chowder?
5. Mascara on your lower lashes? Yay or nay?

P.P.S. I hope your spirit feels light this morning and your foundation feels strong. Sending you positive vibes for a fantastic week. ?❤️?

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