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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

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 593

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youre exactly where your supposed to be
Enjoy this day, sweet girl!

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. What’s something in your closet that makes you feel good when you wear it?

    I have this robe I got from Macy’s a while back. It’s by Charter Club, and every single time I put it on, I feel like I’m being enveloped in a cocoon of love… It’s so soft and so cozy, and once I’m in it, there’s always chance I may never take it off, ever again.

    2. Coffee or tea?

    To quote Lorelei Gilmore, “Coffee, coffee, coffee!” ☕☕☕

    (Although tea does have its time and place.)

    3. What’s scarier: clowns or spiders?

    DUDE. I’m not afraid of spiders at all. I’m cool with spiders, and I think that’s because I read Charlotte’s Web at a young age, so they never really freaked me out… But clowns? that’s another story. I want to know who it was in my life that deemed it appropriate for a small child to watch Poltergeist, because whoever it was, they basically ruined clowns for me.


    Oh, hell no

    4. Planner or spontaneous?

    Naturally spontaneous, but my life is less chaotic and more peaceful when I plan, so these days I try to plan the sh*t out of everything, LOL!

    5. What’s something you’re wearing today, makeup-wise, that you absolutely love?

    I’m really into the MAC Love Me Lipsticks right now! I’m wearing pinkish brown Bated Breath today.

Speaking of spooky things…

Gentle reminder from the person who’s trying to get better about planning ahead (me!): five weeks till Halloween!

I’m already excited about the mini-Snickers I’m going to eat. ?

If you haven’t yet, you might want to work out your costume situation meow. I might revisit the Pink Sweeties costume I did last year, but I’m also thinking about dressing up as a flapper. Or perhaps Rosie the Riveter… Really, I just want an excuse to do some fun makeup and hair.

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. What’s something in your closet that makes you feel good when you wear it?
2. Coffee or tea?
3. What’s scarier: clowns or spiders?
4. Planner or spontaneous?
5. What’s something you’re wearing today, makeup-wise, that you absolutely love?

P.P.S. Sending you some extra positivity and good vibes today and all week long. ?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 572

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Tabs was a firm believer in flexibility, both in terms of dealing with surprises in his professional life (like the night we ran out of gravy), and with regard to his sumptuous body.

Being a yoga master and a feline fitness champion, he understood the importance of stretching in being able to hit purr-fect kitty modeling poses.

Needless to say, he took stretching very seriously — so seriously that his Extreme Tummy Shaping DVD from 2015 is still the bestselling feline fitness DVD of all time.


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Saturday Surfing, September 21st, 2019

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Bow wow wow, yippie yo, yippie yay

Reasons why Caturday is the best day of the week:

  1. Sleeping in (hopefully). For me, this means staying in bed till 6 or (GASP) 6:30, LOL! I like to sneak in a workout before Coy-Coy wakes up, and the best time for me to work out is the early morning; otherwise, it just doesn’t get done. That extra hour or half an hour of catching Zs, though? Priceless.
  2. You can catch up on your reading. (See the links below!) This weekend I’m reading that cookbook up above that I checked out from the library.

Yup, that’s Snoop Dogg… ? See, this is why I frickin’ love the library! You can find the most random things to read, and then you can take them home. FOR FREE.

The anatomy of a fried bologna sandwich!
The part where Snoop teaches you how to make fancy things
Seriously, that pic is THE BEST!

It’s such a weird pivot for the Doggfather (“Is this guy really gonna teach me how to cook lobster?”), but I like weird, so I’m going to go with it!

And for some more reading…


A lovely way to start your morning


One of my favorite makeup artists! It’s refreshing to see makeup being used on *real,* non-filtered skin.


Super chill

What are you up to today? Whatever it is, I hope it involves some makeup exploration! I’m going to try (“try” being the key word here) an Euphoria-inspired look with this colorful palette.

juvias place warrior 3
The Warrior 3 Palette ($20), by Juvia’s Place

I know… Not my usual scene, but I’m just gonna go for it and see where it takes me.

And hopefully Snoop offers an interesting perspective on cooking in his book. If nothing else, I’m gonna guess it won’t be boring!

Have a wonderful weekend, my friend. Talk to you soon. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What I Wore this Week: 3 Looks With the Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette

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urban decay naked honey swatches
Playtime with this Queen Bee

Herald the trumpets, because I actually wore eyeshadow this week…repeatedly. ?

I KNOW.

I wore the new Urban Decay Naked Honey Eye Palette a few times and was surprised by the variety of eye looks I was able to do with it. Before I tried to test its limits, I didn’t expect it to be as versatile as it turned out to be because there isn’t a ton of variation among the shades, but you can actually do a lot of different things with it!

Like…

Look 1: “Tropical vibes”

urban decay naked honey tropical purple lips side

urban decay naked honey tropical purple lips down

urban decay naked honey tropical purple lips front

urban decay naked honey tropical neutral lips down

Look 2: “Crimson and chocolate”

urban decay naked honey red lips down

urban decay naked honey red lips forward

urban decay naked honey red lips forward
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Things I’ve Done Because of Acne

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So good I scrape out every last drop!

Because of acne I’ve…

  • Invested a small fortune in the magic that is Kate Somerville Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion (I will certifiably lose my sh*t if this is ever discontinued).
  • Gotten a cortisone shot in a massive pimple on my chin 24 hours before leaving for Toronto for the MAC Bloggers’ Obsession Collection collaboration.
  • Gone to bed with thick dots of stinky white benzoyl peroxide cream on my face.
  • Forgotten about said benzoyl peroxide dots and answered the front door, half asleep in all my dried white goo glory.
  • Changed the part in my hair in an attempt to strategically hide behind it like a curtain (although, let’s get real, I wasn’t fooling anybody).
  • Woke up in the middle of the night to go look in the mirror and contemplate whether to pop THOSE PIMPLES.
  • Popped a zit (or two or three) during the witching hour.
  • Interviewed every Sephora associate in the skin care section to find out the things that people with acne buy often (this is how I found AmorePacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder, which worked great for me when my chin acne was at its worst).
  • Felt like cattle in a dermatologist’s office. I can’t tell you how many times I felt like my concerns were dismissed by doctors.
  • Bought things I didn’t need because my pimples made me feel bad about myself. ?
  • Had such an intense allergic reaction to prescription acne medication that my eyes became swollen shut.
  • Cancelled a date.
  • Endured emotional anguish caused by hurtful comments — but the worst ones weren’t from strangers; the worst ones were always from friends and family.
  • Bought ProActiv from a kiosk in the middle of the mall (I was a fan of the cream and toner for a while). The kiosk had a picture of Adam Levine on the side, and I came *this close* to taking out a pen and drawing a mustache on him a few times, ha ha!
  • Filled up an entire drawer with concealers and setting powders in order to find the holy grail combo of cover-up.
  • Experienced my self-esteem lowering.
  • Learned how to be more patient with myself.
  • Figured out creative workarounds to relieve the temptation to pop pimples (side note: bribing yourself totally works).
  • Never gone to sleep without taking off my makeup and washing my face.
  • Defaced bathroom stall walls with notes for other women, including the following: “You are so much more than what you see in the mirror.”
  • Become cautious about putting new skin care products all over my face… Patch tests all the way.
  • Learned to cherish the days/periods of life when my skin is clear.
  • Learned to have more empathy for myself and for others.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Essie Angora Cardi

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essie angora cardi
Is it sweater weather yet?

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.

(Not so) Deep thoughts: do you suppose Cardi B ever wears Essie Angora Cardi?

HMMM… I wonder!

If anybody could actually point me in the direction of a chunky, cozy cardigan that’s the exact same shade as this nail polish, I’ll be forever grateful. I like the idea of having something to match with it because it’s one of my favorite fall colors, and I think it could be one of yours, too.

It’s a deep, creamy dusty rose, $9, and you can find it in Essie’s permanent line, so it’s not going anywhere. Thank goodness, because it’s one of those shades I’ll wear year after year after year, especially this time of year between seasons.

Meet me in the middle

It’s like the transitional booty bootie of the nail polish world. Not quite as light as your “starter” fall colors like Essie Clothing Optional, which I like to wear late August/early September, but not as deep and dark as the full-on vampy colors we see everywhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

essie angora cardi
Essie Angora Cardi

So it’s perfect for sweater weather and that in-between time. Because it’s dark, you can definitely see it on your nails, but it isn’t so intense or deep that it mentally signals that we’ve past the point of no return when it’s officially cold every day, and it ain’t turning back for months.

It’s also super shiny, which is something Essie is known for. If you’re the type of person who can’t even bother with a top coat, Angora Cardi is shiny enough on its own.

I’ve got no time for flakes

I also love this shade because it’s one of the most durable Essie nail polishes I’ve ever used. Like every brand’s polishes, Essie’s colors vary in terms of their anti-chipness/durability, and I think this is one of the line’s more durable colors. When I do my nails with it on a Sunday afternoon, by the Friday of the following week, when I’m passing out in my pajamas on my couch at 5:30, I look at my hands and inevitably think, “You know what? This mani did really well!” There may be a few tiny dings on a few tips, but ya know, after a week, that’s great for me.
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Fall for Fresh Skin and Shimmering Lids With the Latest From Wander Beauty

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wander beauty wandress rush palette
Pretty, new products from Wander Beauty to get you going

Is it just me, or does autumn seem like the hottest new holiday season? — because it feels like the latest and greatest, most bustling time of year to me.

It’s almost like the powers that be know ALL. THE. THINGS on my to-do list right now, including…

  • Traipsing through piles of autumn leaves (no, seriously, Connor has preschool homework this week that involves gathering fallen leaves!)
  • Driving the coywolf to and from various toddler events, of which, surprisingly, there are many
  • Researching lighting fixtures for a half-bathroom remodel (who knew there were so many different types of lighting fixtures?)
  • Low-key freaking out about everything (which isn’t actually on my to-list, but it’s something I’m doing anyway)

Wander Beauty seems to *GET* this, because all of their new makeup and skin care launches for fall 2019 focus on getting you ready in a flash, so you can conquer the world! — or, at least conquer the bus ride to work or the morning school drop-off.

wander beauty wandress rus
Wander Beauty Products I’m wearing in this look: Wandress Rush Eye Palette on my lids, High Line Liquid Eyeliner on my lash lines, Frame Your Face Precise Brow Gel in Dark Brown in my brows, Trip for Two Blush and Bronzer Duo in Dauiri/Tulum on my cheeks, and the Lip Setter Duo in On the Mauve on my lips. The foundation is MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick in NC42.

wander beauty wandress rush swatches
Wandress Rush Eyeshadow Palette, Frame Your Face Precise Brow Gel and High Line Liquid Eyeliner (I’m an NC42 in MAC)

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What’s the Most Unlikely Thing in Your Makeup Bag?

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hollywood fashion tape essie

Lemme guess… Is it a toothbrush? (They do come in handy for taming flyaways.)

Or a business card? (So convenient for stenciling out crispy cat eye flicks!)

For me, it’s a tossup between the bottle of Essie Gel Couture Top Coat and a small tin of Hollywood Fashion Tape!

I keep the top coat around because I’ve become the person who gets wherever she needs to go a half an hour early these days (to make a long story short, I feel much less anxious, but it goes totally against my nature, LOL!), so I often find myself with time to spare waiting in the car. So, while I’m there, I’ll swipe a little of the top coat at and under the tips of my nails to delay chipping.

Oh, and the Hollywood Fashion Tape is a double-sided tape you can stick on your body or your clothes, like on bra straps or loose hems, to keep things in place.

Can’t even BEGIN to tell you how many times it’s prevented a fashion faux pas!

How about you? What’s the most unlikely thing in your makeup bag?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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