Karen

Product Spotlight: Wander Beauty Exquisite Eye Liquid Shadow

March 28th, 2019 by Karen 9 Comments

wander beauty exquisite liquid eye shadow amber wave — Wander Beauty Exquisite Eye Liquid Shadows in Amber Wave and Champagne ($22 each) on my lids, and Brownstone as eyeliner

You know how Marie Kondo is always taking about things that spark joy?

Like…

And…

Well, these Exquisite Eye Liquid Shadows by Wander Beauty also spark intense joy in my makeup-loving soul.

wander beauty exquisite eye liquid shadow swatches — I built these up swatches so you could easily see the color, but when they’re blended out the shimmer is mellower in real life.

First, look at those gorgeous neutrals… Swoon!

My favorite is Amber Wave, which I wore today. Now that’s an oh-so-pretty coppery brown. It’s like a cream shadow Teddy Liner.

Another fave is soft, shimmering peach Champagne. Mm…

Basically, if you wear neutrals and lurve brown, beige and taupe, you’ll lose your mind when you see these up close and personal.

I think the best thing about them, though, is that they’re just like Tom Ford’s iconic $46 cream shadows (OMG!), but instead of coming in a pot, they come in a tube with a doe-foot, so they’re much easier to use IMO, and at $22 each, just under half the price!

It’s almost as if someone poured Tom Ford’s shadows into these tubes because they have the exact same magic. They make lids shimmer without looking frosty, and the formula?? OMG again! Light. As. Air. You can’t even feel them on your skin, and they look lightweight too, unlike some cream shadows that look heavy. Tom Ford’s don’t, and neither do these.

You can build them up or buff them out, but either way, they stay out of my fine lines, and I never feel like they make me look older when I wear them.

As if that wasn’t enough to send love arrows straight through your heart, Wander Beauty’s shadows also last just as long as Tom’s. I was playing with them this morning, put some on my lids, and then kindasorta forgot I had them on (seriously, they feel like nothing).
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Do You Like to Chat With the Stylist While You’re Getting Your Hair or Nails Done (or Any Other Beauty Service)?

March 28th, 2019 by Karen 21 Comments

Totally depends on the stylist and the salon, but in general, yes. I like to chat! When I’m getting my hair done by my friend Alis, we’re chatting and catching up the entire time, but if it’s someone I don’t really know, I’ll usually make a little small talk at the beginning, then sit quietly the rest of the time, because let’s face it — mama needs her meow time, LOL!

Also, it depends on the type of service. If it’s something chill like a manicure or pedicure, I’m less likely to babble, but if it’s something anxiety-inducing, then WATCH OUT! — motor mouth coming through!

Back in the day when I’d get my lady parts waxed, I’d feel so completely anxious and awkward with my nether regions hanging out that I’d end up talking the person’s ear off, and they’d be subjected to a non-stop litany of whatever nonsense was running through my brain. ?

How about you? Are you chatty when you’re getting your hair/nails (or whatever else) done, or do you keep quiet?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves: Kosas Tinted Face Oil

March 27th, 2019 by Karen 21 Comments

The 10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves series shows off some of *the best* makeup for speedy (but sensational!) skin, eyes, cheeks and lips.

Shake, shake, shake! Dot, dot, dot! Blend, blend, blend!

No, these are not the steps to the latest dance craze ? all the kids are doing. They’re what I do whenever I use Kosas Tinted Face Oil ($42 for a 1-oz. bottle).

I’m into speedy makeup at the moment, and this tinted face oil, which has a thin, somewhat runny consistency, is a minimalist’s dream come true.

Have you ever used MAC Face & Body? It feels just like that. Sorta slippery, sorta “melty.”

kosas tinted face oil before after — Left: no foundation. Middle: Wearing the shade Tone 06. Right: With all the other bells and whistles.

I dab a few drops on my face, blend it with fingers, and 30 seconds later — BOOP! — my skin’s fresh and dewy-looking, my pores look smoother, and the pigmented patches on my cheeks, along with the red areas around my nose, have disappeared. My skin looks naturally even and juuust disguised enough — no fake-looking mannequin skin. If you’re into “skin that looks like skin,” you’ll be into it.
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Are There Any Beauty Products You Didn’t Like at First But Grew to Love?

March 27th, 2019 by Karen 9 Comments

hourglass veil retouching fluid sand — I’m into it…now.

First reaction: “Eh…it’s a’ight. It’s not really doing it for me.” Eventual reaction, sometimes months/years later: “WOWWWWWWW!” This has happened to me a few times, where the first time I used something I thought, “bluh,” but then time passes, things change, I change, maybe my skin changes, and then I’ll re-try a product and be like, “This is actually pretty good! What was I thinking?!”

It happened just recently with Hourglass Retouch Fluid, their lightweight concealer, which I have in Sand. When it came out, I thought, “Eh… It’s OK.” Sort of a peachy color corrector, it didn’t appear to really do much for me. I didn’t think it was opaque enough to cover anything, but I’ve done some makeup soul-searching since then (you know what I mean), and now I don’t feel like my dark circles are as big a deal as I used to. I think I made them out to be more than they really were, and it turns out that I really like the light coverage I get from Hourglass Retouch Fluid. It’s just enough for me.

Similar thing happened with YSL Touche Eclat. First time I tried it, I thought, “Hmm… I don’t get the hype.” Then I gave it another go a few years later (it also came out in more colors, which probably made a big difference), and I liked it. Dare I say it — I loved it enough to hoard.

I’m not using it right now because I’m trying to keep my whole under-eye situation very simple, and the more I apply in that area, the older I look (figured that one out the hard way!), but I know I could figure out a way to incorporate it into my routine and be happy with the results.

Also, light hold hairspray. For ages, I didn’t get it. I thought, “What’s the point?” If you’re gonna put something in your hair to hold it in place, why use flexible hold?

(Disclaimer: I also grew up in the ’80s, when it was cool to have hair that wouldn’t move in a wind tunnel.)

But now I totally get it, and I love ? flexible hair spray now. I love how it tames the beast without being overly structured. Oribe makes an AMAZING one.

Anywho! I guess the theme here is change. My tastes are constantly evolving.

Are there any products out there that you, when you first tried them, felt only “meh” about but later grew to love? I’d love to hear about it because, you know… I’m asking partially because I want to add to my beauty list, ha ha ha! Not that it’s running low…but I’m always looking.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I Was Addicted to Bronzer and Lived to Tell

March 26th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

benefit hoola caramel hoola toasted — When you’re wearing a new shade of Benefit Hoola Bronzer and go off on a tangent…

It’s alright.

It’s totally OK.

I’ve gone through it, you’ve gone through it, we’ve all gone through it…

Bronzer addiction!

Yeah, it’s a real thing. LOL.

Mine happened circa 2014, which was when I believed that one could never wear enough bronzer, and I literally piled it on. I was so into bronzer that I had a dedicated bronzer makeup drawer, and I went into that drawer to pick out one, two or sometimes even four (!) different bronzers to wear every morning.

It was that serious.

I was reminded of this phase on my makeup journey because of the new Hoola Bronzers by Benefit. Benefit just launched two new ones, darker shades, in Toasted and Caramel ($30 each), and as I daintily swept Toasted across my cheeks today with a big, fluffy brush, I thought about how differently I handle bronzer now than I did back in the day. Karen from back in the day would have looked at me now and said, “What the heck, dude?! You aren’t wearing nearly enough bronzer!”

benefit hoola caramel hoola toasted swatches — Oh yeah, still an NC42!

Back in 2013-’14, I wanted to wear all. The. Makeup.

Every last bit of it. Primer, powder, color correctors — all the bells and whistles. And bronzer was my favorite thing. I was fascinated by how one seemingly simple product could completely transform the shape of my face.

With a few carefully placed swipes (OK, more than a few, ha ha ha!) and, let’s get real, NOT A LOT OF BLENDING, I’d sharpen my cheekbones and make my button nose look thinner and my forehead look less wide — the latter two being things I’d always been particularly self-conscious about. Before long, I got used to seeing that different, rearranged version of my face in the mirror.

benefit hoola caramel — Me: You should probably take out those crazy clips first. Also me:

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5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

March 26th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

hourglass peacemaker — I’m not cheesy, you’re cheesy. Eyes: Clinique Chubby Stick in Lots o’ Latte, MAC Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash Mascara, MAC Coffee Eyeliner. Blush: Clinique Sunset Glow. Skin: Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid in Sand (under eyes) and Kosas Tinted Face Oil in Tone 06.

1. Hourglass Girl in Peacemaker

Found this creamy nude lippie tucked away in a bag the other day and remembered how much I love it.

2. Pastel nails

But you probably knew that already, ha ha! When I go through a phase, I’m all in, man. This week I’m wearing a creamy peachy pink, Sally Hansen Her-Oine, from the Mega Strength line.

sally hansen mega strength her oine — In tonight’s thrilling episode of “Karen’s Into Pastel Nails…”

3. One Strange Rock (on Netflix)

All I have to say about this National Geographic nature series I just started watching on Netflix is this: If you’re into fun facts, you’ll learn A LOT. Rather, I sure have. You’ll sail through Final Jeopardy if you watch this show, which is narrated by Will Smith. It explores Earth sciences and general cool tidbits of knowledge through the eyes of eight real life astronauts, and I learned so many new things in the first episode alone! Like, that there’s something called “marine snow,” or that there’s a floating river of water high above the Amazon, or that dust storms that originate in Africa are constantly sending waves of minerals over the oceans to South America…

Our planet ? is amazing.

FYI, there’s an incredible scene in the first episode of a newly born baby taking its first breath. I’m just saying — this softie was bawling.
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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Rodan + Fields Enhancements Lash Boost Nightly Conditioning Eyelash Serum

March 25th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

rodan enhancements after four months — Lashes like WHOA

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Behold, my latest lash obsession! — Rodan + Fields Enhancements Last Boost.

Since I started using it, my lashes, which peaced-the-eff-out after I gave birth to Connor, are longer, thicker and so much lusher now, and the difference is DRAMATIC. Shout-out to the gals who noticed in these mascara pics.

I’ve used other OTC lash serums before, but I’ve never seen this caliber of results. Too bad it’s so expensive ($155 per tube, OMG).

For the first time ever, though, my lashes actually curl up at the ends, and now when I wear mascara, my lashes touch the my lenses when I wear my glasses.

WHAT THE WHAT?!

Yeah, they do, which is one of those makeup problem I’ve always wanted to experience, but was never able to due to my previous lash limitations.

Take that, genetics! After decades of wanting to “live dat lash life,” NOW I CAN! (Yes, this needed to be in all caps.)

I can see the difference in pics with my bare lashes (these are after four months using the product), but when I wear mascara, it’s even MORE noticeable. I can definitely see more length, especially where there had previously been bare spots/gaps where my natural lashes were their smallest and stubbiest. Also, I can see a difference in the outer corners. Now my fringe even flares out.

rodan fields enhancements lash boost before after — Bare lashes with nothing on them. The top pic was taken at the end of November last year, and the bottom was this month, so it’s been about four months.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 569

March 25th, 2019 by Karen 41 Comments

transcription beautiful ruins — Reading is fundamental

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. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?

I’ll take the bagel, and none of that “whole wheat” or “mini bagel” nonsense. Give me a good old-fashioned regular bagel, and toast that bad boy up! And get some Trader Joe’s Chive Cream Cheese on there, too. ?

2. Makeup or skin care?

YO, at this point in my 40-something life? I’ll take ALL OF THE SKIN CARE. All. Of. It.

3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?

Oh, that’s easy (but hard to finagle). I love it when I can spend an entire day only doing things that make me happy.

4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?

Marie Kondo so she could help me de-clutter, LOL! Nawww, only kidding. I really wanna hang out with Jonathan from the Queer Eye Netflix reboot so we could chat about cats, hair and the final season of Game of Thrones. I half-jokingly tell El Hub to nominate me for the Queer Eye show. I want the Fab 5 to come fix my hair, my house and my life.

5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!

Here’s mine: You, just as you are, are enough. Also, your hair looks amazing today. ?

Deep thoughts on books…

Hiya and happy Monday. How goes it?

OK, I’m trying something new this week.

Get ready.

Hold on to yo’ seatbelts…

I’m reading — not one, but two fiction books at the same time! HA HA HA! I don’t know why this seems so scandalous to me, because back in college, I was always reading multiple books for multiple classes all at the same time. I just don’t do it ever anymore. Nowadays, when I actually do read for pleasure, it’s usually focus on one book at a time.

So this is “crazy,” quote unquote, for me.

The first book is called Transcription, by Kate Atkinson, and it’s really good. It’s about an unlikely British spy in World War II…

And I’m also listening to an audio book called Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter, which is just OK… I’ve been trying to get through it for almost a year now. The narrator is a dude, and while his voice is just fine when he reads the men’s parts, it gets artificially high-pitched whenever he reads a woman’s dialogue, so every single one of his lady characters sounds the same…like a man pretending to be someone’s grandma, and it wears on me.

I’ve stopped and started it how many times now? Ugh. But I’m taking another crack at it again… We’ll see how far I get.

Anyway, I’m reading two books at the same time, which feels rebellious to me for some reason. ?

How do you handle your reading for pleasure? Do you go at it, one book at a time, or do you read multiple books? And while we’re at it, what are you reading these days.

Soooo…Monday! I hope your morning has been good to you. Talk to ya soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
2. Makeup or skin care?
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!