Karen

What’s Your Skin Type?

November 29th, 2017 by Karen 21 Comments

karen bare skin before with julian — Bare skin! Oh, hai!

I wish I could say that it’s normal and perfect, and I never have breakouts or itchy redness, ever, but alas…that’s not the case. If you can say that, though, congrats. You’re a unicorn!

I’ve got combo skin. It’s dry on my cheeks and around my nose and mouth, and you know what? It gets REALLY bad on windy days. Consequently, I freakin’ hate windy days, which happen all the dang time here in Novato. The wind is like a hydration-sucking vampire, and its bite makes my cheeks hurt like hell.

It’s also dry under my eyes and on my lids.

Now, my forehead, on the other paw, is oily, especially the area between my eyebrows, and also on my nose and my chin.

But that’s not all! My skin also likes to break out, so I use benzoyl peroxide daily.

So, yeah… That’s my skin type, for now. I’m sure it’ll change one of these years, and the oily areas will probably trade places with the dry areas, LOL!

How about you? What’s your skin type?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

It’s Shine Time for Lids With Tom Ford’s Sleek, Wet-Looking $36 Eye Gloss

November 28th, 2017 by Karen 13 Comments

tom ford eye gloss — Lids: New $36 Tom Ford Eye Gloss; Lips: NARS Give It Up Powermatte Lip Pigment

FACT: if you thought this was a new lip gloss…

…you aren’t the only one. I actually put it on my lips at first (whoops) and, FYI, it is a pretty good clear lip gloss (unofficially), but it’s even better on your eyes.

It’s comfy, clear, shiny and non-sticky (yay!). It’s Tom Ford’s new $36 Eye Gloss, and it’s part of the new Eyes of Tom Ford collection available now.

The release also includes the new Private Shadow eyeshadow singles (30 shades, $36 each), three mascaras (Spike, Shutter and Fullscreen, $45 each) and two new shades of Eye Kohl Intense liner (White Smoke and Tourmaline, $36 each).

Tom’s Eye Gloss is a lot like Rouge Bunny Rouge’s awesome Smithereens of Stars, which is really the only other super comfortable clear gloss I’ve found that I can wear for long periods of time.

Like RBR’s Eye Gloss, Tom’s is lightweight and resilient, and it doesn’t scoot around on my lids or creep into my lash lines. So, your tight line and mascara won’t smudge. Also, when you blink your eyes, you won’t feel the gloss sticking to your crease.

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Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique: Get to Know This Up-and-Coming Green Line of Skin Care Superstars

November 28th, 2017 by Karen 21 Comments

The setting: Novato, about a month ago. I was breaking out around my mouth. Fearing for my face, while also wanting to try something new, as I often do, I decided to try the Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique skin care line, because I’d heard some good things about it.

I’m not kidding — my skin got better overnight, which sounds an awfully lot like an infomercial when I say it out loud, but dramatic changes like that never happen that quickly with my skin.

Meet my latest skin care love.

Botany babes

The seven-piece Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique skin care line is the Bay Area botanical brainchild of two natural skin care gurus — San Francisco facialist Kristina Holey (she’s been ballyhooed about in all the big mags), and Berkeley chemist/skin care formulator/former high school science teacher Marie Veronique, who also has her own separate skin care line (I’ve got my eye on their Vitamin C+E Ferulic serum), which you can find, along with Kristina Holey products, at the Berkeley Marie Veronique store and online at the Marie Veronique website.

kristina holey marie veronique 4 — Kristina Holey + Marie VeroniqueMicronutrient + Hydro Mask

Props to the plants

With products and prices comparable to Tata Harper, Kat Burki and Sunday Riley, Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique is all about fancy foliage, tried-and-true compounds and high-end greens. There’s a face oil cleanser ($40), a toner ($45), three serums ($90-$110 each), a face oil ($95) and a mask ($135).

Marvels of microbiology

Beneficial bacteria is a big deal in skin care these days, and brands like Tula are even putting probiotics into their products. Kristina Holey + Maria Veronique puts a different spin on your microbiome by concentrating on keeping it balanced, with the idea being that your mug’s microbiome is unbalanced if you’re experiencing dryness or breakouts or inflammation. Their products are formulated to bring your bacteria back in balance for clearer, hydrated, even-toned skin.

Familiar faces headline the list of ingredients

All of their products are manufactured in small batches in Berkeley, and they’re good for six months once they’ve been opened. They contain familiar compounds to exfoliate and maintain moisture levels. Some of the ingredients include salicylic acid, glycolic acid, niacinamide, vitamin B3 and B6, and that’s just for starters (there’s a complete list of the ingredients below).

I was happy to see these ingredients front and center, because I know that a lot of people, including me and my combo dry, acne-prone skin, respond well to them.

Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique products also avoid potentially irritating ingredients, like essential oils and synthetic fragrances.

It took me a while to get used to the scents

Not to say that the products are unscented. Some of them are, or at least they have such a natural, nondescript scent that it makes very little impression, but a couple of them smell “earthy.” The Barrier Lipid Complex, for example, smells like a bottle of fish oil, and for the first week I felt like I was slathering cat food on my face.

I mostly don’t notice it now (mostly)…

Clearer, more moisturized skin and less noticeable pigmentation

I’ve been using everything from the line for four weeks, but I saw positive results immediately, especially on the painful red pimple that was on my top lip.

It usually takes about a week for pimples to come to a head and start drying out on my face, but I dabbed the Intensive Repair Serum, which is the treatment for breakout-prone skin, on the pimple on the first night, and it came to a head by the next morning. It was completely dried out within two days, and by two weeks I could barely see any post-acne pigment (to put it in perspective, it usually takes about three to six months for those post-acne dark spots to disappear on me).

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An Awesome and Affordable $40 Raincoat: The Women’s Anorak Jacket at Target

November 27th, 2017 by Karen 17 Comments

a new day raincoat — Singing in the rain in my new raincoat by A New Day ($39.99 at Target)

An awesome and affordable $40 $30 (!) raincoat

OK, so I mentioned wanting a new raincoat, right? I wanted on that was affordable. Well…I bought one!

Turns out that the Target down the street had this olive-colored one by A New Day on sale for $30! So I tried it on, and…now it’s my new raincoat. 🙂

Even for $39.99, it’s pretty boss. It’s a thinner coat, so I don’t expect to go traipsing around the Alps in it, but it’s lined and cozy. It should be enough for the 60s and 50s, and maybe the 40s if you’re made of stronger stuff than I am. If it dips much lower than that, though, you’ll probably need a warm and toasty layer underneath.

The sleeves are long enough to cover my wrists (THANK GOD), but they aren’t too long, and I like the length (long but not too long) and how the waist hits exactly where it should. I also love the olive color and that the hood completely covers my head.

Olive works as a neutral, so I think it’ll go with just about anything.

I do have to say that the shoulders are kinda tight…so if you’ve got a swimmer or water polo player’s shoulders, first of all, I’m jealous! Second, try the coat on first to make sure it fits.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 502

November 27th, 2017 by Karen 65 Comments

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past 10 (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

1. What would you wear with a coconut bra?

High-waisted black Zella leggings, white Converse high-tops and a jeans jacket, obviously. What else would you wear with a coconut bra? 🙂

2. Have you ever met somebody who literally dazzled you?

Yes, Santa Claus, when I was 5. He was the most amazing person ever. His eyes twinkled, and his beard was so soft.

3. Who does the holiday decorating in your family?

Well, the cat doesn’t do it, and El Hub has no interest, so it’s all me. This year we’re going with a red, green and gold theme with lots of plaid.

4. Have you ever lost your purse?

I’m absentminded about many things, but I’m pretty good about keeping track of my wallet, my keys and my purse. That said, I’ve only lost my purse once, and that was when I was six months pregnant. El Hub and I went to Panera one morning for breakfast, and I was in some kind of pregnancy fog because we left the restaurant, and I literally left my purse hanging on the back of my chair and didn’t realize until 10 min later as I was petting a fluffy dog outside.

I remember it with so much clarity now because it was the only time. So, I’ve never technically lost my purse… I just misplaced it at Panera. Everything was still there.

5. Which do you prefer: sticky or non-sticky lipgloss?

I like both. Either one, as long as it’s moisturizing and good.

I actually just realized that I don’t have any glosses in my bag at the moment.

Happy Monday, my friend

I want to play in the rain. I want to slip on my boots, button up my coat, splash in some puddles, and feel the drops on my hands and on my face. I just want to feel alive, ya know?

It’s like, everything is so wondrous to a toddler. Everything’s amazing. I feel like somewhere along the way, though, we lose that. It’s a nice feeling, even if it’s just for a few minutes in the rain.

Hope your spirit feels light this week and nothing weighs your shoulders down.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy and paste:

1. What would you wear with a coconut bra?
2. Have you ever met somebody who literally dazzled you?
3. Who does the holiday decorating in your family?
4. Have you ever lost your purse?
5. Which do you prefer: sticky or non-sticky lipgloss?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 477

November 26th, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

Ode to Turkey

Oh, turkey, you tantalizing temptress of tenderness. Your tender vittles, voluptuous curves and fluffy tail feathers tickle my tabby whiskers and haunt my dreams.

You big, beautiful bird with your bountiful, buttery bosom, I long for your embrace…

Oh, turkey, let me worship your divine derrière. Come, my delicious darling, and let us frolic through fields of catnip.

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NARS Wanted Eyeshadow Palette: A Cyber Monday Special

November 26th, 2017 by Karen 20 Comments

WANTED:

A new NARS eyeshadow palette
A piping hot gingerbread latte
A tuxedo-clad Nick Jonas to feed me chilled green grapes while I recline on a velvet fainting couch

Two days only!

If you love NARS and collect their palettes, don’t let NARS Wanted leave you wanting. It’s only going to be available for two days, first online only on Cyber Monday, November 27th, on the Sephora website, and then again two days later on November 29th on the NARS website and in person at NARS boutiques (here’s their store locator).

Ridin’ rose gold

It literally took me days to figure out that the image on the palette is a closed eye. Maybe I was too preoccupied by the rose gold action happening inside.

I love this mix of colors. The colors are flashy enough for fun but flexible enough to incorporate into responsible life looks. There are pinks, warm and neutral browns, coppers, cranberries, bronzes and a bit o’ beige for balance. Most of them are new colors, but I recognize some old faves, like matte beige Biarritz and dark brown Coconut Grove (oldie but goodie).

The BIG news: a new powder eyeshadow formula

Here’s the big thing, though: everything in the palette has a new reformulated powder formula. It’s supposed to be more pigmented than the current NARS shadow formula, but I’m not completely sold on how much more pigmented they are yet.

Granted, they are pretty pigmented, as NARS shadows usually are, but they seem maybe just a tad more pigmented than usual.

They do feel NARS soft and silky, though, and I easily get 12 hours of wear time with them.

Now, with a reformulation, you expect things to be better, and I expected there to be less fallout than usual with these, but the fallout is typical of the current formula, which isn’t all bad, because I don’t get a ton of fallout from NARS shadows anyway. I have to do a bit of cleanup underneath my eyes and on my cheeks when I use this palette, as I do with other NARS eyeshadows.

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I’m Diggin’ Distortion: The Urban Decay Distortion Eyeshadow Palette

November 24th, 2017 by Karen 20 Comments

Most of the time when people say that something is shifty…it’s not usually a good thing, but when you’re talking about the new Urban Decay Distortion Eyeshadow Palette ($49), being shifty is great.

Five “shifty” duo chrome shadows

New limited edition Distortion just landed at Urban Decay, and the kicker is that top row of pale pastel-looking eyeshadows — one, two, three, four, five.

They look pale pastel in the pans, but they’re actually duo chromes that change color in the light. They’re designed to be layered on top of the other 10 eyeshadows in the palette, the ones in the middle and bottom rows.

You can definitely also wear them on top of any other eyeshadows in your collection, too, because there’s no exclusive high-tech stuff happening here, LOL! (But wouldn’t it be kinda cool and sci-fi if there were, though?)

If you’re an artsy-fartsy type who likes to get all mad scientist on your eyeshadows, like, by whipping up your own color concoctions on a Tuesday morning just ’cause, this palette should be a lot of fun.

urban decay distortion eyeshadow palette swatches 2 — The shifty shades — Bleach, Shifty, Space, Mind Game and Blur — by themselves, and then layered on top of Territorial, one of the other eyeshadows in the palette.

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