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
There will be a special in-store promotion for Makeup and Beauty Blog readers who stop by: $20 off purchases of $100 or more. Thank you, SpaceNK, for hooking that up.
I’ll be there from noon till 2 p.m., and Tabs will be there in spirit. You can ask me about anything! Got questions about makeup, beauty blogging, cats, babies, whateva?! I’m here for you, girl.
It’s been waaay too long. I can’t wait to see you.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.
Oh, lawd, when I see super dramatic lashes now at Ulta or Sephora I always think, “Those would make me look completely insane.”
Mind you, I’ve rocked big, real-deal false lashes many times before, and they’re fun, and some are more comfortable than others are, but at this stage in my life, after having not worn falsies very often for months, I feel like the big, flashy falsies make me look nuts, and that’s where these Ardell Baby Demi Wispies come in.
Girl, these are SO GOOD! And they’re only $5.
Girl, the struggle is so real. These Revlon ColorStay™ Crème Eyeshadows kicked me into #makeuphoarders mode real quick because they look, feel and blend A LOT like MAC Paint Pots. On my lids (which are dry), they last all day long, too. And they’re only $7.99, WHAT?!
Revlon even hid a brush in the cap, which I really don’t use…but I like that it’s there. It’s very James Bond.
Fruity fun fact! I live in Northern California, and if I want to get a halfway decent tasting papaya, I gotta catch a flight to Hawaii and cross the Pacific because, for the life of me, I just can’t find a papaya that tastes right within driving distance. I’ve visited so many different grocery stores and farmers’ markets here in the Bay Area looking for one (because when a papaya craving hits, it hits hard, yo!), and yet a yummy papaya still eludes me.
The struggle is SO real.
Er, why am I talking about fruit?! ‘Cause I’m wearing the MAC Fruity Juicy collection today. ??? Fruity Juicy is MAC’s summer collection, and it’ll be landing on counters and online on May 28 (available through June 29).
This post is sponsored by Revlon® at Walgreens, and I received product samples and compensation for my time and effort creating it. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are always my own. @Walgreens #WalgreensMascaraDay #sponsored
Raise your martini ? glass! Or your wine ? glass! Or your favorite cat lady ??☕ mug!!!
As you can tell, your beverage container doesn’t matter as long as you’ve got something to enthusiastically thrust upward when we say, “CHEERS!!!” on #WalgreensMascaraDay this Sunday, April 30th at Walgreens stores nationwide.
Get your lashes ready, because there will be a BOGO 50% off any Revlon® product to create a new lash look. If you’ve dreamed of having luscious lashes (um…who hasn’t dreamed of having luscious lashes?), tell Siri to set a reminder.
Revlon® mascaras do WORK. They have a whole slew of specialty formulas for lengthening, lifting, volumizing (is that a word?) and separating, so basically whatever lash look your heart desires.
You can ramp up your lash game with a tube like my affordable favorite Revlon Dramatic Definition™ Mascara, which does errrrrthing (gives a bold, clump-free look), but any makeup lover worth the salt around the rim of her margarita knows that it’s more fun to layer multiple mascaras together to cook up a mascara cocktail. I do it all the time, and Revlon® mascaras are purr-fect for it.
Your Quick-Start Guide to Revlon® Mascaras
- Revlon Ultimate All-In-One™ Mascara (the tube with the red cap) — The mini, hollow core brush deposits this easy-to-layer formula for thicker, longer, lifted lashes. Available in non-waterproof and waterproof shades of Blackest Black, Black and Blackened Brown.
- Revlon Ultra Volume™ Mascara (hot pink cap) — For massive, volumized lashes without clumps, comb the Lash Plumping triple grooved brush from lash roots to tips. Available in non-waterproof Blackest Black, Black and Blackened Brown, and waterproof Blackest Black.
- Revlon Super Length™ Mascara (green cap) — This mascara’s all about lush length, and has a tapered tip to reach even the smallest inner and outer corner lashes. Available in non-waterproof Blackest Black, Black and Blackened Brown, and waterproof Blackest Black.
- Revlon Volume + Length Magnified™ Mascara (blue cap) — For high shine and mega volume and length, coat your lashes with this black fiber formula. Available in non-waterproof Blackest Black, Black and Blackened Brown, and waterproof Blackest Black.
- Revlon Dramatic Definition™ Mascara (purple cap) — A bold mascara for definition and separation that builds without clumping. Available in non-waterproof Blackest Black, Black and Blackened Brown, and waterproof Blackest Black.
On that note, it’s time for Mascara Mixology! ??– and here are three of my favorite Revlon® mascara “recipes” to wear with different eye makeup looks.
Clearly, the universe doesn’t want me to go low-carb because it put these blush pans in front of my eyes.
Don’t they look like Neapolitan ice cream? Seriously, I’m starving over here.
OK, it could just be me and my tum making that jump, LOL!
At any rate, these are the new It Cosmetics Confidence In Your Glow Blushing Bronzers, and each pan has a separate bronzer, blush and highlighter.
These are new this month and available in three combo shades. There’s Instant Nude Glow, Instant Warm Glow and Instant Natural Glow.
Peachy Nude Glow is the lightest, Warm Glow is smack dab in the middle, and Natural Glow has the deepest shades. All of them lean warm with satiny, glowing finishes similar to the MAC Extra Dimension blushes, and they’re $32 each.
Basically, It Cosmetics squished a powder bronzer, blush and highlighter together in a single pan, which isn’t exactly a brand new concept in the world of makeup (peeps have been doing it for years), but I do think these are cuter than usual.
You can use the three products in each of the pans separately, but with combo powder pan products like these, I almost never do. Most of the time I mix them together with my brush and apply the combo to my cheeks.
Whenever I’m mixing multiple cheek products together, I’m always hoping that the products will blend well, but a lot of the time they end up patchy.
With these I was afraid I’d see a blob of bronzer on one part of my cheek and a spot of blush on another, but the soft, silky powders melt into each other. When you swirl your brush in the pan and sweep the combined color on your cheeks, it goes on evenly.
These Artis brushes, girl… When I was at SpaceNK in Larkspur last Saturday, I stood there petting them like they were tiny little kittens for, um, longer than I probably should’ve, LOL! They are SO soft.
Oh, and get this! I learned a new trick from Katherine, one of the fab ladies who works there (hi, Katherine!) with the Artis brushes and Hourglass Vanish Foundation, which you know I loooooove.
Swipe a little Vanish on your face, drop one or two drops of your favorite face oil directly into an Artis brush head, then blend and buff the foundation with the brush. The face oil sheers out the foundation just a touch, so it’ll look that much more seamless and natural. Kind of genius, right?
So, May 6, Saturday. You, me, SpaceNK at the Marin Country Mart in Larkspur from noon until 2. It’s gonna be kind of like a mini MBB party!
There will be makeovers (yay!), refreshments (yay!) and express skin treatments (yay!). I’ll be there to hang out, and we can chat about beauty, cats and all that fun stuff.
I’m dying to meet you and really hope you can make it!
MBB Meet Up at SpaceNK Larkspur
Saturday, May 6 from noon – 2 p.m.
Marin Country Mart
2011 Larkspur Landing Circle
Larkspur, CA 94939
(415) 419-5904
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Connor Claire, my darling, if you’re reading this…well, it means that you’re a genius baby who can read at 13 months, and your baby brain may or may not be busy hatching various and sundry plots to rule the world.
If it’s the former, as a courtesy to the woman who endured 37 hours of labor to bring you into this world, please leave mommy out of your nefarious plots. Also, please feel free to take note of the items in this week’s Lust List, and pass them along to daddy in case he needs Mother’s Day gift ideas.
I ? it.
The official fragrance notes are ambrette (top note); magnolia, sandalwood and violet (middle notes); and cedar wood, chantilly musk and crisp amber (bottom notes). Unofficial notes include great hair days, coming in first, and the freedom to do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. 🙂
Sure are expensive, though…
How ’bout you? Whatchu got on your lust list?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen