Karen

15-Minute Makeup: Channeling Debbie Harry With Shimmery Eyes and Shiny Red Lips Using the LORAC Mega Pro Palette 3, Hourglass Radiant Magenta and Estée Lauder Controversial

October 3rd, 2016 by Karen 15 Comments

estee lauder vinyl controversial — Inspired by Debbie Harry from the Heart of Glass video

Believe it or not, this was 15-minute makeup. Ain’t got time for anything else, girl.

I think it was a few weeks ago, Pat McGrath posted a picture of Debbie Harry from the Heart of Glass video, and in the picture Debbie has these super shiny red lips, this shimmery eye makeup and a bright pink cheek with highlighter like whoa! — and I just couldn’t get that picture out of my head, so I did my best to channel it.

I don’t know if I was successful… It’s always kind of questionable when it comes to 15-minute makeup, but I did my best. I figured that as long as I get the lips, obviously; the super bright cheek with the highlight; and, well, the shimmery lid and liner, it would somewhat resemble Debbie’s look, and I kinda cheated on everything else.

But you have to make compromises with 15-minute makeup… You know how it is.

The lip is the secret. As long as you’ve got the shiny lip, you’re cool. Then you can power through the skin, brows and mascara.

I didn’t even use primer. I just used Urban Decay Naked Skin One and Done all over, and then Sephora’s Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer on the spots where I wanted more coverage. I placed it right on top of the One and Done and buffed that all together with an Hourglass foundation brush.

lorac mega pro palette 3 cava olive — Wearing the All The Cats Tee from connorclaire.com

Products I’m wearing…

EYES: MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Bare Study, LORAC Mega Pro Palette 3 (Cava mixed with Snow, Olive, and DK Navy mixed with Jet Black), Clinique Quickliner in Intense Ebony, theBalm Mad Lash Mascara

FACE: Urban Decay Naked Skin One and Done in Medium Dark, Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden, Hourglass Radiant Magenta Blush, NARS Albatross Blush

LIPS: Estée Lauder Vinyl LipColor in Controversial

In other news

It actually rained here today! Fall is in full effect now. I don’t know if this is related to the weather…but I have a strong urge to fire up my oven and bake something.

Weird.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 443

October 3rd, 2016 by Karen 41 Comments

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

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 NINE (!) 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. Who taught you how to ride a bike?

My cousins Rhodora and Beverly in Union City. All I really remember is that both of them had bikes with banana seats, and I think it was Beverly who put me in the front of the banana seat, and she sat in the back, and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll have my feet down the entire time.”

I could hear her shoes scooting across the asphalt. Then at one point she lifted her feet up when I wasn’t aware, so I was doing it on my own.

2. Do you have any family recipes that were passed down through generations?

Girl…I wish I could say that “This was my great-great-great-grandmother’s recipe for pancit,” or whatever, but everything I’ve learned to cook, I’ve muddled through on my own. My mom wasn’t really into cooking and didn’t know much about it, so maybe it’ll be something I can pass onto Connor. How ’bout that? Maybe someday she’ll be able to say, “I’m cooking my mom’s lasagne.” I’d love that.

3. Diamonds or pearls?

What is this, a Prince song?

I don’t really wear a lot of fancy jewelry because I tend to lose it, but let’s go with pearls…because they’re classic, and they go with everything.

4. What are three things you really, really like?

I love pants that I don’t have to hem. Off the rack for me are almost always way too long.
Ooh! And I love Three Twins ice cream, which IMO is THE BEST ice cream around.
And I love hanging out with my daughter.

5. Something people might be surprised to know about you?

That I was obsessed with 1940s screen sirens when I was in high school.

I blame it on Casablanca, which I saw for the first time when I was 14. I love the elegance, the style, the makeup (of course) and how the ladies carried themselves.

I was super obsessed with Lauren Bacall, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo, but I liked them all.

Have a great week, my friend

I can’t believe I’m saying this because I love summer, but I can’t wait to dust off my boots today. They’ve been hidden away on a shelf in my closet for months, but I’m gonna put them out in the hallway where I keep my wearing shoes. YAY!

Wow, it’s October, which means that tomorrow is practically Thanksgiving, which means that the day after that is practically Christmas!

It’s kind of freaking me out a bit. I’m plotting to try and get everyone to come to my house this year. Ya know, once the kids are born, everyone comes to you? Well, that’s what I’m hoping this year…

You have a good one today, OK? Be kind to yourself. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

1. Who taught you how to ride a bike?
2. Do you have any family recipes that were passed down through generations?
3. Diamonds or pearls?
4. What are three things you really, really like?
5. Something people might be surprised to know about you?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 417

October 2nd, 2016 by Karen 9 Comments

Tabs has a very strong opinion about fall.

On the one hand/paw, there’s more wind. It’s breezier than summer was, which means more stuff moving and more leaves blowing around, which gets him fired up, because you know how cats are when they see movement.

But on the other hand/paw, there’s no green grass left to nibble. The grass is all brown, so, basically, the corporate salad bar is closed.

There was a lot of activity outside when we went for our walk today, so that kind of put Tabs on edge.

Between the leaves rustling, and a dog barking, and someone hammering something, and a neighbor trying to train her Jack Russell Terrier to “stay!” Tabs wasn’t very comfortable.

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Instagram Beauty: Inspirational or Exhausting?

October 1st, 2016 by Karen 36 Comments

I was surprised by the response to a question I asked on Facebook yesterday about Instagram beauty — whether people found it inspirational or exhausting — and I honestly thought that most people would say, “It’s inspirational. I love it. I love seeing a glam face beat,” but there were a lot of different opinions.

Of course, some people said that they love that sort of look, but there were other people, too, who said, “You know, I’m kinda… It’s nice, but I’m kinda over it.”

One that really stuck with me was from a girl who had mentioned that she loves looking at the glam pictures because they give her ideas, and it motivates her to do her makeup every day, and in different ways, but at the same time she also recognized that when you put this one type of very specific look out there over and over and over again, and you put it up on a pedestal, it can alienate people who don’t look that way, or who aren’t that age, and I totally get that.

I mean, I feel that way sometimes. I wish that I could go on makeup pages or makeup accounts and see people in their 30s and 40s who actually look like they’re living real lives — you know, as opposed to these girls, who are beautiful; they’re glamorous — makeup done, hair done, dressed to the nines, and then they’ve got their girl squads, and then here I am, like, baby barf on my t-shirt, and I’m wearing stretchy pants.

I just was very surprised, in a good way, that there does seem to be people out there who are hungry for images of people who love beauty, but who may not necessarily be, like, hyper-edited and hyper-staged.

How do you feel about it? Do you find Instagram beauty accounts inspirational, or are you over it?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Caturday, my friend. 🙂 I hope you’re doing something fun this weekend. We’re on our way out the door to visit my parents in the East Bay. Maybe — just maybe — they’ll watch her for a few hours so El Hub and I can sneak away to a movie.

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Loaded

September 30th, 2016 by Karen 8 Comments

urban decay loaded — Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Loaded ($20)

The long-running Unsung Heroes series here on Makeup and Beauty Blog features some of our all-time favorite permanent collection products.

Today I’m wearing Loaded from Urban Decay. It’s one of their liners. It’s this really deep green that almost looks black when you put it on your lash lines, and that’s why I love it. It’s perfect for fall.

Fall always makes me think of dark greens and really rich jewel tones on the lash line.

I mean, I don’t even really try with Loaded. I just, like, sharpen it, run it across my upper and lower lash lines a few times, and then maybe I’ll smudge out the edges if I’m feeling ambitious, but that’s it.

I love the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. They’re just so smooth and silky, and easy, because there’s no fallout drama (not like with the eyeshadows).

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15-Minute Makeup: ’90s Fall Vibes With the LORAC Mega Pro Palette 3, Urban Decay Loaded, Tarte Brownie and Tarte Seduce

September 30th, 2016 by Karen 26 Comments

Seriously, I did this makeup in 15 minutes, ’cause I just can’t handle much more than that right now. I just can’t.

I was feeling kinda ’90s today, hence the matte cheeks and lips. And all the brown.

ALL THE BROWN!

But I needed to have a little bit of color up in the mix, so I also threw some green liner on my lash lines.

I used some of the matte browns from the LORAC Mega Pro Palette 3 and did the matte cheeks and lips with Tarte.

I was going for a tonal thing. Brown on the eyes, cheeks and lips, and also matte everything. That way the green liner, which has a little shimmer, would stand out.

At least that’s what I was going for…

I mean, whatever. It’s 15-minute makeup. Not all of it’s gonna be perfect, but I figure, unless someone is staring at me intensely from across a room, no one is really going to notice that perhaps this line is thicker than that line, or maybe my shadows aren’t blended perfectly. I’m cool with it. 🙂

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Soap & Glory Righteous Butter Diamond Edition

September 29th, 2016 by Karen 8 Comments

I just rubbed a whole glob of Soap & Glory’s Diamond Edition Righteous Butter lotion on my limbs, and now there’s so much silver glitter on me that I look ready to rave circa 1995.

Just add glow sticks and platforms.

The Diamond Edition is more or less like the regular Righteous Butter, except with lots of silver glitter. It has the same sweet white floral fragrance (reminds me of the old Dior Miss Cherie, which I loved), and it’s just as moisturizing, too.

But the glitter! Duuude, there’s a ton! I can’t decide whether it’s more cheesy or Victoria’s Secret runway…

Whatever, I’ll still rock it. 🙂

I can’t seem to find it anywhere online here in the U.S. yet, so I’m not sure when it’ll be widely available, but keep an eye out for that sparkly silver glitter if you’re a Righteous Butter fan.

PRICE: $15 for a huge 10.1-oz. jar.
AVAILABILITY: Coming soon to Soap & Glory counters
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Unsung Heroes: Pro Longwear Waterproof Colour Stick in Lilacked

September 29th, 2016 by Karen 13 Comments

mac lilacked — MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Colour Stick in Lilacked ($22)

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.

Honestly, why doesn’t all makeup come in sticks? It would make my life waaaaay easier.

This is my new favorite thing in the whole wide world — even though I’m pretty sure I say that all the time.

Sorry. 🙂

It’s MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Colour Stick in Lilacked, and it’s $22 and part of the permanent line.

The Colour Sticks are stick versions of the MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots (ones I love: Constructivist, Soft Ochre and Bare Study).

SO MANY brands make their own cream shadows sticks, but MAC’s are some of my favorites, and I like them for a couple of reasons. First, there’s obviously the colors. There’s a wide range, but I don’t have anything else quite like Lilacked in my collection.

It’s a peachy golden lilac, kind of like if MAC Satin Taupe Eye Shadow had a makeup baby with MAC Woodwinked, and then that baby grew up and got together with NARS Lhasa and popped out another makeup baby…

Granted, that’s a lot of makeup babies.

I like the consistency and the way it feels, too, because most cream shadow sticks are either super thick and hard to push around on my lids, or they’re too thin and slippery and hard to control. They just end up all over the place.

The MAC Pro Longwear Sticks, on the other hand, feel just right, and I can put them exactly where I want, which avoids one of my big struggles with eyeshadow, which is when I put something on my lids and it goes all over the place, and before you know it you’ve got, like, shimmery black eyeshadow from your lash lines up to your eyebrows.

They also last. I can put them on in the morning, and they’re still going strong at night.

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