Karen

Cute Betsey Johnson Bag Alert!

October 29th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

OK, so maybe it is totally cliche to both love makeup and also be totally into anything and everything with a lip print on it, but to that I say this: “MWWWAHH!” Because I don’t care! 🙂 I love a cute lip print, ya feel me?

These adorable Betsey Johnson cosmetics bags are at DSW. I spotted them the last time I was there. They were tucked away on a cluttered shelf in the cash wrap area, otherwise known as “Impulse Buy Heaven.”

The bigger bags, the ones with the pink lips, are $29.95, and the smaller ones with the gold lips are $19.95. I thought about getting one as a spare/backup Christmas present for someone, but then I realized, who am I kidding? I’d just end up giving it to myself…

Still cute though, aren’t they? If Baby Girl were of age, I’d fill one with makeup and hair accessories for her. 🙂

I’m not seeing the bigger bag online, but the smaller one with the gold lips is available now on the DSW website.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Bare Traps Saydie Wedge Bootie: Like a Spa for Your Feet!

October 28th, 2015 by Karen 30 Comments

UM…OK! Twist my arm, why don’t ya, and force me against my shoe-loving will to try on this pair of $69.95 Bare Traps Saydie Wedge Booties!

I give up. I’ll do it. 🙂

Did I mention that I finally found a mommy’s group to meet with here in Novato? Yup, thank you, interwebz! I found them online last week, just in time to attend their latest monthly get-together. It was at my local ~~“safe place” (LOL!)~~ DSW, directly inside the store. There were moms, noms, drinks, chit-chat and — WOOT-WOOT! — the store even gave the members of the group a 20% discount on everything.

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PUR Eye Polish Cream Shadow: A Fast Formula for Lustrous Lids

October 28th, 2015 by Karen 35 Comments

Despite the probably Horror movie-influenced fact that the “Eye Polish” in PUR Eye Polish cream shadow makes me think of somebody spit-shining my eyeballs, these $26 cream shadows aren’t sinister at all.

They’re actually pretty darned rad!

I mentioned one of of the shades, shimmery, smoky golden olive Caviar in my gold and olive Fall-Tastic Face of the Day last week. Caviar is one of the six shades, all of which work great as bases, as primers for powder shadows or all by their lonesome as traditional cream shadows.

They vary in terms of shimmer, with some being more pearlescent and less metallic than others. Caviar clocks in at “glittery to the extreme.”

Among the other shades are bronzed opalescent Suede; shimmery, plummy fuchsia Velvet; shimmery champagne apricot Silk; pearlescent pale pink Satin and pearlescent champagne Cashmere.

Now, just because these come in little pots doesn’t mean they’re as dense as MAC Paint Pots or as spongy as the Chanel Illusion D’Ombres. They have an usual formula the likes of which I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. It’s thinner than usual…almost like a liquid shadow, but not quite.

Picture a very thin, runny mousse.

And, yes, I suggest keeping yo’ digits on hand (HAHAHA, LAME PUN ALERT!), because the silicone applicator they come with? — almost useless. The few times I used it, the product went on patchy and uneven.

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Neat and New to Me: MAC Crème D’Nude Cremesheen Lipstick

October 28th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

mac creme d nude — MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Crème D’ Nude ($17)

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

Makeup rules are meant to be broken, but I still got mad love for the makeup law-abiding classics, like looks with bold smoky eyes and nude lips, which I blame, in part, on $17 MAC Crème D’Nude Cremsheen Lipstick.

Some makeup looks are like zombies, ya know? (Because it always comes back to zombies…) But I mean that figuratively this time. 🙂 Basically, they never stay out of style for long.

So while I’ll always love my fellow makeup rule-breakers, especially when you do that smoky eye-bold lip thing (keep workin’ that emerald green smoky eye with those glossy, opaque hot pink lips, hunty!), I still gotta have my classics.

Pale muted peachy beige Crème D’Nude totally understands that. It’ll make you want to strip down to your skivvies and run around the office screaming in ecstasy.

OK, maybe not…but it does flat-out rock. It’s full coverage, smooth, moisturizing, and its warm peachy tones keep me looking like I’m actually running a healthy 98.6°F temperature. By comparison, I can’t stand it when pale beige lippies make me look like I just crawled out of the ground like an extra in MJ’s Thriller video.

Hell no! That’s sooo not happening with Crème D’Nude.

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Quick Tip: Get Hotter Smoky Eyes With the Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadows

October 27th, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

urban decay zodiac — Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac ($21)

Here’s a quick way to take nighttime smoky eyes from “glam” to “Glam! Bam! Thank you, ma’am!”

Just do this: add glitter. 🙂

Yup! I know, right? What a huge shocker… After you finish doing your smoky eye, if you feel like full-on hot dayum drama, grab a glitter eyeshadow, and pop that ish on your lids.

The $21 Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadows are great for this.

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The BECCA Holiday 2015 Collection: It’s All About the Glow

October 27th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

Pop the champagne, homegirl! — and if you can do it with a sword, more power to you, because that would mean you’re only about two degrees away from Michonne-level bad-@ssery, and I’D BOW DOWN!

We have a totes legit reason to celebrate today. First, because it’s Tuesday, and Tuesdays are terrific. 🙂 And second, because BECCA has several sparkly, shimmery sets on deck for the holidays, and they’re all available now, so you can get dat glow on your cheeks in time for the office party. (For the record, if there will be karaoke involved, please know that it may take more than two glasses to turn you into Mariah Carey… Yes, I speak from firsthand experience.)

This year’s holiday collection includes three limited edition sets, and they’re all about the glow — in other words, skin highlighted to high heaven.

becca holiday 2015 champagne glow 1 — BECCA Holiday 2015 Champagne Glow Palette ($34)

If you’re a die-hard BECCA shimmer fan, you might want to get your paws on the $34 Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne Glow Palette highlighter trio. It’s available now exclusively at Sephora and the Sephora website.

One of the three shades, pale linen Pearl, is a limited edition shade making its debut right here in this palette, while the other two — Champagne Pop, a soft gold with pinkish peach undertones (the shame shade BECCA released last fall with YouTuber Jaclyn Hill); and Blushed Copper, a warm copper with rose gold (also appeared earlier this year).

becca holiday 2015 champagne glow 2 — BECCA Holiday 2015 Champagne Glow Palette ($34)

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Quick Makeup Tip: Fight Glitter Eyeshadow Fallout by Shielding Your Under-Eye Area With a Tissue

October 27th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

This is what I like to call “the tissue trick,” even though I’m doing it here with a paper towel.

To avoid getting glittery fallout all over the freakin’ place, I like to shield my under-eye area by tucking a tissue under my lower lash line and using it as a protective glitter-catching barrier.

Ah, the joys of glittery fallout!

It comes with the territory when you’re working with glitter eyeshadow. The stuff gets everywhere! — under my eyes, on my cheeks, on my nose, on my chin, in my brows, in my hair, on my cat, the counters, my clothes — and it isn’t always easy to remove, especially on my face when I’ve already done my concealer and face makeup.

But the tissue trick works great, and not just with glitter fallout. You can also use it with dark eyeshadows or bold blues, greens, etc., and loose eye pigments, too. It’s like Captain America’s fallout-fighting makeup shield.

Try it sometime. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen