Karen

The Bronze Age Returns! Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes

March 11th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess 2015 — Wearing makeup from the latest in a long line of annual Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess collections

If I had to be a goddess, I would not say no to being a goddess of bronze, but what I’d really want to be is a goddess of cats.

No, scratch that. I’d be the goddess of plus-size tabby cats with low-hanging bellies, because it’s all about being specific.

Yes, I have no idea what I’m talking about. 🙂

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes Face & Eye Palette — That’s the Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes Face & Eye Palette on my eyes and cheeks, the All Over Illuminator on my upper cheekbones, and Pure Color Gloss Pen Nude Coral on my lips

Every year around this time, like clockwork, Estée Lauder reveals a new Bronze Goddess-themed collection, and this year it’s Shimmering Nudes.

The collection’s face and eye palette, stick highlighter and gloss, all of which will be available this April with the rest of the 14-piece collection at Estée Lauder counters and online, are telling me that 1) summer is right around the corner, and 2) I should probably book a vacation to someplace warm soon.

Is it just me, or does the Shimmering Nudes Face & Eye Palette ($55) radiate a MAC vibe?

Its eyeshadows could totally pass for Ricepaper, Amber Lights and Bronze, and even though I’ve seen the colors before, I still like this formula and the way they’re executed here.

The powders meld seamlessly into each other on my lids, and blending them is like three snaps in a Z formation. In other words, “haaay!” So good.

I actually did my foundation and concealer before this makeup look, and I didn’t have to do any additional cleanup under my eyes afterwords. No problems at all with fallout.

And I like the bronzer, too. It has a strong undercurrent of red that mimics a legit tan. There’s also golden flecks of glitter in it, which makes me think that this bronzer might even work better as an all-over warming product than one to contour (I prefer to use ashy cool-toned mattes to really carve out those cheekbones).

Interestingly, the face and eye palette is a Sephora exclusive, which is kind of cool and weird, and by that I mean this: have you actually seen Estée Lauder at your local Sephora store? Because mine doesn’t carry the line, and I don’t know if this is a one-shot deal or the start of a long-term trend. I really hope it’s the latter.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess All Over Illuminator — Bronze Goddess All Over Illuminator, $30

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A Quick Look at the New Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Enigma [VIDEO]

March 11th, 2015 by Karen 27 Comments

Ah, eyeshadow primer…

If you have trubs getting your shadows to stay where they belong, the answer might be an Enigma, as in Urban Decay’s new limited edition Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Enigma ($20).

Today I’m wearing this creamy cool matte for the very first time.

WARNING: lots of bare-faced action and crazy-pants hair ahead!

As always, thank you for watching. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How Many Shadows Do You Usually Use in a Typical Eye Look?

March 11th, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

Hourglass Modernist Eye Shadow Palettes in Color Field and Obscura on my eyes, NARS Lodhi on my lips — Wearing the Hourglass Modernist Eye Shadow Palettes in Color Field and Obscura on my eyes and NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Lodhi on my lips

Ooh, gurl! Probably a little more than I need to.

My typical work look is smokey (smoky?), which requires lots of transition shades, you know, ’cause you’re going from lighter to darker, yadda-yadda-yadda, so I’d say…

One, two, three, four…five!?

Oh, my heavens.

Five. Sometimes six.

Yeah…I’m trying to do this whole less-is-more thing, though.

Oh, well. It takes a village to do a smooth smokey eye.

Wearing the new Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes in Color Field and Obscura on my lids

Mind you, this is just for pics, meetings and events. For something like going to the grocery store, I’m not gonna put on six eyeshadows, no. For things like that, it’s usually just one or two. Sometimes three if El Hub’s not yelling, “Come on, let’s go!” 🙂

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Freesia for Your Thoughts…

March 10th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

Whenever I walk by these flowers, which are just outside my door in our little cul-de-sac circle, I want to LEAP into the air like a bird with my arms outstretched and my toes pointed! (Like how Baby jumps into Johnny’s arms in the final scene of Dirty Dancing.)

These are my neighbor’s freesia flowers, and yes, I’m that weirdo in the neighborhood who gets all up in your garden when you’re not around and takes pictures of yo’ blooms.

I wish there was a way to implement scratch ‘n sniff with the computer screen, because these smell amazing!

Flower for your thoughts…

These pink flowers (wish I knew what they were, especially the hot pink ones) are also blooming…

…and happen to match my pants. 🙂

Revamp Your Spring Wardrobe With These Fabulously Fashionable, Affordable, Comfortable Jeans: The Rockstar Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans by Old Navy

March 10th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

I’m on a mission to revamp my wardrobe. No more sad tabby gray for this gal! First thing on my list: pants.

I recently discovered these fabulous Rockstar Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans by Old Navy, so of course I had to share them with ya.

See why you need these in your closet ASAP. 🙂

As always, thank you for watching.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Build Your Collection of Everyday Shades With the MAC Eye Shadow X 15/Warm Neutral and Cool Neutral Palettes: A Closer Look

March 10th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

See, this is how they get ya — cold, hard numbers, baby.

When you run the numbers, $85 for each of the two new MAC Eye Shadow X 15 palettes sounds beyond reasonable — and not just reasonable, but actually wise. Considering that a Pro Palette Insert ($2), an empty Pro Palette ($8) and 15 individual shadow pan refills ($150) would set you back $160, $85 is a steal!

At least that’s what I plan to tell my husband when I go to Nordstrom later this week to “take a look” at another 15-pan MAC palette, this one recently released and filled with some of the brand’s bestselling shades (codename: Nordstrom Naturals).

“But, babe!” I’ll tell him, “It’s basically half off. I’m doing this for the good of the family.” 🙂

Something tells me I’ll be met with rolling eyes and a sigh, but whatevs.

MAC Cool Neutral (top) and Warm Neutral (bottom) Palettes — Cool Neutral (top) and Warm Neutral (bottom)

So, these two palettes — Warm Neutral and Cool Neutral — I can’t even think about them without feeling a little gooey inside. Filled with a mix of perennial permanent collection faves and limited edition colors, they’re the two new Eye Shadow X 15 palettes from the Eyes on MAC collection, and they’re available now at MAC stores and online.

If they look familiar, gold star! You might remember them from last year. They’re essentially re-promotes of those palettes, so you may already have them.

If not, this could be a good time to pounce, and not just because the palettes are a pretty good value (the pans are the same size as MAC’s full-size 0.05-oz. refills). They’re also a good way to quickly build up your collection of MAC workhorse shades, as both of them are bristling with useful, everyday neutrals that never go out of style.

But which one? — that’s the million-dollar question.

Well, what kind of colors do you currently wear? Do you wear more cool grays, pinks and silvers, or more warm, buttery coppers and golds?

MAC Eye Shadow X 15/Cool Neutral — Eye Shadow X 15/Cool Neutral

Some other things to consider…

Overall, the colors in the Cool palette seem less pigmented than the colors in the Warm palette, at least on my NC 42 skin, and I find myself building them up in layers (especially Flounce, Sweet Allure, Pick Me Up and Cozy Grey).

MAC Cool Neutral palette top row: Flounce, Sweet Allure, Sun Tweaked After Dusk and Blackberry — The Cool Neutral palette top row colors in Flounce, Sweet Allure, Sun Tweaked After Dusk and Blackberry

MAC Cool Neutral palette middle row: Pick Me Up, Cozy Grey, Crushed Clove, Deception and Brun — The Cool Neutral palette middle row colors in Pick Me Up, Cozy Grey, Crushed Clove, Deception and Brun

MAC Cool Neutral palette bottom row: Silver Fog, French Clay, Cumulus, Pearled Earth and Black Tied — The Cool Neutral palette bottom row colors in Silver Fog, French Clay, Cumulus, Pearled Earth and Black Tied

The Cool Neutrals seem like they’d be better suited for paler skin tones rather than deep. For that reason I haven’t been reaching for it as much as the Warm Palette.

The Warm one’s shadows pack more pigment than the Cools, and the palette has several shades that I know I can wear every day…for the next three lifetimes (like Saddle, Brule and Amber Lights).

And then there’s Honey Lust — in this case, the dicey shade. It’s definitely a chunky monkey, I know, but that’s just the way it goes with Honey Lust. Whenever I wear it, I use a wet brush, and/or gently pat it on my lids with a flat brush. Be patient, and try not to sweep it, lest you end up with shadow all over the place. It can be worth the effort, though. Honey Lust can look really beautiful when it’s packed on the lids.

MAC Warm Neutral Palette Swatches from the left: Hey, Warm Breeze, Gingershap, Dark Brew and Dance in the Dark — The Warm Neutral palette top row from the left: Hey, Warm Breeze, Gingershap, Dark Brew and Dance in the Dark

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Where Are You at Right Now in Terms of Your Foundation Coverage? Have You Been Wearing More Full Coverage, Medium or Sheer and Why?

March 10th, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

Wearing a medium coverage foundation, Dior Diorskin Nude Air Serum in 40 — Wearing medium-coverage Dior Diorskin Nude Air Serum foundation in 40. I love the velvety finish, which isn’t quite a flat matte.

Full coverage was my jam for a really long time. I was all about opaque coverage (sometimes, um, it was even borderline cakey).

I think this was partly because of some skin issues I had a few years ago. I was breaking out badly, and I felt like I had to cover everything up.

Then, slowly but surely, my skin started to improve, but it took a long time. I made some changes in my diet (mainly more water, less dairy) and started using different skin products. My skin grew less fussy (although by no means was it ever perfect), and I started to feel more comfortable.

But I kept wearing full coverage.

I still have pigmentation issues here and there and other blemishes and fine lines, things like that. I also have my share of freckles, but I’m at a point, at least for now, where I’m more comfortable with that.

I wear medium and sheer coverage a lot now, but I don’t know if you can always tell in pictures, because I think I’m getting better at manipulating the concealer. That’s a big key. Instead of caking all of that foundation on or using tons of full-coverage foundation, I’ll go as light as I can with foundation, and then very purposefully place concealer to cover — not cover up, because I hate words like “cover up” and “mask” — and even out the skin tone. The idea is to let the concealer do all of the heavy lifting.

I think I’ve also gotten better about using primers. I used to think they were total B.S. and just an extra step, but no, they really make a HUGE difference, and not just in terms of how long your makeup lasts, but also in terms of the texture of your skin.
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The Makeup Show Los Angeles, March 28-29: A Peek at Some New Products From Sephora, Smashbox, Make Up For Ever and Stila

March 9th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Sephora Colorful Blush in Flirt It Up No 06

Sephora Collection Colorful Blush in Flirt It Up

Aw, man! I wish my rotten boss would give me a few days off so I could go to The Makeup Show Los Angeles.

One of these days…

I’ve always wanted to go. They’re these two-day conferences for beauty professionals with seminars and a big exhibit hall filled with beauty brand booths and new products. Attendees get to meet, greet and network with other peeps in the industry.

The shows take place a few times a year in different cities around the country, and the next one happens to be in Los Angeles.

It’s March 28 and 29, and if you’re lucky enough to be going, you have a lot of new beauty to look forward to, including the things listed below…