Makeup

The 3 Best Makeup Setting Sprays to Stop Your Face From Melting Off in the Heat

June 21st, 2017 by Karen 27 Comments

The best setting sprays for hella hot weather!

It’s hot today in the North Bay (or, as we say in the Bay Area, it’s “HELLA hot here right now”). It’s a heat wave.

Weirdly, it’s been way hotter here in Novato than it was in Hawaii last week.

Super hot and super sweaty. Currently, my house is like an armpit, so baby and I are going to escape to air-conditioned pastures in a bit, but before we go, let’s talk makeup setting sprays…

When it’s hot like this, they’re a must for me, and here are a few I love.

1. Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix O2 ($30)

The best all-rounder. You can probably guess that this one’s my fave because — look, there’s only a teeny bit left in the bottle! 🙂 It doesn’t matter what type of finish I’m wearing (matte, dewy, glittery, shimmery, whatever!), it holds on to everything and keeps it in place.

I can sweat like crazy — even rub at my eyes or touch my face — and it keeps whatever I’m wearing from melting off or disappearing.

make up for ever mist fix — Note to self: restock this soon,
as in almost immediately

Also, I think Mist & Fix is the best spray for applying shimmer eyeshadows, glitter shadows and/or loose pigments with a wet brush because it’s almost like a lightweight liquid glue. It doesn’t leave your lids or your face feeling tacky or anything like that, and yet somehow binds those shimmery or glittery particles to the skin.

2. Urban Decay Chill ($31)

The best for dewy skin looks, and you know I’m all about that dewy skin. 🙂 I think Chill is the best spray for that type of look.

It’s weird, but there’s a very fine line between dewy skin and skin that looks oily, right? A little shine is good — great, even! — but too much shine starts to look greasy. Chill walks that line without crossing it, and it feels fab, too. There’s a slight cooling sensation, so when you spray it on a hot day, ah… It’s so refreshing.

Did I mention that it creates the finest mist ever? The droplets are finer than those of the other the sprays I use, and it’s a wide mist. A single spritz covers a lot of area.

3. Shiseido Ibuki Quick Fix Mist ($25)

The best for keeping shine in check. I use this spray when I do matte looks or when my combo skin is oilier than usual. It has what Shiseido calls an “Anti-Shine Complex” to keep greasy spots in check, and dang if doesn’t werk! When I use this, I feel like my skin looks like it did in the ’90s (from what I remember, haha) — uber-matte, with no shine whatsoever.

The mist kinda bugs me, though… Sometimes big droplets hit my face in random spots, but other than that, it’s good stuff.

Stay cool in the heat, babe!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Relentlessly Red Retro Matte Lipstick Is a Shout-Out to the Jungle

June 20th, 2017 by Karen 22 Comments

SRLSY, shout-out to the jungle for having The. Best. Plants. Ever.

I spotted this pretty plant at a place called Haiku Gardens on Oahu last week, and it’s been haunting my dreams ever since!

I think it might be a flower…? Wow, how striking is that red? It’s so intense, and the finish! I don’t even know where to start… Matte, and I love the way it contrasts with the green leaves behind it. I mean, Mother Nature? *Mwah!* Best painter ever.

Anyway, I was wanting to wear the exact same color on my lips, and someone on Instagram mentioned that the red in this pic looked like MAC Relentlessly Red ($17 and available in the permanent line), so when I was getting ready today (by the way, this is probably the most makeup I’ve worn in two weeks), I dug through my MAC drawer…

And I found it! Yay! It’s a perfect match.

mac relentlessly red lipstick 2 — I’m wearing a mish-mash of things today, not gonna lie (I just kept piling stuff on and hoped for the best!). I’m wearing Chanel Mirage Illusion D’Ombre Cream Shadow, MAC Hushed Tone Blush and Urban Decay Diamond Dog Eyeshadow on my lids; MAC Relentlessly Red Lipstick on my cheeks; Milk Makeup Lit Highlighter on my upper cheekbones; and MAC Matchmaster Concealer

One of the Retro Matte Lipsticks in the MAC permanent line, Relentlessly Red is a bright coral-red with a fuchsia spirit that sets it apart from many other MAC reds, like Lady Danger, which is more orange, and MAC Ruby Woo, which is cooler- and bluer-toned.

The MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks vary in terms of how dry the formula feels. Some are smoother, slightly more “moisturizing” (air quotes, because none of them are exactly moisturizing) and consequently easier to wear than others.

Relentlessly Red is one of the drier ones (but that’s not to say that it’s super dry) and benefits from a little babying and prep work if you have any flake action on your lips. In that case, exfoliate first; then prep your pout with a layer of lip balm, and I used Urban Decay Lip Love today. Then blot and apply Relentlessly Red.

Because I’ve been *mucho lazy* lately, I had been applying lipstick straight from the bullet, but I recently started using a lip brush to apply lipstick, usually a layer or two, and then I pat everything down with my finger.

It’s more work than going straight from the tube, but I like the look. It looks like my lipstick is merging with my lips, as opposed to sitting on top of them.

It’s all part of that ongoing phase I’m in where I want my makeup to look like I’m not trying too hard (even when I am), and that’s the effect I get with a lip brush.

mac relentlessly red lipstick 1 — Take me back to the jungle

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Some Thoughts on Local Hawaiian Makeup Trends

June 20th, 2017 by Karen 29 Comments

After all the time I spent auditioning different makeup bags and thinking about what makeup to bring on this trip, I barely wore any makeup at all, which was kind of a big deal for me.

Things were different on my last trip to Hawaii a few years ago. I was even filling in my brows, curling my lashes and putting on tinted moisturizer and blush before going to the beach.

This time, though? Nuh-uh. Most of the time it was just copious amounts of sunscreen and a hat. And that’s about it.

I did wear makeup a few times — once to a nicer restaurant for dinner (one of those places you wear your nice muumuu and your fancy dress up slippers to, LOL!) with a friend I met on the blog (hi, Fern!), and I had some of THE BEST food I’ve ever had in Hawaii.

So I put on some makeup that night, but I did, like, the bare minimum going-out makeup for me. Brows, MAC Next to Nothing, a little concealer, a hint of powder, the BECCA X Chrissy Palette on my eyes and my cheeks, mascara, a quickie coral lip, and that was about it.

I’m definitely much more comfortable wearing less makeup than I used to be, and I feel that if I’m staying up late and I’m going to look tired anyway, or if I have dark circles, or if my skin tone looks uneven, eh…I’m fine with it. As long as I’m wearing sunscreen and a smile on my face, I’m doing OK, haha! 🙂

Even though I didn’t wear a lot of makeup myself on this trip, I still paid attention to the makeup the people around me were wearing. I “people watched” pretty hard at the beach and the pool, and I even met an MBB reader (Hi, Myrna!) at the beach. She happened to be wearing a beautiful shimmery bronze eye shadow on her lids. She also introduced me to Clio, a brand she called the Korean version of Urban Decay, and I can’t wait to get on that, ASAP!

I scanned eyebrows SO HARD on this trip because of a local phenomenon El Hub, who was born and raised in Hawaii, calls, “Hawaii eyebrows.” Many local ladies rock super thin ’90s-style brows, and I did notice a little of that going on, but I also noticed more people than ever sporting full brows at the beach and at local places like the Foodland (went for some ahi poke and a chocolate haupia pie) and Long’s (the best place to get Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, crack seed, kaki mochi and local souvenirs).

I mean, most people still weren’t rocking Instagram brows or anything, but overall, it did seem like the local style was toward fuller brows than the pencil thin brows I remember.

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Early Morning Aloha

June 13th, 2017 by Karen 23 Comments

Could you be anymore photogenic, Oahu? It’s almost unfair how good you look first thing in the morning.

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Current Crushes From MAC: Matchmaster Concealer, Melba Blush, In Extra Dimension Mascara and More

June 9th, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

current mac crushes — Um, please excuse my hair. I just couldn’t be bothered today, apparently.

Just a few MAC faves I’ve been lovin’ extra lots lately!

MAC Matchmaster Concealer ($22). Guuuurrrrrl. BOMB. DOT. COM. They’re creamy stick concealers with auto-magical self-adjusting pigments that personalize themselves to your own awesome skin tone…

Yes, that was a bunch of nonsensical fancy talk. 🙂

I’m an NC42, and I wear Shade 5 (there are 11 in all).

Somehow, once this concealer settles in after blending it out, it matches my skin perfectly, and it’s freaking me out! I would love to learn about the cosmetic chemistry behind it because I’m sure it’s cutting edge. The coverage is medium, and the finish is satiny. I think it reflects just enough light and looks natural.

Of course, you can still change the finish by buffing a matte face powder on top, but I like to keep it dewy, so I set mine with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.

mac matchmaster concealer 5 — I went a little ham on the concealer, but that’s what blending is for…

Matchmaster lasts all day long for me without scooting, budging or fading. MAC says its also sweat-resistant and ideal for humid climes, so I’m bringing it with me to Hawaii, for sure.

Another thing I’ve been into this week: $23 MAC Melba Blush.

Look at that pan! Mine is well-loved, LOL! It’s a coral-peach with a matte finish.

I may or may not have just googled “Melba Toast”

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A “Gilt and Gloss” Makeup Look With Nudestix and Urban Decay

June 9th, 2017 by Karen 15 Comments

Ya know, this whole “makeup in 30 minutes or less thing” I’ve been doing all week long has been VERY liberating. To think, there was a time when I didn’t want to try anything beyond basic makeup because I thought that any looks worth doing would take at least 45 minutes to an hour (or sometimes two).

This look took 20 minutes and — get this! — only one brush. I used an angled eye brush to take out the edges of the cat eye.

Oh, and a BeautyBlender, if we’re being really picky.

To blend the makeup on my eyes, cheeks and lips, I just used my fingers! I’ve been inspired by a makeup artist a friend of mine named Fieran (hey, Fieran!) introduced me to, violetta_fr on YouTube. She’s this impossibly chic French woman who lives in New York, and she does most of her application with her fingers and a handful of products (only what she can fit in her cross-body Chanel purse).

It’s refreshing to see makeup out there beyond the hyper-glam beat that dominates social media, ya know?

Anywho, I call this look “Gilt and Gloss” because I used a mix of sparkly glitter, golden shimmer, and matte taupe and beige eye gloss on my lids.

I wanted to play with finishes and textures, and I wanted to do it in a messy, grungy way that still looks somewhat “lady like.”

For my eyes, I drew thick cat eye liner with a taupe matte shadow stick (Nudestix Magnetic Matte Eye Color in Slate). Then I used my fingers to smudge the edges on my lids.

Next, I took a shimmery neutral gold shadow stick called Gilt (also by Nudestix) and layered that on top of the taupe (quick! — say “top of the taupe” five times fast) on my lids, blending it with my fingers. I wanted to keep the flicks and my lower lash line dark, so I didn’t layer the gold on those parts.

Then I grabbed a pan of Urban Decay Diamond Dog Eyeshadow, a delicious glittery golden brown, and dabbed it on my lids with a finger, and then loaded my lashes with HELLA mascara (MAC In Extra Dimension Waterproof).

Lastly, I applied highlighter in my inner corners using a shiny beige eye gloss called Milk Makeup Eye Vinyl in Bridge.

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Makeup Packing Adventures: Which Bag to Bring?

June 8th, 2017 by Karen 32 Comments

Allegedly, I’m trying to pack light for this upcoming trip to Hawaii. “Allegedly.” 😉

Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Karen.

No, really, it’s gonna happen this time. I’m going to be that girl with the impossibly streamlined makeup bag.

I just have to figure out which makeup bag to bring with me… I realized the other day that if I bring a smaller-than-normal makeup bag, I should be alright, because there just won’t be room to go completely cray-cray overboard. This will take tremendous willpower, though, because if were to do what comes naturally to me, I’d bring something like this behemoth…

I got this awesomely roomy see-through makeup bag from a SpaceNK promo, and no sh*t, it’s big enough to fit body parts.

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Take Me With You, Milk Makeup Blush Oil!

June 8th, 2017 by Karen 4 Comments

Travel makeup bag, meet the Milk Makeup Blush Oils, otherwise known as “convenience in tube.”

These are so cool! They have the same click-pen packaging as Milk’s Sunshine Tint. There’s a clicker on one side and a roller ball on the other, and inside is a liquid blush oil that looks pigmented in the swatches below (I went a little cray-cray drawing the rose designs, whoopsies), but once it’s blended in, it looks effortless and natural.

milk makeup blush oil flush crave — Swatches of Flush (top) and Crave (bottom)

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