Makeup

The New Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks Are Making Hearts Melt Under Oodles of Bold, Opaque Color

April 16th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

Too Faced Melted Violet — Wearing the new $21 Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Violet by Too Faced Cosmetics

NOVATO — “They’re kind of like purse parties,” said Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog, “but without the purses, obviously, and with much, much more cheese.”

The beauty blogger and self-proclaimed pioneer of the melted party movement hosted one of them recently — so-called “melted parties,” where women (and some men) get together to celebrate “things that make you melt.”

“It’s the latest party crazy sweeping the nation.” said Karen. “A fun festival of figurative flambé!”

At Karen’s last melted party, guests nibbled on tuna melts and fondue (both cheese and chocolate varieties, she was quick to add), then played with blue-eyed kittens and chubby-pawed puppies while watching The Notebook.

All things that make you melt.

The new $21 Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks by Too Faced Cosmetics

The melted theme often extends to the dress code, as well, as Karen frequently encourages melted party guests to arrive wearing makeup like the new $21 Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks by Too Faced Cosmetics.

Too Faced Melted Swatches from the left: Melted Coral, Melted Fuchsia, Melted Nude, Melted Peony, Melted Violet and Melted Ruby — Swatches from the left of Melted Coral, Melted Fuchsia, Melted Nude, Melted Peony, Melted Violet and Melted Ruby

“These opaque liquid lipsticks,” said Karen, “which are new to the Too Faced line, have set the melted party movement on fuego! I like ’em for many reasons — first among them being the pigments. They’re intense! They literally lavish lips in smooth, saturated color, so they look great in selfies. On top of that, they last 4-5 hours, so you can raise the roof without having to stop for touchups.”

According to Karen, the slanted tip applicators make them easy to apply. “Even the brighter and more intense colors like Melted Fuchsia, Melted Violet and Melted Coral are a snap to use. I can even skip a lip liner.”

Too Faced Melted Fuschia — Melted Fuschia

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Pardon My French, but Holy Wow! Is That the $49 Too Faced Pardon My French Set?

April 16th, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

Alright, then I will attempt to say it in French. “Ladurée, macarons, Gerard Depardieux…”

S’il vous plait, mademoiselle! Please pardon my French. I know that it isn’t very good, but that’s what you get for not paying attention in high school French class. And it’s even worse than usual when I’m sleep deprived.

Over the past few days, I’ve averaged about three hours of sleep per night, but ya know, that’s the price one pays for excitement, and it’s been an exciting few days.

I’m back at home in Novato now, recovering from my trip to Nashville, which leads me, in an obviously contrived segue, to something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about for a while — the new Pardon My French set by Too Faced Cosmetics ($49). 🙂

Available now at Sephora stores and sephora.com, this limited edition cutie-pie comes with five pieces, but it’s more like 13 (because one of them’s a palette). There’s an eyeshadow palette with nine powder eyeshadows, a tiny eye primer, a full-sized eyeliner, one mini mascara and a makeup bag.

The $49 Too Faced Pardon My French summer set comes with…

One tiny 0.11-oz tube of Shadow Insurance
The Bonjour Summer Eye Palette with nine shadows in Plumeria (a vivid pink), Cocoa Beach (a plummy brown sugar), Firefly (a copper), Chocolate Sun (a shimmery rich brown), Mermaid (a muted teal), Toasted Coconut (a matte caramel), Seashell (a shimmery dusty rose), Sand Dollar (a peachy shimmer) and Sunbeam (a pale golden shimmer)
A mini 0.25-oz tube of Lash Injection Extreme Volume Mascara
A full-sized 0.04-oz Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black
One awfully cute makeup bag

If you just experienced a moment of déjà vu, it may have been caused by the Bonjour Summer Eye Palette. If the shades look familiar to you, that’s because it’s essentially last year’s Summer Eyes Palette in different packaging, with the addition of a couple new shades.

This one trades last year’s shimmery, peachy golden Peach Fuzz and satiny Coral Crush for matte beige Sand Dollar and shimmery copper Firefly, which don’t constitute a dramatic change in the overall color vibe, but it’s enough to tell the difference.

I think the addition of Sand Dollar and Firefly warm the palette overall, and the addition of Sand Dollar, a matte beige, is just downright practical.

You know the old saying (that I just made up): a girl can always use another matte beige as an all-over lid color. They ain’t flashy, but they’re soooo useful.

As for Firefly, the shimmery copper, you know, I can’t really say I’m crazy about it, to be honest. I wanted to love it because I’m kind of going through a shimmery copper phase, but I find its glitter gritty, and I notice quite a bit of fallout.

So, yeah. Not my fave.

If you picked up last year’s Summer Eyes palette, unless you’re a die-hard Too Faced hoarder, you may not need this one.

That said, if you’re new to the brand or just new to eyeshadow palettes in general, I think this would be a good place to start. It has a little color and some killer neutral shades.

Too Faced Pardon My French Swatches from the left: Seashell, Plumeria and Cocoa Beach — Swatches from the left: Seashell, Plumeria and Cocoa Beach

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8 Minutes With Hayden Panettiere: The Nashville Star Talks Makeup, Beauty and Style

April 14th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

With Neutrogena Beauty Ambassador, Actress Hayden Panettiere — With Neutrogena Beauty Ambassador, actress Hayden Panettiere

I may or may not have come this close to asking Hayden Panettiere to harmonize with me when I interviewed her this afternoon. It was either that, or ask her if she would do some cheerleading moves with me.

Not that I’m a cheerleader… I just thought that might be kind of rad. Save the cheerleader, save the world?

You might know Hayden from this little show she used to do called Heroes. She currently stars on the hit show Nashville, where she plays singer/country rock star Juliett Barnes. Hayden, who lives in Nashville now where the show is filmed, is also a Neutrogena Beauty Ambassador.

We chatted about her must-have beauty products and a frightening thing called “tarantula lashes.” And I even got her to speak some Russian for me!

No, not as random as it sounds. 🙂 She’s engaged to world champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko, and she’s learning the language now.

I didn’t have a lot of time with her, but I totally enjoyed every minute. She was really down to earth and cute and completely normal, which shouldn’t come as a surprise at all, but with the media nowadays and the way people are often portrayed, you just never know. She also has the most beautiful skin.

Thanks for the question ideas on Twitter and MBB. I tried to ask as many as I could.

Hayden Panettiere talks makeup, beauty and style

Karen: I’m curious; have you noticed, like, how is style here in Nashville different from L.A. style? Has it affected your style at all as well?

Hayden: The style in Nashville is pretty laid back, and it’s also — it can also be kind of hipster.

Karen: Hipster.

Hayden: Yeah, and funky, and I love the way the girls dress here. You see a lot of fun cute little dresses and little boots, like what you’re wearing [she gestures toward my cat print dress, which I LOVE], but people tend to go a little more casual here.

I see a lot of cute hats, and I’m a big fan of hats, so it’s almost kind of allowed me to, um, re-embrace my personal style. Because in L.A., I felt like I had to put a lot more effort into it, because you know that you’re gonna be met outside your front door with cameras, and the topic of conversation is going to be your outfit or what you’re wearing, ya know, all that good stuff. So you get a little gun shy.

I’ve always been more of a tomboy and more laid back and more casual and comfortable. Over the years, I’ve definitely experimented with things, but it fits me here. It suits me here, ’cause it feels comfortable.

Karen: So what’s your everyday makeup routine like? You mentioned that you’re a tomboy, but are you more, like, minimalist makeup, or a glam girl, or somewhere in between?

Hayden: That’s another thing that’s kind of changed is that I’ve definitely stopped wearing quite as much makeup. I had times in L.A. where I wouldn’t wear any makeup at all, either, but when we went out to dinners and stuff like that, it was great to have fun with it, to dress up, to do more makeup, and when you see that here, it’s pretty rare that you see massive quantities of makeup here. It’s very natural, and I love that.

Can’t get enough of Hayden? Check out Neutrogena’s All Day Beauty series, which includes Hayden’s hair and beauty essentials, along with videos and additional tips.

I have definitely had my fun, and sometimes I’ll do a great nude eye with just a pop of red lipstick or, ya know, a more smoky eye with a nude lip, but my day in, day out look is, ya know, mascara, and in the summertime, it’ll be mascara and a little blush and lips, and that’s why one of my favorite products are these [Neutrogena] Moisturesmooth Color Sticks.

[Yesterday] I had about 10 of these in the bottom of my purse in every color you can think of. We love to use them on our lips, but we also like to put them on our cheeks and use them as a blush, and it’s great because sometimes I don’t want to carry this big purse, and I wanna wear, ya know, just shove my credit card, my I.D. and a little touchup in my jacket pocket.

This is perfect, ’cause it’s two-in-one, and, I mean, it certainly fits in a clutch, like what we wear down the red carpet sometimes, ’cause we all know that those teeny tiny bags are not quite functional. They’re fashion, not function.

Karen: Oh, yeah. Do you have a favorite color from the MoistureSmoothes?

Hayden: I love Juicy Peach. Posey? Posey is the blush/bronzer duo. There’s also a red-red, and then there’s almost like a purply one, but I like all of them. It just depends, and you can layer them, too, really easily, like, I’ll do a nude, and then I’ll take the red-red one and go along the inside of my lips so that it almost looks like you just sucked on a popsicle or a lollipop. It’s a great look.

Karen: I’ll have to try that.

Hayden: Yeah, it’s great.

A few of Hayden's favorite things (from the left): Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes, Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup and Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Sticks — A few of Hayden’s favorite things (from the left): Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes, Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup and Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Sticks

Karen: Besides the MoistureSmooth Sticks, what are you —

Hayden: And mascara.

Karen: What are your other must-haves — the things that you would freak out about if they were discontinued?

Hayden: Well I kind of love this [Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara] because I’m blonde, so I have blonde lashes, so I look about 12 if I don’t have mascara on. They won’t let me in anywhere! [Laughing] And it’s been great for my lashes because a lot of the time we wear false eyelashes all day long, and it’s so drying to put fake eyelashes on, and then when you pull them off your eyelashes come out.

A lot of mascaras will give you tarantula, crispy, crunchy lashes. But for the first time I’ve actually been able to not wear any fake eyelashes, and even on the show, it’s high def, and you can see it. If you’re paying attention, you can see when I am and when I’m not, and recently I’ve stopped wearing fake eyelashes even during performance scenes because my eyelashes have been allowed to grow, and they’ve gotten really thick and long.

Karen: I bet it’s kind of liberating not to have to wear them. They can be a pain.

Hayden: I mean, they can be a blast; they really can, but you want to be able to have the choice.

Karen: Yeah, for sure.

Hayden: And then this stuff [Neutrogena Long Wear Liquid Makeup] has saved my skin because we work for 12-16 hour days, and we’re doing performance scenes or sweating, and then we’re putting powder on because we’re shiny, and then we’re putting more base makeup on. Getting your makeup to last 12-16 hours is a feat, but the Long Wear allows my skin to breathe all day long, and I know that it’s healthy for my skin. I don’t have to worry about my pores getting as clogged. With HD TV, like — everything’s in HD, and you can see everything.

Karen: It doesn’t mess around.

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Letters to Coco and Reflections on a Chanel Summer, Part 3: Bronze BFFs Forever! Mirage Illusion D’Ombre, Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dore, and Tutti Frutti Le Vernis Nail Colour

April 11th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Chanel Reflets D'Ete De Chanel — Wearing the new Chanel Reflets D’Ete De Chanel summer collection

Letters to Coco

What follows is the final installment of a three-part series of posts titled “Letters to Coco,” a series of letters written in the summer of 2014 from me to my best friend (in my head), Coco Chanel. In this third letter, which features summer collection standouts Mirage Illusion D’Ombre, Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dor and Le Vernis Nail Colour in Tutti Frutti, it’s the end of the summer, a few weeks after our trip. 🙂

My dearest Coco,

You know what they say. Tans fade, but friendships last forever. And you, my friend, are my girl for life.

4-LIFE!

I can’t believe the summer is almost over. It’s seems like just yesterday we were boarding the plane to the Maldives.

Ah, the Maldives…

I can’t even think about that trip without smiling!

The beach, the waves… Thank you for being such a good sport and getting up at the crack of dawn to go surfing with me. Oh, and uh, also thank you for not telling anybody that I lost my bikini top when I dropped in on that wave.

Whoops! Half-naked surfing. Everyone’s gotta do it at least once in their life, haha.

Geez, barely two weeks back from vacation, and I feel like I need another one. It’s been super stressful (but what else is new?). Tabs is already gearing up for fall — fall! — and I’ve been working cray-cray long hours, but whenever I’m about to lose my sh*t, I just close my eyes and pretend we’re back on the beach with our towels, digging our toes into the sand.

Chanel Mirage and Ambre Dore — Mirage and Ambre Dore

You’re probably going to laugh this, but I’m still wearing your summer collection. In August! I know!

By this time of year, I’m usually hitting up the Trader Joe’s in matte berry lips and full-on smokey eyes.

Chanel Mirage — Illusion D’Ombre Loong Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Mirage, a bronze ($36)

But I’m just not ready to say goodbye to summer yet.

NO! I still have a tan from our trip (tears!), so I’ve been wearing your bronze cream eyeshadow, Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Mirage; and your shimmery gold liner, Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dore, in an attempt to cling to my memories of our best summer ever.

Chanel Ambre Dore — Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ambre Dore, a shimmery gold ($32)

You know, sometimes, Coco, I feel like you just get me. You get my makeup style. Especially with this cream eyeshadow.

My goodness! It’s like the most perfect shimmery bronze I’ve ever worn — or rather, the most perfect buttery bronze, because I think it’s different than a regular orangey bronze, and I love how it works with my caramel coloring.

And the finish? It’s off the hook, girl! Did you make it this way — so soft and satiny and scintillating — because of that time I complained about how frosty eyeshadows settle into my fine lines? Because the way this catches the light is absolutely perfect.

I’ve been wearing Mirage all over my lids with Ambre Dore Eyeliner on my lower lash and water lines. The warm, shimmery golden tones in Ambre Dore play off the bronze in Mirage really well — no clashing of metallics here!

I’d go so far as to call the Mirage + Ambre Dore combo the best metallic summer eye look of 2014. It’s easy, elegant and I swear to gawd, makes me look 10 years younger.

So, of course, this would not be one of my trademark rambling letters without a nail update. Well, I’ve been wearing Tutti Fruitt Le Vernis Nail Colour, also from your summer collection, to go with my shimmery bronze and gold eyes.

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Tutti Frutti, a soft coral ($27) — Le Vernis Nail Colour in Tutti Frutti, a soft coral ($27)

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Letters to Coco and Reflections on a Chanel Summer, Part 1: Orange You Glad We’re BFFs With Mirabella Le Vernis Nail Colour and Sunny Glossimer?

April 11th, 2014 by Karen 28 Comments

Chanel Collection Reflets D'Ete De Chanel Summer 2014 — Wearing the new Chanel Collection Reflets D’Ete De Chanel Summer 2014

Letters to Coco

Introducing part one of a three-part series of posts titled “Letters to Coco,” a series of letters written in the summer of 2014 from me to my best friend (in my head), Coco Chanel. In this first letter, which features summer collection standouts Mirabella Nail Polish and Sunny Glossimer, we’re planning our upcoming summer trip.

My dearest Coco,

Orange you glad we’re BFFs!? Because, seriously, how else would you get the inside scoop on happenings in the crazy cat lady community? You’d be lost without me, LOL!

I miss you so much! It’s been forever since we hung out. How has your summer been so far? Mine’s been nothing short of epic. EPIC!

I’ve been traveling a lot for work because of Tabs. He’s had a ton of modeling gigs lately and, lucky for me, most of them have been in tropical parts of the world.

I’m actually writing this to you from the Four Seasons in Bora Bora right meow.

Meow!

I was thinking about you because all of the fancy fashionistas here keep asking about Mirabella, that luscious orange nail polish from your summer collection.

Chanel Mirabella swatch — Two coats of creamy orange Mirabella

It hasn’t left my tips or toes once this trip, and everyplace I’ve been, at least one person has stopped to ask me about it. “OMG! What are you wearing on your nails!?” I raise my chin proudly and proclaim, “It’s from my BFF, Coco. It’s part of her summer Reflets D’Ete de Chanel summer 2014 collection.”

Then, while their brains are still frozen, I add, “It’s so pigmented that you only need one coat.” 🙂

Chanel Collection Reflets D'Ete de Chanel Summer 2014 All — Eight pieces from the 16-piece Reflets D’Ete de Chanel Summer 2014 collection

I’ve been wearing it with Sunny, the sheer jelly orange Glossimer also from your summer collection.

SUCH a good idea to mix and match the nail polishes and glosses in this collection, Coco! I love that if I want I can match my lips to my nails.

Chanel Mirabella Le Vernis Nail Colour and Sunny Glossimer — Mirabella Le Vernis Nail Colour ($27, limited edition) and Sunny Glossimer ($29.50, permanent)

Chanel Mirabella Le Vernis Nail Colour on my nails and Sunny Glossimer on my lipa — Mirabella Le Vernis Nail Colour on my nails and Sunny Glossimer on my lips

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Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara Is Not for the Birds, but for Others Who Like a Feathered Fringe

April 10th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

The word, “feathering,” in Clinique’s new Lash Power Feathering Mascara makes me think of birds. And birds make me think of jerks. Because that’s what they are. JERKS.

Oh, I’m just cranky because the neighborhood birds completely decimated my radishes.

I filled two large planters with radish seeds (partly because they grow to harvest in 25-30 days, which is quick, and partly because El Hub and I like them in salads), and as soon as they began to sprout the cutest, tiniest little leaves (aww!), the neighborhood birds just tore ’em up without any regard for my spring planting agenda.

They chewed up the sprouts, destroying every single last one of them, until all that remained were a few sad nubs that will not survive.

Sooooo…no radishes for the nice lady who, incidentally, keeps the bird feeder on the deck filled at all times with yummy birdseed.

Nope. No radishes. Not one.

Anyway…#endrant. On to mascara.

I wanted to try Clinique’s new Lash Power Feathering Mascara mostly because of the marketing hype, which promises “out-to-there” length, and being a mascara hoarder an all, that greatly excited me. 🙂

Lash Power also promises a feathery soft lash look that lasts 12 hours without smudging, and to be easy to remove using warm water.

After a week of testing, my verdict is in. On Lash Power, I think my fringe does look feather soft. Lash Power does a great job of separating and maintaining a curling. It tends to flake a little if I go beyond crazy with the layering — it does layer exceptionally well, without any clumping or bumps — but other than that, it’s pretty sturdy stuff, and it really does wash off easily with my regular face cleanser and warm water, which is convenient.

As for smudging, as long as I don’t rub at or futz with my eyes, it doesn’t.

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I Have an Idea! Let’s Brainstorm MAC Playland Lipstick and Lipglass Combos

April 8th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

MAC Amplified Lipstick in Sweet Experience, a bright pink, and Lipglass in Carousel, a creamy pink — MAC Playland Lipstick+Lipglass combo idea #1: Amplified Creme Lipstick in Happy-Go-Lucky + Lipglass in Pure Silliness

I miss recess…

Remember recess in school, when bell would go off every 45 minutes, and you’d sprint out of the classroom to the playground and basically run around and raise hell for 10 minutes?

Those were good times, yah? Good times…

I have a theory about recess. I think that if adults were mandated or otherwise required to take 10-minute recess breaks every 45 minutes, people would generally be less grumpy.

Picture yourself hanging upside-down next to your coworkers on a jungle gym, or sprinting down the street with everyone to see who makes it to the corner and back first. 🙂

I’m serious! — adult recess could revolutionize work as we know it, LOL!

But all kidding aside (yeah, right), I am a big fan of breaks, even though I haven’t always been very good about taking them.

I’ve been trying lately, though. Every day for the past few weeks I’ve been taking two 10-15 minute breaks per day, ideally away from the computer. I think it makes a big difference in my mood, too. Sometimes I’ll go for a quick walk; other times I’ll play with makeup, but it only counts if I get away from my computer.

See, the computer is the thing.

Today on my first break this morning I went for a 10-minute walk at the Indian Valley Open Space Nature Preserve, which is a couple blocks away.

That was like a mental health break, because I really needed to get outside.

Then on my second break I played with some of the 11 lip products from the new MAC Playland collection. I wanted to mess around with some bright, glossy lip combos using the Lipsticks and Lipglasses.

Combo Idea #1: Amplified Creme Lipstick in Happy-Go-Lucky + Lipglass in Pure Silliness

MAC Happy-Go-Lucky Lipstick and Pure Silliness Lipglass — Happy-Go-Lucky Lipstick and Pure Silliness Lipglass

MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in Happy-Go-Lucky, a hot pink and Lipglass in Pure Silliness, a creamy lilac — Amplified Creme Lipstick in Happy-Go-Lucky, a hot pink and Lipglass in Pure Silliness, a creamy lilac

Combo Idea #2: Amplified Lipstick in Toying Around + Lipglass in Live It Up

MAC Toying Around Lipstick and Live It Up Lipglass — Toying Around Lipstick and Live It Up Lipglass

MAC Amplified Lipstick in Toying Around, a hot coral pink, and Lipglass in Live It Up, a creamy orange — Amplified Lipstick in Toying Around, a hot coral pink, and Lipglass in Live It Up, a creamy orange

Combo Idea #3: Frost Lipstick in Head in the Clouds + Lipglass in Bright Side

MAC Head in the Clouds Lipstick and Bright Side Lipglass — Head in the Clouds Lipstick and Bright Side Lipglass

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BECCA Ever-Matte Skin Shine Proof Foundation: Oil Better Knot Stand in the Way of This Marriage

April 7th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

Oh, Matte, yes! A thousand times YES!

I think I’m going to cry…

I’ve been wondering when you’d ask. You just made me the happiest girl in the world. 🙂

I actually thought you might pop the question that morning two weeks ago when we were getting ready for work. You were thinking about it that day weren’t you, Matte? We were standing in front of the mirror together, and I was holding on to you so tightly, and we looked into each other’s eyes, and I thought, “Yes, I could spend the rest of my life with you, Matte.”

Haha! It’s kind of crazy that we can spend all day together without driving each other nuts. Isn’t that crazy, Matte? I’ve never known a liquid matte foundation that left my skin looking so smooth and feeling so comfortable.

And the way you take control of oil on my forehead, nose and chin? — gosh, that’s so frickin’ hot. You always keep the shine away, baby, even on your own. I’ve never known another matte like that. Because of you, I don’t even need setting powder. That’s epic, Matte.

Becca Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation in Bamboo — BECCA Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation in Bamboo, one of 19 shades in the line

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that you look so good in pics, haha! Oh, you know it’s true. You’re easy on the eyes. You look so natural on my skin. Not fake or mannequin-like at all. Honestly, because of problems in my past with that, I didn’t think I’d ever commit to a matte foundation…

Before you.

I love how just the smallest amount patted on my cheeks, my nose and around my chin and mouth give me medium coverage. And how if I want more opacity, all I have to do is add and blend another layer.

Before (left) and after (right) Becca Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation — Before (left) and after (right) BECCA Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation

Now, your family — it’s big, Matte — and you know that I love your family, but are we going to invite all 18 of your brothers and sisters? Because that’s going to be a big-@ss wedding. Bigger than we talked about.

Why don’t we just call your cousin, and have her meet us at City Hall? We could elope right then and there.

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