Makeup

The New MAC Hyper Real Glow Palettes in Get Lit and Shimmy Peach

January 31st, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

mac hyper real glow shimmy peach get lit — It’s glow time with the new MAC Hyper Real Glow Palettes. I’m wearing the Get Lit Palette on my cheekbones and Shimmy Peach on my lids as an eyeshadow.

Conversations with my overstuffed makeup bag (Part 1)

ME:
“Hey, do you think I need another highlighter?”

MY OVERSTUFFED MAKEUP BAG:

I mean let’s get real here. Chances are you already have a go-to highlighter (or highlighters, because MOAR SHIMMER), and you’re probably attached to it, but if you, by chance, “need” a new one, or if it’s your life’s mission to become the antithesis of all that is Konmari, then…MAC ATTACK! MAC is adding two new highlighting palettes to their Hyper Real Glow line.

Like the bronze and rose gold palettes in the permanent line now, these new ones look and feel like the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Powders on the skin. They’re super silky, with ultra-fine grains of powder and an opalescent finish you can turn up or tone down, depending on your mood, your tool and your technique.

In fact, I think the MAC Hyper Real Glows actually feel softer than the BECCA powders do, so if you’re a clumsy-pants who drops everything, be careful…because the cardboard packaging feels dainty and delicate.

Both of them would work for a wide range of skin tones, but one of the new palettes is lighter and cooler-toned than the other, with pink, lavender and pale champagne shades, while the other, darker one has a peach and two coppers.

mac shimmy peach swatches — MAC Hyper Real Palette in Get Peach

mac get lit swatches — MAC Hyper Real Glow Palette in Get Lit (for reference, I’m an NC42)

This time of year, my medium tan skin (I wear an NC42 in MAC foundation) is a little lighter than it is in August, and I like using the cooler pinks and purples in Get Lit as traditional highlighters on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and in the inner corners of my eyes, along with using the peach palette on my eyes as shadow by buffing the shimmer on my lids and brow bones for an otherworldly glow.

A few more deets…

Coming February 4, 2019 to the MAC website, and February 7 to MAC stores and select MAC counters (call your counter to check ahead of time).
The palettes are $39.50 each and come with three 0.15-oz. pans (decent size).
The Shimmy Peach palette is shinier and frostier than the Get Lip Palette.
With these, a little goes a long way.
I get a solid six hours from these powders without seeing any fading.
You’ll like these if you’re a fan of BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector, or if you like flexible highlighters that can go from subtle to ***BLING***.
These may not be the best fit for you if you prefer candlelit glows a la the Hourglass Ambients.

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Today’s (7-Minute) Makeup: Monochromatic Lids, Cheeks and Lips

January 30th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

I’ve recently come to the following conclusion:

Five-minute makeup is bullsh*t.

Rather, it is if you (correction, I) want to do more than tinted moisturizer, brows, mascara and a nude lip.

I mean, I do five-minute makeup looks all the time. I like ’em. They’re easy, convenient… Well, those are their main selling points, but they aren’t really that much fun, because it’s just not enough time to do more than the basics.

And sometimes I want to have fun! — and I have more swag when I’m feeling my makeup, and when I have more swag, Beyoncé better watch out.

Therefore, in the pursuit of swag…seven-minute makeup is where it’s at.

It’s the sweet spot for me. It’s just enough time to go a little extra (with liner, blush, what have you), but it’s still lazy girl doable.

So, here was my seven-minute makeup look today. I did it using some new products from the MAC in Monochrome collection, but there’s also some Hourglass up in the mix. Everything is listed below in the order applied. If you have any questions, you know where to find me. ?

mac velvet teddy monochrome — Baby, how YOU feeling?

mac in monochrome velvet teddy makeup of the day final — Seven minutes, I can do.

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Ravenous for Red Lipstick: Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink in Dancer

January 29th, 2019 by Karen 31 Comments

maybelline dancer — I may or may have just busted out my six-step before taking this picture

Valentine’s Day ? is right around the corner, so this is a purr-fect time to celebrate that most sanguine of seductresses — scarlet! The Ravenous for Red Lipstick series features the crimsons I’m currently cuckoo for.

This warm red matte liquid lippie is called Dancer.

Yes, its name is one of the reasons I like it.

I also like it because it’s smooth and very pigmented, and there are NO vertical lip lines in sight whenever I wear it, which I typically do without a lip liner, because ya really don’t need one (it’s pretty easy to freehand).

I identify with the name because, once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away, a.k.a “my single life in San Francisco,” I would BOOK IT the second the clock struck quitting time and head directly to one of the many dance studios in the city to take a dance class, and I did this three or four times a week for a while.

I was addicted to dance, but can you blame me? There’s nothing quite as therapeutic as shaking your @ss for 45 minutes, except maybe Calgon…

Nowadays, I do most of my dancing in my living room with Tabs and Connor (we have MANY impromptu dance parties). On the plus side: no cover charge. Also on the plus side: hip-hop battles with cats and toddlers are HILARIOUS.

Dancer is one of Maybelline’s Super Stay Matte Ink liquid lipsticks with the thick, “grippy,” mousse-like formula. It’s easy to place it where you want it to go, and you can feel it latching on to your lips as it dries.

For me, it’s a very present lipstick, so it’s not one of those lighter-than-air situations. I like how warm and intense it is as a red (looks great with khaki liner and golden brown eyeshadow, BTW), too. Keeping with the dance metaphors, it really POPs.
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Does Social Media Affect How You See Yourself?

January 29th, 2019 by Karen 12 Comments

mbb january instagram makeup challenge — Instagram, I have feeeeeeelings about you…

I recently read an article on how Instagram, Snapchat and the photos editing apps a lot of people use with them have led to more and more teens comparing themselves to unrealistic beauty standards (and in some cases even to kids developing body dysmorphic disorder).

My first thought after reading the story was “DUUUUUDE, it’s not just teens!” As much as I like browsing Instagram for inspiration and, honestly, the cats, sometimes it does a number on me. I like to think that I’m a woman who loves herself and has a healthy degree of self-esteem, but still — there have been moments when I’ve scrolled through my feed and felt “less than.”

Yes, I know that people curate their feeds and only share what they want to share, so it isn’t a 1:1 representation of someone’s real life (just the real life they want the world to see), but sometimes all of that perfection still makes me feel like I can’t get my life together, or like I’m too old or too chunky or too sloppy or just not nearly wealthy enough (does everyone wear Gucci belts and have white couches and prepare dinner in kitchens with Calacatta marble counters?).

Maybe I need to work on toughening up my mental armor and lightening-the-heck-up (side note: CHILL THE EFF OUT, KAREN).

On the flip side, Instagram can also be a source of unexpected strength for me, like when I see a cute picture of someone’s cat or kid, or when I read a sweet story about something nice that happened to someone, or come across an inspiring quote that re-frames my perspective.

Anyway, I’m curious. Has social media changed the way you see yourself? Oh, and if you want, you can go anonymous on this. I totally get it.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Girl About Town on the Best Saturday Morning

January 28th, 2019 by Karen 22 Comments

mac girl about town lipstick — One happy girl about town.

Last Saturday I had the best morning, and the funny thing is, I didn’t do anything particularly revolutionary or amazing. I just spent a few hours doing things that make me feel good. One after another, back to back. It’s been a loooong time since I had a morning like that.

It was really just random happenstance because El Hub decided to take Connor to her very first movie, so they left the house at 10 a.m. to watch the new Mary Poppins together.

Me being me left to my own devices, my first thought was, “I should probably clean the bathroom, and then organize the pantry and pay some bills.” Thankfully, I came to my senses before it was too late and revised my plan to “EFF IT.” Instead, everything I did for the next three hours was something that makes me happy.

So I ran a few miles on the treadmill, did a pilates video, and took a shower.

SAY WHAT? Yup, I normally have to wait a few hours (as the sweat dries on my skin and I feel progressively crustier) after a workout before I can shower because there’s usually something pressing to attend to, like work or answering an email or making lunch or cleaning something.

This time, I played some Lizzo, jumped in the shower, sang, did a hair mask (GASP) and shaved. Then I put on jeans, a tee WITH NO HOLES IN IT (sigh, this is my life now) and hoop earrings.

I also blew out my bangs, plucked my brows and waxed my upper lip hair. And I actually did my nails — both fingers AND toes! (Essie Gel-Couture in Pre-Show Jitters)

Next, instead of putting on sunscreen and running out the door to run a quick errand, I lazily filled in my brows, curled my lashes, and, instead of putting on the usual nude lip, put on MAC’s Girl About Town.

I also spritzed a spray of perfume (Byredo Gypsy Water, my old friend) for the first time in ages.

Seriously, I can’t even begin to explain how great it felt.

Man, when people say that everything changes after you have children, they are not playing. It’s hard being needed by someone else all the time. I mean, I wouldn’t trade this phase of life for anything, and I know it’s fleeting, but it was so, so nice to feel like the me from my pre-baby life.

Sometimes I’ll catch a glimpse of myself in the rear view mirror in the car and think, “Who the heck is this person?” I don’t recognize her, except for every once in a while, like last Saturday, I’ll see myself and think, “There I am! I know her!”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

NEWNESS: The MAC In Monochrome Color Collections (Velvet Teddy, Ruby Woo and See Sheer)

January 24th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

Do yourself a solid, you sensational señorita, and tap a little MAC Velvet Teddy lipstick on the apples of your cheeks as an impromptu cream blush.

Don’t mind me; I’ll wait [waiting]…

It’s one those tried-and-true multitasking tricks many MAC addicts (myself included) like doing.

Also up there? Using lippies like Heroine and Ruby Woo as eyeshadows or even eyeliner!

Which brings me to this: The new MAC in Monochrome collection, which is available now. It takes what MAC fiends have already been doing for ages — re-purposing products — and makes it…official.

Going beyond lipstick

Six cult-classic MAC Lipsticks (Velvet Teddy, See Sheer, Ruby Woo, Heroine, Diva and Candy Yum Yum) get the props they so richly deserve in the form of their own sets of matching lipgloss, eyeshadow, blush and glitter inspired by their respective color. (Side note: Why’d MAC stop there? They should have gone all out with perfume and liner. After all, Velvet Teddy, Ruby Woo and Candy Yum Yum have already been released as fragrances. HMMM!)

mac in monochrome velvet teddy — Velvet Teddy

Playing with finish and texture

Like cat eyes and red lips, monochromatic makeup is a classic theme that transcends trends. I remember having a convo with a makeup artist once who said that monochromatic looks (where you wear matching eyeshadow, blush and lipstick) are one of the easiest ways to do elegant makeup, and I agree 100%. I don’t do it nearly enough, though.

That will be easy to rectify with the help of these sub-collections.

Subtle variations in the colors, along with different textures and finishes, keeps each of these sets from hitting a monotone note. Like, if I’m going to wear a matte beige lipstick like Velvet Teddy, I need to have at least a little shimmer on my eyes to contrast with my lips, and that’s the case with this collection. Each of the items riffs on its namesake lipstick color without being identical.

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Crazy About Creams! Say Hi to MAC Pro Face Palette Blush

January 23rd, 2019 by Karen 19 Comments

mac pro face palette bright blush — Oh, ya know, just some Casual Colour with the $40 MAC Pro Face Palette: Bright Blush.

This month I am CRAZY ABOUT CREAMS. Stay tuned for some of my favorite cream makeup products all throughout January.

I know I’ve mentioned the MAC Casual Colours before. They’re brilliant. They’re creamy. They’ve popped up in limited collections before (Beth Ditto, Mia Moretti and Diane Kendall, to name a few). You can wear them on your cheeks and lips, and now MAC has them in three options — Bright Blush, Deep Blush and Light Blush.

To this, all I have to say is YES.

mac pro face palette deep blush — MAC Pro Face Palette: Deep Blush ($40)

Well, obvs, that’s not all I have to say, ha! 🙂 Hello, my name is Karen, and my ability to get straight to the point is questionable.

I will also say this: If you’re a makeup lover who likes fresh, shiny cheeks and plump, juicy lips, you’ll probably appreciate Casual Color’s semi-glossy finish and creamy texture.

These palettes are a go-to when I’m wearing a sheer base (bare skin, BB or CC cream, or a tinted moisturizer), because the semi-glossy finish goes well with minimal coverage.

The trick is to gently tap-tap-tap the tiniest amount (either with your fingers or a stippling brush) you can get away with because these creams are very concentrated. You only need the most minimal of minimal amounts.

Once you figure out how little you can get away with, you’ll be rewarded with surprisingly good wear time. I get about five hours on my cheeks and three on my lips.

mac pro face palette swatches — Arm status: NC42

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Crazy About Creams! Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow in Not Just Nudes

January 22nd, 2019 by Karen 19 Comments

revlon not just nudes 1 — Revlon Not Just Nudes

This month I am CRAZY ABOUT CREAMS. Stay tuned for some of my favorite cream makeup products all throughout January.

First of all, I’m shocked I haven’t already tried this Revelon palette, since I’m such a fan of their individual cream shadows in the pots (Chocolate or Espresso, anyone?!). I have to thank the trauma of my last visit to the dentist for this spur-of-the-moment retail therapy purchase!

Illuminance Creme Shadow in Not Just Nudes ($7.99) comes in a slim, trim plastic package with a mirror on one side and four neutral cream shadows on the other. It’s a lineup of coordinating colors with a glossy finish to illuminate yo’ lids.

revlon not just nudes k — Revlon Not Just Nudes

You know that high fashion/editorial glossy lid look? This does that, but without the thickness, heaviness or major creasing (I do see some minor creasing after a few hours, but not a lot).

revlon not just nudes swatches — Revlon Not Just Nudes

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