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MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana

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mac havana extra dimension eye shadow
Havana oh-nah-nah

Girl… One day. One day I’ll sit down, put on my makeup for the day, and NOT do a brown smoky eye.

But today was not that day. 🙂

I had to run errands, and I wasn’t about to spend 45 minutes on my makeup just to buy some Charmin, so I went with something I’m (very) familiar with. I had to go to the pediatrician’s office to get a form for Connor’s pre-school enrollment, and then hit Target to get an industrial-sized case of toilet paper because last night I realized that we only had four rolls left in the house — total — which amplified my anxiety by like a million percent, so out came one of my favorite brown eyeshadows in the world, MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Havana.

I think it deserves more love than it gets.

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

mac havana swatch
Oh, my gosh! It’s a floating arm!!

Side note: whenever I say “Havana,” I think of that Camila Cabello song.

Havana, oh-nah-nah… La-la-la-la-la-la Havana oh-nah-nah…

That’s about the only part I know, LOL!

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The NARS Orgasm 2018 Collection! (Yes, More Orgasm)

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nars orgasm blush lip balm k
Bare skin (just under-eye concealer), with NARS Orgasm Blush on my cheeks and Afterglow Balm on my lips

NARS Orgasm will forever and ever be the most embarrassing blush to say in front of your grandma. Or your kid! Gee, I wonder how that conversation’s gonna go. (Connor: “Mama, what does orgasm mean? Is it a color?” Me: “Ummm…”)

Chances are you’ve heard about NARS Orgasm… Yeah, I figured. It’s iconic. This golden peachy pink gets written about all the time and described as “universally flattering,” and it’s one of the cornerstones of the NARS color collection. Every year NARS does a few limited edition items with different iterations of the product, and this year there are three pieces in The Orgasm 2018 Collection — an LE oversized Orgasm blush for $38 (if you can’t get enough of it!), a loose highlighting powder ($28) and a darling lip balm in rose gold packaging ($28).

nars orgasm blush swatch

Oversized Orgasm Blush ($38)

My relationship with Orgasm blush runs hot and cold. I’ve worn it, but not much lately. Sometimes I feel like it’s too shimmery for me, like whenever I’m wearing a good amount of base makeup, ’cause then all I see are PORES, PORES, PORES!

But lately, since I’ve been doing the whole minimal base/no base thing, which is what I did over the Memorial Day weekend, I have a greater appreciation for Orgasm. It’s fabulous on bare skin or on top of a minimal base, like a tinted moisturizer.

nars orgasm blush 2018
NARS Orgasm Blush 2018

All weekend long I wore under-eye concealer and really nothing else on the rest of my face to even out my skin, and with this blush, I find that the less you’re wearing under it, the better, because when the shimmer isn’t sitting on top of foundation or concealer or powder, it doesn’t highlight pores as much it does otherwise, so what you mostly see is the peachy pink color, which just looks so fresh and youthful.

It looks exactly like my cheeks after I finish a HIIT workout — flushed and healthy and a little bit dewy — and maybe even 5 years younger? (Keep tellin’ yourself that, Karen, LOL!) And that’s when I totally get the magic of NARS Orgasm. So, yeah, I’m feeling the oversized blush a lot this year — but only on bare skin! If you’re a makeup minimalist, you’ll like it.

By the way, if you have this blush sitting around but don’t wear it often because you feel like it’s too shimmery, try buffing it down like CRAZY with a clean blush brush after you apply it. A powder blush works too, as does a skunk brush. Any big face brush with a fluffy head should work. The buffing disperses most of the golden shimmer, so all that gets left behind is the peachy pink (just be mindful of not buffing away your foundation and concealer, if you’re wearing them).

❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4 out of 5 hearts.

Orgasm Illuminating Loose Powder ($28)

The loose highlighter caters to the “more is more makeup crowd” that likes a lot of bling. I’m not into a frosty highlight, so it’s too shimmery for my taste, but you might like it if you love highly reflective cheek bones.

nars orgasm illuminating loose powder
NARS Orgasm Illuminating Loose Powder

And even though I feel like the 0.09-oz. jar is small for $28, on the plus side, you don’t need to use a lot…and the powder grains are very fine.

❤️❤️ 2 out of 5 hearts.

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Estée Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup Is Legit

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estee lauder double wear light 4 flash
Loving this foundation by Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder Double Wear Light ($42) is legit, and I know this because of my hot lunch date today with Connor and El Hub (Tabs would have come, too, but he was booked… BOO!).

It was chilly here today, so we got ramen…

Anywho… I didn’t wear a lot of makeup last weekend, and I was in the mood for a little something-something today, so while I was looking around for inspiration this morning, I found this easy bronze eyeshadow look from a MAC artist I just found on Instagram.

She’s so cute! Her name is Pelin Tutgun, and she’s from Turkey. She posted a video using one of my favorite MAC eyeshadows ever, Bronze (if you don’t have it yet, it’s amazing), a black liner and mascara.

And that’s it!

I love the end result and plan to do this look again soon. It’s kinda glam, but not overly glam, and best of all, it’s simple.

Makeup doesn’t have to be complicated all the time, ya know? I mean, it’s fun to get up in there with everything and the kitchen sink every once in a while, but I there’s something to be said for easy-peasy.

estee lauder double wear light
I’m an NC42 in MAC and wear shade 4.0, but as we get into summer and I pick up a little tan, I’ll switch to 4.5, which is tad darker.

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NUDESTIX Nudies Tinted Blur Sticks Are Perfect for the Playground

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nudestix nudies tinted blur stick
Three of 10 shades

Unwritten Rule of the Playground #327: Adults are to refrain from wearing glam makeup to the playground (of course I’ll have to break this rule eventually, right?). I’ve been wearing these NUDESTIX Nudies Tinted Blur Sticks when I take Connor to the playground lately, and they’ve been great. For the record, they do not violate rule #327.

connor and k at playground
At the playground, ya know?

They’re $30 each and available in 10 shades. The 0.22-oz. twist-up sticks come with a reusable storage tin that also has a mirror.

NUDESTIX Nudies Tinted Blur Sticks ($30)

I’m not a huge fan of products that require me to exert massive amounts of man woman power to achieve no-makeup makeup — like buffing, patting, stippling, setting, spraying. That’s too much work! These cream sticks combine a sheer tint and a blurring face primer to get it done in a few swipes and by quickly blending with my fingers.

They make my pores look a little less…pore-ey, and my skin looks slightly more even-toned. My freckles are definitely still in the house, though, so FYI, these are the kind of base designed to showcase your natural skin as much as possible, so, if you were hoping for a full-coverage product, this ain’t it.

“This natural-looking tint blurs to create the appearance of smooth texture and even skin tone. The lightweight, cream-to-powder finish is suitable for all skin types.

Tinted, light-reflecting minerals soften the appearance of uneven skin tone to provide a youthful, diffused glow. Shade-adjusting pigments blend with your real skin tone coming through to naturally tint your skin. The overall effect is a soft-matte glow that’s never flat or blah.

Mix your stix: Use this easy multitasker for all-over tinted coverage, a blurring primer, a blotting cream, highlight, or contour. Use Nudies Tinted Blur Stix in shades lighter or deeper than your skin tone to highlight, contour, and define your features. Just draw and blend.

Your skin will look and feel like your skin, but better. So let’s go nude and get real.”

— sephora.com

meghan markle inspired
In action! (I was going for “Meghan Markle at the royal wedding.”)

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KARL LAGERFELD + MODELCO Kiss Me Karl Choupette Eyeshadow Palette in Smokey/Burgundy

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karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette
Mrrreeeeow, Choupette!

OK, I realize that this is technically one of the items in Uncle Karl’s latest collab collection, but let’s get real — I’m only here for Choupette. ?

KARL LAGERFELD + MODELCO Kiss Me Karl Choupette Eyeshadow Palette in Smokey/Burgundy (Nordstrom exclusive)

($65, 0.48-oz. palette with 16 powder eyeshadows)

Can you say “no” to a cat-shaped palette?

I DIDN’T THINK SO.

See, that’s why you’re a card-carrying member of Team Cat Lady, and Choupette’s looking extra cute here with her heart-shaped nose and her “K” collar.

Color-wise, I really like the cool-toned browns in this palette, which is one of two palettes in the collection (the other one, Warm/Nude, leans warmer), and the abundance of mattes, and how almost all of the eyeshadows, with the exception of the glittery burgundy, are soft and buttery enough to practically scoop themselves with a brush or finger.

Here’s what I don’t care for: how the mattes handle my fine lines. Mind you, my kitten-hood was many moons ago, but still. I’m not a senior kitty yet.

karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette 2
Cool and warm tones in the Smokey/Burgundy palette

Despite being creamy soft, the powders have large grains that draw mucho attention to my lines.

karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette k
I’m wearing shades from the top top row on my lids

karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette swatches 1

karl lagerfeld model co choupette palette swatches 2

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Too Faced Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation: What a Nice Surprise From Too Faced!

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too faced peach perfect foundation review
Good stuff!

Whoopity-whoop-whoop with a side of whoooooop! You guys…Too Faced Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation is SO GOOD. If you like less-is-best makeup, also known as “Meghan Markle Style,” check it out. (Side note: I’d never been so into a royal wedding before. I LOVED MM’s minimal makeup wedding look.)

Too Faced Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation ($36 for a 1.6-oz. tube, available in 20 shades)

The pump and lightweight tube = travel friendly. This medium-coverage foundation has a satin finish, and it’s a cinch to apply. A 3/4 pump is enough for me, and I just blend it with fingers. Sometimes I set it with powder; sometimes I don’t.

too faced peach perfect foundation swatches 2
Swatches: Cocoa, Toffee, Mahogany, Chestnut, Mocha, Butterscotch, Honey, Warm Sand, Sand and Warm Beige
too faced peach perfect foundation swatches 1
Swatches: Natural Beige, Light Beige, Golden Beige, Warm Nude, Nude, Vanilla, Porcelain, Almond, Snow and Swan

I flat-out love this stuff! It makes my skin look like a supernatural version of itself. I feel like I just stepped off a page in a magazine.

“Peach Perfect is infused with refreshing peach and sweet fig cream in Too Faced’s exclusive comfort matte long-wearing formula. This is the modern way to wear matte foundation — photo friendly, smooth, flawless, and comfortable with a soft-focus, velvety finish.”

— sephora.com

It does a little of everything — blurs pores, evens out your skin tone (but still lets your freckles show if you sheer it out), controls oil, and it lasts 10+ hours for me.

too faced peach perfect golden beige
Warm Beige is the closest shade to my skin tone (I’m an NC42 in MAC), although it’s a little too dark for me…so I’ve been adding a couple drops of Golden Beige. This is the foundation looking as fresh as can be after eight (!) hours (I set it the morning with a transparent loose powder).

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5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

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5 things i've been loving lately

1. The Sephora videos with Pro Artist David Razzano

He’s so easy to follow and great at explaining the “why” behind everything. I also wish I could hang with him!

2. Bolthouse Farms Cucumber Ranch Salad Dressing

SO. FREAKING. GOOD.

I obliterated a bag of baby carrots while dipping them into this dressing, which is only 18 calories per tablespoon.

It’s at Target in the ‘fridge section next to the salad stuff, if you’re so inclined.

I encourage you to go for it.

3. Lebert Equalizer Bars

These sound like a health food, don’t they? LOL! They’re exercise bars. We just started using them in HIIT class, and they’re killer and convenient for triceps dips and core exercises using your own body weight.

Just to be clear, I look NOTHING like this ? when I’m using these bars, LOL! Half the time I’m about two seconds from falling, but I still want a pair to keep at home so I can practice. Of course I’d order the hot pink!

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Makeup Inspiration This Week

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I just bookmarked A BUNCH of makeup looks because one cannot extricate herself from a brown lid/nude lip rut completely on her own.

I’m tryin’, man!

OK, can we just talk about how this Kristen Stewart look has been haunting me for weeks, but, like, in a Casper the Friendly Ghost way? Makeup artist Beau Nelson did this look for Kristen recently at Cannes.

The the teal/electric blue action around her lash lines? I can’t even. It’s so bright and eye-catching, for sure, but check out the placement of the darker blue on her lower lash line. There’s some in the outer corner and just around bottom from the inner corner, and then with the teal pop in the center? That’s so cool!

I also like how restrained the rest of the look is, like the cool-toned matte brown eyeshadow in the crease and how it contrasts with the metallic on the lash line, and the subtle skin and cheeks and dainty pink lip.

I’m gonna reverse-engineer that lash line using some UD blues and teals…

rainbow brights iphone case
Got a case of the blue-teals-greens. (The case is the $24 Rainbow Brights iPhone Case from connorclaire.com.)

This next look is something I could wear on the daily. It looks like Jessica Alba is wearing bronzer on her cheeks (maybe a seamless cream with a matte finish?) in this look with satiny purple smoky lids, lots o’ lashes and a soft peachy pink lip.

I love her hair in this, too. Half up, half down with soft, defined curls. ? This look, by the way, is from MUA Daniel Martin, who also did Meghan Markle’s marvelous royal wedding makeup.

Also, I’m feeling this look by David Razzano, a makeup artist with Sephora’s Pro team. The coverage is a little fuller than I usually wear these days, but I might try it for kicks.

I’m digging her full, lush brows, the blown-out bronze shades on her lids with that spotlight in the center, and the super shiny patent-leather hot pink lip!

GAH!

I’m gonna be a mess in that lip, though, but that’s fine. I’ll deal with it.

One thing I just realized right now about all three of these looks is that there isn’t a lot of color happening on the cheeks. They all look lightly sculpted with a bit of bronzer, and I’m feeling that!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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