Makeup

Unsung Makeup Heroes: NUDESTIX Intense Matte Lip + Cheek Pencil in Purity

January 10th, 2018 by Karen 28 Comments

nudestix purity k — This is your new favorite matte blush and lipstick for 10-minute makeup looks.

Just because you have to do your makeup under the clock and stick to a strict schedule doesn’t mean it has to be a slapdash situation with, like, BAM! — a little eyeshadow here, some eyeshadow there. You can still do looks that are elegant, refined and pretty. You just have to find ways to move the whole process along.

If you’re always looking to save a little time like I am, using multitasking products can help.

But aha! — not all multitasking products are equal, right? Dusty rose NUDESTIX Intense Matte Lip + Cheek Pencil in Purity ($24) works as both a matte blush and a matte lipstick, but in the vast sea of multitasking makeup, its smooth formula makes it exceptional.

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.

I’ve noticed that the smoother and creamier a multitasking pencil is, especially a matte like this one, the easier it is to push across the skin and manipulate, so when something is creamy like this is and doesn’t skip or tug when you apply it, then it also means that it won’t fight you when you feather it. In the end, you won’t have to spend more time blending than you need to.

This is one of those products where the hardest part of using it is drawing a few stripes on your cheeks. Let’s just do it right now…

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Stop the Presses! There Are Now beautyblenders at MAC!

January 9th, 2018 by Karen 32 Comments

mac beautyblender — So fresh and so clean, clean

Ah, the elusive beautyblender! Here comes one in its pristine state… I’m hoping it’ll stay in my possession for longer than a week (or a month! — dare to dream), because I’m not the only one in Novato obsessed with these marvelous makeup sponges. All of the little animals I live with — a.k.a. “the boarders,” a.k.a Tabs the Cat and Connor Claire the Coywolf — are obsessed with them, too. They hide them, one (the furry one) bites them, and they rip them apart with their claws.

If it happens again, at least I won’t have to go far to find a new one, because now they’re also available at MAC.

#MACLOVESBEAUTYBLENDER

beautyblender original — pink ($20)

beautyblender pro — black ($20)

beautyblender beauty blusher — gray ($16)

beautyblender micro mini — chartreuse ($18)

blendercleanser solid ($16)

This black one is the $20 beautyblender pro, and it’s my favorite. The black keeps it looking cleaner longer, compared to the iconic O.G. pink beautyblender, which is also $20 and also available at MAC. They both work just as well as the other, but the pink one, which is SUPER CUTE, shows off every single product that has ever graced it. It looks messy, and I’m not about that life.

I sure do love the pink ones when they’re new, though.

I primarily use mine to apply liquid foundation and concealer, but I have seen people use them for powders and eyeshadow. I use the larger end of the sponge to cover large swaths of skin, like my forehead and cheeks, and the pointier end for the nooks and crannies, like the inner corner of my eye, and the corners around my nose and mouth.

It’s true, you could use any old makeup blending sponge. There are lots of other non-latex makeup sponges for blending and application, and most of them are pretty good, but I’ve always liked that the beautyblenders are un-textured. When I blend my foundation or concealer, I don’t see a pattern from the sponge on my skin, so the coverage looks natural. Plus, they absorb juuust the right amount, so I don’t feel like I’m wasting much product when I use them (some makeup sponges are too absorbent, IMO).

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Color Paint Shadow in L-54

January 8th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

make up for ever aqua paint l54 k — Eye makeup done in two minutes or less with this bad gal!

I call this terrific tiny taupe my “Speed Racer shadow,” because it dries f-a-s-t, and because I can never remember what it’s actually called, haha.

But seriously, it’s Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Color Paint Shadow in L-54, a $25 cream shadow (0.16-oz tube) in MUFE’s Aqua XL Color Paint Shadow line.

In a nutshell, I it, despite the fact that it dries very quickly, which I normally wouldn’t be into because I like having time to play and blend and move stuff around, but it depends on my mood. Lately I’ve been into doing super fast eye makeup, which these are great for.

I dunno, it’s weird… I feel like I finally found my calling, like THIS was the reason I was put on this earth, to figure out every available path to putting on makeup in 10 or 15 minutes, and then spilling the beans about it.

Anyway, random tangent, LOL! What was I saying again…?

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.

Oh, yeah, Speed Racer, a.k.a L-54, dries extremely quickly, but there’s something about that luster, which is sort of halfway between a shimmer and a matte, that still gives you enough time to move it around and blend it without any brouhaha, even though in real time it sets in less than a minute. Literally, 60 seconds is all you get before it sets, but you don’t need more time than that, because this thing is genius.

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Antonym Cosmetics Baked Foundation in Medium Dark

January 5th, 2018 by Karen 15 Comments

antonym baked foundation medium dark — Viva l’Italia!

Italy.

Land of pasta, romance, wine, George Clooney’s villa on Lake Como, and baked powder. A long time ago, someone told me that if you want the best baked powders, go to Italy, which someone at Antonym Cosmetics apparently did, because their bad-@ss $38 Baked Foundation hails from the boot,

Viva l’Italia!

antonym baked foundation medium dark k — Antonym Cosmetics Baked Foundation in Medium Dark on top of Antonym Skin Esteem Foundation in Tan

I think it’s a little inaccurate, though, to call this a baked foundation. “Baked tinted moisturizer” might be more apt. First, this isn’t full coverage, and it isn’t super dense like so many other baked foundations are. The coverage is sheer but build-able up to medium, and the velvet matte finish is one of the most convincingly skin-like finishes I’ve ever seen.

antonym baked foundation medium dark swatch — Medium Dark is the second to darkest shade

Antonym Cosmetics Baked Foundation in Medium Dark ingredients

Talc, Mica, Lauroyl Lysine, Zea Mays Starch*, Squalane, Octyldodecanol, Hectorite, Water, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Benzyl Alcohol,Dehydroacetic Acid, Sorbic Acid. *Ingredient From Organic Farming (+/-) May Contain: Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide)

Like every powder product I’ve tried from the cruelty-free organic Antonym line so far, this is all kinds of fabulous. It’s a lot like MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, a.k.a. “The only powder I’ve worn every day for the last five years.” (It’s that serious.).

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Revlon Youth FX Fill + Blur Concealer Gets Some Things Right and a Couple Things Wrong

January 4th, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

revlon youth fx fill blur concealer swatches — Yaaaargh!

In theory, Revlon Youth FX Fill + Blur Concealer should totally work for me. It’s a smoothing liquid under-eye concealer for mature skin, and, well, I’m 42, got some fine line action, killer under-eye circles, dry skin, and I’m usually tired as hell.

Buuut the spongy applicator is a frickin’ mess to use! The concealer gets stuck in the sponge, and there’s no easy way to clean it. Oh, and then when I put the cap back on, the stuff gets all over the inside, and the cap is clear, so it gets all crusty while it mocks my desperate need for order in this chaotic world…

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Noir by Antonym Cosmetics Waterproof Eye Pencil Easily Holds Its Own Against Chanel 88 Noir Intense

January 4th, 2018 by Karen 7 Comments

antonym cosmetics noir waterproof eye pencil — Long lasting, smudgy and smooth.

Eureka! Found another epic liner for tightlining, and it’s almost — almost — as epic as Chanel 88 Noir Intense.

Oh, and it costs 40% less ($19 vs. $33). 🙂

It’s $19 Antonym Cosmetics Noir Waterproof Eye Pencil, and the only reason I can’t completely turn my back on Chanel 88 Noir Intense is because I still like 88’s skinny twist-up tip. I think it’s better at getting down there between the lash roots than Antonym’s tip, but it’s doable as long as I keep the tip sharp.

It’s coo’.

Thankfully, the pencil comes with its own sharpener, which is handy for that.

Noir by Antonym is matte, waterproof and black — the blackest black — so there’s no blue, grey or green in it. I think it’s just about as dark as Chanel 88 Noir Intense. When it’s pressed up at the base of my lashes on my water line, my lash bed looks dense and super thick, like I’m sporting many more lashes I actually am.

It’s also long lasting on my water lines. I get a good eight hours without any fading…after it sets. *AFTER IT SETS* is key here, though, because it does take a while to completely set.

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Antonym Cosmetics Skin Esteem Foundation for Fab Liquid Foundation Eco-Luxury

January 3rd, 2018 by Karen 11 Comments

Antonym Cosmetics is the new Wet n Wild, YAY!

Wait…what?

Well, they are called Antonym, a word that means opposites, so they actually remind me of Hourglass.

They’re a five-year-old Miami-based cruelty free organic/eco-luxury makeup line (read: expensive), and their beautiful bamboo packaging and marbled powders instantly caught my eye on the Sephora website.

Unfortunately, eco-luxury usually means expensive, and it does in this case. Their Skin Esteem liquid foundation is $52 (!), but it delivers awesomeness for that price.

antonym cosmetics skin esteem tan — Wearing Tan set with Antonym Baked Foundation in Medium Dark

I’ve been wearing Tan for about a week now, and I’m into it, even if it is a tad too warm and too dark for my winter coloring (I just sheer it out). Tan is one of six satiny, mousse-y medium-coverage shades. There’s also a Nude, Beige Light, Beige Medium Light, Beige Medium and Dark, and Tan is the second from the darkest one, so the shade selection is limited.

If you like NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint, but you’ve always wanted an organic version, hello! —–> pointing right here. Give Skin Esteem a try. It has a similarly satiny, natural-looking, pore-blurring finish that elegantly evens out your skin tone all day long.

antonym cosmetics skin esteem tan swatch — The shade I wear is Tan (I built it up in this swatch).

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MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Giddy Lustre Lipstick

January 2nd, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

mac giddy lipstick — Because spring is still 58 days away, and you’re gonna need a pretty pink lippie to tide you over.

Haha! Now that’s a silly sheen, also known as a “Giddy Lustre.” ? MAC has so many gorgeous golden pink lipsticks, and Giddy Lustre is my jolly good golden pink fave. It’s an easygoing pink that most mirthful makeup lovers can wear, be they warm-toned stunners, cool-toned kittens, dark-toned dazzlers, fair mavens, tan temptresses, blonde bombshells, brunette beauties…

Well, you get the idea. It’s one of those flexible flattering shades you can wear with almost anything, and I don’t think it gets the ? it deserves.

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.

It’s always getting overshadowed by the flashier shimmery golden pinks in the MAC fam, and it’s true, it isn’t as bright as pink Bombshell or frosty as Sandy B. It’s more of an understated pink with restrained golden shimmer, but that’s why I think it looks pricier than it is (it’s $17.50 but looks like it’s $30), and the secret golden shimmer is the sauce. YSL, Chanel and Guerlain better look out! (You too, Tom Ford!)

mac giddy lipstick lip swatch — The barely-there golden pearl is the best part.

Giddy is a warm-toned pink lemonade (that smells and tastes like trademark MAC vanilla), and it’s close enough to a neutral that cool-toned kittens can still pull it off. It reads like a my-lips-but-better pink nude on my pigmented lips, and I love it for a quick five-minute face with concealer, black liner, mascara, brows, blush and bronzer. It brightens up the place with a kiss of natural color and a subtle sheen.

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