Daily Beauty

Because It’s Cooler in the Shade: New BECCA Shadow & Light Bronze/Contour Perfector

June 12th, 2014 by Karen 6 Comments

Bronzer is one of those things that always makes me feel a little better when I put it on.

BECCA’s new powder bronzer, Shadow & Light Bronze/Contour Perfector ($40), is a little different than usual. It has a split pan with both a bronzer and a highlighter, but instead of the regular orange bronzer undertones, its undertones are black, which is supposed to simulate the effect of shadows on the skin, instead of that burnished orange thing.

Neat!

It actually kind of looks like one half is sitting in the shade.

You can find it now at BECCA counters, Sephora stores and online.

Polish Pairings: It’s a Coral and Hot Pink Hump Day With the Tom Ford Coral Beach and Indiscretion Nail Lacquers

June 11th, 2014 by Karen 7 Comments

To the creator of the accent nail: BLESS YOU. 🙂

You made it so much easier to pick a nail polish! (Because I don’t actually have to pick one color. I can use two. Or three. Or four.)

I’m currently wearing a two-shade mani with Tom Ford’s Coral Beach (the main coral color) and Indiscretion (the hot pink accent nail).

It feels like a good summery combo to me.

Both are available now at Tom Ford counters and online for $32 each.

Also, the necklace I’m wearing in these pics is the Neon Spray Necklace ($49) by Kristin Perry.

I sure love Kristin Perry’s jewelry.

The MAC Moody Blooms Fluidlines in Copperthorn, Nightshade and Black Ivy Look Wicked Good

June 10th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Pardon me while I freak out a little (in a good way) over the three new Fluidlines in the MAC Moody Blooms collection.

They look like great layering shades, don’t they? I can’t wait to try these as bases with the new Moody Blooms Eye Shadows…

All three will be blooming with the rest of the Moody Blooms collection online at maccosmetics.com June 24, and at North American stores and counters June 26.

MAC Fluidline in Copperthorn, a glittery bronze — Fluidline in Copperthorn, a glittery bronze

MAC Fluidline in Nightshade, a blackened plum — Fluidline in Nightshade, a blackened plum

MAC Fluidline in Black Ivy, a blackened greenish plum — Fluidline in Black Ivy, a blackened greenish plum

MAC Moody Blooms Fluidline Swatches from the left: Copperthorn, Nightshade and Black Ivy — Swatches from the left of Copperthorn, Nightshade and Black Ivy

Nightshade… I love that word. 🙂

For more MAC Moody Blooms collection coverage…

Short Hair Don’t Care

June 6th, 2014 by Karen 84 Comments

So, um…this happened!

So much for keeping it long. El Hub is super cranky, LOL! You know boys and long hair… Whatevs, he’ll get over it. 🙂

My friend Alis at Fox + Stone salon in Corte Madera did a loose a-line razor cut. See how it’s shorter in the back and slightly longer in the front?

She kept the same base color, a warm chocolate, and added copper highlights.

I’m really happy with how it turned out! Even though I love having long hair, my head feels so much lighter now. I no longer feel like I’m wearing a 10-pound hat. And if I get bored, I’ll just start the long process of growing it out again. Gives me something to do!

Better Together: Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour in Burnished Copper, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, and MAC Costa Riche Eye Kohl

June 5th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

My goodness, sweets. You HAVE to try this combo if you love copper, which I do, ’cause it brings out the richness in so many different eye colors! Brown, hazel, green, blue — especially blue.

I was chatting in the comments yesterday with long-time MBB reader Saffron (‘sup, S?) about one of my favorite copper eyeshadows, Laura Mercier’s Metallic Creme Eye Colour in Burnished Copper, which, of course, gave me an idea for my eye makeup today.

I took out the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette (don’t forget to enter the giveaway if you haven’t already), figuring that the Burnished Copper would make a good base for the warm reddish browns and bronzes in the palette.

I also grabbed MAC Costa Riche Eye Kohl, a warm reddish brown liner I absolutely adore.

Gosh, I wish makeup playtime was a mandatory thing. Wouldn’t that be cool? It could be like recess for beauty lovers.

I think I’ve said this before… Maybe if I repeat myself it’ll come true, LOL!

Just think of all the great combos we could stumble upon by accident. 🙂

Better Together: NYX Butter Lipstick in Fireball and Maybelline Master Hi-Lighting Blush in Coral

June 4th, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

Acronym-ically speaking — yes, that’s a word; no need to look it up 🙂 — I am both a CCL, and a CCL. A Crazy Cat Lady, and a Crazy Coral Lady.

Even though it’s still technically spring around here until June 21, summer makeup’s in the house, and I’m going cray-cray for corals!

I just started wearing this coral lip and cheek combo with NYX Butter Lipstick in Fireball ($5.99) and Maybelline Master Hi-Lighting Blush in Coral ($9.99).

I’m feelin’ it!

The peachy coral blush gives some soft definition to my cheeks without interfering with Fireball’s intense bright reddish coral color.

Methinks the two play nicely together.

Here I’m wearing it with a standard smokey eye, but next time I think I’m going to wear it with a shimmery golden or bronze cream shadow…or maybe a nude lid with winged teal liner on the upper lash line.

Ooh! — if you get a tan this time of year (or any time of year, for that matter), I bet this combo would look great on ya.

Better Together: Maybelline Stormy Sahara Colorsensational Lipstick and Neutrogena Healthy Peach MoistureShine Gloss

June 3rd, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

I stumbled on this lip combo last weekend while I was rifling around in my purse looking for something to wear with the warm neutral eye brown look I did with the Smashbox Full Exposure eye palette.

It was kind of like an epiphany. I saw the products together and thought, “Huh. I wonder…”

I love that you can find both Maybelline Stormy Sahara Lipstick and Neutrogena Healthy Peach MoistureShine Gloss at the drugstore (yay for affordable beauty products!).

I think this combo gives just enough nude peachy color to my lips without looking too nude, ya know what I mean?

And to kick it up a notch, you could add a lip liner like MAC Subculture or Staunchly Stylish. I bet either of those would look really pretty.

Ooh! Coincidentally, speaking of really pretty, the Hourglass Sunset/Mood Lighting cheek combo from the other day looks fab with this look.

Maybelline Color Sensation The Buffs in Blushing Bride (left) and Stormy Sahara (right) — Color Sensation The Buffs in Blushing Bride (left) and Stormy Sahara (right)

Better Together: Hourglass Illume Creme to Powder Duo in Sunset and Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light

June 2nd, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Hourglass Illume Creme to Powder Duo in Sunset + Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light

This cheek combo saw a lot of action last weekend. So easy, fresh and summery.

What I do is sweep the rosy side from the Creme to Powder Duo in Sunset on the apples of my cheeks (it layers so easily on bare skin, foundation and/or powder), then dust the Mood Light Ambient Powder on the tops of my cheekbones using a Louise Young LY20 Super Fan Brush.

One word: OBSESSED!

Try it sometime, and if you do send me a pic.

Ideally with your cat.

A cat selfie. 🙂

Both products are available now at Hourglass counters and online (hourglasscosmetics.com, sephora.com).