Face of the Day (FOTD)

A Little Bit of Rock N’ Roll with MAC Art Supplies

March 24th, 2010 by Karen 73 Comments

Every day this week I’ve been hitting the ground running (on a treadmill, that is). We’ll see how long it lasts, but I’ve been going for a run first thing in the mornings. Fittingly, the first song on my iPod’s workout playlist today was Motley Crue’s Home Sweet Home, and it FIRED ME UP! — so much so that I felt like rock n’ rolling into some pink and purple makeup for my face of the day.

I used a couple of items from MAC’s permanent line along with an Estee Lauder Michael Kors blush and two things from the new MAC Art Supplies collection (Pro Longwear Lipstain in Stylesetter, and Pearglide Liner in Designer Purple).

Drop me a line in the comments if you’d like to see a tutorial of this look.

Eyes: MAC Eyeshadow in Ricepaper (entire eye), MAC Pigment in Pink Pearl (lid), MAC Pearlglide liner in Designer Purple (lashlines), MAC Technakohl in Graphblack (waterlines), MAC Studio Fix lash (lashes); Cheeks: Estee Lauder Michael Kors Blush in Sunset Pink (apples), Benefit Hoola (contour beneath apples); Lips: MAC Pro Longwear Lipstain in Stylesetter, MAC Cremesheen Glass in Petite Indulgence
[Continue reading…]

A Glittery Green and Gold St. Patrick’s Day Look with Milani and MAC

March 16th, 2010 by Karen 118 Comments

Hawaiian fun fact of the day: It’s not unusual to meet mixed race islanders. The state’s basically a big ol’ melting pot! It’s one of the things I love about Hawaii. 🙂 Ask a local their nationality, and they’ll usually rattle off a long list.

El Hub happens to be one of those kids, and his laundry list of nationalities includes Irish… I’m sure you see where this is going, LOL!

Every St. Patrick’s Day, he gets the urge to celebrate, and I get to be Irish for a day!

On the agenda for tomorrow night: a pub that serves green beer, and since I want to look the part, this morning I worked on my St. Patrick’s Day green and gold eye look using MAC and a mix of new drugstore stuff from Milani.

Cheeks: MAC Blush Ombre in Ripe Peach; Lips: MAC Lip Pencil in Mouth Off, MAC Lipstick in Victorian, MAC Naked Honey Salve

Eyes: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden (entire eyelid), Milani Liquif Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Gold (enter eyelid and lower lash line), Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner in Eternal (on lid and barely into the crease), Milani Liquif Eye Metllic Eye Liner Pencil in Black (waterlines and upper lash line), Milani Crystal Eyez in Gorgeous & Glowing (on lid), MAC Fix Studio Lash in Black (upper and lower lashes)

From left: Milani Liquif Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Gold, Milani Liquif Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencil in Black, Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner in Eternal, Milani Crystal Eyez in Gorgeous & Glowing
[Continue reading…]

A Sunset-Inspired Face of the Day with MAC, Urban Decay and Benefit

March 15th, 2010 by Karen 81 Comments

Can you remember the last time you watched a sunset?

I couldn’t, so I watched and waited on the back deck last Saturday afternoon with my camera to refresh my memory. Luckily it was a clear day (one of very few lately), and I caught the sun, in a burst of buttery gold, peach and pink, slip back behind the mountains.

Such beauty… It moved me to do my makeup! 🙂 Well, kinda. We were going out to dinner anyway, but what better inspiration than a beautiful sunset, right? I picked shimmery, peachy golden eyes and a pink lip with some random MAC, Urban Decay and Benefit.

Since we were going out, I blinged it up with Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal Glitter Liner along the lower lash line (what a nice glimmer of subtle, golden sparkle!) and added Benefit Hoola Bronzer into the crease.

Lips: MAC Liberty of London Lipstick in Petals & Peacocks, MAC Lip Pencil in Trimmed in Pink

Hello, kinda awesome! I think it brings a warm depth to the eyes, especially where it contrasts with something shimmery. If you’re already a Hoola fan, I recommend giving it a try in the crease with your favorite shimmery gold eyeshadow on the lid.
[Continue reading…]

Give Me Liberty of London (and Cupcakes)

March 12th, 2010 by Karen 80 Comments

Breakfast of champions!

Last night El Hub brought home some mini-cupcakes from a bakery he passes on his way home from work. 🙂 They were red velvet, lemon and chocolate, and THIS is how I felt when I opened the box:

Frickin’ sweet tooth’s always getting in the way of the whole eating better thing, grrr!

I managed to exercise enough restraint (shocking!) to save two of ’em for, um, my breakfast today, but I think the sugar messed with my brain. All I could think of was cupcake-inspired makeup looks, which lead to this pink attempt with a dash of purple.

Using products from MAC’s Give Me Liberty of London and MAC Too Fabulous, I started with a pink lip courtesy o’ Lip Pencil in Trimmed in Pink (a creamy pink from Too Fab), Lipstick in Petals & Peacocks (a creamy pinkish magenta) and Lipglass in English Accents (a creamy bluish pink), and because it reminded me of cupcake frosting I applied Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl (a shimmery golden peach) to my lips with my fingers.
[Continue reading…]

Declare Your Independence from Brown and Beige with MAC Give Me Liberty of London

March 9th, 2010 by Karen 60 Comments

In Disney’s made-for-TV The Girl Who Spelled Freedom, a young Cambodian refugee beats all odds to become a national spelling bee champion just four years after arriving in the U.S.

I vividly remember that movie even though it aired in 1986 because of an idea it gave my mom…

Because of that movie, my mom decided to turn me into America’s Next Asian Spelling Bee Champ (LOL!).

Even though she grilled me every night with word lists, the plan still failed because it suffered from one fatal flaw: I can’t spell. 🙂

I never won a spelling bee, but I did become pretty good at busting out of makeup ruts. Case in point: I was stuck in a serious neutral eye makeup phase for about a week until today’s brush with the MAC Give Me Liberty of London collection.

Here are swatches of 13 of the 17 makeup goodies. I’ll post an update with the remaining Beauty Powders, Lipglasses and MAC Lipsticks soon.
[Continue reading…]

A Summery Sunday Face of the Day With MAC Too Fabulous

March 7th, 2010 by Karen 54 Comments

Finding cute, CHEAP accessories always puts me in a good mood. Like these leopard print shell earrings from H&M (a mere four buckaroos!) — finding them made me feel kinda like this…

The colors and print reminded me of summertime, which lead (is it lead or led?) to this peach, bronze and orange look with a mix of MAC products from Too Fabulous, Spring Colour Forecast and MAC’s permanent collection.

Lip Pencil in Mouth Off, Lipstick in Fresh Salmon, Mineralize Blush in Sun & Moon
[Continue reading…]

5 Days of Chanel Rouge Coco: Take Me to 31 Rue Cambon

February 26th, 2010 by Karen 43 Comments

Paris seems light years away from my computer screen in California, but La Ville-Lumiere gets a oui bit closer with Chanel Rouge Coco in Cambon 31 ($30) on my lips.

Named after Coco’s Paris apartment at 31 Rue Cambon, this creamy pinkish red exudes the confident elegance of an impeccably cut Chanel tweed suit.

My closet may never meet a real suit crafted by Karl and Co., but Cambon makes me feel like the lights of Paris are right outside.

A spritz of my favorite Chanel perfume, Coco Mademoiselle ($95), and I slip into my favorite black dress (belted shift from H&M, $35)…

I can almost hear Coco whisper in my ear, “Oui, oui.”
[Continue reading…]

5 Days of Chanel Rouge Coco: Have You Heard This Legende?

February 25th, 2010 by Karen 78 Comments

I like to think of myself as the girl next door (the one with the cat), but Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick in Legende 11 ($30) makes my inner diva want to storm the gates!

I guess that’s why I whipped out the fan today (LOL!), broke out the bling and worked the hair a la Mariah. 🙂

Legende’s cool, creamy pink outright aches for a red carpet to strut (sporting five-inch heels and a Karl Lagerfeld haute couture gown, fo’ sho’).

But she’s not averse to daylight affairs, either, like lunch dates with eye looks in blues and pinks.
[Continue reading…]