Face

Makeup Lovers…We’re All Artists! (And a Peek at the MAC eL Seed Collection in Action)

April 3rd, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

I’ve had painting on the brain lately for two reasons — one, because I’ve been spending practically every free moment at Home Depot because we’re planning some much-needed repairs and updates to the house this summer, including painting the place from top to bottom, because when El Hub and I purchased our place and moved in about a decade ago, we had no idea what we were doing. We were first-time homeowners, and the whole process was (and still is kinda) a mystery. We painted the interior with a flat finish, but flat finish is not your friend when you live with a toddler and/or a perpetually ravenous tabby who eats with reckless abandon and gets gravy splashes on the walls. Go with eggshell, homie. Eggshell is the way! It’s so much easier to clean.

The second reason I’ve had painting on the brain lately is because of the new MAC eL Seed collection, which is coming out in a few days. It’s one of those LE releases that just feels so artsy to me, which I guess makes sense since it’s a collaboration with an artist. eL Seed is a Tunisian graffiti artist who was raised in Paris, and he’s famous for combining Arabic script with graffiti.

It gave me the urge to paint! — and not just because of the gorgeous eye and face palette…

mac el seed cicero full face kit — The Cicero Full Face Kit, which is mostly eyeshadows and two blushes (the pink shades)

It’s the brushes.

Ooh, the brushes… They’re unusually long for makeup brushes.

They look like legit painter’s brushes to me.

I was doing makeup with them the other day and got to thinking about how I forget all the time that makeup really *is* painting. When you think about it, it’s so much like what painters do when they put brush to canvas. You’ve got your pigments and paint, and when you sit down to buff and blend everything on the blank canvas that is your face, you paint a temporary work of art. It’s so cool!

Funny thing is, I never really thought of myself as an “art person.” When I was in high school, I was in band and played every instrument under the sun, so I was a total music nerd, and I was also on the newspaper, but the last true art class I took was in eighth grade (which I got a B+ in, by the way!). That’s the extend of my art training.

mac el seed swatches final — Swatches of the Cicero Full Face Kit (the two pink shades are blushes) and three of the Lipsticks — Declaring Love (pink), Maya La Belle (red) and Une Caresse (plummy brown)

So I don’t think of myself as an artist, but makeup is art! For a few minutes (almost) every day, as I’m painting my lids and my lips and everything else, I get to be in touch with my inner eighth-grade artist, or rather, ahr-teest.

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10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves: Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush

April 2nd, 2019 by Karen 13 Comments

clinique blushing blush powder blush cupid — Love this blush for fast, fresh makeup! The lipstick is MAC Velvet Teddy, and the eyeshadow is Clinique Lots o’ Latte, by the way.

The 10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves series shows off some of *the best* makeup for speedy (but sensational!) skin, eyes, cheeks and lips.

Five minute, 10 minute… Heck — three-minute makeup! You can do it *all* with Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush ($24 each). These totally goof-proof powder blushes are fantastic for those out-the-door days, which I’ve come to love and appreciate lately.

You may have noticed that I’ve been wearing shade Sunset Glow a lot lately (like, all last week!). It’s a beautiful golden coral with a satin finish, and the magic behind this (and all of the blushes in this family) is that it’s semi-transparent, meaning that you can take your blush brush, dip it into the pan, do a swish or two on your cheek, a quick blend at the edges, and be totally and completely done. You won’t be stuck erasing a hard line of demarcation at the edges of your cheeks. Instead, you’ll find a soft, subtle gradient, and it almost just happens naturally if you load a brush with this blush and gently tap-tap-tap it a few times on your cheek. It’s like powder blush for dummies!

clinique blushing blush powder blush sunset glow cupid swatches — Built these up so you could see what they look like when they’re layered heavily. I’m an NC42 in MAC, but I think both of these blushes will look lovely on most skin tones.

And HELLO, flexibility. If I’m ever in the mood for more color on my cheeks, all I have to do is pop another layer or two on, because these blushes also build up beautifully.
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10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves: Kosas Tinted Face Oil

March 27th, 2019 by Karen 21 Comments

The 10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves series shows off some of *the best* makeup for speedy (but sensational!) skin, eyes, cheeks and lips.

Shake, shake, shake! Dot, dot, dot! Blend, blend, blend!

No, these are not the steps to the latest dance craze ? all the kids are doing. They’re what I do whenever I use Kosas Tinted Face Oil ($42 for a 1-oz. bottle).

I’m into speedy makeup at the moment, and this tinted face oil, which has a thin, somewhat runny consistency, is a minimalist’s dream come true.

Have you ever used MAC Face & Body? It feels just like that. Sorta slippery, sorta “melty.”

kosas tinted face oil before after — Left: no foundation. Middle: Wearing the shade Tone 06. Right: With all the other bells and whistles.

I dab a few drops on my face, blend it with fingers, and 30 seconds later — BOOP! — my skin’s fresh and dewy-looking, my pores look smoother, and the pigmented patches on my cheeks, along with the red areas around my nose, have disappeared. My skin looks naturally even and juuust disguised enough — no fake-looking mannequin skin. If you’re into “skin that looks like skin,” you’ll be into it.
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I Was Addicted to Bronzer and Lived to Tell

March 26th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

benefit hoola caramel hoola toasted — When you’re wearing a new shade of Benefit Hoola Bronzer and go off on a tangent…

It’s alright.

It’s totally OK.

I’ve gone through it, you’ve gone through it, we’ve all gone through it…

Bronzer addiction!

Yeah, it’s a real thing. LOL.

Mine happened circa 2014, which was when I believed that one could never wear enough bronzer, and I literally piled it on. I was so into bronzer that I had a dedicated bronzer makeup drawer, and I went into that drawer to pick out one, two or sometimes even four (!) different bronzers to wear every morning.

It was that serious.

I was reminded of this phase on my makeup journey because of the new Hoola Bronzers by Benefit. Benefit just launched two new ones, darker shades, in Toasted and Caramel ($30 each), and as I daintily swept Toasted across my cheeks today with a big, fluffy brush, I thought about how differently I handle bronzer now than I did back in the day. Karen from back in the day would have looked at me now and said, “What the heck, dude?! You aren’t wearing nearly enough bronzer!”

benefit hoola caramel hoola toasted swatches — Oh yeah, still an NC42!

Back in 2013-’14, I wanted to wear all. The. Makeup.

Every last bit of it. Primer, powder, color correctors — all the bells and whistles. And bronzer was my favorite thing. I was fascinated by how one seemingly simple product could completely transform the shape of my face.

With a few carefully placed swipes (OK, more than a few, ha ha ha!) and, let’s get real, NOT A LOT OF BLENDING, I’d sharpen my cheekbones and make my button nose look thinner and my forehead look less wide — the latter two being things I’d always been particularly self-conscious about. Before long, I got used to seeing that different, rearranged version of my face in the mirror.

benefit hoola caramel — Me: You should probably take out those crazy clips first. Also me:

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10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves: Clinique Chubby Stick in Amp’d Up Apple

March 21st, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

clinique ampd up apple chubby stick — TBH, this was more like 5-minute makeup! Concealer on cheeks and under the eyes: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in Golden; eyeshadow: Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint in Ample Amber; mascara: MAC Extended Play Perm Me Up Lash; liner: MAC Coffee Eye Pencil; lipgloss: NARS No Regrets; AND BARE BROWS, AHHH!

The 10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves series shows off some of *the best* makeup for speedy (but sensational!) skin, eyes, cheeks and lips.

This is gonna sound so cheesy, but this is my feel-good blush. ? I just feel really good when I wear it. It’s Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in Amp’d Up Apple, and it’s $24. When I put a bit of this beautiful matte pinkish brown on my cheeks, I look like I just finished a round of crossover jumping jacks (which are surprisingly difficult)!

Wearing this blush is like working out…without having to actually work out. Cheeks look lovely and healthy with Amp’d Up Apple’s wash of pink color, so you look like you *did* show up, and you’re ready to bring it. When you want a little more than basic contrast, it’s a great way to go. Methinks there’s something very chic French girl about it.

clinique ampd up apple chubby stick swatch — I’m an NC42, but Amp’d Up Apple should work well on most skin tones.

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Product Spotlight: Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream

March 14th, 2019 by Karen 4 Comments

avene xeracalm ad — And your dry skin says ahhhhhhhhhh

This cream for face and body soothes fussy skin. It’s approved for use on infants, children and adults, too. Excellent for red, dry, irritated and sensitive skin. A real hidden gem!

This cream has a weird name… Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream. Don’t expect that to roll off your tongue when your friend asks you for a mega moisturizer recommendation for super sensitive, dry, flaky and/or irritated skin while you’re attacking a basket of the epic, legendary brown bread at The Cheesecake Factory.

Side note, you’re welcome… ?

cheesecake factory brown bread — You can get this ? at Safeway now!

But I digress…

Initially, I bought XeraCalm face and body cream, which is $34 for a 6.76-oz. tube, for Connor. Poor thing gets these raised patches of red, itchy, flaky dry skin in winter, and this cream is the only over-the-counter product that soothes her discomfort and completely removes the dry spots.

And it works fast! Whenever she gets a bout of irritated skin and we use this, she’s back to her normal non-itchy self in a day.

From aveneusa.com:

“Rich, lipid-replenishing cream directly targets itching, redness and irritation to nourish and restore skin prone to atopic dermatitis and eczema. Formulated with minimal ingredients essential to rehydrating and maintaining a healthy balance in skin’s microbiome. The microbiome is the top layer of the skin filled with microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, and skin flora – their job is to defend against bad bacteria. The microbiome environment can easily be influenced by temperature, hormones, UV exposure, and even skin care. Patented I-Modulia helps to maintain a well balanced microbiome while supporting the skin’s defense system for a normal, healthy skin. Exclusive, patented airless pump keeps the cream completely sterile and safe for its entire use without any preservatives, parabens, dyes or fragrance.”

INGREDIENTS: AVÈNE THERMAL SPRING WATER, GLYCERIN, MINERAL OIL, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, OENOTHERA BIENNIS OIL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE, AQUAPHILUS DOLOMIAE EXTRACT, ARGININE, CARBOMER, EVENING PRIMROSE OIL/PALM OIL AMINOPROPANEDIOL ESTERS, GLYCINE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, TOCOPHEROL, WATER.

But then I started using it on my face and neck about a month ago, shortly after my skin started peeling and turning red from the retinol I’m using.

Now…I am addicted.

I had been using Fresh Seaberry Oil, which I still love/like, but it just wasn’t moisturizing enough for the intense redness and sensitivity caused by the aggressively exfoliating retinol.
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DHC Is Now at Ulta…

March 13th, 2019 by Karen 9 Comments

dhc deep cleansing oil — You can find this bad girl at Ulta now!

Which means that you (and I) can roll up to the store and grab a bottle of Deep Cleansing Oil — which is THE BEST — right off the shelf.

Who said beauty dreams ? don’t come true?!

To summarize, I love this stuff. I know I’ve talked about it at length, but in case you missed it…this $28 makeup removing cleansing oil is the real deal. It makes everything, even waterproof and long-wearing mascara and liner, instantly melt away. Also, it doesn’t cloud up my vision, which is an annoying side effect some other cleansing oils have.

Oh, yeah, and ALSO, because you only need to use one pump, a bottle will last for months.

I have textbook combo skin, and this oil doesn’t give me breakouts or make my cheeks feel tight. I think it works faster than Fresh Seaberry Skin Nutrition Cleansing Oil, and it’s not as drying as Neutrogena Ultra Light Face Cleansing Oil & Makeup Remover.

Even though shopping online is so easy to do now, sometimes I just wanna run into a store and get something.

Yay! Now I have another reason to “just run in” whenever I’m near an Ulta. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Let’s Bond Over Blush

March 13th, 2019 by Karen 47 Comments

flesh beauty blushes — Flesh Tender Flesh Blushes in Caress (top) and Glaze (bottom), $26 each

Can we please bond over blush? Because I have a new appreciation for its power.

It’s REALLY powerful!

This occurred to me last week while conducting the “just one thing” experiment. I realized that applying blush on a bare face was one of the things that made the biggest impact.

Every beauty article ever written on blush basically says the same thing — that blush makes you look healthy and vibrant — but like, really, when you don’t have other stuff going on with your makeup and your face is otherwise bare, you can REALLY see just how powerful blush is.

Yeah, I’ve been loving on my blush a little extra lately. ?

flesh beauty mac clinique blushes — Current blush crushes

I have a couple new favorites, and they’re from a brand called Flesh, which is the line by Allure magazine founder Linda Wells (launched last summer and available at Ultar), and the powder blushes are bomb! I’ve been going back and forth between Caress, which is a matte tan/warm brown (almost looks like a bronzer), and Glaze, which is a deep reddish coral with subtle gold shimmer. I’ve had extremely dry skin for a couple weeks because of winter, and because I’ve been using a retinol at night, but when I wear these powder blushes, which are ridiculously smooth, I can’t even see the dry patches.

flesh glaze — I’m wearing Flesh Tender Flesh Blush in Glaze.

They practically float on top of my skin above the flakes. It’s super cool. Both colors, by the way, are somewhat intense, so if you tend to be heavy-handed with your blush (which I do sometimes because I’m so used to doing makeup for flash photography), just so ya know, grab a makeup sponge or a buffing brush — basically whatever you use to buff down your foundation or concealer — and stipple the leftover base makeup on top of the blush. That should tone down the brightness and lift away any excess product. Or, just, you know…go in with a light touch. That’ll work too! LOL!

Don’t ask me why I only just figured this out right now, but I bought this empty six-pan MAC blush palette years ago, and it didn’t occur to me until last week (!) that you can actually remove the frame that holds the pans and stick your blushes directly into the palette.

DUH, KAREN!

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