Just For Fun

Do You Have Any Vintage/Nostalgic Pieces of Makeup in Your Collection?

August 16th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

Old-school MAC Eyeshadows in Brule (left) and Print (right), circa the late 1990s

Heck yeah, I do. I started wearing makeup at 14, and I have kept a few things for nostalgia’s sake.

Like the two MAC Eyeshadows above, Print and Brule. If I remember correctly, those are from 1998!

No, I do not use them anymore… They’re 15 years old! But I still get a kick out of the packaging. Print looks pretty to’ up because I carried it everywhere. I used it as a liner for years. And Brule was my go-to base color from ’98 through the early 2000s, around the time I met Ricepaper.

I also have some aged but beloved perfumes from the ’90s at my parents’ house — a bottle of Covergirl’s Navy and a couple of Victoria’s Secret perfumes I wore in college (I can’t remember which ones… Jasmine or Rose? Something like that.).

How about you? Do you have any venerable pieces of makeup in your collection? Anything you keep for sentimental reasons?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’m Jenn Coyle of Hello Brio, and This Is My Makeup Life

August 16th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

The My Makeup Life series asks beauty biz insiders, bloggers, makeup mavens and artists to share their holy grail products, tricks, tips and favorite beauty tools. Is there anyone you would like to see featured in My Makeup Life or questions you think I should ask? Let me know here.

Name: Jenn Coyle
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Day job/current gig: I’ve taken the plunge. I’m now freelancing full-time in graphic and web design.
Hangouts online: HelloBrio.com, Society6, Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest
Current favorite product: Too Faced BB Cream
Beauty inspirations: Wistful indie films, Philadelphia high rises and quiet coffee shops
One word that best describes your outlook on beauty: Journey

What makeup/beauty products can’t you live without?

I will not go out the door without blush, mascara, and under-eye concealer. I know my weaknesses sans-makeup, and that trifecta of makeup products does the trick. I also need a good mud mask to help clogged pores.

When did you start getting into makeup?

Makeup became a big part of my life in middle school. My mom, who modeled as a young woman, knew that I’d spark an interest in makeup sooner than later, so she taught me how to use makeup to enhance features in a subtle way and not go overboard (hello, raccoon eyes and dark lipstick on a 14-year-old… Not attractive!)

What’s your best beauty time-saving trick?

Using an eyelash primer is the most incredible and failsafe beauty time-saving trick I have. Doing so allows me to apply one coat of primer and one to two coats of mascara, achieving maximum length and volume sans eyelash curler. Using primer also prevents clumping, since you won’t need as many coats of mascara to achieve eyelash definition.

What’s your favorite beauty tool?

I can’t do without my 1.5″ Hot Tools gold curling iron (model 1102). I’ve tried different diameters of curling irons, and the 1.5″ always gives me the soft, bouncy and put-together hair look that I want to achieve.

What’s the best beauty advice you ever received?

My mom is a wealth of beauty tips. She helped me understand that success in makeup depends on your ability to objectively understand your facial strengths and weaknesses, and enhance where needed.â€¨

What’s your skincare routine?

My skincare routine is almost embarrassingly simple and no-fuss. In the shower, I wash my face with Ivory bar soap if needed, followed by an exfoliator like the (generic version of the) St. Ives Blemish & Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub or the Yes To Blueberries Softening Facial Exfoliator if I sense a breakout coming. Then, I will swipe my clean, dry face with an astringent-soaked cotton ball (I typically use a generic Sea Breeze Astringent). From there, I use the Yes to Grapefruit Dark Spot Correcting Serum for hyperpigmentation issues and then the Yes to Blueberries Daily Repairing Moisturizer or Aveeno Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream if I need it. If it’s the end of the day, I will use a Yes To cleansing facial towelette and then complete my routine starting at astringent as mentioned above.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve tried in the name of beauty?

My weird beauty thing probably has to do with going vegan and gluten free for about 3 months in 2011. My skin ended up looking great as a result of this lifestyle change, and I felt more energized. But when all’s said and done, that type of extreme diet isn’t sustainable for me.

Do you have a trademark look (hair/styling/makeup)?

My trademark look is pretty simple: black winged eyeliner, natural-looking mascara, and pink blush; and my hair is styled with a loose curl if I have the time!

Are there any beauty decisions you’ve made that you look back on and ask yourself, “why?!”

Oh, the hair. For a while, I dyed my hair an awful golden light brown from a box which just ended up looking like brass city. If I had a chance to dye my hair again in a drastic way, I think I’d go for platinum or silver. But only if a professional did it!

Where are your favorite places to shop?

Target, always and forever! When I lived in the suburbs, I may or may not have gone to Target more than once a week. I’m not a huge fan of their clothes, but I love the rest of the store, especially the home decor. I love to get my trendier clothes from Forever21 and H&M. I’ll go to Urban Outfitters for my pseudo-hipster everyday wear, and LOFT for my I’m-an-adult-lady clothes.

Anything else you want to share?

Being beautiful comes from the core of believing you’re beautiful. Confidence always prevails (at healthy levels, of course) and allows you to radiate from the inside.

Matching Makeup and Clothes? Is This a Do or a Don’t for You?

August 15th, 2013 by Karen 24 Comments

A gray BCBG dress with coordinating bluish gray smokey eyes (courtesy of the Hourglass Visionnaire Duo in Prism)

For me at least, I say it’s a do! — as long as I’m not wearing the exact same colors from head to toe.

Like, I really don’t think I could pull off a blue dress, blue accessories, blue nail polish and blue eyeshadow from lash line to brow bone…but if you can, more power to ya. I think it all depends on your personal style. Done well, even that degree of matchy-matchy can look really cool.

I shoot for coordination moderation (hey, I just made a rhyme!) and focus on one or two accent colors, like if there’s a pop of coral in a print I’m wearing, then I might match it to a reddish coral lipstick or a peach gloss, or if I’m wearing a gray dress, I might go with bluish gray smokey eyes, like in that pic up top.

Instead of completely matching my makeup and clothes, I’ll go for more of an echo, echo, echo…as opposed to something more obvious that shouts, “HEY, MA, CHECK US OUT! WE’RE MATCHY-MATCHY TODAY!!”

I don’t know… I just don’t want to look too Miss Havisham, ya know? I’m in my late 30s now. If I were still in my teens and 20s, completely different story.

What about you? Do you ever coordinate your clothing and makeup? Do you have pairings you particularly like? I’m always on the market for ideas. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’m Radhika Mohan of Weekend Ramblings, and This Is My Makeup Life

August 15th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

The radical Radhika of Weekend Ramblings

Name: Radhika Mohan
Location: Santa Clara, California, and when I’m in India, I call Bangalore home.
Day job/current gig: I work(ed) part-time, from home, for a medical transcription company — a job that involves a lot of typing…and chipped polish.
Hangouts online: weekendramblings.com, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, Facebook and Pinterest
Current favorite product: Dior Creme Abricot Fortifying Cream for Nails. A little sticky and best used right before bedtime, but this cream sorts out any pesky dry bits around the nails almost overnight.
Beauty inspirations: Clear blue skies and starry nights, my mom’s garden after a rain, and the best mood board of all — Pinterest!
One word that best describes your outlook on beauty: Simple