Product Reviews

3 Very Important Things

July 5th, 2018 by Karen 11 Comments

1. Le Sportsac has a new line of bags printed bags in a “Caturday” print…

…with drawings of cats doing fun things on a boardwalk on Saturday (as cats are wont to do).

Note: There’s a kitty in a green bikini ordering a hot dog!!!

Seriously, I need everything, but I especially need the backpack. Should I go with the large or the medium? I just need something to hold my wallet, all of Connor’s kid things (which now includes a pink fold-up potty training seat –> who knew these things existed?), and all 14 of the lipstick tubes I have on me at any given moment.

Thanks to my buddy Suzanne for the heads up!

2. There’s a Mrs. Meyer’s Peony Dish Soap, and a Lilac Hand Soap, at Target right meow.

I think they’re both LE for summer? Anyway, they smell really good. I bought both, and I kinda wish I’d gotten backups, too.

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Hello, Hydration! Clinique Pop Splash Lip Gloss + Hydration

June 28th, 2018 by Karen 3 Comments

“You can never have too many tubes of gloss in your purse. Or too many kittens.”

— Ancient proverb (author unknown)

Clinique Pop Splash Lip Gloss + Hydration ($18.50, 0.14-oz. tube with a doe-foot applicator, 20 shades)

The key words here are “HELLA HYDRATION.”

You probably don’t *need* to collect ’em all, since the peaches, roses and pinks all look very similar on lips (the hot pink and red are pretty distinctive, though), but you might want to keep one or two in your purse for when your lips are dramatically dry (like mine are).

clinique rosewater pop — My fave: Rosewater Pop

Be prepared for a touch-up every couple hours if you wear one because they aren’t long-lasting (unlike the recently discontinued Glosswears), buy it’s a decent trade-off considering how cute and compact the tubes are. I do like seeing them in my T. Rex claws…

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Chanel Mat Taupe Is Dope! Chanel STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Mat Taupe

June 27th, 2018 by Karen 24 Comments

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.

Who am I? What have you done with Karen? What’s happening to me? I don’t know why — whether some otherworldly entity has commandeered my body — but I’m having a majorly transformational moment with eyeliner right now, specifically brown eyeliner.

Actually, I do know why… Lately, whenever I look in a mirror, I feel like my eyes look even more exhausted than usual, and black liner makes it worse. Ironically, I used to almost exclusively wear black liner, and I LOVED it.

Then I discovered dark brown MAC Coffee.

MIND BLOWN.

It filled the same need that black liners filled — creating a thicker lash base, bigger-looking lids, defining the shape of my eyes — but didn’t look as harsh.

So…I just figured out that even lighter shades than brown, like taupe, can work like this too. And taupe. Is. Dope.

I’m super in love with this $33 liner from the Chanel Le Stylo Yeux line called Mat Taupe, which is — surprise! — a matte taupe. Like MAC Coffee, it doesn’t have red undertones, but it’s slightly lighter and less gray.

When I wear it to tight line and along my lash lines, it does ALL THE GOOD STUFF — defines my eyes, makes my lashes look thicker, etc. — but it’s even less harsh than dark brown.

For years, I pooh-poohed the idea of wearing brown liner because I thought it was boring (“Why wear brown when you could wear black?”), but now I get it. Now I know.

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The BECCA Be a Light Face Palettes in Light to Medium, and Medium to Dark

June 26th, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

becca be a light face palette medium dark — The BECCA Be a light Face Palette in “Medium to Dark” (there’s also one called “Light to Medium”) on my face and cheeks

If we’re talking about a palette from BECCA, invariably I’m gonna compare it to Chrissy Teigan’s, because it’s the best one BECCA’s ever made. Even after a year, I still go “HOT DAMN, THAT’S GOOD!” every time I bust it out.

So the question I faced (haha) today is, “Do the new BECCA BE a Light palettes kick Chrissy’s palette to the curb?”

Hey, phones can make you look like a cat now, so stranger things have happened. ?

The BECCA Be A Light Face Palette ($46, two versions — Light to Medium, and Medium to Dark)

With the two Be a Light palettes, BECCA is introducing a new powder formula to their line. Allegedly, the powders bounce light and blur pores like the Hourglass Ambients…and they do!

That’s great, right?

They aren’t exactly dupes, though. The Ambient powders are finer, and I think they do a better job overall, but that’s not to take anything away from these.

“Introducing the next generation of glow. This palette features Sheer Glow Filter Powder, a brand new, skin-smoothing powder, in four different finishes designed to blur, brighten, contour, and add a radiant flush of color. Microfine, luminescent pigments diffuse light to soften the look of skin and blurring pigments even skin’s texture so light bounces off it more effortlessly. The light-as-air, buildable shades brighten, blur, and softly define the complexion to create a sheer, natural glow—effortlessly. Unlike heavier powders, the oil-absorbing formula retouches and sets without disrupting makeup, making it your perfect 3pm-pick-me-up in a palette.”

— sephora.com

becca be a light face palettes — Medium to Dark (top) and Light to Medium (bottom)

In fact, if it weren’t for one thing, I’d be proclaiming my undying love for them. I even love the way they look from the outside (the rose gold is pretty!), but dang the shade selection, though!

The girls in the middle like me are getting the short end of the stick. The “Light to Medium” palette is too light for me (I’m an NC42 in MAC), while the “Medium to Dark” is a smidgen too dark.

To the powers that be, why didn’t you make a dedicated Medium version?! That said, I can get Medium to Dark to work for me, but only if I use the sheerest application and do an annoying amount of buffing.

If the shades work for you and you have combo or straight-up dry skin, you’re in luck, and the powders will do what they’re supposed to. Your skin will look effortlessly satiny and beachy with a touch of glow. Very, very BECCA.

On the other hand, if you have oily skin and want to completely matte everything down, well…you’ll be more shiny than dewy after a few hours (which is what happens to me on the oiliest spots on my face, like my forehead). The lack of oil control is another weakness, but, on the flip side, the powders layer really well, so even if you have to touch-up often, these powders won’t look heavy, which is always a plus.

As for the blush, it’s not my fave… It’s awfully shimmery, but at least the pearl particles are fine, so your pores shouldn’t look crazy big.

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ApotheCARE Essentials Vanilla Argan Oil Sweet Almond Shampoo, Conditioner and “The Mender” Hair Oil

June 25th, 2018 by Karen 4 Comments

ApotheCARE Essentials Vanilla Argan Oil Sweet Almond Shampoo and Conditioner for Dry Hair ($12.99 each, a 12-oz. bottle with pump), and The Mender Hair Oil ($10.99 for a 4-oz. bottle)

Got an unruly mop? These three silicone-, paraben- and dye-free hair helpers can…help? If you don’t mind hair that’s sleeker, smoother and dramatically flatter.

Like, dude, where’s my volume?

There’s a shampoo, a conditioner and a hair oil, and they tame big hair stat. I see a difference immediately when I use them together on my wavy hair, which is dyed and healthy for the most part, but I do have to deal with dry ends.

Thing is…the lack of volume.

Depending on how much puff you want in your pouf, flattening can be a good or a bad thing. If you crave the kind of control that tames tresses by weighing your hair down (which I totally get, because sometimes wild hair needs/wants serious taming!), these will do that, but if big hurr is your priority, like it is mine, ’cause #bighairdontcare, I’d say skip ’em.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: NARS Deep Throat Blush

June 22nd, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

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 realize that NARS Orgasm is widely believed to be the true tour de force of the NARS blush multiverse, and for sure, I totally get why so many people love it…but NARS Deep Throat to me is a far better peachy pink option. Hands down.

Like Orgasm, it looks incredible on a wiiiide range of skin tones, but it lacks Orgasm’s intensely golden pearl, which in this case is a good thing, particularly if you have pores — like I do.

I actually like that I can’t see Deep Throat’s golden shimmer unless I’m way up in a magnifying mirror. Most of the time, all you see is the lovely color.

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The MAC Oh, Sweetie Lipcolour Collection Is a Frosted Sugar Rush

June 21st, 2018 by Karen 8 Comments

mac oh sweetie collection — Got a sweet tooth?

I like to bake.

Naw, dawg, I LOVE TO BAKE.

Love. It. ?????❤️??

What’s that? You need a cake baked from scratch? Brownies? Lemon bars? A loaf of artisan bread?? I GOT YOU, GIRL.

That said, when someone tells me that they don’t like sweets, or they claim to never, ever order dessert, my lips immediately form into a tight smile and my right eye starts twitching…because I’m completely short-circuiting inside.

HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE DESSERT…? 1011101011010101111010110100010011101010111

That does not compute.

Thankfully, it’s sweet stuff galore in the MAC Oh, Sweetie Lipcolour collection. In fact, the glosses are named after desserts.

Here’s a look at some of them…

The MAC Oh, Sweetie Lipcolours ($17 each, 15 LE shades)

The collection is fronted by jet-setting German fashion influencer Caro Daur. (I’ll pause for a moment if you want to google her…) She’s so chic, right? I would like some of that Euro girl magic, okpleaseandthankyou.

Honored to be part of the new @rogervivier book #LoveVivier ??? featured next to icon @inesdelafressangeofficial and all my favorite fashion colleagues ? thank you for the loyality, trust and kindness @rogervivier – adore the brand and the amazing team behind it???

A post shared by Caroline Daur (@carodaur) on May 24, 2018 at 12:53pm PDT

These Lipcolours are like metallic MAC Cremesheens, and they vary in terms of the amount of opalescent pearl they contain (some have more than others). The non-sticky formula is on the thinner side, too, and they shine just like a Cremesheen.

I like the less shimmery ones like Raspberry Pavlova more than the others, because the super shimmery metallic ones like Banana Muffins and Strawberry Mousse make me look CAH-RAY-ZAY.

And I don’t need any help in that department. 🙂

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Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Lover Lipstick, Cookies, and Ali Wong’s Long Lost Twin

June 21st, 2018 by Karen 27 Comments

charlotte tilbury sunset lover k — Wearing Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Lover Lipstick. Apparently, I’m also Ali Wong’s long lost twin?

YOU GUYS. Not a week goes by without someone saying that they think I look like comedienne Ali Wong. I guess it’s the glasses? I dunno, I don’t really see it…

It happened again yesterday at lunch, and by “lunch” I’m referring to the cookies I had at the bakery after story time. (We also had a chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, so there was some actual nutrition involved.)

The nice lady behind the counter who always helps us said, “You look EXACTLY like Ali Wong.”

“Really?” I asked.

“It’s the smile,” she said, “it’s the glasses, it’s everything. I could’ve sworn you were her. I was wondering what she was doing in Novato.”

The next time this happens, I’ve decided that I’m just gonna pretend I’m Ali Wong, maybe even sign an autograph, haha! But if I’m wearing Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Sunset Lover at the time, I’ll be screwed, though, because Ali-Karen will probably be inundated with questions about what she’s wearing on her lips, because that’s what goes down whenever I wear this matte peachy pink.

(It’s a new color, by the way, and just launched.)

Don’t even think about wearing this when you’re feeling anti-social, because every person you run into will ask about it.

charlotte tilbury sunset lover — $34, matte finish, a little drying, so prep with a balm.

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