Product Reviews

Kate Somerville Tight’N Cryogenic Tightening Gel Keeps It Cool

December 15th, 2017 by Karen 20 Comments

I’ve finally found something cooler than the other side of the pillow, and it’s Kate Somerville Tight’N Cryogenic Tightening Gel.

And it literally might be the coolest thing I’ve ever used, ever, because it’s like sticking your face into an industrial strength freezer… But it’s also $125, and I’m still deciding whether it’s a necessary step, or one of those skip-able skin care bells and whistles.

Like carrot cake, this new skin tightening foam is weird and wonderful at the same time. You’re supposed to use it as the last step in your skin care routine, both in the morning and at night.

When you push the pump, a white fluffy foam shoots out, which then starts crackling loudly, like crinkling paper or a bowl of Rice Crispies when you pour milk into it.

You apply it with your fingers to your face and neck, avoiding your eyes, nose and mouth.

That’s when the cooling begins, and you feel your skin getting colder and colder and colder…

It’s not painful or anything, but it feels *cold*, and numbing, like somebody’s rubbing ice cubes on your face after the dentist injected you with Novocaine.

And your skin stays like that — really, really cold — for a long time. Thirty minutes or so. It’s fascinating! And so, so, weird.

[Continue reading…]

Makeup and Beauty Blog’s Holiday Beauty Gift Guide

December 14th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

Beauty gifts for everyone on your list, including yo’ self. That’s the Clarins Tonic Candle ($75), by the way, which will make your home smell like a spa.

I think the best holiday gifts are the ones you’re tempted to buy for yourself, so if you happen to “accidentally” keep a few things that were originally meant to be gifts for peeps on your list, well, far be it from me to deny you some fabulous holiday beauty booty. 🙂

From stocking stuffers to full-on luxury treats, I’ve rounded up my faves below for friends, family, frenemies and, let’s get real — yourself.

MAC Mini Pigments, $10 — Technically, these aren’t under $10, but they’re close. Has anyone in the history of all MAC-kind ever finished an entire jar of MAC Pigment, ever? These minis should last ~~you~~ your gift recipient a long time, and they don’t cost an arm and a leg. Try Blue-Brown or Tan!
Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipsticks, $9 — These long-lasting, pigmented liquid lippies are usually $18 each but are 50% off right now.
Topshop Bunny Veil Headband, $9.99 — For your glam friend who’s all about the extras and/or doesn’t leave the house without some form of animal accessory on her person. I’d actually love this for myself, even though I have no idea where I’d wear it.
OPI Love OPI XOXO Nail Lacquer Duo w/ Cosmetic Bag, $9 — This set’s marked down from $18. What a steal for two full-sized bottles and a bag. OPI has one of the longest lasting lacquer formulas around, and that red and deep plum would look good all year long.
MAC Mini Lipglass Kit, $10 — This adorable stocking stuffer comes with three minis.
Ardell Mini Faves Lash Lookbook + Duo, $10 — Ardell does bad-@ss budget lashes that look luxurious and feel comfy, too! This kit has three pairs.

mac pigments — Mini MAC Pigments, $10 each

OPI Love OPI XOXO 4 Pc Mini Set, $7.35 — OK, so, sometimes I have trubs painting my paws with mini polishes, but I could make it work for this price. Originally $14.50, this set comes with a red, black, dark purple and charcoal in OPI’s signature long-wearing formula.
3 Pack of EOS Hand Lotion, $5.97 — These cute and non-greasy EOS hand lotions easily fit into a purse or pocket. I know because I went through a phase where I was stashing them everywhere.
Soap & Glory Hand & Foot Gift Set, $7.99 — I almost just wrote “Hoof & Foot Gift Set…” 🙂 But don’t worry, this hydrating set for hands and feet is for people. Not horses.
Kristin Ess Signature Shampoo + Signature Hair Conditioner Set, $10 — Yo. So this lady cuts L.C.’s (as in Lauren Conrad’s) hair, and her aesthetic is on point. I haven’t tried these products yet, but I REALLY, REALLY WANT to based on the chic packaging alone. If someone gifted this to me, I’d assume it was from Nordstrom or SpaceNK.
Kristin Ess Reconstructive Moisture Mask + Leave-In Conditioner Set, $10 — Another snazzy looking Kristin Ess hair set.

[Continue reading…]

L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise: A Drugstore Wunderkind for Wonderful Length

December 14th, 2017 by Karen 11 Comments

loreal voluminous lash paradise — All this lash drama for less than $10. Thanks, L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise!

“I’d like two tickets to Lash Paradise, please! — one for me, and one for my awesomely affordable pink tube of mascara. Actually…make that three tickets, because I’m gonna need a separate seat for the added length. Yeah, because my lashes, which normally disappear into the background of my face, even after I curl them, look so incredibly long when I wear it that you’d think I was one of those genetically #blessed people.”

loreal voluminous lash paradise before after — Before, and after a single coat

I heard about Voluminous Lash Paradise, a new-ish addition to L’Oréal’s mascara family, from my friend Vanessa, who does makeup for weddings and celebs down in L.A. She was like, This is going to rock your world. I can’t live without it. I use it, and I use it on my clients, and…just GET THEE A TUBE ASAP. (In so many words.)

V, you weren’t playing!

I know it’s trite, but it’s like wearing falsies. The look is similar to Tom Ford’s awesome, but very expensive, $45 FullScreen Mascara (they even have similar wavy brushes), but creates a little less volume.

There are so many different versions, too, including waterproof and non-waterproof, all in different tones of black. I have the Waterproof one in Blackest Black, which looks dramatic even after a single pitch black layer (and it gets even better with two).

The length? It’s crazy. Plus, it creates fine-toothed separation and a tight curl with a major volume boost, although I’m hella greedy when it comes to volume and always want a little more, since I’m all about that fatty YSL Faux Cils/Chanel le Volume lash life.

Lash Paradise’s volume is still good, though.

loreal voluminous lash paradise k — That curl is no joke.

[Continue reading…]

Maybelline Total Temptation Brow Definer: Get Bushy Brows for Less That Last

December 13th, 2017 by Karen 19 Comments

As has been documented on the interwebz, I have a brow situation, but here it is again, with feeling, in case you missed it the first 1,465 times: my right brow is shorter, and my left brow has a bald spot (Raul says “WASSUP!”).

It’s an uneven situation all around, so I fill in my brows daily because big brows make me feel like superhero Karen.

I usually skip the process, though, when I work out, because I’m just going to sweat it all off anyway, but new Maybelline Total Temptation Brow Definer ($7.99) has me rethinking that world view.

maybelline total temptation brow definer before after — Before and after

GIRL. Technically, this stuff isn’t waterproof or sweat-proof, but it might as well be because it hangs on even better than pricier pencils by MAC, Urban Decay and Tom Ford.

I wore it to HIIT class Monday night, which I almost didn’t even go to because I was really dragging my feet. I came *this close* to bailing, so I needed — yes, needed! — brows to help get me through it.

Don’t ask me why, but looking semi-cute during exercise class helps me push harder. *shoulder shrugs*

maybelline total temptation brow definer swatches — Blonde, Soft Brown, Medium Brown and Deep Brown

Deep Brown, the shade closest to my dark blackish brown hair, stayed put on my skin and between my brow hairs to keep my fuzzy little caterpillars looking fluffy and full throughout countless burpies (burpees?) and switch lunges. Every time I caught a glimpse of my gansta face in the mirror and mumbled “Karen, you can do this!” under my breath, I felt and looked LEGIT.

maybelline total temptation brow definer k — 2 legit 2 quit… Er, something like that. I’m wearing Deep Brown.

[Continue reading…]

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Bite Beauty Multistick in Honeywheat

December 13th, 2017 by Karen 5 Comments

bite beauty honeywheat — Bite Beauty Multistick in Honeywheat, the unsung hero of all your warm brown palettes. ALL OF THEM!

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’ve had *three* conversations over the last few days about warm brown eyeshadow palettes.

Have you noticed when you walk into a Sephora, an Ulta or a drugstore that those six-pan palettes with orange browns and reddish browns are everywhere? It’s like, Oh, there’s Urban Decay Naked Heat, and there’s NARS Wanted, and there’s Anastasia Modern Renaissance.

They’re all over the place!

I’m a fan. I think they’re fun. My heart’s all, “Blow out those warm orange-y and red smoky eyes until your wrist falls off, K!” but my mind’s like, “Realistically, you have 15 minutes to do your makeup today, so look for shortcuts.”

Shortcuts: I’m all about them.

I’ve been starting my smoky looks lately by layering two cream shadows together, one lighter and one darker, to jump start the smoky gradient effect.

I might not always have the time to layer and blend with the care that smoky eyes usually need (but who does, really?), but this trick at least gets me halfway there.

This warm matte chocolate brown is Bite Beauty Multistick in Honeywheat ($24), and it’s the lighter shade I’ve been using in most of my smoky eye looks lately. I think it’s the best base shade for those orange-y and reddish brown palettes (or pretty much any nude/neutral palette in your stash).

It’s a multipurpose cream stick for lids, lips and cheeks with a pliable consistency that you can easily push around with your brush. It’s not oily or greasy, though, so it actually stays where it belongs once it sets, which takes about five minutes.

Other creams blend into it easily, too, and powder shadows glide across it without sticking to any spots.

[Continue reading…]

Espresso and Chocolate, Two Budget-Friendly Beautiful Brown Shades From the Revlon ColorStay Crème Eye Shadow Line

December 12th, 2017 by Karen 19 Comments

revlon colorstay creme eye shadow chocolate espresso — Wearing Revlon ColorStay Crème Eye Shadows in Chocolate and Espresso on my lids and lash lines.

Why are so many beautiful brown shadows named after something delicious, like Espresso and Chocolate? I call foul. It’s unfair.

For the O.M.R. (Official Makeup Record), you can’t eat this Espresso or this Chocolate, two beautiful matte browns in the Revlon ColorStay Crème Eye Shadow line, but since they’re on sale at Target right now for $5.99 each (regularly $7.99), you can use the extra change in your pocket to get an actual espresso or something chocolate.

GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE. I go buck wild for brown eyeshadows (probably more than the average bear, but what are you gonna do?). These two creams are on the cool-toned side, and they’re shades that you could totally use, like, everyday if you’re into natural-looking or no-makeup makeup, which I am.

Chocolate is a medium taupe-ish brown, and Espresso is a grayish chocolate brown. Both look equally delicious.

I reviewed some of the shimmer cream shadows from this line last spring, and I love them because they’re like sheer versions of the MAC Paint Pots. They’re long lasting, easy to blend, and they don’t look dry or heavy on my finely lined lids.

The matte versions are similar, I’m happy to report.

revlon colorstay eyeshadow chocolate espresso swatches — Chocolate and Espresso

[Continue reading…]

#FancyLadyThings: Tom Ford FullScreen Lash Mascara

December 11th, 2017 by Karen 7 Comments

At the intersection of Fancy Lady Lane and Tom Ford Beauty Boulevard, you’ll find me — hello! — standing at the crossroads waving a tube of the new FullScreen Lash Mascara, which is — clutch your pearls — $45.

Fullscreen is one of three new mascaras in the eyes-only Eyes of Tom Ford makeup collection (the others are Spike and Shutter), and when you say that, you have to whisper it all sexy-time because it’s the right thing to do.

And FullScreen is the one you want if you want natural-looking drama…which, admittedly, seems like a contradiction in terms, but picture your favorite set of natural-looking falsies that noticeably thicken and lengthen your lashes, and even hold a kick-@ss curl for a night-and-day difference, but still manage to look like lashes that a real human being could have been born with.

That’s FullScreen, except without the glue and cries of “Mother trucker! I just smudged my winged liner! Now I need to start over AGAIN!”

[Continue reading…]

The BECCA Light Waves Highlighter Palette

December 8th, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

BECCA’s been surfing this — what feels like a long, continuous wave of limited edition highlighter palettes — for what, months? Years? It seems like there’s a new one every couple months.

Surprise! The latest one is called Light Waves ($34, available now), and it has three shades of their iconic Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Powder. Two are shades you might already be familiar with — good ol’ golden Moonstone, which has been around for years, and shimmering light purple Prismatic Amethyst, which is newer.

Side note: I shied away from purple highlighter for years thinking that it was only for lighter lasses, and that, as a tan-skinned babe, I couldn’t wear it… Boy, was I wrong! It’s actually really flattering on darker skin tones, too.

The new, new shade is smack dab in the middle of the palette. It’s called Pink Sapphire, and it’s a really pretty duo chrome golden pink that flashes to peach.

I’m wearing it on my cheeks here, although, ya know, I had to build it up, because it isn’t as pigmented as Moonstone and Prismatic Amethyst.

Not a big deal, though, because it’s not like I had to put on tons of it. I did two layers for these glowing, opalescent cheeks.

[Continue reading…]