Yves Saint Laurent

Subtle Spring Sparkle When You Don’t Want to “Go Big” With Glitter

April 24th, 2018 by Karen 32 Comments

mac oh so gilty dazzleshadow — MAC Oh So Gilty Dazzleshadow

Am I in my 40s? Yes. Do I still love wearing glitter? Yes… Is there a way to reconcile both of these things without 1) trying too hard or 2) looking like I’m trying too hard?

Let’s find out, haha! 🙂

Last weekend I went to a Sunday lunch at a fancy brunch place in town with the new members of the moms group I belong to, and I was really excited to go because when do I ever dress up anymore and enjoy a meal that doesn’t involve me getting food on myself as I feed or pet a little animal?

Answer: hardly ever.

I wanted to do something that felt a little glamorous and special, but, you know, for lunch, so I still wanted it to be somewhat reserved.

This look took 10 minutes, and I can confirm that it only took 10 minutes because that’s exactly how much time I had to put on makeup before I had to leave the house.

I’m finding it so hard to connect with new people in real life as I get older, but I’m really trying to put myself out there.

new member luncheon — The veggie frittata was pretty good.

Of course, the original plan was to take my time and enjoy the process, leisurely get ready (that’s half the fun of going out, right?), but as usual, even though I woke up super early and had a detailed checklist, everything came down to the wire.

I had to be out of the house by 11:15. At 10:45, I still hadn’t gotten dressed (which is another story, oy!) or done my makeup and hair.

view fromm hilltop — The view from Hilltop 1892 in Novato (I also went there for Easter brunch one year and for my birthday one year.)

new member lunch moms — You don’t even know how excited I was to talk to other adults in person.

So, yes, this look DOES come together really quickly, in case you were thinking, “Eh, I don’t have time for that!”

For the subtle shimmer, I used two of my current faves from the MAC Dazzleshadow line, which I patted on my lids with a finger. A few flecks fell onto my cheeks, but overall the fallout with these shadows is so minimal, and I usually just incorporate it into the look. 🙂

mac oh so gilty dazzle styel — I like how you can only see the glitter when I blink or look down.

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5 Bright Pink Lipsticks to Brighten Your Complexion and Mood This Summer

June 15th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 33 Comments

Bright Pink Lipsticks Summer — My favorite bright pink lipsticks

My very first lipstick was a bright fuchsia-pink from Maybelline… I can’t remember the name now, but I think it was supposed to have diamond powder in it? (Yeah, right!)

I was 16 at the time, and my best friend Giorgia gave it to me before I left to go to school on the French Riviera for a month. She had the same lipstick, and we used to share it before going out on Saturday night.

Ahhh, good times… 🙂

Since I was a little sad to leave her for a whole month, she gave it to me and said, “Never underestimate the brightening power of bright pink lipstick.”

You know what?

She was totally right!

Not only is bright pink lipstick one of my favorite ways to brighten up my complexion, it also never fails to brighten my mood!

Seriously, try it sometime, and if you need some ideas, here are five of my bright pink lipstick summertime faves.

1. YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in Fuchsia Fetiche ($37)

YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats 208 Fuchsia Fetiche Swatch — What’s my all-time favorite lipstick? It’s YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in 208 Fuchsia Fetiche.

So, in my Orange Beauty Edit post I mentioned that Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame is the one lipstick I’d keep if I had to give up all of my lipsticks but one, but can I take that back? LOL!

Just kidding! I think I’d still choose that one, as not only is it a great lipstick, but it also has sentimental value for me, because I got it last time I was in San Francisco, which is a city I’ve been completely in love with since I spent a year at Cal as an exchange student.

But my favorite, favorite lipstick of all time is YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in 208 Fuchsia Fetiche.

I absolutely adore EVERYTHING about this lipstick. I love how luxuriously long-lasting, beautiful and extremely comfortable it is.

Not to mention, I love the shade! It’s the brightest, most gorgeous raspberry fuchsia I’ve ever seen.

Seriously, gurl, if you’ve never tried the YSL Rouges Pur Couture The Mats, I highly, highly recommend checking them out next time you’re at a counter.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Lost Cherry ($32)

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick Lost Cherry Swatch — Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Lost Cherry has such a lightweight texture that I usually forget I’m even wearing it!

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My Favorite Nude Lipsticks for Every Occasion and Budget

May 2nd, 2016 by Anna Oh 22 Comments

ysl rouge volupte 3 beige ultimate maybelline nude lust — An old favorite nude lipstick, and a new favorite nude lipstick: YSL Rouge Volupte, and Maybelline Color Sensational

I’m going to guess that you’re like me and LOVE peeking into someone else’s makeup bag. Well, no need to ask, because today I’m going to share my go-to nude lipsticks. I always have these on hand. They’re my good luck charms, like my Tide to Go (because I’m too lazy to reapply dark lip colors after eating), and these will work for beauty lovers of every budget, yay!

Marcella will also be sharing her nude lipstick favorites in another post, and I can’t wait to see what she picks for hers.

For work: YSL Rouge Volupte “3 Beige Ultimate”

So this one is actually a good luck charm for me. I’ve worn this to every job interview, and so far I’ve had a 100% success rate with it!

I’m half-kidding because I haven’t had THAT many full-time job interviews, but I usually wear a long fitted black blazer with some smart pleated pants with this beauty of a lipstick in my pocket. It’s the YSL Rouge Volupte Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick in Beige Ultimate ($37). Even at that price point, I don’t think this lipstick disappoints. Heavy golden metal, not-too-sweet-watermelon scent, and amazing pigmentation in one swipe.

Infused with oils, it sits comfortably on my lips, and I barely notice I’m wearing it while talking to friends and interviewers alike. YSL wins the award for my top luxury lip choice.

For play: Maybelline The Buffs “Nude Lust”

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Late Summer Sephora Haul!

August 24th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

My No. 1 rule when I shop at Sephora is to never, EVER walk around the store with a basket, because if I do, I’ll just keep dropping more and more things into it until eventually — whoops! — there goes all my fun money for the next few months.

I tell myself that I can only leave the store with what I can physically carry in my hands, but that doesn’t always work… You’d be amazed at how much stuff a short Filipino girl can carry, haha! 🙂

On my last trip I grabbed a few things — some re-stocks, some new things I’ve been wanting to try and at least one doodad (maybe two).

As always, my friend, thank you for watching.

Products mentioned

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Minimalist Makeup Marvels You Might Want To Try

July 16th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Minimalism!

It’s not just for Smurfs anymore.

This time of year it also describes my appetite for makeup, as in not wanting to wear a ton of it on my face, and if your makeup cravings are also leaning toward the minimal side, here are five of my current favorite minimalist makeup products.

These are all in active minimalist makeup rotation right now.

1. The marvelous MAC Paints! ($20 each)

These $20 cream shadows dry to a powder finish and come in five natural-looking neutral shades.

If you don’t blend them out perfectly, no worries, because the colors are all pretty low contrast, so you can’t really mess up — or, rather, if you do, you can’t really tell.

Perfect for people who are frequently running behind (she said, raising her hand in the air while saying, “Ooh! Ooh! Like me.”).

All five shades also have a hint of a sheen to ’em (it’s very subtle and nothing dramatic like a frost), which makes them quite forgiving of fine lines — something I greatly appreciate.

MAC Paint Swatches from the left: Bamboom, Stilife, Untitled, Sublime Nature and Bare Canvas — MAC Paint swatches from the left in Bamboom, Stilife, Untitled, Sublime Nature and Bare Canvas

Beyond all of that, they’re also just straight-up easy to use. Creamier and more viscous than many other cream shadows like the MAC Paint Pots, they’re a breeze to spread and blend.

Just squeeze a small amount from the tube, and pat and blend that on your lids with your fingers. You can even skip primer with them if you want. I usually do (saves time).

My favorite color? Golden beige Bamboom.

I also love that name (although Bare Canvas is also pretty cool).

2. The Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks ($28 each)

No, these sticks do not contain caviar (as far as I can tell). If the MAC Paints are for work, then Laura’s Caviar Sticks are for fun. 🙂

These cream shadow sticks come in a wide range of colors and finishes, from mellow mattes to shimmering jewels.

Like the MAC Paints, brushes are totally optional. I usually just swipe one of the shades (Rosegold is my personal fave) directly on my lids, and then blend out the edges with a finger.

Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks Swatches from the left: Cocoa, Moonlight, Rosegold, Copper and Burnished Bronze — A handful of Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks from the left in Cocoa, Moonlight, Rosegold, Copper and Burnished Bronze

Because they glide on the skin and contain oodles of pigment, one layer is usually enough. You can literally be done with your eyeshadow in less than a minute.

3. Yves Saint Laurent Kiss & Blush Volupte Lips & Cheek Color ($40 each)

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Hey, Baby Doll, Let Me Holla at You for a Minute: YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush in 1 Fuchsia Desinvolte

April 17th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Yo, yo, yo, Baby Doll! Don’t walk away. Come here for a second. I just want to tell you something.

Damn, Baby Doll Kiss & Blush…you foine.

For real though! Must be that hot-@ss outfit you’re wearing. You kinda looked like a nail polish I know from over there. My bad. I’m sorry. I see you now. You’re a multitasking mousse lipstick and blush with a matte finish, all up in one sexy bottle.

Baby Doll Kiss & Blush in 1 Fuchsia Desinvolte is one of 12 shades available now at YSL counters and online at neimanmarcus.com[/caption]

You’re a little heavy, and I like that. Must be that glass bottle. Shoo’… And that flocked doe-foot applicator?! I love me some curves. I’d wear you on my lips and cheeks like a pair of skinny jeans!

YSL Baby Doll Kiss Blush Doe Foot Applicator — Doe-foot applicator

YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush Ingredients — Ingredients

You’re new around here, yeah? I can tell you’re different from the other multitasking lip and cheek products that strut their stuff down this block.

Let me caress you for a moment… It’s alright. Ooh, mousse texture. Fluffy. Kind of creamy, too. I bet you’re so smooth that you’d glide along my cheeks and my lips without any patchiness.

That’s classy, girl. Classy with “C,” not a “K.” 😉

You’re a keeper; I can tell. Not one of those fly-by-nights that just bounces after an hour or two. C’mon, let me take you out sometime. We could hang out on my cheeks for 6-8 hours, on top of foundation, bare cheeks or even atop powder. Or we could just kiss on the lips for 4-5.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview

January 6th, 2014 by Karen 33 Comments

I’M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU SAY!? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!! IT’S SO LOUD IN HERE!! LET ME TURN DOWN THE VOLUME FIRST…

There! That’s much better. I can hear you now. Sorry, but I can’t help it when it comes to The Purple One. Hello, Take Me With You? Kiss? Purple Rain? You know how it is — you gotta turn it up when you’re bumping Prince. 🙂

Speaking of purples that reign (LOL! How’s that for a lazy transition?), I was ferreting through my lipgloss stash last week when I rediscovered one of the greatest purples of all time (IMHO), Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview, or “purple preview” en Francais.

I’ve had purple lipgloss on my mind (and lips) a lot lately…partly because of Pantone’s Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid, making headlines, but it actually goes back much further than that — at least as far back as my twenty-sixth birthday, when my friend Jen got me my very first tube of purple lipgloss (Benefit Kiss Me).

Yves Saint Laurent Pourpre Preview Glossy Stain — Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview, $34

Yves Saint Laurent Pourpre Preview Glossy Stain wand — Gotta love the doe foot

So, Pourpre Preview — yeah, it’s $34, but for what it’s worth, with YSL’s Glossy Stains, it’s like you’re getting two lip products for the (pretty high) price of one.

In this case, the color starts as a gorgeous, glossy orchid violet, which then mellows out to a purplish pink stain.

Highlights…

Lasts from 5-6 hours on my lips
Has a moderately moisturizing, slightly sticky formula that feels quite thick when first applied
Unflavored, but it smells a little like green apples to me (yum!)

It’s one of the most wearable purples I’ve ever seen, and that’s what makes it an Unsung Hero to me. It’s just so frickin’ wearable! It looks good on just about anyone.

It’s purple — but not too purple, if that makes any sense — and semi-opaque, so it allows your natural lip color to peek through.

Yves Saint Laurent Pourpre Preview Glossy Stain swatch — Ooh, purple!

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5 Permanent Line Products I’ve Been Loving Lately From MAC, NARS, YSL and Perricone MD

January 2nd, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Hey, gurl! Hey! Let’s talk about beauty…

Hmm… Being a day late and a dollar short to the show, I should probably stop telling people that I’m watching Breaking Bad. I mentioned it to my brother the other day, and the first thing he said was…

**WARNING** **SPOILER ALERT START** **WARNING**

The first thing he said was (STOP HERE IF YOU DON’T WANT ANY SPOILERS!)…

I’m serious! Skip this entire gray box. DON’T READ ANOTHER LINE!

The first thing he said was, “Did you get to the part where Jesse’s girlfriend O.D.s?”

Uh…No, Al. I actually had not gotten to that part. 😕

Then I mentioned it to my mother-in-law, who’s never even seen the show but heard a few things through the grapevine, and she said (MORE SPOILERS!!!), “Isn’t that the show where the guy dies at the end?”

**WARNING** **SPOILER ALERT END** **WARNING**

Yeah… Insert mouth agape [HERE].

I think it’s the universe’s way of telling me that I should stick to talking about other subjects — subjects like makeup, and these five permanent collection products I’ve been loving lately.

1. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Gloss Stain in 7 Corail Aquatique, $34

Wearing Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Gloss Stain in 7 Corail Aquatique on my lips, MAC Cantaloupe Blush on my cheeks and NARS Galapagos Eyeshadow on my eyes

So, earlier this week I go to Sephora to get a birthday gift for my mom, and wouldn’t ya know it? Two tubes of Corail Aquatique mysteriously find their way into my basket/heart.

One for Mom, one for me. 🙂

My mom is so funny… I know I’m probably going to have to encourage her to wear this light pinkish coral glossy stain, because whenever I get her anything higher end than drugstore, it usually ends up displayed in the bathroom like a fancy trophy.

She never actually wears it, LOL!

The Pur Couture glosses, which apply as a gloss but wear down to a stain, are part of YSL’s permanent line, and I’ve loved them for a while.

I’ve been putting Corail Aquatique through its paces lately.

No — literally, its paces. I wore it on my walk yesterday. I think it’s a really lovely everyday lip color.

2. MAC Powder Blush in Cantaloupe, $17

MAC Cantaloupe Blush — Cantaloupe Blush (MAC Pro)

OOOH, GURL, don’t even get me started on coral Cantaloupe Blush. As Tabs would say, It’s “purr-fection!”

As a MAC Pro product, warm pinkish coral Cantaloupe is available at Pro Stores and online (but not at regular MAC stores and counters).

Officially, it’s billed as having a Satin finish, but I feel like it looks more Matte in pics… Frankly, I don’t care what they call it, because I just call it awesome and forgiving. Really forgiving, especially when you have pores the size o’ Lake Michigan (like me).

If the Magnetic Nude blushes weren’t always distracting me, I’d probably be wearing Cantaloupe 24/7.

LOVE IT!

3. NARS Coconut Grove, $24

OK, so I’ve had rich dark chocolate Coconut Grove forever, but I only recently fell in lust with it. I’ve been going through something of a brown eyeshadow phase (there are just so many great ones out there, and they’re so versatile!), and I guess I re-discovered it.

It might also have something to do with all of the chocolate I’ve been eating lately…

Anywho, Coconut Grove — bangin’ for brown smokey eyes. It has slightest sheen — barely noticeable — but enough to keep things interesting. It also prevents it from looking like a flat brown matte.

Super pretty layered on top of black or dark brown creamy kohl pencils and cream eyeshadow bases.

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