A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
Hi, ladies. I have a quick favor to ask. I’m trying to figure out a new way to do premium advertising on the blog (aka pretty banners for actual beauty products) and could use your help. Would you mind taking a moment to answer this marketing survey? It’s 12 multiple choice questions and won’t take but a minute. Muchas gracias.
(Click here to take the survey.)
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
What’s up, my lovely Jo Polniaczeks?
It’s Friday, which I hope means you have a little time to ponder a YOU MUST CHOOSE.
To play, just copy the list and paste it with your answers in the comments. 🙂
1. Louboutins OR toe sucking?
2. Dirty drawers OR dirrrty outfit?
3. Skip brushing/washing your hair OR clean a toilet with your tongue?
4. Dirty makeup brushes OR skip brushing your teeth?
5. Dirty lap dance OR dirty Spencer Pratt?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
It’s that time again, girls. Another Friday means another week for the history books, le sigh!
I don’t know what kind of mood you’re in today, but I’m NOT in the mood for stress. I feel like I need a casual Friday, something fluffy and light.
You might have a busy day ahead of you — life doesn’t seem to care when we say we need a break — but I hope these 21 drugstore beauty tips help you keep your morning light. 🙂
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Ever since my allergies kicked into high gear a few weeks ago, my eyes have been a sensitive mess. Even my old standby makeup remover, Lancome Bi-Facil, which never used to bother my eyes, has been bringing me to tears.
I’ve been looking for a makeup remover that won’t bother my peepers, ideally one able to remove waterproof makeup, and last week I started using Decleor’s Eye Make-Up Remover Gel ($28) for sensitive eyes.
It’s a watery gel with a thin consistency, neither sticky nor greasy, and it smells lightly of chamomile. To use it I soak a cotton ball and then gently wipe at the makeup around my eyes.
First, it works, removing everything — even waterproof mascara. Second, it doesn’t bug my eyes.
I’ve been using it for about a week, and I think my lids already look a little less puffy.
Something else — the skin around my eyes feels hydrated after using Decleor, not stripped of moisture. At $28, it costs a little more than Lancome Bi-Facil ($24), but it works, and my ultra-sensitive eyes don’t complain. That makes the price easier to bear.
Price: $28 for a 5-oz bottle
Use: A chamomile-scented eye makeup remover for super sensitive eyes and skin
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+
Holy crap! Can you believe MJ’s gone? And Farrah Fawcett too?
MJ’s music was such a huge part of my childhood… It’s the end of an era. I’ve been moonwalking around the apartment and singing Man in the Mirror all afternoon.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
To brighten your day.
(Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco)
Ever have one of these days?
What’s up, my fellow makeup lovahs? Have I mentioned that Clinique’s Bamboo Pink is one of my favorite lip colors, ever?
When I heard Clinique was doing an entire release based on it I went nuts!
The color itself is a cool, silvery pink — a cult favorite — and I was stoked to see that a lot of you are just as hyped about the news as I am.
Who could blame us, right? The limited edition summer release for cheeks, eyes and lips (available now) includes a color palette of cool pinks, bronzes and taupes that work together beautifully.
So far, I’ve played with five items from the 11-piece collection.
The Bamboo Pink Eye Shadow Quad comes packed with four perfectly coordinated shades of shimmery light pink, shimmery copper, shimmery taupe and shimmery rose-pink.
All apply on the cool side, so I’m guessing cool-beauties will be able to TURN THIS MUTHA OUT.
No doubt, the shades are shimmery, but they aren’t overly frosty, which I think makes them pretty easy to wear. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A
Okay, I’ll come clean — at first glance this dual-tipped pencil didn’t give me lusty makeup thoughts. I thought Cream Shaper for Eyes Duo in Chocolate Lustre/Cocoa Shimmer looked kinda ho-hum on the outside, but inside it’s a gem. The pencils are super creamy and glide on without skipping. They’re also water-resistant and don’t smudge for nuthin’.
I like how well both Chocolate Lustre (a shimmery brown) and Cocoa Shimmer (a shimmer taupe) work as eyeshadow bases layered beneath the colors in the Bamboo Pink Quad, yes! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
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Today makeup artist Johnie of The Beauty Junkie blog talks up the benefits of Benefit’s That Gal brightening face primer.
I’ve always wanted to be “that gal,” and now I can thanks to Benefit’s pretty and pink That Gal ($28) brightening primer.
It’s one of those magic Holy Grail products I’m recommending all the time, and I cannot say enough good things about it!
I’d tried many primers before Benefit blessed the world with That Gal…
I know everyone loves the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer ($36), but I could never get it to work for me. It felt greasy to me and didn’t seem to make a big difference. I know everyone in the makeup world will probably hang me for saying this, but I just feel like it’s overrated.
Not like That Gal.
It’s a silky pink primer with light reflecting pigments to brighten the complexion, and it comes in an interesting glue-stick like container. You click the base, dispensing the product out of the vent at the top. A few clicks is enough to do my entire face.
I see a huge difference when I use this stuff. It…
I cannot go a day without using it and keep a backup at all times.
The only downside I’ve found is that I can’t tell when I’m about to run out. It’s not clear how much product remains in the tube until it’s empty (click click click), which is why I keep a backup. That was a lesson I learned the hard way.
One way to apply it is after your moisturizer but before your foundation; that’s for a smoother application.
Another way is to apply throughout the day on top of makeup to re-brighten the complexion.
It also works when worn alone, like on one of those “no makeup days” to keep the complexion from looking too dull and to help the skin look more even-toned. That’s how I’ll wear it sometimes, when I’m going to the gym or going out to run quick errands.
Also, I would like to add that my skin is more on the dry side, but I’ve used That Gal on dry, combo, and oily skin types and find it works for all of them. If, however, you’re crazy oil slick oily, then I might give it a test run before committing to a purchase.
It retails for $28 (0.37 fl. oz. tube), which I find lasts me about 3 months, but I use it every single day; a few clicks goes a long way.
As Benefit puts it, “It’s That Gal perfection for a happy complexion!” — so find your happy complexion today. 🙂
This post was written by Johnie, makeup artist and beauty blogger behind The Beauty Junkie blog.
