Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

What Are Your Fondest Beauty Memories?

June 21st, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 10 Comments

My grandma in the mid-'40s — My grandma in the mid-’40s

I bet there’s a place that’s very special to you and was a very special place to you as a child. For me, that place is my grandmother’s house in Moriah, NY, in the Adirondacks on Lake Champlain. I spent so much time there as a child (because she lives five minutes down the road from the house I grew up in), and it has always been a meeting place of sorts for my mother’s side of the family. Our whole group flocks there.

Even as adults, my aunts and uncles and cousins all meet at her house when we come home to visit, and at 91, my grandmother certainly enjoys the company.

Probably the best thing about being at my grandmother’s house growing up with a bunch of cousins who were all older than me was getting to play with their makeup! My cousins lived in the surrounding towns but were still pretty far away, and I have distinct memories of being at the dining room table, poking through their makeup bags (whether they wanted me to or not!) on the weekends and holidays we would spend at my grandmother’s house.

Let me explain.

All of my cousins are significantly older than I am because my mother was the youngest of my grandmother’s children, and she had my mom at 36 when my grandmother already had three kids (almost) in their teens.

So being much younger than everyone else, my mom also had her kids much later than her siblings did, so my eldest cousin is in his late forties now, and I’m the baby of my cousins at 25. The only ones younger than me now are the great grandkids, the oldest of whom at 13 is just now starting to wear makeup (which makes me feel old).

Thankfully my older cousins happily put up with me and all of my pestering when I was younger, which I love them for because many teenagers don’t have much use for the little ones at family gatherings (I know I don’t at times). They all treated me more like a sibling than a cousin.

Last weekend I got to reconnect with a lot of my family I hadn’t seen in a while, and one of my cousins even continued to amaze and inspire my beauty habits by bringing me a TON of her collection to go through and peruse at my leisure!

I only took a few things (because, at this point, I really don’t need more beauty products), but I appreciated the thought.

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5 Nail Polishes That Are Perfect for Summer Adventures

June 21st, 2016 by Carolina Braina 17 Comments

Summer Nail polish — Hugging some of my favorite summer nail polishes. Yes, we’re very much in love! 😉

As you know if you visit me on my blog at Carol in a Page, nail polish and I have had a rollercoaster romance, but right now we’re going strong!

After some recent purchases and some clearing out, I’ve decided on the five nail lacquers that will see me through summer 2016 and whatever adventures it brings.

Wanna know what inspired these picks?

1. The Nautical Style: Smith & Cult Nailed Lacquer in Kings & Thieves ($18)

Smith & Cult Kings & Thieves Swatches — I really like pairing deep blue Kings & Thieves with nude sandals

When it comes to the color blue in summer, I can’t help but think of one thing: nautical style.

But since I don’t have a yacht (or a striped dress, for that matter), the way I’ve been getting that nautical vibe is by painting my toes with Smith & Cult Nailed Lacquer in Kings & Thieves, an indescribably beautiful inky blue.

2. An African Safari: Zoya Professional Lacquer in Charli ($10)

Zoya Professional Lacquer Charli Swatches — Zoya Professional Lacquer in Charli reminds me of safari clothing

Some may argue that olive is more of an autumnal shade, but in my mind it evokes safari clothes and glimpses of an endless African savanna.

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Reflections on the Eminently Blend-able $59 NARS Dual-Intensity Cheek Palette

June 20th, 2016 by Karen 28 Comments

narsissist dual intensity cheek palette — NARSissist Dual-Intensity Cheek Palette shades from the left in I Soft Tulle, II Damask with Gold Sheen, III Peony and IV Titian

Mirror, mirror on the wall…

OK, I was about two seconds away from quoting De La Soul right there.

Where was I going with this?

Oh, yeah! Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the cheekiest NARSissist of them all?

Why, it’s you, my dear, because when you marvel at the NARSissist Dual-Intensity Cheek Palette packaging, you see yourself. 🙂 You’re the star because there’s a mirror right there on the packaging.

You can use it to check your teeth for bits of food, or stare at your gorgeous mug all day long. It’s up to you.

I mean, it’s just a mirror, but it never hurts to have an extra mirror around, ya know? As long as you don’t get so caught up in your reflection that you forget to eat (see: Narcissus).

Anyways, enough prattle! Have you noticed that NARS has been churning out palettes like WHOA for the past few years? With old-school NARS, it was all about the individual pieces from their limited edition collections, along with an occasional palette sprinkled in here and there, but somewhere along the way they became all about the palettes, which is also cool.

This one is new and arrives July 1st at NARS boutiques and online at the NARS website, and then at Sephora and NARS counters in department stores August 1st.

It’s $59 and holds four fresh, new Dual-Intensity Blushes, with a highlighter, a blush and two contouring shades. From left to right, you’ve got Soft Tulle, Damask with Gold Sheen, Peony and Titian. And on the back of palette, the blushes are named with Roman numerals — I, II, III and IV.

The thing about the Dual-Intensity Blushes is that they’re kind of, like, packed down…so when you run your brush across them, your brush doesn’t kick up a bunch of big ol’ powder grains, like what happens with most powder products. The powders are very finely milled and smooth.

narsissist dual intensity cheek palette damask — Wearing I Soft Tulle on my upper cheek bones and II Damask on my cheeks

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The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Winged Eyeliner

June 20th, 2016 by Jen Clark 34 Comments

Winged eyeliner is one of my favorite makeup techniques because it makes such a big impact. It’s not always easy to do, though. In fact, sometimes it’s a freaking pain in the butt. Plus, once you screw it up, it’s hard to save the rest of your makeup look.

For those days when I can’t shake the cute, little toddler hanging off my arm, or for the days when, out of pure laziness, I really just can’t get myself to even attempt liquid liner, I use this easy technique to get the same winged liner effect, but with a lot less frustration!

Rather than using a liquid or gel liner, I use an angled brush and a black or super dark brown eyeshadow like Black or Espresso from the Lorac Pro Palette because they’re easy to work with and super goof-proof.

By the way, I think the best brush of all time to use for this lazy girl’s winged liner is the MAC 266, if you happen to have one. It pretty much does the work for you.

The Black shade in the Lorac Pro palette is great!

One of my all time favorite brushes! — One of my all-time favorite brushes!

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 428

June 20th, 2016 by Karen 46 Comments

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past eight (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Matte red lips or glossy nude lips?
Today I’m going with glossy nude lips because it’s supposed to be a hot one here. Right now I’m wearing my Zellas and a workout top I got from Old Navy that says, “Good vibes make great karma,” because I’m about to hop on the treadmill before it gets too uncomfortable.

Wait — hold on a sec. I’ll be right back. Tabs is pawing at the door to my office, so I have to go do his bidding.

First you want in, then you want out…

Cats.

He’s all about those in-and-out privileges

Anyway, there are plenty of stylish girls out there who can pull off a workout outfit and matte red lips…but I’m not one of ’em! So, glossy nude lips it is!

What’s your favorite snack food?
Hmm… I always feel really good when I snack on fruit. Heck, not only does it keep “the plumbing in order,” but it fills me up, and I don’t feel gross afterward (like I do when I eat a bag of chips something too greasy). And there are so many different kinds of fruit to choose from, especially right now.

Summertime fruit is THE BEST FRUIT. Watermelons, strawberries, grapes, oh… So delicious.

I’m kind of funny about my fruit, though. I don’t like it when my fruit is dripping wet. I just don’t understand how El Hub can wash a bunch of grapes and eat them without patting them dry first. With some fruit, like strawberries, peaches, apples and grapes, after I wash them, I have to dry them; otherwise, they’re just not right to me.

Roller blades or roller skates?
I do alright on both, but I’m going to have to go with the roller skates, girl, because I’m old school like that. 🙂

Oh, and bonus question: have you ever been to a roller rink? I certainly have.

What makes you feel wonderful?
This one’s easy! Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, ah… Overall, we’re pretty lucky because Connor more or less sleeps through the night, but she does wake up ravenous just before the crack of dawn.

One of these days I’m gonna ask El Hub to camp out in the guest room with Connor and her bassinet, because I’m tired, girl. I’m on Connor time all the time.

Who do you think is cute?
Connor Claire, of course. And Tabs. And…let’s throw El Hub and Nick Jonas in there too, just for fun.

Eyelash extensions or hair extensions?
I’ll go for the eyelash extensions. I’ve been wanting to try them for a while, but I’m kind of freaked out by the idea because I’m afraid they’re going to be too long and too heavy and will give me a headache.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. Matte red lips or glossy nude lips?
2. What’s your favorite snack food?
3. Roller blades or roller skates?
4. What makes you feel wonderful?
5. Who do you think is cute?
6. Eyelash extensions or hair extensions?

Happy Monday morning, friend! Hello, hello, hello. We’re still nursing a bit of a broken heart out here because of the basketball game last night, but ya know what? There’s always next year (still lovin’ ya, Warriors!)? #glasshalffull

There's always next year, Dubs — There’s always next year, Dubs

Have a sassy, spicy, booty-shakin’ day. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 403

June 19th, 2016 by Karen 10 Comments

Oh-em-gee! I can’t even front! This was a tough week for me because all I could think about at my kitty modeling shoots was the Golden State Warriors. I really hope they win the game tonight.

I’ll be there, of course, court side with my entourage to cheer the team on. Right now I’ve got my assistant in the kitchen preparing my snacks for the game. She’s making tuna fish sliders, turkey jerky and shrimp chips, YUM!

Before I start packing up my Warriors gear and loading the car, here are some of the kitty modeling campaigns I worked on this week.

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The Day in Beauty Vol. 19: Benefit Ready, Set, Brow! and Squid With Glowing Eyeshadow

June 18th, 2016 by Karen 16 Comments

Seriously, I don’t know why I keep trying, because every single time I try to make a kissy face in a photo, I feel like I look completely ridiculous.

How do girls do it?!

How do they take those kissy face pictures and look cute? It’s one of life’s mysteries I’ll never understand…

But I keep trying, like I am here with my latest crush from Benefit, Ready, Set, Brow! ($24)

It’s a freaking awesome clear brow gel, and I never thought I’d be raving again about a brow gel other than Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel, which had been my absolutely loyal ride-or-die for a while (I can’t even tell you how many tubes I’ve gone through), so much so that I always stocked up whenever Sephora had a VIB sale, but I don’t know if that’s going to be happening anymore with Ready, Set, Brow! in my life.

Basically, it’s really, really good, maybe even be better than Anastasia’s Clear Brow Gel.

Now, you might be thinking, “Karen, it’s a clear brow gel. How mind-blowing can it be?”

Well, pretty mind-blowing!

You know that look of brushed-up brows that’s really popular right now? I can never get that exact look with Anastasia’s Clear Brow Gel. Even though it seems like it has good hold and usually keeps my brows in place, I don’t think it’s strong enough to hold my brow hairs in place when I want them to go places they don’t naturally want to go.

Maybe my brow hairs are just too unruly… I don’t know.

But I can never quite get that Cara Delevigne pushed-up brow look with Anastasia’s Clear Brow Gel, but with Benefit’s bad boy, I totally can.

The brush has teeny, tiny teeth, which are great at grabbing and maniuplating the hairs, so I can really get in there and push them around (Anastasia’s, by comparison, has a brush that looks like a regular old mascara brush).

Plus, the gel itself has extra super duper strong hold and dries stiffer than Anastasia’s. I could probably jump out of an airplane or stand in front of a Beyoncé fan with this stuff in my brows and they wouldn’t move.

Ready, Set, Brow! comes out in a few days on June 24. Look for it when it does because it’s a winner.

urban decay space cowboy moondust — Glitter!

Oh, and that glittery action in that picture on my lids? That’s Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy. The Moondusts are part of Urban Decay’s permanent line, and they’re astronomically sparkly.

Right before I took these pics, I was wearing a really basic 15-minute neutral look, and you know how it is — you’re puttering around, but then you get the urge to do something jazzy with what you’re wearing, so I took Space Cowboy, which is basically like a pressed golden peachy beige glitter in a pan, and picked up some of it by swirling a finger in the pan. Then I pressed it on my lids.

Et voilà! Sparkle for days.

If using your fingers freaks you out, you could also load up a flat eyeshadow brush and spray it with something like Make Up For Ever Mist and Fix before applying it to your lids.

I mean, you could also spray the brush first, then dip it into the pan (which is what a lot of peeps do), but when I do that, it changes the texture of the eyeshadow when it dries.

Just a quick tip there! 🙂