Too Faced Cosmetics’ Who’s Your Poppy Blush

I’m this close to putting my beloved/beat up pan of NARS Orgasm out to pasture for the summer and replacing it with Too Faced Cosmetics Who’s Your Poppy Full Bloom Ultra Flush Blush ($19).

More than just a’ight, this peachy pink’s a powder blush hidden gem! — and if you haven’t tried it yet, I hope you will, ’cause I believe it’s the bomb.

It’s as if some intrepid makeup lover at Too Faced HQ took a pan of NARS Orgasm, added a little more pink to it and gave it a softer golden shimmer.

BOOM! Take that. Who’s Your Poppy now, blush!?

Sometimes with NARS Orgasm, I think its pearly golden shimmer takes over my looks. It’s like, dayum, Gina! You got hit by the glitter truck.

Who’s Your Poppy isn’t like that. Instead of kicking down the door with steel-toed boots screaming, “HEY, Y’ALL, LOOK AT MY PORES!” its golden pearl tip-toes through the tulips on ballet slippers. It’s still shimmery…but think brunch shimmer, as opposed to bachelorette party.

(more…)

New on Gloss Daily: More Summer Polishes on Which to Splurge and Steal

Looking for a fun new nail polish to wear this summer? Check out these luscious limes, outrageous oranges and yummy yellows from Essie, Sally Hansen, MAC and more in my newest post on the Ladies’ Home Journal beauty blog, Gloss Daily.

Oh, and if you have a moment, please leave a comment, like the post on Facebook, tweet it on Twitter or pin it on Pinterest. Buttons to do all three are at the top of the post.

If you do it, Tabs will purr extra loudly and flash his tum.

Scandalous!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Wearing products from the new MAC Smokeluxe Veluxe Pearlfusion Palette ($40)

Is it drawing the perfect cat liner flick, blending beautiful gradients, or figuring out ways to make your eye makeup last through work?

My biggest eye makeup challenge is getting things properly lined up and even, particularly when it comes to shadow. I’m right-handed, and when I apply products on my left side, I push a little harder with the brush, and reach a little further, which can make the end result uneven.

I have to remind myself all the time to use a lighter touch on my left eye. “Use a lighter touch on your left eye, Karen.”

Lately my brows have also been a challenge. I’m trying to grow them out, and my left brow is just being a pain in the you-know-what. My brow bald spot (whom I call “Raul”) simply refuses to go away.

Dangit! Grow brows, grow!

Last thing is probably just remembering to try new looks and be adventurous! It’s easy to fall back on my safe colors and routines because I know they’re easy and work for me, but where’s the fun in that? It’s makeup, right? If it ends up looking wackadoo, just wash it off.

Do you have any eye liner/shadow/mascara/etc. issues? What are your biggest challenges when it comes to eye makeup?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Cha-cha-cha-chia!

I’ve been obsessed with this yummy, easy snack. I used a chia pudding recipe I found on skinnytaste.com and tweaked it with some ingredients from my kitchen.

All you need is…

Two tablespoons of chia seeds (I get mine from Trader Joe’s; they’re in the cereal section)

One cup of vanilla almond milk

One cup of berries, your choice (I used raspberries and blueberries today)

Time to make the pudding.

Pour the almond milk into the berries…

Add the chia seeds…

Stir it all together…

Cover and keep in the fridge for at least 5-6 hours. You can also make this before going to bed, and let it sit and thicken overnight to have for breakfast in the morning.

Just before serving, sprinkle in a few berries on top for color

Cha-cha-cha chia seeds!

Wearing Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm in Crystal Rose ($26) on my lips

I am no fortune teller.

No way, no how. I’ve never picked the winning lottery numbers, haven’t foreseen any major historical events, and I did not divine my evolution into a cat lady…although really, in hindsight, that one I should have seen comin’.

I can’t tell you if that guy/gal you’re dating is THE one (I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you!), but I can tell you this: if you plan to spend any time with these Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms this summer, you’ll be spending much of it swiping these balms back and forth across your lips. Back, back, forth and forth, as the song goes.

The Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms from the left in Crystal Rose, Crystal Gold Plum and Crystal Mandarin (not pictured: Crystal Berry)

Yeah, these four new limited edition tinted lip balms require some serious swiping. A LOT of swiping. I think it has to do with the tinted inner core.

Released with the Clarins Splendours Colour Collection for summer, Crystal Rose, Crystal Mandarin, Crystal Gold Plum and Crystal Berry ($26 each) each have a yummy-looking tinted inner core surrounded by a transparent balm.

Don’t they look cool and almost good enough to eat?

Mmm… Like lipstick gummies.

I’ve been wearing and liking three of the four shades this week. Like a fancier, more pigmented species of Burt’s Bees lip balm, they have a lightweight but heavy-duty moisturizing formula that also packs a peck of shine. Non-sticky, they last around 2-3 hours for me.

Thing is, they also take a bit of work to wield. Lots of that swiping I mentioned, as in swiping the lipstick across my lips at least 5-6 times to evenly apply the colors.

From the left, that’s Crystal Rose, Crystal Mandarin and Crystal Gold Plum

I think there’s something up with that tinted inner core, like it’s a different texture than the softer outer balm. With the first pass across my lower lip, the swipe ends up patchy and uneven…

Gold Plum