I’ve got deadlines galore (the beauty book editing and writing another Hawaii story…yay!) but here’s a quick face of the day using MAC Smoke Signals.

The look:
The Smoking Eyes Quad: Next to Nothing, Satin Taupe, Smoking and Showstopper
Raven Kohl Power pencil
Emote blush
Brew Lipstick
Illicit Lipglass

The skinny:
If you are on the fence about the smoking quad lemme tell ya – the Smoking shadow (applied with a fluff brush on the upper lash line and brought barely to the crease; also on the lower lash line layered over Raven Kohl) on the lower right hand side makes it all worth it. This is a beautiful rich black with gold flecks, and when applied with a fluffy angled brush like the 275 it is *very* pretty AND beginner friendly. Next to Nothing is pretty, it reminds me of Shroom. I like it on my brow bone because it’s not too disco or silvery. I have lukewarm feelings about Satin Taupe – I find it really difficult control for some reason. I have to really watch how much I put on otherwise it overwhelms the other colors. I used Showstopper on the outer v. If you are a beginner then you may find this hard to apply. It’s dark and very matte and it can go very wrong very quickly, so you’ll have to watch how much you apply and apply it carefully.

I give this a Makeup and Beauty Blog rating of an A-. I think it’s a great beginner palette for smokey eyes, and seasoned MAC makeup junkies will GO FRICKIN BUCK WILD over Smoking.

Emote is another not to be missed part of the Smoke Signals collection. It looks kinda gross and brown and blah in the pan but it gives me the perfect warmed cheek without being too orange. It’s easy to apply, too, which I love! I think it will become one of my go to 5-minute makeup blushes. VERY beginner friendly!

Emote gets a Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating of A+! I love the color, the application and like that I can use it as both a blush and a contour color.

If you like multi-dimensional eye pencils you’ll love Raven Kohl Power Eye Pencil. I put this on the top and bottom lash line and layered it with Smoking! The color is gorgeous – kinda bronzey/black. It was very soft, didn’t tug, and made a nice, smooth line. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

As for Brew lipstick, Illicit Lipglass and the “natural” lip … what’s kinda funny to me is that to achieve this “natural” lip takes a lot of work. I just can’t slap the Brew on and throw some Illicit over it because it looks chalky and weird and kind of scary lunch lady wrong. In order to make this work I had to use a 316 and take the time to carefully put two layers of Brew on and then one layer of Illicit. I like the look of this nude lip but I wish it was easier to achieve. (What can I say? I’m lazy, ya’ll.) If you’ve got Viva Glam V then you don’t need this. However, if you have a natural lip fetish then you still might want to try this. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B-

Have a wonderful Thursday, friends. =)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I got this amazing SLR camera and I’m on a picture kick so here’s another Face of the Day with a little splash of green color on the eyes!

I was feeling the gold vibe after looking at the Photoshaped pics today so I decided to play with MAC Woodwinked and see what would happen. I did this easy, subtle look (this seems to be my dominant makeup theme, LOL) that pairs Woodwinked with a splash of green liner and powder on the top lid. You can’t really tell straight off that I’m wearing color, but when I blink my eyes I can see a flash of green! If you are color-shy like me then try this – it’s totally not scary!

Here are the eyes.

Looking down

I’m watching you!

I used (working from brow downward)
1. MAC Concrete shadow on brow, with 266 brush
2. MAC Bare Canvas Paint on entire lid, with 217 brush
3. MAC Ricepaper shadow over entire lid, with 252 brush
4. MAC Woodwinked shadow over outer half of lid and crease (concentrating the most color on the outer part of eye), with 217 brush
5. MAC Mulch shadow in outer v, with NYC cosmetics eye shadow applicator
6. MAC Sweet Sage Fluidline on upper lash line, with 209 brush
7. Maybelline Antique Jade shadow layered over MAC Sweet Sage upper liner, with NYC cosmetics eye shadow applicator
8. MAC Sweet Sage Fluidline on lower lash line, with 209 brush
9. MAC Woodwinked shadow layered over MAC Sweet Sage lower liner, with NYC cosmetics eye shadow applicator
10. MAC Select Moisturecover concealer, with LORAC 103 brush
11. Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder #2, with 217 brush
12. Max Factor 2000 Calorie Waterproof mascara in black

After the eyes were done, I did the usual round of Laura Mericer Oil-Free Foundation Primer, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Almond mixed with Laura Mercier Oil-Free Moisturizer in Sunset Beige and topped with Laura Mercier Translucent Powder.

The cheeks: one layer of Neutrogena Soft Suede Soft Clolr blush, then a layer of Nars Torrid blush, with MAC 129 brush

And last, but not least, lips were lined with Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Daring Nude, then MAC Viva Glam II lipstick, topped with a layer of MAC Gemshine Lipgelee.

And here’s the final look in two different light levels.

I think that I will keep playing with this look – there are so many potential ways to change the eyes by layering different shadows and pencils.

One more day ‘till San Francisco Fashion Week starts!

Here’s the last of the MAC backstage looks on the MAC website, Taylored.

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This is by far my favorite group of look Maybe I’ll use this as inspiration on my current quest to be no longer SOS (Scurred of Scarlet.)

Yay, it’s Tuesday. I raise my cup of coffee to you and to your fabulousness. Cheers!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Last week I did a post on how I found some scarlet colored goodies in my makeup case. They are both really beautiful, but slightly terrifying to me because I usually don’t wear brights. I’m trying to not be so fearful of color, so this week I’ll be doing makeup experiments with MAC Frankly Scarlet Blush and MAC Russian Red Lipglass so that I will no longer be SOS … aka, Scurred of Scarlet!

Bloggers Kia over at Yummy411 and Apple Diva at Pumps and Gloss suggested trying layering over the Frankly Scarlet Blush. I couldn’t get a hold of MAC Other Worldly (a warm yellow-gold blush from MAC’s Moonbathe LE Collection) at my local counter so I fished out the Woodwinked and decided to do some improv.

Here are a few pics of what I worked with:

Frankly Scarlet, in all of her glory

Woodwinked, a veluxe pearl shadow described on the MAC website as “warm antique gold”

And here are swatches of both:

I tried to keep the eyes and lips neutral to keep the focus on the blush.

First I prepped with MAC Bare Canvas Paint. You really can’t see it here because I shrank the picture down so much, but this is a really beautiful, natural-toned primer with soft flecks that helps “grab” your shadow. I like it as a primer for matte browns.

I then used the following to create a soft, matte brown eye. Going from the top eye brown and working downward:
1. MAC Concrete shadow, with MAC 266 brush to fill in brows
2. JANE Dream Cream Eyezing shadow on brow bone, with MAC 252
3. MAC Soba shadow, with MAC 244 in crease
4. MAC Soft Brown Matte shadow on lid, with MAC 217
5. MAC Saddle shadow in outer v, with NYC Cosmetics shadow applicator
6. MAC Fluidline in Graphic Brown on upper lash line, with MAC 316 lip brush
7. Rimmel Volume Flash Mascara in Brown
8. MAC Saddle shadow on lower lash line, with MAC 213
9. MAC Select Moisturcover concealer in NW 25
10. Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder in #2

After doing a quick eye cleanup and then applying foundation and powder, I used MAC 129 to apply Frankly Scarlet, a bright rose-red matte, to the cheeks. The blush is highly pigmented, so I had to dilute the color by swiping the brush on the back of my hand, then tapping it on the side of the sink. I barely had to use any to get a nice, bright flush.

I then used the same 129 brush and applied MAC Woodwinked shadow on top of the Frankly Scarlet. I was very pleased with the soft, glowy flush.

I don’t have anything on my lips in this pic and I probably could’ve stopped here, but on a whim I decided to line the lips with MAC Spice liner and MAC Clear Lipglass.

What do you think? Scarlet’s not so scary, yah?

I returned from Tahoe and I am sad to report that I did not win the jackpot, boo hoo. However, I am happy to report that me and The Hub had so much fun. The good folks at Harrah’s hotel upgraded our room to a suite, which included this massive spa tub.

This tub was the shizz, ya’ll.


It was deep and had six jets that heated the water. I must’ve taken three or four baths, and it was the cleanest I’ve ever been in a 48-hour time span.

Tahoe itself was so beautiful. The lake water was so clear – it actually looked like a tropical ocean! Too bad it was too damn cold to go swimming in.

View of the lake from Camp Richardson. Yes, I’m in pajamas.

The view of the mountains from our room

My favorite part of the lake is Emerald Bay, where you can see the only island in the lake.

I hope your weekend was fun and that your Monday hasn’t been too hectic. Have a great week!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

My current fascination with MAC’s Mulch shadow continues, and today I rocked the Mulch once more with a super-easy look that’s great for makeup newbies.

When girls/boys do these makeup tutorials it seems customary to have a mortifying shot of your face without any makeup on it. I don’t even go across the street without any concealer on, ya’ll!

First I prepped my skin by washing it with a gentle cleanser, Clean & Clear. I have acne-prone skin so I put on a thin layer of DDF’s Benzoyl Peroxide with Tea Tree Oil, followed by Olay Complete. After all of this stuff sinks in I put on a thin layer of Laura Mercier Oil-Free foundation all over my face, including my lids.

I’m kind of clumsy, so I like to do eyes first. That way if I totally screw up I don’t have to bother with re-doing foundation, powder, blush, etc. I also do this because inevitably there will always be niblets of shadow all over the place, and I like to swipe the under eye area clean before applying concealer.

Here’s what I used, from the left to the right going counterclockwise:
- MAC Paint in Magrittes
- MAC Concrete shadow (I use this in my brows)
- MAC Ricepaper shadow
- MAC Mulch shadow
- MAC 266 (stiff angled brush)
- Studio Basics lash and brow comb
- MAC 217SE (blending brush)
- MAC 217 (blending brush)
- MAC 209SE (eyeliner brush)
- MAC 212SE (push brush)
- MAC 252 (laydown brush)
- MAC 275SE (angled fluff brush)
- LORAC 103 (concealer brush)
- Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder in #2
- L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black
- MAC Select Moisturecover in NW 25
- MAC lash curler
- MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

I used MAC Paint in Magrittes as a lid primer. Magrittes is a really pretty gold, with shimmer. Don’t fear this shimmer – it’s not too disco, I promise.

MAC Paints are creamy and give shadow something to grab onto. I like ‘em because I find it easy to blend shadows with Paints as a base. One caveat: if your lids are oily you may have some product migration if you use Magrittes by itself. One trick to try is to use Urban Decay’s Potion Primer first and then layer Magrittes on afterwards.

Next I used a 252 brush to apply Ricepaper shadow all over the lid.

Now it’s time to rock the Mulch. I first used the 217 to put a light wash of Mulch all over the lid (from the lash and then upward to just the start of the crease), and then concentrated the color on the outer ends using the 252. Then I blended with the 217 to remove any harsh lines.

Using MAC’s Lash Curler, I the curled my lashes: I placed the curler closed to the base of the lashes and then pulsed the lash curler (not pinched!) as I moved it upwards to the end of the lashes to create a smooth curl.

If you find the lash curler intimidating or scary you are not alone! So if you have long, thick, pretty lashes then you can probably get away with skipping this step and maybe even skipping mascara. It’s really up to you and how comfortable you are.

Next I added two layers of L’Oreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black. Love. This. Stuff. Side note: see those purple-ish undereye circles? Last night I was sucked into a vaccum of bad late night television, and I stayed up way past my bedtime to watch both “Lindsey Lohan: Hollywood Trainwreck” and “Mission: Man Band,” on VH1, LOLOLOL. Oh, and if you happen to know who “Color Me Badd” is then don’t miss “Man Band.”

I initially was going to skip liner totally but on a whim decided to use MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack to line the outer-upper-lash line. I used a 212 push brush, but the 209 liner brush is a good option, too. I only lined the outer two-thirds because I didn’t want it to look too obvious. This trick is awesome – it totally makes your upper lashes look thicker.

After I finished with shadow and before I applied concealer did a quick cleaned up of my underye area with Boot’s No. 7 Quick Thinking cleansing wipes.

Remember those purple-lish undereye circles? Well, some MAC Select Moisturecover applied with a Lorac concealer brush helps to remedy the situation by leaps and bounds. I set it by applying Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder in #2 with the 217SE. THANK YE GODS FOR CONCEALER!

Now the eyes are done, yay!

Now onto foundation and powder.

I mixed together Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Almond with Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation in Suntan Beige and applied the mix with a MAC 190 foundation brush. I don’t like to feel like I’m spackling on the foundation, so I apply just a light layer on to even out the red spots around my nose and to even out the my skin tone. I then set it all over with Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder using a Sonia Kashuk powder brush.

Whew … almost there!

Lastly I do cheeks and lips. Here’s what I used from left to right:
- MAC 129 blush brush
- MAC Blushbaby blush
- Rimmel Pink Rose blush
- Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lipliner in Tiramisu
- MAC 316 Lip Brush
- Bobbi Brown Beige Lipstick, from the Best Of lip palette
- Paul & Joe Lipgloss in #10

For lips I lined with Rimmel’s 1000 Kisses Lipliner in Tiramisu and then used my finger to blend the color in.

I then added a layer of Bobbi Brown Beige lipstick and topped it off with Paul & Joe Lipgloss, using a MAC 316 lip brush.

I used a MAC 129 to apply Blushbaby on the cheeks and to blend the color upwards toward my ears. I then put a pop of pink shimmer with Rimmel’s Pink Rose blush on the apples only.

Voila! Here’s the final look, without and with the flash.

Crap, now I have to clean up …

I usually don’t like to write with music on but because this post was so pic-heavy I spent most of my time working with the pics and listening to this song by Robin Thicke and Pharrell. It’s called “Wanna Love You Girl” and it totally makes me want to dance. Give it a listen – it’ll be like we’re hanging out together and talking shop about makeup, LOL.

You better be working it today because it’s FRIDAY!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’ve been loving on MAC Mulch Shadow lately, it’s really very versitile. My favorite thing to do with it is to layer it over smudgy black eye pencil on the upper and lower lashes. It softens the edge of black liner and makes it really natural and soft for day looks.

Here’s what I’m wearing to work today. I’ll try to do a more detailed tutorial in a few days!

And some eye closeups:

And here’s whatcha need:

From left to right going counter clockwise:

MAC 217
MAC 219
MAC 217SE
MAC 252SE
MAC 275SE
MAC 212SE
LORAC 103
MAC 224
Studio Basics Lash & Brow Groomer
MAC Malt Shadow from the Velvet 6 Smoked Eyes Set (Holiday 2006)
MAC Mulch Shadow
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
MAC Bare Canvas Paint
MAC Soft Brown Matte Shadow
MAC Select Moisturecover NC 25
Loreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black
Lorac black eye pencil, 02
MAC Lash Curler
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder in #2 (Ladies and Gents, this is a holy grail! I will do an extensive review in the near future!)

It’s Wednesday ya’ll, which means we are halfway to Friday, which means we are halfway to FREEDOM!

If you keep your chin up today, I will too. =)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen