G’morning, cuties!

The sunlight filling my apartment today got me thinking about face highlighters and this note in my email from Imelda:

Dear Karen,

I just wanted to ask you what your favorite face highlighter/luminizer is. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Imelda

Hi Imelda,

I tend to switch products/brands every so often, but right now I’m really loving Illamasqua Bronzing Duo in Glint & Burnish ($30), MAC Cheeky Bronze Mineralize Skinfinish ($27), Benefit High Beam ($24) and the NARS Multiple Duo in Orgasm/South Beach ($45).

Ladies, is there a highlighter you can’t live without? Please list your favorite along with a quick description of your skin tone (I’m a MAC NC35: medium brown with slightly warm but mostly neutral undertones). Let’s make this post a great recommendation resource for peeps of all skin colors!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Photo by MR+G

Reach for those thinking caps, ladies, because Alice needs our help!

Hi Karen,

At home I apply MAC Blot [MAC Blot Pressed Powder] with the 188 Small Duo Fibre Brush, but I was wondering if there’s a way to bring the brush along without having to buy a brush roll. Is it okay to use the powder puff that comes with the compact? I’ve heard that’s very unsanitary.

Thank you!

Hi Alice,

To borrow a line from Mariah (love ya, Mimi!), I can’t live, if living is without my MAC Blot Pressed Powder.

My compact is like a Hollywood starlet’s dog — It goes everywhere with me.

When I head out of the house, though, I’ll use it with a retractable drugstore brush like the EcoTools Recycled Retractable Kabuki Brush ($10).

It’s light, portable and delivers a natural veil of powder on the skin (perfect for touch-ups).

And it’s way cheaper than a $45 MAC Brush Roll, which means not having to stress as much about potentially losing it.

And I think powder puffs are fine if you’re conscientious about regularly cleaning them. I’ll thoroughly hand wash mine every few days with shampoo to remove any built up oil or powder, and then I’ll let it air dry on a clean surface.

Keep in mind that applying powder with a puff can result in heavier coverage, so be mindful of that when you’re doing touch-ups between classes.

Ladies, what do you use to apply powder when you’re out and about?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I can’t believe it, but I spaced out and forgot about last night’s premier of America’s Best Dance Crew Season 4!

Continue Reading…

G’morning, ladies!

A few of you asked to see details of the Bobbi Brown Ivy League look I tried on Monday.

Nicole and Nancy wanted a breakdown of the eyes. They took about eight steps. If you were comfortable trying any of my 4-step eye makeup looks, I think you could easily do this look as well.

My Bobbi Brown Ivy League eyes

Oh, if you’d like to tone down the look, swap the black pencil liner for a brown one or omit the lining along the lower lash line entirely.

1. I start by applying Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Forest Shimmer Ink (a dark green with golden flecks) on my lid and just up into the crease with a Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Concealer Brush, smoothing away any harsh lines with a fingertip.
2. Then, using a MAC 217 Blending Brush, I pat Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow in Bash (a shimmery forest green) over the lid and just barely into the crease.
3. Next, with a MAC 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush, I sweep MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow Quad in Assemblage (a shimmery gold) into the crease.
4. Applying a light color under the brow bone can add definition to eye makeup, so I pat on some MAC Eyeshadow in Arena (a shimmery golden peach) with a MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush.
5. For a slightly smokey eye, I line my upper lash line with Bobbi Brown Creamy Eye Pencil in Jet (a matte black) and diffuse/fade the edges by running the pencil’s attached sponge along them. Then, still with the same pencil, I line my upper and lower waterlines.
6. To emphasize my lower lash line while still keeping it soft, I draw a line along it (ideally, getting between the roots of each lash) with Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Forest Shimmer Ink.
7. Then, I soften the lined lower lash by gently swiping Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow in Bash along the outer half (toward the ear) with a MAC 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush.
8. Finally, still with the MAC 226, I swipe MAC Arena along the inner half of the line (toward the nose).

All done.

Possible alternatives for Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow in Bash

Swatches from left to right: Bash, MAC Humid, the light and dark green shades from the Chanel Murano quad

Thanks for suggesting so many alternatives to Bash in an earlier post. I think MAC Humid comes pretty close, and the two darker green shades in the new Chanel Murano quad should also work.

Continue Reading…

Do you think foundations exist that are able to cover everything you need them to cover while still looking natural?

I once thought natural-looking full-coverage foundations were like dragons — aka unreal, mythical creatures from fairy tales — but after much blood, sweat and tears I have found a few that I like.

Reader Korina is a busy student looking for a new foundation:

I’m applying to medical school very soon, working and trying to finish my classes to graduate in a year, so I’m insanely busy!

However, I love doing my makeup every morning and looking presentable for school. It’s my stress reliever.

I currently use MAC Studio Fix Fluid, but it’s getting a little too heavy for me to use every day. I want a foundation that gives me more of that natural beauty, but would still covers my blemishes and acne scars.

Korina

Hi Korina,

I give you props for handling your business *and* taking the time to look great. Sometimes when I’m swamped my beauty shizz falls by the wayside (don’t get me started on the week I forgot to shower, oops).

Here are some foundations I like for natural, everyday looks. My current faves:

• DuWop Foundation of Youth ($38) — This foundation has a dewy finish and feels light my skin. The attached brush is kind of a pain, but if you can get over that I think you’ll like the coverage texture a lot.
• Chanel Teint Innocence Naturally Luminous Compact Makeup SPF 10 ($56) — I love this cream-to-powder foundation. It covers everything without caking or looking heavy on my skin, and the portable compact and addition of SPF are big pluses.
• Becca Stick Foundation SPF 30+ ($44) — Of the three here, I think Becca Stick’s the easiest to use and delivers the fullest coverage. When I use it, I apply it with my fingers (which warms the product, making it creamier and easier to apply) and only to the areas where I need the help. It can be a difficult product to find, but I’ve seen it at Neiman Marcus and Becca Cosmetics online.

Ladies, do you have any natural-looking full-coverage foundations in your makeup stash? It sounds like Korina could use a helping hand.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Back in my early twenties my eyelids were super oily; I could’ve fried bacon and eggs with all that grease, yo!

Finding an eyeliner that would stay put was a challenge… Most would wind up smeared under my lower lash line or disappeared completely.

Reader Julie feels my pain!

At the end of the day my eyeliner moves below my lower lash line… I think I might have oily eyelids. Do you have any tips? And can you recommend a few eyeliners for oily lids? Thanks!

Julie

Heya Julie,

Oily lids are such a chore, aren’t they? Not to worry — your days o’ disappearing liner are numbered! Here are (at least) three things that should help that liner stay in place.

Ladies, if you have any other oily eyelid tips or suggestions for Julie, please share them in the comments.

1. Use a makeup primer

My eyelids aren’t as greasy as they once were, but I think they’re still oilier than average. Applying a makeup primer before I line my eyes helps A TON! I really like Urban Decay’s Sin Primer Potion ($17). A thin layer makes eyeliner stick to my lids like glue.

2. Change your routine

Some eyeliners straight-up last longer than others do, so you might want to try a new one. A few I like and use are MAC Fluidline ($15), MAC Liquidlast Liner ($17), Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil ($16) and Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes ($17) (these liners last on the waterline, too).

3. Set your liner with powder

One last thing to try: set your liner with a coordinating powder eyeshadow. I’ll use the MAC 266 Small Angle Brush ($20) or the MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush ($25) to pat the eyeshadow directly on top of my liner. That seems to help lock it in place.

My oily-skinned homegirls, how do you get your eyeliner to play well with your lids? What products do you love (or loathe!), and what are your favorite tips and tricks?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen