When in doubt, wing it out.
LOL! For real, though. For me, black winged liner always does the trick. I can dress it up with a bold lipstick or dress it down with some nude gloss. Either way, it always seems to work out.
As for hair, I usually like to wear mine down with loose waves, and I like my waves a little messy. Not too “done.”
Lately, for beachy waves, I’ve been using (and absolutely loving) Kerastase Spray a Porter.
Damn, I absolutely LOVE that stuff! It’s great for beachy waves that aren’t crunchy.
What’s your one hair and makeup look that works for every occasion?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. For once I didn’t fall asleep on my couch by 9:30 on a Thursday night, LOL! Nope, I headed to SF to watch the Academy of Art graduation fashion show, where the graduating fashion design students show their final work on the runway. MAC did the makeup, and I got the full scoop on the look backstage.
It was fun! I’ll post some pics and details on the makeup soon.
P.P.S. Oh, yeah. One more thing… 🙂
Natalie says
Winged liner for sure! It’s perfect for just about everything. For hair I like to rock my natural waves or throw it up in a good bun. Buns are great.
Chris says
Please tell me what you used for contouring your cheeks. So chiseled!
Karen says
Hi Chris,
It’s MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt from the Maleficent collection, although you can also find it in the permanent collection from MAC Pro. If you don’t live near a Pro Store it’s online at maccosmetics.com. HTH, and let me know if you have any other questions.
Rachel says
Your hair and makeup looks gorgeous in these photos! That event in San Francisco sounds like fun, I miss CA sometimes!
Divya says
Bronzer with bright pink lipstick worn as a stain with brown eye-liner! wait! did I just describe my everyday makeup.. oh yes I did! 😛
Georgie says
Just mascara on the eyes, either bright red/pink lips or a pop of pink or ornate blush. 90% of the time my hair is tucked behind my ears or shoulders… How boring!
Alison M says
I’m faster at a smoky eye so it works in more situations. A one-shadow look is so simple and like winged liner it can be worn with any lip. My hair can be half up with loose curls at the bottom to work with a t-shirt and jeans or a little black dress.
Karen says
What’s your go-to quick smokey eye, Alison?
Alison M says
For awhile it was the brown side of the Brousse Duo. Or I’d whip out the Too Faced Smoky Palette. But lately I’m digging NARS Coconut Grove because it builds nicely so I don’t need any other shadows to blend it out.
Grace says
OH MY GOSH WHERE IS THAT DRESS FROM??? I need it my life ASAP also, beautiful makeup as always 🙂 love the red lips!! give tabs a hug for me<3
Karen says
Hi Grace,
It’s from Anthropologie. I got it last Christmas. Here’s more pics and info:
What’s New in Cat Lady Couture From Anthropologie and Betsey Johnson?
Outfit of the Day: The Halogen Katrina Booties in Action With a Cat Lady Approved Black and Gold Anthropologie Panthere Dress
Icequeen81 says
Love the dress, I love cats clothes too have a magenta spaghetti top with black cats on it and a black shirt with a black cat. My thing is black cats 🙂
can you do winged with kajal I wish I could do winged eye line done how draw the line with my eye shape.
Karen says
You’d love the cat that lives down the street then! He’s a black kitty with yellow eyes. I’ve been trying to make friends with him but he’s very shy.
As for liner…I think winged liner takes some time to figure out. You really have to play with the angle that the wings are at, and how far you want to take them out. Spend a Saturday afternoon playing sometime, and take pics with your phone of the different wings. Soon you’ll hit upon something that looks and feels right to you. It really is just trial and error. I tend to wear my wings so that they’re more horizontal, rather than flicked upward, if that makes sense. It took me a while to figure that out!
Hope you had a good week. Did the kids behave themselves?
Icequeen81 says
Hi, yeah I would love him I have a fascination for black cats 🙂 yellow eyes sounds amazing Mysterious 🙂 It makes sense what you said indeed is trial and error I need to spend more time trying not today and over a month again wont help me.
I just came to give extra lesson to a child of 7 years today he was so eager to learn that make me happy, he behaved very good today 🙂
Kylie says
Hair straightened with a side part. Makeup– black liner, pink cheeks, and big lashes. Done. Anywhere. Beach, dinner, wedding. 😉
Karen says
Sounds beautiful, Kylie. What do you usually like to wear on your lips when you do this look?
Rachel P. says
Karen. My jaw totally dropped when I saw that first picture. Um, MEOW, sexiest cat lady ever award!! The eye/lip combo is en pointe and your brows can do no wrong.
Karen says
Thanks, Rachel. I was having a good brow day, LOL. 🙂 Hope you’re having a nice Friday so far. What’s the plan for the weekend?
Kiss & Make-up says
Karen, come on girl, admit it, you have a personal hair stylist hidden in your house somewhere! Or at least one that’s on call 24/7! How fab does your hair look?!
Karen says
Aww, I wish! Wouldn’t it be awesome to have an in-house beauty team? I once saw on TV that Mariah Carey has both hair and makeup people on-site, like, always.
Tasha says
Karen.. how do you get such a volumized hair??? Please share some tips!!!! Gorgeous!!
Karen says
Hi Tasha,
There’s lots of different tricks. Sometimes I use a root lifting gel, like Kerastase Lift Vertige while I’m blowing my hair out. I usually dry my my hair until it’s about 80% dry, then I go in with the round brush, lifting at the roots.
Oh! I also use dry shampoo at the roots to get even more lift.
For the volume from the mid-shaft to the ends, I really like beach wave like Spray a Porter. I find that it helps to sort of “fluff” the hair without making it too crunchy.
Let me know if you have any more questions. 🙂
You can
Katherine M says
You look amazing! I would say that my go-to look for everything would be neutral eyes or smokey eyes (depending on the situation), for makeup. I love Sonia Kashuk’s Eye On Neutral palette and Moroccan Dunes Palette for events that require a more neutral look (as well as UD Naked 3 – the rose golds oomplement just about everything!), such as interviews or work. When I’m out on the weekend but don’t want to spend a ton of time on makeup, I will do a quick smokey eye with NARs Galapagos or MAC Club (or both), or a watercolor look with purples, blues and greens.
For hair, my two go-to’s are French braids and half up. I can dress either up or down very easily. If I want half up to look more polished, I can make it into more of a pouf, and straighten the ends. For a French braid, I can do it messy; with not as many sections braided in; or very classy and neat. Once you get good at doing French braids on yourself you can do so much with them. A French tuck is a great way to get all of your hair up and not touching your neck but still look polished.
Chelsea says
You’re going to make me need to buy this Kerastase stuff! Love the volume and waves.
I’m with you on winged liner – suits any occasion! I usually do brown or grey as opposed to black though! It works with bold lips, natural lips…
Ideally I’d have Victoria’s Secret hair, but my hair usually just does its own thing, so it’s long layers, relatively straight. I need to start getting the motivation to style my hair more! And maybe buy a curling wand or iron, I don’t actually own one, but I have hot rollers I like.
Sylirael says
A braided bun (goes from ballet to the lab out to dinner!), with mascara, a sheer coral lipstick, and a little Urban Decay Sin eyeshadow/Demolition waterlining. Low maintenance, fresh and pretty, with a little bit of shimmer/sparkle.
Done! 😀
meghan says
omg i LOVE your dress! my best friend and i always buy clothing/accessories with our respective pets- she has a pug (who is internet famous!! google ‘i ruv you pug’- he should come up!) and i have cats… all of her clothing/bowls/decor is pug related, mine’s all cat related.
it might look weird to non-animal people, but i think we encourage each other!
Poo@beautyandmakeupmatters says
Winged eye liner and bold lips.. any time for me too!!
Btw loved your slightly messy waves..and that lepoard/cat printed dress! <3
Martha Nelson says
Your hair looks extremely healthy, probably you take a good care of it.
zFashionizta says
I blow dry my hair straight put it up in a tight twisty bun so when I let it loose a few hours later my hair has a lot of volume.
Nude skin tone eye shadows with black or dark brown eyeliner, pinky brown or peachy blush and red lips.