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

Milk Makeup Lip Color Loves the Lived-In Look

June 21st, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

milk makeup gnarly lip color — Feeling Gnarly, dude, ’cause I’m wearing Milk Makeup Lip Color in Gnarly ($22, one of 10 shades)

Special shout-out to MBB reader Tatiana for reminding me in the comments yesterday that sometimes all you need is mascara, a bright lipstick and a smile.

So right, Tatiana. 🙂

Bright lips are a good idea any time of year, but I think they’re a great idea in summer, especially if you’re into the makeup minimalist thing. You can throw on a bold, bright lip and skip the extra steps, because the lips can carry the whole look and make anything else you happen to include — mascara, brows, BB cream, highlighter, what have you — gravy.

milk makeup lip color swatches — From the top: C.R.E.A.M, Name Drop, Freshhh and Gnarly

These long-wearing matte Milk Makeup Lip Colors (I know I’ve been on the Milk Makeup train lately, but I hope you can bear with me. I love ’em!) are all in the permanent line and $22 each. And they totally work for this type of look because, dude…they’re intense! I can picture someone on the Milk Product Development Team saying, “Man, let’s load these up with as much pigment as humanly possible. I don’t want to layer!”

And that’s just what they did. One layer is all ya need.

I’ve tried four of them — hot pink Freshhh, orange-red Name Drop, fuchsia Gnarly and peachy nude C.R.E.A.M. The unscented, unflavored formula lasts about four hours, depending on what you’re doing with your lips (like whether you’re eating, drinking, smooching or just chillin’).

The matte lipstick category is SO crowded right now, but these look instantly “worn in,” and I think it makes them stand out. They almost look like matte stains, and it’s super cool and kind of unusual for a lipstick.

milk makeup cream lip color — C.R.E.A.M.

Try Diorshow Pump’n’Volume Mascara for Lifted, Ladylike Lashes

June 21st, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

diorshow pump n volume brush — Don’t poke your eye out, Karen

I mean…is this new Dior Diorshow Pump’N’Volume Mascara gimmicky?

Yeah, a little.

The tube is soft and squishy, like a really good pair of flip-flops! There’s an indentation toward the bottom of the tube to place your thumb and forefinger into. Then you give it a good squeeze.

BAM! — the brush loads with MOAR MASCARA for MOAR VOLUME.

I try not to squeeze too hard, though, because when I do, the brush gets overloaded and I apply way too much (and end up with smudgy mascara a few hours later).

My point here is to say that a little bit of this $29.50 mascara goes a long way. Resist the temptation to use that T-rex claw and go ham on that a$$!

I like the brush a lot. It has stubby, pointy nubs similar to those on the brush that comes with Chanel Le Volume de Chanel.

diorshow pump n volume tube — Squeeeeeeze it

The 3 Best Makeup Setting Sprays to Stop Your Face From Melting Off in the Heat

June 21st, 2017 by Karen 27 Comments

The best setting sprays for hella hot weather!

It’s hot today in the North Bay (or, as we say in the Bay Area, it’s “HELLA hot here right now”). It’s a heat wave.

Weirdly, it’s been way hotter here in Novato than it was in Hawaii last week.

Super hot and super sweaty. Currently, my house is like an armpit, so baby and I are going to escape to air-conditioned pastures in a bit, but before we go, let’s talk makeup setting sprays…

When it’s hot like this, they’re a must for me, and here are a few I love.

1. Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix O2 ($30)

The best all-rounder. You can probably guess that this one’s my fave because — look, there’s only a teeny bit left in the bottle! 🙂 It doesn’t matter what type of finish I’m wearing (matte, dewy, glittery, shimmery, whatever!), it holds on to everything and keeps it in place.

I can sweat like crazy — even rub at my eyes or touch my face — and it keeps whatever I’m wearing from melting off or disappearing.

make up for ever mist fix — Note to self: restock this soon,
as in almost immediately

Also, I think Mist & Fix is the best spray for applying shimmer eyeshadows, glitter shadows and/or loose pigments with a wet brush because it’s almost like a lightweight liquid glue. It doesn’t leave your lids or your face feeling tacky or anything like that, and yet somehow binds those shimmery or glittery particles to the skin.

2. Urban Decay Chill ($31)

The best for dewy skin looks, and you know I’m all about that dewy skin. 🙂 I think Chill is the best spray for that type of look.

It’s weird, but there’s a very fine line between dewy skin and skin that looks oily, right? A little shine is good — great, even! — but too much shine starts to look greasy. Chill walks that line without crossing it, and it feels fab, too. There’s a slight cooling sensation, so when you spray it on a hot day, ah… It’s so refreshing.

Did I mention that it creates the finest mist ever? The droplets are finer than those of the other the sprays I use, and it’s a wide mist. A single spritz covers a lot of area.

3. Shiseido Ibuki Quick Fix Mist ($25)

The best for keeping shine in check. I use this spray when I do matte looks or when my combo skin is oilier than usual. It has what Shiseido calls an “Anti-Shine Complex” to keep greasy spots in check, and dang if doesn’t werk! When I use this, I feel like my skin looks like it did in the ’90s (from what I remember, haha) — uber-matte, with no shine whatsoever.

The mist kinda bugs me, though… Sometimes big droplets hit my face in random spots, but other than that, it’s good stuff.

Stay cool in the heat, babe!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Relentlessly Red Retro Matte Lipstick Is a Shout-Out to the Jungle

June 20th, 2017 by Karen 22 Comments

SRLSY, shout-out to the jungle for having The. Best. Plants. Ever.

I spotted this pretty plant at a place called Haiku Gardens on Oahu last week, and it’s been haunting my dreams ever since!

I think it might be a flower…? Wow, how striking is that red? It’s so intense, and the finish! I don’t even know where to start… Matte, and I love the way it contrasts with the green leaves behind it. I mean, Mother Nature? *Mwah!* Best painter ever.

Anyway, I was wanting to wear the exact same color on my lips, and someone on Instagram mentioned that the red in this pic looked like MAC Relentlessly Red ($17 and available in the permanent line), so when I was getting ready today (by the way, this is probably the most makeup I’ve worn in two weeks), I dug through my MAC drawer…

And I found it! Yay! It’s a perfect match.

mac relentlessly red lipstick 2 — I’m wearing a mish-mash of things today, not gonna lie (I just kept piling stuff on and hoped for the best!). I’m wearing Chanel Mirage Illusion D’Ombre Cream Shadow, MAC Hushed Tone Blush and Urban Decay Diamond Dog Eyeshadow on my lids; MAC Relentlessly Red Lipstick on my cheeks; Milk Makeup Lit Highlighter on my upper cheekbones; and MAC Matchmaster Concealer

One of the Retro Matte Lipsticks in the MAC permanent line, Relentlessly Red is a bright coral-red with a fuchsia spirit that sets it apart from many other MAC reds, like Lady Danger, which is more orange, and MAC Ruby Woo, which is cooler- and bluer-toned.

The MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks vary in terms of how dry the formula feels. Some are smoother, slightly more “moisturizing” (air quotes, because none of them are exactly moisturizing) and consequently easier to wear than others.

Relentlessly Red is one of the drier ones (but that’s not to say that it’s super dry) and benefits from a little babying and prep work if you have any flake action on your lips. In that case, exfoliate first; then prep your pout with a layer of lip balm, and I used Urban Decay Lip Love today. Then blot and apply Relentlessly Red.

Because I’ve been *mucho lazy* lately, I had been applying lipstick straight from the bullet, but I recently started using a lip brush to apply lipstick, usually a layer or two, and then I pat everything down with my finger.

It’s more work than going straight from the tube, but I like the look. It looks like my lipstick is merging with my lips, as opposed to sitting on top of them.

It’s all part of that ongoing phase I’m in where I want my makeup to look like I’m not trying too hard (even when I am), and that’s the effect I get with a lip brush.

mac relentlessly red lipstick 1 — Take me back to the jungle

Streamlined Skin Care on Vacay

June 20th, 2017 by Karen 7 Comments

I know this was supposed to be my “Summer of Skin Care,” but all last week it was more like “The Summer Vacation of Minimal Skin Care,” haha!

SO different than our last trip to visit family in Hawaii. I took all of my favorite skin care products at the time and put them into these tiny sample jars I got from Nordstrom. Then I meticulously labeled each jar and kept up with my regular multi-step skin care regimen the entire trip.

Skin care-wise, this time I only brought makeup removal wipes (which I ended up not really using because I wore so little makeup), face wash, sunscreen and moisturizer, and I took my chances that if I were to get a bad pimple or something, I would either deal with it when I got home, or I’d pick up something from a drugstore. I also temporarily stopped following my anti-aging routine.

It was weirdly liberating to not have all of those little jars with me because I always bring them on trips, but after a week without my skin care bells and whistles, the sky wasn’t falling! Clearly, this concept of traveling light has been BLOWING MY FREAKING MIND, as you can tell.

Here are the skin products I did bring and how they worked for me…

Tula Purifying Facial Cleanser

Skin care brand Tula puts probiotics (like the good bacteria in your tummy!) in all of their products, and I really liked using and having their Purifying Facial Cleanser with me…although I have no idea if the probiotics have anything to do with how well it works. It smells a little like cucumbers and kept my skin clean and clear without stripping it.

Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense SPF 30

I’ve talked about this tinted sunscreen before and its gorgeous glowing finish. It’s good for everyday OR vacay.