Makeup & Beauty Blog

So…something scary happened last night. There was a big fire on the ridge across the street from our house!

Right after I took this pic, big flames shot up the hill. Needless to say, I freaked out a little.

El Hub started hosing down the roof and the trees and the hill outside, while I…well, I ate an apple.

Yeah, that goes to show how useful I am in stressful situations, LOL!

Maybe I was subconsciously carbo-loading for what I thought would be a long night ahead…

We started preparing to be evacuated, which has happened to some of the neighborhoods in the Bay Area lately because of wildfires. I pulled the cat carrier out of the closet, called my parents to let them know what was up, and made an odd mental list of things I’d need to grab before running out the door, like the baby (of course), Tabs, the backup drives, my personal documents and a box of keepsakes and mementos I’ve had since I was a kid.

I also came to the humbling realization that I really have no control over anything. In my mind, I like to think that I’m in control of my life and the things that happen in it, but if those flames had turned our way, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it.

It was very scary.

We found out later that it was a two-alarm vegetation fire. Dozens of homes were evacuated, but luckily there were no injuries, and no homes were destroyed.

That was a close one!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Honestly, because most days, 15 minutes is about all the time I get to put on makeup.

Oh, and I may or may not be wearing a sports bra as my top in this pic. 🙈

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The whole idea of fragrance commercials on TV is totally weird.

Isn’t it?

Companies desperately trying to get us interested in a scent through a medium where we can’t actually smell the perfume. There we are just eating our morning oatmeal while a supermodel rolls around on a beach for 30 seconds whispering about “Seduction happens on the sand…”

I guess it’s supposed to be metaphorical, you know, to capture the essence of what it feels like to wear the scent, and maybe then we’ll stop by the fragrance counter on our next trip to a department store, but I dunno…

It’s kind of like what’s happening with this blog post right now. 🙂

I suppose that I could just list the fragrance notes in this $115 bottle of McQueen Eau de Parfum, the pricey new fragrance by fancy fashion house Alexander McQueen (night-blooming flowers, sambac jasmine, tuberose and ylang ylang).

That would probably be more useful than these pictures…

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You know you’re from Northern California when you go to the beach and you’re shocked — SHOCKED! — to find that you don’t need to wear a sweater or jacket.

We took Connor to the beach for the first time yesterday. We went to Fort Cronkhite, which is on the northern tip of the Golden Gate on the Pacific side, because it was in the 90s and probably the last hurrah for hot weather here in this part of the Bay Area.

It’s usually windy and cold at the beaches here, but it was warm enough yesterday for a tee. And there were actual regular people swimming, too. Not just surfers clad in wetsuits.

It was probably still a little surprising for Connor because she started crying when her toes touched the water for the first time.

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“With less, you are more” — new lilah b. luxury cosmetics

Full-on glam makeup is all over Instagram — brows so sculpted that they could cut glass, contoured everything, elaborate eye looks with false lashes and winged liner. And I love some of that. I love the artistry, and I appreciate the effort that goes into it, but there’s also a part of me that can’t wait for the tide to turn, ya know? Part of me can’t wait for makeup minimalism to come back in style with a vengeance, and when that day comes, lilah b. cosmetics will be there with bells on.

It’s a new luxury line out of Sausalito, California, which is a quaint, picturesque town just north of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco on 101 (not “the 101,” just “101”). They have a website, and you can also find them at Space NK stores.

Their philosophy has a nice ring to it: “With less, you are more.” Think streamlined creams that double as blushes and lipsticks, sheer powder foundation, creamy concealers and easy-to-wear eyeshadow combos — that kind of thing.

The products are all paraben-, pthalate- and sulfate-free, and they don’t have any synthetic fragrances. Plus, they aren’t tested on animals.

The pieces come in glossy white packaging (I think it’s gorgeous) that feels hefty and valuable. It kinda looks like polished river rocks or shells.

Before and after lilah b. This only took me 15 minutes!

Boy, oh, boy, though — the products are pricey. You probably won’t bat an eyelash if you’re used to Chanel, Hourglass and Guerlain prices, but we’re talking $44 for a concealer, $34 for a lip balm, $48 for a powder foundation, $46 for a lip and cheek cream, and $58 for an eye quad.

The lilah b. look is like a super chill version of Bobbi Brown — dressed down, sheer coverage with a hint of natural-looking color. When I wear the powder foundation, concealer, eyeshadow and lip and cheek cream, I look like I’m wearing a full face, and like I’m polished and totally together, but it doesn’t look like I’m wearing cake frosting.

I wore the eyeshadow and the lip and cheek cream to the beach yesterday, and I felt like it was a perfect amount of color.

Palette Perfection Quad in b. stunning

Divine Duo Lip & Cheek in b. fearless (top) and b. true (bottom)

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