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Friday Chit-Chat (Makeup and Otherwise): Being Out of Practice, and Entering New Phases in Life

August 17th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

wander beauty wanderess fever palette — Feelin’ this

Heya, hot pocket! 😸🔥❤️ First, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my lids for the “cruel summer” they’ve endured thus far. It’s been a particularly “taupe” season, which I guess in the grand scheme of traumatic makeup horrors isn’t Armageddon-caliber, because at least I had the wherewithal to line my lash lines and incorporate one or two matte browns, but ya know…when you’re bonding with a dental hygienist at a new dentist’s office and she asks what you do for a living, and you say, “I write about makeup!” you know better than to wear taupe for three months straight.

So I’m trying to get back in the game a little… But, dude, I feel so outta practice!

Has this ever happened to you?

You practice and practice and browse blogs and watch hours of YouTube videos until you finally get to where you start to feel like you’re getting good at doing your eyes, but then life happens and you stop practicing or wearing makeup as much as you had been. Then, when you get the urge to get back into makeup again after your hiatus, the looks you had been able to do seem almost impossible?!

wander beauty wanderess palette — On ‘ze lids today: the Wandress Fever eye and cheek palette by Wander Beauty

That’s exactly how I felt today

This bronze eye wasn’t complicated as far eye looks go, but I’ve embraced streamlined eye makeup over the last couple years, so wearing an eyeshadow base and three different shadows is now akin to performing NASA-level math for me, like E = MC-what-the-hell-am-I-doing-with-this-satiny-purple-in-the-outer-corner.

chanel impulsion — And the eye look without any blush — just MAC Hyper Real Foundation in Bronze FX used as a highlighter

mac hyper real foundation — These are cool. —> They’re like liquid versions of Strobe Cream in different colors.

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Does New NARS Climax Mascara Take Lashes to the Peak of Perfection?

August 16th, 2018 by Karen 15 Comments

This being NARS we’re talking about (because even my glam granny knows that NARS has a thing for naughtily named makeup), I’m pretty sure the new NARS Climax Mascara was named after the big “O,” but can we pretend François was inspired by Klymaxx’s Meeting in the Ladies Room?

I’ll be back real soon…

Now, after you’re done dancing in your chair to the song (because you know you’re feeling it), please do actually meet me in the ladies room, because that’s where you’ll find me applying another coat of this easy-to-layer mascara, because it builds like WHOA!

NARS Climax Mascara ($24)

First Hourglass Caution; now NARS Climax. I’m really liking this trend of featherweight, flexible mascaras you can endlessly layer without clumping.

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What Are Your Biggest Personal Hair Pet Peeves?

August 16th, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

Thank goodness for hats on crazy hair days!

Even though my mane is currently under moderate control, and even though I’m relatively happy with my ‘do right now, I’m going to work under the assumption that there will still be days when it goes crazy…because cray hair days are inevitable. And even though I’m relatively content with my coif today, I still have my personal hair pet peeves.

In no particular order…

I have a widow’s peak, and I have NO control over baby hairs in it. Absolutely none! They do what they want, whenever they want to, and I can only get them to submit to my will if I use a round brush, a hairdryer, elbow grease and A LOT of styling products.

It’s work, and even when I go through the effort to tame them, those baby hairs still end up sticking up every which way.
So, I have wavy hair, and the curl pattern is tighter on my right side than it is on my left… On more than one occasion when new people have cut my hair, I’ve ended up with a lopsided ‘do that looked like I was trying to do a cool Salt ‘N’ Pepa style from the ’80s but failed miserably.

Sigh!
The bangs on the left side of my head always poof up and never lie quite right on their own, so I always have to use a heat styler to get them to fall the way I want them to.

‘Tis annoying.
Dandruff…

It’s annoying, and it ain’t cute, but I get it on occasion. (It’s the worst when the seasons are changing and my scalp goes nuts.)

How about you? Do you have any personal hair pet peeves?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Try the New MAC Dazzleshadow Liquids for Glittery, Glossy Lids and Long-Lasting Shimmer and Shine

August 15th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

mac dazzleshadow liquid rayon rays every day is sunshine — Glossy, glittery goodness

Is it a glitter, or is it a super shiny eye gloss? Quelle suprise! ‘Tis both.

The MAC Dazzleshadow Liquid Eyeshadows ($22 each)

The sparkling new MAC Dazzleshadow Liquid eyeshadows come in 10 shades in every color you’d want to wear to schmexy time, to preschool library story time (IT ME), or any time, really.

“Get lost in eyes that tantalize, mesmerize and glamorize. Introducing the irresistible twinkle of our all-new daze-inducing Dazzleshadow Liquid. Available in a range of beaming finishes – from glaring glitter to subtle sparkle and cool chrome – this ultra-shiny liquid eye shadow glides across lids for a wash of brilliant colour that keeps its splendour for up to 8 hours. Its lightweight cooling formula sets quickly for the ultimate second-skin texture that feels ultra-soft on lids.”

— maccosmetics.com

Seriously, they’re such a find. You’ll never have to deal with renegade glitter bits cascading down your cheeks or under your eyes (or, in my case, up in my brows, and why or how glitter manages to get up there, I’ll never know) again.

And because of the reflective finish, you can also get the high-fashion look of magazine-style glossy eyes without that sticky, gooey, gross feeling on your lids. Dab some on the back of your hand with the doe-foot applicator, pick up the littlest amount with a tapered blending brush (THIS IS KEY! DON’T USE TOO MUCH!), blend on your lids, and it won’t budge all day long. (Watch the clock, though, because you’ll only have about two minutes to buff before the formula completely sets.)

mac dazzleshadow liquid rayon rays every day is sunshine 2 — That’s Liquid Lip Suede Matte Lipstick in Nude Blush by Civilized Cosmetics on my lips.

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Do You Ever Replace the Pads on Your Lash Curler?

August 15th, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

troy surratt shiseido curler — The Troy Surrat Lash Curler on the left and the Shiseido Lash Curler on the right

I was cleaning my Surrat lash curler the other day and wondering about this, because I’m fairly certain — and this may sound totally gross, depending on your opinion on the subject — that I’ve only done it once or (maybe) twice in my entire life.

And I’ve curled my lashes A LOT over the years. It’s an everyday thing for me.

Even though I usually have those pad replacement thingamabobs floating around, because most lash curlers come with one or two of them, I usually wait until my curler gets so gross that it crosses the point of no return and can’t be resuscitated, and I end up chucking it and buying a new one.

This happens about every few years, or thereabouts.

So I’m wondering…does anybody ever replace those pads? I’m sure there has to be a continent of responsible lash curler lovers out there…or maybe I’m just the grossest person on the planet?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen