It Cosmetics

Romantic Rose Tones With Brilliant Bronzed Browns

February 3rd, 2021 by Karen 8 Comments

mac chatterbox lmac chatterbox laura mercier roseaura mercier rose — I like this palette of luscious golden browns and dainty, rosy pinks. 😍

OK, so, I wore this look yesterday, and doggone it — I felt good about my makeup. The pink blush and lipstick spoke to my soul… You can’t go wrong with springy, romantic rosy pinks. Methinks they’re downright therapeutic. Wearing pink in winter reminds me that we will see the sun again.

mac chatterbox laura mercier rose — Just a little makeup!

I’ve been doing the bare minimum in terms of base for months, but I put a little more polish into this look, and I really like how it turned out.

For starters, I mixed a dab of pearly lotion into a matte, medium-coverage foundation, then applied a thin layer with a skunk brush all over my face. Then, for slightly more coverage, I loaded a tiny, pointy-tipped concealer brush with the most minimal amount of concealer and strategically dabbed it where I have a little extra pigmentation (spots on my cheeks and around my mouth). And those couple extra things took my base makeup to the next level! Dare I say it? — an elegant level. 🙂

mac chatterbox k down havana — Swatches of the key products on NC42 skin

I felt like myself again for the first time in a while.

Yeah…I was wearing lipstick around the house again, LOL! MAC Chatterbox is an awfully pretty, playful reddish pink, and it can be quite bold if you apply a layer straight from the tube. I was in the mood for something more mellow, so I blotted it down, then used my finger to push in whatever lipstick remained to create a beautiful rosy pink stain… I think it’s springy and cheerful, and I love it. MAC Chatterbox, man! Don’t sleep on it.

Speaking of MAC, Powersurge eyeliner with Havana eyeshadow = magic. Layer Havana on top of Powersurge the next time you’re wearing warm browns or bronzes on your lids, and don’t forget to send me a thank you note when you’re done. 😁

mac chatterbox laura mercier rose 1 — MAC Havana eyeshadow + Powersurge liner = magic!

Makeup in this look

Base: It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare in Tan 41, Kevyn Aucoin Concealer in Medium 06, MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite

Eyes:Urban Decay Brow Blade in Dark Drapes, MAC Saddle and Havana eyeshadows, MAC Powersurge pencil liner, Bite Beauty Upswing Mascara, MAC Clear Brow Gel

Cheeks and lips: Laura Mercier Soleil 1 Bronzer, Laura Mercier Rose Blush, MAC Chatterbox lipstick

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Sheer Foundations to Ace Your WFH Base | Friday Thoughts on Looking Good on the Outside and Feeling Good on the Inside

January 29th, 2021 by Karen 17 Comments

5 sheer wfh foundations — Five wonders of the makeup world

If there were ever a time to appreciate the wonders of a sheer, everyday workhorse foundation, this would be that time!

These are my favorites at the moment. What are yours?

5 Sheer Foundations to Ace Your WFH Base

Lancôme Skin Feels Good Hydrating Skin Tint Healthy Glow: Ultra lightweight with a demi-matte finish; looks great in person AND in pics.
MAC Face and Body Foundation: The most natural-looking of all the sheer bases, and it’s long-lasting too. I kid you not, skin still looks like skin when you wear this.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer: A beautiful satiny finish with medium coverage! Plus, it blurs pores.
It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare: This one is also medium coverage, but the finish is closer to matte than the others. The barely-there formula practically feels like water.
MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick: This one is SO easy to blend and has a gentle, soft matte finish. Sometimes I like layering this on top of Face and Body. 😊

Thoughts on looking good and feeling good

Most of the time, when we look good, we feel good. I heard something along these lines recently in a fashion video (it was about how not to look “frumpy,” in case you’re curious), and it spoke to me.

At the beginning, Erin, the host of the show, says…

“We’re talking about how the way you look affects the way that you feel, affects everything in your life. When you’re looking good, you will feel better. You will feel great. You will have more to give everybody else.”

This struck a chord with me, because whenever I have something to give — whether it be my time, energy, money, love, etc. — I always give what I have to my friends and family, which I’m always happy to do, but what I hadn’t realized, though, is that the strain of the past year has left me with very little (or rather, zero) leftover “oomph” for myself, and it’s been slowly chipping away at my confidence. My proverbial well is bone dry.

Lately, I can feel myself getting dangerously close to the point where one rolls out of bed one day and stays in the same crusty pajamas for two weeks straight.

I think a part of it is my hair, to be honest. I haven’t had a cut in more than a year, and it’s been bothering me. I haven’t wanted to do anything with it lately, because it’s almost impossible to wrangle it into any sort of workable style. That frustration then leads to me saying, “well, f*ck it,” to everything else. Why bother putting on sunscreen or mascara when none of it feels fun?

ouai pet shampoo — This cat looks like how I feel in the mornings lately…

Oh, and forget about getting properly dressed, because nobody will notice if my shirt is inside out or backwards — not even the people I live with, and I know this because it’s happened several times.

Because I haven’t really talked to anyone in person lately, unless it’s the occasional curt one- or two-minute conversation with the sales associate in the checkout line at Petco, or a brief in-passing conversation at preschool dropoff, I sometimes find myself wondering, “Why do I even keep trying?”

The funny thing is, logically I know that 1) this is all temporary, and 2) what’s mostly bothering me is exterior stuff. It’s all frosting, and not the cake, which is something I tell Connor all the time. I know in the grand scheme of things that the outside stuff is frippery. I’m 100% aware that what’s on the outside does not determine my worth on the inside.

baked sprinkle cake — You know I had to do it.

Yet…when I look in the mirror and see myself looking sloppy or unkept, even when I remind myself that the exterior stuff isn’t everything, and all the best stuff is on the inside, I still feel yucky. 🤷‍♀️

People often say that the first step to helping yourself is being able to admit that you need help, and watching that video made me realize that I need a little help.

So, here I am, gently reminding myself that doing the things that make me feel good are not a trivial burden. Brushing my hair, putting on sunscreen in the morning, and curling my lashes — these are all good things, and they are worth the effort, because when I look good, I feel good, and I will have more to give.

Oh, and another gentle note to self: it really doesn’t have to be hard. The effort does not have to be Herculean.

For the last few nights, right before bed, I’ve been setting out a bottle of one of the sheer bases listed above, along with a lash curler, a mascara, a brow pencil, blush and a lipstick, and I make sure to put on makeup first thing in the morning.

Surprise, surprise! — I’ve been feeling a little better since I started doing this, and my plan for the next few days is to do the same tomorrow, and the next day, and the next….

Oh, and earlier this week I bought myself some clothes for the first time in…I can’t even remember how long.

Also, I found a stylist who does outdoor cuts. Mind you, I haven’t booked an appointment yet because of the virus and whatnot. I’m still nervous about the pandemic, but at least I know that, when I’m ready, she’ll be there, and that’s such a mental relief.

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on with me. Thanks for listening, and on that note…

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

A 15-Minute Face With Shimmering Cocoa Brown, Pink and Gold

November 27th, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

For the record, I absolutely did *not* look this fabulous on Thanksgiving (this was from the day before), and to the ladies who can pull off prepping a full T-day spread while looking fab, I salute you!

I wore the above 15-minute look the day before Thanksgiving when Connor and I dropped off Thanksgiving cookies and cards to our neighbors. Pretty simple, pretty classic and wearable, and done completely with permanent collections products!

As for my look on Thanksgiving day itself? — it was far less fashionable. I cooked all day long, and it was all I could do to run a brush through the mop on my head and change my pajama pants into joggers. 😁

Please excuse my very non-Instagrammable mauve-toned Golden Girls-circa-1992 kitchen. It came with the house, and I make do with it because…eh, it works! #normalizeregularkitchens #itswhatigot

Anyway, the above pic was taken before the hurricane of baking and cooking happened, and waaaaaay before these happened…

These gluten-free cheesy cheddar garlic drop biscuits, which are like mini savory scones, were the last, and by far the best, T-giving thing I made this year. We had maple glazed ham as our main dish (no Turkey this year), and we sliced the biscuits in half and put a slice of ham in the middle. There was also Yukon gold mashed potatoes, a sweet corn casserole, homemade cranberry sauce, GF pumpkin pie and Christina Tossi’s Milk Bar Pumpkin Pie.

MAN. SO GOOD. I’m drooling just thinking about them again… They were so easy to make, too!

If you want the biscuit recipe, let me know, although I do have to warn you… There’s a lot of butter and cheese, so if you’re trying to make healthier food choices…it ain’t exactly health food.

Happy Friday. What are you up to today? Are you doing any Black Friday shopping?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Product Spotlight: It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare

October 13th, 2020 by Karen 17 Comments

it cosmetics your skin but better foundation skin care 1 — Well this is a gem!

This is GREAT stuff! I haven’t been this excited about a base product in eons. If you’re into a natural matte look and want a foundation that covers juuust enough, It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare is so on the money.

OK, I get it. Everyone’s masked up, we’re in a pandemic, hardly anyone’s been wanting to wear makeup, myself included, but I’ve been falling back into my face painting groove lately, and part of the reason is because of this new foundation from It Cosmetics.

It handles basically every lighting and photography situation I’ve throw it. It makes my skin look dayum good, if I do say so myself, AND IT FEELS LIKE NOTHING ON MY FACE!

Here’s Tan Warm 42.5 in natural daytime light, without any powder or primer, with a 10-minute makeup look. The eyeshadow is the Urban Decay Born to Run Palette; the blush is Charlotte Tilbury Ecstasy; and the lipstick is NUDESTIX Mystic, in case you’re wondering.

Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare is a medium-coverage liquid foundation with a very natural looking matte finish. If you want enough coverage to even out areas of pigmentation and redness, along with some minor pore blurring, but you don’t need to hide everything and the kitchen sink, it’s perfect.

Lazy ladies who still lurve wearing makeup now, this one’s for you, because there’s no trickery required to get it to look nice. I do one pump, and then use my fingers to rub and work it in. Then I quickly blend with a skunk brush, and that’s it. You don’t need a primer underneath it or a powder to set it, either. Use it all by itself, and it stays put all day long (yup, even with a mask on).

For reference, I have combo skin. It’s dry on my cheeks and around my mouth, and oily on my forehead and my nose, and this foundation handles all of the various areas well.

I think it also looks good where I have “experience lines.”

it cosmetics your skin but better foundation skin care natural light blues — Here it is in indoor natural light.

it cosmetics your skin but better foundation skin care natural light green look — Here’s the foundation in outdoor natural light.

I will say that if you’re extremely oily, you’ll probably want to set it with a light dusting of powder. I wouldn’t go too heavy with it though because this foundation’s ability to look like real skin is its superpower, and using a whole mess of powder will just undermine that magic anyway.

Also, it’s super lightweight, which I probably should’ve said right at the beginning, LOL! The formula is on the thinner side, much like Dior Nudeskin Air, so it’s featherweight and feels like nothing, which is actually the reason I started wearing it. After months of barely wearing any base, I have absolutely no tolerance for face products that feel heavy, and this one feels like nothing at all.

It’s available now at Ulta in 40 colors (hello, Fenty effect) for $39.50 each for a 1-oz. glass bottle with a pump. Oh, and speaking of colors, I wear it in Tan Warm 42.5 (but will switch to Tan Warm 41 once my toasty summer tan disappears in month or two), and this is the first time I’ve ever been able to wear an It Cosmetics foundation without having to mix it with something else. Seems like they FINALLY figured out that not every “tan” or “medium” shade has to have a sh*t-ton of peach undertones, and both Tan Warm 42.5 and 41 are pretty good matches for warm skin with yellow undertones.
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Spring Makeup Ideas: Blue Eye Makeup With a Green Top

March 25th, 2020 by Karen 8 Comments

Unsolicited life tip: When you unknowingly grow a Machiavellian mustache on your upper lip, it’s probably time to put some makeup on again.

So here we go!

OK, raise your hand 🙋‍♀️ (which I’m assuming has been vigorously washed with soap for a minimum of 20 seconds) if you tend to go matchy-matchy with your clothes when you wear colorful makeup. BECAUSE I TOTALLY DO. You know that girl wearing orange eyeshadow and orange lipstick and an orange shirt? Yup. So me!

A surprisingly springy combination

I would never think to wear this blue eye makeup with a green shirt (am I the only one?), but when I saw the blue shadow and green outfit on Meghan Markle recently, I was like, “YES. Rock those jewel tones together, Meg!”

I think the blue shadow and green clothing pairing is surprisingly springy, especially if you wear it on a rainy day, which I did. When it’s wet and cold and everything outside is stone cold gray, the blue-green combo stands out even more.

Also, yeah, I know there’s a lot of eyeshadow swatches up in the mix. While I’m usually one for keeping eye makeup streamlined, especially for the past few months with the new job at the bakery and all, this time around I went ham on mixing and blending ALL THE EYESHADOWS. Try your hand at custom mixing your own shades sometime. Mixing and matching is so, so fun.

Key makeup worn in this look

EYES: It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette (a mix of cool and warm browns in the crease, and the navy shade on the lid), Kevyn Aucoin ElectroPop Palette (blue/green shades on lid), Maybelline Tattoo Studio Gel Liner in Striking Navy and MAC Coffee liner (waterline and lower waterline), Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Mascara (lashes)

Cheeks: NARS Amour (blush), Hourglass Radiant Bronze Light (bronzer)

Lips: Nudestix Cheek/Lip Pencil in Mystic, MAC Boldly Bare lip liner, MAC Beaux Lipglass

Base: Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Honey Bronze mixed with MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklight, Estée Lauder 24HR Concealer in Medium Deep Warm