It Cosmetics

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

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Fab Friday With Rosy Brown Lids and Lips + Mauve Cheeks

February 28th, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

I swear, in real life this eye makeup is not as orange as it looks in these pics…

I think the bright top (J. Crew, found at The Rack last fall) is throwing a monkey wrench in the mix.

Hmm… I should probably just be grateful I’m dressed in something that makes me appear to be a real, live grownup. It’s all about the little victories, you know? 😊

I was going for a springy pinkish brown for this look but ended up more summery orange… Oh, well! I like it.

I’m wearing several pieces from the new MAC Loud and Clear, and Glow Play, collections, which I’m still (clearly, ha ha ha) into. If you run across something you love, I’d suggest picking it up sooner rather than later because things are either selling out quickly or have already sold out.

One of my coworkers from the bakery is also a MAC gal, and she barely was able to get her hands on one of the lipsticks (Baroque the Internet), so don’t hesitate, MAC-aholics!

One more item of note about this look: I blended the blush I was wearing on my cheeks into my into my crease, an old trick to tie your lids and cheeks together in a neat little bow!
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Space Buns and Sparkly Purple Lids

November 12th, 2019 by Karen 11 Comments

triple hair buns — I may or may not have about a billion bobby pins in my hair at the moment.

I’m sure this tri-bun hairstyle has an official/formal name, but I intend to call it “space buns,” because there’s something undeniably Star Wars about it…

If I were hurtling through space on a rocket bound for Mars, and I was required to wear my hair up (to protect the sensitive electronic equipment from static discharge, you see), you better believe I would NOT be rocking a basic low pony.

SPACE BUNS ALL THE WAY, GIRLFRIEND.

Side note: Connor calls this a “pony hairstyle” because she’s into horses at the moment.

Maybe it’s the stars twinkling in the firmament…but sparkles and space buns just seem *right* to me, hence the purple glitter in this look.

mac wishful thinking — Wearing some newness from the MAC Holiday collection

I got a few compliments from my coworkers when I wore this to the bakery the other day. 🙂 It was nice. I think it was because this is one of those looks that isn’t too over the top in terms of base and lips (I kept the foundation super sheer and the lips glossy and subtly sparkly, which boosts the wearability for daytime), but I think the glitter is punchy and fun enough to catch your eye.

If you like this type of makeup, you need to follow Katie Jane Hughes on Instagram ASAP. She’s a celeb makeup artist known for her sheer base, the wings she does, and her penchant for sparkle. It’s very inspiring!

I’m using some new MAC products from the very sparkly Staring You holiday collection, by the way. This collection, which is out now, has new Spellbinder Shadows in glittery holiday shades (you might remember these ionized eyeshadows from 2016).

mac starring you holiday 2019 — The new, limited edition MAC Starring You holiday 2019 collection, available now

Two things if you plan on picking up one of these loose shadows: 1) most definitely DO NOT skip wearing an eyeshadow base; and 2) apply it using a stiff, flat eyeshadow brush, or your fingers.

If you’d like to chat more about the Spellbinders, drop me a comment. I’m happy to help!
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Glowing Khaki Lids and Coral Lips (A 15-Minute Makeup Look)…and a Pumpkin Cupcake Question!

November 4th, 2019 by Karen 13 Comments

If you ever need to “improv” maracas (it could happen), just grab a jar of autumnal sprinkles, and give ’em a little shake! They’ll get the job done in a pinch.

Yes, Bon Jovi is FEELING IT.

I wore this khaki makeup look to the bakery last Friday, by the way.

autumn sprinkles — Fall colors AND an improv instrument in one fell swoop

It was inspired by this jar of mixed sprinkles and these fall leaf cupcake liners I found at Michaels.

Aren’t they pretty? I just love the greens and golds, and the little sugar dots have a subtle shimmer.

I was trying to channel fall via the khaki lids (which come courtesy of MAC Sumptuous Olive eyeshadow (an oldie but goodie) and Maybelline Jade Olive (a drugstore superhero), but it turned out more summery than I thought it would. HELLO, STORY OF MY LIFE.

mac sumptuous olive flat lay — I was going for fall colors, really!

I mean, I could’ve swapped the coral matte lip for something like MAC Burnt Spice, but I swear, I could not physically stop my hand from grabbing that coral. I saw my hand reach out, and I literally could not stop myself (coral addicts, you know what I’m talking about).

The glowing skin upped the summery-ness of the look even more, and that’s the work of this new-to-me product from It Cosmetics called Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer SPF 50+ in Tan.

I didn’t anticipate so much sheen from this tinted moisturizer. It’s very similar to NARS Pure Radiant — so it’s dewy, but with slightly more coverage and an even shinier finish. My skin ended up with a beach babe glow, and even though I tried to matte it down with a loose powder, it was still super shiny.

Basically, this stuff really wants to glow on your face!

Overall, I think it’s just OK… It doesn’t feel heavy, which is nice, and it does give a good amount of coverage, but I’m not crazy about the Tan color (I think it’s a little too gray on me) or how the finish seems to amplify the size of my pores.

Anyway, I’m gonna take another crack at another autumnal look again soon, perhaps with a brown smoky eye, or — ooh! — maybe a cranberry smoky eye with gold liner? We’ll see what happens… I have to admit that there still exists a slim chance that whatever I do will go summery again, because that’s just the story of my makeup life, HA HA HA!

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3 Powerful Tips for Doing Quick, Colorful Makeup (And a 20-Minute Bronze/Green/Gold Eye Look With Pink Cheeks and Nude Matte Lips!)

October 31st, 2019 by Karen 17 Comments

urban decay on the run g train — Today’s 20-minute makeup look

Working at the bakery has been such a blessing in so many ways, makeup and otherwise. I’ve been learning so many new things, and the loneliness I’ve felt for a long time is finally starting to leave.

In terms of makeup, though, my goodness! — the 15-minute window I typically have now to don my face paint in the mornings has been the catalyst for all manner of shortcuts.

Like these three powerful tricks you can use when you want to do quick, colorful makeup (but don’t have a lot of time). I used them for to do bronze, green and gold eye look (paired with pink cheeks and a matte nude-pink lip), which I wore to the bakery yesterday…

Tip No. 1: Intensify and extend the wear time of your eyeshadow by using a long-wearing pencil liner as a base

This is one of the speediest ways I know to 1) get your eyeshadow to last longer, and 2) to amplify the intensity of your shadows to make them look brighter and richer.

For this, you want to use a liner that sets relatively quickly…like in less than 30 seconds. I love the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-Ons because they come in tons of colors and finishes. And, because they dry very quickly, I’m forced to work fast!

Note: When you’re using a quick-drying pencil liner as a base, your best friend is a stiff (but still soft) synthetic brush, ideally something with a slightly domed tip, like the Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush.

Synthetic bristles tend to be more rigid than natural bristles, so you can push and blend that liner and tell it where to go, LIKE RIGHT MEOW!

In the look I wore yesterday, I wore Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Smog as a base. I roughly drew a few fatty-bo-batty messy lines all over my lids, and then I took the Real Techniques brush and buffed the liner into a thin, even layer.

Then, I applied warm browns and bronzes from the new Urban Decay On the Run Palette in G Train.

Tip No. 2: Use an angled brush to line your eyes with the darkest shade from your favorite eyeshadow palette

Not only is lining with an eyeshadow and angled brush super speedy, but it’s also forgiving, so you can make mistakes and nobody will even realize it!

Note: If you want the most room for error, keep the brush head dry for a soft and diffused line.

You can also wet your brush head with a setting spray to dial up the richness of the color, but FYI, it’s not as forgiving as a dry application.
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