Jane Iredale

Pretty in Pink, Plum and Bronze, and Sea Otters!

April 7th, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

jane iredale naturally glam origins va va violet — A little bit of color!

“You can do it. Yeah, champ, keep moving that blending brush. You got this… YOU CAN WEAR COLOR! COME ONNNNNNN!”

Yes, these days, my internal makeup dialogue sounds like a boxing trainer talking sh*t from the sidelines.

(Not that I’ve ever boxed a day in my life… The closest I’ve ever come to a ring is watching Million Dollar Baby. Like Tabs was (RIP, buddy), I’m a lover, not a fighter.)

Put this in your “note to self” file next time you get tired of wearing brows and beiges and the usual neutral fare: pink, plum and bronze. It’s so good, and depending on the intensity of your shades, can be surprisingly colorful but still wearable, too.

I’m wearing the same Jane Iredale Naturally Glam Palette from the other day; I blended the dark bronze and the pink shades atop a plum eyeshadow base (MAC Prunella liner, which I buffed out all over my lids).

You guys, don’t sleep on this palette. It’s not flashy by any means, but the more I use it, the more I fall in love with it, especially the glowing finish. It’s SO forgiving, and much appreciated by my experience lines.

The pink in this look also comes through on the cheeks via a peachy pink gel blush by Chantecaille (pricy but natural looking) and a pinkish violet lip from an Origins Lipstick called Va Va Violet.

origins va va violet — Origins Va Va Violet

This lippie is not playin’ because the payoff is crazy intense — like MAC level intense! Here I’m wearing it lightly dabbed on my lips for a stained effect, but it still looks pretty pigmented. I love how this lipstick’s pinkish violet tones complement the subtle pink and purple on my lids.

Note to self: REMEMBER THIS COMBO! It’s a good one!

Makeup Worn in this look

BASE: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare in Tan Warm 41 and Tan Warm 42.5 mixed together and applied to cheeks, nose and around mouth; Kevyn Aucoin Super Natural Concealer in Medium EC 06 dabbed onto select areas on cheeks and around mouth; Honest Beauty Bright Eyes Tinted Eye Cream under eyes
EYES: MAC Prunella Eye Pencil (worn as an eyeshadow base and a liner), Jane Iredale Naturally Glam Eyeshadow Palette (dark brown in outer half and pink on inner half), MAC Cork eyeshadow (crease), Lancome Lash Idole, Chanel Boy Brow Pencil in Deep Brown
CHEEKS: Chantecaille Radiance Gel Bronzer and Happy Gel Blush
LIPS: Origins Va Va Violet Lipstick

Hanging with my lady love

jane iredale naturally glam bronze purple lips coycoy — Just chillin’ with my sidekick!

Connor is home this week for spring break, so we’ve been hanging out a lot! Our new favorite thing to do in the morning is watch the live Otter Cam at the Monterey Bay Aquarium while we eat breakfast. I don’t know why, but drinking coffee and watching otters play and swim is the best thing ever.

We’re headed to DSW in a few because this child just keeps growing! I swear I just got her a pair of Nikes, and now they barely fit.

I’m also in the pursuit of a pair of low-heeled platform sandals, ideally in a tan shade.

I’ve decided it’s time to officially retire my collection of heels, which is a little bittersweet because I used to love them so much. I tried wearing a pair of Franco Sarto wedges the other day (they used to be my “comfortable heels”), and I realized — OH, HELL NO! — there’s just no way. LOL! First of all, I can’t chase after a child in them, and second, they’re super hard to drive in. Also, I can’t bend down! I’m done, dude. No more.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Soft Bronze and Beige-Pink Tones for Glowing Lids, Lips and Cheeks (And a Baked Chicken Recipe to Curb Dinner Rage)

April 6th, 2021 by Karen 16 Comments

jane iredale naturally glam — A glowing look for an action-packed day! (Not really.)

This is one of those looks I didn’t do for any reason in particular other than it seemed like fun, because I ended up only sitting around the house like this, but dang if it wasn’t still fun! And I’ve got the pictures to save it for posterity!

I wish I’d thought of someplace interesting to take it out for a spin, even though I have low-key anxiety now around large groups of people. Soft, sparkling lids like this deserve to see the world, haha!

I didn’t really plan on this color palette with bronzes and soft beige-pinks. It just kind of happened, but I love how it turned out. It’s so delicate and girly, and it reminds me a little bit of the pink blush shades ballet dancers wear in their leotards, tights and tutus.

The Jane Iredale Naturally Glam Palette

The glowing goodness happening on my lids comes courtesy of the magical Naturally Glam Eye Shadow Kit by Jane Iredale. They’re a cruelty-free line that does mineral makeup.

Have you ever put something on — I dunno, a bra or a pair of jeans or a shirt — that instantly lights you up and makes you feel good? That’s what happened to me with this palette. The powders have that perfect balance of pearl and pigment, and they’re awfully flattering. They sparkle in a non-frosty and totally forgiving way, and the pigment packs just enough punch (I’d call it mid-level, since it’s definitely NOT full-blown intensity) to delicately define lids and lash lines.

For this look, I buffed the golden beige (the one in the big circle) all over my lids as a base, then blended the gold (inner corner) and the mid-toned brown taupe (outer corner) directly on top. Then, I wet an angled liner brush and loaded it with the dark brown to line my lash lines. To finish the look, I tightlined with MAC Teddy, which goes great with this palette’s bronze vibe, and coated my lashes with mascara.

Nude lip combo of the moment

Oh! — I’m back on a nude lip kick (What can I say? I love me a soft lip.) and found a new pinkish nude lip combo to share…

origins sweeter than honey hourglass provoke gloss — Origins Sweeter Than Honey Lipstick and Hourglass Provoke Gloss

I feel like this lip could also be cool with a darker, unblended lip liner for a ’90s vibe too…

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: Skin prepped with First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream; It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare in Tan Warm 41 and Tan Warm 42.5, and MAC Strobe Cream in Pink Light all mixed together and blended on my nose, cheeks and around my mouth

EYES: Jane Iredale Naturally Glam Eye Shadow Kit, MAC Teddy Liner, Bite Beauty Upswing Mascara, Chanel Boy de Chanel Brow pencil

CHEEKS: MAC Blush Baby

LIPS: Origins Sweeter Than Honey Lipstick, Hourglass Provoke Gloss

The Dinner Rage chronicles, part 3,456

I mentioned to a friend of mine that I’ve been having major Dinner Rage lately (FYI, it’s that feeling that kicks in about an hour before dinnertime when I realize that I have to make food YET AGAIN, hahaha), and she passed along her go-to baked chicken recipe for these days.

It’s a vinegar chicken with crushed olive dressing, and I made it the other day… It turned out OK, even though I under-seasoned it, because I always have a hard time when recipes call for you to just season things with salt and pepper at your will (I always end up erroring on the side of not seasoning enough).

Here’s the recipe in case you want to try it, by the way. Oh, and I ended up substituting the wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar and using dried parsley instead of fresh because that’s what I had. If you make it, let me know how it goes!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Final Word on the Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette | A Pretty Pink Cheek and Lip Combo With Jane Iredale Clearly Pink Blush and Origins Dusky Rose Lipstick

April 2nd, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

urban decay wild west april 2021 — I say YAY to Urban Decay Naked Wild West!

After spending a month with the new Urban Decay Naked Wild West palette, I’m happy to say that I can totally recommend it. I enjoy its mix of practical neutrals (a mélange of matte brown, beige, taupe and gray) with colorful teals, bronzes and golds, and if you’re like me and love a wearable, easy eye look, you can get that look quite easily.

Here’s what you do: 1) mix one or two of your favorite mattes with a blending brush, and sweep that onto your lids. Then, 2) wet an angled eye brush, load it up with any of the shades from the palette, and use it to line your upper lash line.

I like to think of this palette as a neutral matte palette with a bunch of fun liner shades. 😊 And when you use Naked Wild West in this way, you’ll have an endless (and easy) array of wearable combinations to choose from!

One item of note for my ladies with hooded lids — Laredo, the matte gray taupe, is totally key! Since most of the Naked Wild West mattes are warm-toned browns, I like to mix in the cooler-toned Laredo to create the illusion of a deeper crease.

urban decay wild west laredo — Laredo is the key!

urban decay wild west april 2021 closeup — The teal here looks so effortless, methinks.

OH! — I stumbled on a new wearable pink lip and cheek combo I like with Jane Iredale PurePressed Blush in Clearly Pink and Origins Dusky Rose Lipstick.

jane iredale clearly pink blush origins dusky rose lipstick — A pretty pink lip and cheek combo!

Jane Iredale Clearly Pink is a powdered pinky beige blush that leans slightly cool, and it totally looks like something Chanel would do! I love how it looks like a matte pink when you sweep it on your cheeks, but you can see the tiniest little flecks of silvery glitter peek when you look closely. It’s sophisticated, and a little goes a long way.

If you like Chanel Pink Explosion or Clinique Cupid, you’ll probably be into Clearly pink.

As for Origins Dusky Rose Lipstick, like the blush, it packs a pigmented wallop. It’s a brownish rose with a cream finish… Have you ever worn MAC Cosmo Lipstick? Because if you have and you liked it, I’m betting Dusky Rose will work for you!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! 🐇💐🐤

What I Wore Wednesday, Vol. 4: Springtime Taupe, Pink and Peach With the Jane Iredale Spring 2017 Collection

March 8th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

jane iredale spring 2017 k1 — A springy makeup look with the Jane Iredale spring 2017 collection

I went outside today and felt the sun on my shoulders and my arms and my legs, and it was glorious! Spring. SPRING! It’s almost here, after what has seemed like the longest, coldest, wettest winter ever.

So, in celebration of spring’s upcoming awesomeness, I did a springy makeup look today using stuff from the new Jane Iredale spring 2017 collection, which is coming out on March 13th.

I don’t know much about the Jane Iredale makeup brand, but they’re a mineral makeup line out of the Berkshires in Massachusetts. They do very wearable, subtle colors (not quite as subtle as Bobbi Brown), and their new spring collection has an abundance of springy pinks and peaches with a teaspoon of taupe and plum.

jane iredale spring 2017 2 — Jane Iredale Spring 2017 clockwise from the striped pan at the top: Peaches & Cream Bronzer Refill ($44), PurePressed Eye Shadow in Soft Kiss ($30), Lipstick in Susan ($25), Lipstick in Lisa ($25), In Touch Cream Blush in Candid ($27), PurePressed Eye Shadow in Pink Quartz ($30)

Today I wanted dewy skin and light coverage foundation and concealer, which is basically what I wear when I’m not testing makeup for MBB. Most days, if left to my own devices, I wear light coverage instead of full-coverage layers, which is why I’ve got some freckle action happening today on my cheeks and around my eyes.

Featured products

Eyes: Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint in Lots o’ Latte (as a base on my lids), Jane Iredale PurePressed EyeShadow in Soft Kiss (lids and lower lash lines), Zoeva Graphic Eyes Pencil in Mute (upper water lines), Zoeva Graphic Eyes Pencil in Taupe (lower lash lines), Urban Decay Urban Lash in HBIC Babies (outer corner of upper lash lines), Urban Decay Brow Beater Brow Pencil, Benefit Ready Set Brow Gel

Cheeks: Jane Iredale In Touch Cream Blush in Candid (apples of my cheeks) and Jane Iredale Peaches & Cream Bronzer (upper cheekbones)

Face: BECCA Backlight Primer (applied all over my face as a primer), Hourglass Vanish Foundation (applied very sparingly on my cheeks, nose and forehead, and patted in with fingers), BECCA Soft Light Blurring Powder in Golden Hour (on my forehead, down the sides of my nose and around my mouth) and Make Up For Ever HD Concealer (under my eyes)

Lips: Jane Iredale Lipstick in Susan

I took Connor out for a couple of quick walks wearing this, and it felt good. I don’t think I looked like I just rolled out of bed, which is always a good thing, but I still felt like me.

How about you? What kind of makeup did you wear today? Did you do anything different? Try anything new? Inquiring minds want to know.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen