Lancome

Lancôme Idôle Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara’s Got Lift and Length Locked Down When It Comes to WFH Chic

February 19th, 2021 by Karen 7 Comments

lancome idole lash — Lancôme’s latest mascara lifts and fans.

Can we talk about how great mascara is for a minute?!

I mean, very few things survived The Great Makeup Culling of 2020 in my makeup bag. But mascara did.

I usually go for “all teh drama” (See: Bite Beauty Upswing, Laura Mercier Caviar) because I like my fringe brash and bold. I like volume, length, curl and all the drama for your mama, but if you primarily want length and lift, you might like Lancôme’s latest. It’s called Idôle Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara, and it’s $26.

It lifts, fans, curls and separates lashes with a cool curved brush and a lightweight gel formula that doesn’t make my lashes crunchy, clumpy or heavy.

I think it creates a lovely natural-ish lash look that really goes well with minimal makeup, like brows that a lightly filled in, sheer bases, soft blush tints and maybe a lipstick or balm. Think WFH chic.

If, however, you need more KAPOW in the same price range, check out Bite’s or Laura’s mascaras.

lancome idole mascara after — Wearing two layers of Idôle

lancome idole mascara before — The before!

Idôle is available now, and it comes in just one shade, Glossy Black. A full-size tube is $26, but they also have a travel-sized tube for $14.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!!!!

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!

Fresh, Feel-Good Wearable Makeup With Sparkling Champagne Lids (Just One Product!), and Peach Cheeks and Lips

November 19th, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

lancome ombre hypnose erika f k smile — Fresh and sparkling lids, nude lips and cheeks with minimal products. Here’s my shirt!

I went to a candy store yesterday, and this is the makeup I had on while engaging in a deep discussion with my loved ones about popcorn-flavored jelly beans.

Seriously, why do people get so worked up about popcorn jelly beans? I think they’re absolutely delightful and will go so far as to call them my favorite flavor. Everyone else around me thinks they’re gross. Where do you stand on this OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT MATTER?

(Side note: I didn’t actually end up choosing the jelly beans as my treat though. I went with an old classic instead, the Cadbury Fruit and Nut Bar).

cadbury fruit and nut bars — My fave since I was a child!

Raise a glass to shimmery champagne shadows

This is a one-and-done eye makeup look with a single shimmery cream champagne shadow stick worn as liner and eyeshadow. If you don’t have one of these already in your makeup arsenal, I highly recommend finding one you like ASAP.

The champagne shade adds brightness and shine to lids, and in my experience, it’s one of those colors that instantly perks up your face, especially if you look like you haven’t been sleeping well (which has been me lately).

If you can find a champagne stick that works as a liner *and* a shadow, then that’s even better. The one I’m using here is a long-wearing one by Lancôme called Ombre Hypnose Stylo in Erika F.

lancome ombre hypnose stylo erika f graphite — Shimmery cream shadows by Lancôme

lancome ombre hypnose erika f graphite swatches — I’m wearing Erika F.

The Hourglass Sunset trio

To keep the look easy and fresh, I blended a trio of sheer cream products onto my cheeks. I used the Hourglass Sunset Trio, which has a cream bronzer, blush and highlighter, all tucked conveniently into one compact. It used to be part of the permanent collection, but then Hourglass discontinued it, and this season they brought it back. It’s expensive at $62, but it’s SO GOOD (here’s a review if you’re interested).

hourglass illume sunset trio — OH, HAI, GORGEOUS!

Then I lined my lips with nude liner and dabbed a peachy pink gloss on top. (Oh, and yes, I ended up blotting the gloss off before I left for the candy store because I didn’t want it to transfer onto my mask).

lancome hypnoselancome hypnose erika f closeup erika f closeup — This look is quick and elegant.

lancome hypnose erika f hourglass usnset trio swatches — Makeup worn in this look

blush is my crush gloss is my sauce — Blush Is My Crush Tee ($34).

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: Bare Minerals Original liquid Mineral Foundation in Tan Nude 17
CHEEKS: Hourglass Illume Sheer Color Trio in Sunset
EYES: Lancome Ombre Hypnose Stylo in Erika F, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara, Urban Decay Brow Beater in Neutral Brown
LIPS: Charlotte Tilbury Liner in Pillow Talk and Hourglass Canvas Gloss

This will kick your butt!

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DIY Eyeshadow: Mixing Bronzer and Highlighter for Effortlessly Glowing Lids (And Another Lazy Girl Glam Look!)

November 17th, 2020 by Karen 9 Comments

lancome skin feels good lazy girl glam eye closeup — Multi-use creams up in the mix!

I stumbled onto this fun way to make your own customized shadow yesterday while I was putting on some makeup to run errands — mix bronzer and highlighter together with a brush, and swish all over your lids. The result? Effortlessly glowing eyes!

I used equal amounts of a multi-use cream bronzer and a highlighter (both by Lancôme), and all I did was dip a tapered blending brush into the pan, swirled everything together on the back of my hand, and then swept the mix on my lids.

lancome skin feels good lazy girl glam eye closeup head tilt final — Lovin’ on the gray eyeliner.

I think this is a cool way to customize your eyeshadow, because you can add more or less of either product, depending on your mood.

Multi-use in the mix

You can easily complete the eye look by curling your lashes and loading up on mascara, which would be super pretty, especially if you used a lengthening and separating mascara to really stretch out your lashes.

I did that here and still felt like something was missing, so I also lined my upper lash lines by loading an angled brush with a shimmery gray cream shadow stick that also doubles as liner.

I love how the gray adds some definition to my eyes but doesn’t look too harsh, and I also love how the gray cream stick isn’t as finicky as a liquid liner or gel. It’s so much easier to control, and you don’t end up with liquid liner running amuck across your lids! 😬

lancome skin feels good lazy girl glam eye closeup smile final — A bit of a bold brow, just for fun!

To streamline the look even further, I also used the bronzer and highlighter on my cheeks. Then I used another multi-use cream as a blush and lipstick.

Skin is in

One more item of note — I’ve been really into sheer bases, and the one I’m using here is a new one to me called Skin Feels Good By Lancôme. It’s a tinted moisturizer with SPF 23 and a demi-matte finish, and it comes in 11 shades.

I like it a lot! The tube and pump also make it easy to control, and I never feel like I’m wasting product. The formula feels lightweight too. It’s also pigmented enough to even out the pigmentation on my cheeks but doesn’t look too “made up.”

Good stuff! If you’re into that “no-makeup makeup” look, this is perfect.
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Using the Multi-Use Le Monochromatiques by Lancôme for Today’s Lazy Girl Glam: Daytime Golden Brown Smokey Eyes, Coral Cheeks and Lips

November 13th, 2020 by Karen 4 Comments

lancome le monochromatique k french affair down — Lil’ bit of smoke

It’s Friday the 13th! IN THE YEAR 2020! Seriously, good luck to us all… 🤪

Side note: are you superstitious? I like to think of myself as not overly superstitious, but when given a chance to maximize my luck by knocking on wood or putting coins underneath my doormat on New Year’s Eve (it’s a Filipino thing), I’ll do it. And if there’s ever something that looks sketchy, like a doll made with button eyes and hay with hella needles stuck to it, or an old glass bottle filled with teeth! — there’s ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I’m touching it.

lancome le monochromatique k french smile — Watch out for those ladders and black cats!

On that somewhat weird note…here’s today’s face of the day, which is kinda related to luck because I was lucky enough to stumble onto these fabulous multi-use pans from Lancôme. Have you heard of the Le Monochromatiques? They’re in the permanent line. They’re these creamy multi-use products in chic black compacts with clear tops (which I love, by the way, because I can quickly find the exact color I need), with a bouncy soft texture, and you can wear them on your lids, lips and cheeks. They blend like a dream!

lancome le monochromatique swatches — I’m an NC42 in MAC, by the way.

I’ve been really into what I like to call “lazy girl glam” lately, which are looks that rely on multitasking makeup and incorporate a subtle element or two of glamour (like a hazy smokey lid or glowing cheek highlights), but, like, toned down enough so I feel comfortable wearing them to run errands. I purposefully give myself 15-20 minutes to do everything from start to finish; that way I don’t get tempted to pile more stuff on my face, LOL!

Anyway, the Le Monochromatique line is fantastic for this type of look. Here I used the matte coral shade French Affair as a blush and a lipstick. Next, I dabbed a little bit of pearly champagne Eclat on my upper cheekbones and in the inner corners of my eyes as a highlighter (you can also use it as a eyeshadow). Then I swept a bit of matte brown Ooh La La (which doubles as a bronzer) on my lids atop a black pencil for soft, daytime smokey eyes.

lancome le monochromatique k french affair — When you’ve got 12 pounds of hair you might as well do something with it, hahah!

Besides looking effortless — I love how these creams don’t look too thick or obvious — I love how you can use them in so many different ways. I plan on mixing the brown and the champagne on my eyes next to see what happens.

Makeup worn in this look

BASE: Lancôme Skin Feels Good in Tan

CHEEKS: Lancôme Le Monochromatique in French Affair (blush), Eclat (highlighter)

LIPS: Lancôme Le Monochromatique in French Affair

EYES: MAC Smolder liner, Lancôme Le Monochromatique in Oh La La, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara, Urban Decay Brow Beater in Neutral Brown