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Neutrogena

Summer Faves and Raves: New Neutrogena Makeup (Eyeliner, Concealer, Tinted Moisturizer, Highlighter, Brow Pencil and Serum/Primer)

July 21st, 2020 by Karen 3 Comments

neutrogena makeup summer 2020

I could spend all day combing through the Neutrogena makeup section at the drugstore.

ALL. DAY!

Here are a few makeup items of note, which I’ve been using and liking, most of which are pretty new to the line…

Precision Liquid Eyeliner

I cut a big-@ass batch of onions with this on, and it didn’t budge, so LOVE. The felt tip is long and flexible, so if you like a little “give,” it’s perfect for carving sharp-edged lines and flicking effortless wings. It’s also intensely pigmented and a true black. Just all around lovely to line lids! I wish it came in more colors.

Available in one shade, Jet Black, which comes in a 0.013-oz. pen for $9.99.

Smokey Kohl Eyeliner

Like the black liquid liner, these creamy twist-up pencils are no joke when it comes to staying power. I’ve cried with Smokey Grey on my lash and water lines, and it didn’t move. I just wish there were an easier way to sharpen the tip…

Available in five shades, $9.99 each for a 0.004-oz. pencil.

Healthy Skin Radiant Cream Concealer

This is expensive for drugstore at nearly $15, but what you get is pretty much the equivalent of a $30 Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural concealer. Just like Supernatural, it relentlessly refrains from settling into experience lines. The medium-coverage formula is creamy, but not watery, and it has a satiny finish (no obvious disco pearl, though). Maybelline Age Rewind (a holy grail drugstore concealer!) offers more coverage; however, Neutrogena’s is thinner and easier to blend. And it’s just a tad less obvious. If you don’t want your under-eye makeup to look heavy, look no further than this. For reference, I’m an NC42 in MAC and a Honey Bronze in Estée Lauder, and I use shade Almond Medium 2 for dark circle correction because of its peachy undertone, and Toffee Medium 3 for the rest of my face.

Oh, and one last thing — this photographs fantastically well.

 neutrogena makeup review
I’m wearing the Glow Primer + Serum, Protect+Tint Tinted Moisturizer, Healthy Skin Radiant Cream Concealer, Precision Liquid Eyeliner, Smokey Kohl Eyeliner, Glow On Liquid Highlighter, Cheeky Wink Flushed Blush and Nourishing Brow Pencil

Available in 15 shades, $14.99 for a 0.24-oz. tube.
[Continue reading…]

There are 3 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Eyes, Makeup, Neutrogena, Product Reviews

Summer Glam on the Go! Coral Lips and Peachy Bronzed Lids

July 15th, 2020 by Karen 10 Comments

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 2
Today’s summery glam on the go!

The other day, when I was wearing this makeup, I ran into my neighbor, and she asked if I was going anywhere special, to which I replied, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, “I’M GOING TO SPORTS BASEMENT!”

You know the bar for your entertainment is set reeeeeeeally low when you dress up like you’re going to fancy brunch on vacation, but in reality you’re going to a sporting goods store to look for weights…

Oh, the pandemic stories we’ll have to tell! 😂

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 4
A summery color palette

This summery look has a few of my favorite warm-weather shades — coral and bronze! — and looks fancy, but it’s very easy to do. It also feels light and weightless, which are must-haves when the temperature’s rising.

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 3

This look has three distinguishing features — long, lifted, lush lashes; warm, peachy bronze lids; and luminous skin.

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 5
Streamlined and summery makeup

1. Primer on the outer lashes

To make your lashes look longer and more dramatique, coat your outer lashes with a lengthening lash primer before loading them up with mascara. This creates a lush lash effect without the time and effort of falsies.

2. Bronzer is your buddy for glam-on-the-go eyes

Bronzed eyes are a summer staple, and while you could always search your makeup collection for that perfect shade, why not save yourself a little time and swish your favorite bronzer on your lids instead?

Here, I layered a warm golden tan bronzer atop a satiny peach cream shadow…

3. Define your lash line with brown and black eyeliner

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: gradients are your friend.

This brown-into-black eyeliner gradient on the upper lash line is subtle, but I think that’s the beauty of it.

Start by lining your upper and lower waterlines with a matte brown pencil. Then, draw a thin line on your upper lash line, and smudge the outer edge of that ever so slightly.

Add depth to the gradient by etching a very thin line of black liquid liner along the top lash line.

Added bonus: the black liner also creates the illusion of a thicker lash base!

Flexible face oil

You probably already know I’m a fan of customizing foundation — mixing in a few drops of concealer for added coverage, or adding a few drops of liquid highlighter for a luminous effect. Well, here’s another one to try: blend a drop or two of face oil into your foundation to dial down the opacity of your base. This trick is handy for applying base to sections of the face where you want more of your natural skin to peek through, and it’s what I did here for my forehead and the outer edges.

Fastest updo

If your hair is crazy from quarantine, and you’re tired of rockin’ your fun bun, gather it into a high pony, and secure it into small sections with tiny hair ties (I like these. Three bucks at Ulta!). You can keep the hair ties bare, like I did here (I think the shiny effect looks like jewelry), but if you want to boost the sophistication factor, cover up the ties by wrapping a small piece of hair around each one and securing it with a bobby pin.

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 1
See the shine from the hair ties?

Makeup worn in this look

I listed everything on my visage below, so please feel free to ask about any of these products in the comments. 😊
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There are 10 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Estee Lauder, Face of the Day (FOTD), Honest Beauty, Kevyn Aucoin, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To, Neutrogena, Stila, Wander Beauty

Summer Faves and Raves: Neutrogena Skin Care

July 10th, 2020 by Karen 14 Comments

neutrogena skin care summer 2020

Good mornin’! Happy Friday to you. 👋 I hope your day is getting off to a good start.

Simply for discussion purposes, here are a few drugstore Neutrogena faves I’ve been loving lately…

Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser

This paraben-, phthalate- and sulfate-free bad boy’s made for all skin types, but it works extra well for sensitive skin (including acne-prone peeps like moi). This oil-free face wash whisks away oil, sweat, makeup and anything else on your face without stripping your skin. I’ve loved this cleanser for years, and I typically return to using the Foaming Formula in the summer because of how quickly it removes leftover sunscreen and makeup from the day. Great stuff!

$9.99 for a 12-oz. bottle with a pump.

Neutrogena Shampoo Anti-Residue Formula

This basically brings my hair back from the dead! 🧟‍♀️ If you lean on smoothing hair products to control frizz AND remove leftover residue from shampoo, conditioner and styling products, this gentle but effective clarifying shampoo is SO money. It’s made for all hair types, including color-treated manes, and I use it once or twice a week in place of my regular shampoo to deep clean my roots and strands. Afterwards, my hair looks and feels more voluminous.

$6.99 for a 6-oz bottle.

Ultra Sheer Face Mist Sunscreen 55

I literally — literally — never leave home without this because I always have a bottle in my little black backpack. I usually do a mineral sunscreen before I leave the house (Elta MD), but I like to touch up with this physical sunscreen when I’m out and about. It’s a sheer, non-sticky liquid sunscreen that feels lightweight and comfortable. I mist a few few pumps in my hands, and then work the liquid onto my neck, arms, face and wherever else I want/need sun protection.

$17.49 for a 3.5-oz. bottle with a pump.
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There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Neutrogena, Product Reviews, Skin Care

Summer Glam on the Go! Gray-Black Cat Eyes With an Unexpected Swish of Shimmering Bronze on a Smokey Lower Lash Line

June 23rd, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

neutrogena protect tint tinted moisturizer
A small twist on your fave classic looks can make all the difference

On days when you crave just a little glam, like a level 3-4, this look hits the spot. It involves just a couple minor tweaks on classic eye makeup elements — black cat eyeliner and a smokey lower lash line — to give it a fresh twist.

Gray-black cat eyes

If you look closely at the liner, you’ll see soft dark gray along the outer edge of the upper lash liner, and the gray on the water lines. With black cat eye liner, you’ll typically see black pencil along the water lines, and black pencil liner is also commonly used as a base for black liquid liner when doing cat eyes, too.

But rather than reaching for the standard-issue black pencil, I used a gray liner instead, because it isn’t as stark, so it leads to a softer, more approachable look… And I like the subtle gradient of gray as it merges into black. (I’m all about that gradient life!)

I also paired the liner with matte warm browns on the upper lids and added a shimmery gold on the inner corners.

neutrogena liquid eyeliner
See the shimmery bronze peeking out from the lower lash line?

A shimmering bronze POP

Switch up your typical black or gray smokey lower lash line by layering a shimmery bronze eyeshadow. Place it right in the center of the lower lash line (aim for right underneath your iris).

To do this, I drew a thin line with a matte gray pencil liner along my lower lash line, then smudged it with a flat, compact head (super handy to have around for small, fine detail work).

neutrogena first crush blush
The gray pencil liner softens the edges of the black liquid liner on the upper lash line.

Then, I wiped the brush head on a paper towel, loaded it with a shimmery bronze powder eyeshadow, wet the brush head with a setting spray, and dabbed the wet brush head along the center of lower lash lines.

Tip: skip blending out the edges of your shimmering bronze eyeshadow. I think it looks cool to have the stark edge against the smokey gray! Not only do you save a step by skipping the blending, but you also maintain the intensity of the bronze, which is great because you really want it to stand out against the matte!

Where else am I gonna go?

As for the rest of the makeup, I kept the base and cheeks super sheer with a tinted moisturizer and cream blush because it’s hot here in Novato, and I wasn’t in the mood to wear a thick layer of makeup on the rest of my face… You always have the option of turning up the coverage to whatever you’re feeling on a given day. The world is your pickle, after all, so I’ll take bread-and-butter pickles, because I don’t do dill.

I ended up wearing this look to Trader Joe’s yesterday because, really, where else am I gonna go?? It’s one of the handful of places that’s 1) open, 2) somewhat entertaining, and 3) doesn’t skyrocket the low-level anxiety I’m living with lately.

On the way there, I drove past the bakery I worked at prior to the stay-at-home order, and I realized that, in a few weeks, I’ll have been out of work there *longer* than I actually worked there… It feels like I was living another life.

So, yeah, wore this to TJ’s, with the exception of the lipstick, lip liner and gloss, which faded after I ate my lunch (grilled cheese and tomato soup, if you’re curious). I didn’t bother to reapply since I was going to be wearing a mask anyway.

I think a half set of falsies on the outer corner would have been a nice touch, too, and I kinda wish I’d put some on!

Makeup breakdown

twist on classic swatches
Today’s color palette

Here’s everything I wore in this look! Lots of new-ish drugstore makeup from Neutrogena (one of my all-time favorite brands!).
[Continue reading…]

There are 16 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Eyes, Face of the Day (FOTD), Lips, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To, Neutrogena

Affordable Drugstore Makeup Mini Reviews: Bronzer, Primer, Powder Liner and Lipstick From Neutrogena, Covergirl and Revlon

June 12th, 2020 by Karen 20 Comments

coverigrl trublend banana neutrogena bronzed

Good morning! Happy Friday! 🤗

Some speedy reviews of drugstore items I’ve been wearing as of late…

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blush in Bronzed ($8.99)

Technically, this is a blush, but if you’re on the fairest of the fair end of the skin tone spectrum, this matte golden tan would be a bangin’ bronzer. It’s easy to blend and lasts all day. Since it’s a little too light to wear as a bronzer on my tan skin, I swoosh a little in my crease as a transition color. It’s perfect for that, too!

Covergirl Trubelnd Minerals Loose Mineral Powder in Banana ($7.99)

This yellow tinted loose powder is primarily for setting concealer and foundation, and the yellow tint is designed to create a brightening effect… I didn’t really notice a difference. *shrugs* It more or less looked translucent on my skin. Anywho, I dusted this atop a mix of tinted moisturizer and a little concealer during a recent heat wave, and it held the oil on my forehead at bay without looking heavy or thick.

I like this…but I think it’s a better fit for medium and deep complexions with olive undertones, because the yellow can look a little “off” on lighter skin.

Covergirl Trublend Base Business Skin Primer ($8.24)

This colorless face primer, like all Covergirl products, is cruelty-free. I don’t really feel like it adds any moisturize to my dry skin, but it does a bang-up job of mellowing out my pores. When I layer it underneath tinted moisturizer or concealer, my base looks smoother and lasts longer. I also seem to use less base, too.

Covergirl Full Spectrum Defining Moment in Blackest Black and Deep Purple ($7.99 each)

I like the black version of this twist-up liner because it actually stays on waterlines and lash lines, and once it’s there, it doesn’t move. Totally solid. The purple shade is just OK though… It doesn’t stick to my waterlines at all, but it handles my lash lines well enough.

Revlon Creme Lipstick in Pink Velvet ($4.99)

Ya know, this lipstick is just as good as ever — smooth, lightweight and BURSTING with pigment. And it’s so comfortably creamy on my lips… No funky flavor or scent. I can’t believe it’s only five bucks!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! 😃 Are you doing anything this weekend?

There are 20 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup

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About Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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