Urban Decay

Electric Eyes and Urban Decay Wired

February 25th, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

urban decay wired bright eyes — B-A-N-A-N-A-S

*ring* *ring* ☎️

Hello? Is anyone there? Hellooooo. It’s me, Karen, calling on my fruit phone, because this eye makeup is BANANAS. 🍌🍌🍌

There’s a lot going on here, I know! Not my usual neutral style at all, but I was inspired by the rainbow eye makeup on the model for the new Wired pressed pigment palette. 🌈

Plus, I was in the mood to try something new, which I highly recommend doing as often as possible, even if your cat is the only creature around to appreciate it…

Or, maybe not, since I can’t tell if Rosie likes brights! 🐈

Just in case you’re wondering, the fallout on this isn’t an issue. I hardly had to do any cleanup with a makeup wipe, which was great, but I could have done with more intensity.
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The Urban Decay Wired Palette Gives Color an Electrifying Jolt! (Swatches)

February 20th, 2020 by Karen 3 Comments

A few years ago, Urban Decay released a pressed pigment palettes similar to Wired, their newest neon offering, but Wired will not make your brain short circuit while you’re blending it.

UD identifies which colors can be worn on your eyes and which can’t right on the compact.

Everything is mapped out, and the total package is concise and clear.

The Wired palette is part of a larger limited edition collection of florescent liners and lipglosses, and it’s currently available now.

From the Urban Decay website…

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
A 10-pan palette of pressed pigments in shockingly bright yet ultra-blendable shades for face, eye, and body.

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW
Go electric with the Wired Pressed Pigment Palette, a 10-pan lineup of velvety-smooth pigments that deliver insane color payoff while being super blendable and buildable. Experiment with these hyperpigmented shades or dip into Glitch, a pure white hue, to transform bright shades into ultra-modern pastels.

OH, YEAH, IT’S ALSO…
Cruelty-free

Fill Weight: 10 x 1.2 g POIDS NET / NET WT. 10 x 0.04 oz

Urban Decay is 100% cruelty-free.

Side note: I see makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts creatively using palettes with shades labeled “for use on eyes only” on their lids all the time, and I swear the model in the UD promo picks looks like she’s wearing the red from the “Face & Body” side on hers…

There’s a reason why companies choose to mark some shades as “approved” for use on the eyes while others aren’t, and in most cases, it’s due to the use of ingredients that aren’t approved for use on the eyes.

All I can say is what I’ve done and what I’ve seen…so what’s the moral of this makeup tale? Answer: You do you, baby boo!

Sooo, I kinda love all the color blocking on the model’s eyes in the promo pic, and I might try that look just for fun, but generally these colors are a bit cray for me during this season in my makeup life. I do love the idea of doing something wearable by applying one or two of the shades with a wet angled brush as winged liner, and I’ll probably also apply a bit of white underneath one of the brights to punch up the color even more!

And, hey, maybe one day I’ll actually stumble upon an occasion to paint my body and finally sport a lively lime green on my booty or a crazy crimson on my elbows. If, and when, that occasion arrives, it’ll be electrifying. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

February 7th, 2020 by Karen 23 Comments

1. Earl Grey

I like mine with milk and 🍯 honey…lots of honey. I’ve been downing it daily, sometimes twice, and I’m freaking out a little because I just made myself a cup and realized that I’m out of tea now…

I think I’m low-key addicted!

2. Sparkly pencil eyeliner

In particular, anything with tiny flecks of glitter, because when you buff out the liner, it’s so sparkly! And, seriously, it’s the easiest way jooj up weekday work makeup.

urban decay oil slick swatch — See the sparkles? LOVE.

3. Morning affirmations

You are 100% permitted to call me corny, because this video sounds like something b-list comedians would make fun of on Saturday Night Live, but listening to positive affirmations first thing in the morning helps. A lot. I repeat them internally while I’m washing my face, brushing my teeth, getting changed and making my bed. Gets the day started right.

4. Cats on my couch

Cats make a house feel like a home, amirite?

Everyone should have at least one content kitty on their couch at any given moment. Currently, there are two napping on mine…

5. Level Up by Ciara

I feel like Ciara is so underrated, man. This song is about learning from your mistakes (I think) and having the strength to get over your fears. Also, that beat is bangin’! I have it on my running playlist.

What have you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF.

Greens and Grays

January 29th, 2020 by Karen 18 Comments

Raise your paw if you ever get stuck in color combo ruts.

I FEEL YOU!

So, lately I’ve been trying to wear color combos that I normally wouldn’t think to pair together, but it’s hard to break out of old habits, man. Like with this green and gray look. I naturally want to wear greens with warm brown, so it was a little challenging to go against my nature and swap the brown for gray.

I ended up liking how it turned out, though, so yay for makeup experiments! I’m getting a springtime vibe from it… Only 51 days till winter is over.

There’s a ton of sh*t happening on the lids, I know. It’s A LOT of color. I started with a mid-toned matte gray in the crease, then blended a shimmery green on the lids and lower lash lines, finishing with a darker blackened green on the outer corner and a bright light green on the lower waterline (I think it pops against the darker colors). And lots of mascara, of course.

Makeup worn in this look

Eyes: NARS Eyeshadow Primer in Medium (all over lids), Viseart Netural Matte Palette (matte gray shade in crease), UD Born to Run Palette (green is Wanderlust and Big Sky mixed together and applied with a wet brush to lid and lower lash line); the dark greenish blackened gray in the outer corner is Jet, Drift and Radio mixed together), Urban Decay liner in Freak (lower lash and water lines), IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara (lashes), MAC Brun and Omega (brows)

Cheeks: Clinique Cupid Blush, MAC Hush (highlighter), Hourglass Radiant Bronze Light (bronzer)

Base: MAC Next to Nothing Face Colour in Medium Plus and MAC Studio Fix Soft Matte Foundation Stick in NC42 (foundation), Estee Lauder 24H Concealer in Medium Deep Warm (concealer), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden (powder)

Lips: Estee Lauder Raw Sugar Lipstick topped with Hourglass Horizon Lipgloss

Coywolf’s snow story

When I dropped off the Coywolf at school one day this week, I couldn’t help but notice some new artwork on the classroom wall. Last week the kids all got to take turns dressing up in an Olaf snowman costume and discussing snow, and the teacher took pics. I had one of those, “This is definitely my child” moments when I found Connor’s…

I like the part where she talks about ice cubes on her head, ha ha ha!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

A Quick Eye-Opening Tip for Hooded Lids

January 3rd, 2020 by Karen 16 Comments

urban decay light liner — Clockwise from the white on the upper left: Urban Decay Yeyo, Urban Decay Scorch, Urban Decay Goldmine, Urban Decay Heartless, Esum Rose and Urban Decay Cuff

Here’s a quick tip for my ladies with hooded eyelids, because mine are getting more and more hooded every day! Here’s what you can do to make your eyes and your lid real estate look a little larger.

You’ll need two things…

A slightly shiny liner in a shade lighter than your natural skin tone. Mind you, it doesn’t have to be sequinned diva-caliber glittery. An essence of pearl is ideal, and apply this along your upper lash line.
A darker liner with which to tightline, and a dark brown or inky black will work, but you could go with a dark purple or navy, too. Tightline your upper waterline with it, and really try to get in between the roots of your lashes.

With these two liners working together, the darker one will make it look like you’re wearing dark liner on your upper lash line (it also has the added bonus of making your lash base appear thicker, which is always a plus), and will also make that area look further away in 3D space, i.e. more recessed, while the shimmery lighter liner will catch light along your upper lash line and make it look more pronounced, completing the overall illusion of making your lid space appear larger than it is.

Pic on the left is with the lighter liner on the upper lash line and the darker line on tightline. Pic on the right is with a dark black liner on the upper lash line and waterline. See how my eyes on the left look much less hooded?

I’ve been doing this a lot lately with dark brown MAC Coffee and light, shimmery bronze Urban Decay Scorch, a combo that works well with my NC42 skin, and I think it makes my eyes look much less hooded than they do when I wear a straight-up black or brown liner on the upper lash line alone.

If you have a lighter skin tone, try a very light, shimmery peach like ESUM Dual Eye Pencil in Rose and Aubergine, and use the shimmery peach on your upper lash line and the dark purple to tightline.
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