Beauty Tips

Today’s (7-Minute) Makeup: Monochromatic Lids, Cheeks and Lips

January 30th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

I’ve recently come to the following conclusion:

Five-minute makeup is bullsh*t.

Rather, it is if you (correction, I) want to do more than tinted moisturizer, brows, mascara and a nude lip.

I mean, I do five-minute makeup looks all the time. I like ’em. They’re easy, convenient… Well, those are their main selling points, but they aren’t really that much fun, because it’s just not enough time to do more than the basics.

And sometimes I want to have fun! — and I have more swag when I’m feeling my makeup, and when I have more swag, Beyoncé better watch out.

Therefore, in the pursuit of swag…seven-minute makeup is where it’s at.

It’s the sweet spot for me. It’s just enough time to go a little extra (with liner, blush, what have you), but it’s still lazy girl doable.

So, here was my seven-minute makeup look today. I did it using some new products from the MAC in Monochrome collection, but there’s also some Hourglass up in the mix. Everything is listed below in the order applied. If you have any questions, you know where to find me. 😀

mac velvet teddy monochrome — Baby, how YOU feeling?

mac in monochrome velvet teddy makeup of the day final — Seven minutes, I can do.

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Current Foundation Routine —> All About That Base

January 15th, 2019 by Karen 30 Comments

OK, it’s true, I seemingly have a new foundation routine every two seconds because I like to switch things up all the time. Lately I’ve been using a slightly different combo of some old faves, and I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what I’ve been doing with my skin. So I guess it’s working for me! Here’s the product lineup in order from start to finish…

MAC Fix+: A few spritzes on bare skin
MAC Prep+ Prime Natural Radiance: One pump applied all over face
MAC Mineralize Timecheck Lotion: One pump on oily spots (forehead, nose, chin)
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC42 mixed with a few drops of Pinklite Strobe Cream (1-3 very thin layers)
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Liquid Concealer in shade 7 (under the eyes) and shade 8 (on cheeks and around nose)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder in Golden Tan
MAC Fix+: A few more sprays after all of the powder products have been applied (powder, blush, bronzer, highlighter, etc.)

I’d call this a medium-coverage base. The coverage is just shy of full, and I like that this combo doesn’t feel heavy, but there’s still enough coverage to even out the skin.

It does take time, though. Definitely more than a one-minute job with tinted moisturizer and concealer applied with my fingers and buffed out with a brush or sponge (which is also a totally legit process, but also a totally different look).

If you’re gonna go this route, I recommend doing a couple things…

1. Wait for your face primer to dry

I usually apply my face primer at the start of my makeup, then do my brows and eyes to give the primer time to absorb. If I’m in a hurry, I’ll wait a minute or two, and then blot down as much as I can with a tissue or paper towel, but you basically want the primer to have fully absorbed so it can do its thing. You don’t want to jump to the next steps while it’s sitting on top of your skin.

2. Thin layers are key!

OH, THE MAGIC OF THIN BASE LAYERS. I could talk about this for ages, but here’s the gist of it: If you’re going for a good amount of coverage but don’t want your base makeup to look like cake frosting, use multiple thin layers of foundation and/or concealer, as opposed to just piling a ton of product on bare skin.

The thin layers will give you the coverage you want without looking like batter.

It does takes time and effort, though…

Apply each thin layer with your fingers or a sponge or brush, and blend it in with a buffing brush (you want to get the layers as close to your skin as possible). Also, wait for the previous layer to dry (at least a minute or two) before applying the next one, and repeat until you reach the coverage you want.

It’s like walking around with a goat in your arms…

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The Easiest Way to Wear Red Lipstick

December 12th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

urban decay tryst lipstick — —-> I’ve found your new favorite way to wear red lipstick. 😉

Nine times out of 10, I’d rather wear a nude lip than a red, because I just don’t like having to deal with the precision, man. I don’t want to spend the time loading a lip brush or dealing with red lip liner, or correcting any wonkiness with concealer. I just wanna put on some lipstick, quickly, and get on to living my cat’s best life, ha ha ha!

Be that as it may, this doesn’t mean I don’t ❤️ wearing red lips because I totally do! — especially during the holidays. ‘Tis the season for red, after all, so I have a workaround way to wear red that I’ve been loving lately, and I think you will too.

Note: It’s SUPER easy.

I’ve been doing it a lot lately with Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Tryst ($18), a charming creamy reddish fuchsia.

Here it is straight from the tube. No liner, no lip brush.

urban decay tryst lip swatch — Crazy for crimson (but not the time it takes to apply it)

I like this red full-on by itself, but it does take some elbow grease to get everything all even, and to do it semi-decently in a moving car, which is where I usually put on my lip color these days, because I’m always cutting it this close to getting somewhere on time.

So lately I’ll start with a layer of nude lipstick (Honest Beauty Blossom is my current fave, but any nude should work) instead. Then, after I get a layer down, I apply a thin layer of red lipstick on top, directly from the tube. Then I rub my lips together to mix everything, and feather the edges with a finger.

urban decay tryst on top of honest beauty blossom — You can totally do this in a moving vehicle, I swear.

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Going for the Glitter? Get Thee a Fluffy Brush, ASAP!

December 12th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

nars ignited palette k — Glitter during the daytime hours? WHY NOT!

Friends, please raise your coffee mugs and join me in congratulating my dayum self!

Now, you might be asking, “Um…Karen, what the heck are we toasting to?” And if so, fair enough. 😊 See, I’ve come to the life-changing conclusion that using a fluffy brush to apply glitter changes lives.

Why a fluffy brush?

Correction: It has to be a specific type of fluffy brush. What you want is a fluffy flat or angled eyeshadow brush — something like the MAC 275S or my fave, the Sephora Pro Angled Shadow Brush #13, which, sadly, is discontinued.

Basically, though, a fluffy flat (or angled) brush deposits the perfect amount of glitter onto lids while simultaneously minimizing fallout.

I’ve only just started doing this because I normally just use a finger to press the glitter on my lids to pack that ish in place, but the thing is, when I wanna wear glitter during the daytime, BECAUSE WHY NOT, this approach can be a little too disco.

nars ignited palette k2 — Pretty subtle as far as glitter goes. I’m wearing the NARS Ignited Palette, by the way. It has lots of pink and purple and warm reddish browns, and methinks it looks ***good*** with rose-colored tops and dresses.

Sheer, but precise

Fluffy brush, though? Yes, life-changing! The key is the low density of the brush head. The fluffiness sheers out the glitter just enough to leave you with a dusting of elegant sparkle on your eyes, as opposed to full-on rave glitter (err, do people still call those parties raves? #datingmyself). The shape of the brush head is also a may-jah player. Since flat or angled eye brushes are precise, and much more precise than, say, domed or tapered eye blending brushes like the MAC 217 or 224, so you can put your glitter exactly where you want it.

I mean, of course you’ll have to tap off your brush first, and then pat, rather than sweep, the glitter on your lids to reduce as much fallout as you can (obvi), but using a fluffy brush results in a sheerer, more elegant and subtle application that *totally* works for daytime makeup.

Fix that fallout

And if you do end up with fallout, no worries. Just use a little Scotch tape or the sticky part on the back of a Post-it, and gently press it onto any wayward glitter flecks to lift them away!

What I’m wearing in these pics

I used the Sephora #13 brush to apply some glitter from the new NARS Ignited palette ($59, limited edition, available at Sephora) that I wore last week, and it was a look I also happened to be wearing when I picked up Connor Claire at preschool.

nars ignited palette packaging — I like the packaging, too.

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Hanging With “Makeup People,” and Thoughts on Looking Like You’re Trying With Your Makeup Even Though You Really Haven’t Tried at All

November 9th, 2018 by Karen 15 Comments

Last weekend at a children’s birthday party, which was held inside an art studio, I got to make pinch bowls with ceramic clay (I asked El Hub if he wanted to recreate that scene with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore from Ghost but he said no). At the party, I bumped into a fellow makeup person (hey, Shakun!), and as our kids devoured birthday cake and buzzed around the room, naturally, the conversation drifted to the makeup we were wearing, because that’s what you do when you are a “makeup person,” as opposed to a standard “makeup civilian” (yes, I’m officially coining that term right now).

Big surprise! — I was wearing neutrals on my lids and lips, but because it was a party and I felt like I needed to try a little bit, I also drew some shimmery blue winged liner at the last minute using two colors for an ombre effect. I used a light teal in the inner part of the lash line (Urban Decay Deep End) and a darker sapphire for the outer third and wing (LSD, also by UD).

Not one at that party — not even El Hub, who was the person who probably spent the most time looking directly at my eyes that afternoon — noticed that I was wearing two shades of blue liner, except for Shakun.

BAM! Right off the bat, she pointed out the ombre effect and asked what I used. Funny how it’s like that when you’re hanging with a makeup person, right?! They notice the details right away.

I complimented Shakun on her bright red matte lipstick, and she said that she was wearing red lips because she didn’t have a lot of time to get ready, but she still wanted to look like she tried because it was a party. LOL!

That got me thinking bout the things we do as “makeup people” when we want to look like we tried, but we’re still pressed for time.

I definitely have a go-to bag of tricks for these occasions, like colorful liner, of course, which is so easy, and it’s even easier if you leave out the winged part of it. Anything jewel-toned and shimmery, I like, but purples are what I reach for the most. And GLITTER! A glittery liquid liner, or a glittery eyeshadow top coat (Urban Decay Diamond Dog!), always works wonders and doesn’t take a lot of effort. And, of course, a bright hot pink or red lip. All of these things pop with hardly any effort.

False lashes also up the ante, but at this point in my life I reserve them for special events and holidays like Halloween.

Thanks for being a fellow makeup person. 🙂 Because sometimes I really need someone more interactive to talk to about these things than Tabs…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!