Makeup

Real Makeup Life: Gnarly Brow Gel

March 27th, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

mac clear brow set — Believe it or not, these are the same product (Exhibit A).

I present to you Exhibit A.

Above is a picture of a brand-spankin’-new tube of MAC Clear brow gel (my go-to at the moment because it reigns in stray brow hairs without a stiff crunch), and um…another picture of the exact same product, but one that’s been living in my makeup bag for the past few months.

I know. Ewww. I said the same thing when I saw them next to each other.

I’m pretty sure there’s NO WAY I’m the only person on this planet whose brow gel gets gnarly like this. I mean, I’m not super proud of it or anything, and it’s probably something I shouldn’t be sharing on the Internet, but here we are. Gnarly brow gel happens.

I probably also shouldn’t be surprised, because I have a habit of running the gel through my brows *after* I fill them in (makes them look more natural IMO and less obviously filled in), and I use brow gel daily, but still…shocked!

If you use clear brow gel, does this happen to yours, too?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! Right?

Actually, about that…El Hub and I were just talking about how, with both of us home all day during the week, the days have been blurring together. Is this happening to you? And it’s been hard to plan special things to do, because we aren’t going to restaurants or to stores or the mall, which are things we’d normally do to treat ourselves on the weekend for fun.

We do make meals and rent movies and go for walks and drives, but coming up with new ways to treat ourselves at the end of the week has been tricky.

Does this make any sense? Is this also happening to you?

Spring Makeup Ideas: Blue Eye Makeup With a Green Top

March 25th, 2020 by Karen 8 Comments

Unsolicited life tip: When you unknowingly grow a Machiavellian mustache on your upper lip, it’s probably time to put some makeup on again.

So here we go!

OK, raise your hand 🙋‍♀️ (which I’m assuming has been vigorously washed with soap for a minimum of 20 seconds) if you tend to go matchy-matchy with your clothes when you wear colorful makeup. BECAUSE I TOTALLY DO. You know that girl wearing orange eyeshadow and orange lipstick and an orange shirt? Yup. So me!

A surprisingly springy combination

I would never think to wear this blue eye makeup with a green shirt (am I the only one?), but when I saw the blue shadow and green outfit on Meghan Markle recently, I was like, “YES. Rock those jewel tones together, Meg!”

I think the blue shadow and green clothing pairing is surprisingly springy, especially if you wear it on a rainy day, which I did. When it’s wet and cold and everything outside is stone cold gray, the blue-green combo stands out even more.

Also, yeah, I know there’s a lot of eyeshadow swatches up in the mix. While I’m usually one for keeping eye makeup streamlined, especially for the past few months with the new job at the bakery and all, this time around I went ham on mixing and blending ALL THE EYESHADOWS. Try your hand at custom mixing your own shades sometime. Mixing and matching is so, so fun.

Key makeup worn in this look

EYES: It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette (a mix of cool and warm browns in the crease, and the navy shade on the lid), Kevyn Aucoin ElectroPop Palette (blue/green shades on lid), Maybelline Tattoo Studio Gel Liner in Striking Navy and MAC Coffee liner (waterline and lower waterline), Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Mascara (lashes)

Cheeks: NARS Amour (blush), Hourglass Radiant Bronze Light (bronzer)

Lips: Nudestix Cheek/Lip Pencil in Mystic, MAC Boldly Bare lip liner, MAC Beaux Lipglass

Base: Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Honey Bronze mixed with MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklight, Estée Lauder 24HR Concealer in Medium Deep Warm

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product Spotlight: Laura Mercier Rosé Cheek Color

March 23rd, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

laura mercier rose blush swatch — Rosé all day

“No-makeup” makeup people, take note: This warm pink powder blush will release you from your “blahs” while summoning your cheeks back to life.

I barely wore any makeup last weekend (real talk: I’ve been feeling kinda blah), but I *did* manage to put on some mascara, brow gel and Laura Mercier Rosé today, AND THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT!

Rosé is a warm-toned pink matte powder blush, and I didn’t realize just how much I’ve been neglecting my usual beauty routine lately until I looked in the mirror this morning and saw a mustache worthy of a Disney villain on my upper lip.

via GIPHY

A little makeup was definitely in order.

So, yeah, if you want to feel somewhat functional/normal, if only for a moment, wear blush — ideally, one like Rosé, which has that patented “no-makeup makeup®” thing going. It’s colorful without being intense, and matte, and it doesn’t look heavy or harsh.

Are you the type of person who skips foundation? Or do you just wear a touch of tinted moisturizer? If so, this blush is at its best when it’s dusted directly on bare skin or on top of a minimal base.

Hopefully, someday soon we’ll all have places to go with actual real live people in them again, and Laura Mercier Rosé will be ready. It’s available now on the Ulta website for $30.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product Spotlight: Laura Mercier Caviar Volume Mascara

March 19th, 2020 by Karen 14 Comments

laura mercier caviar mascara — Ready to give you a lift

FOR DECADES I believed that a lash curler was a non-negotiable when dealing with stick straight lashes (mine will flex the curl outta everything), but that’s totally not so, man! My opinion changed when Laura Mercier’s marvelous Caviar Volume Mascara, which is part of LM’s permanent collection and available at Ulta for $25, rocked my world.

It all started one day a few weeks ago… I was running late for work and couldn’t find my lash curler, so out of desperation I whacked a few coats of this stuff directly on my uncurled lashes, and it finessed a perfectly lifted curl into place.

I was shocked! In fact, I’m still in awe, and I really have no idea how it works. I almost feel like I’m messing with supernatural blood makeup magic and probably shouldn’t go there, but I can’t help myself, ya know? Not only does this mascara lift and curl lashes without the help of a lash curler, but it also separates and elongates lashes while imparting a noticeable amount of volume, but not so much that your fringe looks fake or spidery.

laura mercier caviar mascara before after — No lash curler needed, babe.

It also doesn’t smudge or flake, and even though it isn’t technically waterproof, I’ve cried wearing it a few times (yes, I’m a big cry baby), and it didn’t run.

It comes in one shade, a glossy black, and you can find it at Ulta for $25 a tube.

Your friendly neighborhood fringe addict,

Karen

Spring Makeup Ideas: Sparkly Taupes and Purples With a Soft Hint of Pink

March 19th, 2020 by Karen 31 Comments

wander beauty wanderess k3 — Big hair, big dreams

It’s weird. Even though the world around me feels like it has gone full-on BONKERS, when I go outside for walks with the Coywolf (and we’ve been going for a lot of them), the great outdoors seems unaware of the sitch in the human world.

Spring, in all her glory, keeps coming.

Case in point: One of the showiest trees in the neighborhood is blooming, and she’s absolutely gorgeous.

(Yes, she’s a dainty lady in my eyes.)

Coy-Coy and I went for several walks yesterday, and on one of them we stopped by to visit our favorite tree. As we stood under the canopy of flowers and looked up, tiny pink petals gently floated onto my hair, and I felt a song in my heart.

Thank you, tree, for your inspiration — makeup and otherwise!

For this springtime makeup look, I did shades of taupe and light purple on the lids, with plummy cheeks and soft pink lips.

wander beauty wanderess taupe look swatches — Key items in this springy look

wander beauty wanderess taupe look — Feelin’ springy

Key items worn in this look

EYES: MAC Groundwork Paint Pot (eyeshadow base), Wander Beauty Wanderess Escape Palette (Nude beach and Enchanted in the crease, Flourish on the lids, and Moonlit in the inner corner), MAC Coffee and Cargo Liner (lash and water lines), Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara (lashes)

CHEEKS: NARS Sin (blush)

LIPS: MAC Oak pencil (outer lip edge), MAC Boldly Bare pencil (inner portion of lips), MAC Oyster Girl gloss (all over lips)

BASE: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (to prep skin), Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Honey Bronze mixed with MAC Strobe Cream, Estee Lauder 24H Concealer, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Golden Tan

What does spring look like in your neck of the woods?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen