Makeup

Current Makeup Inspiration

April 4th, 2019 by Karen 15 Comments

I’m always about *this* close to quitting my subscription to Allure, because every time a Kardashian or a Jenner pops on the cover, I’m just like, “I can’t. I can’t do this anymore.” But then, ya know, another issue will arrive, and I’ll start flipping through the pages, and it’s just makeup inspiration up the wazoo, so I keep subscribing.

In the April 2019 issue…AH! — so much color inspo from the beautiful actress Gemma Chan. She’s one of the stars of Crazy Rich Asians and the sci-fi drama Humans, where she plays a preternaturally beautiful robot who gains self-awareness.

There’s a lengthy piece on her with pictures of different looks, and what strikes me the most is all the color. There’s a lot of it, but so much of it is done in a way that looks totally doable and wearable. In fact, I think they could be turned into 10-minute versions, like her cover look… The lip? Oh, I love the red lip. The edges are perfect! I also love the soft flick in the outer corner and how it looks like she’s only wearing one or two eyeshadows on her lids (they don’t look cray complicated).

Also, may I point out her black nail polish?! Love it. 💖 From a practical standpoint, however, I know I’d only get a day or two out of it before seeing chips, but it looks so good in these pics, man. It’s an edgy counterpoint to the classic, timeless makeup.

Could this be the catalyst for me breaking out of my pastel polish phase? Maybe!

I’ve also got mad love for this second look here with the perfectly matching pink lids and the pink lips…

And see her lashes? I love how natural they look. Definitely not OTT. They just look like lashes with mascara on them, and same goes for her brows. They’re full, but yet still look like regular brows.

I’m also getting major inspiration from this Lancôme foundation ad on the back cover. This is my favorite type of makeup to wear — neutral shades with a low-key glam style. I love that all of the looks have one focal point (black kitten liner, a smudgy bronze lower lash line, and that gorgeous plum lip), and everything is “pulled back.”

It just goes to show that neutrals are anything but boring.

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Makeup Lovers…We’re All Artists! (And a Peek at the MAC eL Seed Collection in Action)

April 3rd, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

I’ve had painting on the brain lately for two reasons — one, because I’ve been spending practically every free moment at Home Depot because we’re planning some much-needed repairs and updates to the house this summer, including painting the place from top to bottom, because when El Hub and I purchased our place and moved in about a decade ago, we had no idea what we were doing. We were first-time homeowners, and the whole process was (and still is kinda) a mystery. We painted the interior with a flat finish, but flat finish is not your friend when you live with a toddler and/or a perpetually ravenous tabby who eats with reckless abandon and gets gravy splashes on the walls. Go with eggshell, homie. Eggshell is the way! It’s so much easier to clean.

The second reason I’ve had painting on the brain lately is because of the new MAC eL Seed collection, which is coming out in a few days. It’s one of those LE releases that just feels so artsy to me, which I guess makes sense since it’s a collaboration with an artist. eL Seed is a Tunisian graffiti artist who was raised in Paris, and he’s famous for combining Arabic script with graffiti.

It gave me the urge to paint! — and not just because of the gorgeous eye and face palette…

mac el seed cicero full face kit — The Cicero Full Face Kit, which is mostly eyeshadows and two blushes (the pink shades)

It’s the brushes.

Ooh, the brushes… They’re unusually long for makeup brushes.

They look like legit painter’s brushes to me.

I was doing makeup with them the other day and got to thinking about how I forget all the time that makeup really *is* painting. When you think about it, it’s so much like what painters do when they put brush to canvas. You’ve got your pigments and paint, and when you sit down to buff and blend everything on the blank canvas that is your face, you paint a temporary work of art. It’s so cool!

Funny thing is, I never really thought of myself as an “art person.” When I was in high school, I was in band and played every instrument under the sun, so I was a total music nerd, and I was also on the newspaper, but the last true art class I took was in eighth grade (which I got a B+ in, by the way!). That’s the extend of my art training.

mac el seed swatches final — Swatches of the Cicero Full Face Kit (the two pink shades are blushes) and three of the Lipsticks — Declaring Love (pink), Maya La Belle (red) and Une Caresse (plummy brown)

So I don’t think of myself as an artist, but makeup is art! For a few minutes (almost) every day, as I’m painting my lids and my lips and everything else, I get to be in touch with my inner eighth-grade artist, or rather, ahr-teest.

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Makeup Organizers at Marshalls

April 2nd, 2019 by Karen 16 Comments

Don’t sleep on these finds at Marshalls…

Cute makeup organizers at Marshalls! From a practical standpoint, if any of these were to actually make a difference in my makeup collection, they’d have to be the size of wine barrels, ha ha ha! But they’re still cute nonetheless.

If you’re a hardcore makeup hoarder like I am, you could keep the jars on your desk or vanity, and swap out the items in them every week or two. That way you’d always have different makeup rotating through your collection. 😉

I have a tendency to put some things in a big bag and just grab out of that because it’s convenient, but I think if I had some cute jars like these I’d be more inclined to wear a wider variety of things from my collection…if they were easier to get to, ya know?

eyes glitz glam wake up make up — Sold separately, but would make a cute set

Maybe keep your favorite brushes in them? Or everything you need for 10-minute looks?

Of course, you can always get creative and use makeup-themed (or cat-themed) mugs to store your stuff!

cat mug marshalls front — Dear Cat Ladies, Marshalls has your back!

When you can’t escape cat butts, even on your mugs

I swear, my Marshalls obsession has been next-level lately! Ever since the roof collapsed on the HomeGoods by me, Marshalls has been like the siren song of the sea.

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10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves: Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush

April 2nd, 2019 by Karen 13 Comments

clinique blushing blush powder blush cupid — Love this blush for fast, fresh makeup! The lipstick is MAC Velvet Teddy, and the eyeshadow is Clinique Lots o’ Latte, by the way.

The 10-Minute Makeup Must-Haves series shows off some of *the best* makeup for speedy (but sensational!) skin, eyes, cheeks and lips.

Five minute, 10 minute… Heck — three-minute makeup! You can do it *all* with Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush ($24 each). These totally goof-proof powder blushes are fantastic for those out-the-door days, which I’ve come to love and appreciate lately.

You may have noticed that I’ve been wearing shade Sunset Glow a lot lately (like, all last week!). It’s a beautiful golden coral with a satin finish, and the magic behind this (and all of the blushes in this family) is that it’s semi-transparent, meaning that you can take your blush brush, dip it into the pan, do a swish or two on your cheek, a quick blend at the edges, and be totally and completely done. You won’t be stuck erasing a hard line of demarcation at the edges of your cheeks. Instead, you’ll find a soft, subtle gradient, and it almost just happens naturally if you load a brush with this blush and gently tap-tap-tap it a few times on your cheek. It’s like powder blush for dummies!

clinique blushing blush powder blush sunset glow cupid swatches — Built these up so you could see what they look like when they’re layered heavily. I’m an NC42 in MAC, but I think both of these blushes will look lovely on most skin tones.

And HELLO, flexibility. If I’m ever in the mood for more color on my cheeks, all I have to do is pop another layer or two on, because these blushes also build up beautifully.
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Swatches of the Nine New NARS Lip Glosses

April 1st, 2019 by Karen 14 Comments

new nars lip gloss spring 2 18 — Introducing nine new NARS Lip Glosses, and nine new reasons to shine!

NARS recently added nine new shades of lip gloss ($24 each) to their permanent line, and yes, some of them have scandalous monikers.

Incidentally, awkward is seeing a picture of yourself grinning nonchalantly on the Interwebz with the words “Sexual Content” next to your head.

Outrage!

You know what they say, though… No Regrets.

The standouts for me among this new crop o’ colors are the mid-tone rose, berry and brown shades. NARS poured all of the pigment into Sexual Content, Fever Beat, Mythic Red, No Regrets, Pulsion and Love Me Do, and there’s so much intensity there that they could pass for glossy liquid lipsticks.

Thumbs up! I’ve been wearing Pulsion and Mythic Red the most, usually with taupe or golden brown eyeshadow.

On the sheer side, there’s creamy coral Outage (which I LOVE, especially layered on top of a light coral lippie), pale pastel purple Color Me (bluh, patchy) and golden glittery Sexy Time (which is grrrritty).
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