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Makeup

This Matte Brown Classic Eye Makeup Goes With Everything

January 20th, 2021 by Karen 7 Comments

eyeshadow breakdown eye makeup goes with everything
This is an easy, everyday classic eye look.

If I were cruelly forced to select a tiny handful of eye makeup looks to wear for the rest of my life the rest of the winter, this matte brown look with brownish black eyeliner would definitely make the cut.

Not only is it relatively speedy to do (say 15-20 minutes start to finish), it’s also easy because it doesn’t heavily rely on intense blending.

eyeshadow breakdown eye makeup goes with everything
Products I used…

A banging’ brew of browns

So, what makes it relatively easy? Answer: The two brown shades — the golden brown on my lids (MAC Cork) and the warmer orangey brown in my crease (MAC Saddle) — are similar tones, which makes blending them together easier.

In fact, if you’re REALLY pressed for time, you can even skip the warm brown in the crease, and just wear the golden brown eyeshadow all over your lids.

That said, I do like the warm brown in the crease because, especially when I’m wearing a little bronzer, a warm brown in the crease ties everything together nicely.

Always adjustable

Another added bonus to this look is that it really does work with everything — bold lipsticks, nude lipsticks, no lipstick at all (for when I’m masked up). It’s quite flexible.

eyeshadow breakdown eye makeup goes with everything bright lip
With a bold lip color, MAC Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour in Escandalo. Long Live Lipstick Tee in Red Hibiscus.
eyeshadow breakdown eye makeup goes with everything
Same eyes makeup, different lip color (MAC Powder Kiss Liquid Lipstick in Crossfade mixed with Sorry Not Sorry)
eyeshadow breakdown eye makeup goes with everything nude lip
I feel good in this makeup! Long Live Lipstick Tee in Driftwood.

Base notes

Oh, and about that eyeshadow base — in the pics above, I’m purposefully wearing a beige cream eye primer with a beige powder eyeshadow buffed on top, which are lighter than my skin tone. I do this because, when I want browns to show up on my brown skin, I have to go lighter with my base. That makes them pop. I recommend going with a base that’s similar to your skin tone.

Sometimes, though, I skip the beige base entirely and just do a swish of golden brown eyeshadow all over my lids, like in this pic below:

duri when in rome
I’m wearing MAC Cork all over my lids without an eyeshadow base. The lipstick is MAC Relentlessly Red. Nail polish is Duri When in Rome. Nap Then Attack Tee.

See how the brown shadow adds a touch of depth to my crease? But not as much as it does when there’s a beige base underneath? I think it still works, though.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Today is inauguration day here in the US. Congratulations and good luck to President Biden and Vice President Harris!

There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Chanel, Eyes, MAC Makeup, Makeup, NARS, Urban Decay

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Urban Decay Stay Naked Threesome in Naked

January 12th, 2021 by Karen 9 Comments

urban decay stay naked threesome top
One of THE BEST things Urban Decay makes IMO, hands down!

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

I’m totally over pervy names for beauty products (Anyone else? I feel like it’s just lazy language!), but the Urban Decay Stay Naked Threesome is one of the best everyday products in the entire line, so I just shake my head, accept the perviness, and call it my favorite bronzer-blush-highlighting palette instead.

This trio of fab face powders comes in light, medium and dark options. I use the medium one called…wait for it…Naked.

UD often has a well-deserved rep for bold bling-bling products, but this palette is surprisingly subdued. It’s really a workhorse because it removes the guesswork from picking products for perfectly flushed cheeks.

Naked includes a warm medium golden bronzer (don’t worry, it’s not too orange) with a soft sheen finish, a warm golden beige highlighter with a pearly finish, and a matte warm pink blush.

urban decay stay naked threesome swatch
I’m an NC42 in MAC.

The delicate powders have a dainty, Chanel-esque quality when they’re on my cheeks, which I love (ya girl cannot do overly aggressive powdery powders now that her pores have been ballooned due to age she’s older/wiser 😜). All three are pigmented, too, yet I can still blend and smooth any edges with ease.

More to love…

  • The colors last all day.
  • Vegan
  • Sturdy, secure packaging with a big mirror (Side note: It does not include a brush, which I’m cool with because I end up using my own anyway.)
  • Works great with both warm and cool lip colors — particularly pinks, reds and corals.
  • Bronzer and highlighter can double as a eyeshadows in a pinch.
urban decay stay naked threesome
I’m wearing the bronzer, blush and highligheter.
  • BASE: First Aid Beauty Hyaluronic Hydrating Primer, It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare in Tan Warm 41, Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural Concealer in Medium EC06, Estee Lauder Hydra Prep 24HR Concealer in Medium Deep Warm, Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Translucent Honey
  • EYES: MAC Brun and Urban Decay Brow Beater in Neutral Brown (brows), NARS Tinted Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Light (eyeshadow base), MAC Brule (all over lid), MAC Cork (lower lash lines and lids), MAC Saddle (crease), Chanel Black Wood with a little MAC Brun smudged on top (liner) Urban Decay Cannonball with Bite Beauty Upswing (mascara)
  • LIPS: MAC Powder Kiss Liquid Lipstick in Crossfade mixed with Sorry Not Sorry

Oh, and if you’re feeling too lazy to do a separate blush, bronzer and highlighter, just swirl all three powders together with a large face brush, and blend a light layer over bare cheeks or your favorite tinted moisturizer. Magic, I tell ya!

Naked is totally worth the coveted space in your everyday makeup bag. It’s $36, and you can find it now in the Urban Decay permanent line.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, Makeup, Product Reviews, Unsung Heroes, Urban Decay

Hanging With the Chanel Les Fleurs de Chanel Spring-Summer 2021 Collection

December 30th, 2020 by Karen 8 Comments

chanel spring summer 2021
Chanel’s new Spring-Summer 2021 collection (yes, you read that right) is all about fresh reds, vibrant pinks, muted neutrals and terra-cotta hues.

Maaan, I gotta hand it to Chanel. They have a knack for releasing righteous reds that are preternaturally easy to apply.

How do they do it?!

I didn’t even need a lip liner or lip brush for Pivoine Noire, the matte berry red I’m wearing in this look. It’s an LE shade in the new Les Fleurs de Chanel Spring-Summer 2021 collection, and yes, I can’t get over the fact that we’re talking about a spring/summer release.

I applied it freehand without much thought, straight from the tube.

chanel pivoine noire
Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme in 136 Pivoine Noire, a dusty berry red

Now I’m wondering if I could apply it while driving a car like Jessica Chastaine’s character does in Ava in the opening scene. She’s a soldier-turned-assassin, and with one hand she opens a tube of what I’m pretty sure is a Chanel lipstick and proceeds to flawlessly apply a layer of dark burgundy while racing down the freeway.

It’s impressive!

chanel movie lipstick
A novel way of opening a Chanel lipstick while prepping for a nefarious deed…

I wonder if I could do that… Survey says, “probably not!” LOL!

This new collection is inspired by spring blooms and warm pink, red, rose and coppery brown hues, and it lands on counters and the Chanel website next month (which starts this week!). There are lots of finishes — matte, metallic and satin — in various levels of coverage.

chanel spring summer 2021
Hello spring…and summer!
chanel spring summer 2021
Swatches of the blush/highlighter duo, the mascara and the two Rouge Allure Velvet Matte Lipsticks

Here are some notes on the items I’m wearing…

The powder blush/highlighter duo

The coral-pink blush lays down a sheer flush of luminous color, so if you like blushes that don’t scream “Look at me! I’m obvious!” you might like it. I also love the finish on the peach highlighter. It’s a soft eggshell shine similar to the Hourglass Ambients. No bling-bling highlighter here.

The matte red lipstick

On the opposite end of the coverage spectrum is this gorgeously opaque matte berry red. Chanel’s Velvet Extreme formula applies flawlessly and glides along the skin without tugging, but it’s not too slick to easily control. Basically, it’s suuuper smooth, and it smells and tastes like rose hard candy.

The metallic mascara

The coppery bronze color actually shows up on dark lashes, which is super cool (colorful mascaras rarely show up on my lashes), and the Le Volume de Chanel formula delivers the thick, dramatic lash look the line is famous for. If you’ve got lighter lashes, the effect will probably be more dramatic and flattering than it is on me. On me, I think the color tends to make my eyes look smaller and more hooded than a standard-issue black mascara…

chanel metal terracotta mascara
My black lashes actually look terra cotta!

The Chanel Les Fleurs de Chanel Spring-Summer 2021 collection includes…

  • FLEURS DE PRINTEMPS Blush and Highlighter Duo
    An Exclusive Creation powder duo with a satiny peach highlighter and luminous pink coral blush. Embossed
    with a floral motif. Use the included brush to sweep the blush onto cheeks and the highlighter onto center of
    forehead, tops of cheekbones, brow bones and Cupid’s bow. Limited edition. $70.00
  • LE VOLUME DE CHANEL Mascara
    Now in a limited-edition rose-copper shade, the innovative mascara adds a colourful touch to lashes. The
    CHANEL-exclusive brush and volumizing formula help achieve greater length and thickness in a single stroke.
    $32.00
  • ROUGE ALLURE VELVET EXTRÊME Intense Matte Lip Colour
    Introducing limited-edition berry red and warm coral shades of the extreme matte lipstick. The intense
    longwearing formula glides on smoothly and doesn’t dry out lips. $40.00
  • ROUGE ALLURE LAQUE Ultrawear Shine Liquid Lip Colour
    The new ultra-intense, ultra-longwearing satin shine liquid lipstick in a limited-edition metallic aubergine shade.
    The creamy, fluid texture applies easily and wears comfortably, while the special doe-foot applicator ensures precise,
    even results. $40.00
  • LE VERNIS Longwear Nail Colour
    The high-shine nail colour features carefully selected pigments for even application and lasting wear. Available in 3
    new shades: a soft peach, a light raspberry red and a metallic red. $28.00
  • AVAILABLE ON CHANEL.COM AND AT CHANEL BOUTIQUES: JANUARY 2021
  • AVAILABLE AT DEPARTMENT AND SPECIALTY STORES: FEBRUARY 2021

Adventures in bread making

So, I made my first 1-1/2 pound loaf of French bread in my new Cuisinart bread maker yesterday!

Isn’t the loaf cute? It was a test loaf. It’s pretty small, enough for about four sandwiches.
[Continue reading…]

There are 8 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Chanel, Collections, Face of the Day (FOTD), Makeup

Bite Beauty Upswing Full-Volume Mascara, and a Merry Christmas Eve!

December 24th, 2020 by Karen 4 Comments

bite beauty upswing mascara
Volume, length AND lift

“Like sands through the hourglass…so are the days of our lives.”

You know you watched HELLA soap operas when you see the brush on the new Bite Beauty Upswing Full-Volume Mascara and mumble the Days of Our Lives intro, hahaha!


This sh*t is crazy!

What’s with the curvy brush?

Bite designed it that way so the center of the brush head holds as much product as possible, which is then supposed to maximize how much mascara makes it onto the center of your lash line.

Concentrating the product right there in the middle is supposed to lift and thicken your lashes where you want it most — which is music to my ears (eyes?), because I’m all about mascaras that lift, lengthen, hold the curl, and embiggen in a bad-@ss way.

I want — no, I need — mascara to work minor miracles, and the ones I keep in heavy rotation all do it to varying degrees. Currently, I think the best overall mascaras for drama are Laura Mercier Caviar and Chanel Dimensions de Chanel, but neither of those are cruelty-free and vegan, unlike Bite Beauty Upswing.

“Upswing Mascara is powered by clean, vegan, gluten-free and cruelty-free ingredients, including tree berry wax instead of beeswax. Tree berry wax, derived from berry fruit peels, grips lashes for volume and gives them an instant and buildable boost that’s both lightweight and smudge-resistant.”

-Official PR

The bottom line

If you’re looking for big, beautiful, dramatic lashes that can be seen from a mile away, AND you want a cruelty-free and vegan option, Upswing is legit. It doesn’t smear or flake, it layers well, and it’s easy to remove; however, one thing to keep in mind is that you may need to use a few layers. I’m a girl who likes A LOT OF LASH ACTION on my eyes, and I use about three, which is actually pretty normal for me.

bite beauty upswing mascara
Big lashes FTW

Where to find Upswing

Upswing just launched on the Bite Beauty website and will also be available at Sephora stores and online starting December 29. It’s $28 for a 0.40-oz. tube, so price-wise, it’s in the same ballpark as Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara, Too Faced Better Than Sex better and YSL Faux Cils. It comes in a single shade: black.

Some quick comparisons before I float away on a pink, sparkly inner tube…

  • Too Faced Better Than Sex — Upswing and Better Than Sex are in the same category, IMO. Both are cruelty-free and vegan, and both are made for bold lashes. Upswing is waaaaaaay better overall, though. It gives you more volume, more curl, more length, and it isn’t nearly as smudgy or flaky. Frankly, if you’re debating between the two, go with Upswing.
  • Laura Mercier Caviar — Upswing offers similar curl hold, length and lift, but Laura’s Caviar is more volumizing and doesn’t require as many layers. That said, it isn’t cruelty-free or vegan either.
  • YSL Faux Cils — Upswing isn’t as dramatic in terms of volume/thickness, but it offers similar length and curl hold. Again though, it isn’t cruelty-free or vegan.
  • Chanel Dimensions de Chanel — Better than Upswing when it comes to overall volume, length, curl hold and lift, but it’s also slightly more expensive at $32. That, and it, too, isn’t cruelty-free or vegan.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. One more sleep until Christmas! 🎅🎄 Coywolf, El Hub, Pretty Girl Rosie and I are just hanging out at home. We made some homemade lemonade, finished making a batch of brownies, some cheddar biscuits, and now we’re listening to Christmas music and rocking out. How ’bout you? I hope you’re having a nice night.

There are 4 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Bite Beauty, Eyes, Makeup, Product Reviews

Fun Faces of the Day With Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Edith, Jean, Vera and Misia | Ombre Premiere Laque in Desert Wind | Stylo Yeux in Black Wood

December 23rd, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

chanel rouge coco jean edith swatches
A few fun Chanel lipsticks!

I may or may not have been wearing nude lips for the better part of nine months now, sooooo one could call this a “nude lip rut,” but I intend to break it with these fun Chanel lipsticks…because Chanel makes everything better. 😊 (Please allow me this fantasy.)

These are a few shades from the Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lipcolour line. They’re $38 each, shiny, moisturizing and vary from medium coverage to opaque. Also, like most of Chanel’s lip products, they have a regal, rosy flavor and scent.

Edith is a fave! It’s an opaque neutral pink that goes extraordinarily well with shimmery taupe shadows like the one I’m wearing here (Chanel Ombre Premiere Laque in Desert Wind).

chanel edith
Rouge Coco in Edith

I’m also a fan of Jean, a hot pink with a purple hint. Like Edith, it goes well with shimmery taupe lids.

chanel jean
Rouge Coco in Jean

For this last lip look, a ’90s-style unblended lip, I layered sheer beige Vera with warm reddish brown Misia, then lined my lips with MAC Burgundy Lip Pencil.

chanel vera misia
Rouge Coco in Vera and Misia (sadly, both appear to be discontinued), along with MAC Burgundy Lip Pencil

The eye makeup

I’m always looking for new eye combos that excite me without exhausting my patience, and the shimmering taupe lid look here only relies on two things, both from Chanel. The shadow is Desert Wind, a cream shadow that comes in a tube with a wand. It’s long-wearing and sets fast, so you have to work quickly to buff out the edges.

I sure do like how wet and glossy it looks. 😍

chanel desert wind black wood swatch
Love me some taupe!

As for the liner, it’s called Black Wood, and it’s one of Chanel’s twist-up, long-wearing pencil liners from the Stylo Yeux line. It’s a rich, deep brownish black.

I’ve been looking for a borderline-black dark brown liner because my MAC Coffee pencil is almost finished (TEARS!). I was hoping I could replace it with this liner because I love the long-wearing formula (it also doesn’t irritate my eyes), but I think it leans a little too black to be a dupe.

Mind you, I still like it, and I’m definitely going to keep it in rotation!

But by far the most interesting makeup around these parts lately…

Is the makeup Connor did on this blank face chart…


[Continue reading…]

There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Chanel, Eyes, Lips, 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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