Eyes

Mauve Smokey Eyes | Day 2 With the Honest Beauty Get It Together Eyeshadow Palette

February 24th, 2021 by Karen 9 Comments

I followed Jessica A’s tutorial to do this mauve smokey eye with the Honest Beauty Get It Together! It was pretty easy too…which of course you know I liked. 👍

Here are the eyeshadows I used…

Base: Matte beige vanilla (Vanill’d Velvet) buffed from lash line to brow bone
Lid and crease: Satiny coppery brown (Sunlit Copper) on lids and in the crease in a half moon shape for soft definition
Outer half: Satiny dark mauve-plum (Chromed Petal) blended onto the outer half (Side note: at this point, I cleaned up the edges with a makeup wipe.)
Upper lash line: Matte black (Magnetic Ink) applied with a wet brush on the upper lash line
Inner corner: Shimmery gold (Strobed Champagne) mixed shimmery light pink (Iced cotton)

Pretty much, I followed everything she did step by step. The only tweak I made was buffing a couple of layers of the matte beige shade, Vanilla’d Velvet, all over my lids first to give the other eyeshadows a smoother base (handy when you don’t want to apply a separate eye primer first).

In the video Jessica calls the palette the most “non-intimidating” eyeshadow palette, and I have to agree! The colors work perfectly with each other, and they’re easy to blend. It’s the most interesting product to cross my makeup path in a while, and I’m almost excited to wear eyeshadow again.

Ooh! — speaking of shocking developments, I can’t believe I almost forgot to tell you this, but last weekend Rosie and I got a solid FOUR HOURS of quality “meow time” together on Saturday. I almost didn’t know what to do with myself because it was the first time I had a block of time alone in the house in I don’t know how long! El Hub took Connor fishing at Bon Tempe Lake, so I was left to my own devices at home.

The lake is absolutely beautiful, BTW! We all went for the first time a couple weeks ago. It’s clear like a mini Lake Tahoe.

So, even though El Hub and I have been living in Marin County for almost 15 years now (YOWZA), I don’t really consider myself a local because I’m originally from the other side of the Bay, which, honestly might as well be a completely different planet. Anyway, my point is that I don’t know how to pronounce the names of all the places around here. I incorrectly assumed that “Bon Tempe” was French for “good time,” so I was saying it with my lame high school French accent, “BAHN THAMP.”

Then, my neighbor, who grew up in this area, politely informed me that it’s “BON TEMP-Y.”

HAHAHA! I’ve been saying it all bougie-fied this entire time… Whoops! 🤷‍♀️

There’s a trail that goes around the entire lake that’s about 4 miles long, so if you’re in the mood for a pretty gentle hike (nothing too steep or strenuous), it’s a good one with beautiful views of the water the entire time. FYI, there aren’t any bathrooms along the way…soooo 1) if you like to drink copious amounts of water, and 2) your bladder is about the size of a pea like someone’s I know (AHEM), you may want to wear pants that you can pull on and off quickly in case ya need to pop a squat behind a tree… I’m just sayin’! 😁

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Lancôme Idôle Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara’s Got Lift and Length Locked Down When It Comes to WFH Chic

February 19th, 2021 by Karen 7 Comments

lancome idole lash — Lancôme’s latest mascara lifts and fans.

Can we talk about how great mascara is for a minute?!

I mean, very few things survived The Great Makeup Culling of 2020 in my makeup bag. But mascara did.

I usually go for “all teh drama” (See: Bite Beauty Upswing, Laura Mercier Caviar) because I like my fringe brash and bold. I like volume, length, curl and all the drama for your mama, but if you primarily want length and lift, you might like Lancôme’s latest. It’s called Idôle Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara, and it’s $26.

It lifts, fans, curls and separates lashes with a cool curved brush and a lightweight gel formula that doesn’t make my lashes crunchy, clumpy or heavy.

I think it creates a lovely natural-ish lash look that really goes well with minimal makeup, like brows that a lightly filled in, sheer bases, soft blush tints and maybe a lipstick or balm. Think WFH chic.

If, however, you need more KAPOW in the same price range, check out Bite’s or Laura’s mascaras.

lancome idole mascara after — Wearing two layers of Idôle

lancome idole mascara before — The before!

Idôle is available now, and it comes in just one shade, Glossy Black. A full-size tube is $26, but they also have a travel-sized tube for $14.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!!!!

Romantic Rose Tones With Brilliant Bronzed Browns

February 3rd, 2021 by Karen 8 Comments

mac chatterbox lmac chatterbox laura mercier roseaura mercier rose — I like this palette of luscious golden browns and dainty, rosy pinks. 😍

OK, so, I wore this look yesterday, and doggone it — I felt good about my makeup. The pink blush and lipstick spoke to my soul… You can’t go wrong with springy, romantic rosy pinks. Methinks they’re downright therapeutic. Wearing pink in winter reminds me that we will see the sun again.

mac chatterbox laura mercier rose — Just a little makeup!

I’ve been doing the bare minimum in terms of base for months, but I put a little more polish into this look, and I really like how it turned out.

For starters, I mixed a dab of pearly lotion into a matte, medium-coverage foundation, then applied a thin layer with a skunk brush all over my face. Then, for slightly more coverage, I loaded a tiny, pointy-tipped concealer brush with the most minimal amount of concealer and strategically dabbed it where I have a little extra pigmentation (spots on my cheeks and around my mouth). And those couple extra things took my base makeup to the next level! Dare I say it? — an elegant level. 🙂

mac chatterbox k down havana — Swatches of the key products on NC42 skin

I felt like myself again for the first time in a while.

Yeah…I was wearing lipstick around the house again, LOL! MAC Chatterbox is an awfully pretty, playful reddish pink, and it can be quite bold if you apply a layer straight from the tube. I was in the mood for something more mellow, so I blotted it down, then used my finger to push in whatever lipstick remained to create a beautiful rosy pink stain… I think it’s springy and cheerful, and I love it. MAC Chatterbox, man! Don’t sleep on it.

Speaking of MAC, Powersurge eyeliner with Havana eyeshadow = magic. Layer Havana on top of Powersurge the next time you’re wearing warm browns or bronzes on your lids, and don’t forget to send me a thank you note when you’re done. 😁

mac chatterbox laura mercier rose 1 — MAC Havana eyeshadow + Powersurge liner = magic!

Makeup in this look

Base: It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare in Tan 41, Kevyn Aucoin Concealer in Medium 06, MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite

Eyes:Urban Decay Brow Blade in Dark Drapes, MAC Saddle and Havana eyeshadows, MAC Powersurge pencil liner, Bite Beauty Upswing Mascara, MAC Clear Brow Gel

Cheeks and lips: Laura Mercier Soleil 1 Bronzer, Laura Mercier Rose Blush, MAC Chatterbox lipstick

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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.

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 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!

A Little Chanel Les 4 Ombres Tissé Vendôme Eyeshadow Quad Love

January 7th, 2021 by Karen 17 Comments

chanel tisse vendome — Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in Tissé Vendôme ($62)

Quick shout-out to a quad I’ve been loving lately! — Chanel Les 4 Ombres Tissé Vendôme.

I wear the two browns and the beige the most, and the lighter golden taupe-brown has a sheen finish. It’s fantastic for simple, elegant washes of color on the lids.

You can buff the darker brown (which also has a sheen finish) into the corners for depth, but I usually like to keep it simple and wear it as a liner, applied with either a wet or dry angled brush.

The satiny beige comes in handy for soft, subtle highlights on the brow bone and inner corner.

That coral shade is actually pretty handy too! Pair it with coral or peach blush or lipstick. I like to blend it onto the mobile part of my lid (the area that moves when you blink) to highlight that area and bring it out a bit more (helps my eyes look less hooded).