Hourglass

Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara: [WARNING] Your Lashes Will Love This!

August 6th, 2018 by Karen 24 Comments

hourglass caution mascara — Please note the lashes stretching out *TO HERE* in this pic, and that’s after just one coat of Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara!

Lash drama: I has it.

Rather, I’m going through it.

Have I already mentioned this before? Only a million times, you say? Yeah, well…I promise that if the Fabulous Fringe Fairy materializes at the foot of my bed one night, waves her Wand of Winsomeness and bequeaths me with naturally lush lashes 4LIFE, I will happily STFU about the Grand Canyon-sized gap along the lash line of my right eye, and you will never have to hear another sordid tale of my lash woe again. 😉

(Believe me, I want this as much as you do.)

Until then, there’s new Hourglass Extreme Lash Mascara.

hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara in Ultra Black ($29 for a 0.33-oz. tube)

So, what makes this mascara so fancy? — I mean, other than the intensely black color (it’s darker than a supervillain’s heart) and the tapered brush (it’ll grab lashes you didn’t even know you had)?

Answer: Caution lets you just. Keep. Adding. More. Layers. No matter how many you apply, it won’t go full-on Tammy Faye, at least I don’t think so. I haven’t seen a single clump when I wear it. Like not one. And, honey, no matter how many layers you use, your lashes will still feel light and soft. Not crunchy or flaky at all!

An all-in-one mascara that delivers endless length, intense volume and sky-high lift for extreme, dramatic lashes. The combination of the innovative 4D Amplifier™ brush with the continuously buildable formula create lashes that defy the boundaries of traditional mascara.

4D Amplifier™ brush combines 2 brushes in 1 to deliver volume, length, lift and definition for extreme lashes

Saturates lashes from root-to-tip for the most volume in a single stroke

Perfectly coats the bottom lashes without smudging onto the lower lashline

Tapered end reaches even the smallest lashes in the corners of the eyes

Smooth, buildable, ultra-black formula creates dramatic but weightless lashes that don’t smudge or flake

— hourglass.com

OK…but that’s not even the best part. Remember the catchphrase, “Extreme Lash”? It’s so accurate. My lashes are long, thick, curly and lifted to the N-th degree. Shout-out to the lab geniuses who knocked this one out of the park.

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Try Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder for a Non-Powdery Powdered Face

May 21st, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

Because I don’t particularly enjoy having my foundation and concealer move around my face like a team of synchronized Solid Gold Dancers, I wear powder. That said, I don’t like my face to look too powdered, if you know what I mean.

Apparently, I’m not the only one out there who likes a non-powdery face, because this new loose powder from Hourglass has already sold out a couple times on their website since it launched earlier this spring.

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder ($46 for a 0.36-oz. jar of loose powder)

I really like it. I’ve had it in rotation for a few weeks with different bases and concealers on my combo skin, but I’d slow ya’ roll if you’re ultra oily, because it breaks up the foundation between my eyebrows, which is the oiliest area on my face, by the end of the day.

“The magic of Veil transformed into an ultra-refined loose powder designed to give skin a naturally flawless finish. This finely-milled, weightless powder is formulated with soft-focus light-reflecting particles to instantly blur imperfections and minimize the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles for effortlessly smooth skin. The translucent formula can be used on all skin tones for an invisible, natural skin finish.”

— hourglass.com

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Will Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid Be Your Concealer’s New Best Friend?

May 17th, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

**BEEP** **BEEP** **BEEP**

We interrupt this blog post to bring you this very important announcement: Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid is NOT a full-on concealer. It may look like one, but it’s not. If you apply it by itself on top of dark circles, those bad boys won’t disappear. They’ll be like, “What’s up, lady? HOW YOU DOIN’?” 😎

Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid ($32)

But, if you apply it on top of another concealer you already happen to be wearing — in other words, you retouch — you should see a slight difference…

“Meet your concealer’s new best friend. Veil Retouching Fluid is a multitasking complexion enhancer that you won’t want to leave your house without. This weightless, oil-free fluid adds just the right amount of brightness, coverage, and hydration that your skin needs during the day. It’s like your morning cup of coffee, your 3pm piece of chocolate, and your post-workout glow all rolled into one.”

– sephora.com

When I dab and blend it on top of Make Up For Ever Ultra HD, which has been my under-eye concealer du jour lately, and by “lately,” I mean the past couple years, my dark circles look a little brighter.

Bonus: it doesn’t get cake-y or break up the concealer, either.

It would be pretty innovative if you didn’t know about Trish McEvoy’s Instant Eye Lift, which has been around a hot minute.

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Spring Sparkle With Gleaming, Glowing Skin for a Trip to Old Navy

April 25th, 2018 by Karen 27 Comments

mac show gold spring sparkle tutorial — There isn’t a rule that says you can’t shimmer and go to Old Navy in the middle of the week, and MAC Show Gold is perfect for that.

“Because Old Navy” is as good a reason as any to sport sparkly skin on a typical spring Tuesday. Or Wednesday. 🌻

I mean, I really just want to get out of my pajamas before noon and feel cute again on the regular, truth be told. If there’s a maximum number of days a person should spend in sleepwear per year, I’ve definitely exceeded that limit!

Like the subtle spring sparkle look I did for last weekend’s luncheon, this one also took about 10 minutes. The spring sparkle comes courtesy of glossy coral lips, khaki lids and lash lines with subtle shimmer, and glowing skin.

All of the primary face products I used — the tint, powder, bronzer, highlighter and even the setting spray — have subtle shimmer and create a dewy, glowing look that’s perfect for a sunny spring day.

spring sparkle 2 car — Ubiquitous car selfie!

I hadn’t been to Old Navy in a while, and guuurl, sometimes when I go in there the store looks like the ninth wrinkled polyester circle of hell, but yesterday, not so much.

Ugh, SO MUCH CUTENESS! They’ve got this retro tropical vibe happening, and it speaks to my soul. Hibiscus, parrots, palm trees left and right. Good thing I had Connor with me and she was getting antsy for lunch because I would’ve been tempted to stay a lot longer and try everything on.

old navy tropical leggings — If these leggings had side pockets for a phone, I’d be all over them. SO CUTE!

old navy tropical print romper — Love this print!

old navy tropical print shorts — It comes in shorts, too.

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Subtle Spring Sparkle When You Don’t Want to “Go Big” With Glitter

April 24th, 2018 by Karen 32 Comments

mac oh so gilty dazzleshadow — MAC Oh So Gilty Dazzleshadow

Am I in my 40s? Yes. Do I still love wearing glitter? Yes… Is there a way to reconcile both of these things without 1) trying too hard or 2) looking like I’m trying too hard?

Let’s find out, haha! 🙂

Last weekend I went to a Sunday lunch at a fancy brunch place in town with the new members of the moms group I belong to, and I was really excited to go because when do I ever dress up anymore and enjoy a meal that doesn’t involve me getting food on myself as I feed or pet a little animal?

Answer: hardly ever.

I wanted to do something that felt a little glamorous and special, but, you know, for lunch, so I still wanted it to be somewhat reserved.

This look took 10 minutes, and I can confirm that it only took 10 minutes because that’s exactly how much time I had to put on makeup before I had to leave the house.

I’m finding it so hard to connect with new people in real life as I get older, but I’m really trying to put myself out there.

new member luncheon — The veggie frittata was pretty good.

Of course, the original plan was to take my time and enjoy the process, leisurely get ready (that’s half the fun of going out, right?), but as usual, even though I woke up super early and had a detailed checklist, everything came down to the wire.

I had to be out of the house by 11:15. At 10:45, I still hadn’t gotten dressed (which is another story, oy!) or done my makeup and hair.

view fromm hilltop — The view from Hilltop 1892 in Novato (I also went there for Easter brunch one year and for my birthday one year.)

new member lunch moms — You don’t even know how excited I was to talk to other adults in person.

So, yes, this look DOES come together really quickly, in case you were thinking, “Eh, I don’t have time for that!”

For the subtle shimmer, I used two of my current faves from the MAC Dazzleshadow line, which I patted on my lids with a finger. A few flecks fell onto my cheeks, but overall the fallout with these shadows is so minimal, and I usually just incorporate it into the look. 🙂

mac oh so gilty dazzle styel — I like how you can only see the glitter when I blink or look down.

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