It Cosmetics

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

A Fab Friday With Rosy Brown Lids and Lips + Mauve Cheeks

February 28th, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

I swear, in real life this eye makeup is not as orange as it looks in these pics…

I think the bright top (J. Crew, found at The Rack last fall) is throwing a monkey wrench in the mix.

Hmm… I should probably just be grateful I’m dressed in something that makes me appear to be a real, live grownup. It’s all about the little victories, you know? 😊

I was going for a springy pinkish brown for this look but ended up more summery orange… Oh, well! I like it.

I’m wearing several pieces from the new MAC Loud and Clear, and Glow Play, collections, which I’m still (clearly, ha ha ha) into. If you run across something you love, I’d suggest picking it up sooner rather than later because things are either selling out quickly or have already sold out.

One of my coworkers from the bakery is also a MAC gal, and she barely was able to get her hands on one of the lipsticks (Baroque the Internet), so don’t hesitate, MAC-aholics!

One more item of note about this look: I blended the blush I was wearing on my cheeks into my into my crease, an old trick to tie your lids and cheeks together in a neat little bow!
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Before and After: It Cosmetics Lash Blow Out Mascara

August 23rd, 2019 by Karen 2 Comments

it cosmetics drybar lash blow out top — A blow out for your fringe?

I guess since Drybar caters to hair, and since lashes technically are hair, there’s a correlation between having a stylist blow out your unruly mane, and lengthening your lashes with mascara?

Weird flex but OKURRRR!

Drybar is known for their blow-drying hair services and not for makeup, so I was surprised when they teamed up with It Cosmetics to launch a new mascara.

It Cosmetics Lash Blow Out ($25) is supposed to lift, lengthen and thicken your lashes (my life’s purpose), so I’ll bite…

it cosmetics drybar lash blow out mascara — Cute! The packaging resembles a round brush.

The ends of the bristles on the wand have tiny spheres designed to catch and comb through lashes, while the wand latches onto your lashes to separate each and every hair (so it works!), but I do wish that the tip of the brush was thinner, because it’s hard to get it into the inner and outer corners without leaving a trail of wayward mascara bits and bobs behind.

it cosmetics drybar lash blow out mascara before after — I used two coats.

After two coats, my lashes (which are longer and thicker thanks to Rodan + Fields Lash Boost) are slightly longer and more separated, but the lift at the base only lasts for about an hour before my lash curl starts to droop ever-so-slightly.

As for volume, I need at least three layers of Lash Blow Out to get the results I see from one coat of $32 Dimensions de Chanel Mascara (my current holy grail).

So, the effect is noticeable, but it isn’t life-altering.

Verdict: If you’re all about length and separation, Lash Blow Out delivers. You’ll get both, sans clumps, smears or heaviness; however, if you also crave lift and volume (like I do!), then this stuff will test your patience. It requires at least three coats to reeeeeally thicken that fringe.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!!! 🤗

Unsung Makeup Heroes: It Cosmetics Brow Power Micro Eyebrow Pencil in Universal Taupe

July 23rd, 2019 by Karen 4 Comments

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.

There’s a ton of brow pencils out there, but it’s hard to find one that ticks all the boxes. Is it long lasting? Easy to use? Does it look natural?

It Cosmetics Brow Power Micro in Universal Taupe ($24) totally gets it right. It has everything to do with the super thin pencil point. Shaped like a tiny, slanted dash — essentially, it’s a microscopic version of the best brow pencils around for drawing realistic-looking brow hairs (Tom Ford’s, the MAC one and the NUDESTIX Stylus).

it cosmetics brow power micro swatch — It’s available in one shade, Universal Taupe

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Crazy Clips for the Win!

July 16th, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

Question for ya: Have you arrived at that point in life when you don’t care if the world sees the weird things you do to bend your hair to your will? Although I’m not quite the lady at the supermarket with the giant pink curlers in her hair yet (because she don’t give an eff what people say when she’s buying frozen breakfast burritos!), I’m almost there. I’ve taken to wearing these long hair clips when I’m chillin’ at home, or driving in my car, or taking a walk around the neighborhood. I use ’em on wet hair, along with half a pound of flexible hairspray to smooth and flatten out my roots (which are getting progressively more wiry and untamed with each and every new gray hair) as they air dry. El Hub says I look a little crazy, but I’m like, “Hey, man, you gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

Trader Joe’s alert!

Speaking of the shameless things we do in the name of beauty, I was waiting in line at TJ’s last week when I noticed the woman in front of me had four bottles of this lotion in her cart — and absolutely nothing else. No food, no Joe-Joe’s cookies, NOTHING. Of course, then I asked her to watch my wagon so I could run to the beauty section and grab a bottle of my own.

They’re only $3.99! For a big 16-oz. bottle! I may or may not have done a victory dance in the middle of aisle. 🙂

trader joes midsummer nights cream — A dreamy cream for $3.99

I have lizard lady skin, but a few pumps of this lotion makes my legs look and feel smooth and moisturized without making my skin feel slick or greasy. Even my heels are happy!

trader joes midsummer nights cream ingredients — It’s cruelty-free, too.

Heads up: Even though the label says it’s unscented, I think it smells a little like a kale, spinach and apple green smoothie…which I don’t mind at all.

This is IT

And that wasn’t the only new thing I tried last weekend. I also took this It Cosmetics foundation for a spin.

it cosmetics color correcting full coverage cream tan — I wear the shade called “Tan,” which is the closest to MAC NC42.

The foundations in the It Cosmetics line are famous for doing a little bit of everything and then some, and their CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream lives up to that multitasking rep. The It crew packed seven products into one tube — a full-coverage foundation, a physical sunscreen with SPF 50, a brightening color corrector, a hydrating anti-aging serum, a pore-less finish primer, a dark-spot concealer and a moisturizing day cream. Plus, a tiny bit goes a long way.

it cosmetics color correcting full coverage cream tan before after — I applied about half a pump and sheered it out with the It Cosmetics No. 22 Brush, which I dampened with MAC Fix+.

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