Lips

Product Spotlight: MAC More the Mehr-ier Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour

September 17th, 2020 by Karen 14 Comments

In a current beauty world where color is seemingly dominated by warm reddish and orangey brown tones, it’s refreshing to see a cool-toned lippie every once in a while, don’t you think?

Enter More the Mehr-ier, from the new MAC Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour collection!

MAC was very cheeky with the name — Mehr-ier, for “merrier.” It’s a reference to one of their most iconic nude lipsticks, Mehr, which, fun fact, first appeared in the 2010 MAC Mickey Contractor collection. It’s since become a member of MAC’s permanent lipstick collection, and is now here in the new Powder Kiss Liquid Lipstick formula.

The color is very similar to the original Mehr, just a tinge darker. It’s a nude mauve, and this is going to sound weird, but it’s the same color as my gums (LOL!). For that reason, it reads like a nude lipstick on my NC42 skin, which is why I love it. I’ve also seen the original Mehr lipstick on lighter and darker skin tones (fast forward to 2:11 in the video), and it’s a bestseller because it really does work well on everyone.

mac more the mehrier swatch mirror — More the Mehr-ier!

The original Mehr comes in the MAC Matte lipstick formula, which some people find challenging to wear, especially if they have lip lines and/or flakes. I think the Powder Kiss Liquid Lipstick formula is a little easier to wear because the fluffy liquid formula kinda floats on top of your lips, so it doesn’t have that same tightly gripping feeling, and it’s less drying and more forgiving than the Matte.
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FOTD: Elegant Rose Quartz Gemstone Lids With a Smokey Bronze Lower Lash Line

September 16th, 2020 by Karen 22 Comments

I wore this look to drop Connor off at her dance class (she’s taking outdoor classes two days a week now, and yay for seeing other kids her age!), and then to go to Trader Joe’s, because doing that kind of regular everyday stuff is the adult equivalent of going to your high school senior prom now. (Dance studio drop-off IS AN EVENT. Ya gotta do it up!)

I took the new Urban Decay Stoned Vibes Palette for a spin for the first time in this look. It’s a new palette with 12 powder eyeshadows, the majority of them with this chonky-looking glitter formula that has a bit of squish to it. They look like they could potentially look like you’re wearing big flakes of glitter on your skin, but there was hardly any floof, fallout or flakes when I got Tiger’s Eye on my lids. The formula applies smoother than I expected it to, but you get WHOA, WHOA, WHOOOOOA levels of shimmer.

So…Urban Decay isn’t shy about their 420 references, but in this case I think “Stoned Vibes” actually refers to, ya know…gemstones, although Tiger’s Eye looks nothing like a stone on my eyelids. It’s a lovely pinkish bronze (heavy on the pink!), which is why I paired it with rose cheeks and lips.

OH! — I gotta point out the lower lash line. I’m wearing MAC Teddy, yet again, because apparently this fall is going to be my greatest hits tour of Teddy smoked along the lower lash line. I just kinda forgot how great it is when worn that way?! It’s fantastic.

I think I’m going to do a look with the purples in this palette (it’s $54, BTW) next because they remind me of my birth month gemstone, Alexandrite…which leads me to a question for you!

What’s your birth month gem? Drop it in the comments, along with any Qs you might have about the palette or this look, if you have ’em. As usual, the full breakdown of products is down below.

urban decay stoned palette wander beauty — Hey, that arm’s an NC42!

Makeup worn in this look

EYES

NARS Tinted Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base in Medium — all over the lids as a base
Urban Decay Stoned Palette Eyeshadows — Good Karma (brow bone), Antidote (crease), Hexed (outer crease), Third eye (outer v), Tiger’s Eye (lids, applied with finger)
MAC Whisper of Gilt — inner corner highlight
Urban Decay Brow Blade in Dark Drapes and MAC Clear Brow Set — brows
MAC Teddy — lower lash line
Honest Beauty Liquid Liner — winged liner
Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara — lashes

CHEEKS

Laura Mercier Soleil 1 — bronzer
Laura Mercier Rose — blush

LIPS

Wander Beauty B.B. and Riviera Dual Lipstick — mixed together

BASE

Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Face Oil — prep
Laura Mercier Foundation primer — prep
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter in Tan — foundation, all over face
Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural Concealer in Medium 05 and 06 — under eyes, cheeks and around mouth
Laura Mercier Translucent Honey Loose Powder — forehead, down the sides of nose, around mouth and along the jawline

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

FOTD: Matte Monochromatic Makeup in Rusty Brown Tones (And With One Eyeshadow!)

September 4th, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

mac devoted to chili k down smile — This eye look involves just one eyeshadow!

Some days, you wanna wear three eyeshadows, or maybe even four or five. Or six if you’re feeling extra feisty! Other days, you just wanna wear one, and that’s what happening here in this matte monochromatic makeup look.

Gosh, don’t you love a little alliteration? I certainly do.

Now this is one of those looks that seems more complicated than it actually is. I didn’t use many products. Like, for starters, the eye look only involves one eyeshadow, and it’s a very intense rusty, reddish brown matte from MAC called Devoted to Chili.

It’s one of the new MAC Powder Kiss Matte Eye Shadows, and it’s $20. (You can also buy it as a single pan without a case for $9.)

I’ve tried a few of them, and they’re super intense when you first pile them on, but they also blend and buff out beautifully. You can layer them to amplify the saturation, and yet even when you do, they don’t look heavy on your lids, which is unusual for mattes. Every one I’ve tried so far has impressed me!

mac fotd devoted to chili swatch — Living that NC42 life

Devoted to Chili is one of those eyeshadows that looks like it would be super scary, because it’s just *so* red in the pan, but, particularly if you wear orangey browns like MAC Texture or Saddle or Soft Brown well, Devoted to Chili really pops on lids. It works very well on warm-toned skin.

mac devoted to chili fotd products — Key products in this look

And that’s it for the eyeshadow. ONE SHADE!

I mean, there’s also some liner action happening, too, but that was easier. Just a little bronze liner smudged along my lower lash line (MAC Teddy) and bronzy brown MAC Powersurge on my lower water lines.

So the eyes were easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

Another thing that makes the look a little more glamorous is the repetition of that rusty brown matte eyeshadow shade on my lips. The liquid lipstick is also from MAC and called Devoted to Chili (also from the new Powder Kiss collection).

I applied it directly from the wand, where I think it looks soft and approachable. I didn’t want my lips to look too crisp or “done,” since the color is a very ’90s lipstick shade, but if you want to go full-on ’90s, I’d suggest using a reddish brown pencil liner instead, and be sure to sharpen it until the tip can cut glass if you do! Something like MAC Mahogany Lip Pencil would totally work. Then, after applying the lipstick, line your lips with the pencil, and leave it as is. Don’t blend it, because you want to see that strong edge.

Or, just wear it like this. 😊 It’s up to you. Next time I wear this combo, I’m going channel my inner ’90s diva, methinks.

One last thing — since the eye and lip colors here are so intense, I pulled back a bit on the blush by going with nude tones. I used a mix of two nude MAC Glow Play Blushes, which are the creams that came out a few months ago, and yes, they’re epically easy to blend. Also yes, they’re still available!

Makeup worn in this look

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Summer Faves and Raves: Stila Convertible Color, Complete Harmony Lip & Cheek Stick, Double Dip Suede Shade and More!

September 1st, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

stila summer faves — Current summer faves from Stila

Can you believe it’s September? I can’t. It’s already the first month of fall! That’s craziness. Time really doesn’t give an eff how topsy-turvy the world gets. It just keeps on keepin’ on…

I guess makeup is kinda similar in a way… The world around us may be b-a-n-a-n-a-s, but you can count on that pan of Stila cream blush to keep doing its thing.

Speaking of Stila, their makeup has been a nice respite from the stress of this summer, which so far has been a era in which I’ve been doing things I never thought I would, like drafting a six-page family pandemic emergency response plan, or writing a pros/cons list to send Connor back to preschool — a list that includes Health Department metrics for COVID.

Like I said, bananas! 🍌

But blush is just blush. Nothing more, nothing less. And there’s something comforting about that.

Here are some of my faves from Stila I’ve been having fun with this summer…

Convertible Color in Peony and Gerbera, $25 each

This creamy blush blends seamless gradients and dries to a satin finish, all while adding soft, translucent color to cheeks. My pick for tanned and darker skin is Peony, a brownish rose, which I adore and have been wearing a ton for 5-minute makeup looks. If your skin is lighter than mine, try Gerbera, a rosy peachy pink.

Complete Harmony Lip & Cheek Stick in Sheer Gerbera, Sheer Lilium and Sheer Peony, $26 each

Like the Convertible Colors, these twist-up cream sticks can be worn on cheeks and lips. They’re like a less expensive NARS Multiple, but much sheerer ($26 vs. $39), so if you’re into barely-there, natural-looking cheeks and lips and a matte finish, they just might be your new favorite thing.

stila swatches summer faves — My skin tone (for the official makeup record) is NC42

Double Dip Suede Shade & Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Camera Ready, $24

I’m a little obsessed with this long-wearing cream shadow duo, which comes with a velvety matte purple on one side and a glittery purple on the other, because it’s one of the fastest ways I know to do an easy colorful look. Start by sweeping the velvety matte from your lash line and fading up toward the crease and brow bone. Then push the glitter toward the base of your lashes before coating them with mascara. Takes all but five minutes!

creamy dreamy purples side view glitter — I’m wearing Camera Ready on my lids, Peony on my cheeks and lips, and Magnum Mascara on my lashes!

Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Bronze, $32

Creamy and soft to the touch (so easy to blend with just fingers!), this golden bronze highlighting powder lights up skin with a warm, shimmery glow.
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Glam on the Go: A Creamy, Dreamy Purple and Gold Look With Big, Bushy Brows

August 7th, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

Note to self: stop overcomplicating things, both in life and in makeup! Because sometimes taking the easy route is actually, well…easier. And sometimes it turns out better than you expect!

I did the *least* complicated eyeshadow placement in this eye look, and I ended up liking the final result so much that I can’t wait to wear it again (I might do it again today, ha!).

creamy dreamy purples eyes closed — See the sparkles on the upper lash line?

How to do creamy, dreamy purple and golden bronze lids with a smattering of sparkle

Here’s what I did:

I started with a layer of matte purple cream liner as a base with a satiny bronzy gold blended directly on top.
Then, I rimmed my water lines with a creamy warm brown eye pencil and buffed a little bit of it from the lash line to my crease, and on the outer third, for a subtle hint of depth.
Next, I pushed a bit of glittery cream shadow onto the upper lash line, whacked some mascara on my lashes, and that’s it. DONE!

UD Brow Blade is the best

If you’re into bold brows, my brows are epically bushy — again, with minimal effort! — thanks to Urban Decay’s brilliant Brow Blade. Have you tried it? If you want to exert minimal effort but get maximum bushiness, it’s the way to go.

First, apply the twist-up pencil to fill in those sparse spots. The pencil acts like an anchor/base, so that when you layer the liquid pigment from the felt tip pen on top, it has something to grab onto. Super fast, super easy and super bushy.

creamy dreamy purples open — Pandemic hair, don’t care.

Effortlessness of creams

Gotta give a shout-out to the cream bronzer, highlighter and blush (which also doubles as a lipstick) on my cheeks and lips, because, like the eye makeup, blending happened in a flash. I did everything with a single brush!

I also love how cream face products look on skin because you can’t really see the makeup sitting on top of your face. If you’re going for the whole “Is she or isn’t she wearing anything?” kind of vibe, creams are great for seamless, effortless makeup.

Now that I think about it, the only powder I used for this look was a subtly illuminating setting powder I lightly tapped on specific parts of my face (cheeks and the center of my forehead). An illuminating powder is great to have around if you want to set your cream blush, bronzer and highlighter without altering the color or finish. The trick is to find a powder with a finish that’s closer to a sheen or a satin, rather than a full-on frost. A powder with a sheen or satin finish is less likely to pool up in your pores and highlight them.

creamy dreamy purples smile — Smile and the whole world smiles with you. 🙂

This is definitely making it into my 15-minute-look rotation.

Makeup worn in this look

EYES
Stila Liquid Eye Shadow in Camera Ready, upper lash line
Stila Glitter & Glow in Camera Ready, outer corner
Stila Magnum Mascara, lashes
Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Bronze, crease
MAC Costa Riche
Urban Decay Brow Blade
MUFE Ultra HD Y42

CHEEKS
Nudstix Nudes in Bondi Bae
Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream in Peony
Hourglass Vanish Highlighter in Champagne

LIPS
Stila Convertible Color in Peony

BASE
Kevyn Aucoin Concealer Medium EC06
First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Smoothie Primer Moisturizer
Stila Illuminating In the Buff Powder Spray

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! 😀🎉🥂