Maybelline

FOTD: Khaki and Copper Tones for a Zoom Call

June 24th, 2020 by Karen 21 Comments

Wore this look on a Zoom call with a beauty brand yesterday (it was Urban Decay to talk about their latest Naked palette, for the nosey noodles who were wondering!), and in classic K-dawg fashion I banged it out in 15 minutes before it started because that’s how I roll.

And, um…Connor also had a social distancing playdate at the park shortly before the call was scheduled to start, and we made it back home by the skin of our teeth, ha ha ha! Whenever I’m pressed for time but want to look gussied up, I always fall back on smokey eyes and nude lips. This khaki and copper version relies on just two products.

I paired the eyes with peach lips and cheeks because EASY. PEASY.

I’m also wearing a little more base makeup than I have been lately because I knew that “makeup people” (air quotes) were going to be present, so if there were ever a time to load up on a little more concealer, this was it.

Since we’re on the topic of quick looks, what’s your default medium-impact makeup look when you’re pressed for time?

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Drugstore Makeup Look: ’90s-Inspired Plummy Pink!

June 3rd, 2020 by Karen 20 Comments

Let me be the first person to say that my hair looks absolutely BONKERS in these pics, and that’s even AFTER trying to actually do something with it.

I am one YouTube video away from hacking it off! Note to self: next time a global pandemic approaches, book a hair appointment before the world shuts down.

Sigh… Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I was thinking about a Monday Poll question from a while back (’80s or ’90s?) before I started doing my makeup, which is how this ’90s-inspired plummy pink look came about. Everything I’m using is drugstore makeup because I’m still riding a may-jah budget beauty wave right now.

A drugstore dupe for an iconic ’90s lipstick

My main inspiration was an old-school ’90s standby that’s still around called Clinique Black Honey Lipstick. It’s a sheer, ever-so-slightly shiny lippie that all of my college friends wore back in the day. There used to be a Clinique counter inside the UC Davis bookstore, and every quarter when it came time to buy books, we’d all go to that counter to get our books so we could avoid the regular long lines. The only thing you had to do to use that line was buy at least one piece of Clinique makeup, which is how every girl I knew ended up with countless tubes of Black Honey.

Anywho…I recently found a drugstore dupe for it in Honest Beauty Plum Drop Lip Tint, and it looks exactly like Black Honey! To keep with the plum theme, I paired it with an awesomely affordable plummy-pink eyeshadow palette I found over at Covergirl, and pink cream blush cheeks (which I did with a Revlon lipstick).

Covergirl So Saturated Eye Palette in Posh is so good!

The palette is the Full Spectrum So Saturated Eye Shadow Palette in Posh, which comes with eight powder eyeshadows in pink, plum and burgundy tones. The powders are on the fluffier side, so there’s definitely some fallout if you aren’t careful and forget to remove any excess from your brush head, but, on the flip side, the colors are rich and practically blend themselves.

Just a few wrist flicks and you’re good. These are long lasting too. I wear mine without a primer, and it’ll last the day. Posh is $13.49 over at Ulta, if you’re interested.

That layered liner life

To break up all the pink and plum tones, I layered two liners on my upper and lower waterline — a matte black and a sparkly purple. The purple didn’t really show up on its own, which is why I drew the black liner on first, then layered the purple on top. If you ever have a liner that doesn’t deposit as much pigment as you’d like, starting with a layer of black liner beneath it is the fastest way to ramp up the intensity. You can also do this trick with white liner, by the way!

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Bushy Brows and Soft Matte Lips: Drugstore Beauty Strikes Again!

May 27th, 2020 by Karen 18 Comments

Covergirl So Saturated Palette in Reverence k closeup — Bushy brows, babe!

If you’ve ever experimented with the bushy brow look you probably already know this: there’s a fine line between “full and lush” and “full-on cray.” Sometimes ya unintentionally cross that line (whoops!), and sometimes you don’t… The latter happened to me today when I stumbled onto this bangin’ bushy brow combo.

Budget beauty brows

Both products are from the drugstore, and to that I say, “Huzzah!” (Sorry, I’ve been binge-watching The Great on Hulu for the past few days.)

HUZZAH!

The two things: Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow in the shade Medium ($9.49) and Maybelline Tattoo Studio Brown Pen in Soft Brown ($7.59).

Easy Breezy Brow Gel is an intensely tinted gel loaded with color, and it dries to a super stiff hold. If you’re a fan of the awesome Hourglass Arch Brow Gel, this Covergirl product is practically a drugstore dupe.

Covergirl So Saturated Palette in Reverence k tee — I’m a makeup nerd and I’m proud of it! Makeup Nerd Tee from connorclaire.com (Yup, that’s my store. Named it after my boss, hahaha.)

It deposits tons of color and pushes brow hairs upwards and outwards (especially those on the inside/closer to the nose), so if you’re going for fluffy, full brows with defined hairs, it’s perfect. Just be sure to remove any and all excess gel from the brush before you use it, because this stuff is intense!

After running the brow gel through my brows, I fill the sparse spots with the Tattoo Studio Pen, which like because it has juuust enough pigment, so it doesn’t make your brows look “blocky” or overly filled.

Oh, and if you’re feeling adventurous, it also doubles as a pen for drawing fake freckles. 😊

Covergirl So Saturated Palette in Reverence k front closeup — Wherever you are, and whatever you’re doing today, I hope you’re having a good one!

A lip oil hack for soft matte lips

Speaking of products you can use in different ways…if you have a good lip oil sitting around, try mixing a little into your favorite matte liquid lipstick for a custom lip color with a soft matte finish.

Just dab a bit of both the liquid lipstick and lip oil on the back of your hand, mix them together with a finger or a brush, and pat that blended beauty combo on your lips.

I did it for this look with Pixi liquid lipsticks and a Covergirl lip oil for a finish just shy of matte. I also dabbed a tiny bit of highlighter on my Cupid’s bow to add contrast to the soft matte finish.
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Affordable Drugstore Makeup Mini Reviews: Concealer, Blush and Eyeliner From Maybelline and Covergirl

May 21st, 2020 by Karen 9 Comments

Good morning! A few speedy reviews of drugstore makeup I’ve been wearing lately…

Covergirl Clean Fresh Cream Blush

I like the squeeze tube in this line of shimmery cruelty-free cream blushes and how the blushes last a good six hours on my cheeks (my skin’s combo oily/dry), but feathering out the edges is a challenge. No matter what base I wear them with, I always end up with uneven patches and hard edges… Covergirl says that you can also wear these blushes on your lids, so I’m going to try that next to see if they work better as eyeshadows. Available in four shades, $10.99 each.

Maybelline Lasting Drama Light Eyeliner Pencil

These waterproof twist-up liners for your lash and waterline come in five shimmering shades to brighten yo’ eyes. I’ve used the black shade to tightline and the gold shade on my inner corners as a highlighter, and I like how they glide across the skin without skipping and don’t transfer — not one bit! The’re truly long wearing. The shimmer is also pretty subtle, so there aren’t any big chunks of glitter. Available in five shades, $5.99 each.

Maybelline Eyestudio Master Precise Liquid Liner in Black

This flexible felt tipped black liquid liner pen has a shiny finish. Among the pros: it’s intensely pigmented, long lasting, and it dries faaaast (so when I blink, I don’t have to worry about the liner ending up in my crease). The cons: the felt tip is touchy and skips, so carving out razor sharp lines with it is a challenge. If I’m not super careful, I end up with jagged edges. Available in three shades, $7.99 each.

Maybelline Washable Snapscara

These easy-to-remove, washable mascaras are made to load lashes with volume sans clumps, but I find them lacking in the volume department… I need to apply at least three layers to see any difference. They get points for being easy to remove, though. Available in five shades, $7.77 each.

Maybelline Volum’ Express the Falsies Washable Mascara in Navy Glam

I don’t see the navy when I wear this, and my lashes look and feel clumpy and stiff… Navy Glam is one of four shades, each for $8.77.

Covergirl TruBlend Undercover Concealer

This full-coverage vegan, cruelty-free liquid concealer has a matte finish and comes in SO MANY SHADES! There are 30, which is kind of amaze. It disguises discoloration without feeling heavy or looking “caked on,” but since the finish is *very matte*, when I wear it underneath my eyes, it emphasizes fine lines… Still a good concealer, though, if you just want to even out your skin tone. 30 shades, $11.99 each.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Friday Eve! 🤗

Keanu Reeves Is My Boyfriend, Vol. 1: Maybelline Superstay Ink Crayon Lipstick

July 24th, 2019 by Karen 16 Comments

This post is the first in a series of stellar drugstore gems in which my (very much pretend) boyfriend Keanu Reeves helps me test makeup… He’s gallant like that, you know? 😊

I can confirm that these pigmented, matte twist-up crayons by Maybelline are kiss-proof because I made out with Keanu Reeves for 20 minutes while wearing one of them (Lead the Way), and it didn’t move at all!

It smelled and tasted like vanilla-spiked Hawaiian Punch, which Keanu adored, but ewww! — it made my stomach churn. My boo likes it, though, so I guess I’ll have to endure… The things I do for that man, le sigh!

Maybelline Superstay Ink Crayon Lipstick, $9.49 each

It’s available in 12 shades for less than $10 each.
The formula is almost as smooth as Keanu’s raven locks, with nary a vertical lip line in sight.
The attached sharpener (which is hidden in the base of the pen) keeps the tip tapered.
It’s long lasting (from 3-4 hours), but it quickly melts away with makeup remover.
The matte formula isn’t drying; it IS comfortable; and it doesn’t make your lips look a billion years old.
It looks expensive.

maybelline super stay ink swatches — I’m an NC42 in MAC for reference.

maybelline enjoy the view — Enjoy the View

maybelline treat yourself — Treat Yourself

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