Product Reviews

Product Spotlight: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer

August 5th, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

first aid beauty ultra repair tinted moisturizer tan — LOVE IT! I wear the shade Tan (I’m an NC42 in MAC and a Honey Bronze in Estée Lauder, for reference).

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer ($28 for a 1-oz. tube) is fantastic tinted moisturizer with a satin finish, especially if you don’t like the sensation of heavy, thick makeup on your face. The fluffy mousse (feels very similar to the NARS Hydrating Glow Tints that came out a few summers back) feels fab and blends away everything with barely a touch — pores, pigmented patches, red areas. If you just want a little something to even out your skin tone, and you want it to be something you can quickly do with your fingers and without a brush, this is it!

From sephora.com:

Vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free

Colloidal Oatmeal: Helps calm and soothe dry or distressed skin.

Hyaluronic Acid: Supports skin’s natural moisture content, helps skin appear smoother, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Vitamin E: Provides antioxidants, helps condition and soothe skin and stave off environmental aggressors.

Micro-Pearls: Finely milled minerals with light-reflecting properties that amplify skin’s natural radiance for a beautifully luminous effect.

Avobenzone 3%, Octinoxate 7.5%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 7.5%: Sunscreen.

Ingredients
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cetyl Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Butylene Glycol, Hexyl Laurate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Carbomer, Tribehenin, Limonene, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Allantoin, Sodium Ascorbate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract. May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492, Ci 77499, Ci 77491), Mica.

Now, the shade selection is somewhat limited by today’s standards… There are only 10 shades available, but at least there’s a nice variety of undertones represented, including pink, neutral and olive, so it’s a decent selection overall.

It’s made for normal, dry and combination skin types, but it’s supposed to be particularly good for people with sensitive skin. I’m combo oily and dry, with a tendency to break out when “Aunt Flo” visits, and my skin has been great with it so far. I just use it on its own — no primer underneath — and I skip the setting powder.

If you ever find that you need extra coverage with it, just grab a good liquid concealer and mix it in.

I like to apply a thin layer of Tan (First Aid Beauty’s equivalent of a MAC NC42) all over my face, let it dry for a minute or two, and then I’ll place another dollop of Tan on the back of my hand, which I’ll then mix with a little bit of a fuller-coverage liquid concealer, like Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural (works great for this!).

Then I’ll gently buff the tinted moisturizer-concealer mix with a tapered eye brush on specific spots on my cheeks and around my nose and mouth. Together that will stay put and work for the day.

If you’ve tried the tinted moisturizers by Laura Mercier or It Cosmetics and liked everything about them except the coverage (because you wanted more), I think you’ll love it…assuming you can find a shade that works for you!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Before and After: Urban Decay Lash Freak Mascara

July 30th, 2020 by Karen 4 Comments

urban decay lash freak mascara before after — New Lash Freak Mascara by Urban Decay

Ooh! Urban Decay just launched a new long-wearing mascara with a freaky-looking wand for $25. It’s designed, first and foremost, to increase volume, especially at the roots, and has a crazy-looking wand with three distinct surfaces! If you like bold lash looks and a cruelty-free formula that doesn’t smudge or smear, check it out.

How does it it work?

On one side of the brush there’s a row of asymmetrical teeth that really maximizes the amount of product the brush deposits on your lashes. The brush tip has a series of spikes to separate and define individual hairs, too. The last side — the smooth, curved part of the brush — is designed to press up against the roots for added lift.

What does two coats look like?

On my lashes, which naturally point downward and struggle to hold a curl, Lash Freak adds noticeably dramatic thickness at the base of my lashes, and you couldn’t miss it from a mile away! Two coats are enough for thick and lush lashes, but here’s the thing: from up close, the individual lashes look lumpy and bumpy. The curl from my lash curler also relaxes quite bit, so the coated lashes end up reaching out rather than curling up…

I like the color though. It’s a rich, dark black, and the formula doesn’t smear or smudge.

Why should you try it?

If you like thick, edgier long-wearing mascaras with a slightly spidery effect, you might like it.

Who would love it?

Best suited for someone who embraces drama and doesn’t mind bumpy-looking lashes (when seen up close).

When will it be available, and where can you get it?

You can grab it now on the UD website for $25 a tube.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

FOTD: Warm, Shimmery Bronze-Brown Eyes With Coral Cheeks and Lips

July 23rd, 2020 by Karen 10 Comments

Is it gold? Is it brown? Khaki? Taupe?! HMMMM! I think it’s pretty cool how this eye makeup can look so totally different depending on the details — the color of my clothes, the color temp of the light. Gotta love those secretly complex makeup things.

Officially, I’m wearing a warm and shimmery bronzed brown on my lids (MAC Monaco-co, from the summer collection) with a cool-toned matte taupe in the crease (MAC Omega), a satiny beige on the brow bone (MAC Brule), and a satiny brownish black on the outer corner and lower lash line (MAC Brun).

Unofficially, however, this eye makeup will ad lib with whatever color top you’re wearing. Doesn’t it seem more golden in the pic with the light gray top and more green in the one with the khaki? So, it’s multifunction that way.

I bet you could riff on other colors, too, with a matching liner, like a khaki or a warm dark brown. Or how about bronze? Ooh! — I bet Powersurge would be BEAUTIFUL with this combo.

Also, my brows appear thicker than usual in this look because I feel like full, lush brows frame the eyes nicely when there’s a lot of shimmer on my lids. Alternatively, you could do a subtle brow with a clear brow gel, but you won’t get the same contrast of the big, bold matte brows butting up against the shimmery lids.

It’s all about contrasting finishes, babe! You know I’m all about that life.

Makeup worn in this look

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Summer Faves and Raves: New Neutrogena Makeup (Eyeliner, Concealer, Tinted Moisturizer, Highlighter, Brow Pencil and Serum/Primer)

July 21st, 2020 by Karen 3 Comments

I could spend all day combing through the Neutrogena makeup section at the drugstore.

ALL. DAY!

Here are a few makeup items of note, which I’ve been using and liking, most of which are pretty new to the line…

Precision Liquid Eyeliner

I cut a big-@ass batch of onions with this on, and it didn’t budge, so LOVE. The felt tip is long and flexible, so if you like a little “give,” it’s perfect for carving sharp-edged lines and flicking effortless wings. It’s also intensely pigmented and a true black. Just all around lovely to line lids! I wish it came in more colors.

Available in one shade, Jet Black, which comes in a 0.013-oz. pen for $9.99.

Smokey Kohl Eyeliner

Like the black liquid liner, these creamy twist-up pencils are no joke when it comes to staying power. I’ve cried with Smokey Grey on my lash and water lines, and it didn’t move. I just wish there were an easier way to sharpen the tip…

Available in five shades, $9.99 each for a 0.004-oz. pencil.

Healthy Skin Radiant Cream Concealer

This is expensive for drugstore at nearly $15, but what you get is pretty much the equivalent of a $30 Kevyn Aucoin Supernatural concealer. Just like Supernatural, it relentlessly refrains from settling into experience lines. The medium-coverage formula is creamy, but not watery, and it has a satiny finish (no obvious disco pearl, though). Maybelline Age Rewind (a holy grail drugstore concealer!) offers more coverage; however, Neutrogena’s is thinner and easier to blend. And it’s just a tad less obvious. If you don’t want your under-eye makeup to look heavy, look no further than this. For reference, I’m an NC42 in MAC and a Honey Bronze in Estée Lauder, and I use shade Almond Medium 2 for dark circle correction because of its peachy undertone, and Toffee Medium 3 for the rest of my face.

Oh, and one last thing — this photographs fantastically well.

neutrogena makeup review — I’m wearing the Glow Primer + Serum, Protect+Tint Tinted Moisturizer, Healthy Skin Radiant Cream Concealer, Precision Liquid Eyeliner, Smokey Kohl Eyeliner, Glow On Liquid Highlighter, Cheeky Wink Flushed Blush and Nourishing Brow Pencil

Available in 15 shades, $14.99 for a 0.24-oz. tube.
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FOTD: Violet Tendencies and a Shout-Out to the Early Aughts With an Icy Blue Highlight!

July 17th, 2020 by Karen 13 Comments

Do you ever start a look with a specific idea in mind, but then it turns into something completely different?! That’s what happened with this eye makeup. I fully intended to do a simple lid with a sweep of matte brown eyeshadow and the thinnest slice of purple winged liner (“Just five minutes, Karen, that’s it!”), but surprise! — somehow I ended up with several shades of purple swirling together into this violet smoke show.

I mean…there is a hint of a gradient wing happening (on the upper lash line if you look closely), so I guess I kinda stuck to the plan? HA HA HA. Eventually, at some point along this crazy makeup journey we call life, I’m just going to have to lean into my smokey eye tendencies and accept that I really don’t want to do any other type of look. 🤷‍♀️

Also, shout-out to the early Aughts with the shimmery, icy blue inner corner highlight. Add a satin camisole shirt, low-slung bootcut jeans and a fedora. and it’s 2002 all over again!

(You know you rocked this same look back in the day. 😂)

I’m wearing a couple new Urban Decay products, by the way — the Naked Ultraviolet Palette (very easy to blend!) and the Lash Freak Mascara (tons of volume at the roots). If you have any questions about either, hit me up in the comments.

Makeup worn in this look

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