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Lady Unicorn

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GIRL. I haven’t worn big lashes in how long? But it’s just like riding a bike!

I’m also wearing a lot of glitter in this lady unicorn look, I know. 🦄

I was inspired by unicorns because my daughter is obsessed with them at the moment, and, let’s face it, so am I.

Oh, and body glitter. I’m wearing it too because WHY NOT? FYI, body glitter has come a loooooong way since I wore it back in the day. This one from Urban Decay comes in a tube, and you kinda just put it anywhere — on your face, in your hair, on your arms, on your neck, your legs.

And seriously, it does not come off! My goodness, I remember the old stuff lasting about 2.5 seconds in my clubbing days, so props to the sparkly scientists who finally discovered a way to get glitter to stick to yo’ body.

  • Eyes: Urban Decay After Dark Palette, Urban Decay 24/7 Pencils (Roxy, Electric Empire), MAC 75 Lashes, MAC Graphblack liner, MAC Princess Jasmine Palette (from the Aladdin collection), Urban Decay Glitter Liner in Disco
  • Face: MAC Studio Fix in NC42 mixed with Pinklite Strobe Cream, NARS Summer Lights palette (bronzer and highlighter), Urban decay Heavy Metal Glitter Gel in Saturday Stardust
  • Lips: MAC Honey Love Lipstick, Hourglass Prose Lip Gloss


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Weird Things I Like to Do

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I mean…there are so just many things, and most of them are silly like…

1. Using two mugs to drink coffee

When the automatic warmer in my coffee maker shuts off and the coffee isn’t as hot as I’d like it to be, I grab two mugs — one mug that I use in the microwave to warm up the coffee, and a second “fancy mug,” which I pour the hot coffee into and drink from.

Now, I could save a step and just drink directly from the first mug…but it’s too hot to hold when it comes out of the microwave, LOL!

2. Pretending I’m the cat paw-parazzi

Why do I derive so much joy out of taking covert pictures of Tabs?? I like to hide behind the couch or peek around corners to catch him in the act of…doing something. These days, it’s usually just him napping (because he’s old), but it’s still weirdly fun.

3. Posting weirdo face pics that have absolutely no context

Me: Stop posting weird pictures of yourself on the Interwebz without any context!

Also me:

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Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

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brows fill out beforehand
Oh, hai, brows!

Before you pluck or wax your brows, fill them out first so you can clearly see the shape you’re going for. Then, just remove the hairs that *aren’t* in that shape.

Makes total sense, right? — yet peeps (myself included) repeatedly fall into the trap of tweezing willy-nilly without keeping in mind the final brow look.

Whenever I do it (tweeze without planning ahead), I miscalculate my brow arch and end up over-plucking the wrong place.

DOH!

Apparently, this has been a lesson I’ve needed to relearn over and over again…

Brow fillers that won’t let you down

Here are my faves at the moment!

  • MAC Eye Brows Styler — This easy-to-use tool has a super thin tip that makes it easy to draw in those tiny brow hairs, and the formula lasts a long time.
  • Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel — THE BEST for speed. It’s great for quickly filling in and fluffing up your brows. And did I mention it’s super fast!? You gotta get a tinted one, though, because the clear one is pretty much useless.
  • Tom Ford Brow Sculptor — Pricey, but the best of the best IMO.
  • MAC Brow Sculpt — This is MAC’s version of the Tom Ford Brow Sculptor, and I think it’s pretty good (although no match for Tom’s).

So, yeah, next time you notice things looking kinda jungly up there, grab your brow pencil, brow powder, gel or whatever you’re using at the moment, “fill out” and “fluff up” those fuzzy little caterpillars, and then go to town with your removal method o’ choice!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Tuesday! ?

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

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current bare skin status
Wearing: nothing

Was it a new laundry detergent? Cutting out chocolate from your diet? Drinking more water? Wearing less makeup? Trimming your bangs? Going to bed earlier? Finding a new product? A procedure? A new dermatologist whose knowledge parted the clouds and let the sun shine through?

There are a few things that really helped me, but one immediately springs to mind: Kate Somerville Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion, which I’ve been using and loving for years. Finding it straight-up drastically changed my skin for the better. Without it, I will break out, no question.

For a little bac story (get it? haha, bad pun), I started struggling with acne at around 11 or 12 and dealt with it off and on (mostly on) for most of my life.

For years, I (thought I) tried everything — every OTC paste, pad and cream; antibiotics (which many dermatologists prescribed for acne back in the day), facials — seriously, everything. Then in college I ended up doing a round of prescription Accutane.

I don’t remember the potency, but I remember my skin (even my lips) being painfully dry while I was using it, and every pimple going crazy and coming to a head at once. It was very uncomfortable, but it worked. My skin stayed clear for several years afterward, but then in my 30s I started getting hormonal breakouts along my chin and around my mouth, and that was rough.

Again, I tried everything I could get my hands on — every new ingredient and product I could find. Good old salicylic acid products helped a little, like Clinique’s Mild Clarifying Lotion, but they didn’t clear up my skin completely.

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A Glamorously Grungy Makeup Tutorial: Smoky Reddish Brown Eyes and Vampy Matte Lips [MODERATE SKILL LEVEL]

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reddish brown smoky eye tutorial top pic 1

I’m warning you now — ONLY wear this makeup when you want to feel like a total bad-@ss capable of capturing, and then breaking, all of the hearts ? in a room within the span of 5 minutes.

This beauty buddy movie pairs two bold focal points together — a messy reddish brown smoky eye and a crisp blackened red matte lip — to create a jammin’ juxtaposition of grungy and glam, and you know I’m all about the contrasts in makeup. 🙂

To keep the overall look approachable and well out of Insta-glam territory, I paired the eyes and lips with moderately matte skin (there’s a semblance of a sheen), casual, messy brows and a warm bronzed mauve cheek.

red brown smoky eye tutorial top pic 2

red brown smoky eye tutorial top pic 3

Are you ready to rock? ???

What you’ll need

Le breakdown…

FACE PRODUCTS

EYE MAKEUP

TOOLS

  • Smudge brush (MAC 219S)
  • Fluffy angled eyeshadow brush (MAC 275S)
  • Blush brush (MAC 127S)
  • Flat eyeshadow brush (or, you can just use a finger)
  • Something to blend your foundation (BeautyBlender)

red brown smoky eye tutorial products

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