ZOEVA

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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Behind the Scenes at the Bakery…and a Chocolate Smoky Eye

December 26th, 2019 by Karen 11 Comments

zoeva cocoa blend and caramel melange eyeshadow palettes — Powered by chocolate cake

Since I started moonlighting as a professional (still novice!) cupcake baker last October, and have been working in the back of the house at a local bakery, I’ve been exploring ways to merge the wonderful worlds of cupcakes, and cookies, and cakes, and other kinds of baking…and also makeup.

For instance, there are ways in which cupcake and cookie baking are similar. Like, for instance, the basic process you go through to make cakes and cookies is the same. First, you pull together your dry ingredients and your wet ingredients, and then you alternate the wet the with dry.

It’s also the same things when I’m baking at for fun at home, with the biggest difference being that everything is scaled up to crazy high proportions at the bakery. Like, the other day, I baked 15 chocolate cake layers for a single day’s worth of orders! This is compared to at home, where I’ll maybe make three layers, at the most.

Working at the bakery has been really cool because I’ve been learning a lot, but I’m always kind of afraid that I’ll do something horribly wrong, like burn a big-@ss batch of 600 sugar cookies…

Another difference between baking at home and baking at the bakery is how we perform prep tasks in piecemeal, and over the course of a few days.

At home, I’m the one who preps the ingredients, prepares the batter, bakes off the cakes or cupcakes, and decorates from start to finish.

You don’t even wanna know how much butter is in this big mixer right now…

But at the bakery, tasks are broken down into very specific subtask lists, so that at any point in time, one of the other bakers can pick up where another baker has left off. It’s incredibly efficient that way!

This look I’m wearing here, which I did with the Zoeva Cocoa Blend and Caramel Melange palettes, was inspired by that mega chocolate bake off I mentioned!

The Zoeva Cocoa Blend (left) and Caramel Melange (right) eyeshadow palettes

Oh, and here’s another big thing I’ve learned working at the bakery…and it’s likely incredibly obvious: people really, really, REALLY like chocolate cake.

Because we make a lot of chocolate cakes, and chocolate is considered one of the “foolproof” recipes. At the bakery, they give it to the newbies like me because, unless you’re a complete hot mess, you can’t muck it up. It’s an oil-based cake, so you just dump all of the ingredients into a container and mix them together, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to get a moist cake!

I used two food-inspired palettes by Zoeva in this chocolatey smoky eye… It turned out a bit pinker than I’d like, but you know, sometimes you get to that point and you can’t really go back, so you just go with it. LOL! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood baking addict,

Karen

7 of My Favorite Affordable European Makeup Products

June 29th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 24 Comments

Best Affordable European Makeup — Some of my favorite (affordable) European makeup

Europe definitely has a lot to offer the international traveler. I mean, so many different countries and cultures concentrated in a relatively small area…

But visiting a dozen countries in a month can get extremely expensive, so what’s a beauty lover to do? Pass on the makeup shopping??

Of course not!

On the good ol’ continent, you can find lots of top quality products that cost less than a latte.

Here are my top recommendations!

1. Catrice Defining Blush in 040 Think Pink (€3.99)

If someone made me try the Catrice Defining Blush in 040 Think Pink after having depotted it, I’d for sure think it was a high-end blush.

I swear, I’d bet my entire makeup collection on it! It’s that good.

Creamy and not in the least bit powdery, nicely pigmented but easy to blend, and long-lasting, too.

Oh, and here’s the best part: it’s only €3.99!

2. Catrice Camouflage Cream in 010 Ivory & 020 Light Beige (€3.49)

If you’re blessed with oily skin and occasional hormonal spots like this mama, then you’ll know that liquid concealers just don’t last.

To cover up those angry red zits and the marks they usually leave behind, I think it’s much better to use a dry-texture concealer.

In my opinion, the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage ($35) is the best in this category, but Catrice’s Camouflage Cream comes in a close second, and it’s just a fraction of the price.

Should you ever spot a Catrice stand during your European adventures, make sure you put your paws on this fantastic concealer.

3. Essence Long-Lasting Eye Pencils in 01 Black Fever & 02 Hot Chocolate ($2.49/€1.99)

Ok, I know that you can get Essence at Ulta these days, but wouldn’t it be cooler to pick up something from this affordable German brand after admiring the majestic Cologne Cathedral or visiting the breathtaking Neuschwanstein Castle?

My first recommendation would be the Long-Lasting Eye Pencils in 01 Black Fever and 02 Hot Chocolate, because I mean, who doesn’t need black or brown eyeliner?

These glide on super easily and last amazingly well both on the waterlines and lashlines.

4. Essence Sun Club Matte Bronzing Powder in 01 Natural – Blondes/Lighter Skin ($4.99/€4.99)

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Face of the Day With the Zoeva Warm Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette

April 7th, 2016 by Adia Goss 18 Comments

As promised, I’m back with a face of the day using those Zoeva goodies we talked about.

I did one of my favorite makeup looks — softly, sparkly eyes, glowy skin and pink lips. This is pretty much my go-to makeup look, so I like to keep it interesting by trying out and incorporating new products and formulas.

For my eyes, I used two shades from the Zoeva Warm Spectrum eyeshadow palette (indicated below):

face of the day zoeva — The two shades from the Zoeva Warm Spectrum eyeshadow palette.

Whenever I try new eyeshadows, I don’t use primer for the first time because I like to get a feel for how they blend and wear without any help. I loved how pigmented and easy to blend these shadows were, but they could have used the boost of a primer, because I noticed some fading as the day wore on.

The rest of my eye makeup was pretty simple. I just used my favorite Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Gel (This is one of my current favorite brow products! You can see it in action in this Date Night Makeup Tutorial).

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I’m Finally Trying Zoeva! Here Are My First Impressions…

April 1st, 2016 by Adia Goss 34 Comments

So, I have been wanting to try Zoeva makeup brushes and cosmetics for the longest time. I’ve seen so many bloggers and YouTubers rave about them — the pigmented eyeshadows and gorgeous brushes — and the day has finally come. I’m finally trying Zoeva!

I wanted to share my excitement with you guys, so I filmed my first impressions in this video:

I also have photos and swatches of everything I talk about in the video (down below), so that hopefully you guys can get a good idea of what Zoeva has to offer.

ZOEVA History

“ZOEVA is a German brand, founded in 2008 by Zoe Boikou. The brand name ZOEVA is composed of ZOE, the Greek word for ‘life’ and EVA, the very first woman. From a basic range of only 10 makeup brushes, ZOEVA now offers a professional portfolio of over 50 makeup tools and 100 colors for a full face makeup routine. Our products are designed to make a real difference in the way women experience their beauty rituals.”

— www.zoeva-shop.de

Zoeva Warm Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette

Zoeva Warm Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette swatches from top to bottom:

zoeva first impressions — L to R: WR 130, WR 100, WR 070, WR 040 and WR 010

“ZOEVA is dedicated to the self-confidence and unique beauty of all women. Every ZOEVA product is made with love and designed with conviction and passion for makeup. Our ultimate goal is to offer luxurious, high quality products. Helping every woman to discover her individual beauty is our highest ambition. ZOEVA means celebrating yourself and being aware of your individual beauty.”

— www.zoeva-shop.de

Zoeva Luxe Color Blushes in Burning Up and He Loves Me, Maybe

For size comparison, here are the Zoeva blushes compared to NARS and MAC blushes:

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