I woke up wishing I was on vacation this morning. There weren’t any viruses to worry about, no freaky headlines on the news, or piles laundry to fold, no meals to plan. Ah…
When I dream of vacation, it usually involves a beach, ‘cause I’m a sand, surf and sun girl.
I LIKE ALL THE TROPICAL PLACES, and I’m equally happy at remote, out-of-the-way secret beaches that are only accessible by rickety rope ladders as I am at Disneyland-like resorty beaches with all the accoutrements, including a big umbrella, a comfy chair, a clean bathroom and a snack shack. (Gimme all the snacks!)
A play on sheen, shimmer and shine
You know how when you’re at the beach on a hot day, you’re always kinda sweaty, even if you’re just sipping on strawberry shave ice? Well, that’s what I was aiming for with the base in this look. I wasn’t going for “sweaty” necessarily, but rather glistening. There’s an all-over subtle sheen on the skin (thanks, Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter), paired with bright, shimmery spots beaming from specific areas — the inner corners of the eyes, in particular, and the bridge of the nose. Then, there’s just the faintest amount of shine on the lips, thanks to a bright reddish coral lippie with a creamy finish.
I know I talk about “Char’s” Flawless Filter all the time, but really, it’s that good. I like it just as much as I ever have, and I still routinely say, WHAT THE HELL KIND OF MAGIC IS IN HERE? when I blend it in and look in a mirror.
If you’ve tried it and didn’t like it because you felt like the opalescent finish made you look sweaty, try setting it with a face powder that has a matte or demi-matte finish. For this, I’m a massive fan of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. And Chanel’s loose powder is good with Flawless Filter, too. Both temper the sheen a tad for a purrfect glow.
Cue the contrast
Did ya notice the matte lids and lash lines? Yup, that’s on purpose. I wanted a flatter finish on those areas to play against the intense inner corner highlight, and I’m wearing shadows from the new Wander Beauty Wanderess Escape Palette, which has a mix of matte, shimmer and glitter shadows in warm, summery shades of brown, bronze, gold and peach (there’s also a pop of teal in there). If you’ve ever fallen in love with any of the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess palettes, I think you’ll like it.
Makeup worn in this look
EYES: Wander Beauty Wanderess Escape Palette (Sunkissed in crease, Nude Beach all over lid as base, Overnight smudged on lash lines, Moonlit and Daydream applied wet in the inner corner to highlight), MAC Coffee Liner (lash and water lines), Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara
LIPS: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Tryst
CHEEKS: Hourglass Radiant Bronze Light (bronzer), NARS Luster Blush (blush), MAC Whisper of Gilt Extra Dimension Skinfnish (highlight on upper cheekbone and down bridge of nose)
BASE: Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter set with MAC MSF in Medium Golden, Estee Lauder Double Wear 24H Concealer
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Sissi says
March 11th, 2020 at 7:41 amOh I am with you with the beach situation. I wanna be on the beach RIGHT NOW! LOL. Funny coincidence: I also posted today a vacation picture lol! Gosh it is raining here in Georgia since 4 weeks and I am feeling depressed about it and that stupid virus talk is making me completely overwhelmed…
Sissi recently posted … In a bad mood? Try these to uplift, calm & create!
Karen says
March 12th, 2020 at 9:45 amYes, I know. We’re living in crazy times right now.
Angela says
March 11th, 2020 at 9:22 amHey Karen! Speaking of blurring powders, RachhLoves on youtube has gushed about Elizabeth Arden’s loose blurring powder. Have you tried it?? I am keen and at least up here it was only $40 (CAD). Tempting….though I bought the giant jar of Anastasia BH loose powder, which I like and still seem to have a lot of…
Karen says
March 12th, 2020 at 9:44 amHi Angela,
I haven’t tried that one. I think if you already have a big jar of a powder that you love and it’s working for you and your skin, keep it at least until the expiration date arrives, but make a note to try this new powder when it’s time to replenish. I think powder is one of those things that if you find one that works for you to just stick with it (which is why I tend to favor the ones that I know and love), because you always roll the dice when you introduce anything that you’re applying all over your face, ya know? Anywho, if I do get the chance to try it, I’ll give it a swipe and let you know. I haven’t seen an Elizabeth Arden counter in my neck of the woods in ages.
Ruchita says
March 11th, 2020 at 12:17 pmI am a beach person too! There is something so calming and peaceful about the ocean. We have a trip to Jamaica scheduled for next month, but we’ll see what happens with the coronoavirus situation. 🙁
I love this look so much! The lipstick is such a pretty color.
Karen says
March 12th, 2020 at 9:40 amOh no, Ruchita. Do you think you might have to cancel your trip?
Ruchita says
March 12th, 2020 at 12:48 pmI’m not sure yet, but I’m hoping we won’t have to. It is a group trip with some people coming from Europe and with the recent travel restrictions, I’m not sure how that will affect things. Also if some of our activities off the resort are canceled, it may not make sense to go. There’s just so much changing. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. Hope you guys are staying safe!
Suzanne C says
March 11th, 2020 at 1:05 pmIs it weird that I live in Florida, 90 minutes from the beach, and I am not particularly a beach person?
That Wander Beauty palette is gorgeous- love the aqua Sea Glass shade especially.
Karen says
March 12th, 2020 at 9:40 amTotally not weird. I had a friend who lived in Hawaii for years and never went into the ocean once when she was there. (I’m still not over the shock of this, apparently.)
Wander Beauty’s palettes are pretty solid! I like that I can just swish ’em on and not have to worry to much about blending.
Happy Thursday to you!
Tatiana says
March 11th, 2020 at 1:18 pmNot really a beach person, because my fair skin hates the sun and I dislike the feel of goopy sunscreen (but I still wear it) or having to wear long sleeves and a hat in the heat. But I still love Hawaii. I love sitting on a shaded lanai or veranda listening to the birds and the breeze in the trees and the waves gently lapping the shore.
I love the contrast of the matte with the shimmer. That lipstick color is also very gorgeous.
I never really took to CT FF. I feel like it’s too iridescent for my skin. I wonder how the newish NARS tinted glow booster compares to it.
Karen says
March 12th, 2020 at 9:39 amI haven’t tried the NARS yet but it seems to have the same effect as mixing a little bit of MAC Strobe cream into your tinted moisturizer. Looks cool though!
Kim says
March 12th, 2020 at 6:21 amYour skin looks beautiful and not sweaty in the least. 🙂 A vacation would be lovely. I’m not particularly beachy but I do love the ocean. And some sun would definitely be welcome. All my spring travel has been cancelled (overseas and even in-state!) but we could certainly drive a few hours to the coast. Unless they start closing roads which seems likely here in NY where people have apparently lost their minds. 🙁 Anyway – your makeup is lovely and I’m 100% with you on wishing for a vacation.
Karen says
March 12th, 2020 at 9:34 amWow. Everyone who I know travels for work is staying put. Have you heard of any plans to close the schools? I think it’s only a matter of time before Connor’s preschool shuts down.
Kim says
March 12th, 2020 at 12:36 pmAll the SUNY schools (colleges) are closed and doing online learning. It’s a challenge because, believe it or not, in our rural area there are people without reliable internet (forget high speed). Kids are being encouraged to stay on campus or in their apartments, even though there is no class. But I think that has more to do with refunds than internet. Our local school districts are not equipped to support distance learning so we don’t have a lot of options. I’m torn because I think people have lost their fool minds with all this panic, but I also don’t want to tempt fate and be slapped with a dose of “here’s what you get for not taking things seriously enough”. It’s hard to know how people really feel because of all the hype. And I just do not understand hoarding toilet paper. The way that everything on TV is amped up for ratings is causing a lot of worry and stress in the people I see. Sorry, I’m normally quite upbeat but these are strange times! I don’t mean to be a downer! Let’s just hope for a quick resolution with as little impact as possible on people’s health. 🙂
Chelsea says
March 13th, 2020 at 1:44 pmWe were going to try to go to Quebec on vacation next month (which is definitely not a beach vacation) but looks like that’s not happening now! All of the K12 schools in Michigan have shut down for 3 weeks, and most of the universities have too. My husband’s whole office is working from home for the next two weeks. My work is still up in the air.
Love this look! I put on a red lip today for fun – one of those Maybelline Lip Ink Crayons. Smells a little funny but looks nice and stays on decently.