Karen

Hello From Redding! And Yes, I Did the Makeup for This Face of the Day in the Car…

June 13th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

What else am I gonna do in the car for four hours?

Happy Friday the 13th greetings from Redding. 🙂

So, on the four-hour drive up here this morning, El Hub and I covered just about all of the Game of Thrones conspiracy theories we could think of while I played with makeup in the car.

Seriously, why nap or stare out the windows at the bone-dry California Central Valley when you can talk about all of the drama in King’s Landing and make tiny little circles in the outer corners with your MAC 217 instead?

I find the latter much more entertaining.

Like Willie Nelson said, “On the road again…”

I was running late this morning (SURPRISE!) and only had about 10 minutes to pack, so I ended up just tossing a few tried-and-true treasures into my Sonia Kashuk Triple Train Case, along with a couple of new things from Urban Decay and BECCA.

Obligatory bare face pic… 🙂

Not wearing a lick o’ makeup, and just some Neutrogena Age Shield Sunblock

Yeah, my hair’s lookin’ a little cray… It has a mind of its own, you see, and tends to lash out at anyone near it when I first step out of the shower.

I started by priming my face with Guerlain Meteorites Perles Base Eclat Les Ors (it has a subtle golden sheen that I really like) and my eyes with MAC Fast Response Eye Cream.

Next, the basics. I evened out my skin with MAC Face and Body Foundation (love this in hot weather because it doesn’t budge), covered up my dark circles with MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Bright Forecast and YSL Touche Eclat, and filled in my brows with MAC Monsters Bride Pro Palette X 6 (I use it in Brun to fill the outer part of my brows) and MAC Eye Shadow in Cork (for the inner part).

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The Orange Lip Trend: Are You Down?

June 13th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

Orange crush! Wearing NYX Butter Lipstick in Hot Tamale ($6)

Orange lips: still a big trend this summer, and since I love bold, bright lip colors, especially in warm shades like orange, yeah…I’m totally down!

I don’t know if it’s a trend that a lot of people I know are into, though. I’ve been trying to persuade the ladies in my life to try orange lips, but most of the time when I bring it up, they make some version of this face…

I’m wearing the Webbed in Turquoise necklace by Kristin Perry

Incidentally, this is the exact same expression I wore all the time when I worked as a legal assistant back in the day. I’d have my coat on my arm and be halfway out the door at 5:01 p.m. when someone in the office would inevitably ask me to make 500 collated copies of a document that needed to get to so-and-so ASAP, and I’d be like, “Suuuuuuuuure, no problem. I’d love to do that for you RIGHT NOW.” 🙂

I’ve tried to convince my gal pals that orange lips don’t necessarily have to be bright, bold and opaque, like the lip look I’m wearing in these pics. In these shots, I’m wearing a single layer of the lovely NYX Butter Lipstick in Hot Tamale (smooth and pigmented, no funky flavor or scent, and just $6!) at full strength, but you could just as easily take it down a notch by dabbing the tube lightly on your lips to create more of an orange stain.

Or, you could reach for a super sheer gloss, like Chanel’s Sunny Glossimer ($29.50, and part of their permanent collection).

Chanel Sunny Glossimer — Wearing Chanel Glossimer in Sunny, a jelly orange

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Currently Decorating My Office…

June 12th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Glitter and macarons, two of my favorite things

Birthday cards!

They’re like a temporary art installment. 🙂

Using the word “Ate” in Tagalog (a language of the Philippines, which is where my family is from) is a sign of respect. It means “older sister” and is pronounced “ahh-tea.”

Because It’s Cooler in the Shade: New BECCA Shadow & Light Bronze/Contour Perfector

June 12th, 2014 by Karen 6 Comments

BECCA Shadow & Light Bronze/Contour Perfector

Bronzer is one of those things that always makes me feel a little better when I put it on.

BECCA’s new powder bronzer, Shadow & Light Bronze/Contour Perfector ($40), is a little different than usual. It has a split pan with both a bronzer and a highlighter, but instead of the regular orange bronzer undertones, its undertones are black, which is supposed to simulate the effect of shadows on the skin, instead of that burnished orange thing.

Neat!

It actually kind of looks like one half is sitting in the shade.

You can find it now at BECCA counters, Sephora stores and online.

With Pen Packaging, These MAC Moody Blooms Collection Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints Do Some Things Write

June 12th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Blushing Berry, a mid-tone cool red — MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Blushing Berry, a cool mid-tone red

GURL, I’ve been Team MAC Lipglass since 1998! — ever since that first tube of Spite found its way into my purse.

That’s a lot of lipgloss lovin’. In fact, it’s the longest relationship I’ve ever had with a gloss.

And because we have all this history together, it’s easy for me to see the good points when it comes to the Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints ($20) from the Moody Blooms collection.

They have a few things in common with the O.G. Lipglasses, like a thick, non-drying formula and a mirror-like shine, but there are some differences. I’d say they’re more like cousins than sisters.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints from the lightest shade on the bottom to the top: Bubble Gum, Gwi-Yo-Mi, Blushing Berry, Glorious Intent and Simply Wow ($20 each)

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tints Swatches from the left: Bubble Gum, Gwi-Yo-Mi, Blushing Berry, Glorious Intent and Simply Wow — Swatches from the left: Bubble Gum, Gwi-Yo-Mi, Blushing Berry, Glorious Intent and Simply Wow

First, there’s the packaging. The Sheen Supremes come in a pen with a brush tip (as opposed to a regular tube with a doe-foot)…

Fun to use! I feel like I’m in art class whenever I use these to paint my lips with gloss.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Simply Wow, a mid-tone cool mauve — Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Simply Wow, a mid-tone cool mauve

And then there’s the stickiness, and how these don’t feel quite as sticky as regular Lipglasses do to me. Perhaps as a result, they don’t last quite as long. I get about three hours of wear from them, which still isn’t bad.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Bubble Gum, a soft warm pink — Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Bubble Gum, a soft warm pink

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Outfit of the Day: A Floaty, Flirty and Fun Pleated Skirt by Devlin

June 12th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Kate Spade Baxter Jacket — A non-stretchy pants day

I was window shopping one day at Nordstrom when I spotted one of the sales associates wearing this black Devlin Pleated Skirt…

It looked so floaty and flirty and fun on her that I figured, even though it’s a little on the short side, why the hell not! — I should try it on because you never know, right?

The hem is a little shorter than I’m used to, but I “needed” (air quotes again) to treat myself to a running reward. (Have I mentioned that I straight-up have to bribe myself to exercise now? Hey, whatever works!) I ended up grabbing the last one in my size. 🙂

I like basic black pieces like this because you can do so much with them. In the top pic I dressed it up with some things from Kate Spade, Old Navy and Halogen that I had in my closet.

Devlin Pleated Skirt Black — The Black Devlin Pleated Skirt

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Do You Ever Borrow, Sneak or Steal Scented Products (Perfumes, Colognes, Body Washes, Moisturizers, Etc.) From Your Significant Other?

June 12th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

The newest scent from L'Occitane, Mer & Mistral — The latest in aromatic awesomeness from L’Occitane: Mer & Mistral

QUESTION: Do I ever sneak, steal or borrow fragrances from El Hub?

Well, does a cat like cardboard? (That would be a resounding “yes.”)

I do it all the time, like his Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme?

Man, I love that stuff…

It’s in the medicine cabinet in our bathroom, and sometimes I’ll “borrow” it when I’m in the mood for something a little less floral than my usual uber-girly scents.

Yeah, the whole borrowing thing is one of the main reasons I keep our shower stocked with “El Hub’s favorite” (in air quotes) shower gel, Lush Dirty Springwash.

Because, you know, I, um…use it on occasion.

I can also confirm that the latest addition to El Hub’s fragrance stash, L’Occitane’s Mer & Mistral — a fresh, aquatic potion of pine, cypress and rosemary notes evocative of the Mediterranean — is perfectly suited to both men and women.

I recently placed bottles of Mer & Mistral Shower Gel (bubbles!) and Fresh Body Gel (absorbs so fast!) on El Hub’s shelf in the bathroom, but they have slowly migrated (purely of their own accord!) to my area. 🙂

From the left: Mer & Mistral Fresh Shower Gel ( $18), Fresh Body Gel ($20) and Eau de Toilette ($75)

So, my friend, dish the deets! Do you ever borrow, sneak or steal scented products from your significant other? Inquiring fragrance fiends want to know…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen