Karen

What Kind of Foundation Coverage Do You Usually Wear? Sheer, Full-Coverage or Something In Between?

April 3rd, 2014 by Karen 35 Comments

MAC Face & Body Foundations in C4, C5 and C6 — MAC Face & Body Foundation in C4, C5 and C6

My answer: the whole kit and caboodle!

Because I am a foundation junkie, and I’m finicky (or persnickity, depending on your choice of phrase), I keep a variety of formulations around in different levels of coverage.

Like just about everything else makeup related for me, which one I wear depends on my mood and plans for the day…and whether my skin’s behaving.

Which reminds me, I have a red pimple on the tip of my nose right now and it hurts. 🙁 I’ve been using Becca’s Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation to cover it, and dang if I don’t love that stuff! It completely covers the pimple (I feel like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, not gonna lie) yet doesn’t look fake.

Good stuff, but I digress…

When I intend to take pics (which is almost every day), I usually reach for something full-coverage, or coverage that’s just shy of full if my skin’s in good shape.

For taking pics, I love full-coverage NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation…

But for regular errand-running day wear, I prefer sheer (ideally, sheer with a dewy finish).

I like to mix Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation in Amber and NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Stromboli for sheer coverage…

Fresh, glistening “I spent the day at the spa” skin is my goal. 🙂

How about you? What kind of foundation coverage do you usually wear? Sheer, full-coverage or something in between?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Quick Peek at the New Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks by Too Faced Cosmetics

April 3rd, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks by Too Faced Cosmetics

New from Too Faced! These Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks, a new line of long-wearing liquid lipsticks, are supposed to have the staying power of a stain, the intensity of a liquid lipstick and the high shine of a lipgloss.

Comin’ up soon on ye olde testing block.

Here are some quickie swatches for ya… 🙂

Too Faced Melted Swatches from the left: Melted Coral, Melted Fuchsia, Melted Nude, Melted Peony, Melted Violet and Melted Ruby — Swatches from the left of Melted Coral, Melted Fuchsia, Melted Nude, Melted Peony, Melted Violet and Melted Ruby

Getting My Vitamin W at Ulta Today, Where I Peeped Some Pixel Cosmetics, NYX, Physicians Formula, Earth Therapeutics and Natural Life

April 2nd, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

Wandering around a store like Ulta is like chicken soup for my soul. 🙂

I hope you’ve been having a good week, but I gotta be honest — this hasn’t been one of my all-time best. Nothing big. Just the rainy weather, I think.

Buuut, today the sun came out, so I pulled myself together, did what I had to do, and stopped by Sephora and Ulta to get some vitamin W (for W-indow shopping).

I saw a bunch of cute stuff at Ulta (the one on Francisco Blvd. in San Rafael), like these things from NYX, Pixel and Physicians Formula…

The $4.99 NYX Primal Colors Pressed Pigments Facepowders

Pixel Color Cosmetics (pieces are $2.49-$5.99 each)

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom All-in-1 Nude Palette for Face and Eyes — $13.99 Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom All-in-1 Nude Palette for Face & Eyes and $14.99 Bronze Booster Glow-Boosting Beauty Balm BB Bronzer SPF 20

NYX Revenge Is Infinite Makeup Collection — NYX $24.99 Revenge Is Infinite Makeup Collection

And then there’s this brand called Natural Life. They make purses and other accessories with spunky, inspiring sayings and bright colors and cute prints.

The $16.99 Natural Life Is Easier Zipper Pouch

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What the Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayons Are Really Thinking About at Sephora, Plus New Divergent-Themed Makeup and Givenchy Ombre Couture

April 2nd, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

The following is an un-redacted transcript of a conversation that occurred among the six $24 limited edition Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayons at the Novato, California, Sephora store at precisely 9:55 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2, 2014.

KUMQUAT: Wake up, you guys! Show time in five minutes. Chop-chop!

GRAPE: Awwww, come on, man! Just 10 more minutes, please? I’m so sleepy…

KUMQUAT: No way, Grape. Everyone, UP! UP! UP! We need to look perky when the store opens. Remove your caps, back straight, and get in position. Stand proud like the pigmented lipsticks you are!

Bite Beauty Matte Cream Lip Crayons, $24 — Bite Beauty’s $24 Matte Cream Lip Crayons

CLEMENTINE: Geez Louise, Kumquat! — chill! I don’t see why we have to hurry. I mean, who visits a Sephora at 10 o’clock sharp on a Wednesday?

We have time. Let’s have a nice breakfast together as a family for once. I could make those pigment pancakes you like? 🙂

KUMQUAT: Absolutely not. I shouldn’t have to say this, again, but we stand at the front of the store.

The front of the store! Do you have any idea what that means?! We have to look our best every day. It’s…

Wait — shhh! Don’t make a sound. Someone just walked through the door…

IT’S A CUSTOMER!

SATSUMA: Oh, it’s that same girl from the other day again, the one who’s always covered in cat hair.

Why is she always here?! And doesn’t she have one of those pet hair roller things? I mean, come on! This is Sephora, for crying out loud. Sacred ground. People be rollin’ up here in skinny jeans lookin’ like they just fell out of bed two minutes ago.

SWEETY: Be nice, Satsuma. I see her all the time. She’s actually pretty cool. She takes pics and swatches for her friends. I think she’s on YouTube…

BLOOD ORANGE: Oh, really? Pictures, you say? Well, point her my way because I love having my picture taken.

Yoo-hoo! HEY, LADY! OVER HEEERE!

KUMQUAT: Just stop it already! She’s coming over. Remember, the customers can’t know that we talk amongst ourselves. We’re supposed to be inanimate. Stand straight, shut up and sit still. It’s time to go to work!

Bite Beauty Matte Lip Crayon Swatches from the left: Blood Orange, Clementine, Grape, Kumquat, Satsuma and Sweety — Bite Beauty Matte Lip Crayon Swatches from the left in Blood Orange, Clementine, Grape, Kumquat, Satsuma and Sweety

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Salad for Lunch…

April 2nd, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Just getting some vitamin D and heading to my favorite lunch spot for salad... — Just getting some vitamin D and heading to my favorite lunch spot for salad…

After one of the heaviest storms we’ve had in a while (seriously, there was loud thunder, lightning and powerful gusts of wind) we have sunshine today, and Tabs insisted that we not squander the opportunity.

He wanted salad for lunch, as he often does. He likes to supplement his diet with greens, and we see some of the best this time of year, when the grass is still fresh and not too dry or woody.

Ooh! This looks like an excellent salad... — Ooh! This looks like an excellent salad…

What's that?! I heard something... — What’s that?! I heard something…

The hill we live on here in Novato, California... — The hill we live on here in Novato, California…

He was pretty stoked about the whole idea. Because of the rains we’ve been having, he hasn’t been outside like this in more than a week.

Surveying his dominion... — Surveying his dominion…

Do You Prefer Eyeshadows in Palettes or as Single Pans?

April 2nd, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

I lean toward palettes — ideally, palettes where all of the colors are related in some way that make sense to me, like, all of the colors are warm-toned neutrals, or classic MAC shades that I wear all the time. Something thematic like that.

And I’m not a big fan of those Godzilla-sized palettes with quadrillions of eyeshadows, because as much as I like the idea of big blockbuster palettes, anything beyond 20 shades is stimulus overload for me.

How about you? Do you prefer eyeshadows in palettes or as single pans?

Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I can’t even tell you how happy I am to see the sun this morning! Yesterday my condo was like a 17-century schooner struck by a squall off the coast of New England. Rumbling thunder that you can feel in the floorboards, hail and rain that reaches out to strike the windows — I wasn’t sure we were gonna make it!

Right now we’re either in the eye of the storm, because it’s sunny but eerily still and quiet out there…or the storm has passed.

Either way, I’m taking it as a sign to get out of the house today. I’m thinking Sephora and Ulta runs are in order.

Take Your Cat Lady-Ness to the Next Level With Cat-Themed Footwear

April 2nd, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Wearing cat-themed footwear says to the world, “I am a crazy cat lady, and I’m not afraid to show it!”

These are my new crazy cat lady shoes of choice: the Vans x ASPCA Authentic Kitty Cat Skate Shoes ($55).

P.S. Uh…do you want me to review these?

Take Your Cat Lady-Ness to the Next Level With Foreign Language Feline Magazines

April 1st, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Do you aspire to be the craziest cat lady of them all? Take your cat lady-ness to the next level by reading foreign language cat magazines.

Ideally, your magazine of choice should be plump with pictures of cats and contain speech bubbles (which you may or may not understand).

Profiles pages dedicated to individual kitties in their respective workplaces are great, too.

Obviously, cute kitten pics are a must. 🙂 Extra bonus points for sad tabby kittens, as they are (arguably) the best.

Your magazine may also include step-by-step instructions on how to construct clothing for your cat.

Consider crafting this custom couture outfit for your precious kitty, since those “One Size Fits All” cat costumes at Petco are a total joke.

Last, but not least, if there are any cartoons of cats dressed as ninjas, be sure to point them out to your husband while you “read” your magazine at night. 🙂

P.S. Anyone out there understand Japanese?? I would sure love to know what the title of this magazine is, LOL!