Karen

The Fab 5, Vol. 2: Eye Makeup Brushes

January 7th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

These five are my workhorse faves, and I use them almost every. Single. Day.

Do you have any of the same faves I do? Which are your five?

Products mentioned in the video

MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush ($25)
MAC 217 Blending Brush ($24)
MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush ($32)
Burberry No. 10 Definition Liner ($32)
Too Faced Liner/Smudger Brush ($39; it’s one of three brushes in the Shadow Brushes Essential Set)

Reviews of the products on MBB

Thank you as always for watching, my friend. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. What’s for dinner, babe? I’m starved!

P.P.S. How was your day? Mine felt loooong.

New Favorite Necklace: Lucky Brand Turquoise Two-Collar Row Necklace

January 7th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

The Lucky Brand Turquoise Two-Collar Row Necklace

This was a Christmas present from my mom-in-law, and I absolutely love it! It’s a bold bib necklace that looks great with black or white tops.

In this pic below I’m wearing it with the black and gold Panthere dress from Anthropologie, but I think it also pairs well with a casual white tee shirt and skinny jeans.

You can find it now at Macy’s stores and macys.com. 🙂

MAC Unsung Heroes: Shaping Powder in Lightsweep

January 7th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

Lightsweep.

No, it’s not the name of a Transformer or an evil supervillain (far as I know), but it is a very appropriate name for this highlighting face powder.

Whenever I wear Lightsweep (I don’t know why, but that name cracks me up!), I do kind of feel like I’m being illuminated by soft beams of light.

Really flattering light — not hard or harsh streaks of noonday desert sun.

MAC Shaping Powder in Lightsweep — Shaping Powder in Lightsweep (MAC Pro)

I’ve been wearing it as a highlighter and an under-eye concealer a lot over the past month, all thanks to Mr. White…which is to say that I’ve been marathoning Breaking Bad lately, and Lightsweep has saved me after quite a few late nights (seriously, Mr. White could REALLY use a life coach!).

After waking up bleary-eyed, I’d put on my face paint and use Lightsweep to set my concealer. Then it’s, “Hello, bright eyes!” Just like a Jetoy Choo Choo Cat (my latest obsession).

Lightsweep, like the fictitious supervillain I just invented, is one of those secret squirrel MAC products that can be tough to find, but it’s SO worth tracking down.

Like the other Shaping Powders ($16.50 each), it’s a MAC Pro product, so it isn’t carried at regular MAC counters. It lives at MAC Pro Stores and online.

So what is it exactly?

This: a warm-toned, finely-milled face powder with a whisper of barely-there shimmer. It highlights skin with a delicate sheen — none of that greasy or oily-looking business you get with some highlighting powders. You can also use to set under-eye concealer, and brighten the under-eye area without going over the top.

At first glance in its pan, you might be like, “Wha? Really now, Karen? I don’t get it,” and your heart may not be thumping like it does when RyGos wears a striped tank top.

I feel ya…but wait! Pat it under your eyes, on top of your regular concealer (I usually pair it with MAC Pro Longwear), and I think you’ll understand.

I like to take into the “triangle” area…

No, not the one by Bermuda. 🙂 I’m referring to the triangle area under my lashes that runs along the side of my nose, from the tip of one nostril out to the outer corner of the eye on the same side.

Give that a try, and then step back from the mirror. Take a good look, and you should see a soft, diffused, natural-looking highlight under your eyes. Oh, so glowy.

As if that wasn’t enough, Lightsweep doesn’t settle into my fine lines or appear heavy or caked-on (the grains are very fine), and it doesn’t dry out my combination skin. Once applied, it stays put, too. No need to touch up for the rest the day.

If you have dark under-eye circles or more mature skin and are looking for brightening products that don’t emphasize pores or fine lines, Lightsweep is a fantastic product to have in your makeup bag.

By the way, the Shaping Powders come in other shades, too, if you’re interested. If your skin is lighter than NC42, check out Emphasize and Accentuate, and if you’re a darker diva, peep Warm Light and Soft Focus.

MAC Shaping Powders in Lightsweep (left) and Accentuate (right) — Shaping Powders in Lightsweep (left) and Accentuate (right)

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What Hair Trends Are You Happy You Skipped?

January 7th, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments

Big hair? Ombre and dip-dye? Perms? Brazilian blowouts? Featherlocks? Or how about the half-shaved head?

Like sands through the hourglass, these are the hair trends of our lives… 🙂

There has to be at least one you’re relieved you didn’t take part in.

For me, I’m thinking about the pixie cut, because there was a time there when almost all the girls I knew chopped their hair into a short pixie ‘do (it was right after Victoria Beckham cut her hair in 2008, if I remember correctly), and while they looked SO CUTE and loved the freedom of not having to fuss with long hair, I’m glad I never took part.

As much I love the look on other people, I don’t think it would have turned out that way for me. My hair is thick and wavy, and it grows like a weed. I would have ended up needing a trim at least once a month, and the growing-out phase would have been a nightmare inside a nightmare inside a horror movie.

Yeah, scary. Because my hair has a mind of its own, and the wavy pattern doesn’t fall gracefully on my head like a Pantene commercial. Instead, my hair haphazardly juts out all over the frickin’ place, and I can only imagine how the in-between phase would’ve looked…

Totally and completely cray.

So, my friend, let’s talk hair today. What hair trends are you happy you skipped?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Zombie Apocalypse-Approved Sam Edelman Darwin Boot

January 7th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

El Hub calls these my @ss-kicker boots. 🙂

He usually hates my shoes, but these have earned the Husband’s Stamp of Approval — a coveted prize — because they have been deemed “practical for the zombie apocalypse,” unlike most of my other footwear.

I got these casual black Sam Edelman Darwin Boots for myself as a Christmas gift and have logged quite a few miles in them over the past couple weeks.

They’re comfy AND versatile.

Ya know, versatile for boots.

They’re also purposefully distressed, so they come with scuffs on the toes and heels, which I know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s one of the things I like about ’em.

They do run big, so if you try them on, I’d suggest going down a half size. I usually wear a 7 but got these in a 6 1/2, which fits perfectly.

I like the color, too. It’s so totally ’90s! Just add a plaid shirt.

You can find them now at Nordstrom stores and online at nordstrom.com, samedelman.com and zappos.com.

They also come in Ivory (white) and Clay (tan).

Junk in the Trunk

January 6th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

Tabs must be very proud of his butt because he is always showing that thing off. Seriously, I spend about 75% of my time shoving it out of my face.

He’s REALLY proud of it! 🙂

5 Steps to Hotter Highlights

January 6th, 2014 by Karen 35 Comments

I cannot believe there was a time in my makeup life when I thought of highlighter as something optional, and a time before that when I didn’t wear it at all.

That is just so crazypants to me, because now, I think of it as an absolute, can’t-live-without-it necessity…like caffeine in the mornings and wearing a bra.

Nowadays, I wear highlighter almost every single day, and I think it makes a huge difference in my overall look. I feel like everything looks livelier, and my face appears just so much brighter when I wear it.

The three MAC Magnetic Nude Extra Dimension Skinfinishes, $30 each US and $35 CAN — A few of my current limited edition highlighting faves — the three Magnetic Nude Extra Dimension Skinfinishes ($30 each US and $35 CAN)

So, I guess you can tell — I’m on Team Highlighter, LOL! 🙂

To share the highlighter love, here are five things you can do to make your highlighter hotter…

1. It’s prime time, baby!

OK, now, I know that adding a face primer into the mix is an extra step, but it’s so, so worth it, especially if you have pores for days (like moi).

You know the deal: primer evens out the surface of your skin, creating a smooth surface upon which to apply products. So, if you apply primer before your foundation, powder, etc., everything you layer on top, including your highlighter, appears that much smoother.

Which is great, because highlighter shimmers, and that shimmer can draw unwanted attention to pores and imperfections, so anything you can do to create a smoother canvas beforehand helps you get you closer to a flawless look.

It’s probably not a big deal in your teens and 20s, but as you get up into your 30s (and beyond), primer can make a bigger difference, especially when you’re wearing shimmer on your cheeks.

As far as brands, I swear by MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance. I’ve literally gone through cases of the stuff (OK, bottles), because it does a number on my pores and fine lines. Plus, it layers nicely with skincare products and makeup, and it doesn’t give me breakouts.

2. “T” for tapered (as in tapered eye brush)

I learned this tip from one my favorite MAC Senior Artists, Keri B, who introduced me to the MAC Iridescent/Loose Powders (fantastic for highlighting).

Keri suggested that I apply it with a MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush, and I did.

Totally changed my life.

I’m particularly fond of using the 224 with high-shine highlighters, like the Iridescent/Loose Powders and MAC Mineralize Skin Finishes. Compared to a bigger blush brush, the smaller, thinner 224 brush head gives me a lot of control over the product I’m applying, and anything that reduces mistakes gets a big win from me.

3. Play with different levels of shimmer

Hourglass Dim Light Ambient Powder — Hourglass Ambient Powder in Dim Light, a neutral peachy beige ($45)

Dramatic, shimmery highlighters look super cool! — but they aren’t the only highlighters around. There are also highlighters designed for toned-down looks with softer sheens, and their glow is just as gorgeous.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview

January 6th, 2014 by Karen 33 Comments

I’M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU SAY!? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!! IT’S SO LOUD IN HERE!! LET ME TURN DOWN THE VOLUME FIRST…

There! That’s much better. I can hear you now. Sorry, but I can’t help it when it comes to The Purple One. Hello, Take Me With You? Kiss? Purple Rain? You know how it is — you gotta turn it up when you’re bumping Prince. 🙂

Speaking of purples that reign (LOL! How’s that for a lazy transition?), I was ferreting through my lipgloss stash last week when I rediscovered one of the greatest purples of all time (IMHO), Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview, or “purple preview” en Francais.

I’ve had purple lipgloss on my mind (and lips) a lot lately…partly because of Pantone’s Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid, making headlines, but it actually goes back much further than that — at least as far back as my twenty-sixth birthday, when my friend Jen got me my very first tube of purple lipgloss (Benefit Kiss Me).

Yves Saint Laurent Pourpre Preview Glossy Stain — Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview, $34

Yves Saint Laurent Pourpre Preview Glossy Stain wand — Gotta love the doe foot

So, Pourpre Preview — yeah, it’s $34, but for what it’s worth, with YSL’s Glossy Stains, it’s like you’re getting two lip products for the (pretty high) price of one.

In this case, the color starts as a gorgeous, glossy orchid violet, which then mellows out to a purplish pink stain.

Highlights…

Lasts from 5-6 hours on my lips
Has a moderately moisturizing, slightly sticky formula that feels quite thick when first applied
Unflavored, but it smells a little like green apples to me (yum!)

It’s one of the most wearable purples I’ve ever seen, and that’s what makes it an Unsung Hero to me. It’s just so frickin’ wearable! It looks good on just about anyone.

It’s purple — but not too purple, if that makes any sense — and semi-opaque, so it allows your natural lip color to peek through.

Yves Saint Laurent Pourpre Preview Glossy Stain swatch — Ooh, purple!

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