Karen

These Inglot O2M Nail Enamels Say to Nails, “Don’t Forget to Breathe”

July 26th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

When you hear the term, “breathable beauty products,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Let me guess — it wasn’t nail polish, right? 🙂

Lacquer isn’t exactly the first thing that pops into my head when I think about “breathable beauty products.”

Breathable foundation? Sure, I can see that. Don’t want mah precious pores gasping for air.

But breathable nail polishes?

Hmm…

Well, with these new Inglot O2M Breathable Nail Enamels, it’s their schtick.

Their designed to allow oxygen and water to pass through the enamel to the surface of the nail.

Kinda cool, although I’ve never actually thought of my nails as suffocating beneath my polish, but ok. Inglot says the formula is supposed to contribute to healthier nails.

I do have to say that when I wore six of the 16 numerically-named (grr) shades a while back, my nails did seem like they were in pretty decent good shape when I removed the polishes.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Revlon Fire & Ice Super Lustrous Lipstick

July 26th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

About the Author
The following guest post was written by Arianne de Guzman of Glitter Geek. You can also find Arianne on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Fact: bright lips give me life. Whenever I’m in an especially sassy mood, a great vibrant lipstick always hits the spot. One of my go-to drugstore brands for statement lipstick is Revlon. Revlon Fire & Ice Super Lustrous Lipstick is an iconic shade that was launched in the 1950s. Depending on your skin’s undertones, Fire & Ice can pull warm or cool, but there’s no denying that it’s a stunner.

When wearing a red lipstick like Fire & Ice, I have to be extra careful to conceal all the redness out of my skin, or risk looking feverish. Instead of blush, I lightly dust my face with bronzer. Then, I fill in my brows, and wear something simple on my eyes like a flicked eyeliner, or a subtle smudging of grey or brown eyeliner.

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features much-loved permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

As with my other vibrant lip shades, I adapt Fire & Ice to whatever I’m doing that day. Going in for a day at the office? Lightly press over lip balm for a sheer stain. Wanna dress to impress at an evening event? In this case, I apply straight from the tube and precisely shape the lines with a lip brush.

Revlon Fire & Ice Lipstick worn as a stain

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I’m Arianne de Guzman of Glitter Geek, and This Is My Makeup Life

July 26th, 2013 by Karen 28 Comments

The My Makeup Life series asks beauty biz insiders, bloggers, makeup mavens and artists to share their holy grail products, tricks, tips and favorite beauty tools. Is there anyone you would like to see featured in My Makeup Life or questions you think I should ask? Let me know here.

Name: Arianne de Guzman
Location:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hangouts online: Glitter Geek, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
Current favorite product: Vichy NutriExtra Extraordinary Oil (summer legs in a spray bottle!)
Beauty inspirations: Scherbie (my cat) inspires my cat eye, the colours of the sky at sunrise and sunset, and the Downtown Toronto skyline
One word that best describes your outlook on beauty: Playful

What makeup/beauty products can’t you live without?

I need shu uemura Hard Formula Pencil for my brows, Bobbi Brown Peach Corrector for my under eyes, and a kickass bold lipstick like YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Le Fuchsia. Also, I can’t live without my RapidLash. My lashes have grown a lot since I started using it about 2 months ago and I’m obsessed!

When did you start getting into makeup?

I was 17 when I discovered the world of beauty blogs, and it was all downhill from there, LOL! I bought my first red lipstick, but I was still too shy to wear it outside.

What’s your best beauty time-saving trick?

Ditch the makeup brushes, use your (clean) hands to save time and clean-up! Lazy girls say “yay!”

Cream and liquid products work well for finger painting with makeup. I dab a sheer, shimmery cream eyeshadow on my eyelids, and take the excess and apply to the tops of my cheekbones. I stain my cheeks with a mix of liquid blush and highlighter (recently Benefit Cha Cha Tint + High Beam), and use the same mixture for my lips.

What’s your favorite beauty tool?

I’m a skincare nut (see #6), so on blogging days when I put on a full face of makeup, I wash it off first with shu uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil. 30 seconds and poof! My makeup is off.

What’s the best beauty advice you ever received?

Got oily skin? Don’t shy away from face oils. I used to have very oily skin until I started incorporating face oils into my skin regimen. Now I have normal skin. Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Oil or any argan oil are my favourites.

What’s your skincare routine?

I have a very long and methodical skincare regimen, so get ready! I like to incorporate “clean” and all-natural skincare because I find it works well for my skin.

In the morning: SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic (smells smoky like bacon so it’s like getting anti-oxidants and breakfast in one!), Intraceuticals Rejuvenate Moisture Binding Cream, SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50, Benefit It’s Potent! Eye Cream.

Before bed: Pure + simple Sensitive Skin Face Wash, Minimalist Face Lift Serum, Just Pure Facial Cream Rich (on face and neck), Weleda Almond Soothing Natural Facial Oil (on any breakouts), Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve tried in the name of beauty?

A Brazilian wax. It’s, um, quite an intimate experience. After that first painful rrrrrip I just wanted to jump off the table, butt-nekkid and everything!

Wearing these shu uemura feather lashes while taking out the garbage is a runner-up. 🙂

Do you have a trademark look?

I change up my makeup on a daily basis, but my trademark lazy girl makeup look would be healthy dewy skin, brows/lashes/lips (hayyy, Jeremy Renner!).

Are there any beauty decisions you’ve made that you look back on and ask yourself, “why?!”

One time, I went to the salon to get two peek-a-boo purple streaks in my hair. The colour didn’t take because they had to bleach my hair so much. It was horrible and I got them dyed back after a week.

Where are your favorite places to shop?

For beauty, Sephora at Toronto Eaton Centre is the best! When I am in need of a luxurious treat (read: expensive), I hit the beauty counters at Holt Renfrew. My style is really simple and I get my most of my clothes from the Gap and H&M. Oh, and I almost always buy my necklaces and accessories from Forever 21.

Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots Nail Polish in Blue Marks the Spot

July 26th, 2013 by Karen 8 Comments

Doesn’t Maybelline’s Color Show Polka Dots Nail Polish in Blue Marks the Spot remind you of speckled robin eggs?

I’m getting that vibe.

This one seems to have more of the smaller hexagonal bits of glitter than do Dotty and Drops of Jade.

I’m wearing two coats here.

It’s available now at drugstores, Ulta stores and also online.

Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots Nail Polish in Blue Marks the Spot — Color Show Polka Dots Nail Polish in Blue Marks the Spot

At Least It’s a Dry Heat

July 26th, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

Check out this cray cat lady sun visor I found at Raley’s supermarket in Redding today

Um…it’s really hot up here in Redding. Like, today the high was about 106 degrees, and everyone kept saying, “At least it wasn’t too hot today.”

Because it seems that way when the forecast for tomorrow calls for 113.

At least it’s a dry heat. 🙂

I went for a run outside around the neighborhood this morning at around 10 a.m., and it felt like I was being microwaved (it was already 90-something by 10).

Even the wind — not helpful — like being blasted by a giant dryer.

I’m trying to take advantage/make the most of the dry air to test a few moisturizing products, like a bottle of Clark’s Botanical Cellular Lifting Moisture Mist ($45 for a 3.4-ounce spray bottle), which I’ve been carrying around all day.

It’s a moisturizing mist made with Swiss apple stems and algae (also good for soothing sunburns). You can spray it on bare skin or atop makeup, and it dries to a matte finish.

I love the light apple scent, and it really does seem to add some much-needed moisture to my thirsty cheeks.

Also, after my shower this morning I used Orico London’s Superico Omega Rich Body Oil ($40 for a 3.4-ounce bottle), a hydrating body oil with a blend of sunflower seed, rosehip, flaxseed and bergamot oils, and Vitamin E. It has a light, relaxing sandalwood scent, and the formula doesn’t feel sticky or heavy.

Oh, yeah — about the heat again, I noticed this morning on my run that the sun seems REALLY bright out here, like the earth is closer to the sun or something than it is in the Bay Area.

I don’t know…

I feel like I’ve been squinting all day long, and the skin around my eyes needs some TLC.

Hopefully these Rejuvenal-C Orange Eye Pads ($5 for 5 pairs of pads, so 10 pads total) help. They contain chamomile, green tea, orange and Vitamen C.

Sounds soothing…

I’m gonna give ’em a try tomorrow. The directions say to just set one pad on each eye, lay back and relax for 10-30 minutes.

Dude, I can get behind that! 🙂

You can also use them on your cheeks, chin and other parts of your face. For maximum relaxation, store them in the fridge to keep ’em nice and cold.

Do You Ever Wear Makeup on Places Other Than Your Face and Neck?

July 25th, 2013 by Karen 20 Comments

mac face and body foundation application tips — I lurves me some MAC Face & Body, babe

Oh, totally, but not every day. Sometimes it depends on my coordination.

Allow me to explain…

I’ve always bruised easily, but as I’ve gotten older, it’s gotten much worse. Now, I barely have to bump a table or walk into a doorway on accident, and I wake up to angry purple/blue bruises the next day!

Right now I’m pretty banged up from surfing at La Jolla last week. I have dark bruises on my arms, knees, hips and the sides of my tummy. If I had a work party or function to go to, I’d try to cover those bad boys up with some MAC Face & Body.

Love that stuff, man! Once it dries, I don’t have to worry about it rubbing off on my clothes. I actually have a girlfriend who swears by it and uses it on her legs every time she wears shorts.

A long, long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away!), when I was doing West Side Story for community theater, all of the girls had this trick we’d do with bronzer. We’d swipe a small amount between our breasts to make it look like we had more cleavage.

It looked pretty obvious up close, but from a few feet away, our boobs looked killer, LOL! I haven’t really had the…opportunity to try this trick lately, but ya never know!

Do you ever wear makeup on places other than your face and neck?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Unsung Makeup Heroes: Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balms

July 25th, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

About the Author
The following guest post was written by Jessica Desjardins of Beautezine. You can also find Jessica on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.

There are a few things I love to collect, like cute USB keys, shoes and Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms.

As much as I adore makeup, I don’t consider myself a collector of limited-edition collections, adorable packaging or even designer pieces, but I can’t help myself when it comes to these Maybelline Baby Lips. I just have to have them all!

I admit that I have a slight addiction to these fun, colorful lip balms…

I don’t feel too guilty though. They retail for just $3.99 USD / $4.99 CAD each, so my wallet doesn’t get angry at me when I feel the need to hoard a few more. The permanent lineup features six shades — two of which are clear and the other four have a sheer tint. Sometimes they launch limited edition shades too, and those fly off the shelves super fast (psst! keep your eyes peeled for the new neon shades this fall).

Maybelline Baby Lips in (L-R) Pink Punch, Grape Vine, Peach Kiss, Cherry Me & Quench

I wanted to share five of my favorite shades and a bit about why I’m so head-over-heels for these drugstore lippies.

First of all, they’re totally adorable. The fun packaging features bold colors and a cute design. Next, they smell great and have a sheer tint that’s totally fool-proof to apply, yet slightly buildable too. These are the types of lip balms that you keep in your office drawer, on your nightstand, and a couple in every purse. Finally, they have SPF20, so they are great for daily protection (but don’t have that awful sunscreen taste), and they’re super moisturizing too.

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features much-loved permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

Quenched. Quenched, probably my most-loved shade, is clear and smells like lemon-lime. It has a permanent spot on my nightstand; I use it each night before I go to bed, and my lips feel soft, smooth and hydrated every morning.

Peach Kiss. Peach Kiss is another favorite. It smells like peaches and has a shimmery, peachy bronze tint. It’s pretty neutral, so it goes with almost every look! It’s my go-to when I’m in a rush or can’t decide on a lip color.

Pink Punch. Pink Punch is a super fun, bright pink with a berry scent. It’s quite buildable and pairs perfectly with an ultra black cat eye!

Cherry Me. Cherry Me is your classic cherry Chapsticky balm kicked up a few notches. The juicy cherry scent is totally nostalgic and leaves lips with a rosy tint.

Grape Vine. Grape Vine is so dark that it might look a little scary in the tube, but it goes on super sheer and kisses lips with a soft berry tint. The grape scent is so amazing I wish I could eat it!

I could go on and on about these lip balms, but really, it comes down to this: they’re affordable, hydrating, cute and come in some pretty awesome shades. If you haven’t tried them yet, run — don’t walk — and snatch up as many as you can because you’ll definitely love them all!

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I’m Jessica Desjardins of Beautezine, and This Is My Makeup Life

July 25th, 2013 by Karen 33 Comments

Name: Jessica Desjardins
Location: Currently Ottawa, Ontario, Canada…but I’m moving to Toronto in a few weeks!
Hangouts online: Beautezine, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest
Current favorite product: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness. It feels light as a primer but covers like a concealer. It corrects redness, feels weightless and has been allowing me to skip foundation this summer!
Beauty inspirations: Old Hollywood, red carpet, European style, jewelry, abstract art, antique photographs, floral gardens, fashion
One word that best describes your outlook on beauty: Confidence

What makeup/beauty products can’t you live without?

I definitely can’t go without concealer, and the Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil is pretty much my BFF. I also need to add some sort of color to my face, whether it’s bronzer or blush. Lately I’ve been loving the new MAC Pro Longwear Bronzer in Sun Dipped and the Yves Saint Laurent Blush Radiance in No.7. Mascara is always key, and the LancÃ´me HypnÃ´se Doll Lashes Mascara has been getting lots of love lately. Finally, I’ve always got a Maybelline Baby Lips on hand, usually in Peach Kiss.