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It’s like something from a Robert Jordan book! There were dragons in front of The Cheesecake Factory!
Actually, these delightful creatures aren’t winged reptiles. They’re some flowers I saw living in planters best in front of the restaurant last Sunday, and look! — the one at the top forms the shape of a heart.
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See, babe, love is everywhere. even in the drought-resistant succulents at the mall.
Time for a trip down memory lane…
The year was 1989.
Saved by the Bell was in its inaugural season (Zack as well as Kelly 4 ever!), as well as I was just a wee lass of 14, however since I was a freshman in high school, of program I believed I was all grown up as well as mature.
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LOL!
Little did I know…
That autumn my mommy took me on my extremely very first trip to a makeup counter. It was Clinique.
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It’s one of my fondest makeup memories, as well as one of my preferred memories with my mom, since she’s never been a genuine makeup person at all, however she did it for me.
I was devouring teen magazines at the time as well as scouring them for makeup ideas as well as stuff (oh, to online in the time before appeal blogs) when one day, on the drive to school, my mommy asked me if I was thinking about going to get some makeup.
Uh…of program I stated yes.
So, that weekend we went to a Clinique counter at the Newpark Mall. I chosen out a blush, an eyeshadow (’twas pink as well as blue… So late ’80s!), a lipstick as well as a foundation.
No mascara, though, since my mommy deemed it “too mature.”
Not to be excessively dramatic…but that trip type of altered my life. before that trip to the Clinique counter, I was required to slip as well as wear makeup on the down-low since my parents were extremely strict.
Finally, I didn’t have to slip around anymore, as well as it was pure joy. The makeup floodgates opened. I might lastly reveal myself without hiding.
Your turn! exactly how old were you when you got your very first makeover at a counter? tell me about it.
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Your friendly community appeal addict,
Karen
P.S. I hope you had a terrific Labor Day, babe. Ours was nice. We spent the afternoon in the city at golden entrance Park, as well as I did something new, too. El Hub as well as I rented a paddleboat as well as tooled around Stow Lake, which I don’t keep in mind ever even seeing before (and I lived ideal next to the park for a couple years!). It was rather a fun day.
MAC senior artist Victor Cembellin
This may sound strange, but what I look for in a makeup artist when I want advice is kind of like what I might look for in a therapist. Basically, I want somebody that I can tell is really listening to me and isn’t in a big hurry — somebody who will take the time to help. Ideally, this person would also be nice, because it’s always easier to talk to nice people who aren’t dismissive of you, or who look down on you. I mean, that’s never fun. I go to a makeup counter because I want to feel good about myself and learn something new, or perhaps I just need a pick-me-up, and it’s just always nicer talking to somebody sincere who has a good attitude, and somebody friendly who will look you in the eye, you know, and maybe crack a few jokes, but at the same time is very knowledgeable.
Most of the time when I do go to a makeup counter, I go with a specific question in mind, and I’m not shy about it, so I’ll walk up to whomever’s working and be like, “Hello. Who’s the best person to ask for eye makeup advice?” or, “Who here does the most incredible skin??”
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I don’t want to waste anybody’s time, so I’ll ask them my questions, and hopefully they’ll have an answer for me, or maybe offer a technique or product recommendation.
Most of the time I’d rather speak to someone I have good chemistry with than someone who may have rockin’ eye makeup but seems uninterested in me, or comes across as standoffish or dismissive.
How about you? What do you look for in a makeup artist when you’re looking for advice at a makeup counter?
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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. happy Tuesday.
three of the six It Cosmetics naturally quite Eyeshadow Trios ($24 each)
I like to keep the proverbial door open when it concerns specific elements of my life — making new friends, discovering new things, trying new foods, doing new wackadoo things with makeup, befriending new cats…
But I will happily slam that door shut on the fine lines that keep showing up on my lids.
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I recognize that aging is one of those freight trains that can’t truly be stopped (or bargained with), so I may also be awesome with it (which I am, mostly). In a way, it’s an chance of sorts to find the best, many forgiving eyeshadows for fine lines, as well as here’s one possible contender: the $24 naturally quite Eyeshadow Trios by It Cosmetics.
Three of the six It Cosmetics naturally quite Eyeshadow Trios ($24 each)
Powder eyeshadow trios are nothing new, however these include skin-friendly components like hydrolyzed collagen, acai, eco-friendly tea as well as antioxidant vitamins A, C, as well as E to ideally make fine lines as well as wrinkles a bit less noticeable. They’re likewise talc-free, as well as talc is one of those eyeshadow components that can make fine lines stand out.
Wearing the It Cosmetics naturally quite Eyeshadow Trio in naturally quite Matte Luxe on my eyes
I like exactly how smooth as well as natural these eyeshadows look on my lids, as well as they truly do seem to keep their distance around my fine lines. They’re likewise simple to blend as well as long-lasting (all day for me).
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And since they’re moderately pigmented, however not as well extremely pigmented, I don’t have to do a ton of blending with them to define my eyes, which is great. That makes them primo daily eyeshadows, like the type of products you can throw into your makeup bag for work, or for the fitness center if you have plans afterward. Or, quite much any type of time you want to look somewhat polished as well as presentable.
The only huge problem I have with them is that they aren’t champions of ze drama, ’cause if you want to go full-on hello GIRL, HAAAY, you’ll have to work in some much more intense eyeshadows from your collection, because these don’t truly go beyond medium coverage.
It Cosmetics naturally quite Eyeshadow Trio in quite in Smoke
It Cosmetics naturally quite Eyeshadow Trio in naturally quite Pearl Luxe
It Cosmetics naturally quite Eyeshadow Trio in naturally quite Matte Luxe
It Cosmetics naturally quite Eyeshadow Trio in naturally quite Matte Luxe
It Cosmetics naturally quite Eyeshadow Trio in naturally quite Pearl Luxe
It Cosmetics naturally quite Eyeshadow Trio in quite in Smoke
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There are six of them offered now on the internet as well as at It Cosmetics counters as well as Ulta in the It Cosmetics long-term line (some are strictly mattes, some are all about pearl finishes, as well as others have a combination of pearls as well as mattes), as well as all of them have great shades for defining lids as well as lash lines — like browns, taupes, pinks, beiges as well as purples.
PRICE: $24 each
AVAILABILITY: Permanent, as well as offered now on the internet as well as at It Cosmetics counters as well as Ulta
MAKEUP as well as charm blog RATING: B+/A-
Your friendly community charm addict,
Karen
before as well as after
Next time you do a smoky eye look, if you’re not doing it already, try smudging a bit shadow along that lower lash line, babe. It’s a revelation! — particularly when you do it with smoky eye looks.
If I were required by a sorcerer stylist/cosmetics conjurer queen to wear just one type of eye look everyday this winter season as well as fall, I select smoky eyes (but winged liner would are available in a close second).
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They’re my preferred eye look of all. You can go untidy as well as grungy, very polished as well as perfect, soft as well as subtle, or considerably diva with them, as well as they variety from easy (a cream shadow with a smudgy kohl) to challenging (with hella shades in the crease as well as on the lid).
They’re extremely flexible as well as pulsate with personality, as well as I believe they’re fun to do.
There’s typically a great deal of stuff going on when it concerns smoky eyes, however a few of the most significant bang comes from the subtlest touches. They’re the bit things that can take your look from “pretty good” to “DAMN, GURL! Did you get your makeup done at the counter today!?”
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One of those high-impact subtle touches: smudging shadow along your lower lash line.
In the before photo at the top, my lower lash line is bare. There is a bit liner on my lower water line, however that’s it, other than concealer, as well as I believe the eye looks somewhat top heavy as well as unbalanced.
Not a great deal though. It’s not a huge deal, as well as I don’t believe anybody is going to stop me on the street to shake the living daylights out of me as well as yell, “Excuse me, miss, however you requirement to repair that top smoky situation!!”
At least I hope not.
But compared to the after eye on the right, where I’ve smudged shadow under my lower lash line, I believe that eye looks much more balanced. The smoky impact envelopes the eyes, making it look larger, much better balanced as well as much more dramatic.
All I did was apply the shadow on my lower lash line, best up next to the lash roots, with a flat eyeliner clean (also called a “push brush”). then I carefully smudged the shadow out with a pencil clean as well as blended, mixed as well as mixed some more. as well as then some more. as well as a bit more.
No, really, when you do this, you want to hang out in Blend-ville for a while to get that very diffused lower lash line look.
Apply as numerous layers as you like. For this look here, I started with a matte brown down there, then a shimmery brown, as well as then a shimmery gunmetal in the outer corner to mirror what I have on my lids.
How far you draw the shadows down is as much as you, however the even more you go, the much more remarkable the look. I tend draw my shadow quite far down since I like ze drama for yo’ mama, however keeping the shadow close to the lashes works too. You can likewise choose lighter colors as well as utilize fewer layers. completely as much as you. The goal is just to work up until the top as well as bottom of the eye seem balanced.
If you haven’t tried this before as well as aren’t comfortable with the concept of color along your lower lash line, try it very first with a extremely light shade that complements what you’re using on your lids. in some cases it likewise assists to choose a brown or taupe that are about one shade darker than your skin tone.
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Blend well, my friend, as well as have fun.
Makeup used in this look
Lids as well as lower lash lines — metropolitan Decay naked combination (Naked as well as buck in the crease as well as lower lash lines, Creep in the outer corner as well as lower lash line, as well as Virgin on the brow bone as well as inner corner) as well as metropolitan Decay metropolitan Spectrum combination (West on the lids)
Lashes — Chanel Le volume de Chanel
Liner — Chanel water resistant liner in 914 Feuilles
Cheeks — Guerlain Ebony Bronzer as well as Dolce & Gabbana Apricot Blush
Highlight — hourglass luminous Light Ambient Powder
Foundation as well as powder — YSL combination Ink in warm Honey as well as MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in medium Tan
Lipstick — Dolce & Gabbana gentle Monica Lipstick
Your friendly community charm addict,
Karen
Aaaand tonight, in our newest episode of “Karen Can’t Cook,” we talk about bulky things hidden away in cabinets, spaghetti noodles as well as new kitchen area tools, likewise understood as “kitchen doohickeys as well as thingamabobbers.”
When the Progressive Wedge & Pop Apple Slicer went into my life as well as subsequently rocked my world, I realized that I have a strange thing for kitchen area tools. I don’t always understand what to finish with them as well as can’t always figure them out, however deep down inside I like having them around.
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I got some new ones last week as part of my continuous effort to eat less processed food as well as discover much more about cooking.
Truth: cooking? Not my forte. many of the time it amounts to me throwing a lot of stuff into a pot as well as praying for it to be edible.
But I’m trying!
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So, right here are the new kitchen area tool additions…
First thing: the Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler ($17). Basically, it’s an improv spiralizer (a tool to turn fresh veggies into faux-noodles). I’ve been wanting a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles, however seriously, the last thing I requirement is one more bulky appliance stowed up on a high shelf in my cabinets, however I figured that with the Kuhn Rikon, since it’s smaller, I might just store it in a drawer for simple access.
How does it work? Well, you just rake the blade across the top of a vegetable to cut it into long, thin strips that look a bit like spaghetti noodles.
Very cool, however it’s type of frightening to clean since those teeth are hella sharp.
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The second thing: the double slice Mandoline ($20), likewise by Kuhn Rikon. I grabbed this the other night on a trip with El Hub to our regional hardware store (we needed lightbulbs). It’s for slicing extremely thinly. I utilized it last weekend to make scalloped potatoes for Easter lunch, as well as it worked great. You just stick that hat-looking thing to whatever you want to slice (it has prongs that insert into the vegetable), location the soon-to-be-sliced veggie on top of the slicer, hold on to the hat-thing, as well as run it back as well as forth across the slicer. The result? Thinly sliced food.
The third as well as final thing: the Rada Cutlery vegetable Peeler ($8.99). exactly how I made it this far in life without a vegetable peeler, I have no idea. Honestly, this isn’t extremely exciting, however I needed a peeler…and this gets great evaluations on Amazon. So far I’ve utilized it to effectively peel carrots, potatoes as well as beets. It feels in my hand as well as gets the task done.
Oh, as well as P.S. — did you understand that peeling beets is much simpler if you cook them first? Yeah, lesson learned.
Sonia Kashuk’s Art Deco-inspired holiday 2014 collection might give you ideas…
…ideas like, “Whee! look at me! I’m a flapper in The great Gatsby, and I’m doing the Charleston!” then you start dancing around your office, but you pull an inner thigh muscle when you kick a little higher than you should have, and from that day forward, you rue the day you danced the Charleston in your office without properly stretching beforehand.
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The Sonia Kashuk Eye palette in Deco Starlet ($19.99)
Just an FYI!
Sonia’s latest limited edition collection does make me want to kick up my heels, it’s true. The seven pieces look totally expensive, but all but one of them are less than $20 each.
The nude Lip palette in Jazzed Up Nudes ($19.99)
The most expensive thing is the $34.99 All That Jazz 10-Piece brush Set, and I even feel like that’s a great deal. You get 10 full-size face and eye brushes (that’s only $3.50 each, yo!) in SK’s signature quality and style.
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Completely organized petite The Flapper Bag, $12.99
Overhead shot of the completely organized petite The Flapper bag
All That Jazz 10-Piece brush Set, $34.99
Decadence Shimmering Body Souffle, $10.99
Here are the standout pieces from the release for me…
Eye palette in Deco Starlet ($19.99) — With those shimmery dark brown, black, gold and beige shadows, this one’s totally got a Chanel vibe. Sprint to your closest Target store immediately! — even if it’s blizzard-caliber snowing. but if it’s snowing, grab a good jacket first. very little fallout, plenty of pigment, and it blends like a dream. LOVE.
All That Jazz 10-Piece brush set ($34.99) — Prepare for your heart to break a little when these pristine white brush heads get dirty for the first time (tears!). I really dig the face brushes. They’re full, fluffy and luxurious. The brush heads for the eye brushes are on the larger size, which is great for covering a lot of ground quickly, but not so great for smaller lids or doing detailed work. The set comes with a domed powder brush, a flat top multipurpose brush, an angled duo fiber multipurpose brush, foundation brush, eyeshadow brush, blending brush, angled duo fiber crease brush, domed pencil brush, synthetic pointed eye liner brush and a lash/brow groomer. All full-size.
Organized petite The Flapper ($12.99) — My new favorite beauty bag, it has a total of eight pockets (!), fits a sh*t-ton of makeup and easily fits in my errrday purse… and the tassels are hella cute!
Nude Lip palette in Jazzed Up Nudes ($19.99) — Within this lip palette lives five satiny lipsticks in warm and cool nude shades (non-sticky, unscented, with a wear time of 2-3 hours). You also get good lip brush.
Decadence Shimmering Body Souffle ($10.99) — Kinda like a gold version of MAC Strobe cream with subtle shimmer. I like!
Wearing Sonia Kashuk’s Eye palette in Deco Starlet on my lids, and Jazzed Up Nudes on my lips
Eye palette in Deco Starlet
Nude Lip palette in Jazzed Up Nudes
Decadence Shimmering Body Souffle unblended (left) and blended (right)
The Sonia Kashuk holiday 2014 collection includes…
All That Jazz 10-Piece brush set ($34.99)
The golden AGe Four-Piece brush set with clutch ($19.99)
Organized petite The Flapper ($12.99)
Eye palette in Deco Starlet ($19.99)
Nude Lip palette in Jazzed Up Nudes ($19.99)
Decadence Shimmering Body Souffle ($10.99)
Bath and Body travel set ($19.99)
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The seven-piece Sonia Kashuk holiday 2014 collection is jazzing it up now at Target stores and target.com.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Dear Diary,
Jiminy Cricket, Diary, I’m exhausted! I’m not kidding. The new hire has been putting in a ton of overtime, as well as it’s digging into my valuable nap time. She’s always at the office. I mean, I like working the night shift, however she truly likes working the night shift.
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I’ve tried to tell her to clock out as well as go home, however we’re having communication issues. It’s like we’re speaking different languages.
Even when I can slip away for a nap, I can’t sleep long since there’s just so much noise in the office.
I believed a new mattress would help, however it truly hasn’t…
I’ve likewise tried warm milk.
And I checked out when that a great method to get sleepy for bed is to checked out something boring, so I tried that, however now all I want to do is upgrade my tabby command center. I’m believing about adding a rooftop catnip garden…
At this point, I’ll do anything to catch a few a lot more z’s. I don’t understand exactly how much longer I can take this. I’m a world-famous kitty supermodel. Seriously, I requirement my appeal rest.
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I still have belief that things will ultimately work out, as well as general I’m delighted with the new hire. She absolutely works hard, as well as she’s a go-getter. I believe she’s just trying to put in a great deal of additional hours now to make a great very first impression.
I can respect that.
Sleepily yours,
Tabs
using medium-coverage Dior Diorskin nude Air Serum foundation in 40. I like the velvety finish, which isn’t rather a flat matte.
Full protection was my jam for a truly long time. I was all about opaque protection (sometimes, um, it was even borderline cakey).
I believe this was partly since of some skin problems I had a few years ago. I was breaking out badly, as well as I felt like I had to cover whatever up.
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Then, slowly however surely, my skin started to improve, however it took a long time. I made some modifications in my diet plan (mainly more water, less dairy) as well as started utilizing different skin products. My skin grew less fussy (although by no means was it ever perfect), as well as I started to feel more comfortable.
But I kept using full coverage.
I still have pigmentation problems right here as well as there as well as other acnes as well as fine lines, things like that. I likewise have my share of freckles, however I’m at a point, at least for now, where I’m more comfortable with that.
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I wear medium as well as sheer protection a great deal now, however I don’t understand if you can always tell in pictures, since I believe I’m getting much better at manipulating the concealer. That’s a huge key. instead of caking all of that foundation on or utilizing tons of full-coverage foundation, I’ll go as light as I can with foundation, as well as then extremely purposefully location concealer to cover — not cover up, since I dislike words like “cover up” as well as “mask” — as well as even out the skin tone. The concept is to let the concealer do all of the heavy lifting.
I believe I’ve likewise gotten much better about utilizing primers. I utilized to believe they were overall B.S. as well as just an additional step, however no, they truly make a significant difference, as well as not just in terms of exactly how long your makeup lasts, however likewise in terms of the structure of your skin.
There’s a great deal of excellent choices available now for primers that smooth the surface as well as blur pores, making whatever you put on top of them look more natural, as well as letting you utilize less makeup overall.
Wearing the wonderful full-coverage Laura Mercier perfect Fluide in Chai
Also using Laura Mercier perfect Fluide in Chai
It’s likewise the time of year. right here in northern California, it’s starting to warm up a little, so I haven’t been wanting to wear a full-coverage face, where you just feel all of that makeup sitting on your skin. I like the concept of heading into spring as well as summertime using less makeup, as well as my skin being able to breathe.
But it’s still been a change. When I went to brunch last Saturday, I used a great deal less makeup than usual, less foundation as well as less makeup in general. I just used a bit of the Dior foundation without any type of concealer, as well as it was surprising to see those unequal areas peeking with in the mirror.
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I believe the surprise is partially in my head, though, since I’m so utilized to seeing myself in full coverage, as well as the whole, “this is exactly how my skin looks??” however this is exactly how my skin looks. I do have some parts that are not as even toned as others, as well as that’s totally fine.
How about you, my friend? Where are you at right now in terms of your foundation coverage? have you been using more full coverage, medium or sheer as well as why?
Your friendly community beauty addict,
Karen
chic SoCal casual makeup brand Jouer is jumping into the subscription box ring with a new quarterly service of their own, and the twist is a quiz.
Each selection (the boxes are $45 each, sent out four times/year) they send is figured out by your answers to a list of questions. You take the online quiz (questions about eye color, things like that), and then based on your answers, they fill each box with a different set of products and colors to best suit you.
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Each box comes with both full-sized and sample/mini items — all from the Jouer brand — and a tiny magazine with product details and application tips.
Subscriptions are $45 per quarterly box, or you can also make a one-time purchase to try one for $65.
Swatches from the left of Jouer blush in Blossom, Lipgloss in Hamptons and Creme Eyeshadow in Renaissance
What do you think about beauty/makeup subscription box services? Do you subscribe to any of them?
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I don’t at the moment, but I like the element of randomness and the surprise, depending on the price and the overall value, especially if I’m exploring a new line. In the case of this service, the $45 boxes are absolutely less expensive than purchasing the products on their own would be.
For example, this Jouer Le Matchbox includes…
(1) full-size bottle of daily repair treatment Oil
(1) full-size Creme Eyeshadow Crayon in Renaissance
(1) full-size Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Hamptons
(1) full-size Mineral Powder blush in Blossom
(1) Eyelash Curler
(1) flat Kabuki Brush
(1) tiny sample-size bottle of a great perfume (smells like gardenia)
Just the full-size blush, the creme eyeshadow crayon and the gloss, for instance, would cost $74 (vs. $45 for the whole box).
As with some of these services, though, it also depends on whether you already own products from the brands (so you don’t get any dupes, unless you don’t mind).
On a completely unrelated topic…
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Flamingos.
Yes, a lot more flamingos.
This video makes me so happy.