I have revised my plan of attack for the Sephora VIB sale, because, let’s get real…only a few of the items I want are things I can’t function without (I’m talking to you, Kate Somerville Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion). Most of the things are things I only want because they’re on sale… I’m 100% my mother’s daughter that way (“It’s on sale? BUY IT. Don’t you ever pay full price, ever!”).

But really, how much do I actually need another bronzer, all-matte neutral palette or another coral lipstick?

Not much! LOL. But I still want them all, especially with new makeup coming out every five seconds, so I gotta check myself before I wreck myself…

How do I weed out unnecessary or spur-of-the moment purchases?

On the very first day of the sale, I put everything I want to buy into my cart, and then I wait… And wait. And wait. I let it all simmer there, brewing and stewing (and taunting me?). Then, juuuuust before the sale ends, I’ll see what’s left in my cart, and most of the time when I do this, there are things that have sold out, which whittles the list down, and from there I reevaluate what’s left and see what fits into my budget.

This tactic reduces the likelihood of me getting a whole bunch of things I mostly only want because they’re on sale.

‘Twas a skin care haul (regular prices shown)

Um…but K-Dawg, does this actually work?

Dude, it totally does! Forcing myself to wait and really think about my cart and the grand total $ staring back at me helps…because I know who I am, and I’m a spur-of-the-moment shopper.

Waiting also forces me to look around at what I already have in my stash.

For this last sale, I knew I needed another bottle of Kate Somerville Anti-Bac, sunscreen/face moisturizer for winter (ugh, dry skin), an eye cream and some chemical exfoliators for mature skin, because every morning lately when I wake up and look in the mirror, instead of seeing my face, I see freakin’ Gollum’s!

What my heart was telling me I wanted, though, was a bunch of makeup — a Charlotte Tilbury palette, Shiseido eyeliners and eyeshadows (they recently revamped their entire makeup line, and it’s supposed to be REALLY good), some Charlotte Tilbury blushes and bronzers, and a Dior foundation.

OK, and maybe a few other things were in there too, ha ha ha. You know me too well!

Step 1: Shopping my own stash

The Charlotte Tilbury palette ended up being sold out, but everything worked out because I rediscovered my BECCA Chrissy Palette, which more or less serves the same purpose. I’m a little sad panda, 🙁 but if the CT palette is still around for the next VIB sale and I’m still lusting after it, I’ll get it then.

Hello, old friend…

[Continue reading…]

Pumpkin spice with a sprinkle of jewels

I don’t want you to think I’ve been neglecting my pumpkin spice devotion, seeing as how it’s now October, and therefore officially pumpkin season.

SO MANY PUMPKINS EVERYWHERE. One can’t even whip her high pony without bumping into one, and I still have mad love for pumpkin spice, as demonstrated by this look, which I call “Pumpkin Spice Jewels.”

A few things I learned in the process of doing my makeup…

1. This Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino will shake you to the core

Or, should I say, “shake your core”? Because when I’d finished about half of it my body literally started shaking from all the caffeine.

I’d never had one of these before. It’s just a pumpkin version of a regular frap (like the other drinks I’ve tried in this series, I got the recipe from theMacroBarista on Instagram).

I could only finish half of it because I couldn’t take any more caffeine. I dunno… Maybe you’re made of stronger stuff than I am, but if not and you’re also a wimp when it comes to caffeine, you can still admire it from afar (because it’s certainly nice to look at).

WHOA there, sweet tooth.

2. I may need to build an alter to worship Charlotte Tilbury

Her stuff is so spendy, but when it comes to that effortless, dewy skin-that-looks-like-skin, C.T. has that game on lock. I’m wearing her new Magic Away Liquid Concealer ($32) and Genius Magic Powder ($45) in this look, and I didn’t really have to do any of the buffing, blending and dabbing that’s usually involved in achieving a no-makeup makeup look.

I just swiped a concealer wand on my face (I’m wearing shade 8 underneath my eyes and shade 9 on the rest of my face), blended with my fingers, then dusted a sheer veil of the powder with a fluffy brush, which took all of two minutes.

I love how my skin looks when I wear C.T.’s stuff. Like, I can’t even tell I’m wearing makeup, and it doesn’t budge. Not one bit.

Divine if you’re into the dewy skin thing

[Continue reading…]

I’m wearing the limited edition Charlotte Tilbury Bigger Brighter Eyes Palette ($53)

What does a makeup-lovin’ lady do when she wants to “play up” her peepers, but she only has minutes to pull herself together for a Sunday funday meeting with a beauty brand? (Side note: The brand was It Cosmetics! More on this in a second…)

Shockingly, this particular time crunch was not due to my usual lollygagging.

I know! Instead, it was due to my oldest child (the cat), who decided that my youngest child (the toddler), didn’t need to eat her plate of scrambled eggs for breakfast…

Let’s just say that a series of swift cat paw swats led to scrambled eggs on the floor, which led to silky scrambled eggs ending up in one husky tabby’s tummy. As for the rest of the eggs, well, they ended up in his partner in crime’s tiny (but surprisingly powerful) toddler hands, and that resulted in scrambled eggs strewn about the living room like confetti in Time’s Square on New Year’s.

All of this in the span of 60 seconds… How? No, seriously, HOW?!

Needless to say, I was officially running laaaaate.

Charlotte Tilbury Bigger Brighter Eyes Palette ($53)

With my makeup window whittled down to 10 minutes, I grabbed the Charlotte Tilbury Transformeyes Palette, because you know the old saying — when it doubt, buff an expensive gold and brown eyeshadow out.

OK, I just totally made that up. 🙂 But it’s an accurate way to describe what I do with this palette for some everyday low-key glam.

Yup, still an NC42 after all these years.

What it is: A limited-edition filter palette to morph your eyes into the biggest, brightest, most sparkling eyes ever.

What it does: Inspired by the sparkling, eye-widening filters of social media, this palette is color-curated and coded to make your eyes look instantly bigger and brighter, as well as putting what Charlotte famously calls the lights-into-the-eyes. Charlotte has de-codified that application into an easy Prime, Enlarge, Define and Pop sequence, with each micro-finely pigmented shadow color-formulated to give the optical illusion of widening, brightening and playing with the light in specific areas after application.

How to use: Apply the Prime color, a warm, eye-brightening hue, to the inner corners of the eyes to give the effect of broadening the whole eye area. Apply the Enlarge shade to lightly contour and give a lifting effect to the socket; it can be built up or washed across the eye lightly. Define with a universal hue that adds instant definition to the lashline and makes eyes look brighter. Then, apply Pop in targeted areas to widen and brighten eyes throughout the day.

–nordstrom.com

Pristine, untouched and fabulous

[Continue reading…]

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

For some people, hairy spiders, public speaking, or accidentally farting loudly in tiny windowless rooms during important work meetings are the stuff of their worst nightmares.

My nightmare scenario? Life without ALL. THE. FOUNDATIONS.

Yes, I know, life will (probably) go on if we didn’t have hella options for glowing skin, but — and I ask mean this in all sincerity — what would be the point?? Where’s the fun in that? 🙂

My latest “Is she or isn’t she wearing makeup?” love is Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter Customizable Complexion Booster, and when I wear it I feel like I’m in a living, breathing, real-life version of Instagram, because sh*t blurs EVERYTHING. Seriously, WHAT PORES?

“Discover a brand new REVOLUTIONARY category in face makeup with the Hollywood Flawless Filter. This MUST-HAVE customisable complexion booster has the versatility of a face primer, with the mega-watt glow of a highlighter and the perfecting properties of your favourite digital filter. Choose your level of GLOW with filter makeup to illuminate your skin just where you want it for a radiant complexion.” — charlottetilbury.com

The barely-there coverage is also — as the kids say — on point, and the glistening, opalescent glow looks literally LIT.

OK, I’ll stop…

It’s a dramatically dewy finish — even dewier than MAC Face & Body or L’Oreal True Match Lumi — and some may call it borderline sweaty.

But I like it.

Sometimes I will matte it down a tad with a light dusting of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural or MAC Mineralize Loose, and you can also matte it down even more by mixing it with your favorite matte liquid foundation or matte tinted moisturizer (’cause it’s good at that, too).

I’m a MAC NC42 and wear shade 5 Tan.With a flash!

[Continue reading…]

Wearing Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Lover Lipstick. Apparently, I’m also Ali Wong’s long lost twin?

YOU GUYS. Not a week goes by without someone saying that they think I look like comedienne Ali Wong. I guess it’s the glasses? I dunno, I don’t really see it…

Ali Wong or Karen?

It happened again yesterday at lunch, and by “lunch” I’m referring to the cookies I had at the bakery after story time. (We also had a chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, so there was some actual nutrition involved.)

The nice lady behind the counter who always helps us said, “You look EXACTLY like Ali Wong.”

“Really?” I asked.

“It’s the smile,” she said, “it’s the glasses, it’s everything. I could’ve sworn you were her. I was wondering what she was doing in Novato.”

The next time this happens, I’ve decided that I’m just gonna pretend I’m Ali Wong, maybe even sign an autograph, haha! But if I’m wearing Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Sunset Lover at the time, I’ll be screwed, though, because Ali-Karen will probably be inundated with questions about what she’s wearing on her lips, because that’s what goes down whenever I wear this matte peachy pink.

(It’s a new color, by the way, and just launched.)

Don’t even think about wearing this when you’re feeling anti-social, because every person you run into will ask about it.

$34, matte finish, a little drying, so prep with a balm.

[Continue reading…]

Pricey palette mania!

What is it about pricey makeup palettes — or me, for that matter, haha! — that makes me wish I could give them all a happy home? Especially the warm ones with a golden brown, a taupe, golden beige and/or peach?

I want to tell them all, “Come live with me, little lovelies, and we shall skip and prance under the light of the full moon.”

On that note…please try to ignore the crazy lady typing on her keyboard, and proceed ahead to this week’s Lust List. 🙂

1. Charlotte Tilbury Seductive Instant Look in a Palette ($75) — Thanks, gals, for telling me that the Charlotte Tilbury Seductive palette looks great on medium and darker skin tones! Now it’s on mah wish list.
2. MZ WALLACE Mia Bedford Nylon Crossbody Bag ($325) — This is a straight-up mom bag, and yes, I want it. I’ve been carrying around the same brown Kipling nylon bag FOR YEARS, and it’s starting to look a little long in the tooth… This one’s much more stylish. I like the gold hardware and the red accents. Classy. PLUS, LOOK AT ALL THOSE POCKETS. They’ll come in handy for Connor’s binkies and all the Ziploc plastic bags I seem to need at all times.
3. Tom Ford Nude Dip Palette ($83) — I have one of Tom’s quads with this same powder shadow formula (it’s even silkier than TF’s other quads, and the shimmer looks almost glossy), and this version? [INSERT DROOL HERE] I’m all about neutral taupe, browns, peach and beige. Been wanting this FOREVER but have yet to add it to my collection. One could probably wear it along with the Charlotte Tilbury Seductive palette, yes?
4. BECCA X Chrissy Teigan Glow Face Palette ($46) — I’ve put this in my cart — no joke — at least five times, and when I finish writing this post, I’ll probably do it again. This palette is a collab with model and cookbook author Chrissy Tiegan, and it sold out on the Sephora website in about two seconds. It’s still on the BECCA site, though! There’s a bronzer, two highlighters and a blush in it, and everything’s warm toned, which is so my jam. My rationale for getting it is that if I also get one for my mom (despite the fact that she hardly ever wears makeup, so this makes NO SENSE AT ALL), I should also be able to get one for myself. Right? RIIIIIIIGHT!
5. Chanel Contour Eyeshadow Brush

   20 ($38) — I’m doing a terrible job of convincing myself that I don’t need any more Chanel eyeshadow brushes…

   Why do they have to be SO SOFT?? I keep picturing a whole slew of them in a dainty jar on my desk, and now I can’t un-see that image.

Hit me with what you got on your lust list. I can take it! (And I just might add to mine, haha!)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

My favorite bright pink lipsticks

My very first lipstick was a bright fuchsia-pink from Maybelline… I can’t remember the name now, but I think it was supposed to have diamond powder in it? (Yeah, right!)

I was 16 at the time, and my best friend Giorgia gave it to me before I left to go to school on the French Riviera for a month. She had the same lipstick, and we used to share it before going out on Saturday night.

Ahhh, good times… 🙂

Since I was a little sad to leave her for a whole month, she gave it to me and said, “Never underestimate the brightening power of bright pink lipstick.”

You know what?

She was totally right!

Not only is bright pink lipstick one of my favorite ways to brighten up my complexion, it also never fails to brighten my mood!

Seriously, try it sometime, and if you need some ideas, here are five of my bright pink lipstick summertime faves.

L-R: YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in 208 Fuchsia Fetiche, MAC Lipstick in Fusion Pink, NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Lost Cherry, Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 3 Strawberry Kissed

1. YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in Fuchsia Fetiche ($37)

What’s my all-time favorite lipstick? It’s YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in 208 Fuchsia Fetiche.

So, in my Orange Beauty Edit post I mentioned that Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame is the one lipstick I’d keep if I had to give up all of my lipsticks but one, but can I take that back? LOL!

Just kidding! I think I’d still choose that one, as not only is it a great lipstick, but it also has sentimental value for me, because I got it last time I was in San Francisco, which is a city I’ve been completely in love with since I spent a year at Cal as an exchange student.

But my favorite, favorite lipstick of all time is YSL Rouge Pur Couture The Mats in 208 Fuchsia Fetiche.

I absolutely adore EVERYTHING about this lipstick. I love how luxuriously long-lasting, beautiful and extremely comfortable it is.

Not to mention, I love the shade! It’s the brightest, most gorgeous raspberry fuchsia I’ve ever seen.

Seriously, gurl, if you’ve never tried the YSL Rouges Pur Couture The Mats, I highly, highly recommend checking them out next time you’re at a counter.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Lost Cherry ($32)

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Lost Cherry has such a lightweight texture that I usually forget I’m even wearing it!

[Continue reading…]

The spell has been cast! Wearing Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in Shade 2 Fair ($44)

I’ve long been enamored with Charlotte Tilbury. The UK-based makeup artist exudes old Hollywood glamour, and her personally designed makeup collection is to die for.

Burgundy and rose gold packaging, names that evoked cosmetic legends and breathtaking hues… For months I agonized over what to buy. Did I want to test a shadow palette first? What about a lipstick? And why was the gorgeous Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds gloss already sold out? Each time I thought I’d made a decision, my mind was promptly changed by another more beautiful item.

But, as I’ve mentioned several times, my head can always be turned by a good foundation, and turned, it was, when a buzz built into a roar over the new Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation.

The care a brand takes in formulating and marketing a base product says a lot to me. Foundations and concealers are often overlooked in favor of more exciting, colorful products like eye shadow, blush and lipstick, so when a foundation, of all things, generates this kind of fuss, I knew I had to have it.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in Shade 2 Fair ($44)

While not quite as costly as some high-end foundations, Magic Foundation is no less luxurious at $44 per fluid ounce, but despite the price, it’s hard to resist the allure when this is how Charlotte describes this bewitchment in a bottle…

“My Magic Foundation is a miracle in a bottle that transforms skin for all ages, skin tones and skin types. I have worked with laboratories for five years to create a “hyper-intelligent” formula that gives full-coverage yet feels completely weightless, with all the anti-aging and protective benefits of a luxury skin cream. It conceals imperfections, glides on like a dream, and literally feels like a second skin. Whether your skin needs just a bit of perfecting, or you struggle with a frustrating issue like acne, melasma or rosacea, my Magic Foundation will give you a perfect looking skin day, every day!” — charlottetilbury.com

Given the buzz, I bet you’re wondering what to expect.

Magic Foundation promises a laundry list of beauty advantages, like universality (regardless of age, skin type, or condition), weightlessness, anti-aging benefits, imperfection concealment, glide-on texture — the list goes on!

And if those weren’t enough, Charlotte’s YouTube page also features several tutorials of the makeup artist concealing a variety of skin concerns with Magic Foundation alone. It’s hard not to feel like a moth to a flame with that promise and potential!

I’ve said before that I’m a tinted moisturizer girl, but even though Magic Foundation provides full coverage…it doesn’t feel like full coverage, so I’m going to say what many makeup lovers have already said before: this literally feels like my skin alone.

I have some dry areas on my face, and Magic Foundation doesn’t cling. Even after a long day, Magic Foundation doesn’t need to be touched up. I often wear several concealers, but when applied and set right, Magic Foundation conceals everything for me. It’s like an eerily perfect boyfriend… You keep searching for something wrong, but he’s always bringing you flowers and grande lattes!

What is Charlotte Tilbury most popular lip Colour?

Pillow Talk Matte Revolution (Fill: 3.5g): My best-selling, award-winning, nude-pink shade in the magic Matte Revolution finish for a softer, smoother, kissable finish.

Are Charlotte Tilbury lipstick worth it?

One thing I really can't go without mentioning is that yes, they are pricier lipsticks. I personally find them worth the price tag, but I'm a high end beauty addict, so maybe that's just me. But they're so beautiful, both the product and the packaging, and wear so well, that I don't mind.

Do Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks last?

Charlotte's Matte Revolution lipstick is an award-winning matte lipstick with a smoothing, hydrating formula that gives you buildable, long-lasting colour for up to 10 hours! Tilbury Tip: Don't forget to apply your makeup products in the correct order.

Is Charlotte Tilbury lipstick drying?

I usually apply a light chapstick under my lip products, but I don't with this routine because the liner won't apply well if you have a slippery base. Even as a matte this lipstick is hydrating so don't worry about getting cracked lipstick or dry lips!