Archives March 2023

You are owning that glow, models Own.
I wonder what models own was aiming for when they designed these Sculpt & glow Highlighting Powder pans…because sometimes when I look at them I see the cross section of a tree trunk’s rings. Or a bullseye. Or a nipple (says the woman who just KonMari’d her nursing bras to Goodwill!!!).

British makeup brand models own is available in the U.S. now at Ulta. They’re kind of a trendy line and have quite a few product types that are popular in makeup land right now, like a neutrals palette, matte liquid lipsticks and, yes, highlighters.

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Take it from the top! That’s models own Sculpt & glow Highlighter Powder in golden Sand 02, Scultp & glow Highlighter Powder in Peach Pearl 02, Sculpt & glow Highlighter Stick in Moonlight 02 and Sculpt & glow Highlighter Stick in Incandescent 03
The Sculpt & glow Highlighter Powder (looks like nipples in a pan) is available in two $11.99 shades, and theSculpt & glow Highlighter Sticks are also available in two shades for $11.99 each.

I can totally get behind the Sculpt & glow Highlighter Powders, which are like drugstore versions of the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfectors. They’re aren’t exact dupes, though. The models own powders aren’t anywhere near as creamy as the BECCA Skin Perfectors. I remember reading somewhere that BECCA’s highlighters contain a lot of water, which is why they’re so soft, buttery (and fragile). The models own Sculpt & glow Highlighter Powders definitely don’t feel as creamy, but they do feel as soft. They also have a similar opalescent finish that you can dial up or down, depending on your mood for pearl. I like them, love the price, and I’m sure they’d be great starter highlighters.

I’m wearing the powder highlighter in golden Sand on my cheeks and the cream highlighter in Moonlight down the bridge of my nose and along my brow bones.

If I were to guess, I’d guess that the Highlighter Sticks were inspired by the NARS Multiples. Both feel similar in that they’re slightly drier than most cream highlighters and have a similar glossy finish, but the models own Highlighter Sticks aren’t as “wet” as the Multiples. They’re also more fragile… When I opened pearly pink Incandescent 03 for the first time, the stick was broken.

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As far as cream highlighters go, my main squeeze is still MAC cream Colour Base in Hush because I love so many things about it —
the glossy, pearly finish, how long it lasts and, most of all, how easy it is to blend. It’s bomb!

The models own Highlighter Sticks aren’t as glossy, and the pearl particles aren’t as fine as Hush’s. They also need more babying and blending, but I think they’re stellar for the price.

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Basically, models own is owning it in the highlighting department!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

wearing MAC Fearless Patentpolish from the Nutcracker sweet Pink Patentpolish kit ($35)
Excuse me while I touch up my lips…

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I had one of these cute MAC Patentpolish minis in my hand, and I had to do it. You just can’t not do it.

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These are so tiny! I swear, all we need now are a bunch of cute kittens. That would be heaven.

These are two much more of the gift sets from the new MAC Nutcracker sweet holiday collection, and I know we’ve been talking a lot about MAC Nutcracker sweet lately, but it’s a big collection!

Each of these two $35 kits — nude and Pink — has four small MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencils, which are typically $21 each for the full-size versions in the permanent collection.

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So, I had a major MacGyver moment the first time I tried to open one of these. They open like little drawers, and for the life of me, I could not get the pencils out. They were really wedged in there.

I ended up using a bobby pin that I’d been using to pin my bangs back and sort of jimmied it into the side to pop them out one at a time.

Just FYI.

M∙A∙C Nutcracker Sweet
Available online October 20, 2016
Available in stores on October 27, 2016 through December 8, 2016
#MACNutcrackerSweet

All of these shades are re-promotes from the permanent line, so if you’ve been collecting MAC for a while and already have some of the Patentpolishes, you may already have some of them. If you don’t, though, this might be a chance to get a good deal on a bunch of them at the same time.

Quality-wise, I think these are just as good as the full-size Patentpolishes in the permanent collection. They look and feel exactly the same — same non-sticky, lightweight, moderately moisturizing formula and lip balm-like consistency.

One thing that makes the Patentpolishes so great is that you can build up the coverage in layers from medium to full, but because they feel like a lip balm, their wear time is limited. I have to reapply them every two or three hours, but it’s not a big deal because they’re so easy to have around. You just twist them up and apply. You don’t even need a mirror.

Nude Patentpolish kit ($35)
Pleasure’s All Mine, a pale warm nude (perm)
It’s really Me, a warm nude (perm)
Revved Up, a creamy peach (perm)
French Kiss, a warm Caramel (perm)

Pink Patentpolish kit ($35)
Patentpink, a washed out lilac (perm)
Fearless, a deep bluish pink (perm)
Hopelessly Devoted, a bright clean fuchsia (perm)
Ruby, a mid-tone rose (perm)

MAC Nutcracker sweet Patentpolish Kits in Pink and Nude
MAC Nutcracker sweet Patentpolish Kits in Pink and Nude
Pink kit swatches from the left: Patentpink, Fearless, Hopelessly devoted and Ruby

Nude kit Swatches from the left: Pleasure’s All Mine, It’s really Me, Revved Up and French Kiss
Ruby from the Pink Kit
Hopelessly devoted from the Pink Kit
Patentpink from the Pink Kit
French Kiss from the nude Kit
Revved Up from the nude Kit
It’s really Me from the nude Kit
Pleasure’s All Mine from the nude Kit
The Nutcracker sweet Patentpolish kit packaging with an iphone 6s plus for scale, and one of the small Patentpolishes from the set with a full-size Patentpolish for scale
Between the two kits, I like the Pink one best because I think there’s much more variety among the colors. You can tell they’re all different, but the colors in the nude kit all look pretty similar to me.

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If there’s just one color from the nude kit that you want, you might want to save your tacos and get the full-size version in the permanent line.

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

As a participant in the Hallmark at Wallgreens Card for the Ages campaign, I got payment in exchange for composing this review. Although this publish is sponsored, all opinions are my own. @walgreens #HallmarkAtWalgreens #CardForThe Ages #sponsored

Guess who satisfied her great-grandmother a few days ago! Yup, Connor Claire satisfied my glam granny — her great-grandmother — last weekend at my parents’ home in Union City.

What a trip! It restored so many memories of my youth with my glam granny as well as made me recognize exactly how lucky Connor is to have both sets of her grandparents (hi, Nana as well as Grandpa El Hub!) as well as a great-grandparent in her life. I can’t wait on her to make her own memories.

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When I was a kid, my glam granny was the only grandparent in my life. She came to the united states from the Philippines in the early ’80s a few years after my parents did as well as lived not far from us in the exact same town.

Up up until she retired, she worked doing laundry at the regional holiday Inn. Every morning on her method to work she drove me to institution in her red Ford tempo — which she liked since it matched her attractive hair, which she dyed red — as well as everyday she said, “I like you!” when I got out of the car.

I keep in mind one summertime she took me as well as my younger sibling on a day trip to Lake Elizabeth, where people have picnics as well as parties, in the close-by town of Fremont, however very first we stopped at a pizza location as well as grabbed a pepperoni pizza.

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We brought it out to the lake as well as dined al fresco, as well as while we were eating, granny noticed that some people were tooling around the lake on paddle boats (the kind you power with your feet). She asked me as well as my sibling if we’d ever done it before, as well as when we stated no, she took us over to the dock as well as rented one for us.

We spent the rest of the afternoon paddling back as well as forth across that lake as well as having a grand old time.

Come to believe about it, granny was always quite outdoorsy. She liked going for long walks as well as likewise liked riding her significant blue three-wheeled bike, which was essentially a tricycle for grownups, around town.

Granny’s bike had a huge silver basket in the back for bring groceries as well as whatnot, as well as when I was extremely young, she let me climb into the basket. then she’d trip around the community for exercise.

It must’ve been a hoot to see a attractive older Filipino woman on an large tricycle with her small bit grandchild in the back, LOL!

From two Christmases back — my granny touching up her red lipgloss!
Yeah, my granny was always glamorous, even when she exercised. She always had her nails painted, her hair dyed her preferred color (red) as well as always brought a tube of Revlon lipstick.

It was a eco-friendly tube — I keep in mind — as well as the color was Orange Flip. I always wished to try it however was as well timid to ask.

As far as I know, she’s always been into makeup as well as beauty. back when she was a young lady in the Philippines just before world war II, she competed in beauty pageants, which is where I’m guessing she discovered exactly how to pose, since she’s always been so photogenic (I honestly don’t believe I’ve ever seen her take a poor picture), as well as she still is today, even at 88 years young.

She even went to cosmetology institution right here in the U.S. to discover exactly how to do hair as well as makeup.

In fact, after she discovered exactly how to do perms someday she came house as well as practiced on me as well as my mom…but that’s one more story for one more time, LOL!

I still have a business card she provided me years ago, as well as right below her name as well as number it states “Cosmetologist” in a scripty font.

I have a great deal of excellent memories of growing up with my grandma, as well as now it’s time for Connor Claire to make a few of her own with her grandparents.

This September 11 will be her very first Grandparents Day, as well as her very first time providing Grandparents Day cards, so I went to Walgreens this week to (help her) pick out her cards.

And for my granny I looked for a card with a wonderful message that likewise had her preferred color in it — red. this with flowers was perfect.

Since Connor can’t pick out her own cards yet (she is a baby, after all!), I chosen out these adorable ones with animals for her.

They seem like something she’d like.

The Walgreens I go to has a significant choice of cards, so there was a great deal to select from, as well as shh! — while I was there, I may or may not have likewise chosen up some beauty goodies for myself.

Hey, my granny is a beauty girl! I’m quite sure she would haveapproved.

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Happy early Grandparents Day to all of the wonderful grandparents (and future grandparents) out there. say thanks to you for being you.

Your friendly community beauty addict,

Karen

A couple of mags on my reading list
You understand the listings I’m speaking about — the best-of products for hair, makeup, skin, etc. The roundups. They appear a great deal around the end of the year, as well as sometimes likewise between the seasons.

Allure does them every year, as well as they’re quite extensive. I checked out a great one just recently in genuine Simple.

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Back before social media, blogs as well as YouTube, magazines had more influence over exactly how I spent my makeup money. Now, not so much. I’ve definitely bought products based on magazine best-of listings before, however I can’t keep in mind the last time I did it. It’s been a few years…

At one point a few years ago, I keep in mind seeing Maybelline excellent Lash Mascara as well as NARS Orgasm Mascara win year after year after year, as well as thinking, “Yeah, Orgasm is a great blush, for sure, however there are SO many other excellent blushes out there. Why does it keep winning??”

I dunno…

I like reading those lists, since I like listings (you understand me). I believe they’re interesting, however when I’m in the mood to do some hauling (which I still like to do, much to El Hub’s chagrin), I don’t truly utilize them.

How about you?

Your friendly community beauty addict,

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Karen

P.S. Are you doing food as well as snacks for the super Bowl? I want to do something low key however likewise yummy that doesn’t take a great deal of time to plan. It’s just going to be El Hub, Connor, Tabs as well as me, so burgers? Nachos? What are you doing? Do you have any type of preferred dip recipes? Inquiring minds want to know.

P.P.S. GO FALCONS!

Yeah, you could line your lash lines with a basic black or brown liner and call it a day, but it’s Fri-YAY! Let’s wear two different colors. two fun colors, woo-hoo! ?

I mean, you don’t have to go as crazy as I did here with, like, teal and purple, but I’m not going to prevent you if you’re in the mood to go bold.

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So, let’s talk about ombre eyeliner, which is what I call it when one shade of liner merges into another shade to create an ombre effect.

I normally like to do the inner part of my lash lines in a lighter color than the outer part because I think it makes the most visual sense to me, but it’s just a preference. Anything goes.

For this look here, I’m doing my lighter liner on the inner part, and a darker liner on the outer part.

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1. choose your two liner colors

I think this is the hardest step — picking two colors that go well together, and also go well with your overall look.

Think about what you’re wearing on your lids, a.k.a. everything about your lash line and below the crease. I’m wearing a teal shade on my lids, so I went with a darker green shade for my inner liner, and a dark purple for the outer liner (the purple also echoes my purple lips, but I might try this again and use a dark blue).

Side note: when I do this kind of look with neutrals (you know I love me some browns!), I like to use gold, bronze or rose gold for the inner liner, and then, say, a dark plum, dark navy or a forest green for the outer section.

Some combos I like!

Basically, just consider your eyeshadow, and opt for your gut. Honestly, you can’t really go wrong with whatever you choose.

But if you’re still stumped and can’t decide, play with some colors on the back of your hand, and then hold your hand up by your eye to see if the colors work with whatever you’re wearing on your lids. and if you do line your eyes with a color that you end up not liking, just draw over it with another shade. I do that all the time!

Now that you’ve (hopefully) picked your colors…

2. Line the inner portion of your upper and lower lash lines with your lighter color

Start your ombre liner look by lining your upper and lower lash lines with the lighter shade, going from the inner corner and stopping about halfway along your lash lines.

By the way, for this look, I chose a pencil liner, because I wanted a lot of control over the line, but any formula (powder, gel, liquid, you name it) works. and whether you leave the edge crisp, or smudge it out, is absolutely up to you. A smudgier line will be a lot more casual and grungy, while a crisp line will look a lot more formal and glamorous.

3. Line the outer portion of your upper and lower lash lines with your darker color

Next, line your upper and lower lash lines with your darker color, and I like to slightly overlap the lighter color.

Take that darker color all the way to the outer corner of your lash lines.

You can also add a wing if you’d like. Again, absolutely up to you.

Wing or no wing, though, be sure to connect the colors in the outer corner; otherwise; it can look unfinished.

After you’re done lining, run a Q-tip soaked in a little bit of makeup remover to sharpen the edges if you need to.

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Aaand you’re done! TGIF. have a great Friday.

Your friendly neighborhood appeal addict,

Karen