Tarte

A 10-Minute Minimalist Makeup Tutorial: Gleaming Rose Gold Wings With Glossy Cheeks and Lips

February 1st, 2018 by Karen 21 Comments

nudestix golden rose top pic — You CAN do this in 10 minutes!

I’ve been wearing this look with gleaming rose gold wings and glossy cheeks and lips lately, most recently to brunch with my friend Cindy, and on the day I did this side-roll ponytail tutorial.

It’s borderline glam, which I like, but it’s still quick and easy. From start to finish, you can do this in 10 minutes.

There are three things about this look that help keep the time from spiraling out of control.

1. The concealer is doing the heavy lifting.

I’m not wearing any foundation at all. There’s just a medium-coverage liquid concealer with a natural satin finish, which I’m using for spot treatments to even out specific places, and I’ve chosen a liquid concealer that can be built up in layers wherever I need the extra coverage (it’s nice to have that option).

2. Pressed powder gives you more control.

The concealer is set with a medium-coverage pressed powder, which is handy for 10-minute looks, whereas loose powder is usually messier… Pressed is just easier for me to grab and go.

Also, pressed powder tends to look sheerer than loose powder does for me, which provides a lot more control over how much powder actually ends up my skin.

Basically, I’d rather apply less product and have to build it up to the coverage I want than accidentally apply too much powder and have to remove the excess… It’s always easier to add makeup than take it away, IMO.

3. A creamy eyeshadow pencil corrects any mistakes with the liquid liner.

Running the cream shadow along the edge of the liquid liner helps to hide any dips and imperfections. There’s also a subtle transition of shine from the high beam gleam of the liquid liner to the softer shimmer of the pencil, which gives some subtle complexity to the liner.

Alright… Are you ready for the breakdown? I hope so, because here we go! 🙂

nudestix golden rose breakdown — Before and after

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Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette Vol III

September 8th, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

tarte rainforest of the sea vol iii — The Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Vol. III palette

I’ve always been intrigued and a little bit confused by the name of Tarte’s “Rainforest of the Sea” palettes.

Because it’s a little confusing, right? I picture a rainforest literally emerging from the sea like an Amazonian Atlantis, or something from a kids cartoon.

There’s absolutely no way sober people came up with it.

Tarte’s latest color canopy, the , is available now for $36.

Yup, they made a third one!

I don’t know if you remember the second one, but I thought it was epic. EPIC.

I never tried the first Rainforest of the Sea palette (my friend Jessica reviewed it for MBB), but I love the heck out of the second one and its beautiful, buttery, satiny blues and browns.

They’re to die for and so creamy. Easy to blend too.

tarte rainforest of the sea vol iii closeup — I see you, shimmer!

Volume III is more metal. It has seven high shine metallics and one matte beige. Like Volume II, the shadows are a super creamy combination of a powder and a cream, and they feel slightly bouncy, so you can practically blend them in yo’ sleep.

Or, when you’re half-awake because you didn’t get enough sleep, ha!

tarte rainforest of the sea vol iii k — I’m wearing Jewel and Rays mixed together on my lids, and Tiki in the crease. The lip is NARS Powermatte in Get It On topped with MAC Lipglass in Goldfinch. Cheeks are MAC Sunbasque Blush.

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Tarte Lid Lock Clay Base 12-Hour Eye Foundation

September 7th, 2017 by Karen 8 Comments

I think I’ve watched too many Lifetime movies about women who are kidnapped and forced to live in terrifyingly small spaces, because I would really like to learn how to pick locks and crack safes.

Something about those skills is very appealing to me.

That reminds me: locks. Tarte has a new vegan, cruelty-free (of course) cream eye primer called on counters now for $21.

It comes in a cute little glass pot with a top that looks like petrified amber.

Pretty!

It’s a warm, opaque matte peachy beige, and I love the color. Used as a base, it neutralizes some of the purple or blue on my lids, but you can also use it by itself as a shadow with the cool side-effect of having it even out your skin.

It feels like a MAC Paint Pot to me — dense and a sort of dry, which also means that if I put too much on, it’s “Hello, Cake Town!” It’ll look thick and heavy, and then when you blend eyeshadow on top, your eye makeup looks even thicker and heavier.

Now that I think about it, Lid Lock is like a warmer, peachier version of MAC Painterly Paint Pot.

tarte lid lock swatch final — A beautiful matte warm peachy beige

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MEOWZA! Tarte Sex Kitten Liquid Eyeliner

September 6th, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

Let’s step into the cat lady confessional for a moment, shall we? Because I have a couple things to get off my chest…which is currently covered in tabby fur.

First: sometimes I think about kidnapping my neighbor’s cat Harris, and I may or may not have already concocted an elaborate plan to lure him into my home.

I know this is wrong, but I can’t help it.

Super obsessed with this magnificent beast! (Please don’t tell Tabs.)

Second: mostly, I like using because there’s a cat head on the end of it.

Look how cute he is!! He looks kinda grumpy, too, which speaks to my soul, especially in the morning.

OK…now I’m looking closely at this cat head, and I just realized that he looks a little beat up. My bad for not taking pictures of him (yes, he’s a boy) sooner.

Beauty blogging is weird, man. Most of the time I choose not to use a product until after I’ve taken pics of it first, but sometimes — LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE A CAT HEAD ON THE CAP OF YOUR LIQUID LINER — I get so excited that I forget to take the “before” pics. Then I end up with a slightly tow-up cat head.

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5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately: Senita Athletics, Tarte Rose Gold Blush & Glow, It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under-Eye Concealer, The Good Place, and an Epic Egg Salad Sandwich

August 30th, 2017 by Karen 16 Comments

1. Senita Athletics workout wear

I took this pic last night from “That ’70s Bathroom,” which is my nickname for our guest bathroom, because everything in it is straight outta the ’70s.

Note the adorable sports bra and shorts.

Well…at least I think they’re cute.

They’re from , which I found out about from Abbey, who suggested that I look into them in the comments on a post where I mentioned that I was looking for a new pair of workout shorts for my HIIT class.

I’m wearing them here. They’re the . I’m also wearing the matching and .

I love, LOVE Senita’s clothes and their prices, which are way better than Lululemon and Zella.

I’ve washed these items a bunch of times (mind you, I’ve only had them about a month), put them in the dryer on low, and they haven’t faded, unraveled or stretched out. I think they’ll hold up well.

And, best thing ever, they have pockets everywhere. There’s a pocket on the back of the bra, hidden pockets in the shorts — seriously, there are SO MANY POCKETS. It’s glorious.

2. Tarte Blush and Glow Blush & Highlighter in Rose Gold

tarte rose gold blush glow — Tarte Blush and Glow in Rose Gold ($30)

One side of is a sheer matte rosy brown, and the other side is a rose gold shimmer. The powders aren’t as pigmented as the powders in the Amazonian Clay Blushes, but I’m totally fine with that, because there are days when I just want a little bit of cheek color.

Also, the highlighter is seductively subtle.

tarte rose gold blush glow swatches — Tarte Blush and Glow in Rose Gold: swatches

It goes with any and all nude pinkish brown lippies I’ve tried. Check it out with Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo in Believer.

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