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Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Karen

Kim Cattrall: Her Best Hair

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kim cattrall her best hair

No matter how many times I re-watch episodes of Sex and the City, I never grow tired of Samantha Jones, played by actress Kim Cattrall. Remember the episode where she fell in lust with the priest?? Oy, vey!

I think Kim looks wicked hot for 54, and I’m counting down the days till the new movie arrives (t-minus 10 days and counting!).

Are you gonna see it (it’s okay to say no)? 🙂

Which of Kim's hairstyles do you like best?

View Results

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Come see which hair won in these other Sex and the City polls…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Office Makeup: How to Look Polished and Professional at Work

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Written by Fiona

Today Fiona of Jolie Laide Girl shares a few tips to look made up and marvelous at the office.

One challenge many young women face is choosing the right makeup for a corporate environment. Looking competent and professional is incredibly important. Although that might mean putting down the glittery eyeliner, it doesn’t have to mean bare-faced beauty. Studies have shown that women who wear make-up to work are more likely to get promoted. The trick is finding a look that enhances your natural beauty.

For most people, a striking look isn’t usually the way to go, but please don’t take that to mean that standing out in the workplace is always a bad strategy. Some of the most succesful women I know made an effort to stand out with their appearance, whether that be with bright lips or their choice of dress. However, smoky eyes in the workplace are generally considered a no-no. They either look too sultry or like you didn’t remove last night’s make-up. Either way, it doesn’t spell promote me!

Here are a couple of ground rules for a workplace safe look:

  1. It has to stand the test of time; you don’t want to have to keep retouching your look when you have to dash from meeting to meeting.
  2. It has to be low-maintenance and easy enough for you to be able to complete in a rush. Some people might be prepared to spend 30 minutes doing their face in the mornings, but I’d rather spend an extra 20 minutes in bed and 10 minutes doing my face.
  3. It should enhance, and not hide who you are.
  4. It shouldn’t be distracting; remember, you want people to be listening to what you’re saying without being mesmerized by your hot pink lipgloss.
  5. It should make you feel both comfortable and amazing. If you’re busy stressing about your eyeliner, how can you hope to concentrate on that spreadsheet?!

So, what are some products you can use to look gorgeous at the office?
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Sandal-Ready Feet in a Week? That’s Quite a Feat. My Tow-Up Tootsies Test Drove Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Creme

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burts bees coconut foot creme review

To all my ladies with naturally smooth, gorgeous feet footprints, this post is NOT for you. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve still got mad love (and envy) for your photogenic tootsies, but the rest of us living in cracked heel hell, well, we’re the ones who need help.

After spending the winter ignoring everything around my ankles, I’ve ended up with two very cracked heels and a few square feet of scaly skin. My feet, as my eighth-grade self might describe them, look “hella gross,” and it’s time for action. I’ve started testing Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Creme ($9 for a 4.34 oz. tube). I sure hope it helps me turn my tootsies around in time for sandal season.

burts bees coconut foot creme review

One of Burt’s three foot creams, it’s been out for a while, but this is the first time I’ve given it a try. The company says it prevents and protects dry, cracked or rough skin with deeply penetrating emollient botanical oils.

Sounds good, right?

Well, it gets fantastic ratings on the Burt’s Bees website ( 5 stars97% recommendation rate!), so I couldn’t wait to give it a try.
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MAC To The Beach: A Bit of Blue for a Rainy Spring Day

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mac to the beach

Well, ladies, spring was allegedly on the menu until these storm clouds blew into town…

mac to the beach tutorial 2

mac to the beach tutorial

Come on, Mother Nature, what’s the deal? Where are my 80-degree days? I want hotness, so I can read my gossip mags while I sip iced tea by a swimming pool and daydream about MAC To The Beach. 🙂

mac to the beach

MAC To The Beach Makeup Look Featuring a Bit of Blue for a Rainy Spring Day

Today I’m wearing my new “I’m living in complete denial about the weather” makeup look, which features gold, peach, coral, blue and bronze.

Even though it still makes use of some of the brighter colors from the MAC To The Beach collection (among other things like these and this), I think it’s a little daytime-friendlier than the orange and green liner look I tried last weekend.

If you decide to give this or something similar a try, please share any suggestions for duplicate or similar products you discover. Substitutions are ALWAYS welcome (a girl’s gotta have options!). 🙂

Grab your board, girl, and let’s ditch this rain! You know where we’re headed…
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, May 17

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makeup and beauty blog Monday Poll

  1. Mood:

    2. I woke up a little groggy, but I’ve been doing this thing lately where I drink 16 ounces of water first thing, and it really seems to put the pep in my step. I read that the body dehydrates a lot overnight. Yay, water!

    Hardly anyone drank the H-2-ohhh for health reasons back in the ’80s… We must’ve all been walking around like zombies!

  2. Last compliment you received?

    3. “You’re too cute to be this stressed out.”

  3. What do you think of drugstore makeup?

    4. A lot of it is awesome, but there’s some junk out there too.

    Drugstores are great for experimenting without breaking the bank, and they make it easy (affordable) to get on kicks, like my current one for Rimmel and their lipsticks, mascaras and blushes.

  4. Are you a worrywart?

    5. Sometimes, but I don’t worry half as much as I used to — that’s for sure. For me what helps is remembering not to obsess/stress over the things I can’t control.

  5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:

    6. Just Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Correction Cream sunscreen for now, but I think I might try a blue and pink MAC To The Beach look in a few minutes.

  6. What are some questions we should we ask in the next Monday Poll?

    7. Hmm… Any ideas? Maybe something both revealing and strange?

  7. What was the last big life change you experienced?

    8. Buying the condo last year. Talk about difficult! Oh, and there’s another one coming around the corner like a semi truck — I’m turning 35 in a few weeks. 🙂

  8. What was the last movie you recommended to a friend?

    9. Brothers

  9. Outfit:

    10. Today I’m all about being comfy, so I’m sporting my best black yoga pants, brown tank top and black v-neck sweater.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Try to get in some reading every day, and remember to always focus on the positive.

Bonjour, beautiful. 🙂 Tabs has been doing the funniest thing in the mornings lately. He discovered how much fun it is to make the bed, so he’ll follow me from corner to corner, attacking the duvet and pillows. It’s hilarious!

Before you fire up those spirit fingers for Monday, come say hi in the Monday Poll. You know the drill. Just copy the list below, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Studies show that the Monday Poll enhances mood and creativity… Okay, well, maybe, but at least it’s fun!

Le list

1. Mood:
2. Last compliment you received?
3. What do you think of drugstore makeup?
4. Are you a worrywart?
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
6. What question(s) would you like to see in the Monday Poll?
7. What was the last big life change you experienced?
8. What was the last movie you recommended to a friend?
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:

Together, you and I can whip ye olde Monday in the bum. Take that, Monday! Take it!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Take a Dip in the Open Thread

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makeup and beauty blog open thread

Nelson
-noun

1. an early-1990s glam metal band founded by long-lock’d brothers Matthew and Gunnar Nelson.

2. a hold in which pressure is applied to the head, back of the neck, and one or both arms of the opponent.

Talk about enviable hair… Imagine how much conditioner those boys must have gone through, oy!

This morning I was listening to the catchy but oh-so-cheesy After the Rain:

“After the rain washes away the tears and all the pain — only after the rain, you’ll love again.”

True, true…

Should I be embarrassed to admit how much that song moves me?

Or this one?

Or how about this one?

The last two were written by songwriter Diane Warren. On the surface they might seem like they’re about romantic love, but I’ve read where Diane says How Do I Live is actually about her relationship to her music, and Because You Loved Me was an ode to her dad and how he supported her artistic dreams.

I’m not sure where I’m going with this… 🙂

So besides listening to a lot of music this weekend (it’s my therapy), I managed to also sneak in a movie that turned out to be amazing. Brothers? Starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman? LOVED IT SO MUCH! Tobey and Jake play brothers in the film. While Tobey’s character goes off to war, his brother, the troublemaker in the family, is left to live in his gigantic shadow.

I’d forgotten just how great an actor Tobey is. Guy’s got MAD acting chops. I can’t believe he wasn’t at least nominated for a statue.

If you’ve seen any films that you’ve really enjoyed lately, let me know, okay? I’m a total movie buff.

Now, on to the Open Thread! Basically, the Open Thread is a place to just chat and shoot the shizz in the comments. You can ask or answer questions — beauty or otherwise — or share whatever’s on your mind.

See you soon. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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