I felt like I died and went to shoe heaven when I saw these cuties at Anthropologie yesterday. They’re surprisingly comfy, too.
Shoe Lust, Chapter 2,788
by Karen 14 Comments
I felt like I died and went to shoe heaven when I saw these cuties at Anthropologie yesterday. They’re surprisingly comfy, too.

Comics are an art form that light my imagination on fire, and when I heard that DKNY planned to release a limited edition pop art/comic-inspired bottle of their famous Be Delicious fragrance, my spider sense tingled.

DKNY Be Delicious combines notes of American apple, cucumber, grapefruit, magnolia, tuberose, white muguet, rose, violet, sandalwood, blonde wood and white amber.
If you’re a fan of pop art/comics and dig flirty, floral, citrus scents, enter today’s giveaway for a chance to win this limited edition bottle.
One lucky lady will rescue a bottle of DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum spray in its limited edition Delicious Art bottle (1.7-oz bottle; a $55 value).
Entering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.
First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. In it, tell me three things you find d e l i c i o u s.
This one’s easy for me. 🙂 Haagen Dazs dulce de leche ice cream, good books and makeup.

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:
RT @karenmbb: RT to Win DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum (Pop-Art Bottle) http://tinyurl.com/la88eg

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 PM PST on Friday, August 7.
Bonne chance!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Tabs loves comic books so much that he signed on last year to star as a character in his own graphic novel…
by Karen 74 Comments

Bobbi Brown’s makeup doesn’t always knock my socks off, but her new Ivy League collection is frickin’ OFF THE CHAIN! For serious.
Click here to see an eye map and the list of products I used for this look.
This morning I tried a back-to-school face of the day using the Ivy League items I talked about here.

Bobbi done me so right with these colors, particularly the forest green, deep black and gold shades for eyes and those high-gloss pink lips.

Most of the makeup I used for this look is Bobbi’s, but I also popped some of the gold shade from the MAC Assemblage Mineralize Eye Shadow Quad in the crease and swept Neutrogena Soft Color Bush in Divine Wine on the apples of my cheeks.

The Ivy League collection makes me want to cheer for Bobbi Brown, yea!
I can’t wait to wear this look in the fall. 🙂

How do you feel about Ivy League? Do you like it as much as I do, or do you think you might pass?
At the grocery store last night (aka my home away from home), I was loading up on cans of wet food for Tabs when I spied a woman sniffing different bottles of detergent to decide which one to buy.
Apparently I’m not the only person who does that, LOL!
How’s it going today?
I’m feeling the urge to see a movie tonight… I know it’s a weeknight, but here’s what I’d like to see: 500 Days of Summer. It stars Zooey Deschanel (love her).
I dunno… We’ll see how adventurous I feel come 6 o’clock. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
by Karen 36 Comments

LIPSTICK CRUSH ALERT!
Dolce & Gabbana’s lipsticks ($30) just *might* be worthy enough to join my beloved Chanel Aqualumieres in the lust-worthy Luxury Lipstick Club.

Shine Lipstick in Soiree, $30
Like Chanel’s hydrating Aqualumieres, Dolce & Gabbana lipsticks have a light yet moisturizing texture that feels slick.

Classic Cream Lipstick in Seduction, $30
Add a blindingly shiny finish to their smoove, rich pigmentation, and you get one hellavu luxury lippie. 🙂

Classic Cream Lipstick in Provocative, $30
They come come in two formulas — Classic Cream and Shine.
The Classic Creams offer fuller coverage, while the Shines apply semi-sheer.

Classic Cream Lipstick in Dazzling, $30
Both formulas have a classic lipstick-y scent (it reminds me of candles and roses) and taste a little like rose-flavored cupcakes, yum!
And for a relatively new makeup line, Dolce & Gabbana cooked up a decent color selection here, with 39 shades to choose from. I tried four:

Soiree
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by Karen 55 Comments

Do you think foundations exist that are able to cover everything you need them to cover while still looking natural?
I once thought natural-looking full-coverage foundations were like dragons — aka unreal, mythical creatures from fairy tales — but after much blood, sweat and tears I have found a few that I like.
Reader Korina is a busy student looking for a new foundation:
I’m applying to medical school very soon, working and trying to finish my classes to graduate in a year, so I’m insanely busy!
However, I love doing my makeup every morning and looking presentable for school. It’s my stress reliever.
I currently use MAC Studio Fix Fluid, but it’s getting a little too heavy for me to use every day. I want a foundation that gives me more of that natural beauty, but would still covers my blemishes and acne scars.
Korina
Hi Korina,
I give you props for handling your business *and* taking the time to look great. Sometimes when I’m swamped my beauty shizz falls by the wayside (don’t get me started on the week I forgot to shower, oops). 🙂
Here are some foundations I like for natural, everyday looks. My current faves:
Ladies, do you have any natural-looking full-coverage foundations in your makeup stash? It sounds like Korina could use a helping hand.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
by Karen 14 Comments

Homegirls, here’s a quick followup on the tube o’ MAC Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15 ($30) I picked up from the Baby Bloom collection a couple weeks ago.
I’ve been wearing Medium Dark (a caramel beige) for about a week now. It’s one of the five shades in the new line of super sheer tinted moisturizers.
How does it stack up against my tried-and-true Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer?
I’ve had some rotten luck with MAC foundations in the past, and just like the others I’ve tried, Studio Moisture Tint didn’t get along with my skin. After wearing it for a week with MAC Blot Pressed Powder (which *never* gives me zits), I developed a smattering of little pimples all over my face.
On the bright side, they weren’t the volcanic-sized ones that hurt and take forever to go away, but still.
Ultimately, the coverage didn’t work for me either. I think it’s just too sheer — not that I can’t build up layers to increase the coverage, but it’s time consuming.
I usually think to wear tinted moisturizer on days when I don’t want to spend a lot of time on my makeup, so having to spend extra time layering kinda defeats the whole saving time thing.
Price: $30
Use: An ultra-sheer tinted moisturizer with sunscreen
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C+
MAC Studio Moisture Tint wasn’t my fave, but it still could be one of yours. If your skin gets along with MAC’s other foundations (and you’re looking for light coverage), you might want to give it a try.
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Christian Bale may never ask to make out with me (still lovin’ ya, you potty mouth!), but it never hurts to be prepared. 🙂
I do my best to keep my tube Philosophy Kiss Me Lip Balm ($12) close, just in case.

If you haven’t tried Kiss Me yet, you gotta get on that, girl! It’s one of my favorite lip balms around, and I’ve been obsessed for years.
When my lips become cracked or dry, it’s the only thing that gets ’em soft and smooth again.
Philosophy packed Kiss Me with enough Vitamin E and sweet almond oil to call it high-density, and it turns out the company has even more Kiss Me awesomeness available now — Kiss Me SPF 20 ($14) and Kiss Me Tonight ($20).

Kiss Me SPF 20
It delivers the same hydrating richness as the original Kiss Me formula but with the added bonus of SPF 20. I’ve been wanting to try it before jogging to protect my lips from sun and wind burn.

Kiss Me Tonight
A night treatment that Philosophy says also reduces fine lines on the lips, Kiss Me Tonight is thicker and creamier than the original Kiss Me.
If you’ve been wanting to try Philosophy’s Kiss Me products, enter to win today’s smooch-worthy giveaway.
One lucky lady will take home two Philosophy Kiss Me lip products: Kiss Me SPF 20 and Kiss Me Tonight Intense Lip Therapy (a $34 value).
Entering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.
First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. In it, reveal the identity of the last person you kissed. 🙂
Do kittehs count? I just gave Tabs a smooch on his tummy. If we’re talking humans, though, then it’s obvs El Hub.

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:
RT @karenmbb: RT to Win Philosophy’s Kiss Me Lip Treatments. http://bit.ly/15tOGN
I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 PM PST on Tuesday, August 4.
Bun cletg!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
by Karen 73 Comments

A jumble of good things today: focused, cheerful and playful!
Oh, there are so many to choose from! MAC Soft Brown will always be my baby. Lately, I’ve also been lovin’ on MAC Patina and Urban Decay Smog from the Ammo Palette.
Totally. I have a few great guy friends who are like the older brothers I always wished for but never had — NBLACK, Mark S. and Marc K.
I just finished the third Sookie Stackhouse book and can’t wait to read the fourth.
Nothing yet, but I’m thinking it might be a Bobbi Brown Ivy League kinda day.
I have to admit I’m asking this question because I need to buy a new pair, LOL! I used to love my Joe’s, but now they fit funky…
Watching Julie & Julia on Friday. LOVE Meryl Streep!
High school was a time in my life when I felt steady and safe, so it’s definitely tempting. I would miss the freedoms that come with being an adult, though, so probably not.
Pink and black plaid Dickies pants and a black t-shirt.
Schedule a lunch with friends, start researching flooring materials (fake wood versus carpet?), set aside time to relax and try a new recipe from the August issue of Real Simple.
Right now I’m sitting at my desk, drinking tea and going over my to-do list for the day. Tabs is on my lap and purring like crazy!
How’s your morning coming along? I always like it when I can ease my way into Mondays.
Let me know how you’re doing. Grab a cup of tea or coffee, copy the empty list below, and paste it with your answers in the comments.
Let’s make this week a good one! *raises mug* 🙂
Le list
1. Mood:
2. Three of your favorite eyeshadow crease colors:
3. Can men and women be platonic friends?
4. The next book you’d like to read:
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
6. Who makes *the best* jeans?
7. What are you most looking forward to this week?
8. Would you re-live your high school years?
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
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