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

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 393

by 13 Comments

tabs-karen-bokeh-necklace

Dear Diary,

It has come to my attention that my assistant photobombed one of my selfies and then shared it on Instagram.

While I do look quite dashing in the picture, this is a gross violation of her employment contract, and I might have to write her up… We’ll see how she does with my dinner tonight. If it meets with my satisfaction, I may just let her off with a verbal warning.

Oh! This weekend I continued updating my portfolio. I found some old kitty modeling pics on a thumb drive. What do you think of this glamour shot of me gazing up at a bejeweled crown?

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Don’t I look majestic and regal?

Or how about this more casual picture of me and my assistant? She appears to be understandably enthusiastic about appearing in a photo with me.

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I also came across a series of instructional kitty modeling memes I did with Marmalade, my professional nemesis.

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I remember that shoot… Marmalade was so annoying! I really wanted to swat his face, but that wouldn’t have been professional.

And then some of these are pics I took myself using my tripod and a timer.

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[Continue reading…]

Leave a Comment for a Chance to Win a $50 Sephora E-GIFT CARD! (Ends Monday)

by 304 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **

This giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted (CONGRATULATIONS, KATHLEEN!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!
Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!

So. Much. Baby jail right meow.

I hope you’ve done some exciting things this week that you’d be so kind as to graciously share with me because I’m serious — the highlight of my days usually involves a quick shower OR a quick 30-minute emergency sneak away trip to Pier 1, See’s Candies (I’ve eaten about two pounds of chocolate this month), Marshalls, Old Navy or Target, during which time El Hub will watch the baby, because those stores are close to home.

Those little daily jaunts, plus the MBB interns and Netflix, have been my only breaks, as of late, when I’m not attending to Connor Claire.

It just gets a tad monotonous is all, and by “tad,” I mean ridiculously monotonous, LOL!

Thank goodness for the MBB interns. Those ladies are incredibly talented, aren’t they? Have you been following their posts? These have been some of my faves…

Their styles and perspectives are all so different, too. It’s refreshing.

In other news…it’s giveaway time. 🙂

sephora-giveaway-prize-2015

  • One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

sephora-gift-card-small-2015

sephora-giveaway-rules-2015

  • Enter by leaving a comment below.
  • Open to U.S. and international readers.
  • You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
  • Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
    sephora-giveaway-heart-2015

    • Do you know anyone who writes in ALL-CAPS all the time?
    • Are you a good storyteller?
    • Dumbest makeup gimmick?
    • Last time you stuck your foot in your mouth?
    • When you think of big, fancy store signs, what’s the first one that comes to mind?
    • Do you ever change your makeup during the day because of your mood?
  • One entry per person.
  • You must use a valid email address to win.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, April 11, 2016 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

One Month Old

by 38 Comments

connor claire one month

How did this happen?! Time really does fly when you’re sleep deprived having fun!

connor claire one month 1

So far Connor Claire likes…

  • Listening to music, although I’m not too sure if she enjoys her mom’s lullaby versions of ’90s hip-hop hits… She looked mildly irritated when I did Salt-N-Pepa’s Push It the other night, but that could’ve been because I was messing up the lyrics pretty badly.
  • Smiling right back at you when you smile at her. SO. CUTE.
  • Chillin’ in her baby carrier (I use a Moby Wrap, and it’s awesome) while mom putters on the computer.
  • Staring up at the sky and at the branches and leaves of the oak trees outside, especially in the afternoon.
  • Hanging out with her dad at 3 in the morning…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

All the Feels…

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connor claire with mom hair

I was filling out Connor Claire’s baby book the other day when I suddenly burst into tears as I thought about her growing up.

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She just turned one month old, but I can’t even deal with the idea of her turning one year old, or five years old, or 15! Or 25!

I dunno… I just get so emotional. She’s such a tiny little person, and this can be such a big, scary world.

connor claire with mom hair 2

I worry…

Do you think this will ever go away, or will I be carrying around this worry for the rest of my life?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 417

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040416-monday-poll

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

  1. What makeup colors are you wearing today?
    Today I’m wearing the new Tarte Sultry Star Power palette from the Double Duty Beauty collection.

    Yay! One small step toward business as usual!

    (Small victories…)

    It’s a cool-toned palette, so I’m wearing cool-toned matte and shimmery taupes on my eyes with smudgy black liner, matte plum blush on my cheeks and a neutral peachy lip.

    It’s by no means a perfect look because I banged it out in 15 minutes, but I’m at the point now where I don’t really care if my liner is a little wonky, ya know?

    As long as it stays up there and isn’t completely tragic, I’m happy… LOL!

  2. Whom do you feel closest to?
    Um…my cat Tabs? And El Hub, of course, and Connor Claire. 🙂

  3. Where do you see yourself this time next year?
    Hopefully someplace where I’m less tired!

    I dunno, though…

    Anywho, wherever I am, and whatever I’m doing, I hope I feel creatively satisfied. Like, I’d love to explore my other creative interests more, like with lettering and calligraphy, music (learning to play the cello and the accordion have been on my bucket list forever), painting and interior design.

  4. What do you always avoid?
    Confrontation.

    I’m not very good at it, so I avoid it whenever I can. Oddly enough, however, the universe regularly places confrontational people in my path, and so I’ve had to learn how to handle it a bit better.

    Er…and I also avoid cleaning the bathroom, ’cause it’s my least favorite household chore.

  5. What was the last fruit you ate?
    Grapefruit! I had a big ol’ one for breakfast.

    Here’s the thing about grapefruit, though: I have to have it cold (like right outta the fridge); otherwise, I can’t eat it.

    Room temperature grapefruit is a no-go for me.

Le List

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!


1. What makeup colors are you wearing today?
2. Whom do you feel closest to?
3. Where do you see yourself this time next year?
4. What do you always avoid?
5. What was the last fruit you ate?

Have a fabulous week, my friend. I hope you’re feelin’ fly.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 392

by 14 Comments

tabs-rainbow-modeling-pose

Dear Diary,

I thought this would be a good weekend to update my portfolio. I’ve been wanting to freshen it up with some new glamour shots, you know, just to show that I’ve still got it and can still rock a cutting-edge kitty modeling campaign.

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tabs-over-shoulder-pose

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I’m very proud of my new dreamy shots, which I did as part of a personal photography project to demonstrate my range.

A lot of companies are going that more abstract route these days. A lot of it is what they call CGI, which stands for computer-generated imagery.

Yeah, it’s just tech talk. Whatever, I’m down with that.

tabs-sunrise-modeling-shot

[Continue reading…]

Leave a Comment for a Chance to Win a $50 Sephora E-GIFT CARD! (Ends Monday)

by 406 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **

This giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted (CONGRATULATIONS, CHRISTINE!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!
Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!

Every day is a new adventure around here. Just when I think I’ve figured something out, like a good routine to get Connor Claire fed and soothed to sleep for a couple of hours at a time, nope! — something new happens.

She was so fussy last night. Not even Uncle Tabby’s amazing nanny services could soothe her. She was incorrigible… Now watch her sleep all day long today, LOL!

Rise and shine, morning glory! Happy Caturday!

That reminds me… I bet you probably realize by now that yesterday was April Fool’s Day. Sadly, this means that the grand opening of the new Novato Cat Cafe & Cosmetics has been delayed. 🙂

In other news, I got out of the cave/house for two whole hours yesterday, and it was glorious! My parents visited and offered to watch Connor, so El Hub and I sneaked away to the mall. We got coffee, See’s candy and window shopped like real grownup people! It was the most exciting thing I’ve done in a month.

sephora-giveaway-prize-2015

  • One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

sephora-gift-card-small-2015

sephora-giveaway-rules-2015

  • Enter by leaving a comment below.
  • Open to U.S. and international readers.
  • You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
  • Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
    sephora-giveaway-heart-2015

    • What’s a product you have in a bunch of colors?
    • What are two products you really like to mix together?
    • A piece of popular beauty advice you don’t agree with?
    • Have you ever thumb wrestled anyone?
    • Favorite boy band?
    • Amazonian clay: yes or no?
  • One entry per person.
  • You must use a valid email address to win.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, April 4, 2016 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Get a Makeover and Make a Feline Friend at the New Novato Cat Cafe & Cosmetics!

by 33 Comments

novato-cat-cafe-cosmetics-logo

I’ll have a latte, a lipstick and a luscious orange tabby to go, please!

Have you ever dreamed of uttering that phrase in public?? I know this is a shocker, but I have, and I’m so happy to announce that the dream has finally come true. 🙂

Dun-dun-dun! — introducing the Novato Cat Cafe & Cosmetics, my new business venture.

I know — kind of a funky title, but it gets straight to the point…which is cats, coffee and cosmetics, three of my favorite things.

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This has actually been in the works for two years, and it’s been really hard to keep it under wraps, but the investors finally came through, and we secured the perfect space. All that’s left now is to finish construction, hire the resident kitties (pending Tabs’s approval, of course), and bring onboard a talented cat-loving makeup artist to do makeovers (yes, we’ll even have makeovers!), but that’s down the road a little.

If you live in the Bay Area, I’d love for you to stop by when we open. We’ll be serving coffee drinks, selling cat-themed makeup (hello, Paul & Joe cuteness), and you’ll be able to make a reservation to hang out with our adoptable cafe kitties in Kitty Village, our special play area.

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We’re hoping to house 15 adoptable kitties at a time, but who knows? If the idea takes off, we may open other franchises around the Bay Area, or heck — across the United States and around the world!

We’re located in downtown Novato by the Trader Joe’s, and the grand opening will be in early June.

tabs-paul-joe-cat-cafe-lipstick

We’re taking reservations now for the first two weeks. If you’re in the Bay Area and would like to be one of the very first guests, leave a comment below, and I’ll get in touch with you to schedule a date and time to meet the kitties.

Lattes and mochas for everyone! 🙂

I’ll be posting pics of the space as the construction progresses, and when we get the adoptable kitties lined up, I’ll be posting pics of them here as well.

Meowza to new adventures!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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