Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 384

February 7th, 2016 by Karen 6 Comments

Dear Diary,

As I sit here polishing my 2007 Super Bowl championship ring, I can’t help but feel a little bit nostalgic… As you know, I used to play professional ball for the Mill Valley Wildcats, and sometimes it surprises me that people don’t realize this. Yeah, my career, although it was short, taught me so much and prepared me for this life of fame and luxury.

Football taught me discipline, toughness, and it taught me how to basically stand up and be fierce. And if you can handle the pressure of the Super Bowl, basically, you can handle anything, even Karl Lagerfeld on a bad day.

So I’m walking down memory lane today. I mean, without that opportunity, without playing tight end for the Wildcats, I don’t know what would have become of me. I was just a cat on the mean streets of Mill Valley when that scout discovered me and said that I had the right physique and temperament to be a star in the NFL.

Unfortunately, my football career ended suddenly with a tail injury, but it gave me the confidence to transition over to kitty modeling. The rest is history.

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The Day in Beauty, Vol. 9: A Good Hair Day, Aveda Color Conserve, Low-Maintenance Hair, and Guerlain Spring 2016

February 5th, 2016 by Karen 31 Comments

Slowly, she pulled herself up atop the rocky plateau, then stood tall and gazed out across the vast horizon. It seemed like all of eternity stretched out before her. She could see for hundreds of miles in every direction, the mountains, the rivers, the valleys and forests, the endless sky and the distant sea. There were towns and cities far below that looked like little dots. Suddenly, with every fiber of her being, she roared into the great beyond: “I DID MY HAIR TODAY!!!”

Honestly, I just needed to feel a little bit more like myself, ya know? — because I’ve had it up in a messy bun all week long. Seriously, I haven’t even bothered to run a brush through it. That’s how tired I’ve been, but when I woke up this morning, I was like, “Karen, do your damned hair.”

So I did. I did my damned hair. 🙂

Here’s a great hair tutorial on using the T3 Bodywaver to get BIG curls

I was randomly cruising “the YouTube” last night and looking for different ways to use my T3 Bodywaver curling iron when and came upon this short video by one of T3’s head stylists (head as in top, haha). It shows this technique where you slowly unwrap each section of hair from the barrel in such a way that the curls retain more of a wavy pattern at the ends.

I tried it this morning, and yay! Pretty good results.

So it’s all about the small victories. 🙂

Time to stock up on Aveda

I also wanted to do my hair today because I washed it last night (and I’m so happy about that!) partly because I wanted to try some things from Aveda. I’ve been stocking up on color preserving shampoos and conditioners because, ya know…I’m getting my hair done and colored tomorrow, and I figure that since I don’t know how long it’ll be before my next trip to the salon (kinda revolves around BG’s schedule), I want to get as many color preserving products up in the mix now as I can.

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For Plumper Brows, Apply a Bit of Foundation and Setting Powder to Them First

February 5th, 2016 by Karen 16 Comments

If you aren’t #blessed with naturally big, bushy brows, first, I feel ya. Second, you need to know about this secret squirrel way to thicken and volumize (is that even a real word??) your eyebrows.

Apply a bit of foundation and setting powder to your brows first, while they’re still bare (just let it run over your brows), before you go in with your brow pencils and brow gels, brow powders, etc.

So I stumbled on this trick by accident. It was one of those “Once upon a time…” things. One day, while I was doing my makeup, I was applying my foundation and setting powder and accidentally got quite a bit up in my brows, but instead of removing it by brushing through my brows with a brow comb or using a Q-tip soaked in makeup remover, I left it be. (I think I was just feeling lazy.)

After that, I went about my normal brow routine but noticed that my brows looked particularly thick, plump and bangin’ later that day.

So, next time you’re going about your merry makeup way, try plopping a little bit of your foundation and setting powder on your brows (just the smallest, almost accidental amount), and then do your brows like you normally would afterward.

I think you’ll notice a difference. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood (naturally brow-less) beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Day in Beauty, Vol. 8: A Cute Cat Clutch, Misa Jewelry, and a NARS Spring 2016 Makeup Tutorial

February 4th, 2016 by Karen 34 Comments

Um…will you be my Valentime?

Yes, girl, I said “Valentime.”

V-Day hints and Misa Jewelry

Not to drop hints or anything…but OK, I’m dropping mad hints right now, to whom it may concern. 🙂

(Ahem! That’s probably going to be you, El Hub.)

To make it easier for him (El Hubster) — you know, just for ideas — I sent him some links this morning, like, “Hint, hint! Valentime’s Day is right around the corner!” and one of the links was to Misa Jewelry.

I found out about them from my friend Erika at Makeup Bag (she just started posting on her blog again, BTW, which I’m very excited about!). Check out her recent lifestyle posts about gold tableware lust and the craziness that is ironing your bedding.

Anyway, the jewelry. It’s got a beachy-ish, Hawaii vibe and these neat organic shapes.

I’m all about that branch series… I just think the pieces are so dainty and different.

It’s fine jewelry, so it’s kinda expensive, but some of the items (I spotted a few in the branch series) are a relatively doable splurge. I’ve got my eye on the Roots Vine Necklace ($175 for the sterling silver version) and the Twig Ear Pin ($165).

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What’s Your General Makeup Removal Process?

February 4th, 2016 by Karen 41 Comments

Let's get ready to moisturize and prime! — Bare skin, yo!

Nothing fancy. I start with an oil-based cleanser like DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which is basically great and pretty much removes everything, including my eye makeup (but I also like this one by Dolce & Gabbana, mostly because of the rosy scent…but it’s $50!), and then followup with something like Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser Foaming Formula for deeper cleansing and to take care of anything that the oil-based cleanser missed.

How about you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Day in Beauty, Vol. 7: A Needy Sandwich, Tom Ford Spring 2016 Palettes, and Hella Books!

February 3rd, 2016 by Karen 29 Comments

Tabs has a number of nicknames…and they’re all completely ridiculous!

I don’t even know where half of them come from. His latest one, “Needy Sandwich,” is like a turkey sandwich, except without the deli meat…

So he’s been extra Needy Sandwich today, following me around, basically “supervising” (air quotes) me very closely, and, for the life of me, I can’t get anything done.

He likes to drape his hefty girth across my forearms while I sit at my desk, which makes it darned near impossible to type. He also likes to rub his face all over mine and basically get all the way up in my grill.

Part of me is like, “Tabs, mommy has to get stuff done,” but another part of me is like, “Aww!” I gotta give him as much attention and lurvies as possible before Baby Girl arrives.

To be honest, I’m kind of worried about him because I don’t know how he’s going to handle sharing the spotlight with BG.

I’ve read a lot about pet/baby introductions, and I just hope — I really, really hope — it goes smoothly, because Tabs has been our only “child” for such a long time, and I don’t want him to feel like he’s being replaced. I have to find a way to let him know that he’ll always be my oldest child. He’ll always have a special place in my heart.

Um…you know what else has a place in my heart? Tom Ford’s eyeshadow palettes. 🙂 A bunch of new ones just came out for spring; here’s a few of them.

I could seriously pass out…

Clockwise from the upper left, that’s Lilac Dream, Honeymoon, Last Dance
Starry Night and Disco Dust ($80 each).

I may skip my nap today to hang out with them, but I don’t know about that. Something happens to my body these days in the late afternoon. I’ll be all set to do something, but then it’s lights out. Zzzz…

The first one I want to play with is Honeymoon, the warm one with the bronze, wine and purplish shades. Or, Last Dance. I’m lovin’ that sparkly blue… Well see!

How do you feel about Tom Ford’s palettes? They’re expensive as all heck, but gurrrl! — kind of amaze. The powders practically blend themselves.

My all-time fave is Cognac Sable, which I think might be discontinued (NO!), because I can’t find it online anymore. I also love Cocoa Mirage.

OK…transition time. You might laugh, but we’re all friends here, so laugh away. 🙂 Whenever somebody gives BG a book, I get a little verklempt…

She just got a few from some friends in NY, and when I opened the box, I got, like, super teary.

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The $44 Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals

February 3rd, 2016 by Karen 25 Comments

make-up-for-ever-artist-palette-vol-3-florals — The $44 Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals

I know that April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, but what about the January showers? What do we get for all of those? LOL!

Hurry up with the flowers already please! Perhaps just an early spring bloom?

And might I suggest tulips and freesia? I think they’d go well with the new $44 Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals.

make up for ever artist palette vol 3 florals 2 — Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals

make up for ever artist palette vol 3 florals 3 — Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 3 – Florals

How pretty is that first row? I wanna smear that blue, purple and taupe all over my… I was gonna say lids, but heck, I want it all over my body! Then I’d put it on Tabs, too, so we could be all matchy-matchy.

Yes…I’m a crazy cat lady. 🙂
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