Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 382

January 24th, 2016 by Karen 12 Comments

Dear Diary,

I’m baaack! Guess who returned from the islands feeling refreshed and renewed? This cat right here.

I’m still going through some vacation withdrawals, so bear with me if I occassionally lapse into a Hawaiian chant or get up to do the hula.

Actually, I’m more of a Tahitian dancer myself… I’m all about the hips.

I had grand plans to spend last Friday recovering from my vacation, haha, but alas, I was thwarted. My two assistants (damn them) conspired against me.

OK, I’m being dramatic. (What? Me, dramatic?) It was time for my annual checkup and, purr usual, it was a whole Jason Bourne-caliber situation to get me there because my two assistants know that as much as I love taking care of this body, I hate taking it to the vet. So, they deceived me under the guise of “going to Nordstrom.” I happily entered my cat carrier thinking that I was going to be able to pick up some Burberry or Prada, but then we pulled up to the Mill Valley Cat Clinic instead…

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Makeup I Wore Today

January 22nd, 2016 by Karen 25 Comments

Guess what…? Today I wore absolutely no beige or brown on my lids.

I know! Small victories.

And I also managed to refrain (for once) from wearing a nude lip.

I went with mauve and taupe eyes with glowing, bronzed matte cheeks (no blush today, which is something new for me) and a matte pinkish coral lip. Nothing too complicated, but there’s still a little color up in the mix, which makes me happy. 🙂

Le stuff…
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Yeah, It’s Time to Highlight These Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders

January 22nd, 2016 by Karen 19 Comments

Whenever I think of Hourglass makeup, I think of elegance…refinement…and makeup that’s friggin’ beautiful, and their four new $38 Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders evoke the living daylights out of all three of those things (I also talk about them briefly in this 5 Things I’m Loving Lately video).

To me, this is highlighting done so incredibly right.

hourglass ambient strobe lighting powder 2 — The four new Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders

hourglass ambient strobe lighting powder brilliant — Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Brilliant Strobe Light

I admit it: I get persnickety sometimes about my powder highlighters because, ya know, when you’re a woman of a certain age, the metallic ones? — even though they’re lovely, dramatic and ever-so eye-catching, they can also be a bear to work with when the frosty flecks go snorkeling in your pores and fine lines, and they end up highlighting all the stuff that you actually didn’t want to highlight at all…

hourglass ambient strobe lighting powder euphoric — Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Euphoric Strobe Light

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5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

January 22nd, 2016 by Karen 23 Comments

There should be a video right up here in this post, but if it isn’t appearing for any reason, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

You wouldn’t think that hair ties would be something to be particular about, but I’m so particular about my hair ties. They can’t give me a headache; I don’t want them to leave a weird bend in my hair; I don’t want them to snag my hair, and these Tony Ties by Mia don’t do any of those things. They’re my new favorite hair ties, and I love them so much that I packed them away to bring with me to the hospital on B-day (birth day).

That’s when you know your love for something is real deal — when you’re willing to go into labor for an unspecified amount of time with it…

Here are five things (one of them’s a combo) I’ve been loving lately. How about you? What are some things you’ve been loving too?

Mia Beauty Tony Ties ($5 for a pack of three)
- Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper & Hair Touch Up in Brunette ($24)
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel ($22)
- MAC Eye Shadow in Brun ($16)
T3 BodyWaver 1.75 Professional Curling Iron ($149)
Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder ($38)
Jackie Aina (lilpumpkinpie05 on YouTube)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Carter’s Baby Clothes and Possible Future Outfits of the Day?

January 21st, 2016 by Karen 34 Comments

I’ve been advised by well-meaning friends and family members to refrain from buying too many baby outfits and clothes, despite the powerful urge, because clothes are usually what friends and family end up gifting ya…and everything ends up with poop and spit-up on it anyway, buuuuuuut Carter’s was having an online sale last week (it might still be going on), and when I saw these cute clothes — gah! — I couldn’t resist.

I just want a few newborn baby pics of BG (Baby Girl) wearing things that I picked out for her, since I know there will come a time in the not-too-distant future when she’ll refuse to let me dress her.

*Tears* I know, I’m getting ahead of myself… All I can say is that I’m extra hormonal, and the thought of her eventually not needing her mommy’s help is making me weepy. 🙁

Anyways, thanks to the gals who recommended these baby gowns with the elastic at the bottom. I never knew such a thing existed, and I think they’ll come in really handy for middle-of-the-night changes.

Carter’s also had matching hats, mittens and teeny, tiny baby socks (!), so of course I had to go there…

I also got BG a few of these one-piece outfits with snaps (Carter’s calls them “Sleep and Plays”) because they were the babiest of the baby clothes, LOL!

Yes, the baby outfits that look like baby-sized versions of grownup clothing are cute and all, but I also want her to look like an actual…ya know…baby, for as long as possible.

If she cooperates (and if Tabs allows her to share the spotlight), maybe she’ll even star in a few Outfit of the Day posts. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I’m sorry that I haven’t been posting as much as usual this week, but I’ve been extra tired and achy (my back and my lady parts, especially!). This whole growing a tiny human thing is pretty exhausting…

MAC Flamingo Park Collection | Overview, Swatches

January 21st, 2016 by Karen 28 Comments

There should be a video right up here in this post, but if it isn’t appearing for any reason, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

GIRL, you know how I feel about flamingos! Those beautiful pink and coral feathers…that graceful neck…those long legs…that stylin’ beak! They’re my second favorite animal behind teh kittehs, and if there were such thing as a “Crazy Flamingo Lady,” I’d qualify, no doubt.

I’m happy to report that said beautiful bird is front and center in the new spring MAC Flamingo Park collection.

Behold…

mac flamingo park powder blushes — MAC Flamingo Park Powder Blushes

mac lifes a picnic blush — MAC Flamingo Park Powder Blush in Life’s a Picnic

mac pink swoon blush — MAC Flamingo Park Powder Blush in Pink Swoon

mac lets be friends blush — MAC Flamingo Park Powder Blush in Let’s Be Friends

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Neutrals or Brights? (Assuming That You Have To Pick One or the Other)

January 20th, 2016 by Karen 42 Comments

Quick! Just go with your gut… Don’t overthink it, because, ya know, with hard-hitting makeup questions like this one (totally kidding), your first reaction is usually the truest, best one.

Anyway, SURPRISE! — I’m gonna have to go with neutrals, only partly because I’ve been wearing them so much lately, but that’s just a phase. I do also wear brights, just not as often lately.

I have to be in the mood and the right mindset for brights, but I do like a jolt of bright color, especially when it’s set against neutrals, like a bright teal liner or a hot pink lip in combo with beiges and browns elsewhere.

What about you? Neutrals or brights? (Assuming that you have to pick one or the other.)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. OK, WOW! Your applications for the MBB Maternity Leave/Blog Internship? There have been more than 100 applicants so far (!!!). Friday (Jan. 22nd) is the last day for submissions, and then I’ll start going over all of them closely with Tabs, which will probably take me about a week.

I’m doing this whole thing because I’ll need your help during my first few months with Baby Girl, but I’m also committed to helping you, however I can, in your blogging/vlogging endeavors, whether that means helping you come up with topics for your blog, photography tips, how to come up with post titles, discussing secret (not that they’re secrets) blogging tips, helping you maximize your blogging income, answering technical questions for you, or just being a second opinion — someone off of which to bounce ideas.

My time will be limited early on, but we’ll make it work, if you’re interested, and I hope you are. I’m sorry if you’ve asked me a question by email regarding your application and I haven’t replied, but I’ll try to soon. If for any reason there’s been a problem with your resume/application packet, like an attachment not getting through my email, don’t worry. We’ll work it out.