Karen

Comment to Win a $50 eGift Card From MAC! (Ends Monday)

June 27th, 2015 by Karen 393 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **
This giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted (CONGRATULATIONS, LAURA!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

Rise and shine, morning glory. Happy caturday! 🙂

So much on my mind right now because it’s been a BIG week, but let’s get the important things out of the way first. Are you ready? Let’s start with this: bunnies. And almost tailless cats.

Yes, I’m referring to my part-time petsitting duties, but no, I haven’t taken any pictures yet, even though I really want to, because I haven’t gotten permission from my friends to share them online. 🙁

BUT I REALLY WANT TO. LOL!

First, there’s Malu, an orange and white love muffin with big, bright brown eyes and half a tail. She likes eating, flashing her tum on the floor and taking longs walks around the dining room.

And then there’s Zee-Zee, a rambunctious white bunny with black pointed ears who enjoys cat-watching from the comfort of her extra-large cage and snacking on fresh veggies (last night she had kale).

Both of them are painfully adorbs.

In other news…Monte Rio Beach on the Russian River. I don’t think we’ll be going kayaking there today because it’s actually almost cold. A foggy weather front came in, and it’s not ideal kayaking weather, so that throws a wrench into our plans.

We’ll see though… If it warms up at all we’ll go.

This week flew by for me so fast that it feels almost like I didn’t participate! — like this week literally skipped right by. I dunno, it’s weird. But I feel like I’ve been MIA for a while, even though I’ve been right here. Weird.

I hope you had a good week and that somebody politely held a door open for you. Have a kick-@ss pre-4th of July weekend. Talk to you soon, my friend. The giveaway starts in 3-2-1…

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

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:
- Do you notice your skin gets better or worse after certain foods?
- When was the last time you had a good foot massage?
- Do you ever meditate?
- What’s a good name for a great eyeshadow?
- Have you ever fallen asleep in a lecture or meeting?
- What’s one of your favorite parts of doing your makeup?
One entry per person.
You must use a valid email address to win.
The giveaway ends on Monday, June 29, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

For Rosy Golden Goodness, There’s the Kristin Perry Bar and Chain Earrings and Dainty Rock Necklace

June 26th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

Dear 2013,

Thanks for resurrecting rose gold from the depths of obscurity and thrusting it back into the mainstream metallic metal spotlight.

Love you. Mean it,

K-Money

It’s been two full years since rose gold officially returned and became a thing again (gosh, time flies!), and the trend is still alive and kicking.

I figured it was one of those trends that I would eventually get tired of, and maybe I will, but as of now, I’m still into it. I like how it looks on my skin, and it’s neutral enough to wear with almost anything.

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The Petite Products From Stowaway Cosmetics: Sometimes It’s Good to Have a Stowaway

June 26th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

BREAKING NEWS — A Novato woman discovered a Stowaway in her makeup bag today, and to her surprise, it wasn’t only an XXL tabby…

Yes, Tabs wasn’t the only stowaway trying to hitch a ride with me today. He had to share space with Stowaway Cosmetics, a new makeup line that launched last spring with a selection of pint-sized products.

Apparently, Tabs didn’t think I’d notice a 20-pound tabby cat next to all the shoes…

Poor guy. I love him and all, but he’s not exactly minuscule.

These petite pieces in the new Stowaway Cosmetics line, however, are.

Small and streamlined

All of the products fit into the palm of my paw/hand. According to the brand, the idea is that, for once in your makeup-lurvin’ life, you may actually be able to finish that tube of lipstick/BB cream/concealer before it expires.

The smaller sizes also make the pieces easier to bring along, whether to the gym, or when you’re traveling, or when you’re headed out to yo’ booty call’s house and you don’t want to bring a suitcase stuffed with makeup.
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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Rimmel London Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze

June 26th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

I can’t vouch for the full-on waterproofness of Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze ($4.99), because I’m still waiting to find myself caught in a downpour with the original cast of Magic Mike, which to my mind is the ideal (and perfectly plausible) testing scenario.

But until said situation plays out — and it’s only a matter of time before it happens, obviously — I’ll just continue adoring this matte bronzer for other reasons, and there are SO, SO MANY OF THEM, starting with the wonderful price.

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First Tomatoes of the Season!

June 25th, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

My tomato plants have finally…tomato-ized!

Meet the first small batch of the season. I’ve named these three Tyler, Artemis and Carnegie, and I’m still deciding whether they’re going to become bruschetta or Tuscan bread salad.

The struggle is real, homie. It truly is.

Garden fresh tomatoes, babe — if you haven’t gone there before, you need to get on that ASAP. They’re so much tastier than store-bought. I think it’s because they get to fully ripen on the vine, so there’s no transportation time. Don’t be surprised if your eyes roll back in your head when you take a bite.

Now I need to go get some good bread…

SO HUNGRY!

Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk For Brown to Dark Hair Will Raise the Root, Y’all!

June 25th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

klorane dry shampoo oat milk — Holding my new favorite hair thingamabobber, Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk For Brown to Dark Hair (I may or may not be on third-day hair right now)

Because you and I can comfortably go into TMI territory, I’m guessing/hoping that you won’t be grossed out when I say that I get a weird thrill from seeing how long I can go without washing my hair.

I find it fascinating and kind of disgusting at the same time.

I think the longest I’ve ever gone is five days… Or maybe it was six? I had a killer blowout (’twas glorious! — like in a shampoo commercial), and I hated to see it go…

Obvs, I need a lot of help when I do this, since a woman trying to get by on minimal hair washing cannot do it on unicorn kisses and tabby whiskers alone, and when I say “a lot of help,” I mean copious amounts of dry shampoo, which lately has been Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk for Brown to Dark Hair ($19.50), a tinted aerosol dry shampoo with softening (ooh!) and smoothing (ah!) oat milk and a paraben- and colorant-free formula. It’s designed for all hair types.
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Unsung Makeup Heroes: NARS Lodhi Satin Lip Pencil

June 25th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

Dang, it’s hot here today…

Like, fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk hot here today (incidentally, have you ever tried that?).

Or, sweat-until-you-have-a-major-life-revelation hot here today.

Basically, it’s sticky-back-of-the-knees, crook-of-the-elbows, middle-of-the-booty-cheeks hot here today (oh, and my air conditioner isn’t working).

The only things keeping me from melting into a puddle of sweat are 1) the fact that it’s a dry heat (it DOES make a difference), and 2) this tube of NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Lodhi ($26), because it’s cool. 🙂

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Matte Lips in Summer: Are They a Do or a Don’t?

June 25th, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

mac tropic tonic lipstick — That’s MAC Matte Lipstick in Tropic Tonic on mah lips, by the way

Matte lips in summer: a do or a don’t?

For me, they’re an ALL-CAPS DO! — but if you’d asked me a couple years ago, I probably would have said “don’t,” because I’m also a sucker for the classics, which for summer usually means glossy lips, dewy skin, and — gah! ALL OF THE BRIGHTS!

My heart swells with makeup joy when I think about it…

But now with so many matte lipsticks on the lip scene, I can’t help myself. I love the way they look in person and in pics, especially when a brand gives the matte treatment to classic summer colors like coral.
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