Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 377

June 15th, 2015 by Karen 31 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for June 15, 2015

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.

Sunglasses or hats?
Hats. I got my hair lightened a few weeks ago, so I’m all about wearing hats to protect my hair color from the hair color-sapping powers of the sun.

Have you ever been waterskiing?
Nope. It’s a balancing sport, and I have decent balance, so I think I might be OK at it, but the thought of standing on two long sticks in the water doesn’t tremendously appeal to me.

I think I’d be better at wakeboarding (because there’s one less stick involved).

Preppy or bohemian?
Preppy if we’re talking clothes; bohemian if we’re talking home furnishings.

Bright lipstick or bright eyeliner?
Bright lipstick. No question about it.

What’s your current favorite face cream?
Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Wrinkle Correction Cream ($59).

I love Clarins moisturizers. They never give me breakouts, they’re always super moisturizing, and they layer well beneath makeup.

And they’re carried almost everywhere — Macy’s, Sephora, Nordstrom — so I don’t have to hunt them down.

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

1. Sunglasses or hats?
2. Have you ever been waterskiing?
3. Preppy or bohemian?
4. Bright lipstick or bright eyeliner?
5. What’s your current favorite face cream?

Good morning! I may or may not be sitting here on the couch with the top button of my pants undone.

Yeah…somebody may have had one too many beignets last week.

Whatever, every bite was worth it! 🙂

I hope things are going well. I feel like I’ve been gone a while, but I’m getting back in the beauty blogging groove today.

What’s new with you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 350

June 14th, 2015 by Karen 4 Comments

Dear Tabby is written by Tabs the cat, widely considered “the world’s first plus-size kitty supermodel.” Founded in mid 2012, it has quickly become the most popular cat advice column on earth — known for its fresh, feline perspective on lifestyle, fashion and style issues affecting cats and humans.

Overworked orange tabby needs a break

Dear Tabby,

The last time I went on a trip, it was not at all what I expected. I thought I’d booked a 10-day cruise to Hawaii, but instead I ended up at the vet.

I trusted my assistant to make the arrangements, but she clearly failed. I desperately need a vacation, but I can’t afford to have anything like that happen again.

Tabby, can you recommend any travel websites or cat-friendly tours? I’d really like to see the Great Wall.

-Hankering for a Holiday

DEAR HANKERING: I hear that Costco has some good deals, but I think my assistant usually uses Expedia.

You might want to start by taking a shorter overnight trip — something easy to arrange. You wouldn’t even need your assistant’s help to arrange something like that. You could pack an overnight bag with essentials (if you’re looking for some delicious travel-friendly cat treats, I highly recommend these), and spend the night out.

It may not be as glamorous as Madrid or China, but it might help you unwind and clear your head.

A cat wonders if the time is right to make a major career move

Dear Tabby,

I live in a very small town in Minnesota (Stillwater born and bred!), where I work as the town’s only suitcase model.

I love Minnesota, but I’m starting to feel like I can’t go any further here in my career. My dream is to model someday for Chanel and Louis Vuitton, but I’m afraid I’ll never reach that level of feline suitcase modeling unless I move. What should I do?

-Longing for L.V.

DEAR LONGING: I admire your ambition and drive, because that’s what it takes to reach the pinnacle in this business. If you want it bad enough, it’s worth the sacrifice.

My first question for you is this: are you sure you’ve learned everything you can in Stillwater? If so, then I say go for it! Next stop: New York, Milan or Paris.

Best of luck in your future endeavors. Work hard, and keep me posted.
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Comment to Win a $50 eGift Card From MAC! (Ends Monday)

June 13th, 2015 by Karen 405 Comments

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

Birthday beignets, po’ boys and art gallery cats! — ’twas an interesting (and fun) week.

I hope yours went well, too. Things here in Novato, California are still chugging along. It’s a little overcast this morning, but I’m pretty sure the misty morning fog will burn off by the afternoon. Then it’ll be hot, hot, hot.

Your nephew, King Tabby, is sitting right behind me on the couch. He says “mrow!” by the way. 🙂

I get the strong feeling that he’s hoping we’re going to go outside soon for a walk, because while I was out stuffing my gullet with beignets, he was stuck here with his petsitter in the house. Now I’m sure he’s raring to go (you know how seriously he takes securing the perimeter).

In other news, what’s the plan for this weekend? Is it sunny there?

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:
- Other than yours if you’re married, what’s the most amazing wedding you’ve ever attended?
- Do you know how to skip?
- What’s a lipstick, gloss or balm you’ve been loving lately?
- What was your favorite field trip when you were a kid?
- When was the last time you felt like you “knocked it out of the park”?
- When you hear the word “suave,” does anyone particular come to mind?
One entry per person.
You must use a valid email address to win.
The giveaway ends on Monday, June 15, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Shopkeeper Cats of New Orleans, and I’m Back in the Bay Area!

June 12th, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

A big hand-waving hello from sunny Novato, California!

Haaay! I’m back at home in the Bay after my birthday trip to New Orleans, and our regularly scheduled beauty bloggery will resume on Monday.

As you can probably imagine, my tabby employer was overjoyed to have his assistant back. He was so overjoyed, in fact, that he barely lifted a paw in protest when I said that I planned to showcase a couple more of the cat friends I made in NOLA.

As it turns out, working as a shopkeeper cat is one of the most lucrative feline gigs available in the city.

This particular white, orange and gray beauty models for a local art gallery…

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New Orleans Adventures, Day Two

June 11th, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

Day two in New Orleans (that was yesterday) started with — yup, you guessed it! — beignets and a cafe au lait. I fueled up at a cute little place called Cafe Beignet in the French Quarter.

The beignets at the shop were denser and not as sugary as the ones at Cafe du Monde (mmm, so good!), but I’m not one to say no to fried dough…so of course I ate ’em anyway.

After breakfast, El Hub and I trekked out to the Garden District again to look at more fancy-schmancy houses.

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Super Cool Find: The Finery Jewelry and Home Objects in New Orleans

June 10th, 2015 by Karen 22 Comments

One of my favorite things to do on vacation is shop for trinkets and baubles.

(I am probably not alone in this.)

That way, back at home, whenever I see or wear said bauble (or sometimes they’re doohickeys), I’m reminded of my time on the trip.

Today I picked up a couple of cute pieces of jewelry from a chic shop called The Finery. It’s located in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans, just off Magazine Street, which is a popular shopping area with cafes and lots of antique and clothing stores.

Incidentally, it’s about two blocks from author Anne Rice’s former New Orleans home…

Back to The Finery, they carry jewelry by indie designers, both local and from other parts of the country. The style is sort of modern minimalist, and their pieces are pretty affordable, too.

I grabbed two things from a local designer named Neko — the Small Arc earrings ($24) and the Arc necklace ($32).

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A Cat Lady in NOLA

June 10th, 2015 by Karen 19 Comments

You’ve officially leveled up from “crazy cat lady” to “craziest cat lady” when your souvenirs from New Orleans all involve cats. 🙂

Grabbed these goodies yesterday from the cutest store in the French Quarter called Gem de France.

Half of the store was dedicated to teh kittehs! (El Hub practically had to drag me out.)

I plan to affix this small metal sign next to my front door when I get home because 1) Tabs is always on guard, 24/7, and 2) the world (and my neighbors) need to know!

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