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27 New Technakohl Liners Join the MAC Fam

December 15th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

I’ve always liked the MAC Technakohls, with their twist-up tops and super skinny tips — perfect for drawing thin lines, and for getting right in there between those lashes.

As a bonus, my eyes have always liked the formula, even when I wear it on my water lines, and they stay put for a respectable 6-8 hours.

The brand recently reworked the Technakohl collection, updating the packaging, retiring the old shades, and replacing them with 27 new ones ($16 US/$19 CDN each), and they’re available now online in the MAC permanent collection, and at MAC stores and counters.

Soft black Superfly and brownish purple Raisinette have been in heavy rotation here at Casa de MBB lately.

Here are swatches of all 27 new Technakohls for your visual feasting (for reference, I’m an NC42). 🙂

MAC Technakohl Liner swatches from the left: Snowed In, Sterling Silver, Risque, Bare Asset, Twinked, Brass Band and $$$ — Swatches from the left: Snowed In, Sterling Silver, Risque, Twinked, Brass Band and $$$

MAC Technakohl Liner swatches from the left: Alpha-Grey, Counterfeit, Funfare, Sourpuss, Skyscape and Vent — Alpha-Grey, Counterfeit, Funfare, Sourpuss, Skyscape and Vent

MAC Technakohl Liner swatches from the left: Whirlpool, take the Plunge, Cast Iron, Bishop Blue, Image Conscious and Cool Jazz — Whirlpool, take the Plunge, Cast Iron, Bishop Blue, Image Conscious and Cool Jazz

MAC Technakohl Liner swatches from the left: Plank, Broque, Army Style, Clay, Raisinette, Steelpoint, Metalhead and Superply — Plank, Broque, Army Style, Clay, Raisinette, Steelpoint, Metalhead and Superfly

The 27 new MAC Technakohl Liners include…

Snowed In, a light peach off-white

Sterling Silver, a silver

Risque, a pale beige

Bare Asset, a medium beige

Twinked, a yellow gold with sparkles

Brass Band, a copper bronze metal

$$$, a mid-tone golden bronze

Alpha-Grey, a metal gray

Counterfeit, a silver gray

Funfare, a bright true pink

Sourpuss, an acid green

Skyscape, a metallic deep sky blue

Vent, a metallic lime

Whirlpool, a dark deep blue

Take the Plunge, a deep ocean blue

Cast Iron, an elephant gray

Bishop Blue, a bluish purple

Image Conscious, a purple

Cool Jazz, a navy blue

Plank, a deep bronzy brown

Broque, a deep brown

Army Style, a military deep breen

Clay, a deep gray

Raisinette, a brownish purple

Steelpoint, a deep smoky metallic gray

Metalhead, a grayish metal blue

Superfly, a soft black

Matte Madness: MAC Matte Lipstick in Styled in Sepia

December 12th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Took me a while to get on board with MAC Styled in Sepia, mostly because I wore something just like it in the ’90s…and I’m 99% certain I wore it with overalls, a baby tee, a pair of knock-off Timberland boots and a button-up plaid shirt tied around my waist.

OH, GAWD.

In addition to triggering bouts of ’90s nostalgia, Styled in Sepia is also unusually smooth for a matte, so if you’ve got a flaky lip situation going on, you can still wear it without looking dodgy.

The color has an interesting grayish mauve undertone that I didn’t expect to find terribly flattering, but it grew on me when I got it on my lips.

Styled in Sepia is one of the limited edition MAC matte colors and, unfortunately, it appears to be sold out on the MAC website, but you can still find it online if you do a little digging…

I’ve seen it at belk.com, nordstrom.com and bloomingdales.com, so it’s still floating around on the Inter-Webs if you need to have it in yo’ life right meow.

A tube will set you back $16.

The Insomnia Files: Chapter 1,597

Insomnia. Bah!

You ever have trubs turning off your brain at bedtime?

Sometimes I lay down intending to go to sleep, and my body feels tired, but my mind is spinning like it’s on one of those little hamster wheels going round and round…

But last night I went to bed early, and I completely unplugged (TV, phone, Kindle — the whole kit and caboodle) an hour and a half before.

Then I spent about 30 minutes in bed reading the new issue of Better Homes & Garden (because I knew it wouldn’t be scary or action packed), and it really helped me relax. I ended up sleeping like a tabby.

A pic of me sleeping with Tabs when he was near the end of his kitten-hood…about one year old

A friend also recently suggested putting a few drops of lavender oil on a paper towel next to my pillow, so I tried that last night, too, with H. Gillerman’s Sleep Remedy.

Dang stuff sure smells good, and I think it did help me relax.

If you ever have trouble sleeping, I feel your pain, dawg. Would LOVE to know what helps you relax and get a restful night of sleep.

The Matte Madness series features some of my favorite matte products as of late

For an Untamed Fringe, Try These Eyelure Texture No. 117 False Lashes

December 3rd, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Eyelure Texure 117 — The Eyelure Texture No. 117 false eyelashes

The mac dad will make ya jump, jump!
The daddy mac will make ya jump, jump!
Kris Kross will make ya jump, jump!

Now you’ve got that song stuck in your head, haha!

My work here is done. 🙂

OK, not really… First we have to talk about lashes. False lashes, to be specific.

I like the messy criss-cross action of Eyelure’s Texture No. 117s ($3.99 a pair). The lashes are bundled up into little…bundles (?) that sort of overlap each other to create a wild, untamed criss-cross pattern, for an informal lash look with lots of bulk and a gentle lift at the outer corners.

They come with their own pre-made (heavy, uncomfortable) glue strips, but I skip them and use plain ol’ lash glue instead.

Regularly $4.99 a pair, they’re on sale now at Ulta for $3.99, which I think is a dang good deal for lashes this good.

Eyelures also tend to hold up pretty well. I can usually reuse them at least a few times, as long as I’m careful when I peel them off.

Can I haz this tee??

El Hub makes fun of me all the time for that saying, “I can’t.” I use it when I hit my limit and need a break from something, like when I’m marathoning a show on TV. I’ll say, “I can’t. I just can’t. I can’t. I can’t.” It’s one of my catchphrases. 🙂

So I may have to break my “no more shopping in the juniors section” rule for this shirt by Ten Sixty Sherman ($24) at Nordstrom.

Gah! And I might also need that plaid scarf (the BP Heritage Plaid Square, $24).

I’m a sucker for a cute plaid print.

Matte Madness: MAC Matte Lipstick in Fashion Revival

December 2nd, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

Items on my Recently Revived Pieces of ’90s Fashion list that make me kind of cranky…

Clunky Timberland boots (to their credit, I remember them being quite warm and good at keeping my feet dry on rainy days)
Plastic choker necklaces (no explanation needed)
Floral slip dresses (when worn with white baby tees)
Overalls (when worn with one strap up and one strap down)

As you’ll notice, matte lips are not on the list. 🙂

That’s because I’m so feelin’ ’em, dawg!

But the flakes on my lips aren’t…which is why I’ve been rolling with Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil lately (note to self: this hella hydrating lip balm totally deserves to be an unsung hero).

So, MAC Fashion Revival Lipstick — is there anything it doesn’t go with? I honestly don’t know.

I love pairing this deep, rich matte raspberry (it’s $16) with warm golds and coppers on my eyes, but it really seems to work with just about everything.

It’s only available for a couple more days until December 4 here in North America, so if you’re interested, better jump!

Available through December 4 at MAC counters, stores and also online.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Fashion Revival — Wearing Fashion Revival on my lips

On a wholly unrelated topic…

Monogrammed Christmas Stockings from Target, $13 each — These monogrammed Christmas stockings from Target ($13 each)

Tabs insisted on helping with the Christmas decorating this year, but in exchange for his listless, halfhearted help, he demanded that I get him a monogrammed stocking.

It’s Pottery Barn’s fault… He paws through their catalogue at night and dog-ears the pages with holiday looks and room arrangements he wants to recreate in “his” living space (also known as the house).

Anywho, I’ve been looking for ways to get similar holiday looks for less and found these cute monogrammed stockings at Target. They’re $13 each, and I think they’re available in every letter of the alphabet, including “T” for Tabs.

Conveniently, the green for “T” also matches his eyes. 🙂

Um…yeah, that was a very crazy cat lady thing to say, but since I went there already, does your pet have a stocking? Inquiring minds want to know.

The Matte Madness series features some of my favorite matte products as of late

Matte Madness: MAC Nouvelle Vogue Matte Lipstick

December 1st, 2014 by Karen 34 Comments

Wearing MAC Nouvelle Vogue Matte Lipstick ($16)

There’s something so playful and happy about MAC’s bluish pink Nouvelle Vogue Matte Lipstick. 🙂

It’s one of those pinks that doesn’t take itself too seriously, ya know? Not like those other pinks that are all, “We are sooo fancy. Look at how fancy we are.”

If you’re a MAC Satin Taupe eyeshadow fan, get Nouvelle Vogue in yo’ life ASAP! The two of them make lovely music together.

Don’t expect Nouvelle Vogue to stick around much longer. It’s set to bid adieu December 4. Until then, it’s available at MAC counters, stores and online.

The Matte Madness series features some of my favorite matte products as of late

I Found You, Ms. New Bootie…

November 28th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

If La Maison de Chanel ever starts a biker gang, a la Sons of Anarchy, I feel like these quilted booties by Matisse would be a non-negotiable part of the uniform.

They’re my latest loves from DSW.

Originally $209, but I got ’em on sale last week for $69.

On the DSW website, they’re listed at $99.94, so just FYI. You may want to check your local store.

Oh! And the website also states that the upper part of the shoe is made from synthetic leather, but I’m not so sure about that. The box for my pair says the leather’s real.

I dunno…

They’re super comfy, and I love the quilted pattern. I think it adds a little sweetness to an otherwise @ss-kickin’ shoe.

The heel is also low enough that I could probably run away from zombies in these if I had to (which is always important), and the shaft is well insulated for warmth. 🙂

Thanksgiving Spread

November 27th, 2014 by Karen 41 Comments

Your nephew did a wonderful job assisting me with Thanksgiving today. He kept close watch as I prepped the food in the kitchen, and then supervised the actual eating at the table.

Such a dedicated kitty. 🙂

The crab was a success by the way. In case you were wondering, yes — crab tastes pretty darned good dipped in gravy (who knew?).

Now I’m off to swan dive into my third (!) slice of pecan pie.

Can I get you a slice? Would you like it with, or without whipped cream (or one of each)?

Sausalito, Teacup Kitties and Sightseeing With a Friend

November 14th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

You probably already knew this…but the Internet? Kind of amazing sometimes!

I mean, not only can you buy shoes with the push of a few buttons and have them delivered to you from thousands of miles away (shoe miracles), but you can meet and get to know people from all over the world.

Today I real life met Steph, who lives clear across the country, but since she was going to be out this way, we made a date to connect.

Steph and I have been chatting online in the comments here on the blog and Instagram off and on for at least five or six years, and I finally got the chance to hang out with her in person today.

Hi, Steph! 🙂

We walked around Sausalito for a bit, which is a cute town on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge, and did some sightseeing and window shopping at one of my favorite stores, the Sausalito Ferry Co. They sell all kinds of cheeky toys and snarky cards and magnets and things like the teacup kitties in that pic at the top.

It was such a nice day! And it was a real pleasure finally meeting you in actual person, Steph. 🙂