Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
I’m trying to decide what to paint my toes/paws/claws. Which of the Essie Fall 2013 colors do you think I should go with? 🙂
You can find all six shades now for $8 each at salons, beauty stores and online.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the cat-eat-cat world of accessories modeling, it’s that the cats will always win.
In the end, the cats will always win…
But I’ll do my best! 🙂
Modeling necklaces like this Pam Hiran bib from Anthropologie happen to be one of Tabs’ fortes.
I know that the chances of me taking this round are slim. I mean, how’s anyone supposed to compete against that silky fur?! It’s unfair!
Still, I refuse to go down without a fight…
Loading ...In other news…this behind-the-scenes video of Francois Nars shooting the NARS fall campaign doesn’t have anything to do with cats or bib necklaces, but I thought it was pretty rad.
Tabs wholeheartedly approves of the model’s smokey cat eye. 🙂
Have you ever had mixed arare? In Hawaii they also call it kakimochi or mochi crunch. It’s a really popular local snack. Every grocery store or Long’s Drugs on all of the islands has at least one entire aisle dedicated to local snacks, including arare (usually with nori/seaweed flakes, or the pieces are wrapped in nori), and there are dozens of snack-licious varieties — small bags of dried cuttlefish, red coconut balls (YUM!), shoyu peanuts (roasted peanuts covered with fried rice paste and a soy sauce glaze), red ginger (salted, candied ginger that’s very hot/spicy), li hing mui (salty dried plums), lemon peel (salted dried lemon peels, which are actually surprisingly delish), shredded ika (dried squid, also known as cuttlefish), and the list goes on and on…
El Hub grew up in Hawaii, so he loves it all. Since the islands are home to so many different people from all over the world, there are lots of different influences in their cuisine. Some of the snacks I mentioned above have Japanese roots, others Chinese, and others…well, I don’t even know.
The mixed arare is super crunchy, like crunchier than pure crunch, so they’re dangerously addictive, and like popcorn or potato chips, you can’t eat just one. No way. It’s impossible. It’s easy to go through an entire bag in one sitting.
They’re lower in calories than potato chips, but not by much. One of the 8-ounce bags in the top pic has about 900 calories, pure carbs, zero fat (since they’re mostly just rice and soy sauce).
If you ever visit the islands, make a mental note to grab a bag, and give it a try. I bet you’ll like it.
Today I’m carrying a Poverty Flats Perforated Satchel in nude and black and wearing black patent BCBG Zuma flats.
When I don’t want to think too hard and need to wear comfy shoes (read: most of the time), this combo comes out. It’s versatile; I like that I can wear it with skinny jeans, or even with a little black dress.
Oh, and random, but while I was outside taking these pics, I noticed that the fruit on my citrus tree is growing by leaps and bounds!
Totally can’t wait to eat these bad boys. 🙂
What purse and shoes are you wearing?
In case you were wondering what a nine-year-old girl with Ralph Macchio hair would look like, here’s a picture of me at the Grand Canyon from the mid ’80s.
Please note the center part and wing flaps over the ears… 🙂
To the right (in the pic up top, of course) is my childhood BFF, Karrie, looking more like Olivia Newton-John. Yes, I was insanely jealous of Karrie’s hair.
Loading ...If I were also wearing a Member’s Only jacket and some gold chains in this pic, I would look EXACTLY like a smaller version of any of my uncles from that era…
Your nephew/my employer welcomed me home last night with disdainful side glances and faux disinterest.
Apparently, he was REALLY cranky about the Kauai kitties temporarily hogging the spotlight.
You know how he gets when he’s not the center of attention…
He made up for it this morning with headbutts and purring, although I suspect it was just a ploy to get treats.
My last day here on Kauai…
I’m so, so sad to be going. In a few hours, I’ll be on a plane headed back to the Bay Area.
I can’t wait to see Tabs again, but I’m not ready to leave these warm waters or my Kauai kitties here at the hotel.
El Hub thinks I should call the hotel (the Marriott at Kalapaki Bay) every once in a while to ask the front desk how the cats are doing… I think that’s perhaps a little too crazy cat lady, myself, but I haven’t ruled it out. 🙂
Before I pack up (le sigh), here’s one last look at Kauai…
I’ll miss you, Kauai. Until we meet again…
These secluded, ancient pools were reserved for Hawaiian royalty way back when. Now the sea turtles run the show, and they’re doing a great job. This has been my favorite sight so far on this trip!
“Queen’s Bath is actually a large pool the size of several swimming pools carved by nature into a lava shelf with an inlet from the ocean for fresh seawater to flow… If the surf is too high, you would never recognize this place as anything special. But during calm seas, Queen’s Bath is a marvelous pool to swim in. Fish get in through the inlet, making it all the more charming. (Bring your mask; no fins needed.) It’s a great place to take your underwater camera.”
— The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed, 8th Edition
It’s kind of a trek to reach, both because of the parking (VERY limited. We double-parked for 20 minutes to wait for someone to exit the tiny parking lot.) and the tricky 10-minute hike across wet, slippery lava rocks. Having your hands free helps with scrambling over the rocks. We basically left everything in the trunk of the car (shh) except for a camera and snorkeling mask.
Also, wear booties/water shoes — or anything with good grip like Tevas — if you can. Climbing over the rocks (and you will do a bit of climbing) is tougher in flip-flops. You could do it in flip-flops because I did see some people wearing them, but you’ll probably feel more comfortable in better footwear. There was a gal hiking in front of me wearing flip-flops, and she tripped a couple of times.
There are at least four separate pools/inlets, all pretty close to each other. The first one has a spectacular waterfall fed by a nearby stream that empties right over the edge into the ocean.
