Just For Fun

The Lust List, Vol. 6: Stuff I Kinda Want

April 25th, 2017 by Karen 16 Comments

Connor Claire, my darling, if you’re reading this…well, it means that you’re a genius baby who can read at 13 months, and your baby brain may or may not be busy hatching various and sundry plots to rule the world.

If it’s the former, as a courtesy to the woman who endured 37 hours of labor to bring you into this world, please leave mommy out of your nefarious plots. Also, please feel free to take note of the items in this week’s Lust List, and pass them along to daddy in case he needs Mother’s Day gift ideas.

Jardiniere Infuser Water Bottle ($34) — How pretty is this?! It’s a glass water bottle with a detachable, reusable infuser for steeping tea or flavoring H2O with fresh fruit, herbs or whatever.
I ? it.
Pet Study Trinket Dishes in Sleeping Cat and Sitting Cat ($12 each) — I’m pretty sure El Hub will find a way to accidentally break these adorable kitty trinket trays (like a bull ? in a china shop), but until the day of their demise, I’d want to store rings and earrings in them.
Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette Beauty Glow ($75) — This palette seems like a great way to get to know Charlotte Tilbury, yes?
Byredo Mojave Ghost Eau de Parfum ($230) — I’ve been a Gypsy Water girl for a few years now, but when I ran across Mojave Ghost while shopping at Space NK last weekend, I doused myself in half a bottle (no joke) because it smelled THAT GOOD.
The official fragrance notes are ambrette (top note); magnolia, sandalwood and violet (middle notes); and cedar wood, chantilly musk and crisp amber (bottom notes). Unofficial notes include great hair days, coming in first, and the freedom to do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. 🙂
BoseQuiet Comfort 35 Wireless Headphones ($350) — At the dentist’s office a couple weeks ago, I tried on my first pair of Bose Noise Canceling Headphones, and now I’m 100% sure that they’re the cure for long, uncomfortable work trips.
Sure are expensive, though…
Misa Jewelry Water Lily Earrings ($750) and Misa Jewlery Branch Ear Crawlers with Diamonds ($1,125) — And because we’re daydreaming here, so nothing is off limits, I would also LOVE some sparkly things from Misa Jewelry.

How ’bout you? Whatchu got on your lust list?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Farmers’ Market Makeup Inspiration

April 25th, 2017 by Karen 12 Comments

After my last-minute, semi-emergency trip to the dentist last Saturday (turns out I have an incomplete fracture in a molar, which may or may not have been caused by grinding my teeth), I stopped by the Marin Country Mart where there was a farmers’ market, and by the time I left, I was 1) ravenous for salad and 2) inspired to try some new makeup color combinations.

Vegetables and bunches of flowers do it to me every time. Now I’m weirdly fired up to wear something radish-colored.

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An MBB Bay Area Meetup!!! Come Say Hi at SpaceNK Larkspur May 6th From Noon-2

April 24th, 2017 by Karen 14 Comments

I want to hang out with you! Come say hi at the SpaceNK Larkspur store on Saturday, May 6th (Larkspur Landing, 2011 Larkspur Landing Cir, Larkspur, CA 94939). I’ll be there in a “semi-official” capacity from noon until 2 p.m. (More details to follow, but it’ll be free and fun.)

We need to get together and talk about makeup. And cats. IRL. FINALLY! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 472

April 24th, 2017 by Karen 24 Comments

So…what is the Monday Poll?

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 10 (!) 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. ?

1. Cherries or strawberries? (Yes, or, because in this nightmare scenario you can only pick one.)

Cherries, especially Ranier, YUM!

2. Electronic, R&B or funk?

R&B

3. Swimming with sharks, or skydiving?

Skydiving

4. Park or museum?

Park

5. Long or short nails?

Short, short, short!

6. Side or center part?

Side

7. Flowing and floor-length, or tight and short?

If I were at my pre-baby size, tight and short; these days, however, flowing and floor-length.

8. Breakfast, lunch or dinner?

BREAKFAST!

9. Cool or crazy?

Crazy. Or crazy cool, LOL!

10. Black and white, or color?

Color

BONUS: Pen or pencil

Pen

Sweets, you know what I’ve decided? I’m not going to be afraid to say “yes” to new experiences and to new opportunities. That’s my theme for this week (and maybe even for the upcoming month of May). Say yes. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste.

1. Cherries or strawberries?
2. Electronic, R&B or funk?
3. Swimming with sharks, or skydiving?
4. Park or museum?
5. Long or short nails?
6. Side or center part?
7. Flowing and floor-length, or tight and short?
8. Breakfast, lunch or dinner?
9. Cool or crazy?
10. Black and white, or color?
BONUS: Pen or pencil

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 446

April 23rd, 2017 by Karen 4 Comments

The majestic uni-tabby — Hark! It’s the mythical tabby-corn/uni-tabby!

Folks ’round these parts see some strange things… They talk of a magical creature known as the tabby-corn that lives near the edge of the forest.

It chases butterflies ? all day long, and some say it makes the flowers ? bloom.

Sometimes it gets up right close to a person, close enough that you can hear its magical purr, and if’n it’s feelin’ benevolent, because sometimes the tabby-corn can be a mischievous ragamuffin, it’ll conjure two fresh cod on a log and give ’em to you as a gift, especially if you give the tabby-corn chin scritches first.

If you’re ever out near the edge of the forest and you hear a purring sound, call out, “Here, tabby, tabby-corn! Here, tabby, tabby-corn!” And maybe — just maybe! — he’ll come out and play with you. 🙂

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Weekend Wanderlust, A.K.A Check-In: A Makeup and Beauty Blog Bay Area Meetup, Cool Cookbooks, a New Novel, and Some Random Produce

April 22nd, 2017 by Karen 23 Comments

Not sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve kind of started a cookbook collection? I don’t have a ton of them yet, but I have a few, mostly from Williams-Sonoma (I LOVE their food photography).

This is probably gonna sound weird…but I like to read them before I go to sleep and sort of drift off into a blissful food dream state. The one I’m reading now is called Salad of the Day, and it has 365 salad recipes (!), one for every day of the year.

The one for my birthday on June 9th is a Chipotle Beef and Corn Salad.

Connor’s on March 2nd is Pan Seared Salmon with Pea Shoots and Watercress (YUM!).

Hoh! Look at that picture. Gosh that looks good…

If you tell me your birthday in the comments, I’ll look up yours and let you know, LOL!

Speaking of books

I tried my best to draw it out, because I didn’t want it to end, but I finally finished Big Little Lies last week.

It was so good!

I immediately started to go through withdrawals, so I’m binge-watching the HBO show now with Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, and ya know…I like the book much more.

I like the show too, but it’s sooo different from the book. For starters, it takes place in Monterey, California, instead of Australia, and then there’s tons of story differences too.

It’s pretty suspenseful, but I think I would’ve liked the show more if I hadn’t read the book first.

I started a new, totally different genre book last night called The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis. Dear El Hub got it for me, and gee, I wonder what made him think I’d like it. Could it be because it’s a post-apocalyptic young adult novel with a strong female lead?

Yeah. Good guess. 🙂

I’ve just started, but it’s pretty intense so far.

See You (Hopefully) May 6th —> A Bay Area Meetup at the Larkspur Landing Space NK Store

I had to visit the dentist again (yup, on a Saturday) because of an ache in a tooth, but I’m going to stop by the Space NK store at Larkspur Landing after that to check out a few things, which reminds me…if you live in the Bay Area, I’ll be hosting a meet and greet there at the same store on Saturday, May 6th, and I would very much to meet you.

I know, it’s only been…how many years since I’ve done a Bay Area meetup? A zillion??

Anyway, it’s been too many.

I’ll be there from noon-2 on May 6th. Come say hi if you can make it. I really would love to meet you and show you all 10 million pictures of Tabs on my phone, IN PERSON. And to be fair, I expect to see 10 million pictures of your cat/s too. 🙂

In Connor-related news

I took this picture of her the other day, and it occurred to me that this is pretty much an accurate representation of how I feel when I wake up in the morning.

This child! Her face is so expressive.

Last thing

My parents came over to visit this week and brought a whole bunch of rand-o produce. Now I’ve got all of these carrots, Granny Smith apples, weirdly shaped lemons, potatoes and pears…

Maybe I should look through the Salad of the Day cookbook for something requiring those ingredients… There should be one in there, right? I mean, there are 365 salads!

I hope your weekend got off to a great start. Anything exciting happening on your end?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What’s the Longest You’ve Ever Spent on a Makeup Look?

April 20th, 2017 by Karen 10 Comments

I can’t believe I used to spend 2-3 hours on my makeup ALL THE TIME.

For that matter, I can’t believe I used to have 2-3 uninterrupted hours to spend on my makeup, LOL! That’s what I was doing a few years ago, putting in a few hours for every look, but I was in a hardcore learning mode, and I was taking pics of everything I did and learned for MBB. And whenever a camera gets involved, my makeup always takes longer, because I’m trying to be extra careful that everything is symmetrical and that my lighting is right. Plus, I usually use a remote control with the camera, and sometimes it’s a struggle to get a decent pic where I’m not blinking, fidgeting or cringing.

Hmm… The longest I’ve ever spent was probably about three hours (!). I know that I’ve spent most of an entire afternoon before, but it was half learning, half playing.

These days, though, an hour is my max, and that’s usually when the Coywolf is sleeping. Most days, I spent 20 minutes.

But I totally miss doing the uber-glam stuff! I miss having extra time to play and paint my face and express myself, and I miss being able to say, “Hey, I did that!”

I really have to remember to schedule some “me time” for one of these weekends coming up so I can lose myself in blending again. Makeup is SO MUCH FUN.

What about you, sweets? What’s the longest you’ve ever spent on a makeup look?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Lust List, Vol. 5: Stuff I Kinda Want

April 18th, 2017 by Karen 19 Comments

EHRMAHGAWD.

So, there’s an obnoxious amount of stuff in my Sephora.com cart at the moment (two words: VIB SALE!), and this week’s Lust List may or may not represent a tiny fraction of what’s actually in there.

Not that I intend to pull the trigger on everything. This is just how I work. I put everything and the kitchen sink into my cart, then slowly pare it down.

Alright! Here’s what’s making my heart beat like a hummingbird’s.

Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint ($56) — Been wanting to try this for ages! This moisturizing medium-to-full coverage foundation is supposed to plump and tighten while filling in deep wrinkles for a smoother, youthful-looking complexion. It also has SPF 15 and comes in a bunch of shades and different undertones.
Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Wheat and Peach ($28 each) — Two more morsels I wanna try. They’re water-resistant, semi-matte shadow primers.
Drunk Elephant T.L.C Sukari Babyfacial ($80) — Dude, I’m hoping this bottle can get my cheeks to look like Connor’s (baby cheeks are AMAZING). It’s a 25% AHA, 2% BHA mask (they call it an at-home facial that “effectively yet gently resurfaces skin and exfoliates the pore lining”), and I’ve heard nothing but great things about it.
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum ($90) — Again with the Drunk ? Elephant. I just started using the Day Serum, and now I want to try the Night Serum too (it has 12% AHA and BHA!).
Marc Jacobs Beauty Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter ($44) — I dew love the idea of a gel highlighter with golden peachy shimmer.
Christina Louboutin Lash Amplifying Lacquer ($70) — I mean, a $70 mascara is effing CRAZY, but my inner curious kitty can’t help but wonder if it’s epic. At this price, it better be lash crack!
Sephora Collection Sprinkle Me With Kisses The Voyager ($20) — How cute is this?! Not that I need another makeup bag…but this one has lipsticks and ice cream with red kisses! Could you ask for anything more? I think not.
Pinrose Lil’ Dipper and Sun Saint Fragrances ($65 each) — Another case of wanting a perfume (or two) because of the packaging and the name. These are SO PRETTY. Plus, I’ve always believed the Little Dipper deserves more love.
Viseart Neutral Matte Eyeshadow Palette ($80) — I’ve talked about lusting after this palette before, but now that it finally goes on sale, WAH! It’s out of stock on the Sephora website… 🙁
I really hope they have it at the Novato store.
Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Tint-in-Balm ($34) — So cute with the lip print in the tube! These sheer tinted balms are supposed to be mega moisturizing, but one thing’s for sure — I like the fancy packaging.
Shiseido Eyelash Curler ($20) — My Shu Uemura curler has been on its last legs since 2016… Basically, I need a new curler, and this one gets amazing reviews from ladies with stick straight lashes like mine.
RMS Beauty Eye Polish in Seduce ($16) — Leave it to me to be seduced by a satiny brown cream shadow named seduce.
You know I love me some brown cream shadow, LOL. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen