Just For Fun

Day in Beauty, Vol. 8: A Cute Cat Clutch, Misa Jewelry, and a NARS Spring 2016 Makeup Tutorial

February 4th, 2016 by Karen 34 Comments

Um…will you be my Valentime?

Yes, girl, I said “Valentime.”

V-Day hints and Misa Jewelry

Not to drop hints or anything…but OK, I’m dropping mad hints right now, to whom it may concern. 🙂

(Ahem! That’s probably going to be you, El Hub.)

To make it easier for him (El Hubster) — you know, just for ideas — I sent him some links this morning, like, “Hint, hint! Valentime’s Day is right around the corner!” and one of the links was to Misa Jewelry.

I found out about them from my friend Erika at Makeup Bag (she just started posting on her blog again, BTW, which I’m very excited about!). Check out her recent lifestyle posts about gold tableware lust and the craziness that is ironing your bedding.

Anyway, the jewelry. It’s got a beachy-ish, Hawaii vibe and these neat organic shapes.

I’m all about that branch series… I just think the pieces are so dainty and different.

It’s fine jewelry, so it’s kinda expensive, but some of the items (I spotted a few in the branch series) are a relatively doable splurge. I’ve got my eye on the Roots Vine Necklace ($175 for the sterling silver version) and the Twig Ear Pin ($165).

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What’s Your General Makeup Removal Process?

February 4th, 2016 by Karen 41 Comments

Let's get ready to moisturize and prime! — Bare skin, yo!

Nothing fancy. I start with an oil-based cleanser like DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which is basically great and pretty much removes everything, including my eye makeup (but I also like this one by Dolce & Gabbana, mostly because of the rosy scent…but it’s $50!), and then followup with something like Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser Foaming Formula for deeper cleansing and to take care of anything that the oil-based cleanser missed.

How about you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Day in Beauty, Vol. 7: A Needy Sandwich, Tom Ford Spring 2016 Palettes, and Hella Books!

February 3rd, 2016 by Karen 29 Comments

Tabs has a number of nicknames…and they’re all completely ridiculous!

I don’t even know where half of them come from. His latest one, “Needy Sandwich,” is like a turkey sandwich, except without the deli meat…

So he’s been extra Needy Sandwich today, following me around, basically “supervising” (air quotes) me very closely, and, for the life of me, I can’t get anything done.

He likes to drape his hefty girth across my forearms while I sit at my desk, which makes it darned near impossible to type. He also likes to rub his face all over mine and basically get all the way up in my grill.

Part of me is like, “Tabs, mommy has to get stuff done,” but another part of me is like, “Aww!” I gotta give him as much attention and lurvies as possible before Baby Girl arrives.

To be honest, I’m kind of worried about him because I don’t know how he’s going to handle sharing the spotlight with BG.

I’ve read a lot about pet/baby introductions, and I just hope — I really, really hope — it goes smoothly, because Tabs has been our only “child” for such a long time, and I don’t want him to feel like he’s being replaced. I have to find a way to let him know that he’ll always be my oldest child. He’ll always have a special place in my heart.

Um…you know what else has a place in my heart? Tom Ford’s eyeshadow palettes. 🙂 A bunch of new ones just came out for spring; here’s a few of them.

I could seriously pass out…

Clockwise from the upper left, that’s Lilac Dream, Honeymoon, Last Dance
Starry Night and Disco Dust ($80 each).

I may skip my nap today to hang out with them, but I don’t know about that. Something happens to my body these days in the late afternoon. I’ll be all set to do something, but then it’s lights out. Zzzz…

The first one I want to play with is Honeymoon, the warm one with the bronze, wine and purplish shades. Or, Last Dance. I’m lovin’ that sparkly blue… Well see!

How do you feel about Tom Ford’s palettes? They’re expensive as all heck, but gurrrl! — kind of amaze. The powders practically blend themselves.

My all-time fave is Cognac Sable, which I think might be discontinued (NO!), because I can’t find it online anymore. I also love Cocoa Mirage.

OK…transition time. You might laugh, but we’re all friends here, so laugh away. 🙂 Whenever somebody gives BG a book, I get a little verklempt…

She just got a few from some friends in NY, and when I opened the box, I got, like, super teary.

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Day in Beauty Vol. 6: Narwhals, Foaming Face Cleansers, More Korean Skin Care, and an Improv Journal

February 2nd, 2016 by Karen 33 Comments

Note: any time you start your day seeing a narwhal, or a picture of a narwhal, emerging from the sea with Christmas ornaments or other seasonal or holiday decorations on his/her tusk, well, chances are you’re gonna have a good day. 🙂

This is one of the reasons I looove this Trader Joe’s Decaf Candy Cane Green Tea. My heart will break into a trillion tiny pieces when I finish the box.

I was hoping it would last me through this last leg of my pregnancy, up through BG’s big debut, a.k.a. the day she gets her eviction notice, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen, and I’m kinda freaking out a little… Since it’s seasonal, I think they already pulled it off the shelves for the year at Trader Joe’s.

Serves me right for not stockpiling…

Also in green tea news, this cleanser!

It’s called Neogen Dermalogy Real Fresh Foam Green Tea Cleanser. It’s $19 and looks good enough to drink (but please don’t).

It looks like there are bits of real tea down there at the bottom…

Anywho, I’m still on that Korean beauty and skin care kick, so I’ve been trying lots of Korean products, and this Neogen Dermalogy is another one of them.

The bottle says that it’s a 100% Naturally Brewed Soothing Bio-Cleanser for sensitive skin.

I’m very finicky about my cleansers, and a lot of them leave my combo skin feeling super tight and dry, but this foaming face cleanser doesn’t. As far as I can remember, I’ve never used a foaming face cleanser before (I’ve used plenty of foam hand washes, but never a face cleanser), and I like it. It feels like I’m really babying my face.

When I rinse off the foam, my skin feels clean, great, and it smells faintly of green tea.

The ingredient list is RIDICULOUSLY LONG, but most of the things in there are plant extracts…

I’ve also started using Son & Park Beauty Water, a $30 hydrating toner that smells like roses and adds a great deal of moisture (I apply it with a cotton pad after cleansing).

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The Day in Beauty, Vol. 5: The Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly Eye Shadow Palette, Party Noms, and the Ultimate in Practical Baby Shower Presents

February 1st, 2016 by Karen 69 Comments

too faced peanut butter jelly palette — Wearing the new Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly Eye Shadow Collection palette ($36, coming soon exclusively to Ulta)

OK, it’s just not cool to mention a party unless you also talk about the food.

Because it’s the most important part! — or at least one of the most important parts, right? I mean, who wants to leave a party ravenously hungry? Shoot, not this girl. Huh uh. Not me.

Luckily, there were some pretty epic moments involving food at the baby shower on Saturday, like this lovely spread of Italian- and Filipino-inspired nommage…

Almost everything was homemade (some of my friends and their spouses are great cooks!).

I’ve been craving Italian food lately (actually, I’m always craving Italian food), and there were those cute little tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off, along with some caprese salad-style appetizers and a cheesy tortellini pasta salad dish that was DELISH.

And then my mom brought lumpia (sort of like a Filipino eggroll) and a Filipino noodle dish called palabok.

Oh, and then there was this cake…

OMG! It was a light, airy chantilly lace cake with almonds and berries (I believe it came from heaven/Whole Foods). I almost floated away right there…

CAAAAAAAAAKE!

It was one of those clutch-your-pearls, melt-in-your-mouth cakes. SO GOOD.

Yes, I did splurge a little (OK, a lot) on the sugar front, but I’ve been pretty good about watching what I eat because of the gestational diabetes. I just allowed myself a bit of a cheat day, though, because it was a special occasion.

Baby shower shenanigans! — Baby shower shenanigans

We also played a game, too. Before the party, my friends emailed El Hub a list of questions about me and the pregnancy, and then asked me the same questions at the party — things like, “How often did she [me] get morning sickness?” (Answer: I never barfed, but I was almost constantly nauseous.) and “What smells could she not stand?” (Answer: pretty much everything strong.)

Overall, El Hub did pretty well. Most of our answers lined up. One of them was about food cravings, and my answer was frozen waffles with peanut butter and raisins, and he got that one spot on, word for word, LOL!

That one was probably easy for him because he was the person who made all of the waffles, haha.

Speaking of peanut butter…

Too Faced has a new eyeshadow palette coming out called the Peanut Butter and Jelly Eye Shadow Collection ($36, coming soon exclusively to Ulta), and the name sounds quite yummy right meow.

The palette was inspired by Peanut Butter, which is also one of the shades in the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar.

too faced peanut butter jelly palette 1 — Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly palette

too faced peanut butter jelly palette 2 — Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly palette

too faced peanut butter jelly palette 4 — More Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly…

They took that shadow, Peanut Butter, and built a mini-palette with nine powder shadows around it. The pans are arranged into three color-coordinating rows, but of course you could also mix and match them however you want. Really, all of the colors look like they go together well.

I’m wearing the palette today…

too faced peanut butter jelly palette 3 — Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly palette

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 359

February 1st, 2016 by Karen 75 Comments

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.

Do you have a favorite mug?
Yup, I’m drinking from it right meow. I’ve had it since the ’90s, and I swear — if El Hub ever breaks this mug, there will be HELL to pay.

It’s huge and beige with wine-colored painted stripes and some mint green touches, and I can barely wrap my hand around it. My mom got it for me (I think it was from Costco).

Can you concentrate with music playing in the background?
Absolutely not.

Well…actually, I take that back. It depends on the task. If it’s something where I have to be very mindful of my time, or something that requires a lot of creativity or heavy mental lifting, then no. No music. None.

Or, if I’m lost. Like, if I’m driving someplace and I’m lost, I’m that one annoying person who says, “Shh! Shut it down!” and I’ll turn off the radio.

But if I’m doing something involving numbers or math, like, if I’m balancing my checkbook or paying bills, then I’m fine with background music.

Do you like scented powder products, and if you do, what’s your favorite one?
Girl, I die over Guerlain Terracotta bronzer every single time I open the compact.

It doesn’t matter if it’s freezing cold and I’m feeling frumpy in my office, suddenly it’s like I’m wearing a designer bikini and hanging out at a five-star resort.

I love that tropical, beachy gardenia, tiare flower smell…

Are you a hot pink lipstick kinda girl/guy?
Well, hello! — yes. 🙂 I haven’t always been though. Before I started the blog, I would have never even thought to go there, but now it’s like, “Oh, it’s Tuesday morning? Let’s put on a hot pink matte lip and walk around the block…”

How’s your hair today?
Freshly washed but in need of styling, and it’s currently up in a messy bun.

I know, BIG surprise.

I think I’m gonna do some loose curls in a little while…

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

1. Do you have a favorite mug?
2. Can you concentrate with music playing in the background?
3. Do you like scented powder products, and if you do, what’s your favorite one?
4. Are you a hot pink lipstick kinda girl/guy?
5. How’s your hair today?

Good morning, glory, and happy Monday! How’s it going today so far? I’m still on a post-weekend high out here… The baby shower on Saturday was so much fun! I hadn’t seen some of the people who made it there in so many years, and it was really nice. I even cheated a little on my diet and had a piece of sugary cake. Of course it was ridiculously delicious, as is often the case when you have something that you aren’t allowed to have/haven’t had in a long time… Man, why is that?

How’s everything out yonder way? What are you up to this week?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 383

January 31st, 2016 by Karen 11 Comments

Dear Diary,

I wanted to start this Sunday entry with some thoughtful, uplifting words…

But I’m crabby! — like, really crabby, and if I can’t tell you, Diary, who else is there? No one else knows me like you do.

Basically, I’m accustomed to having unprecedented, around-the-clock access to my primary pet assistant, in that she usually lets me climb all over her, put my butt in her face, and drape myself all over her forearms while she’s typing, but such has not been the case lately.

Like, yesterday, all I wanted to do was perch myself on top of her shoulder while she typed at the company keyboard, but she left the office early.

Can you believe it? Not working on a Saturday?? The nerve of some cats and people… She smiled at me and breezily walked out the front door saying, “I have a baby shower today! See you later, Tabs!”

Yeah, I have no idea what that was about…

All I know is that I’ve been in dire need of lurvies and purring action, and if I don’t get some soon, I will be kicking kitty litter out of the litter box.

That reminds me — Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and I still have to find a date. I do have several prospects lined up, like Chiffon. She’s the lovely long-haired Persian I met at the vet last week, but it really depends on her schedule. She said that she might have to wash her fur that night or get some dental work done.
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