Just For Fun Reviews, Swatches and Pictures on Makeup and Beauty Blog

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Just For Fun

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME! 7 Ways to Get More MAC Makeup in Your Life ($258 Value)

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Ready for a kick-@ss prize?

You can thank Tabs.

I was just sitting at my desk and taking advantage of the free overnight shipping on maccosmetics.com to stock up on some essentials — a bottle of Face & Body, a pan of Careblends Pressed (I hit the pan months ago but hadn’t gotten around to replacing it), a few eyeshadows (Era, Honesty and Twinks) — when I looked over at Tabs, who was sitting in a patch of sunlight on my office floor.

I swear to gawd, he nodded at me as if to say, “I bet it would really make someone’s day to win a sh*tload of MAC.”

I mean, can you imagine? It would be like bumping into Ryan Gosling at the mall, and then immediately winning the lottery while eating your cheat meal for the week (make mine a veggie burger, extra large order of fries and a vanilla shake, please).

And BAM! Just like that, MAC appears out of nowhere…

From my very first post on Makeup and Beauty Blog back in 2007, MAC’s been one of my favorite brands. I love it, wear it and have been following them for a looooong time.

Today’s giveaway, well, it’s what I’d like to win if I were entering a MAC giveaway. I would freak-the-eff-out if I won these 16 permanent collection products.

I spent a lot of time picking each one, choosing neutrals to go with the brights (because that’s how I roll, yo!) and included my favorite MAC bestsellers and change-my-life colors, like Impassioned Lipstick, which I’m wearing in the top pic, and Woodwinked Eye Shadow, a shade I never leave home without.

I hope this giveaway makes a lucky MBB reader feel extraordinary!

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. You can read the full terms and conditions there, but here’s the gist of it: the giveaway is open to international and local readers 18 or older (you must be an adult according to your local laws). Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. on July 31, 2013.

  1. Club Eye Shadow ($15)
  2. Woodwinked Eye Shadow ($15)
  3. All That Glitters Eye Shadow ($15)
  4. Naked Lunch Eye Shadow ($15)
  5. Satin Taupe ($15)
  6. Freshwater Eye Shadow ($15)
  7. Aquadisiac Eye Shadow ($15)
  8. Stars N’ Rockets Eye Shadow ($15)
  9. Sushi Flower Eye Shadow ($15)
  10. Impassioned Lipstick ($15)
  11. Lady Danger Lipstick ($15)
  12. Girl About Town Lipstick ($15)
  13. Candy Yum-Yum Lipstick ($15)
  14. Blushbaby Powder Blush ($21)
  15. Sunbasque Blush ($21)
  16. Dollymix Blush ($21)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Enter to win a $50 Sephora e-gift cardP.S. Since you’re already here and in giveaway mode, don’t leave before entering my other ongoing giveaway for a $50 e-gift card to Sephora. Don’t delay. That giveaway closes tonight, Sunday, July 28 at midnight. Good luck!

What’s One Beauty Lesson You Learned the Hard Way?

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Brow drama!

That’s what’s funny about beauty. Just when I think I have enough of the basics figured out — BAM! — something happens to kick my butt and put me in my place.

You’d think I would have known better than to mess with my brows early in the morning before my neurons are firing properly, but noooo. The other day I stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom, and after washing my face, I noticed that the hairs along the tops of my brows were looking a little long.

Most of the time when I trim them, I do it very carefully with a small pair of cuticle scissors I keep in my bathroom drawer, so I did that. I picked up the scissors and went to town.

Thing is, it was slow going and more awkward than usual. I couldn’t quite figure out what I was doing wrong, maybe because it had been a while since the last time I used that pair of scissors (I’ve been trying to grow out my brows).

It was awkward, and the snipping wasn’t as smooth as usual, either, like the scissors needed to be sharpened or oiled…

Looking back, that was probably the moment when I should have put the scissors down and had a cup of coffee to work things out.

But nope! I powered through it, finishing my right brow.

Then came the left…

Disaster!

Well, almost. I came this close to accidentally clipping off a huge chunk of the inner half!

I think in my early morning mental fog I misjudged my angle of approach with the scissors. That coupled with the scissors not opening and closing smoothly almost added up to an eyebrow disaster.

Whew! That was close.

Lesson learned. Next time I mess with my brows, I’m making darned sure I’m fully functional and wide awake, and that my tools are working properly.

So, my friend, I’m all ears (and brows!). Give me the dirt, and tell me about a beauty lesson you learned the hard way.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day. 🙂

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 277

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The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for June 24, 2013
Meow, Monday! The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for June 24, 2013

You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”

Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

  1. Do you have to dress up for work (like wear a suit)?
    Nope. The dress code here at the home office of Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, where I work as a part-time beauty blogger and full-time professional pet assistant to world-famous plus-size kitty supermodel Tabs the Cat, is business casual. 😉 In fact, I’m even allowed to wear stretchy pants.

  2. Do you ever rub elbows with royalty?
    Uh, no. But I do know some royal pains in the @ss, hahaha!

  3. Do you do water parks?
    I love playing around in the water, and water slides are a blast, but I’m going to vote “no” on this one. The few times I’ve visited water parks, I’ve gotten really sick afterward. Not sure why.

  4. Did you do any beauty shopping last weekend?
    Lil’ bit. I picked up some razor refills and shave cream at Target Friday night, and yesterday I hit up Space.NK in Larkspur to get a new bottle of Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Treatment, since I was running low.

    While I was there, though, the SA hooked me up with a bunch of sweet Sunday Riley and Tata Harper samples. I thought that was very nice.

  5. What was the first thing you saw when you opened your eyes this morning?
    My lavender duvet and the back of El Hub’s head.

  6. Curly or straight hair?
    Um, wavy?

  7. Are there any glosses in your makeup bag right now?
    Absolutely. MAC’s Big Baby Plushglass, which I could, and often do, wear every single day.

  8. When you’re not feeling well, do you like to be taken care of or left alone?

    I like to be babied… I’m like a certain tabby cat in that way. I need a lot of attention!

  9. Twinkies are making a comeback! Are you stoked?
    Eh, I guess. I haven’t had a Twinkie in years, so it’s not like I missed them when they left, but ya know, sure. You never know when you’ll get a craving.

  10. Do like your weather warm or cool?
    Warm, for sure! A lot of people love the Bay Area because it’s so temperate and usually cooler than the rest of the Central Valley. I like it, too, especially when “temperate” means sunny and warm. 🙂

To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le List

1. Do you have to dress up for work?
2. Do you ever rub elbows with royalty?
3. Waterparks: yes or no?
4. Did you do any beauty shopping last weekend?
5. What was the first thing you saw when you opened up your eyes this morning?
6. Curly or straight hair?
7. Are there any glosses in your makeup bag right now?
8. When you’re not feeling well, do you like to be taken care of or left alone?
9. Twinkies are making a comeback! Are you stoked?
10. Warm or cool weather?

Happy Monday, my friend. You have a great one today, okay? I’m gonna try my best to do the same. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 249

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Tabs for Gucci Lizard Rider Perfume

Misery is being a world-renowned kitty supermodel and not having unlimited in-and-out privileges in your own home.

Poor Tabs.

He’s such a good cat, and I know he would love to spend his days exploring the hills and open space here in Novato, but he’s not allowed. He’s on house arrest because he’s a roamer, and I’m afraid he’d get lost, try to cross a busy street or cross paths with a wild animal.

He still goes for daily walks on his leash, with me serving as his personal Secret Service agent, but I’m sure he misses his days as an untethered, free-spirited loner outside.

Oh, well. It’s the price of fame, I guess.

This week Tabs worked entirely from home. Photography crews turned the living room into a working studio and brought all of the lighting and props for his kitty modeling shoots. It was quite a spectacle! Here are pics from the ad campaigns…

Hope you enjoy this week’s installment of Sundays With Tabs, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 249. Let us know which of these is your favorite. Mine’s the Gucci Lizard Rider. 🙂

Tabs for the Illamasqua Wild Birds Collection

[Continue reading…]

THREE Ways to Win a Prize Package of Goodies From Neutrogena

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Three Ways to Win a Prize Package of Goodies From Neutrogena

Happy Caturday, love! love Good mornin’. It’s Saturday, which means it’s also giveaway time here on MBB.

Today the kind folks at Neutrogena have offered up a sweet prize package for us of skincare and beauty goodies.

Are you ready to take the plunge?

One lucky lady or gent will win the following prize pack from Neutrogena valued at $61.96.

First, have you ever entered a Rafflecopter giveaway before? It’s easy. All you need is an email address and/or a Facebook account to log in using the widget below. After logging in, you can enter the giveaway in up to three ways. The only mandatory one is by leaving a comment. After that, you can also get two extra entries by tweeting and by following MBB on Pinterest.

That’s up to THREE entries for three chances to win.

Full terms and conditions are available in the widget below, but here’s the gist of it: the giveaway ends on Monday, June 24, 2013 at 12:00 AM (Pacific Time); it’s open to U.S. readers only (sorry, international babes); and you must be 18 years old or older.

Cheaters won’t prosper (in other words, false entries will not be counted).

Let’s see how this goes… Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. There’s also another giveaway going on now (ends at the same time, Monday, June 24, 2013 at 12:00 AM Pacific) for a gift basket of goodies from Covergirl, Herbal Essences, Olay and a few other brands. Only takes a minute to enter before you go… I’m just sayin’.

Comment to Win a Gift Basket Filled With Goodies From Covergirl, Herbal Essences, Olay and More

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WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Megs! Congratulations, Megs! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

The products in this entry were provided by the manufacturer for consideration. For information about my posting policy, please see my Disclaimer.

Happy anniversary, Proctor & Gamble! You don’t look a day over 175. 🙂

This year Proctor & Gamble celebrates its 175th anniversary.

That’s a lotta makeup and beauty!

With brands like Covergirl, Olay and Pantene on their team, they’ve helped millions of men and women create some of the hottest beauty looks over 17 decades.

Gosh, I’ve used so many of their brands…

My mom always wore (and still wears) Olay moisturizers. Funny story — a couple years ago she called me from vacation in Hawaii just to tell me that she was really upset because the TSA confiscated her bottle of Olay moisturizer at the airport. The moment she and my dad landed, the first place they went was a grocery store, so that Mom could pick up another bottle.

Ha! That’s totally something I would do. Sometimes the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 🙂

Covergirl’s perfume, Navy, was my jam back in high school, and I always kept a Covergirl Lipslick in my backpack.

Oh, and Pantene! One whiff of their shampoos and conditioners brings me back to my college days…

I bet you’ve got some memories with these brands, too.

The P&G Time Capsule!


Check out this video that showcases the major beauty trends over the decades in under 1.3 minutes. Fun!

This year, P&G beauty is celebrating both past and present beauty innovations with a time capsule, into which they’ll stow some of your favorite beauty products and other can’t-live-without 2013 items. The time capsule will then be locked away in the P&G vault to be opened 25 years from now in the year 2038.

Make your voice heard! Vote for which products you want to include in the time capsule on Proctor & Gamble’s Style United Facebook page now.

To kick off P&G’s 175th anniversary with a bang, I’ve partnered with them on a mid-week giveaway. Win, and you’ll take home this gift basket stuffed with P&G goodies from Herbal Essences, Aussie, Olay, Covergirl, Venus, Secret and Pantene. A $66.79 value.

One lucky winner will receive a Proctor & Gamble gift basked stocked with the following treats…

To enter, leave a comment at the bottom of the post, a comment about anything at all, like, what trends you’d like to see added to the time capsule, or what must-have tech or beauty products you think should be added. Or, share your fondest memory of using one of the P&G beauty brands featured in the prize — Aussie, Herbal Essences, Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Covergirl, Secret, Gillette or Olay.

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 11:59PM (PT).
  • Entrants must enter using a valid email address to win.
  • A maximum of one (1) entries per person within the comments at the bottom of this post.
  • Contest is open to individuals of the United States who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
  • Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post.
  • The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
  • Void where prohibited by law.

Good luck!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Megs! Congratulations, Megs! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

What Was the Last Makeup or Beauty Product You Completely Finished?

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Empties!

Was it a bottle of shampoo? Conditioner? A skincare product, lipstick or a much-loved pan of blush?

It’s weird, but whenever I finish, or I’m just about to finish, a skincare product, suddenly I run out of a bunch of other skincare stuff, too.

Like right now I’m maybe two good pumps away from finishing my bottle of MAC Cleanse Off Oil Tranquil, as well as a tube of Neutrogena All-in-1 Acne Control Daily Scrub (I use this on my chin, and it really seems to have helped with my hormonal chin acne), Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser (LOVE this! It doesn’t dry out my skin at all.), Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet (this lightweight moisturizer never gives me breakouts and doesn’t make my skin feel greasy or sticky) and Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Treatment (a brightener that also makes my skin just feel…better).

How about you? Have you completely (I’m talkin’ all the way) finished any makeup or beauty products lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What Are Your Biggest Challenges When It Comes to Eye Makeup?

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MAC Smokeluxe
Wearing products from the new MAC Smokeluxe Veluxe Pearlfusion Palette ($40)

Is it drawing the perfect cat liner flick, blending beautiful gradients, or figuring out ways to make your eye makeup last through work?

My biggest eye makeup challenge is getting things properly lined up and even, particularly when it comes to shadow. I’m right-handed, and when I apply products on my left side, I push a little harder with the brush, and reach a little further, which can make the end result uneven.

I have to remind myself all the time to use a lighter touch on my left eye. “Use a lighter touch on your left eye, Karen.”

Lately my brows have also been a challenge. I’m trying to grow them out, and my left brow is just being a pain in the you-know-what. My brow bald spot (whom I call “Raul”) simply refuses to go away.

Dangit! Grow brows, grow!

Last thing is probably just remembering to try new looks and be adventurous! It’s easy to fall back on my safe colors and routines because I know they’re easy and work for me, but where’s the fun in that? It’s makeup, right? If it ends up looking wackadoo, just wash it off. 🙂

Do you have any eye liner/shadow/mascara/etc. issues? What are your biggest challenges when it comes to eye makeup?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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