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Just For Fun

What Are Three Makeup-Related Things You Do Every Day (Without Fail)?

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Three makeup-related things you do every day

Hook or crook, I always…

1. Curl my lashes

I can’t live without my Shu Uemura lash curler. Well…I could, but I’m not sure I’d want to. My lashes are naturally straight, but curled I think they make my eyes look bigger, and make me look more awake.

2. Fill in my “ghost brows”

If I don’t fill in the sparse outer parts of my eyebrows, I feel like something’s missing from my look, almost like I’m naked. Over the years, I’ve had flings with different brow products, but the two I always come back to are MAC Concrete Eyeshadow and the 266 brush. It took a little while to get the hang of using them together, but I can do it quickly now.

3. Cover my dark under-eye circles

Concealer is my BFF! Without it I’d look like an extra in The Walkind Dead, and MAC Pro Longwear Concealer has been rocking my world by concealing my circles for the better part of a year. It covers everything and won’t migrate for nothin’!

What are three makeup-related things you do every day (without fail)?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Oct. 17

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  • 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 three years, which I guess makes this somewhere around Vol. 190. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    2. Pretty great, and not just for a Monday.

  2. What were some of your favorite albums growing up?

    3. Madonna’s Like a Virgin, Janet Jackson’s Control, Debbie Gibson’s Out of the Blue, RUN-D.M.C.’s Raising Hell… Ah, the soundtrack of my youth.

  3. A bad habit you’re trying to break?

    4. Grinding my teeth in my sleep. I’m tired of wearing a night guard (so not sexy).

  4. If you could read minds for a day, would you want to?

    5. Absolutely not. There’s a reason it’s called our “inside voice.” No thank you.

  5. Have you ever had a recurring dream?

    6. Oh, sure. In one of them, I’m back in high school on graduation day. My gown is a wrinkled mess, and I’m running late, so I have to iron it in the principal’s office before heading to the ceremony.

    In the dream, I’m stressed out and worried that I won’t be able to finish before they call my name, so I’m ironing like a crazy person. Weirdly, for reasons I’ve never figured out, heading to the ceremony with a wrinkly gown just isn’t an option, and I always wake up before I find out if I make it to the ceremony on time.

  6. How many languages do you speak?

    7. There’s English, of course, and I understand Tagalog, but I don’t really speak it well; I know just enough to order food and cuss someone out.

    I also know a smidgen of high school French — miraculously, enough to help me board the right trains on a trip to France a few years ago.

  7. An unusual food pairing that you were surprised to like?

    8. Bagels and cream cheese topped with french fries (don’t knock it ’til you try it).

  8. Something you have no patience for?

    9. Bullsh*t. And bad manners.

  9. One of your favorite sounds?

    10. The sound of water gently lapping against a surfboard. What I wouldn’t give for a few minutes in a warm ocean right now…

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Stick to my workout schedule, stay positive, and find Tabs the perfect Halloween costume.

Mornin’, bud. 🙂 Another Monday for us. How are things coming along so far? I actually feel good today, perhaps because I watched The Walking Dead last night, and by comparison to flesh-eating zombies, how bad could your average Monday be?

While I make a second cup of green tea (would you care for one?), let me know what you’re up to this week by filling out today’s Monday Poll.

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



1. Mood:
2. What were some of your favorite albums growing up?
3. A bad habit you’re trying to break?
4. If you could read minds for a day, would you want to?
5. Have you ever had a recurring dream?
6. How many languages do you speak?
7. An unusual food pairing that you were surprised to like?
8. Something you have no patience for?
9. One of your favorite sounds?
10. Weekly goals:

I foresee fabulous things for us this week, babe. Keep that chin up!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 161

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Tabs for Jordana Easyshine Glossy Lip Color

As one of the world’s top kitty supermodels, Tabs has a great PR team working to ensure that he always portrays the right image when he’s walking red carpets and runways, but like all celebrities, there’s more to the real Tabs than that. Not even the paparazzi can be everywhere all the time, and things do escape the watchful gaze of gossip bloggers and glossy magazines.

So what’s the real Tabs like? Well, when he isn’t striking poses for brands like Jordana, Bobbi Brown, Apple, Pixi and NARS (scroll down to see his latest pics), he’s pretty much a normal cat.

Here are 5 things you may not already know about Tabs:

  1. He’s utterly and completely obsessed with zinnia, to the point that he will leap over obstacles to reach it
  2. He’s needy when it comes to humans but highly distrustful of other animals
  3. He’s not the most graceful cat in the rodeo…
  4. He’s the sweetest cat I’ve ever known and has never intentionally hurt me or El Hub, not with a claw or a bite, no matter how scared he gets, and not even when El Hub gave him a bath (he got sick all over himself once after the vet). He never, ever strikes his people in the face.
  5. He’s a ho for sliced turkey

Tabs for the Bobbi Brown Black Pearl Eyeshadow Palette

Tabs for the iCat 4S
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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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The Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

Yesterday I heard El Hub talking to another woman on the phone. Turned out to be this girl named Siri who works for Apple. I heard him say, “Siri, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” And she replied, “It depends on whether you are talking about African or European woodchucks.”

Freaky! Have you heard about Siri? It’s a feature built into the new iPhone, and it’s the most amazing voice recognition/artificial intelligence I’ve ever seen in real life. It’s so unreal that it’s even more sci-fi than some of the talking computers in actual sci-fi movies.

You ask it questions in a normal speaking voice, like “Siri, what day of the week is Christmas this year?” And a woman’s voice instantly replies with the answer. “Christmas is on Sunday, December 25, 2011.” You don’t even have to speak slowly or more clearly than usual, and it even understands different sentence structures, so it knows that “What’s the weather like today?” is basically the same question as “Siri, what is the weather going to be like today?”

For some things, it’s quicker than doing a web search or using an app, like if you want to set a reminder to pick up mango bars at Trader Joe’s after work, just say, “Siri, remind me to pick up mango bars at Trader Joe’s after work.”

“When would you like me to remind you?” she responds.

“7pm”

“Here is your reminder for today at 7pm:” which is followed by a confirmation box showing the new reminder.

That’s it. Reminder set. Same thing goes for setting alarms, sending texts and emails, making notes — just say, “Make a note.” Siri replies, “What would you like the note to say?”

“Tabs loves gravy.”

“Got it.”

In other news, NARS! I’m still getting to know the new holiday stuff, but I see some really beautiful pieces like G-Spot and Joyous Red Lipstick. What do you think of the release so far? Spectacular or snooze?

Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette THE BOBBI BROWN BLACK RUBY SPARKLE EYESHADOW
PALETTE TAKES IT EASY ON EYES AND GLITTER

Do you remember the last time you wore glitter? Hey now, your answer better not be, “I don’t do glitter.” And did I just see you roll your eyes?

Even if you’ve never been a glitter girl before, or if you have but just haven’t had the time lately to rock it often and well, Bobbi Brown’s new Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette ($45) contends that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time (or shimmer) to sparkle.

The limited edition eyeshadow palette hails from Bobbi’s new holiday collection and comes with glittery powder eyeshadows in shades of pink, silver, ruby and onyx. Read more…

Fabulous Fall Skin FABULOUS FALL SKIN IN A FLASH
LOOK POLISHED AND PUT TOGETHER WITH THESE BEAUTY BARGAINS

There I was, just minding my own business in front of the house yesterday, enjoying a brief respite from the recent rains and daydreaming about some of my favorite fall noms, like candy corn, pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes (Mmm… gravy), when it hit me: CRAP! I have a ton of stuff to do this month.

Summer lulled me into a trap, and now I’m paying the price. I spent so much time lounging around, lapping up the sunshine and generally doing everything at a slightly slower pace that now I feel unprepared for fall. Read more…

Pixi Ultimate Beauty Kit GOOD THINGS COME IN SLIM PACKAGE WITH
THE PIXI ULTIMATE BEAUTY KIT

Despite it’s super slim profile, Pixi’s Ultimate Beauty Kit ($40) holds a ton of stuff! — 32 eyeshadows, 16 lip colors and eight blushes, in all, in a cute, streamlined case.

Now you may be saying, “Hrmpf! Why are the glosses so close to the powder blushes?” It’s annoying, I know. But if you can get past that, you’ll find a palette filled with pigmented eyeshadows (I think the metallics, pardon the pun, really shine) and radiant blushes. Read more…

Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette A FLU SHOT FACE OF THE DAY WITH THE
BOBBI BROWN PARTY EYE PALETTE

Here’s a goofy-but-it-totally-works makeup trick from a big ol’ crybaby (that would be me).

Any time I do anything that involves doctors or needles, as was the case today for the flu shot I received, I’m guaranteed to shed a few tears…unless I plan ahead of time and wear a smokey eye. Sounds weird, I know, but when I’m wearing smokey eyes, the fear of streaky makeup helps me fight the urge to cry.

Today’s day-friendly smokey eye comes courtesy of the new Bobbi Brown Party Eye Palette ($45). It’s a more muted, neutral version of the purple look I wore last week. Read more…

Jordana Easyliner Swatches $2 JORDANA EASYLINER
FOR EASY EYE COLOR CHEAPER THAN A CHAI LATTE

Leave it to a drugstore beauty bargain to flog a flu shot-induced malaise. I was feeling a little lethargic after getting my flu shot yesterday, but after swatching these Jordana Easyliner Retractable Pencils (just $2 each!), I immediately felt 100 times better.

Like Eggplant, the first shade I tried, and consequently the first of these I fell in love with, the rest of these pigmented liners skate across my skin without skipping and last for hours on both my lash and water lines.

Here’s a closer look at 11 of the 13 shades. Read more…

MAC Party Line Lipstick MAC UNSUNG HEROES
PARTY LINE LIPSTICK

Should you ever find yourself at a loss to locate a fabulous red lipstick for fall, dial 555-HOT-REDS, and kiss your lip grief goodbye.

Listen carefully to the menu because their options have changed. When you get to the part that starts, “If you like MAC Dubonnet but find it a touch too brown,” hit two followed by the pound key.

That should take you directly to today’s MAC Unsung Hero, which, incidentally, happens to be a Party Line ($14.50). Read more…

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Oh La Luxe THE POWDERS IN THE BARE MINERALS
BAREESCENTUALS OH LA LUXE HOLIDAY KIT ARE ON THE LOOSE

Now, where’d I put my makeup brushes…?

Oh, I should have put them right there! — in the convenient little elastic slots built into the buxom makeup bag that comes with the new Bare Minerals bareEscentuals Oh La Luxe Holiday Kit ($79).

The silver carrying case is just the shiny icing on the cake, though, because inside are nine loose powder Eyecolors, three Blushes, two All Over Face Colors and one Liner Shadow (click here to see swatches of the whole shebang). Read more…

NARS Holiday 2011 Collection NARS HOLIDAY 2011 SWATCHES

I wish you could come over so we could swoon over swatches of the NARS Holiday 2011 collection and eat some Trader Joe’s Mango Bars (warm out here in Nor Cal today).

I guess a virtual visit will have to do. Come on in, but please take off your shoes first, and um, excuse the knife near the front door.

At first I wasn’t sure how the pieces would fit, but once I swatched it and put it on, the entire collection as a whole made more sense to me.

I’m especially loving the lighter shade in the Mandchourie Duo Eyeshadow, which applies as a shimmery golden dove gray with hints of blue. Gorgeous! Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

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

Win a $50 Sephora eGift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog
Okay, I’m so full right now it’s not even funny… I just got back from THE BEST little breakfast place here in Novato called Marvin’s. El Hub and I went, and whenever we go there, I always get The Farmers’ Benedict (with the hollandaise on the side). Today I just about cleaned my plate, so now I’m uncomfortably full.

You know that feeling when you’re so full that even undoing the top button of your pants doesn’t help? Hello! That’s me right now.

How are things in your neck of the woods? I hope your weekend got off to a good start. I don’t have a whole lot going on today, which is nice. I promised Tabs I’d take him for a nice, long walk, but after that my calendar’s wide open. 🙂

While you’re here, take a moment to enter both of this weekend’s ongoing giveaways. After entering this one, click over to The 2011 Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway. The prize for that one is a whopping $1,126 in makeup from MAC, Clinique, Make Up For Ever, Estée Lauder and Bobbi Brown (click here for the full details).

With that said, I think you know what time it is. It’s…

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

Win a $50 eGift card from Sephora" title="Win a $50 eGift card from Sephora

  • One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

  • There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what’s your favorite breakfast food? What’s the fanciest restaurant you’ve ever been to? How do you feel about DIY beauty products that use kitchen ingredients? When was your last haircut? — you get the idea.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/qO23K7

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 11:59PM (PT).
  • Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
  • A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
  • Contest is open to individuals of any country 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).
  • Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
  • Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
  • The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
  • Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

If You Could Only Wear One Eyeshadow for the Next Month, Which One Would It Be?

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Hmm… Well, lately I’ve been enamored with MAC Sumptuous Olive, so that’s my pick! It’s a khaki with golden shimmer, and I really like what it does for brown eyes. I also really love that I don’t have to use very much of it, and the little bit I do use requires hardly any blending at all (can I get some lazy girl love? LOL!). Plus, I think it goes great with the darker lipsticks that we see a lot in fall.

If you could only wear one eyeshadow for the next month, which one would you choose and why?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Oct. 10

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  • 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 three years, which I guess makes this somewhere around Vol. 189. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    2. I’m still a little groggy this morning, but I had a nice, relaxing weekend. I need my tea to hurry up and work its magic, though, so go, caffeine, go!

  2. A children’s book that brings back fond memories for you?

    3. Gosh, there are so many. One of my favorites was The Very Hungry Caterpillar; I remember my mom reading it to me all the time. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Charlotte’s Web and The Giving Tree were some of my other faves.

  3. If your life were fictionalized and made into a movie, what genre would it be?

    4. Sci-fi 4ever! Or maybe something with vampires.

  4. Are you saving up to buy anything?

    5. New office furniture, namely a larger desk, and a dining room set. Yep, after two years living here I still don’t have any furniture in my dining room (we eat at a coffee table on the living room floor). Not exciting, I know.

  5. Where was your first kiss?

    6. It was… I honestly can’t remember. But I guess it was pretty lame if my selective amnesia is kicking in, LOL!

  6. A book you started reading but never finished?

    7. Game of Thrones. I made it through about three quarters of it last summer but then couldn’t bring myself to finish it after [SPOILER ALERT! STOP READING HERE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!] Ned lost his head.

    It broke my heart.

  7. Do you have a good luck charm?

    8. Nah, not really, but I do believe that randomness and chance are a part of life.

  8. Your favorite place to grab cheap eats?

    9. Lately, Chipotle, even though the way their menu is written drives me nuts. Why do they write, “cheese OR sour cream?” when you can have both?

  9. Which celebrities or other famous people have you seen in real life?

    10. I walked by (my mouth agape) Liz Phair at the airport in Las Vegas once, and last summer I spotted Carrie Anne Moss (Trinity!) buying gourmet cheese at a market in Vancouver. Oh, and this was kinda cool: a few years ago El Hub and I stood in line right behind George Lucas at the movies. I forget which movie it was, but he lives here in Marin County. We were both trying to play it cool and didn’t want to bother him, but I’m sure we looked like freaks. El Hub still regrets not telling George how much he likes the Clone Wars cartoon.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Be brave in all things.

Hey, hey, babe. 🙂 It’s another Monday.

How was your weekend? Did you get any time to relax? I’m happy to report that I spent a number of hours reading and recharging my batteries on the couch. If you have a minute, please say hi and let me know how you’re doing today by filling out the Monday Poll.

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



1. Mood:
2. A children’s book that brings back fond memories for you?
3. If your life were fictionalized and made into a movie, what genre would it be?
4. Are you saving up to buy anything?
5. Where was your first kiss?
6. A book you started reading but never finished?
7. Do you have a good luck charm?
8. Your favorite place to grab cheap eats?
9. Which celebrities or other famous people have you seen in real life?
10. Weekly goals:

You take it easy this week, okay? No stress allowed!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 160

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With the holidays coming up, Tabs has been in a festive mood. This week he worked on some fun kitty modeling campaigns for Bobbi Brown, Essie, NYX, Bumble and Bumble and Sonia Kashuk. His favorite was the job for Bobbi Brown. They actually held a real party on the set with a catnip-filled cake, strawberries and cat-safe chocolate frosting (Tabs brought me home a slice).

If you’re interested, here are the highlights from his kitty modeling portfolio this week. 🙂


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