Just For Fun

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 152

August 14th, 2011 by Karen 52 Comments

Remember how I was saying that Tabs likes my zinnias? Well, I wasn’t kiddin’. All I wanted to do this afternoon was read my book on the deck, but a certain someone wasn’t having it. Every time I took my eyes off him, he’d take another bite!

He likes the catnip, cilantro and the echinacea plant, too, but he LOVES the zinnias. It’s like he’s incapable of resisting it.

An uninvited guest…

When I stepped out of the house today, I spotted our Russian neighbor traipsing around one of our potted catnip plants.

Tabs was like, “WTF!?”

He grows that catnip for medicinal use…

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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

August 14th, 2011 by Karen 5 Comments

Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup
Rise and shine, pal o’ mine. 🙂 Happy Sunday. Tabs and I were just chilling out on the back deck with our Starbucks, me with my soy chai latte, and him with his favorite zinnia catnip tea (decaf).

Tabs is so hooked on zinnia right now that if I don’t pull him away from the plants, he’ll reduce one to stubs in about a minute. He’s not very good at gardening.

How’s your weekend coming along? This one’s flying by, isn’t it? I haven’t accomplished much of anything yet, but I did see a movie yesterday that I really liked, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I liked it more than the other remake (the one with Marky Mark) and even the original with Charlton Heston (“Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!”). This time the apes are digitally rendered but with their movements and expressions based on real actors and animals using motion capture tech (like Cameron did with the Na’vi in Avatar). Very cool stuff. The facial expressions and emotions for the apes seemed totally real to me. I forgot I was watching digital characters after the first few minutes. Seemed like a big step up from the bulky costumes and special effects makeup used in the earlier films.

So, what was the makeup/beauty highlight of this week for you? Was it a look you saw or tried, or was it a new product? Mine had to be the MAC Me Over stuff (it’s a huge release) and also getting more comfortable with Lloyd…

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

DR. SCHOLL’S HIGH HEEL INSERTS
ARE, QUITE LITERALLY, HOT

I trekked all over San Diego late last week and through the weekend in my current sandal crush, a pair of Franco Sarto black leather cork wedges I picked up last summer, and after the first day, my feet felt fine; by the end of the second day, however, my feet and I were beginning to feel a little â€˜tow up.

I turned to a pair of Dr. Scholl’s High Heel Inserts (about $8) to restore the spring to my step. They’re basically an adhesive gel insert, like a cushioned sticker, that fit into high heels to hopefully make them more comfortable. Read more…

WHICH OF THESE MAC ME OVER LIPGLASSES
CAME WITH ME TO LUNCH?

“I wonder if I’m burning enough calories to get a cupcake.” That’s the thought that kept going through my head in San Francisco this afternoon as I shivered on my way to and from a late work lunch. It was freezing in the city! And all I had on was a dress, a light jacket and sandals.

Not good.

It’s my own dang fault for forgetting how chilly SF can get in August… On my way home, I stopped by Neiman Marcus to warm my heart with new fall makeup, specifically a yummy Le MÃ©tier eyeshadow kaleidoscope kit with pretty purples and bronzes (I’ll post a pic soon).

Before I headed into the city, I tried on some of the Lipglasses from the upcoming MAC Me Over collection. These are $14.50 each ($17.50 CDN) and arrive on counter a little later this month. Read more…

SHE BANGS, WITH THE CONAIR VELVET TOUCH
MEDIUM NYLON ROUND BRUSH

Greetings from Novato! Sorry I’ve been MIA today, holmes. My flight was delayed out of sunny San Diego, so I spent the better part of this afternoon sitting at my departure gate while a non-stop serenade of saxophone-heavy airport muzak did its best to drive me insane.

Too late! Needless to say, after three hours of relentless Kenny G., I was a tad grumpy, but I feel a million times better now that I’m back home with Tabs.

Shoot, I think he was even happy to see me…or maybe he just thinks he’s gonna get gravy tonight (he is). Read more…

MAC ME OVER COLLECTION LIPSTICK SWATCHES
STARRING MY SECRET LOVER (THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE)

Kiss me, you impetuous fool! But wait â€” let me apply my lipstick first.

Just some quick swatches of a few of the lipsticks from the upcoming MAC Me Over collection on NC42 lips/skin (arriving on North American counters Aug. 25; internationally this September).

I left Tabs with specific instructions to swatch and post anything MAC-related while I was gone, but because he’s a cat, he never listens to a word I say.

You know how it goes. Read more…

ALL EYES ON THE MAKE UP FOR EVER
SMOKY COULEUR COLLECTION

Hey, baby, what’s your sign?

No, I’m not throwing you a cheesy pickup line. I’m just curious. I’m a Gemini, by the way, and while I probably wouldn’t make major life decisions based entirely on the stars, I like to imagine that they play a role in our lives.

I actually feel very connected to my sign; Geminis are supposed to be good communicators and are said to have dual personalities. I’m still working on the communication part as far as expressing things like frustration and anger in constructive ways (gotta stop slamming doors when I get fussy), but the dual personality thing describes me to a tee! â€” especially when it comes to makeup.

Some days I prefer bolder eye looks; others, like today, I prefer to take it easier with something mellow, perhaps something using products from the new Make Up For Ever Smoky Couleur collection, for example. Read more…

BLOGHER 2011: VIDEO STORYBOARDING
AND SCRIPTING FOR THE WRITER

This class and that one on writing the other day were absolutely my favorites of BlogHer 2011, but I missed the first 30 or so minutes of this one, which, based on the part of the class I actually was present for, I’m assuming was the part that covered storyboarding and scripting.

LOL! I may have missed the titular topics, but I was present for a really fantastic discussion on video blogging.

The two speakers are very accomplished video bloggers/podcasters, and I think I might try to connect with them again.

Here’s a video from one of the speakers, Corrine. Isn’t it fantastic? Read more…

BE A GOOD STUDENT OF TRAVEL MAKEUP
WITH A CLEAR PENCIL CASE

Stop letting lost tubes of lipgloss languish at the bottom of your luggage on trips. Next time you travel, keep them and the rest of your makeup safe and sound (and organized) in a clear pencil case. With back-to-school season coming up, you might even be able to find them on sale.

I’d been using Urban Decay’s voluminous QuinceaÃ±era makeup bag to store my face paint on my last couple of trips because of how wonderfully cute and spacious it is (fits all of my foundation, eyeshadows, brushes AND the kitchen sink), but it was a little tricky locating specific products buried within the roomy bag.

I usually ended up just dumping the contents on the bed and sifting through the pile. Not a great system, and it was only matter of time before something rolled off the bed only to get accidentally left behind. Read more…

SMASHBOX BROW TECH WAX DISCIPLINES
BUT THE MOST UNRULY BROWS

I don’t know what I did to lose their support, but at some point over the past few weeks, my brows decided to stage a coup. A chunk of my left brow just didn’t come to work one day, like it decided, “That’s it! Game over.” Now I have a brow bald spot, and I’m really not sure how it happened.

Then a group of longish witch hairs rode into town one night, probably detecting an opportunity to seize power. I call them “Kool and the Gang.” There may be someone, somewhere out there who finds insubordinate, mutinous brows alluring, but I’m not crazy about the look.

I would have reached for my Benefit Instant Brow pencil to restore balance to my brows, but I used the last of it a few weeks ago.

Perfect excuse to visit Sephora to look for something new. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

August 13th, 2011 by Karen 598 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Paula! Congratulations, Paula! 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
Mornin’, y’all (said in my best Southern drawl). I’m still a little woozy getting up, so please forgive me if my fingertips trip on the keess — on the keys, okay? I’ll be much better as soon as I’ve had some coffee.

Anything new in your corner of the aquarium? After a late dinner of baked trout wrapped in banana leave (that’s how they spelled it on the menu) and veggies last night at a place in San Rafael called My Thai (Great name, right? Great food, too.), we came straight home.

But then I brought my laptop to bed…

I gotta stop doing that. Wi-Fi has not been kind to me in the sleep department lately. It makes it too easy to stay up too late watching online TV and surfing the web for prospective cat rescues.

Must. Exercise. More. Discipline.

Yeah, right… Not with kitten season upon us and new episodes of Project Runway to watch. 🙂

Seriously, Burt, what happened, man? Gotta hold it together.

Anywho, I hope you have a great weekend ahead of you. Let’s try to get it off to a good start right now, and I’m sure by now you know what that means. It’s…

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

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, do you ever upload your pic to sites like Daily Makeover to try out new looks and hairstyles? What do you think about makeup and fashion membership sites like HauteLook? What’s your favorite acne treatment for breakouts? Do you use your laptop in bed? — you get the idea.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/qvLqty

The deadline to enter is Sunday, August 14, 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 Paula! Congratulations, Paula! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

BlogHer 2011: Video Storyboarding and Scripting for the Writer

August 8th, 2011 by Karen 6 Comments

BlogHer 2011: Video Storyboarding and Scripting for the Writer
Speakers from the left: Corinne Leigh, Sarah Lane

LOL! I may have missed the titular topics, but I was present for a really fantastic discussion on video blogging.

The two speakers are very accomplished video bloggers/podcasters, and I think I might try to connect with them again.

Here’s a video from one of the speakers, Corrine. Isn’t it fantastic?

She has a whole bunch of great DIY videos up on her Tumblr page.

The other speaker, Sarah, has a background in professional broadcasting and is a Producer/Host/Writer/Editor at TWiT, where she hosts a show called The Social Hour.

The speakers…

Sarah Lane

@sarahlane
Producer/writer/editor at TWiT, co-host of iPad Today, Tech News Today & The Social Hour. Formerly of Current TV, Revision3, G4TV, TechTV. Catwoman.
about.me/sarahlane

Corinne Leigh

@corinneleigh
I am a DIYer by nature. You can check out my past projects on Threadbanger and new projects in my Craft Closet.
corinneleigh.tumblr.com

Video Workflow Tips

These are just some general tips. There are of course an endless number ways to produce videos and different styles, but I was really interested in doing voiceovers of the style like Michelle Phan.

Once you know what kind of video you want to make, check out some related ones online. You’ll get ideas for lighting setups, what an appropriate duration might be, where to position the camera, what the speaker’s hands are doing, does she use background music, does she have a jazzy intro, how are her on-screen titles handled (are they easy to read?), does she speak clearly? — things like that.

Here’s a time-saving tip for filming how-to’s with a voiceover: Sometimes it helps to do a run through of your project first, before filming, to rehearse what you’re going to do when you film the actual video. Do the project all the way through at least once beforehand. Then, do it again while filming, and it can help to have a friend who can move the camera around for you, because it can be tough to peek through a viewfinder while you’re trying to do something else.
If you know how to use an editing program like Apple Final Cut or Adobe Premiere, shoot more footage than you need, so that you can pick and choose your best stuff later.
After filming, sit down and write out a script describing what you did for the project. When you’re done, read and record what you’ve written. You can use your same video camera, but all you’ll be using from this step is the voiceover (audio) track. In your editing program, extract the audio and lay it over the video you recorded in the previous step.

For voiceovers, it can help to film the entire video first after doing a quick run through. Some people then put the video into their editing program’s timeline as a “rough cut,” which they then watch as they read and record their script into a new track. (NOTE: You can use any video camera to record a voiceover track, so you don’t need a dedicated microphone, although a good mic doesn’t hurt. If you’re using a video camera to record your voiceover, just extract the audio track and delete the video.)

Interviews

Live, off-camera, conversational — you’ve seen all kinds of different interviews before.

For easy interviews where you’re going to be off camera, ask the person to repeat each question you give them first before answering, like, “How do I find the best beauty bargains? I look through the weekly drugstore ads that I get in the mail, and the ones that come with the Sunday paper.”
Ask the people you interview to sign a simple release form, which protects you in the unlikely event that the person you’re interviewing later says that they never gave you permission to film them. Here’s an example form.
With standard interviews where you’re talking back and forth with someone, you want to be conversational, make good eye contact, and be really engaged with the person. You do want to have your list of questions in mind, and with you in a notebook, but you don’t want to rely on it like a crutch.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, August 8

August 8th, 2011 by Karen 57 Comments

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. 180. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Mood:

Tired. I haven’t really been sleeping well here in San Diego. I think I miss my bed. But other than under-eye circles a few shades darker than usual, a slight ache in the arches of my feet and a general foggy-headed confusion that won’t abate, I’m absolutely great. 🙂

I like to think I _____

…bring out the best in the people I know and love.

I used to have _____

…a smaller dress size, about a thousand times more patience (I’m working on it! Don’t rush me!), fewer hairs on my chin and a dog named Shauna (she’s my dad’s pup now).

I’d rather _____

…be eating Pinkberry, LOL! Specifically, I’d like a medium (that’s 5 ounces), half Original, half Salted Caramel, please.

When I’m alone _____

…I’m usually writing, running, doing my makeup, thinking about all of the things I need to do, or cheese grating/buffing my feet.

Besides makeup, I like to treat myself with _____

…a deep tissue massage. I always tell the spa tech to “tenderize me like I’m a side of beef!” I love that loosey goosey feeling I get afterwards.

I hate it when _____

…you know the person sitting next to you on the airplane keeps passing gas but tries to cover it up with too much cologne. It seems to happen around me a lot. Maybe my super power is to give people gas, and if that’s the case, my super power SUCKS.

I have a really hard time _____

…operating anything first thing the morning, so I won’t drive or wield sharp objects for the first two hours of my day.

I am _____

…constantly amazed by the kindness of strangers.

Weekly goals:

To get to bed by 9 every night, to start using the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone (thanks bunches for the recommendation!), and to put aside a few extra minutes to play with Tabs every day this week.

I’m homeward bound! I’m glad I got to spend a few hours sightseeing in San Diego yesterday. The conference was interesting; I learned a lot and met some cool new people, but I’m ready to go home.

What are you up to today? Do you have a few minutes to touch base with 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. I like to think I _____
3. I used to have _____
4. I’d rather _____
5. When I’m alone _____
6. Besides makeup, I like to treat myself with _____
7. I hate it when _____
8. I have a really hard time _____
9. I am _____
10. Weekly goals:

A little birdy told me (that’s him in the pic at the top) that YOU are going to have a fan-frickin’-tastic day. Brace yourself. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays Without Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 151

August 7th, 2011 by Karen 11 Comments

Tabs for Skype

So what’s Tabs been up to while I’ve been gettin’ my conference on? He’s been holding down the fort back at MBB headquarters with the help of a temp (aka a petsitter).

He still insists on twice daily meetings, though, and thanks to technology, it’s totally possible.

We use Skype set up as a pet cam. I’ve talked about it a couple times before. It works like this: I have Skype installed and running on my computer at home using one account, and set it to automatically answer video calls that I make from a second account using a laptop. That’s it, and now that Skype has an iPhone app, we can even teleconference literally from the road (it works over Wi-Fi or 3G).

I was at the pool today when he called with an “emergency.” He needed to go to yoga, and the car service was running late. It fell to me to “make it work.”

But seriously, technology has revolutionized the assistant-cat relationship. Using a combination of Log Me In, Skype, iTunes, iPhones and computers, we’re able to continue working with each other remotely.

My iPhone screen

Cat/Blogger Road Warrior Tech Tools

Log Me In: It lets me access and control my computer at home. I use it to change channels in iTunes for Tabs because he can only listen to techno for so long (he also fancies country music).

Skype: I have it set to automatically answer video calls placed from a second account (because Tabs is a diva and won’t answer the calls himself). Now that there’s also an iPhone app that works over Wi-Fi or 3G, Tabs can reach me anywhere there’s a cell phone signal.

iTunes: Tabs listens to free iTunes radio stations pretty much all day long while I’m away, but I remote access the computer in the evenings to turn off the music while he sleeps.
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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

August 7th, 2011 by Karen 2 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

Guess who had 15 ounces of Pinkberry over the past two days. I’ll give you a hint — her name sounds like Sharon. 🙂

Okay, so you know how yesterday I said that if I was a good girl and went to class at BlogHer, even though a big part of me wanted to take advantage of the sunny San Diego weather instead, that I’d treat myself to Pinkberry again?

Well, AWW YEAH! Five more ounces of salted caramel, y’all!

Damn, I love that stuff…

The conference is over now, so I’m just taking it easy today. I might do a little sightseeing if I can.

Yesterday’s classes were hit and miss. One of them, a class on video blogging, was actually fantastic, and I’ll definitely share some tips from that. I got some really great, helpful stuff there about recording voiceovers and putting together inexpensive DIY lighting setups using things from Ikea.

How are things out yonder way? What was the highlight of your Saturday night?

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

WALLETS AND POCKETS WON’T PROTEST
THESE TWO NEW MINI LIPGLOSS SETS

When you find a man who’ll carry your lipgloss for you in his pocket without protest, you best hold on to that boy! I’m dead serious.

Most of the dudes I dated before El Hub were pretty rigid about what they’d put in their pockets. Keys went here, wallet and phone went there â€” there was a system at work, and they didn’t like it when things disrupted the system.

The keepers, though, won’t mind holding your gloss for you, even if it messes up their routine.

Which brings me to these two new Essence Mini Lipgloss Sets ($2.99 each). I wouldn’t be surprised if the peeps at Essence had male/female pocket politics in mind when they dreamed up these tiny tubes of sheer, long-wearing lipgloss. Dudes might even appreciate how streamlined (and pocket friendly) they are. Read more…

NEW SPECIES OF DRAGON DISCOVERED LIVING WITH AN E.L.F. AT THE DRUGSTORE
NEW $3 GLOSSY GLOSS IN DRAGON FRUIT

Three dollars? No way. I can’t believe this gloss is just $3.

E.L.F. Glossy Gloss in Dragon Fruit just might be my new favorite glitter-less pink gloss. Without a doubt, it’s my new favorite $3 one. I mean, you can’t even cross a bridge around here for $3 anymore (to cross the Golden Gate Bridge costs $6!).

Eight shades live in Glossy Gloss, E.L.F.’s line of hi-shine glosses with a creamy finish, and Dragon Fruit, a pinkish peach with medium pigment, is my first. The hint of peachy pink it bestows upon my lips is noticeable, but not high maintenance. Read more…

I FIND IT TOUGH TO LOOK AWAY FROM
SULA BEAUTY NATURAL LIP GLOSS IN MESMERIZING…

Tabs is 1) constantly getting up in my grill/personal space and 2) constantly getting on my case about finding him cruelty-free makeup lines.

When I introduced him to Sula Beauty the other day, a new line of cruelty-free makeup for eyes, cheeks and lips, he leaped onto my lap, looked deeply into my eyes and said, “Meow.” Bravo.

The line, which launched in early summer, is available now at Ulta stores and also online, but after catching a glimpse of the list of ingredients for one of the new lipglosses below (see below), I half expected to see it also sold at the Target Garden Center. Read more…

OH GOODY! MY FAVORITE HEADWRAP
IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN BLACK!

Remember that glorious Goody $5 tortoiseshell headband I gushed about a while back? â€” almost as good as stretchy pants, for real. Well, while cruising Targhay over the weekend (allegedly, I was there to get grapes and dental floss), I found it in black!

One word (in all caps, spelled phonetically for emphasis): YAY!

I still have mad love for the tortoiseshell one, but black is just so versatile, I couldn’t resist. I’ll be able to wear it with outfits like my black ’80s off-the-shoulder T-shirt (complete with giant Mr. T chain necklace).

This one totally hits the spot, and it’s just as soft, flexible and comfortable (doesn’t squeeze the living daylights out of my noggin) as the other one. Same thing except it’s black. Read more…

MAC UNSUNG HEROES
SABLE EYESHADOW

MAC Sable Eyeshadow ($15) and I go way back. I think it was maybe the fourth or fifth eyeshadow I brought home from the line, and I remember the day we met because of the hot guy in drag who helped me pick it out.

He looked fierce working behind the MAC counter, like straight off a runway, and I asked him what he was wearing on his eyes.

He said it was Sable, a bronzy golden plum with a frosty finish, and he considered it one of the most flexible MAC shadows, saying it went with just about everything. I’d already decided to get it when he said he thought it would really pop on my skin. Read more…

IS THE E.L.F. STUDIO CONTOURING BLUSH AND BRONZING POWDER
A DUPE FOR THE NARS ORGASM-LAGUNA DUO?

E.L.F.’s bargain basement beauty comes up often in conversations about the fabulous $40 NARS Highlighting Bronzing Blush Duo in Orgasm/Laguna, a makeup masterpiece, if you ask me, and one of my favorite pieces of all time, because it’s seen by many as a major money-saving dupe.

What’s so special about the Orgasm/Laguna Duo, you might ask? Well, that depends. If you ask my cheeks, they’d say they love the way it brightens them up. I use the Laguna bronzer to contour my cheeks with a rich golden brown and the Orgasm blush to give the apples of my cheeks a golden, peachy pink flush.

I love the duo so much that I haven’t taken a trip without it in at least three years.

But at $40, it’s far from cheap, which leaves the door wide open for a drugstore dupe. Read more…

EYES SHIMMER WHILE LIPS
GO NUDE IN JOUER FALL 2011

Allow me to direct your attention to the picture above. See, that is why you don’t let your husband futz with a fresh tube of lipstick.

I sure do love that man, but sometimes he’s all elbows and thumbs. Seriously, watching him try to open something delicate is like watching a bear touch type (i.e., it’s not pretty).

The moral of this story? â€” if you’re super-stoked about a new lippie, especially one as smooth and moisturizing as this new one from Jouer, keep it safely tucked away in your purse.

That poor thing up there is Dusty ($22), one of six new Jouer products for fall (coming to counters and online this September). The focus is firmly on lips and eyes in this release, and Dusty, a full-coverage nude lippie, joins three Liquid Shimmer Eyeliners ($22 each; available in Fox, Sable and Mink), a Travel Eyelash Curler ($14), and two Everyday Classic Wear Mascaras ($20 each; available in Noir and Brun). Read more…

THESE TOKIDOKI ROYAL PRIDE SAFARI BOBBI PINS
ARE BRINGING BOBBIES BACK

I’m totally using my new Lloyd Christmas bangs as an excuse to go buck wild explore new developments in the hair accessories department, and this new mission of mine took me to Sephora.

I went under the guise of finding something to hold my bangs in place and bumped into these packs of (adorable) limited edition Tokidoki Royal Pride Safari Bobbi Pins and Heart & Cross Bones Bobbi Pins ($9 each).

So cute!

But when I stepped up to the register with them, what ensued was a lovely reminder of my age. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

BlogHer 2011: Perfecting Product Reviews

August 6th, 2011 by Karen 38 Comments

BlogHer 2011: Perfecting Product Reviews

The second class I took here at BlogHer was on writing product reviews, something I’ve done a few thousand times, but there’s always room to grow. 🙂 The class was sort of dominated by questions related to the business of writing product reviews, rather than actual writing techniques and mechanics, but I think I still got a little something out of it nevertheless.

The speakers…

Stacie Haight Connerty

@stacieinatlanta
Mom of 3, Writer, Social Media Consultant, Foodie, Lifestyle & Travel Blogger, Into Marketing & PR, Groupon Addict, Food Truck Stalker, TV Junkie, Follow Back
thedivinemissmommy.com

Amy Bellgardt

@momspark
Wife, Mom, Blogger, Business Woman, Social Media Addict & Founder of MomSpark.net, MomSparkMedia.com, & MomMadeThat.com
momspark.net

Niri Jaganath

@mommyniri
Social Media Junkie and Founder of MommyNiri.com and MommyNiriCares.com
mommyniri.com

1. How do you get free products to review?

This question seemed to dominate the conversation in the class. In one form or another, it was asked several different times. Here’s what the panelists had to say.

The best way is to just start blogging about the products you already buy, own and like because the brands are out there looking and watching. They have staff members monitoring social networking sites, have Google Alerts set for specific words and use Twitter search to find people discussing their products. The companies do sometimes contact new bloggers when they come across reviews of their products that are getting large numbers of readers engaged, either in the comments on the blog or elsewhere.
Try to attend as many in-store events, brand-sponsored classes, conferences and release parties as you can, and while you’re there, introduce yourself and your blog to any company reps and PR people present (bring business cards with you!).
Send pitch letters. A pitch letter is basically a brief email (no more than a few short paragraphs) sent to a company rep or a PR person where you introduce yourself and — to be blunt — usually ask for something, be it a free product that you’d like to review or give away to your readers, or some other type of partnership.

First things first — brands are in business, and they want positive publicity. They need help getting the word out about their brands and new products, and they know that blogs are one way for them to do that, but they can’t afford to just ship out free products to everyone who asks.

PR reps sometimes receive hundreds of email pitches per day. They’re busy people, and what they’re looking for are established sites with active readerships. They didn’t mention this in the class, but I think it’s easier to get a foot in the door if you have thousands of readers per day (versus hundreds), and thousands of followers, fans and subscribers. The reps will want to see your blog traffic stats, Twitter followers, Facebook fans, YouTube Chanel subscribers, etc. — basically, they need to be able to gauge your level of influence online.

They also want to hear some specific ideas, and not just “I would like to hold a giveaway on my blog,” so propose something new in a short bulleted list, and try to be different.

2. How do you handle negative reviews when you have a relationship with the company that provided the product?

Above all, be honest and fair in your reviews. No relationship with any company is ever worth the loss of your credibility.

Try to find the positives when you’re doing a review because people want solutions. Remember that even with a product you didn’t really like, there may be other people for whom it works better, so be fair, and try to look at the product from all sides.

When something really doesn’t meet your expectations, it might be worth it to contact the company directly for a response. They may already be aware of the issues you had with their product and have tips or suggestions to improve its performance. Those would be great to share with your readers, along with any alternatives that you think might also work better.
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