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9 Things: Lessons Learned from Going Away to College

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Growing up, I didn’t have an older friend, sibling or cousin I could talk to about life after high school, so when it came to figuring out certain kinds of things, like how to solve an argument with a roommate, I usually had to wing it, and most of the time that meant learning things the hard way.

Up until the time I moved away to college, I’d lived a very sheltered life that left me lacking in street smarts. I’d just assumed college would be like high school, except without the annoying curfew, but it turns out there was a little more to it than that…

Whether you’re going away to college or just moving in with friends, here are nine things I learned (most of them the hard way) about living away from home for the first time.

And if you have any wisdom borne of experience, or any cautions or advice, please share them in the comments. I know quite a few of us are leaving home for the first time this fall. Our collective knowledge could help make those first couple years easier.

1. Wash this

I can’t tell you how many times I saw someone cruising campus in a pink shirt that must have started out white. It happens — accidentally washing brights with whites together in hot water. Luckily, laundry was one of the very few real-life skills I took with me when I left home.

If you don’t have someone to show you the ropes, here’s a quickie, condensed version of Laundry 101:

  1. Wash in cold water to keep colors from running
  2. When the washer stops, remove your bras, sweaters and anything with spandex from the machine, and hang them up to dry
  3. Dry the remaining items, in particular clothes, in a machine on its low heat setting to avoid shrinking

2. Learn how to prepare a few quick, healthy meals

Food was so tough for me that first year away. I wasn’t a fan of the dorm’s cafeteria fare (the rice was always soggy or dry), but I lacked even a basic knowledge of cooking beyond boiling water for ramen noodles and warming up frozen Lean Cuisines.

If you can, pick up a cookbook filled with simple recipes that fit on a single page (or thereabouts), and practice making a few dishes at home before you leave. I recommend the Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook, by Carole Raymond. It shows how to make lots of quick, affordable meals, and if you aren’t into veggie dishes, The Healthy College Cookbook looks pretty good.

3. Never fear, the intern is here!

I’m 36 and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. 🙂 If you don’t either, narrow the field (and expand your knowledge) by taking as many internships as you can.

I did quite a few, but looking back, I wish I’d done more. Internships are great ways to 1) get yourself out of stuffy classrooms, 2) get some real world experience in the fields you’re interested in (even if you don’t end up pursuing a particular field), 3) obtain valuable references and letters of recommendation, and 4) meet people and make friends outside of school.

Some internships even lead to regular jobs. The one I did for a small law firm one year led to a part-time job the next summer.

It was actually kinda cool and a little Elle Woods. I got to assist with cases in court (sat with the real defense lawyers and everything!), talked to judges and learned how to function in a fast-paced office.

4. It can get a little lonely sometimes…

I guess after growing up with MTV I had this idea of college being this non-stop cavalcade of close friends and parties. I’m sure it’s like that for some people, but it wasn’t that way for me. I had acquaintances, sure, and roommates, but I didn’t make any lasting friendships for the first few years.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, July 18

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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. 177. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    2. Pretty good, but it was touch and go there until I cranked out an “At least…” list. It’s a trick I use to improve my outlook and snap myself out of funks, like those that seem to accompany many Monday mornings.

    What I do is give myself 10 minutes to finish as many sentences as I can that start with the words, “At least…” like, “At least my cat is only a partial psycho, and not a total and complete psycho bent on making my life a living hell,” and, “At least I have opposable thumbs.”

    Usually helps. 🙂

  2. Speaking of which, “At least…”

    3. At least I’m not on a reality TV show and having Orange County housewives throw drinks in my face. At least I’m not in a hot tub with Flava Flav and a bunch of hoochies wearing butt floss. At least my teeth aren’t shaped like vampire fangs. At least I have my health.

  3. Hoops or studs?

    4. Studs for work; hoops for play.

  4. Snakeskin prints: yea or nay?

    5. Yea, but only on shoes and bags (and not both at the same time).

  5. When was the last time you wore teal eyeshadow?

    6. Last week! It’s one of my current favorite colors to play with.

  6. One day I’m going to…

    7. Figure it all out. Everything. But until then, I’m just gonna do my best and try to enjoy being a work in progress.

  7. Your favorite product to conceal pimples (but not necessarily under-eye circles)?

    8. I haven’t found one I’m really happy with for pimples. Got any recs?

  8. Today’s accessories?

    9. My wedding ring, a pair of bow-shaped Kate Spade studs and Tiffany silver bangles.

  9. Three things I love about myself:

    10. 1) That I don’t take myself (“Allow myself to introduce…myself.” -Austin Powers) too seriously, 2) that I’m sensitive, and 3) my blueberry/peach cobbler (I make a mean one, boo!).

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Not much. Just to stay positive and focused on good thoughts. Oh, and to make an appointment to get my hair did. It’s the roots… They’re taking over, and it’s not pretty.

So…please, please tell me you watched the new True Blood last night because I’m dying to dish! I promise, no spoilers (except in the comments, where it’s fair game), but I think it’s safe to mention that I was quite pleased with the amount of shirtless-ness in the episode. Yes, that was most appreciated. 😀

In music news, I’ve been listening to Pat Benetar’s (or Pat Nebetar, for the Beavis and Butthead fans among us) Love Is a Battlefield for two straight days, and I WILL NOT BE SATISFIED until it’s stuck in your head, too.

Now, on to the Monday Poll (Love Is a Battlefield)!

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



1. Mood:
2. At least…
3. Hoops or studs?
4. Snakeskin prints: yea or nay?
5. When was the last time you wore teal eyeshadow?
6. One day I’m going to…
7. Your favorite product to conceal pimples?
8. Today’s accessories?
9. Three things I love about myself:
10. Weekly goals:

You have a kickin’ week now, ya hear?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 148

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Tabs for the Guerlain Mirror Mirror Collection

The creative director’s eyes lit up like fireworks when the page turned. “Who’s that cat?!” she exclaimed, literally pointing down at Tabs’ portfolio picture in the kitty models book. “Get me that cat!”

Oh, you should have seen it! Hook. Line. Sinker.

It was just a case of crazy good timing, really. I had to stop by the offices of Elite Kitty Modeling last weekend to drop off a tennis key Tabs had borrowed from François Nars but “forgot” to return. I was standing out at the reception area, chatting with the girl at the desk, when I overheard the words “top kitty model” coming from an office in front of me.

The door was open, and I could see from where I was standing in the hall what the people in the room were doing because I’d seen things like it before. It was a creative meeting between photographers and editors looking through a portfolio book of model pictures. It’s how the top dogs choose which kitty models to hire for jobs.

I said a hushed goodbye to the girl at reception and quietly moseyed over to the open office door. The people inside were too busy to notice me looking over their shoulders, and I got close enough to be able to see the kitty models in the book on the table when it opened to the picture of Tabs.

“Uh…I can get you that cat,” I said, almost sheepishly.

The three people in the room all turned their heads in unison to look at me. The woman — who I took to be the creative director judging by the nameplate on the door and how the others were interacting with her — blurted out, “Who are you?”

I cleared my throat. “I’m Karen,” I said, more assertively this time, “and I can get you that cat.”

And I did! Tabs had a full week of awesome kitty modeling jobs this week, all because of randomly great timing. 🙂 Here’s a quick look at his portfolio, if you’re interested.

Tabs for Urban Decay Fall 2011

Tabs for the MAC Me Over Collection
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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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The Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

Rise and shine, morning glory! No matter what, it’s going to be a beautiful day. And if by some cruel twist of fate it isn’t, well that just means tomorrow will be even better. 🙂

How’s it going this morning? Did you do anything fun last night? Like maybe see the new Harry Potter?

All I can say after catching a late afternoon show yesterday is WOW! What a spectacle. For me it was hard not to watch it with the other films in mind since they all sort of weave together, but I thought it was fantastic even on its own merits. And now it’s complete.

When you think about how often books are turned into poor movies and how often sequels deteriorate, it’s remarkable to have a series of eight films, all of which were not only box-office hits, but were also lauded by fans and critics alike. Things like this don’t happen very often, and to think — the primary actors, those kids are barely in their 20s, some of them headed for college, and they have eight hugely successful movies under their belts.

Filming ended long ago, but there have been premiers, parties and interviews all over the world over the past few weeks. When the frenzy dies down, I wonder if any of them will think, “Where do I go from here?” I’m 21, rich, and never have to work again. Do I still go to college? If I do, what do I study?

It must be a little frightening in its own way, ya know? I mean, is there such a thing as feeling like you’ve peaked too soon?

Hmm…let’s ask Tabs. 🙂

Anywho! I hope you have a great day today. No big plans for me. I’m probably just going to stay close to home and catch up on some reading.

Before we move on to a new week, here’s a quick look back at some of the things we talked about this week on the blog.

Talk to you soon.

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

MAC Spite Lipglass MAC UNSUNG HEROES
LIPGLASS IN SPITE

So, I totally had a Joey Lawrence-style “WHOA!” moment at the MAC store last weekend. I was there picking up my umpteenth tube of today’s Unsung Hero, MAC Lipglass in Spite ($14.50), when I realized, holy crap! — I’ve been wearing this Lipglass longer than some of the girls shopping in this store have been alive!

Seriously, I’ve been wearing Spite for roughly 12 years. Assuming an average of two tubes per year — yes, I like it that much — that’s 24 tubes.

I started wearing Spite shortly after I took a job as a legal assistant at a law firm in 1999. I was in my early 20s, but I probably looked a little younger than that at the time. People would stop me in the halls, assuming I was one of the high school interns, and ask things like, “Oh, are you someone’s daughter?”

“Um…yes?” I’d say, a little confused. “How about you?”

Or, “Is this your summer job?”

“Well…sort of, but I would really like to keep it through winter.”

Pretty soon I was trying to look older, which for me meant putting my hair up in a bun, wearing my glasses instead of contacts and slicking my lips with MAC Spite. Read more…

NARS Outremer Eyeshadow BEING BOLD WITH ONE EYESHADOW AT A TIME,
IN THIS CASE NARS OUTREMER

Going bold with your eye makeup by getting back to basics can be a lot of fun. Believe it or not, dramatic looks like this blue cat eye starring NARS Outremer Eyeshadow ($23), my new favorite blue, don’t necessarily need to involve boatloads of products.

This particular cat eye packs an edgy wallop, thanks in large part to Outremer, and only requires a single shadow, a few tools, a positive attitude and a good chunk of time (for me, from 20-30 minutes). I went with bold, blue Outremer here, but you could just as easily use another color you happen to have on hand, like a yellow, orange, pink or green. Read more…

Urban Decay Fall 2011 Face of the Day URBAN DECAY FALL 2011
SWATCHES, PICS AND A FUN TUESDAY FACE OF THE DAY

YOWZA! I could not wait to meet the 15 new eyeshadow colors in the Urban Decay Fall 2011 collection.

Here are pics and swatches of them and the other products in the release, along with a quick breakdown of the look I wore this afternoon, which, I should say, was inspired by the teal and purple look worn by the model for UD’s Fall 2011 campaign, and NOT by that embarrassing incident with the hot fireman last year. Read more…

MAC Semi Precious Mineralize Blushes THESE MAC SEMI PRECIOUS
MINERALIZE BLUSHES ARE 100% GREAT

If you haven’t popped by a MAC counter to try the three new MAC Mineralize Blushes ($23) from the Semi Precious Collection, try to pencil in a trip if you can. I think they’re all kinds of awesome, especially if you like a natural-looking cheek flush and blushes that are easy to apply.

I’ve been reaching for Feeling Flush (a marbleized mix of pink, blue and brown), Pressed Amber (a mix of beige, nude and brown) and Warmth of Coral (a mix with a coral and a peach) regularly since last week. All three spread like warm butter on bread, applying smoothly on cheeks and giving them a gorgeous, just-pinched look with one or two layers. Read more…

9 Things I Never Expected 9 THINGS…
I NEVER EXPECTED

Do you ever see something at work or at home, or realize something about yourself, and say, “I never expected…” — like, “I never expected to like Brussels sprouts” or “I never expected to have 23 cats”?

Some things make you go “Hmm…” Others, like the things on this list I started yesterday in my journal, make you go “Who’d a thunk it?”

Here are nine (beauty and otherwise) things I never expected to see or do in my life. If you feel like joining in, please share yours in the comments (and you don’t have to list nine). Read more…

Urban Decay Fall 2011 URBAN DECAY FALL 2011
HITS A WIDE RANGE OF NOTES

Dance with me, ladies, to the Top 40 beats of Urban Decay’s Fall 2011 (come on, don’t be shy). Whether you’re a cutie who loves classic colors, a neutral loving-lass or a babe who can’t live without her big, bold brights, the DJ has a little something for everyone on the playlist tonight.

Like a radio station that plays pop during daylight hours and techno at night, UD’s latest collection of eye and lip products balances practical, everyday items, like a new lash curler, brow products, a mascara and neutral eyeshadows and liners, with the brand’s signature brights.

Wait — we’ll talk more in a minute. For now, put on your dancing shoes. Read more…

China Glaze Metro Collection Fall 2011 YES, I’LL TAKE A TICKET TO RIDE
THE CHINA GLAZE METRO COLLECTION THIS FALL

When I close my eyes and quiet my mind, I see my city self…

Even from all the way up here, 40 stories above the street below, I can hear the hustle and bustle of urban life. There’s a distant car alarm whirring like a warbler, its peal rising up through the concrete canyons to my ears. Closer, the throttle of a bus engine opens as it pulls away from a curb, and cars carry on conversations with beeps instead of words.

I’m sitting at my desk typing beneath a huge window that almost covers one entire wall of my high-rise apartment in the sky (thankfully, in a neighborhood beyond the reach of the fog). From my desk, the window looks like a large blue painting to my eye. When I get up from my chair, walk over to the window and look down… Read more…

Too Faced Lemon Drop Eyeshadow Primer TOO FACED SHADOW INSURANCE LEMON DROP
EYESHADOW PRIMER WANTS TO WIPE OUT RED

I’ve been on a culinary kick lately, ya know, cooking more than usual, because as much as I love the frozen food aisle at Trader Joe’s, I think I’ve hit my upper limit for microwaveable bean burritos this year. And all of the time I’ve been racking up at the stove has also led to a startling discovery: lemon zest — the scrapings you get from running a lemon against a grater — that stuff is the muthu truckin’ shiz!

It contains all of these aromatic, flavorful oils that make it a great seasoning for dishes like fish, pasta, salad, and pretty much anything and everything else I’ve been adding it to lately.

I bet if I’m not careful, what is still just a zesty infatuation could explode into a full-blown lemon zest addiction.

And then what? Where would I be?

Oh, I know — probably thinking about lemon zest while I play with the new Too Faced Shadow Insurance Lemon Drop Color Correcting Eye Shadow Primer ($18). Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Two Ways to Win the New Tarte for True Blood Limited-Edition Eye Palette (a $52 Value)

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

tarte for true blood palette

Vamp gone get 'is drank onGood morrow, fellow denizen of the living world. I’d say “rise and shine,” but that might give bad sunburns to the undead readers of this morning’s post…

Yup, the vamps are back in Bon Temps, and I for one am thrilled! I gotta admit, though, I had my doubts after the first episode of the new season. That Power Rangers/LOTR vignette in the San Fernando Valley Fairyland looked a little too much like the landing party scenes from the original Star Trek series, if ya know what I mean. I kept expecting Captain Kirk to jump onscreen with a phaser and shout, “Sookie, this way! Enterprise, beam us up!”

LOL! But seriously, haven’t the past two episodes been great? I’m totally digging the new storylines with King Bill, Eric, the coven, and Jason and the were-panthers (great name for a band!), and I really like not knowing where things are headed.

What do ya think about the relationship between Jessica and Hoyt? Doomed or meant to be? Part of me likes Jessica better when she’s flying solo just to see what she does with her makeup when she goes out, ha!

Pam, as usual, has been looking fierce. I wonder how she feels about Tarte…

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

Tarte for True Blood

One lucky lady will win…

  • One Tarte for True Blood Limited-Edition Palette (a $52 value).

“You know how brands will sometimes haphazardly place unrelated shades beside each other in a palette? That’s one of my eye palette pet peeves, but I like how this palette groups smokey shadows in the lower right hand corner, warmer jewel tones in the lower left and the neutrals at the top. It’s conducive to creativity (at least I think so) and makes it easy to sift through the 17 shades.

Baby vamps probably wouldn’t realize this yet, but after a few hundred years, the nights begin to blur together. The way these shadows seamlessly blend together reminds me of that aspect of everlasting undead life. It takes barely a few flicks from an eyeshadow brush to transition from one shade to the next, even when I’m wearing several colors on my lids.” Read more…

  • 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 happen to know your blood type? What’s your favorite mythological/fantasy creature? What’s your favorite red lipstick? Do you own any products from Tarte? How do you like your steaks cooked? What’s your favorite makeup palette now? — 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 the New Tarte for True Blood Limited-Edition Eye Palette (a $52 Value) http://bit.ly/pzB0sq

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, July 17, 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 years of age or older 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 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 Nekosan! Congratulations, Nekosan! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Mila Kunis: Her Best Hair?

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Mila Kunis: Her Best Hair?

Born Milena “Mila” Kunis, on August 14, 1983 in the former Soviet Union, Mila’s family moved to America when she was seven in search of a better life.

Not a native English speaker, it wasn’t easy at first, adjusting to life in a new place. “I blocked out second grade,” she once said. “I didn’t understand the culture. I didn’t understand the people. I didn’t understand the language. My first sentence of my essay to get into college was like, ‘Imagine being blind and deaf at age seven.’ And that’s kind of what it felt like moving to the States.”

But it didn’t take long for Mila to find her way. Her father, a mechanical engineer, and mother, a physics teacher, had moved the family to Los Angeles, and by 12 Mila was getting small acting parts in TV shows (her first was an episode of Baywatch). Her big break came in 1998 when she was cast as Jackie Burkhart in the Fox sitcom That ’70s Show, and the rest, as they say, is history. Her new movie, Friends with Benefits, starring Justin Timberlake, opens July 22.

The girl’s got fab hair, fo’ sho’. And she knows it, too. “Blondes definitely do not have more fun,” she says. “Trust me.”

Which of Mila's hairstyles do you like best?

View Results

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Oh, yeah. 🙂 Happy hump day!

What’s One of Your Weird Beauty Quirks?

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Well, I don’t like to be seen with bare toenails, and I’ll do ridiculous things not to be seen with bare toenails. Case in point: before my anniversary dinner last week, even though I was running late, I still painted the two nails — just the two — on each foot that were going to be visible with the shoes I was wearing. And I used nude polish so no one could tell what a messy, fly-by-night job I did (because I wasn’t wearing my glasses).

Truthfully, the reason is because I feel like my feet look like monkey paws on account of my freakishly long toes. 🙂

How about you? What’s one of your weird beauty quirks?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

9 Things I Never Expected

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Do you ever see something at work or at home, or realize something about yourself, and say, “I never expected…” — like, “I never expected to like Brussels sprouts” or “I never expected to have 23 cats”?

Some things make you go “Hmm…” Others, like the things on this list I started yesterday in my journal, make you go “Who’d a thunk it?”

Here are nine (beauty and otherwise) things I never expected to see or do in my life. If you feel like joining in, please share yours in the comments (and you don’t have to list nine). 🙂

I never expected…

1. To have my wardrobe revolve around my cat

I noticed the other day while looking in my closet that I pick a lot of my clothes based on how well I think they’ll disguise black, orange and gray tabby fur. For instance, I don’t have a single pair of white pants, and I always think about how much Tabs is shedding at any given time before pulling out an outfit to wear.

That’s weird, right?

2. To always have a pair of tiny tweezers in my purse

Why? Because I have chin hairs like mushrooms that just sort of appear out of nowhere in the blink of an eye. Where do they come from? What purpose do they serve? Are they an omen of some kind? And why do they always, ALWAYS pop up in the middle of the day?

Thank goodness for Tweezerman. Without those tiny tweezers I could be walking around with a goatee.

3. Getting older to be so hard

To quote my oh-so-eloquent optometrist, “Growing older isn’t for wimps.” This, she said to me as she prescribed stronger glasses.
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