Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, July 11

July 11th, 2011 by Karen 64 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. 176. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Mood:

Feisty and determined!

Wearing flip-flops to work: yea or nay?

Yea for the commute, as long as they aren’t faded, torn up or covered in sand, and the feet should be in pretty decent shape — no crusty heels or tow-up pedicures, please. Nay for the actual workplace, though, unless you work at the beach, which would then be totally awesome.

Do you remember the last outdoor concert you went to?

I think it was Jordan Sparks (of American Idol fame) performing after an Oakland A’s game in 2009, and I thought she was great (whatever happened to her?).

I’m secretly terrified of…

…getting trapped in an elevator, dark caves and porcelain dolls with scary glass eyes (I swear they come alive at night!).

One day, I’d really like to…

…feel like I’m in complete control of my life. Sometimes, I feel like I’m just along for the ride, if that makes any sense.

I’d like to sing a duet with ____.

Madge! Of course. And our background singers would be a divalicious chorus of really, REALLY hot drag queens with voices like angels. 🙂

Have you ever tried to hide a tattoo with makeup?

Nope. I don’t have any tattoos, although I do consider getting a small one from time to time.

Things you say/sing to your pet all the time:

Being a full-on, bat sh*t crazy CCL, I talk to Tabs almost as much as I talk to anyone else, saying things like…

“Gravy, Gravy Crockett!” I actually sing this one to the tune from the Ballad of Davy Crockett. “King of the wild frontier.”
“Who’s mommy’s precious little baby cat?” (LOL! For real.)
“Show me your tum. SHOW IT TO ME!”

Do like the taste of raw cookie batter?

Um, yes. I know you’re not supposed to and all, but it’s just so darn tasty. For what it’s worth, I take small bites.

Weekly goals:

Make some respectable headway on my summer reading list, prepare an actual dinner every night (versus microwaving something frozen), and spend at least 30 minutes/day playing with Tabs.

You better WORK! I continue to be amazed by the pet models sending in pics of themselves posing with MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass. There’s a lot of undiscovered talent out there.

Watch out, Gisele…

Both Bella and her mom, reader Kaleigh, love EvRev

Enzo, who lives with Jen, expertly works his angles

Rocky (shown above) and Jazz (pictured below) love to show off for Chris

Work it, Jazz!

If you catch your cat (or dog/hamster/ferret/betta fish or other furry friend) modeling with your tube of EvRev, send me a pic by e-mail to karen at makeupandbeautyblog dot com, or via Facebook or Twitter. They just might appear in future MBB pet modeling jobs. 🙂

Now, on to 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. Wearing flip-flops to work: yea or nay?
3. Last outdoor concert you went to?
4. I’m secretly terrified of…
5. One day, I’d really like to _____.
6. I’d like to sing a duet with ____.
7. Have you ever tried to hide a tattoo with makeup?
8. Things you say/sing to your pet all the time:
9. Do like the taste of raw cookie batter?
10. Weekly goals:

I hope your week gets off to a great start. Something tells me it will. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 147

July 10th, 2011 by Karen 23 Comments

After having worked with most of the big brands in the makeup and beauty biz over the past few years, Tabs has his favorites. From the perspective of a world famous kitty supermodel, some companies are just easier to work with than others, and MAC is one of those companies.

Why? Because they know how to treat the talent. Simply put, they know what it takes to bring out the best in their kitty models — the lurvies, the gravy, the petting.

Like method acting, it’s all about motivation. You can’t just put a cat in a Spider-Man costume and tell him to go out there and make magic happen. It takes more than that. MAC knows it. Tabs knows it. And that’s why they’ve worked together more than 30 times since 2008.

Here’s a look at some of that body of work… 🙂

2011

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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

July 10th, 2011 by Karen 7 Comments

Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

Good morning, young lady. Rise and shine. It’s going to be a beautiful day. 🙂

So what did you end up doing last night? Something fun, I hope. After cleaning the entire house from top to bottom, I rewarded myself with a Chipotle veggie burrito and a trip to the mall. At the MAC store I resupplied a few essentials that were running low — the Eyeshadows in Restrospeck (love it with Soba and Sable) and Concrete (my go-to brow filler), and Lipglass in Spite (been wearing it since the ’90s).

Then, back at the home, I took the Tabinator for a walk around the neighborhood and watched some weird French movie called CachÃ© on TV. Juliette Binoche was in it, so I figured how bad can it be? In it, a family is being stalked by someone who keeps his/her identity hidden. The stalker videos the family going about their daily lives, even from inside their own home, and then sends copies of the tapes to them, as if to say, “Neener neener, I see you! And I’m totally crazy.”

I liked it, but I couldn’t relate to the main characters, especially the main husband dude. He’s weirdly passive about the whole thing for the longest time, like doopdadoo, we’re being stalked. What’s for dinner, hun?

Anywho, how are you doing? Was there a highlight of the week for you? Something good at work or school? Or maybe a nice break from the daily grind? How about with your hair or makeup? Did you try anything new? I’ve been playing a little more with some bolder eye looks lately, and that’s been a lot of fun.

Here’s one last look at a few of the things we dished about on the blog. Hope you have a great morning, and I’ll be back soon. Just gotta refill my coffee and finish watching The Millionaire Matchmaker with Tabs (he keeps rolling his eyes).

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

FOR THE PRICE, THESE $3.49 ESSENCE GEL EYELINERS
HAVE MAC FLUIDLINE WHIPPED

Essence continues to rock me like a hurricane (and take the drugstore makeup world by storm). What fab, little steals these pigmented, long-wearing Gel Eyeliners are! They come in three shades â€” matte black Midnight in Paris, shimmery taupe London Baby and shimmery purple Berlin Rocks â€” and cost a mere $3.49 each.

The fluffy texture of this shoestring wedding of whipped mousse and $15 MAC Fluidline doesn’t hold these back at all. In fact, with the Sonia Kashuk bent brush, I find them surprisingly easy to apply, and since they’re also quick drying â€” like, in less than a minute â€” I finish lining with them in less time than it takes to say, “Ben McKenzie is hot!”

Well, ya know. 🙂 Read more…

TIGI CATWALK SESSION SERIES SALT SPRAY
DELIVERS BEACHY WAVES FROM A BOTTLE

I must have been born a water baby because I could spend all day at the beach. I’m serious, get me in the ocean, and I’m a happy girl.

Rather, get me in a warm ocean, and I’m a happy girl.

I vividly remember the last time I was in the water at a warm beach because it was also the day I saw some of the best beachy waves I’ve ever seen. It was the day after Thanksgiving last November, and we were visiting El Hub’s parents in Hawaii. We spent quite a chunk of that trip chasing sea turtles, so to speak, flapping in our flippers and snorkels.

We’d just climbed out of the water to take a short break, which meant people watching and nomming on local snacks (coconut balls and Pass-o-Guava juice, anyone?). I was watching a group of kids build a giant sand castle on the shore, and one of the girls involved in its construction had a perfectly tousled, messy mop of pure, casual awesomeness on her head. She must’ve only been about seven or eight, but I remember thinking, “Hot damn! I wish my hair looked like that!” Read more…

MAC COLOURIZATIONS PRO PALETTE EYE SHADOW X 2
YOU CAN’T EASILY POP IN AND OUT OF THIS DOUBLE FEATURE

The very first time I walked up to a MAC eyeshadow display case, my eyes rolled back in my head. Not because of eyeshadow ecstasy, mind you; this was years ago, and at the time I didn’t know Soft Brown from chocolate delight. No, looking down at those rows of sleek, little pots, as beads of perspiration formed on my brow, I was utterly and completely overwhelmed.

What I could have used back then was something like the new MAC Pro Palette Eye Shadows X 2 ($25 each US; $30 in Canada). Designed to take the guesswork out of choosing which eyeshadows to pair by teaming two coordinating colors together in a cute lil’ palette (and eliminating what was a major source of makeup stress for me way back when), these eight duos dance onto MAC counters with the new Colourizations Collection August 4 in North America, and internationally, some time next month. Read more…

ESSENCE MULTI-COLOUR BLUSH
IS WEARING STRIPES TO THE PARTY BUT CAN’T STAY FOR LONG

If something has stripes, I’m usually totally into it, but when it comes to these $2.49 Essence Multi-Colour Blushes, well, let’s just say that their cute stripes and great price are just about the best things they have going for â€˜em.

I give the two available shades, pale pink Fashionista and pale peach How Cute Is That, major points for looking cute on a budget, but their knees buckle beside the performance of rock stars from the Essence line, like the fantastic Gel Eyeliners.

I wore light pink Fashionista to the beach the other day, and even though I like the natural-looking cheek flush and subtle sheen it lends, the look just doesn’t last. The effect had all but vanished in less than three hours. Read more…

9 THINGS
SIMPLE PLEASURES (SUMMER AND OTHERWISE)

You know what they say, right? “It’s the simple things.” The simple pleasures, like sleeping in, an ice-cold Coca Cola on a hot day, a new tube of lipstick, a good hair day, a tender kiss, a comforting smile, a good hug, a stranger holding open the door, a few words of encouragement.

What are some of the simple pleasures you’ve been enjoying lately? Here are some of mine, in no particular order (I can’t wait to hear yours).

1. Lounging by the pool. My favorite part of last weekend wasn’t the plate of killer fries I had with that delicious veggie burger at the mall (although it was delicious). Nope, last weekend nirvana took the shape of my bum parked in a lounge chair by the neighborhood pool.

And I didn’t do any web surfing, blogging, tweeting or texting at all while I was there. Instead, I resisted the urge to plug in and just tried to focus on my thoughts for a while. Read more…

TARTE FOR TRUE BLOOD
EYE SEE VAMPS EVERYWHERE GOING CRAZY FOR THIS PALETTE

Well polish my coffin and pour me another cup of that True Blood, Team Tarte, because I’d like to raise my glass! Y’all obviously sunk your teeth into the new limited edition True Blood Palette ($52). I’d stake my life on that.

But seriously, the effort Tarte put into developing this palette shows in the clever little details, like the words “Open After Dark” scrawled across the cubby that conceals the mini primer, mascara and eyeliner, and the lace threading through the grommets on the cover (er, those better not be silver!).

Saucy!

A little drawer for a set of fake fangs would’ve been the icing on the cake. After all, undead wannabes wear makeup, too, but I guess you can’t appease all of the fangbangers all of the time… But you can appease some of them some of the time, especially when you arrange the shadows in a palette in a logical way. Read more…

TARTE FOR TRUE BLOOD LIPSURGENCE NATURAL LIP TINT
DELIVERS RED LIPS WITHOUT THE BITE

Vampires aren’t known for their flexibility (their restricted diet, won’t work daytime hours, religious intolerance, etc.), but the new Tarte for True Blood LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint ($24) is. It’s one of the most flexible reds I’ve come across in a really long time.

The crayon/pencil tip makes this medium-coverage, iridescent red a cinch to apply. The color’s easily buildable, too, making it workable in a variety of occasions and looks from demure to dramatic.

I haven’t figured out why Tarte chose to give it a faint minty flavor and scent (um, how does mint relate to vampires?), but I like the way they’re executed; I think both of them are refreshing (again, vampires?) like gum.

Now that I think about it, I can’t think of a more appropriate, better taste and scent… Garlic is certainly out. Read more…

MAC COLOURIZATIONS COLLECTION
THIS DRAMATIC DOUBLE FEATURE STARS A TEAL AND BROWN EYE

Okay, so you how when you’re in the mood to do a dramatic eyeshadow look, and you start with just a few colors, but the next thing you know you’ve got, like, 10 different shades all up on your lids?

Welcome to my world, chica.

I don’t know what it is, but when I see all of those lonely pans looking up at me hopefully, I can’t help myself. A little bit of this one here, a tiny bit of that one there. OOH! A dash of this one to accentuate everything else. 🙂

Sometimes I wonder if I have some kind of medical makeup condition that compels me to use four different browns in the crease. Read more…

DOLCE & GABBANA ITALIAN SUMMERTIME LIPSTICK
SWATCHES AND WORKING WITH DEMANDING CATS

Seriously, if I don’t start getting some recognition from my boss, I just might go apesh*t. Don’t get me wrong, I love working for Tabs. Being his executive assistant/gravy chef has been an amazing experience, but he refuses to acknowledge any boundaries between my work and personal life.

Last night I literally had one foot out the door when he stopped me.

“Meow!” he said, knowing full well that El Hub and I had reservations for dinner.

“But it’s our anniversary,” I replied. I pleaded with him, but he just stared back at me, expressionless, as if to say, “And?” He told me dinner would have to wait until I finished swatching these new lip products from the Dolce & Gabbana Italian Summertime Collection, available now at Saks stores and also online.

Apparently, he got an e-vite from Domenico and Stefano to spend the weekend at their villa on Lake Como in Italy, and he wanted the swatches to help him decide which lip colors he should wear for the trip. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

July 9th, 2011 by Karen 620 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Deanna G.! Congratulations, Deanna! 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
Good morning, glory. 🙂 I hope your day got off to a wonderful start. I’m slowly waking up out here. Got my big Christmas mug filled with coffee in my paws, so that should do the trick. It’s a little chilly and overcast now, but it looks like the kind of gray that usually burns off by the afternoon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I can’t recall having anything I’m supposed to do this weekend…at least nothing I can remember now, and that’s perfectly fine by me. Really, I’d just like to relax, maybe go to a late breakfast at Marvin’s, vacuum the house — correction, I’d like Tabs to vacuum the house, seeing as it’s his fur that gets all over the place — and maybe catch up on my reading and brainless TV.

Brainless TV. Ya know, nowadays, that’s my favorite kind. It’s comforting and easy to digest, like good porridge.

Of course, I just thought of a show that I’m looking forward to watching that doesn’t fit into the brainless TV category at all. It’s called Torchwood. Have you seen it? It’s sort of like the X-Files, Angel and Dr. Who all rolled into one. I loved the first few seasons when it was on BBC America. It’s been on a long hiatus, but it’s back again with a new season, and now it’s on Starz and takes place in LA (I believe). I missed the first episode last Friday. Gotta try and track that down…

Anywho, I’m going to plant myself on the couch for a few minutes, but I’ll be back soon.

Oh, I almost forgot. It’s also…

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, who’s your favorite female character on TV? Have you ever worked on a ranch or a farm? When you hear the word “beauty,” what’s the first word that pops into your head? Who makes your very favorite nail polish in the entire world? What do you think about camping? — 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/rgFFOk

The deadline to enter is Sunday, July 10, 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 Deanna G.! Congratulations, Deanna! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

3 Lessons Learned from 5 Years of Marriage

July 8th, 2011 by Karen 60 Comments

Before we got hitched, El Hub and I were, to quote my mum, “serious” (“Are you two serious?”) for almost five years, so, technically, we’ve been together for a decade.

That’s a pretty good chunk of time to get to know someone, and while our relationship isn’t perfect, I haven’t wanted to kill him in his sleep (yet), and he’s remarkably tolerant of my PMS-fueled mood swings, so I think we’re doing all right, all things considered. 🙂

Seriously, though, we’ve been together for a while, and I think we’re still pretty darn happy. Looking back, there have been a few important moments over that time and one or two valuable lessons, like…

1. Get the sleep situation under control

Oh, man. I don’t even know where to start, but to make a long story short, the sooner you can work out any sleep problems, the better you’ll both feel.

Years before I met him, El Hub worked nights, and it permanently disrupted his sleep cycle. He tosses and turns all night long (always spinning counterclockwise, which is so weird!), and on top of that snores like a small bear. I, on the other hand, sleep soundly, but I need complete silence, and for everything to be still.

Our first couple of beds weren’t doing us any favors. One, a hand-me-down full-size bed from a family member, had weak springs and a soft mattress with a dip in the middle like a “V” that would draw us both toward the center of it like a sleep-sucking black hole.

With El Hub sleeping on the left side of the dip, his propensity to roll counterclockwise would usually keep him out of the middle, but I was rarely so lucky. I’d end up in the dip, wide awake, with my shoulders bunched up against my ears and El Hub spinning and snoring like a haunted carnival ride beside me.

FUN!

One night, I got so angry that I woke him up every single time he moved or snored. Weeks of sleep deprivation had brought out my inner crazy, and I decided that if I wasn’t going to get my REM on, neither was he. So childish, I know, but wouldn’t ya know it? — the next day we decided to get a new bed. 🙂

The moral of this story: if you think this guy/gal is the one, save yourself the heartache, and get the sleeping situation worked out as soon as possible.
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Cameron Diaz: Her Best Hair?

July 7th, 2011 by Karen 36 Comments

Cameron Diaz: Her Best Hair?

There’s something about…Cameron. Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) grew up, as she puts it, “in Southern California on the beach, basically.” She wasn’t born into the entertainment business — her father worked more than 20 years maintaining and supporting oil wells, and her mother worked as an import-export agent — but she was well on her way into it by the age of 16, when she began her career as a fashion model, contracting with modeling agency Elite Model Management.

By 17, she was on the cover of Seventeen (here’s the cover); by 21, she was starring in movies (her first was The Mask in 1994).

Since then she’s either starred in or voiced (in Shrek) more than 30 films, like Vanilla Sky, one of my favorites of hers (she played that psycho), and In Her Shoes (LOVE!), opposite Toni Collette.

If you’re ever in the mood for a fun, physical comedy, check out Knight and Day. Not because I think it’s an Oscar-caliber movie, mind you, but because I think it’s just a lot of fun.

I’ve always liked her casually sexy approach to hair. It’s very easy, very California girl (she’s an avid surfer), with mostly unstructured styles. It seems to suit her well.

Right now she’s starring in Bad Teacher, which I’m thinking about seeing tomorrow night (have you seen it yet?).

Lawd knows I had a few of those! 🙂

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

9 Things: Simple Pleasures (Summer and Otherwise)

July 6th, 2011 by Karen 47 Comments

What are some of the simple pleasures you’ve been enjoying lately? Here are some of mine, in no particular order.

I can’t wait to hear yours. 🙂

1. Lounging by the pool

My favorite part of last weekend wasn’t the plate of killer fries I had with that delicious veggie burger at the mall (although it was delicious). Nope, last weekend nirvana took the shape of my bum parked in a lounge chair by the neighborhood pool.

And I didn’t do any web surfing, blogging, tweeting or texting at all while I was there. Instead, I resisted the urge to plug in and just tried to focus on my thoughts for a while.

It was nice.

2. Going for a walk with Tabs

El jefe insists that I take him for a walk around the complex first thing every morning so that he may survey his vast domain. Thankfully, he usually allows me to finish a cup of coffee first (milk and sugar, please!).

I actually really enjoy it, especially now that it’s warm, and I can go out in shorts, a tank top and flip-flops. Tabs, of course, typically wears his usual business casual attire.

3. Homemade smoothies

They’re easy to make with the help of a blender or food processor, and so much cheaper than Jamba Juice (which I love!). I usually go with whatever fresh fruit I have on hand. This week’s receipe calls for strawberries, bananas, honey-flavored Greek yogurt, orange juice and ice, yum!

I like to have one right after a run as my post-workout recovery drink. They’re great for a quick shot of carbs and protein to keep the muscle soreness at bay, and I think they’re also easy on my stomach.

4. Seeing pics of pets with EvRev

Don’t tell Tabs, but I have a crush on Wally (he lives with MBB reader Alka)

Every time I open an email with a pic of a furry friend posing with a tube of MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass, I do a little dance in my chair. 🙂

Ted the dog hearts Stef!
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What Are You Wearing on Your Nails?

July 4th, 2011 by Karen 63 Comments

I’m sporting Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Barracuda on my fingers (the color on the right) and Coral Fever on my toes (the one on the left, obvs).

They’re $7.99 each and available at drugstores, Ulta stores and also online.

How about you? What are you wearing on your nails?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Hope you’re having a great Fourth of July. Anyone care for a slice of watermelon? 🙂

Just For Fun

2011

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

1. Get the sleep situation under control

Which of Cameron's hairstyles do you like best?

1. Lounging by the pool

2. Going for a walk with Tabs

3. Homemade smoothies

4. Seeing pics of pets with EvRev

How about you? What are you wearing on your nails?