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

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, July 4

by 36 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. 175. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    2. What what! It’s time to par-tay! 🙂 Today’s a big holiday for us here in the U.S., the Fourth of July, also referred to as Independence Day, and many Americans have the day off from work. We usually go watch fireworks displays, parades, have barbecues, visit carnivals, fairs, have picnics, go to concerts, baseball games, beaches, pools or attend family reunions, political speeches or other ceremonies celebrating the history, government and traditions of the United States. Officially, it commemorates the date we declared independence from Great Britain (no offense, guys) on July 4, 1776.

    Right now I feel three parts mellow, one part antsy. I’ve been sticking pretty close to home so far this weekend, and I’m itching to go for a drive.

  2. When was the last time you rode in a convertible?

    3. I’m guessing 2003 or 2004. El Hub and I were visiting his parents in Hawaii, and because the rental agency was out of smaller cars, they gave us a Mustang instead. It was fun…for about two seconds. I realized as soon as we got on the freeway and started picking up speed that I really, REALLY like being completely surrounded by metal when moving at high speeds, LOL!

  3. What do you always bring in your carry-on luggage or bag?

    4. That’s an easy one. Makeup, of course. And chocolate.

  4. What’s one lesson that took you a long time to learn?

    5. That I had a choice to either be happy or miserable. It wasn’t up to anyone else.

  5. A friend who helped you through a really tough time?

    6. Elizabeth. I met her when I was temping at a law firm between full-time jobs in my 20s. It was a challenging time in my life; I’d just decided that I didn’t want to go to law school and wasn’t sure what to do next. Elizabeth was a couple of years older and took me under her wing. She was like the older sister I’d always wanted but never had. A good listener, always had practical advice for me and never judged. We’ve lost touch over the past few years, but I miss her and think about her often.

  6. If you could redecorate one room at home, which room would it be, and what would you do?

    7. My living room, which is more like an office/TV room/cat tower facility/photography studio/arcade. I would love for it to continue being all of those things, but in a cuter, more stylish way. Right now it’s a hot mess. None of the furniture matches, there’s crap stored in random boxes in the corners, and most of the time I can’t find anything I’m looking for.

    Just thinking about it stresses me out…

  7. Pillows: soft or firm?

    8. Extra soft, please.

  8. What’s your favorite way to exercise?

    9. These days, mainly running. It burns a lot of calories in a relatively short time, and it doesn’t require much equipment or a membership to a gym. I also like other activities, though, most of which I don’t get to do that much anymore, like dancing, weight training, swimming, spinning and yoga.

  9. How do you like to unwind?

    10. Lately, by parking my bum in a lounge chair by the neighborhood pool, but reading and watching movies work, too.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Enjoy every second of every day (that’s a tall order!) and have fun no matter what!

Clear the runway! Impromptu pet fashion show coming through…

Say hello to Poof, a stylin’ guinea pig who lives with Alice. Here, Poof is posing with a tube of MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass.

Seriously, could that fur be any more fab? It’s like the perfect casually tousled ‘do. I wish my mane looked like that.

If you catch your cat (or dog/hamster/turtle or 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. When was the last time you rode in a convertible?
3. What do you always bring in your carry-on luggage or bag?
4. What’s one lesson that took you a long time to learn?
5. A friend who helped you through a tough time?
6. If you could redecorate one room at home, which room would it be?
7. Pillows: soft or firm?
8. What’s your favorite way to exercise?
9. How do you like to unwind?
10. Weekly goals:

Happy Fourth of July! No matter what you do, I hope you have a great day. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 146

by 40 Comments

Tabs: smooth criminal

Tabs and I have been business partners/roommates going on four years now, and all things considered, we have a pretty good relationship. He leaves my food alone (I had this one roommate who always ate my food without asking; it was SO ANNOYING), pays his share of the rent, does his share of the work (kitty modeling), and doesn’t hog the bathroom.

And he’d be the perfect kitty colleague if it weren’t for a few blemishes on his otherwise spotless record. Things like…

1. The Christmas Tree Incident

Tabs and the Christmas tree incident

There’s still no conclusive evidence proving that Tabs was the one who knocked over the Christmas tree last year, but he’s still the prime suspect in the case. After examining the forensics (pine needles found on the suspect’s cat tower, wet paw prints leading away from the scene of the crime), experts believe that it was probably Tabs.

2. Edward Scissorpaws Unleashed!

The Edward Scissorpaws incident

Because Tabs is generally such a loving, good-natured kitty, his outburst a few months ago came as a huge shock to us all.

We were playing around his cat tower at the time. I was shaking his feather on a stick. Chasing it has always been one of his favorite games, and I leaned in to give him a kiss on the head.

Suddenly, there was a blur of brown, black and tan motion in front of me! I felt a whoosh of air and a soft tap on my cheek.

Wha!? For the first time ever, he’d taken a swipe at my face, and it left behind a very light scratch.

I think he was just feeling extra feisty that day, or perhaps for a moment forgot that I’m not a cat. I’ve forgiven him since then…but he was on my sh*t list for a while.

3. Sushi the Fish, Meet Tabs the Cat

Tabs and the Sushi incident

El Hub used to have a betta fish named Sushi, who has since moved on to a better place. Sushi lived in a gorgeous glass apartment at the top of Novato Towers (the hutch in the living room), with amazing views of the TV and coffee table in the valley below.

We really thought the 7-foot-tall hutch was out of Tabs’ reach, but on Sushi’s very first night in his new apartment, Tabs engineered a way to haul his 20-pound body to the top.

Novato Tower’s security had been breached!

I was just coming down the stairs when I saw it, Tabs’ chubby paw poised above Sushi’s bowl. “Noooo!” I roared from across the room, startling Tabs, who then hopped back down to the floor.

Sushi’s life was spared. “How the hell did you get up there!?” I demanded from Tabs.

Of course, I received no reply…

For the record, Sushi went on to live a long, full fish life after the incident, and when he finally passed, Tabs was not involved in his demise. 🙂
[Continue reading…]

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

by 4 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

Good morning. Good morning. How did you sleep? 🙂 I probably could have slept a little more, but I wanted to get going, ya know? To attack the day! — and all that.

How was your night? Did you do anything fun? I swung by Target for dental floss on my way to Tuttimelon —

Which reminds me, I got another watermelon last night. Yup, this one from Target. I even used my phone in the store to look up “how to choose a good watermelon.” Apparently, it has nothing to do with knocking on them, she read, after she’d already knocked on about half of the melons in the store, or with weight, because a heavy melon can be juicy yet not sweet. The article I found said to look for a generally symmetrical shape (aren’t they always generally symmetrical?), vibrant green striping and a yellow, or yellowish orange, “crown” area, which indicates that the melon was allowed to sit and sweeten in the field for a good, long while.

I brought one home that met the aforementioned criteria (how official!), so we’ll see. I haven’t cracked it open yet, even though I desperately want to. I think I’ll save it for tomorrow and make it my Independence Day treat!

In makeup news, what did you think of the NARS Fall 2011 stuff we looked at this week? Interested, or on the fence? Looking back, I probably had the most fun with bright blue Outremer Eyeshadow. It’s statement makeup, for sure, although its intensity is easy to manage with layers, and I don’t always have a place to go where I can make that kind of statement, but it makes me want to think of something, you know, somewhere I can wear it, if that makes any sense.

That must mean I like it.

I’m looking at pics right now from last week of Outremer and that leopard-print dress, the Dolce & Gabbana Animalier Bronzer and MAC Impassioned Lipstick…

Just imagine all four of those together. Hello! Cat lady says what? 🙂

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

NARS Outremer EyeshadowNARS FALL 2011: I’D SAIL THE SEVEN SEAS
FOR NARS OUTREMER EYESHADOW

Like a bold accent necklace or a fun, floral scarf, bright blue NARS Outremer Single Eyeshadow ($23) does add a certain something special to a makeup maven’s look.

That said, could I see myself wearing it every single day? No, probably not, because I don’t think it’s that kind of shade, which is not to say it isn’t flexible. Oh, no. It most certainly is.

NARS designed the mostly matte blue Outremer (see the tiny silver sparkles?), the French word for “overseas,” to contrast with the softer green, peach, taupe and rose eyeshadows in the fall collection. Read more…

Tarte for True Blood Natural Cheek StainTARTE FOR TRUE BLOOD
NATURAL CHEEK STAIN: Y’ALL RED-Y FOR THIS?

Remember the True Blood episode last season when Pam busted out the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil? I turned to El Hub on the couch and was like, “ZOMG! Did you see Pam with her NARS!? AAAHHHH!”

He just stared at me like I’d lost my mind…

Don’t you just love it when you recognize makeup on your favorite TV shows? I wonder if the new Tarte for True Blood Natural Cheek Stain ($30) will make an appearance on TV this year.

It’s an intensely pigmented red gel blush, recently launched with two other pieces in the new limited edition Tarte for True Blood collection, and it’s loaded with golden glitter. Read more…

NARS Delphes Trio EyeshadowNARS FALL 2011: APHRODITE HERSELF WOULD
CALL THE DELPHES TRIO EYESHADOW COOL

This trio is totally ruined! But wait — in this case, that’s a good thing.

The ruins at Delphi, where the ancient Greeks worshipped the god Apollo, inspired Delphes ($45; part of the Fall 2011 collection), the latest trio to emerge from the House of NARS.

Can you see the resemblance? — how the ruins, and the plants taking them over, influenced this cool-toned trio of sparkling, sheer peach, matte dove gray and frosty sage?

A few notes about the shade, like Sparkling Peach. This shade really shines thanks to large pieces of silver glitter, but I have to proceed with caution; otherwise, it ends up in my brows and on my cheeks. With Sparkling Peach, I get better results when I use firm, flat eyeshadow brushes than I get from brushes with softer bristles, and I keep my eye makeup remover close at hand to clean up any fallout. Read more…

Chanel Illusions D'Ombres De Chanel Collection for FallIT’S NO ILLUSION; THIS SPARKLE IS REAL
ILLUSIONS D’OMBRES DE CHANEL COLLECTION FOR FALL

Metallics rule the new 21-piece Illusions D’Ombres De Chanel collection for fall flaunting eye-catching, shimmery finishes, but a solitary matte blush threatens to steal the crown!

Ooh! It’s like Game of Thrones up in here. 🙂

Well met, lords and ladies. Heya! How’s your hump day been? Mine got epically better this afternoon when I ran into the new Chanel Fall 2011 collection at Nordies after lunch. The limited edition release for eyes, lips and cheeks is available now at Chanel counters and also online, and if you like your makeup with major bling, feast your eyes upon this. Read more…

Chanel Fall 2011 Face of the DayA MID-WEEK DATE NIGHT LOOK WITH
CHANEL, MAC AND NARS

When it started to look like cereal for dinner, El Hub and I decided at the last minute to go on a mid-week date last night (fish and chips, and beer… romantic, I know!). I went with this quick, sparkly look using a mix of new pieces from NARS, Chanel and MAC (and very little blending) and sprinkled it with some permanent products from Jouer, Hourglass, Buxom and Urban Decay.

Nothing much, but it only took a couple of minutes to do. Perfect for impromptu fried foods and beer.

Quick — say you only have 2 minutes to do your makeup before dinner. What do you do? Read more…

Chanel Fall 2011 Khaki GlossimerWHY, YES, I’M HAVING A SUMMER ROMANCE WITH THE ILLUSIONS
D’OMBRES DE CHANEL COLLECTION FOR FALL 2011

Fall makeup always makes me think of doing fall-ish things, like sipping hot cider (or maybe a little eggnog) by the fireplace or the wood-burning stove, carving pumpkins (which I’ve only done once or twice), or skipping down suburban sidewalks past huge piles of orange and yellow leaves, and kicking ‘em up (SWOOSH!) every once in a while with the tips of my thigh-high suede boots. 🙂

Since summer’s only just begun, however, I’ll have to wait a while before the eggnog shows up at Trader Joe’s, but I won’t have to wait to wear fall makeup, not with so many lines launching their limited edition fall stuff early. Seriously, next year we’ll be celebrating Christmas in July! Read more…

Dolce & Gabbana Animalier BronzerTAME HOUSE TABBY OR JUNGLE CAT?
THE DOLCE & GABBANA ANIMALIER BRONZER

Card carrying members of Team Cat Lady, whether you’re a a tame house tabby or a certified jungle cat, chances are you WILL meow when you see the leopard print on Dolce & Gabbana’s limited edition Animalier Bronzer ($50).

Isn’t it just the coolest thing since leopard-print heels? Too bad the pattern’s an overspray and not actually etched into the pan — or maybe that’s for the best. The first few times it’s used, as the colors in the overspray are mixed together, the product applies super dark (like a chocolate golden sheen), and it would probably make a fantastic eyeshadow totally perfect for sexy, smokey eyes.

But once the overspray gets worn away, out comes a sheer, orangey brown bronzer with tiny flecks of golden glitter. Mrow! It’s sheer, though. Too sheer for me as an NC42; on me it delivers a subtle warmth, yet while I sheer do like the glitter and how smooth it feels, there’s something a little off about how the color works with my skin, like some of the darker tones from the overspray are still milling about. Read more…

MAC Impassioned LipstickMAC UNSUNG HEROES MAC
IMPASSIONED LIPSTICK (AND WATERMELON)

It’s official: I am in food lust with watermelon. That one from the other day? Completely gone. And it was ginormous, too! — like bigger than Tabs, and I ate it all by myself in, like, two days. On the one hand (and I’m thrilled about this) I’m not having any, um, fiber issues, but on the other hand, I’m a little afraid I might be overdoing it.

So sweet, so juicy…

Gotta swing by Trader Joe’s to get another one ASAP.

I’m obsessed! I’ve got watermelon on the brain. It’s even creeping into my makeup. Just the other day, I was looking at Impassioned ($14.50), one of my favorite MAC Lipsticks, when it hit me…

No, not the watermelon, silly! It occurred to me that Impassioned is a perfect watermelon pink. Read more…

Outfit of the Day: Vol 3OUTFIT OF THE DAY, VOL. 3
CALL ME CAT LADY (AND A TRICK TO LOOK TALLER)

I’m pretty short at 5’1″, but in my mind I’m taller.

How much taller?

On a good day, at least 5’8″. Of course, the rest of the world disagrees.

Once, years ago when I worked in San Francisco, I was walking through China Town on my lunch break in four-inch heels when I found myself behind a group of middle school students on an historic tour of the neighborhood. I was heading to my favorite greasy spoon for lunch, a place in the same direction the group was heading, so I tagged along (hey, free tour!), listening to the group’s tour guide.

When I finally arrived at my lunch spot and broke away from the group, one of the volunteer moms started yelling.

“Get back with the group!” she barked, and I could hear her footsteps pounding behind me. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Beauty of Blogging: A Reader Q&A

by 79 Comments

The beauty of blogging

It’s been such a long time since I posted anything about blogging that I thought this excerpt of an e-mail exchange with reader Juli might be interesting to someone trying to build an existing blog or thinking about starting one soon (any kind of blog; not necessarily one about makeup and beauty). 🙂

A lot of people out there know much more about blogging than I do, so please take my responses with a grain of salt. If you find this helpful, I’ll try to post similar things like it more often. Just let me know.

And if you do have a blog, please include a link to it in your comment. I’d love to check it out. Let me know what prompted you to start your blog and what it’s all about.

JULI: I know time is one factor, and since 2007, you’ve had plenty of good quality posts, but what other methods do you use to get traffic [to Makeup and Beauty Blog] and rank so high in Google?

KAREN: Well, thank you for saying that about my posts, but time is a major factor, actually. I spend at least 60 hours/week blogging and have for some years. A lot of it is attention to detail. If it takes an extra two hours to retake a batch of pictures that didn’t turn out quite right, I’ll take them because, like everyone else, I appreciate sharp, vibrant pictures when I browse the web. Early, when I started the blog, I also read a number of e-books about search engine optimization (here’s a great source on the subject) and implemented the lessons from there about post titles and page design. One obvious factor that helps is having a domain name that includes your keywords in it, in my case www.makeupandbeautyblog.com. But that’s only one factor.

JULI: How did you let the world know about your blog? I know one good method is writing guest posts.

KAREN: Wow! Brace yourself for a long answer, but a lot of it just took time. I attended industry events, had business cards made, had t-shirts made that I would wear to events, emailed hundreds of companies, telephoned PR people, wrote guest posts, wrote and published press releases (I recommend prweb and prleap), took classes on writing, took classes on photography, took classes on Photoshop (I highly recommend the video tutorials on lynda.com), read books on HTML and CSS, did some freelance writing for magazines to hone my craft — all while continuing to write 1-5 posts/day. I think it also helped that when I started in beauty blogging, it was a less competitive time, and I had a loving partner in El Hub whose day job allowed me to take some risks I may not otherwise have been able to take (like quitting my day job to blog full time).

I think it’s important to remember, though, that I didn’t do everything at once. I’m always learning, but I love blogging and helping and entertaining people. Because it’s like magic to brighten someone’s day, that drives me to do it and get better along the way.
[Continue reading…]

Two Ways to Win a Tube of MAC Sandy B Lipstick

by 452 Comments

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

Oh, summer, how I’ve missed you so! Last night it was warm enough to walk around outside in a T-shirt without a jacket or sweater.

Without a jacket or sweater. Seriously, I still can’t believe it was real!

After months that dragged on like years of “partly cloudy skies,” it was so nice to just stroll down a bustling boulevard crowded with happy people out taking advantage of the clear, comfortable night. With a cup of ice cream in my hands, I walked along Fourth Street in downtown San Rafael looking up at stars — yes, real stars — that I’d almost forgotten were there.

I was wearing one of my favorite summertime lipsticks from MAC called Sandy B, a shimmery golden pink. I don’t know why, but I only think to wear it when it’s warm outside like it is now. It’s the same beautiful color all year round, but I guess I’ve grown to associate it with summer.

It was a perfect night — Sandy B Lipstick and MAC Evolution Revolution Lipglass on my lips, El Hub on my arm, ice cream in my hands and stars above my head. The only thing missing was a husky tabby by my side. 🙂

Have you ever worn MAC Sandy B? If not, perhaps today’s giveaway can help. Yup, it’s…

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

Win MAC

One lucky lady will win…

  • One (1) tube of MAC Lipstick in Sandy B (a $14.50 value)

  • 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, have you ever been to summer camp? Have you ever had a summer fling? How do you apply your lipstick (straight from the tube, with a brush, top/bottom lip first, atop a layer of lipliner…)? Are you doing anything fun for the Fourth of July? What’s your pet’s favorite toy? What’s a song that always gets your booty on the dance floor? — 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 Tube of MAC Sandy B Lipstick http://bit.ly/mw1T8J

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, July 3, 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).
  • 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 Rocio! Congratulations, Rocio! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Outfit of the Day, Vol. 3: Call Me Cat Lady (and a Trick to Look Taller)

by 50 Comments

I’m pretty short at 5’1″, but in my mind I’m taller.

How much taller?

On a good day, at least 5’8″. Of course, the rest of the world disagrees.

Once, years ago when I worked in San Francisco, I was walking through China Town on my lunch break in four-inch heels when I found myself behind a group of middle school students on an historic tour of the neighborhood. I was heading to my favorite greasy spoon for lunch, a place in the same direction the group was heading, so I tagged along (hey, free tour!), listening to the group’s tour guide.

When I finally arrived at my lunch spot and broke away from the group, one of the volunteer moms started yelling.

“Get back with the group!” she barked, and I could hear her footsteps pounding behind me.

I slowly turned around, looking up at a much taller woman. “Dude…” I replied, more confused than amused, “I don’t go to school with these kids.”

She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow quizzically, probably thinking she had a troublemaker on her hands. “Where do you go to school?”

“Uh…” I saw an opportunity I couldn’t resist. “The school of life?”

I think that’s where she figured it out. 🙂

Over the years, I’ve picked up a few height-enhancing tricks. One of my favorites? — pairing nude heels (more accurately, heels in a color close to my natural skin tone) with an above-the-knee length dress.

When my shoes and leg color sort of blend together, I think it creates an illusion of height, and when the dress rests above the knee, it enhances the overall effect.
[Continue reading…]

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, June 27

by 121 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. 174. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    2. Pretty good. I mean, it is Monday, but I just had a cup of coffee and cleaned off my desk, so things are looking up.

  2. When did you first understand the meaning of heartbreak?

    3. I was 14, with my first case of puppy love, and had just broken up with my boyfriend. Looking back, I was probably too young to be dating at all, but I can still remember how I felt every time we’d see each other around after the split — like something stole the air out from under me and knocked the wind out of my chest. My world had been shaken, and it took me a long time to recover.

  3. What was your all-time favorite vacation?

    4. The trip El Hub and I took to Europe in 2005. We crammed four countries into 14 days — England, France, Spain and Portugal. It was an exhilarating, exhausting time, and it was on that trip, one night in a small, candlelit dining room at a bed and breakfast in Northern Spain, that El Hub got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. 🙂

  4. Platform shoes: yea or nay?

    5. Yea, but it totally depends. I can’t hang with platforms taller than 2.5 inches (disaster waiting to happen).

  5. Do you prefer ice cream cups or cones?

    6. How about one of each? Okay, if I have to pick one, I’ll take a cup, please. Less mess.

  6. Would you rather text, call or e-mail?

    7. These days I’d rather call. I’m a slow texter, and I’m already overwhelmed with email.

  7. When was your last haircut?

    8. April, and I’m way overdue. My bangs are out of control!

  8. Someone who changed your life?

    9. Believe it or not, Tabs. After leaving home for school and spending years without a pet, I’d forgotten how wonderful life with a a furry companion can be.

  9. Your favorite healthy snack?

    10. Frozen grapes! Especially on hot days. They’re low-cal and almost as satisfying as ice cream and froyo (almost).

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. I didn’t take good care of myself last week. Not enough exercise or water, and too many snacks. I have to do better this week, hook or crook, and I’m going to try to get to bed by 10 every night (okay, 10:30).

I knew today was going to be a great day when I checked my email and found this adorable picture…

Meet Sweet Pea, the kitty who lives with MBB reader Amber. Notice how she’s snuggling with Amber’s tube of MAC Lipglass in Evolution Revolution? Clearly, Sweet Pea is a cat of impeccable taste. 🙂

If you catch your cat (or dog/hamster/turtle or other animal 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 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. When did you first understand the meaning of heartbreak?
3. What was your all-time favorite vacation?
4. Platform shoes: yea or nay?
5. Do you prefer ice cream cups or cones?
6. Would you rather text, call or e-mail?
7. When was your last haircut?
8. Someone who changed your life?
9. Your favorite healthy snack?
10. Weekly goals:

If you promise to have a good week, I’ll do the same. Pinky swear!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 145

by 23 Comments

Tabs for Essence Nail Polish

Tabs went buck wild this week, kitty modeling all over the globe. “I’m in the house, b*tches!” he recently told Rolling Stone. He had jobs in Tahiti, outer space, Bon Temps (a small town in Louisiana…), Germany and Beijing, but now he’s back home in Cali with me.

Here’s a look at his portfolio from the week. He hopes you enjoy. 🙂

Tabs for MAC Jade Fortune Eyeshadow

Tabs for the Tarte True Blood Collection at Sephora
[Continue reading…]

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.