Just For Fun

Good morning, young lady. How did you sleep? Did you rage against the machine last night? I did, from the comfort of the couch. I watched I Am Number Four again, for a total of two times during the 48-hour rental window (take that, Amazon Instant Video!), eating popcorn and mango bars well past midnight. And why did I do it? Well, just because I can! she shouted, shaking her fist at the world.

How’s it going this morning? My visit to the museum yesterday was a lot of fun. There were two special exhibits, one featuring Pablo Picasso’s work, and the other a retrospective of fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga’s clothes from the ’40s – ’60s.

I can’t recall ever seeing any of Picasso’s work before in person, so it was neat to see the size of the canvases he worked on and the layering of his brush strokes in paintings that I’d ever only seen in books or on prints. I also never knew before yesterday that he was also a sculptor.

Balenciaga’s Spanish roots heavily influenced his designs, like the bolero jackets worn by matadors, the long skirts and capes worn by peasant women in the fields, the shawls worn by flamenco dancers, the detailing of the attire worn by Spanish royalty in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the influence of Catholicism throughout it all. Working in his fashion house was said to be like working in a monastery — everyone was required to work in silence.

Yeah, I would not have been able to deal. 🙂

I only wish I’d been able to take pictures of the exhibits, but the guards weren’t having it this time…

Thank you for the wonderful comments, tweets and emails about EvRev. I’m really glad to hear you like it. Oh, and cat/dog moms, if you want to take a pic of your pet with your tube, I won’t stop you (actually, I encourage you to do it!).

Here’s one last look back at what we talked about this week on the blog.

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

NARS UNSUNG HEROES
PRO-PRIME SMUDGE PROOF EYESHADOW BASE

When I finished my first tube of lightweight, colorless NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($24), the thought of not being able to reach for what I’d come to consider the best eye makeup primer currently on the market almost triggered a minor panic attack.

We’d been inseparable since we met last November, thanks to the Troublemaker Gift Set, and I was impressed from the start. Pro-Prime intensifies the color of products applied on top of it and extends wear time, too. It grips cream and powder shadows, eyeliners and brow pencils tighter than teeth on a night guard.

When I start with Pro-Prime in the morning, my eye makeup still looks fresh and crease-free at dinner, even on hot, muggy days. Read more…

JOUER SERVES UP COOL PINK LIPS
AND SHEER BRONZED SKIN FOR SUMMER 2011

I’ve heard about days like today — sunny days in San Francisco — but always thought they were myths or legends. 🙂 Just kidding, of course. San Francisco does get sunny days, despite the many postcard pics of the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in fog, and today was one of them. It was so sunny and hot, in fact, that I probably could have fried a petrified dragon egg on the sidewalk (yes, I’m obsessed with Game of Thrones).

Not expecting it to be as warm as it was today, I did a full face of makeup for my meeting in the city, with foundation, concealer, powder, blush, eyeshadow, mascara, eye primer — the whole nine yards. Then, after the meeting, I started sweating on the short walk back to the car. The tiny trickle o’ perspiration that tickled its way down the side of my face got me thinking about simple summer makeup, and I couldn’t wait to get home so I could slip into some Jouer.

The high-end indie brand recently launched two new pieces for sweltering summer days, a Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Peony ($20) and an Oil-Free Sheer Bronzing Tint with SPF 15 ($32), both of them designed to be worn together for a simple yet polished summertime look. Read more…

IT’S GLOW TIME WITH THE PACIFICA ISLAND GLOW
BEAUTIFUL BODY KIT

When my eyes lighted upon the Pacifica Island Glow Beautiful Body Kit at Sephora last Sunday, I felt like a tourist browsing shops along a beach-side promenade. I was “just looking around” at the time (haha, we all know how that usually goes), and before I knew it, I was clutching the cute box in my hands!

The $24 kit comes with four of Pacifica’s newest products to buff, moisturize and make summer skin sparkle.

Par for the course when it comes to Pacifica, the products are also cruelty-free, which gets two paws up from MBB’s resident husky tabby/amateur golfer. Read more…

STAY WITH ME
ESSENCE LONGLASTING LIPGLOSS

Today, the first official day of summer, has been the hottest day of the year so far, yet shortly after it topped 92 °F this afternoon (33 °C) I exclaimed, “cool!”

Thanks to the shine-preventing power of powder (in this case MAC Blot), you may not be able to tell from these pics that my air conditioner is busted. I considered retreating with my water noodle to a pool, but then I would have had to wait before telling you about these bargain basement glosses from Essence.

Dang, right? Today has been all about the glosses.

The Essence line, an import from Germany, is still new to U.S. shores. Price-wise, it fits nicely next to other drugstore lines like NYC New York Color and Wet n Wild, and can be found at Ulta stores and also online. Read more…

OUTFIT OF THE DAY, VOL. 1
A BLUE SUMMER DRESS WITH YELLOW HEELS

I totally smurfed out today! — and since I’m a big fan of “outfit of the day” posts, I thought I’d smurf two birds with one stone 🙂 and take pics of myself from head to toe.

The dress (about $40) is from a brand called Lush, and, um, I found it on the Nordstrom website in the Juniors Department… Yes, I have no shame when it comes to wearing clothing made for teenagers, but shopping for those clothes actually inside a store beside girls born after I graduated from college kindasorta freaks me out.

It comes in the blue pictured here, as well as black.

Unfortunately, when I checked online for the dress again today, I wasn’t able to find it, so if you’re interested and live near a Nordstrom store, it might be worth a quick call or visit, especially if you live somewhere hot.

The dress itself is rayon and weighs next to nothing, almost like a lightweight linen, and the elastic waist adds a little definition to my shape without feeling too clingy. So comfy in the heat! Read more…

GO FROM DAY TO NIGHT IN A FLASH WITH THE
MAC BLOGGERS’ OBSESSIONS COLLECTION

Never work for a cat. I’m serious. Mine has me running around like a chicken with its head cut off this week, and I’ve been puting in some long 14-hour days, dashing from meetings with kitty modeling agency executives, to working lunches, to Petco on behalf of Tabs, who just broke another cat toy, and apparently replacing it is “the company’s top priority.” WHATEVER, DUDE!

What’s that old saying? When it rains it pours? I try to remember that this surge of stuff on my calendar is only temporary and something we all go through from time to time. We’re busy gals, after all, with places to go, pets to appease and shoes over which to obsess. Read more…

5 SUMMER STAPLES
EYE MAKEUP ESSENTIALS TO BEAT THE HEAT

Orange eyeshadow? Come to mama. Teal eyeliner? I’m all over it. You don’t have to ask me twice when it comes to trying trendy eye makeup. The answer is the same emphatic “Yes!” I’d give to an up-close-and-personal search from Detective Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: SVU.

But while outrageous eyes can be a blast, this girl’s gotta have her steady staples, too. Tried-and-true eye makeup essentials, like the five summer staples below, can keep your eyes fly when the temperature climbs. Read more…

IT COSTS 99 CENTS TO COLOUR & GO WITH
ESSENCE QUICK DRYING NAIL POLISH

One day, after cleaning my room back when I was in elementary school, I asked my mom for an allowance and tried to justify it as compensation for a job well done. Her reply? “When someone starts paying me for making dinner and washing clothes, then you get an allowance.”

Oh, snap! Score one for Team Mom.

I still managed to scrape together a few bucks here and there, like the one my grandma gave me for being cute. “You’re so cute!” she said. “Here’s a dollar!”

I strutted around with that dollar in my pocket for days, like I was some kind of third-grade baller.

Yes, those formative years probably have something to do with why I love bargain beauty deals so much. My newest cheap thrill: the 99-cent Essence Colour & Go Nail Polishes. Read more…

5 SUMMER STAPLES
SHOW SOME SKIN WITH THESE BODY CARE BASICS

Summer’s the season to show off a little skin, and to this I roar “Hallelujah!” After what felt like the longest, wettest, dreariest winter and spring in this century so far, I’m beyond ready to finally free myself from my cotton/polyester oppressors. So long, long pants, wool socks and turtleneck sweaters. Peace!

Summers in this part of Northern California can get pretty hot, but before I venture out in a summer dress or park my posterior poolside in a swimsuit, I like to do a bit of body beauty prep first (don’t want my hairy sasquatch legs to frighten the neighborhood kids, ya know?). For this I turn to body care basics like the fab five listed here. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Good morning, young lady (and you, too, young sirs). Happy Father’s Day! To all the dads out there — and I hope you are out there, perhaps reading about the importance of sunscreen, discovering a new cologne, compiling a list of organic haircare products, researching gifts, entering giveaways, or just learning about makeup and beauty for any number of other reasons — we salute you! Today is all about the boys.

And to my dads (mine and El Hub’s), thank you both for everything you do. Today, the remote is yours, gentlemen! Feel free to watch all the bad science fiction and sports you want.

As for me, right now I’m just sitting here planning my day, which I hope includes plenty of time to relax. And reflect. I’ve been weirdly emotional lately. I feel a little better this morning after a couple of cupcakes and two hours of Sex and the City DVDs last night, but I’m still not 100%.

I’m sure it’s nothing… You know how it is.

Did you fall in love with any new makeup or beauty products this week? I’m still swooning over that $5 Goody tortoise-shell headband. Wish I could find one to fit Tabs. I think he’d look really cute.

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

THE LULULEMON ATHLETICA 50 REP BRA
THE BEST DAMN SPORTS BRA I’VE EVER WORN

Seeing as how I spent last weekend in Vancouver, the city where Lululemon Athletica was born, I figured I should give a shout-out to my favorite over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder, the 50 Rep Bra ($42).

I’ve tried gaggles of different sports bras over the years from more brands than I can remember — Champion, Nike, Adidas and Moving Comfort are a few that spring to mind — and by far my favorite so far has been the 50 Rep. It’s the most comfortable sports bra I’ve ever worn, for sure.

It comes in several prints (like the one I’m wearing here) and solid colors, from classic, sporty shades like black, white and gray, to spunkier shades like red and mint green. Read more…

3 LESSONS LEARNED
SUMMER HAIR MISHAPS

Yesterday I came to the shockingly wonderful realization that the official start of summer is less than one week away, and judging by the rising temps and lack of rain in the 10-day forecast, it looks like the weather has finally gotten with the program.

Ah, summer… Such great memories, but when I think back to the summers of my youth, I’m surprised I remember them at all. There were no far-flung adventures backpacking through Europe or sailing trips around the world. Nope, my childhood summers were much more mundane. I spent most of them hanging out at the local Thrifty drugstore, where you could get a free ice cream for returning a shopping cart to the store, and watching videos on MTV (back when MTV actually played videos). For the most part, I spent my summers doing absolutely nothing. Read more…

A BLAST FROM THE PAST, L’OCCITANE PIVOINE FLORA
BEAUTY CREAM BLOOMS LIKE A RETRO ROSE

Even though the scent of L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Beauty Cream ($36) reminds me of my ninang (the Tagalog word for godmother), I’m gonna assume the folks at L’Occitane weren’t shooting for eau de high maintenance Filipino godmother divas when they developed it. 🙂

I love the scent, which smells more to me like a mix of old school Oil of Olay (the one that came in the pink bottle), floral soaps and roses than the peonies it contains. I can picture something similar sitting on the dressing table of a young woman in the ’50s, or see it sitting on a shelf today in the home of an older woman who still remembers being that girl. While I think it suits girls of all ages, those who prefer scents on the mature side may like it more than, say, the fruity bubblegum body sprays that sparkle in most drugstores. Read more…

TOPSHOP CHEEKS IN LUMINESCENCE
IS STICKING IT TO MAC NYMPHETTE

If you’ve spent sleepless nights (LOL! I almost typed “knights.” Yeah, someone’s been obsessed with Game of Thrones lately.) tossing and turning over the need to find a cream blush version of MAC Nymphette Lipglass, as bizarre as that might sound, you wouldn’t be the only one.

I’m right there with ya, babe! 🙂 But get this: Topshop might finally have a cure for what ails us.

The line recently introduced three new creamy, multi-purpose sticks called Cheeks, $20 blush/highlighters designed to add shimmery color to faces, lips, bodies and — you guessed it — cheeks. Read more…

SHOULD YOU R.S.V.P. FOR TARTE’S AMAZONIAN
CLAY WATERPROOF CREAM SHADOW IN SEASHELL PINK?

It appears that Tarte RSVP’d for Benefit’s popular Creaseless Cream in R.S.V.P, and, while at the release party, stole the idea for the color, and ran with it all the way to the beach — or the Seashore, to be more precise.

Just how close is Tarte’s new Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow in Seashell Pink to Benefit Creaseless Cream in R.S.V.P.? The short answer: close.

Both shimmery pink cream eyeshadows look darn near like sisters in their pots and swatches, but I think if you look closely at both of them, you’ll see richer peach pigments in Seashell Pink. Read more…

MAC UNSUNG HEROES
THIS LIP PENCIL IS IN SYNCH

Can I tell you a secret? Okay, first, you have to promise not to tell. It’s not that I’m embarrassed or anything… Well, maybe a little, but here goes: sometimes, when I’m alone, I rock out to old ‘N Sync songs.

There, I said it.

Hey now, don’t judge! Their Celebrity album was actually pretty good.

Someone at MAC even named one of the company’s Lip Pencils after the band (well…), and it happens to be today’s Unsung Hero, In Synch ($13).

Fate is such a fickle mistress, isn’t she? I almost never met this yellowish pastel pink because for a long time I’d always just assumed it would be too light for my coloring (I’m usually more of a Subculture kinda gal). Then I decided to give it a try one day on a whim. Read more…

I’VE WAITED FOREVER TO MAKE THIS STATEMENT
I FINALLY FOUND A COMFORTABLE TORTOISE-SHELL HEADBAND (THANKS, GOODY!)

Let me tell you, it is NOT easy to find a comfortable tortoise-shell headband. Most are made out of stiff plastic that squeezes the life out of my noggin, giving me headaches. I do love how they look, though — so preppy and chic. So very J. Crew, which is why I keep trying to find a great one.

I never thought I’d actually find it for $5, but I think I have, in the form of the tortoise-shell headwrap from the Goody Statements collection (available exclusively at Target). I guess in a world where there can be a fourth season of a show like Jersey Shore, anything is possible.

Instead of a rigid band, it’s a soft, flexible plastic one with a tortoise-shell pattern and a loop of stretchy black elastic connecting the ends. It’s BEYOND comfy — shoot, maybe even more comfortable than stretchy pants, fluffy beds and Adidas shell-toe shoes. Read more…

TWO-BUCK CHIC
HAVE YOU TRIED $2 ESSENCE EYESHADOWS BEFORE?

And here I thought the most fun I could have for $2 would come from a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck.

Oh, but that was before I met these Essence Eyeshadows. They come in 18 colors across three different finishes (matte, shimmer and holographic), and each will set you back a mere $2.

The different finishes have varying levels of pigmentation, with the shimmer and holographic shades generally depositing more color than the mattes.

Here’s a quick look at six of them. Right now I’m on the fence about these, but I’m really interested to hear what you think. Read more…

MAC BLOGGERS’ OBSESSIONS COLLECTION
SWATCHES AND PICTURES

Super quick look at the upcoming MAC Bloggers’ Obsessions Collection, a nine-piece collection of MAC Eyeshadows and Lipglasses launching June 21, exclusively online. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen