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

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Just For Fun

Two Ways to Win a Clarins Barocco Face Palette

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

It’s almost too pretty to touch, but the floral swirls gracing the Clarins Barocco Face Palette ($55) want you to go for baroque today.

Really, they do. I’m not kidding; they LIVE for it!

This golden peachy pink powder gives cheeks and faces a warm, subtle sheen, but only if you build up the courage to actually disrupt the pretty pattern on the pan. 🙂

If you can imagine this limited edition stunner softly illuminating your lovely cheeks, then get ready to flex those commenting muscles because it’s time for another giveaway!

clarins barocco collection holiday 2010 review swatches photos

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

  • One (1) Clarins Barocco Face Palette (a $55 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 — do you have a favorite Clarins product? What are you doing for lunch today? What’s your favorite magazine? How do you feel about spam (the canned meat)?
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a Clarins Barocco Face Palette (a $55 Value) http://bit.ly/i26UjT

  • The deadline to enter is Thursday, December 2, 2010 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 Wendy! Congratulations, Wendy! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Nov. 29

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Want some shave ice?

  1. Mood:

    2. Wide awake! I still haven’t adjusted to the time difference here (2 hrs), so I’ve been reading in the dark since 4:30…but at least I’ve got those jungle chickens to keep me company.

  2. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens — what are a few of your favorite things?

    3. Hot tea on a cold night, my favorite pair of stretchy yoga pants, a bottle of Coca Cola with a veggie burger and fries…

  3. My No. 1 makeup rule is _____.

    4. My No. 1 makeup rule is to do what makes you happy. That goes for it all — color choices, application technique, brands, you name it.

  4. Sleeveless puffy vests: yea or nay?

    5. Yea, within reason. I mean, they can’t be so that puffy that I look like a short brown Michelin Man. 🙂

  5. The best advice I ever received was_____.

    6. The best advice I’ve ever received was from an elderly woman named Lucy. She was my old landlady when I lived in that apartment in Mill Valley. Once she said to me, “You never feel ready for all the things life throws in your path, and if you sit around waiting to feel ready you could be waiting a really, really long time.”

  6. The best book you read this year:

    7. The Hunger Games, for sure.

  7. How was your Thanksgiving?

    8. It was nice, but I really missed my brother, my parents and Tabs. It’s always hard when everyone can’t be together in the same place.

  8. What’s the best and worst parts of your job?

    9. The best: being able to stretch my creative muscles without getting fired. The worst: self-imposed deadlines.

  9. I wish I had a hair product that _____.

    10. I could spritz on for perfect bangs in 10 seconds flat!

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Have a good trip back home to Cali, play with Tabs as much as possible, get back in my regular working groove, and put up a Christmas tree.

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



1. Mood:
2. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens — what are a few of your favorite things?
3. My No. 1 makeup rule is _____.
4. Sleeveless puffy vests: yea or nay?
5. The best advice I ever received was _____.
6. The best book you read this year:
7. The best and worst parts of your job?
8. How was your Thanksgiving?
9. I wish I had a hair product that ____.
10. Weekly goals:

I hope you have a great week, my friend, and that December gets off to a great start. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With(out) Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 115

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Sand cat says, “These are my slippers. so you’ll have to get your own.”

Even though I’m sure Tabs has been living la vida loca without me (I heard he threw a rager last night), I sure do miss his fussy face.

Tabs and his Chanel Khaki nail polishes

The gang of tail-less tabbies that runs around my in-law’s neighborhood has been MIA, so I’ve been getting my CCL on via beach cats and the feline sand sculptures (like the one up top).

I asked friends on Twitter the other day how they cope when they go on vacation without their pets… @norulesjstbeaut starts to meow to pictures of her cats. Now THERE’s a woman after my own heart, ha!

Thanks to the Skype Tabby Cam 2000, Tabs and I have kept in contact every day. He’s been calling to complain about the pet sitter, who he says “wouldn’t know good gravy from a hole in the ground.”

Today I went through some of Tabs’ old makeup modeling pics, and now I miss him even more…

urban decay naked palette review swatches photos pictures


[Continue reading…]

Two Ways to Win a 47-Piece Tarte Jewelry Box Palette

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WINNER: Valentine. 🙂

Now this is the way to up-sell a girl like me — include a pretty piece of costume jewelry with your makeup palette, your cereal, your car battery, your [INSERT PRACTICALLY ANYTHING HERE].

The Tarte Jewelry Box Palette ($52), a Sephora exclusive, comes with 32 powder eyeshadows, eight lipglosses, a mineral bronzer, a shimmery highlighting powder, five long-wearing eye pencils and this stylin’ gold necklace to take you from day wear to diva in the blink of a blended eye.

I hope you’re ready for another giveaway, because today’s is about to start. 🙂

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

  • One (1) Tarte Jewelry Box Palette (a $52 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 — you could describe your favorite family heirloom, your taste in jewelry or perhaps your outlook on socks.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to win a Tarte Jewelry Box Palette (a $52 value) http://bit.ly/eyOCXv

  • The deadline to enter is Tuesday, November 30, 2010 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: Valentine. 🙂

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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The Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

It’s a stormy day here in Kaneohe (pronounced khan-ay-oh-hey), but no one told the birds clamoring up a storm outside. Strangely, the neighborhood chickens have been relatively quiet this morning. I guess they don’t go in for singing in the rain like the other birds do.

Waking up to the pouring rain and birds singing outside are some of my favorite things about staying here at my in-laws’. Both are daily occurrences here in the jungle and make the giant mosquitos that much easier to bear.


Here’s what it sounds like during a break in the storm…

I really appreciate the extra guest posts submitted by Sam, Olga, Audrey and everyone else lately. Haven’t they been great? Seriously, this week I learned a new technique for matching my foundation, read some good ideas for ways to store my fragrances at home, found out about the Sally Beauty earth tone shadows, found out about a few interesting makeup sets recommended by a talented makeup artist and bunch of other cool stuff too.

I think the guest posts have been so great, in fact, that I’ve taken a little extra time for myself and my family on this trip, spending less time on the computer than I usually do. Once I got past the first few painful days of Internet withdrawal (I had the shakes real bad, LOL!), it got a lot easier.

How are things in your end of the jungle? Any peacock sightings or awesome new makeup to report?

A big congrats to Nancy for winning the bedazzled iPod Touch giveaway this week, and a thank you to Visine for sponsoring the prize. Stay tuned for more giveaways over the coming days, and be sure to enter any ongoing ones if you haven’t already. Good luck! 🙂

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

Yes To Cucumbers Facial TowelettesYES TO CUCUMBERS
FACIAL TOWELETTES

I experienced what can only be described as a euphoric scent-sory experience the other day with a Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelette ($6 for a pack of 30). El Hub walked in on me while I was holding one of them up to my nose and breathing deeply (smells like those cucumber water drinks you get at a fancy shamncy spas). I must have looked like Gollum from Middle Earth, cradling my little precious…

These softer-than-soft wipes are the latest additions to the Yes To ______ line of organic eco-friendly skin and hair products.

I think the company’s pretty cool, especially when they release something I really like.

The biodegradable cloths say “yes to” removing face and eye makeup without the need for water, but with the help of skin softening cucumber, aloe vera and exfoliating minerals collected from the Dead Sea. Read more…

A $10 Makeup LookA $10 MAKEUP LOOK
TAUPE, BROWN & VIOLET EYES

How low can you go? (Sing it!) How lo-oh can you go? Okay, so I had a lot of fun last week trying to put together a makeup look for less than $10, and I think I did an okay job. The whole shebang came to a whopping $9.85, but I think I can do better.

I gave it another go, this time shooting for something 1) cheaper and 2) more dramatic. I paired smokey taupe/brown/violet eyes with lilac lips. Again, the products are all from N.Y.C New York Color because, obvs, they’re really inexpensive, cruelty-free, and altogether not half bad.

Since the eyes AND lips are pretty colorful in this look, I kept the cheeks bare (don’t want to overwhelm passers by, LOL!), but a nice blush probably wouldn’t have hurt.

If you decide to give something like this a try but feel that the lilac lips are way too much, you could swap ‘em out for something a little quieter, like perhaps a light peach gloss (maybe the $6 Sally Hansen Diamond 12-Hour Lip Treatment in Flawless?).

First, the eyes. Start by applying N.Y.C. New York Color Brow/Eye Liner Pencil in Jet Black ($1.14) on the lids and the crease as an eyeshadow base. Use a finger or a brush to smooth out the edges before patting the shimmery mauve eyeshadow from the Metro Quartet Eye Shadow in Chelsea Chic ($3.99) on the lid. Read more…

Two Products from the Clinique Redness Solutions LineTHE CLINIQUE
REDNESS SOLUTIONS LINE

Having suffered from mild rosacea for a few years, I am always on the lookout for products to conceal the redness on my face without making it look like it has been dipped in pancake mix. This time that search led me to two makeup products from the Redness Solutions line by Clinique: the Targeted Corrector and the Instant Relief Mineral Powder.

Despite the way these two are advertized (helps skin “keep its cool” and reduces redness on contact) they do not reduce redness (at least, not on my skin); they merely conceal it. Good enough for me, so let’s get on with the review.

This is a yellow concealer pen with a thick, pasty consistency. It’s pretty dry, so I would avoid using it on the undereye area (luckily, this is the only part of my face that never gets red and bumpy like the rest!). The best part about this corrector is the great coverage it provides — I have tried it both with and without foundation, and the redness was covered up pretty much completely in both cases. Read more…

Three fun makeup sets for ChristmasTHREE FUN MAKEUP
SETS FOR CHRISTMAS

I have such a weakness for makeup sets. They usually suck me in with cute packaging and then seal the deal by offering a good price.

During a recent visit to Sephora (ahem, purely for educational purposes), I discovered a bunch of fun makeup sets that tickled my fancy. Did I need any of them? No. But did I want them? Of course! And guess what? It’s that perfect time of year for frivolous expenses!

To help you write your letter to Santa (or be a gift-giving Santa yourself!), here are my top three favorite makeup kits this holiday season: Read more…

The Earth Tone Sally Girl Eye Shadow Connecting CompactsTHE SALLY GIRL
EYE SHADOW CONNECTING COMPACTS – THE EARTH TONES

With the nude face being one of Fall 2010’s hottest trends, it would be easy for you to just turn to your favorite shimmery champagne shadow, swipe a bit over your lid, and run out of the house. Skin glowing and cheeks instantly tinted red by the late-autumn chill, you’re the image of ultimate chic. But if you feel the look is too plain — too bare — and you’re tempted to reach for that black liquid liner and slap on a thick cat eye, why not turn to your earth tones instead?

On one of my monthly trips to Sally’s a while back, I had just finished my hair product shopping and was waiting for my father to pick me up. Having already examined the aisles twice (I’m always convinced I’ve missed some new, revolutionary product that’s been quietly tucked in between the Cholesterol Masques and the clarifying shampoo), the only display left was the makeup.

I’ll admit it. I’m a makeup snob. Seeing price tags of $5.99, $2.99, and, it pains me to say, $0.99, I was more than skeptical of these modestly packaged beauty items. I reluctantly bowed my head down towards the bare-bones rack. Read more…

The Jouer Train Case Makeup Essentials KitTHE JOUER TRAIN CASE
MAKEUP ESSENTIALS KIT

Can’t get enough of NARS Orgasm? Do MAC Nymphette Lipglass and Power Surge Eye Kohl give you heart palpitations? If so, you may suffer from warm shade lust-alaria.

Don’t worry. It’s a treatable, albeit sometimes expensive condition, and one possible cure could be the new Jouer Train Case Makeup Essentials Kit ($200).

Jouer, an indie makeup line known for natural colors and their chic girl-about-town packaging, leans more toward the Clinique/Bobbi Brown end of the spectrum than the MAC/Illamasqua side, and it’s a very pretty place to be.

This adorable pink zip-up train case comes with makeup for your eyes, lips and cheeks, and a mini- blush brush.

In addition to the case and the brush you get Powder Eyeshadow in Caramel (a shimmery warm peachy gold), Eye Definer in Chocolat (a shimmery golden bronz), Powder Blush in Rose (a matte warm pink), Highlighter in Champagne (a shimmery peachy gold), Lipstick in Kiki (a shimmery peachy pink), Lipgloss in Glisten (a sheer, shimmery light peach with multi-colored glitter), Lip Definer in Rose Pale (a matte peachy pink)… Read more…

Chantecaille Lip Chic in Tea RoseCHANTECAILLE LIP CHIC
IN TEA ROSE

Before you write off Chantecaille Lip Chic in Tea Rose because of its $30 price tag, take a moment to scroll…down.

Okay, yes, it’s very expensive, and, yes, the whole gloss/lipstick hybrid thing’s been totally done to death (see: Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Glossticks, Avon Glazewears, MAC Slimshines, the Prescriptives LipShines, etc.), but OH, NELLY! It sure feels great on my cold-burned lips.

Tea Rose is one of 14 permanent shades in Chantecaille’s Lip Chics line of lipsticks designed to smooth, firm and plump puckers.

This shimmery rose has just a hint of red and buildable light-to-medium coverage with a shiny finish. Read more…

The Best Place to Match to Your Foundation?WHERE SHOULD YOU
MATCH YOUR FOUNDATION?

Ah, the age-old question: “Do I match my foundation to my neck, my jawline, my inner wrist, my…” Ok, stop right there.

There are many reasons why all of the above are less than ideal, so let’s go through some of them before we explore an even better way to match.

If you match to your…

Neck — Because of the shadow your face casts down upon your neck, it only makes sense that your neck is going to be one of the palest parts of your skin. It receives the least amount of sun, and contains much lower levels of pigment than many other parts of your skin. Match your foundation to your neck, and you run the risk of a washed-out, sickly looking face. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Just Saying Hi: Chanel Riva and Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay

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Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii

What up, buttercup? Have you recovered from turkey day yet? Today I got in the water for the first time since arriving here in Hawaii, and I brought along a waterproof camera. Here are some pictures of a place called Hanauma Bay here on Oahu.

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii - Walking down to the water

It’s a popular nature preserve/snorkeling spot, and it’s literally overrun with cats and mongoose (mongeese?), which look like skinny blond land otters. And sea turtles (but I didn’t see any of those).

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii - Playing in the water

Do you like snorkeling? I do alright with the fins and snorkel, but I’m always afraid of crashing into the rocks.

Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii - Snorkeling and seeing fishies
[Continue reading…]

Two Ways to Win a MAC Tartan Tale A Lady & Her Tricks Buff & Line Brush Collection Set

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

So how was your Thanksgiving, young lady? Lots of good food and conversation, I hope.

Ours was an overeaters’s paradise punctuated by mounds of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, with gravy cascading down it all like a waterfall of YUM! It was a magic carpet ride down a tryptophan dream piloted by my mother-in-law, and she did a delicious job. I’ll be recovering from, and trying to work off, the calories for weeks.

Unless I figure out how to cast a magic makeup slimming spell…

I mean, it’s possible, right? After all, a lady casts spells with light and color like a magician wows the stage — assuming, of course, that she has the right tools for the job.

Like any good illusionist, a lady can never have too many tricks (or brushes) up her sleeve, but the lady doesn’t rely on trick mirrors, marked cards, trap doors and coins with two tails. Her props are tools like the brushes in the limited edition MAC Tartan Tale A Lady & Her Tricks Buff & Line Brush Collection ($49.50).

Which reminds me, are you ready for another giveaway? 🙂

You could take your show on the road with this prize. It’s a kit with a studded plaid bag containing travel-sized versions of MAC’s 168 Angled Contour Brush, 187 Duo Fibre Brush, 209 Eye Liner Brush, 219 Pencil Brush and the 242 Shader Brush.

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

Win a MAC Brush Collection Set

  • One (1) MAC A Tartan Tale A Lady & Her Tricks Buff & Line Brush Collection set (a $49.50 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 — you could tell me about your all-time favorite makeup brush, walk me through a simple magic trick, or talk to me about fashion, pets and plaid.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to win a MAC Tartan Tale A Lady & Her Tricks Buff & Line Brush Collection Set (a $49.50 value) http://bit.ly/fh1FsL

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 28, 2010 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 Nikki! Congratulations, Nikki! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving: I Am Thankful

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful…

  • For another day, because every one is a gift
  • For El Hub’s love, patience, support and respect
  • For TABS!!!
  • For modern dentistry (aka floss and fluoride, yo!)
  • To live in a country that with all its faults provides people with clean drinking water, cheap produce, tremendous opportunities, the rights to vote and then to badmouth the government, and the freedom to make a complete fool of yourself in public
  • To have family, because many people do not
  • To be lucky enough to witness kindness, compassion, gut-busting laughter, and love on a regular basis
  • To have made it this far (35 years and still going strong-ish!)
  • To have ever tried blogging, because 1) I wasn’t cut out to be a legal secretary or a literary agent, and 2) it gave me the chance to feel useful and appreciated
  • For the opportunity to put my humungous library of humiliating childhood photos and my radical repertoire of 1980s pop-culture references to good use
  • For emails like this one:

    Hi Karen,

    I just wanted to let you know how very much I enjoy your blog. It’s informative, helpful and very funny. I have started to find that I cannot start my day without my daily injection of Karen and Tabs! Thank you so much for your hard work and commitment in putting out your blog. I hope this email goes a little way to letting you know that even in far flung corners of the world (Sydney, Australia in my case) there are people who think you do a wonderful job and have come to rely on your honest and helpful posts. Thanks again and I look forward to many more mornings filled with Makeup and Beauty Blog goodness!

    -Alison

  • For MAKEUP (of course), with a special shout-out to concealer today
  • For you 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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