Just For Fun

• The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to winner Snoopysteph! Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

Uh, oh… Someone spiked the punch!

I’ve never heard that in reference to actual punch before, but I’ve always wanted to say it.

How goes the weekend? Good, I hope. I had a pretty relaxing afternoon, I’m happy to report. No news is good news, right? Oh, I finally caught the last episode of Project Runway online. I don’t want to spoil the ending if you haven’t seen it yet, but what did you think? Did the right person win (I think so!)?

Because it was sunny today I couldn’t stop thinking about the beach, which led me to think about coral (and surfing) and the subject of today’s giveaway, Benefit’s Spiked Punch lipgloss, one of the new Ultra Shines Lip Shine glosses I’ve been lurving lately (see it in action here).

I hope you’re ready to shine. 🙂

The prize

One lucky lady will win a tube of Benefit’s shimmery coral Ultra Shines Lip Shine Gloss in Spiked Punch (an $18 value).

Spiked Punch, like the other Ultra Shines Lip Shine glosses, radiates a mirror-like finish and packs pigment to spare. It doesn’t hit counters until May, so this is an early peak.

How to enter…

Entering is easy. There are two different ways, 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. In it, share a trick you use to keep your lips looking great, or tell me the name of your current favorite gloss.

For softer lips the following day, I’ll apply some lip balm right before bed.

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

Follow @karenmbb and RT to win Benefit’s Ultra Shines Lip Shine gloss in Spiked Punch (an $18 value) http://bit.ly/byDB1P

Recap…

1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
2. Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:
   
   Follow @karenmbb and RT to win Benefit’s Ultra Shines Lip Shine gloss in Spiked Punch (an $18 value) http://bit.ly/byDB1P

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, April 26.

Bonne chance!!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

• The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to winner Snoopysteph! Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

Good morning, ladies. As you probably already know, today, all across our “pale blue dot,” people are celebrating Earth Day, the annual event founded 40 years ago to promote environmental awareness and appreciation.

I know I could do more to reduce my carbon footprint, but I try. I recycle what I can and watch my energy consumption (Target has great prices on fluorescent bulbs), and lately I’ve been altering the menu at home a few days a week (to which El Hub has reluctantly complied).

Here’s to a great Earth Day, ladies. Below are some recent posts that came to mind. We’re all in this together. 🙂

The EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer Brush: A $30 Brush in $12 Clothing

“A $12 brush swept me off my feet today, and they call it the Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer Brush. Compared to department store brushes costing $20 and up, it’s a bargain superhero — affordable, with dense, super-soft bristles that deposit just the right amount of color on my skin.”

Yes to Carrots Lip Tints Say YES to Affordable Lip Color

“My favorite thing about them? — how pigmented they are (for lip tints). These puppies pack *lots* of color, applying with semi-sheer to medium coverage. The resulting lip’s a casual look that I can see myself wearing a lot on weekends or to the gym (and don’t miss these other products in the line).”

DIY Beauty with Kitchen Cosmetics

“There’s just something about making homemade beauty products, isn’t there? — the idea of whipping something up from scratch, skipping the preservatives and really *feeling* the ingredients in your hands? It turns out that homemade versions of many popular beauty products are easy to make with ingredients that most cooks have readily at hand.”

Spring into Action with Josie Maran’s Natural Wonder Powder Palette

“I LOVE the brights in this palette! Both Hope (the blueish purple) and Desire (the greenish teal) are downright iridescent — like alive, with colors that are multi-dimensional without looking too frosty or shimmery. I think it makes them pretty easy to wear (even for daytime looks to work).”

[Continue reading…]

• The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to winner Amber! Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

It’s a cold, gray Wednesday here in the San Francisco Bay Area, homies, and the ache in my knees tells me that rain’s a-comin’!

On the bright side, April showers bring May flowers, and perhaps even a bit of MAC. 🙂

Today’s giveaway features something water-resistant, you know, just in case it rains. MAC’s smudgy Greasepaint Stick in Slick Black is a jill of many trades, a multitasking maven unafraid of wet and wild days.

The prize

One lucky lady will win long-wearing MAC Greasepaint Stick in Slick Black, a creamy black eye crayon ($18 value) that works well as a liner, a shadow or even as a base for powder eyeshadows (busts out some FABOOLICIOUS smokey eyes).

How to enter…

Entering is easy. There are two different ways, 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. In it, share one or more of your favorite eyeliner tips/tricks.

To get a soft, barely-there liner look that puts the focus on your eyes, 🙂 dot the lash lines with an eyeliner pencil, and smudge the dots together with an applicator sponge.

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

Follow @karenmbb and RT to win MAC Slick Black Greasepaint Stick (an $18 value) http://bit.ly/9maYIQ

Recap…

1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
2. Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:
   
   Follow @karenmbb and RT to win MAC Slick Black Greasepaint Stick (an $18 value) http://bit.ly/9maYIQ

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Friday, April 23.

Ke o lakaletsa mohlohonolo!!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

• The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to winner Amber! Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

P.S. So much yummy MAC goodness to look forward to, ladies! Tomorrow Pret a Papier, already available online, drops on counters. To put it mildly, I’m stoked.

And I can’t wait for the new Superglass glosses ($18 each). Those boogie on down to MAC counters on May 6.

MAC says the nine glosses are even more blinged-out than their super-sparkly Dazzleglass line, and they used something they call “snowflake-shaped helicone pearls” to ramp up the sparkle while NOT ramping up the grit. We’ll see!

From top: Cherry Electric (a bright cherry pink), Disco Blend (a light tan), Fab Frenzy (a deep blueish purple), Gift Wrap (a light pinkish peach), Sugar Overload (a beige-y white), Superflash! (a mid-tone yellowish pink), Sweet Tart (a pale baby pink), Totally Bang! (fuchsia), Tunnel of Love (a deep blueish brown)

1. Mood:

Unusually alert (!) and chipper, considering I went to bed after midnight and got up at 6 this morning.

2. Are you a beach lover?

Totally, but I’ll only get in the water if it’s warm.

3. Which lipglosses/lipsticks have you been using the most lately?

Three: MAC Cremesheen Glass in Petite Indulgence, Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess in Wild Orchid and Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Sex Pot

4. Mild or spicy?

Extra mild, please. 🙂

5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:

Nothing yet except for lip balm and sunscreen, but I’m thinking of doing a neutral brown eye with pink cheeks and lips.

6. ______ make me happy.

Sunshine, sleep, well-behaved hair, In-n-Out vanilla shakes, upbeat music and cute accessories.

7. ______ make me b*tchy.

Getting lost, feeling bloated, rude people, entitled drivers (a sub-category of rude people), ill-fitting underwear and books with lame endings.

8. Last thing you said out loud.

“You’re so stinky!” (directed at Tabs).

9. Outfit:

I’m still in jammies and nothing matches. It’s a pair of peach, brown and turquoise boxers (with an owl print), a brown tank top and a hot pink hoodie.

10. Weekly goals:

Stick to my new daily meal plan, spend less time sitting in front of the computer every day, and remember to smile.

What up, boo? Monday snuck (sneaked?) up on me this time, but I still feel pretty good about the day…

How about you? What do you have on your plate? Do you have a minute to check in with the Monday Poll? If you’ve done it before, you know what to do. Just copy the empty list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

1. Mood:
2. Are you a beach lover?
3. Which lipglosses/lipsticks have you been into lately?
4. Mild or spicy?
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
6. ______ make me happy.
7. ______ make me b*tchy.
8. Last thing you said out loud?
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:

We gotta keep on truckin’, ladies. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Wait — the weekend’s almost over? How the heck did that happen!? After breakfast this morning (Trader Joe’s mini bagels with low-fat cream cheese), I settled down on the couch to do some reading. I wish I could say I was challenging myself with something deeply cerebral like War and Peace, but I opted for mind candy instead. 🙂 Enter Lauren Conrad’s L.A. Candy (yes, I went there!), and issues of Women’s Health, Cooking Light and Make-Up Artist magazine.

There was also supposed to be a cup of Kona coffee in this shot, but I finished it before picking up the camera up, oops!

It’s days like today that I wish we were neighbors… Then you could come over; I could make another pot (or two) of coffee, and we could read magazines, talk makeup and watch bad reality TV together — in other words, recharge!

Don’t get me wrong, Tabs and El Hub are great, but I miss my girlfriends, ya know? Seriously, when it comes to beauty and bad television, they have very little of interest to add to the conversations, LOL!

I guess that’s why I like these open threads. You might be a computer screen away, but it’s almost like we’re meeting for coffee and shooting the shizz.

If you’re new to the open thread, basically we just chat in the comments. Any topic you like, from your new favorite drugstore beauty find (Rimmel makes mine!), to the kitten you’re thinking of adopting, a problem at school/work, your new favorite TV show, or just drop in to say hola.

See you in a few! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen