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
I never go anywhere without my MAC 266 (here’s an ancient review from YEARS ago; don’t laugh). It keeps me from venturing into The Land of Funky Brows. And then there’s my beloved Shu Uemura lash curler, but you probably know all about that, ha ha!
How about you? 🙂 What’s the beauty tool you never leave home without?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Three things that take a Saturday from good to great: coffee in my mug, a cat on my lap and two uninterrupted hours of random web surfing. 🙂
Before you roll out to watch Hot Tub Time Machine (which is on my to-do list, fo’ reals), pull up a chair, and let’s do some surfing. C’mon, you’ll have fun!
— Kitty Stampede
how this Dianne Brill Lip Lingerie gloss set ($47) looks like a box of chocolatesStop motion rawks
Argh! I can’t get this song out of my head
Enjoy the rest of your Saturday! I’ve got a date with a Hot Tub Time Machine. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I’ve been counting down the days until the season premiere of Glee (April 13!). Yes, I’m shamelessly addicted to a show about misfit high school choir members. 🙂
Oh, the writing’s beyond top notch. Plus, there’s catchy music AND flawed characters? Sign. Me. Up!
One of my favorite characters on the show is the quirky guidance counselor, Ms. Emma Pillsbury, played by actress Jayma Mays.
If you watch Heroes, she played a waitress with preternatural memory, a superpower I wouldn’t mind having… Just think of all the money you could make on game shows, LOL!
Born Jayma Suzette Mays on July 16, 1979, in Grundy, Virginia, she’s kept busy in television and films in mostly small roles since 2004 (Anyone? Paul Blart: Mall Cop? Anyone?).
I like that she doesn’t look like the typical Hollywood bombshell babe and seems like she’d be cool to hang out with, and it’s nice to see that she’s scored a steady gig on Glee.
Loading ...Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Ooh, lawd! Gotta love April Fool’s Day. 🙂 I’m still a little bit on edge out here on the West Coast, though, because we have four hours to go before midnight, and El Hub always tries something tricky…
I’m glad the sun finally came out this afternoon. It showed up while I was conducting a little beauty “research” at Sephora in San Francisco, where I spotted the new Tokidoki line, yay! I also squeezed in a trip to a place called the Blo Bar. I’ll explain and post swatches and all that good stuff soon.
Was it sunny over there? Today was El Hub’s Friday, so we’re going out to grab some dinner. While I get ready, let’s say a final farewell to March.
“When it comes to long-lasting brush-on liquid liners, MAC’s Liquidlast Liners pretty much set the bar for me, combining rich color AND awesome extended wear time. Once I even left a swatch of it on the back of a hand, you know, to see how long it would last? No joke — TWO DAYS!”
“It’s a break from the bold and frosty metallic finishes that have graced past Dior shimmers, but that doesn’t mean it’s a shadow snooze-fest. Dior may have turned down the dial (not all the way though) on the shimmer, but it’s still sure to make those lovely eyes sparkle. :)”
“I’ve been going between Walk of Shame (a creamy bubblegum pink) and Quickie (a salmon pink), wearing both in various ways — on bare skin, beneath foundation, on top of foundation and even on top of powder. No matter how I’ve used ’em, I think they’ve looked pretty good…”
“Can you remember the last time you watched a sunset? I couldn’t, so I watched and waited on the back deck last Saturday afternoon with my camera to refresh my memory.”
“Are you stoked about MAC Liberty of London? I’m all over the Nail Lacquer in Blue India… Here are some pictures in this quickie video of the new collection. Let me know what you think!”
A portrait of Tabs the cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog mascot
Tabs asked and you gals sooo delivered! He’s been looking over your submissions to the Tabs Loves You Fan Art Contest and meowing hysterically. As a cat, you know you’ve made it big once you’ve been immortalized in rap, LOL!
With all of your great submissions, choosing a winner was difficult, but Tabs and I believe that Ithfifi’s interpretation (shown above) gets right to the heart, soul and essence of Tabs.
NOTE: True to crazy cat lady form, I got a little teary when I saw those green eyes staring back at me in my email. I fear I’m on a path to someday becoming this lady here.
A big huzzah and congrats, Ithfifi! Thank you for sharing your talent, and I hope the $30 PayPal prize buys you a nice lipgloss or two. 🙂
Lesley’s Photoshop skillz helped her conjure up this Warhol-esque take on Tabs. The expression’s so very Tabs, and I love the vibrant colors.
And Adriana whipped up this adorable manga/chibi Tabs sporting an enviable set of lashes. SUPER CUTE!
I know there really wasn’t much time to enter the contest and the deadline felt rushed, but we’ll do it again soon (Tabs insists) with a longer deadline the second time around.
Thanks again to everyone who entered. Extra special kitty hugs today from Tabs! 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Can I just start off by saying how much I’ve been Harajuku lovin’ all of your fantastic MBB Gwen Stefani Makeup Challenge looks? You guys are so talented, and dagnabbit y’all made it hard for me to pick just one. ALL of your submissions were Gwen-worthy and great. 🙂
But after much deliberation, Tabs and I have chosen a winner.
Pretty good. I managed to roll out of bed, so that’s always a good start.
It’s a black (goes with everything) nylon number that I found at Old Navy about five years ago. It’s not particularly stylish or sexy, but it’s big enough to hold two Vitamin Waters and a shizzload of candy — great for sneaking food into the movies! 🙂 And it’s lightweight, too, with an adjustable strap, so I can wear it cross-body or shorten the strap and tuck the purse beneath my arm. Oh, and did I mention I got it on sale for $10??
A big fat YAY!
Tinted moisturizer, concealer, cream blush, powder, mascara and lipgloss
Nothing yet, but I’ve got my eye on Dolce & Gabbana Midnight Bloom.
Well, I’ve felt like a 20-something trapped in the body of a 30-something for a while now, but since 1) my friend’s father passed away and 2) we purchased the townhouse, both of which happened within the past six months, I’ve started to feel more like my age.
SO annoyed. I was a tomboy at the time and not into girly stuff at all.
A tie between Tabs and Shauna the Wonderdog (Shauna lives with my parents in the East Bay).
I’m actually wearing workout clothes in the hopes that I’ll actually work out over lunch. The ensemble includes gray yoga pants, a black tank top and a hot pink zip-up hoodie.
Put to good use the organizational accouterments I got at Target yesterday, cultivate my inner optimist daily, and make time to exercise!
Hello and Happy Monday, ladies. 🙂 I hope you’re well rested and rearing to go.
I’ve got a hot mug of green tea here with me while I write down my to-do list for the day. It’s raining lightly, but that hasn’t scared the neighborhood birds away; I can hear them chirping outside.
Tabs, that lazy bum, is fast asleep on the couch. Damn, I hope I come back in my next life as a spoiled, chubby, pseudo-famous tabby cat.
Before your day gets going, take a second to let me know what’s shaking out your way. You know how we do it. Just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.
Le list
1. Mood:
2. Your favorite bag and why you love it?
3. Popcorn-flavored jelly beans — yay or nay?
4. Your five-minute makeup routine?
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
6. When did you realize you were officially a grownup?
7. Were you stoked or annoyed to get your first bra?
8. Your sweetest pet?
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:
Remember, ladies — no piddly Monday is going to stand in our way! 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Okay, first off, this post was actually Tabs’ idea. Fo’ serious! He would like some new art to decorate his office with and can’t think of anything MORE awesome than to feature himself. 🙂
Truth is, I think he sees the idea I’m about to describe as a first step toward starting a fan club.
So what is the idea? A simple competition. Create and submit a work of Tabs-inspired fan art in any artistic style (a sketch, tribute video, photograph, painting, song, poem, etc.) and email it to me at karen@makeupandbeautyblog.com by the end of the month. That’s Wednesday, March 31 at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Tabs and I will pick one winning work of art based on originality, artistic quality and attention to Tabs, with the winner receiving $30 in US funds delivered by PayPal (that’s enough for two MAC Lipglasses, yo!).
NOTE: The contest is open to everyone — US and international readers, too — and by entering you agree to grant me permission to post your submission in a future entry on the blog.
LEGAL STUFF: Must be 18 years of age or older; deadline to enter is Wednesday, March 31, 11:59PM PST; one entry per person; void where prohibited by law.
Okay, ladies, it’s time to show Tabs what you can do!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. To help you really grasp the essence of Tabs the cat, 🙂 you can see some of his past modeling work in his portfolio here.
