Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Mar. 15

March 15th, 2010 by Karen 52 Comments

Mood:

I’m feel like my “muchness” is high today, and I think it’s because I saw Alice in Wonderland on Saturday. 🙂

Something that always brings a smile to your face:

When we’re sitting together and Tabs buries his face in my arms…

In three months I’d like _______:

That’s mid-June, hmm… I’d like to feel more comfortable in a swimsuit and have the dining room fixed up.

What’s your favorite kind of clothing?

Black yoga pants. They’re slimming, don’t need to be ironed, and if they’re cut right can make your booty look CUTE!

Eyes/lips/cheeks:

Not sure yet, but maybe a pink, peach, brown and gold look with MAC, Urban Decay and/or Benefit

Sweet or sour?

Sweet!

Something you like about your job?

I like the creative semi-freedom that comes with being a freelance writer/blogger, but I really miss having a steady paycheck.

What shoes are you wearing today?

A pair of black Franco Sarto platform sandals

Outfit:

Skinny jeans, a striped off-the-shoulder top and a black jacket I found at H&M for $20!

Weekly goals:

To exercise every day (even if it means just going for a walk), to dream BIG and to stick to a schedule

Good morning, sunshines, and happy Monday! Am I the only one still wonky from the time change? My bod’s a little confused about bed time.

Gotta love the extra hour of afternoon sunlight, though. It’s nice to be able to run errands after work before dark.

It’s that time again, ladies. You know the drill. 🙂 We. Can. Do. This (and by “this” I mean make it through Monday!). Just copy the list below, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

1. Mood:
2. Something that always brings a smile to your face:
3. In three months I’d like _______:
4. Your favorite kind of clothing?
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
6. Sweet or sour?
7. Something you like about your current job:
8. What shoes are you wearing today?
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:

This week WILL be a great one for us all. No question about it. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What Were Your Best and Worst Beauty Experiences of the Week?

March 14th, 2010 by Karen 35 Comments

MY BEST:

All of my hard work last week exfoliating, moisturizing, plucking toe hairs (eek!) and babying the cuticles on my tootsies has finally paid off, YAY! My feet don’t look crusty and scary ~~anymore~~ for now. 🙂 Hallelujar!

MY WORST:

See’s Candies will be the death of me, I swear. The whole eating healthy/working out thing hasn’t gone too well lately. I’m still not working out enough and haven’t been able to resist the See’s siren call. I gotta get back on track this week…

What were your best and worst beauty experiences of the week? Please share yours in the comments.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. What a quick weekend! It went by so fast, and 🙁 I’m totes not ready for Monday. Um, can I get a Sunday extension, please?

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 78

March 14th, 2010 by Karen 29 Comments

Dear Diary,

You know, ever since I was a kitten living on the streets of Mill Valley, I knew what I wanted to be. I’ve always craved fame and fortune, and I chose this life as an international playboy tabby. It didn’t choose me.

But never in a million years did I think it would be this … hard.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining, but I have to deal with things that other cats can’t possibly understand, like the damned paparazzi.

They’ve been relentless lately… On Monday I thought I’d take advantage of the nice weather, right? I figured I’d just walk to Bikram instead of taking the limo (my yogi thinks I need to work on my downward dog), but 10 photogs were waiting for me outside!

Then on Wednesday I flew down to go hiking in the hills with L.C. and Audrina. Sidenote: No, Heidi was NOT invited. We haven’t spoken since I whooped Spencer’s ass at Le Deux last summer. Take that and rewind it back, Pratt!! Anywho, we were taking in the scenery and talking about Kim K.’s new scent when I turned around and BAM! Cameras everywhere.

And it happens all the time! A few weeks ago my assistant found these pics on Perez…

Here I am walking home from an all-nighter with Jay-Z and Beyonce.

And here I am eating at The Salad Bar, this little place I like downtown. The paps just looooove to catch me when I’m eating.

[Continue reading…]

10 Beautiful Reasons to Love Target

March 13th, 2010 by Karen 32 Comments

Living one mile from a Tar-ghay has its pros and cons… In the pros column, I have easy access to great, affordable beauty brands like Boots and Sonia Kashuk, but the flip side of that is how easily I get distracted every time I want to just run in to buy TP or cat food, gah!

Here are 10 of my favorite Target beauty buys. Can you think of anything else we should add to the list?

Sonia Kashuk Bent Eyeliner Brush

“Turns out this bad boy’s all that and a bag of baked Cheetos! — an affordable, all-purpose eyeliner brush (part clouds; insert heavenly music *here*) with a pointed brush head (soft synthetic fibers), an angled barrel and long handle.”

Full Review | $6.00

Sonia Kashuk Matte Oil Blotting Papers

“Sonia Kashuk went big with her Matte Oil Blotting Papers ($7), not only making them significantly larger than comparable ones from MAC (about a quarter of an inch longer on all sides), but also giving three times as many sheets for just about half the cost (100 sheets for $7, versus 30 for $13.50 of the ones from MAC).”

Full Review | $7.00

Clairol Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly

“Hoping for hot-mama hair of my own, I started using the shampoo, conditioner and spray gel from the new Clairol Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Line ($4 each). I honestly didn’t think anyone would notice, but you gals have such a good eye! After I put up this face of the day, a few of you asked in the comments what I’d done differently with my ‘do.”

Full Review | $4.00

Yes to Carrots C Me Shine Lip Gloss

“If it weren’t for their faint mint flavor and fragrance (which dissipates quickly), they’d almost be knockoffs of the MAC Lipgelles, which cost twice as much ($14). They have a similar smooth and shiny, non-stick texture and also broadcast seriously intense color.”

Full Review | $6.50

CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Liner

“CoverGirl claims Exact Eyelights Eyeliner brightens eyes by 4x. I didn’t notice particularly brighter eyes, but I like it as a basic liner that stays put for a *very* long time. I’ve been using the Vibrant Pearl pencil for the past few days, and this puppy stays put like nobody’s bidness.”

Full Review | $7.00

[Continue reading…]

What Are You Wearing on Your Nails Today?

March 13th, 2010 by Karen 55 Comments

The sun finally came out (we’ll see how long it lasts, hmm), and the blue skies inspired me to paint my paws with MAC’s Blue India ($12; on counters now).

I like the color, but from certain angles it kinda reminds me of my friend’s hoopty Buick back in high school.

Still deciding on what to do with my toes…

What nail polish are you rocking today?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing

March 13th, 2010 by Karen 13 Comments

It’s Saturday, girls, which means (HOLLA!) we survived the week!

This morning I woke up still feeling sleepy, so I’ve been fueling up on green tea, you see, to make it through all of the fooling around I have planned for today. 🙂

But first I have to do some boring house cleaning stuff (boo!)… Once I take care of that, though, I’m gonna try to pop by Marshall’s to look for a pair of cage shoes that don’t make my toes look like monkey feet. Good luck to me, ha!

Before you go about your Saturday bidness, can you catch a few waves?

Random bright spots

Three Oscar-inspired evening looks — College Fashion
Christine does a pretty neutral look with Bobbi Brown’s Bonfire Palette — Temptalia
The times, like society’s ideal body type, are a changin’ — Gala Darling
PRETTY! What lovely swatches of Rococo Nail Apparel polishes — The Beauty Look Book
Pantene gets a makeover — Bella Sugar
I’ll take a giant cookie to go, please 🙂 — 944
How to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you — The Oatmeal
One of the best things you can do to experience a great life — The Alternaview
The simple way to stick to a meal plan — Zen Habits
Speaking of food, check out these 10 techy kitchens — Unplggd
Foreign stamps that commemorate fabulous felines — Modern Cat
Three words: Tom Ford Lipstick — British Beauty Blogger

New in beauty

Sephora’s Color Play 5 in 1 ($30) offers a helluva lot of makeup
My mane and I are coveting Victor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb Hair Mist ($40)
Lancome enriched their Flash Bronzer Tinted Anti-Age Self-Tanning Face Lotion SPF 15 ($36) with light-reflecting micro pearls for a younger-looking, healthy glow
Would you throw down $74 for Guerlain’s Four Seasons Terracota Bronzer?
Seriously too cute: the Harajuku Lovers Sunshine Cuties Blockbuster Set ($150)
Bobbi Brown created a Brightening Skincare line of face products ($38-95) to eliminate dark spots, strengthen and hydrate skin
Tocca’s Ginger & Papaya Rich Body Cream ($45) sounds luxe
Givenchy Phenomen’ Eyes much? See any resemblance to L’Oreal’s Telescopic Explosion Black Mascara ($12)?
Pop Beauty’s Sunny Day Bouquet ($25) looks so springy!
Smasbox says they packed their Iconic Eyes Kit ($47) with everything you need to create iconic eye looks from the runway
The Cargo Pro Picks Kit ($39) is finally available at Ulta, yay!
Smashbox’s Luscious Lips Kit ($25) comes with three products to create multiple lip looks
Get some attention with LORAC’s Paparazzi Eye Collection ($24)
Check it: a Bronze Goddess collection from Trish McEvoy

I’m hypnotized by this video

Beautiful and soothing…

The first song I’ve listened to every morning this week…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

When Was the Last Time You Hit the Pan?

March 12th, 2010 by Karen 102 Comments

Now THIS is something I don’t see often

TGIF, ladies. 🙂 This week I somehow managed to hit the pan on not one, but TWO (!) things. I can’t remember the last time that happened… The lucky/unlucky culprits were MAC Blot Pressed Powder in Medium Dark ($22) and MAC Eyeshadow in Concrete ($14.50).

BAM! BAM! It was like being struck by lightning, twice!

When was the last time you hit the pan on a piece of makeup, and do you remember what the product was?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Two Ways to Win MAC’s Azalea Blossom Ombre Blush

March 10th, 2010 by Karen 545 Comments

UPDATE: Mar. 14, 2010. The giveaway is now closed, and the winner is being contacted. Good luck! 🙂

Sometimes you gotta cherish the little things, ya know? Like the fact that we made it to Wednesday. 🙂 A small feat, yes, but the first part of the week was kinda rough for me (haven’t been getting enough sleep).

I’m glad it isn’t Monday and feel like celebrating! Pour another cup of coffee (whee!), and let’s toast to Wednesday with a MAC giveaway starring one of my favorites from MAC’s Spring Colour Forecast collection.

Congrats to Jackie for winning last week’s MAC Blush Ombre in Ripe Peach!

The prize

One lucky lady will win MAC Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom (a $25 value), a light pink powder blush with a finish that’s about half way between a shimmer and a matte.

How to enter…

2ways2enter 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, tell me the name of your favorite flower.

Urmf! I can’t decide on just one. How about lilies, azaleas, irises and roses?

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

RT @karenmbb: RT to win MAC’s Azalea Blossom Ombre Blush (a $25 Value) http://bit.ly/aUkuHp

Recap…

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.
Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to win MAC’s Azalea Blossom Ombre Blush (a $25 Value) http://bit.ly/aUkuHp

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Saturday, March 13.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

UPDATE: Mar. 14, 2010. The giveaway is now closed, and the winner is being contacted. Good luck! 🙂