Just For Fun

Sundays without Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, May 17

May 17th, 2009 by Karen 17 Comments

Like the crazy cat mom that I am, I called the Hotel Cattyfornia (such a lovely place) to check on Tabs this morning. The staff tells me he’s having a grand time sunning himself in the windows and staring at the caged birds in the center of the playroom.

I miss my kitty, sigh…

Since I’m suffering from a bad case of the cat mom blues, I’m trying to get some kitty lurving from the strays that live in the condo complex here. A gang of tail-less tabbies has always run the place, but I haven’t seen them around lately. The new kings of the neighborhood may be the two cats that guard the playground out front.

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I’ve named this gray and white one Cutie Pie…

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…and this black and white one Peanut.

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Cutie Pie and Peanut standing guard.

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I like to think Tabs would get along with his Hawaiian brethren!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

10 Days of Giveaways: Comment to Win Sonia Kashuk Brushes and More

May 17th, 2009 by Karen 258 Comments

The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

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Aloha from the w i d e s t state in the United States when measured from east to west.

Rise and shine, pal ‘o mine. It’s 5:15AM out here right now, not long before dawn, but even in the dark the jungle surrounding my in-law’s condo is filled with deafening birdsong from more species than I can count. I recognize the sound of roosters and doves, but I’m not sure about the rest of them.

Yesterday we spent the day catching up with family and walked around Ala Moana Shopping Center’s 300 stores. It’s pretty much your typical open-air mall experience but on a gigantic scale.

Mom is getting better every day. She’s lost a lot of weight from the chemo and gets tired quickly, but that’s what frequent breaks on mall benches are for.

I hope you had fun at the virtual potluck, but I apologize for El Hub’s behavior and the incident with the tree swing. He had one too many cups of sangria. 🙂

But that was then and this is now. There’s no sense crying over spilled punch.

Are you ready for today’s installment of 10 Days of Giveaways?

The prize

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One lucky lady will win the following items from Sonia Kashuk (a $43 value):

How to enter

Entering is easier than ordering froo-froo drinks at a beach bar.

All you have to do is leave a comment about anything you like — the name of your favorite mixed drink, what shoes you’re wearing today or what your plans are tonight.

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59PM PST tonight.

Boa sorte!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Like my mother-in-law, Sonia Kashuk has faced breast cancer. You can read about Sonia’s story here.

The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

10 Days of Giveaways: Comment to Win Tarte’s The Vanity Palette

May 16th, 2009 by Karen 242 Comments

The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

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Heya, girls. It’s just before 4:30AM here in jungly Kaneohe, but my body hasn’t adjusted to the time difference yet. I’m wide awake (the neighborhood chickens aren’t even up!).

As usual for mornings here, it’s raining, but the sound of it is keeping me company as I type this post in the dark.

I hope you slept well because it’s time for today’s Tarte giveaway and the MBB virtual Saturday potluck!

Bring your flip-flops, the macaroni salad and your swim trunks because weekends in Hawaii are all about picnicking and hanging out with friends and family at the beach.

And just because we’re not all in the same ‘hood this afternoon doesn’t mean we can’t all make it to the party.

The prize

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One lucky lady will win Tarte’s The Vanity palette (a $52 value).

Bring your imagination because this mega-palette comes stacked with three levels of lip, cheek and eye makeup.

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The Vanity is limited edition (read: hard to find), released during holiday 2008, but if you missed her then, here’s a chance to try again.

How to enter

To enter the giveaway and attend this afternoon’s virtual potluck, just leave a comment on this post with what you’re going to bring to the party. There will be a lot of us, so we’ll need tons of snacks (what Hawaiians call pupus) and food, beach games and beverages.

I’m going to bring my macaroni salad, fruit punch and barbeque chicken, yum!

I’ll choose one winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 PST Saturday night.

Good luck!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

Makeup for Photography: What Are Your Favorite Tips?

May 15th, 2009 by Karen 43 Comments

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Good morrow, my Liz Lemons. I have a confession. Prominently displayed all around my parents’ house are pictures from my high school years, and my makeup looks GAWD AWFUL. The worst one pic is on the fridge, a snapshot of me sitting next to my mom at my 16th birthday party.

That night I decided to wear a translucent face powder, and in every flash picture my skin was an unearthly shade of gray.

Tragic!

Since then, I’ve learned a thing or two about makeup and flash photography…

And I bet you’ve got some tricks up your sleeve, too. 🙂

Are you ready to put on your makeup thinking caps to help out a fellow beauty junkie in need?

MBB reader Lesley wrote in yesterday asking for help with photography makeup tips for a few upcoming events.

I’m graduating next week (on the 22nd to be exact), and I’ll be having my graduation AND engagement pictures taken soon in an indoor studio.

It’s been great that you have been putting up a lot of tutorials and how-tos lately, so I’ve been getting ideas, but I was wondering if you have any recommendations or tips for makeup options and/or absolute dont’s for portrait makeup?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I’ve only really gotten into makeup this past year.

What’s up, Lesley? Congrats on graduation and getting engaged. Talk about two mega milestones — WOOT!

Last November my BFF Jen asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, and I did my own makeup.

Here are a couple handy tips regarding makeup and photography:

Reach for your mattes. Opt for matte, rather than shimmery finishes for eye and cheek makeup. Shimmery eyeshadows and powders can give skin a greasy look under flash.
Apply your makeup in natural light. At Jen’s wedding, I noticed that the first thing her makeup artist did was set up shop next to the window with the brightest natural light. I’ve applied makeup in both bathroom and natural lighting, and I think I look my best in pictures when I apply makeup in the latter.
Opt for a powder with a yellow tint, rather than a translucent powder, to set your makeup. I learned this from my friend Melissa Street over at In My Professional Opinion. Transparent powders tend to leave a white cast when the flash goes off. I use MAC Select Sheer Loose Powder in NC 30 for pictures.
Practice your look and takes pics with a digital camera before your event. Then you can evaluate your work beforehand. You’ll be able to see and correct your mistakes. Before I started doing face of the day posts and taking a ton of pictures I never realized my tendency to apply heavier makeup to my right eye (I’m right handed and usually start with my right side), and I wasn’t lining my bottom lip evenly.
If you plan to wear undereye concealer, blend the hell out of it to remove any harsh lines. For serious. Even if you feel like you’ve blended out all the edges, blend some more; otherwise, you risk your concealer looking too obvious. I learned this the hard way, sigh!

For even more makeup tips, check out the interview I did with my friend Jen’s wedding makeup artist, Lynette. The tips are labeled as Wedding Makeup Tips but apply to all occasions where photography is up in the mix. Also, check out How to Look Your Best in Pictures, which gives advice on how to pose for pictures. 🙂

Ladies, I know you’ve got some good advice for our girl Lesley. When it comes to doing your own makeup for pictures, what are your favorite tips?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

10 Days of Giveaways: Comment to Win MAC Trip Classic Eye and Cheek Palette

May 15th, 2009 by Karen 299 Comments

The giveaway is closed now, and I’m contacting the winners by e-mail. Good luck!

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Aloha, girls! Did you know that Hawaii is the only US state in which coffee is grown?

El Hub and I are really looking forward to seeing our family. My in-laws live in a town called Kaneohe on the Eastern side of the island of Oahu. It’s the wetter side of the island than the South side where Waikiki Beach and Pearl Harbor are, but that makes it lush and fragrant.

Over the next 10 days, we have A LOT of great guest posts lined up, 10 days of giveaways, and I have a few other surprises in store, too. 🙂

Now, for this morning’s giveaway…

The prize

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Today’s giveaway takes YOU on a trip — a MAC Trip!

One lucky lady will win the MAC Trip 4 Classic Eye and Cheek Palette ($30). This rare, hard-to-find travel exclusive palette features Sweetness Beauty Powder Blush (a clean pink), Lightfully Eyeshadow (a pale icy pink with silvery pearl), Idol Eyes Eyeshadow (an icy gray violet with golden pearl) and Print Eyeshadow (a muted gray).

How to enter

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment in the comments section below telling me the name of one MAC product that’s great to have with you on trips.

I always bring my MAC 266 brush, holla!

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59PM PST tonight (Friday).

Maika’i pomaika’i, beauties!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The giveaway is closed now, and I’m contacting the winners by e-mail. Good luck!

Barielle Sugar Rush Summer 2009: Help!

May 14th, 2009 by Karen 24 Comments

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Homies, I need your help. I need to give my toes some TLC before I leave at the booty crack of dawn tomorrow (5:45!) for the airport. I’m trying to choose between one of the shades from Barielle’s Sugar Rush 2009 summer collection ($8 each). Which one do you think I should go with?

The skinny…

Swizzle Stix: A creamy baby blue that’s a touch streaky.
Sweet Addiction: A creamy mint green that applies smoothly with consistent color.
Lemondrops: A bright yellow reminiscent of last year’s Essie Short Shorts (le sigh!), but slightly more streaky.
Grape Escape: A creamy, deep purple that both Barney *and* Prince would envy.
Decadence: Remember this shimmery teal from April Fool’s Day? LOL!
Cotton Candy: A sweet, shimmery baby pink that applies with rich color.

All of the shades dry quickly to an uber-shiny finish.

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What’s Your Favorite Drugstore Hairspray?

May 14th, 2009 by Karen 50 Comments

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Do you remember your prom?

It was ages ago for me, but it seems like yesterday.

Reader Vivian is at that point in her life, and she’s in need of some help with her hair:

…I’ve been digging through your archives for the best drugstore hairspray that won’t make my hair like an honest-to-God bird’s nest, texture and all, but since I’m emailing you now, do you have any immediate suggestions?

Thanks so much! Your blog makes me so excited about prom!

Hi Vivian,

Ah, prom… That’s a good place to be in life. I hope you’re enjoying it. 🙂

Before we get into the hairspray bit, let me first just say that if you haven’t started wearing sunscreen on your neck, then you gotta start TODAY, girl. Trust me, in 10 years you’ll thank me for it.

Now, onto drugstore hairsprays!

I usually use hairsprays to set a final style, and there are two drugstore products I really like.

If I want soft, flexible hold (say, if I’ve curled my hair), I reach for L’Oreal’s Elnett Extra StrongHold UV Hair Spray ($15). It’s an aerosol spray with UV protectors, and I love fine mist. It doesn’t weigh down my hair and holds a hairstyle without flaking. Plus, it never leaves me with stiff or sticky hair.

But if the humidity’s high, or for some reason my hair needs some extra hold, I’ll grab Garnier Fructis Style Sleek & Shine Anti-Humidity Hairspray Ultra Strong ($4).

It controls the frizz, even in the rain (fab for those extra birds-nesty hair days), stays put all day long and costs less than a blended coffee.

MBB readers, let’s give young Viv a hand. What are your favorite drugstore hairsprays, and why do you love ’em?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What’s the Biggest Risk You Ever Took with Your Makeup?

May 13th, 2009 by Karen 54 Comments

What’s the biggest risk you ever took with your makeup?

I ask this every so often, but mine was orange lipgloss. It terrified me at first, but I’m addicted to it now. I also took chances on blue eyeshadow and bright colored lashes. One of the things I love about makeup is that even if a look doesn’t work out exactly how I hoped it would, makeup isn’t permanent. If I don’t like something, I can always wash it off!

What’s the biggest risk you ever took with your makeup? Let me know in the comments.

Try your luck with the Makeup and Beauty Blog slot machine (click BET MAX above to start). You’ll need to have Flash installed on your computer to play. Have fun and good luck!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen