Can you believe it’s already the last Sunday in August? Weren’t we just talking about Fourth of July barbecues? — and now we’re closer to the end of summer than the start. Seriously, Sundays always have a way of sneaking up on me, but this one hit like a breeze that blew in from nowhere!
I know a lot of us are looking forward to fall (hello, boots and scarves!), but I’m really gonna miss summer, and until those last few leaves fall from the oak trees outside my window, I plan to make it last as long as possible. I’m sniffing every flower that crosses my path. 🙂
Are you ready for fall, or would you like a longer summer? Let me know in the Open Thread!
If you’re new to the open thread, here it is in a nutshell:
It’s our chance to chill out, kick back and chat about anything and everything, from makeup to jobs to hobbies, food, relationships and movies.
It goes on for the rest of the day (and night), so stop by if/when you can, and as often as you’d like. Feel free to reach out to me or to anyone else, too. Everyone here is really nice. 🙂
See you inside!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Just wanted to say hi and that I really enjoy seeing Tabs and reading your blog 🙂
Hi Phyrra,
That is so sweet of you!
I’ve been meaning to tell you — your new hair color is GORGEOUS!
i, for one, am SO ready for fall! i’ve always felt more comfortable covered up, so fall is my kind of season.
anyway, aside from watching tutorials online, one of my favourite videos to watch is anything to do with makeup storage. i love seeing how other peoples set up looks like, what type of products they own, etc.
if you’ve got photos or a video of your makeup storage, please share! i’d love to see them. here’s my own humble collection:
http://callitbeauty.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-i-store-my-products.html
hope everyone had an awesome weekend!
ooooooh i just love your setup!i totally need something like that,its so discreet and cute,and i have so little space that i have to have that!
btw total makeup envy-i will steal your stuff 😀
I love your setup. Mine is definitely not as cute or as functional. The storage box is a great idea. I currently am using a small set of plastic drawers, but I’d love to have something similar to yours.
my setup is like 3 make up bags scattered all over my vanity 🙁 is there any similar setup still available in ikea?hmmm i will have to search for that 😀 btw i love ikea 😀
Fira is sadly, discontinued.
i’m so gutted because i wanted to buy another one for my desk. i’ve been looking for something similar in ikea, but so far, no luck.
Now might be good time to look at Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond for some cute storage solutions. They tend to carry a lot of smaller storage pieces during back to school.
Oh good call!
I was just there the other day and saw these kitchen drawer organizers for $5. Those are great for blushes and individual eyeshadows.
Oh I just remembered I HAVE one of those Ikea boxes!! My jewelry collection is really getting out of hand, I should pull it down from the closet shelf where it has sat since we moved into this house.
Hi Dani,
Oh what a cute setup! I bet you can easily find everything, yah?
definitely! which is perfect for me because i’m clutter-prone. plus, i’m the girl who spends at least 5 minutes of every day looking for my glasses.
Welcome to my world. What’s funny is half the time I’ll stress out about looking for my glasses and they’ll be on my head. 😀
haha! i feel ya! one time, i helped my mom frantically search for her glasses and they were on top of her head the entire time. goodness!
I likey! I upgraded to a Sterilite Crafts Drawer recently.Its like those plastic drawer thingies but the shelves are shallower. I further organized the insides of each drawer with baskets lined with shelf paper.
Im not exactly 100% happy w/ my organization yet. I still have this catch-all bin in my dresser where I put my most used products (eg hair balm, lipgloss/lipbalm, brow stuff) that I want to further organize.
For now, it works.
I have some shadllow Sterilite Drawers that I picked up from JoAnn a while back. I love ’em, but one thing that drives me cray-cray about them is the fact that stuff tends to get all jumbled up inside. I’m thinking about putting in additional dividers (like for socks or lingerie).
I totally agree! Thats why I ended up w/ little baskets inside the drawer too. Some are just little mesh baskets while some are those plastic cutlery drawers!
Then so that they dont move around within the baskets/cutlery drawer, I got some mesh drawer liners from Target and lined those too! They stay put now.
The Hubs said – “too much work for makeup!” LOL …
LOL… boys just don’t understand.
Ya know, sometimes I think about getting a Sears Craftsman to store all my makeup. It’s got all those cool shallow drawers and nick-nack nooks!
I was eyeballing those one time when we were at Sears (he was getting car stuff, I think) … but OMG pretty spendy! 😀
Totally expensive, but perfect. It doesn’t quite go with my decor though, LOL!
I hear ya! 😀
Hey there!I know, i didnt even feel summer pass,wow…well there is just one reason i wait for fall:fall style yoohoo!i’ve tried to incorporate mary kate olsens style in my wardrobe and i think it works,since i love her style,but she tends to go for more wintery-cool weather clothes and so im excited for that!other than that,i LOVE summer!seriously!tan+swimming in the blue sea+ice cream+not a care in the world=aaaaah <3
anyways,anything exciting beauty wise?oh when i have the money(in about 1-2 weeks) i will dye my hair!and its the first time i will go really light,i have dark brown hair and i would always go for black,and this time i will go a really ight brown!but my eyebrows are black,and im thinking of dying them too,what do you think?
omg im talking too much 🙁 im so sorry 🙁 😀
Hi Irini,
No worries!
Do you live anywhere near a Benefit store? I’ve never dyed my brows before, but I hear they do great brow/lash tints.
Im ready for fall mostly because our summer here in Tx has just been so hot! 🙂
Beautywise, its all about purples and dark greens and grays for me during the fall. I usually wear a lot of grays since thats my fave color for clothing.
Hi Nina,
LOVE gray, especially with eye liner. It’s a nice change from black!
So, tell me about the birth of your bestie’s baby. How did it go? Did you get emotional?
Oh my goodness. It was for me, very intimidating. I was actually there when she gave birth and I am in awe of her and all women who have gone through it.
She was pretty calm and collected during the entire process. I was more nervous than she was. Her husband was shocked to see exactly what it was!
The baby was 8.2 lbs and had a shock of black hair. He is adorable. 🙂
That’s awesome you were in the room with her. You guys must be very close. 🙂
Congrats to your bff and her hubby! And to you, too. Now you get to be “Cool Aunt Nina.”
I think im going to be Godmother Nina too 😀
One of the nurses heard that and told me what a serious responsibiity being a godmother is! 😀
It’s a BIG deal!
You’ll be great. 😀
🙂 Thanks!
Hm, on one side I’m super happy that it’s not a million degrees outside, but on another—it’s so cold. I mean, yesterday I was in a silk dress and sandals and today i’m looking for my leather jacket!! I mean, Mediterranean, hellooo?? I kind of feel sorry for all my lovely summer dresses, all alone&abandoned in the closet…but then again, I love autumn! Yey for the rain.
Ramble, I know. And how are you and Tabs doing??
Hi Sonja,
I’m looking for a sweater and a jacket as a type this. Le sigh… gimme a few more weeks of summer, PLEASE!
Tabs and I are doing swell, thanks for asking. He’s taking a nap right now in the sunshine.
What do you have going on this week? Doing anything fun?
Hey Karen!
I got through my 1st week of school and now going on to my second! Went by slowly..
I’m actually waiting for fall to come, because I don’t like walking to school when it’s hot.. I prefer it being cold! I’m weird like that hehe.
We drove for 2 hours today to go to Ottawa as a roadtrip and so I could finally buy my Naked palette! I didn’t know it would feel so soft!! I can’t stop touching it loll. I’m scared to waste the eyeshadows though! They’re so pretty :]
I spotted a kitty relaxing on my balcony earlier.. I wanted to feed it something but I didn’t have any leftover meat. So i tossed a dog treat outside instead, but she left. Hmm.. 😛
Hi Yiota,
How are your classes going? Are you taking anything interesting or fun?
SO GLAD to hear you finally got your hands on the Naked Palette! I hope you put it to good use this school year. 😀
As for the kitty… LOL, give that cat a slice of turkey! Turkey makes Tabs CRAZY! He loves it.
My classes are ok.. I have Psycholy of health and wellness, psychology of relationships, 2 english courses, volleyball, music videos and rock and roll.. loll
I just heard cats fighting outside so I’m guessing the one i saw earlier might be involved.. I didn’t have turkey!! :[ All we had was coleslaw loll
I hope I do put good use to it.. because I usually don’t use things I like too much so as not to waste them! haha
oops.. psychology*
oops forgot to mention that I’m now a VIB! Yayy :]
Your classes sound interesting! I can’t believe you’re really taking a music video/rock n’ roll class. Is it like a film class?
I’m sooo ready for fall! I love the freedom and late nights of summer and all, but I’m tired of being sweaty and having frizzy hair. I’m ready to get in my car without nearly passing out from the heat, haha. Fall is my favorite time of year- the smell, the weather, the clothes, the leaves, Halloween! I can’t wait to go camping and to the park with my dude. So excited 🙂
Hi Karen! I hope that you’ve had a great weekend.
I’d love for the weather to get cooler, but I’m not ready for classes to start back (one more week would be perfect – I could get so much done :)).
I’m thinking about giving myself a makeup consultation as a back to school/ get ready for my conference presentation gift. Has anyone had a makeup consultation or makeup lessons that weren’t at a traditional department store counter? Were your experiences worthwhile, or should I just stick to YouTube videos?
i was thinking of a makeup consultation too!i went once at mac,and in my country yo have to pay $60 for an hours lesson.well it didnt work out.the girl just gave me a not so good make over,and she didnt talk me throght the process.just a ta ta thats it.
i think though it will be worth it.a professional can help you nail what works for you so much better,plus personalized attention 😉
one thing i hate though about most make up artists i’ve encountered is how snobish they treat you,thats why im a little sceptical about getting a consultation
Hi Irini! Thanks for your input. I’ve had my share of snobby makeup artists, so I’m a little leery too. I wear glasses, and many of the makeup people I encounter complain about the glasses and urge me to get contacts 🙁
Hi Terri,
You might want to check out reviews for freelance makeup artists on yelp.com. Besides doing makeup for events, a lot of them also do one-on-one tutorials and consultations that are more in-depth than something you’d get at a department store.
I know there’s a bunch of reviews here for the SF Bay Area, so I’m guessing if you’re in or close to a major city you should be able to find somebody who does something similar.
Crazy that summer is just about over. I like the extra daylight but I don’t mind losing the endless hot, humid weather for a little while. It doesn’t even dip below 80 overnight!
Okay, so my Dior makeover is Wednesday. Other than DiorShow, I would love to hear what everyone’s Dior must-haves are. I’ve only used their eyeshadow.
i’ve used my mums dior glosses,i like their feel 🙂
and scary,but diorshow did nothing for me gulp :O
Cool, I am a big fan of glosses!
so if you dont mind me asking what is this dior makeover?:)
I got an email from Allure advertising a Dior fall makeover series at Dillard’s, and signed up. I think it is focused on their new fall products!
Oh la la! Dior time!
Apart from their quints, I love their Creme de Gloss, Long-Wearing Moisturizing Concealer, Dior Sculpt Lifting Smoothing Concealer and Hydraction Tinted Moisturizer.
A few links to reviews in case anyone’s interested:
Dior Creme de Gloss Review
Long-Wearing Moisturizing Concealer Review
Dior Sculpt Lifting Smoothing Concealer Review
Hydraction Tinted Moisturizer
Thanks Karen!
Its in the mid 70s in the morning … well at 620am when I set off for work at least. Its amazing how much the temp has climbed up by the time I get to work.
Today it looked like rain but no such luck! 😀
Ooohh Dior makeover! Nice!
Hey! I’m totally ready for the fall – it’s my absolute favorite season! I have tons of jackets, so maybe that’s why, hahaha!
Beauty-wise, I can not believe that it took me this long to try Maybelline’s Full ‘n Soft mascara. I got the waterproof version, and while it does leave some smudging under my eyes (dislike!), the weightless look I get is wonderful. I may have to go on the hunt for another that lengthens and holds a curl that DOESN’T smudge or flake though. Oh well!
Hi Mai-Huong,
I have friends who work in the beauty industry who swear by Full ‘n Soft! I still need to get around to trying it one of these days…
BTW, I’m super picky about mascara smudging too. Maybe you should check out Stila Lash Visor — love the stuff! It’s waterproof, holds the curl, lengthens and never smudges.
Full ‘n Soft is the mascara I keep coming back to. Every few months I’ll get tempted by something else, but nothing beats this for an everyday look. Fuller, defined, and slightly longer lashes. I can amp it up with thicker liner or just go for an eye-widening fringe.
I gotta pick up that bad boy soon. Maybe when I hit up Target later this week…
Hi Karen! I can’t wait for fall! Cooler weather and jackets and comfy layers!
Did you get the chance to try on the jacket you got from the Nordie’s sale? How did it fit?
Oh, and you also have to tell me all about your trip to SD!
Yah, I live the jacket! Can’t wait to wear it!
How gave things been going for you?
SD was awesome! We fit so much into the week! My gave was the tide pools at the cabrillo national monument. We also went to sea world, the zoo, balboa park, the wild animal park, the uss midway… We did a ton. I never really adjusted to the time so I was super tired every night!
I wore mine today while running errands… it’s getting cold!
Things on this end are starting to calm down. Having the in-laws stay with us for two weeks was fun (El Hub is very close to them), but I’m glad to have some quiet now and my bed back! Sleeping on an air mattress = not fun.
I’m glad to hear you loved SD. It’s one of my favorite places to visit! Next time you go you have to try surfing.
i’m working on my summer-into-fall look – always such a tough transition!
i picked up the burmese beauty quad the other day. at first i thought it was an indulgence that i didn’t really need and i might end up returning it – until i got it home! SO GORGEOUS! the antiqued gold and the shimmery deep gray-green color are just TO DIE for! i rocked them last night with marked for glamour and urban decay’s naked lipstick topped with MUFE’s nude lab shine gloss.
so glad i picked up that cat lady quad!
<3 to the cat ladies here!
Try the quad w/ a black or dark gray base – it gives it a totally different character and is awesome!
I bet that combo makes a gorgeous smokey eye!
Its pure <3
I used the Benefit Creaseless in Strut under and it just transformed the colors!
I am dying to see what that looks like. I can totally imagine it looking smoking!
Do you have MAC Club e/s, btw? If you like that gray-green shade you might love Club as well.
I dont have Club (I think) but I have a UD shadow whose name I cannot remember thats supposed to be very close to Club.
Today I used Strut under Shimmermoss. OMG. Pretty. Thing is, im melting here at work because our A/C is busted! LOL!
I didn’t pick that one up when I was at MAC last week and now I’m kicking myself. I felt like that gray green was too much like Club, but I can’t stop thinking about it!
Did you get anything else from the release? I went a little nuts with the liners.
me too! i’m wearing smoky heir at school right now – i winged it and feel so rockabilly retro.
it reminds me of this aubergine color that bath and body works made back in the day that i wore *every* day of 8th grade haha
i also picked up marked for glamour and smoky blue and lap of luxury lipglass. i’m a little worried that lap of luxury might be similar to on display from last fall, but it seems a little more purple than that, i’ll need to swatch them together to find out.
i don’t have club, i’ll definitely have to swatch it the next time i’m there!
nina, i LOVE the tip about using a dark base underneath! i’ll definitely give it a try!
Just came back from my summer vacation in the US, did lots of clothes shopping for fall in fall colors of plums and berries and some neutral-looking cashmere colors, and of course, my fav pinks! Can’t go without pinks, whatever the season. And bought lots of makeup too!!! managed to get the UD Naked palette few days before I left. Loaded up on the 1st of my NYX. Of course went to Sephora dozen times….. a great summer vacation!!!!!!
Now time to unpack……huh…….
Hi Vonvon,
Glad to hear you had fun. What’s your favorite item from your US makeup haul?
Hmmm…. I treasure them all, but my NYX’s hauls are my fav, esp the new 9-shade palette: purple, bronze and nude on nude, on 1st impression. As I have not played with most of my haul yet! 😉
Hey Gals,
I’ve received quite a few emails regarding this awesome MAC-themed cake from the Cake Wrecks site! (scroll down to the third pic)
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2010/08/sunday-sweets-anti-nerd.html
Does anybody else want one for their birthday now?
I really want that cake for my birthday (or my graduation). However, it is too cute to actually eat.
Yes pls. I must email this link to either my sister or my best friendn so they can get me one LOL!!!
Oh and that one w/ the butterfiles totally reminds me of the Liberty of London MAC packaging! <3
OMG!! I want that MAC cake!!!!! I want!!!!!!
I officially made it through the first week of school…sort of. Technically, I only went to one day of school. I went to the hospital TWICE this week and I had to make and emergency call to my doctor. One visit was to the ER and the other was to the lovely EEG/EKG wing. Needless to say, I had a BAAAAAAAAAAAAAD week. I’m also sick of seeing hospitals. If I have to see another IV, electrode, shot, computer monitoring my vitals/brain, gurney, white room, or vial of medicine, I’m going to scream.
Although, I must say, narcotics are double-edged sword. Good at relieving migraines, but the rebound headache is awful.
Hopefully, this week is better.
Hi Kate,
I hope this week is better for you. Try to stay out of the hospital, will ya?
Sending you healthy vibes…
I’ll try, but you never know with me. Monday was a level 9 migraine to get heavy-duty narcotics and anti-nausea meds. My mom said I was like the sleeping dead after all those meds; HOWEVER, I could still walk a straight line. My mom can’t on those drugs. I had to get meds the next day for the rebound headache from the narcotics. Wednesday was for an EEG that my neurologist wanted me to take. I HATE EEGs; you’re only allowed half of what you normally sleep (i.e. 2.5 hours of sleep if you normally sleep 5; 4 if you normally sleep 8). That and you look like Frankenstein’s monster with all the electrodes on your head.
Do you know how hard it is to sleep with 24 electrodes on your head and one on your chest on a gurney with no side barrier? I kept thinking I was going to fall off because the gurney is about the size of a twin bed (I haven’t slept in one since I was 9). The tech said I slept but I think I thunk the entire time.
I’m waiting for FFAAALLLLLLL!!!! I bought the Lorac close up kit and I love it!! I think the cat eye looks great on me!! 😀
AWESOME! What do you think of Front of the Line Pro? Do you love it?
It was my first time using a liquid liner… and I LOVE IT!
As much as I love summer, I’m usually ready for fall. Bring on the jewel tones, the cozy cashmere, and the grays and plums. Only thing I don’t like is when it starts getting so cool that it is uncomfortable to leave home with my hair still damp. Having to either blow it dry (hello frizz) or get up earlier (arrrrghhh!) does not make me happy.
And since I won’t be wearing open toed shoes to the office, I can start having more fun with pedicure colors. I have a bottle of shimmery forest green just waiting for cooler weather!
That’s is one thing I will definitely miss about summer — being able to wash the hair and just go. Air drying is a wavy girl’s best friend, sigh.
What hairdryer do you use? I gotta say the T3, while expensive, works GREAT. It gets the job done fast (totally comes in handy when I need a little extra sleep).
I have a T3 too and LOVE it. Couldn’t imagine straightening thick, wavy hair without out. It does do a better job than most diffusers, but it still frizzes a bit on top. I thought I was crazy for spending that kind of money on a dryer when I bought it, but I let the web hype convince me and I love. I did at least wait until the Sephora sale.
hey Karen! I go back to L.A. in about a week and I really can’t wait. I love being in Taipei, but I haven’t slept in my bed all summer, so I’m definitely looking forward to that 🙂 In other news, I found the cutest clip-on/screw-on earrings last night when I went shopping with my aunt.
Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Are you looking forward to school?
Ho man. It get craaazy cold here all of a sudden, too! I’m wearing jeans, a long sleeved shirt and a hoody – inside the apartment – for the first time this (…dare I say it?…) fall.
But, in all honesty, I have immediately gotten TOTALLY in the mood for boots, scarves, my puffy vest, and mulled wine.
Speaking of. There has to be some sort of makeup product that has the name Mulled Wine. And I think I probably want it.
Related to fallish-type things… if anyone has any boot suggestions, shoot them my way! I’m in the market for a new pair.
Hi Shannon,
What type of boots are you looking for? I’ve been obsessing over ankle boots as of late. I want these teal ones from Seychelles:
http://www.zappos.com/product/7673515/color/695
I’m having a hard time finding something I like at the price I want, lol. But I do want something french-chic… something timeless. Something that Audrey Hepburn would wear. ha 🙂 I’m a big fan of those Seychelles, though! I really love the heels and the shape of the toe.
i’m so ready for FOOTBALL and FALL!!! I’m really over summer and the heat…
Just to give some a heads up. Sephora has a few oline deals and freebies. But you can only use the codes online at checkout.
But for anyone who like or ant to try Pacifica here’s a good chance.
Any flavor body butter or body wash both for $25. You can mix and match or just buy any two. I think that’s a good deal.^.^ The code is PACIFICA.
Lots more I’ll just post the link.
http://www.sephora.com/promo/beautybonuses/index.jhtml?MobileOptOut=1&om_mmc=ret-n1-20100825blockbuster—afo-h2b-fs–om-us-ftrfreestuff-fos-h-&dicid=432096:17600879630:22213036
I wish it was fall here so I could wear boots and long skirts. We rarely have seasons, it’s always summer.
I just moved into my college’s dorm room today. I very excited about college….but kinda anxious at the same time. I don’t have any friends who’s going to the same college; I’m sure i’ll meet new people tho, so i’m excited about tht. I’m still deciding whether I should go to FROSH (it’s like orientation week with 4 days of activities such as club night and dinner). I want to meet new people, but I don’t want to play awkward icebreaker games etc. What do you ladies think? PS. Any tips for me about the beginning of college life?
Go for it… thats how i met some of my best college friends…
I never lived in a dorm. Always wanted to. But if you’re not too shy and don’t mind looking. Try meetup.com if you haven’t. Or walk around campus a bit when your school student life have events.
I’m turning twenty-five this coming October… and though I’m really not afraid of being older or officially being considered as in my mid-twenties… a lot of SAs and MUAs are telling me that I should start considering anti-aging products for the eye area and possibly something for where the “11’s” and smile lines (?) are located.
Sure, all the late nights through college caused my under eye area to get slightly darker, perhaps a little dryness is notable when applying concealers… and there are fine lines that weren’t there before and maybe the smile lines are getting deeper. But do I really need to care about these things so soon? I already make it a habit to use SPF daily, even in the winter, but with all the promises of brightening/moisturizing/de-puffing/resurfacing/etc. I’m kind of getting lost on what I really ‘need’ to keep my eye/wrinkle prone areas… well.. healthy and happy… looking, at least 🙂
So, any suggestions? TIps, tricks, happy thoughts? 🙂
Hey I also just turn 25. Some people say eye creams make it worse. But I also have few lines from over the years, nothing too noticeable. I’m trying to look into good eye creams myself.
Some of the older ladies I know don’t believe in eye creams and mostly use natural things. Like real shea butter as a moisturizer under the eyes and the whole face. And yes even a bit of vaseline for the eyes.
Face exercises either with your hands or a machince do work, but you have to keep at it. I do think spf is a must sunblock even better, even though I’m tan, bronze. I’m not risking it.
Try looking into using natural oils on the face, some of them helps. Castor and wheat germ is a popular one. But make sure it right for you. I have very oily skin a bit and try the Indian oil cleasing and herbs, it helps keep the skin soft and healthy. Just find out what’s right for you, you’ll know what your skin needs.