I took this shot at the Windward farmer’s market a few days ago.
If I could I’d surround myself with orchids 24/7. 🙂
An Orchid Just for You
Makapu’u Lighthouse
The other day I hiked up to the Makapu’u Lighthouse, which was built in 1909. There are sweeping views of the coastline, mountains and ocean on the way up. The spot’s also supposed to be great for humpback whale watching between December and April.
Sundays With(out) Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 115
Sand cat says, “These are my slippers. so you’ll have to get your own.”
Even though I’m sure Tabs has been living la vida loca without me (I heard he threw a rager last night), I sure do miss his fussy face.
The gang of tail-less tabbies that runs around my in-law’s neighborhood has been MIA, so I’ve been getting my CCL on via beach cats and the feline sand sculptures (like the one up top).
I asked friends on Twitter the other day how they cope when they go on vacation without their pets… @norulesjstbeaut starts to meow to pictures of her cats. Now THERE’s a woman after my own heart, ha!
Thanks to the Skype Tabby Cam 2000, Tabs and I have kept in contact every day. He’s been calling to complain about the pet sitter, who he says “wouldn’t know good gravy from a hole in the ground.”
Today I went through some of Tabs’ old makeup modeling pics, and now I miss him even more…
$4 Petites Color Fever Nail Polishes: Another Reason to Love Rite Aid (and Drugstores in General)
After trying and being put off by a few drugstore nail polish brands before (including the regular Petites line), I’ve been sticking to my Sephora by OPI’s. Luckily, however, one day while I was browsing my local Rite Aid beauty section (is there anyone else who finds that therapeutic?), a small bottle of pretty grayish taupe polish caught my eye. It turned out to be a higher end Petites line called Color Fever.
I’ve purchased two Color Fever polishes so far — Periwinkle (525) and Vintage Gray (519) — but if I was not trying to cut down on my makeup expenses, I would have bought a lot more. 🙂
There are some very interesting colors in the line (although many of them are hard to find in stores), and in terms of quality both of the polishes I own are on a par with OPI. For the sake of comparison, the brush is slightly narrower and shorter than that of the brush that comes with a bottle of Sephora by OPI.
These are creamy opaque shades that go on beautifully and last a decent amount of time (up to a week with a top coat).
The Petites Color Fever polishes are more expensive than an average drugstore polish ($3.99 for 0.25 oz, but that’s versus close to $9 for 0.5 oz for Sephora by OPI), but I would still prefer these over OPI polishes — really, how often do we use up even half of a full-sized nail polish before it dries?
PRICE: $3.99
AVAILABILITY: Rite Aid
RATING: 10/10 overall
My Favorite Travel Makeup Bag May Come as a Surprise
Written by Audrey
Freelance makeup artist Audrey of Makeup by Audrey takes her makeup with her on the road with help from the subjects of today’s guest post.
It’s the holidays, and for a lot of us that means hitting the airways or the road. I’ve been using the same makeup travel bag for a few years now, and I love it! Check it out (and I made sure to leave it nice and dirty to preserve the authenticity of its long lifespan of usage).
My favorite part of the bag: the built in brush holder. No need to carry a separate brush roll. It even has a protective flap to keep any makeup dust away from your products, and the brush slots come in different sizes to accommodate both face and eye brushes.
I like the way the whole thing is laid out. The three mesh pockets (two of them are zippered to keep the contents nice and secure) are set in just the right locations.
The entire bag also rolls up nicely and stays wrapped with an elastic band, so you can really stuff it with products.
I’m still amazed by how well this bag has held up over the years (knock on wood!)
You might be surprised by to find out that this amazing makeup bag comes to us from Mary Kay, and more amazing still is that it’s not actually sold on its own but rather as an accessory to their brush set.
[Continue reading…]
Two Ways to Win a 47-Piece Tarte Jewelry Box Palette
WINNER: Valentine. 🙂
Now this is the way to up-sell a girl like me — include a pretty piece of costume jewelry with your makeup palette, your cereal, your car battery, your [INSERT PRACTICALLY ANYTHING HERE].
The Tarte Jewelry Box Palette ($52), a Sephora exclusive, comes with 32 powder eyeshadows, eight lipglosses, a mineral bronzer, a shimmery highlighting powder, five long-wearing eye pencils and this stylin’ gold necklace to take you from day wear to diva in the blink of a blended eye.
I hope you’re ready for another giveaway, because today’s is about to start. 🙂
- One (1) Tarte Jewelry Box Palette (a $52 value).
- There are two ways to enter, 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, a comment about anything at all — you could describe your favorite family heirloom, your taste in jewelry or perhaps your outlook on socks.
- Second, you can enter by following me on
Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to win a Tarte Jewelry Box Palette (a $52 value) http://bit.ly/eyOCXv
- The deadline to enter is Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 11:59PM (PT).
- Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
- A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
- Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
- Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
- The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
- Void where prohibited by law.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
WINNER: Valentine. 🙂
The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed
It’s a stormy day here in Kaneohe (pronounced khan-ay-oh-hey), but no one told the birds clamoring up a storm outside. Strangely, the neighborhood chickens have been relatively quiet this morning. I guess they don’t go in for singing in the rain like the other birds do.
Waking up to the pouring rain and birds singing outside are some of my favorite things about staying here at my in-laws’. Both are daily occurrences here in the jungle and make the giant mosquitos that much easier to bear.
Here’s what it sounds like during a break in the storm…
I really appreciate the extra guest posts submitted by Sam, Olga, Audrey and everyone else lately. Haven’t they been great? Seriously, this week I learned a new technique for matching my foundation, read some good ideas for ways to store my fragrances at home, found out about the Sally Beauty earth tone shadows, found out about a few interesting makeup sets recommended by a talented makeup artist and bunch of other cool stuff too.
I think the guest posts have been so great, in fact, that I’ve taken a little extra time for myself and my family on this trip, spending less time on the computer than I usually do. Once I got past the first few painful days of Internet withdrawal (I had the shakes real bad, LOL!), it got a lot easier.
How are things in your end of the jungle? Any peacock sightings or awesome new makeup to report?
A big congrats to Nancy for winning the bedazzled iPod Touch giveaway this week, and a thank you to Visine for sponsoring the prize. Stay tuned for more giveaways over the coming days, and be sure to enter any ongoing ones if you haven’t already. Good luck! 🙂
- Two Ways to Win a MAC Tartan Tale A Lady & Her Tricks Buff & Line Brush Collection Set
- Comment to Win a New Windows Phone 7, and Do More with Less
The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed
YES TO CUCUMBERS
FACIAL TOWELETTES
I experienced what can only be described as a euphoric scent-sory experience the other day with a Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelette ($6 for a pack of 30). El Hub walked in on me while I was holding one of them up to my nose and breathing deeply (smells like those cucumber water drinks you get at a fancy shamncy spas). I must have looked like Gollum from Middle Earth, cradling my little precious…
These softer-than-soft wipes are the latest additions to the Yes To ______ line of organic eco-friendly skin and hair products.
I think the company’s pretty cool, especially when they release something I really like.
The biodegradable cloths say “yes to” removing face and eye makeup without the need for water, but with the help of skin softening cucumber, aloe vera and exfoliating minerals collected from the Dead Sea. Read more…
A $10 MAKEUP LOOK
TAUPE, BROWN & VIOLET EYES
How low can you go? (Sing it!) How lo-oh can you go? Okay, so I had a lot of fun last week trying to put together a makeup look for less than $10, and I think I did an okay job. The whole shebang came to a whopping $9.85, but I think I can do better.
I gave it another go, this time shooting for something 1) cheaper and 2) more dramatic. I paired smokey taupe/brown/violet eyes with lilac lips. Again, the products are all from N.Y.C New York Color because, obvs, they’re really inexpensive, cruelty-free, and altogether not half bad.
Since the eyes AND lips are pretty colorful in this look, I kept the cheeks bare (don’t want to overwhelm passers by, LOL!), but a nice blush probably wouldn’t have hurt.
If you decide to give something like this a try but feel that the lilac lips are way too much, you could swap ‘em out for something a little quieter, like perhaps a light peach gloss (maybe the $6 Sally Hansen Diamond 12-Hour Lip Treatment in Flawless?).
First, the eyes. Start by applying N.Y.C. New York Color Brow/Eye Liner Pencil in Jet Black ($1.14) on the lids and the crease as an eyeshadow base. Use a finger or a brush to smooth out the edges before patting the shimmery mauve eyeshadow from the Metro Quartet Eye Shadow in Chelsea Chic ($3.99) on the lid. Read more…
THE CLINIQUE
REDNESS SOLUTIONS LINE
Having suffered from mild rosacea for a few years, I am always on the lookout for products to conceal the redness on my face without making it look like it has been dipped in pancake mix. This time that search led me to two makeup products from the Redness Solutions line by Clinique: the Targeted Corrector and the Instant Relief Mineral Powder.
Despite the way these two are advertized (helps skin “keep its cool” and reduces redness on contact) they do not reduce redness (at least, not on my skin); they merely conceal it. Good enough for me, so let’s get on with the review.
This is a yellow concealer pen with a thick, pasty consistency. It’s pretty dry, so I would avoid using it on the undereye area (luckily, this is the only part of my face that never gets red and bumpy like the rest!). The best part about this corrector is the great coverage it provides — I have tried it both with and without foundation, and the redness was covered up pretty much completely in both cases. Read more…
THREE FUN MAKEUP
SETS FOR CHRISTMAS
I have such a weakness for makeup sets. They usually suck me in with cute packaging and then seal the deal by offering a good price.
During a recent visit to Sephora (ahem, purely for educational purposes), I discovered a bunch of fun makeup sets that tickled my fancy. Did I need any of them? No. But did I want them? Of course! And guess what? It’s that perfect time of year for frivolous expenses!
To help you write your letter to Santa (or be a gift-giving Santa yourself!), here are my top three favorite makeup kits this holiday season: Read more…
THE SALLY GIRL
EYE SHADOW CONNECTING COMPACTS – THE EARTH TONES
With the nude face being one of Fall 2010’s hottest trends, it would be easy for you to just turn to your favorite shimmery champagne shadow, swipe a bit over your lid, and run out of the house. Skin glowing and cheeks instantly tinted red by the late-autumn chill, you’re the image of ultimate chic. But if you feel the look is too plain — too bare — and you’re tempted to reach for that black liquid liner and slap on a thick cat eye, why not turn to your earth tones instead?
On one of my monthly trips to Sally’s a while back, I had just finished my hair product shopping and was waiting for my father to pick me up. Having already examined the aisles twice (I’m always convinced I’ve missed some new, revolutionary product that’s been quietly tucked in between the Cholesterol Masques and the clarifying shampoo), the only display left was the makeup.
I’ll admit it. I’m a makeup snob. Seeing price tags of $5.99, $2.99, and, it pains me to say, $0.99, I was more than skeptical of these modestly packaged beauty items. I reluctantly bowed my head down towards the bare-bones rack. Read more…
THE JOUER TRAIN CASE
MAKEUP ESSENTIALS KIT
Can’t get enough of NARS Orgasm? Do MAC Nymphette Lipglass and Power Surge Eye Kohl give you heart palpitations? If so, you may suffer from warm shade lust-alaria.
Don’t worry. It’s a treatable, albeit sometimes expensive condition, and one possible cure could be the new Jouer Train Case Makeup Essentials Kit ($200).
Jouer, an indie makeup line known for natural colors and their chic girl-about-town packaging, leans more toward the Clinique/Bobbi Brown end of the spectrum than the MAC/Illamasqua side, and it’s a very pretty place to be.
This adorable pink zip-up train case comes with makeup for your eyes, lips and cheeks, and a mini- blush brush.
In addition to the case and the brush you get Powder Eyeshadow in Caramel (a shimmery warm peachy gold), Eye Definer in Chocolat (a shimmery golden bronz), Powder Blush in Rose (a matte warm pink), Highlighter in Champagne (a shimmery peachy gold), Lipstick in Kiki (a shimmery peachy pink), Lipgloss in Glisten (a sheer, shimmery light peach with multi-colored glitter), Lip Definer in Rose Pale (a matte peachy pink)… Read more…
CHANTECAILLE LIP CHIC
IN TEA ROSE
Before you write off Chantecaille Lip Chic in Tea Rose because of its $30 price tag, take a moment to scroll…down.
Okay, yes, it’s very expensive, and, yes, the whole gloss/lipstick hybrid thing’s been totally done to death (see: Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Glossticks, Avon Glazewears, MAC Slimshines, the Prescriptives LipShines, etc.), but OH, NELLY! It sure feels great on my cold-burned lips.
Tea Rose is one of 14 permanent shades in Chantecaille’s Lip Chics line of lipsticks designed to smooth, firm and plump puckers.
This shimmery rose has just a hint of red and buildable light-to-medium coverage with a shiny finish. Read more…
WHERE SHOULD YOU
MATCH YOUR FOUNDATION?
Ah, the age-old question: “Do I match my foundation to my neck, my jawline, my inner wrist, my…” Ok, stop right there.
There are many reasons why all of the above are less than ideal, so let’s go through some of them before we explore an even better way to match.
If you match to your…
Neck — Because of the shadow your face casts down upon your neck, it only makes sense that your neck is going to be one of the palest parts of your skin. It receives the least amount of sun, and contains much lower levels of pigment than many other parts of your skin. Match your foundation to your neck, and you run the risk of a washed-out, sickly looking face. Read more…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
4 Tips for Getting the Most from Your Makeup
Lipstick — Have you ever noticed how your lips sometimes look blotchy halfway through the day? If you’re ending up with more pigment on some parts of your lips than others, apply your lipstick of choice with a brush. You’ll be able to achieve more precise placement and even distribution of color to minimize fading throughout the day. After applying with a brush, blot lightly with a tissue. Separate the tissue, and, using a large fluffy brush or a powder puff, tap some translucent setting powder over your lips through the single-ply tissue. This creates a near permanent stain as a base. Reapply the same lipstick (or a different one, for some creative effects), again using a brush, and blot again. Want even more staying power? Fill your entire lips in with a neutral lipliner or one that matches your lipstick before application.
Eyeshadow — In addition to using a primer, it really helps to layer. Place a cream shadow over your entire lid (either a neutral or the same shade as the powder you will be using), tapping powder shadow on top of this to set and prevent fading for all-day wear. Can’t be bothered with creams? Dust some setting powder over your bare lid before applying your shadow. Then, pat your shadow on, instead of sweeping it over your lid. That way you get a more concentrated application that should take a longer time to fade.
Blush — Try using two shades of powder blush: a “neutral” and a “pop”. Place the neutral shade (which can include pale pinks, apricots, or roses; choose one depending on what color your cheeks turn naturally when you flush, then step down an intensity level) all along the top of your cheekbone and blend well. Then, place your “pop” shade just on the top of the apple of your cheek and blend outwards and up. This concentrates the color where it would appear most when you would naturally blush, and when your blush begins to fade, you’re left with a more natural, rosy glow, as opposed to a pallid or blotchy cheek.
Powder — Ever wonder why most makeup artists use powder puffs? It’s not just for show. Puffs press the powder into the skin, bonding it to the foundation rather than just layering it on top. If you have a puff, shake some loose powder onto it, and “mush” it between your fingers, distributing the powder into the fibers of the puff. Then, place your index and middle fingers in the center of the back of the puff, and make a sort of “taco” shape. Roll this across your skin in small back and forth motions to really set the powder. Don’t have a puff? Take a large fluffy brush, pat some powder into the side of it, and place your fingers on the other side. Use the same motion to roll the powder onto your skin.
Written by Sam
Sam is a 17-year-old, oddly tall guy whose love of all things skincare, makeup, and fashion started when he entered the modeling world at 14. Since then, he’s established himself as a freelance makeup artist in the theatre and fashion worlds, and started his own blog to preach the wonders of orange eyeshadow, Asian skincare, and designer fragrances to the masses.