Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

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

Take a Dip in the Open Thread

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makeup and beauty blog open thread

Nelson
-noun

1. an early-1990s glam metal band founded by long-lock’d brothers Matthew and Gunnar Nelson.

2. a hold in which pressure is applied to the head, back of the neck, and one or both arms of the opponent.

Talk about enviable hair… Imagine how much conditioner those boys must have gone through, oy!

This morning I was listening to the catchy but oh-so-cheesy After the Rain:

“After the rain washes away the tears and all the pain — only after the rain, you’ll love again.”

True, true…

Should I be embarrassed to admit how much that song moves me?

Or this one?

Or how about this one?

The last two were written by songwriter Diane Warren. On the surface they might seem like they’re about romantic love, but I’ve read where Diane says How Do I Live is actually about her relationship to her music, and Because You Loved Me was an ode to her dad and how he supported her artistic dreams.

I’m not sure where I’m going with this… 🙂

So besides listening to a lot of music this weekend (it’s my therapy), I managed to also sneak in a movie that turned out to be amazing. Brothers? Starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman? LOVED IT SO MUCH! Tobey and Jake play brothers in the film. While Tobey’s character goes off to war, his brother, the troublemaker in the family, is left to live in his gigantic shadow.

I’d forgotten just how great an actor Tobey is. Guy’s got MAD acting chops. I can’t believe he wasn’t at least nominated for a statue.

If you’ve seen any films that you’ve really enjoyed lately, let me know, okay? I’m a total movie buff.

Now, on to the Open Thread! Basically, the Open Thread is a place to just chat and shoot the shizz in the comments. You can ask or answer questions — beauty or otherwise — or share whatever’s on your mind.

See you soon. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 87

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Click to print the beauty word search

Companies don’t hire Tabs for his intellectual prowess; they hire him because he’s drop-dead gorgeous, but even though his job as an international cat model doesn’t require him to think fast, he still likes to keep his mind sharp and frosty.

Every morning before yoga he spends 15 minutes playing puzzle games like word search and sudoku (click here to print and play). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Tabs has been my blogging and beauty buddy for going on three years now, and I couldn’t imagine life without him.

This Week’s Top Posts

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Top posts on Makeup and Beauty Blog

Good morning, girl! What can you tell me about bird feeders?

Yes, bird feeders. 🙂

This is a little entirely off topic, but yesterday, before I got my hair cut, I swung by my local hardware store to pick up some gardening supplies and spent a long time in the bird feeder aisle.

I love hearing birds sing outside my window, and I bet a feeder would bring even more of them around. I could go with one of those small wire feeders that fit pre-molded seed bricks — they look like starter models. The cream of the crop feeders look like little wooden houses. Those are the sports cars of the bird feeding world, LOL!

Anywho, wasn’t this a great week for makeup and beauty? Three of the big brands kinda surprised me — MAC, YSL and China Glaze. Each of them brought their A games this time around.

Here’s a quick look back at some of my favorite posts of the week…

Hope you’re having a great Sunday so far! Let me know what you’re up to.

Tuesday Beauty Tips: Boosting Your Confidence

Tuesday Beauty Tips: Boosting Your Confidence“I know several cats (myself included) who are BIG fans. CBT techniques are based on the notion that behaviors and feelings stem from the ways in which you see yourself and your life. The five steps in the article can help you recognize, challenge and ultimately replace negative thoughts with more positive ones.”

How Adventurous Are You with Your Skin Care Routine?

How Adventurous Are You with Your Skin Care Routine?“It’s got a light beachy scent, and the little exfoliating scrubbies feel great. I think it’s a solid cleanser, too (hope it doesn’t break me out!). It made my face feel clean after I used it but not tight. Washing with it I got to thinking about skin care routines and how I don’t really have a rigorous long-term one.”

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pure Shine Sheer Lipstick in Pink Lychee Lasts but a Moment, yet Still Makes an Impression

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pure Shine Sheer Lipstick in Pink Lychee“Texture wise, Pink Lychee feels great, thanks to a hydrating formula similar to MAC Glaze Lipstick. It’s smooth, thin, feels light, and when I rub my lips together with it on they just glide back and forth — no resistance at all. Plus, I like the scent, which reminds me of Granny Smith apples, and added SPF 15. :)”

MAC Unsung Heroes: Woodwinked Eyeshadow Fakes a Good Night’s Sleep

MAC Unsung Heroes: Woodwinked Eyeshadow Fakes a Good Night's Sleep“MAC Woodwinked Eyeshadow ($14.50) rocks harder than Metallica. Like a beauty BFF, this shimmery shadow’s been with me through good times and bad. Brown in the pan, it applies like a lovely warm gold, and I find myself still reaching for it often because it’s one of those disbelief-suspending shades able to fake a good night’s sleep.”

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss: Smooth Texture, High Shine

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss: Smooth Texture, High Shine“They’re unscented but do have a mild brown sugar taste I don’t mind. As for how they feel — I mentioned that I didn’t detect any plumping, right? — the medium-weight thickness feels comfortable, non-sticky and smooth, and it makes them easy to wear. They also don’t creep past my natural lip line, either.”

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Comment To Win MAC To The Beach Hipness Blush

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  • The giveaway is now closed; congrats to the winner, Liza! Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

mac to the beach

I finally got over my Justin Bieber fever only to catch a bout of MAC To The Beach (GREAT!).

Sorry, I can’t stop saying Justin Bieber fever. 🙂

(Justin Bieber fever, Justin Bieber fever, Justin Bieber fever…)

MAC’s newest summer collection doesn’t have anything to do with teenage Canadian pop stars, but it has been sparking fevers here at MBB headquarters.

And the fever’s spreading fast! If you comment on this weekend’s giveaway, you might catch it, too.

The prize

One lucky lady will win MAC Hipness Blush, a gorgeous coral powder blush in limited edition packaging from the MAC To The Beach collection (a $19 value).

mac to the beach

For more on the MAC To The Beach Collection…

How to enter…

2ways2enterEntering 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, a comment about anything at all! List your TV guilty pleasures, share the name of your new favorite hair product, or dish about your secret crush at work — whatever’s on your mind.

My weekend took a great turn this afternoon. I just got back from getting my hair done (highlights and a cut! — see below), and I feel like singing and dancing. 🙂 Ahh, fresh roots…

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

Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win MAC To The Beach Hipness Blush http://bit.ly/c0Ly5j

Recap…

  1. 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.
  2. Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

    Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win MAC To The Beach Hipness Blush http://bit.ly/c0Ly5j

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, May 17.

सौभाग्य!!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I couldn’t resist sharing pics of my new hair! I got a cut AND color (went a little lighter with the highlights since it’s summer). The stylist didn’t take much off the length and mostly just cleaned up the layers.

OH! Bay Area girls (and guys), if you’re looking for a wonderful stylist and can make it to Marin, Bishlam at Salon B in San Rafael is a miracle worker, especially if you have unruly or curly hair (like moi).

  • The giveaway is now closed; congrats to the winner, Liza! Before you go, check the home page for ongoing giveaways.

MAC To The Beach: My Summery Saturday Face of the Day

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mac to the beach

Hola, ladies. 🙂 Have you heard Katy Perry’s California Gurls? It put me in the mood for my makeup today, a summery look using products from MAC To The Beach. It’s a coral and green eye with a bright orangey bronze cheek and glossy orange lips, loosely based on the MAC promo picture from the collection.

mac to the beach
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Saturday Surfing

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makeup and beauty blog saturday surfing

Good morning, fellow beauty surfers. 🙂 I hope you’re having a pleasant Saturday so far. I’m just sitting here sipping my morning latte (a weekend treat) and surfin’ the interwebs. Care to come with?

Random bright spots

New in beauty

Been listening to this song all morning…

This one too…

Have a great Saturday, okay?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’ve Got Bette Davis Eyes for These China Glaze Vintage Vixen Nail Lacquers for Fall 2010

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China Glaze Vintage Vixen

China Glaze Vintage Vixen

Have I ever told you about my obsession with 1940s style? Yup, ever since high school. For a time I was actually dressing the part, too, like I was an extra in Swing Kids, wearing Veronica Lake waves, red lips, fishnet stockings — the whole shebang.

Now I’m more of a tank tops and jeans kinda girl, but I still get my ’40s fix any way I can. China Glaze’s new Vintage Vixen collection helps.

China Glaze Vintage Vixen

Arriving July 6 for about $5 each, the 12 dark fall greens, burgundies, blues, taupes and silvers (NOTE: Fall? Can you say early much?! ) evoke ’40s film noir with a modern day twist.

China Glaze Vintage Vixen

Sparkle’s a key player in this drama, as the entire cast of characters features some kind of light-catching finish, ranging from micro-glitters to frosts to shimmers. It’s been a recurring theme for China Glaze’s fall collections, with both of the previous two, Retro Diva and Rodeo Diva, doing something similar.

But where Retro and Rodeo crafted a more playful, whimsical tale, Vintage Vixen’s darker story feels more like pulp fiction in paint. I like it, though (if I put my mind that far ahead in time), and feel like it’s right on point for fall.

China Glaze Vintage Vixen
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