A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
Let’s see how well you know your MAC trivia. 😉 The real test is whether or not you know the answer without looking it up online.
Loading ...Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. For extra credit, do you know what the letters M, A and C stand for in MAC? 🙂
The giveaway is closed now, and I’m contacting the winners by e-mail. Good luck!
As I march closer and closer to my mid-30s, I’ve been thinking about what it means to get older.
In many ways, aging has been pretty cool. I feel comfortable in my own skin and better equipped to cope with unexpected things than I was at 23.
But I can’t lie — I worry about looking older. Call it vain, but it’s true, and things like the gray hair I found in my eyebrow kinda tick me off.
I guess like most women I accept the realities of life, but I’d still like to age gracefully, which is where I think Charla Krupp’s How Not to Look Old beauty book can help.
A former Glamour beauty director and senior editor at InStyle magazine, Charla filled the book with practical skin, hair, makeup and wardrobe tips readers can use to “look 10 years younger.”
To illustrate her tips, one of the things Charla uses are before-and-after pictures of celebrities.
I actually tried one of the hair tips recently and swear it made a noticeable difference. Charla suggests that shorter bangs can help one look a little younger (or at least feel a little younger), and after my recent hair cut, I can’t disagree.
I think it’s a great book, whether you’re 32 or 23. 🙂
Time for a giveaway!
Five lucky ladies will each win a copy of How Not to Look Old (a $16 value).
There are two ways to enter the giveaway, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.
Just like last time, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. In your comment, tell me the title of your favorite beauty book or magazine.
I can’t choose a favorite, but the last beauty book I read (and enjoyed) was Living Beauty, by Bobbi Brown.
Second, you can also enter by subscribing to my updates by email (if you haven’t already). They’re once-a-day emails with my daily posts. You’ll get more giveaways like this one, along with makeup tutorials, videos and drugstore beauty finds.
(Note: if you’re already subscribed, you’re automatically entered to win.)
I’ll pick the five winners at random from among the people who enter by 11:59PM PST Saturday night.
Good luck!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The giveaway is closed now, and I’m contacting the winners by e-mail. Good luck!
Pier 39 is one of those touristy things in SF, but ya gotta do it!
Meet the missing member of Prince’s band, the NARS Jolie Poupee eyeshadow duo ($32).
Good morning, glories! 🙂 I hope you had a great week. Mine wasn’t bad at all, but I couldn’t be happier that it’s Friday.
TGIF!
My first post of the day is a batch of 21 more makeup tutorials. These are just ones that moved me for one reason or another. I hope you find them useful.
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How’s it going, ladies? I just got back from the pet store because Tabs lost yet another collar, grr!
I picked him up the cheapest replacement I could find, a red nylon breakaway for $2.99. No more $18 fashion collars until he proves he can be responsible.
Oh, I got some more bad news today. MBB reader Jackie sent a heartbreaking e-mail this afternoon. She explained how all of her makeup was stolen, and now she’s looking for advice to rebuild her collection from scratch.
“I’m heartbroken… all of my makeup, gone! I want to ask you for a list of your favorite basic makeup for daily use. I like Shu Uemura, but I’m open. I’m a basic kind of gal.”
Hey, Jackie. I’m so sorry. I’d be crushed!
I’m sure karma will come back and bite that makeup thief in the butt. Until then, try to see this as a chance to start fresh, like a makeup phoenix rising from the ashes! You don’t need a lot of different products to look great and put together.
I’d start with my tried-and-true favorite face products, the ones my skin tolerates well and that look natural.
First, there’s Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer ($42), and a tube of MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer ($15) (to even out my skin and to cover up my dark circles).
Then, I’d get a good powder, one that doesn’t cake, like MAC Blot Pressed Powder ($21), MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder ($21) or MAC Select Sheer Loose ($21).
For some color…
… I might go with MAC’s Gel Blush in Just a Pinch ($21). It’s a sheer berry that creates a lovely natural flush.
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Do you remember being an eyeshadow virgin?
I do. I remember it like it was yesterday, standing helpless and confused at makeup counters in front of rows of eyeshadow pans.
If I’d only had something versatile like the new NARS Modern Love palette ($50) back in the day, I could have saved myself a lot of trial and error.
First row from left to right: Alhambra, Jezebel, India Song. Bottom row from left to right: Tokyo, Habanera, Pandora
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The other day a friend of mine asked me what order I apply my makeup in.
Most of the makeup artists I know suggest starting with concealer, foundation and powder, but I prefer to do my eyes *first*. That way, if (when) I make a mess, I haven’t gotten too far into the overall look, and things are still easy to clean up. 😉
After completing my eyes, I’ll finish with face, cheeks and lips.
Here’s my usual order. Really, all of these steps are optional. That’s the thing about makeup. There are more options than colors in a rainbow:
I wonder if anyone else does it like I do… In what order do you apply your makeup? 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
