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

Makeup Stops for No One!

January 6th, 2008 by Karen 23 Comments

I’m sick and feeling like complete crap, but, alas, beauty stops for no one! — so I chug onward. *Achoo!* Sniffling, sneezing and coughing won’t stop your girl from aching for…

Swarovski sparkles

Did you know L’Oreal has two free-standing retail stores, one in Connecticut and the other in Southern California? Too bad the closer one to me is approximately 400 miles south at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles because I’d love to peep Red Carpet, a fancy shmansy mirrored compact designed by Kwiat for the Golden Globes.

It doesn’t come with any product inside and costs $50 (oy!), but 20 percent of the purchase price goes to support the Ovarian Cancer Fund, which I think is awesome. I dig the curvy star pattern of Swarovski crystals. Pretty, yah?

Eye-safe glitter

There seemed to be a lot of reader distress last week about MAC Glitters not being safe for eye use. In the spirit of glitter and makeup research, I went to Nordstrom and asked a few makeup artists for some recommendations.

They tipped me in on Prescriptives Eye Shadow Effects ($25), a fine glitter powder safe for use around eyes. One of the makeup artists applied some Cool Effects shadow on top of my Chanel Aurora Blues, and the tiny silvery flecks made my eyes really pop!

Both the Cool Effects (silver) and the Warm Effects (gold) shadows can be used to transform a matte look into a shimmery one. Too bad the counter was out of stock of both products at the time. Le sigh.

Japanese language comprehension

Would someone please translate this screenshot for me? I’m looking for a button that says, “spend all your money here.”

I found out about this super cute limited edition collection by Paul & Joe for Disney via Muse Media. Check out her blog sometime. It has lots of awesome Japanese makeup.

The collection contains two powders, a hand cream and a lip cream in cute Disney themed packaging. Too bad it’s only available in Japan because it’s too cute, and my irrational self says that I need it all!

Sidenote: Speaking of Disney, I just read a story today about how one of their Disney World Florida restaurants actually banned children, LOLOLZ!

Sorry for the short post, ya’ll, but I gotta get back to the couch to eat more chicken soup and then pass the eff out. Will (hopefully) be back tomorrow in full force. 🙂

Have a great makeup-filled night.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

9 New Year’s Weight Loss Tips

January 5th, 2008 by Karen 50 Comments

How are those New Year’s resolutions coming along? I know that a bunch of you really wanted to make it a priority to lose weight and get fit, and I’m right there with ya!

2008 started off with several cardio and weight lifting sessions, but on Thursday I caught a bad cold, so I haven’t been to the gym in a few days. Once I get over this nasty cold, though, the fitness will again be on like Donkey Kong! Are ya with me?

First up: planning my workouts. I found an old issue of Women’s Health, a magazine I love, with a cardio and weights plan, and I’ve scheduled January sessions into my calendar. Once I commit those workouts to paper, they’re etched in stone (paper, actually). No excuses. They become like scheduled business meetings. Each workout gets me closer and closer to my goal, and big goals are all about baby steps.

Anyway, last week I got a few nice e-mails from readers asking for weight loss tips. Richard Simmons, I am not (no one else works those short shorts like he does), but I’ve got a few tricks that have helped me lose some poundage in the past, and I’m happy to share them with ya.

1. Ready, set, go!

I enjoy exercise, so getting motivated usually isn’t my problem, but I do have tough days. When I’m not feeling the spirit, I resort to good ol’ fashioned mental trickery.

If I’m feeling lazy and stuck on the couch, I strike a deal with myself: I put on my gym clothes, prep my water bottle and iPod, and slip into my running shoes. Then, I stand totally ready at the door with my keys in hand. If after all that preparation I still don’t feel like exercising, then I am allowed to skip out on my workout.

I don’t know why, but once I’m all dressed up and standing in the doorway with keys in hand, I almost always think to myself, “What the hell, I’m already dressed and ready to go. I might as well.”

I’ve been using this trick for years, and I’ve never actually taken the option to ditch the gym. Weird, huh?

2. Bookmark the USDA National Nutrient Database.

The biggest thing that helped me lose weight before my wedding was understanding and tracking how many calories went in and out. When I started not only watching what I ate, but also understanding how many miles I’d have to walk or run to burn off that brownie, it changed everything. I was finally able to lose weight.

Along with reading nutritional labels on food, I started using the USDA National Nutrient Database to help me learn how many calories were in the foods I ate.

What makes the site really handy is that you can search on different food serving sizes. Say, if I want to know how many calories are in a cup of raw broccoli, or in a single stalk, or in a given weight of broccoli, the site will tell me.

In addition to providing caloric information, the site provides the minerals, fats and amino acid (protein) content of foods, but the numbers I usually look at are just energy in kcal (calories), protein and fat.

What works for me is writing down everything I eat, including portion size (1 cup, 2 cups, etc.) and calories per serving. At the end of the day I add up all of the numbers and subtract the amount of calories I’ve burned from exercising. Having the numbers lets me track my progress.

3. Buy pants that make your butt look cute.

Why are gyms so often covered in 360 degree mirrors? It’s just cruel.

It ain’t rocket science, but I figure if I’m going to be staring at myself jiggling up and down from all angles, I might as well look cute.

I walked into the Lululemon Althetica store a few weeks ago and asked the sales girl to find me a pair of pants that made my butt look “super hot” (No, I’m not making this up). She put me in a pair of their bestselling exercise pant, Reverse Groove.

It’s reversible, wicks and does a pretty good job of making my big ol’ bum look grab-worthy. You won’t lose 10 pounds on the spot, but at least a cute gym outfit makes it that much easier to stare at your bad self in the mirror.

4. Cut it up.

I have a very intense sweet tooth, and when it kicks in I have a hard time resisting my cravings. I don’t deny myself sweets when I’m watching my diet, but if I decide to indulge there are a few things I’ll think about beforehand.

First, I’ll look at my numbers and see how many calories I’ve eaten and burned. If I worked out extra hard that day, and I have the extra calories available, then I’ll have my treat. But, if I know the snack would take me over my calorie limit, I’ll skip it and tell myself that if I’m still craving it tomorrow, I can work it into tomorrow’s meal plan. It gives me a little something to look forward to.

What I crave most often is chocolate, and in particular the fudge slice cake at Safeway. When I’m craving it I’ll cut one slice up into fourths. Then, I’ll just eat one fourth that day and save the rest for later on in the week. That way, I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself, and my sweet tooth gets satisfied.

5. Speaking of shoes…

Certain activities are high impact and hard on your body. If you plan to do much running, then get yourself some good shoes. Go to a specialty running shoe store and have your running stride analyzed. A trained sales clerk will study your stride and recommend shoes that fit based on how your feet hit the ground. I first did this in 1996 and learned that my left foot is neutral (meaning that the ball and heel hit the ground evenly), and my right foot overpronates (my ankle tends to roll out). Don’t settle for shoes designed for someone else’s feet. Find a shoe that works for you.

6. Wear one earbud.

I know it’s safest to run without earphones on because you can hear traffic and aren’t distracted, but sometimes I need the extra kick I get from music. If I’m going to run with my iPod, then I wear one earbud and leave the other ear free. It takes a little getting used to, but that way I can still hear cars and traffic around me. To keep that earbud in place, I take the one I’m not using, stick it underneath my shirt and then weave it underneath my bra strap. That keeps it from flying all over the place.

7. Pick up a few workout DVDs.

Marin County floods at least a few times each winter, so I have a backup plan for when I can’t make it to the gym: exercise DVDs. I’ll do yoga or watch a dance class in my living room. It’s not the same as running four miles on the treadmill, but it’s better than nothing, and I don’t have to put on my contacts or brush my hair to visit the living room. Hell, I could even wear my pajamas.

To keep myself interested and the workouts fresh, I rent different workout DVDs from Netflix. That way, I don’t have to spend a lot of money on DVDs and can switch up my workouts. Netflix has a huge selection of workout DVDs, and plans start from $5/month.

And if I can’t make it to the gym and don’t have a workout DVD I’m interested in doing, I pop in season three of Sex and the City (the pinnacle of the series, IMHO) and hop on my portable exercise bike. Next thing I know, poor Aiden’s heart gets broken, an hour has passed, and I’m really, really sweaty.

8. Drink lots of water.

Drinking massive amounts of water helps keep hunger away (and has the added benefit of clearing my skin). A couple glasses of water before and during meals also stops me from overeating.

9. And speaking of drinks…

One quick way to cut calories is to dilute juice drinks. If I’m hankering for orange juice, I’ll fill my glass half way with OJ and the rest with water. I don’t like overly sweet drinks, so it doesn’t bother me, but if you can’t stand the taste, you can start slowly by mixing 3/4 juice, 1/4 water. Just remember that a full glass of orange juice (regular 8 oz glass) has about 100 calories, so 1/4 of a glass has 25 (or 5 minutes on the exercise bike).

If you intend to lose weight in 2008, I feel your pain. I hope you’re making progress on your goals. What are your favorite weight loss tips?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Originals Face of the Day, C-Thru

January 4th, 2008 by Karen 30 Comments

Ride the pigment train!

Figuring out how to use MAC pigments opened up a new world of makeup for me. I used to be at a loss when it came to these sparkly jars of color, but learning what brushes to use made a big difference in preparing this face of the day. Below is the Originals C-Thru face chart for inspiration.

Do you ever go through makeup phases? Right now, I’m all about green eye makeup, and MAC Golden Olive pigment really makes the eyes in this look pop!

Here’s what I used to get the look:

Eyes
Brows – MAC A Little Folie eyeshadow
Browbone – MAC Frisco eyeshadow
Lid – MAC Sweet Sage Fluidline, followed by MAC Golden Olive pigment
Crease – MAC A Little Folie eyeshadow
Upper lashline – MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
Lower lashline – MAC A Little Folie eyeshadow
Lashes (upper and lower) – Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara

Cheeks
Cheeks – Neutrogena Softcolor blush in Sunny Spice
Cheekbones – MAC Antique Gold Reflects

Lips
Lipliner – MAC Subculture
Lipstick – MAC Sandy B
Lipgloss – MAC C-Thru lipglass

You want this!

Do you wanna know what your new favorite browbone shadow is? Despite its terrible, terrible name, you’ve got to pick up Frisco eyeshadow because it’s totally boss. This beautiful pale pink is sheer and subtle, and it’s not as loud as browbone shadows like Ricepaper or Shroom. It’s a great choice for natural looks (for work, pair it with Woodwinked or Soba).

Sidenote: Please don’t call San Francisco “Frisco” when you visit! It is my number #3 pet peeve in the entire universe (#1 is when people leave an empty toilet roll and don’t bother to put in a fresh one, and #2 is knee-high boots that don’t hug your calves). It’s “The City,” or “SF,” and in some very rare cases (i.e., Christian Bale can get away with it) “San Fran.”

Also, Sandy B lipstick is a can’t miss color. Peachy with a slight frost, it’s a pretty neutral for no-fuss days. That said, I’m not crazy about it with C-Thru Lipglass in the look above because the C-Thru has that overly frosty, 60s go-go dancer thing going. I think it’s much more wearable and prettier topped with a clear gloss instead.

A few days ago I was all about the glitters in this collection, but now I’m having second thoughts. Next time I do this look, I’m skipping the Reflects Blackened Red. It made my cheeks look really muddy and didn’t mesh well with my skin tone at all. I’d think twice about this purchase!

We got hit by a hurricane early this morning in the Bay Area. Trees and street signs were down outside, but we made it through. I heard that 6-foot waves were supposed to hit inside the Bay and 28 footers just outside the Golden Gate. Too bad we can’t surf this!

Right now I’ve got a killer sore throat. I guess I’m fighting a cold, so I’m off to do some serious resting on the couch. Stay dry, and if you’re out on the road drive safely, please!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Pigments Made Easy

January 4th, 2008 by Karen 33 Comments

I can’t be the only one out there intimidated by MAC Pigments. For years I overlooked their brightly colored, loose shadows. They look so professional and no-nonsense in their sexy little jars. I assumed there was no way a klutz like me could use them.

Seasoned MAC junkies seem to love ’em though, so in the name of Makeup and Beauty Blog science I decided to give them a chance. I figured the worst that could happen would be I’d drop a jar on the bathroom floor and end up with purple-stained towels, a purple toilet, sink and floor. But other than that, what could go wrong?

But surprise surprise! — even I couldn’t muck this up! Using the steps below, I managed to avoid both 1) a big mess in the bathroom and 2) looking like a rabid clown.

MAC Pigments the easy way

Start by grabbing a stiff eye brush, like the MAC 252 or the MAC 239. Stiff brushes are easier to use with pigments than fluffy brushes because stiff brushes provide more control over color application. Using a fluffy brush results in a lot more color going all over the place. Trust me, you don’t want this to happen.

All the pigments come with a plastic “stopper.” You’ll see this when you open the lid of the jar.

Sidenote: please excuse the broke-ass manicure. I did swatches of Essie’s new spring collection and over the Christmas break had five different colors on the nails of my left hand.

I then placed this plastic stopper onto the lid with the powdery side up.

Dipping the brush directly into the jar loaded it with too much product, so instead I grabbed just the right amount of the product from where it collected on the plastic stopper.

Tap off excess color against the rim of the jar or swipe the brush head across a Kleenex.

Voila! Now you can use the pigment as a shadow or highlighter!

Take note

Not all pigments are suitable for eye use, so if you plan to use a pigment around your eyes make sure it’s rated safe for use there. The packaging or the insert included with the pigment should let you know!

The MAC artist who taught me this application trick discouraged me from using concealer as a base and recommended I use MAC Paints and the MAC Paint Pots. I’ve tried all three as bases and prefer the Paint Pots as a base because they emphasize the richness of the pigment’s color and have excellent staying power.

MAC’s pigment jars are totally huge, and one jar will take you into your next few lifetimes. If you are on a budget then grab a friend and head to the MAC counter together to share a jar. There’s plenty enough for both of you, and you’ll save yourself a pretty penny.

Are you ready to start collecting pigments with me? Let’s do this!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Originals Face of the Day, Full on Lust

January 3rd, 2008 by Karen 72 Comments

I’m feeling the sass today because I get tomorrow off from work, so today is my “Friday,” and also because of my wacky hair:

El Hub’s been reading a lot of manga books (Japanese comics), and I swiped a few the other day. They inspired me to rock my hair like this.

Hair of this sassified caliber deserves superhero makeup, too, so today I gave the MAC Full on Lust face chart a go.

This is a brighter daytime look than I’m used to wearing, but I like it because it makes me feel really cute and spunky. If the blue is too cartoony for your liking you can always use a lighter touch to lessen the color intensity.

Here’s what I used to get the look:

Eyes
Brows – MAC Concrete eyeshadow
Browbone – MAC Frisco eyeshadow
Lid – MAC Jadeye Fluidline
Center and outer lid – MAC Parrot eyeshadow
Crease – MAC Charred eyeshadow and MAC Carbon Eyeshadow
Upper lashline – MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
Lower lashline – MAC Carbon eyeshadow
Lashes (lower and upper) – Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara

Cheeks
Cheeks – MAC Blushbaby blush

Lips
Lipliner – MAC Subculture
Lipstick – MAC Twig-Twig
Lipgloss – MAC Full on Lust

A few eye tips

When using dark colors in the crease, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Build color slowly. First, if you’re clumsy like I am, I find that it helps to take the time to build a color slowly, layer upon layer. First, I dipped my crease brush in the eyeshadow pot, swiped it gently on some tissue to remove the excess shadow, and then applied Charred (a shade of grey) in a light layer using a sweeping motion in my crease. I applied about five light layers before I got the color where I wanted it to be. Yes, it’s time consuming, but it’s easier for me to slowly build up layers instead of overloading my brush. Remember, it’s easier to add color than to take it away.

Don’t over blend. Have you ever tried a smokey eye, used several colors, but ended up with absolutely no definition between the colors you applied to your lid, your crease or your outer V? Here’s the deal: when you’re doing a smokey-inspired eye, you can’t go crazy with the blending; otherwise, you end up with a solid layer of dark shadow (aka ONE HOT MESS) on your eyelid. Trust me, I’ve effed up my share of smokey eyes by overblending to oblivion.

Now when I’m doing a smokey eye I use a MAC 224 brush to lightly diffuse any harsh lines and take special care not to go crazy with the blending. I use the very tip of the brush and lightly tap the edges of the shadow to blend the color. Or, I’ll use the tip, and with a light hand sweep it back and forth to diffuse the color.

Carbon 101. If I’m using a dark color like Carbon in the crease, it’s all about the brush. To get that dark black pop in the outer crease I’ll use a MAC 219 brush, which has a pointed head shaped like a pencil tip. Using the very tip of the brush, I’ll lightly swipe Carbon back and forth in the crease with extra emphasis on the outer half. To keep the Carbon from blending into the Charred, I’ll use the 224 brush to tap out any overly harsh lines.

Twig-Twig Lipstick and Full on Lust Lipglass: You want this combo!

Often I attempt a lighter lip with smokey eyes and end up looking like a corpse with pale beige lips, but the Twig-Twig lipstick/Full on Lust lipglass combo has just enough warmth to not look undead. It’s light, natural-looking and keeps the emphasis on the eyes, hawt!

This look isn’t one that I’d do everyday because I don’t always have the time to devote to layering color ever-so-carefully, but I’ll definitely do the eye makeup again when I’m feeling the spunky sass spirit.

MAC’s Are You an Original? Contest

MAC asks, “Are you an original?” Your answer better be Hell-to-the-Yeah!

If you exude OG spirit, then be sure to enter this spiffy contest ’cause there’s some serious MAC prize loot.

Enter by visiting MAC Cosmetics online and uploading a picture and a 200-word testament on how you are a MAC Original. Online voters will then determine the winner, who’ll snag a $1,000 gift card (holla!) from MAC and the entire Originals collection.

or…

If you live in the New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco or Houston areas, you can visit your designated MAC location to get your makeup done for free and have your photograph taken by a professional. Each city will have one winner who’ll receive a $250 MAC gift card, the entire Originals collection and be featured in local publications. The winners will also be entered into the online contest mentioned above.

Technical difficulties

If you were visiting the site in the wee hours last night you may have noticed that it was out of commission. Go Daddy, my web host, was having server issues, but all is well now. 🙂

Anyway, my sassy self has to run a few errands before it starts raining. Happy Thursday, ya’ll!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beauty Snacks on the Run

January 2nd, 2008 by Karen 27 Comments

Variety is the spice of life, they say. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for new things to try, aka new “beauty snacks” to help me through my workouts.

fussytabby-beauty-snacks-final

Elizabeth Arden Eight-Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you get to skip the SPF, or the exercise. A half hour before I leave the house for a quick run around the neighborhood I smear Shiseido sunblock on my face and neck. Then, right before stepping outside I apply Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick on my lips. This clear stick moisturizes and protects my lips with SPF 15. Don’t you hate it when your hair whips around in the wind and gets stuck in your gloss? It never happens when I’m wearing this because it isn’t sticky. It’s light and smells a little like 8-Hour Cream, but the scent fades quickly.

I don’t always remember to use SPF on my lips before exercising, so as a gentle reminder to myself I keep my tube of this in my running shoes. Right before I leave for a walk or a run, I place the tube in the space where I keep my shoes and then put it back into a shoe when I’m back home again.

A tube is $17 online and can also be found in many of the Elizabeth Arden vending machines that are popping up all over the place.

A hot limited edition red from Essie

It may not be sandal season, but I still gotta have my toes done or my feet look like monkey paws. I’ve been digging this groovy red polish from Essie. It’s a limited edition shade called “E! Live from the Red Carpet.” Red like the red carpet, get it? I’m really picky about my reds, and I really like this because the color has a lot of warmth. If you like tomato red shades on your tootsies, then I think you’ll like it. A bottle is $8 and available at salons and Ulta stores.

Official pervert status achieved

Singer Chris Brown is too cute. And the boy sure can dance. I feel a little weird because I just found out he’s 18, holy crap. Is it strange that I just want to hang out with him so that I can feed him homemade cookies and warn him about loose women?

Hot stuff, part one: Prescriptives Instant Gratification Skin Renewal Peel

Nor Cal’s “cold” winter continues and so does my need to seek out any and all things warm. Right now I’m drinking some Mighty Leaf Tea (African Nectar rocks!) and waiting for my Prescriptives Instant Gratification Skin Renewal Peel mask to work its magic.

A dermabrasion-peel treatment in a tube, this exfoliating treatment unclogs pores, reduces fine lines and wrinkles and removes dead skin cells without leaving my skin feeling tight or dry. And it’s oil-free and non-acnegenic to boot.

This bad boy has three types of exfoliators:

beta hydroxy acid – removes dead skin and smoothes rough patches;
acetyl glucosamine – loosens the bond between the old layers of skin on the face (eww) to reveal new skin underneath;
and natural exfoliants of bamboo extract and finely milled pumice for physical resurfacing.

The best part about this mask is the warming sensation. Five minutes after I slather a layer on my face, I wet my fingertips and start massaging the mask. That triggers the product to warm. I’m not talking wimpy heat from the touch of my fingers – it gets really warm and feels sooo nice, especially when I’m freezing.

The warming sensation comes from magnesium sulfate, dimethicone and silica. It not only feels nice but also softens skin and opens pores.

At $45 it ain’t cheap, but one tube should last a while. It leaves my skin feeling super soft and glowing.

Yes, hair helps keep you warm, but it ain’t cute when it’s on your upper lip

Upper lip hair is like Tila Tequlia on MTV – it appears out of nowhere and then is suddenly all over the frickin’ place.

In between paragraphs, I actually got rid of my ‘stache with Sally Hansen Hair Removal Wax Strip Kit for Face, Brows and Bikini ($7). In three minutes, I pulled out a Sally Hansen Wax removal strip, warmed it up between my palms, pressed it onto my upper lip hair and then ripped it off (quickly, of course) for a smooth and hair-free upper lip. Hooray, no more Magnum P.I. lip!

The box says you can use these on your brows and bikini line, but I only use them for upper lip hair because I find that the strips aren’t shaped well for use on my brows, and the wax isn’t strong enough for hair removal on the bikini line.

Doesn’t this Wednesday feel like Monday? I think I need another cuppa coffee.

Have a wonderful day, and I hope you’re all recovered from your New Year’s festivities!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

New Year … New Poo!

January 1st, 2008 by Karen 46 Comments

Years ago, when El Hub and I first started dating (aka the Dark Ages), one major relationship issue I had to get over was, well, to put it politely, going “number two” at his house. It was always awkward because 1.) his bathroom didn’t have a window for ventilation and 2.) his computer (where his booty was almost always parked) was in the room adjacent to the bathroom. I was always freaked out about certain odors wafting into the other room.

For the record, it’s really hard to do your business in peace when your crush is working on a computer right outside the bathroom as you’re taking a poo. If only I had Poof back then. This lil’ green and brown bottle would’ve saved my ass.

Poof in your pocket!

Poof instantly banishes toilet odor when you’re “dropping off the kids at the pool.” It’s a liquid toilet deodorizer that comes in a bottle small enough to fit discretely in the palm of your hand. Right before you go number two, you put 1-2 drops of Poof into the toilet bowl. The drops form an invisible layer on the surface of the water that seals in any stinky smells. Once you’ve added the drops, you plop your booty down and then, ahem, handle your business.

“As soon as something hits the water it just sucks up the smell,” says Sherilyn Luke, co-owner of Poof. Instead of smelling stinky poo, the scent of Japanese mint is released. Ahhh, freshness.

But does it work?

Holy crap (pardon the pun), your girl was psyched to give this stuff a try. One morning I drank two cups of coffee and then waited for the poo fairy to visit. When I felt her knocking at my door, I grabbed a copy of Allure, my bottle of Poof, told El Hub to “leave me be” and locked the bathroom door.

One drop or two? Hmmm. I decided to go for broke and use two. The drops hit the water and let out a tiny whiff of mint. I settled in, and once the magic started, well, it was ON. The company isn’t kidding when they say the mint scent is strong. And as, um, you do your business, the stronger the mint smell gets.

It should be known that I have a superhuman sense of smell. I think that for most of the population, the mint will be strong enough to cover up any eau de poo, but for my sensitive nose it was a little overwhelming. Instead of the mint overtaking the poo smell, I smelled a combination of mint and poo. For days afterward I couldn’t get close to a candy cane or chew mint gum without feeling nauseous.

I’ve since discovered that one drop works better than two. I like that the bottle is small, so I can just pop it in my purse or hold it in the palm of my hand without anyone noticing. You better believe I am going to be packing a bottle of this next time I go places where I feel self-conscious about poo-ing, like my in-laws’ house or the small bathroom at work.

Poof in your purse!

But don’t think you can start farting in public because you’ve got your Poof. Sheri tells me the deodorizer only works in the toilet.

A few places to Poof

A small studio apartment. Live in a tiny apartment? Leave a bottle of Poof in your bathroom for your guests.
Your bootycall bag. Heading over to your bootycall’s house? You know she/he doesn’t need to know that you are actually human. Pop a bottle in your overnight bag if you plan to stay for breakfast.
The office bathroom. You know your co-workers talk smack about you when you leave the bathroom. No more of that, b*tches!

A homegrown business

Hawaii tends to have weird health trends that local people latch onto. My relatives are always obsessed with something new. Last year they were all about Zicam nasal spray, before that it was Noni juice, before that it was Airborne for colds. Trends travel around the islands faster than I can wipe out on a wave.

Sheri and co-owner Jamee Kunichika both hail from Hawaii. Five years ago they noticed a Japanese product, One Drops, that a lot of local people were carrying around. They liked the product but didn’t care for the scent, so they reformulated it, changed the scent, developed their own attractive packaging and started marketing it to mainland consumers.

Both Sheri and Jamee have day jobs (Sheri works in finance and Jamee is a lawyer) and families, yet still handle all aspects of their growing and increasingly demanding side business on their own. “We’re hoping one day that we can do this full time,” says Sheri. “It’s getting to that point where we have to consider, well, are we gonna jump ship and leave our full time jobs to pursue this?”

I’ve gotta give Poof some love because not only does the product work, but I’m also a firm believer in giving small businesses (particularly businesses that are minority and women-owned, holla) a chance. If you’re curious about Poof (and I know you are), you can purchase your bottle online at Poofdrops.com. One 0.5 oz bottle of Poof holds approximately 400 drops and costs $10.

2008: It’s gonna be a whole new poo.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Looks Back on 2007

December 31st, 2007 by Karen 29 Comments

Ahhh, the last day of 2007. I always get a little sad when I know something is coming to an end; I guess it’s the thought of a part of my life ending and knowing I’ll never be able to go back (unless I drop $10 million for those time travel plans on eBay).

When I started this blog, I never imagined how much fun it would be. This year has been, to quote my eighth grade East Bay self circa 1989, “hella cool.”

Dita Von Teese – Interviewing MAC Viva Glam spokesperson Dita Von Teese at the Macy’s Passport fashion show was a trip. She was so stunningly beautiful and I was so nervous. The other day, I listened to the audio recording of the interview and laughed because I even SOUNDED sweaty.

Paris Hilton – The Dita experience really helped, though, when the time came to interview Paris Hilton for the release of Can Can, her new perfume. It was a level of celebrity that I’d never experienced before — body guards, press folks, rabid fans foaming at the mouth. It was the first time I’d interviewed a really high profile celebrity AND the first time I had to do it in a room filled with people watching me. What a learning experience.

SF Fashion Week – But my favorite event of the year was hanging out with MAC backstage at SF Fashion Week. I fell in love with a few products, learned a lot and met other beauty bloggers, like Erika and Christine.

Laura Mercier – There was plenty of Laura Mercier love last spring.

Tokidoki bag – The Tokidoki bag fit all my stuff AND rocked my world.

Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash – Unfortunately, I experienced getting pimples on my butt for the first time. Fortunately, Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash saved my ass (pardon the pun).

43 makeup things – Thanksgiving was an excuse to eat turkey, wear stretchy pants and think about the 43 makeup things I’m thankful for.

43 non-makeup things – Thanksgiving also provided an opportunity to give thanks for everything else.

Chanel Glossimers – I became a fiend for Chanel Glossimers.

Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple – And Purity Made Simple simply rocked my world.

Chanel Garden Party Quad – Chanel’s National Artist John Fussell helped me fall in love with the Chanel Garden Party Quad, and now there’s no turning back!

Smashbox’s Lori Taylor – Smashbox’s Lori Taylor gave some backstage tips from L.A. Fashion Week.

Billy B. – I met and interviewed one of the nicest guys in the beauty biz.

MAC’s awesome Louise Zizzo – Louise Zizzo saved me from myself when the MAC Mattene collection came out.

Celebrity makeup artist Bruce Grayson – Bruce Grayson’s makeup tips from the Emmy’s red carpet.

Dear Makeup and Beauty Blog – I heard from Shy in Chi-town.

Guide to Smart Clubbing – You asked for tough love, and in the Guide to Smart Clubbing I gave it to ya (hey, I’ve had a lot of practice).

Curiositease – And my number one makeup love, MAC, didn’t let me down.

Pigments and Glitters – Remember when I was grouchy about Pigments and Glitters?

MAC Loose Beauty Powder – I fell in love.

Smoke Signals – It rocked my world.

MAC Mad Libs – We had a lil’ fun together.

MAC Mattene lipsticks – Where’s my plaid shirt and my Pearl Jam CD? MAC Mattene lipsticks took me back to the 90s.

A quick smokey eye with MAC shadow – Oh, this is old school.

But the best thing that happened to me this year was meeting all of you. It’s been fun getting to know you and learning about your lives. You’d think that it would be hard to make a connection behind a computer screen, but sometimes I feel like we’re all just having a cup of coffee together and gabbing about makeup.

I hope you make the most of this fantastic last day of the year!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen