giveaway

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Lindsay a.k.a. RVAfashionista! Congratulations, Lindsay! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

Rise and shine, morning glory. It’s going to be a beautiful day. 🙂

How was your night? I spent mine relaxing with the men in my life, a remote control and some leftover Chinese food. Speaking of remote controls, you know what movie I really enjoyed? Do you remember Mickey Blue Eyes — the Married to the Mob-type comedy with Hugh Grant, James Caan and Jeanne Tripplehorn (“Fuggedaboutit!”)? Tabs queued it up using Netflix online.

It was released in 1999, which was back before Robert Pattinson stole Hugh Grant’s foppish hair, but thanks to Netflix I’ve been seeing a lot of movies I missed the first time around.

Anywho, what are your plans for today? Are you doing anything fun? I’m hoping that after doing my chores around the house we can drive up to Napa for the day, but I don’t know about that… It’s awfully Hundred-Acre Wood right now. If the fog doesn’t clear, I may just visit Sephora instead, because that’s always fun.

And, ya know, it’s even MORE fun when you’ve got one of these in your pocket/purse (I think you know what time it is):

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (or $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• 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. What’s the name of your favorite romantic comedy, where do you see yourself in five years, do you regularly wear eyeshadow primer — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/g9smZ5

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, January 9, 2011 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).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. The winner may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal.
• 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: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Lindsay a.k.a. RVAfashionista! Congratulations, Lindsay! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Tina. Congrats, Tina! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

Eureka! There’s gold on them thar cheeks, faces and décolleté — Clarins Barocco Shimmering Gold Powder, that is.

Clarins formed it into delicate gold-dusted nuggets, which they plopped into an elegant black cylinder decorated with a black scroll and tassel. It’s perfect gold rush material, and they even included a black powder puff.

Are ya ready to strike gold today? 🙂

• One (1) Limited Edition Clarins Barocco Shimmering Gold Powder for Face and Décolleté (a $35 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. Tell the story behind your favorite piece of gold jewelry, or about the time you tried to find the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, or about the time you auditioned to become a Solid Gold dancer! — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a Clarins Barocco Shimmering Gold Powder for Face and Decollete (a $35 value) http://bit.ly/egDoas

• The deadline to enter is Friday, January 7, 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: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Tina. Congrats, Tina! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is June! Congratulations, June! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

Have you heard the news, babes? It’s 2011! Happy New Year! It looks like we made it.

So, did you celebrate the pants off of 2010 last night? Come on, please don’t spare the details. 🙂 El Hub, Tabs and I actually rang it in with a whisper at home. I know, I know — boring. We had a glass of wine at a little place not far from here, and then shared a pizza (all of us but Tabs) at our favorite joint in San Rafael before getting home around 10. I think I may have even fallen asleep before midnight, but when the clock struck 12, I awoke to the booms and cracks of fireworks far off in the distance. I leaned over, kissed El Hub, and then fell back to sleep.

Today I think I owe the day to my hubby and Tabs, so I won’t be around very much. I couldn’t leave you hangin’ though. The start of a brand new year deserves to be celebrated with at least a little pomp and circumstance, am I right?

Trumpets, please!

(DUN DUH DUH DUHHH!)

I wish I had one of these cards for every single person reading right now, but I hope this particular one goes to a good home (yours perhaps?).

If you’re an international reader, or if Sephora’s just not your cup of tea, no problemo. The winner may elect to receive $100 sent to them by PayPal instead. If you win, just let me know which prize you prefer.

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $100 sent to the winner by email (or $100 sent by PayPal instead).

• 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. How would you describe last year, do you have any goals for 2011, what would you get from Sephora if you won the giveaway, are you a good kisser — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $100 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/eMP6tB

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, January 2, 2011 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).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. The winner may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $100 sent directly to their email address by PayPal.
• 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: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is June! Congratulations, June! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is aclearcutsign! Congratulations, aclearcutsign! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

So maybe stretchy pants and overindulging in holiday yummage aren’t conducive to feeling glamorous. I could use an emergency glamor adjustment, and I’m thinking the Clarins Barocco Eye Colour Trio could help.

Can you imagine the looks you could bang out next year with these three sheer shadows? There’s a shimmery sunset gold (with traces of blackish brown, just like a tiger’s coat!), a matte brownish black, and a shimmery blackish gold.

This particular trio here is in need of a good home…

Are you ready to help? 🙂

• One (1) Clarins Barocco Eye Colour Trio (a $40 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, like the name of the person you’d love to kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve, the name of your favorite beverage, the last pair of shoes you bought, one of your resolutions for 2011 — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a Clarins Barocco Eye Colour Trio (a $40 Value) http://bit.ly/hunSNi

• The deadline to enter is Thursday, December 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: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is aclearcutsign! Congratulations, aclearcutsign! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Scientific Housewife! Congratulations, Scientific Housewife! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

Heya, ladies. Do you ever wonder what Christmas is like in Australia? If you live there, please leave a comment and let me know, because I often wonder about it. I mean, this is the middle of your summertime, right? Do you guys decorate Christmas trees? 🙂

In Hawaii, some folks decorate the coconut trees in their front yards, but most people either decorate fake trees, or they buy regular pine trees that come shipped over from the mainland (and consequently cost about twice as much as ours do here).

I remember one December when we were visiting my in-laws in Hawaii we woke up on Christmas morning to find a peacock chilling in the back of my father-in-law’s pickup truck. Now that’s something you don’t see every Christmas. Tabs would have thought, “WOW! Is that for ME?!”

Speaking of peacocks, the brand spankin’ new MAC Peacocky collection of 15 Mega Metal Eyeshadows and 12 Kissable Lipcolours will strut onto counters, eyes and lips on January 6, but here’s a sneak peek: two eye-popping brights from the release — the bold, shimmery teal Odalisque Mega Metal Shadow and the creamy blueish pink Vanity Fair Kissable Lipcolour.

Gorgeous, right?

You know what time it is. 🙂

• One (1) tube of MAC Peacocky Kissable Lipcolour in Vanity Fair and (1) pan of MAC Peacocky Mega Metal Shadow in Odalisque (a $38 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. Tell me about one of your holiday traditions, how you feel about pajamas, what yummy treats you’ve been enjoying this week, or describe what you felt was the best gift you gave this year.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win 2 Pieces of MAC Peacocky Makeup (a $38 Value) http://bit.ly/fXNxHQ

• The deadline to enter is Monday, December 27, 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: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Scientific Housewife! Congratulations, Scientific Housewife! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Mary Valleau! Congratulations, Mary! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
  

You may be asking yourself, what’s with all the rouge lately? The brands just love that word, don’t they? Rouge this and rouge that.

The word may not be all that original anymore, but it’s berry appropriate when it comes to Clarins’ Rouge Prodige limited edition lipstick.

Dressed to thrill in black and gold, it’s semi-matte, unflavored/unscented, and looks opaque on my lips with a single coat.

If you can see yourself slipping into this lovely lippie, then warm up your giveaway muscles, girl.

Here. We. Go! 🙂

• One (1) tube of Clarins Barocco Rouge Prodige lipstick (a $24 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, like how you apply lipstick (Do you go straight from the tube or use a lip brush? Do your bottom lip first and then pressing your lips together? Do tell.), the name of the last movie you watched in a theater, the person you look up to the most, or tell me about one of your hidden talents — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a Clarins Barocco Rouge Prodige Lipstick (a $24 Value) http://bit.ly/fv9OgD

• The deadline to enter is Thursday, December 23, 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: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Mary Valleau! Congratulations, Mary! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂