Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Serenity, that is.
Serenity Now!
I Can’t Help But Smile…
…when I see sunflowers.
Easy on the Eyes: A Wearable, Easy Eyeshadow Look With Purple and Brown
As Usher so famously said, “These are my confessions.” 🙂
I have three of them today…
1. I’ve been bopping in my chair all afternoon to this song by Canadian singer, Lights
So catchy!
2. My obsession with Jeremy Renner just reached critical mass…
…and it’s all because of Jeremy Renner’s Arms.
I found out today that his (J-Ren’s) family is from Modesto, which is only about 100 miles East of here.
I’m tempted to drive out there next weekend and walk around downtown yelling, “JER-eh-MEEEEEEEE! I LUUURVE YOU!”
3. I used to be utterly dumbfounded by purple eyeshadow
I just couldn’t figure out what to do with it (this was back when I mostly wore browns and beige), and whenever I tried to wear it, blech! — I looked like the loser in a barroom brawl.
But I’ve never given up on purple, because I like it too much to throw in the towel.
In fact, just this last weekend I gave it another try, setting my sights on something easy and wearable (been burned too many times before), and this is what I came up with…
Fun! 🙂 I kinda like the way it turned out.
I’m wearing a brown matte shadow over a shimmery golden beige base with a flash of purple on the lids. I think the thin line of black liner along the upper lash line gives the look some extra depth and makes my lashes look a little thicker, while the shimmer in the inner corners opens up the eyes.
Why purple?
Well, why not? Purple shadows can really do a lot for your eye color. I think they can be super pretty with brown, hazel, green, blue and gray eyes.
I know they can be a little scary, especially if you usually stick to neutral shades, but fear not! This look here is actually pretty wearable. When the eyes are open, you mostly see the brown, but when you blink, there’s a pretty flash of purple.
Could be a good look for a casual (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Friday.
Plus, it’s not that time consuming or difficult. No heavy duty blending, and the whole eye should take between 10-15 minutes.
First things first
Let’s pull together our ingredients for this little recipe (I’ve been watching a lot of cooking shows lately)…
Here I’m using a few different products from Urban Decay, MAC, Bobbi Brown and Dolce & Gabbana, but nothing here is irreplaceable. Please mix and match with any brands you have on hand or swap out colors that you feel better suit you.
Clockwise from the purple pan on the left: Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Flash, MAC Eyeshadow in Vex, MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study, MAC Eyeshadow in Soft Brown, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencil in Jet, MAC 219 Pencil Brush, MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush, MAC 217 Blending Brush, Dolce & Gabbana Blending Brush, MAC 266 Small Angle Brush
Starting with your shimmery golden beige shadow (or similar shade)…
Sometimes my lids are like a Chevron refinery (read: oily). When they are, I start by priming them. In this look, after priming, push a shimmery golden beige cream shadow like MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study on your lids and into the crease with a finger, and use your fingers to blend out the edges.
That’s RGB Nail Polish in Minty on my nails
[Continue reading…]
MAC Unsung Heroes: Bare Study Paint Pot
What delivers bright-eyed, bushy-tailed looks in less than a minute and works as a great base for all of your favorite gold and beige eyeshadows? — heck, for most of the other colors in your eyeshadow collection, too?
Wait — before you answer, have you met MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study?
Hint-hint. 🙂
MAC Bare Study Paint Pot: How to fake getting eight hours of sleep in 30 seconds or less
One of those super easy “Wake me up before you go-go” shades, to borrow a reference from Wham, this $18.50 golden beige cream shadow gives me heart palpitations (but I’m told this kind aren’t dangerous).
Bare Study is perfect for last-minute appointments. All I do is pat a small amount on my lids and blend out the edges with a finger, coat my lashes with one or two quick layers of mascara, and treat my lips to a bright lipstick, and it’s off to the farmers’ market for me!
The soft, light-reflecting pearl finish makes me look almost like I got a good night’s sleep. Little would anyone know I spent half the night awake (and biting my nails) while reading the last half of Angelfall (highly recommended if you liked The Hunger Games).
A shade for makeup lovers of all levels of experience
If you’re shy about wearing a lot of color on your eyes, try a dash of Bare Study on your lids paired with your favorite eyeliner, and then maybe one day if/when you felt a little more confident about eye color (but still not gung-ho), you could try layering it under neutrals like brown, beige or gray.
If, instead, you’re all about eye color, then Bare Study has other strengths you might like. For one, it loves to layer with a wide variety of colors.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 232
- You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”
Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
- Mood:
Let’s see… Is half awake a mood? Probably not, I imagine. 🙂I’m chuggin’ along but a little sleepy because I stayed up way past my bedtime last night finishing that book I’ve been reading, Angelfall, and now I’m paying for it. Other than that, though, no complaints. All signs point to today being a great, if not groggy, day.
- Time for a road trip! Where are we going and who’s coming with us?
How about Southern California? One word: Disneyland! We could stop by the parks (Disney’s California Adventure is right across the street from Disneyland) and then head down to San Diego to do some surfing.Jen and Cindy, a couple of my childhood friends, would like to come, too. Don’t worry, they’re mellow, super cool and very down-to-earth. You guys will get along famously.
Of course we also have to invite Tabs, but I suspect he’ll say no. He’s been really busy with work lately and only travels first class.
- Something your friends/family tease you about?
My preternatural sense of smell (seriously, I’m like a basset hound). I’m that freaky person who can smell when the neighbor three doors down is smoking a cigar on his doorstep. - When you come home from a long, hard day, what’s the first thing you do when you walk through the door?
Kick off my shoes (we’re a no-shoes-in-the-house household), set down the mail, wash my hands, and then give and get kisses from El Hub and Tabs. - Have you ever flown in a helicopter?
Nope, but I’ve always wanted to take one of those tours in Hawaii where they zip you around the canyons and cliffs and get up close to the volcanoes. Buuuuut, I don’t know. I’ve read one too many stories about helicopter accidents. - What movie would you have liked to make a cameo appearance in?
Clueless, for sure! I would have loved being one of Cher’s friends, sitting at their table at lunch, buffing my nails and sipping a can of soda in my quintessential ’90s outfit (button-up mini skirt, over-the-knee socks, platforms, a shirt, vest and my little black backpack). - It pays to be _________.
Nice. In the right place at the right time. Patient. - Are you gonna watch the new Twilight?
Honestly, I really don’t want to, but at this point I feel kind of invested, LOL!I don’t know, though… Not sure I can handle hearing the name, “Renesmee,” spoken a few hundred times on screen.
- Have you lost any makeup lately?
Sure have. I can’t find my jar of MAC Indianwood Paint Pot, and I’m pretty salty about it.MAC needs to start installing little GPS trackers in their products…
- Weekly goals:
I’m keeping it simple again. All I want to do is get outside a little more than last week (with all the fall coverage, sometimes I forget it’s still summer), read at least an hour every day, and work my abs at least once.
G’morning, gorgeous. Hope you’re doing well on this beautiful day. 🙂
Here, let me refill your coffee… You know, I’m actually kind of hungry. Can I interest you in a chocolate croissant?
You stay here and fill out the Monday Poll, and I’ll be right back with your coffee and snack.
- To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.
1. Mood:
2. Time for a road trip! Where are we going and who’s coming with us?
3. Something your friends/family tease you about?
4. Have you ever flown in a helicopter?
5. When you come home from a long, hard day, what’s the first thing you do when you walk through the door?
6. What movie would you like to make a cameo in?
7. It pays to be _________.
8. Are you gonna watch the new Twilight?
9. Have you lost any makeup lately?
10. Weekly goals:
I will say this about Mondays: even though I’m always a little melancholy on Sunday nights, I like thinking about Mondays as a chance for a fresh start.
You have yourself a good one, okay? 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 204
I guess it’s safe to discuss now that the tests are over and we’re just waiting on the results. From NASA.
I couldn’t mention anything about it before because of a non-disclosure agreement, but Tabs is one of five feline finalists to become commander of NASA’s next mission to Mars. Yup, I went with him this weekend down to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology where they ran him and the other finalists through a barrage of tests. Gravy deprivation, zero-gravity mousing, a cat obstacle course with animatronic guard dogs, and puzzles to test problem solving skills.
He did well in the obstacle course, passed the puzzles (in one, the instructors left a door slightly ajar, and the cats were monitored to see if they could paw it open) and cleaned up in the zero-gravity mousing test, coming in first among the five kitties.
But he came in dead last in the gravy deprivation test (of course)…
I hope his overall scores were good enough to keep him in the running, though, because it’s been years since I’ve seen Tabs want something as much as he wants this. To be a part of the first feline mission to Mars would be a huge honor. Not only has Tabs always wanted to be an astrocat, but as he put it, “My being on this mission would mean so much to future feline generations.” Seeing a one-time stray cat rise to international stardom as a plus-size kitty supermodel before walking on the surface of Mars? It would send a message to millions of strays and house cats around the world that anything is possible, and not even the sky is the limit anymore.
Luckily, Tabs had a pretty light week of kitty modeling so he had time to focus on his NASA training regimen, but he did work on a few campaigns…
And here are the highlights (linger on the Maybelline ad for a second or two). 🙂
Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!
- WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Elizabeth! Congratulations, Elizabeth! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
G’morning and happy CAT-urday! It’s shaping up to be a beautiful day here in Marin County. The sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky, and I have a great big cup of coffee by my side. Hot — just like the spread Tabs did in Playcat a few years back. 🙂
I don’t have much on my plate today. Nothing exciting, at least. Just some housework, laundry (it never ends!), a workout and my grocery shopping. I’ve been totally on a cooking show kick lately, especially Giada at Home and America’s Test Kitchen, so I have all these ideas for meals I’d like to try.
I’m almost done with Angelfall, that young adult book with the fallen angels in it. Turned out to be pretty darn good. If time permits, I might also take another crack at that purple smokey eye from Make Up For Ever’s fall campaign.
Hope your weekend got off to a good start. Before you click away, have you entered this weekend’s Sephora eGift card giveaway? If you win it’s $50. Enough for a well-deserved treat.
What folks are saying…
“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana
- One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $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, like, do you like cooking shows? Who’s your current celebrity crush? What’s one beauty product that’s always in your purse? Did you wear braces? How often do you wear blush? What’s your stance on bronzer? — 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/P5pAP3
- The deadline to enter is Sunday, August 12, 2012 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. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
- 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 Elizabeth! Congratulations, Elizabeth! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
More Butter, Please
Butter London Trustafarian Polish. New for autumn-winter 2012.