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A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 203

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Tabs for the Anastasia Cat Brown Pencil

Sometimes divas need a break, ya know? It’s hard to be on all the time. That’s why it was nice to see Tabs take some much-needed time off this weekend. While I was visiting my friend Jen in San Jose yesterday, Tabs held down the fort here at home/MBB headquarters.

He made pasta, read some magazines and caught up on a ton of his favorite TV shows recorded on the DVR, like Dogs 101 and Giada at Home. He rarely gets any downtime, so he cherishes the weekends where he can just veg and do cat things, like climb trees, study mixology, surf the web for low-fat gravy recipes and practice scratching on his DJ turntable.

Heck, I can’t even remember the last time Tabs spent a full weekend just chillin’ like this at home.

I worry sometimes that he works too hard…but at least he doesn’t have a really busy week ahead of him. No international travel, which is nice, but he does have to meet with his local tech team on Wednesday to discuss an upcoming project. He’s been thinking about starting an e-commerce store catering to high-end cat clientele. I can’t reveal any details yet, but I can say that the words “Chanel cat accessories” have been tossed around.

As for me, I’m taking it easy tonight. It’s not even 9, and I’m already in my stretchy pants with a cup of Sleepytime Tea. I don’t want to miss it, but I don’t know if I’m gonna make it to see the Curiosity landing on Mars.

Oh! — almost forgot. Tabs always likes to share his kitty modeling exploits. Here are the most recent pics from his portfolio. 🙂

Tabs for the NARS Kitten Tail Kite Kit

Tabs for the Dolce & Gabbana Cat Monocle
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Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

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

A Makeup and Beauty Blog giveaway
Win a $50 eGift card from Sephora

Greetings, gorgeous, and splendiferous salutations! Happy, happy Saturday. 🙂 In case you were wondering, no, you have not just entered Oz; however, you are about to enter this weekend’s $50 Sephora eGift card giveaway (I hope!).

Nothing new to report from out here in partly cloudy Novato, California. Been watching lots of the Olympics lately with Tabs and El Hub. The other night during one of the swimming events, it occurred to me that I jog just a wee bit faster than those swimmers swim, LOL!

Today, I’m driving down to visit my friend Jen and her little boy (My “nephew.” I’m the cool aunt.) in San Jose, which is about 70 miles from here. I’m taking Jen to the MAC counter because she wants to learn more about eye makeup.

Tabs will be holding down the fort here at MBB headquarters while I’m gone.

Oh — he has a message for you. “Meow,” which loosely translates, “Good luck in the giveaway, and have a great day.”

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

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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, what are you doing this weekend? When was the last time you visited a MAC counter? What should be an Olympic event but isn’t? Do you have any artistic hobbies? What is/was your favorite class in school? What’s the shortest you’ve ever cut your hair? — you get the idea.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/NTsCr1

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, August 5, 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 Julie! Congratulations, Julie! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Sonia Kashuk Serves Sheer Lips and Opaque Tips for Fall With the New Lips and Tips Mini Nail and Lip Set

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sonia kashuk lips and tips

Whoever said that celebrity pet assisting is easy was smoking some hella strong catnip.

The grueling hours and working on weekends, late-night airport trips, difficult dietary restrictions (Gravy with every meal?! Come on!) — but it can also be very rewarding, like this afternoon. Tabs didn’t give me the stink eye once today, and he even said an appreciative “Mrrow” when he climbed onto my lap for a handful of Greenies.

In fact, he was so agreeable today that he let me quit work early — right after I finished organizing his accessories closet (mostly ties, ascots, top hats and a small, but growing, collection of monocles) and buffing his claws.

First thing I did after quitting for the day was watch this old interview of Jeremy Renner…


Skip to 3:17 for a gem of J-Ren beauty wisdom!

Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any better, I opened the $12.99 limited edition Sonia Kashuk Lips and Tips Mini Nail and Lip Set.

And my Friday went from good to great. 🙂

sonia kashuk lips and tips
From the left: Nail Polish in Lacquered Lilac, Lipgloss in Shrinking Violet, Nail Polish in Undercover Lover and Lipgloss in Sealed with a Kiss

The four-piece set of color-coordinated miniature sheer glosses and opaque nail polishes comes with two pairs of matching red and purple shades for lips and nails.

The two unscented, unflavored glosses are smoooove! — and non-sticky — while the high-shine nail polishes have pigment to spare.

sonia kashuk lips and tips
Wearing Nail Polish in Undercover Lover and Lipgloss in Sealed with a Kiss

I love how Sonia chose coordinating colors with varying levels of coverage, and I think it’s cool how the products in the set work with each other when they’re worn together.
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Escape to a Land of Cute Clutches and Magic Clay With the Tarte Amazon Escape Palette

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tarte amazon escape

Time for a game of What If!

What if…you found a palette that satisfied both your appetite for stylish accessories and your appetite for makeup?

And what if said palette were available now, at this very moment (depending on your time zone), and the powder eyeshadows and blushes within it not only helped you get your pretty on, but they also improved your skin?

Blarney! you say? Nope, ’tis not science fiction. Tarte believes that such a thing exists, and it was last seen escaping from the Amazon!

Wait — that’s not right. It’s just called Amazon Escape, as in the Tarte Amazon Escape Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette, and for $44 it pledges to beautify your eyes and cheeks while improving your skin.

The secret sauce in this palette parolee? A skin-loving trifecta of Amazonian clay (to nourish skin, reduce oil and improve texture), vitamin E (which acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and protects against damage by free radicals), and soothing mineral pigments shown to soften skin.

tarte amazon eyescape

Just as important as all that…it’s cute! 🙂

And it’s on shelves now.

I have to admit, the packaging is what first caught my attention, but the colors and claimed skin benefits also make a compelling case, not that I can detect any results after testing it for a week.

Based on the colors, at least, I think it definitely deserves more time. The six powder shadows and two blushes in the kit are downright gorgeous!

tarte amazon eyescape 2

tarte amazon eyescape swatches
Swatches from the left: Blushes in Free and Exposed; Eyeshadows in Tame, Rare, Rope, Camo, Canopy and Tribal
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TGIF and Two Tips to Get a Flawless Foundation Look

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Where’s Elliott, and can I get some Reese’s Pieces??

Um…I only just realized it, but in that picture up there, don’t I look like I’m trying to phone home with my foundation brush?

E.T. phone home! E.T. phone home! 🙂

All part of the process of getting close to that fetching flawless foundation look I like so much.

Speaking of E.T., poor little guy couldn’t take advantage of one of my favorite foundation tips for even skin tone — running a foundation brush over my ears (because he didn’t have much in the ear department).

It can really help if, say, your ears are a little sunburned or tan, like if you’ve been wearing your hair up and exposing your ears. Dusting them with a small amount of foundation can even things out a little more (just remember to remove your makeup from your ears at the end of the day).
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