A view of the bridge from Crissy Field.
The Golden Gate
Basil Ice Cream
It sounds weird but it was actually REALLY good.
Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 195
Milla Jovovich did it. Famke Janssen did it. Jaime King and Rebecca Romijn did it. And now Tabs wants to do it, too — make the jump from modeling to acting.
Not since 2011 has a cat starred in so many TV shows and movies at the same time, and that cat was also Tabs. But those roles last year were small — a zombie kitty on an episode of The Walking Dead, a vampire kitty on an episode of True Blood, an English kitty on three episodes of Downton Tabby (a spinoff mini-series; it tested very well with cat ladies between the ages of 29-50).
This year, Tabs took Hollywood by storm, starring in five summer blockbusters in theaters at the same time, a first among felines in the acting world. 🙂
And this afternoon Tabs had me frame the movie posters from his summer films to decorate the walls of his new rumpus room/office.
Yup, a kitty assistant’s job is never done… You know how it is.
MAC Unsung Heroes: MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in Silver Dusk
Remember MAC Golden Bronze, that savant of shimmer, and maestro of multitasking, that helps you get your shimmer on in multiple ways?
Well, Golden Bronze has a cool cousin, MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in Silver Dusk ($23), a shimmery, silvery pinkish beige that likes to party with cool skin tones.
Like Golden Bronze, you can use it as a highlighter, and for that I usually apply it with the MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, on my cupid’s bow and in the center of my chin; or, mix it with your favorite foundation, moisturizer or body oil for a glint of extra glow.
Well, Hello Kitty. I’ll Go to Paris With You and the Soft, Pigmented Powders in the Hello Kitty Mon Amour Palette
What if Sanrio and Sephora merged, like a Mighty Morphin’ Power Ranger, to form a new superstore called Sephrio? And what if the new store carried a much larger selection of Hello Kitty-themed accessories and makeup?
Yeah…that would be cool. 
As a 30-something beauty fanatic who still remembers making mix tapes from songs on the radio and blowing all of her birthday money at the Sanrio store at the mall (OMG! The pens with the dangling charms on the end!), I almost dropped my phone when I bumped into the limited edition Hello Kitty Mon Amour Palette ($21) at Sephora the other day.
Paris? Kitty…? Cute!
The little drawings and the balloons filled with pans of powder shadow (eight) and blush (two)? Nope. No way. That’s just too cute.
Not gonna lie, though, I expected these to be annoyingly sheer and chalky — just not up to snuff compared to brands like MAC and NARS — but wow. That wasn’t the case at all. They felt surprisingly smooth and looked beautiful, I thought, in the swatches.
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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed
In space, no one can hear you scream…”Happy birthday!”
What?! Get a hold of yourself, Corporal Tabs. You’re aboard the Prometheus now. We have a certain standard of professionalism to uphold.
Aw, but, sir! It’s my friend Karen’s birthday weekend. She just turned 37, and I know that we’re all scientists and whatnot, except for that weird android dude, but I think the crew needs to let off some steam. We’re all pretty wired after that incident with the…well, you know the one.
I get it, Corporal. I do. I understand, but if the corporation finds out that we’re all having a big birthday party up here– Well, let’s just say that I wouldn’t want to be on the other end of that video call.
Understood, sir. I promise we’ll keep it down.
You do that, Corporal Tabs. You do that…
— Prometheus (scene was eventually cut from the film)
Morning! 🙂 I’ve been having a great birthday weekend so far. Thank you very, very much for your kind words and birthday wishes yesterday.
So, yesterday! We started with brunch with El Hub, my bro and his girlfriend in the city, then stopped to listen to a free concert downtown, and then spent a few minutes by the water at Crissy Field beach park right under the watchful gaze of the Golden Gate Bridge.
It was a beautiful sunny day, which you don’t always get in San Francisco, so it was extra nice.
Today, I really just want to go see Prometheus. That’s the only thing on my Sunday agenda. Aliens.
I hope you’re having a great weekend over there. What’s been the highlight so far?
MAC Beth Ditto Zoom Lash Mascara
The MAC Casual Colour Lip and Cheek Creams
MAC Beth Ditto Shade & Smoke Shadow / Liners
Cheeks Shine, Naturally, in Korres Cheek Butter in Chara Crimson
Outfit of the Day With Current / Elliott Crazy Pants
Skin Care Recs From a Bliss Spa Esthetician
New Beachy Keen Products at Sephora
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
New at Kohls: Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics
I wonder how many brides out there have made Vera Wang a part of their wedding experience. Hundreds of thousands? Maybe even millions?
Let’s see… There are her wedding dresses, perfumes, fine china, jewelry, apparel, accessories — wow, that’s a lot of Vera!
Just now, I remembered being a bridesmaid in Jen’s wedding and getting ready in the suite at the hotel on her wedding day. I remember a bottle of Vera Wang Perfume sitting on the bathroom sink that Jen’s mother-in-law had given her for her wedding day (how sweet!).
Oh, and then there’s Vera’s fine china! I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I have a not-so-secret obsession with fine china, thanks in part to Vera Wang’s Wedgwood Lace collection.
The first time I saw it was at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki, right before my wedding in 2006. I hosted tea there for all of the girls, and Vera Wang Wedgwood Lace was the china used in the tea service.
I’ve been lusting after it ever since…
Still haven’t gotten any because I’ve been wanting to finish the dining room first (at least get a table), but one day…
Mark my words — one day I will enjoy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and serve myself a cup of tea on my very own set of Vera Wang Wedgwood Lace china!
With so many different projects and products, Vera could probably rest safely on her laurels. But she isn’t. As a matter of fact, she recently expanded her empire to include makeup, with Simply Vera Vera Cosmetics, introducing even more babes and brides to Vera’s simply modern, feminine aesthetic.
The line, available now exclusively at Kohl’s stores and kohls.com, includes 16 different makeup products encompassing 74 shades, with prices ranging from about $16-40.
Inspired by Vera’s personal philosophy on makeup, the neutral-heavy palette feels fresh and modern to me, yet timeless and conservative.
Here’s a closer look at some of the pieces from the new line. Let me know what you think. 🙂
Illuminating Powder Blush in 315, $19.50
Transforming Shadow Duos in 402 (left) and 404 (right), $19.50 each
Smoothing Lipcolors in 702 (left) and 709 (right), $18.50 each
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Today I Am…
…Enjoying this bouquet of sunflowers. They’re so cheerful and happy.
…Painting my nails. Couldn’t think of a better day to wear Deborah Lippmann’s Happy Birthday.
Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday atop NARS Kutki
…Searching for shoes. And thinking I might need to break my “You’re only going to buy shoes you can walk in” rule for this pair of BCBG platforms.
Dress by BCBG
…37 years young. I’ve officially entered my late 30s.
I still feel like the same happy-go-lucky me, but things cross my mind now that never used to. When I spend time with my childhood friends, or when I’m with my parents, sometimes it hits me — we won’t always be together — and I have a hard time imagining my life without them.
There was a time in my life when I craved constant change, but not anymore. Now I find myself hoping and praying for things to stay the way they are for as long as possible.
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