Karen

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

January 22nd, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

So this is winter, huh? Gotta say, not a fan.

Yup, the rain returned this morning, but it’s not one of those productive rains that refills reservoirs and builds up the snow pack in the mountains. This is just a faint freezing drizzle that makes me want to stay indoors and drives Tabs out of his ever-lovin’ mind.

How’s it going out yonder way? I’m not really feeling up to writing transitions this morning, so here are just a couple of non-makeup and makeup-related things I’ve been liking lately…

Whatever you’re up to, I hope you have a great day. 🙂

Southland It’s baaack! The new season of one of my favorite shows just started, and I think it’s one of the most underrated hours on TV.

It’s a police drama, but if you like police dramas, give it a try. It has some pretty interesting, complex characters, great acting and cool story lines. Plus, it stars cutie pie Benjamin McKenzie, and starting this season, Lucy Liu, too, who I think did a great job in last week’s season premiere.

Food trucks Right now they’re HUGE in San Francisco. I haven’t been to one lately, but I keep wanting to go.

There’s this weekly food truck jamboree thing called Off the Grid where a bunch of food trucks all meet at the same time and place in the city, and now they’re introducing an Off the Grid up here where I live in Marin County, huzzah!

Underworld Awakening Okay, I have no idea why they keep making these movies because I think they went downhill fast after the first one, but I’m a big ~~Milla Jovovich~~ Kate Beckinsale fan (I always get those ladies confused). I have to see it. Can’t resist.

Sunday Riley and Edward Bess I’m intrigued by both of these lines. Sunday Riley is new at Barney’s New York, and Sephora recently started carrying Edward Bess. I love how elegant both of them look from the packaging, so these are tops on my list of new things to try.

If I do venture out of the house this afternoon, I’ll have to be very careful, though, because another makeup monster has been spotted in the area (possibly the last makeup monster in this series). I should be okay… The authorities are saying that it only targets people wearing false eyelashes, and I didn’t plan on wearing any today.

MAKEUP MONSTERS: THE LASH LIFTER

An MBB Makeup Monster: The Lash Lifter FREQUENCY: Rare
SPEED: Fast
ARMOR CLASS: 3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Master rogues/pickpockets, these evil little goblins have the quickest hands and uncanny dexterity! They’re able to remove false eyelashes so quickly that they can be in and out between blinks. You don’t even notice your lashes are gone until they’ve already left the area, and if they can’t remove a lash because of its adhesive, they’ll just bite it off with their scary sharp teeth!
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Medium
ALIGNMENT: Evil
SIZE: Small (1′ tall)

The Makeup Monsters

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

Scarves and boots make everything better! — Keiko Lynn
Spring Cleaning: The Beauty Edition — Beaut.ie
Nailing it! Simple Spring Cherry/Plum Blossoms Nail Art for Chinese New Year — My Women Stuff
Dreamcatcher eyes! — Bows and Curtseys
I’m lovin’ these watercolor nails — Nails and Noms
Ever wonder how to successfully pull off a chartreuse-colored dress (I know I have!)? This post offers a few stylish ideas — What I Wore
I miss the ocean! For my fellow water babies: some big blue beauty and fashion inspiration — Fashion Squad
Super cool: giant artwork inspired by toys — Flavorwire
So pretty! This step-by-step photo tutorial shows how to do a gorgeous bronzy golden eye — By Celina
Color me intrigued by this $24 Ilia Lip Conditioner — Bella Sugar

Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

New $7 Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow

5 Lip Looks to Jump Start Your Style This Year

Benefit Sun Beam Liquid Highlighter

New Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation

The Chanel Knightsbridge Collection Pink, Coral and Fuchsia Lippies

Clarins Colour Breeze Mineral Eye Quartet in Blue Sky

Give Your Brows a Lift With Benefit High Brow Glow

NARS Diamond Life Nail Lacquer

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Tarte Spring 2012

January 22nd, 2012 by Karen 27 Comments

How cute is the new Tarte spring 2012 collection?! Reviews in a jiffy…

I See Vampires In the Sun With Twilight Falls and the MAC, Naturally Mineralize Eye Shadows!

January 21st, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

I’m starting to see vampire references everywhere I look! — now even in the new MAC, Naturally collection.

Two of the five MAC Mineralize Shadows from the release are called In the Sun and Twilight Falls ($20 each)…

In the Sun? And Twilight Falls? Total vampire plugs, right?

Alright, maybe not, but Twilight Falls is my new smokey shadow crush. MAC describes it as a cool brown with bronze veining…

Veining? Vampires? No?

Okay, I’ll stop. 🙂

Twilight Falls

On me, Twilight Falls is a shimmery cool-toned brownish taupe — hardly any fallout — and I love the way it looks when I apply it on my lids with a firm brush like the MAC 239 and then diffuse the edges with something like the 217 for sultry smokey eyes in snap.

I think it’s also super pretty when applied wet. If you remember Earthly Riches from 2007’s Antiquitease, I think Twilight Falls looks like a version of that with more brown.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

In the Sun

MAC describes In the Sun as a gold with violet veining (vampire much?). On my skin, I see a reddish bronze, and it’s my least favorite of the two on account of its texture and moderate fallout.

I do like how it shimmers… Shimmer always makes me go, “Ooh! It sparkles!” But when I wear it, I can see big grains of powder sitting on top of my skin.

I should also say that I tend to have trouble pulling off bronzy reds because I think many of them they can make me look like I’m ill, but if you can work ’em, more power to ya.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C+

Swatches of Twilight Falls on the left and In the Sun on the right
[Continue reading…]

Life and Cheeks Are Sweeter With Fresh Honey: MAC, Naturally Mineralize Blush in Fresh Honey

January 21st, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

If I were to swipe MAC’s $22 Mineralize Blush in Fresh Honey on the back of my hand while standing next to Ryan Gosling at a MAC counter, where he’d be getting replacement pads for his eyelash curler, the part of my brain still paying attention to the swatch would think, “Now that’s a pretty matte.”

(The rest of me would be plotting ways to get Ryan to remove his shirt.)

One of three blushes in the MAC, Naturally collection, Fresh Honey appeared to have a matte finish the first time I saw it on my hand, but when I got it on my cheeks, I saw that it actually has a very soft sheen.

Back at the MAC counter with Ryan… 🙂

After applying two layers of Fresh Honey on my cheeks, I’d turn to Ryan, smile, bat my lashes and say, “Would you like to see a picture of my cat?” Then, since this is my fantasy, he’d be so smitten and charmed by both Tabs and my fresh, healthy-looking cheeks, that he would immediately call Eva Mendez and break up (sorry, girl!).

[Continue reading…]

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

January 21st, 2012 by Karen 617 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Bridget! Congratulations, Bridget! 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!

Well, it looks like we’ve gotten a brief respite from the rain this morning, yay! Shoot, I think I even see patches of blue in the sky. Of course, my office still feels like a dark, cold cave, but at least the freezing rains have stopped.

What’s the weather like over there? I hope not too rough. Are you hunkered down at home or out and about?

That reminds me, why do morning TV news shows always send reporters out into storms just to report back that there is, in fact, a storm? “Jane! Quick, get over to the Target parking lot, and get me some footage of the [INSERT INCLEMENT WEATHER HERE]!” And it’s usually a woman, and she’s usually in heels.

Maybe I should try that with blogging… “HI, EVERYONE! IT’S ME KAREN! I’M BLOGGING HERE FROM MY IPHONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM!!! AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THE DEBRIS FLYING AROUND ME, WE’RE STILL GETTING SOME VERY HIGH WINDS. THE RAIN IS COMING IN SIDEWAYS, MY MAKEUP IS A MESS, AND THERE’S A DOWNED POWER LINE OVER THERE!!! BACK TO YOU, TABS, IN THE STUDIO!”

Haha! No, I don’t think I’ll be giving that a try…

And you shouldn’t either. Better to stay indoors where it’s safe and warm, and where you can enter giveaways like this one here for a 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’s your favorite kind of weather (tropical like Hawaii, dry and hot like Sacramento, foggy like Eureka, temperate like San Francisco)? Can you recommend a good face mask? What are your favorite TV shows? How many skincare products do you use in a typical day? What do you want to be when you grow up? What’s your current lipgloss crush? — 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/z76oEq

The deadline to enter is Sunday, January 22, 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 Bridget! Congratulations, Bridget! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Hello, Cupid

January 21st, 2012 by Karen 5 Comments

Starting to think about my Valentine’s mani, and China Glaze is on my mind. 🙂

From the left: Dance Baby, Sexy Silhouette and Seduce Me ($7 each).

January 20th, 2012 by Karen 11 Comments

Check out that crazy hot pink! These cuties are set to launch in May. More info in a few. 🙂

Who Makes the Mineralize Skinfinishes in Blonde and Redhead? It’s MAC, Naturally

January 20th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

Based on the both of the Mineralize Skinfinish powders released with the 21-piece MAC, Naturally collection, Blondes AND Redheads have more fun.

MAC Naturally Mineralize Skinfinishes And that’s good news for brunettes! Blonde and Redhead ($28 each) are my favorite pieces from the collection, which launched a few weeks back, and I mustn’t be their only fan. Both powders are currently sold out on the MAC website, but you should be able to track them down in stores and on counters (and online at nordstrom.com).

Elder MAC mavens might remember both shades from 2009’s Brunette Blonde Redhead (GREAT collection!). MAC moppets seeing these striped beauties for the first time are in for a treat.

To say the MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes have a cult following is like saying Tabs likes gravy (a BIG understatement). Many MAC fans, myself included, look forward to these powdered pretties and stalk our local makeup counters on the dates of their release, and it’s not uncommon for the limited edition ones like Blonde and Redhead to sell out early.

So, what makes ’em so special? Darned if I know — but it must be something magic. They’re powders that can be used as highlighters, blushes and also as powders for the entire face, and they’re softer than a tabby’s tum and give a glow like whoa to the skin. 🙂

Blonde (a soft pink to rose gradient) and Redhead (a gold to salmon gradient) also show the MSFs at their best. They deposit intense pigments with nearly blinding shimmer that I think makes them marvelous for, among other things, bold, highlighted cheeks.

Swatches of Blonde (left) and Redhead (right)

Wearing Redhead on my cheeks
[Continue reading…]