Tabs taking advantage of the treadmill. Please note the protruding orange tum.
Working on His Fitness
Chanel Rouge Velvet Matte Lip Colours and a Tattoo Revelation
So I’m not really a tattoo kind of gal because I’m so fickle, but while I was taking pics of a few of the new Chanel Rouge Velvet Matte Lip Colours ($32; available now at Chanel counters, stores and also online), it hit me: if I do ever get inked, I’m going to get a tattoo of the Velveteen Rabbit.
“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”
“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
“I suppose you are real?” said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.
“The Boy’s Uncle made me Real,” he said. “That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.”
This Year for the Holidays, Clarins Got Passionate (and It’s a Slow Burn)
Packaging ho that I am, I always salivate thinking about look forward to seeing what Clarins cooks up for their holiday collections.
Remember the floral flourishes swirling across 2010’s Barocco release and the plaster and pebbled textures from 2009’s Palazzo d’Oro?
Mmm… luxuries limited edition designs. And seriously good stuff.
Since the brand usually displays dramatic flair with the packaging of their holiday collections, I was a little surprised by this year’s release. Passion, available now on Clarins counters and also online, has at least one opulent episode via the curvy red pattern decorating the Passion Face Palette ($55), but the other items in the four-piece collection look uncharacteristically streamlined and restrained.
Here, the simple compacts merely hint at the fire that burns within them. “Hello, lovah,” they whisper, with sophisticated gray, rose, taupe, peach and silver shades that feel more to me like a controlled burn than a sudden burst of vibrant, intense color.
Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Smokey Passion ($40)
When I started to explore Passion (LOL!), I began with this quartet. Its sleek gold compact houses two powder eyeshadows (in taupe and rose), a powder liner (in a glittery grayish black) and a creamy, glittery highlighter; I really like how the colors make my eyes smolder and shimmer, and while the creamy highlighter applies a little patchy on me, the powders slide like smooth skin on satin sheets.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+Passion Face Palette ($55)
When I sweep the Passion Face Palette on my cheeks, the golden shimmer works like stage lights to illuminate my face. The downy soft texture feels like cashmere, but alas, the shimmer is just an overspray. The pale peachy pink matte powder beneath it doesn’t really show up on my tan skin. I have a feeling this piece would fare better on lighter lasses than it does on me.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: BRouge Prodige Lipstick in Passion Rose ($24)
A single layer of shimmery, rosy brown Rouge Prodige Lipstick in Passion Rose (unscented and unflavored) delivers rich color that lasts for hours, even through a few cups of tea.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: AInstant Definition Mascara in 01 Intense Black ($24)
The boldest part of this look? — the lashes! 🙂 Glossy jet black Instant Definition Mascara in 01 Intense Black ($24) will not be denied, and I fully appreciate that. The snazzy brush, with its short, stubby tip, defines and separates like a champ.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A
Passion Face Palette
[Continue reading…]
$28 Works Out to Half Off Pacifica’s Magic Carpet Ride
There’s no doubt about it: I’m slowly turning into my mother, and there are moments when it hits me, like after I’ve clipped a great coupon (score!) or cleaned the oven and felt an overwhelming sense of joy.
I had one of those moments the other day when I spotted the new Pacifica Magic Carpet Ride body butter set ($28).
Limited edition for the holidays, it comes with three of my favorite Pacifica scents. The first one, Island Vanilla, has a hint of tea and a grown-up twist. The second one, Indian Coconut Nectar, makes me hungry for warm vanilla cake with coconut frosting and dulce de leche drizzled on top (OH, GAWD!). And sniffing the third one, Tuscan Blood Orange, with its fresh, sparkling notes of blood orange, mandarin, strawberry and raspberry, causes my taste buds to tingle.
I’ve been a fan of Pacifica’s Body Butters for years! Not just the three scents that come in this set, but also others in the line; I’ve lost track of how many of the tubes I’ve gone through in that time.
At their regular price, which is $18 each these days, they’re kind of pricey, but I’m such a big fan that I’ll usually overlook the price. They contain a long list of great botanical ingredients that serve to keep the skin on my shins (and elsewhere) from reverting to a scaly reptilian state.
And it’s not just the ol’ marketing trick where the company squirts in a few drops of honeydew so they can call it “natural.” I also like these for what they lack, like parabens, phthalates and propylene glycol, to name just a few of the undesirable frequent fliers we see a lot in products like these.
Tabs would love to see Pacifica release one of these in a seafood scent, but I told him not to hold his breath for that. 🙂 He is happy, though, that the current lineup doesn’t contain any animal ingredients and wasn’t tested on animals.
Considering that this set contains three of Pacifica’s full-size 8-oz. tubes, $28 is a pretty great deal (that is, if you like the scents). They work out to $9.30 each, for a savings of just about 50%. When I did the math in the body care section, I actually pumped my fist Jersey Shore-style, “UH!”
Take that and rewind it back.
Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Nov. 14
- 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 three years, which I guess makes this somewhere around Vol. 194. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
- Mood:
- How long does it take you to do your hair in the morning?
- Do you have any plans for the holidays?
- What’s one new thing you would like to try this week?
- The first word that comes to mind when I ask, “What’s one thing you love about fall?”
- A piece of makeup you’ve been loving lately?
- Do you wish that you could speak any other languages?
- Shave, pluck or wax?
- Things you’d like to do before the end of the year?
- Weekly goals:
Distracted but otherwise a-okay. The roofers are here doing repairs on our garage (I’m waving at them right now through my office window… “Hi, guys!”), and there’s quite a commotion.
It varies wildly. Anywhere from 2-15 minutes, depending on how cooperative Lloyd Christmas is being (my bangs) and what I’m trying to do with my wavy hair.
If all goes well, then it takes me about five minutes to de-frizz and shape, unless I’m curling or flat ironing, in which case I’m looking at about 15.
And if I just can’t cajole Lloyd and the waves (great name for a band!) into behaving, I’ll slip on a Goody headband and a ponytail holder and call it a day.
Even though I miss having super long hair…I have to say that shorter hair sure has been easier to wear.
Not yet, nope. And to tell you the truth, I’m beginning to fret about it.
Now that El Hub’s parents have moved to California from Hawaii (they’re about a four-hour drive away from us), things are a little more complicated.
When they lived in Hawaii, visits were more cut and dry. We either went to Hawaii or stayed here in the Bay Area, but now with everyone within driving distance, both sides of the family will try to get together, or we’ll be driving back/forth.
I’m thankful that we’re all much closer together, but I haven’t quite figured out the new logistical challenges.
Last week I got a $20 voucher for 20 classes at a local yoga studio (I found the deal on Living Social), and I’d really like to make it to at least one class this week.
Pie! 🙂 Pumpkin, apple, pecan…
I recently rediscovered Tarte Provocateur Pressed Mineral Powder after a long hiatus. Why I ever stopped using it, I have no idea.
It refuses to settle into my fine lines and pores and feels as light as air on my skin. Amazing stuff!
Oh, yes. French, Italian and Spanish, mainly because I would like to eat my way through Spain, Italy and France.
When I’m in a hurry, shaving AND plucking, and waxing when I have an extra hour to kill (I do it myself).
Meet and then maintain my weight-loss goal despite the good eats this time of year, re-organize my entire makeup collection, and plan to take a short trip some place warm in January.
Just one this week. I feel a little off kilter right now, so I just want to make it through the week in one (ideally happy) piece.
Hey, hey, cutie pie. 🙂 I just realized that following today, we only have six Mondays left in 2011.
I know! We’re in single digit territory…
We’re also coming up on our fifth year together, since I started MBB back in February of 2007.
This may sound corny, but I’m always grateful to be able to start the week with your friendship. I’m not kidding. Without you I’d probably go full-on bat sh*t crazy.
Before you jet, do you have a minute to touch base in today’s Monday Poll? I hope you do.
- To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.
1. Mood:
2. How long does it take you to do your hair in the morning?
3. Do you have any plans for the holidays?
4. What’s one new thing you would like to try this week?
5. The first word that comes to mind when I ask, “What’s one thing you love about fall?”
6. A piece of makeup you’ve been loving lately?
7. Do you wish that you could speak any other languages?
8. Shave, pluck or wax?
9. Things you’d like to do before the end of the year?
10. Weekly goals:
I think today’s going to take a turn for the better any minute now. It’s just a matter of time.
You have yourself a good one, okay? Talk to you soon.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Seriously, It’s That Good
Clarins Passion Rose Rouge Prodige
The new Clarins Rouge Prodige in Passion Rose ($24), from the new Clarins Passion holiday collection. Available now at Clarins counters and also online.
Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 165
Earlier today I saw famed runway coach Miss J. Alexander on an episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta show a group of aspiring models how to walk, and it totally reminded me of Tabs.
A lot of people don’t know this…but it was actually Tabs who showed Miss J. how to walk (years before America’s Next Top Model).
Tabs had a few big kitty modeling jobs this last week for Make Up For Ever, Tarte, Bobbi Brown, Anastasia and MAC, but things have started to slow down for the holidays. It happens every year, and it’s nice because it means a little less traveling for Tabs.
If you’re interested, here are the latest pics from his portfolio. He hopes you enjoy. 🙂
