Karen

9 Out of 10 Reindeer Agree: The $39 Benefit Pretty Parfait Holiday Set Is Cute

November 4th, 2014 by Karen 23 Comments

Guess who’s already started holiday shopping?

No, not Tabs… He always waits till the last minute.

This girl! This girl has already started. Because I absolutely refuse to be running around at the last minute a la the proverbial headless chicken this year, so I’m trying to get as much as I can done before Thanksgiving.

I started by going to Costco last night and picking up some cute gift tags and wrapping paper, but I’m kind of regretting not also grabbing a set of holiday gift bags, because how the heck am I supposed to wrap this Pretty Parfait makeup set by Benefit?

It’s so cute! — but also kind of awkwardly shaped.

Hmm… Now that I think about it, the reusable tin is probably cute enough to stand on its own sans gift wrapping. Maybe I’ll just stick a bow on it and call it a day. Ho-ho-ho, yo! 🙂

Every year, I like to get one or two “just in case” beauty gifts like this one, which I keep under the tree, just in case I need to get someone a last-minute present.

The $39 limited edition set, which is available now online and at Benefit counters and stores, includes a full-size tube of They’re Real Mascara, a full-size Stay Don’t Stray Eyeshadow Primer in Light/Medium, a full-size Gimme Brow in Light/Medium and a deluxe sample-size (bigger than a standard sampler, but smaller than a regular full size) POREfessional face primer.

Cute, yah?

The $59 Sephora Favorites Give Me More Lip Set Gives Lips All the Pigment They Can Take

November 4th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

Whenever I go shopping at Sephora, there’s a rule I steadfastly adhere to. I tell myself that I can only walk out of the store with what I’m able to carry in my two hands.

No baskets, ever, because the minute a basket gets up in the mix, my credit card starts throbbing with a white hot heat.

Buuuut, you know what they say: where there’s a will, there’s a way. 🙂

With products like the new Sephora Favorites Give Me More Lip Ultimate Lip Sampler Set ($59), I’m able to maximize my self-imposed system of budgetary beauty tyranny. #imjustsayin

The glorious new holiday kit includes 17 (!) sample-sized lip products from 14 makeup brands.

KA-BOOM!

That’s a ton of variety. What’s more, the pieces span a wide range of finishes, textures and coverage levels.

Sephora sorted the products by color family — nudes, berries, pinks and reds — which gives the kit a cohesiveness you don’t always find in limited edition sets.

Sephora Give Me More Lip swatches from the left: Stila Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss in Nude, Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Blush, Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Tint, Too Faced La Creme Lipstick in Naked Dolly, Make Up For Ever Lip LIner in 3C, Tarte LipSurgence in Flush, Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Melted Fuchsia, Benefit Posie Balm and Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Palomino — From the left: Stila Stay All Day Vinyl Lip Gloss in Nude, Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Blush, Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Tint, Too Faced La Creme Lipstick in Naked Dolly, Make Up For Ever Lip Liner in 3C, Tarte LipSurgence in Flush, Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Melted Fuchsia, Benefit Posie Balm and Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Palomino

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So Long, Horse, Because Jouer Just Made This the Year of the Mousse: The New Jouer Long-Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadows Make Lids Shine Without Highlighting Fine Lines

November 4th, 2014 by Karen 23 Comments

Jouer Long-Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadow Swatches from the left: Dusk, Galaxy, Moonlight, Night Sky, Starlight and Twilight — The new Jouer Long-Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadows, $30 each

What can I say? Sparkly things give me grabby hands. 🙂

Unfortunately, I also feel like some flashy finishes look straight-up criminal on my eyelids… I’m all for wearing what you want, when you want, but I’m kind of at that stage in my makeup journey when super shimmery frosts, tempting as they are, highlight my fine lines a little more than I’d like.

That said, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to say, “So long forever, sparkle and gloss! I’m living a full-time matte life.” I think I’ll always like a little glitz.

Enter the Jouer Long-Wear Creme Mousse Eyeshadows ($30 each), which came out a little earlier this fall. If you have fine lines like I do, and you crave shimmer like the Gilmore Girls crave coffee, these easy-to-use cream shadows got your back.

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Get a Luminous Look in a Jiffy With the New Josie Maran Winter Dreams Argan Color Collection

November 4th, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

As simple as it sounds, a little shimmer and shine can go a long way when you want to look fresh-faced and radiant in a flash.

I had this “Aha!” moment last weekend when I was getting ready to meet friends in the city for brunch.

I woke up late (purr usual) that morning, even with the extra hour from Daylight Savings (apparently, I need more sleep than a fairytale character), and I had less than 10 minutes to put on ye olde warpaint.

I grabbed Josie Maran’s new Winter Dreams Argan Color Collection ($34).

Every nifty nibble in this five-piece set contains Argan oil, the moisturizing magic ingredient in Josie’s makeup that’s supposed to make lines and wrinkles look less obvious.

The set includes…

A 0.17-oz. tube of Argan Black Oil Mascara

A 0.16-oz. tube of Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil in Limitless Pink

A 0.16-oz. bottle of Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow in Rio de Rose Gold

A 0.15-oz. bottle of Argan Illuminizer

A 0.5-oz. bottle of 100% Pure Argan Oil Light

I hadn’t washed my makeup brushes since the last time I’d used them, so I ended up doing everything from start to finish using just my fingers. By the time I was done, I felt like I still looked like myself (I don’t like to wear a ton of makeup to Sunday brunch), but perkier…and more luminous, LOL! In other words, less likely to scowl at strangers on the street before I’ve had any coffee. 🙂
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The $59 Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pro’s Pics Portables Lip Tar Test Tube X 12 Set Is a Cornucopia of Color

November 3rd, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

We are fam-i-ly!

I’ve got all my Lip Tars with me!

We are fam-i-ly!

Get up everybody and sing!!

As I’m sitting here contemplating the 12 tiny Lip Tars in the new Pro’s Picks Portables Lip Tar: Test Tube X 12 Set by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics ($59), I’m singing Sister Sledge and imagining that the little tubes are all siblings in one big, happy family. They never fight, talk back to their parents, tattle on each other, plot to steal each other’s boyfriends, or say anything snarky about one another, like “so-and-so’s skinny jeans have been looking extra snug lately.” They’re always happy to hang out together, and they never, ever complain about having to share a room.

This new holiday set is a lot of fun. Despite their diminutive size (just 0.08 ounces each), these tiny tubes are bursting with pigment, and a nice number of them are mattes, which are very trendy right meow.

The 12 shades in the set range from tame neutrals to technicolor brights, and they were hand picked by OCC’s Pro Makeup Artists.

If you’re familiar with OCC’s Lip Tars, then you know about their bulletproof coverage and wear time. I usually get six or seven hours out of them.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 345

November 3rd, 2014 by Karen 47 Comments

Nothing says I love you like a bowl of ramen. (This was my dinner on Saturday night! I hung out with Jen and Cindy.)

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Have you ever seen someone who looks just like you?
Not on the street, no, but several people have told me that they’ve seen my twin. She, or they, are out there… It’s only a matter of time before we find each other, and the plot against us unfolds.

I don’t care. You couldn’t pay me enough to __________.
Be on that show, Fear Factor (is that still on?). I just remember seeing a clip with a woman stuck in a box filled with a billion worms. That’s literally my nightmare. Literally.

Would you want to be a werewolf?
No…because Tabs would be afraid of me. 🙁

What’s something in your life you had to fight for?
To have a life where I was the one actually driving the car and making the decisions, because my parents had a plan for me all laid out, which was to go to medical school, even though that was the last thing in the world I wanted.

I think some of it was a cultural thing, and my parents were just trying to help, but I had to learn how to speak up for myself and fight for the things I wanted.
How do you feel about green eye shadow?
I wear it all the time, but only specific shades of green. Khaki greens, golden olive greens. I rarely wear bright kelly greens or neon greens because I feel like I’m of a certain age and can’t pull them off anymore…but olive greens and khaki greens are cool.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. Have you ever seen someone who looks just like you?
2. I don’t care. You couldn’t pay me enough to __________.
3. Would you want to be a werewolf?
4. What’s something in your life you had to fight for?
5. How do you feel about green eye shadow?

“It’s like something out of The Godfather.” How often do you hear that? Well, I heard it yesterday, as a matter of fact, on a street corner in the Mission district in San Francisco. There’s always something going on in that part of the city.

I was there with El Hub to meet one of his friends for lunch, and there was this big procession with a marching band right on the street in front of a beautiful old church.

One of the things I love about San Francisco. 🙂

Happy Monday, my friend. I hope you have an easy day today. I’m not really in the mood for difficulty, if you know what I mean. I want to coast…

Your nephew says “mrow,” by the way.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 320

November 2nd, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

If you’ve ever wanted an inside look at what it’s like to live with a kitty supermodel…

The day always starts with snacks, because if you’re gonna do work — good work — you gotta have the right fuel.

After breakfast, meditation outside on the deck…

And some light gardening…

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7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

November 1st, 2014 by Karen 343 Comments

Greetings and good morning! Happy caturday/post-Haloween! 🙂

So, I learned two valuable lessons last night…

First, I learned that tiaras should be worn much more often than once a year, and second, I learned that Jakey-poo can look like a total psycho, and I know this because I saw Nightcrawler last night, which I liked, but yeah, it’s intense and disturbing. Jake plays a lowlife Los Angeles petty criminal (with more than a few screws loose) who realizes that he has a penchant for driving muscle cars and filming violent news.

Seemed appropriate for Halloween…

When we got home, I needed to soothe my soul, so some Gilmore Girls.

In other news, no trick-or-treaters for me. 🙁 They may have stopped by while we were at the movie, but on the bright side, now I have a tub filled with candy.

I hope you did something fun last night. Did you stay in or go out?

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).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- What did you do for Halloween?
- Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?
- Something you’d like to learn?
- Macarons or bonbons?
- Last time you wore false lashes?
- Dr. Pepper: yes or no?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, November 3, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen