Karen

Benefit Majorette Booster Blush Puts Pep on Your Cheeks and in Your Step

August 25th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Two, four, six, eight, what do we appreciate!?

Easy blush! Easy blush! Yaaaaay, Benefit! [INSERT HIGH KICKS HERE]

OK…I was never a cheerleader (more of a band geek), but I’m cheering for Benefit’s new Majorette Booster Blush. It’s fun and easy to use, has a cream-to-powder formula, feels super silky, and the packaging is shaped like a cute little drum.

The silky formula almost feels kind of slippery on my fingertips, and it’s easy to zhuzh out the edges when I pat it on bare cheeks or on top of foundation, which I appreciate when I’m movin’ and shakin’.

I like that it doesn’t settle into my pores and that it lasts 5-6 hours on my combo oily/dry skin before I feel like I need a touchup.

Oh, and it does have a faint fragrance.

Really faint, though. I have to get my nose up in the pan to detect it, but I think it smells like peach gummy candies.

Yes, boom. Those are awesome. 🙂

The look is matte and natural, which should be a great option for gals and guys heading back to the classroom.

Which reminds me, I wish I’d had a better appreciation for minimal makeup when I was in my tweens, teens and early 20s. When you’re that age, it’s easy to get away with very little makeup (that flush of youth and all). This is a great blush to accentuate a youthful glow without going full-on makeup crazy.

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Makeup I Brought With Me to the Emmys

August 25th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

I figure that it’s better to be over-prepared than underprepared…hence the three blushes and eight million brown eyeshadows in this pic.

Emmys hair and makeup — How I stored it all…

I swear, at least half the mass of my suitcase is due to makeup, LOL!

In other news…

My trip here to LA and the Emmys show tonight (I’ll try to keep posting through the show, but mostly on Instagram because it’s easier to sneak using my phone) was sponsored by Dove. They invited a group of beauty and fashion bloggers and other media representatives.

First, a lovely breakfast this morning, where I learned about Dove’s new line o’ body washes (launching today, and you can get a free sample, BTW) and saw these adorable little omelets shaped like doves…

The new body washes build into a nice, sudsy lather. They’re also very moisturizing, which I thoroughly appreciated last night during my own personal #oneshowerchallenge…which is also a new Dove social media campaign. (Can you get softer, smoother skin after just one shower? Dove says you can with their new body washes.)

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 335

August 25th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

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.

Fishtail or French braid?
If someone else is doing it for me…then fishtail (because I don’t have the patience to do it myself). 🙂 But if I have to do the braiding myself, I’ll choose the French braid, and I’ll do it right before bed. That way, when I get up the next morning, I have nice waves!

Did you ever have to wear a uniform to school?
Nope, I went to public school and never had a dress code. I dressed however I wanted to during the week, which was usually like a crazy person, haha!

Ah, to be young and fashionably fearless again… Good times.

Wait — now that I think about it, I did have to wear a uniform for band events, and those were never fun at all (the uniforms, not the events). The outfits were usually heavy, hot and itchy, and everything was worse when there were hats involved, because this was back in the hair bear bangs era.

Heaven forbid your band geek bucket hat messed up the vertical pouf sticking out of your forehead.

When was the last time you went to a farmers’ market?
I think it was around early July…

I haven’t been to nearly enough of them this summer. 🙁

Birkenstocks or Tevas?
Um…barefoot?

But seriously, I would rather go barefoot if these are my two choices.

If I were forced to pick one, I guess I’d go with Tevas. I suppose.

Finish the following sentence: I’m a bad-@ss because (FILL IN THE BLANK).
I’m outgoing and easy to get along with (at least that’s what I like to believe, haha!). Really, though, I usually get along with most people in different situations.

As far as bad-@ssery, that’s not as impressive as being able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but it has come in handy many times.

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

1. Fishtail or French braid?
2. Did you ever have to wear a uniform to school?
3. When was the last time you went to a farmers’ market?
4. Birkenstocks or Tevas?
5. Finish the following sentence: I’m a bad-@ss because (FILL IN THE BLANK).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I hope you have a bad-@ss week.

P.P.S. So, I know that the @ symbol in the term “bad-@ss” is pretty unnecessary…but I can’t help myself. I like it. 🙂

Countdown to the Emmys Monday Night! Greetings From Los Angeles

August 24th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Going to bed early tonight to rest up for the Emmys tomorrow, which means shower and then sleep. So…question for you! Are you usually a shower at night person or a shower in the morning person?

I usually shower at night. Usually.

I just took a shower with @dove‘s Deep Moisture Body Wash and now my alligator skin smells good and feels super soft. I’m seriously thinking about wearing these jammies on the red carpet tomorrow.

G’night! #teamstretchypants #oneshowerchallenge #dove #bbloggers

Hello, Los Angeles! The countdown to the Emmys with @dove is on. 🙂

Oh, did I mention that Tabs came along with me? Yeah, he’s here in the hotel (in the presidential suite, of course). We had Pinkberry earlier at the airport, and tomorrow he wants to try live blogging…

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 310

August 24th, 2014 by Karen 8 Comments

Dear Tabby is written by Tabs the Cat, commonly regarded as “the world’s first plus-size kitty supermodel.” Founded in mid 2012, it has quickly become the most widely syndicated cat advice column on earth — known for its fresh, feline perspective on lifestyle, fashion and style issues affecting cats and humans.

A career cat dealing with retirement

DEAR TABBY: I’m finding it difficult adjusting to retirement. In my professional life, I worked at Purina as a gravy tester. I gave that company the best 11 years of my life, and it was a great gig. I felt important. Felt like I mattered.

Now, I have nothing but time on my paws, but I have no idea what to do with myself. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations, but everything I try to do — napping, chasing moths, even playing with grocery bags and cardboard — seems frivolous by comparison to the vital work I did at Purina.

Honestly, retirement hasn’t been all it’s cracked up to be. Now I’m wondering if I should perhaps go back to work, or if I should try harder to enjoy my golden years. What do you think, Tabby?

—Discontented in Denton

Kitty model retirement — Retirement isn’t for everyone.

DEAR DISCONTENTED: I think it boils down to this: some cats are built for retirement, and some cats aren’t.

It’s funny you bring up retirement because I’ve been thinking about it lately. I mean, I’m not quite there yet, but I can’t lie. It would be nice to have the extra time. I could finally finish exploring the hill outside, inventory my toy collection, maybe even build that better mousetrap.

But I know myself. A life of pure leisure wouldn’t be enough for me, and it sounds like you’re the same way.

After you’ve done important work in your life, it’s hard to go back to being a stay-at-home cat. I think a lot of professionals are faced with that.

The truth is, if you don’t want to retire, don’t. You’re a cat. Exercise your independence.

With your experience, you could be a mentor to younger cats, and I say this somewhat selfishly, but I think the world needs your refined gravy palette.

Ambitious cat with branding question

DEAR TABBY: I hope this doesn’t come across as bragging, but my star has begun to rise in the kitty modeling world. Unfortunately, I’m currently faced with a conundrum. I was recently asked to do an infomercial for Fur-Active (“Does your fur look patchy and dull? Try new Fur-Active!”).

The problem is, I’m not sure if I should do it. I’m worried that it could cheapen my brand. What do you think, Tabby? I ask because of your experience as a kitty supermodel, business mogul and branding expert.

—Upwardly Mobile in Mobile

Kitty model branding advice — Take every job you can get your paws on.

DEAR UPWARDLY MOBILE: You want my advice?

Take the job.

Take every job. Never stop working. Build a reputation as a hard-working feline professional. That’s how you’ll define your brand.

When I first started kitty modeling, I took every job, no matter how small. The only jobs I refused were ones I had ethical problems with (The Anti-Dog Coalition: Cats Against Canine Camaraderie).

Later, once you’ve fur-mly [sic] established yourself as a force to be reckoned with in the kitty modeling industry, you can be more picky.

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

August 23rd, 2014 by Karen 297 Comments

UPDATE 8/24/14: What’s shakin’? I mean, other than the GROUND BENEATH MY FEET. So, this morning at 3:20 a.m. (incidentally, shortly after the witching hour), I’m jostled awake in bed by a 6.0 earthquake. Almost immediately, El Hub says like a drill sergeant, “Get up, up, up! Doorway, now!” We wobble together to the doorway, and then when the quake doesn’t quickly stop, we decide to make our way downstairs, thinking that we should probably get out of the house. We’re almost to the front door when the shaking suddenly stops.

The quake was centered about 10 miles north of us near Napa, so pretty close, but we appear to have made it out unscathed. No visible damage to the house, and everyone is fine…although Tabs was definitely freaked out. He just needed some extra soothing. 🙂 I hope you’re doing well.

*sigh* I would love to be playing in the tropics right now and having my coffee with fresh papaya at a beachside cafe overlooking a bright blue lagoon while we make our plans for the day. Should we hike to that waterfall on the map we got from the concierge, go snorkeling, or just take a chill drive around the island and sightsee? Or do you think we have time to do all three?

Aah! That sounds like heaven to me. 🙂

Meanwhile, back in Novato… LOL!

Rise and shine, morning glory! It’s going to be a beautiful day, even though most of us aren’t lounging about in the tropics.

What are you up to today? I’m just prepping for my trip tomorrow, doing laundry, packing, charging up my cameras, spending some time with the tabby, stuff like that. Nothing too exciting.

I hope you have a nice weekend lined up. I’ll be around, purr usual. Talk to you soon.

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’s your favorite place to vacation?
- Have you ever gotten a bad sunburn?
- What’s been your favorite summer movie so far?
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- What did you wear on your best makeup day this week?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, August 25, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Summer Snackage From the Garden

August 22nd, 2014 by Karen 3 Comments

Now that’s a hot pepper.

Get it…? Pepper? Hot? 🙂

Anyway, gardening. I love it, especially this time of year when everyone’s gardens are overflowing with fruit and vegetables.

My current produce bounty: bell peppers and cherry tomatoes from my deck garden.

The lemons, peaches and regular tomatoes are from my uncle’s garden in Union City, and the blackberries are from my parents’ yard.

In a word, yum.

Have you been noshing on any fresh fruit or veggies lately from your garden or someone else’s? What kind of stuff grows there?

Pre-Emmys Shenanigans and a Dress Poll

August 22nd, 2014 by Karen 58 Comments

It’s almost time! OMG. Two more sleeps ’til I leave for the Emmys with Dove in Los Angeles. I head down there on Sunday, and the show is Monday night.

Here are the two gowns I rented from Rent the Runway. It’s important that I see how they move and look in pics because, you know, the paparazzi from Crazy Cat Lady Weekly will be there, and I want to look my best. Obvs.

Yup, I said gowns. Plural. Because I also ordered a backup (hey, how many times does someone get to go to the Emmys?), a black mermaid silhouette dress by Monique Lhuillier, which I got in case the hot pink Badgley Mischka Fluorescent Chiffon Gown made me look like a rejected extra from Toddlers and Tiaras.

I’m barely five feet tall, so this is a legitimate concern.

Anywho, Tabs votes for the pink.

What do you think? (This is a non-binding poll. I can still wear whatever I want, and I’m leaning toward the pink.)