Karen

Everything Must Go

March 25th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments

No, I did not find this sign at a garage sale, although if I had, I would have told the seller that I thought Helvetica Bold was a great choice. 🙂

It’s clean, efficient and totally means business. You don’t mess around with Helvetica Bold.

I actually have this up on all four walls in my office right now, LOL! It’s in reference to an ongoing cleanup project.

I’ve been trying to straighten up my office for, oh, the past six months or so without much success. I just never seem to get anywhere. I feel like I’m only moving things around. I take junk from one corner and put it in another.

Doesn’t work.

Last weekend I finally made some real progress, though, after reading an article on lifeHacker.com called The End-All Guide to Getting Out From Under Your Office Crap.

Talk about helpful! It basically outlines steps you can take to really organize the heck out of your workspace. One of the ideas is to approach the task with the mindset of “Everything must go,” hence all the signs on my walls. My hope is that seeing the reminder over and over, day in, day out, will help me get this space under control.

These Neutrals Are Flexible: Meditations on Makeup With the $36 Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette

March 25th, 2014 by Karen 40 Comments

Wearing the new Too Faced Natural Eyes Neutral Eyeshadow Collection ($36), available now at Too Faced counters and toofaced.com

Welcome! Come on in, everyone! I’m so happy to see your lovely faces this evening. Don’t be shy; we’re all friends here. Just go ahead and grab a spot on the floor — you know, stake your claim — and roll out your yoga mat. We’ll get going in a minute.

Tabs the cat: kitty supermodel, entrepreneur, yoga practitioner

For those of you new to the Makeup Meditation series here at Tabs the Cat Yoga Center (tagline: “You won’t find any downward dogs here”), don’t be nervous. This class is for all skill levels. I promise, you’ll do fine.

OK, let’s get started…

First, I want you to quiet your mind…

Good.

Now let’s get into a cross-legged position, and place today’s Makeup Meditation totem, the new Too Faced Natural Eyes Neutral Eye Shadow Collection Palette, in front of you on the floor.

Take a deeeeeeeep breath in, now exhale slowly. OMMMMMMMM…

Perfect.

Extend your arms out to your sides — hold it, hold it, hold it. Now slowly reach forward, taking your Natural Eyes Palette up in your hands, and open it. Fix your gaze upon the nine pans of powder eyeshadow inside.

Let a sense of calm wash over you, and focus your every thought on its mix of matte and shimmery finishes.

Ahhhhh…

Notice the beige, brown, taupe, gold and peach shades. See how they’re laid out horizontally for day, classic and fashion looks?

Too Faced Natural Eyes — Natural Eyes Neutral Eye Shadow Collection, $36

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Yelling at the Telly While Wearing the New Too Faced Cosmetics Bonjour Soleil Bronzing Wardrobe Palette

March 25th, 2014 by Karen 41 Comments

Too Faced Bonjour Soleil Palette — Oh, no, she didn’t!

If you’re going to yell at your TV for any reason, be it to protest the nonsense that occurs on those Bravo reunion shows (“Leave Lisa Vanderpump alone!”), or to scream “NO! DON’T DO IT!” at that one character in that movie who goes down into the basement where the killer clown is hiding, even though everybody with any common sense at all knows that’s where the killer clown is hiding, I highly recommend that you do so while wearing bronzer.

Here, I’m screaming at the movie The Stepfather while wearing the new Too Faced Bonjour Soleil Bronzing Wardrobe palette, which, by the way, does all sorts of cool sh*t.

More recent Too Faced blog-ery…

99 Mantras, and a Review of the New Too Faced A La Mode Eye Palette

Too Faced Summer 2014 Pics and Swatches: It’s Summer in Saint-Tropez

I’m Jerrod Blandino of Too Faced Cosmetics, and This Is My Makeup Life

It sculpts cheeks, warms your overall complexion and highlights skin for that “I’m dancing in the middle of a Miami street in booty shorts and a crop-top” J.Lo glow.

The Too Faced Bonjour Soleil Summer Bronzing Wardrobe palette

Heck, even just holding the sassy striped package makes me feel a little better.

I really do believe in the positive power of surrounding yourself with beautiful things — even the littlest, most frivolous things like makeup.

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How Confident Are You in Your Blending Skills?

March 25th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

Laura Mercier Artist's Palette 2013 — A super-blended, blown-out eye look with the Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette for Eyes

I feel like I do OK when it comes to looks that I’m very comfortable with. If it’s something smokey or super blown-out, I think what I end up with is not completely hideous.

But I definitely feel like I have A LOT of room to grow, because I tend to over-blend (I JUST CAN’T STOP!), which makes things like cut-crease looks very challenging.

At least with makeup, the practicing is fun. 🙂

What about you? How confident are you in your blending skills?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Just in case no one has told you yet today, you’re wonderful, and don’t you forget it.

99 Mantras, and a Review of the New Too Faced A La Mode Eye Palette

March 24th, 2014 by Karen 60 Comments

1. Unleash your weirdness

2. Wear pink eyeshadow

3. Believe in the absurd

4. Enjoy being a girl

5. Change your hair

6. If you want to, change your life

7. Schedule breaks during the day AND TAKE THEM

8. Let go of your irrational fears

9. Talk to your friends

10. Talk to your plants

11. Go to bed early

Too Faced A La Mode Eyes Palette swatches from the left: St. Tropez, Cannes and Soleil — A La Mode Eyes Palette swatches from the left: St. Tropez, Cannes and Soleil

12. Believe in yourself

13. Try something new

14. Smile

15. Count your blessings

16. Think outside the box

17. Remember who you were

18. Envision who you can be

19. Let your imagination run wild

20. Do something differently

21. Keep your desk clean

22. Set a daily schedule and stick to it

Too Faced A La Mode Eyes Palette swatches from the left: Riviera, Jardin and Cote d'Azur — A La Mode Eyes Palette swatches from the left: Riviera, Jardin and Cote d’Azur

23. Have the second helping of ice cream

24. Eliminate all the negative sh*t you don’t need

25. Have brunch

26. Take risks

27. Brace yourself

28. Start a new list

29. Drink water

30. Exercise in the mornings (even 20 minutes is better than nothing)

Too Faced A La Mode Eyes Palette Swatches from the left: La Croisette, Monaco and De La Mer — A La Mode Eyes Palette swatches from the left: La Croisette, Monaco and De La Mer

31. Use kind words when speaking to yourself

32. Reward yourself for a job well done

33. Life is short; get moving

34. Ditch the stretchy pants for a nice outfit

35. Go for frequent walks

36. Call someone — anyone — on the phone

37. Have lunch at 12, even if you aren’t hungry (see #7)

38. Hug your cat

39. Snap more pics of your cat (because the world needs MOAR TABS PICS)

40. Close your eyes, and remind yourself that YOU GOT THIS

41. Go against the tide

42. Carve out a niche

43. Write a letter to a friend about whatever’s on your mind at the moment…

My dearest friend,

GIRL. Pink eyeshadow. Think about it.

Seriously, though. Snaps. You can do it! Try the new A La Mode Eyes Palette by Too Faced Cosmetics ($36 and available now at Too Faced counters and toofaced.com).

I’ve worn pink eyeshadows plenty of times before and thought, eh, that was fine, but this new summer palette of warm-toned powder eyeshadows is pretty killer. I would go so far as to say that Monaco, the palette’s vibrant pink shade, is the crown jewel in this limited edition kit.

Oh, sure, the other eyeshadows (there are nine powder shadows in total) are expertly paired. Too Faced sets the kit up in a way that completely takes the guesswork out of choosing colors to wear together. The shadows are arranged in rows for day, classic and fashion looks. Easy-peasy!

The shadows are so buttery and creamy that you can blend them with a few swipes. Plus, on top of primer, they last all day.

The kit leans warm, so if you tend to pick up a little color in summer, or if you like to fake the baked look with bronzer, these shades should look great on you.

Oh! About Monaco? YES, you can work it. One of my mantras is to think outside the box. Both in makeup and in life. And that means wearing pink eyeshadow. 🙂

Here’s what I like to do: swipe Monaco in the crease with a thin, pointed crease brush. Next, I take a tapered fluffy brush loaded with Jardin, the golden melon shade from the kit, and sweep it back and forth to blend it out. Then, swap out the tapered brush for a flat eyeshadow brush, and pat Cannes, the coppery shade, on my lids.

Highlight those inner corners with one of the big pans on the left of the kit (golden beige St. Tropez, golden peach Rivera or beige La Croisette); then line with one of the darker shades on the right — shimmery golden brown Soleil, shimmery taupe Cote d’Adure or shimmery navy blue De La Mer.

But ya know, there are so many ways to work this palette. That’s probably my favorite thing about it. You can play it safe with warm, shimmery neutrals, or completely push your makeup boundaries with the pink.

I think you’ll really like it. Yes, even the pink!

–K

44. Have a meal (or two or three) outside

45. Embrace your silliness, because there’s absolutely no need to take yourself so damned seriously!

46. Brush your teeth

47. Find a big tree, and read a book under that tree

48. Turn on some music and dance, dance, dance!

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A Review of the New Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, and a Peek Into the Life and Times of an Ex-Beauty Blogger in a Post-Apocalyptic Zombie World

March 24th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

This review is for my fellow fans of The Walking Dead. If you’re unfamiliar with the show and/or otherwise averse to zombies, skip down to the subheading titled “The Dior Addict Fluid Sticks ($35 each)” for the scoop on Dior’s new line of liquid lipstick-lipgloss hybrids coming this spring to Dior counters and online.

Dear Diary,

Hard to believe there was a time when I wrote every day. That world seems so far away right now, like a hazy, wonderful dream.

To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I wrote. I think it might’ve been a few days before The Turn.

Can you believe it? There was a time when I updated MBB every. single. day. That all stopped when the Internet went down for good. Crazy pants. Well, at least I can say that I wrote hard until the end. *Raises dirty fist with broken, janky nails half-heartedly in the air.*

But seriously, talk about a career that leaves you ill-equipped for the zombie apocalypse! I mean, really now, who has the time and energy to write these days!? Dude, not getting eaten by flesh eaters is hard enough as it is. Sh*t is not easy!

LOL… Well, at least I haven’t completely lost my sense of humor.

Thank you, universe, for letting me find this empty notebook while out scavenging this morning. Who knows? Maybe it’ll somehow keep me alive one more day.

Sigh… I still can’t believe this is the world now.

Dior Addict Fluid Sticks in 551 Aventure and 338 Mirage — Dear diary…

I used to spend my days in front of a keyboard, drinking coffee, writing about eyeshadow and lipstick and chatting online with friends all over the world. I wonder what happened to all those girls (and the five boys). I hope they survived. I hope they’re ok.

My heart aches… I miss my family. My husband. My cat.

Good grief, I am still really, REALLY p*ssed off at that man for leaving me! See, Karen, that’s what you get for marrying someone who will sacrifice himself to keep you alive. I hate him for that!

I love him for that. Loved him… Can’t keep my tenses right. Can’t think about this right now. Lock it up in a box, Karen. Keep it there for a rainy day. You have to do like he told you to do. Can’t fall apart. Must stay strong. Keep going.

Deep breath… Need to think about things that make you happy. Kittens! Chocolate! Makeup! Oh, gosh, I found some Dior the other day, believe it or not. Two Dior Addict Fluid Sticks. Still in their boxes! They were inside a shopping bag in an empty car on the side of the road.

Dior Addict Fluid Sticks in 551 Aventure (left) and 338 Mirage (right) — Addict Fluid Sticks in 551 Aventure (left) and 338 Mirage (right), $35 each

Leave it to the ex-beauty blogger to grab the lipgloss/liquid lipstick hybrids, haha. At least I didn’t overlook the crowbar in the trunk. (El Hub always said, “Don’t forget to grab a weapon. Ideally one with some length.”)

It was like Christmas! There was a lighter shade, 338 Mirage. It’s a light peachy coral. And also 551 Aventure, a reddish coral. I couldn’t resist applying Mirage right then and there. I looked in the car’s rear view mirror and couldn’t help but laugh. My lips looked glossy for the first time in weeks. Months? But hello, dark circles and upper lip hair like whoa!

Dior Addict Fluid Stick swatches in in 338 Mirage (left) and 551 Aventure (right) — Addict Fluid Stick swatches in 338 Mirage (left) and 551 Aventure (right)

As I rubbed my lips together and admired my Ron Burgundy mustache (as you can probably imagine, body hair removal isn’t a high priority these days), bits and pieces of my former life came flooding back. The Dior Addict Fluid Sticks…

The Dior Addict Fluid Sticks ($35 each)

I remember… These were released in the spring of 2014. Liquid lipstick-gloss hybrids. They feel creamy and slick like liquid lipsticks but have the shiny finish of a gloss, and they leave my lips with a delicate stain that fades over the course of 2-3 hours.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 315

March 24th, 2014 by Karen 41 Comments

That's me gardening! — Planting more tomatoes for my deck garden

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 seven years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Who wants to be a mermaid princess?
Who doesn’t want to be a mermaid princess? You’re crazy if you say no to this. 🙂

Mermaid princess — This is Mermaid Princess Abbie, the daughter of my friend Tiffany. Isn’t she the cutest?

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in pursuit of a dream?
One of my dreams for a long time was to not be so afraid of the ocean, ’cause I was not a strong swimmer at all (I was even afraid in swimming pools if I couldn’t touch the bottom). I was like that until my early 20s, when I was looking through a magazine one day and read about women who surfed. I thought to myself, “I really want to do that.”

So I took a swimming class, joined a gym with a pool, and swam two times a week for six months. Then my good friend Cindy and I attended a week-long surf camp down in San Diego, and by the time we left, I was a surfer and was much more comfortable in the water.

When was the last time you went to Portland?
I think it was 10 years ago? I hope to go back soon so I can put a bird on it (“Put a bird on it!”). I ask because one of my friends is visiting there now.

When was the last time you were stranded somewhere?
Apparently it’s been a while because I’m having trouble remembering, LOL!

I think it was in the ’90s when I was going to school in Davis. I went to the mall and wasn’t really paying attention to the bus schedule, so I ended up not having a ride home. I just remember being in front of Macy’s with a bunch of ruffians thinking, “How the hell did I get myself into this situation?”

Do you like going to live sporting events?
Only if I don’t have to pay attention, and if there’s hella beer and garlic fries.

Share an inspiring quote that you like.
“You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” – Max Ehrmann, from Desiderata.

Do you gush over babies?
When they’re smiling and wearing cute outfits. 🙂

In what decade were you a teenager?
In the ’90s. Oughh! And it was rough. I would have killed to have beauty blogs and YouTube back then.

What’s one piece of furniture you’d like to replace in your home?
I hate my freaking dresser drawers in my bedroom, and I’ve hated them since the day I brought them home something like 12 years ago (I got it cheap off of Craigslist).

It’s in my nature to be…
I don’t know… It’s in my nature to be a worrywart.

BONUS! Have you ever had a bedroom with wallpaper?
No, ’cause my parents were weird and only believed in white walls, but my best friend had Strawberry Shortcake wallpaper, and every single time I’d go to her house to play I was wracked with Strawberry Shortcake jealousy.

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

1. Who wants to be a mermaid princess?
2. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in pursuit of a dream?
3. When was the last time you went to Portland?
4. When was the last time you were stranded somewhere?
5. Do you like going to live sporting events?
6. Share an inspiring quote that you like.
7. Do you gush over babies?
8. In what decade were you a teenager?
9. What’s one piece of furniture you’d like to replace in your home?
10. It’s in my nature to be…
11. BONUS! Have you ever had a bedroom with wallpaper?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Monday doesn’t stand a chance against us. Greatness awaits!

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 288

March 23rd, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

You may not be able to tell because of his Rubenesque physique, but Tabs leads a very active kitty lifestyle. He kayaks, stand-up paddles — actually, he even volunteers as a cheerleading coach for underprivileged kitties; he’s also an experienced tumbler.

He does not just sit around and have me hand-feed him kitty treats. Oh, no! In fact, now that the days are getting longer and the weather’s getting nicer, he’s already preparing for his spring and summer activities, which include whitewater rafting.

He’s an incredibly busy kitty, but that doesn’t stop him from getting sh*t done. He’s still at the top of his modeling game, like this week, he worked on ad campaigns for Covercat, Kerastase, NYC, NYX and Urban Decay.

If you’re interested, here are the latest pics from his kitty modeling portfolio. 🙂

Who is Tabs the Cat?
About seven years ago I befriended a stray, flea-bitten tabby cat with a bad case of worms. I could see he’d fallen on hard times, but his profound knowledge of high fashion and department store cosmetics led me to believe that he was more than meets the eye. We became fast friends, and now he’s actually my boss (and a successful kitty model).

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