Karen

Constantly Craving…

February 19th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

#truth: It’s not as easy to find real-deal Asian food up here in Marin County as it is in San Francisco or the East Bay.

For the most part, the prevailing word is bland. Not bad, necessarily, but not the stuff you dream about at night.

Every once in a while, though, I stumble on something really good.

Like this place I went to last weekend with El Hub, Yu Shang Pho in San Rafael. Ooooh, gurl! — I can’t stop thinking about that bowl of soup…

The broth, OMG! The broth… It was So. Damn. Good! I don’t have the most refined palette in the world, but with this soup (I ordered the chicken broth without the meat), even I could taste the layers.

I’ve been totally craving a bowl all week.

If you’re ever out this way and get a craving for a good bowl of pho, check out Yu Shang Pho in San Rafael. It’s triple F-caliber food: flavorful, fast and friendly service.

The Cool New Hues in the Clarins Vibrant Light Eye Quartet Mineral Palette Love Warm Skin Tones, Too

February 19th, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Well, well. Quelle surprise!

I really did not expect the cool-toned plum, pink, gray and white shadows in the new Clarins Vibrant Light Eye Quartet Mineral Palette to get along at all with warm-toned skin like mine, but then what do I know? I also didn’t think that watching Bravo every day for a month would turn my brain to curdled cheese, which it has, haha!

I guess if there’s a lesson here, it’s that you just never know when it comes to eye quads or reality television.

That is, unless we’re talking about The Millionaire Matchmaker, in which case you pretty much do know what’s going to go down, but you (I) keep watching anyway because you (I) can’t look away. 🙂

(Incidentally, does anyone else miss Dustin and Rachel? I think the show is pretty lame without them…)

Vibrant Light. One of 14 pieces in the new Opalescent spring 2014 collection. Cool-toned, fo’ sho’, but surprisingly wearable, even on warm-toned skin.

Par for the Clarins course, these shadows perform exceptionally well, blending without a hitch and lasting a full 8-hour day without exhibiting any fallout, and only the slightest fading. They can be worn wet or dry, too (I’m wearing them dry).

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Sometimes You Just Need a Little Chanel

February 19th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

The Nordstrom over at the Village at Corte Madera mall recently revamped their beauty department, and by “recently,” I mean that it looks like they put the finishing touches on it in the last few days.

Now it’s set up with rows of shelves like a Sephora, which seems like a good idea to me. All of the products are easily accessible, and I saw several women trying things on while I was there.

The new Chanel section is HUGE! I swooned a li’l bit when I saw it because the testers were virtually untouched.

Imagine hundreds and hundreds of untouched, un-swatched pans…

‘Twas glorious! 🙂

Magical Pixies Promise Sparkling Nails This Spring Thanks to the Zoya Magical Pixie Collection

February 19th, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

The new three-piece Zoya Magical Pixie Spring 2014 collection

The new PixieDust polishes in Zoya’s Magical Pixie collection sparkle like Ryan Gosling’s pearly whites on the red carpet, *zing!*

Hexagonal flecks of iridescent goodness combine with finer flecks of shimmer to create a dazzling effect more powerful than the gravitational pull of J. Lo’s butt.

You have no choice but to stare…

Ain’t no party like a glitter party, so of course I had to go there. 🙂 And this glitter does not mess around.

I think Zoya’s regular PixieDust formula is pretty flashy on its own, but the addition of extra hex pieces here takes it to the next level. Totally worthy of a bacchanalian bachelorette par-taaaaay in Vegas, or perhaps a cat fight on Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Rosy Lux, silver Cosmo and blue Vega are all full coverage, and Zoya recommends 2-3 coats on clean nails (no base coat needed), although, I bet if you could get away with a single layer if you were in a hurry.

For each of these swatches below, I used two… Force of habit, ya know?

Zoya Vega — Vega, a cool-toned shimmery textured blue (two coats)

I love the way cool-toned blue Vega, my favorite of the bunch, shimmers… It takes me back to when El Hub and I had just started dating.

We’d visit his family in Hawaii over the holidays, and I’d wake up early in the mornings to sneak in a pre-dawn surf session. Vega glimmers just like those teal blue waters sparkled as the sun came up.

Zoya Lux — Lux, a cool-toned textured glittery pink (two coats)

Can you see the purple pieces of glitter in cool-toned pink Lux (my second favorite one)? I think they give it a dainty, feminine touch.

Zoya Cosmo — Cosmo, a glittery textured silver (two coats)

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Which Way Do You Usually Part Your Hair?

February 19th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

Center part or side part, and do you ever switch sides?

I’ve always had a natural side part above my right eye (so the left side of the screen in pics). That’s where my hair parts naturally when it gets its way.

But then there was that six-month period in 2004 — the Dreaded Wrong Part Incident, when my part went the opposite way (above my left eye), and I hated every minute of it.

It happened one day because the gal who used to cut my hair was just totally checked out. It was her last day before a long vacation to Thailand, and I guess she really wasn’t paying attention, or was in a rush to get out the door.

She had been cutting my hair for about a year, so I assumed I was in good hands.

I started reading a magazine in the chair, and when I looked up, my hair was parted the wrong way and chopped past the point of no return.

At first I thought, “OK…change is good. I can roll with this, and I can’t really do anything about it now.”

That faux calm lasted about half a day…

For strange, cruel reasons, my layers wouldn’t sit properly, and the waves insisted on going every which way. Whenever I looked in the mirror, I felt like I was staring at a stranger.

You wouldn’t think that something as minor as a part could make such a difference, but I swear, it totally does!

How about you? Which way do you usually part your hair?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Good morning and welcome to le hump!

Today is a very exciting day. 🙂

Why’s that, you ask? Well, the contractors say that I’m supposed to have gas again by this afternoon, yay!

Wait — that came out wrong.

Anywho, woo-hoo! Believe you me, I will be celebrating by taking a shower tonight. Counting the hours, minutes and seconds until I can shave the pelt of fur on my shins, LOL!

P.P.S. Speaking of warmer days, last night I finished a book I think you might like. It’s called A Hundred Summers, by Beatriz Williams.

I started reading it last weekend and could not put it down. It’s like a cross between a mystery and a romance. A myst-romance, or romance-ery.

From amazon.com…

“Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak.

“That is, until Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview.

“Nick and Budgie Greenwald are an unwelcome specter from Lily’s past: her former best friend and her former fiancé, now recently married—an event that set off a wildfire of gossip among the elite of Seaview, who have summered together for generations. Budgie’s arrival to restore her family’s old house puts her once more in the center of the community’s social scene, and she insinuates herself back into Lily’s friendship with an overpowering talent for seduction…and an alluring acquaintance from their college days, Yankees pitcher Graham Pendleton. But the ties that bind Lily to Nick are too strong and intricate to ignore, and the two are drawn back into long-buried dreams, despite their uneasy secrets and many emotional obligations.

“Under the scorching summer sun, the unexpected truth of Budgie and Nick’s marriage bubbles to the surface, and as a cataclysmic hurricane barrels unseen up the Atlantic and into New England, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional cyclone of their own, which will change their worlds forever.”

I was sucked in from the start, totally immersed in a world of love triangles, family secrets, friends and frenemies. The story, on a reverse scale of 1-10, with 10 being Lifetime movie-caliber predictable, I give it a two…which in this case is good! 🙂 Lots of twists and turns and memorable characters. Highly recommended!

Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss and Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick Swatches and Pics

February 18th, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Wearing the new Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Tropical Pink from the new Opalescence Spring 2014 collection

Some pics of the lip products from the new 14-piece Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 collection in action to warm you up on this chilly Tuesday night (assuming it’s not summer or the tropics where you are). 🙂

The two Gloss Prodige Lip Glosses ($23 each) and three Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipsticks ($27 each) are available on Clarins counters now and clarinsusa.com.

Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 collection lip products from the left: Gloss Prodige Lip Glosses in Coral Tulip and Crystal ($23 each); Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipsticks in Tropical Pink, Coral Tulip and Pink Orchid ($27 each)

Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 collection swatches from the left: Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Coral Tulip and Crystal; Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipsticks in Tropical Pink, Coral Tulip and Pink Orchid — Swatches from the left: Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Coral Tulip and Crystal; Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipsticks in Tropical Pink, Coral Tulip and Pink Orchid

Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Coral Tulip — Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Coral Tulip

Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Pink Orchid — Joli Rouge Brilliant Lipstick in Pink Orchid

Clarins Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Coral Tulip — Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Coral Tulip

Clarins Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Crystal — Gloss Prodige Lip Gloss in Crystal

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. House of Cards! Last night I watched up through episode 9, which Jodie Foster directed. What a great episode! I know I’ve already asked, but are you watching House of Cards? Isn’t it great?

A Face of the Day With Warm Peachy Brown, Bronze and Copper: MAC Amber Lights Eye Shadow and NARS Fez

February 18th, 2014 by Karen 36 Comments

Day five of no central heating and natural gas-heated water.

Today I cried…

Well, almost. I almost cried, but then I saw the sun coming out and realized it was going to be a pretty warm day, so I wasn’t going to freeze. Yet.

As of now, the ETA for getting the gas line repaired is first thing tomorrow, and I’m keeping all of my fingers crossed.

In related news, I’m getting pretty good at what I call the hot water shuffle, which is when we heat up pots of water on the stove and dump them into a big tote in the bathtub.

It’s not as fun as a shower, but it gets the job done.

As for the temperature in the house, it’s been a little chilly, even with my space heater going 24/7 and bundled up in layers, and I desperately needed to feel warm today, so I pretended with this summery-ish look with bronzy brown.

I built it around my current MAC permanent eyeshadow crush, Amber Lights, a shimmery warm peachy brown.

MAC Amber Lights Eye Shadow Swatch — Amber Lights Eye Shadow on NC42 skin

Wearing mostly MAC and NARS here with a bit of Tom Ford and Hourglass thrown in for good luck.

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Mantra of the Day, According to Bobbi Brown’s Pink Peony Illuminating Bronzing Powder

February 18th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

Be bold!

Alright then, Bobbi. If you say so.

I will be the boldest cat lady I can! 🙂

This sheer rosy pink ALL-CAPS compact, which Bobbi calls a bronzer, is from the new Uber Pink collection.

Just dust it on your face wherever the sun naturally falls, like your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, for a natural-looking glow, thanks to its pearly finish.

I don’t really use this for heavy-duty contouring, obvs, because it’s pink, but I do use it for all-over warmth. I’ll swipe a little across my cheeks (by itself or atop a rosy pink blush) and across my forehead with a fluffy brush.

The pink is super subtle, so unless you build it up on purpose, you won’t end up walking around with a pink forehead, LOL!

Oh, and sometimes I also wear this as a basic blush.

It’s available now at Bobbi Brown counters and bobbibrowncosmetics.com for $38.