Karen

Course Description: Makeup Stress Shopping 101

January 2nd, 2014 by Karen 22 Comments

Welcome to Makeup Stress Shopping 101, students.

Is everyone in the right class?

(Waits for a couple people to sneak out of the room…)

Excellent! Now then, in this course we’ll be discussing a tool in every harried pet assistant’s arsenal (among other busy professionals). It’s a technique in widespread use today and has grown increasingly effective as life has become more complicated and hectic.

I often employ it myself, as my other job — working as the assistant to one of the world’s top plus-size kitty supermodels — can be quite stressful.

How stressful? Well, remember Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wear’s Prada? Yeah, my employer is like that on a good day.

There’s a word for it — anyone? Yes, you there in the back with your hand raised.

“Diva?”

Exactly! Yes, stress shopping can be a powerful tool, but with great power comes great responsibility…

Here are five tips to get the most from your stress shopping sessions. 🙂

1. No baskets

Don’t grab a basket. Seriously, if you see a harried-looking lady covered in cat hair at Sephora awkwardly carrying hella products in her hands, FYI — that would be me.

I always try to remember this one. The logic goes like this: without a basket, I can only carry so much in my hands.

Because believe you me, with a basket, I will fill that thing until it runneth over! And that’s dangerous…

It’s a low-tech trick, but it usually keeps me from overspending (usually).

2. In person rather than online

Speaking of low-tech methods, I find that it’s always better for me to stress shop in person rather than online.

First, there’s the instant gratification (no need to wait for things to ship).

Second, I don’t know about you, but those virtual shopping baskets are DANGEROUS! — because I will fill them to their virtual brims, and then spend way too much time trying to justify the purchase.

I think it’s easier to control myself when I stress shop in person…maybe because I see what’s in front of me, instead of just chucking things into a virtual basket.

3. Leave the credit card at home, and shop with cash

Another simple, yet extremely effective method. If I don’t have the cash on hand to buy that umpteenth stick of brown eyeliner (ya know?!), then I can’t get it. That’s the rule.

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Newest Obsession: Kristin Perry Ear Cuffs

January 2nd, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Preconceived notions shattered!

I was sure these Ear Cuffs by jewelry designer Kristin Perry would be too heavy to be comfortable, but I was wrong. Gloriously wrong… 🙂

They just looked so cool in the pics I saw online (very Hunger Games: Catching Fire) that I had to give ’em a whirl. Turns out they’re surprisingly lightweight, comfy, AND they stay in place.

This one is the Crystal Embellished Punk Rock Ear Cuff, and it’s $20. It’s available online now at kristinperry.com.

5 Permanent Line Products I’ve Been Loving Lately From MAC, NARS, YSL and Perricone MD

January 2nd, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Hey, gurl! Hey! Let’s talk about beauty…

Hmm… Being a day late and a dollar short to the show, I should probably stop telling people that I’m watching Breaking Bad. I mentioned it to my brother the other day, and the first thing he said was…

**WARNING** **SPOILER ALERT START** **WARNING**

The first thing he said was (STOP HERE IF YOU DON’T WANT ANY SPOILERS!)…

I’m serious! Skip this entire gray box. DON’T READ ANOTHER LINE!

The first thing he said was, “Did you get to the part where Jesse’s girlfriend O.D.s?”

Uh…No, Al. I actually had not gotten to that part. 😕

Then I mentioned it to my mother-in-law, who’s never even seen the show but heard a few things through the grapevine, and she said (MORE SPOILERS!!!), “Isn’t that the show where the guy dies at the end?”

**WARNING** **SPOILER ALERT END** **WARNING**

Yeah… Insert mouth agape [HERE].

I think it’s the universe’s way of telling me that I should stick to talking about other subjects — subjects like makeup, and these five permanent collection products I’ve been loving lately.

1. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Gloss Stain in 7 Corail Aquatique, $34

Wearing Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Gloss Stain in 7 Corail Aquatique on my lips, MAC Cantaloupe Blush on my cheeks and NARS Galapagos Eyeshadow on my eyes

So, earlier this week I go to Sephora to get a birthday gift for my mom, and wouldn’t ya know it? Two tubes of Corail Aquatique mysteriously find their way into my basket/heart.

One for Mom, one for me. 🙂

My mom is so funny… I know I’m probably going to have to encourage her to wear this light pinkish coral glossy stain, because whenever I get her anything higher end than drugstore, it usually ends up displayed in the bathroom like a fancy trophy.

She never actually wears it, LOL!

The Pur Couture glosses, which apply as a gloss but wear down to a stain, are part of YSL’s permanent line, and I’ve loved them for a while.

I’ve been putting Corail Aquatique through its paces lately.

No — literally, its paces. I wore it on my walk yesterday. I think it’s a really lovely everyday lip color.

2. MAC Powder Blush in Cantaloupe, $17

MAC Cantaloupe Blush — Cantaloupe Blush (MAC Pro)

OOOH, GURL, don’t even get me started on coral Cantaloupe Blush. As Tabs would say, It’s “purr-fection!”

As a MAC Pro product, warm pinkish coral Cantaloupe is available at Pro Stores and online (but not at regular MAC stores and counters).

Officially, it’s billed as having a Satin finish, but I feel like it looks more Matte in pics… Frankly, I don’t care what they call it, because I just call it awesome and forgiving. Really forgiving, especially when you have pores the size o’ Lake Michigan (like me).

If the Magnetic Nude blushes weren’t always distracting me, I’d probably be wearing Cantaloupe 24/7.

LOVE IT!

3. NARS Coconut Grove, $24

OK, so I’ve had rich dark chocolate Coconut Grove forever, but I only recently fell in lust with it. I’ve been going through something of a brown eyeshadow phase (there are just so many great ones out there, and they’re so versatile!), and I guess I re-discovered it.

It might also have something to do with all of the chocolate I’ve been eating lately…

Anywho, Coconut Grove — bangin’ for brown smokey eyes. It has slightest sheen — barely noticeable — but enough to keep things interesting. It also prevents it from looking like a flat brown matte.

Super pretty layered on top of black or dark brown creamy kohl pencils and cream eyeshadow bases.

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Now Playing: Possessed by Purple, Starring Sonia Kashuk’s Shine Luxe Lip Colour in Sheer Plum

January 2nd, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Sheer Plum Shine Luxe Sheer Lip Colour

Well, it looks like I just found the title to my new tell-all book about being a member of Tabs’ inner circle.

I’m calling it Possessed by Purple: The Life and Times of a Makeup-Loving Cat Lady.

Isn’t that catchy? 🙂 Expect to see it on the New York Times Best Seller list soon.

Haha! Not.

The “purple” is in reference to the orchid obsession currently afflicting my makeup bag. I’m a little infatuated with Pantone’s Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid, so I’ve been wearing purple lips a lot lately…

The purple in this pic is by Sonia Kashuk. It’s her Shine Luxe Lip Colour in Sheer Plum ($10.99), and even though it’s a little darker than I expected for something called “Sheer,” I like it. It’s comfy, too — slick and lightweight — and oh, so moisturizing.

It’s available now at Target stores and also online.

When It Comes to Types of Makeup Products, When Is One Never Enough?

January 2nd, 2014 by Karen 59 Comments

A beauty product where one is never enough? — Rollin’ deep

Oh, that’s easy! For me, it’s lipgloss. Definitely.

I always have at least three or four tubes in my purse, but the funny thing is…they’re usually all variations of pink, coral or peach! — with maybe also a tube of something shimmery and gold in the mix.

I start my days wearing one shade, and move on to others as the day goes on.

MAC Lipglasses and Plushglasses in my purse — MAC attack!

I really can’t even imagine only having a single tube of gloss…

OK, well, of course I can, but I don’t want to. 🙂

I mean, I can get behind the notion of streamlining — getting my makeup bag down to a single bronzer, mascara, foundation, primer, brow product and maybe even a single blush or eyeshadow (!), but one tube of lipgloss…? That just blows my mind.

Options… I guess that’s it for me. I like my lipgloss options.

How about you? When it comes to types of makeup products, when is one never enough?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I hope your year got off to a great start.

First thing this morning, Tabs sent out a company-wide memo ordering an end to the holiday break and demanding that all employees of Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, return to their desks immediately.

Oh, well. 🙂

I haven’t done much product testing over the past week, and we’re sort of between seasonal releases, so I’m trying to think of things to blog about.

Do you have any things you’d like to see? Posts on permanent collection products? Makeup tip-type things or tutorials?

Or just nonstop pics of Tabs in various sexy cat poses?

Lemme know. Meanwhile, I think another cup of coffee is in order.

A Purple Pout Named Violetta: Sonia Kashuk’s Luxe Lip Color SPF 16 in Violetta

January 1st, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Everyone has their favorite colors of the year, right? Well, Pantone, purveyors of color standards for the design industry, picked theirs last month, and it’s called Radiant Orchid.

My purple pout today came via Sonia Kashuk’s Satin Luxe Lip Color SPF 16 in Violetta ($9.99) — a relative of Radiant Orchid.

Are you familiar with these lippies (the Satin Luxes)? They’re part of Sonia’s permanent line, and they’re FAB! — like drugstore versions of MAC Mineralize Rich Lipsticks.

Violetta here is a creamy purple with a mirror-like shine, and I think it looks quite fetching with coral cheeks. 🙂

This orchid prefers the climate inside Target stores (it’s also available online).

Doopdadoo… It’s 7, which means it’s almost time for bed (I’ve committed to going to sleep by 9 tonight)! Nothing new to report. I had a nice, relaxing day with Tabs and El Hub. I went for a run AND a walk, and then watched a ton of TV.

I need to work off all the dark chocolate stars I inhaled this season (blast you, Trader Joe, you delicious fiend!).

Write Your Name in the Air With a Sparkler in the Open Thread

January 1st, 2014 by Karen 87 Comments

We were like dancing fools in here last night/this morning, yo! El Hub, Tabs and I. We actually made it to midnight just watching Breaking Bad, and then at about 11:30 our time we switched on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and yelled out the countdown as the ball dropped in Times Square.

We smooched, of course, and then opened all the doors in the house to let in the good luck.

I don’t know if that’s just a family thing or if other people do it, too, but we like to open the doors right at midnight and welcome the good luck into the house. “Come in! Come in! We’re bringing in the good luck!”

Tabs got a little poofy-tailed and scared when he heard some fireworks off in the distance, and he kind of freaked out when we opened the sliding glass door to his deck garden, because I think he smelled firecracker smoke, but he quickly relaxed and joined in the festivities, zipping around our feet while El Hub and I rocked out in the living room.

This is gonna be a good year. 🙂 I know it.

And you’re gonna have a good one, too. We’re all going to have a great year, dammit! Nothing will stop us. We’ll make it happen through sheer force of will!

Right now I’m still slightly groggy from staying up late, but at least I don’t have any big plans for the day. El Hub is home, so we’re talking about going for a hike later in Muir Woods, which is about 30 minutes away. It’s sunny but cold. Pretty good hike weather.

I definitely want to do something out of the house at some point, though. Nothing epic or huge, but I do feel like I should eventually get outside, LOL!

How are you doing? Happy new years, BTW. Welcome to 2014. 🙂

Since I have nothing specifically exciting to say (I mean, I could tell you about how much I’m looking forward to my first cup of dreamy, delicious coffee this morning, because it’s all I can think about right now), let’s just chat about anything in the open thread, OK?

If you’re new to the open thread, here it is in a nutshell:

It’s kinda like our virtual living room, where we can chill and chat in the comments about anything and everything we want — makeup, relationships, work, school, hobbies, TV shows, or anything else.

Everyone here is very cool, too, so feel free to reach out. The open thread lasts all day and night, so pop by whenever you can, and as often as you like.

I saved a spot for you on the couch!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Cat Lady Couture

December 31st, 2013 by Karen 6 Comments

I’m looking forward to taking my CCL bonafides to new heights in 2014 with these crazy cat lady shirts.

Aren’t they adorbs?

I got them from my mom for Christmas. She knows me well, hahaha! 😀

What are you doing tonight? Tabs would like me to wish you a happy 2014. It’s almost time out here. It’s exactly 9:32 p.m., and I’m just marathoning Breaking Bad with Tabs and El Hub on the couch.

See you next year! 🙂