Karen

If You’re Blue and You Don’t Know Where To Go To Why Don’t You Go Where Fashion Sits…Puttin’ on the Glitz! (Jouer’s $25 Holiday Gift Set)

November 22nd, 2013 by Karen 13 Comments

I might like my tabby cats super-sized (fun fact: Tabs is 20 pounds of brute-force love!), but when it comes to my makeup, I have a major soft spot for minis — mini perfumes, mini soaps, mini lipsticks, mini everything — like these adorable glosses in the Jouer Puttin’ on the Glitz holiday set.

A trio of tiny Moisturizing Lip Glosses, each with a doe-foot applicator, brightens up this holiday set. Choose from sheer, sparkling pink Glisten; creamy cool pink Peony or sheer red Riviera.

There’s also a very Kate Spade-esque mini faux leather “it” bag, which is perfectly sized to store an I.D., your glosses and a handful of Temptations cat treats, if you’re so inclined (and Tabs hopes you are).

The Puttin’ on the Glitz set is available now for a limited time at select Nordstrom stores, Henri Bendel New York and online at jouercosmetics.com. It’s $25, and it even comes in a cute box, so it’s ready to be stuffed in a stocking.

Just add the bow. 🙂

These $12 Blushes From the Sigma Beauty Enlight Collection Will Leave You Feeling Serene, Mellow and Peaceful

November 21st, 2013 by Karen 9 Comments

Sigma Peaceful Blush — Wearing the new Sigma Beauty Blushes in Serene on the apples of my cheeks and Peaceful on my upper cheekbones ($12 each)

So you know when you’re just driving along and flipping through the radio stations and every song that comes on sounds like an obnoxious video game or, like, somebody is shouting at you because they’re either in love, falling out of love or about to get cray-cray in da club with Grey Goose and strippers?

Then, when you can’t take it anymore, you turn to the easy listening station and ah… Everything is peaceful, mellow and serene again. 🙂

That’s how I feel about these three blushes from the Sigma Enlight collection — the cheek color equivalents of a sleepy Norah Jones ballad.

And that is not a bad thing. Nope, not at all.

I mean, sure, when I see a bold, bright red pan, assuming I’m in the right mood, BRING IT. But I don’t always like being challenged by my blushes, and on those days, these neutrals should do the trick.

This is my first time wearing Sigma’s blushes, and I like ’em. Like MAC’s, they go on with very little patchiness, and they barely need a flick of the wrist to blend.

All three are supposed to warm and calm your hectic makeup routine…

OK, I can get down with that. Like “Ommmmm” for my cheeks!

Sigma Blush - Peaceful, $12 — Blush — Peaceful ($12)

Peaceful, a shimmery, peachy beige, is the lightest of the three and looks more like a highlighter on me, so I wear it on my upper cheekbones. I think this one could look really pretty on pale skin.

Sigma Blush - Mellow, $12 — Blush — Mellow ($12)

And I have a feeling that Mellow, a medium pinkish beige with a sheen finish, will be the most universally flattering.

Sigma Blush - Serene, $12 — Blush — Serene ($12)

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The Pixi Icy Eye Palette in Buff Blizzard Incorporates Matte Neutrals and Shimmers

November 21st, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

So many times, I’ll come across a neutral palette and first be like, “yay!” but then notice that the shades are all so shimmery and go, “boo!”

I mean, I love sparkle and shine, but ya know, sometimes, it’s just nice to have one or two mattes in there. They’re convenient, and it keeps things interesting.

That’s one of the reasons I’m crushing on this new eye palette by Pixi. It has six gorgeous neutral shades in shimmery white, shimmery golden beige, shimmery golden brown, shimmery gunmetal gray and — yay! — two matte browns in medium and dark.

The mattes are yummy chocolate shades… I’ll pop ’em in the crease for a smokey look, or wear them along my lash lines as liner. Muy versatile.

Wouldn’t this be a good stocking stuffer for a teen? Or for anyone just getting into eye makeup?

It’s available now for $12 at Target stores and online.

Looking for a Less Expensive Dupe of Urban Decay Naked and Naked2? You’ll Want To Check Out the Revealed Palette by Coastal Scents

November 21st, 2013 by Karen 25 Comments

Coastal Scents Revealed Palette k top — Wearing the new Coastal Scents Revealed Palette

#Realtalk: I’m riding on a huge Urban Decay Naked high right now, primarily due to Naked3, which finally went on sale online (FINALLY) today, and it’s already sold out. HOLY WOW!

If you missed it, you can sign up here to be alerted when it’s back in stock.

Needless to say, if it’s Naked, I’m on it!

Wait — that sounded a little dirtier that I thought it would.

Anywho! My reignited fire for all things Naked is why I’m extra stoked about ~~RyGos’ abs~~ the new Revealed Palette by Coastal Scents.

I didn’t know much about the brand before this week, only what I’d heard on YouTube. It seemed like for a hot second there, the Coastal Scents 88 Palette (with, like, every color imaginable) was hella trendy.

I recently started testing a few things from the line, and uh, yeah, so far, I’m not seeing any shortages of pigment. None of the products are too expensive, either, and the aren’t tested on animals.

So, why the Revealed palette? Well, if you eyed Urban Decay’s Naked and/or Naked2 palettes but didn’t spring due to their price ($52 each), Revealed could be an option. It’s only $19.95.

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What’s Your All-Time Favorite Brow Filler?

November 21st, 2013 by Karen 47 Comments

Wearing the mighty MAC Brun Eye Shadow in my brows…

These days, like the great Sir Mix-a-lot once crooned, “I like big brows and I cannot lie!” 🙂

I like to try different brow fillers now that I have more to work with up there. I’ve been rockin’ a full brow this year (well, full for me), but I’m more courageous because I know I can always go back to my fool-proof fillers — a pan of MAC Eye Shadow in a shade that matches the color of my hair, which I’ll apply with a MAC 266 Small Angle Brush.

Easy, breezy, and I can do it when I’m half asleep. MAC Concrete used to be my shade for this (back when my hair was really dark), but these days I’m all about Brun (a muted blackish brown).

How about you? What do you use to fill your brows (if you fill your brows), and what’s your all-time favorite brow filler?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Lost Tabs Pics…

November 20th, 2013 by Karen 20 Comments

Ooh! Look what I found. Old pics of Tabs from around the last year of his kittenhood in 2007. When he decided to ~~adopt us~~ hire me, he was about a year old.

Please note the fierce modeling stare. Even as a young cat, it was clear he had tremendous kitty modeling potential. 🙂

So skinny! This was even before he had his husky tum. I think this was early 2007, when he was still mostly a stray who just came around for gravy and lurvies every so often (and to show us who’s boss). This was one of the very first pics I ever took of him…

When we first moved into our current place, Tabs would spend hours at the windows pawing at the birds.

…wave ’em around like you just don’t care!

Woo-Hoo! It’s a Pigment Party Up In Here, $7.95 Cover Charge, With These Pigmented Forever Blushes by Coastal Scents

November 20th, 2013 by Karen 7 Comments

Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Alluring Closeup

Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Alluring Closeup 2 — A closeup of Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Alluring

Oh, hai! My, aren’t you a bright blush? 🙂

The NARS One Night Stand Cheek Palette and I have been joined at the hip lately (or, more aptly, at the cheek), but I intend to two-time it for a few days while I take these blushing beauties by Coastal Scents out for a spin.

These are 5 of the 18 shades in the Forever Blush powder blush line. Each is $7.95 and available now at coastalscents.com.

I’ve only had the chance to swipe the red shade at the top, Alluring, on the back of my hand, but based on that, dang! — it looks promising.

Talk about cray-cray pigment! I hope it blends like butter once I get it on my cheeks. Fingers tightly crossed…

Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Alluring — Forever Blush in Alluring

Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Sweet — Forever Blush in Sweet

Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Lovely — Forever Blush in Lovely

Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Charming — Forever Blush in Charming

Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Enchanting — Forever Blush in Enchanting

An Urban Decay Face of the Day With Naked3: A Rosy Gold Daytime Smokey Eye

November 20th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

Whoa, boy. I am a sleep-sheepy today…but that wasn’t going to stop me from playing naked.

I mean playing with naked — Urban Decay Naked3.

Just a few shots of the look I’m wearing. I think it’s a little more wearable and daytime-friendly than the look I did on Monday.

I also incorporated some colors from the Naked and Naked2 palettes, just to see how well they’d work with Naked3’s rosy gold.

I think it went well.

Quick breakdown of what I used!

On my eyes I’m wearing…

The Urban Decay Naked3 Palette (shimmery rose gold Liar on my lids and glittery blackened rose Blackheart in the outer corners)
The Urban Decay Naked Palette (Buck, the matte brown shade, in the crease)
The Urban Decay Naked2 Palette(Foxy, the matte beige shade, on the brown bone)
UD’s new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Blackheart, glittery blackened rose from the new Blackheart and Darkside liner duo (along my lower lash lines)
UD’s new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion, a true black from the new Perversion and Pistol duo (water lines)
UD’s new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Venus a shimmery beige from the Venus and Crave duo (worn as a base all over my lids under the other products)
Clarins Be Long Mascara (my lashes)
MAC Brun Eye Shadow (brows)

On my cheeks and lips that’s…

Tarte’s Off the Cuff Blush Palette (the apples of my cheeks)
MAC Give Me Sun Bronzer (below my cheekbones)
Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked

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