Karen

Try Dior Dolly Pink Addict Gloss When You’re in the Mood for Bling

July 21st, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

You know what I like? I like how whenever the pretty boy/Arthur Fonzerelli character in cartoons flashes a big toothy smile, there’s that “bling!” sound.

Bling!

Dior’s sparkling, shiny sheer pink Dolly Pink Addict Gloss ($29.50) goes well with that sound.

It’s available now at Dior counters, Sephora stores and also online.

Bling!

P.S. Just got home a couple hours ago from La Jolla, and wouldn’t you know it? Tabs barely paid me any mind. I walked in the door, and he was like, “I’m over it, woman.” He had El Hub to keep him company, so he wasn’t as hard up for lovies as he gets when we’re both gone.

So sleepy…

Cat Lady Lounging and Post-Surf Bath and Body Treats

July 21st, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

Neutrogena Body Oil, Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser and Rainbath Shower Gel

The cat lady robe! — Who’s that cat lady?

A conversation Cindy and I had the other day:

CINDY: Remember those crazy cat people I lived with for a semester?

ME: No. What makes you say they were crazy cat people?

CINDY: Well, they just had SO MANY CATS.

ME: How many?

CINDY: Three.

ME: Three cats is still perfectly acceptable.

(PAUSE)

CINDY: Three cats is a lot of cats!

ME: No way, man! But that third cat is the gateway cat, for sure. That’s the cat that opens the door to those crazy high numbers of cats, like 17. But if you don’t cross over to that fourth cat, you’re still safe.

LOL! Yes, I’ve given this a lot of thought, said the crazy cat lady in her cat-print robe…

Goofing off in my cat lady robe — This robe earns the “Tabs the Cat Style Stamp of Approval”

The boutique-y hotel we’ve been staying at in La Jolla, the Hotel La Jolla, has a pretty funky style. Instead of regular white plush terry robes in the room, they have robes with fun animal prints! Of course I chose the cheetah for my post-surf shower lounging.

After a long day of paddling, falling and flopping around awkwardly on a surfboard, there’s nothing like a long, hot shower and a cheetah-print robe…

I brought some of my favorite drugstore bath and body products on this trip, including Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser.

My combination oily/dry/indecisive skin loves the stuff. It removes whatever kind of makeup I’m wearing without me having to use too be a beauty bodybuilder, and it never leaves my skin feeling dry, tight or like it’s covered by a film.

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser, $8.99

Also from Neutrogena, their Rainbath Shower and Bath Gel, is one of my old-school favorites. I’ve been using it since college, and it was one of my biggest indulgences. It’s only $7.99 now, sometimes less on sale, and it was probably even less back then.

I like it because it gets my skin squeaky clean and doesn’t leave a residue behind. I can also use it as a shave gel, which is nice, and it doesn’t clog up my razor.

Neutrogena Rainbath Shower and Bath Gel, $7.99

It’s humid out here being so close to the ocean, and the last thing I want is to feel a heavy, sticky moisturizer on the backs of my knees. That’s where Neutrogena Body Oil comes in. A light sesame moisturizer, it sinks in fast but doesn’t feel greasy. I mostly use it on my arms and legs.

Yay for drugstore bath and beauty treats and animal-print robes! 🙂

A Beachside Dinner Makeup Look Featuring Neutrogena

July 20th, 2013 by Karen 20 Comments

A Neutrogena face of the day — Wearing mostly Neutrogena in this casual dinner makeup look

Last night Cindy and I met up with some friends for dinner at a beachside restaurant here in La Jolla called Brockton Villa (side note: Hi, Mary and Susan!).

The place was pretty casual, so I figured it wasn’t the time to bust out the glittery smokey eyes and drag queen false lashes. 🙂 Instead I went for beach and natural-looking using products from Neutrogena, since they’re great at that “still you but better” thing, and a few other brands.

FOTD products from neutrogena, Chanel and MAC — Clockwise from the black tube in the lower left: Neutrogena Shine Control Primer, MAC Veluxe Brow in Deep Dark Brunette, Chanel Liner in Santal, Neutrogena Deep Clean Long-Last Shine Control Blotting Sheets, MAC Eye Shadows in Soba and Woodwinked, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush & Bronzer in Natural Glow, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush & Bronzer in Raisin Glow, Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Fresh Papaya and Neutrogena MoistureShine Gloss in Healthy Peach

Some notes about the products…

Neutrogena Shine Control Primer ($12.99): I mostly use this on my oily spots — my forehead, nose and chin. It keeps the shine in check without giving my skin conniptions/breakouts. It doesn’t feel like it’s suffocating or clogging up my pores, and it’s also colorless, so it works with every skin tone. You can also use it for a subtle highlighting effect by patting it on the tops of your cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose and along your chin.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Long-Last Shine Control Blotting Sheets ($6.49 for 50): The humidity is pretty high out here next to the water, but I don’t want to keep piling on the powders and primers just to keep down the shine. I like using Neutrogena’s blotting sheets to wipe up the oil, as opposed to just adding more products on my skin. They’re also super affordable at just $6.49.

On my face: Neutrogena Shine Control Primer (all over face), MAC Face & Body Foundation in C4 (forehead, cheeks, nose and chin), Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush and Bronzer in Raisin Glow (cheeks), Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick (chin and cheeks), MAC Studio Careblends Pressed Powder (face), Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush and Bronzer in Natural Glow (upper cheekbones to highlight), Bobbi Brown Peach Corrector (under-eye area), Neutrogena Deep Clean Long-Last Shine Control Blotting Sheets (all over face) — On my face: Neutrogena Shine Control Primer (all over face), MAC Face & Body Foundation in C4 (forehead, cheeks, nose and chin), Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush and Bronzer in Raisin Glow (cheeks), Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush and Bronzer in Natural Glow (upper cheekbones to highlight), Bobbi Brown Peach Corrector (under-eye area), Neutrogena Deep Clean Long-Last Shine Control Blotting Sheets (all over face)

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush & Bronzer ($11.49): I’ve been wearing these duos for years! They give just enough natural color to my cheeks, and they’re very easy to blend. I usually mix the blushes and bronzers to create my own shade. Here I’m wearing Raisin Glow as a blush and Natural Glow as a highlighter.

Neutrogena MoistureShine Color Stick in Fresh Papaya ($8.49): I love how natural this peachy coral looks with a tan. It just barely bumps up the color on my lips without going over the top. Lightweight, smooth and non-sticky, it smells yummy, too (like peach gummies).

Neutrogena dinner makeup look — On my eyes: MAC Eye Shadows in Woodwinked and Soba (lids and lower lash lines), Chanel Le Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Santal (upper and lower water and lash lines), Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara (lashes) and MAC Veluxe Brow in Deep Dark Brunette (brows)

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7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora!

July 20th, 2013 by Karen 345 Comments

Hey, babe. Happy caturday. 🙂

I hope you slept well and had a nice night. Whatever you’ve got going on this weekend, please tell me there’s at least a little room for fun (and maybe some makeup, too).

I’m still down in La Jolla until tomorrow, so Tabs is holding down the MBB fort. He’s also in charge of this weekend’s Sephora giveaway and even came up with the questions below.

Good luck, and I’ll 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: Why are cats so awesome? What’s your favorite feline YouTube video/animated gif/cat cartoon or comic? Have you ever known a kitty supermodel more photogenic than Tabs? How do you do your cat liner (products and technique)? How many breeds of cat can you name? What are you wearing on your paws/claws?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Sunday, July 21, 2013 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. We’re getting down to the wire on Makeup and Beauty Blog’s Massive MAC Giveaway. If you haven’t entered that one yet, don’t forget.

3 Makeup Packing Tips To Fit More Fun in Your Life

July 19th, 2013 by Karen 17 Comments

I can always count on one thing when I travel. I’m definitely going to learn something new — meet new people, try new foods, figure out new ways to squeeze even more makeup in my carry-on bag.

After all, necessity is the mother of invention. 🙂

Here are three travel makeup tips I’ve picked up along the way.

1. Slice it up! (I’ll take it.)

Dr. Bronner's All-One Magic Soap — Dr. Bronner’s All-One Magic Soap is also a great brush cleanser

If there are any bars of soap/moisturizer/other products you use every day, cut off a small piece to pack in your bag. That way you don’t have to bring the whole thing.

Honestly, I can’t believe this one only occurred to me a few days ago! It hit me while I was looking at my bar of Dr. Bronner’s All-One Soap, which I use every night to clean my makeup brushes.

I was thinking, “I don’t want to bring this whole thing…” So I sliced a small wedge off the end.

BAM! Instant travel size.

2. Brush up on your streamlining

Two Brush Makeup Tutorial — I used just two makeup brushes for this look

I am totally guilty of overpacking brushes. I always like to be over-prepared instead of underprepared, and they’re just so small that I figure they can’t weigh a lot or take up much room. Might as well bring more.

It’s true. Two or three of them don’t take up much room, but 10?

Yeah, they start to add up…

But it turns out you really don’t need that many makeup brushes when you travel.

Last May El Hub and I drove up to Redding, a town about four hours north of the Bay Area, to visit family, and I didn’t realize until we got there that I’d forgotten all of my brushes back home!

For more travel makeup tips, don’t miss 3 Lessons Learned About Travel: Perfecting the Art of Packing.

I stopped by a MAC counter and picked up two emergency brushes, and they worked out perfectly the whole trip.

For this trip down to San Diego, I sort of compromised… Less than 10 brushes but more than two (baby steps!). I brought 1) a Burberry Angled Brush, 2) a MAC 217 Blending Brush, 3) a MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush, 4) a MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush, 5) a MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush and 6) a MAC 109 Small Contour Brush.

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Sunscreens in My Beach Bag

July 19th, 2013 by Karen 7 Comments

What's in my beach bag today! — What’s in your beach bag?

Cowabunga, dude!

Hopefully I’m catching a righteous wave right now (but probably not, LOL!) and NOT worrying about my skincare, because I packed a bunch of different SPF products before the trip.

Since Cindy is notoriously low maintenance when it comes to makeup and stuff (she’s like the yin to my yang, for real), whenever we travel together, I’m usually the Charles in Charge of our skincare and beauty.

She always makes fun of me for bringing too much stuff wherever we go, but whatevs! You know me. I like having choices. 🙂

I’ve got several sun protectants from Neutrogena in my beach bag today, some of which I’m testing, and others, like the MoistureShine Lip Soothers, I know and love.

Neutrgoena Beach Defense Water + Sun Barrier Lotion SPF 70, $10.49

Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunscree SPF 70, $10.99

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 70, $10.99

And for when we’re out of the water and just chillin’ on the sand, Neutrogena Oil-Free Cleansing Wipes in Pink Grapefruit (I love how these smell!), perfect for wiping the salt from your face, and those MoistureShine Lip Soothers, my favorite glosses to bring to the beach.

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Bronze Eye Shadow

July 19th, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

So, weird fun fact, but if you look really closely at my dark brown eyes, you’ll see a navy blue ring around the iris, and I think it’s one of the reasons I like MAC Bronze Eye Shadow so much.

A shimmery golden bronze with orange undertones, it’s one of those shadows that really flatters blue eyes (even, if I do say so myself, ones with a subtle blue ring like mine).

Bronze has some great things for it, like MAC’s super soft, pigmented Veluxe Pearl finish, arguably one of the best finishes in the entire line. And it blends easy like Sunday morning, so it’s a cinch to apply. In fact, I’ve done it half awake on Sunday mornings many times, and it usually turns out pretty fly!

It’s just one of those shadows, ya know? You almost can’t go wrong.

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TGIF! Hola From La Jolla

July 19th, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

A surfer watching the waves at La Jolla Beach in San Diego

Surf’s up, babe! Hola from from La Jolla. Haven’t gone surfing yet because when Cindy and I arrived yesterday afternoon we were pretty wiped out already from the flight and just wanted to relax.

The following pictures pretty much summarize the trip so far. As you can see, food plays a big part. 🙂