Karen

Anthropologie’s Black-and-White Deletta Sculpted Lace Peplum Top Sasses Up Summer Wardrobes, and Kicks Skater Boy Tees to the Curb

July 11th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

The fan-frickin’-tastic Deletta Sculpted Lace Top from Anthropologie

Sometimes when I get dressed I like to pretend that Michael Kors is sitting there in a Project Runway judge’s chair talking mad smack about my wardrobe.

“There are more holes in those pants than one of my blind nana’s knitting projects,” he says, and “you look like an ice cream truck at a Magic: The Gathering convention.”

It stops me from reverting to my natural state, where I dress like a hip-less 13-year-old skater boy, and keeps me on the lookout for cute, affordable fashion finds, like this black-and-white lace peplum top I scored on sale on Anthropologie’s website.

Originally $68, the Deletta Sculpted Lace Top was marked down to $49.95, which is still a lot more than $10 Old Navy shorts (which I’m also wearing), but after reading so many rave reviews about it on the Anthro website, I gave in, figuring that if it didn’t move me, I’d just return it.

Babe, this top does werk! With it on, I feel taller, thinner and — by the gods — stylish.
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The New Urban Decay Brow Box and an Open Letter to Raul

July 11th, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar — Wearing Urban Decay’s Brow Box in Brown Sugar

Raul. You @sshole. You just don’t get it, do you? This isn’t working out.

I mean, what else is there to say? I’ve been putting up with your nonsense for six years. The taunting in the mirror every morning — “Ooh, look at me!” — the following me to work.

I kept telling myself, “Come on, Karen, he’s just a bald spot in the arch of your left eyebrow. Give him another chance.”

But that’s just it. You’re always IN MY FACE!

And I’m sick of it.

You need to move on. Go find someone else’s eyebrows to torment.

I don’t want to see you anymore when I look in the mirror. I don’t want to see that bald spot there in my left brow.

Just leave. I’ve taken care of everything. You won’t even have to lift a brow.

I’ve actually been seeing someone new…Urban Decay’s recently revamped $29 Brow Box (available in two shades, Brown Sugar and Honey Pot), and he takes care of my brows.

He’s a two-tiered box containing everything I need to fill in sparse spots like you and fatten skinny brows — two powder shadows (which can be mixed to customize a color); a soft, colorless wax to herd stray hairs and set them in place; as well as two brushes and a tiny tweezers.

Urban Decay Honey Pot Brow Box — Honey Pot Brow Box

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Just in Time for the Hottest Days of Summer, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Cranks Out Six New Shades of Their Multitasking Creme Colour Concentrate Line

July 11th, 2013 by Karen 10 Comments

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Creme Colour Concentrate — The new $20 Creme Colour Concentrates from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

G’morning, friend. I hope you had a nice night. Things are just OK on my end…but I’m hangin’ in.

Yesterday Tabs let me bail early because I was bummed and little use to him in the afternoon, so I sat on the couch, cried, ate ice cream and watched chick flicks on TV — What to Expect When You’re Expecting (not great, but better than I expected) and Playing for Keeps (sooo unbearable that I couldn’t even finish it).

It was a very Liz Lemon-y afternoon. Muy therapeutic.

Despite his reputation as the Naomi Campbell of the plus-size kitty modeling world, Tabs can actually be pretty understanding sometimes. Your nephew took good care of his heartbroken human. He even slept next to me the entire night, which he never does.

Thanks again for the hugs yesterday. I really needed ’em.

SO! Today is a new day, and if I suddenly burst into tears and go off on tangents in my posts, I apologize. I’ll do my best to stay positive and focus on happy thoughts, like all of the good memories I have of my pretty puppy girl, but no guarantees. I think that’s how these things work.

Now, makeup, because like good medicine, it usually helps me feel better. 🙂

I’ll be doing some traveling over the next few months, and these six new multipurpose creams from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics couldn’t have come at a better time.

These new shades in OCC’s 100% vegan and cruelty-free Creme Colour Concentrate line, a collection of long-wearing, satiny creams for eyes, lips, cheeks and basically wherever you want long-lasting, intense color (I just put a little on my ankle for fun, woo-hoo!), have a thin, lightweight formula and a smooth texture that reminds me a lot of Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Creams.

OCC loaded them with moisturizing vitamin E, aloe leaf and cocoa extracts, something my dry lips enthusiastically support.

Choose from opalescent pink Pleasure Model, pale peachy Newt, golden Icarius, silver Mercury, teal Beholder and dark greenish gray Dark Matter.

OCC Mercury Swatch — Mercury, a true silver

OCC Pleasure Model Swatch — Pleasure Model, a pearlescent pink

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MAC By Request Is Coming Back With More Fan Favorite Retro Shades From the ’90s and 2000s

July 10th, 2013 by Karen 18 Comments

MAC By Request Is Back! — MAC By Request for Spring 2014

Apparently, retro is the new black.

At least it is according to MAC.

For the second year in a row, MAC is bringing power to the people with a collection of old-school MAC favorites hand-picked by their fans.

From now through July 21, vote for your favorite shadow and lipstick among a batch of pre-selected shades from the ’90s and 2000s on MAC’s Facebook page.

The three shadows and lipsticks with the most votes will go on sale again for an encore performance in a six-piece collection next spring called MAC By Request.

This time around, the nominees include six lipsticks and five eye shadows, all but one of which are pictured here…

I’m missing Tomango Lipstick, a matte bright orange from the 1990 Circa Pre collection, but hopefully the pics and swatches below help you decide.

Sorry, no face shots tonight… I thought they might cheer me up, but I’m just not feelin’ up to it.

Oh, you can also tweet your top picks on twitter using hashtag #MACBYREQUEST.

MAC Rozz Lipstick, a matte watermelon reddish pink from Circa Pre collection (1990) — Rozz Lipstick, a matte watermelon reddish pink from the Circa Pre collection (1990)

MAC Pink Poodle Lipstick, a vivid fuchsia pink with a frost finish from the Valentine's Day Collection (2000) — Pink Poodle, a vivid fuchsia pink with a frost finish from the Valentine’s Day collection (2000)

MAC Hoop, a matte mid-tone rosy pink from the Le Groove Colour collection (1991) — Hoop, a matte mid-tone rosy pink from the Le Groove Colour collection (1991)

MAC Glam Lipstick, a matte bright pinkish red from Viva Glam (1992) — Glam Lipstick, a matte bright pinkish red from Viva Glam (1992)

MAC Flavour Lipstick, a muted peachy pink from the Freedom Colour Additions collection (1994) — Flavour Lipstick, a muted peachy pink from the Freedom Colour Additions collection (1994)

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Two New Fall Liners From NARS, and Getting Sidetracked by a Broken Heart

July 10th, 2013 by Karen 142 Comments

shauna puppy love — Rest in peace, my sweet, sweet pup

This was supposed to be a post about the two new NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliners in Las Ramblas and Via De’ Martelli, and it still is…kind of.

What began as a regular review took a sharp detour before noon.

I planned to mention that reddish brown Via De Martelli pulls red on my warm skin tone and makes me look like I’ve been crying… I thought it deserved a respectable B.

And then I planned to talk about how yellow gold Las Ramblas, a solid B+ in my book, reflects light like the surface of a glassy pond, making it perfect for brightening up the eyes.

Both it and Martelli last about eight hours on my lash lines and four on my water lines, and neither one seems very adept at smudging. Both cost $24 and arrive on counters, in stores and online with the rest of the NARS Fall 2013 collection July 15.

NARS Via De Martelli Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner, a chocolate ($24) — Via De Martelli Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner, a chocolate ($24)

NARS Las Ramblas Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner, a yellow gold ($24, limited edition) — Las Ramblas Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner, a yellow gold ($24, limited edition)

NARS Fall 2013 Swatches from the left: Kamchatka Eyeshadow, Namibia Eyeshadow, Yamal Eyeshadow, Bavaria Eyeshadow, Las Ramblas Larger Than life Long-Wear Eyeliner, Via De'Martelli Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner — From the left: Kamchatka Eyeshadow, Namibia Eyeshadow, Yamal Eyeshadow, Bavaria Eyeshadow, Las Ramblas Larger Than life Long-Wear Eyeliner, Via De’Martelli Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner

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Do Your Friends Ever Ask You for Beauty Advice?

July 10th, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

K on the phone — I get excited talking about gloss

They do, but rarely with my childhood friends. I have two buddies from high school, Jen and Cindy, whom I still see a few times a year, but neither of them are really hardcore makeup fiends/fanatics like you and I are.

My childhood friends Cindy (on the left), me and Jen on my wedding day in 2006

Jen’s more interested in it than Cindy is, though, and she’ll occasionally go through phases where she’s more into it than usual. Like last year I went makeup shopping with her and helped her pick out a few eyeshadows, lipsticks and brushes to freshen up her makeup bag. She’d been using the same few products for the past 10 years.

Sometimes Jen will call or text me from a counter with a question about a product.

At the Castello di Amarosa Winery in Napa, June 2010

Cindy’s even lower maintenance than Jen, and I think over the 20+ years I’ve known her, I can only recall half a dozen conversations about hair, skincare or makeup. Once, after a really bad spiral perm when we were freshmen in high school, she let me try to do/fix her hair. Last year, I think she asked me a skincare question, and then asked for a conditioner recommendation.

Funny thing is…because she’s like my sister, she never actually listens to anything I say, haha! She ends up doing her own thing anyway.

My more recent friends on and off the blog are definitely more open about asking beauty questions. I’ve even been like a personal makeup shopper for a couple of gal pals who live nearby, which was actually a LOT of fun! I wonder sometimes about doing it as a job in this area, like a stylist, but for makeup instead of clothes.

Let’s talk makeup shop. Do your friends/buddies/coworkers ever ask you for beauty advice?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S.

What’s up, Wednesday? Okay, this totally made my morning, and so of course I had to share it con tu. MBB reader Georgina (haaay girl, HAAAY!), sent me this link yesterday to a site called The Kitten Covers with famous album covers Photoshopped with kittens…

HILARIOUS! I love the one of Hole’s Live Through This because 1) it’s one of my favorite albums from my college years, and 2) who knew that kittens could rock smeared liner so well?

Big surprise, but Tabs is now totally jelly of these baby cats. Le sigh…

DAILY BEAUTY: Jouer Cosmetics Introduces New Summer Morsels for Makeup Minimalists

July 10th, 2013 by Karen 16 Comments

Jouer Lip Glosses in Hibiscus (a sheer, shimmery strawberry) on the top and Sorbet (a sheer, shimmery soft pink) on the bottom, $20 each

For my makeup minimalists out there and lovers of natural looks, Jouer, one of my favorite indie makeup lines, recently launched some yummy new summer treats, a collection featuring sheer, shiny lips and matte, bronzed skin.

How very city girl meets beach resort. 🙂

Do you like?