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Archives for April 2009

Lock Down Your Eye Makeup with Too Faced Lockdown

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too faced lockdown shadow insurance primer

Guess who needs some makeup first aid? Yup, the weather here in Nor Cal is hot again, and EVERYTHING’s blooming. Not only have my eyes been a watery mess thanks to all the allergens in the air (ah-CHOO!), but I’m also sweating like a medieval beast.

My eye makeup hasn’t stood a chance for days. I’ve either been crying from allergies or melting from the heat.

Alas, must I sacrifice everything to the warm weather gods?

To survive the past few steamy, pollen-fueled days, I’ve graced my lids with Lockdown, a new line of cream shadows by Too Faced ($18.50).

The simple wash of shadow adds a little punch without going for the knockout. I think it’s a fab look for lazy days or hot days when the thought of heavy makeup is the last thing on my mind.

To create the Lockdown line, Too Faced injected their famous long-wearing eye makeup primer, Shadow Insurance (LOVE!), with colorful shimmer.

What’s the result? How ’bout six long-lasting shades that pack plenty of shimmer and pigment to spare.

  • Prisoner of Love: A soft, shimmery pink
  • Bedroom Eyes: A shimmery taupe
  • Bondage: A shimmery champagne
  • Dramarama: A shimmery milk chocolate
  • I’m Guilty: A shimmery teal
  • Jail Bait: A cool and shimmery pink

too faced lockdown jailbait im-guilty drama rama swatches
From left to right: Jailbait, I’m Guilty and Dramarama

So far I’ve tried Jail Bait, Dramarama and I’m Guilty…

Isn’t that shimmer crazy good?
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Apr. 20

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stairway
San Francisco’s Queen Anne Hotel

  1. Mood:

    2. Happy but sniffly (bad allergies today!)

  2. First words out of my mouth this morning:

    3. I said, “Oh, HAI!” to Tabs after he climbed up on the bed to wake me up.

  3. Something I’m looking forward to this week:

    4. Meeting my friends, J-Money and C-Money, for dinner in San Francisco on Friday night. We haven’t gotten together since J-Money’s wedding last November.

  4. One thing I’d like to improve about myself:

    5. I’d like to be more punctual.

  5. On my makeup lust list:

    6. Up-Lighting Illuminator and Almost Bronzer from Clinique’s Summer 2009 collection

  6. Last dream I can remember:

    7. It was early this morning. I dreamt I was having coffee and croissants with Michael Cera. Whenever I’d set down my croissant, he’d reach over and tear off bits without my permission and ask me for home buying advice. Yes, it was a little weird.

  7. Cheeks and lips:

    8. NARS The Multiple Orgasm (LOL!) and Chanel Monte Carlo

  8. Outfit:

    9. A gray dress, blue sweater and yellow shoes

  9. Fragrance:

    10. I can’t stop spraying Estee Lauder Pleasures Baie Rose Peony Splash ($52)

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. To go for a run every day, to paint my toe nails, to cross off at least half of the things on my to-do list and to prepare a few new vegetarian recipes for dinner

Ahhh-CHOO, girls! My allergies are full-on crazy today. It looks like I’m going to have to bust out the waterproof mascara because for me allergies always equal runny eyes. Anyway, enough about my pollen woes. Please join in and let me know what you’re up to by copying the empty list below and pasting it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
First words out of my mouth this morning:
What I’m looking forward to this week:
One thing I’d like to improve about myself:
On my makeup lust list:
Last dream I can remember:
Cheeks and lips:
Outfit:
Fragrance:
Weekly goals:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I just learned the winners of the 2009 Glam Network Awards. I didn’t win, of course, and that’s cool. There’s always next year! Big congrats to all these great blogs:

congratulations-1

Beauty: Temptalia
Fashion: The Fashion Police
Celebrity & Entertainment: The Celebrity Cafe
Lifestyle: Health Castle
Living: Making It Lovely
Shopping: The Purse Blog
Family: Black and Married with Kids, Honest Baby
Best Newcomer: Stylemaven
Best Design: V Magazine
Best Use of Photography: Chubby Hubby
Most Creative: Fafarazzi
Most Humorous: Guanabee
Best Tagline: Adventures in Stiletto Jungle
Judges Pick: Makeherup

Thanks for your votes. Each day I write for MBB makes me feel like a winner. Cheesy, but true. 🙂

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Apr. 19

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Help Inspector Tabs find the MAC imposter

Our intrepid Inspector Tabs is trying to figure out which of the following items is NOT a past, present or upcoming MAC Cosmetics collection.

Can you lend him a helping paw?

Which of the following is not a past, present or upcoming MAC Collection?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC A Rose Romance Just A Pinch Gel Blush Face of the Day

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mac a rose romance just a pinch gel blush fotd

After seeing swatches of MAC’s upcoming A Rose Romance collection, a few of you gals asked to see a face of the day using Just A Pinch Gel Blush.

Of the A Rose Romance products I’ve tested so far, this one’s my favorite. Just A Pinch applies with full pigmentation, blends easily and doesn’t streak at all.

The sheer, reddish rose shade looks similar to Benefit’s Benetint liquid blush, and the thin, moist gel formula feels similar in consistency to Tarte’s Cheek Stains, making it the hybrid love child of two of my favorite blush products.

MAC, if you’re listening, I love this stuff! Please release it in more shades.

mac a rose romance circa plum pigment of summer eyeshadow

Today, I complemented the blush look with a few other A Rose Romance items. On my eyelids I added Circa Plum Pigment, and I applied Of Summer Eyeshadow on the brow bone. Then, to warm up the purple colors, I added two eyeshadow shades from MAC’s permanent collection into the crease — Soft Brown and Sable.

I think the eyes look soft, so I tried a slightly bolder lip, layering Tender Tryst See Thru Lip Color beneath a mix of Steal My Heart and Virgin Kiss Lipglasses (all from A Rose Romance).

What do you think?

I ain’t afraid of no ghost!

who-you-gonna-call

With my coffee this morning I looked through the pics I took last night on the SF Ghost Hunt tour… The tour started at the historic Queen Anne Hotel, the site of a former girl’s school around the turn of the last century. Legend has it that the friendly ghost of a woman named Mary Lake, the head mistress of the old school, still haunts the joint.

While ghost busting on the second and fourth floors, I snapped a ton of pictures with my trusty Canon Powershot. In some of the pics, odd glowing spots can be seen…
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21 MORE Ways to Store Your Makeup

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21 More Ways to Store Your Makeup

Here’s a little followup to last week’s 21 Ways to Store Your Makeup. Why? Because a girl’s gotta have options. 🙂

  1. The Brush Guard: I thought this was a pretty original way to store brushes — using mesh tube sleeves to protect the bristles from getting bent out of shape. It just makes sense!

    2. Makeup brush storage ideas

  2. The Aluminum Cosmetics Train Case: Like luggage for your cherished beauty goods, you can load this baby up to make travel THAT much more convenient.

    3. train

  3. DIY Makeup Organization and Storage: Save a few dollars by making your own makeup storage at home with this well done instructional video.

    4. diy-makeup-organization

  4. How to Store Your Makeup Hygienically: Some things to keep in mind if you’ve been passin’ your lipgloss around to your girlfriends…

    5. hygeine

  5. The Dotty Folding Cosmetic Organizer: There is a bag for every purpose, and this cute bag’s purpose is clear — bargain beauty on the go!

    6. dot

  6. Tackling Makeup Storage: This little lady has some awesome ideas for storing beauty supplies in — no kidding — a fishing tackle box! No, seriously.

    7. tacklebox
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How Do You Keep Your Mascara From Smudging?

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mascara1

Hey, girls. Raise your hands if you’ve ever had trubs with mascara smudging at the end of the night. Yes, I’ve been there, done that, too. MBB Babe Amanda recently sent an email asking what she could do to avoid the dreaded end-of-the-night (or day) mascara smudge, and I thought ya’ll might be able to help.

Amanda would like to know…

Mascara application seems to be easy, but at the end of the night (after the party), I can see smudges below my eye (right on the eye circles). I believe these are mascara smudges because they’re black … and they don’t look really pretty. 🙁

Can you give me advice and some techniques on how to apply mascara PROPERLY, so I can avoid these smudges in the future?

Heya, Amanda. I’ve noticed three things when it comes to avoiding the dreaded mascara smudge at the end of the night.

First, waterproof doesn’t necessarily mean smudge-proof. Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara, for example, tends to smudge on me, so it’s not a given that waterproof products won’t ever smudge.

Second, I always make sure I’ve removed any excess mascara from the wand before I use it. Before I apply mascara, I’ll gently swipe the brush head against a clean paper towel. Just one quick swipe is fine. It removes any extra mascara from the brush and seems to make a big difference in terms of reducing smudging for me.

Third, no two mascaras are alike when it comes to smudging. You might need to try a few before you find one that won’t smudge on you, but two mascaras I DON’T recommend are Maybelline Great Lash ($5) and Givenchy Phenom Eyes ($28). They tend to smudge like mad on me, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll smudge on you. To a degree, it boils down to trial and error and personal preference.

Here are a few mascaras that I’ve had good luck with: Stila Lash Visor ($12.50), Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara ($14), Chanel Exceptionnel Mascara ($30), MAC Mascara X ($12.50) and L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black ($8).

If you end up trying any of these, purchase your tube from a store with a good return policy (like Sephora or Rite Aid), and save your receipt. That way, you can return it if it doesn’t work out. 🙂

MBB gals, do you have any other advice for Amanda? Are you, too, plagued by smudgy mascara?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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