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Archives for October 2009

Addicted to Love and Makeup: A Halloween Look

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addicted to love halloween fotd

Procrastinators, unite!

No need to worry. There’s still plenty of time to come up with a costume for Halloween. Here’s one idea…

Remember the pseudo backup band from the video for Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love?

I felt like trying the black smokey eye/shiny red lip combo the ladies in the video made famous and used a mix of makeup, including the NARS Modern Love Palette, Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume II, NARS Mounia Blush and the red lippie and gloss from Estee Lauder’s Ultimate Red.

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Eyes without flash
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Celebrate Halloween with the Glitter Polishes in Lippmann Collection’s Celebrate Set

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After my out-of-body glitter experience with Lippmann’s Happy Birthday polish last week, I thought I’d go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs when I spotted the sparkly bottles in their 10th Anniversary Celebrate Set ($35, limited edition).

If you really think about glitter — and I mean REALLY think about glitter (LOL!) — there are different kinds, right? From the Celebrate Set, I’d expected shiny happy glitter, but it surprised me with darker, less shimmery shades.

The color 411…

Ruby Slippers: For this shade, Lippmann jammed bits of red glitter into a black jelly base. The glitter bits vary in size, and the resulting polish, a semi-opaque black with a medium-shine finish, strikes me as something that would go well with sexy Halloween costumes, perhaps a nurse or traffic cop. 🙂 It’s not something I’d wear every day, but it earns points for originality. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Funky Chunky: I just could not get this color to look pretty… It’s a shiny black with black hexagon-shaped glitter, which, in theory, could be very cool, right? Nope, not for me. While it has potential, it looked bumpy and messy, like fresh tar. That, and the glitter hardly even sparkles, BOO! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: C-

Superstar: This polish packs small bronze glitter bits in a brown jelly base. I’ve liked the color ever since I saw it in last year’s Holiday 2008 collection. I still think it’s fun and totally appropriate for fall. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

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Ruby Slippers

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Superstar
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Claire Danes: Her Best Hair?

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Through the magic of Hulu, I’ve been watching old episodes of My So-Called Life, the mid-’90s TV show that made Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) a star.

Claire was just 15 years old when she landed the role of Angela Chase on the show, which fans loved for its authenticity, but her work was short-lived as the show only lasted a season. Despite the short run, it earned her an Emmy nomination and won her a Golden Globe.

Life as a teenage actress led to her first onscreen kiss, which incidentally occurred before her first one in real life. NOTE: I wouldn’t complain if 1) my first kiss was with Jordan Catalano and 2) they paid me to do it, haaaay.

After the show ended, Claire’s career took off, with roles in more than two dozen films, including Little Women, Romeo + Juliet (with Leonardo) and more recently Stardust, opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro.

FUN FACT: Claire turned down the role of Rose Dewitt Bukater in Titanic, which later went to Kate Winslet.

On a bizarre note, Claire is a bit notorious among Filipinos as a result of remarks that appeared in a 1998 article for Vogue. Claire’s comments led to her being declared persona non-grata by the government of the country.

I still remember the e-mails from my mom with the subject line, “BAN CLAIRE DANES!!!” and thinking, “What the heck did Angela Chase get herself into?”

While I forgive her for her comments about my birthplace (she was just 19 at the time), as a die-hard Terminator fan, I’ll NEVER forgive her for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, bluh! 🙂

Which of Claire's hairstyles do you like the best?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

COVERGIRL LashBlast Length Mascara: Get Extra Long Lashes!

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Rise and shine, morning glories. 🙂 Guess what? You made it half way through the workweek already! The following post has been sponsored by COVERGIRL and Daily Makeover, and regularly scheduled MBB programming will resume in a few.

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Get Extra Long Lashes!

COVERGIRL’s new LashBlast Length Mascara creates expertly defined, beautifully separated lashes.

The long brush provides more control, plus special product reservoirs at the top of each bristle grasp even the tiniest lashes to lengthen them by up to 80%.

The clump-free formula contains nylon fibers, the same material used in expensive lash extensions, to extend your lashes without flaking, smudging or smearing.

You have to see it to believe it! Try on COVERGIRL’s new LashBlast Length Mascara in Daily Makeover’s virtual Makeover Studio now.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I Have Died and Gone to Heaven

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Claudia heels by Christian Louboutin, normally $835 (!!!!) but currently on sale for $229.

WOW!

Update: Thanks to eagle-eyed readers Yaya and Sheila, I took a closer look at the site where I found the shoes on sale and realized that it isn’t a legit C. Loub retailer. Ugh! I had a feeling this was too good to be true… I think the dreamer in me wanted it to be real, though!

Here’s a link to the REAL Christian Louboutin Claudia shoe. You can purchase the real thang at Barneys. Yup, it’s still $835.

Estee Lauder Ultimate Red Collection: A Classic Look at the Holidays

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Estee Lauder Ultimate Red

This holiday season I’m getting my dose of classic holiday color from Estee Lauder’s new Ultimate Red collection.

estee lauder ultimate red top

Doesn’t the packaging look rich and luxurious? A traditional holiday release in the spirit of cashmere turtlenecks and chestnuts roasted on an open fire?

Here are pictures of most of the 13-piece collection for lips, eyes, face and nails. They’re all limited edition, which makes sense considering the season.

Take a peek, and let me know what you think. 🙂

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Estee Lauder Signature Eyeshadow Quad with Lattice Pattern in Lavish Plum, $35

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Estee Lauder Signature Eyeshadow Quad with Lattice Pattern in Gold Opulence, $35

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TurboLash in Gold Effects, $32
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Tuesday Beauty Tips: 7 Small Things You Can Do to Reach Your Goals

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Happy Tuesday, ladies. 🙂 I’ve been thinking a lot today about goal setting and some of the things that people do to motivate/trick/inspire themselves to get stuff done, whether it be for small tasks (tidying up the house), or big projects (figuring out what to do as a career).

Few things are as empowering as a sense of accomplishment, but a lot has to happen between setting and achieving a goal. Sometimes it can be overwhelming.

Like plants, goals thrive when they’re tended to and cared for, so let’s pay some attention to our goals today. Here are seven things that may help.

1. Mind map it!

Does your brain ever feels like it’s bursting at the seams? Like you have just too many things to think about? To organize my thoughts, I use a brainstorming technique called mind mapping.

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A mind map from last Saturday!

They’re a fun way to quickly dump ideas on paper, getting them out of your head.

I feel like once I get ideas down on paper (or up on the screen), they seem easier to process and sort.

Are you ready? 🙂

  • Grab a sheet of paper
  • Near the center of the page, jot down a few of your goals and/or ideas
  • Add branches of related information to each idea
  • Allow your mind to wander, and continue to add more related branches until it feels like you’re done

When I’m finished with a map, I usually feel better about things, like I’m one big step closer to achieving my goals.

2. Build momentum

With your mind map in hand, it’s time to prioritize.

I’ll ask myself…

  • What are my goals/tasks?
  • Which ones are urgent?
  • Which ones can I do right now?

To get the ball rolling (aka to build momentum), I’ll start with the easiest tasks. Crossing some of them off my list makes the more complicated ones feel a lot easier.

3. Set three goals a day

Big goals are essentially just batches of little tasks all strung together, right? First thing in the morning, I like to write down three things (just three) that I want to achieve that day. I put them on a Post-It stuck someplace visible, like at the bottom of my computer screen.

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