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Archives for November 2009

NYC Pencil and Pout Lipgloss Makes Matching Fun

November 8th, 2009 by Karen 25 Comments

MBB guest post!We’ve been put on notice today — theNotice, that is. The charming Rae of theNotice blog shares one of her all-time drugstore makeup faves, NYC’s Pencil and Pout.

Photo E
Posing for the camera

So you know those mornings when you just don’t want to get out of bed? Yah, those ones — the ones where you sit in front of the mirror after taking caffeine into your bloodstream and realize that you’re too tired to tell your mascara from your brow gel, much less match your lipliner to your gloss?

Well, if you can track it down (can be hard to find online), NYC may have a solution. It’s their cute little Pencil and Pout lipgloss in Parfait Duet (about $5), with its hidden liner in the stem of the applicator.

Photo F
Swatches: gloss on right

The gloss

I think it’s pretty great. Medium wear for a drugstore gloss — nothing totally amazing — but the shade’s like strawberry pie, and nothing reminiscent of strawberry pie could possibly be bad, because, well, it’s strawberry pie.

Photo A
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There are 25 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup Keywords: guest post

Retro Roundup: One and Two Years Ago on Makeup and Beauty Blog

November 7th, 2009 by Karen 8 Comments

nars-super-orgasm-fotd-1-1
Wearing NARS Super Orgasm about one year ago

I can’t believe how time flies… Brace yourself, but this blog is three months shy of its third birthday already (the very first post). THIRD BIRTHDAY!

I’m blown away whenever I think about it, but we’ve been hanging out here on the side of the Information Superhighway for a *hella* long time! Isn’t that amazing? Thank you, ladies, for choosing to spend part of your life with me. 🙂

Right now I’m cleaning out my soon-to-be/maybe/hopefully office, which is a room upstairs next door to Tabs’ villa in the condo.

Seriously, it’s not that cool. His villa is really just a bedroom being used for storage with empty cardboard boxes strewn about, cat toys, an upright vacuum cleaner and newspaper down on the floor under his litter box.

While I finish my chores and maybe rent that movie tonight on iTunes, here’s a look back at some of the posts that appeared on the blog around this time last year and the year before that.

Have a great night. 🙂

2008

  • NARS Super Orgasm Blush — All awkward name issues aside, I have to give Super Orgasm props. It begets cheeks with a perfect, just-pinched, shimmery peach color. Super Orgasm Blush would totally be the stuff of legend if it weren’t for one flaw…
  • Aussie Opposites Attract Shampoo Does Double Duty as a Fast, Cheap Brush Cleaner — Caked on concealer, dried gel liner, crusty cream shadow (eww) — this shampoo removed even the most stubborn makeup, breaking up the product within seconds. And the suds rinsed out quickly, too.
  • Bed, Bath & Beyond Goes Major Makeup — We were just about ready to leave the store when I turned a corner and there, before my starstruck eyes, was a sight of such profound beauty that I almost dropped the shower caddy and slipcover I was cradling in my arms. What I saw was the biggest makeup and beauty department I’ve seen outside a MAC or Sephora in quite some time.

2007

  • The LeSportsac Tokidoki Campeggio Bag: A Perfect Holiday Gift for Ladies on the Go — This bag is roomy, light, comfortable and holds everything AND the kitchen sink while still having a sleek silhouette. If you need to buy a present for someone who carries lots of stuff — a new mom, a student, a nomad — then this bag is the perfect gift!
  • Random Musings on Old School MTV Beauty Idols — I put on some of my mom’s black eyeliner and try very carefully to make it look just like Madonna’s in the video. I somehow figure out how to work the VCR, tape the Lucky Star video, and then play it over and over again. Play, rewind, dance. Play, rewind, dance. I learn the entire video by heart. Hours pass. The sun goes down. For some weird reason my parents say nothing while this strangeness unfolds in the living room. Maybe they figured at least I was exercising and not hanging out with the neighborhood ruffians.
  • The Battle Against Dry Skin Continues — You know that Gnarls Barkley song, Crazy (“I think we’re crazaaaay”)? God I hate that song. However, I can’t help but sing it to myself whenever I look for moisturizers in the wintertime, because when the temperature drops I feel like “My skin’s going crazaaaay!” Don’t fret; there’s hope for the scaly-skinned. Here are two choice products which I’ve found recently that fight the good fight against dryness…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 8 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Welcome to the Tabs Experience

November 7th, 2009 by Karen 20 Comments

Imagine this face all up in your grill…

There are 20 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty

What I Made for Lunch Today

November 7th, 2009 by Karen 12 Comments

Start by cooking two cups of pasta until al dente. Throw into a strainer and run cold water to cool.

Next, chop…

Cherry tomatoes
Spinach
Basil
Fresh mozzarella
Salami (optional)

Whisk together…

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Throw it all into a bowl with the pasta; mix thoroughly.

Serve with hummus and chips for a quick, yummy lunch.

There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

Saturday Surfing

November 7th, 2009 by Karen 4 Comments

110709-saturday-surfing

Ah… I feel so much better now. I just finished lunch (a pasta salad with tomatoes and basil) to replenish my energy after two hours of hardcore web surfing. I was researching treadmills, among other things. Holy crap! Some of them are EXPENSIVE!

I hope your weekend got off to a good start. Here are the highlights of my cyber travels.

  • Make your hair one of the highlights of your holiday look — Bella Sugar
  • What a great look at Stila’s holiday Smudge Pots, holla! — Temptalia
  • Fantastic video showing eyeshadow application and blending — Fashion Face TV
  • Does your university have degree programs for cats? — Boing Boing
  • I’m so making this vegetarian shepherd’s pie, YUM! — We Heart This
  • Teachers, ever wonder what your students daydream about in class? — Too Pretty For This
  • A shimmery gray eye and berry lip look with Bobbi Brown’s Chrome Palette — The Coveted
  • This vintage luggage is a trip! — GetReadySetGo
  • Tabs, I think you might want to sit down for this… — Kitty Stampede
  • It’s official: I’m obsessed with Glee — Glee Fan

From Denver to Singapore and back… in five minutes!

I love this animated short…

I miss the water

What are you up to? When I’m done with my chores (cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming, blah!), I plan to reward myself with The Proposal on DVD. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 4 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

The Spellbinding MAC Magic, Mirth and Mischief! A Saturday Tutorial

November 7th, 2009 by Karen 13 Comments

MAC Magic, Mirth and Mischief

Hey, homies. 🙂 What’s shakin’? Despite the lack of posts so far today, I haven’t been out busy doing exciting things. As a matter of fact, I’m still in my jammies at home (and it’s after noon!). I’ve just been sitting at my computer playing with Photoshop and MAC Magic, Mirth and Mischief.

I thought I’d put together a quick tutorial for the shimmery blue/silver/peach look from yesterday. This one’s a little more complicated than usual for me, but it’s still pretty easy overall.

What you’ll need

mac-magic-mirth-mischief-tutoral-swatches

  1. A neutral matte cream eyeshadow base like MAC Paint Pot in Painterly ($17)
  2. A shimmery silver eyeshadow like the silver side from MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo in Blue Sorcery ($20)
  3. A shimmery blue eyeshadow like the blue side from MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo in Blue Sorcery ($20)
  4. A shimmery golden peach eyeshadow like MAC Arena ($15)
  5. A dark black eyeliner like MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline ($15)
  6. A black liquid liner like LORAC Front of the Line Pro ($22)
  7. A black mascara like MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash ($13)
  8. A matte peachy blush like MAC Blush in Peachykeen from the Hocus Focus Colourful Face Kit ($38)
  9. A shimmery pink highlighting power like MAC Beauty Powder in Pretty Baby from the Hocus Focus Colourful Face Kit ($38)
  10. A shimmery warm beige highlighting powder like MAC Beauty Powder in Sunsparkled Pearl from the the Hocus Focus Colourful Face Kit ($38)
  11. A brownish pink lip liner like MAC Lip Pencil in Spice ($13)
  12. A peach lipstick like MAC Lipstick in Surprise Me ($14)
  13. A shimmery peach gloss like MAC Dazzleglass in Phiff! ($18)

Eyes

mac-magic-mirth-mischief-eyemap-1
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There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: MAC Makeup, Makeup Tips/How To

MAC Magic, Mirth and Mischief: A Shimmery Blue, Silver and Peach Face of the Day

November 6th, 2009 by Karen 33 Comments

mac magic mirth mischief mineralize blue sorcery eyeshadow
MAC Magic, Mirth and Mischief Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo in Blue Sorcery, $20

TGIF, my little Sasha Fierce!

Sorry, couldn’t resist. :)I’ve had Beyonce’s I Am Sasha Fierce CD on repeat today…

Ms. Fierce is Beyonce’s sensually aggressive stage alter-ego, and since I was feeling a little *fierce* today myself, I thought I’d explore the concept with this silver, blue and peach face of the day.

It incorporates tidbits from MAC’s recent Magic, Mirth and Mischief.

mac magic mirth mischief 2

I used the Surprise Me face chart as a loose guide, adapting it to work a little better with my skin tone.

The blue comes courtesy of MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Blue Sorcery (that’s it above), and the peach lips from Dazzleglass in Phiff! and MAC’s Lipstick in Surprise Me.

mac-magic-mirth-mischief-surprise-me-face-chart

mac magic mirth mischief surprise me
Lipstick in Surprise Me, $14
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There are 33 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face of the Day (FOTD), MAC Makeup

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Salute to Sesame Street!

November 6th, 2009 by Karen 27 Comments

40 Years of Sesame Street

Thanks to Sesame Street, I learned that C is for Cookie. Years later, I learned that it’s also for Chanel, but that’s a different story. 🙂

This November 10 marks the 40th anniversary of the show, and I felt compelled to salute it today with 10 simple Sesame Street-inspired beauty tips.

1. Don’t forget the sun protection

Take it from the Count, “One, ha ha ha! Two, ha ha ha!” — by focussing on preventative measures, like the regular use of broad-spectrum sunscreens, we can all age a little more gracefully.

2. Be good to yourself

Grab your drink of choice (mine is coffee), sit beneath a shady tree and listen to the leaves move in the wind. Take a picture of yourself after a really fantastic workout. Limit your prepping — comb your hair and wipe away the perspiration from your face. Capture a shot that conveys how strong and proud you feel at that moment. Later, on days when you don’t feel like exercising, look at the photo you took of yourself and try to remember how good you felt at the time it was taken.

3. Try a creamy facial cleanser

Cleansers strip away moisture as part of the job of removing makeup, and dry winter air tends to magnify the problem. Gel cleansers can be very drying, but creamy ones like Dove deep moisture creamy facial cleanser and Neutrogena deep clean cream cleanser should help.

4. Moisturize meh!

Moisturize throughout the day, and don’t forget to drink extra water when it’s cold and windy. Your hands, feet, knees and elbows may need a little more help, too. I like rich products containing shea butter, petrolatum, mineral oil, tea tree oil, linoleic acid or glycerin. For intense relief, moisturize hands and feet at night, and then slip on gloves or socks to lock in moisture.
Bert and brow grooming

5. Find a workout buddy

A workout partner can be a great motivator, especially when you’re trying to get back into exercising on a regular basis after a long hiatus. If none of your friends or family are in the mood for fitness, try to make new friends at the gym, and keep your eyes peeled for any open team activities like intramural soccer leagues or basketball.
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There are 27 comments on this post. Leave yours.

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

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