Archives for December 2009

10 Days of Giveaways: Two Ways to Win the Bobbi Brown Velvet Plum Eyeshadow Palette

December 24th, 2009 by Karen 294 Comments

UPDATE: Dec. 26, 2009. The giveaway is now closed, and the winner will be contacted soon. Good luck! 🙂

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Howzit, ladies? T-minus four hours until Saint Nick arrives! Hasn’t time just zipped by in a flash?

Yesterday I went for a run around the neighborhood here to 1) work on my rapidly declining fitness and 2) to check out the local Christmas decorations.

They’re pretty much the same as what you would find on the mainland — Santas, reindeer, Christmas lights — but it’s kinda funny to see snowmen and Christmas lights in yards with palm trees and hibiscus flowers. 🙂

This afternoon, I’m gonna try to head to Waikiki, braving the traffic and last-minute shoppers. I’ve heard that some of the hotels down there go all out with their Christmas decorations. If time permits, I may attempt to demonstrate the proper way to fall off a surfboard (ungracefully, ideally after two seconds).

Before that, I think it’s time for another giveaway! 🙂

The prize

One lucky lady will win Bobbi Brown’s Velvet Plum Eye Palette (a $40 value), a limited edition holiday eyeshadow palette with four versatile eyeshadows perfect for business meetings or drinks after work.

The shades…

Bone: off white
Naked: medium neutral pink
Velvet Plum: shimmery blackish plum
Espresso: dark chocolate brown

3-bobbi-brown-velvet-plum-eye-palette

I love how these colors POP! without going too far.

How to enter…

2ways2enter Entering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. In it, tell me the one thing you want MOST for Christmas

Happiness and health for all of my family and friends (that’s you). Oh, and maybe also something from Kate Spade, LOL! 🙂

Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to win a Bobbi Brown Velvet Plum Eyeshadow Palette (a $40 Value) http://bit.ly/53DtiC

Recap…

Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to win a Bobbi Brown Velvet Plum Eyeshadow Palette (a $40 Value) http://bit.ly/53DtiC

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Friday, December 25.

Merry Christmas!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

UPDATE: Dec. 26, 2009. The giveaway is now closed, and the winner will be contacted soon. Good luck! 🙂

Are You Happy with Your Look?

December 24th, 2009 by Karen 34 Comments

Are you happy with your look?

With the end of the year looming, now is when a lot of us like to reflect. I like to look back at the past year — its obstacles and accomplishments — and forward to the year ahead.

I also think about changes I’ve made to my look this year. My new hair was a big one, and I’m happy I took that plunge (bangs!). I’m not entirely happy with my skin right now, however, and that’s something I want to work on in 2010.

How about you? Are you happy with your look?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sparkle Motion

December 23rd, 2009 by Karen 13 Comments

I saw these shoes at the Ala Moana mall Miu Miu store yesterday. They’re kinda blingy but I love ’em.

Philosophy The Miracle Worker Worked a Miracle on Me

December 23rd, 2009 by Karen 11 Comments

Written by Jen, aka Raging Rouge

Today Jen of Raging Rouge describes a miracle she saw with her very own eyes.

Philosophy The Miracle Worker

I’m not one to turn readers away, but if you’re under 35 and under the belief that ignorance is bliss, stop reading this now. Seriously, do yourself a favor and go out for a drink with the girls. 🙂

I say that because if I had to publish a description of my relationship with my skin on Facebook, it would be tagged like this: It’s complicated.

After 35, Mother Nature just smacked me in the face with a 4 by 4. Fine lines started cropping up out of nowhere, and (adding insult to injury) I’m still breakout prone!

Now, for those of you who were brave enough to keep reading beyond the first paragraph, let me offer one more hideous thought: if you thought teen acne was bad, just WAIT until you get pregnant!

Days before my 36th birthday I delivered my second beautiful son, and just like my first pregnancy, the skin around my jawline was a mess. Big patches of cystic acne riddled the area, which had always been completely clear before my pregnancioes. The second time around, though, the breakouts didn’t disappear on their own, and drastic times called for drastic measures!

My first step: regular use of a powerful peel.

Step two: I had tremendous success clearing up the left side of my face using the Exuviance Rejuvenating Treatment Mask but needed something even more powerful along my right jawline. After reading some positive reviews of Philosophy skincare products, I took the plunge.

The superb prices of their holiday value kits also encouraged me to give them a try, like the Miracle Worker kit, which comes with $156 of products for only $85! YeeHa!

I did add one extra ingredient to my skincare cocktail — and this was crucial — Philosophy “Help Me”. It’s a time-release retinol formula known for its strength and effectiveness in clearing up acne and minimizing the appearance of fine lines.

Here was my combined regimen:
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A Face of the Day with NARS Habanera

December 23rd, 2009 by Karen 22 Comments

karen-fotd-1

I guess it’s true — you can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl! Even here in the tropics beneath a canopy of banyan and coconut trees (we’re just a few miles away from where they film Lost, FO’ reals!), I can’t stop myself from thinking about San Francisco…

As a matter of fact, the colors I used for my makeup today, with products from the NARS Habanera Duo ($32), are making me think of the City by the Bay.

nars-habanera-swatch

Habanera, a powder duo belonging to NARS’ permanent line, has a gorgeous shimmery slate blue on one side (color reminds me of a wet and foggy San Francisco morning). The other side houses a deep plummy purple with tiny flecks of slate blue glitter that shimmer like the city from across Bay at dusk.

At first glance, I wasn’t sure I’d like the way Habenera would look on me. I’d seen and loved the shades on lighter-skinned beauties but was afraid they’d look a little too light and cool on me (as shimmery pastels can sometimes look quite frosty on darker skin tones).

I think I worried for nothing, though. I get the feeling that women of a wide range of skin tones are going to like the way Habanera looks on them. 🙂 It’s a color that I’m guessing a lot of women can wear.

nars fotd side

If you’re curious about Habanera, I hope you give it a try. Today I was in the mood for something light and fun, so I went with a wide-eyed, shimmery pale blue and plum eye look with long lashes, a sheer plum cheek and a neutral lip.
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10 Days of Giveaways: Two Ways to Win Lancome Sparkling Cherub Illuminating Powder

December 23rd, 2009 by Karen 231 Comments

UPDATE: Dec. 25, 2009. The giveaway is now closed, and the winner will be contacted soon. Good luck! 🙂

lancome-sparkling-cherub-ten-days-of-giveaways2

Wait — what’s that sound?! Do you hear it, ladies? The jingling in the distance, like sleigh bells? Santa’s coming! 🙂

Are you almost done with your Christmas preparations and shopping? Are you going to be among the tens of millions of travelers this week?

It’s a mad house out there, isn’t it? Yesterday I braved the Ala Moana Shopping Center here on Oahu (visited by four times as many people/year as Disneyland). It’s the state’s largest mall, and I’m not kidding here: the place is NO JOKE!

Right now I’m fueling up on coffee and Hawaiian sweet bread to go for a leisurely jog around the neighborhood. I think I’ll bring my camera with me…

Before I jet, are you ready for another giveaway (BTW, there’s still time to enter yesterday’s Urban Decay giveaway too)?