Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
While I was in Los Angeles in June I saw this sign for “Chocolate & Fruit Flavor Body Waxing.”
Does this mean you eat the wax after they rip off your fur? Or do you snack on it while you’re getting de-fuzzed? Or are you expected to gnaw off the excess wax that gets left behind?
Seriously, I’m very, very confused.
The palace walls at Aladdin’s Oasis in Disneyland, Anaheim, California
Shh… Loud noises hurt. I don’t think I’m fully awake yet.
Actually, I have. It was back when I was a kid, and luckily I fell onto carpet from just a few feet off the ground, so I didn’t break anything, but I was rather traumatized.
I did when I was younger, but as a band geek I spent a lot of time doing musical performances in front of groups of people and did drama and public speaking when I was a teenager… I think I just got kinda used to it after a while.
Toasted Italian Pugliese topped with Nutella (BIG surprise) and a cup of hot green tea.
Inspiration! — although I can’t imagine I’ll find it in a casino. The family and I are driving over to Reno in Nevada for two days. It’s about a four-hour drive east of here (El Hub’s family from Hawaii loves to gamble; me, not so much). If you can think of anything inspiring to do in the Reno area, please let me know!
In a word: craptacular. I’ve been sleeping on an air mattress since my in-laws arrived last Thursday, and Tabs has taken to jumping on and off it throughout the night, which, as you can probably imagine, is a tad unnerving!
A big fat YAY!
Hmm… That’s a tough one because it depends. I can’t say I’d cheer if El Hub started rocking my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 (I couldn’t handle a boy who was more high maintenance than me, LOL!), but I’d love to see him start wearing sunscreen. I like that he’s a “dude’s dude,” but he’s light-skinned and really ought to wear SPF.
My gray stretchy yoga pants (another BIG surprise), a black t-shirt and a hot pink hoodie.
To enjoy the next two days in Reno (I’ll still be blogging, of course), prepare at least one vegan meal for dinner later this week, to hit the treadmill at least once or twice and to keep writing myself daily Post-It affirmations (my favorite one from last week was “Freaking out doesn’t help!”). 🙂
Hello from the land of the sleep deprived!
Not even dark circles and poor coordination can stop me today, although I did walk into a wall this morning — one of the side effects of sleep deprivation.
But other than feeling a little tired, things are going pretty well on my end. How are you doing today? Do you have a minute for the Monday Poll?
If you’re new to MBB, the Monday Poll is just a quick way to touch base and share what’s on your mind. I think it’s also a great way to warm up ye olde mental motor and get the week off to a good start.
To play, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.
1. Mood:
2. Have you ever fallen from a ladder?
3. Have you ever had stage fright?
4. Breakfast?
5. Today I would love some ________.
6. How did you sleep last night?
7. Feather boas — yay or nay?
8. Guys who wear tinted moisturizer — hot or not?
9. Outfit?
10. Weekly goals:
Say it with me, y’all: LET’S DO THIS!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Reno may not be Disneyland, but I do plan to blog about more of the products and looks from the upcoming MAC Venomous Villains Collection over the coming weeks. Let me know if you have any special requests!
Before he was famous
About three years ago I started to notice a chubby tabby cat skulking around my apartment building. I’d see him every few months or so, sneaking around the cars in the parking lot, but whenever I’d try to get his attention, he’d just flash me a dirty look and walk away.
For love and makeup
Then, one day I opened the apartment door, and there he was, sitting in the hallway in front of me. He must have seen all the makeup inside because he walked passed me into the apartment like he owned the place. And so began our dysfunctional friendship. 🙂
Photoshop phenom or kitty supermodel?
About a year into our relationship, Tabs and I were cruising the mall when a talent scout stopped us. “Have you ever thought about being a model?” he asked (he was referring to Tabs). That day marked the start of what’s turned out to be a successful kitty modeling career. He also blogs on the side…
Welcome to the 100th installment of Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot. He’s been my beloved blogging buddy for more than two of the three years we’ve known each other, and I hope our partnership continues forever.
While Tabs is proud of his entire modeling portfolio, here are his top 15 favorite shoots of all time.
But wait — there’s more! 🙂
To commemorate this special day, Tabs would also like to sponsor a giveaway here on the blog (he’s been saving his modeling money). Check out the pics, and then scroll down to enter.
[Continue reading…]
Have you heard of the Hidden Mickeys? If you look closely throughout the Disneyland park you can find subtle representations of Mickey Mouse on rides, attractions and decorations.
Ah, sweet sleep, most hallowed of activities, how I love thee! Good morning, girl. 🙂 Happy Sunday. How’s it going this morning?
I’ve been a little busier than usual the past couple of days, trying to spend some quality time hanging out with my in-laws, but yesterday they left Tabs and I home for a few hours to play with MAC Venomous Villains (YAY!) while they went to visit the towns of Mill Valley (where I used to live), Sausalito and San Rafael.
Sausalito is nestled up against the northern coastline of the Golden Gate, at the base of Marin County. It’s a beautiful town, especially on sunny summer days, with a quaint shopping district and panoramic views of San Francisco off in the distance across the Bay.
So pretty…
View of San Francisco from Sausalito, California
What’s on your agenda today? Are there any new movies out? I’m in the mood for a good movie…
Before you go, did you have a favorite new beauty product or collection this week? What do you think of Venomous Villains? I’ve been such a huge lifelong fan of Disney art and animation that I think I was predisposed to 
it, ha!
NARS BEAUTIFUL LIFE
LIP AND CHEEK PALETTE
The universe is filled with things I do not understand, things like Justin Bieber fever, Crocs, and why NARS chose not to include a lip brush in the Beautiful Life Lip and Cheek Palette ($55).
At first blush, it looks like a traveler’s makeup dream come true — compact, cute, with a convenient zippered case. The included mirror works well for on-the-go touchups, and by leaving out powder products (it comes with four lipsticks and two cream blushes), NARS eliminated annoying product cross pollination (when your powders spill all over your cream products). So smart!
They thought of everything — almost. I know NARS doesn’t usually include brushes with their palettes, but I wish they would have found room in this one for a lip brush. Beautiful Life is just so obviously designed for travel; a brush would have been a great addition. Of course, I’m a stickler when it comes to packaging. Read more…
WET N WILD
COLOR ICON TRIO EYESHADOWS
Wet n Wild’s been setting drugstore aisles on fire lately! If you liked their Icon Eyeshadow Singles (I thought they were the bee’s knees), take a look at these $3 Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios.
They’re available in six palettes of three matching shadows each — enough to use a different shade on the eyelid, in the crease and along your brow bone.
Because Wet n Wild did the color matching for us, these should help make tough mornings a little easier to bear.
I’ve been using two of the trios lately — Cool as a Cucumber and On Cloud Nine — and despite their diminutive size, I’m still finding a lot to love.
I think these shadows are great, but Wet n Wild could take ‘em next level with a minor tweak. They’re not quite as easy to blend as the Icon Singles are (as far as I can tell), and I had to work my brushes back and forth a wee bit more than I would have liked to achieve seamless color. It’s a relatively minor quibble and one I’ll happily overlook on account of the price — basically a dollar per pan. Read more…
STOP COMPARING
YOURSELF TO OTHERS
Your best friend just bought an expensive new luxury car; all of a sudden, your ride looks kinda clunky by comparison.
One of your roommates just got into an Ivy League grad school program; now your day job feels like a total dead end.
Do you ever feel like you’re just standing still while everyone else in your life is hurtling toward a phenomenal and fantastic future?
Welcome to the land of comparing yourself to others.
It can be a dreadful place, and I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been a resident a multitude of times. Read more…
DOLCE & GABBANA
CARAMEL LIPGLOSS
Calling all nudists! Before you strip off your Gap baby T, please note that I’m talking about nudists, as in nude lips, not, um…actual nudists. 🙂
If you love a nude lip look, let Dolce & Gabbana’s new Caramel Ultra Shine Lipgloss ($30), released with the Sicilian Lace Collection for fall, whet your appetite. This creamy, medium-weight warm beige feels slightly sticky on my lips (but not as sticky as a MAC Lipglass) and has a light rose scent (it is unflavored, though).
I get about two and a half hours of color from Caramel when I wear her all by her lonesome. I bet she’d also look divine layered on top of a favorite nude lip liner, too… Can you imagine? — with sooty black smokey eyes? Read more…
BUTTER LONDON
FALL/WINTER 2010
You know, it’s true what they say — butter makes everything better. Even tips and toes!
Like colorful little versions of butter on toast, these new Butter London Fall/Winter 2010 polishes ($14 each) are mighty satisfying.
Known for sassy packaging and their “three free” nail polish formula (no formaldehyde, toluene or phthalate), Butter London cooked up four new filling shades for fall/winter.
For the color story, Creative Director Nonie Creme drew from a mix of modern and classic British influences, combining a dash of the old with a splash of the new. Her goal: fashion forward colors with an edge.
Holographic All Hail McQueen, a shimmery ode to fashion legend Alexander McQueen (*pours forty*), and Bumster, a creamy ochre yellow, pay homage to the designer’s low-slung, booty-crack exposing pants, which shocked sidewalks (and the entire fashion world) back in 1996. Read more…
DOLCE & GABBANA
NAIL LACQUER IN PERFECTION
First nude lips, now nude nails? — there’s a lot of nekkidness going on at Dolce & Gabbana makeup counters this fall.
Do you ever wear nude nails? If you do, what’s your favorite product/color?
Most nude nail parties feature hues based on pinks or peach, but Nail Lacquer in Perfection ($20), the lone lacquer in D&G’s six-piece Sicilian Lace collection for fall, is all about the beige.
Warm and creamy, it applies thick and dries to a high-shine finish…in about 90 minutes (!). Yep, this Perfection takes time, but that’s what hot tea (for me) and quick dry nail drops (for nails) are for.
I bet Perfection would be, um, perfect for elegantly understated nail looks, but $20 seems like a lot for something this subtle. Read more…
BECCA CREAM
BLUSH
You know how there’s always that ONE ANNOYING PERSON who gets to the bus stop a few seconds late? The one who yells, “Wait! Wait!” as the bus pulls away from the curb? Yeah, that person would be me.
There aren’t a lot of positives to being perpetually late for public transpo, but there is at least one: blushed cheeks.
Sadly, it’s the kind of blush that only lasts a few minutes, but Becca may have a longer term solution. Too bad their Becca Creme Blush wasn’t available back when I was regularly missing riding the bus to school.
Of course, all 11 natural-looking shades aren’t exactly built with student budgets in mind ($30), but I probably would have eaten ramen noodles every day for a week (been there, done that) to be able to splurge on one of these pans. Read more…
GIVENCHY LE PRISME
EYESHADOW IN EGERIE
After I finished freaking out over the cost of the new Givenchy Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartet in Khaki Egerie ($56), I stepped back from the mirror and thought, “Now THAT’s what I’m talking about.”
I swear these colors make my eyes glow!
Givenchy just added it and five other quads to their permanent line, each promising highly pigmented, enduring colors, and if Khaki Egerie’s any indication of what the other quads have to offer, all of them probably warrant closer inspection.
The major selling point for me — besides the rich pigmentation and sumptuous shimmer — has to be the near absence of fallout. It’s minimal (just a tiny spec or two beneath my lower lash line and cheeks)… The soft, finely milled powders adhere to my lids without creasing or settling into my wrinkles fine lines, and they blend CRAZY good, too. Read more…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Um, do you feel that…?
The tingling in the air? It feels familiar, like something I’ve felt many times before. It’s called Disney magic, and right now it’s everywhere! 🙂
In what turned out to be the BIGGEST post I’ve ever written for the blog (so big, in fact, that I suspect the server may crash), here are 101 things you probably didn’t know about Disney and the upcoming MAC Venomous Villains collection (but certainly will now).
The collection launches in the U.S. on September 30 and internationally in October.
When designing the four Venomous Villains sub-collections — The Evil Queen (as far as we know, that’s her stage name) from 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Maleficent from 1959’s Sleeping Beauty, Cruella de Vil from 1961’s 101 Dalmations and Dr. Facilier from 2009’s The Princess and the Frog — MAC based the color stories on the original Disney character sketches and Pantone color guides.
They took it all into consideration — the attitudes of the characters, their skin tone, clothes and style — and not just the colors Disney used to ink them.
As a lifelong Disney fan and art fanatic, I’ve been looking forward to this collection for months!
Last June MAC revealed details about the upcoming release at an event in Los Angeles. Here are some pics from that event and a whole bunch of other stuff, too. 🙂
Enjoy!
Speakers from the left: Johanna Mooney, Director of Disney Beauty; Nicole Masson, VP of Product Development at MAC; and Gregory Arlt, Director of Makeup Artistry at MAC
I’m always looking for “the perfect under-eye concealer,” constantly testing every product I can get my hands on. I get dark circles under my eyes, and with my extremely fair skin they look *really* noticeable.
I was in the FRESH store the other day, expecting to try their Umbrian Clay Absolute Concealer, but instead the sales assistant suggested I try the Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen ($24, available in three shades).
First, let me say that I love how weightless this feels under my eyes, and the twistable pen has an attached applicator brush, which makes it a perfect on-the-go beauty tool.
As for how well it works as a concealer…
Before
After
I’m happy with it! I’m wearing it in the picture directly above, which was also taken after a few hours spent walking around in high humidity.
While I may have found my new concealer, I’m concerned that it only comes in three shades (1-porcelain to light, 2-light to medium, and 3-medium to dark). Hopefully, one of them works for you, and if you’re interested, you can find the Supernova Radiance Brightening Pen on Fresh.com, in Fresh Stores or at Sephora for $24.
