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Archives for March 2012

Dirty Makeup Brushes Are Bristling Over Sonia Kashuk’s Brush & Sponge Cleanser

March 27th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

sonia kashuk brush sponge cleanser

Another Target run, another spur-of-the moment beauty purchase from Sonia Kashuk. Allegedly, I swung by the store for detergent (I’m a Gain girl. How about you?). It’s not my fault I always end up in the beauty section.

Heck, though, since I was already there, I figured I’d look for a full-size bottle of Sonia’s Making Waves Nail Colour, and bring one or two or five home, LOL!

(Remember it, the bright sea green, from her new A Powerful Punch Set? Yep, I like it that much.)

But while I was searching for it, something else got my attention: this bottle of Sonia’s Brush & Sponge Cleanser ($7). It was hidden behind some makeup bags, as if someone had squirreled it away back there for safekeeping (I’m totally guilty of doing this many times).

Now, I’m still happily engaged to Burt’s Bees Mango & Orange Energizing Body Bar as my de facto brush cleanser, but I’m also curious like a cat.

A single word in the directions on the back of the bottle sealed the deal for me.

To use the cleanser, you’re supposed to wet your brushes or sponges by spraying them with some of the product, which you then work into a lather (weird!). Then, rinse until the water runs clean.

Most of the liquid brush cleansers I’ve used before, like the one from MAC, don’t usually work up a lather, which makes this one kind of unusual.

Color me intrigued…

sonia kashuk brush sponge cleanser
[Continue reading…]

There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Drugstore Beauty Finds, Makeup Tools, Product Reviews, Sonia Kashuk Keywords: sonia kashuk

Becca Balearic Love Nail Colours

March 27th, 2012 by Karen 7 Comments


Wow, talk about unexpected colors for spring!

From the left: Black Plum, Sandy Nude and Wine Red, $15 each. Available now at online at beccacosmetics.com.

There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty Keywords: becca

The Red Balloon, Part II

March 26th, 2012 by Karen 5 Comments



Remember the red balloon I saw in the middle of the road? Later on in the afternoon I spotted it again, this time tangled in the branches of one of the oak trees on my street. If you look closely you can see it in the center of the pic.

Once again, more symbolism…

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

Some Bunny Loves Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-Lasting Matte Eyeshadow in Sweet Dust Seriema

March 26th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

rouge bunny rouge sweet dust seriema

Dear Easter Bunny,

Please disregard my previous Easter basket request for Cadbury Mini Eggs, Marshallow Peeps, Jordan Almonds, Sour Patch Kids and Mini Snickers. Instead, I’d like to revise my previous note to only request a Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-lasting Matte Eye Shadow ($35 each).

Yup, you read that correctly. No candy whatsoever. Just eyeshadow.

I realize that this unorthodox request breaks our 36-year sugar-fueled tradition — and you know how much I love Easter candy, yummo! — but my muffin top has threatened to advance its plans to expand if I don’t lay off the sweets. To that end, the Rouge Bunny Rouge Eye Shadows are just so wonderful and calorie-free.

I wore Sweet Dust Seriema, a cool-toned mauve taupe, pretty much all weekend long. It’s one of six shades in the line, and my goodness! — smoother and softer than the downy feathers of a newborn chick.

After running five miles yesterday (on my muffin top’s advice) and cleaning up, I applied a few layers of this semi-opaque shadow on my lids for a sophisticated, classic red carpet look with a smidgen of sultry.

Or at least that’s the way I like to think it looks. 🙂

And the best part? It was so darn simple — one color, one brush, no fallout, BAM! I just concentrated the color along my lash lines and faded it toward the brow bone.

rouge bunny rouge sweet dust seriema
Long-lasting Matt Eye Shadow in Sweet Dust Seriema; one of six shades, $35 each

rouge bunny rouge sweet dust seriema
[Continue reading…]

There are 29 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Makeup, Product Reviews, Rouge Bunny Rouge Keywords: rouge bunny rouge

MAC Unsung Heroes: Double Dare Cremesheen Lipglass

March 26th, 2012 by Karen 43 Comments

mac double dare

I usually have a pretty good memory. Like, I can normally recall the things you’ve told me about yourself — how many cats you assist or the name of your favorite perfume — even if you mentioned them months or years ago, but for some reason, today I can’t remember the last time I played Truth or Dare.

And it’s bugging me! — because I wanted to tie it into this post about MAC Cremesheen Glass in Double Dare ($19.50), today’s MAC Unsung Hero.

I’ve been sitting here racking my brain, but the best I’ve come up with is one hazy memory of my roommates back in sophomore year daring me to knock on the door of the guy who lived in the apartment across from ours to tell him that we thought he was hot (“Hi, uh… My name is Karen and I live across the way and my roommates and I just wanted you to know that we think you’re cute okay bye!”), but I don’t think that was the last time.

Maybe the last time was so traumatizing that I blanked it out. Or perhaps I’m just running out of free space in my mental storage area, so my brain is deleting some of the useless stuff to make room for more important things, like makeup. 🙂

Oh, well… I’m sure I get more value out of remembering to bring this creamy reddish coral lipgloss with me than I’m likely to get from any of the stupid stuff I did back in the day, LOL!

Now, coral glosses? I happily rock ’em all year round, but during spring and summer, when bright lips rule the school, I could wear them 24/7. Double Dare happens to be one of the glosses that rarely leaves my purse, and it’s the shade I usually recommend to friends who say they like the idea of wearing a bright coral gloss like MAC Lychee Luxe or Viva Glam Cyndi, but don’t want to deal with a sticky Lipglass.

It’s just so darn easy! I can wear it without a lip liner, and even apply it without a mirror, like when I’m walking through a parking lot, which I actually did last night when I stopped by Target.

mac double dare

mac double dare swatch

mac double dare
[Continue reading…]

There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 213

March 26th, 2012 by Karen 60 Comments

  • You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”
    Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:
  2. In a word, happy. 🙂 The birds are singing outside my office window right now, and that always puts a smile on my face.

  3. Have you tried the Clinique 3-Step System?
  4. I have! I used it religiously when I was 14 and stuck with it for about a year.

    Now that I think about it, I can’t remember why I stopped, but it was probably boredom, or I just got distracted by something else and moved on… That happened a lot when I was that age.

    I still know people who swear by it, though, and I might give it another try.

    I have fallen in love with a few other Clinique skin care products over the years, like their Rinse-Off Foaming Cleaners (I loved this stuff back in college when my skin was epically oily!), Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm and Mild Clarifying Lotion.

  5. Something you do to soothe yourself when you start feeling stressed?
  6. When the weather’s nice, and my allergies aren’t going ballistic, I like to take a walk outside. But if I can’t get outside, then I try to find a quiet place where I can sit by myself, close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing for a few minutes.

    That always takes the edge off.

  7. Do you know how to platform/springboard dive?
  8. No, not unless cannon-balling counts. 🙂

    I have tried it a couple times but never quite got the hang of it. I guess it’s just one of things… I’m a total water baby, but there’s something about diving head first into a body of water that makes me a wee bit nervous.

  9. Sparkling water or still?
  10. Most of the time, still. Sparkling when my tummy’s gurgling.

  11. We’re meeting for brunch on Saturday! What makeup will you wear?
  12. I’ll be wearing NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer on my cheeks and around my mouth to even out my skin tone, MAC Pro Longwear Concealer to hide my dark under-eye circles, Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara to open up my eyes, MAC Concrete Eyeshadow to fill in my brows, Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush Wand in Manet to give my cheeks some color, and bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Spark Plug to make my lips really shine.

  13. Are you wearing sun screen today?
  14. I sure am. I’m wearing Clarins HydraQuench SPF 15 on my face and neck.

  15. Your favorite t-shirt?
  16. An ancient oversized navy blue tee with the words “UC Davis” on it that I’ve had forever. It’s not particularly cute or anything. I just think it’s really comfy.

  17. A pricey beauty indulgence you’d love to try?
  18. I’ve been very curious about Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum ($79) ever since some gals raved about it in the comments.

    I think I might have pick it up when the Sephora VIB sale kicks in on the 29th…

  19. Weekly goals:
  20. To make it to at least a couple of yoga classes, to remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day (I slacked last week), to finish my to-do list by 6 each day (dare to dream!), and to make an appointment to get my hair did.

Okay, Mad Men fans, can we dish about last night’s season premiere? 🙂

That was one groovy party, man! And did you catch Megan’s cool cat eye makeup?

I’ll meet you for more Don Draper and friends in the comments, but first — do you have a minute for today’s Monday Poll?

  • To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.



1. Mood:
2. Have you tried the Clinique 3-Step System?
3. Something you do to soothe yourself when you start feeling stressed?
4. Do you know how to platform/springboard dive?
5. Sparkling water or still?
6. We’re meeting for brunch on Saturday! What makeup will you wear?
7. Are you wearing sun screen today?
8. Your favorite t-shirt?
9. A pricey beauty indulgence you’d love to try?
10. Weekly goals:

Breathe in, breathe out… Breathe in, breathe out…

I’m doing my best to stay calm this week. You in?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 60 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

China Glaze Ray-Diant

March 26th, 2012 by Karen 4 Comments


See the hint of green in China Glaze’s Ray-Diant ($8)? Love it.

There are 4 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty Keywords: china glaze

The Red Balloon

March 25th, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments


When I opened up the curtains this morning, the first thing I saw was this red balloon in the middle of the road. It looked so striking in the rain (I actually walked outside in my pajamas to take this pic).

Chances are the kids who live on my street probably just left it there, but the former English major in me wonders if there’s something symbolic about the situation.

There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

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

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

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