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

Archives for March 2012

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 184

by 17 Comments

Tabs for Illamasqua Feline Fundamentalism

Someone left the house intending to go grocery shopping this afternoon, only that someone then got sidetracked on the road somewhere near the Novato movie theaters. Then, that someone — I’m not naming any names here; we don’t judge — went to go see The Hunger Games for the second time.

Wow, I like movies, don’t I? I see a lot of movies. Some of them even twice! 🙂

Actually, this was the first movie I’ve seen twice at the theaters in years. I can’t even remember the last one.

In other news, Mad Men! I did end up doing my grocery shopping after the movie, and as soon as I change into my jammies and whip up something quick to eat, I’m gonna watch the season premiere.

It’s weird. Mad Men has been on hiatus for 17 months. That’s what I read somewhere. Dang, that’s a long time. 17 months? The actors have to look a little different after that much time.

Tabs is in charge of the remote tonight, so I better go prepare his gravy. He had a pretty busy week of kitty modeling. He worked with China Glaze, Illamasqua, MAC, Rouge Bunny Rouge (actually, an affiliate of theirs) and Urban Decay.

Tabs for The Hungrier Games Collection by China Glaze

Tabs for MAC Eye Shadow in Cattail
[Continue reading…]

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

by 11 Comments

Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

Rise and shine, morning glory! 🙂 Yup, it’s that time again. Another Sunday. And because it’s raining here and has been for days, MBB’s resident feline ambassador is fussy. Right now he’s ignoring me at the top of his cat tower.

How are things going on your end? Have you done anything exciting this weekend? Any new movies perhaps? Like one featuring a girl named Katniss and a cat named Buttercup?

I’m actually thinking about seeing it a second time tonight! That’s how much I liked it. Of course, I love, love, LOVE the books, so there’s also that.

Not much going on out here today. The only thing I have to do is go grocery shopping, and I really should go to Trader Joe’s. Sometimes when I’m lazy I just cheese out and go to Safeway instead, because it’s closer and less crowded, but whenever I do I end up spending twice as much for half as much food, much of it less healthy than what I can get at Trader Joe’s. So I should go to Trader Joe’s. We’ll see.

Whatever you’re up to, I hope it’s something fun.

A few beauty posts that caught my eye…

  • Not ready to take my Hunger Games obsession this far…yet — BellaSugar
  • I wish my nails were on fire! — The Nailasaurus
  • The Ciate Caviar Manicure Kit is so bizarrely intriguing — British Beauty Blogger
  • I love this look with the Illamasqua Neutral Palette — My Weekend Ramblings
  • Yay! Mad Men is back, and so are the great style ideas — Keiko Lynn
  • 5 very easy to ways to make food healthier — College Candy
  • Framed! Matching Your Makeup to Your Glasses – Vogue.com
  • Beautiful swatches of the China Glaze Capitol Colours collection (part 1, and here’s part 2)– Nails and Noms
  • How to try a range of natural cosmetics from Jane Iredale without breaking the bank — Jenn Staz
  • So bright and springy! A neon ombre/Skittle manicure — Swatch and Learn

They’re unrelenting! The makeup monsters are back, yet again, even though their fancy promotional poster is almost completely out of room, haha! Seriously, there’s no room left in that big poster down there. That, and I’m running out of monster ideas! Today, it was down to 1) a creature that eats makeup wipes and 2) one that devours lip plumpers.

But then at the last minute my eyes settled upon a lonely Chanel quad…

The Quad Swindler

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Makeup MonstersDescription: Once upon a time, a goblin employed by a big cosmetics guild was arrested for thievery by the local guard and sentenced to work as the royal wizard’s assistant.

The wizard, wanting for power and an endless supply of eyeshadow, magically transformed the goblin into the first Quad Swindler, with the idea being that the Swindler would then go out and steal eyeshadow and return it to the wizard.

Of course, the idea backfired, and the goblin fled into the countryside, where he/it stops eyeshadow owners along secluded roads to swindle them out of their pans of eyeshadow, which he/it uses to keep his quad filled. It’s all very complicated… 🙂

Frequency: Very rare
Speed: Fast
Armor Class: 6
Special Attacks: Fast-talking swindle
Special Defenses: NA
Intelligence: Very
Alignment: Neutral, but obsessed about keeping his quad filled
Size: Medium (5′ tall)

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Makeup Monsters

Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

MAC Bamboo Eyeshadow A MAC Unsung Hero: Eyeshadow in Bamboo

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss

Hunger Games makeup A Hunger Games Inspired Face of the Day

Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara

Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow is called Pivot Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow in Pivot

Dolce & Gabbana Bouquet Collection Nail Lacquers Dolce & Gabbana Bouquet Collection Nail Lacquers

Dolce & Gabbana Bouquet Collection Eyeliners Dolce & Gabbana Bouquet Collection Eyeliners

Aveda Stress Fix The Aveda Stress Fix Line

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Color Is Fundamental in the Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism Collection

by 19 Comments

illamasqu human fundamentalism

When proper pink lipgloss and basic brown eyeshadow just won’t do, there’s the Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism collection.

Here’s a quick peek at a few of the products in this brash launch of bold colors for eyes, cheeks, lips and nails.

The Illamasqua Fundamental Palette

illamasqua human fundatmental palette open
Fundamental Palette, $42.50

illamasqua human fundatmental palette closed

illamasqua human fundatmental palette back
[Continue reading…]

Rouge Bunny Rouge: In This Makeup Fairy Tale, Regal Rabbits Reign

by 31 Comments

Rouge Bunny Rouge

Oh, boy. Obsession alert. I’m still hungry for The Hunger Games, but I sense a new obsession in the works.

Three words: Rouge Bunny Rouge.

Consider those for a moment. Rouge — great stuff right there. And bunnies — which are also awesome. With a name like that, you just can’t lose. 🙂

They’re an up-and-coming indie line from the UK (like a Victorian English Armani) with an elegant flair.

“RBR combines the best from the worlds of cosmetics and design, while treasuring Victorian-style fairy tale and Tsarist aristocratic identity at its core. In an era when most brands are concerned with following the trend, we provide something quite different; a thoughtfully balanced palette of colours, for true seekers of beauty, who choose beauty over brand name or fad.”

— rougebunnyrouge.com

I plan to spend part of this weekend getting to know four pieces from their Enchanted Garden Collection, a liquid highlighter, a powder eyeshadow, a blush wand and a loose glitter pigment…

1. Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquid in Sea of Showers

rouge bunny rouge sea of showers
Seas of Illumination Highlighting Liquid in Sea of Showers; One of four shades, $72 each

rouge bunny rouge sea of showers

2. Long-lasting Matt Eye Shadow in Sweet Dust Seriema

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

rouge bunny rouge sweet dust seriema
[Continue reading…]

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

by 452 Comments

  • WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Amy C! Congratulations, Amy! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

A Makeup and Beauty Blog giveaway
A Makeup and Beauty Blog giveaway

Happy St. Patrick’s! — wait, that was last week. But doesn’t it feel like it was just St. Patrick’s Day? WOW! This week went by quickly. I could have sworn we were just talking about fish & chips.

Not there’s a right or wrong time to talk about fried food. Matter of fact, I’d say it’s an underused topic of conversation.

Anywho! I’m doing my best to rise and shine over here, but Mother Nature isn’t cooperating. There’s a light, annoying drizzle outside, like the kind where you just wish it would either unload and start pouring, because at least that would do the plants some good, or stop altogether so the sun can come out.

Tabs votes for the later.

Which reminds me. Sometimes he’s such a grouch! It’s adorable when he makes his little angry old man face with his whiskers turned down. That’s the face he makes when I take him out for a walk after a rain and the ground is still wet. On the one hand, he loves being outside; on the other, he hates getting his paws wet.

It’s so cute! After he steps in a puddle, he’ll raise his little paw like he stepped on a thorn, and look up at me and mewl as if to say, “This is bullsh*t, Mom.”

I swear he thinks I’m responsible for the weather. When it rains, he’d probably fire me if he could.

Ya know, I think it’s time for some coffee, so I’ll be right back. Why don’t you enter this weekend’s giveaway while I’m gone? 🙂

What folks are saying…

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Hi Karen and Tabs. Wow! Thanks so much for this! It’s hard to believe I actually won something. I can’t wait to shop my little heart out! Thanks again. Love to Tabs! And I love your blog with the Tabs stories. ;+)”
-Sophie, St Petersburg, FL

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! 🙂 Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

  • There are two ways to enter, 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, a comment about anything at all, like, have you ever been caught outside in the rain? When was your last grand adventure? Have you ever been snorkeling? How many cats is too many cats? What’s your most cherished memory? Have you ever applied makeup on someone else? — you get the idea.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/GLFU2x

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
  • Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
  • A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
  • Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
  • Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
  • Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
  • The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
  • Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

  • WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Amy C! Congratulations, Amy! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.