Archives for November 2012

Oh Hai, Kelly Clarkson!

November 3rd, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

Guess who just got back from the most random afternoon?!

THIS GIRL.

El Hub and I went to The Village mall in Corte Madera this afternoon to do some shopping. I wanted to pick up a MAC Stolen Moment Extra Dimension Eye Shadow (got it, along with Round Midnight, yay!); he wanted to check out the new Microsoft store, which just opened there today.

Turns out that Microsoft was holding a free Kelly Clarkson concert at the mall to celebrate the grand opening of the store. There were some hoops you had to jump through to get in, but somehow El Hub, resourceful dude that he is, managed to snag us a couple of tickets.

They held the concert in a gravel parking lot across the street from the mall. We got there about an hour before the show started and found a spot pretty close to the stage.

Dude, that girl can SING. Her voice is so crisp and powerful! Definitely one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen.

She did a mix of new and old music, and my fave song from the performance was a new one called Don’t Rush. Kelly said in the show that it’s a country song, but I think it almost has an R&B feel…

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

November 3rd, 2012 by Karen 444 Comments

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

NOVATO, California (November 3, 2012) — This November, for one day only, cats are taking over Sephora.

“It’s about damned time,” said Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog mascot and world-renowned plus-size kitty supermodel. “Cats are synonymous with beauty, and my feline friends and I plan to change the beauty world, one tail twitch at a time.”

This Sunday, November 4, Tabs and other feline fashion and beauty industry heavyweights will take over the regular staffing duties of Sephora employees and makeup artists at select stores worldwide. The cats will man the registers, cruise the aisles and advise beauty lovers on fragrance, skincare and cosmetics from a feline perspective. Shoppers can also expect to learn about cat-approved products.

“My friends and I are very excited to partner with Sephora on this exciting project,” said Tabs. “I can’t wait to help women realize their beautiful potential. It’s going to be a blast.” 🙂

. . .

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine! Welcome to the weekend. Hope you had a nice Friday night. Mine was pretty chill. El Hub and I had date night at Pasta Pomodoro, and then came home and rented a movie, Safety Not Guaranteed (a little slow, but charming).

I haven’t figured out my plan for the day yet, but I do know it involves a workout and some mommy and tabby time.

Don’t forget to enter this weekend’s giveaway for a $50 eGift card to Sephora before you go (details below). Have a great weekend, and may the odds be ever in your favor. Talk to you soon.

What folks are saying…

“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

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“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)

“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. 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

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, what were you doing in 1990 (if you weren’t born yet, that counts as an answer)? Do you do big hair? What brush do you use for bronzer? Do you know of a full-coverage under-eye concealer that doesn’t look cakey? Recommendations for affordable clip-in bangs that don’t look too terrible? What’s the best full-coverage foundation for very dry, flaky skin? — you get the idea.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/RDXqZO

The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 4, 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 Zhar! Congratulations, Zhar! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

The Cute Laura Mercier Colour-to-Go Portable Palette for Eyes, Cheeks & Lips in Warm Neutrals Is Such a Fun Size

November 2nd, 2012 by Karen 10 Comments

laura mercier colour to go warm neutrals — Wearing the new Laura Mercier Colour-to-Go Portable Palette for Eyes, Cheeks & Lips in Warm Neutrals, $48

A couple of unimportant fun facts for your Friday night…

1. Laura Mercier’s new Colour-to-Go Portable Palette for Eyes, Cheeks & Lips in Warm Neutrals ($48) is roughly the size of three Fun Size Snickers candybars lying side by side.

2. Having eaten the last of the leftover Fun Size Snickers from Halloween, I am now unable to post a picture of the palette with the candies for scale.

LOL! I had that bowl on my lap last night while watching Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and sipping a glass of Riesling…

Klassy. 🙂

I thought the movie was a’ight (neat concept and effects), but those little Snickers bars were great! In fact, I think I had about four of them.

They’re maybe just a morsel more tempting than this two-tiered, limited edition holiday palette from Laura…

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I’m Grateful for Gratitude Lists, Among Other Things, and MAC Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish

November 2nd, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

One of the first things I’ve been doing shortly after getting up every day this week is tap out a quick list of things I’m grateful for. I usually do it on my phone, and sometimes in the early morning dark before dawn.

There’s something about these lists that curbs the urge to run around like a crazy person wielding a fork…

I kid! But no, seriously, the lists help. Whenever I feel that little twinge and tighten my grip on the closest cutlery, I open the Notes app on my phone and reread my lists. Seeing what I’ve written there in front of me puts things in perspective.

Because I don’t want to write the same lists every day (after all, there are some things that would appear on every list), I jot down the very first things that come to my mind each morning.

Here are five of the things I’m grateful for today, along with brief explanations, so you don’t go thinking I’m completely off my rocker! 🙂

1. The new $29 MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb

MAC Glamour Daze Superb Extra Dimension Skinfinish — MAC Glamour Daze Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb, $29

OHMIGOSH! I’m in lurve. I can’t remember the last day I didn’t wear this shimmery, peachy nude highlighter. I think I’ve worn it every day since Glamour Daze came out.

Ah, but shimmery highlighters can be tricky to wear, especially if you have any blemishes. Luckily, Superb handles imperfections, well, superbly. It’s just so forgiving, and the glow it gives lasts me all day long. Better still, it doesn’t settle into my fine lines, nooks, pores or crannies.

The formula, which is somewhere between a liquid, cream and a powder, is very well behaved.

I just pat it on the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, on my cupid’s bow and on my chin with a large, firm, paddle-shaped eye brush (the MAC 227 does a great job).

Then, I buff and smooth away any visible edges with my favorite tapered blending brush, the MAC 224.

What about its availability? Well, you’re in luck! It’s…Superb. 🙂

Haha. Okay, not really. I just wanted to play with the name one more time. Superb is currently a hot commodity, and last I checked, it was listed as sold out on MAC’s website. You should be able to find it, though, at MAC stores, counters and online at nordstrom.com.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+

2. Pajama tops with pockets

So I’ve had this PJ Salvage flannel pajama top for about a year now, and I usually use the pockets to hold cat treats and pens (and sometimes my lint roller…’cause that’s how cat ladies roll), but it never occurred to me before to actually use the pockets to warm my hands.

What a revelation!

It occurred to me last night while I was lying in bed. My hands were freezing, and without thinking, I thrust them into the pockets.

Huzzah! So warm, so comforting… It was like hearing a soft lullaby or getting a hug from my mom.

Whoever came up with the idea to put pockets on pajama tops, you sir or madam, were a genius.
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The Bobbi Brown Rich Caviar Eye Palette Hosts a Sumptuous Feast of Mattes, Shimmers and Glitters

November 2nd, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

Bobbi Brown Rich Caviar Eye Palette

If Tabs wasn’t so hell bent on mugging hard for the camera in these pics, it would probably be easier to appreciate the finer points of the new Bobbi Brown Rich Caviar Eye Palette ($47.50), like its mix of mattes, shimmers and glitters, or how its color palette of olive, gold, beige, taupe, gray and dark brown eyeshadows looks kinda like tabby coloring.

Bobbi Brown Rich Caviar Eye Palette

Even when I shoo’d him out of the shot, he still found a way to get in the frame (see the tabby tail in the lower right-hand corner?).

Bobbi Brown Rich Caviar Eye Palette

The Rich Caviar Eye Shadow Palette, $47.50

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New Digs

November 2nd, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

The latest addition to Tabs’ vast real estate empire. He loves this particular space because it’s private and exclusive.

A Heart in My Latte

November 2nd, 2012 by Karen 12 Comments

It’s the little things that make me so, so happy.

Radiant, Peachy Pink Cheeks Are Easy With the Right Blush: MAC Glamour Daze Powder Blush in Easy Manner

November 1st, 2012 by Karen 38 Comments

mac easy manner blush — Wearing MAC Powder Blush in Easy Manner

It’s like the shy boy you met in front of a bookstore, or the brazen street cat who boldly strutted into your apartment one random afternoon (“From this day forward, YOU ARE MY HUMAN!”).

Big change has a funny way of finding us when we least expect it. One minute we’re eating roasted almonds on the couch; the next minute we’re cleaning up cat barf on the living room floor.

BOOM!

That’s how it was for me and $22 MAC Glamour Daze Powder Blush in Easy Manner, one of the happiest accidents I’ve had in weeks.

MAC Glamour Daze Easy Manner — MAC Glamour Daze Powder Blush in Easy Manner, $22

I was thrilled the first time I saw this sateen, slightly pinkish peach radiantly glowing on my cheeks…

Just like I was on my first date with that shy boy from the bookstore (who turned out to be El Hub). 🙂 Or the first time that brazen kitty purred in my lap.

And the best thing about Easy Manner’s understated but electrifying thrill? — it’s easy to repeat. Just sweep or swirl a couple layers on the apples of your cheeks.
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