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Archives for 2013

Like a Good Pair of Heels, These New Pierre Hardy for NARS Blushes Kick Butt

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NARS Pierre Hardy Rotonde Blush
I’m dreaming of shoes… and the new NARS Pierre Hardy Rotonde Blush ($41)

I am a shoe girl…but of course you already knew this. 🙂

Story of my life…

Whenever a new shoe-related beauty collaboration comes along, I’m always eager to try it on for size (haha!), even when the link between said footwear and whatever new perfume (Jimmy Choo) or palette (Seychelles for Smashbox) we’re talking about seems about as random as, I dunno, Ryan Gosling releasing his own line of Mrs. Grossman’s stickers, or Beyoncé launching a limited edition Mrs. Carter Dyson vacuum (as a side, I would totally want both of those things if they were real).

Generally, whenever makeup and shoes are involved, you can count me in, which is why I’m deeply fascinated with the new Pierre Hardy for NARS collection that strutted its stuff online today at narscosmetics.com with six nail polish duos and two powder blushes.

I didn’t know much about Pierre Hardy before this launch. I’d thought, “Is that Ed Hardy’s cousin?” (Kidding) But then I looked him up…

A French shoe designer originally trained in fine arts and dance, Hardy’s fashion career took off in 1988 when he designed his first shoe collection for Christian Dior. His heels and high tops often incorporate geometric elements, which I like. His aesthetic seems very chic to me, and yet it doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously.

Thematically, NARS borrows heavily from Pierre Hardy’s summer 2013 collection here, with a mix of orange, nude, blue, purple and gray, which weave their way into the polishes, while a pattern lifted from a bold cuff repeats itself within the two pans of over-sized blush.

NARS Pierre Hardy blushes in Rotonde (left) and Boys Don't Cry (right)
NARS Pierre Hardy blushes in Rotonde (left) and Boys Don’t Cry (right), $41 each

Last weekend I strapped on some leopard heels and took the blushes out for a walk.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 267

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The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for April 15, 2013
The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for April 15, 2013

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. Do you usually apply your making sitting down or standing up?
    Mostly sitting down in my office, but I’ll do touch-ups standing up when in the bathroom, like while I’m doing my hair.

    You know how sometimes when you take a step back and see everything from that extra foot away in the mirror, it totally changes your perspective?

  2. Have you ever cried at work?
    Oh, hell yeah. Many, many times. When I worked in the city, I even had a special bathroom stall that I always went to when I needed to cry. It was my safe place, and um…I spent a lot of time in there.

    I think my co-workers thought I had serious digestive issues…

  3. When was the last time you wore body glitter in the daytime?
    Hmm… Full-on body glitter? Probably Vegas in 2003.

    I did also wear Michael Kors Leg Shimmer last summer on Kauai…but I don’t know if that counts.

  4. You just ordered a deli sandwich. Do you eat the pickle it comes with?
    I do, if it’s crunchy and not dripping in pickle juice.

  5. Share a good memory from your high school years.
    Picture it: a band nerd. I played with the orchestra in a few school musicals, like A Chorus Line, West Side Story and Damn Yankees and had so much fun doing West Side Story!

    The flute parts were off the hook! Jen and I were the only flautists in the band and spent the the better part of each music class passing notes and talking about boys.

    Ah, to be 16 and completely clueless again… Good times. 🙂

  6. Something looming over your head that you need to get done sooner than later?
    I need to go to the DMV this week, argh!

    But the lines, the crankiness, the horrendous florescent lighting. Every time I go to the DMV I break out in hives, but on a positive note, the DMV is like Disneyland compared to the telephone system at Kaiser.

  7. Do you have a favorite downtime/weekend scent?
    Lately, Bobbi Brown Beach perfume. THE BEST SATURDAY SCENT! Hands down.

  8. List your shower routine from start to finish.
    First, I wash my hair, then run conditioner through it from root to tip.

    I let the conditioner sit and do its thing for a minute or two, and then I usually shave before rinsing off the conditioner.

    Then I wash my face and body, and I don’t know why, but this always takes a minimum of 20 minutes.

    I’ve tried to take five-minute showers but it never works out that way…

  9. What’s your stance on jumpsuits?
    I like ’em in conservative, neutral colors like black or gray, and in a materials I could wear to work. No terry cloth, no bright colors, and definitely nothing that makes me look shorter than I already am.

  10. Have you ever traveled abroad?
    I’ve been to the Philippines, Western Europe, Canada and Mexico.

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

Le List

1. Do you usually apply your making sitting down or standing up?
2. Have you ever cried at work?
3. When was the last time you wore body glitter in the daytime?
4. You just ordered a deli sandwich. Do you eat the pickle it comes with?
5. Share a good memory from your high school years.
6. Something looming over your head that you need to get done sooner than later?
7. What’s your weekend scent?
8. List your shower routine from start to finish.
9. What’s your stance on jumpsuits?
10. Have you ever traveled abroad?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. We’re gonna have a good week, you and I. I can feel it in my knees.

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 239

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Tabs for the MAC Tabby Collection

If I could — if we lived in a house with a yard — I’d give Tabs his own cat dream backyard. A huge open-air cat enclosure, like a safe kitty resort, with all of the amenities of the great outdoors. It would have a grassy area in the middle of it with a small catnip, zinnia and echinacea garden, multiple bird feeders, bushes to hide under and a climbing/shade tree surrounded by a tall wooden fence to keep the less-than-neighborly wild animals away.

I think he’d really, really like something like that…

He could unwind out there after long, grueling days of kitty modeling work, like the day he had today.

It was a tough one. Started with a 6 a.m. flight down to San Diego and ended with a job for MAC in Oakland up here.

Yup, such is life when you’re a world-famous kitty supermodel trying to strike while the iron’s hot. Gotta take the work while you can get it. 🙂

Who is Tabs the Cat? About five years ago I befriended a stray, flea-bitten tabby cat with a bad case of worms. I could see he’d fallen on hard times, but his profound knowledge of high fashion and department store cosmetics led me to believe that he was more than meets the eye. We became fast friends, and now he’s actually my boss (and a successful kitty model).

Tabs for the Betsey Johnson Lipstick Cat Bed

Tabs for Coco Mademoiselle
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Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora!

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WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Christa! Congratulations, Christa! 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

Two Ways to Win a Sephora eCard on Makeup and Beauty Blog

Perfect outdoor mall weather. 🙂

I’m doing that today. For sure. It’s only 7:20, and it’s already sunny as all heck. Just a few clouds in the sky, which look like they’re all gonna burn off, so it’s gonna be another warm one, I bet.

I hope you weekend gets off to a great start. I just opened my eyes a few minutes ago, so my brain hasn’t fully booted up (no caffeine or nom noms yet).

A couple of chirping birds just streaked past my window, but the regular cacophony of songbirds hasn’t begun.

Oh! — I take that back. One of them just called…and there goes the response. Pretty soon it’ll be a full-on bird jamboree up in here.

In other news, good luck in this weekend’s Sephora giveaway. I like that these have become a regular thing around here. I can’t even remember when they started, but I think it was a couple years ago…after Saturday Surfing but before the Makeup Monsters?

Wow, time flies…

They’re just a little way to say “thank you” for visiting and to wish you a wonderful weekend.

Details to enter are down below. I’ll talk to you soon.

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen!!! Wow, that news definitely gets a hoo ray ray and an elephant!!! (I’ve maybe been watching too much Boardwalk Empire.) Thank you so much!!!”
-Shana

“What a lovely surprise it was to see your announcement (after completing one of many exams/papers/projects I have this crazy week)! The eCard will definitely ease expenses for this broke, beauty-obsessed college student. Thank you, Karen and Tabs!!”
-Katie

“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

“Thank you SO much Karen! OMG! Wishes really do come true! I can’t believe I won! You have no idea how much this will help me through the holidays. I’ve been an avid fan of your blog for the past two years. Your witty and creative entries, informative makeup information, and beautiful photos have kept me hooked. I look forward to more of it. Goodness, you’ve
seriously just made my week and it’s only Tuesday night!”
-Zharlynne

“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)

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, what did you do last night? Do you subscribe to any YouTube gurus? Do you have any plants in your house (if you do, what kind)? Your most valuable beauty tool (brush, lash curler, Clarisonic, hairdryer, etc.)? Have you ever dated someone much older or younger than yourself? What’s on your mind? Who makes the best nail polish? Do you know how to tightline your eyes? — 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/YvePff

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, April 14, 2013 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 Christa! Congratulations, Christa! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

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