And it’s Tabs-approved.
I Found Your New Favorite T-Shirt
Archives for 2013
Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 236
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).
Ever seen a cat ride a mountain bike?
Yeah, it’s funny. 🙂 I cracked up watching Tabs ride away on mine a little while ago. His short little legs were stretching to reach those pedals, let me tell you, and he looked so cute with my big blue helmet on and the little white strap under his chin.
When I wouldn’t agree to drive him to the hardware store today, he pumped up the tires on my bike all by himself, dragged the bike outside and left.
He had to lean the bike against a wall to keep it upright while he hopped up on a garbage can to reach the seat.
All this because he wants to buy a bird feeder… Yup, one of those hummingbird ones with the sweet syrup inside.
See, he got it into his head that he would hang the feeder from one of the rafters above the deck outside. That way he’d have something to do/watch while he’s outside sunning himself or tending to his catnip and zinnia garden.
Kind of like outdoor cat TV.
Anywho, I hope he’s alright. I worry about him out there with the traffic. He doesn’t have a lot of practice riding bikes, and I don’t even know if his cat license is up to date…
Oh, I know I shouldn’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be fine.
While he’s gone, would you like to see the latest pics from his kitty modeling portfolio? Here’s what Tabs has been up to this week…
Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora!
WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Kprice! Congratulations, Aida! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
What a gorgeous spring day! Um…when the heck did this happen!? Did the earth suddenly tilt on its axis yesterday? I figured I would have noticed something like that, like maybe gotten a little seasick or queasy. “Whoa! Did you feel that?? Something just moved… It felt like the whole world just tilted and WOW! Would ya look at all the flowers and pretty green hills, and the birds are singing, and it’s so much warmer and sunnier now!” 🙂
Geez, I hope it’s also nice where you are, but if it’s not, the calendar says it will be soon.
This is hiking weather here today, and I think I’m gonna do that. Maybe pack a small picnic and find a nice field somewhere to eat lunch.
Hmm… I should probably also take some allergy medicine, just in case.
Hope you’re having a great day so far. Good luck in this weekend’s Sephora gift card giveaway, and I’ll touch base again soon. Details to enter are right down below…
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)
- 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, if you were a bird, what kind of bird would you be? Are you a good swimmer? Most memorable picnic? When I say the word, “blush,” what’s the first word that springs to mind? How often do you paint your nails? Most underrated affordable makeup brand? How many countries have you visited (layovers DO count)? — 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/YyfaZY
- The deadline to enter is Sunday, March 24, 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 Kprice! Congratulations, Aida! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
BECCA’s Ultimate Crème Eyeliner in Belle Epoque
Reaching for the Sunshine
Friday Shoe Shenanigans at DSW
I couldn’t concentrate my way out of paper bag this afternoon, so I left Tabs a note and took the afternoon off! 🙂
I wrote the words, “fashion emergency,” but what I meant was, “I desperately need to look at shoes, and I need to look at them NOW.”
I don’t know. Footwear. It just soothes me.
I headed to the DSW about a half a mile away here in Novato. Since it’s finally warm enough to bust out the sandals and put away the boots, and because my current casual shoes all look like Tabs has been using them to test his claws (he hates anything that isn’t haute couture), I went with the goal of finding a cute, comfy pair of shoes for spring.
Soon as I got there (my safe place!), I tried on a pair of mint flats by Steve Madden.
Adorable! — but my toes were sweating within 30 seconds. Pass.
Then I stumbled on these striped flats by Dr. Scholl’s…
I loved the bright, cheerful stripes, and when I slipped them on, I felt like I was floating on a cloud…
Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure about the buckle, and that sort of put me on the fence about them, so I messaged my friend Jen for advice.
She liked ’em, too, but there was that buckle… I mean, I just couldn’t get over the buckle. The more I looked at it, the more it looked like the Green Bay Packers logo to me.
So I passed.
After I put the shoes back on the shelf, I wandered around some more and waited for inspiration to strike.
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Clinique Welcomes Spring With a Customizable Gift With Purchase Blooming With Cheer and Choice Pieces
There I stood at my bathroom counter this morning, coaxing the last few precious drops out of my bottle of Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion (a mild miracle-working exfoliator that keeps my zits in check), and marveling at a phenomenon I call, “the mustache effect.”
The mustache effect describes the mysterious appearance of upper lip hair during a particular phase of life known as, “the wonder years.”
LOL! But seriously, I actually have no idea when my ‘stach grew in. One morning it was just there, like a hungry caterpillar straight chillin’ above my lips.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out how I missed something so obvious, with all of the hours I logged as a teenage girl in front of the mirror trying to defy gravity with my bangs. I mean, literally, it was right under my nose!
Now, when something seemingly appears or disappears without warning, like the contents of my bottle of Clinique Clarifying Lotion (I didn’t even know it was running low), I say, “Ah! The mustache effect.”
I do have a point with this, and here it is: don’t become a victim of the mustache effect. Visit a Clinique counter (or wherever else you need to go) before it’s too late.
Check your bottles! And if any of them are running low, restock.
For what it’s worth, Clinique counters at Macy’s are doing a pretty sweet nine-piece gift with purchase deal from March 25 through April 14, free with any purchase of $25 or more in Clinique products at Macy’s.
“But Karen!” I think I can hear you saying, “If I get one more tube of Bamboo Pink Lipstick, I’m gonna have to kick someone with my Chuck Taylor high-tops.”
Don’t bust a move just yet, ninja girl, because Clinique lets you customize this set. You can pick your own palette and lipstick.
Prefer pink? Pick the pink pairings palette, which comes with a Pink Slate Eye Shadow Duo, Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher in New Clover and a True Bronze Pressed Powder in Sunkissed.
Or if you’re partial to purple, grab the violet pairings palette instead, which features the Twilight Mauve Eye Shadow Duo, Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher in Pink Blush and the True Bronze Pressed Powder Bronzer in Sunkissed.
As for the lipsticks, you can choose between violet Shy, and good ol’ reliable Bamboo Pink.
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5 Spring Trends to Try Right Now
What is this 1990?? Check out those Cindy Crawford brows! 🙂
Bold brows are just one of the spring trends I dish about in 5 Spring Trends to Try Right Now, my latest post for Gloss Daily, the Ladies’ Home Journal beauty blog.
To find out the other four, and get good some ideas for ways to work the trends into your makeup routine, click here!
Show me some love, too, while you’re there. If you like the post, please leave a comment and say hi.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen