Archives for February 2014

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 284

February 23rd, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Tabs has been a little more diva than usual lately, not that I can blame him for having a big head. He is, after all, in several Oscar-nominated films.

You can’t expect something like that not to feed a cat’s ego. You just can’t.

Wait — you didn’t know that Tabs was also an actor?

Oh, yeah! In fact, he went to Juilliard. He just doesn’t like to broadcast it.

He’s famous in Hollywood for how he totally immerses himself in his roles. It looks effortless on screen. You forget that you’re watching Tabs the Cat, world-renowned kitty supermodel and three-time winner of People Magazine’s World’s Sexiest Cat.

He spends months researching each role, which, by the way, can be super annoying. I’m not even going to tell you the things he asked me to do when he was researching The Tabby of Wall Street, but let’s just say that there were a lot of crazy parties involved, and I had to clean them all up.

So annoying…

Anywho, here are the posters for the Cat Academy Award-nominated movies he’s in. I have to take them to the frame shop and get them mounted this week. Then they go up on the walls in his trophy room, formerly known as my office.

P.S. Don’t forget to watch the Cat Academy Awards next Sunday night. 🙂

Who is Tabs the Cat? About seven 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).

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7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

February 22nd, 2014 by Karen 406 Comments

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine. 🙂 Happy Caturday.

How did you sleep? Did you have any good dreams? I’m not sure if I did… Can’t remember.

I did, however, have a nice night. El Hub and I went to dinner at the Pasta Pomodoro down the street (I had a glass of moscato, which I’ve totally been into lately), and then came home.

Action packed? No, not really. But it was nice.

Today I have some household things to take care of, like grocery shopping and cleaning up the deck. We are literally down to the bare minimum in the fridge. You know how when you open the fridge and wonder, “Hmm… What can I make with half an onion, three slices of bread and some barbecue sauce?”

LOL! OK, it’s not that bad yet, but almost.

What do you have going on today? Please tell me you’re doing something fun. I have chores to do, so I need to live vicariously through you.

I slept in this morning, so I haven’t even had my first cup of coffee. I’m about to, and I’m beyond ecstatic about it. While I go make my favorite drink, why don’t you enter this weekend’s giveaway? I’ll be right back. 🙂

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).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- What’s your favorite eye look right now (a coppery golden eye, brown smokey eye, simple cat eye, etc.)?
- Do you know how to do cut crease eyeshadow?
- Who makes the best drugstore makeup brushes?
- What’s the weather like today?
- Have you been skiing or snowboarding this year?
- Do you wear hair extensions?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, February 24, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Spice Up Your Side Braids With This Easy 5-Minute Hair How-To

February 21st, 2014 by Karen 23 Comments

Kristin Perry Daisy Flower Braid In — Flower power!

Not gonna lie — the Katniss side braid has been saving my @ss the past few months. Whenever I’m too lazy to really do anything substantial with my hair, a casual side braid werks.

But ya know, even tried-and-true hairstyles can benefit from new twists.

When I stumbled across the Daisy Flower Braid in by Kristin Perry Accessories ($14), I thought, yes! This’ll spice up ye olde side braid quite nicely without adding any time to the process.

It’s a long suede cord with embroidered daisies and golden leaf detailing at the ends. You work it into braids for extra texture and to add some color to your hair.

To use it, I start by gathering my hair into a low side ponytail, which I secure with an elastic. Then I wrap the cord around the base of the ponytail several times to conceal the elastic.

Once done with that, I tie a loose knot, then double up the cord. Then I section the hair in the ponytail into two parts, leaving me with the three components of the braid — the first section of hair, the second section and the doubled-up cord.

Next part’s easy. Just braid the three components together. When I get to the bottom, I grab another elastic to secure the end of the braid, wrap the cord around it several times to conceal said elastic, and tie the ends of the cord in a knot.

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A Friday Face of the Day With the New NARS Matte Multiples

February 21st, 2014 by Karen 28 Comments

Wearing the new NARS Laos and Cappadoce Matte Multiples on my cheeks — Those are the new NARS Laos and Cappadoce Matte Multiples on my cheeks.

I took a couple of the new NARS Matte Multiples out for a spin today. 🙂

I wanted to see if they’d work on top of NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation, and they did! They buffed and blended easily, and now it’s just a question of seeing how well they wear over the next few hours…

Cappadoce, the golden bronze, I’m wearing as a bronzer, and I’m wearing Laos, the rosy coral, as a blush.

Um…yes, I am wearing warm coppery bronze colors on my eyes, again, this time via Tom Ford’s eye quad in Cognac Sable. Apparently, I’m going through a phase, LOL!

Tom Ford Cognac Sable Quad — Tom Ford Cognac Sable on my lids, MAC Superslick Liquid Liner in Definitely Feline on my upper lash lines and MAC Costa Riche on my water lines

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These 88 Singles Are Ready To Mingle: The NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadows Line

February 21st, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

She’s single and ready to mingle!

No, I am not referring to my personal mantra circa 2001. 🙂 I’m referring to NYX’s new monumental permanent line of Hot Singles Eye Shadows powder shadow singles.

Monumental as in 88 shades — wow! — and the pots are only $4.50 each.

Whether you’re looking for shimmers, mattes, brights or neutrals, there’s a very, very good chance you’ll find something interesting nestled among the seven dozen shades.

These hot singles are also highly pigmented, something I did not expect the first time I swatched them on my arm. The eight shades I’ve tried didn’t exactly “arm swatch” well.

Arm swatch… There I go inventing verbs.

In fact, they appeared downright patchy and sheer, and I had to build them up with 2-3 layers to reach the level of intensity in the pictures here.

Ah, but introduce them to an eye brush, and the story changes. When I use a flat eyeshadow brush and pat them on my lids, they’re surprisingly pigmented.

I should point out that some of the lighter beige and white mattes do appear slightly chalky on my skin, but for $4.50 each, I can deal.

Of the eight I’ve tried, shimmery golden pink Sex Kitten and matte beige Vixen are probably my definitely my faves. Lovely basics, the both of them.

Shimmery purple Maneater is right up there, too. Patted on the lids with black or plum liner on the lash and/or water lines, it’s mesmerizing. I can’t wait to see it on someone with green or hazel eyes (I love it on my eyes, which are brown).

Thanks to NYX, makeup lovers like us have 88 new reasons to visit the drugstore (they’re also available at Ulta and online at nyxcosmetics.com).

NYX Hot Singles Swatches from the left: Pink Lady, Lolita, Asphyxiation and Whipped Cream — Swatches from the left: Pink Lady, Lolita, Asphyxiation and Whipped Cream

NYX Hot Singles Swatches from the left: Vixen, STFU, Maneater and Sex Kitten — Swatches from the left: Vixen, STFU, Maneater and Sex Kitten

NARS Matte Multiple Collection Pics and Swatches

February 21st, 2014 by Karen 26 Comments

Prior to swatching the new NARS Matte Multiple collection this morning, this was my idea of a dream-come-true with multiples… 🙂

SUPER STOKED about this new line of matte cream blushes and bronzers! I’ll be putting them through their paces today and this weekend. For now, though, please partake of these pics and swatches.

All seven shades are available now at narscosmetics.com and coming to NARS counters next month.

NARS Matte Multiple Collection Swatches from the left: Anguilla, Exumas, Siam and Laos

NARS Matte Multiple Collection Swatches from the left: Cappadoce, Altai and Vientiane

Is the New Clarins Opalescence Face & Blush Powder Out of This World?

February 21st, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Took me a while to say goodbye to this gorgeous design. I didn’t want to mess up the pretty pan.

Is it just me (probably), but doesn’t it look a little astronomical/sci-fi?

Whoa! Did you see that? I thought I saw a satellite fly by… 🙂

I actually don’t think it’s supposed to be interstellar. I think Clarins was going for graphic design.

I like it — the contrasting lines and circles. Very artsy-fartsy, isn’t it?

Clarins Opalescence Face & Blush Powder — Face & Blush Powder is one of 14 products in the new Clarins Opalescence Spring 2014 collection

I must say…kudos to Clarins for being so consistent with their limited edition blushes. I can pretty much always count on them to 1) never leave me looking like a deranged clown, 2) smell great (this one smells like jasmine) and 3) be really easy to use.

Opalescence Face & Blush Powder ($40) is no exception.

Technically, it’s designed to be used as an all-over face powder, a contour powder and a blush. Just dust the matte pinkish beige on your shiny spots, sculpt your cheekbones with the matte tan, and add a little color to the apples of your cheeks with the matte coral. (The shimmery gold, by the way, is an overspray and disappears after the first few swipes.)

Clarins Opalescence Face & Blush Powder Swatch — All three of Opalescence’s shades blended together

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Planting the Seeds of Makeup Inspiration

February 20th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Why, yes! I am that lady who kneels down on the sidewalk at the mall and takes a billion pictures of floral arrangements and planters. 🙂

But, I assure you, there is a method to my madness.

I get some great makeup color combo ideas from the flowers in those planters.

Seriously! Like this one here that I saw at the mall this week…

Look at that purple, green, pink, yellow and brown. Wouldn’t that combination make a great makeup look?

I’m thinking about that lighter purplish pink on the lids, the darker purple in the outer corners, the golden yellow to highlight the inner corners and a deep, dark chocolate brown liner along my lash and water lines.

And maybe also a green along my lower lash line, too. Then a pop of hot pink on my lips…

OK, now I’m itching to give this a try!

Do you ever snap pics of flower planters on your phone when you’re out and about? They’re really great sources of makeup inspiration.