Archives for June 2014

Worldly Wealth and Bred for Beauty, The Two New Blushes in the MAC Moody Blooms Collection, Plant Plenty of Pigment on Cheeks

June 10th, 2014 by Karen 6 Comments

Blueish pink Bred for Beauty and peachy bronze Worldly Wealth, the two powder blushes in the new MAC Moody Blooms collection, are making me a happy horticulturist/beauty botanist. 🙂

One word: pigment.

And lots of it.

MAC Powder Blush in Bred for Beauty — Powder Blush in Bred for Beauty, a mid-tone bluish pink ($21)

Just as a random but potentially helpful warning, if you aren’t paying close attention while applying these blushes — like, if you happen to be watching Game of Thrones and dancing to I’m Every Woman while Daenerys Targaryen pets her dragons on screen — be advised that you may have to take the color down a notch or two or 12, so have an extra blush brush or foundation brush handy.

With these blushes, sh*t gets real, and it gets real in a hurry! It’s easy to go overboard with this much pigment, but you should be fine if you use a light touch (and don’t forget to blend out the edges!).

If you’re feeling creative, try layering a bit of bright pink Bred for Beauty on top of Worldly Wealth.

I’m a big fan. 🙂

MAC Powder Blush in Worldly Wealth, a shimmering peachy bronze — Powder Blush in Worldly Wealth, a shimmering peachy bronze ($21)

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I Kudzu Not (Get It?): Make Room for the Eye Shadows From the MAC Moody Blooms Collection

June 10th, 2014 by Karen 25 Comments

What if stylish villainess du jour Maleficent had had a green thumb? I’ll tell you what — girlfriend would not have spent her days tending to tulips and tea roses. I know that much.

Like, if she called you up on her banana phone and invited you to afternoon tea, you’d be wise to brush up on your poisonous plant identification skills before heading over, and be careful not to touch anything with thorns on it; otherwise, you might not make it out of that garden party alive.

Five of the six MAC Moody Blooms Eye Shadows (not pictured: Green Room, a mid-tone teal), $15 each

Moody Blooms, MAC’s latest collection, is like an evil gardener’s dream come true — a dream about being lost in a dark, menacing forest filled with beautiful but deadly plants. As you enter the forest, every fiber of your being screams at you to “TURN BACK NOW!!!” but you don’t.

Because you can’t. 🙂

And before you know it, you’re surrounded by Moody Blooms…

MAC Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Artistic License, a pinkish gold — Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Artistic License, a pinkish gold

Eyes get special treatment in the collection, and there’s plenty of new stuff here. Of the six powder Eye Shadows, I don’t think any of them are permanent collection re-promotes. Same goes for the three Fluidline gel liners.

Among the eye products in the release, False Lashes Mascara in False Black, 211 Pointed Liner and 239 Shader Brushes are re-promotes plucked from the permanent line.

MAC Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Deep Fixation, a metallic brown — Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Deep Fixation, a metallic brown

At first the overall color palette — reddish copper, darkened plum, violet, golden pink, green and teal — sounded more like something from one of MAC’s straight-up artsy collections. I didn’t think I’d be able to figure it out. I just thought it didn’t make sense, but when I got the colors on my lids, the color story clicked.

MAC Frost Eye Shadow in Blooming Mad, a mid-tone ultra violet — Frost Eye Shadow in Blooming Mad, a mid-tone ultra violet

The five of six shadows shown here gleam with flattering finishes — Veluxe Pearl, Frost and Satin. There are no mattes, so if you like a flatter finish in your eye looks, you’ll have to incorporate other shades.

I’m thinking that some warm orangey and/or reddish brown mattes would contrast nicely with the copper, plum, green, brown, teal and golden pink shades, so consider incorporating MAC Soft Brown, Saddle or Texture when you sit down to play.

MAC Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Hidden Motive, a deep aubergine — Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Hidden Motive, a deep aubergine

But with the shadows in Moody Blooms, you have a lot of room to experiment and explore.

You could go the natural-looking route with the gorgeous, easy-to-blend neutral shades in pinkish gold Artistic License and warm metallic brown Deep Fixation, or turn up the volume by smoking out violet Blooming Mad or deep aubergine Hidden Motive.

Or, surprise! — line your lower lash lines with dark yellow Lucky Green or teal Green Room for a splash of unexpected color.

MAC Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Lucky Green, a dark yellow green — Veluxe Pearl Eye Shadow in Lucky Green, a dark yellow green

The MAC Moody Blooms Eye Shadows: Some Thoughts on the Shades

Artistic License: This one reminds me of MAC Sushi Flower a little, but with golden shimmer, less coral and more pink. I think it’s super pretty and easy to blend.
Deep Fixation: Like a dream come true — a dream filmed in coppery warm brown. Pigmented and buttery, Deep Fixation buffs out like nobody’s business. Among the five of six shadows I’ve tried, I think it’s the must-have.
Blooming Mad: I bet Blooming Mad would make a very cool transition shade with copper Deep Fixation. Incidentally, this beauty is definitely channeling Stars N’ Rockets for me.
Hidden Motive: Take my breath away, why don’t you? This righteous reddish purple looks wicked lovely layered with Deep Fixation.
Lucky Green: More yellow than green to my eye, Lucky Green has an almost golden tone to it. I think it fits well with the warm reds and purples in the release — perhaps as a nice pop of bright color when worn on the inner part of the lower lash lines, as I’m doing here.

MAC Moody Blooms swatches Eye Shadows from the left: Artistic License, Deep Fixation, Blooming Mad, Hidden Motive and Lucky Green — Eye Shadows from the left: Artistic License, Deep Fixation, Blooming Mad, Hidden Motive and Lucky Green

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See the Photography of Jessica Trinh and the Cats of Instagram Pop-Up Gallery on Saturday, June 14, at Union Square in San Francisco

June 10th, 2014 by Karen 5 Comments

Photography by Jessica Trinh, Purina MyGreatCat Ambassador — By Jessica Trinh

Tabs has so far been unable to capture the attention of the good human and feline curators at Cats of Instagram, the largest curator of cat pics on Instagram, but he hopes to change that soon…

He’s been prepping his portfolio of pics that he believes could go toe-to-toe with the pics that’ll be on display this Saturday, June 14, in San Francisco’s Union Square at the Purina Pro Plan #MyGreatCat Pop-Up Photo Gallery, a free event from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. in the city (details about the event on Facebook).

Purina enlisted the help of up-and-coming pet photographer Jessica Trinh to help define, in photographic format, “what’s so great about cats,” and to inspire ~~cat owners~~ pet assistants everywhere to recognize and share the things that make their cats great.

Jessica was invited into the homes of 10 cat owners to chronicle their stories through photography, and the photos, along with cat pics collected through a partnership with Cats of Instagram, will be displayed at the gallery in Union Square.

If you like cats, stop by! 🙂

19-Year-Old Pet Photographer Jessica Trinh works to answer the eternal question, “What’s so great about cats?” in picture format

About the Purina Pro Plan #MyGreatCat campaign
Purina Pro Plan wants you to share what you love about your cat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For every photo or video shared that uses the hashtag #MyGreatCat, the brand will donate 1 pound of cat food — up to 50,000 pounds — to cat rescue groups nationwide through the Purina Pro Plan Rally to Rescue network.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What Are Your Holy Grail Hot and/or Humid Weather Brow Products?

June 10th, 2014 by Karen 48 Comments

Wearing MAC Fluidline Gelecreme in Deep Dark Brunette in my brows while smiling awkwardly and consuming massive quantities of birthday sushi at Eiko restaurant in Napa

OK, it’s hot…

It’s so hot in hurr!

Uncomfortably hot.

So hot that it makes you stop and consider whether you really need to cross the street when you’re out walking and the other side of the street doesn’t have any shade.

So hot that your fuzzy little caterpillars, also known as your brows, are at risk of severe heat exposure — also known as attending Sweat Fest 2014.

So, tell me, what are your go-to brow fillers for painfully hot summer days? I’m curious! What are your best-of-the-best holy grail brow pencils, powders, gels, etc. for hot and/or humid weather — the products you use to keep your fuzzy little caterpillars filled, full and happy.

I’m asking partly because, as I was looking through the pics from my birthday last weekend, I realized, “DANG! MAC Fluidline Gelcreme held up REALLY well.”

In that pic up top I’m wearing shade Deep Dark Brunette ($16), and that was taken about 14 hours after I first applied my makeup, after many hours in 95-degree weather, yet even my fuzzy caterpillar’s outer tail area, which is often the first to go, remained full and intact.

Great stuff for long days and extremely hot weather. It’s also versatile, in that you can opt for a more natural, or a dramatic brow look, and easy to use once you get the hang of it.

Yay for flexibility! 🙂 I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a new/better brow filler for summer.

How about you? What are your holy grail hot weather brow products? — the things you can’t/would rather not live without when it gets hot in hurr.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I feel like the luckiest girl in this condo right now! (NOTE: I am currently the only girl in this condo right now, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Thank you very much for your sweet birthday wishes here on MBB and the social media-verse. You didn’t have to do that, but I’m glad you did…because it was awesome. Double scoops and waffle cones for everyone! 🙂

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 299

June 8th, 2014 by Karen 33 Comments

I hope you enjoyed this installment of The Tabby Cat Chronicles, a Tabs the Cat comic. 🙂

In other news…someone is celebrating his/her birthday a day early.

I’ll give you one guess (and there are two correct answers).

OK, it’s me and Tabs. He wanted the condo to himself today, so basically he kicked me out.

I’m not cranky about it, though, because he sent me to Napa, and there are worse places in the world to spend your birthday and birthday eve.

I’m not sure what he has planned, but before I left the house he had me send out 500 e-mail invitations and a mass text with the following, “Party is on 2nite at my place, b there.”

I don’t plan to do much posting tomorrow, but I’ll be around, doin’ my thang. Maybe I’ll see you here or on Twitter or Instagram.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping me and Tabs company all these years. I started in early 2007. Wow, it’s been a while…

There’s nothing profound or fascinating about blogging. It’s just me on the other end of a keyboard in a messy, still almost unfurnished (after three years!) condo with a husky but extremely amiable tabby cat and a not-so-subtle addiction to makeup. Pretty much same as it ever was.

I hope that I brighten your days sometimes as much as you brighten mine. 🙂

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). -Karen

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

June 7th, 2014 by Karen 347 Comments

“Oh, my head…” said the big beefsteak tomato plant, “I feel like crap this morning.” Many of its leaves were yellow and speckled brown.

“You big baby!” chortled one of the roma tomato plants nearby. “You don’t even have a head!”

“I don’t?” said the beefsteak plant, genuinely surprised. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure,” answered the roma plant. “You’re just a stupid plant. I, on the other hand, am sophisticated and wise.”

“Oh…” said the beefsteak. “Do you know why I feel so bad?”

The beefsteak wasn’t doing well. Unlike the roma, who lived in a large wooden planter box with excellent drainage, the beefsteak lived in a large 18-inch plastic pot with a single small hole at the base for drainage. The pot sat flush on the wooden slats of the deck, lacking clearance beneath the pot for ventilation and drainage. Its soil was damp to the touch, even though the last watering was yesterday morning. Mushrooms sprouted up from the soil around the tomato’s stalk.

“You drank too much last night, you big goof!” said the roma, whose soil was cool and dry. Multiple large drainage holes were cut into the base of its wooden container.

“I did?” replied the beefsteak, confused. “I don’t… Oh, yeah! I remember now. Duuude, last night was off the chain! I drank all night.”

“Idiot,” interrupted the roma.

“What time did I get home?” asked the beefsteak.

The roma paused. “What time did you get home?” it asked. “Seriously? Are you really that dense? You never even left the deck. You just sat there drinking water the whole time.”

“I did?” said the beefsteak. “Whoa! Huh-huh… It must have been one hell of a night!”

LOL! That was fun… 🙂 Good morning, glory! Rise and shine, my friend. It’s going to be a beautiful day. This little story actually has some truth to it because I think I am overwatering my plants. A couple of the tomatoes aren’t doing too well, and one of the potted lavender plants.

They all like different amounts of water, so it’s a work in progress. I’m still trying to figure it out. Plus, if you’re a plant, Tabs isn’t the easiest co-gardener to work with. He bites…plants.

I’m just getting started with my day, having my first cup of coffee and fiddling around. I hope your weekend gets off to a great start.

One of my coworkers (yes, I’m referring to Tabs) is having a birthday on Monday, so we’ll probably do something fun.

Talk to you soon. Good luck in the giveaway.

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 are your plans this weekend?
- Your #1 gardening tip?
- What’s the most exhilarating thing you’ve ever done?
- Favorite talk show?
- I’m very proud of ______.
- Do you do highlighting and/or contouring with your makeup?
- Chocolate milk: yes or no?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, June 9, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time), which is, incidentally, someone’s birthday. 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Wherever You Go…

June 6th, 2014 by Karen 5 Comments

Wherever you go, shine your bright light, and keep your eyes wide open to see the beauty that surrounds you. 🙂

Short Hair Don’t Care

June 6th, 2014 by Karen 84 Comments

So, um…this happened!

So much for keeping it long. El Hub is super cranky, LOL! You know boys and long hair… Whatevs, he’ll get over it. 🙂

My friend Alis at Fox + Stone salon in Corte Madera did a loose a-line razor cut. See how it’s shorter in the back and slightly longer in the front?

She kept the same base color, a warm chocolate, and added copper highlights.

I’m really happy with how it turned out! Even though I love having long hair, my head feels so much lighter now. I no longer feel like I’m wearing a 10-pound hat. And if I get bored, I’ll just start the long process of growing it out again. Gives me something to do!