Archives for June 2014

Do You Ever Borrow, Sneak or Steal Scented Products (Perfumes, Colognes, Body Washes, Moisturizers, Etc.) From Your Significant Other?

June 12th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

The newest scent from L'Occitane, Mer & Mistral — The latest in aromatic awesomeness from L’Occitane: Mer & Mistral

QUESTION: Do I ever sneak, steal or borrow fragrances from El Hub?

Well, does a cat like cardboard? (That would be a resounding “yes.”)

I do it all the time, like his Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme?

Man, I love that stuff…

It’s in the medicine cabinet in our bathroom, and sometimes I’ll “borrow” it when I’m in the mood for something a little less floral than my usual uber-girly scents.

Yeah, the whole borrowing thing is one of the main reasons I keep our shower stocked with “El Hub’s favorite” (in air quotes) shower gel, Lush Dirty Springwash.

Because, you know, I, um…use it on occasion.

I can also confirm that the latest addition to El Hub’s fragrance stash, L’Occitane’s Mer & Mistral — a fresh, aquatic potion of pine, cypress and rosemary notes evocative of the Mediterranean — is perfectly suited to both men and women.

I recently placed bottles of Mer & Mistral Shower Gel (bubbles!) and Fresh Body Gel (absorbs so fast!) on El Hub’s shelf in the bathroom, but they have slowly migrated (purely of their own accord!) to my area. 🙂

From the left: Mer & Mistral Fresh Shower Gel ( $18), Fresh Body Gel ($20) and Eau de Toilette ($75)

So, my friend, dish the deets! Do you ever borrow, sneak or steal scented products from your significant other? Inquiring fragrance fiends want to know…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

One of My Favorite Flowers…

June 11th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

Peonies. 🙂

I received them as a gift this week.

Aren’t they beautiful?

Buuuuuut, they aren’t cat-friendly, so I have them on a very high shelf in a room Tabs isn’t allowed to go into.

I also love freesia, hydrangeas and sunflowers…and about a zillion other flowers, LOL!

What are your favorite flowers?

Polish Pairings: It’s a Coral and Hot Pink Hump Day With the Tom Ford Coral Beach and Indiscretion Nail Lacquers

June 11th, 2014 by Karen 7 Comments

To the creator of the accent nail: BLESS YOU. 🙂

You made it so much easier to pick a nail polish! (Because I don’t actually have to pick one color. I can use two. Or three. Or four.)

I’m currently wearing a two-shade mani with Tom Ford’s Coral Beach (the main coral color) and Indiscretion (the hot pink accent nail).

It feels like a good summery combo to me.

Both are available now at Tom Ford counters and online for $32 each.

Also, the necklace I’m wearing in these pics is the Neon Spray Necklace ($49) by Kristin Perry.

I sure love Kristin Perry’s jewelry.

Beatiful Together and Apart: The MAC Moody Blooms Worldly Wealth and Bred For Beauty Blushes

June 11th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

MAC Worldly Wealth and Bred For Beauty Blush — Wearing the new MAC Moody Blooms collection Worldly Wealth and Bred For Beauty Powder Blushes together at the same time

Sometimes two is better than one. (NOTE: please don’t tell Tabs I said that. He insists that one plus-size tabby is more than enough.) 🙂

While you can certainly wear either of the hella pigmented Powder Blushes from the MAC Moody Blooms collection by themselves — I mean, Bred for Beauty and Worldly Wealth look stunning on their own (just don’t forget to blend, blend, blend) — layered together they create a downright bewitching combination blush!

I like to start with a layer of shimmery golden bronze Worldly Wealth first, and followup with pink Bred for Beauty dusted directly on top. Then I buff the two together with a clean powder brush.

Worldly Wealth’s shimmer peeks through bright pink Bred for Beauty, which has a flatter finish, creating a sweet sun-kissed and complement to warm coppery eye makeup like I’m wearing here.

Just add a pinkish coral lip, and you’re good to go! 🙂

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

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

[Continue reading…]

These Six MAC Moody Blooms Sheen Supreme Lipsticks Gleam Like a Dream

June 11th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

The six Sheen Supreme Lipsticks from the new MAC Moody Blooms collection ($17 each) — The six MAC Moody Blooms collection Sheen Supreme Lipsticks ($17 each)

Like deep green leaves bathed in the light of a full moon, these beautiful bulbs of tuberous terrific-ness gleam! — but not like high-shine metallics or frosts. Their sheen is more muted and shrewd than that…

I can really see it in the six Moody Blooms collection Sheen Supreme Lipsticks ($17 each).

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Moody Bloom, a bronze plum — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Moody Bloom, a bronzed plum

While bronzy plum Moody Bloom and pinkish coral Phosphorescent radiate a few watts of warmth, most of these lecherous lippies live on the cool- and neutral-toned sides of the garden, which makes sense to me. I think it balances well with the warm earthy copper, brown, and warm pinkish gold eye makeup in the release.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Phosphorescent, an electric pinkish coral — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Phosphorescent, an electric pinkish coral

As for the semi-opaque Sheen Supreme Lipstick formula, it still lets some of my natural lip color peek through, so these definitely aren’t sheer, and my lips like how they feel — plush, creamy and super soft, almost like a gloss.

As they fade on my lips over the course of about two hours, they leave behind a lovely stain — particularly the brighter colors, like pinkish coral Phosphorescent, my favorite of the bunch, and dark bluish pink Pheromonal.

Unfortunately, they aren’t the most moisturizing lip products in the glam garden, but I think they’ve improved over the original MAC Sheen Supremes released in 2011.

Those back then sucked all of the H₂O out of my lips, but I think this batch in Moody Blooms is a little better.

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Pheromonal, a dark blueish pink — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Pheromonal, a dark blueish pink

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Lust Extract, an electric violet — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Lust Extract, an electric violet

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Quite the Thing!, a deep blueish plum — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Quite the Thing!, a deep blueish plum

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Venomous Violet, a deep berry available exclusively online at maccosmetics.com — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Venomous Violet, a deep berry (available exclusively online at maccosmetics.com)

They don’t completely dehydrate my lips, but if I lived in a desert, I think I’d probably apply a layer of lip balm first. I wore Phosphorescent a lot up in Napa last weekend, and it was hot and dry! By the end of the weekend trip, my pucker was starting to get a little parched.

MAC Moody Blooms Sheen Supreme Lipstick Swatches from the left: Moody Bloom, Phosphorescent, Pheromonal, Lust Extract, Quite the Thing and Venomous Violet — Swatches from the left: Moody Bloom, Phosphorescent, Pheromonal, Lust Extract, Quite the Thing and Venomous Violet

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Moody Bloom Swatch — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Moody Bloom

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Phosphorescent Swatch — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Phosphorescent

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Pheromonal Swatch — Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Pheromonal

[Continue reading…]

What Was Your Last Major Makeup or Big Beauty Change?

June 11th, 2014 by Karen 35 Comments

Did you dye your hair a different color, ditch your signature red lips for pink, or set aside your neutral eyeshadows to focus more on brights?

Mine was chopping off 6 inches of hair last week! 🙂

How about you? What was your last major makeup or big beauty change?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day.

The MAC Moody Blooms Fluidlines in Copperthorn, Nightshade and Black Ivy Look Wicked Good

June 10th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Pardon me while I freak out a little (in a good way) over the three new Fluidlines in the MAC Moody Blooms collection.

They look like great layering shades, don’t they? I can’t wait to try these as bases with the new Moody Blooms Eye Shadows…

All three will be blooming with the rest of the Moody Blooms collection online at maccosmetics.com June 24, and at North American stores and counters June 26.

MAC Fluidline in Copperthorn, a glittery bronze — Fluidline in Copperthorn, a glittery bronze

MAC Fluidline in Nightshade, a blackened plum — Fluidline in Nightshade, a blackened plum

MAC Fluidline in Black Ivy, a blackened greenish plum — Fluidline in Black Ivy, a blackened greenish plum

MAC Moody Blooms Fluidline Swatches from the left: Copperthorn, Nightshade and Black Ivy — Swatches from the left of Copperthorn, Nightshade and Black Ivy

Nightshade… I love that word. 🙂

For more MAC Moody Blooms collection coverage…

Birthdays Are for Yummy Things…

June 10th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

Bruschetta with cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil

If you’re going to blow your calorie budget on your birthday, might as well go big or go home 🙂

Found my new favorite Italian restaurant yesterday, Ca’ Momi Enoteca at the Oxbow Public Market in Napa.

The market is like the Ferry Building in San Francisco but on a smaller scale. It’s a big upscale mall in a warehouse lined with food booths, gourmet meat and cheese counters, spice and culinary counters and small Wine County shops.

Ca’ Momi Enoteca, which is one of several places to eat there, serves traditional Italian food (they’re actually certified as authentic by the Italian government!), and it is LA BOMBA.

I had the Linguine al pesto Genovese with organic basil pesto, potatoes and green beans. Mmm…

El Hub’s Pizza Inferno with spicy salame calabrese, gorgonzola, taggiasca olives and organic raw onions. Also mmm…

Iced Tea Ca Momi — Italian iced tea, straight from Italy, coming right up!

While we were up there in Napa, we also found a great Japanese (modern style with a large eclectic menu) place downtown called Eiko’s, about a 10-minute walk from the Oxbow Public Market.

Delish!

The Neko Chan roll (snow crab and avocado inside topped with fresh salmon and thinly sliced lemon) and the Tsunami roll (crab, tempura onions and avocado topped with tempura, scallops, jalapeño and spicy aioli) — The Neko Chan roll (snow crab and avocado topped with fresh salmon and thinly sliced lemon) and the Tsunami roll (crab, tempura onions and avocado topped with tempura, scallops, jalapeño and spicy aioli)

New Zealand King Salmon Entree, a 6oz filet with teriyaki Sauce, tempura brown rice risotto, roasted brussels sprouts with crispy pork belly — New Zealand King Salmon Entree, a 6-oz filet with teriyaki Sauce, tempura brown rice risotto, roasted brussels sprouts with crispy pork belly

I learned that Napa has A LOT of good places to eat and a great walking downtown.

In all the years I’ve lived here (more than 10), we’ve actually only been to the town of Napa twice! — because the other time we unknowingly went to kind of a boring area. We usually go to other small towns in the area. I definitely want to go back to Napa now, though. It was yummage to the extreme.