Archives for 2014

Sausalito, Teacup Kitties and Sightseeing With a Friend

November 14th, 2014 by Karen 15 Comments

You probably already knew this…but the Internet? Kind of amazing sometimes!

I mean, not only can you buy shoes with the push of a few buttons and have them delivered to you from thousands of miles away (shoe miracles), but you can meet and get to know people from all over the world.

Today I real life met Steph, who lives clear across the country, but since she was going to be out this way, we made a date to connect.

Steph and I have been chatting online in the comments here on the blog and Instagram off and on for at least five or six years, and I finally got the chance to hang out with her in person today.

Hi, Steph! 🙂

We walked around Sausalito for a bit, which is a cute town on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge, and did some sightseeing and window shopping at one of my favorite stores, the Sausalito Ferry Co. They sell all kinds of cheeky toys and snarky cards and magnets and things like the teacup kitties in that pic at the top.

It was such a nice day! And it was a real pleasure finally meeting you in actual person, Steph. 🙂

A Warning to All Crazy Cat Ladies Considering the New Laura Mercier Luxe Travel Brush Collection…

November 14th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Take heed, crazy cat ladies. Rubbing the brushes in Laura Mercier’s $125 Luxe Travel Brush Collection across your face may induce irresistible urges to adopt additional cats.

WARNING: If you have already acquired a “gateway cat,” exercise extreme caution, especially around the Cheek Colour Brush, because it feels exactly like the softest, plushest, most downy delicious belly meat.

Makeup lovers have reported that it made them contemplate kitty crime. “I’m considering kidnapping an adorable tortie girl who lives down the street,” said one woman, “even though I know better…” 🙁

Gate-way cat
noun
Among members of the crazy cat lady community, the third cat is commonly referred to as “the gateway cat,” since it opens the door to adopting even more cats and posits the question, at this point, why stop at just three?

All eight of the brushes in this set feel kitten soft, from the fluffy Pony Tail Brush (fabulous for erasing hard edges, applying highlighter to those upper cheekbones, or for blending under-eye concealer), to the Angled Eye Liner Brush (great for thin lines and flicks, and it also doubles as a spot applicator for concealer). The set also comes with a travel case and a removable mesh cosmetic bag insert.

The $125 Laura Mercier Luxe Travel Brush Collection includes…

Cheek Color Brush

Secret Camouflage Brush

Pony Tail Brush

Creme Eye Colour Brush

Eye Crease Brush

Smudge Brush

Flat Eye Liner Brush

Angled Eye Liner Brush

Travel Case with removable mesh cosmetic bag

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The $26 bareMinerals Lipspectacular Set Brings All the Boys to the Yard

November 14th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

You know that moment after a looong day when you finally take off your false lashes and your Spanx? Yeah, the six glosses in the $26 bareMinerals Lipspectacular set feel even better than that.

They’re just so smooth and creamy and oh, my friggin’ goodness! — comfortable. And not sticky at all.

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Meet Elsa the Tortie…

November 13th, 2014 by Karen 18 Comments

Otherwise known as my side-cat, or “my cat on the side.” She wants to keep our relationship on the down-low… I’d rather go public with it and make it a full-time thing, but Tabs has a strong opinion on that subject. (He just says, “No.”)

Elsa lives right around the corner from me. She’s a tiny thing, only about five pounds, who eats treats out of my hand and serenades me with meows. When I visit her, I get head butts, purrs and slow blinks — the crazy cat lady holy trinity.

I Raise My Glass to BECCA’s $38 Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Gold

November 13th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

Just FYI, keep your BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Gold ($38) away from any flocks of wild canaries, because they could potentially mistake it for one of their own.

BECCA Champagne Gold — BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Gold, $38

Don’t worry, this highlighter isn’t for the birds. Yeah, it looks jarringly yellow in swatches and the pan (at least I thought so at first), but it’s a totally different story on skin.

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Wield a Blending Brush Like a Wizard Wields a Wand With the $40 BECCA Ombre Nudes Eye Palette

November 13th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

“Is that the girl Kiera Knightly calls to get her beat face?”

With BECCA’s Ombre Nudes Eye Palette ($40) in your makeup bag, peeps will wonder if you’re a celeb makeup artist. The palette makes it a whole lot easier to create professional-caliber, super-blended eye looks, even if you’re totally new to makeup.

Seriously. If I gave a four-year-old hopped up on Oreos and Cherry Coke a couple blending brushes, this palette, a blindfold and my face, that kid would create hella tight makeup looks at least some of the time. 🙂 It’s that good.

The palette houses five matte brown neutral eyeshadows, some of which only vary slightly, and they all have subtle gray undertones. Some of the shades are so closely related that they wouldn’t even be allowed to marry in some states. 🙂

Because the shades are so similar, they’re very easy to transition into each other, making them absolutely fabulous for hazy, blown-out eyes with subtle gradients.

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Unsung Heroes: Rouge Bunny Rouge Nocturnal Ink Satin Eyeliner in Blue Roan

November 13th, 2014 by Karen 32 Comments

Rouge Bunny Rouge Blue Roan — Wearing my newest liquid liner love, Rouge Bunny Rouge Satin Eyeliner in Blue Roan ($28)

I’m afraid my pen of Rouge Bunny Rouge Nocturnal Ink Satin Liner in Blue Roan is about to start avoiding me because I’ve become totally obsessed with it. Pretty soon I’ll be knocking on its door at 3 in the morning yelling, “Blue Roan! I love you! Don’t you see?! We’re meant to be together forever!” Neighbors will call the cops and sh*t and complain about the wild-haired woman declaring her love for a liquid liner, but then I’ll just cut out a bunch of words and letters from a magazine and use them to make this note: Karen + Blue Roan = 4 Life!!!

Yeah, this dark navy blue liquid liner is le bomb, and not just because it survived season four of The Gilmore Girls (which I may or may not have marathon-ed in a single day).

The liquid flows smoothly and evenly from the flexible felt tip. This pen creates thin and thick lines and flicks faster than you can say, “Karen, you need professional help.” 🙂