Archives for 2014

Now Playing: Possessed by Purple, Starring Sonia Kashuk’s Shine Luxe Lip Colour in Sheer Plum

January 2nd, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Sheer Plum Shine Luxe Sheer Lip Colour

Well, it looks like I just found the title to my new tell-all book about being a member of Tabs’ inner circle.

I’m calling it Possessed by Purple: The Life and Times of a Makeup-Loving Cat Lady.

Isn’t that catchy? 🙂 Expect to see it on the New York Times Best Seller list soon.

Haha! Not.

The “purple” is in reference to the orchid obsession currently afflicting my makeup bag. I’m a little infatuated with Pantone’s Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid, so I’ve been wearing purple lips a lot lately…

The purple in this pic is by Sonia Kashuk. It’s her Shine Luxe Lip Colour in Sheer Plum ($10.99), and even though it’s a little darker than I expected for something called “Sheer,” I like it. It’s comfy, too — slick and lightweight — and oh, so moisturizing.

It’s available now at Target stores and also online.

When It Comes to Types of Makeup Products, When Is One Never Enough?

January 2nd, 2014 by Karen 59 Comments

A beauty product where one is never enough? — Rollin’ deep

Oh, that’s easy! For me, it’s lipgloss. Definitely.

I always have at least three or four tubes in my purse, but the funny thing is…they’re usually all variations of pink, coral or peach! — with maybe also a tube of something shimmery and gold in the mix.

I start my days wearing one shade, and move on to others as the day goes on.

MAC Lipglasses and Plushglasses in my purse — MAC attack!

I really can’t even imagine only having a single tube of gloss…

OK, well, of course I can, but I don’t want to. 🙂

I mean, I can get behind the notion of streamlining — getting my makeup bag down to a single bronzer, mascara, foundation, primer, brow product and maybe even a single blush or eyeshadow (!), but one tube of lipgloss…? That just blows my mind.

Options… I guess that’s it for me. I like my lipgloss options.

How about you? When it comes to types of makeup products, when is one never enough?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I hope your year got off to a great start.

First thing this morning, Tabs sent out a company-wide memo ordering an end to the holiday break and demanding that all employees of Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, return to their desks immediately.

Oh, well. 🙂

I haven’t done much product testing over the past week, and we’re sort of between seasonal releases, so I’m trying to think of things to blog about.

Do you have any things you’d like to see? Posts on permanent collection products? Makeup tip-type things or tutorials?

Or just nonstop pics of Tabs in various sexy cat poses?

Lemme know. Meanwhile, I think another cup of coffee is in order.

A Purple Pout Named Violetta: Sonia Kashuk’s Luxe Lip Color SPF 16 in Violetta

January 1st, 2014 by Karen 19 Comments

Everyone has their favorite colors of the year, right? Well, Pantone, purveyors of color standards for the design industry, picked theirs last month, and it’s called Radiant Orchid.

My purple pout today came via Sonia Kashuk’s Satin Luxe Lip Color SPF 16 in Violetta ($9.99) — a relative of Radiant Orchid.

Are you familiar with these lippies (the Satin Luxes)? They’re part of Sonia’s permanent line, and they’re FAB! — like drugstore versions of MAC Mineralize Rich Lipsticks.

Violetta here is a creamy purple with a mirror-like shine, and I think it looks quite fetching with coral cheeks. 🙂

This orchid prefers the climate inside Target stores (it’s also available online).

Doopdadoo… It’s 7, which means it’s almost time for bed (I’ve committed to going to sleep by 9 tonight)! Nothing new to report. I had a nice, relaxing day with Tabs and El Hub. I went for a run AND a walk, and then watched a ton of TV.

I need to work off all the dark chocolate stars I inhaled this season (blast you, Trader Joe, you delicious fiend!).

Write Your Name in the Air With a Sparkler in the Open Thread

January 1st, 2014 by Karen 87 Comments

We were like dancing fools in here last night/this morning, yo! El Hub, Tabs and I. We actually made it to midnight just watching Breaking Bad, and then at about 11:30 our time we switched on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and yelled out the countdown as the ball dropped in Times Square.

We smooched, of course, and then opened all the doors in the house to let in the good luck.

I don’t know if that’s just a family thing or if other people do it, too, but we like to open the doors right at midnight and welcome the good luck into the house. “Come in! Come in! We’re bringing in the good luck!”

Tabs got a little poofy-tailed and scared when he heard some fireworks off in the distance, and he kind of freaked out when we opened the sliding glass door to his deck garden, because I think he smelled firecracker smoke, but he quickly relaxed and joined in the festivities, zipping around our feet while El Hub and I rocked out in the living room.

This is gonna be a good year. 🙂 I know it.

And you’re gonna have a good one, too. We’re all going to have a great year, dammit! Nothing will stop us. We’ll make it happen through sheer force of will!

Right now I’m still slightly groggy from staying up late, but at least I don’t have any big plans for the day. El Hub is home, so we’re talking about going for a hike later in Muir Woods, which is about 30 minutes away. It’s sunny but cold. Pretty good hike weather.

I definitely want to do something out of the house at some point, though. Nothing epic or huge, but I do feel like I should eventually get outside, LOL!

How are you doing? Happy new years, BTW. Welcome to 2014. 🙂

Since I have nothing specifically exciting to say (I mean, I could tell you about how much I’m looking forward to my first cup of dreamy, delicious coffee this morning, because it’s all I can think about right now), let’s just chat about anything in the open thread, OK?

If you’re new to the open thread, here it is in a nutshell:

It’s kinda like our virtual living room, where we can chill and chat in the comments about anything and everything we want — makeup, relationships, work, school, hobbies, TV shows, or anything else.

Everyone here is very cool, too, so feel free to reach out. The open thread lasts all day and night, so pop by whenever you can, and as often as you like.

I saved a spot for you on the couch!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen