Archives for 2014

Gold and Brown Cat Eyes With a Pop of Pink Eyeshadow: My Face of the Day With the New Shupette By Karl Lagerfeld Shu Uemura Holiday Collection

October 21st, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

Hey, man, if you’re going to hobble around your condo at or near the speed of molasses, you may as well do it in style, and by style, I mean wearing a brown cat eye with a berry lip. 🙂

A funny thing happened in the half marathon the other day. Going up and down those San Francisco hills, my quads went completely ham.

Now I can’t go down the stairs!

Well, I can…but it takes me forever, and I almost fall every time. I can go up the stairs just fine, which is weird, but going down is a struggle.

So when the FedEx guy, who on an unrelated note is a dead-ringer for Paul Giamatti, rang the doorbell earlier today and I tried to make it downstairs, I almost didn’t.

All I could think as I desperately clung to the railing was, “Please! If I fall right now, let Paul Giamatti hear my cries and come to my aid, and if he does, please don’t have him judge me because I have chocolate in my teeth and I’m not wearing any makeup.”

Thankfully, I didn’t tumble (knocks on wood!), and I’ve figured out that if I slowly descend the stairs going backwards, I can make it to the bottom in one piece.

So, yeah. If you need me, I’ll probably be on the stairs walking backwards hella slowly. 🙂

After Paul left I actually did finish my makeup for the day… I’m wearing products from the new Shupette (SHU-PETTE!) collection in a brown cat eye liner look with gold and pink eyeshadow on my lids, pink cheeks and berry lips.

Now, I know that pink eyeshadow can be a little scary if you’re not used to it, because it can make you look like you’ve been crying and/or have just been bitten by something supernatural (vampire, werewolf, zombie, take your pick), but it can be very flattering and almost function like a neutral if you pick a middle-of-the-road pink that isn’t too pastel or bright, like the shimmery, mid-toned pink I’m wearing here, and you “frame it” (a term I just made up in my head) with neutrals.

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Topshop’s Terrific $12 Cream Blush in Afternoon Tea

October 21st, 2014 by Karen 38 Comments

Topshop Afternoon Tea Blush — Topshop Cream Blush in Afternoon Tea, $12

Do you have to be simultaneously sipping tea out of a dainty teacup while wearing Topshop’s $12 Cream Blush in Afternoon Tea to fully appreciate the nuances of either product?

No, you do not.

It does, however, help. 🙂

And it also helps to appreciate a great deal.

(Incidentally, if you decide to brew a pot of Earl Grey, I’ll take mine with cream and two lumps of sugar, please.)

I almost can’t believe this pretty pink cream-to-powder blush is only $12. It’s a total unsung hero in my book. On my unpredictably combination oily, and sometimes dry, cheeks, I swear it looks exactly like the $38 Le Blush Creme blushes by Chanel, and it lasts just as long. I get from eight to nine hours if I do a minor touchup around hour six.

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Nike Women’s Half Marathon Post Run Shenanigans at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts

October 20th, 2014 by Karen 47 Comments

Fun fact about the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts: it’s where the “Come, let us dance like children of the night!” scene from So I Married an Axe Murderer (one of my favorite SF movies of all time) takes place.

The city was packed for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon yesterday, so El Hub, who was my one-man cheering section/ride home, ended up parking at the palace about five blocks away from the finish line at the Marina Green, which is this big park right next to the water where people often picnic and play on sunny days.

On the way back to the car, I really wanted to prance, jump and twirl through the palace’s central foyer like Mike Myers does in the movie, but my body had other plans. After running 13.1 miles, my legs were like, “Oh, hell no, hookah!” The best I could manage was an enthusiastic hobble. 🙂

I did take a few snapshots of the palace though. It was too beautiful to resist.

It’s one of my favorite places in all of San Francisco. I love the columns and the prehistoric-looking plants and the little trail around the pond. It’s a great place for pics, if you ever make it out this way. Sometimes I’ll see bridal parties there with professional videographers and photographers snapping pics.

Before I forget, the race was a blast! One of the most enjoyable runs I’ve ever done, despite my now aching legs and back.

Just crossed the finish line… Now lemme take a selfie!

The hills on the route were hard for me, not gonna lie, especially the ones near the beginning before I’d really warmed up, but the course was scenic and pretty, and I got to run through some of my favorite San Francisco neighborhoods.

Unlike the only other half marathon I’ve run, which was about a decade ago, I felt stronger and more focused this time. I didn’t feel like crying at any point, and nothing was chafed when I crossed the finish line with my NARS lipstick and Cle de Peau mascara still intact, huzzah!

Seriously, despite my aches and pains today (I’ll be doing an epsom salt bath tonight), this 39-year-old cat lady felt like she crushed it, which made opening the little blue Tiffany box they gave each of the competitors at the finish line that much sweeter. 🙂

Thank you, Team Neutrogena, for talking me into doing the race!

The Shupette by Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura Holiday Collection: First Look and Giveaway!

October 20th, 2014 by Karen 164 Comments

There’s no doubt about it. Choupette Lagerfeld (as in Karl Lagerfeld’s fashionable feline) has the whole cute kitty thing down. Even Tabs, as much as he would like to, can’t deny it. Those bright blue eyes, that plush, snowy white coat, and those killer ear tufts…

THOSE EAR TUFTS, THO.

Every time I see a Choupette pic, I want to reach into my computer screen and eat that delicious belly meat! Or, en lieu of that, I want to accessorize her.

(I’m thinking a diamond tiara or bejeweled bib necklace…but please don’t tell my boss!)

Now, if my cat lady barometer is correct, which it often is when it comes to pressing matters involving makeup and felines, then tails will be a-twitching when the new Shupette by Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura holiday collection sashays onto Shu Uemura counters this month (however, it’s available online right meow!).

To receive an exclusive Shupette by Karl Lagerfeld Tote bag and free shipping on any purchase of $25 or more on shuuemura-usa.com, use the promo code SHUBLOG.

How freakin’ cute is this collection!? When I see Choupette’s sweet face on the packaging, I’m compelled to squeal, “SHU-PETTE!” much to my kitty overlord’s chagrin.

The collection purrs with pieces for eyes, cheeks, face, lips and nails, as well as a smattering of other Choupette-themed beauty accessories, like flirty false lashes, a lash curler, a brush set and a luxe makeup trunk (not shown in these pics).

It’s catnip for cat ladies!

To my cat-loving eye, the star of the collection is the Shupette Has-It-All Eye & Lip Palette, with its mix of cool-toned blue, gray, pink and berry on the left, and its warm gold, bronze, pink, orange and coral on the right. I feel like there’s something for everyone in this palette, and to top it off, you also get a fuzzy white makeup bag.

I’m actually wearing the Has-It-All Palette in the pics below. 🙂 For a shimmering, smokey blue cat eye, I blended the blue, gray and black shades on my lids, then lined my lash lines with Eye-Need-Shu Liner in Midnight Black (a deep black with blue pearl), before adding a dash of glitter from the My Precious Glitter Set in the inner corners.

To finish the look, I dabbed the Silk Cushion Cheek Palette in Orange on my cheeks and brushed the Has-It-All Palette’s bright pink lipstick on my lips.

A look behind the scenes…

Oh, hai, Karl! A behind-the-scenes video of the Shupette collection

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME! Enter to win a Shupette Has-It-All Palette (an $89 value)

Would you like a Shupette Palette of your very own? Let’s make that happen! 🙂 Tabs and I have teamed up with Shu Uemura this week to give one away. Enter using the widget below. Giveaway open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only (please see the widget for complete rules).

But wait, there’s more! A SECOND giveaway. Enter to win the entire Shupette collection…

Meow-za! You can also enter to win the entire collection (a $1,500 value). Just hop, skip or jump on over to the Shu Uemura Facebook page to enter: Enter to win the entire Shupette collection!

Shu Uemura Shupette by Karl Lagerfeld collection — MEOW!

Shupette Has-It-All Eye Lip Palette — Shupette Has-It-All Eye & Lip Palette

From the Shupette collection, Clockwise from the left: Eye-Need-Shu Trio in Tokyo Kawaii, Parisienne Chic and Rouge Bonbon Fantasy Trio in Parisienne Chic — Clockwise from the left: Eye-Need-Shu Trio in 02 Tokyo Kawaii, 01 Parisienne Chic and Rouge Bonbon Fantasy Trio in 01 Parisienne Chic

Shupette Eye-Need-Shu Liners in Gala Brown (left) and Midnight Black (right) — Eye-Need-Shu Liners in Gala Brown (left) and Midnight Black (right)

Shupette Silk Cushion Cheek Pink (left) and Orange (right) — Silk Cushion Cheek Pink (left) and Orange (right)

Shupette My Precious Glitter Set — My Precious Glitter Set

Shupette My Precious Glitter Set open — My Precious Glitter Set

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 343

October 20th, 2014 by Karen 45 Comments

The Monday Poll for October 20, 2014 — Who’s that happy girl getting her picture taken with a fireman after the SF Nike Women’s Half Marathon yesterday? Hmm, I wonder…

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

You’d think I was crazy if you saw my __________.
Office, because it looks like a giant makeup-filled piñata exploded in the middle of the room…but there’s a method to the madness, I swear!

Something you’re constantly forgetting to do?
Turn. Off. The. Front. Porch. Light. In. The. Morning.

Gah!

It’s not like I’m trying to remember complex chemistry equations, but you might think it based on how often I forget to do this one simple thing.

So, a few months ago there was an arsonist on the loose in our neighborhood. After a string of brush fires in residential areas and one fire right near someone’s front door, the local police and fire departments went door to door to educate residents and ask them to start leaving their porch lights on at night to discourage more criminal activity. It was a pretty scary time because we live in a high fire risk area with lots of open space with grassy fields and vegetation.

Anyway, I got really good about remembering to turn the light on before bed… Truth be told, El Hub usually does it. 🙂 But I always forget to turn the light off again in the morning, so sometimes it’ll be on for hours and hours during the day.

What have you been reading these days?
Book-wise, I’m reading Daughter of Smokey and Bone, by Laini Taylor, for the second time because I just love the writing.

I’ve also been reading lots of magazines, like Nylon, a beauty and fashion magazine with spunky, down-to-earth writing that isn’t super “magazine-y” or official. I think it’s written more for 20-somethings, which was a while ago for me, but I like the authenticity. They also devote a good chunk of each issue to beauty, which is a big plus!

I also like Entertainment Weekly for the movie, book, music and TV reviews. Gillian Flynn, the author of Gone Girl, also wrote for them for a while, and I remember really liking her articles.

A side of myself I never want to lose?
My playful side. 🙂
Generally, what’s your favorite makeup season (winter/holiday, spring, summer or fall?)?
I want to pick two! Please, please, please? I pick summer and holiday.

I like the extremes, I guess. Summer for easy and casual, and winter for its formal flair.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. You’d think I was crazy if you saw my _____.
2. Something you’re constantly forgetting to do?
3. What have you been reading these days?
4. A side of myself I never want to lose?
5. Generally, what’s your favorite makeup season (winter/holiday, spring, summer or fall?)?

I firmly believe that within every person, even self-proclaimed dog people, resides a cat lady waiting to blossom. Case in point: my homeboy Karl Lagerfeld.

“I never thought I would like cats.”

— Karl Lagerfeld

On that note, Tabs and I would like to wish you a most purr-fect week. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 318

October 19th, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments

Hey, pretty kitties! This cool, crisp fall weather is getting me in the mood to wear autumnal colors like plums and golds. With the holidays approaching, I’ve been starting to wear a little more makeup.

The carpet of autumn leaves covering the hill outside inspired me to whip up this glamorous fall makeup look today as a practice run for Thanksgiving dinner and my other holiday parties. It’s one of those looks that seems like it would be complicated because of the false lashes, but it’s not. You can totally do it! It’s appropriate for all skill levels, even kittens experimenting with makeup for the first time. I hope you give it a try. -Tabs

TOOLS:

Plum eyeshadow — I chose a plum eyeshadow because it flatters so many different eye colors, including green eyes like mine.
Gold cream shadow — You can go as sparkly as you want with this, but I decided to go with a very subtle sheen, since the lashes already provide much of the drama.
Bronzy gold kohl pencil liner — A bronzy gold kohl pencil brightens the eyes and adds a subtle focal point that contrasts with the lashes.
False eyelashes — It’s the holidays! Go for big drama with long, lush lashes that kitties can see from a mile away.
Plum lipstick — Amplify your look with a dark plum lip. I prefer matte finishes myself, which are trendy at the moment and very ’90s.
Gold highlighter — To offset the bold eyes and lips, I skipped blush and went for a softly glowing golden cheek using a powder highlighter.
Flat eyeshadow brush
Domed blending brush
Angled eyeshadow brush
Lip brush
Blush brush

STEPS:

Start by applying the plum eyeshadow all over the lid and crease (if you have one).
Using an angled eyeshadow brush, sweep the same plum eyeshadow along the lower lash line.
With your domed shadow brush, stipple and press the gold cream shadow all over your lid to add dimension and texture to the look.
Apply a bronzy gold liner along your lower water line. This doesn’t have to be very intense. Just enough to open up the eyes.
Apply your false lashes! Do this with gusto and without fear.
Using your lip brush, apply a plum lipstick to your lips.
End with a light dusting of shimmery golden highlighter on your cheeks/whisker pads.

If you try this look, tag me on Instagram! #tabstutorials 🙂 I would love to see it on you!

(NOTE: I know you probably already know this, but please don’t put makeup on your kitty cat. This is just for amusement purposes. No real life cats wore any makeup for this tutorial.)

This post is sponsored by Purina Pro Plan #proplancatpartner. For information about my posting policy, please see my Disclaimer.

About Purina Pro Plan Cat food

Tabs is ravenous for his Purina Pro Plan Focus Indoor Care dry cat food (he actually likes it more than his old treats) and his Pro Plan Savory Bites snacks. Purina Pro Plan’s wide range of dry and wet cat foods and snacks, sold exclusively at pet specialty stores, can be found in three unique nutritional platforms — Savor, Finesse, and Focus — with each formula designed to provide advanced nutrition to help bring out the best in your cat. For more information, visit www.proplan.com/cat.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addicts,

Karen and Tabs

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

October 18th, 2014 by Karen 296 Comments

Heh! Guess who got out of seeing Fury last night. 🙂

Not that I’m totally against seeing it, mind you. I like Mr. Pitt, but I wasn’t in the mood for a heavy movie with a bunch of dudes.

Instead, I experienced the glory that is The Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake Pie. Picture it: a pecan pie with a pumpkin cheesecake layered on top of it and two huge dollops of whipped cream on the side…

YES! YES!!

After that we just came home, and I took a really long shower and did a body scrub and a hair mask. Then we watched some TV before bed.

Today I have half-marathon final details to attend to, like I have to paint my nails and straighten my hair, because I’ve discovered that I like running with straight hair. And I have to finalize my music playlist. I know this: the last three miles will be powered by Bloc Party.

Have a great weekend, my friend, and good luck in the giveaway. Your nephew says “mroww!”

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:
- On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being hairless and 10 being full-on Sasquatch, how hairy are you right now?
- Who’s the tallest person you know?
- When was the last time you made a toast, and what was it for?
- What are your initials? (Mine are KTAM.)
- Do you prefer to blend in or stand out?
- What do you want? Like really want?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, October 20, 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

A Friday Face of the Day With the New NARS Laser Cut Holiday Palette: Hazy Khaki Eyes, and Rosy Cheeks and Lips

October 17th, 2014 by Karen 20 Comments

Now we shall dance like children of the night!

Or not. 🙂

We can dance around my kitchen though, but only if it’s low impact because I’m still resting up for the race.

What are you doing tonight? I have a feeling El Hub is going to coerce me into watching Fury, that new WWII tank movie with Brad Pitt and the guy who played Shane in The Walking Dead.

Sounds like a hoot!

Oh, well. I’ll get him back in November when the new Hunger Games comes out.

I’m just gonna wear the smokey-light khaki eye look I wore today with the new $59 limited edition NARS Laser Cut holiday palette (available now).

Not that I’m gonna do it, because I feel lazy, but it would be really easy to turn this into an evening/party look by just swapping out the rosy gloss for a more dramatic lip color, like this glossy plum number perhaps…

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