Archives for March 2018

The Urban Decay Backtalk Eye & Face Palette Is Getting People Heated!

March 27th, 2018 by Karen 15 Comments

urban decay backtalk palette eye swatch — Wearing the new Urban Decay Backtalk palette on my lids and cheeks, and UD Backtalk Vice Lipstick on my lips (a classic shade in the permanent line)

MAN, people are FIRED UP ? about the $46 Urban Decay Backtalk Palette, and it’s not just because of the warm tones. If you read some of the reviews on Sephora… My goodness! They make it sound like you’re smearing melted cat poop all over you eyelids when you use it. I mean, people have FEELINGS about it, and the main complaint seems to be the level of pigment, which I don’t really understand because I’m not having problems with it.

Granted, I don’t think the palette is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I’m not raving about it, but…

urban decay backtalk palette 1 — Pink, mauve and, yes, warm

It was inspired by a lipstick.

Anyway, let me rewind a second. First things first — the packaging. There’s a mirror in the middle that separates eight powder eyeshadows and four blushes, and the mirror slides out, which I like.

urban decay backtalk mirror — Now you see it, now you don’t.

The shades are predominantly varieties of warm mauve and pink, which again, is because the palette was inspired by Urban Decay’s Backtalk Vice Lipstick in the permanent line.

urban decay backtalk palette eyeshadow — A mix of matte and shimmery shades

urban decay backtalk palette blush — The blushes have different levels of pearl.

It’s actually pretty good!

I’ve been wearing it, and I haven’t had a problem with the pigment, which is generally on the more intense side of medium, so the shades aren’t quite “full on,” but they aren’t as sheer as some of the reviews have said.

urban decay backtalk palette swatches — What’s that, Karen? You’re still an NC42 in MAC for reference? Yes…yes, I am.

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New Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Ultra Cushion Lip Gloss

March 27th, 2018 by Karen 5 Comments

urban decay hi fi shine lip gloss — Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Lip Glosses ($20 each)

Where are all the naked dudes?!

It’s a completely legitimate question to ask when you’re talking about new Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Ultra Cushion Lip Gloss, because, as you might remember…

Of course you remember, and don’t play like you don’t! 🙂

UD did that line of lipglosses back in the day with holographic pictures of half-naked dudes on the caps (THEY WERE CALLED POCKET ROCKET. There. *snaps* Sorry, took me a moment to remember.), and when you turned the caps, they’d go from smiling and posing like catalog models, to looking over their shoulder in tight purple boxer briefs.

It was so cheeky, crazy and fun, and quite a different style for UD at the time — not their usual tattoos and piercings cool girl vibe. It’s hard to imagine they did something like that, but I guess if people can change and evolve, so can makeup brands.

Urban Decay glosses through the years…

I used to really ? Honey-Infused Lip Love Therapy.

Remember the mega MINTY Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Glosses?

Of course, we can’t forget these dudes!

The Revolution glosses had the coolest packaging.

An amalgam of two classic lipgloss lines

These new $20 plumping lipglosses do NOT have any Magic Mike action happening on their caps (sorry to disappoint you, ya pervert), but they still got it goin’ on.

Until recently, UD had two separate gloss lines — Revolution and Naked — but they phased them out and replaced them with this line, Hi-Fi Shine.

These are basically the old Naked gloss formula with an additional plumping element, new packaging and new colors. UD carried over some of the Revolution shades (Revolution was their brighter line) and Naked shades (Naked was their nudes line), and added some others. Then they divided them all among four finishes — Cream, Sheer Cream, Holographic and Metallic.

Old flames and new loves

I’m glad they kept the colors I wear all the time, like Beso (a creamy, deep pinkish mauve), Fireball, Naked and Snitch (OMG, this coral!), they also added some new potential stars, like bright purple Jawbreaker and creamy mauve pinkish nude Backtalk.

urban decay hi fi shine lip gloss in beso — Beso, a deep pink-mauve cream (Cream)

urban decay hi fi shine lip gloss in fireball — Fireball, a holographic peach with pink sparkle (Holographic)

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New Tee Just for Golden Girls

March 27th, 2018 by Karen 6 Comments

thank you for being a friend tee mbb post — It was only a matter of time. ?

You know Sophia’s my favorite because she is savage! Plus, she always has a purse with her. Doesn’t matter if she’s coming, going, or if she’s walking into the kitchen for cheesecake, Sophia has her purse.

As a purse enthusiast, I can appreciate this.

Of course I had to give props to one of THE GREATEST TV SHOWS OF ALL TIME. The new Thank You For Being a Friend Tee is available now. It’s $34 and super soft. I’ve worn it to workouts, to return some stuff to HomeGoods, and if I were invited to walk down a red carpet, I just might wear it to that, too.

In my personality breakdown via The Golden Girls, I’m mostly Sophia (60%), because we’re both short and feisty and have a penchant for wearing dresses and carrying our purses ?everywhere, 20% Dorothy, 15% Rose and a 5% pinch of Blanche.

How about you? Are you 100% Blanche? COME ON, fess up! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. If there’s something you have your eye on in the store, sign up for the newsletter, because it’s the only place to find out about upcoming sales and promo codes.

Trader Joe’s Shea Butter & Coconut Oil Hair Mask Was a Kick-@ss Consolation Prize

March 26th, 2018 by Karen 16 Comments

I got myself this Trader Joe’s Shea Butter & Coconut Oil Hair Mask as a consolation prize last weekend because I went up and down every single aisle and scanned every shelf, but I couldn’t find my beloved Rose Oil Hand Cream, boo-hoo! So I got this thinking, “Yay! This will tide me over, and whatevs — it’s only $3.99, so it’s not the end of the world if I don’t like it.”

Girlfriend.

This mask is just as good as the fancy-schmancy Oribe one I used a couple months ago at the salon. It’s actually great, and it costs less than a latte!

I’ve used it twice, but I’m already dreading the day I walk into the shower and find it empty…

It’s a deep-conditioning mask for dry and/or damaged hair, but I think anyone looking for serious moisture or frizz control can use it. Overall, my hair is pretty healthy right now, but I can always use extra moisturize, which is why I wanted to try it.

I use it when I shower in the evenings, leaving it on for five minutes (it smells lightly of coconuts), and let my hair air dry overnight. The next morning, my hair looks GOOD, like I’m living in a hair commercial. I can even see light reflecting off the strands! It has lots of bounce and shine, and it isn’t out-of-control frizzy. It doesn’t feel like I’m wearing a heavy hair helmet, either.

It looks so good that I even skip using any additional smoothing or shine styling products.

And did I mention that it’s only $4??

The ingredient list reads like a recipe for a homemade hair mask. There’s shea butter and coconut oil (obvs), along with a whole host of other hydrating helpers, like argan oil and vitamin E, and plant extracts, too, like blackberry, sunflower seed, black current and mulberry, among others.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 517

March 26th, 2018 by Karen 30 Comments

So…what is the Monday Poll?

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 11 (!) 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.

1. What’s something that always makes you emo?

Honestly, my hormones. I blame them for everything. Just the other day… By the way, I’m kind of swelling with them right now. The other day I saw a lady with two babies — newborn twin girls — at HomeGoods, and I could feel the tears welling in my eyeballs. I was standing there with a lemon-printed Ralph Lauren tablecloth about to have a breakdown in the kitchen section.

Hormones.

And just generally speaking, and this is gonna sound weird, but I can’t watch apocalyptic stories, situations, movies and TV shows anymore… I hope it’s temporary, but I get too emotional, which is why you haven’t heard me talk about The Walking Dead for a hot second.

2. Snow or surf?

Ideally, live someplace where you can surf every day, and then go on vacation to someplace where it snows.

I joke around that Connor’s gonna be an Olympic ? snowboarder, because I really don’t like the snow, but if she were chasing gold medal dreams, Momma would put on layers of thermals to drive little bratus to and from snowboarding lessons. 🙂

As for Tabs, he’s never seen the snow, so a move up to a snowy place like Tahoe would probably not be in the cards right now…

3. Are humans alone in the universe?

Well, I think it’s a very human thing to say that we’re the only intelligent beings out there, and part of me wants to believe that because, I mean, inevitably the aliens ? are gonna be smarter and better at everything than we are, and when they do finally touch down, if you follow any sci-fi at all, we’re all screwed. But with the vastness of the ? universe (there are literally TRILLIONS of other stars out there) and our current technology, I think we just haven’t bumped into them yet. But it’s only a matter of time.

Who knows how long it’ll be? — a hundred years, thousands of years — but we’re gonna find them, or they’re gonna find us.

4. Did you (or do you now) wear braces? If so what was it like?

I did wear braces for over half my childhood and most of my teen years, and back then they didn’t have Invisalign. You had metal in your mouth.

About that…I remember it being extremely pointy. I was constantly living with pointy things against the sides of my cheeks and my lips. Imagine having screwdrivers and washers in your mouth all the time and having to live like that 24/7.

Eventually, I got used to it, but thank gawd I wore that retainer religiously afterward and didn’t have to put the braces back in.

5. Would you be OK with a stranger clipping your toenails?

If it was a creepy Craigslist thing in an apartment building tucked away in the deepest parts of town, obviously no, but if it was at my regular nail salon with the cheerful lady who always asks about my life, then it would be fine. 🙂

This new coffee that I got at Target!

vanilla bean creme brulee — This cup as full a second ago, I swear

Leave it to the sweet-toothed sassypants (aka THIS GIRL RIGHT HURR) to grab the sweetest sounding coffee drink on the shelf. I couldn’t pass this one up — Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée Light Roast Coffee by Archer Farms. The package says it has notes of vanilla and burnt sugar, and so I was, like, “Yup! That’s going in the cart!” If there was such thing as brownie coffee, or cupcake coffee, or birthday cake coffee, I’d be all over those, too. Give me sweet any old day of the week… Although, I do love a combination of sweet and salty, too, mostly because the salty makes the sweet tastes even more sweet. I started drinking this over the weekend and I love it. It’s sweet but not sugary sweet. You get the notes, like the essence of it, but it’s not like your tastebuds are assaulted by waves of crème brulée. I like it a lot.

I love trying new coffees, don’t you? Or are you more of a stick-to-one-coffee kinda lady?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy and paste with your answers in a comment:

1. What’s something that always makes you emo?
2. Snow or surf?
3. Are humans alone in the universe?
4. Did you (or do you now) wear braces? If so what was it like?
5. Would you be OK with a stranger clipping your toenails?

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 494

March 25th, 2018 by Karen 4 Comments

The crown ? is a heavy burden, but Tabs is willing to shoulder that burden for his millions of subjects and adoring fans, because that’s what it means to be the king of kitty supermodeling.

He has reigned for more than a decade atop the husky tabby kitty modeling category, sharing his flawless fur and fluffy tum with the world, but like many great kings in their latter years, he’s grown weary of the responsibilities that come with being full-time fabulous. These days he’s more focused on napping and securing his legacy.

And that means finding an heir, which is easier said than done in Novato.

Most of the cats around here lack the discipline it takes to be a world-renowned kitty model.

But that hasn’t stopped Tabs from looking. This morning he went out into the world incognito, without his crown, to scout for talent.

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Saturday Surfing, March 24th, 2018

March 24th, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

#notetoself Pay closer attention to the letter next to the shoe size when you’re ordering shoes online. Because it means something.

DUH, KAREN!

I decided to treat myself to new running shoes as a reward for writing in The Five-Minute Journal for two weeks straight.

(Well…I needed the shoes anyway, but this was a good excuse!)

So I ordered these cute Brooks Ravenna 9s from Amazon, thinking I’d get them in time to break in on my Saturday morning run, but alas…they aren’t on my feet.

Only as I was tearing into the box did I see that it was marked “WIDE” and “7.5 D.”

Apparently, the “D” means wide, for people with wider feet, which I didn’t realize when I put them in my cart.

I always get regular width shoes, which are sometimes marked as, but it’s usually just implied, width “B,” so back these go.

I did briefly consider keeping them anyway, because I was SO looking forward into running in them today, but better safe than sorry. These cuties are going back, and I’m going to re-order them in regular width.

I’m really particular about how my running shoes fit. No, seriously, if there’s even one grain of sand all up in there, I’m completely non-functional! I’m that nightmare person who will stop every five steps when I feel anything off with my shoe situation.

So, yeah, pay attention to that little letter when you’re ordering shoes.

That’s my tip for the day!

In other news…boy, oh boy, this felt like a long week to me. I am SO happy today is Saturday. I’m just settling in with the new Entertainment Weekly and my first cup of coffee, ah… 🙂 While I skim through this, here are some stories that caught my eye this week.

Do you love Chanel? And video games? Do you live around Toronto? If you answered yes to these questions, you totally need to do those of us who don’t live anywhere near Toronto a solid and play these Chanel video games like right now.

I MEAN, WHAT THE WHAT?! Um…can you imagine a Chanel version of Super Mario Bros? That would be so next level!
These color-shifting pigments look like rainbows on skin. They’re made by an indie line called Dawn Eyes Cosmetics, which probably means that one of the big brands will copy the idea in the not-too-distant future, le sigh.
What one woman learned from her lobbying for the Personal Care Products Safety Act (PCPSA) in Washington.
Here’s how nail polish ? is made.
This beauty editor bride prepped for her wedding by employing a beauty regimen that started six months before the big day. It started with monthly doses of “baby Botox,” a micro-droplet technique used on the brows and forehead to smooth fine lines, and a series of laser treatments for discoloration, sun damage and scarring.

Any cysts from acne were immediately injected with cortisone at the dermatologist’s office, so the breakout would have time to heal and not leave a scar.

That’s a lot to take in! Basically, my wedding prep was way less intense. I got a massage and plucked my brows the day before, and I also hired a makeup artist to help me get ready for the ceremony on the actual day.
Foundations and concealers to try if your skin is breaking out.
“Boy beat” has been making the rounds on Instagram as of late, but it means different things to different peeps. Sir John (my makeup hero) says “it’s an androgynous way to look at makeup being masculine and feminine at the same time, adding a bit more structure than you would have naturally.”
This artist does cute illustrations of popular palettes and makeup collections.
The best, coolest makeup tutorial I’ve seen in a really long time involves blue under-eye concealer, glitter and a six-year-old girl who happens to be Pink’s daughter.
Why those oddly satisfying videos of frosted cakes and mashed lipstick tubes are…so oddly satisfying (according to science).
In case you were wondering if your hair mousse or nail polish remover will catch on fire, this dude (who could possibly be a pyromaniac) has the answers.

And now, how to paint a realistic cat…

3D painting of Yves ? . Sound on for purrs ? . Thanks @choij_leo for this hilarious idea! . #9gagfunoff #weeklyfluff #buzzfeedanimals #cat #yvesthecat

A post shared by Yves The Cat (@yves_the_cat) on Mar 22, 2018 at 7:01am PDT

I’m thinking of making this for Easter Sunday.

If I were running in my new shoes, I’d be listening to this.

Serenity now…

Have a great weekend, babe. Talk to you very soon. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

MAC Is Taking Us Waaaay Back With the MAC Throwback Lipsticks

March 23rd, 2018 by Karen 15 Comments

mac throwback collection lipsticks — From the new MAC Throwback collection: Shrimpton (Satin), Bronx (Matte), Icon (Frost), Skew (Frost), Marrakesh (Matte), Spanish Fly (Frost) and Rocker (Matte) Lipsticks

AHHHH! Allow me to fly my MAC freak flag for a second, because I can remember with shocking clarity the night I wore MAC Skew Lipstick, one of the seven lipsticks in the MAC Throwback collection, to my friend Cindy’s birthday party in 2002.

I can’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but I remember wearing Skew 16 years ago with a blackened gray smoky eye (complete with glitter). I also remember touching it up beneath blue lights in a Castro dance club (and I may or may not have been a little tipsy) and thinking, “This is the best lipstick ever! This is the best night ever! I’m gonna dance like this forever!”

LOL. Ah, the good times I had with Skew. 🙂

I love this pink duochrome coral so much, and I went through several tubes. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it had been discontinued.

That’s MAC for ya. So many colors, so little time…

Like the other six lipsticks in MAC Throwback, Skew was cast aside!

OK, maybe that’s a little dramatic. It was “quietly retired.”

Well, now they’re back, at least temporarily.

mac throwback lipstick swatches — MAC Shrimpton (Satin), Bronx (Matte), Icon (Frost), Skew (Frost), Marrakesh (Matte), Spanish Fly (Frost) and Rocker (Matte)

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