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Daily Photo

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.

There are 18 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

Dogs in a Truck

November 12th, 2014 by Karen 16 Comments






I’ve never seen, nor do I want to see, Snakes on a Plane.

But if there were a movie called Dogs in a Truck, I’d be all over that! 🙂

I met these two cuties today. They were just chillin’ in a truck outside my condo.

The blonde was totally feeling me and gave me tail wags and lovie eyes for days, but the redhead? Not so much. She was too busy guarding the truck.

Apparently, truck guarding is very serious work.

There are 16 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

The King Blanket Costco Haul: A Blanket Fit for a King

November 5th, 2014 by Karen 37 Comments











Going to Costco to get just one thing is like trying to limit yourself to just one potato chip.

Hard.

I went to Costco the other night for one thing — one thing! Apples. That’s all I wanted. In and out.

My friend Marisol had mentioned that there were Honeycrisps there, which I LOVE, and you know how I’ve been on that apples and Babybel cheese kick…

So yeah, my plan was to head straight for the produce section, grab the apples, find the shortest line and boom, get out.

Two hours later…

Yup. In my defense, I had to check out the beauty section. I mean, it was kind of like research, and I did spot a few interesting things…


[Continue reading…]

There are 37 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

Just Cats

October 31st, 2014 by Karen 9 Comments







Just Cats Roy Kirkham (3)

You know you’ve reached the crazy cat lady point of no return when you walk into a store, see a bone china mug with an orange tabby on it wearing a strand of pearls and posing in a bed of purple and yellow flowers, and you grab it without a moment’s hesitation because YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT LIKE RIGHT NOW.

I found this Just Cats mug by Roy Kirkham at HomeGoods last weekend (during the same visit when I found the apple coring doohickey) for $6.

I did some searching online, and apparently it’s part of a set of mugs, each with a different painting of cats and flowers, and it seems like they’re discontinued, which is a huge bummer, because who wouldn’t want a full set of bone china mugs covered in cats and flowers?! 🙂

Just Cats Roy Kirkham (2)

Just Cats Roy Kirkham (4)

Just Cats Roy Kirkham (5)

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

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

October 20th, 2014 by Karen 47 Comments














13.1 miles done!

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!

There are 47 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

It’s Going to Be a Merry Lips-Mas With the NARS Laced With Edge Holiday Collection Lipsticks in Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic

October 10th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments





NARS Laced With Edge Holiday Collection Lipsticks from the left: Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic
NARS Laced With Edge Holiday Collection Hardwired Lipsticks from the left: Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic
The new $26 NARS Hardwired Lipsticks, from the Laced With Edge holiday collection

The Hardwired-ness continues. To keep the new Hardwired Eyeshadows company, NARS is also releasing a new Hardwired lipstick formulation, with three new lipsticks ($26 each) in glistening cream Adriatic, crimson Deadly Catch, shimmery brick red Femme Fleur (also has gold pearl).

First impressions…

The feather-weight formula feels great, and I can barely feel these on my lips, but they don’t seem to last as long as the Audacious formula. These may be a good fit if you don’t like to feel like you’re wearing a ton of product on your pout.

Vertical lip lines can also breathe a sigh of relief, in general, as the two shimmery shades, shimmery Adriatic and Femme Fleur, don’t settle into my fine lines. The finish looks really smooth and expensive (reminds me of Guerlain’s Kiss Kiss lipsticks).

Now about that wear time…it’s not my favorite thing about these. Adriatic only lasts 2-3 hours for me, while Deadly Catch and Femme Fleur manage 3-5.

These unflavored, unscented lipsticks will be available along with the rest of the 13-piece Laced With Edge Holiday collection at NARS boutiques and online October 15, and at department and specialty stores beginning November 1.

NARS Laced With Edge Holiday Collection Hardwired Lipsticks from the left: Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic
Hardwired Lipsticks from the left: Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic
Swatches from the left: Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic
Swatches from the left: Deadly Catch, Femme Fleur and Adriatic

P.S. I am so overjoyed right now. 🙂 Got some takeout Pasta Pomodoro for dinner (capolini tre colore with shrimp) and Gilmore Girls playing on the TV. Oh, yeah… Good times. I hope you’re having a good night.

There are 11 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

The New NARS Algorithm Laguna Bronzing Powder Palette: A Seemingly Giant (But Actually Smaller Than Normal) Laguna Is the Variable in This Algorithm

October 9th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments







For the love of tubby tabbies, why can’t I spell the word “algorithm”!?

I keep wanting to spell it algo-rhythm, which sounds like some kind of weird exercise class where you crunch numbers and abs.

“Welcome to Algo-Rhythm! Where Zumba and calculus collide!”

I also can’t figure out why this NARS Algorithm Laguna Bronzing Palette is seems so huge (it’s 0.24 ounces, which I only realized after I published this post is actually smaller than the regular NARS Laguna Bronzer’s 0.28 ounces, but for some reason it just seemed bigger to me). Or expensive. It’s $89!

I mean, I love NARS Laguna, but it’s already in almost every single NARS blush palette. It’s not like I’m gonna be running out of it anytime soon. This pan alone could conceivably last the rest of the decade.

*Shrugs shoulders* I guess some people really like Laguna.

The palette also comes with a mini-sized NARS Ita Brush, which I think is just OK… I need to spend more time with it, though, because so far, I keep having to finish my blending with a fluffy brush after using it.

If you want to decipher this Algorhythm Algorithm, it arrives at department and specialty stores, online, and at NARS boutiques November 1.

The New NARS Algorithm Laguna Bronzing Powder Palette (3)

The New NARS Algorithm Laguna Bronzing Powder Palette (4)

There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

Unexpected Treats Make Life Extra Sweet

October 7th, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments








Any day you unexpectedly get cupcakes is a great day. 🙂

My neighbor brought me this lovely box o’ sugary treats this morning from a local bakery called Susiecakes, and I came this close to eating them all in one sitting at lunch, not gonna lie!

If you give me a choice between salty and sweet, I’ll always choose sweet.

Mmm…sweets.

Have you ever known anyone who doesn’t like sweets? I’m always amazed when I bump into someone who doesn’t like candy or dessert. My BFF Cindy is like that. She’s ambivalent about sweets, which is not a problem when we hang out because it means more cake for me. 🙂

There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

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