Fashion

The Return of Velour Track Suits: Are You Down?

February 23rd, 2017 by Karen 26 Comments

According to US Weekly(so you can take this with a grain of salt, haha!), those matchy-matchy Juicy Couture velour tracksuits made so popular by J. Lo and Britney in the early 2000s?

THEY’RE BAAAAAAACK!

Say what!?

Yeah, and it looks like a lot of fashion brands are getting in on it. I found them at Forever 21, Express and ASOS.

Honestly…I’m secretly thrilled by this, but I dunno… I mean, they were really comfortable! I remember wearing mine all the time. I even bought one for my mom, dude! I think it was an Old Navy two-for-one sale, so I got one for me and one for my mom.

I only had the one track suit, though, and it wasn’t Juicy Couture, which seemed too expensive to me at the time.

The one I got from Old Navy was tan and — wait for it, because it gets even better — the pants were cropped, and I’m pretty sure that the sleeves were cropped too.

It was ridiculous on so many levels… It looked like a too-small flesh-toned velour tracksuit, and I’m 100% sure that it wasn’t flattering at all, but I rocked that thing! Girl, I rocked that thing while cruising the streets of San Francisco’s Sunset District back in the day.

So, my important question for you, dear fiends of fashion, is this: velour tracksuits — would you rock them in this day and age?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I Found My Dream Shoes! The Vans Asher Printed Slip-On Sneaker, a.k.a. “The Makeup Vans”

January 27th, 2017 by Karen 15 Comments

Don’t hate me because I had to share my dream shoes with you. If you’re reading MBB, chances are you’re a makeup junkie too, and I doubt you’re walking around barefoot when you go to Sephora “just to look around.”

So, since I’m assuming that you’re a makeup lover who also wears shoes, I thought you might feel the need (yes, need) TO OWN SHOES WITH A MAKEUP PRINT ON THEM. 🙂

That’s what I told myself when I walked out of DSW with these makeup print Vans ($49.95) the other night. “I gotta get these so I’m not walking around barefoot at Sephora!”

Solid logic?

Probably not… But I couldn’t leave without them.

I’m dying over the print! There are lipsticks, an eyelash curler, A KABUKI BRUSH, liquid liner, mascara and…what is that? Is that a pot of Chanel cream shadow?? Or maybe MAC Fluidline from the side? There’s also a pan of blush, bottles of nail polish and, OMG, pearls! There are even pearls!!!

Seriously, this could be the greatest print that has ever graced a pair of Vans.

Oh, and it’s also available online in a sassy high top style and, yes girl, they’re hella cute.

I should probably start dropping Valentine’s Day hints for El Hub.

Anywho, the thing about Vans…they aren’t the lightest shoes. They’re canvas with a stiffer sole and low arches. I have several pairs, and if you need arch support like I do, it helps to slip an insert into those bad boys before you go cruising around town with your cat.

This particular pair runs big. I tried both the 7s and the 6 1/2s, and the 6 1/2s fit a little bit better, but I left with the 7s because I like the extra wiggle room for my loooong monkey toes.

If I wear them without socks, the heel slips out, but yeah, they fit fine with socks.

Just FYI again, but Vans are a heavier tennis shoe, so if you’re used to wearing lighter shoes like TOMS slip-ons or Keds, it’s going to feel like your feet are clomping down — Clomp! Clomp! Clomp! — at first. You’ll get used to them.

Oh, and not that you needed another excuse to go completely cray over these, but they should go with a lot of outfits.

Yeah, that might just be me trying to justify an impulse purchase… It’s true, though! They’re neutral, so they go with everything.

Get thee to DSW ASAP if you want to make your makeup shoe fantasies come true. I’m not gonna stop you. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Holiday Gift Idea for Your Gal Pal: Ear Crawlers

December 5th, 2016 by Karen 5 Comments

kristin perry marquise ear climbers — Get your gal pal a pair of these earrings!

Ear crawlers are the new studs! — at least according to my oh-so-scientific gathering of anecdotal evidence, which is comprised of a single conversation I had with a friend.

ME: Have you noticed that ear crawlers are, like, everywhere these days?
MY FRIEND: Yeah, I have.
ME: They’re the new studs.

Earrings that look like they’re crawling up your ear lobe, ear crawlers don’t dangle, so there’s zero chance of the baby (or Tabs, for that matter) swatting or grabbing them, and I like that they’re different than your run-of-the-mill studs.

I like ’em a lot. I think they’re the perfect Christmas present for your best gal pal because they’re kinda trendy (so chances are she probably doesn’t have a pair yet), and even though they’re kinda trendy, they aren’t too out there, ya know?

My favorites are the Marquise Ear Climbers by Kristin Perry because they’re understated but yet sparkly (a balance that isn’t easy to strike). They’re 18K gold-plated with crystals, available in both rose and white gold, and are pretty affordable at $38.

kristin perry marquise ear climbers rose gold — Kristin Perry’s beautiful Marquise Ear Climbers in Rose Gold

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Your Favorite Indie/Costume Jewelry Lines?

November 3rd, 2016 by Karen 12 Comments

Ann Taylor necklace — I got this necklace at Ann Taylor last year, and I wear it all the time.

Ann Taylor, babe. Ann. Taylor. She’s my BFF when it comes to costume jewelry.

That’s really the only kind of jewelry I wear on a daily basis — costume jewelry. I mean, I have my wedding and engagement rings, but everything else — earrings, necklaces, bracelets — it’s almost entirely costume, because I know myself. I gotta be careful. I lose the good stuff, and I don’t want to be stressed out worrying, “OMG! I can’t do it! I can’t lose these earrings!!!”

I have costume pieces from super bargain level like Forever 21 to pricier costume pieces from indie lines and brands like Kate Spade and Ann Taylor, but Ann Taylor is my current favorite. The pieces are well made and last. Seriously, I’ve banged ’em up, but they still look new.

Ann’s style is classic and conservative (for costume), but not boring to me at all, and she always adds an extra flourish of some kind to keep things looking modern.

loft lace shorts — Here’s another Ann Taylor necklace I wear all the time…

The prices are great for what you get. Ann Taylor’s necklaces, and really all of their jewelry, is a little pricey…but it’s not as expensive as Kate Spade, for instance. They may charge $100 for an intricate, fancy necklace, but here’s the thing: You don’t have to pay full price. I get all of my Ann Taylor jewelry, like this layered pearl necklace, during their kick-@ss 50% off sales.

And this necklace goes with everything from a casual white t-shirt to a fancy black dress. I love it! I pounced when I saw it on sale for 50% off.

So, yeah. It’s Ann Taylor for me. How about you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. How’s your Thursday coming along? I had to help my family with something yesterday, so I was offline more than usual. What did I miss?

The Day in Beauty Vol. 14: The Newly Reformulated Chanel Le Vernis Nail Lacquers, Mythical Brow Genies, My New Favorite Necklace by Misa Jewelry, and Waffles at the Witching Hour

February 26th, 2016 by Karen 46 Comments

If there were such a thing as an eyebrow genie that would grant three eyebrow-related wishes, first of all, that would be AWESOME, and second, I’d wish for the following…

1. For the super-skinny brow trend of the ‘90s to have never happened, even if it risked messing with the space-time continuum, because it would save literally millions of brow hairs from being plucked away into oblivion… I’d be like the John Connor of eyebrows.

2. To just wake up one morning and have my brows look exactly like Kiera Knightly’s in this Chanel ad, without having to do any of the, you know, actual work.

Sooo much brow envy right at this moment. You don’t even know. These are pretty much my dream brows, le sigh…

3) A stack of banana pancakes and a large vanilla shake, because I can’t think of a third brow-related wish, and I am SO HUNGRY RIGHT MEOW.

New Chanel Le Vernis

Now, can we take a moment to redirect our eyes away from Kiera’s amazing brows to focus on these nail polishes for a second? — because they deserve some sweet, sweet, lovin’.

These cuties are five of the 15 recently relaunched Chanel Le Vernis nail polishes ($28 each)?

All I have to say is wow!

Chanel completely revamped the formula, which is now billed as long-wearing and 5-free (no dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin or camphor), and the new brilliantly shiny, glossy, gel-like finish reminds me of Seche Vite top coat.

The new line of 15 shades includes old favorites like Vamp and Particuliere, alongside some new colors.

Here’s a quick swatchy-poo of the five shades I have…

I asked Tabs for his professional opinion on which one I should wear for a mani, and he picked creamy reddish hot pink Camelia, a decision he relayed to me telepathically, sending his kitty thoughts into my mind.

Yes, we’ve reached that point in our relationship. Cat ladies, I know that you know what I’m talking about (at least I think you do…or I’ve lost my damn mind, which is also a strong possibility).

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Outfit of the Day: ASOS Double Layer Skater Dress in Stripe

February 16th, 2016 by Karen 22 Comments

I’m taking a page out of my feline employer’s book today and rocking the stripes, because if there’s a time to work the horizontal stripes with gusto, it’s when you’re 38 weeks pregnant and massive, LOL!

This is one of the nursing/maternity dresses I recently ordered on sale from ASOS.

Remember how I wasn’t sure about the sizing of their stuff because I’d heard “some things”? Well, I went up a size with this one, and — glory be! — it fits.

It’s actually a little loose in the arms and shoulders, but that’s OK with me for now.

The jersey feels nice and soft, and I like the pattern and cut, but I have to say…this is probably not one of those dresses that’s going to last forever. After washing and air drying it just twice, I noticed a tiny hole in the skirt (BOOO!) while ironing it this morning.

Now I’m thinking it was really fortuitous that I got it on sale for $24 instead of the regular $60 full price.
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Day in Beauty, Vol. 8: A Cute Cat Clutch, Misa Jewelry, and a NARS Spring 2016 Makeup Tutorial

February 4th, 2016 by Karen 34 Comments

Um…will you be my Valentime?

Yes, girl, I said “Valentime.”

V-Day hints and Misa Jewelry

Not to drop hints or anything…but OK, I’m dropping mad hints right now, to whom it may concern. 🙂

(Ahem! That’s probably going to be you, El Hub.)

To make it easier for him (El Hubster) — you know, just for ideas — I sent him some links this morning, like, “Hint, hint! Valentime’s Day is right around the corner!” and one of the links was to Misa Jewelry.

I found out about them from my friend Erika at Makeup Bag (she just started posting on her blog again, BTW, which I’m very excited about!). Check out her recent lifestyle posts about gold tableware lust and the craziness that is ironing your bedding.

Anyway, the jewelry. It’s got a beachy-ish, Hawaii vibe and these neat organic shapes.

I’m all about that branch series… I just think the pieces are so dainty and different.

It’s fine jewelry, so it’s kinda expensive, but some of the items (I spotted a few in the branch series) are a relatively doable splurge. I’ve got my eye on the Roots Vine Necklace ($175 for the sterling silver version) and the Twig Ear Pin ($165).

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Riding (not so Dirty) in the Bare Traps Susanna Riding Boots

December 22nd, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

Gonna catch me ridin’ dirty!

OK, I have to sing that song every time I put on these Susanna Riding Boots by Bare Traps, even though I’ve never ridden dirty in my life, because I just like sayin’ it.

These are the boots I was wearing in the 28-week bump watch, and, long story short, they’re awesome! And they’re awesome for so many reasons, one of which is the fact that they don’t have to be broken in.

Do you have the patience to break in shoes? Because I don’t, not anymore. I used to, but now if a pair of shoes are uncomfortable the first time I put them on my feet, I’m like, “Yeah, peace-the-eff out. Not having anything to do with ya.”

These felt great from the first time I tried them on, and the very same day I got them I went to the mall, then to the movies, and I was basically out and about the whole day.

Granted, this was also while very pregnant, and with swollen feet, and these boots were STILL really comfortable.

And there’s more…

The leather upper — wait, I think it’s leather. Is it? Let me check… Oh! So, they aren’t real leather. They’re faux. FYI. So, there’s that, which could be either good or bad, depending on how you feel about leather.

The height of the heel is one of the things that I think makes them so comfortable. The heel isn’t high — it’s just 1-1/8 inches tall — which I can manage. They add a bit of elevation but stop short of potentially wobbly territory.

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