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Giveaways

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

February 14th, 2015 by Karen 309 Comments

Enter now to win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!
Enter now to win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!

Today is going to be so bomb. 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day, my love! love Tabby hugs and kisses for you. And nose taps. And cute mrows. And purr-chirps.

We made it through another week, which means we’re another week closer to the cherry blossoms and earlier sunrises and longer days and warm nights where you can sleep with the windows open and tubing down the river and barbecues and shorts and flip-flops! Just gotta hang in there a little longer…

Here’s your fun feat of the day, as assigned by Tabs: bring your camera with you wherever you go, and have it at the ready. Look for beauty in all things, all around you, and be quick on the draw. Take pictures of pretty things wherever you find them, and don’t be stingy! With digital cameras and camera phones, the film is free.

Today, while the world of consumer products works to shove love down our gullets and make us purchase all things chocolate, heart-shaped and red/pink, I hope you feel loved, my friend, no matter what, especially if you’re flying solo.

I’ve flown many solo V-Days over my 39 years, and while some have been good, some have also been tough. I hope you never forget how much you’re loved, irrespective of your current romantic situation. I love you very much, and Tabs does too (but he’s easy, haha).

May you have a wonderful day. Sending you virtual hugs, candy hearts and nose kisses.

Best of luck in the giveaway. Talk to you soon.

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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:
    • Will you be my Valentine?
    • How many times did you paint your nails this week?
    • What’s your favorite opera?
    • Nail polish for men?
    • Best celebrity makeup? Who rocks the raddest looks?
    • Recurring pimples in the same place? Do you get ’em?
  • You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, February 16, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
  • Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 309 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

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

February 7th, 2015 by Karen 322 Comments

Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog

Rise and shine, morning glory! Guess who actually got some sleep. Yup, yours truly, so I feel about 900 times better today.

It was pouring rain last night, but the sun is out again this morning. It looks like it’s going to be a fantabulous day. I might even have a cup of actual coffee instead of Throat Coat or Theraflu.

Heck, I may even venture outside… Ooh! — dare to dream, LOL! 🙂

In other news, what do you think about this for a side project: a 6-foot-tall wooden kitty condo wrapped in chicken wire for the deck, so that Tabs can chill out for short breaks under the stars (and I don’t have to worry about him running into any hungry coyotes)? I’d need El Hub’s help to cut the wood because I’m not a Miss Power Tools, but what do you think? If you were a tabby…would you like a kitty condo like that?

Must plan…

Good luck in the giveaway. I’ll talk to you soon.

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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:
    • Have you ever written a computer program? If so, what did it do?
    • Can you read music?
    • Valentine’s Day: thumbs up or thumbs down?
    • What’s your current favorite makeup look?
    • Have you ever built anything with power tools?
    • Something you’re building up the courage to do?
  • You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, February 9, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
  • Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 322 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

A Rocking Red Carpet Makeup Look – Plus a CoverGirl & Ulta Giveaway

February 3rd, 2015 by Karen 270 Comments

A COVERGIRL makeup look and Ulta giveaway
A red carpet rock-inspired makeup look with pops of pink and purple

You know what they say: “Always be prepared…”

…to walk a red carpet with rock stars. 🙂

Because seriously, you never know.

In the event you find yourself alongside the left shark Katy P. as her plus one at a fancy awards show, you need a makeup look with an edge, maybe like this sassy red carpet rock-inspired eye with smoked-out purple liner and cool-toned lids.

Here’s a step-by-step in pics (YouTube tutorial coming later this week, and there’s also a giveaway at the bottom of this post). First, I prepped my skin with some products from Olay, then followed that up with lip colors and eye products from Covergirl (all available now at Ulta)

By the way, Ulta shoppers, from now through February 14, 2015, buy any Covergirl product, and get an extra Covergirl product for 50% off! (BOGO 50% off)

A quick step-by-step red carpet rock-inspired makeup look with pops of pink and purple

First, gotta prep! I started by washing my face with Olay Regenerist Regenerating Cream Cleanser before moisturizing with Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream and Olay Regenerist Intense Repair Treatment.
First, gotta prep! I started by washing my face with Olay Regenerist Regenerating Cream Cleanser before moisturizing with Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream and Olay Regenerist Intense Repair Treatment.
Olay Regenerist Regenerating Cream Cleanser
Olay Regenerist Regenerating Cream Cleanser
Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream
Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream
Olay Regenerist Intense Repair Treatment
Olay Regenerist Intense Repair Treatment
Next, I evened out my skin tone and texture by applying primer, foundation and concealer, then filled in my brows with Covergirl Bombshell Powder Brow Liner in Dark Brown.
Next, I evened out my skin tone and texture by applying primer, foundation and concealer, then filled in my brows with Covergirl Bombshell Powder Brow Liner in Dark Brown.
Covergirl Bombshell Powder Brow Liner in Dark Brown
Covergirl Bombshell Powder Brow Liner in Dark Brown
Then I dove into the Covergirl Eye Shadow Quad in Notice Me Nudes, applying the colors on my lids.
Then, I applied the Covergirl Eye Shadow Quad in Notice Me Nudes.

tweetyUPDATE: Come say hi this Thursday night, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. EST on Twitter, and we’ll talk about red carpet looks, among other things…very likely cats (use hashtag #ULTAglam). I hope to see you there!

Covergirl Eye Shadow Quad in Notice Me Nudes
Covergirl Eye Shadow Quad in Notice Me Nudes
To give my eyes more depth and drama, I lined my water and lash lines with a black eyeliner and smudged out my upper lash lines with the darkest shade from Stunning Smokeys, another Covergirl Eye Shadow Quad.
To give my eyes more depth and drama, I lined my water and lash lines with a black eyeliner and smudged out my upper lash lines with the darkest shade from Stunning Smokeys, another Covergirl Eye Shadow Quad.

Covergirl Eye Shadow Quad in Stunning Smokeys
Covergirl Eye Shadow Quad in Stunning Smokeys

[Continue reading…]

There are 270 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: COVERGIRL, Drugstore Beauty Finds, Giveaways, Makeup Tips/How To, Olay, Sponsored Post

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

January 31st, 2015 by Karen 370 Comments

Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog
Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog

It’s a beautiful day out Novato way! The sun is shining, and I don’t see a cloud in the sky. Does this mean I’ll be doing something outdoors today? Time will tell…

I hope you did something fun last night. We did end up seeing that movie, A Most Violent Year, and boy! — it makes New York look pretty rough in the ’70s and ’80s. Good movie. Jessica Chastain rocks.

In other news, are you ready for the Super Bowl tomorrow?? El Hub is handling our meal plan, which he’s EXTREMELY excited about, involving something he calls “a burger dog.”

I don’t know if anyone else calls them that, but it’s basically — and his eyes light up when he describes it — a hamburger in the shape of a hot dog, served on a hot dog bun.

I’m like, OK…but mine will be a veggie burger dog. 🙂 And we’ll have it with potato salad and chips.

Super Bowl! Katy Perry is doing the halftime show (along with Missy Elliott!), so that should be fun. Your nephew cat is also excited. From what I understand, he’s rooting for the Mill Valley Wildcats… Stay tuned for his pre-game analysis tomorrow.

Good luck in the giveaway, and have a great weekend. Do something fun.

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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 average, how long does it take you to do your makeup during the week?
    • Best blanket?
    • Do you have a fireplace or wood stove at home?
    • Fruit or vegetables?
    • Sunrises or sunsets?
    • Your favorite pair of pants that aren’t jeans?
  • You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, February 2, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
  • Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 370 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

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

January 24th, 2015 by Karen 377 Comments

 Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog
Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine. Happy caturday. 🙂 Right now I’m watching a small bird hop up and down on a branch on the old oak tree outside my window and listening to it chirp. It sounds like she’s saying, “Hey, everyone! This branch here is the best! You gotta check it out!”

This week sure went by fast… I can’t believe it’s already Saturday. I hope you did something fun last night. I made a kick-@ss TJ’s frozen veggie pizza (added some extra artichoke hearts, tomatoes and broccoli) and rented a Liam Neeson movie (A Walk Among the Tombstones; wasn’t bad).

Now I’m gonna hop on the treadmill, and then? I don’t know what we’ll do today. Maybe drive into the city because it’s supposed to be pretty warm. There’s an awesome crab place at Pier 39 I’ve been thinking/dreaming about.

Good luck in the giveaway. Talk to you soon.

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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:
    • Close your eyes and tell me about everything you hear and smell…
    • What’s the coolest thing you did all week?
    • Who makes the best French fries?
    • How often do you iron your clothes?
    • Something on your nightstand right now?
    • Prettiest perfume bottle?
  • You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, January 26, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
  • Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 377 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

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

January 17th, 2015 by Karen 330 Comments

Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog
Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog

Morning! Rise and shine, pal o’ mine. 🙂 It’s caturday! A day to celebrate the glorious awesomeness that is (are?) cats.

OK, not officially, but ya know, if you’re into cats…

What’s shakin’? See any good TV shows or movies this week? El Hub and I went to see The Theory of Everything a few days ago and really liked it. I saw yesterday that the main guy and girl got Oscar nominations. Yeah, they deserved ’em.

Boy, so video… I tried to make one this week, a tutorial, and I did some things differently than I have in the past. Anyway, it kind of spiraled out of control, which is why I disappeared for a couple days. I was trying to edit the thing down, but I underestimated how long it would take.

I had to table it for now, but I learned a few things, so hopefully it goes smoother next time. The lesson here is that editing video can take a looong time.

In other news, it’s very wintry here this morning, but I don’t mean stormy. Just gray and cold and blah… I haven’t figured out what’s on my agenda for today, but for now, I don’t really feel like seizing the day. I feel more like asking El Hub to get me Starbucks and having breakfast in bed, lol. 🙂

I don’t know… Maybe a trip to the mall will liven things up. I haven’t been to Nordies in a while.

Whatever you’re up to, I hope you have a wonderful day, and good luck in the giveaway. (Your nephew says, “mrow,” btw.)

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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:
    • Do you ever see yourself in the mirror, notice your makeup and think, “OMG! When did I do that?”
    • An eccentric, anonymous billionaire offers to give you $10,000 if you’ll quit your job today. Do you do it?
    • Most incredible tattoo you’ve ever seen in real life?
    • A department store/high-end makeup brand that’s totally worth the price?
    • You find a $100 bill on the sidewalk this afternoon with a note on it that says, “If found, please call 555-364-1212.” What do you do?
    • Have you ever gotten a perm?
  • You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, January 19, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
  • Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 330 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

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

January 10th, 2015 by Karen 332 Comments

Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog
Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog

Black Mirror. OK, damn… I don’t even… Holy! That show… To put it mildly, I am freaked out.

Every. Episode. So far. And I’ve only seen five of the seven so far! — but I can’t stop thinking about them.

My goodness, how cynical and/or twisted does a person have to be to come up with stories like those? Haha! That second episode, with the bicycling and the talent show (Hot Shot!), what a sad, sad world…and yet I can see something like that existing. Brilliant sci-fi in the vein of Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, only VASTLY, incomparably more jaw-dropping and twisted (I’m warning you!) than anything I ever saw on either of those shows. If you’re interested, it’s up on Netflix now.

In other news, happy caturday, my friend! 🙂 The sun is actually shining here in Novato, and that is so damned awesome! I’m getting outside today, no matter what. I think sun like this calls for a trip to the mall.

Whatever you’re up to, I hope you’re doing great. Good luck in the giveaway, and I’ll talk to you soon.

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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:
    • Which of these two mundane makeup powers would you rather have? 1) Perfect makeup recall, where you can remember every single tool and shade name, finish, formula, detail and application technique you’ve ever seen; or 2) the amazing ability to use your index finger as an airbrush that can shoot pigments (all colors) without ever running out?
    • If you were a character in a video game, what would the game be about?
    • What’s the most annoying piece of makeup in your collection that you wish you could figure out how to use better?
    • Have you downloaded any cool new apps?
    • Best thing you’ve seen on YouTube this year (yeah, it’s only the first month of the new year so far, but still)?
    • If you had carte blanche total control (all expenses paid) over your day tomorrow and could do anything you want, what would you do?
  • You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, January 12, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
  • Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 332 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

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

January 3rd, 2015 by Karen 381 Comments

Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog
Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog

Oh. My. Gosh!

Do you ever start watching a movie that you think is going to go in one direction, and you think you’re gonna like it, but then it detours in a completely uncool way and you end up barking and growling at the screen?

Yeah, that has been my Netflix existence over the past week… This girl is desperately seeking movie recs if you have any.

In other news, happy caturday! It’s 2015 and I still can’t believe it. It’s also absolutely, positively freaking cold here in Northern California today. I mean, I admit that I’m a California weather wuss, but it’s 34 degrees outside! I don’t know if my poor citrus tree is going to make it. I think it needs a cute Chanel jacket. 🙂

Good luck in the giveaway this weekend. Your nephew says “meow!”

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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:
    • If you were a cat, what would you look like? Tell me about yourself.
    • Where do you think you got your love for makeup? Was it from a family member, a friend, or was it something that just developed on its own?
    • Aliens land on Earth and make first contact. How does it go? Are they friendly?
    • What was your first purchase of 2015 (of any kind)? Mine was dinner at a Creole restaurant called Fenix.
    • What’s your favorite glossy magazine?
    • What’s for breakfast?
  • You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, January 5, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
  • Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 381 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog

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

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

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