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Just For Fun

A Sassy September Giveaway // WIN A $50 CONNOR CLAIRE GIFT CARD AND A PALETTE KITTY TOTE

September 6th, 2016 by Karen 126 Comments

CONGRATULATIONS, MIMI & SHERLOCK!!! You’re the lucky duo. YOU WON! I hope you love the Palette Kitty Tote and your new Connor Claire gear as much as I do.

Connor Claire Palette Kitty Tote

Win a Connor Claire Palette Kitty Tote and a $50 Connor Claire gift card to fill it with goodies. ???

How to participate

  1. Sign up to the Connor Claire newsletter (you’ll get free gifts and discounts throughout the year and a first look at new arrivals).


  2. Leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite palette or your favorite kitty (it is the Palette Kitty Tote, after all).

Giveaway ends Monday, Sep. 12, 2016. Open U.S. and international. One entry per person.

Good luck! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 126 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Connor Claire Store, Giveaways, Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 439

September 5th, 2016 by Karen 19 Comments

monday-poll-09-05-16

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 NINE (!) 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 your favorite kind of apple?
    Honeycrisp, but I don’t get them often because they’re very expensive here.
  2. What’s a type of shoe you never wear?
    I never wear mules because I always feel like my foot is about to slip right out of them.
  3. Do you like Oreo cookies?
    I LOVE Oreo cookies, but I can’t remember the last time I had one.

    Oh! So good with milk…

  4. What do you usually use to apply foundation?
    Different things. It depends on the formula and how much time I have and the look I’m going for. Like, I’ll usually use my fingers or a beautyblender with tinted moisturizer or liquid foundation, and I’ll use a dense foundation brush with stick foundation.
  5. Zippers, buttons or Velcro?
    Buttons!

    There’s just something old-fashioned about them.

  6. Would you ever wear sequined pants?
    Only if they were COMPLETELY covered in sequins. 🙂

monday-poll-le-list-spring-2016

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

1. What’s your favorite kind of apple?
2. What’s a type of shoe you never wear?
3. Do you like Oreo cookies?
4. What do you usually use to apply foundation?
5. Zippers, buttons or Velcro?
6. Would you ever wear sequined pants?

Happy Labor Day, my fellow laborers. I hope you’re having a good one.

Did you do anything fun over the weekend? I had a nice time at a barbecue that one of my neighbors held yesterday. I wore Connor in my baby carrier, and she was really well behaved the entire time.

Interestingly, I also learned that there are lots of cat ladies in my neighborhood. I had a fascinating conversation with one of them who has a gorgeous flame-point Himalayan with blue eyes.

Of course we showed each other pictures of our cats on our phones.

Of course. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 19 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 413

September 4th, 2016 by Karen 12 Comments

kitty supermodel

There’s nothing like a little morning meditation to clear the kitty cobwebs and focus your powers of feline fabulousness on kitty modeling domination.

kitty supermodel

Tabs wanted to go for his walk at the crack of dawn this morning before the neighborhood hustles and bustles so that he could channel his chi and practice his kitty yoga poses…

kitty supermodel

kitty supermodel

kitty supermodel

kitty supermodel

kitty supermodel

His favorite time to walk is early, early, early in the morning, sometimes even before dawn when it’s still a little dark, because it’s quieter and sometimes there are still interesting varmints like raccoons skulking about.

Today it was already light, but it was still early and quiet.

kitty supermodel

[Continue reading…]

There are 12 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Tabs

Can You Name the Neutral Palettes?

August 31st, 2016 by Karen 32 Comments

neutral-palettes-0

Stop it! Homegirl doesn’t want to hear it…and I’m not listening when you say, “Karen! The last thing you need on this earth is another brown eyeshadow.” *plugs ears and closes eyes* LA-LA-LA-LA-LAAAAA!

neutral-palettes-2

I emptied out my neutral palette drawer yesterday (for the heck of it), and this is what I found.

See anything that looks familiar? How many of them do you recognize?

neutral-palettes-1

If you can name them all, then BOW DOWN! You’re the mac daddy/daddy mac of the neutral palette universe.

neutral palettes
How many do you recognize?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 32 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

On Average, How Many Eyeshadows Do You Use in a Typical Makeup Look?

August 30th, 2016 by Karen 32 Comments

urban decay ultimate basics
The new Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Basics Palette for Holiday 2016 (YES…HOLIDAY!)

How many shades do you use on average in a typical look?

One? Two? Twelve? Six? Seven? More?

I’m desperately trying to power my way through this “just a little liner” phase I still find myself trapped in, and we’ll see if the new Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Basics palette (coming soon…in 18 days!) helps.

It could… I’ve been playing with it, and I really like the wear time. Been putting in some looong days lately, and the shadows last at least 8-10 hours on my lids without any creasing.

The shades are all mattes, and they seem to apply darker on the skin than they appear in their pans.

For the past few months or so — really, for the past year, if I’m being completely honest — I haven’t had the patience to put on a lot eye makeup, so I’ve been wearing one or two shadows, tops. Like, I’ll do a single brown matte all over my lids, then line my upper lash line with a darker matte shade, usually a dark gray or black.

But I’m working my way out of that and growing more interested in wearing more shades day by day. With this palette, I’ve been wearing from four to six of the shades at a time, so that’s a big step.

How about you? How many eyeshadows do you wear in a typical look? Also, feel free to include any creamy base eyeshadows you wear.

Talk to you soon!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I’ve been listening to a lot of The Pretenders lately, and this one is currently on repeat this morning…

P.P.S. Have a terrific Tuesday! 🙂

There are 32 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Introducing CONNORCLAIRE.COM!

August 29th, 2016 by Karen 74 Comments

coffee first tee
But first, coffee…

Huzzah! Today is a big day! 🙂 The secret squirrel project I’ve been talking about is finally open.

If you like makeup, kitties and playful patterns as much as I do, have a look around.

I put my heart and soul into this project, and I hope you like it. Follow us (us = me, Tabs and the original Connor Claire) on Instagram @msconnorclaire, and tag #msconnorclaire to be featured.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 74 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Connor Claire Store, Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 438

August 29th, 2016 by Karen 43 Comments

OK, it's meow time.
OK, it’s meow time.

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 NINE (!) 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 the first thing you do at the sink every morning?
    I wash my hands…because the very first thing I do when I get up is use the loo, LOL!

    Oh, did I tell you yet that I found the absolute best hand soap?? Yeah, it’s the Foaming Hand Soap by Michel Design Works, and my mother-in-law got me hooked on their stuff a while ago.

    They come in a great selection of interesting scents like Green Meadow and Hyacinth Iris, and they’re SUPER foamy. They also don’t make the skin on my hands dry.

    I’ve seen them on Amazon for about $10, but I get mine at Marshalls for $5.99. When I see them in the beauty section I stock up.

    No joke, last time I bought, like, six of them in one fell swoop. A lady standing next to me in line asked if they were any good, and I was like, “Honey! Let me tell you about these soaps…” and I talked her ear off.

    Anywho!

  2. A type of junk food you’ll do almost anything to keep from having to give up?
    There is absolutely no way I’ll ever give up ice cream…without a fight, because a world without ice cream would be like a world without kittens.

    It would be a very sad and depressing place. 🙁

  3. Just generally speaking, what kind of beauty products do you like?
    Um…all of them? But seriously, I like products that make my life easier somehow, whether that’s a no-brainer lipstick that I know will go with every eye and cheek color under the sun, or a tool or accessory that saves me time when I’m getting ready.

    I also like products that make me feel like I’m indulging myself or being pampered, even if it’s just an otherwise ordinary day, like perfumes, body lotions, face masks or scrubs.

    Oh, and products that help me look less tired are primo! Really, I could talk about that forever…

  4. Fill in the blanks: “If you want _____ you have to _____.”
    If you want to succeed you have to work your @ss off. If you want cats you have to carry cat treats (not really, but they help). If you want pizza you have to call me because I want some too. 🙂
  5. What’s the best sweat-proof makeup?
    I have to go with good ol’ MAC Blot.
  6. Do you have a lucky charm?
    Does my cat count?

monday-poll-le-list-spring-2016

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

1. What’s the first thing you do at the sink in the morning?
2. A type of junk food you’ll do almost anything to keep from having to give up?
3. Generally speaking, what kind of beauty products do you like?
4. Fill in the blanks: “If you want _____ you have to _____.”
5. What’s the best sweat-proof makeup?
6. Do you have a lucky charm?

OK…how is it Monday already? And the end of August? Wow, how’d that happen?

Rise and shine, babe! How was your weekend? Mine was busy but good. I was finishing up that secret squirrel project (which reminds me, guess what) so I didn’t really do anything, but that gives me an excuse to treat myself to Starbucks this morning (hello, pink drink!).

How are you doing? I hope there’s a smile on your face. 🙂 You’re gonna have a great week, BTW. I just know it.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 43 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 412

August 28th, 2016 by Karen 9 Comments

tabs-cat-ladybug

Tabs loves ? the ladies…

And the ladybugs. ?

They’re all over the place right now because we got some from a lawn and garden store to go to town on the aphids in the official Tabs the Cat Industries LLC employee deck garden, and they’re doing a GREAT job, but Tabs doesn’t exactly know what to think of them…

tabs-cat-ladybug

He gets up really close to check ’em out, and then watches them do their work, but he leaves them be. He mostly just watches…

tabs-cat-ladybug

Even when he has lunch at the corporate salad bar, he nibbles the grass all around where the ladybugs are, but he lets them have their space.

tabs-cat-ladybug

I think it’s because he can tell that they’re industrious, and he has mad respect for hard work. 🙂

tabs-cat-ladybug

[Continue reading…]

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Tabs

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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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