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Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 417

April 4th, 2016 by Karen 30 Comments

040416-monday-poll

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 seven 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 makeup colors are you wearing today?
    Today I’m wearing the new Tarte Sultry Star Power palette from the Double Duty Beauty collection.

    Yay! One small step toward business as usual!

    (Small victories…)

    It’s a cool-toned palette, so I’m wearing cool-toned matte and shimmery taupes on my eyes with smudgy black liner, matte plum blush on my cheeks and a neutral peachy lip.

    It’s by no means a perfect look because I banged it out in 15 minutes, but I’m at the point now where I don’t really care if my liner is a little wonky, ya know?

    As long as it stays up there and isn’t completely tragic, I’m happy… LOL!

  2. Whom do you feel closest to?
    Um…my cat Tabs? And El Hub, of course, and Connor Claire. 🙂
  3. Where do you see yourself this time next year?
    Hopefully someplace where I’m less tired!

    I dunno, though…

    Anywho, wherever I am, and whatever I’m doing, I hope I feel creatively satisfied. Like, I’d love to explore my other creative interests more, like with lettering and calligraphy, music (learning to play the cello and the accordion have been on my bucket list forever), painting and interior design.

  4. What do you always avoid?
    Confrontation.

    I’m not very good at it, so I avoid it whenever I can. Oddly enough, however, the universe regularly places confrontational people in my path, and so I’ve had to learn how to handle it a bit better.

    Er…and I also avoid cleaning the bathroom, ’cause it’s my least favorite household chore.

  5. What was the last fruit you ate?
    Grapefruit! I had a big ol’ one for breakfast.

    Here’s the thing about grapefruit, though: I have to have it cold (like right outta the fridge); otherwise, I can’t eat it.

    Room temperature grapefruit is a no-go for me.

Le List

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


1. What makeup colors are you wearing today?
2. Whom do you feel closest to?
3. Where do you see yourself this time next year?
4. What do you always avoid?
5. What was the last fruit you ate?

Have a fabulous week, my friend. I hope you’re feelin’ fly.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 30 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 392

April 3rd, 2016 by Karen 14 Comments

tabs-rainbow-modeling-pose

Dear Diary,

I thought this would be a good weekend to update my portfolio. I’ve been wanting to freshen it up with some new glamour shots, you know, just to show that I’ve still got it and can still rock a cutting-edge kitty modeling campaign.

tabs-kitty-model-pose-pink-toy

tabs-over-shoulder-pose

tabs-sleeping-blanket

I’m very proud of my new dreamy shots, which I did as part of a personal photography project to demonstrate my range.

A lot of companies are going that more abstract route these days. A lot of it is what they call CGI, which stands for computer-generated imagery.

Yeah, it’s just tech talk. Whatever, I’m down with that.

tabs-sunrise-modeling-shot

[Continue reading…]

There are 14 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Tabs

Leave a Comment for a Chance to Win a $50 Sephora E-GIFT CARD! (Ends Monday)

April 2nd, 2016 by Karen 406 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **

This giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted (CONGRATULATIONS, CHRISTINE!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!
Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!

Every day is a new adventure around here. Just when I think I’ve figured something out, like a good routine to get Connor Claire fed and soothed to sleep for a couple of hours at a time, nope! — something new happens.

She was so fussy last night. Not even Uncle Tabby’s amazing nanny services could soothe her. She was incorrigible… Now watch her sleep all day long today, LOL!

Rise and shine, morning glory! Happy Caturday!

That reminds me… I bet you probably realize by now that yesterday was April Fool’s Day. Sadly, this means that the grand opening of the new Novato Cat Cafe & Cosmetics has been delayed. 🙂

In other news, I got out of the cave/house for two whole hours yesterday, and it was glorious! My parents visited and offered to watch Connor, so El Hub and I sneaked away to the mall. We got coffee, See’s candy and window shopped like real grownup people! It was the most exciting thing I’ve done in a month.

sephora-giveaway-prize-2015

  • 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).

sephora-gift-card-small-2015

sephora-giveaway-rules-2015

  • Enter by leaving a comment 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:
    sephora-giveaway-heart-2015

    • What’s a product you have in a bunch of colors?
    • What are two products you really like to mix together?
    • A piece of popular beauty advice you don’t agree with?
    • Have you ever thumb wrestled anyone?
    • Favorite boy band?
    • Amazonian clay: yes or no?
  • One entry per person.
  • You must use a valid email address to win.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, April 4, 2016 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 406 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

Get a Makeover and Make a Feline Friend at the New Novato Cat Cafe & Cosmetics!

April 1st, 2016 by Karen 33 Comments

novato-cat-cafe-cosmetics-logo

I’ll have a latte, a lipstick and a luscious orange tabby to go, please!

Have you ever dreamed of uttering that phrase in public?? I know this is a shocker, but I have, and I’m so happy to announce that the dream has finally come true. 🙂

Dun-dun-dun! — introducing the Novato Cat Cafe & Cosmetics, my new business venture.

I know — kind of a funky title, but it gets straight to the point…which is cats, coffee and cosmetics, three of my favorite things.

tabs-orange-cat-cafe-cosmetics

This has actually been in the works for two years, and it’s been really hard to keep it under wraps, but the investors finally came through, and we secured the perfect space. All that’s left now is to finish construction, hire the resident kitties (pending Tabs’s approval, of course), and bring onboard a talented cat-loving makeup artist to do makeovers (yes, we’ll even have makeovers!), but that’s down the road a little.

If you live in the Bay Area, I’d love for you to stop by when we open. We’ll be serving coffee drinks, selling cat-themed makeup (hello, Paul & Joe cuteness), and you’ll be able to make a reservation to hang out with our adoptable cafe kitties in Kitty Village, our special play area.

tabs-cat-cafe-cosmetics-2016

We’re hoping to house 15 adoptable kitties at a time, but who knows? If the idea takes off, we may open other franchises around the Bay Area, or heck — across the United States and around the world!

We’re located in downtown Novato by the Trader Joe’s, and the grand opening will be in early June.

tabs-paul-joe-cat-cafe-lipstick

We’re taking reservations now for the first two weeks. If you’re in the Bay Area and would like to be one of the very first guests, leave a comment below, and I’ll get in touch with you to schedule a date and time to meet the kitties.

Lattes and mochas for everyone! 🙂

I’ll be posting pics of the space as the construction progresses, and when we get the adoptable kitties lined up, I’ll be posting pics of them here as well.

Meowza to new adventures!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 33 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, News

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 416

March 28th, 2016 by Karen 41 Comments

monday-poll-spring-butterfly-2016

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 seven 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 one beauty product you like to always have a backup of?
    Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo, otherwise known as “the best dry shampoo on the planet, and perhaps even the universe.”

    I always get one or more of them when I can snag them on sale, like during the Sephora VIB sales, because I never want to be without at least one backup bottle.

  2. When was the last time you spoke to someone in your family?
    Hmm… Let’s see… I think it was my brother.

    Yeah, it was my brother. He called the other night while I was eating dinner/shoveling food into my face, and we talked for about 10 minutes about baby poo and DJ’s…

    And then before that it was my mom, who called earlier in the day, and I think we may have also talked about baby poo… It’s been a hot topic round here.

  3. What was the last bad movie you watched?
    Can I just say here that there are a lot of bad movies on Netflix?

    I know this because I spend most of my days lately feeding Connor Claire while watching Netflix (it’s our version of “Netflix and Chill,” HA!), and I’ve started and stopped so many bad movies that I think I pulled a muscle in my remote control hand.

    I don’t know where I’m going with this…

    I think the movie was actually something we rented on iTunes called Results, with Guy Pearce.

    I mean, on the scale of bad, it wasn’t absolutely terrible, but it was just…I dunno…boring. It didn’t really seem to go anywhere.

  4. What’s a phrase you say a lot?
    “Well, hello, little person!” which I say to Connor Claire whenever she gets up for a feeding or a diaper change.

    And I also say “Get that butt outta my face!” to Tabs quite a lot.

    LOL!

  5. Who makes the best chocolate?
    For me, it’s See’s Candies, fo’ sho’!

    Mmm… Milk chocolate buttercream…

Le List

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


1. What’s one beauty product you like to always have a backup of?
2. When was the last time you spoke to someone in your family?
3. What was the last bad movie you watched?
4. What’s a phrase you say a lot?
5. Who makes the best chocolate?

How’s it going it this morning? What did you do for Easter?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 41 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 391

March 27th, 2016 by Karen 18 Comments

tabs-spa-day-easter-2016

My darlings,

A very happy Easter to you. May your tum be filled with gravy, your basket be filled with treats and your heart be filled with love.

Today is a special day for reflection, renewal and hope, and my hope for you is that you have a joyous and prosperous spring.

The start of spring is a purr-fect time to reflect on the year so far and to look ahead. What has gone well for me? What could have gone better? Have I been as professionally dominating in my kitty modeling exploits as I need to be to remain on top of the kitty modeling cat tower, or is there room for improvement?

Here are five things you can do now to start your spring on the right paw.

1. Treat yourself to a spa day

tabs-spa-day-easter-2016

I am a firm believer in treating yourself to a day of pampering at least once purr quarter.

2. Volunteer for a good cause

tabs-nordstrom-personal-stylist-easter

It’s important to give back, and this year I’ll be volunteering my time and graciously giving my impecable fashion and beauty advice to shoppers as a personal stylist at Nordstrom. Call now for reservations.

3. Get something for someone special in your life

tabs-connor-yellow-easter-dress

After a rocky start, the new employee and I are getting along swimmingly. She’s a sweetheart, although her petting technique still leaves a lot to be desired.

As a token of my appreciation, I got her this yellow Easter dress.

tabs-connor-yellow-easter-dress-2

[Continue reading…]

There are 18 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Tabs

Happy Easter!

March 27th, 2016 by Karen 31 Comments

happy-easter-connor-claire

Tabs insisted on doing a quick photo shoot with the dress he bought Connor for Easter. 🙂

happy-easter-connor-claire-3

happy-easter-connor-claire-2

I hope you have a wonderful day, my friend. We’re just gonna be spending it here at home. My mom brought us some corned beef and cabbage, so we’ll be having that and some Easter chocolates. Connor Claire, of course, will be having fresh milk du jour from Mom.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 31 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Leave a Comment for a Chance to Win a $50 Sephora E-GIFT CARD! (Ends Monday)

March 26th, 2016 by Karen 348 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **

This giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted (CONGRATULATIONS, KRISTEN!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!
Win a $50 Sephora e-gift card!

I cannot believe it’s Easter weekend! I swear, I remember driving around to look at Christmas lights. Seems like that was just a couple weeks ago…

Rise and shine, morning glory! Despite my unreadiness for it, it is almost Easter. Are you going to church? Brunch? Are there mimosas in your future? Inquiring minds want to know.

Since this is Excitement Central over here, I’ll be spending Easter with a baby and a breast pump and my butt glued in a Pier One floral-printed chair (which Tabs mistakenly claims as his own) while re-watching Dawson’s Creek on Hulu.

Yup, it’s a thrill a minute!

Have a wonderful holiday, my friend. Good luck in the Easter egg hunt, and please save me a few jellybeans. 🙂

sephora-giveaway-prize-2015

  • 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).

sephora-gift-card-small-2015

sephora-giveaway-rules-2015

  • Enter by leaving a comment 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:
    sephora-giveaway-heart-2015

    • Have you ever been to an art exhibit?
    • Do you know if you have any royalty in your family?
    • When you think of the word “carefree,” what makeup comes to mind?
    • How do you feel about destination weddings?
    • Have you ever shattered a blush palette?
    • What’s at the top of your list of “Things to Do This Spring”?
  • One entry per person.
  • You must use a valid email address to win.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, March 28, 2016 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 348 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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