Just For Fun

What’s in a Name?

March 25th, 2016 by Karen 86 Comments

Sometimes when I hold Connor Claire, I seriously can’t believe she spent nine months percolating in my tum. Like…really? I really made this little creature? She was in there all that time?!

Blows. My. Mind.

In related news, I overheard El Hub talking to a friend on the phone the other day about Connor’s name. The friend said, “You know that Connor is a boy’s name, right?” and then they asked if it was too late to change the name. Had we already submitted the final paperwork?

Um…yes. For the record, we knew. Connor is usually a boy’s name, but she wasn’t named after a boy. She was named after one of the great ladies of science fiction cinema, one Ms. Sarah Connor (specifically, the Sarah Connor from the first two Terminator movies). 🙂

Connor also happens to share a name with one of my favorite female authors, Flannery O’Connor, and the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States, Sandra Day O’Connor.

El Hub and I wanted to give her a strong name, and Connor fit her perfectly.

And the “Claire” part of her name just spoke to me. I like how it sounds. It’s from the feminine form of the Latin adjective “clarus,” meaning bright or clear.

How about you? Is there a story behind your name? I was named after an actress that my mom liked named Karen Black.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

Burt’s Bees Radiance Lotion Will Have You Channeling Your Inner Queen Bee

March 23rd, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 13 Comments

burts bees, radiance lotion, body lotion — Holding court in my lotion kingdom…

So, here’s a bit of a confession, and I only call it a confession because you, dear readers, don’t know me that well, and my boyfriend is probably the only other one who knows this, but…I can be a grizzly beast in the winter.

Bodily speaking, I mean. Body hair, specifically. Body hair has become less and less taboo as the years have passed, and I find myself caring less and less in the winter.

I’m a habitual bikini waxer, but other than that, in the wintertime, it just makes things worse. I shave my legs, and my skin just dries out more. Who needs that?

Well, despite my biggest excuses, I can’t resist trying a new body lotion, and if I’m going to try a new lotion, I want to feel like a baby dolphin when I do it. 🙂

Burt’s Bees Radiance Body Lotion is part of the brand’s Radiance family of products, which consists of an entire line of skin care. formulated with royal jelly, as well as sunflower oil and aloe, which contribute to the amazing scent.

After a very long shower and the death of one very strong, very brave razor, my legs were once again hairless, and my body was ready to begin the testing. What I wasn’t ready for was how much I was going to sparkle! Radiance Body Lotion contains mica (a light reflecting mineral), and baby, does it reflect.

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So Lovely

March 23rd, 2016 by Karen 57 Comments

I think this might be the first pic (or one of the very first pics) here of Connor Claire with her eyes open, because homegirl sleeps A LOT (it’s what babies do).

She has her daddy’s lashes and lips, and she has my eyes and nose. 🙂

I love watching her facial expressions when she’s awake and alert like this. When she’s hungry, she does this one thing I call pirate baby, where she contorts her mouth to the side and closes one eye, like, “Yaaargh!”

Also, check out her arms! They’re filling out and getting chubbier. So are her little legs and cheeks.

I already can’t deal with her getting bigger. ? Yesterday I went to Starbucks to grab a latte and a slice of banana bread (mmm…banana bread), and while I was there I saw a gang of moms with babies in strollers, and all of the babies (that I’m guessing were between one and two years old) looked HUGE.

That’s when it hit me — this tea cup-sized tiny phase is temporary. Connor’s going to keep getting bigger and bigger.

I dunno… I get a little teary when I think about it. Then again, everything makes me teary these days, haha. The postpartum hormone train, toot-toot! It’s a crazy-@ss ride.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Ultimate Italian Makeup Look May Not Be What You Expect

March 23rd, 2016 by Carolina Braina 34 Comments

“Italians are always well-dressed.”

Who hasn’t heard that one at least once in their life?

It’s one of many stereotypes about Italians and, just like any stereotype, it’s not entirely true…but it does have a kernel of truth to it.

In my experience, people here are generally very concerned with the way they look, and they’ll usually put a lot of thought into what they wear.

There’s also a general sense of decorum that people are expected to observe. For instance, you’ll never see college students go to class in sweats and flip-flops. Here, dressing appropriately and looking nice are real social conventions.

So, what is makeup’s role in a country where most people always try to dress well and look good?

Well, Italians don’t normally use as much makeup as you might expect. A typical Italian look, which I’ve recreated for you today, will usually feature very few products.

Care to know which ones? 🙂

Foundation (often a shade too dark)

Italian Makeup Look — The foundation I’m wearing today is Diego Dalla Palma 2 W. W. Mattifying Foundation in 43 Warm Beige

That’s for two main reasons. The first one is that many people think the purpose of foundation is to make them look tanned, while the second one is that it’s pretty hard for those here with lighter skin tones to find the right color match.

The lightest shade of foundations from Italian brands will usually be my skin tone or darker and, although I’m pretty pale, I’m definitely not the palest. Even international brands will often have a more limited shade range here than abroad.

Bronzer

Most Italians don’t contour very much, but they definitely like to bronze. A LOT.
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Vera Bradley Shakes Things Up With New Scents in the Mini Eau de Toilette Spray Set in Multi 2016

March 21st, 2016 by Marcella Yakalis 7 Comments

The Vera Bradley Mini Eau de Toilette Spray Set in Multi 2016 ($48)

As I was going through my products before my recent move, I realized something.

I am a serious hoarder!

I had a lot of expired products, and even for the ones that didn’t have an expiration date, I still knew they were due to be discarded.

This was further proven when boyfriend was putting away the kitchen items and found, and I quote, “Tea from 2007. 2007 BABE!”

I just hate throwing things out, guys. Like the authentic Chinese black tea from my old neighbor who invited me over for a traditional tea and chit-chat after I asked to borrow a screwdriver to put together my roommate’s shoddy Ikea bed? That was only two years ago. Who cares if the box says 2007 on it!

Tea aside, I really needed to go through my products before this move, and when I got to my perfumes, I noticed that I had almost completely full bottles of Victoria Secret Body Mist, something I had been into for a while, circa 2009.

I was an especially loyal fan of Fresh & Clean, with the matching body lotion.

I knew they were old, but I wasn’t sure just how old until I opened them and detected something quite unlike the apples and lilies described on the label. Instead…they smelled mostly like alcohol. I hadn’t kept them in the best places. They were often housed on windowsills where they were exposed to sunlight.

So away they went, along with an old bottle of Calvin Klein for women that had also seen better days.

Despite the fact that, nowadays, I prefer body oils and lighter perfumes, I don’t turn my nose up at unique sets from established companies, which is why I was curious about the new Spring Mini Eau de Toilette Spray Set ($48) from Vera Bradley.

vera bradley, perfume, Eau de Toilette, perfume set, — From L-R: Appleberry Champagne, Cotton Flower, Macaroon Rose, and Vanilla Sea Salt.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 415

March 21st, 2016 by Karen 55 Comments

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.

On a typical day, what kind of clothes do you wear?
I’m starting week three of temporary baby jail today, and one thing I’ve learned so far is that I absolutely need to get out of my pajamas, take a shower and put on real clothes in the morning in order to function during the day; otherwise, I feel like absolute crap.

I dunno… Maybe the act of putting on jeans temporarily erases the fact that I’m not getting any sleep?

Anywho, to make a short story exceptionally long, on a typical baby jail day, you’ll find me in maternity jeans with a little (OK, a LOT) of stretch to them and a loose button-up flannel.

Why the flannel? Well, it makes it easier to whip out the boobs to feed Connor Claire.

Sexy schtuff, I know…

What’s the last song you sang in the shower?
Hmm… What was it?

I think — yeah, I’m pretty sure it was Hey Jude, by the Beatles, which I got stuck in my head after I played it for Connor Claire during one of her daytime feedings.

Yes, while she enjoys the fine gourmet fare known as Boobs du Mom, I play music for her. 🙂

So far we’ve covered about a quarter of the Beatles catalogue, with some Stevie Wonder thrown in there too.

Do you have split ends?
At the moment, I do. It’s been a while since my last haircut.

Last TV show you binge-watched?
I feel like this is turning into “A Very Special Boobs Episode of the Monday Poll,” but so much of my life right at the moment is devoted to feeding the baby, so please bear with me.

Anyway, I use a breast pump throughout the day, and while I’m pumping, I watch TV to pass the time. I’ve been binge-watching this show on Hulu called Broad City, and it’s HILARIOUS.

What refreshes and reinvigorates you?
Um…a completely uninterrupted night of sleep?

Also, washing my face with cold water first thing in the morning, hanging out with good friends, exploring new places with El Hub, an ice cold Power C Vitamin Water and afternoons spent at the beach (ideally, one with warm water).

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

1. On a typical day, what kind of clothes do you wear?
2. What’s the last song you sang in the shower?
3. Do you have split ends?
4. Last TV show you binge-watched?
5. What refreshes and reinvigorates you?

Have a great week, my friend, and I’ll try to do the same.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 390

March 20th, 2016 by Karen 8 Comments

My darlings,

One of the questions I’m constantly asked while on location posing for kitty modeling campaigns is, “Tabs, how can I be as fabulous as you are?”

First of all, it is possible. I know that I make it seem easy sometimes, but I wasn’t always this fabulous. It took a lot of hard work and purr-severance, and now I’d like to share the lessons I’ve learned with you.

1. Cultivate a network of fabulous friends (and frenemies)

One of the best ways to learn how to be more fabulous is to spend time with other fabulous friends. Watch how they handle professional and personal situations. When do they purr? When do they meow? How do they strut and pose? Observe their attitude and mannerisms, and take every opportunity to network and meet even more fabulous friends. Pretty soon, as some of their fabulousness rubs off on you, you’ll start acting more fabulously too.

While you’re at it, it’s also important to cultivate a few frenemies as well, because you know what they say about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. That, and there’s also no such thing as bad press when it comes to being fabulous.

2. Hire a social media strategist

Social media is a key component of brand management these days, but in striving to become a world class kitty supermodel, your time will be limited, so I suggest hiring a professional to help you handle the day-to-day upkeep of your many social media channels, someone who can post daily glamour pictures of you and carry around your iPhone. This way, you’ll have more time to connect with your fans.

3. Shop where other fabulous cats aren’t shopping

Because true fabulousness is about paving your own way, be a trendsetter, instead of a trend follower.

For instance, if all of your friend cats are shopping at Chanel this season, buck the trend and shop at Prada or Dior. Forge your own path, and be your own cat.
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