Just For Fun

Comment to Win a $50 eGift Card From MAC! (Ends Monday)

September 19th, 2015 by Karen 386 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **
This giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted (CONGRATULATIONS, MICHELLE!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

I’m kind of on the fence about my latest TV obsession, the new Beverly Hills 90210, except that it’s not new at all, because it’s from 2008.

Netflix, ya know? I watch so many things I never would have found, but I started watching it, and I’m wondering, are any of the actors actually in their teens?? I mean, it takes place at West Beverly High School. Couldn’t they have hired an actual teenager for at least one of the parts?

But I digress…

How’s it going, my friend? What are you up to this weekend? I’m absolutely not excited about it, but I have to do some housecleaning. 🙁 Since El Hub thinks he spotted a mouse in the kitchen the other day, I am officially freaked out. I’m also extremely disappointed in Tabs for failing in his duties as the company’s lead mouser. I’m starting to wonder if he fibbed on his resume.

Right now, though, I’m on my way to another one of those Sephora classes. This one’s called Perfectly Paired Lips and Cheeks.

These classes are great, BTW! You should totally look into them. They’re fun, and because they’re early in the morning, they help me get an early start on the day. Four stars and two thumbs up!

I hope you’re doing something fun today. Talk to you soon, and good luck in the giveaway.

One (1) MAC eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

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:
- Something you’re always very careful about?
- A saying that drives you crazy?
- I know this is TMI but…
- Something you’ve gotten very good at lately?
- Finish the sentence, “With my makeup I never…”
- My significant other has [ADJECTIVE] [NOUN].
One entry per person.
You must use a valid email address to win.
The giveaway ends on Monday, September 21, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

FYH (For Your Hair): Side Part or Center Part?

September 18th, 2015 by Karen 39 Comments

For me, side part all the way. I’ve always had one, even back when I was a kid.

The evidence…

Just call me the Karate Kid — Back when my hair looked like Ralph Macchio’s from *The Karate Kid*

Try for a second to not be distracted by the terrible hair or the short-shorts (what can I say? It was the ’80s), and focus on the hair part. It’s slightly off center. We’ll call this the early beginnings of a side part.

And years later, during my hair bear phase (again, I have no excuse, other than the fact that it was the ’80s), the side part cemented its reign by dominating my bangs…

This was my eighth-grade school picture. From what I can recall, I was very disappointed with my hair that day because the bangs were not nearly high enough.

Please note the braces and full, lush, untouched brows.

What I wouldn’t give to have those brows back…

But this post isn’t about brows! It’s about parts — and I want to know about yours: do you have a side part or center? 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Do You Do Anything to Protect Your Hair From the Sun?

September 16th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

If I know ahead of time that I’m going to be spending a lot of time outside and it’s a sunny day, like if I’m going sightseeing in the city, going for a hike or doing something like kayaking (which I highly recommend!), I try to do something to protect my hair.

Usually that’s putting it up in a low bun and hiding it under a brimmed hat, or hiding out under an umbrella if I remembered to bring one (or if I’m hanging out by the pool).

My gal pal/stylist Alis always reminds me to cover my hair in the sun (yup, I have colored hair from roots to ends), and she knows my hair very well. It’s one of those things I always try to remember…but it usually slips my mind. I definitely notice that my color jobs last longer when I’m good about it though.

Just gotta remember!

How about you? Do you do anything to protect your hair from the sun?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Would You Ever Take Sexy Boudoir Pics?

September 16th, 2015 by Karen 25 Comments

I think you already know your tabby’s answer, WOW! 🙂

So…I’m totally undecided on this. If I can get back into bikini shape after Baby Girl is born, and only if the pics are taken with film and NOT a digital camera (too risky), and the pics are only for El Hub’s eyes, then I might consider it…but only if the pics are very high-end and tasteful, and I have a Heidi Klum-caliber lighting team (check out how they light her on Project Runway; it’s otherworldly).

Oh, and only if nobody ever knows about it (this is key).

Those are a lot of conditions, I know.

Then again, even if by some miracle I grow a set of six-pack abs and a perky bosom falls into my lap, I still probably wouldn’t do it, because — real talk — I have a really hard time acting all schmexy in front of the camera.

I have no idea how so many people do it on Instagram! Holy crap!

Unlike Tabs, I am not a natural when it comes to seductive posing, and I know this because when I tried to take some va-va-voom pics of myself for the MAC A Novel Romance collection last year, I could not stop laughing the whole time! — and that was with ME snapping the pics. Seriously, it took at least 30 frames, with most of them looking absolutely insane, to get a couple semi-decent pics.

MAC A Novel Romance Collection: Wearing the Quad in An Amorous Adventure, Powder Blush in Fun Ending, Cremesheen Lipstick in Good Kisser and Fluidline Eye Pencil in Black Brilliance — This shot took FOREVER to get

I can’t even imagine how much harder it would be with a real photographer and various states of semi-undress in the mix. By the end of the session, that photographer would probably hate my guts, LOL! Yup, they’d be earning their money that day, that’s for sure.

Would you ever take sexy boudoir pics? DO TELL!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Have You Ever Left in the Middle of a Service (a Hair Appointment, Manicure, Massage, Etc.) for Any Reason?

September 15th, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

Surprisingly, no, but there have been many times when I probably should’ve trusted my gut and said, “Screw this!!” to being polite, and just got up and left. It would’ve saved me lots of money and time.

The incident that still bugs me the most to this day — I can’t think about it without frowning and growling, grr! — was a massage at a fancy spa that my friend Christine and I went to right before my wedding NINE YEARS AGO.

You might think that the passage of almost a decade would make the wound less painful, but noooo.

We decided to do a full-on girls’ day, so we both booked facials and massages at this high-end hotel spa that charged high-end prices. I was in hardcore treat-yo’-self mode at the time because the wedding was in a couple days, and I figured, why not? It would give me a chance to relax, and I’d done all of the wedding planning by myself, so I was wound pretty tightly. (I would not suggest this to anyone. Even though it saves money, it’s super stressful… Get thee some help! — especially if you’re doing a destination wedding. *steps off pulpit*)

Anyways, I NEEDED THE HELL OUT OF THAT DEEP-TISSUE MASSAGE.

When it came time for my appointment, the massage therapist took me into a room which happened to be right next to the hotel gym, where there were multiple TVs with the volume turned up, and the noise boomed though the very thin walls. The sound from the TVs completely drowned out the serene whale songs that were being piped into the massage room, allegedly for my relaxation.

All throughout my massage, all I could hear was a TV sports announcer from the game that was on, dudes cheering the game in the gym and my teeth grinding as I got progressively more aggravated… I asked the massage therapist if there was anything she could do, like if she could call the gym and ask them to turn the TV down, or perhaps get me some earplugs, and she said no.
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What’s Your Basic Skin Care/Skin Prep/Makeup Process? Here’s Mine…

September 15th, 2015 by Karen 28 Comments

What’s your basic skin care/skin prep/makeup process? Here’s mine…

1. Hydrating mist all over my face

MAC Fix+ ($22) has been my long-time and still current jam. I almost always have a bottle with me, and I even bring one of these travel-sized one with me on trips.

But I’m eager to try Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herb and Rosewater. It’s only $7, so a third the price of Fix+, and my friend Kwmechelle (hey gurl, haaaaay!) swears by it. Right now it’s at the top of my never-ending list of things to get next time I visit Ulta.

2. Face cream (with a separate eye cream around my eyes)

Because I don’t usually start doing my makeup right after I wash my face and do my morning skin care, I usually take a few minutes to moisturize once more before putting on le face paint. I’ve been using Embroyolisse, which is available online at Sephora for $28, for my face and MAC Fast Response Eye Cream ($31) for my eyes.

3. Primer

I use one primer for my face — currently Make Up For Ever Step 1 Smoothing Primer ($36) — and a separate primer for my lids, and you can probably guess which one that is! 🙂 Yes, it’s NARS Pro-Longwear Smudge-Proof ($25).

As for under my eyes, I rarely apply primer under my eyes, but I know it’s a step that a lot of people do.

4. Color correcting around my face (if necessary)

I have a few spots of darker pigment around my left eye and the left side of my lip, which I sometimes color correct with either an orange primer ($36 Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Radiant Primer Peach) or an orange concealer (The Burnt Coral side of $25 MAC Studio Conceal and Correct Duo in Rich Yellow/Burnt Coral).

*sigh!* It really does take a village…

5. Foundation or tinted moisturizer

Which one I use depends on what I’ll be doing that day and how my skin’s behaving, like whether it’s been more oily lately, or dry, or if there’s a pimple par-tay on my chin, but most of the time, if I have the time, I’ll use some kind of medium- or full-coverage serum foundation.

You probably already know this, but I really like Diorskin Nude Air in 40 Dore ($53) for full coverage, and now I’m also liking MAC Studio Waterweight in NC 42 ($33) for medium coverage.

Or, if time is of the essence and I barely have five minutes to go from zombie Karen to full-blooded, real-life Karen, I’ll wear a tinted moisturizer like Chanel Les Beiges All-In-One Healthy Glow Fluid SPF 15 in 40 ($45) instead.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 340

September 14th, 2015 by Karen 32 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.

Are you currently using any serums?
Yes! I’ve got two in rotation at the moment…sort of, except for not right at this second, because I ran out of one of them and need to replace it ASAP. But when I do, I’ll have two in rotation again. The first is Clarins Double Serum Complete Age Control Concentrate, which I use mostly for hydration and to even out my skin tone. I’ve gone through two big bottles of it, and I still love it. The second is good ol’ Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, another anti-aging serum which I’ve been using for years because it’s high in antioxidants and helps my skin texture.

What was a game-changing makeup product for you?
I really wasn’t into lash primers AT ALL before I met Estee Lauder’s Little Black Primer. Basically, I thought they were a waste of time and money, but Little Black Primer totally changed that. Now I feel like it’s a necessity for me and my lashes. Whenever I use it under mascara, it kicks things up several notches. My lashes look longer, curlier and more lush. I just finished a tube (Why does it seem like I always run out of batches of beauty products at the same time? It’s so weird…) and need to replace it ASAP.

Do you have a favorite pair of boots?
YES! I love boots, which is a little funny because I’m all about toe freedom in spring and summer, but I don’t mind confining those bad boys when it gets cold.

I have a pair of sassy suede olive green boots by Fergie (as in the singer! — Fergalicious) that I’ve worn for the past few seasons. They’ve held up well, and they’re my favorite pair to wear in fall, although I don’t know how much use I’m going to get out of them this year because they have also have a heel, and I keep noticing that my lower back gets all wonky when I wear high heels. Baby Girl has been keeping me in flats these days.
Do you do oversized rings?
On a daily basis, no, because I can’t type with ’em! They’re too heavy and distracting, but I do like to wear a tasteful cocktail ring on special occasions.

Have you ever had a disaster with bangs?
Honestly, when have my bangs not involved a disaster? It seems like every time I get bangs something goes awry. I have wavy hair, and the shorter it is, the more unruly it gets. All of my bangs disasters have come about because of this. You’d think I would have learned this lesson by now, but noooo. There’s one variety of bangs I can handle, and that’s the side sweep. I love me a good side sweep…

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

1. Are you currently using any serums?
2. What was a game-changing makeup product for you?
3. Do you have a favorite pair of boots?
4. Do you do oversized rings?
5. Have you ever had a disaster with bangs?

Hi! Helloooooo! *waves from my desk in Northern California* 🙂 Happy Monday to ya. I think that today will be the day when I get my first fall pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks (decaf, of course). It’s actually overcast and cool outside right now. Are you in?

And P.S., I won’t refuse to split a brownie with you. Just putting that out there.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 363

September 13th, 2015 by Karen 48 Comments

I know that you know a lot about Tabs through his modeling, philanthropy and other endeavors — his fabulous life — but here’s a look behind the glam at what it’s really like to live with Tabs on a day-to-day basis.

I worry sometimes that he’s older than I always thought he was

I mentally prepare myself — scratch that. I keep trying to mentally prepare myself for the day when I wake up, and I don’t have Tabs there to greet me.

I can’t even handle the thought… It makes me so sad. 🙁

A few months ago, we took him to the vet for his regular checkup, and the vet said, “I think he may be a little older than we initially thought he was…” His eyes aren’t as bright as they once were, and he’s starting to slow down. He’s also getting ornerier, and he sleeps more during the day.

I worry that I might not have the time I thought I’d have with him, and I know that seems very greedy of me and self-centered, but I can’t help it. I just want my companion to live forever.

I think about collecting his whiskers…

A couple weeks ago I found one of his little whiskers — I call ’em little whiskees — while cleaning the living room, and his whiskees are interesting in that they aren’t all white. Some of them are black, and some of them are black with little sections of white.

I picked it up, and I walked up to El Hub and asked, “Do you think it would be too crazy cat lady if I saved all of Tabs’s whiskees?” because I’d been thinking about how when he finally goes to cross the rainbow bridge, I won’t have anything of his with me, and El Hub said, “Yes, that would be very crazy cat lady of you.”

So I threw it out…but you know what? I’m gonna start collecting his whiskees anyway, and then when he finally goes away, I’m probably going to spread his ashes on the hill behind us, because he loves being outside.

I feel guilty sometimes when I see outdoor kitties lounging around

Oh, Tabby, I wish you could be the outside cat that I know you see yourself as, always running around, chasing things and lounging about.

When I see kitties outside, especially at the end of the day enjoying the sunset or napping, I wish Tabs could have that same luxury, but I know that it’s probably safer for him to spend the evenings indoors. Where we live here in Novato, there are wide open spaces with coyotes (we see them a lot) and other predators around.

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