Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 361

August 30th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

Talent.

What is “talent”?

Mysterious. Hard to define. That certain je ne sais quoi that only some cats have. Just look at all of the kitty models who never quite make it to supermodel status, and all of those broken hearts and broken dreams… Tabs has a great eye for discovering talent, believe it or not, and throughout his career as the world’s first and foremost plus-size kitty model, he has cultivated a number of talented photographers, kitty models, cat actors and designers. You just don’t hear about them all the time because he’s not the braggy type.

His latest discovery is poised to set the photography world on fire. Tabs found him through an underground network of feline friends and professionals because, you know, he’s a cat from the street. He likes to keep his ears and paws close to the ground where the action is. He’s not just about Chanel and Dior and that jet-set life. No matter what, he never forgets where he came from.

So he started hearing about this photographer named Z.

Yes, that’s his real name. Not “Zi” or “Zee.” It’s just the letter Z. He’s so mysterious…

Z has this really unique photography style, and Tabs, being part talent scout, spotted it from a mile away. He knew that Z was destined to be a big star in the photography world, so Tabs commissioned a series of portraits for Z to do, and because Tabs doesn’t do anything halfway, he had the corporate jet fly out to New York to pick Z up (he’s from Brooklyn, apparently), and fly him out here to the West Coast.

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

August 29th, 2015 by Karen 340 Comments

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

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine. It’s going to be a beautiful day!

I know this because it’s Caturday, and Caturdays are the best. 🙂

How’s it going this morning? OK, movie share time… I saw a pretty good one on iTunes last night called Z for Zachariah. It’s a post-apocalyptic thriller set after a nuclear war. A young woman (Margot Robbie) survives alone with her dog on her family’s farm in a secluded, idyllic mountain valley that was spared the fate the befell the area around it, which is now a radioactive wasteland. One day another survivor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) — the only other survivor the woman has seen in a year — happens upon the valley, and she’s overjoyed to finally have human companionship again. They start to build a life together.

Then another dude shows up (Chris Pine, aka Captain Kirk), and BOOM! — love triangle, and all hell breaks loose, haha!

It’s good though. Good science fiction.

In other news, I’m heading out to my parents’ house in a little while for a visit. I hope you’re doing something fun this weekend.

I can’t believe it’s almost September! Where did this summer go?

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:
- Have you ever worn a karate gi or judogi?
- Something that made you very happy this week?
- If you could shapeshift at will into your choice of three things, what would they be?
- Have you been waiting for anything to go on sale?
- Three of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen?
- Complete the sentence, “If I were a __________ I would __________.”
One entry per person.
You must use a valid email address to win.
The giveaway ends on Monday, August 31, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Does Your Significant Other Have Any Grooming Habits That You Wish You Could Change?

August 28th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

GURL, you don't even know... — GURL, you don’t even know…

I love El Hub to bits, but “Great Caesar’s ghost!” — I wish I could get that man to trim his toenails.

It drives me absolutely freakin’ crazy! They’re like Wolverine’s claws, and sometimes in bed when our feet cross paths, he’ll actually scratch my legs!

On the one hand/claw, they’ve come in handy for certain things like April Fool’s pranks, but I can’t take it anymore. They’re one of the banes of my existence. I have no idea why this man, who is generally clean for a straight guy who doesn’t really care about grooming, has toenails this long. He says he just forgets to cut them, but how can that be? — because the moment I notice that my toenails have gotten even the slightest bit long, they start to bother me.

So this is my longwinded way of saying that I wish El Hub would just cut his damn toenails already.

How about you? Does your significant other have any grooming habits you wish you could change?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! ?

Super Blocky, Angular, Super Sharp Brows: A Do or a Don’t?

August 26th, 2015 by Karen 27 Comments

They’re everywhere on YouTube and Instagram! — crisp, blocked-out brows carved with concealer and filled in with various brow products that start at a sharp, narrow point and build out to a well-defined tail. Sometimes there’s also a steep, sharp angle in the arch.

They’re all about the drama. BIG brows that look right at home with big glam makeup like falsies, contouring, highlighting, winged liner — the whole shebang — and they’re the shizz now on social media.

I haven’t gone all the way to full-on big glam Instagram brows myself, but I’ve gotten pretty close a few times. When I’m feelin’ it, I will fill mine in and carve out the tops and bottoms with concealer, or fill the tails with a gel for definition, but I have yet to go all out, and I don’t think I will. I just don’t think it’s a look for me. Brows like that can look bangin’ and balanced on some people, but whenever I do something similar, all I can see are brows, brows, BROWS!

So I guess for me, full-throttle Instagram brows are a don’t.

What’s your stance on super blocky, angular, super sharp brows? Are you into ’em? Are they a do or a don’t?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How Outrageous Do People Get With Their Makeup at Your Workplace?

August 25th, 2015 by Karen 32 Comments

Luckily, the dress code here at Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC allows for a certain degree of creative flexibility (on pre-approved days, of course). My boss barely bats an eye when I show up to work wearing false lashes and a cray-cray cut crease. In fact, he’s more apt to reprimand me for not taking chances enough with my makeup looks, and I think he’s gotten tired of seeing me with neutral eyes, cheeks and lips.

Sorry, sir, but I’ve been in a makeup rut. 🙁 I’m just waiting for it to run its course. Hopefully fall inspires me to attempt some more interesting looks.

In the years prior to working for Tabs, I worked in a lot of different office environments, some with very casual dress codes and others with a more conservative corporate atmosphere.

The last one was a small literary agency where the dress code was super casual (so casual that it was nonexistent, really). My boss was kind of a hippy-dippy, very natural chick whose idea of outrageous makeup was lip balm. At that office, I was definitely the outrageous one, and I went buck wild! Sometimes I’d show up with colorful blue eyeshadow for no better reason than, “Why not? It’s Tuesday!!”
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 387

August 24th, 2015 by Karen 51 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.

A place for you that feels magical?
There’s a surf spot on Waikiki Beach near the big pink Royal Hawaiian hotel called Canoes, and it’s magical early in the morning, right at the crack of dawn.

It gets crowded later in the day because of where it is (right there on Waikiki), and it’s a popular spot for beginners…

Have I mentioned that I’m not a great surfer (I’m not about to charge any big waves or anything like that)? Because I’m not, but it’s still one of my favorite vacation activities. Right there at Canoes, right after sunrise, it’s not too crowded or busy, and you can ride these smooth, chill waves on your longboard that feel like they go on for-e-v-e-r…

I also love Hideaways Beach on Kauai. It’s secluded and kind of hard to get to (it’s at the bottom of a lush cliff with steps carved into the hillside), and because of that the beach is very peaceful and chill. It feels like time stops down there….

If you could be a celebrity’s personal assistant for a day, which celebrity would you choose?
Hmm… I’m gonna go with Pink, the singer, because in everything I’ve seen and read about her, she seems pretty nice and relatively normal. Maybe she’d even let me do some ab exercises with her, ’cause lawd knows I won’t do them on my own, LOL!

Life’s too short to…
…say “no” to everything. You have to say “yes” every once in a while, because you never know when you’ll stumble onto something new to you and absolutely extraordinary. Maybe it’ll just be a new favorite food, or maybe your life will take an amazing turn.
I own an embarrassing amount of __________.
Nude shoes.

Does one woman need 10 pairs of tan sandals? Probably not, but…

No, no buts. No one really needs 10 pairs of tan sandals, haha!

False lashes or press-on nails?
False lashes, fo’ sho’.

I think press-on nails are fun for about 30 minutes, but I just can’t function with them on my fingers! Even easy things like writing with pens and opening jars become challenging, and gurl — I don’t need any more un-necessary challenges in my life!

But a comfy pair of false lashes (shout-out to the Eylure 117s), I can wear all day.

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

1. A place for you that feels magical?
2. If you could be a celebrity’s personal assistant for a day, which celebrity would you choose?
3. Life’s too short to…
4. I own an embarrassing amount of ______.
5. False lashes or press-on nails?

Nice to see ya on this Monday, sweet pea! 🙂 Do this with me: deep breath in, deep breath out, ahh…

Refreshing, right? Sometimes you just gotta remember to breathe.

This is the first Monday in weeks in which I haven’t felt completely overwhelmed, and ya know what? It feels great! It doesn’t take much to throw me off my routine, and I’ve had quite a few appointments and little side projects lately. I’m looking forward to getting back into my familiar patterns and spending more time hanging out with you.

Hope things are chill for you this week. Sending you a warm Monday hug!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 360

August 23rd, 2015 by Karen 19 Comments

Professionally, in the kitty modeling world, Tabs has a reputation for being intense and driven, and he is definitely those things. Like, I’ve read ridiculous rumors on gossip blogs about his so-called diva behavior, but I’m here to set the record straight. Most of the rumors aren’t true. According to one of these blogs, Tabs is said to have thrown his iPhone at me, but that never happened. He actually threw my phone! — and it barely grazed my head.

Other rumors, like that he swats his water bowl or refuses to eat when he doesn’t get enough gravy, are also patently false. He will always eat his food, no matter what. He’s really not a diva at all. He’s actually very sweet, and I feel like I’m lucky because I get to see the real Tabs.

His sweetness shines through when we’re just hanging out together doing simple things, like when we go for our walks around the neighborhood. He’s kind and considerate and always down to hang out, like a good friend.

Of course he enjoys bird watching, obviously, but he also likes to sit for long periods of time to take in the sights and sounds of our neighborhood and our hill. He also likes guiding me to the best flowers to sniff and plants to explore.

Here are some of the pictures we snapped this morning. 🙂

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

August 22nd, 2015 by Karen 387 Comments

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

Good morning, glory! I hope you slept well. I woke up a little earlier than usual today, and it feels a bit like Christmas morning, because I’m going to Sephora to take one of their free makeup classes. For fun. This one’s called Daytime Smoky Eyes (I noticed that they also have a Correct and Conceal class, which I might take later if I like this one), and when I talked to the girl yesterday to reserve my seat, she said, “You can bring coffee if you want to,” to which I said, “Hallelujah!” 🙂

Although mine will be decaf, but still…I’ll pretend it’s real coffee.

So I’m off! Have a great day today, and good luck in the giveaway. I’ll talk to you soon.

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:
- Is your pet very vocal?
- What’s your favorite poem?
- What’s the first mac product you ever used?
- Are you more of a visual learner or an auditory learner?
- Something surprising you keep in your car?
- Short and sweet or verbose and detailed?
One entry per person.
You must use a valid email address to win.
The giveaway ends on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen