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Just For Fun

Would You Rather Spend $90 on a Christian Louboutin Lipstick or $90 to Get a Bunch of Other Products Instead?

August 7th, 2015 by Karen 56 Comments

loub-lip

Have you heard? Christian Louboutin is launching a new line of lipsticks at Saks, and each lipstick — as in each single tube — is ninety freakin’ dollars. OMG!

I mean, I totally get the allure of high-end, exclusive makeup (Hello, Chanel!), but $90 for a single product makes a $50 Tom Ford lippie look like a freakin’ discount. That’s craziness.

The funny thing is that I would spend that much (or more) on a single skin care product if I loved it and knew it worked for me, like Skinceuticals C + E Ferulic Serum (which basically saved my skin when I was experiencing terrible hormonal chin acne), which is $162, but that’s skin care, and the way I look at it, I live with my skin day in, day out.

But a lipstick is more temporary, and I can’t see myself wearing a $90 lipstick, or any lipstick for that matter, every day for long because I change my mind about color so often. Plus, IT’S $90 FOR A LIPSTICK! My mom, the lovable cheapskate that she is, could very well kill me if she ever found out, LOL!

No, really. She would kill me with a long-@ss lecture on frugality and the importance of saving for a rainy day.

This was my long-winded way of saying that I’d go for the latter option, aka the bunch of products. No $90 Loub lipstick for this girl.

How about you? Which one would you pick? The $90 Loub lipstick, or $90 worth of other products instead?

Would you rather spend $90 on a Christian Louboutin Lipstick or $90 to get a bunch of other products instead?

View Results

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!?

There are 56 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Open Thread: The English Period Piece Edition

August 6th, 2015 by Karen 57 Comments

english-period-piece-oak

I watched the best movie last night, and I liked it so much that the first thing I did this morning was start it at the beginning again while I had my coffee (I’m still on the decaf kick).

It’s called Far From the Madding Crowd and stars Carey Mulligan and a dude named Matthias Schoenaerts, whom I can’t remember seeing before, but note to self: I like the name Matthias.

There’s intrigue; multiple love triangles; a lamb as an engagement gift, which, not gonna lie, if a strapping farmer dude rolled up with a lamb and said, “Marry me,” I’d say yes (assuming I wasn’t already married); a smarmy soldier — basically all sorts of drama. Highly recommended.

Well, the funny thing is, a few years ago I wasn’t into English period pieces at all, and I think it was leftover trauma from college. I was an English major and at one point took an obscene number of British literature classes. I was just reading a whole bunch of 19th-century British lit over a matter of months, and by the end of it, I was so exhausted that I stayed away from period pieces for a long time…

But now I’m back! 🙂

I blame Downton Abbey…

So, open thread. I feel like doing one today because I’m in the mood to chat. Topics are your choice (we don’t have to talk about English period pieces, unless you want to).

See you in the comments!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 57 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Soup Cans or Stripes and Sequins?

August 3rd, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

converse andy warhol
Converse Andy Warhol High Tops ($94.95)

I’m kind of drawn to the soup can shoes because they’ve got that off-white thing going, and I know I’d be able to wear them with more outfits (although they’d get hella dirty), but you know how much homegirl loves some sparkly bling! 🙂 So I’d go with the sequins and stripes.

They aren’t exactly my style…but they’d definitely give people something interesting to look at when they saw my feet. Plus, if I were to ever end up on a stage somewhere (because you never know) under big, bright lights, with the sequins shining, I’d look like I have magical fairy feet.

And that’s a big plus.

converse sequin flag high tops
Converse Sequin Flag High Tops ($64.95), available now at Nordstrom

What do you think? Soup cans or stripes and sequins?

Soup cans or stripes and sequins?

View Results

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 11 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

August 3rd, 2015 by Karen 31 Comments

bkr bottle

1. bkr 500-ml Water Bottle in “Holiday” ($35)

bkr bottle

I love, love, LOVE this 500-ml bkr bottle my friend Marisol got me for my birthday. It’s half the size of the full liter-sized bkr bottle I got for myself earlier this year, and for some reason, I guess because it’s much easier to carry around, when I carry it instead of the bigger bottle I end up drinking more water.

Both of them are made of the same solid, sturdy glass and have super cushiony rubberized sleeves to fully protect them (and they’re available in literally dozens of colors). Unlike my bigger one-liter flamingo-colored bkr bottle, “Minty” (that’s what I’ve named her) fits into my purse and the cup holder in my car, so she’s become my to-go bkr, while the bigger bkr mostly stays on my desk.

2. Chanel Les Beiges All-In-One Healthy Glow Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Sunscreen ($45, available in six shades)

chanel les beiges

Yargh! — so obsessed.

I’ve been wearing this awesome tinted moisturizer a lot lately instead of full-coverage foundation, like when my family visited last week and also on my girls’ trip to Napa, because I can use it really fast!

It has a semi-matte, natural-looking finish, medium coverage, and it does lots of very lovely pore blurring (#yaaaas). The shade I use is called 40, by the way, but it’s also available in five other shades, all with a very light floral fragrance.

3. Trader Joe’s Cocoa Almond Spread ($3.99 for a 13-ounce jar)

trader joes cocoa almond spread

Nutella is still my number one hazelnut spread because I think it’s smoother and more hazel-nutty, but to its credit, TJ’s “faux Nutella” is also pretty damn tasty!

It’s their Cocoa Almond Spread (but it also has hazelnut in it), and it’s been totally hitting the spot. I grabbed a bottle at TJ’s last Saturday because I didn’t want to drive all the way across town to Target just to get a jar of Nutella…because sometimes a girl just really, really, REALLY needs to have some Nutella (or something like it) on toast.

I may or may not have already finished half the jar…
[Continue reading…]

There are 31 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Chanel, Just For Fun, Makeup

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 384

August 3rd, 2015 by Karen 31 Comments

yoga-pants

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. Your favorite frozen treat?
    All of them! My sweet tooth fiends for the frozen stuff like ice cream, ice cream cake, gelato, etc.

    It’s hard to narrow it down, but right now I’m all about Three Twins Salted Caramel Ice Cream.

    I also love good old-fashioned Popsicles, too, especially the red ones and the orange ones.

    The purple ones, though? Forget about it. I don’t want anything to do with the purple ones…

  2. How are you with DIY home projects?
    Not bad, I guess. I think if I had more free time I’d be decent, like I think I could probably sand and repaint a chest of drawers. I definitely do like to see household projects from start to finish, but I don’t have as much patience as I used to…
  3. Have you ever had to live next to noisy neighbors?
    Oh, my gosh, yes! Back when El Hub and I started dating, there was a guy who lived in the apartment under mine who I called “12-year-old neighbor” because he looked and acted like a 12-year-old guy living on his own for the first time.

    He did a bunch of obnoxious, inconsiderate things, but the most obnoxious things all involved noise, like he’d blast his music at all hours (the worst was early on Sunday mornings), play Halo on full blast in the middle of the night, and leave the same DVDs playing on repeat for days.

    Eventually, enough people complained to the landlady that she gave him the boot.

    I did a dance of joy in my living room that day. 🙂

  4. Sweet, sour or savory?
    Sweet.

    Then sour.

    No too savory, for the moment, because the thought of savory food makes my tummy turn (I’ve been trying to get over a stomach bug).

  5. Has anyone ever read your diary?
    Yeah, my mom.

    When I was five my mom took me to a Hallmark store because I wanted to get a journal, so I picked out a cute one with a unicorn on the front that said, “Secrets, Dreams and Happenings.” 🙂

    I wrote with abandon for weeks! Nothing too exciting, though, just your typical five-year-old kid stuff like “My brother stole my toy and I’m really mad!” and “I played outside today and had fun!”

    But I thought it was the coolest thing in the world until my mom made me show it to her one day…

    After that happened, I didn’t want to write in it anymore. I just didn’t feel like it was mine. Plus, I was afraid she’d read whatever I wrote and I’d get in trouble.

Le List

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

1. Your favorite frozen treat?
2. How are you with DIY home projects?
3. Have you ever had to live next to noisy neighbors?
4. Sweet, sour or savory?
5. Has anyone ever read your diary?

Hello, friend! Greetings from the headquarters of Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC.

I think your nephew/my kitty boss/micromanager extraordinaire currently feels the need to supervise my activities closely, because he’s sitting next to my desk in a patch of sunlight and watching me.

I’d like to think that he’s feeling extra lovie-dovie…but he probably just wants food.

I hope you had a good weekend. Believe it or not, the highlight of mine was looking for pillows, LOL!

I know that sounds weird, but I’m very picky about my pillows, and I need a new one because I’ve been sleeping on my side a lot lately. My lower back’s been super wonky, and sleeping on my side feels a little better. If you have any pillow recommendations for side-sleepers, holla! Please let me know.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 31 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 357

August 2nd, 2015 by Karen 8 Comments

2-tabs-cat-favorite-books

My darlings,

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes… Yes, kitty models read! My life is not just quick quips on social media. I also love getting lost in the pages of a good book, and here are 15 of my very favorite reads — all of them highly recommended for both cats and professional pet assistants.

1. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America ($19, amazon.com)

30-birds-tabs-cat-favorite-books

Because I’ve always enjoyed locally sourced food. This field guide is a must for any serious feline chef.

I suppose you could also use it for birding too.

2. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life ($9.72, amazon.com)

6-tabs-cat-favorite-books

Speaking of birds, I reread this book at least once a year. Yes, it’s that good. It’s filled with lots of practical advice for writers and will make you laugh along the way.

It’s a classic in the writing genre, and it really helped me get through my memoirs. I particularly like the advice on not self-editing while you write your first draft.

26-birdbybird-tabs-cat-favorite-books

3. Chanel: Collections and Creations ($32.47, amazon.com)

15-tabs-cat-favorite-books

I turn to this book whenever I need inspiration. It’s filled with lovely, luxuriant pictures on every aspect of Chanel — clothes, jewelry, accessories, makeup, fragrance — from throughout the brand’s storied history.

I always keep it on my coffee table next to a bowl of Feline Greenies.

15-2-tabs-cat-favorite-books

37-chanel-3-cat-favorite-books

36-chanel-2-cat-favorite-books

35-chanel-1-cat-favorite-books
[Continue reading…]

There are 8 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Tabs

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

August 1st, 2015 by Karen 415 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **

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

mac-giveaway-08-01-15

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine! My goodness, it’s Caturday. 🙂

How’s it going this morning? Tabs, El Hub and I are chugging along, purr usual, although there are some nasty wildfires out here in Northern California. There’s smoke all across the horizon. The closest one of the big fires is less than an hour away near Lake Berryessa, and that one has us a little nervous.

Did you do anything fun last night? We went to see that movie, the new Mission Impossible, and uh…Tom Cruise does not look his age. I don’t know if it’s all movie magic or just clean livin’, but yeah, I’ll have what he’s having, LOL!

Good movie though. Lots of action and car chases and stuff, of course. Exactly what you expect in a Mission Impossible.

After that we just came home, and I sort of passed out. I think it was only about 9:30 (!). I don’t know why, but I’ve been more tired than usual lately… I must be taking lessons from Tabs.

Have a good weekend, OK? Give yourself a hug from me. I’ll talk to you soon, and good luck in the giveaway.

Prize

  • 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).

$50 MAC eGIFT CARD

Rules

  • 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:
    • Do you know anyone who sleepwalks?
    • Do you have any chronically dry patches on your skin?
    • Stew, ceviche or jambalaya?
    • Have you ever jumped on a giant trampoline?
    • What are your current favorite accessories?
    • What’s a good idea for a new MAC collection?
  • One entry per person.
  • You must use a valid email address to win.
  • The giveaway ends on Monday, August 3, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 415 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun

Would You Rock a Fringed Purse?

July 31st, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

urban originals project fringe bag
Urban Originals Project Crazyheart Fringe Purse ($88, available now at Nordstrom)

A fringed purse, as in a purse with fringe, as opposed to a purse living on the outskirts of society…

Get it? Fringe?

OK, that was pretty dumb, but you know you laughed! 🙂

urban originals project fringe bag
Urban Originals Project Fringe Purse ($88 at Nordstrom)

So, I’m totally down with bags that have a little extra something-something, like an embellishment here or an accoutrement there, especially if they’re a more-is-more type of bag.

What I like about these bags I saw at Nordstrom the other day is how they move…where the fringe sways like a pony’s mane when you strut down the street. I kinda love that.

sole society fringe bag
Sole Society Faux Leather Fringe Hobo ($64.95, also at Nordstrom)

[Continue reading…]

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fashion, 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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