Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 216

November 4th, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

From the very beginning here at Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, Tabs has kept the company culture very much in line with other Bay Area startups — on-site gym, child and kitten care, 24/7 catering and a lax dress code (hoodies, flip-flops and ironic t-shirts strongly encouraged).

But I sense a change coming. With the company’s rapid expansion into the burgeoning global gravy market, the rumors have started, and some of the employees suspect that things around here are about to get a lot more corporate.

Of course, rumor mills will churn! The other day by the water cooler, I overheard Tabs say that he was planning on ditching the casual dress code. Yeah, he wants the place to have a more fashion-forward, kitty-centric look, and I’m not sure how I feel about that…

I do want to be a team player, though, and since the writing’s on the wall, I better start building my new wardrobe now. To that end, I spent some time this weekend shopping online for more appropriate cat-centered accessories and clothes.

And since I know that some of you are also full-time pet assistants, I thought I’d share some of the cool cat things I found. I mean, you never know when your kitty dictator/employer will put a new dress code in place. Cats do talk amongst themselves, after all, and it can’t hurt to be prepared. 🙂

So, here are…

21 Cat-Themed Clothes and Accessories for the Corporate Cat Office

1. The Cute Cat T-Shirt

$30, available now at the PrettySnake Etsy shop.

2. Cats Are My Boyfriend Sweatshirt

$29, available now at the DentzDesign Etsy shop.

3. Red/Orange Undies With Two Cute Cats

$14, available now at the NinaValkhoff Etsy shop.

4. The Constant Companion Ring in Persian Cat

$74.99, available now at ModCloth.

[Continue reading…]

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

November 3rd, 2012 by Karen 444 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Zhar! Congratulations, Zhar! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

NOVATO, California (November 3, 2012) — This November, for one day only, cats are taking over Sephora.

“It’s about damned time,” said Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog mascot and world-renowned plus-size kitty supermodel. “Cats are synonymous with beauty, and my feline friends and I plan to change the beauty world, one tail twitch at a time.”

This Sunday, November 4, Tabs and other feline fashion and beauty industry heavyweights will take over the regular staffing duties of Sephora employees and makeup artists at select stores worldwide. The cats will man the registers, cruise the aisles and advise beauty lovers on fragrance, skincare and cosmetics from a feline perspective. Shoppers can also expect to learn about cat-approved products.

“My friends and I are very excited to partner with Sephora on this exciting project,” said Tabs. “I can’t wait to help women realize their beautiful potential. It’s going to be a blast.” 🙂

. . .

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine! Welcome to the weekend. Hope you had a nice Friday night. Mine was pretty chill. El Hub and I had date night at Pasta Pomodoro, and then came home and rented a movie, Safety Not Guaranteed (a little slow, but charming).

I haven’t figured out my plan for the day yet, but I do know it involves a workout and some mommy and tabby time.

Don’t forget to enter this weekend’s giveaway for a $50 eGift card to Sephora before you go (details below). Have a great weekend, and may the odds be ever in your favor. Talk to you soon.

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

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).

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what were you doing in 1990 (if you weren’t born yet, that counts as an answer)? Do you do big hair? What brush do you use for bronzer? Do you know of a full-coverage under-eye concealer that doesn’t look cakey? Recommendations for affordable clip-in bangs that don’t look too terrible? What’s the best full-coverage foundation for very dry, flaky skin? — you get the idea.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/RDXqZO

The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Zhar! Congratulations, Zhar! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Who Wore It Better? â€” The Golden Disco Halloween Necklace

October 31st, 2012 by Karen 32 Comments

Okay, I’m not getting my hopes up about winning this latest round, because I admit that Tabs looks hella fierce up there with his bling, but I’d like to at least do well…

Oh, who am I kidding? It’s obvious which one of us is the true Disco Queen.

Eh, who knows? Maybe the sparkly gems on my lashes will put me ahead (Dior Grand Bal, baby!). They’ve gotta count for something, right?

Right…?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Halloween!

Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas: Disco Queen

October 30th, 2012 by Karen 48 Comments

last minute halloween ideas: disco queen

When that brief moment of pause hits as you’re about to push the “order” button on that sequined, sleeveless black jumpsuit, and you think to yourself, “Really, will I ever have a reason to wear this crazy contraption?!” — IGNORE IT.

You just never know when you’ll get the urge to look like Blanche Marie Elizabeth Hollingsworth Devereaux. Or when you’ll need something to wear with your last-minute Disco Queen Halloween costume.

last minute halloween ideas: disco queen — Keep on dancin’!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love disco? Yes, my fellow Dancing Queen, I like to Let It Whip to Brick House!! You could’ve done The Hustle to half the songs played at my wedding, fo’ reals!

So when I found this plastic “Disco” necklace at Party City last week (just a few feet from the Sexy Clown costume), it beckoned me to bring it home.

zoya ziv — I’m wearing two coats of Zoya Ziv on my nails, but you could easily get away with just one

#catlady moment: I kindasorta wish I had a kitty-size one to put on Tabs, so we could match. Oh, wait…

disco tabby — He’s mighty, mighty…just lettin’ it all hang out!

[Continue reading…]

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 243

October 29th, 2012 by Karen 96 Comments

the makeup and beauty blog monday poll for october 29, 2012 — Tabs and his pumpkin

You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”

Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Mood:
[DEEP BREATH] Not bad. A bit of a caffeine hangover and a little tinge of overwhelmed panic gnawing at my edges, but I’ll get a grip. I’m a little freaked out about my extra long to-do list today, but all we can do is do is our best, right? Just gotta keep breathing and take one task at a time. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

Nix that. I know I can, I know I can, I know I can.

What time did you get up this morning?
At 6:30 when my iPhone’s alarm went off. Unusually, my tabby alarm clock must have malfunctioned because it usually gets me up even earlier than that.

You see, it’s powered by lurvies and gravy, and if I don’t remember to charge it up to 100% before bed, it goes off really early the next morning.

Are you dressing up for Halloween this year?
You know it! 🙂 Although I’m still trying to decide on a costume… I’m leaning toward this Katy Perry getup, though, because I love the blue wig!

What are three things you absolutely love about yourself?
1. That I’m not afraid to change.
2. That I have a creative side.
3. That I tend to see the best in people.

On average, how much time do you spend on the Internet each day?
Oh, man! One, carry the two… I don’t know, maybe 10 hours? Probably more than the average person, I imagine.

What doesn’t kill us makes us…
…completely and totally exhausted! LOL! And wiser, as long as we’re paying attention.

How are your pumpkin carving skills?
Weak but hopefully improving. They have yet to reach their full potential, as I’ve only carved one pumpkin in my life, and that was more than 10 years ago.

My parents never let me and my brother do the carving… It was always Dad’s job, and he’d only let us watch. I think he was afraid we’d accidentally cut off our fingers.

Scariest movie?
Rosemary’s Baby. Holy crap! Every time I see that movie, I feel like I need to go to church.

What’s something you hope people say about you?
That I’m a nice, hard-working girl with a good sense of humor.

Weekly goals:
To make a gratitude list each and every morning, and to go to my first Dailey Method fitness class.

It’s supposed to be kinda like Pilates and really good for core strength. I took advantage of one of those Living Social deals for one month of unlimited classes.

I also really need to get back in the habit of tracking my workouts and meals with the My Fitness Pal app… Been slacking lately, but I’m not gonna beat myself up about it (seriously, what’s the point?).

Hey, hon. How’d you sleep? Can I get you a refill on your coffee?

I had a pretty nice weekend. Brunch on Saturday with a friend, and then afterward I got to be her “makeup advisor,” helping her shop for a few things at Sephora and a MAC Pro Store. Then yesterday El Hub and I did our grocery shopping and pretty much just relaxed.

It was epic. 🙂

Now, I’m watching coverage of the big storm out east. I can’t believe how bad it is… It’s horrible! They’re calling it a perfect storm… Yeah, more like perfectly terrible.

If you live on the East Coast or anywhere in the storm’s path, be careful out there.

In other news, it’s the start of a new week. If you get a chance today, come say hi, and let me know how you’re doing in today’s Monday Poll.

To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le List

1. Mood:
2. What time did you get up today?
3. Are you dressing up for Halloween this year?
4. What are three things you absolutely love about yourself?
5. On average, how much time do you spend on the Internet each day?
6. What doesn’t kill us makes us…
7. How are your pumpkin carving skills?
8. Scariest movie?
9. What’s something you hope people say about you?
10. Weekly goals:

Try to stay dry this week, and I’ll do the same. Happy pre-Halloween.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 215

October 28th, 2012 by Karen 19 Comments

Tabs for the Hourglass Mister Spritzer Age-Defying Fur Spray

Just as most viewers, myself included, were beginning to feel like the show had already jumped the cat/shark, Project Catwalk totally redeemed itself with a tour de force Season 3 premiere.

OMG! Did you watch last night?? So much drama! So much cat politicking! So much fierce tail flicking and cat attitude. One thing should be clear by now — this season, the contestants showed up to werk!

In Season 1, it was obvious to most feline and human viewers that Snowball was the cat to beat. She dominated from the very first challenge, winning six of the nine catwalk competitions. Honestly, was anyone really surprised when judge Tabs called her “the best damn plus-size kitty cat-walker since, well, me”? I mean, it was pretty obvious.

In Season 2, however, the maturity level just wasn’t there. All 10 kitten contestants were simply too young and hyper to compete, and none of them could concentrate for more than a few seconds.

But this season, at least four of the contestant cats appear to have what it takes to go all the way to Feline Fashion Week. The Russian Blue, the twin Siamese kitties and the Ragdoll all have professional-caliber catwalk confidence and poise.

At this point, it’s really anyone’s competition…

So the question remains, who will win this season of Project Catwalk? I for one can’t wait to find out. 🙂

Tabs for the Laura Mercier Lap of Luxury Collection

Tabs for MAC Read Between the Lions
[Continue reading…]

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

October 27th, 2012 by Karen 461 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is AG! Congratulations, AG! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

I’ve been testing Canon’s brand new camera flash this week, the Wonderland WL-600, and wow! — it’s even better than I expected. I took it to the Sephora store down the street and fired off a couple of shots. That’s one of ’em up there at the top…

Pretty neat, huh? That’s the amazing stuff we’re missing when we just look with our normal eyes. 🙂

In other news, happy Saturday! I just hopped off the treadmill after a slightly grueling run, and now I’m just cooling down for a few minutes before I clean up.

How’s it going today? Big storm out there off the East Coast… I hope it decides to take a hard right today and heads out to sea.

Wherever you are, and whatever you’re up to this weekend, have a good one, okay? You deserve a break.

Before you jet, take a moment to enter this weekend’s $50 Sephora eGift card giveaway. It only takes a comment at the bottom of this post (and a tweet for a second chance to win).

Good luck!

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

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).

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, do you believe in magic? Are you good at Trivial Pursuit? What’s your favorite shampoo? How do you feel about body glitter/shimmer? Are you a gamer? How often do you line your lips? Favorite winter moisturizer? What’s the most touching book you’ve ever read? — you get the idea.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/RnrH0K

The deadline to enter is Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is AG! Congratulations, AG! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas: Katy Perry

October 26th, 2012 by Karen 30 Comments

Dude, anything can be sexy these days.

No, no, no, no, no, no. Not gonna happen. Don’t even try to rationalize it.

But —

No! I said no, as in no. And I meant it. I absolutely, positively forbid you from dressing up as a sexy clown for Halloween.

Okay, fine. Then how about Katy Perry?

Sure! That’ll do! 🙂

I promise — this last-minute costume didn’t start out as another ode to crazy cat ladies, but we all know how Katy luvs teh kittehs.

Doopdadoo, there I was, browsing the aisles at Party City last weekend, when I spotted this blue wig and thought, “Hmm…” One glittery microphone, a sparkly party dress and loads of liner later, badabing, badabang! — Ms. Teenage Dream!

Kinda sorta. I hope.

Katy usually wears some kind of variation on a classic pin-up girl look — cat eyes, bold lips and big lashes — so I took the idea and ran with it.

If you think you might like to try something similar, here are some ideas…

Bring on the brows!

Katy often wears super strong, full brows. I fattened mine up first by applying Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow in 25 with a MAC 214 Short Shader Brush, and then patted good ol’ MAC Concrete on top with the same brush.

Get catty, MRRROW!!

Cat eye liner can be trÃ¨s tricky if you’ve never done it before. If this is your first time, or if you’re just looking for a new trick to try, grab a liner in dark gray, instead of black. I find that grays are easier to work with because it isn’t as harsh as black.
[Continue reading…]

Just For Fun

21 Cat-Themed Clothes and Accessories for the Corporate Cat Office

1. The Cute Cat T-Shirt

2. Cats Are My Boyfriend Sweatshirt

3. Red/Orange Undies With Two Cute Cats

4. The Constant Companion Ring in Persian Cat

What folks are saying…

Who wore the golden disco necklace better?

Le List

What folks are saying…

Bring on the brows!

Get catty, MRRROW!!