Just For Fun

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

October 13th, 2012 by Karen 489 Comments

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

It’s hard to believe it’s already October… Halloween is just a couple weeks away. Pumpkins are popping up everywhere, and we actually had our first rains of the season this week.

Not cool, Mother Nature. Not cool. 🙂

A lot of my friends prefer this time of year, the autumn, but I wish we could just have summer all year long. I’m one of those savannah cats that likes the heat more than the cold.

This weekend, I just want to catch my breath, watch a little Revenge on TV and maybe do some shopping for a dining room table.

Yes, I still have an empty dining room after more than three years. Well, except for the cardboard boxes, bags of clothes for donation and the food and water bowls for Tabs. He sort of owns the dining room right now, but I reeeeally want it back.

My in-laws have been visiting for a couple days, so that’s been nice. They’ve been keeping themselves busy during the day while El Hub and I work, but we meet them at night for meals. We went out to dinner to a little Italian place in the very pretty, woodland town of Larkspur last night (Fabrizio’s Ristorante), and in a little while we’re meeting them down the street here in Novato for breakfast at Marvin’s.

You know how it is when people visit from out of town. You eat lots and lots and food.

I hope whatever you’re up to, things are good. Have a great day today, and good luck in this weekend’s Sephora e-gift card giveaway. 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’s your favorite season? Do you like Italian food? Would you ever dye your hair a bright primary color? What’s your current favorite hairstyling product? How do you feel about glitter on your nails? What are you doing this weekend? Have you ever carved a pumpkin? — 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/RlBYsS

The deadline to enter is Sunday, October 14, 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 Lisa G-L! Congratulations, Lisa G-L! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Rachel Weisz: Her Best Hair?

October 12th, 2012 by Karen 10 Comments

Mrs. Bond, James Bond.

Rachel Hannah Weisz, born March 7, 1970 in Westminster, London, could introduce herself that way. If she wanted to. She is, after all, married to the current 007, blond-haired, blue-eyed Bond Daniel Craig.

Rachel started acting and modeling long before her role as a real-life Bond girl. Her mother, having wanted to act herself, encouraged Rachel’s theatricality and pushed her daughter in that direction. She sent a holiday picture of Rachel to a magazine, which led to Rachel’s first big modeling job.

After graduating with an English degree from Trinity Hall college in Cambridge, Rachel landed a few acting roles on television, but her film break happened in 1996 opposite Keanu Reeves and Morgan Freeman in Chain Reaction.

Nine years and about 20 movie roles later (two of them with mummies!), she earned an Academy Award for her performance in The Constant Gardener.

This year, Rachel mixed it up with a good-looking spy guy (no, not her husband) in The Bourne Legacy, and next year she works on her witchcraft in Oz: The Great and Powerful.

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I really like how Rachel plays with length and texture. Wish I had the guts to rock her short, cropped style!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Who Wore It Better? — The $7 Sephora Braided Metallic Headband

October 10th, 2012 by Karen 53 Comments

US Weekly, TMZ, Cat Fancy — you’ve probably seen it somewhere this morning because the paparazzi have been all over this one.

Yes, Tabs and I were spotted at separate events last night (me at the Novato Whole Foods, and Tabs at San Francisco’s famous Cat Club) wearing the same $7 Sephora Braided Metallic Headband.

It was sooo embarrassing… 🙂

But who do you think wore it better?

(I’m pretty sure Tabs is going to kick my butt in this poll.)

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day! 🙂

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 240

October 8th, 2012 by Karen 105 Comments

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:
I’m like Tony the Tiger today. I feel grrreatt! This is the first week in months that I haven’t had some little side project or house thingy to do, so I feel pretty good about that.

Oh, and I actually went to bed at a decent hour for a change! — yup, because I finished watching the last episode of Friday Night Lights. In total, I watched all 73 or 74 episodes of that show in three weeks!

Wow, that’s a lot of TV… But it was great TV. I’m serious, what a wonderful show. Highly recommended, even if you only have a tiny bit of interest in football.

Yes, ma’am, today feels like it’s going to be a great day. 🙂

Are there any bedtime rituals or things you do to help yourself fall asleep?
I do. Most importantly, I need at least a couple hours away from the computer, which is actually easier said than done. And not just my main computer, but every little Internet-connected device. Smartphones and tablets (we have a first-gen Kindle Fire) make it so easy to surf the Web from the couch.

Every night, after I put away the gizmos, I make myself a big cup of Sleepytime Tea, which I sip while I watch something brainless on TV. That’s been my main bedtime ritual for years.

I think it also helps, for various reasons, when I get in a workout earlier in the day. Running relieves my lower back pain and makes me feel a little better about myself (like I’ve actually done something productive that day).

What was the last makeup counter you remember visiting?
I think it was the Chanel and Laura Mercier counters at Nordie’s a couple weeks ago. So much fun! There are some really passionate makeup artists at both counters (at the Village in Corte Madera), and the passion they have for their lines always gets me fired up.

Do you ever take pictures with your phone? If you do, what do you like to snap?
Do I ever take pictures with my phone? Um, survey says, YES! I feel naked without some kind of camera with me at all times, and that little camera on the iPhone is surprisingly good (if you hold it very steady).

Most of the pics in my camera roll are of food, felines and other random things that make me laugh (like the pic at the top of this post).

What’s one of the most helpful books you’ve ever read?
Anne Lamott’s Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Great, great book. No kidding, but I’ve re-read it at least 20 times! Anne’s so funny and inspiring that I always feel better about myself when I read it. Whenever I start doubting myself or freaking out about something related to writing, that book almost always helps. It’s like medicine for self-sabotaging inner artists.

In it Anne talks a lot about fiction writing, but I recommend it for anyone who writes anything for work, school or even blogging.

Oh, and once, get this: I bumped into Anne Lamott in a movie theater restroom here in Marin County, which is where she’s from, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to bother her, so I just gave her a smile. Someone else walked up to her assertively a moment earlier and said that Bird by Bird had changed their life, and Anne looked kind of taken aback/annoyed! I guess she really wanted to get back to her movie.

What’s the secret in your secret sauce?
Two handfuls of tabby cat hair and a dozen cheesy jokes, LOL!

Nah, not really. I guess if there is a secret to…anything, it’s to try to maintain a positive attitude, no matter what.

What are three things you miss about your younger days, and three things you don’t?
I miss sleeping soundly all night, every night. I miss not having to think about grownup things all the time. I miss seeing my family every day.

I don’t miss having to spend 10-20 minutes looking for a place to park my car when I lived in San Francisco. I don’t miss living with strangers who always ate my food in the fridge (food that was clearly marked with my name on it!). And I don’t miss spending all day working in a cubicle and feeling absolutely miserable about myself.

Are you currently enjoying any beauty products on which you recently splurged?
Chanel’s Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder in Translucent 3. It was a splurge a couple weeks ago, and I’m really loving it so far. The powder is super fine, and I know it’ll last a while because I find myself having to hardly use any to get a nice, completely matte finish.

What’s your favorite teen movie?
OOH! Tough question. I like so many of them, but the first one that came to mind is Clueless.

You know, I just read in Entertainment Weekly that that movie just turned 17 years old… 17 years old! I still remember seeing it in the theater when I went to school in Davis.

Wow, was it really that long ago? YIKES!

Weekly goals:
Don’t give in to the fear! Don’t do it!

Hey, hey friend! How goes it today? I hope your Monday got off to a smooove start.

If you have a second, let me know how you’re doing today in this week’s Monday Poll. I always like to hear from you at the start of the week (and all throughout the week, of course).

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

Le List

1. Mood:
2. Are there any bedtime rituals or things you do to help yourself fall asleep?
3. What was the last makeup counter you remember visiting?
4. Do you ever take pictures with your phone?
5. What’s one of the most helpful books you’ve ever read?
6. What’s the secret in your secret sauce?
7. What are three things you miss about your younger days, and three things you don’t?
8. Are you currently enjoying any beauty products on which you recently splurged?
9. What’s your favorite teen movie?
10. Weekly goals:

I’m gonna make a quick Starbucks run, and I’ll be right back. Can I interest you in one of their pumpkin spice lattes? ‘Tis the season, and all that. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 212

October 7th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

Dear Tabby is written by Tabs the Cat, commonly regarded as “the world’s first plus-size kitty supermodel.” Founded in mid 2012, it has quickly become the most widely syndicated cat advice column on earth — known for its fresh, feline perspective on lifestyle, fashion and style issues affecting cats and humans.

Home wrecker or house cat?

DEAR TABBY: My assistant has been spending a lot of time with the cat next door…

I don’t know if I should be concerned, but I do tend to worry. A lot. About everything. See, I’m a scaredy cat, and being nervous is in my nature.

Her name is Patches — the cat, not my assistant — and we’re actually all close friends. I’ve always assumed that Patches lives in one of the houses in our neighborhood, but I’ve never met her assistant. In fact, I don’t even know if she has one. Patches spends most of her time hiking and exploring the great outdoors.

Sometimes when my assistant — let’s call her Jane — and I go out for a walk, we run into Patches, and everything seems fine. I feel like we’re all friends, but then Jane spends a good 10 minutes petting Patches and scratching behind her ears.

Right in front of me!

This last time, Jane even gave Patches some treats from her pocket! The same treats Jane always gives to me!

I just don’t know what to do. Jane and I have been together for more than six years, and she’s so much more than an employee to me. We’re also best friends.

What do you think, Tabby? I know that you and your assistant (Karen, right?) have also been together for a long time. Should I be concerned, or am I just being a scaredy cat?
— Not Loving My Neighbor

tabs-and-his-assistant — With my long-time assistant, Karen

DEAR NOT LOVING: I feel your pain. The bond between a feline and his/her pet assistant is sacred, and while I think you should be a little concerned, it’s probably too early to bare your claws.

Yes, your assistant’s actions are highly suspicious, but there may be other things going on. Jane may not be doing anything wrong. Sometimes cats like Patches who spend a lot of time on their own get very lonely. Maybe she’s just looking for a little love and attention. I’ve known many outdoor kitties like that.

Until you have all the facts, it’s too early to assume that your assistant is looking for a new job. Keep your eyes and ears open, and if Patches comes home with your assistant one of these days, that’s your cue to overreact.

Three problems with boundaries

DEAR TABBY: I pet assist for three very lovely Siamese kitties, and I love my job. I love working for all three of them, but they have no respect for boundaries. I can’t even take a lunch break without one or more of them strolling into my office unannounced.

I’m not sure what to do…

I could be sitting there at my desk eating a sandwich — so obviously I’m taking a break — but they act totally unaware. They hop up on the desk, walk all over my sandwich and even have the nerve to purr.

Tabby, I take my job very seriously, but by the same token, I also need my breaks. Am I being unreasonable to expect a little courtesy? Isn’t their behavior rude?
— Working Hard for the Money

DEAR WORKING HARD: You must be an amazing pet assistant because it sounds like your three kitty employers really, really love spending time with you.

My personal philosophy? Humans deserve breaks and boundaries, too. But not all felines feel the same way.

I think you need to have a conversation with your employers. Be firm with them, but don’t yell. If you yell, they’ll just run away. Tell them that you love assisting them but need a break during the day. An hour of alone time at lunch shouldn’t be too much to ask.
[Continue reading…]

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

October 6th, 2012 by Karen 474 Comments

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

Late start today! Very late start. Right after I crawled out of bed, I came downstairs and tried to figure out a tech thing that I’ve been thinking about, using a camcorder as a web camera for Skype. I had some, I don’t know, fancy idea involving a tripod and a camcorder and — anyway, I couldn’t get it to work.

Yep, nothing eats up the hours like little tech projects. C’est la vie, I guess. Such is life in 2012.

Anywho, it’s good to finally talk to you. I hope you had a nice Friday night. I was so pooped that I turned in around 10, just totally wiped out from my trip down to Southern California, but I feel like a new woman today. 🙂

Good luck in this weekend’s Sephora e-gift card giveaway. I hope you enter, and don’t forget, you can enter twice — once in the comments and once through Twitter. The deets are down below.

Talk to you soon. I think I’m gonna go sneak in a run now on the treadmill.

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, are you a Mac or a PC? Have you ever used Skype? Have you ever tried one of those virtual makeup or hairstyle websites (like DailyMakeover)? Best movie you’ve seen this year? Would you ever wear white eyeshadow? Favorite magazine? Do you have any empty/stale beauty products that you still keep for sentimental reasons? — 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/SF7cdY

The deadline to enter is Sunday, October 7, 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 @mousewings! Congratulations, @mousewings! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Tea and Cupcakes With Jerrod: An Interview With Jerrod Blandino, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Too Faced Cosmetics

October 5th, 2012 by Karen 56 Comments

What a trip! I’m back at home in the Bay now, back to bustling (not) Novato, California. I thought I might get a sneaky-peaky at the Too Faced offices on my overnight excursion down to Southern California last night, but the construction gods had other plans. The Too Faced offices are/were under construction, but that didn’t stop me from having a good time.

Instead of an office tour, the company hosted a tea party for bloggers at the lavish Queen’s Bakery in Costa Mesa to celebrate the new Too Faced Love Sweet Love holiday collection with cucumber sandwiches, cookies and cupcakes.

Before full-on food coma dulled my brain, I sat down with Too Faced Cosmetics Co-Founder and Creative Director Jerrod Blandino for a few minutes to talk about Jerrod’s creative process, the company’s upcoming plans and their delectable holiday release.

Jerrod’s a trip! He’s a BIG personality who talks fast, laughs often and waves his hands in the air when he speaks. While we talked, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the bling on his finger (a sparkly diamond ring) or the bright red loafers on his feet.
[Continue reading…]

En Route to the Too Faced Cosmetics Offices in Southern California!

October 4th, 2012 by Karen 20 Comments

Wanted to say a quick hi, wish you a great day, and let you know that if you’re a fan of Too Faced Cosmetics (or curious about the brand at all), stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes look at their Southern California offices. I’m on my way to the airport right now, and then it’s just a quick flight from SF down the California coast.

I’m only there till tomorrow, but I’ll try to get some good pics and secret squirrel info. I’m all decked out with my remote blogging gear — Canon T3i camera with multiple lenses, a 13″ Macbook Pro laptop, iPhone (for impromptu photo opportunities and super secret squirrel blogging). Let me know in the comments ASAP if there’s anything you’d like me to try to photograph or find out (when makeup’s at stake, I can be very persuasive). 🙂

I prepped a few posts ahead of time to keep things interesting around here while I’m in transit and sneaking around inside the Too Faced offices…

(No, seriously. I plan to sneak around.)

Have a good one today. I’ll touch base soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

What folks are saying…

Rachel Weisz: Her Best Hair?

Which of Rachel's hairstyles do you like best?

Who Wore It Better? — The $7 Sephora Braided Metallic Headband

Who wore the Sephora Metallic Braided Headband better?

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 240

Le List

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 212

Home wrecker or house cat?

Three problems with boundaries

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

What folks are saying…

Tea and Cupcakes With Jerrod: An Interview With Jerrod Blandino, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Too Faced Cosmetics

En Route to the Too Faced Cosmetics Offices in Southern California!