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Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 195

June 10th, 2012 by Karen 24 Comments

Tabs for Cat Avengers

Milla Jovovich did it. Famke Janssen did it. Jaime King and Rebecca Romijn did it. And now Tabs wants to do it, too — make the jump from modeling to acting.

Not since 2011 has a cat starred in so many TV shows and movies at the same time, and that cat was also Tabs. But those roles last year were small — a zombie kitty on an episode of The Walking Dead, a vampire kitty on an episode of True Blood, an English kitty on three episodes of Downton Tabby (a spinoff mini-series; it tested very well with cat ladies between the ages of 29-50).

This year, Tabs took Hollywood by storm, starring in five summer blockbusters in theaters at the same time, a first among felines in the acting world. 🙂

And this afternoon Tabs had me frame the movie posters from his summer films to decorate the walls of his new rumpus room/office.

Yup, a kitty assistant’s job is never done… You know how it is.

Tabs for The Dark Knight Rises

Tabs for Men and Cats in Black 3
[Continue reading…]

There are 24 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun Keywords: tabs

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

June 10th, 2012 by Karen 8 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

In space, no one can hear you scream…”Happy birthday!”

What?! Get a hold of yourself, Corporal Tabs. You’re aboard the Prometheus now. We have a certain standard of professionalism to uphold.

Aw, but, sir! It’s my friend Karen’s birthday weekend. She just turned 37, and I know that we’re all scientists and whatnot, except for that weird android dude, but I think the crew needs to let off some steam. We’re all pretty wired after that incident with the…well, you know the one.

I get it, Corporal. I do. I understand, but if the corporation finds out that we’re all having a big birthday party up here– Well, let’s just say that I wouldn’t want to be on the other end of that video call.

Understood, sir. I promise we’ll keep it down.

You do that, Corporal Tabs. You do that…

— Prometheus (scene was eventually cut from the film)

Morning! 🙂 I’ve been having a great birthday weekend so far. Thank you very, very much for your kind words and birthday wishes yesterday.

So, yesterday! We started with brunch with El Hub, my bro and his girlfriend in the city, then stopped to listen to a free concert downtown, and then spent a few minutes by the water at Crissy Field beach park right under the watchful gaze of the Golden Gate Bridge.

It was a beautiful sunny day, which you don’t always get in San Francisco, so it was extra nice.

Today, I really just want to go see Prometheus. That’s the only thing on my Sunday agenda. Aliens.

I hope you’re having a great weekend over there. What’s been the highlight so far?

The posts you might have missed

MAC Beth Ditto Zoom Lash Mascara MAC Beth Ditto Zoom Lash Mascara

MAC Casual Colour Lip and Cheek Creams The MAC Casual Colour Lip and Cheek Creams

MAC Beth Ditto Shade and Smoke Shadow Liner MAC Beth Ditto Shade & Smoke Shadow / Liners

Korres Cheek Butter in Chara Crimson Cheeks Shine, Naturally, in Korres Cheek Butter in Chara Crimson

Outfit of the Day With Current-Elliott Outfit of the Day With Current / Elliott Crazy Pants

Bliss Spa Skin Care Recommendations Skin Care Recs From a Bliss Spa Esthetician

New at Sephora, No. 28 Primer Serum New Beachy Keen Products at Sephora

Benefit Ultra Plush Gloss Benefit Ultra Plush Gloss

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 8 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun Keywords: weeklyroundup

Today I Am…

June 9th, 2012 by Karen 98 Comments

…Enjoying this bouquet of sunflowers. They’re so cheerful and happy.

sunflowers

…Painting my nails. Couldn’t think of a better day to wear Deborah Lippmann’s Happy Birthday.

nars kutki deborah lippmann happy birthday
Deborah Lippmann Happy Birthday atop NARS Kutki

…Searching for shoes. And thinking I might need to break my “You’re only going to buy shoes you can walk in” rule for this pair of BCBG platforms.


Dress by BCBG

…37 years young. I’ve officially entered my late 30s.

I still feel like the same happy-go-lucky me, but things cross my mind now that never used to. When I spend time with my childhood friends, or when I’m with my parents, sometimes it hits me — we won’t always be together — and I have a hard time imagining my life without them.

There was a time in my life when I craved constant change, but not anymore. Now I find myself hoping and praying for things to stay the way they are for as long as possible.
[Continue reading…]

There are 98 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

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

June 9th, 2012 by Karen 401 Comments

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

A Makeup and Beauty Blog giveaway
Comment to win a Sephora eGift card

G’morning, friend. I just wanted to say hi, tell you that I love you very much, and wish you a wonderful day. 🙂

It’s still early here (just before 7), but it looks like it’s going to be a nice day. In a little while El Hub and I are driving down to the city to meet my brother and his girlfriend for birthday brunch (today is officially, officially my bday), which I’m hoping involves banana pancakes, mimosas and gut-busting laughter.

Yup, my brother — he’s six years younger than me — is one of only a few people in my life capable of making me simultaneously angry and happy.

LOL! I think that’s something they teach in sibling school…

“Okay, now if you push this button here, your sister will laugh. But this button will make her furious. And if you push both buttons at the same time… Well, we don’t recommend doing that.”

I hope today is the start of a great weekend.

Before you go, do you have time to leave a quick comment at the bottom of this post? If you do, you’ll be entered to win this weekend’s giveaway for a $50 Sephora eGift card.

What folks are saying…

“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. 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

“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

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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 have any siblings? How do you like to celebrate your birthday? Do you like ice cream cake? What’s your favorite flavor of birthday cake? Are you reading any books right now (for fun or otherwise)? — you get the idea.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/JTFoPh

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, June 10, 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 RM! Congratulations, RM! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
There are 401 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Giveaways, Just For Fun Keywords: giveaway

Outfit of the Day, Vol. 11: Current/Elliott Crazy Pants

June 7th, 2012 by Karen 34 Comments

current elliott ankle skinny jeans in canvas

Full shot of the crazy pants! — a.k.a. the Skinny Ankle Jean in Canvas Boa.

They’re by Current/Elliott, and just like a real boa constrictor’s belly, they stretch.

That’s my favorite thing about ’em. They’re stretchy, and very forgiving when I’m feeling bloated…or when I’ve “accidentally” partaken of one too many free cheesecake samples at the Tuesday night farmers’ market, whoops!

But even though they’re stretchy, they don’t stretch out so much that they’re hanging off my butt by the end of the day.

Score! 🙂

I found this pair on sale last month at Hautelook. They’re not on sale there right now, but I did see them (unfortunately, full price) at Revolve Clothing and Bergdorf Goodman.

SINCE THE PATTERN IS KINDA LOUD, I usually try to keep the rest of the outfit simple, like with a loose-fitting white tee. This one’s by Caslon, the Nordstrom house brand, and here’s another one that’s similar.

Here I’m also wearing the shirt with a gray Band Oh underneath, and for accessories, a stack of silver bracelets/bangles and a pair of black platforms/sandals.
[Continue reading…]

There are 34 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fashion, Just For Fun Keywords: fashion

What Makeup Makes Up Your 10-Minute Summer Makeup Routine?

June 7th, 2012 by Karen 42 Comments

10-minute summer makeup

Summer!

Almost, but not quite…

It is getting close, though, and I’ve already started using my 10-minute summer makeup routine.

It really does take 10 minutes, too. No kidding (I’ve timed it from start to finish). 🙂

In summer (and sometimes even in late fall, haha), I like my makeup lightweight. I also like the beachy, bronzed look I get with these products from MAC and NARS, all of which have saved me many times when I’ve been running late, like when I’m getting ready and hear El Hub yell from downstairs, “Babe! We need to leave NOW!”

“Uh…” (Don’t panic.) “I’ll be down in 10 minutes!”

The products in my 10-minute summer makeup routine

    NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

  1. NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 PA +++ — Please tell me you’ve tried this tinted moisturizer before! Two words: awesome sauce. It’s lightweight, easy to apply and covers darn near everything. I like to mix two of the shades, Cuba and St. Mortiz, for a good match to my NC42 skin tone, and apply that with my fingers.
  2. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer — My number one concealer love love for two years running. I mix the NC42 shade with a dash of MAC Careblends Essential Oil, and pat the mixture wherever I need extra coverage on my face. Then, I do the same thing with a lighter color in NW25 (the peachy tones in NW25 help to counteract the purple) under my eyes using a MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush.
  3. MAC Pro Longwear Bronzer in Nude on Board — For some extra warmth and definition, I sweep this across my forehead, along my jawline and beneath the apples of my cheeks.
  4. NARS Madly Blush — Probably like thousands, if not millions of us, I’m mad about Madly. It’s a peachy beige with pink undertones and subtle shimmer. One of my most coveted NARS must-haves. I really do think it flatters a wide range of skin tones.
  5. MAC Concrete Eyeshadow — MAC Concrete Eyeshadow is like American Express (don’t leave home without it). I almost never leave the house without filling in my brows with it and almost always use the MAC 266 Small Angle Brush for the job.
  6. MAC Eye Kohl in Powersurge — If Goldilocks made a kohl liner, it would probably be called Powersurge (because it’s just right). I love this golden bronze liner so much that it hasn’t left my makeup bag in five years. It’s epic, I tell you! And I can’t remember the last time I took a trip without it, much less forgot it at home for a day.
  7. MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara — Okay, so the more I’ve used this mascara, the more I like it. It won’t clump, and the skinny brush doesn’t leave any unnecessary product on my lids. I think it’s also super easy to use. A single layer lengthens and defines while simultaneously glossing up my lashes.
  8. MAC Nymphette Lipglass — This last piece of this 10-minute puzzle is a worldwide superstar. A lot of the time, I grab whatever gloss is within reach (or inside my purse at any given time), but because of its uncanny flexibility (it’s like an Olympic gymnast/gloss), Nymphette is one of my old-school faves.

How about you? What makeup makes up your 10-minute summer makeup routine?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 42 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup

Emily Blunt: Her Best Hair?

June 6th, 2012 by Karen 5 Comments

emily blunt her best hair

Even before her big box-office break as the cranky, red-haired assistant in The Devil Wears Prada, Emily Blunt (born Emily Olivia Leah Blunt on February 23, 1983) was gracing small and big screens across the pond.

She won a Golden Globe in 2005 for her performance in the British TV drama, Gideon’s Daughter, but it was her scene-stealing role as Emily in Prada that fashionably thrust her into the spotlight.

She recently starred in the The Five-Year Engagement with Jason Segal, and now she’s in another comedy, this one called Your Sister’s Sister, which hits theaters June 15.

Emily Blunt: Her Best Hair?

View Results

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Hair, Just For Fun

Enter the Makeup and Beauty Blog Buxom Photo Contest to Win a Prize Worth More Than $600

June 5th, 2012 by Karen 59 Comments


One very happy girl and her banana frosty on the North Shore of Kauai

This series is brought to you by Buxom Color Choreography Eyeshadow. Buxom wants to inspire you to live life vividly.

So. Much. Beauty.

If your beauty wishlist is anything like mine, it just keeps getting longer every single day.

What’s up with that? 🙂

A blush here, a mascara there — and before you know it, your wishlist reads like a novella.

If you’re ready to start crossing a few of those things off your beauty wishlist, don’t forget to enter the Makeup and Beauty Blog Buxom Photo Contest if you haven’t already.

You could take home a $500 Visa gift card and a selection of beautiful Buxom makeup worth an additional $109.

All told, it’s a prize package worth $609.

And entering couldn’t be a whole lot easier. Full details are down below, but here’s the gist of it: submit a picture of yourself in which you’re “living life vividly.”

Maybe something from a recent vacation, or a shot of yourself just having fun.

NOTE: Goofy face shots totally count…


This is how we do it!

…as do happy faces and big smiles. 🙂


The beach makes everything better (even cold beaches like this one here!)

You might even have a perfect picture already, like how about that pic you took of yourself in that bright makeup look you did for Halloween?


Next stop: the grocery store!

Or how about a pic of yourself sporting a pair of bright, glossy lips?


Can you spot the husky tabby in this picture?

Highlights and life-changing hairdos also work!

Whatever you choose, your entries (remember, you can enter up to three pics) just have to show you “living life vividly,” like the pictures in this post.

For even more entry ideas, here’s a look at all of the entries so far.

Here’s how to enter

  1. Visit www.flickr.com and upload a photo that displays you “living life vividly,” as well as a short caption (200 characters or less) that explains the photo.
  2. Mark the photo as “public” (so I’m able to view it).
  3. Tag it with the following tag:
    • BuxomPhotoContestMakeupandBeautyBlog
  4. Simply post a link to your Flickr photo in a comment at the bottom of this post (yup, this post here)

How will the winner be picked?

Tabs and I will choose the winner based on the following criteria…

  • Creativity/originality (33%)
  • The overall quality of your submission (33%)
  • How well it displays you “living life vividly” (34%)

What’s the prize?

A $500 Visa® gift card and an assortment of Buxom® cosmetics, including two (2) Buxom Color Choreography eye shadow palettes, one (1) Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish, and one (1) Buxom Lash (volumizing mascara).

Approximate retail value: $609!

What about the small print?

  • The contest is open to adults 18+ in the US only (sorry, international babes!)
  • The last date to enter is June 12, 2012 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
  • Up to 3 entries per person (yup, you read that correctly: 3 entries per person)

Click here for the official rules, terms and conditions.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Do you ever take pictures of yourself with your phone (hello, I do)? If you do, you may already have the perfect picture just waiting to be entered. 🙂

There are 59 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Buxom, Giveaways, Just For Fun Keywords: buxom, sponsored post

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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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Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 878

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 894

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 893

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