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The Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway: Send in Your Sign Today!

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My sign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Today as I resized the pictures for this final reminder post in the Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway, I got a little teary. I’m so used to seeing pictures of myself, but I almost never get to see pictures of you. In a way, it felt like the mirror turned into a window this month, and I feel selfish for making this about me, but it was wonderful and something I absolutely didn’t expect.

Most of the time when I blog it’s about makeup, a subject I love, but one that rarely lends itself to weighty contemplation.

And then it’s October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Sometimes it feels like the “cancer” part of that gets lost behind a veil of pink ribbons, but it’s there. And not just breast cancer. Pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, other cancers — and words like malignant, metastasized, melanoma, ductal carcinoma — very ugly words.

Taker of mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, girlfriends, friends, fathers, brothers, husbands, strangers we’ll never get to meet. Love, despair — utter despair — faith, loss of faith, hope, sometimes joy, gratitude, guilt, sacrifice, the unfairness of life, the inevitability of loss…

My family has been lucky so far, but after everything sometimes that’s easy to forget. My mother-in-law is in remission. She takes drugs with awful side effects to help keep the cancer from returning and has to get blood tests every three months for the next five years. Imagine how frightening it would be waiting for those results. “How long will it take,” you ask the nurse. “A few days,” she replies. “We should have them by Thursday.”

Thursday.

And now they post them online. Imagine that, being at home in front of the computer and pulling up your test results online…

When people say to me, “October is about increasing awareness,” I think, yes, it’s also about that.

If you feel like sending in your support sign, please do. It only takes a minute, but the gesture means a lot. Just send in a picture of yourself with your support sign, and you’ll also be entered to win a prize worth $400 in makeup from MAC and Chanel.

Please be sure to leave a comment on the original post if you do submit your sign entry by email, twitter, blog posting, etc.

These lovely ladies are standing up with me to raise awareness this month. Won’t you please join us? love

Cindy & Marley

Joanie

Tamara

Mona

Jessica

The Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway

Email or link to a picture of yourself holding your support sign (like the examples above), and leave a comment on the original post. Not only will you be showing your support for the cause, but you’ll also be entered to win a $400 prize package of makeup from MAC and Chanel.

To Enter…

  1. Take a picture of yourself with a sign that reads, “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” Whether or not you show your face is up to you, but I think it would be great to see your lovely mug. 🙂
  2. Send it to me. You can either email it to karen@makeupandbeautyblog.com, OR post it on your blog/facebook page and leave a link to the pic in the comments on the original post, OR upload it to Twitter and send a tweet to me @karenmbb.
  3. The giveaway is open to US and international readers, but you must be the age of majority according to your country’s local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
  4. One entry per person.
  5. Deadline to enter is October 31, 2010 at 11:59PM PST.

Please comment on the original post to enter (and not on this post here).

Please take a moment this weekend to show your support.

karen from makeup and beauty blog holding her october is breast cancer awareness sign

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Does your phone have a camera? You might be able to snap your pic and email your entry from there. 😉

Don’t Miss These Great Guest Posts: Guerlain, Garnier, Milani and More

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learn how >

The Guerlain Écrin 6 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palettes
The $3 e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush
Viktor & Rolf Fragrant Flowerbomb
A MAC Lipglass Dupe for $4.50? Try Milani Crystal Gloss
c.Booth Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask
Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliners
Garnier Fructis Style Wonder Waves Mousse

Good Luxe Resisting The Guerlain Écrin 6 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palettes

AUTHOR: Olga

“Nobody does luxury like Guerlain, but not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined something as glamorous as their new Écrin 6 Couleurs…”

The $3 e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush Will Look Right at Home in Your Makeup Kit

AUTHOR: Katie

“I wasn’t expecting such great quality from a $3.00 brush but this one really proved me wrong! The dense brush head is perfect for picking up powder…”

Viktor & Rolf’s Fragrant Flowerbomb Bursts with Beauty

AUTHOR: Katie

“Flowerbomb is actually less flowery than you might think. When I first spray it on me or in the air, I get some jasmine, freesia, and rose…”

A MAC Lipglass Dupe for $4.50? Try Milani Crystal Gloss

AUTHOR: Makeup Morsels

“I remember seeing pictures of MAC Nymphette on Karen’s blog for the very first time and instantly falling in love. The gorgeous pink gloss, chock-full of golden shimmer, went straight to…”

You Just Might Lava c.Booth Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask

AUTHOR: Annabella

“After one use I saw a difference. It has a mattifying effect as well but doesn’t leave your skin covered in a film. I saw a continual improvement…”

For $5.50, Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliners Are a Hidden Drugstore Gem

AUTHOR: Appu

“I like the shade selection here. No bright, playful colors, but there are many intense, dark shades that can be…”

Garnier Fructis Style Wonder Waves Mousse: A Wave-Defining $4 Wonder

AUTHOR: Tori

“I squirted out a puff of the foaming mousse (which smells amazing!) and scrunched it onto damp hair and let it work its magic overnight…”

Do You Paint Your Toes In Fall/Winter?

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I was none too pleased with Mother Nature this morning when I awoke to 46 degrees. That may be balmy for some places, but for this part of California at this time of year, that sh*z is cold, dude! I wanted to grab my sandals and take Tabs out for a walk, but my exposed toes protested somethin’ fierce. Sure, I prefer sandals to socks, but not when it’s cold!

The end of sandal season means toes everywhere are again being oppressed (haha!) by socks, boots and various other forms of winter footwear. It begs the question — when your toes go into hiding, do your pedicures fall by the wayside?

I still like to keep mine painted and primped, because if I don’t, I develop what El Hub refers to as “monkey feet,” on account of my freakishly long toes and uncanny toe dexterity.

But sometimes I do think about skipping my pedis in fall and winter… I mean, why bother to paint if no one’s gonna see your feet? Why not just save that time and energy for more important cold weather activities…like roasting chestnuts over open fires and whatnot? 🙂

Do you paint your toes in fall/winter?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Oct. 25

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  1. Mood:

    2. Rock steady, baby. That’s what I feel now. Not too high, not too low, just somewhere right around the middle.

  2. Do you have any bad habits you’d like to break?

    3. Being too lax about exercise. I gotta get back into doing it almost every day because when I do I’m less moody.

  3. Red wine or white?

    4. Red, the smoother the better. No bold tannins for this girl, thanks.

  4. Your favorite book(s) when you were a teen?

    5. Aww, man, I read tons of cheesy thrillers and totally devoured anything by V.C. Andrews (seriously, I read Flowers in the Attic eight times!) or Dean Koontz. I also went through a Harlequin phase, which I blame on Suzie, my clarinet playing friend from band. She carried romance books with her at all times and would lend them out like a library.

  5. Favorite way to exercise?

    6. Probably running because it doesn’t take much time, but if they were easier (or possible) to do at home maybe dancing, swimming or surfing.

  6. Do you wake up to an alarm clock?

    7. Yep! If left to my own devices and not electronic ones I’d sleep until at least 9 or 10.

  7. Have you ever baked a pie?

    8. Once in 2002, and I remember it like it was yesterday… It was a delicious blueberry and peach creation based on a recipe I’d gotten from my roommate, who was from the South. I remember being shocked at how many sticks of butter I used!

  8. Do you have a temper?

    9. It depends. If I’m exhausted, then yes.

  9. Favorite Halloween candy?

    10. Snickers (they really satisfy)! And throw in a handful of candy corn while you’re at it, please. Thank you.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. To write an entry in my journal every day, to keep my desk organized, to step away from the computer at 6PM (sooo hard to do!) and to meet a friend for lunch.

Howzit, holmes? Fancy meeting you here. 🙂

I hope your week got off to a good start. Please tell me things aren’t too cray-cray today.

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



1. Mood:
2. Do you have any bad habits you’d like to break?
3. Red wine or white?
4. Your favorite book(s) when you were a teen?
5. Favorite way to exercise?
6. Do you wake up to an alarm clock?
7. Have you ever baked a pie?
8. Do you have a temper?
9. Favorite Halloween candy?
10. Weekly goals:

Can you believe it’s the last week in October already? What’s going on here? I think we skipped August entirely. Do you remember having an August? Something’s afoot!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 110

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Enter Today's Tabs Caption Contest

WINNER: Etsy Breslin, for her caption, “DOUBLE MAKEUP RAINBOW ALL THE WAY!” 🙂

Makeup and Beauty Blog Caption Contest

  • $25 (U.S.) sent via PayPal to the winner’s PayPal account.

  • 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 caption in the comments for the picture at the top of this post, preceding it with the word CAPTION:
  • Second, you can enter by following me @karenmbb and tweeting a different caption, preceding it with the words @karenmbb CAPTION:

  • The deadline to enter is Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 11:59PM PST.
  • Entrants must have a valid email address and PayPal account to win.
  • A maximum of two 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).
  • Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “the judges”) will select our favorite caption (1 winner) from all of the caption contest entries that are either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
  • The decision of the judges is final and binding.
  • All entries become the property of Makeup and Beauty Blog (specifically Tabs) and will not be returned.
  • The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
  • If the winner cannot be contacted or does not respond within three (3) days, an alternate winner may be selected at the sole discretion of the judge(s).
  • Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: Etsy Breslin, for her caption, “DOUBLE MAKEUP RAINBOW ALL THE WAY!” 🙂

Have a Cheese Crunchy in the Open Thread

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It’s shapin’ up to be a lazy Sunday up in here, one filled with cheese crunchies and high-intensity relaxation. I should probably go grocery shopping (one can only survive on crunchies for so long), but going out in the rain is not high on my list of things I really want to do right now. I’d rather stay home, chat with you and read. Truth be told that sounds GREAT!

I might bust out my makeup brushes and try this really simple look from the CFDA Vogue Fashion Show earlier this week. Isn’t it pretty? Perfect for a lazy day.

Pat McGrath’s team did the makeup and used things from the new Dolce & Gabbana Ethereal Beauty Holiday Collection.

It’s just about as complicated as I could handle right now.

That reminds me, are you doing anything fancy for Halloween? Do you have a costume in mind?

Tell me about it (or anything else) in this week’s open thread. I’d like the company.

Makeup and Beauty Blog Open ThreadIf you’re new to the open thread, here it is in a nutshell:

It’s like coffee talk. We get together and chit chat in the comments at the bottom of this post. Any topics, from makeup, music, books, food — you name it.

Stop by whenever you can this afternoon or tonight. Unless the rain stops (and I seriously doubt that’s gonna happen), I’m not goin’ anywhere.

See you soon! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

What’s shakin’, bacon? Happy Sunday! I’m taking it a little easy today because I was out late last night with some friends down in San Jose. Of course I got lost, because that’s what people do in San Jose. We went to a cozy wine bar called Chin Chin and did some catching up. Now I’m watching Tabs tear the sh*zz out of his cat tower while I eat pumpkin buttered toast for breakfast, yum.

Oh, have you seen Catfish? It’s a documentary about a photographer who falls in love with a girl on Facebook. He decides to meet her in real life but begins to suspect she doesn’t really exist when he tries to track her down and can’t. It’s a mystery of sorts and pretty interesting. Well worth checking out.

Have you had a good weekend? What’s the weather like out there? It’s storming like crazy here! I feel like we went from summer to winter without much of a fall. I hope we get a break from the rain soon, because if we don’t, Tabs may tear the roof off this mother.

Here’s a look back at some of the makeup and beauty stuff we talked about this week. MAC A Tartan Tale got a lot of attention in Beauty Land, as does almost everything from MAC. How do you feel about the collection? Are you stoked about it or not impressed?

Guerlain Rouge G Le Brilliant Bee LipstickGUERLAIN ROUGE
BRILLIANT BEE LIPSTICK

This Bee is a creamy, full-coverage (yes!) deep violet with tiny flecks of golden glitter, and it feels like a feather on the lips, ahh…

I’d heard the Rouge G Le Brilliant lippies were long wearing, and this one lives up to the hype. It wears off slowly over about five hours, which usually includes a snack or a meal.

Oh, and the bomb @ss tube! I’ve never seen anything like it before, but it’s also really functional. Guerlain squeezed a mirror in the cap (I LOVE the logo!), and the tube has some heft to it too. Should I ever find myself an unwilling member of a Jersey Shore club brawl, it could double as a weapon.

Kids, violence is NEVER the answer…but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Read more…

Lush Goth Juice Hair Styling GelLUSH GOTH JUICE
HAIR STYLING GEL

Goth Juice?

Before you answer that, I’m referring to Lush’s Goth Juice ($16), a medium-hold non-sticky styling gel, and not a new energy drink for fans of The Cure.

Seems like noses either love or loathe Lush products, and even though they don’t always agree with my nose (I’m more of a fruity florals kinda girl than a hippy/pot brownie babe), some of their stuff just works.

Like Goth Juice. Sure, it’s got that eau de lemon and Pine-Sol thing going, but for fast, effortless, undone styles, Goth Juice gets it done.

Lush credits a mix of botanical oils (hemp and flaxseed), fresh lemon infusion, olibanum (a resin from the boswellia tree; also goes by the name frankincense) and oakmoss for making the magic happen.

I busted out a full on elle-oh-elle when I read the product’s description on the company’s website:

“Olibanum and oakmoss leave your hair smelling like the deep, dark pine forest where Robert Smith goes to be alone.” Read more…

Dolce & Gabbana Evocative CollectionDOLCE & GABBANA
EVOCATIVE COLLECTION

While I was cruising down (Saks) Fifth Avenue today, otherwise known as surfing their site (they’re having a Friends & Family Sale; I didn’t come across the new Ethereal Holiday Collection, but I did window shop almost everything from the Evocative Collection for fall.

I’m not sure how Evocative’s vampiric berries, wines and pinks go with her springy blues and that one totally random coral, but being confused has never stopped me before, ha!

I’ll just try to wrap my head around something tangible…like the ultra pigmented, creamy coral Classic Cream Lipstick in Cosmopolitan and Shine Lipstick in Orchid. They should help me focus, but if I’m still out of sorts after that, the buttery soft and sheer beige, pink, taupe and purple shadows in the quad should help. Read more…

MAC A Tartan Tale SwatchesMAC A TARTAN TALE
SWATCH PREVIEW

Heya, ladies. Here’s a smattering of products from the massive MAC A Tartan Tale holiday collection launching on October 28 (that’s next week!). I thought you might like to see a few swatches. Tabs is demanding lip and face shots soon. Read more…

NYX Special Effects LashesNYX SPECIAL
EFFECTS LASHES

Wow, how fun are these NYX Special Effects Lashes ($10; available in 40 styles)? I’m building up the courage to wear the brown spotted Leopard ones out in public, and I’m almost there. I’m thinking mall date, perhaps?

Electric blue Midnight Walts is another story… I’m reserving that one for private, in-home displays of cray-cray. I feel très Looney Tunes with ‘em on, not gonna lie.

I love how many there are to choose from (40 in all), and at $10, they’re $5 cheaper than the freakiest $15 Urban Decay Urban Lashes and half the cost of falsies from Shu Uemura (which are great, I might add).

I’m not sure about the other styles, but Leopard and Midnight Walts didn’t come with lash glue. Luckily I had a spare tube on hand.

As you might expect, some pairs are easier to apply than others. Leopard was a cinch (took about five minutes); Midnight Walts, on the other hand, wasn’t (took about 15 minutes). NOTE: I’m incompetent when it comes to applying false lashes, so your results may vary. That I was able to apply either of these without losing an eye was a minor makeup miracle. Read more…

Dior Holiday 2010 Endless Shine QuintDIOR ENDLESS
SHINE QUINT, HOLIDAY 2010

What up, buttercup? How was your week? Mine was pretty peachy, thank you very much, and I owe it all to Dior Endless Shine.

We spent Wednesday afternoon together, you know, just frolicking like cherubs with cameras. Turns out the holiday quint, one of two in Dior’s Holiday 2010 Collection, is quite the budding photographer.

With the quint’s peach shade demanding so much of my attention, it only seemed right to build a look around it, so I picked out some complementary bits o’ holiday makeup from Chanel, NARS, MAC and Dolce & Gabbana and put together this here face of the day.

That’s Dolce & Gabbana Crayon Intense in 10 and 12 and Dior 5-Colour Iridescent in Endless Shine #529 on my eyes, NARS Blush in Sex Appeal on my cheeks, and Chanel Glossimer in Pleasing atop Chanel Rouge Coco in Patchouli on my lips.

What do ya think? Are the eyes too frosty? They’re smokey but not loud. Now I just wish I had somewhere to go.

Hmm, I wonder what time Tuttimelon opens. Read more…

MAC A Tartan Tale Eye SwatchesMAC A TARTAN TALE
EYE SWATCHES

Once upon a Tartan’s Tale, I peeped eye colors I would regale, but not so many, I’m sad to say, as I had hoped earlier today.

The Pearlglides are, without a doubt, my favorites from the tale no doubt, but I await, so patiently, the final act, let’s call it three.

From what I’ve seen of the collection’s eye products so far, and I’ve only seen about a quarter of it, nothing’s completely stolen my heart (but the Pearlglides have it on layaway).

A lot of what I’ve seen has been surprisingly sheer, which I guess would be cool if we were talking about Clinique, but this is MAC. In other words, where’s the beef pigment? Read more…

H2O Plus Hand and Nail Cream TrioH2O PLUS
HAND AND NAIL CREAM TRIO

Quick, name one hip hop song in which Timbaland does NOT appear as a guest artist.

Takes a minute, doesn’t it? The guy is everywhere! He’s like a hip hop virus. I had my iTunes on random yesterday, and I swear the man was uttering nonsense in every other song. “Uh huh, uh uh,” “freaky-freaky-freaky!”

But no matter how many times he’s been featured in songs — and I’m fairly sure it’s in the hundreds — I bet I have him beat hands down in one area: hand washing. Because I like to wash my hands. A lot.

This also means my hands get dry. A lot (often?).

It’s worse in the colder months, which means hand creams? — totally my BFFs. Lately I’ve been getting my moisture on with these travel-friendly 2-oz. tubes of Hand and Nail Cream from H2O Plus. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway: Send in Your Sign Today!

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Tabs with his Breast Cancer Awareness Month sign

Tabs would like to give you kitty hugs and nose kisses to thank you for showing your support this Breast Cancer Awareness Month. With just one week left in October, you still have time to enter The Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway. It only takes a minute, but the gesture means a lot. Just send in a picture of yourself with your support sign, and be automatically entered to win the special prize of $400 in makeup from MAC and Chanel.

Please be sure to leave a comment on the original post if you do submit your sign entry by email, twitter, blog posting, etc.

These lovely ladies are standing up with me to raise awareness this month. Won’t you please join us? love


Click here to see a larger version

The Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway

Email or link to a picture of yourself holding your support sign (like the examples above), and leave a comment on the original post. Not only will you be showing your support for the cause, but you’ll also be entered to win a $400 prize package of makeup from MAC and Chanel.

To Enter…

  1. Take a picture of yourself with a sign that reads, “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” Whether or not you show your face is up to you, but I think it would be great to see your lovely mug. 🙂
  2. Send it to me. You can either email it to karen@makeupandbeautyblog.com, OR post it on your blog/facebook page and leave a link to the pic in the comments on the original post, OR upload it to Twitter and send a tweet to me @karenmbb.
  3. The giveaway is open to US and international readers, but you must be the age of majority according to your country’s local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
  4. One entry per person.
  5. Deadline to enter is October 31, 2010 at 11:59PM PST.

Please comment on the original post to enter (and not on this post here).

Please take a moment this weekend to show your support.

karen from makeup and beauty blog holding her october is breast cancer awareness sign

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Does your phone have a camera? You might be able to snap your pic and email your entry from there. 😉

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