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Just For Fun

Saturday Surfing

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Howdy, ladies. Hope yer havin’ a nice weekend so far. I’m getting ready to leave the house pretty soon and hopefully go to a movie (The Social Network; have you seen it?). I say hopefully because every time El Hub and I head out to catch a movie we get out the door a little too late and miss it.

Dontcha hate it when that happens?

Breast Cancer Awareness MonthWhat are you up today? Got any room in your life for $400 worth of MAC and Chanel makeup? Sorry, but let me just get something out of the way right now… You’re going to have to just forgive me for being pushy when it comes to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, because I AM going to keep asking you to show your support by emailing/linking to a picture of yourself holding your BCA sign like this. That’s all. I’m just sayin’. 😉

And shoot, if we held the drawing today your odds of winning would be pretty damn good.

Oh, if you’ve already seen The Social Network and thought it was awful, QUICK! — send me an email to warn me! By the time I get it I’ll be in the car on the way to the theater, and you’ll have rescued me in the nick of time.

When you weren’t at the beach this morning, I went surfing without you.

Kidding! I wouldn’t do that. Come on, slow poke. Last one in’s a rotten egg!

New in Beauty & Random Surfing


Do/did you ever watch Saved By the Bell…


COOL MASHUP!


Words of wisdom from the world’s oldest man

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway

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

The Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sign Project and Giveaway

WINNER: Drum roll please… Katie! Congratulations, you’re the winner of $400 in makeup from MAC and Chanel.

Hi, ladies. As many of you know, breast cancer has touched my family, as it has many of yours. It’s something I think about all year long, but especially when October rolls around.

For the past two years I’ve run donations for breast cancer charities, but this year I’d like us to try something different — an e-rally of sorts.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is about many things — remembering friends and family, promoting the importance of early detection, helping to raise funds for research and treatment, and standing in support of those affected by the disease.

That’s why I made the sign you see at the top of this post. It’s one easy way to say, “We’re all in this together, and I’m here with you.”

You’ll have many opportunities to give and show financial support on other sites and in stores this month, but this gesture’s simply about emotional support and the strength of solidarity.

Will you make your sign and stand with me?

Join me this Breast Cancer Awareness Month by taking a picture of yourself with a sign like the one at the top of this post. You’ll also be entered to win a $400 prize package of goodies (20 products in all) from MAC and Chanel. Scroll down for the full deets…

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

  • Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in Emotion ($30)
  • Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in Nude ($30)
  • Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Perle ($30)
  • Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara in Brun ($30)
  • Chanel Le Crayon Sourcils Precision Brow Definer in Blond Clair ($28)
  • MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Faithfully Yours ($16)
  • MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Good to Go ($16)
  • MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Perpetual Flame ($16)
  • MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Prolong ($16)
  • MAC Dazzleglass in Phiff! ($18)
  • MAC Dazzleglass in She-Zam ($18)
  • MAC Dare to Wear Lipglass in Ban This! ($18)
  • MAC Dare to Wear Lipglass in Gimme That! ($18)
  • MAC Dare to Wear Lipglass in So Bad ($18)
  • MAC Dazzle Lipstick in Baby’s on Fire ($14.50)
  • MAC Dazzle Lipstick in Wham ($14.50)
  • MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Of Royalty ($14.50)
  • MAC Lustre Lipstick in Surprise Me ($14.50)
  • MAC Cremesheen Glass in Ever So Rich ($18)
  • MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in Marked for Glamour ($17.50)

A 20-piece prize package, $400 in makeup

  • First, take a picture of yourself holding a sign (or ask a friend to take one of you) that reads, “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”
  • Second, post your sign pic somewhere online — Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, a photo sharing site like flickr, etc. — or email it to me directly at karen@makeupandbeautyblog.com.
  • Third, leave a comment at the bottom of this post with either a link to your picture or a note to tell me that you sent it by email.

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, October 31, 2010 at 11:59PM PST.
  • Entrants must have a valid email address to win.
  • A maximum of one entry per person; entries must include a picture (linked or emailed) and a corresponding comment left at the bottom of this post.
  • Giveaway 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).
  • I will choose the winner at random (1 winner) from all of the entries received by the deadline on October 31.
  • Your entry picture must remain online and visible for a minimum of 48 hours after the deadline.
  • All entries become the property of Makeup and Beauty Blog (specifically Tabs) and will not be returned; they may also be republished in this or a future post on the blog.
  • 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 will be selected at random again.
  • Void where prohibited by law.

Chanel Lipsticks

Chanel Mascara
[Continue reading…]

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Sept. 27

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On the roof of the Duomo di Milano, fourth-largest church in the world and the seat of the Archbishop of Milan

Happy Monday, young lady. 🙂 It’s almost dinnertime here, but Tabs just finished breakfast back home. He skyped me a little while ago, as a matter of fact, to lodge a complaint against El Hub for professional neglect. Apparently, El Hub’s secretarial and gravy preparation skills aren’t up to par. I tried to phrase my response in terms I thought Tabs would appreciate, so I quoted Tim Gunn: just “make it work.”

Today I pretty much did my own thing, took in some sights, did a little makeup hauling, and found a few castle cats living in a moat that had been drained and turned into a grassy knoll. They looked like Italian kitty versions of the bunnies from Watership Down.

Now I’m back at the hotel putting my feet up for a few minutes before dinner.

Oh, remind me to tell you about the time I was staying at a hotel and hallucinated on Ambien (it was last night). The bedspread came alive!

My flight back to San Francisco leaves first thing tomorrow morning, which reminds me — I better send Tabs a text to see if he can pick me up from the airport.

I’m definitely going to miss the city of Milan, but it’s the people and their fashion sense I wish I could bring back with me.

Before you go, do you have a minute to touch base by filling out the Monday Poll? It’s an abbreviated one today.

  1. Mood:

    2. Good but very tired. I could use an 8-hour nap.

  2. What was the last thing you had to eat?

    3. Hazelnut and caramel creme gelato. I STILL haven’t found any Nutella gelato, boo! Looks like I may have to make it at home.

  3. Outfit:

    4. Black skinny jeans, black lace top and the brown “Golden Girls” boots I found at Marshalls a couple weeks ago, which, I might add, aren’t the easiest things to walk in when the streets are cobblestone… I still haven’t figure out how Italian women are able to handle these roads in spiked heels. They’re amazing!

  4. What’s your least favorite fruit?

    5. Overripe bananas. I like mine slightly green (no spots!), thank you very much.

  5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:

    6. Went with an old standby easy look today using MAC Woodwinked Eyeshadow on the lid, Technakohl liner in Graphblack along the lash and waterlines, MAC Nymphette Lipglass on my lips and NARS Orgasm on my cheeks.

  6. What was the first song you ever slow danced to?

    7. “Shower me with your looove!” 🙂 At least I think that was it. My memory for music is failing me right now, but I think it was that Surface jam, oh, gawd!

  7. Weekly goals:

    8. Make it home in one piece, spend some quality time with the boys (El Hub and Tabs) and SLEEP!

It’s that time again. Y’all ready for this?



1. Mood:
2. What was the last thing you had to eat?
3. Outfit:
4. What’s your least favorite fruit?
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
6. What was the first song you ever slow danced to?
7. Weekly goals:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I double dare you to listen to the whole song!

P.P.S. If you’re new here, thank you for visiting. Makeup and Beauty Blog is a makeup blog with daily product reviews, beauty tips, giveaways and the random shenanigans of a crazy cat lady/makeup enthusiast named Karen (that’s me!). 🙂

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 106

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Tabs vs. Tabs

WINNER: NeenaJ! For her caption, “What do you mean, ‘that’s not a bidet’?!?” LOL! Yeah, that’s Tabs alright.

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, September 29, 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

P.S. The deadline to enter is this Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 11:59PM PST. Please don’t forget to include the words “@karenmbb CAPTION:” (without the quotes) if you enter on Twitter. That makes it easier for me to find your entry. 🙂

WINNER: NeenaJ! For her caption, “What do you mean, ‘that’s not a bidet’?!?” LOL! Yeah, that’s Tabs alright.

The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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The Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

There’s nothing like a big fashion show except maybe a shot of adrenalin in the heart, LOL! The show’s over, and I’m back at the hotel now, cleaning up and prepping a post (it’s about 9:30PM here). It’s fascinating how effortless the makeup looked amidst the chaos surrounding the runway.

Speaking of intense situations, funny story — well, potentially helpful story if you decide to take an international trip but don’t have a passport. The reason I had to drive into the city to renew my passport last Monday was because I let it expire and needed a new one right away. Most local post offices can issue new passports and renew existing ones, but doing it that way takes weeks. They snap your picture, usually in a little room off the main lobby, you fill out some forms, show proof of citizenship, pay a fee of around $100, and then four to six weeks later you get a brand new passport in the mail good for 10 whole years.

When you only have a few days before an unplanned trip, you can visit one of the U.S. State Department’s main passport offices, which are scattered throughout the country in mostly major metropolitan areas. There they can do the whole process in a day, but it costs extra ($70 more for the rush), and you have to make a somewhat challenging appointment over the phone. Challenging because of the State Department’s labyrinthine phone system and limited hours of operation.

The moral of the story: don’t do what I did. Apply online ahead of time if you think you might like to take a trip within the next few years, and if you already have your passport, renew it online before it expires.

I’m not entirely sure why that occurred to me right now, haha! I think I’m going loony…

While I jot down my thoughts on the show, here’s a quick look back at some of the products we talked about earlier this week.

Hope you’re having a good weekend. You better be enjoying yourself, or by Jove I’ll sick Tabs on ya!

Benefit Sugar Cookie LipstickBENEFIT LIPSTICK IN
SUGAR COOKIE

Do me a quick favor and check your blush stash, boo. If you find enough peaches to bake a cobbler, then I’d like you to meet my new go-to girl, Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in Sugar Cookie ($18).

The color — a warm, shiny peach with flecks of gorgeous gold — has been around for a while as a permanent member of Benefit’s Silky Finish Lipstick line. Like the other Silky Finish gals, she’s got a thin, creamy texture (very hydrating, to boot) that glides on slick and smooth, and I think she looks GREAT paired with peach blushes like Benefit Georgia, NARS Orgasm, MAC Sunbasque, MAC Margin and MAC Peaches.

Do you remember the sparkly glitter from last week’s look with MAC Lipgelee in Resort Life (part of the Venomous Villains release)? — how it ended up all over the place? Well, Sugar Cookie isn’t messy like that at all. Her golden glitter stays put, but all is not peaches in the garden of golden glitter. Read more…

Urban Decay Urbanglow Cream HighlighterURBAN DECAY
URBANGLOW CREAM HIGHLIGHTER

I suppose if I really wanted an authentic candlelit glow I could walk around with a candle up next to my face, but talk about a big pain in the @ss, right? 🙂 And dangerous too!

No problem. The new Urban Decay Urbanglow Cream Highlighters ($24 each) are safer than open flames but just as illuminating.

UD packed these four cute compacts in Wicked, Sin, Brown Sugar and Moonshine with pearly glows and pigment to spare.

They kinda work like spotlights for the skin. Just pat on cheeks, at your temples, down the bridge of your nose or at the inner corners of your eyes for an instantly brighter outlook and a luminescent glow. They apply smoothly to bare skin, or on top of liquid foundations or tinted moisturizer, but I don’t recommend them for use atop powder foundations. When I tried, they looked kinda cakey.

I’ve been wearing Wicked (the shimmery pink) and Sin (the shimmery champagne) on particularly rough days when I haven’t gotten enough sleep the night before because they’re pretty good at quickly faking wide-awake eyes. Read more…

MAC Pro Longwear ConcealerMAC PRO
LONGWEAR CONCEALER

I’ve been a big supporter of timeBalm concealer ($18), but MAC’s new line of medium-to-full coverage matte liquid concealers just might sway my vote. 🙂

MAC created them to conceal dark circles, spots and discolorations with a long-wearing, flawless, natural-looking finish.

The 16 available shades ($16.50 each), which come in a small glass bottle with a pump applicator top, dropped on counters last week with two other products, the Pro Longwear Lipcreme Lipsticks ($16) and Pro Longwear SPF10 Foundations ($29.50).

In a nutshell, this stuff works like a liquid version of timeBalm (I like it more than the actual liquid version of timeBalm). I’ve been wearing it in NW 30 lately (for reference, I’m an NC 35), to cover up my under-eye circles, and like timeBalm it thoroughly blocks out the dark areas without creasing, feathering, fading or settling into my fine lines. Read more…

Chanel Glossimer in StarCHANEL SOHO
GLOSSIMER IN STAR

A glittery pinkish purple lipgloss? Yes, please!

And the fact that this one’s also a Chanel Glossimer doesn’t hurt — well, except for the $27 price. That part hurts, but overlooking the way in which that makes my tummy churn, yippee!

She’s called Star, and like her namesake she’s all about the sparkle (with a very light tint). We’re talking good glitter here, very fine, and it doesn’t migrate around my lips.

Star feels thick and slightly sticky to me with a wear time around 90 minutes (mediocre for a gloss), and I’m glad that Chanel kept her scent- and flavor-free. Read more…

Chanel SoHo Nail PolishesCHANEL SOHO
NAIL POLISHES

Well, it’s official. Elvis and summer have left the building. They walked out the back door, the one by the loading dock, and met for brewskies down at the Harvest Moon, you know, that little pub where all the classic fall nail colors hang out after work.

Every fall I pack up my warm weather must-haves — my neon nail polishes, fuchsia glosses, booty shorts with “I heart the Jersey Shore” written across the back (kidding!) to make room for autumn’s awesome goodies. This year, I’m clearing space for a couple of real workin’ stiffs called Steel (a shimmery gunmetal gray) and Strong (a shimmery blackened plum), Chanel’s two new SoHo Le Vernis nail polishes for fall ($23 each).

Why do autumn leaves make me want to paint mah talons with darker colors? Is it a cavewoman thing? Who knows, but if you like the look of dark fall nails, feast your Bette Davis eyes on these. Read more…

Urban Decay Little Sins Primer Potion SetURBAN DECAY
LITTLE SINS PRIMER POTION SET

Er, I’m not talking sins of the “seven deadly” variety, one of which, lust, I have for Ryan Reynolds.

These kinder, gentler sins live in the Urban Decay Little Sins Eyeshadow Primer Potion Set ($29), a brand spankin’ new Sephora exclusive with four travel-sized bottles of Urban Decay’s famous Primer Potion in four different shades.

Stop unsightly shadow creasing and fading with the three classic shades in Original, Sin and Eden, or get a little selfish with the newest shade, shimmery golden Greed.

Greed, a cool-toned lemony gold on my NC35 skin, brightens lids with a noticeable glow, and I can really see it being a hit with girls who like the way they look in coolish yellowish golds.

If you like these Little Sins, the limited edition kit’s available now at Sephora and online at sephora.com. Read more…

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color TriosSHISEIDO LUMINIZING
SATIN EYE COLOR TRIOS

Shiseido is not a word that springs to mind when I think “bright eyeshadow,” but their new Luminzing Satin Eye Color Trios ($33 each) sure got my attention.

I stumbled on these in the city the other day. The seven powder shadow trios, inspired by Shiseido Makeup Artistic Director Dick Page’s world travels, are completely new to the line, and bright is their modus operandi (they also feel silky smooth).

Take a look, and let me know if you see anything you like. I’m all over a pink, yellow and green trio called YE406 Tropicalia, not that I can think of a way to work all three of the colors into the same look.

Any ideas? Come on, there’s gotta be a way! 🙂 Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Two Ways to Win Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Professional Size

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urban decay eyeshadow primer potion professional size

Bleep, bleep, bleep!

Wha!?

Bleep, bleep, bleep!

Okay, okay, I’m awake! I’m awake!

Gah, stupid alarm…

Coffee, come to me.

I said, coffee, come to me!

Nothing. Oh, well. You can’t blame a girl for tryin’. 🙂 While I build up the courage to check my dark circles in the mirror get out of bed and look for some coffee, why don’t we start/end the day, depending on your time zone, with a giveaway?

The Prize

One lucky lady will win an Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Professional Size ($29 value), a nude eyeshadow primer that absolutely loves increasing the wear time of other eye makeup worn on top, while also magically preventing shadows from creasing and colors from fading.

Want to find out more about Urban Decay’s Primer Potions?

How To Enter…

2ways2enterEntering is easy. There are two different ways, and you can do both of them for two chances to win.

  1. First, you can enter by retweeting (RT) the following message:

    Follow @karenmbb and RT to win Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Professional Size http://bit.ly/d8mjye

  2. Second, enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and it can be a comment about anything under the sun — your favorite midnight snack, your first memory of snow, how you feel about your current hairstyle, or your most embarrassing makeup moment.

    My favorite midnight snack? Lately, oh, that’s easy. Fresh strawberries or peaches and Nutella, yum!

  • This giveaway is open to U.S. and international readers, but entrants everywhere must be at least 18 years of age or older.

Recap…

  1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
  2. Retweet the following message on twitter:

    Follow @karenmbb and RT to win Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Professional Size http://bit.ly/d8mjye

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, September 27.

Good luck!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Just in Case You Ever NEED Your Toenails Clipped at the Airport…

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When I was waiting for my flight out of San Francisco, I passed something I’d never seen before in an airport at a little spa called Xpress.

They offer the usual spa services like massages, manicures, pedicures, stuff like that, but also something that was a regular kick in the pants. They’ll even clip your toenails…for $15 (on top of the cost of a foot massage). Fo’ serious! You REALLY gotta have scary long toenails to spend $15 to have ’em cut at an airport, LOL! I’d rather wait till I arrived at my destination and buy a $3 pair of clippers.

Hmm, I wonder if the TSA ever orders people to do it. Yeah, that would be a little embarrassing. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Zzzz… It’s just after 11:30PM here, and tomorrow’s the day of the big show. Time for sleep!

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