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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, July 5

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Tabs working on his fitness

  1. Mood:

    2. Pretty good, although I’m having a hard time focusing this morning… I think I’m still in holiday mode.

  2. What’s the weather like out your way?

    3. Oddly overcast but warm. It must be some kind of morning mist/fog.

  3. Please take a moment to write yourself a little love love note:

    4. Your creativity is a gift; cherish and nurture it.

  4. Your favorite purse?

    5. These days it’s been my slouchy dark brown leather bag from Fossil. I like how soft and comfy it feels (like a jacket that’s been broken in) and that it has plenty of pockets.

  5. Flip-flops: yay or nay?

    6. YAY! — for bumming around the house or for running errands; nay for wearing to work. Oh, and nay for wearing when you have to do a lot of walking.

  6. What’s one of the best experiences you’ve had lately?

    7. On Saturday I went swimming for the first time this summer! If I could, I’d spend time every day in a (warm) body of water… Sometimes I feel like a mermaid trapped on dry land.

  7. What’s your favorite facial feature?

    8. I really do love the color of my eyes; at a glance they look like standard dark brown, but if you look really closely, you can see a navy blue ring around the edge of each iris.

  8. Favorite summer reading?

    9. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.

  9. Outfit:

    10. My favorite J Brand jeans and a Honolua yellow and brown floral print shirt.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Run every single day this week, and cook at least three healthy meals. 🙂

What up, ladies? Did you see any fireworks last night? I can’t believe it, but I spaced out and actually forgot about fireworks last night. After getting home from watching Eclipse, I just chilled on the couch with a magazine and passed out early. Yep, I know… My life literally OVERFLOWS with excitement and intrigue.

What are you up to today? Are you at work or taking the day off? Let me know how you’re doing by filling out the Monday Poll. It’s super easy. Just copy the list below, and paste it with your answers in the comments.



1. Mood:
2. What’s the weather like out your way?
3. Please take a moment to write yourself a love note:
4. Your favorite purse?
5. Flip-flops: yay or nay?
6. What’s one of the best experiences you’ve had lately?
7. What’s your favorite facial feature?
8. Favorite summer reading?
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:

Let’s make this first week of July a great one, yah? Talk to you soon!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 94

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Makeup and Beauty Blog horoscope: July
Disclaimer: Tabs is NOT a certified astrologer…but he does read Susan Miller, a lot.

July 2010

Aries (March 21- April 19)
July could be hectic for you, Aries, but don’t despair. A full moon over the weekend of July 24-25 will bring with it an opportunity to socialize and have fun. Do something special for yourself beforehand, like going shopping, or getting your hair or nails done, and be open for anything.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
July heralds romantic possibilities for you, Taurus. With Venus in your house of love, be ready for chemistry with someone stable, reliable and ambitious. Rock your best come hither hair and makeup between July 10 and August 5.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
If you’ve been saving up for something, Gemini, consider buying it now or waiting for fall. Mercury enters retrograde between August 20 and September 12, so you might want to schedule any large purchases of appliances, furniture or electronics (this includes T3 hairdryers and the Clarisonic brush) around those dates.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Happy birthday, sweetie! Expect some good financial news around the full moon (July 25), plus or minus four days. This might be a great time to treat yourself to something luxurious. Might I suggest Chanel?

Leo (July 23-August 22)
If you’re thinking about making a dramatic change to your hair, lovely Leo, consider doing it over the next few days (from now through July 9). Venus, patron of love and good looks, is on your side! 🙂

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
A big project is coming to a close, Virgo, and you’ll be busy leading up to the full moon on July 25. Stock up on your beauty basics — the products you love to use for minimal makeup looks. Feeling cute while you’re busy will help you through the month.

Libra (September 23-October 22)
The full moon on July 25 means love love is in the air around you, Libra. Bust out your most kissable lipgloss, schedule a date with a crush, or hit the club with your girls. Wherever you go and whatever you do, love interests are sure to notice!

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Set aside your favorite travel beauty goodies, Scorpio, because July 11 is the date of an eclipse! It brings with it TWO ideal times to travel this month — the first on July 11 and the other on July 26. Both days should be great times to start an adventure!

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
Mars and Mercury want to help you make strides in your career, Sagittarius. The two will be in perfect positions on July 26. You may interview for a new position or a promotion, so update your resume, dust off your interview suit, and bust out your favorite work-friendly lipstick!

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
All work and no play makes Capricorn a dull girl. 🙂 You’ve been working hard lately, and it’s time to take a break. Mars moves through the house of long distance travel at the end of this month. July 28 would be a great time to start a trip, and if you decide to head someplace warm, don’t forget to wear your sunscreen!

Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
Mark July 23 on your calendar, sweet Aquarius. The Sun and Uranus will be in perfect harmony, so it could be a gold star day filled with welcome surprises — you may do well on a presentation, get a job opportunity or be asked on a first date. To look your best all day long, bump up the wear time of your makeup with a good primer.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)
You’re physically strong this month, Pisces, so bust out your favorite gym clothes (or invest in some cute new workout wear), and fill your makeup bag with sweat-proof products. Saturn’s due to exit Virgo on July 21. With it comes a time to make great strides in the fitness department.

May the stars be with you,

P.S. Speaking of eclipses, have you seen the new Twilight movie? Tabs and I went this afternoon. He thinks the wolf pack needs a new wardrobe (those jeans shorts are sooo not happenin’).

Clear Your Mind in the Open Thread

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The Makeup and Beauty Blog Open Thread
Swimming at Lake Berryessa

You worked your tail off this week, and now it’s time to recharge your batteries. Make yourself a snack or grab something cool to drink, and let your mind wander like a feather in the wind with this week’s open thread. 🙂

Same deal as always: We meet in the comments, and you can reach out to me or anyone else, ask specific questions, offer advice, discuss beauty tips, or just talk about whatever’s on your mind.
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The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Weekly Roundup

How’s it going, beautiful? Happy Fourth of July!

So, yesterday I learned a valuable lesson that our forefathers probably learned as well: getting lost sucks. El Hub and I hit the road at 10 but didn’t actually arrive at the lake until 1. It took 3 hours to go 51 miles…by car. A determined bicyclist could have beaten us there.

We eventually made it, though, and I even got to go swimming, YAY! I’ll post some pictures from the trip soon.

Oh, what have you been using for sunscreen lately? Are you happy with it? Have you ever tried Clinique’s SPF 25 Body Spray or SPF 30 Face Cream sunscreens? I brought them with me yesterday to test. First impressions: great in the water but not as hydrating as I’d hoped.

Anywho, what did you think about the makeup products and collections that were announced this week? Anything stand out? I liked the Burberry Beauty stuff, but NYX and Too Faced were probably my favorite brands of the week.

NYX Purple Smokey Look Kit$11 NYX PURPLE
SMOKEY LOOK KIT

The times, they are a-changin’, edgy eyeshadow lovahs, and ground zero’s at a drugstore near you. Thanks to budget brands like NYX, colorful shadows have gotten a lot more accessible over the past few years. Case in point: NYX’s new NYX Purple Smokey Look Kit for summer, aka one of the best drugstore palettes I’ve seen in a really long time.

It’s a little hard to tell from these pictures, but the case easily fits in the palm of my hand and looks built for easy travel. This particular palette, the Purple Smokey Look Kit, is one of three released from NYX for summer, and like the others it costs just $11! This one comes with nine color coordinated powder shadows and two lipsticks. Read more…

Too Faced Papa Don't Peach BlushTOO FACED BLUSH
PAPA DON’T PEACH

Some questions and answers reveal more about us than others do, like, do you reach for peach blush BEFORE your first cup of coffee in the morning? Or, does the very thought of a day without peach cheeks make you break out in a cold sweat? If you answered “yes” to either inquiry, hello, friend — my name is Karen, and I’m a fellow peach blush addict enthusiast.

My newest peach blush crush, the cleverly named Papa Don’t Peach ($20), pays homage to Madge while paying attention to cheeks. It’s one of four powder Brightening Blushes from Too Faced. Totally easy to use, it kisses cheeks with a soft and shimmery peachy warmth that looks particularly pretty on cheeks attached to half-awake zombie girls early in the morning…

Too Faced has a knack for balancing pigment and wearability, and Papa Don’t Peach contains enough pigmentation to be visible on the cheeks, but not so much that it takes 10 minutes to blend away harsh edges. Read more…

Dolce & Gabbana Shocking LipstickDOLCE & GABBANA
LIPSTICK IN SHOCKING

Barely a week into summer, and I’m already distracted by fall! The fall makeup releases launching lately (did you catch the new Urban Decay stuff yesterday?) are trying to steal the spotlight from summer, but glittery hot pink Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Shocking aims to put the spotlight back where it belongs.

Yes, the $30 price hurts almost as much as that time Vampire Eric bit your neck in the basement at Fangtasia, but this bit of glittery goodness is like summer sunbeams on lips. It’s one of 32 permanent shades in the Dolce & Gabbana Classic Creams line of lipsticks (they remind me of Chanel Aqualumieres). Read more…

9 Things People Never Told Me9 THINGS
PEOPLE NEVER TOLD ME

Life is filled with lessons we learn along the way. Some we learn from others, like our friends and family, or the people on Shot at Love with Tila Tequila… And some we find out on our own. Here are nine things I had to find out on my own: 1) Someday, I would love my curly hair. Coming from a family of straight-haired lads and lasses, I felt cursed by my wavy hair as a girl growing up in the ’80s and ’90s.

I spent a good chunk of my youth fighting against my natural hair and did just about everything the curly hair experts warn against. Curly styling product options were more limited back then (I can’t think of anything other than L’Oreal Pumping Curls), but after college, years of experimentation and several bad haircuts, I grew to love my natural hair.

I’m glad I came around, too, because now there are entire haircare lines devoted to wavy/curly hair. AWESOME! Read more…

Burberry Beauty Makeup LineBURBERRY
BEAUTY

Pip pip, cheerio! Put down the coffee, love, and bring out the tea, because the British are coming! — coming soon (later this month) to Nordstrom, that is.

British fashion biz Burberry is expanding its horizons, adding a line of makeup to its beautiful portfolio. The new Burberry Beauty line is now available for pre-order at nordstrom.com, and from what I’ve seen so far, the packaging is TO DIE!

The company, of course, isn’t new to beauty. They’ve produced beautiful clothing for years, and even in the beauty niche they’ve released perfumes (LOVE Brit Sheer).

The distinctive Burberry check pattern and textured trench coat themes weave their way into the new products for eyes, lips, cheeks and face; to my eye, the gunmetal packaging, embossed lipstick bullets/powder pans and textured boxes feel elegant, luxe and true to the spirit of the brand. Read more…

Benefit Scene Queen TutorialTUTORIAL: BENEFIT
SCENE QUEEN

Brace yourself, young lady, because someone’s about to make a scene — and it’s you! Do you remember last week’s grayish blue smokey eye from our look at the Benefit Scene Queen The Annie Collection palette? Here’s a quick breakdown of it with pictures and a how-to.

When would I rock a look like this? Well, often! — specifically, whenever I’d want to look dressed up but not overdone, day or night. If it feels a little too dramatic for daytime wear to work/school, maybe give it a try out one night with friends or your boo.

Because it puts so many great products at my fingertips, I love the Benefit Scene Queen palette, but take a look at your existing makeup stash for similar colors… You might already have the right fixin’s to duplicate the look. Read more…

Tarte emphasEYESTARTE EMPHASEYES
EYESHADOW AND LINER

Rise and shine, morning glory. Can we talk about clay? — as in Amazonian white clay (not Aiken)? Tarte’s new emphasEyes Shadow/Liners ($22), an entirely new product line released for summer, come in five shades — black, brown, indigo, plum and bronze — each made with something Tarte refers to as micronized Amazonian white clay.

Tarte claims it works wonders by moisturizing the skin while improving elasticity (among other things).

I just started wearing the Indigo one. It’s a deep shimmery blue with a rich, creamy texture (kinda reminds me of my beloved Benefit Creaseless Creams). Read more…

NYX Bronze Look Kit$11 NYX BRONZE
LOOK KIT

Among precious metals, gold always gets the best quips… “You’re golden,” “Go for the gold,” or when something’s said to be “as good as gold.”

Poor under-appreciated bronze just doesn’t get the same love, ya know? Seriously, when was the last time someone told you to “Go for the bronze”?

Well, perhaps the new NYX Bronze Look Kit ($11) will garner bronze the respect it deserves.

The palette, one of three new Look Kits from NYX for summer, bursts with bronzy shades for eyes and lips. Like the Purple Smokey Look Kit we looked at a few days ago, it comes with a mix of nine shimmery and matte shadows and two frosty lipsticks nicely packaged in a two-tier case. Read more…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What Are You Wearing on Your Nails?

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mac alice olivia nail lacquer
MAC Alice + Olivia Nail Lacquers from left: Morning After, Military and So Rich So Pretty ($12 each)

Right now I’m sporting bare fingers and toes, but my digits are plotting to paint themselves if I don’t give them a hand. They have their hearts set on some of the new shades in the MAC Alice + Olivia collection (available July 8). My fingers are considering Military (the glittery blackish gray), and the toes are pulling for So Rich So Pretty (the shimmery bright purple)…

mac alice olivia nail lacquer

I’m still up in Napa but coming home soon. Tabs just sent me a text that reads, “Gravy?”

What are you wearing on your fingers/toes?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing

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Good morning and happy, happy Saturday, boo! How’d you sleep? I’m up early today to get ready to head to Lake Berryessa in Napa with El Hub. The cooler’s locked and loaded with picnic snacks and — you know it! — beauty goodies. 🙂

I dropped a few MAC wipes and my tube of Clinique All About Eyes Serum into a Ziploc baggie to keep them cool and dry in the cooler (cold wipes feel fantastic at the end of a day spent in the sun; ditto on the serum).

I’ll be away from the computer for a while (just a day trip), but before I roll — wait, what’s that sound?

(whooooooooosh!)

It’s the sound of e-waves breaking on the beauty beach. Do you have some time to catch a few with me? Grab your board!

Random bright spots

New in beauty

I don’t understand a word of this song, but I still love it!

Trippy!

Have a great Saturday, girl, and I’ll see you soon!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

9 Things People Never Told Me

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A quick phone call would’ve sufficed…

Life is filled with lessons we learn along the way. Some we learn from others, like our friends and family, or the people on Shot at Love with Tila Tequila… And some we find out on our own.

Here are nine things I had to find out on my own:

1. Someday, I would love my curly hair

Coming from a family of straight-haired lads and lasses, I felt cursed by my wavy hair as a girl growing up in the ’80s and ’90s.

I spent a good chunk of my youth fighting against my natural hair and did just about everything the curly hair experts warn against.

Curly styling product options were more limited back then (I can’t think of anything other than L’Oreal Pumping Curls), but after college, years of experimentation and several bad haircuts, I grew to love my natural hair.

I’m glad I came around, too, because now there are entire haircare lines devoted to wavy/curly hair. AWESOME!

2. Change is a constant; embrace it

Everything is temporary — the good stuff and the bad. Instead of fighting every form of change, accept that it’s a part of life and make the most of every curve ball that comes your way.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, June 28

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makeup and beauty blog monday poll

  1. Mood:

    2. Shockingly alert for a Monday morning. It usually takes ye olde mental engine a while to warm up, but my neurons are already wide awake! This rarely ever happens… I feel like I should do something to take advantage of the occasion, ha!

  2. Highlight of last weekend?

    3. Sleep! I got a jaw-dropping 12 hours of sleep on BOTH Saturday and Sunday night. Is it sad when sleep qualifies as a highlight? Maybe, but, oh, ’twas glorious!

  3. What are three staple makeup items you usually have in your makeup bag?

    4. MAC Concrete Eyeshadow, the MAC 266 brush and The Balm Time Balm concealer

  4. If you could raid one person’s closet, whose would it be?

    5. Carrie Bradshaw’s, but only *after* she married Big

  5. Your life described in a song?

    6. Fighter, by Christina Aguilera

  6. How would you describe your ideal Friday night?

    7. Tapas, a good bottle of red wine and interesting convo!

  7. Breakfast?

    8. One slice of toast with peanut butter, a glass of orange juice and a mug of Irish breakfast tea (with milk and honey)

  8. Worst movie you’ve seen this year so far?

    9. Without a doubt, Splice, and I have yet to recover from it. Last weekend’s She’s Out of My League was also pretty awful…

  9. Outfit:

    10. A gray summer dress and flip-flops

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Now that I’m over my head cold, run at least twice, clean and organize my desk, and find some tips and tools to improve my time management.

Hello and happy Monday, cuties. 🙂 Welcome to the last Monday Poll of June.

Before you dive head first into your to-do list (how long is yours?), let me know how you’re doing this morning. To do the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

1. Mood:
2. Highlight of last weekend?
3. Three staple makeup items in your makeup bag?
4. If you could raid one person’s closet, whose would it be?
5. Your life described in a song?
6. How would you describe your ideal Friday night?
7. Breakfast?
8. Worst movie you’ve seen so far this year?
9. Outfit:
10. Your weekly goals:

Here’s to another great week together, *raises cup of tea*! Talk soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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!). 🙂

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