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Just For Fun

What Makeup Would You Wear with a Red, White and Blue Uniform?

September 21st, 2009 by Karen 22 Comments

Makeup for a red, white and blue uniform?

Put on your most fashionable thinking caps, gals, because Jessica needs our help. 🙂

Karen!

I’m hoping you’ve got the answer to my major problem!

I work on a cruise ship (I know, tough work) and I wear the TACKIEST red, white and blue tracksuit uniform.

What are some eyeshadow looks that I can wear every day that won’t make me look overdone, but still can help me look put-together and sassy in the world’s worst uniform?

Hi Jessica,

How super cool! I’ve seen every episode of Love Boat and circa 1982 had grand plans to become a cruise ship porter/activities director/bartender-extraordinaire.

Your uniform doesn’t sound too bad (well…). At least it’s stretchy, right?

As for your eye makeup, what about something neutral and work-appropriate that leaves room for flexibility when you’re feeling sassy?

Start with a shimmery neutral

You might start with a shimmery neutral like Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit ($19). It’s a shimmery champagne cream shadow that really brightens up the eyes and looks pretty much fab on *everybody*.

Apply over the entire eyelid with a finger or a synthetic brush (because they aren’t as absorbent as natural fibers, synthetic bristles work well for cream products) like the MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush ($25).

To complete the look when you’re pressed for time (maybe late for bingo on the ship?), just curl your lashes and add mascara.

Consider a black liquid liner

When time isn’t of the essence, sassify the look with some liquid liner along your upper lash line. I like Lorac’s Front of the Line Pro ($22), a new liquid liner pen that just hit shelves this fall. It makes lining a cinch, and the rich black color lasts all day long.

Do a thin line when you want subtle definition or a thicker cat eye line (with a flick at the end) when you want a more dramatic version.

Crank it up with colored mascara

Sassify the look even more by replacing your regular mascara with a tinted shade — perhaps a green, blue or purple. I totes adore Estee Lauder’s Sumptous Color Mascaras ($20). They deliver eye-popping color while adding lash thickness, length and lift.

Have fun on the high seas! 🙂 Drop me a line (or a message in a bottle) once in a while to let me know how you and your makeup are doing.

Ahoy, ladies! What else could Jessica do with her makeup considering her red, white and blue cruise ship uniform? Use your imagination, and share your ideas in the comments.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup Tips/How To

10 Days of Giveaways: Avril Lavigne Black Star Perfume

September 21st, 2009 by Karen 152 Comments

The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

avril-lavigne-black-star giveaway

Many moons ago (well, like 2007), I had a fateful run-in with — don’t laugh — Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy perfume.

Previous to that bedazzling moment o’ blackberry bliss, I was a total scent snob who never paid no mind to celebrity perfumes. I preferred to get my stars between the pages of US Weekly instead of spritzed on my wrists.

Since then, however, my tastes have changed. Now, I like a bunch of different celebrity perfumes! And to celebrate my broadened horizons, I’m giving away a different celebrity scent each day for the next 10 days. 🙂

Today’s is a shout-out to my sk8r girls — Avril Lavigne’s new scent, Black Star!

The prize

One lucky lady will take home Avril Lavigne’s new Black Star Eau de Parfum Spray (a $40 value).

A fruity floral with notes of plum, dark chocolate and pink hibiscus, Black Star comes with a removable studded band inspired by Avril’s favorite studded cuff (street fight motif).

avril-lavigne-black-star-giveaway 2

How to enter…

2ways2enterEntering is easy. There are two different ways, 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. It can be a comment about anything at all. Tell me which lip gloss you’re wearing, what music you’re listening to or which scent you’re wearing today.

Today I’m all about Dior Creme de Gloss in Delicious Plum!

Follow me
Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to Win Avril Lavigne Black Star Perfume http://bit.ly/313APr

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. Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

    RT @karenmbb: RT to Win Avril Lavigne Black Star Perfume http://bit.ly/313APr

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Tuesday, September 22.

Bonne chance!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The giveaway is now closed, and I’m contacting the winner by e-mail. Good luck!

There are 152 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fragrance, Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Sept. 21

September 21st, 2009 by Karen 102 Comments

092109-monday-poll

  1. Mood:
  2. A little tired (I’m worn out from running around all weekend), but otherwise chipper.

  3. This morning I told myself to _____.
  4. Get it together and stick to my deadlines. It’s the only way I’m gonna make it through the week!

  5. Three bits of hard-learned makeup advice:
  6. 1) Skip lipgloss on windy days, 2) be sure you’re drinking enough water, and 3) get thee a Shu Uemura Lash Curler, ASAP!

  7. Last text message I sent:
  8. “Um, why are you watching How Do I Look? That show’s sacrilege without Finola, yo!”

  9. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
  10. Mostly Dior. Eyes: 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Night Butterfly and Ultra-Smooth High Impact Eyeshadow in Brown Argentic; Lips: Addict Lip Color in Rose Lingerie, Creme de Gloss in Delicious Plum; Cheeks: MAC Beauty Powder in Summer Rose

  11. Worst current skin issue:
  12. Three pimples popped on my chin last weekend, BOO!

  13. ____ make(s) me happy.
  14. Unexpected acts of kindness, strawberry gelato, the sound of rain against my window, feeling organized, fluffy pancakes and positive reinforcement are all things that make me happy. 🙂

  15. ____ make(s) me bitchy.
  16. Rude drivers, uncomfortable underwear, early morning talkers, toe rings, running out of dental floss, and Mario Lopez are all things that make me bitchy.

  17. Outfit:
  18. Stretchy J. Crew jeans and a light purple button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

  19. Weekly goals:
  20. Pack for this weekend’s move, buy curtains, do some push-ups to get muscly by Friday…

‘Morning, ladies. Howzit today? I hope your Monday got off to a good start. I’m sitting here slurping my coffee and staring out the window while El Hub gets ready to leave for work. I can see some kids walking to school with their parents, and off in the distance there’s fog slowly retreating behind the hills… I have a feeling today’s going to be a good day.

When you have a minute, let me know how you’re doing by copying the list below and pasting it with your answers in the comments. Talk to you soon. 🙂

Le list

1. Mood:
2. This morning I told myself to _____.
3. Three bits of makeup advice:
4. Last text message I sent:
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
6. Worst current skin issue:
7. ____ makes me happy.
8. ____ makes me bitchy.
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 102 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 55

September 20th, 2009 by Karen 15 Comments

Tabs and the 49ers versus the Seattle Seahawks

This afternoon Tabs and Snowflake went to support the home team at the 49ers/Seahawks game in SF while I was stuck here at home packing for the move.

I never even knew they had tickets…

Right before kickoff I got this iPhone pic sent to my phone. Can you spot Tabs and Snowflake (click here for a larger version)? 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. The Niners won!

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun Keywords: tabs

Saturday Surfing

September 19th, 2009 by Karen 5 Comments

0901909-saturday-surfingsurfboards

  • Help abandoned animals, and enter to win some great prizes — We Heart This
  • My girl Beyonce/Sasha gets sued over “Fierce” new Fragrance — Bellasugar
  • Design ideas for a beach-inspired home — Confessions of a Dogaholic
  • Vampire Eric wants YOU! — A Dirty Martini Kind of Girl
  • Heading to a hot and humid destination? You need these wipes — Kajal Couture
  • 5 Trends From Fashion Week — Sephora Beauty and the Blog
  • Three words: cats wearing wigs — Daily Beauty Reporter Blog
  • Four products to create softer, healthier hair — 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic
  • A nail polish line for the boys — Vampy Varnish

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Comment to Win 5 Bare Escentuals Buffing Brushes

September 19th, 2009 by Karen 176 Comments

Bare Escentuals Buffing Brushes

Are you a good buffer? I’m not. People say they can read me like a book. 🙂

No, I mean buffer as in applying your bareMinerals makeup. Even if you’re not a great buffer, I’m sure one of these five buffing brushes can help.

As a matter of fact, let’s get this party started with a little giveaway.

The prize

One lucky lady will take home the Bare Escentuals Buffing Brushes Escentual Collection, a kit with the following five brushes and accompanying travel case (a $49 value):

  1. Handy Buki Brush
  2. Tapered Blush Brush
  3. Precision Liner Brush
  4. Wet/Dry Shadow Brush
  5. Soft Focus Shadow Brush
  6. Travel Case (looks like a fancy Yahtzee cup)

How to enter…

2ways2enterEntering is easy. There are two different ways, 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. In it, describe your closest brush with fame. 🙂 Do you have a cousin in the movies? Have you ever starred in a TV commercial or eaten a cobb salad seated next to a famous singer at a Denny’s in Las Vegas?

I got a very brief interview with Sarah Jessica Parker in the back room of a Macy’s last year. The room was small like a coat closet, and I was sweating bullets! She was doing a promotional tour for Covet Pure Bloom, her latest fragrance at the time.

Follow me
Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to Win 5 Bare Escentuals Buffing Brushes http://bit.ly/11JEjD

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. Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

    RT @karenmbb: RT to Win 5 Bare Escentuals Buffing Brushes http://bit.ly/11JEjD

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, September 21.

Bona fortuna!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 176 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

7 Reasons to Love NARS

September 18th, 2009 by Karen 30 Comments

7 Reasons to Love NARS

    nars modern love palette 2

  1. NARS Modern Love Palette Rocks the Cradle of Eyeshadow Love
    With a mix of shimmery neutrals; sexy, sparkling plum and a sprinkling of basic brown and black all together in the same place, this well-coordinated eye palette still packs some serious potential.
  2. nars multiple duo orgasm south beach open

  3. NARS Multiple Duo in Orgasm/South Beach: With a Name Like That, It Has To Be Good!
    This Multiple Duo is one of five and comes with shimmery, peachy pink Orgasm and South Beach, its shimmery coral partner in crime. At $45, it’s a little on the expensive side, but considering how lovely the colors are, and that both shades purchased individually would set you back $74, it’s not a bad deal at all.
  4. nars cosmetics shrinagar lipstick

  5. NARS Shrinagar Lipstick: Berry Sexy!
    Shrinagar was the only lipstick color in Nars’ last spring release, but never mind when it arrived. It looks great any time of year! It’s a sheer wash of deep, glossy raspberry with microscopic flecks of silver — complex, even flashing purple at certain angles. Picture hot librarians in nerdy chic glasses! 🙂
  6. nars cosmetics hula hula eyeshadow duo

  7. NARS Says Aloha with the Hula Hula Eyeshadow Duo
    This shimmery eyeshadow duo feels like poetry on my eyes… One of two eyeshadow duos from the NARS spring 2009 collection, Hula Hula comes with two cool-toned eyeshadows, the first in shimmery strawberry pink and the other in gold. For all my glitter girls, both colors in the duo have bangin’ flakes of glitter — HUGE chunks like the glitter in NARS’ Super Orgasm Blush, BAM!
  8. nars-mounia-blush1

  9. NARS Mounia Blush: More Wearable Than It Looks
    The first time I swatched this shimmery reddish brown coral with golden pearl, I was convinced it would cause crazy clown cheeks! It looked almost like bright orange paint in the pan and on the back of my hand. To my surprise, the shade doesn’t look anywhere near as bright on my cheeks. It delivers a bright yet natural, just-pinched flush — not at all what I expected!
  10. nars-supervixen-lips-2

  11. Live Nude Gloss! NARS Supervixen Lipgloss
    Movie moment! If I were starring in a blockbuster, this is how I’d want my lips to look in my closeups, with hair perfectly tousled, of course, and C. Bale feeding me croissants and coffee in bed (assuming he wasn’t being mean to his mum, oh, gawd).
  12. nars-mediteranee-eyeshadow-duo

  13. NARS Mediteranee Face of the Day: Orange, Anyone?
    Here’s a bright look I really like (despite my confused, far-off stare in the picture at the bottom) using the orange and gold shades from the NARS Mediteranee eyeshadow duo and products from MAC Cosmetics, Shu Uemura, Laura Mercier and Chanel.

TGIF, ladies! Looks like we made it through another workweek. I hope yours wasn’t bad, but if it was, I hope it gets better. 🙂

This morning I reminisced about some of my favorite NARS products of the past few months. Actually, since NARS is so good about maintaining the availability of their older products, one or two of these are from last year, but all are still available through their website.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 30 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Makeup

Charlize Theron: Her Best Hair?

September 17th, 2009 by Karen 7 Comments

charlize-theron-hair-poll-1

Film critic Roger Ebert described her performance in 2003’s Monster like this: It was “one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema,” and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences agreed, awarding Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) with that year’s award for Best Actress.

After a difficult childhood, she entered acting via the modeling route, first moving on a one-year contract to Milan, Italy at age 16 from her family’s farm near Johannesburg, South Africa. From there it was to New York, where she also studied ballet, and then to Los Angeles on a one-way ticket.

I guess the one-way part was a good idea. 🙂

As for her look? Classic, timeless, feminine — and all around gorgeous.

Which of Charlize's hairstyles do you like best?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Hair, Just For Fun

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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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