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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, June 29

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  1. Mood:

    2. Happy

  2. What are you looking forward to most this week?

    3. Visiting the Bliss Spa in San Francisco later this week with my friends Jen and Cindy. I haven’t been to a spa in years! I’m looking forward to catching up with the girls and nibbling on brownies…

  3. Describe your pet(s).

    4. Last summer a chubby, affectionate tabby cat adopted me. Some might say I stole him from a neighbor, but whatevs. I think it was meant to be. He was covered in fleas, had tapeworms and wasn’t wearing a collar, so I think he was looking for a life change.

    “SMT (single male tabby) seeks nice girl for wet food, long afternoon naps and heavy petting.”

    He still has a penchant for losing collars (the area around our apartment must be littered with ’em).

  4. Did you wear braces?

    5. Yup, from middle to high school. They even made me wear a retainer.

  5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:

    6. Today’s about the Benefits. On my eyes I’m wearing Benefit Creamless Cream Shadow in Samba-dy Loves Me, Velvet Eyeshadows in Leggy and Where There’s Smoke, Bad Gal Waterproof Liner and Bad Gal Waterproof Mascara.

    On my lips, I’m going with Thrillin’ Brazllian, and it’s Posie Tint on my cheeks.

  6. Favorite city?

    7. I pick two: San Francisco and Paris.

  7. Hairy dudes: hawt or not?

    8. Hmm, it depends… I’m cool with moderately hairy arms, legs and chest, but back or bootay hair? — not so much. Wax that shizz off, homie!

  8. Do you have a green thumb?

    9. I’m pretty good with plants, except for cacti and violets. At one point I even played with the idea of botany as a career.

  9. Outfit:

    10. Jeans and a light blue t-shirt.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Keep my desk tidy (it’s not bad right now), clean the kitchen, go to dance class at least once, find a new place to live that’s not too expensive and avoid procrastinating!

Do you ever have one of those mornings when breakfast kinda blows your mind? I just had a bowl of Rice Crispies with sliced bananas, and for some odd reason it tasted like the BEST bowl of cereal, ever.

I may need to get out more. 🙂

It’s Monday yet again, my lovely PYTs. Before you get swept away by work and responsibilities, take a second to touch base. Just copy the list below and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Let’s make this week a good one for us all!

Le list

Mood:
What are you looking forward to most this week?
Describe your pet(s).
Did you wear braces?
Eyes/lips/cheeks:
Favorite city?
Hairy dudes: hawt or not?
Do you have a green thumb?
Outfit:
Weekly goals:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How Do You Get Light Colored Lipsticks and Gloss to Show on Pigmented Lips?

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In hip-hop class last week I marveled at my teacher’s naturally dark, berry-red lips. Struggling to booty pop (apparently, booty popping is nothing like riding a bike; if you don’t use it, you do loose it), I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

I’ve had pigmented lips on my mind since I got this e-mail from Eileen. Like my dance instructor, Eileen is blessed with dark lips, but sometimes that pigmentation gets up in her mix, like when she wants to wear light lipsticks or gloss…

Hi Karen,

Is there some kind of primer I can use on my lips to ensure a true reflection of the lipstick or lipgloss color I have purchased? My natural lip color is a very dark pink and because of this I tend to have a brownish/purplish cast when using pink-toned lipcolor (such as Clinique’s Bamboo Pink). Thanks for any help you can give me in this area!

Eileen

Hi Eileen,

Isn’t the grass always greener on the other side? I’m totes jealous of your dark pigmented lips! Mine are naturally a pale pink, and I think they look boring with nothing on.

Here are a couple things you might try to get truer color from your lip products.

Foundation is yo’ friend!

Try applying a very thin layer of foundation to your lips before you apply lip color. It covers up the natural color of your lips, but it can also dry them out, so you’ll want to condition beforehand and at night. I really like Philosophy’s Kiss Me Lip Balm in Clear ($14); it’s one of the most moisturizing lip balms I’ve ever tried.

Nude lip liners work, too

Another trick you could try is to line and fill in your lips with a nude pencil before applying color. Nude pencils work like the foundation trick above, covering up your natural lip color. My favorites are MAC Cremestick Lip Liners ($15) in Sublime Culture (a brownish pink) and Creamola (a soft brown). They’re creamy, apply without skipping and don’t dry out my lips. If you’re not a MAC girl, then perhaps consider Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Naked ($14) or Chanel’s Nude Lip Liner ($28).

Homies, I’m betting a few of you out there with pigmented lips have run into this issue before. Do you have any tips for Eileen? What can she do to get truer color on her naturally dark lips?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Need a recommendation for a new foot cream? Have no idea what brush to use on your brows? Send in your burning beauty questions (click here)!

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Jun. 28

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Which company is the oldest of the bunch?

A retired fashion industry billionaire hired Inspector Tabs to help her locate a priceless relic of the ancient beauty world: the long lost RECETTE DE JACQUELINE! (Jacqueline’s Recipe) — ingredients to a magical foundation able to match every conceivable skin tone.

The recipe is said to be hidden within the walls of one of the world’s oldest beauty companies…

Can you help Inspector Tabs track it down?

Which of the following companies is the oldest of the bunch?

View Results

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog 2009 Marketing Survey

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Makeup and Beauty Blog 2009 Marketing Survey

Hi, ladies. I have a quick favor to ask. I’m trying to figure out a new way to do premium advertising on the blog (aka pretty banners for actual beauty products) and could use your help. Would you mind taking a moment to answer this marketing survey? It’s 12 multiple choice questions and won’t take but a minute. Muchas gracias.

(Click here to take the survey.)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

YOU MUST CHOOSE: The Dirrrty Edition

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YOU MUST CHOOSE!

  1. One night at a party you meet your dream guy. You fall in love, get married, and then in your hotel room on your wedding night, he sits down and says he has something to confess. What’s his dirty little secret? — 1) that he wears Christian Louboutins around the house (hey, at least he wears your size) OR 2) that he can’t sleep unless he sucks on someone’s toes before bed? YOU MUST CHOOSE!
  2. If you had to do one or the other for a month, would you rather wear the same dirty pair o’ drawers OR rock Christina Aguilera’s chaps/bikini outfit from the Dirrrty video? YOU MUST CHOOSE!
  3. Would you rather go a year without brushing or washing your hair OR clean a dirty toilet once with your tongue? YOU MUST CHOOSE!
  4. If you had to do one or the other for three straight months, would you rather have to apply your makeup with dirty brushes OR skip brushing your teeth? YOU MUST CHOOSE!
  5. Would you rather have to give your SO a dirty lap dance in front of your parents (wearing nothing but lingerie) OR spend five hours making out with Spencer Pratt (tongue and all)? YOU MUST CHOOSE!

What’s up, my lovely Jo Polniaczeks?

It’s Friday, which I hope means you have a little time to ponder a YOU MUST CHOOSE.

To play, just copy the list and paste it with your answers in the comments. 🙂

1. Louboutins OR toe sucking?
2. Dirty drawers OR dirrrty outfit?
3. Skip brushing/washing your hair OR clean a toilet with your tongue?
4. Dirty makeup brushes OR skip brushing your teeth?
5. Dirty lap dance OR dirty Spencer Pratt?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sarah Jessica Parker: Her Best Hair?

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sarah-jessica-parker-hair-poll

Woo hoo, congrats to my girl SJP! On Tuesday she and hubby Matthew Broderick welcomed twin girls Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge Broderick to the family.

I wonder if the lil’ ones will grow up to be as fashionable as their mom. 🙂

Which of SJP's hairstyles do you like best?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Urban Decay Ammo Palette Swatches and Wednesday Shenanigans

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pocky

Heya, homeskillets. How was your Wednesday? I really wanted to get a lot done today, but productivity just wasn’t in the cards. I went off course somewhere between the time I took a look at the new Clinique Bamboo Pink Collection and the moment I opened a box of chocolate Pocky.

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After I came down from the Pocky, I took these pictures and swatches of the Urban Decay Ammo Palette ($36).

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A friend gave me Ammo for my birthday…

I know it’s been out for a while, but now I can totally see why so many people love it.

urban-decay-ammo-swatches

The palette’s 10 shimmery, highly pigmented shadows range from work-friendly colors to party-like-a-rock-star shades, resulting in enough variety to create zillions of different looks.

urban-decay-ammo-palette

LOVE the black packaging, too, and the white and purple swirls. It’s girly but fierce, like OG Joan Jett or Miss J from America’s Next Top Model.

miss j is too fierce

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I wish I knew why I had such a hard time concentrating today…

tabs-hola
[Continue reading…]

What’s Your Favorite Mascara?

by 79 Comments

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G’morning, ladies. Last night on my evening run I got to thinking about things I just can’t get enough of, like…

…friends who *really* listen, good sports bras, well-written books, and, well, mascara. 🙂

Mascara may have been on my mind because earlier yesterday I received this email from Lindsay:

Maybe you’ve done this at some point, but I was wondering if you could do a post about your favorite mascaras. I have really oily eyelids so I have a hard time finding mascaras that stay put.

I don’t want to just go in blind and end up losing $20 on a tube I’ll never use. That happens too often than I care to mention! …Though my friends seem to love it because they get all the barely-used hand-me-downs for free. Maybe I should find some new friends? Help! (With the mascara dilemma, not the friends.)

Lindsay

Hi Lindsay,

Here are some of my favorite mascaras. I’m partial to ones able to handle hot days, workouts and oily eyelids without melting away, and many of them are classified as either waterproof or water-resistant.

I go through mascara phases, sometimes preferring waterproof varieties (my current phase), sometimes tinted, and sometimes I just want uber-dramatic, long and full!

  • Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara ($22) — “Most thickening mascaras will clump into little mascara globules, but not Smoky Lash. It applies smoothly, even after multiple layers, almost like it’s seducing my lashes. It’s the James Bond of mascaras — smooth but deadly hot.”
  • Tarte Lash Hugger ($18) — “Lash Hugger may not pump up the volume, but I think it’s still a good performer — and really excellent when you consider its eco-friendly nature. It delivers longer lashes, won’t clump and keeps a curl for hours. If you’re looking for an environmentally responsible mascara, look for its purty purple tube on your next trip to Sephora.”
  • Elizabeth Arden Ceramide ($20) — “A single coat of Ceramide mascara thickens my lashes without leaving them looking fake or unnatural, and two coats produces long, fat, defined, party-like-a-rockstar lashes.”
  • Stila Lash Visor ($12.50) — “I wore one coat of Lash Visor to the gym last night, and after my sweaty struggle with the stair stepper, my lashes still held the curl and showed good thickness and length, with very little smudging, too.”
  • Shu Uemura Precise Volume Mascara ($23) — “If you crave long, can’t-miss-me lashes like I do, get thee a tube of Shu Uemura’s Precise Volume Mascara ($23)! Using it lately I’ve achieved some of the longest, most defined lashes I’ve seen on myself in a while.”
  • Tarte Bottoms Up Mascara ($14) — “It’s a water-resistant (not quite waterproof) black, and even though I’ve only been using it for a week, I’m already hooked. *I LOVE* how this mascara makes my eyes look bigger and more alert, like I’m actually awake, even when I’m dog tired.”
  • Urban Decay Skyscarper Mascara ($22) — “I’ve been looking for a deep black mascara with a matte finish, and Skyscraper Multi-Benefit fits the bill. Three coats equal deep black, visibly enhanced lashes that still feel soft to the touch.”

Ladies, what’s your favorite mascara? Are you partial to basic black and waterproof, or do you yearn for something more? 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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