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Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Feb. 2

February 2nd, 2009 by Karen 56 Comments

  1. Mood:
  2. Happy

  3. Outfit:
  4. Wide-leg Gap jeans, green empire waist shirt, gold necklace and BCBGirls heels

  5. Nail polish:
  6. Essie Eternal Optimist on my toes and fingers

  7. Makeup or beauty confession:
  8. There’s a long hair growing on top of my left knee right now… I forgot to hack it off the last time I shaved, LOL. It’s about an inch long, and now I’m tempted to see just how long it can grow.

  9. People say I look like (insert celebrity name here):
  10. I get Reese Witherspoon a lot.

  11. Body lotion:
  12. Mmm, Johnson’s 24-Hour Body Lotion

  13. Cheeks and Lips:
  14. Clinique Quick Blush in In-a-Rush Blush and Bobbi Brown’s Baby Glitter Lip Gloss and Blush Pink Creamy Lip Color from the Blushed Pink collection

  15. Today, I’m hoping for a good dose of ____.
  16. Patience

  17. Favorite snack:
  18. Cold, crisp and sweet green grapes

  19. Weekly goals:
  20. Remain open to possibility, devise a way to attend the US Open Tennis Championships this fall, eat hella fiber (LOL!) and go to dance class at least once

What’s up, ladies! Let me know how you’re doing this morning. Just copy the empty list and then paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
Outfit:
Nail polish:
Makeup or beauty confession:
People say I look like (fill in celebrity name here):
Body lotion:
Cheeks and Lips:
Today, I’m hoping for a good dose of ____ .
Favorite snack:
Weekly goals:

Together, we WILL conquer Monday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 56 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Feb. 1

February 1st, 2009 by Karen 11 Comments

Happy Sunday, ladies! Are you planning to watch the big game? I’ll be down on the field rooting for Tabs and the Wildcats. They had a great team this year, and momma wants her championship trophy!

Oh, yeah, the Superbowl… I’ll probably catch that too. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 11 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun Keywords: tabs

5 Google Tips for Beauty Lovers

January 31st, 2009 by Karen 18 Comments

1. Set Google Alerts to get the scoop on new makeup collections

Lawd knows we love beauty, but keeping up with the latest makeup releases and beauty product rollouts can take forever!

Use Google Alerts to save time; find out what’s new from brands like MAC and Dior in a flash. All you need is an email address.

Just visit Google’s alerts page at www.google.com/alerts, input your search term (short and sweet works best, like [mac cosmetics] without the braces), your email address and how often you’d like to receive them and TADA! — beauty news delivered straight to your inbox.

CAUTION: It’s hella easy to create too many Google Alerts, LOL! At one point I was getting 27 Alerts emails per day, but at the bottom of every one is a link to quickly and easily cancel if they get to be a problem.

A few other ways to use Google Alerts…

  1. Find out who’s talking about you. Try an alert on your name.
  2. What are they saying about your website?
  3. Find bargains with alerts like [makeup sale].

2. Search inside specific websites

Sometimes I know the answer I’m looking for is posted somewhere on a particular website, but for the life of me I just can’t find it. Enter Google’s [site:] search operator.

If you include [site:] in your query, Google will restrict the results to that site only, like [mac site:www.makeupalley.com] will find pages about Mac within www.makeupalley.com, and [“mac cosmetics” site:www.makeupalley.com] will find pages where the term mac cosmetics (searches aren’t case sensitive) appears because the double quotes tell Google to search for an exact term, in this case “mac cosmetics”.

Note: There shouldn’t be a space between the [site:] and the website domain.

3. Conduct a Google blog search

Sometimes I like to restrict my Google searches to blogs, like if I’m looking for product previews or swatches before a major release.

4. Smooth operators

If you want to make the most of your Googling for beauty, try some of these advanced search operators… 🙂

link:
By using [link:], Google will list webpages that have links to a specific site. I use it when I’m just surfing, looking for new beauty blogs or finding out who has links to Makeup and Beauty Blog. For instance, [link:www.makeupalley.com] will list sites that have links pointing to Makeup Alley.

Note: Just like the [site:] search (and all of the other Google search operators), there shouldn’t be a space between the “link:” and the website’s name.

related:
The term [related:] will list web pages that are similar to another site. OOH! This one is soooo much fun. For example, [related:www.bellasugar.com] will list websites that are similar to BellaSugar.com.

site:
If you include [site:] in your query, Google will restrict the results to that site only, like [mac site:www.makeupalley.com] will find pages about Mac within www.makeupalley.com, and [“mac cosmetics” site:www.makeupalley.com] will find pages where the term mac cosmetics (searches aren’t case sensitive) appears.

5. Tell Google Maps to find stores in your area

Entering the name of a store followed by your ZIP code and clicking ‘Maps’ returns a list of stores in your area along with a map. From there, you can click a thumbtack and choose ‘Get Directions’ to plot directions to the store. It won’t replace GPS, LOL! But I’ve used it from time to time. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 18 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Beauty Tips, Just For Fun

January in Review: Makeup and Beauty Blog Roundup

January 30th, 2009 by Karen 13 Comments

Happy Friday, ladies. Whew! This one couldn’t have come soon enough for me. How about you? How was your week?

I just realized the date and thought I’d start the morning with a quick roundup of January posts. These were some of my favorites (can’t forget Tabs) of the month.

MAC Brunette Blonde Redhead Eyeshadow, Lipstick, Lipglass and Mineralize Skinfinish Swatches

“I. DON’T. CARE that it’s strange. I can’t help that my favorite set in MAC’s new Brunette Blonde Redhead collection is Redhead. Makeup rules were meant to be broken, right? Here are some MAC Brunette Blonde Redhead swatches, hot and fresh out the kitchen (sorry, I’ve been listening to R. Kelly all day).”

How to Apply Eyeliner: Soft Lines with Kohl Pencils

“There are so many ways to apply eyeliner, and depending on the look I’m going for I tend to switch things up. One of my favorite eyeliner techniques is to use a kohl liner for a soft, diffused lower lash line. Softly lining the bottom lash line without the top (or vice versa) still draws attention to the eye but doesn’t look too harsh or unnatural. It’s also really easy to do (yay!) and kinda fun because it involves connecting the dots.”

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara Gives Chanel Exceptionnel a Run for Its Money

“Until today, *no other* mascara came close to my beloved Chanel Exceptionnel ($30) for delivering the super thick and long, ultra-defined drag queen lashes that I crave. Today, everything changed. Make Up For Ever’s Smoky Lash mascara ($22) stole Exceptionnel’s spot to become my new number one. It similarly thickens, lengthens and separates lashes — and for eight dollars less, holla!”

Lancome Pink Irreverence Spring 2009 Collection: Downtown Pink = Hotness

“Lancome chose to do something a little bolder than usual for a spring release. If Chanel’s Bohemian Fantasy and Dior’s Lady Dior collections were meant for sundresses and sandals, then Pink Irreverence was made for little black dresses and four-inch, black patent leather stilettos. The collection features a variety of pinks ranging from ultra bright to nude, and a couple of surprise black products thrown in for good measure.”

Beginners MAC Makeup Brushes

“The clouds parted, angels sang, and there they were — the four makeup brushes that rocked my world. Here’s a short video on the MAC makeup brushes I couldn’t live without.”

Chanel Vendetta Nail Polish: Midnight Purple Fantasy

“One of two new nail polish shades released for spring 2009, Vendetta’s shimmery midnight purple shines with flecks of red and blue micro-gltter. Imagine the darkest purple — nay, almost black calligraphy ink — and that’s Vendetta. I. LOVE. IT.”

Blush for Beginners

“Hi, ladies! How’s your day been? Mine started out rough because I woke up sleepy, but things have steadily improved (coffee = joy). Here’s another attempt at a video. This one’s about blush, and I apologize because I let Tabs do the editing. I think he got a little carried away.”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Birthday to my man Christian Bale! Homeboy turns 35 today. 🙂

There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Jan. 26

January 26th, 2009 by Karen 82 Comments

  1. Mood:
  2. Energized! The sun’s out and that always lifts my spirit.

  3. Accessories:
  4. Kelly green headband, silver necklace from the Smashbox Enchantress Beauty Kit and silver hoops

  5. Outfit:
  6. Stretchy jeans and a flowy white top with lace trim and spaghetti straps over a grey tank, grey zip-up hoodie and a dark grey scarf

  7. Eyes:
  8. It’s a Lancome kinda day! I did a simple eye with two products from the Pink Irreverence Collection. It involved a swipe of Lancome Le Stylo Kohl in Confidence Noir and a wash of color over the entire lid using Color Design Pro Illuminator in High Expectations. Then, I gave my lashes two coats of Virtuose mascara, winked at myself in the mirror and said, “holla!”

  9. Perfume:
  10. I’m almost embarrassed to admit this because it illustrates my obsessiveness, but sometimes I try to match the brand of perfume I’m wearing with the makeup I’ve got on. Since it’s a Lancome day I’m wearing Miracle Forever.

  11. Best bra, evah?
  12. For day-to-day wear I like bras by DKNY because they fit me well and aren’t overly frilly or lacy. If I’m wearing a strapless dress, I’ll bust out my trusty Le Mystere strapless bra, which is the only strapless bra I’ve ever worn that doesn’t fall down to my bellybutton after five minutes.

  13. Breakfast:
  14. Coffee and crumpets

  15. First person I talked to today and what I said:
  16. Hmm… does Tabs count? He jumped on the bed first thing this morning and started meowing up a storm. I told him, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll get you your gravy, my liege!” I don’t believe he understands sarcasm.

  17. Have you thought about Valentines Day yet?
  18. Yup. I walked into See’s Candy this weekend and saw one section of the store covered in heart-shaped boxes of chocolate candy.

  19. Weekly goals:
  20. Read the paper, get all of my schoolwork and freelance stuff done by 6:00 PM so I can work out at night, do *hella* sit-ups in my workouts (I’m freaking out because I saw a picture of a fitness ad with before-and-after shots and my stomach looked eerily like the BEFORE pic)

Just copy the empty list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
Accessories:
Outfit:
Eyes:
Perfume:
Best bra, evah?
Breakfast:
First person I talked to today and what I said:
Have you thought about Valentines Day yet?
Weekly goals:

Ready, girls? Let’s do this! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 82 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Getting to Know You

January 25th, 2009 by Karen 83 Comments

1. Tell me about yourself and why you love makeup

My name is Karen. I was born in the Philippines but moved to the US with my family as a baby.

I’m 33 now and still a bit of a baby. 🙂 My addiction to makeup began at 14. I remember the day my mom took me to my first makeup counter. It was Clinique, and we picked up my first blush, eyeshadow, foundation and powder. That was it! I was hooked.

Beauty comes from within, but makeup cheers me up when I’m down, helping me feel my best at important moments in life. When I look at a tube of MAC Paramount lipstick, I see something much more than a bullet of wax. I see the big moments that Paramount has seen me through — crossing the stage to get my college diploma, that crazy night with my girlfriends on my 24th birthday, my first big job interview.

I wonder what lipstick I’ll be wearing when I find out I’m pregnant, and what eyeshadow will I wear to my little brother’s wedding?

Seasons change like color collections. I can’t wait to see what makeup has in store for me next!

2. What do you do for a living?

Until a few weeks ago, I worked as an assistant to a book agent, taking care of the office, reading manuscripts and dealing with writers and publishers over the phone. I left the job to go back to school for journalism and to be able to spend more time blogging and freelance writing for magazines.

If you know of anyone looking for an “idea” person, give me a call, LOL! I like being creative, and in my dream job, all I’d have to do is sit in a room and think up weird stuff all day long.

3. Tell me about your family

I’m the oldest of two. My parents were waaaaay strict with me when I was growing up, but my little brother got away with *everything*, go figure.

After many years spent kissing frogs, I met El Hub in front of a bookstore in 2002. It was our first date. Instead of flowers, he brought me a book (Stephen King’s On Writing), and it was the first book a boy had ever given me on a first date.

Last year our family got a little bigger when Tabs decided to adopt us. He totally treats me like his secretary/assistant/servant, but I don’t mind.

4. What are a couple things you like to do in your spare time?

I like to dance, especially hip hop. I’ll never qualify for America’s Best Dance Crew or anything, but I can still drop it like it’s hot when it has to be dropped.

I also like to surf but only when I go to Hawaii to visit El Hub’s family. I live near the ocean by San Francisco, but I’m not cut out for surfing these frigid Nor Cal waters wearing wetsuits that make me feel like a sausage, bluh.

5. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I’d like to learn how to play the accordion.
I really love carbs.
I used to be terrified of the ocean.
My friends say I’m goofy.

I got this idea for a meme from an e-mail I received the other day and thought it was interesting and fun. There are some of you I know a lot about but others I’m still getting to know.

If you’d like to share, copy the following questions, and pop them with your answers in the comments.

1. Tell me about yourself and why you love makeup.
2. What do you do for a living?
3. Tell me about your family.
4. What are a couple things you like to do in your spare time?
5. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

The sun just made an appearance after a couple days of rain, so I’m off for a walk around the neighborhood with my camera. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’m so not ready for it to be over…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 83 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Jan. 25

January 25th, 2009 by Karen 6 Comments

Tabs and I love Allure (and their fantastic beauty blog). I was thrilled to find out he got the cover. OMG! It’s such a huge honor. You know you’ve made it BIG TIME when you get the cover of Allure. 🙂

Have a great Sunday, girls.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 6 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun Keywords: tabs

Halt Fashion Emergencies with These 3 Items in Your Purse

January 24th, 2009 by Karen 23 Comments

What kinda stuff would go into your Ultimate Purse Survival Kit?

I’d want mine to have a Magic Eight Ball that gave out career advice: “It’s time to quit,” or “Update your resume.”

And no decent super purse would be complete without a Chocolate Materializer 2000, a device that at the touch of a button could create any chocolate food or beverage imaginable, yum!

I’d also want a Man-ometer, something I could point at guys that would indicate whether or not they’d make good dates for my single girlfriends.

But until technology catches up with imagination, I guess I’ll just have to settle for items that are readily available now, like…

Hollywood Fashion Tape ($7.50 for 36 pieces and a take-away tin)


Hello, double-sided goodness; goodbye, clothing malfunctions! When I’m out and about and something on my outfit goes awry, I reach for Hollywood Fashion double-sided tape.

They’re transparent, stretchy, super sticky strips of tape designed to adhere to textiles and skin without leaving a residue. I use ’em to hide bra straps, keep strapless tops and dresses from falling, to fix loose hems and to close gaps on button-up shirts (ugh, don’t you hate that?).

The convenient on-the-go canister holds 36 pre-cut strips and barely takes up any space in my purse. If I’m carrying a small clutch, I’ll just throw a few of the individual strips into my wallet.

Miss Oops Lint Roller ($5.95 for lint roller with 20 sheets and refill)


This mini-lint roller = PURE GENIUS. It’s light and easily tucks away into my purse.

I use it to remove Tabs’ cat hair, dandruff (hey, it happens) and random bits of lint on my clothing.

Each roller comes with 40 sheets rolled up like paper towels around the tube. Just peel off used adhesive sheets and throw them away.

Shout Portable Wipes ($4 for a box of 12 wipes)


I certainly have my hot mess moments, like when I accidentally brush the sleeve of my shirt against my lipgloss or splash Starbucks coffee on my jeans…

And when these moments happen, I remember why I like Shout portable wipes. They’re stain-removing towelettes that comes 12 to a box in individually wrapped packets.

Just tear open one of the packets, and rub the moistened sheet (soaked with an effective stain remover) on the stain. BAM! With these three things in my purse I don’t have to worry as much about the inevitable offending coffee/lipstick/pen stain ruining my outfit.

Because some things never change… 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 23 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Beauty Tips, Drugstore Beauty Finds, 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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