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Just For Fun

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Dec. 8

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Lisbon, 2005

  1. Mood:

    2. Contemplative.

  2. Craving:

    3. Portuguese food.

  3. Lipstick:

    4. Benefit 24K Sexy Gold lipstick.

  4. ____ makes me happy:

    5. Getting all my laundry done…

  5. ____ makes me b*tchy:

    6. Eating less refined sugar…

  6. Blush:

    7. Benefit Coralista (yes, I’m on a Benefit kick).

  7. Highlight of my weekend:

    8. Spinning class on Saturday morning! I haven’t been to one in ages.

  8. Eyeliner:

    9. MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.

  9. Brows:

    10. MAC Concrete Eyeshadow applied with the mighty MAC 266.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. To not cry and/or freak out about all the work I have to do this week, to eat less sugar (grrr) and to go to spinning class on Tuesday AND Thursday.

What do ya say we make this week a good one? I’m game if you are. 🙂

To do the Monday Poll, just copy the empty list below, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
Craving:
Lipstick:
____ makes me happy:
____ makes me b*tchy:
Blush:
Highlight of my weekend:
Eyeliner:
Brows:
Weekly Goals:

I can’t wait to hear how you’re doing. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Dec. 7

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Happy Sunday, girls! I hope you’re having a good weekend. Tabs, that mischievous ragamuffin, got himself some voice work on a new animated Christmas special titled The Cat Who Stole Christmas.

He emailed some pictures from the set with a text message, “I’ll be home on Wednesday. Have gravy ready. XOXO, Tabs.”

Tabs also said that there are eight differences between these two pictures (you can click the pics to see larger versions). Can you spot them all? 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Does the Economy Affect the Colors You Buy?

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At a recent meeting of The Fashion Group International, an event sponsored by MAC and Cotton, Inc., attendees like InStyle Beauty Director Amy Synnott discussed 2009 beauty trends and cosmetics use in a down economy.

They talked about the Lipstick Index, a well-known financial barometer that says cosmetics (lipsticks in particular) sales rise as the economy slows down.

Well, the index has jumped. Quarterly figures from makeup giants L’Oreal and Estee Lauder show that despite strain in most areas of US department store spending (with the exception of Wal-Mart, which is doing great), lipstick sales are on the rise. When money’s tight, women spurn expensive new clothes and shoes in favor of more modest retail therapy.

What can we expect to see in 2009?

Signs point to even more sheer neutral shades, fewer bright reds and more pinky browns and rosy taupes.

“People are really buying wearable neutrals in beauty,” Synnott says, “like the version of lipstick that is ‘the little black dress’ of lipstick. They are buying a lot less of the ‘out there’ colors. Classic looks are strong.”

Does the economy affect the colors you buy?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

12 Stumbleupon Channels for Beauty Addicts

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Good morning. 🙂 I’m sitting here at my computer desk, sipping coffee and reflexively clicking that lovely little Stumbleupon icon…

Do you use Stumbleupon? I don’t know what I’d do without my SU fix. A day doesn’t goes by that I don’t spend at least a few minutes stumbling new sites.

Stumbleupon is an Internet community that works through a browser toolbar (but don’t let that scare you) where you find and rate websites, photos and videos. By clicking a small button in the toolbar, users vote thumbs up or down on the different sites they find.

It’s kinda like a website slot machine, where you click the Stumble button to see a random new site. Stumbleupon has millions of sites in its databases, all submitted and recommended by other Stumblers. Sites are organized into different channels, or topics, like Beauty, Fashion, Dancing and Art.

I might send an email to the makers thanking them for inventing one of the coolest tools known to womankind!

It’s one of the ways I look for inspiration in the morning or unwind after a tough day, kinda like watching brainless TV (Double Shot at Love, anyone?) or flipping through the pages of a magazine.

Once you’ve registered with the site and have the toolbar installed, you can choose the topics you’d like to stumble. For me, being able to pick topics is the pièce de résistance. It takes Stumbleupon from being a highly efficient waste of time and turns it into an actual resource. Through topics, you can filter out all the stuff you aren’t really interested in, like the sites about bear traps, inter-office politics and beef jerky.

12 Stumbleupon Channels for Beauty Addicts

Here are the 12 topics I have configured in my profile. The sites within these channels have been great sources of inspiration for me, but there are dozens of other channels (maybe hundreds) to choose from. Play around with ’em until you find the right mix for you. 🙂

  1. Health>Beauty
  2. Health>Health/Fitness
  3. Health>Self Improvement
  4. Arts/History>Arts
  5. Arts/History>Dancing
  6. Arts/History>Fashion
  7. Arts/History>Fine Arts
  8. Arts/History>Photography
  9. Home/Living>Relationships
  10. Home/Living>Weddings
  11. Society>Women’s Issues
  12. Society>Bizarre/Oddities (heck yea!)

How do you find inspiration or unwind after a tough day?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. For more on how to use Stumbleupon, check out their Getting Started with Stumbleupon guide.

The Sedu Revolution Styling Iron Giveaway!

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UPDATE: The contest is closed. Congrats to Indian Girl, who won the Sedu Revolution Styling Iron!

Girl, my hair has been working my last nerve! It’s getting long, feeling heavy and always up in my mix, gahhh! I’ve been thinking about getting a haircut but haven’t been able to choose a new style.

But you know how it is when you know you want a change but can’t make a decision. Sometimes, after enough time spent waffling, you just snap! I don’t want that to happen, so in an effort to prevent my own personal bald Britney moment (seriously, I’m two seconds away from chopping it all off!) I’ve been flat ironing with the new Sedu Revolution Professional Nano Tourmaline Ionic Styler ($139), a one-inch plate flat iron that even does curls and waves.

Who’s that girl? Is that Marcia Brady, LOL!

The Revolution works fast, heating up to 450 degrees F in about a minute. Yes, that’s seriously *HOT*, but Sedu says the Revolution causes less heat damage than most flat irons thanks to so-called infrared ceramic heating elements in the plates. Set at 390 degrees, the recommended temperature for normal hair, I’ve gotten good results and haven’t seen any signs of damage to my hair, but as with all heating flat irons, please be careful.

At that temp it takes me two slow passes with the iron to straighten one batch of hair — not only straighten, but also shine. I can’t believe how shiny this thing makes my hair, KABAM!

Because the Revolution’s plates are curved, you can also use it to curl and make waves. Since my hair’s naturally wavy, I probably won’t use it to curl very often, but you never know. And the company was good enough to bundle the iron with a Styling Guide DVD, showing how to use it for different looks. 🙂

Something else I like about the Revolution… It’s travel friendly. It weighs less than it looks like it should and even comes with a heat-resistant storage pouch perfect for carry-on bags!

The Sedu Revolution Professional Nano Tourmaline Ionic Styler

Price: $139
Use: A flat iron to straighten hair; doubles for curls and waves
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

The Sedu Revolution Styling Iron Giveaway!

Straighten up this winter with the $139 Sedu Revolution. Enter by signing up to receive my updates by email or by leaving a comment on this post (or both!). If you’re already signed up for the updates, you don’t have to do anything else to be entered to win — you’re already entered — but you can double your odds by also leaving a comment on this post (a comment about anything at all).

The Prize

The winner receives the…

  • Sedu Revolution Nano Tourmaline 1″ Styling Iron
  • Sedu Styling Guide DVD
  • Heat Proof Appliance Storage Pouch
  • Owner’s Manual

How to Enter

There are two ways to enter the giveaway, and you can do both of them to double your chances to win.

  1. If you haven’t already signed up to receive Makeup and Beauty Blog daily email updates, then enter your email in the pink box below (or click this link).
  2. If you have already subscribed to the email updates but want to double your chances of winning, add a brief comment at the bottom of this post (be sure to use a valid email address).

Enter your email address:

I’ll choose the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11 PM PST on Sunday, December 7. GOOD LUCK!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reese Witherspoon: Her Best Cut?

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Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon sure keeps her stylists on their toes, doesn’t she? Here are some of the cuts she’s worn over the past few years. No. 5 (in the middle) is from Four Christmases, the movie she’s in with Vince Vaughn.

Which of Reese’s cuts do you like best?

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Popular Winter Hairstyles

Bangs: To brighten a winter pallor, try sideswept or full bangs. It’ll frame the face and draw attention to your eyes.
Bobs: Need a quick, low-maintenance cut this winter? Consider a short bob with heavily tapered tips for a edgy look, or a deliberately messy bob for a sexy look.
Long Hair: Long hair looks great over bulky winter outfits and under hats. Consider hair extensions if you’re already sporting shorter hair.
Shags: Another classic short hairstyle, the shag can vary in length, layers and texture. Try adding lowlights for depth and dimension.
Volume: To balance layers of bulky winter wear, add volume to hair with root boost sprays and volumizing shampoos.
Razors: The messy texture of razor hair cuts gives an edgy look to holiday styles.

I’m thinking about changing my cut to either a shag or a bob for winter…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What’s on Your Christmas Lemming List?

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Ho ho ho! Yea! The Great Christmas Lemming just teleported into town, plump with pagan magic and Christmas cheer (or is that a tapeworm?). Santa dispatched him to the blogosphere to find out what everyone wants for Christmas.

The first words out of his mouth were “Eek! Eek-ack! Ack!” which, loosely translated, mean “Tell me the top 5 things on your Christmas list, and I’ll take them back with me to the North Pole.” Please leave your list in the comments. 🙂

He says he’ll take all requests into consideration and encourages you to act now (because Christmas gifts are on a first come, first served basis this year).

My Christmas Lemming List

  1. MAC 228 Mini Shader Brush
  2. Kate Spade Pasadena Neda Wallet in Yellow
  3. Tiffany Notes Letter K Round Pendant
  4. Lululemon Althletica Course-ette Jacket
  5. Chanel Allure Eau de Parfum Spray

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beauty Snacks: Sites of the Day, Dec. 3

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Hi, girls. Well, yours truly left the Chanel counter dejected and empty handed yesterday afternoon. Yup, I just couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger. Note to Chanel: LOWER YOUR PRICES!

Anywho, guess who spent way too much time browsing the web this morning… but it wasn’t all for naught. I found some cool stuff to share. 🙂

Ready, Set, Drool

I doubt Santa will bring me any of these Chanel handbags for Christmas, but, hey, a girl can dream.

A Little Help From the Stars

The December forecasts are up over at Astrologyzone. Fellow Geminis, beware of the mid-month full moon!

Please Don’t Bury Me Alive

I love going to the spa, but I think I’m going to pass on the cedar shavings treatment.

Please Go to Tiffany and Remedy This Sitch ASAP!

Spencer and Heidi eloped. I know, who cares, right? Still, you gotta check out their wedding rings. What do ya think of the leather AND dangly charms? LOLOLOL!

Fakin’ It, One Day at a Time

New to the world of false lashes? Me too! Here are a few helpful false lash application tips.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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