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Beauty Snacks: Sites of the Day, Nov. 25

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Gimme That Old School BH 90210

OPI is rolling out a collection in January inspired by the newly revamped version of the 90s TV classic Beverly Hills, 90210. To this I give a big fat BOO! I want shades inspired by the old school show, with names like The Brenda-Kelly-Dylan Love Triangle and Kelly’s In a Cult.

A Rainy Day Makeup Project

Bellasugar shows how to make a lipstick palette out of a pillbox.

Un-Wrinkle My Lips, Please

OOH! I’ve been wanting to try this stuff. Beauty Addict takes a look at Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Lip ($30), a peptide product that promises to plump, smooth and hydrate lips.

Are You Down With Slow Blogging?

Slow is the new blog! Well, that’s what those in the new slow blogging movement believe, LOL!

Shop Wisely This Holiday Season

Be a responsible shopper this holiday season with these savvy shopping tips.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Ernest Hemingway’s (1899-1961) most productive writing years were the 10 years he spent living on Whitehead Street in Old Town Key West. He spent his thirties on Key West and wrote 70% of his published life’s work — including For Whom the Bell Tolls and To Have and Have Not — in a small, second-story writing studio overlooking his estate’s tropical gardens. Surrounded by his many cats, he would peck away at a little typewriter from dawn until about noon, and then either head downtown to get drunk at Sloppy Joe’s saloon or spend the afternoon deep sea fishing.

Hemingway was many things — a womanizer, manic depressive, egotistical, an alcoholic — but he was also a brilliant storyteller and one of my favorite writers of all time.

Here are some pictures of the place he called home…
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Nov. 24

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  1. Mood:

    2. I haven’t adjusted to the time difference so I’m a little tired.

  2. Eye makeup colors:

    3. Nothing yet, but I’m thinking of either the bright purple or teal from the Shu Uemura Adorned Marguerite palette.

  3. Today:

    4. To eat a piece of key lime pie and to visit Ernest Hemingway’s house in Old Town. I want to take a picture of a polydactyl cat because I got it into my head that taking a picture of one will help me become a better writer.

  4. I’m lovin’ (beauty related):

    5. Bath and Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena Body Lotion. It smells so good!

  5. I’m lovin’ (non-beauty related):

    6. Long drives and spending time with El Hub.

  6. Breakfast:

    7. A Power Bar Triple Threat in Caramel Peanut Fusion… blech!

  7. Outfit:

    8. Running shorts, tank top and Saucony Grid Stabil running shoes (great shoes if you’re flat-footed like me).

  8. Quote of the day:

    9. “It is not the strongest species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin.

  9. Just another manic Monday?:

    10. Yes, but that’s what coffee is for. 🙂

  10. Goals this week:

    11. Find some stretchy pants to wear to Thanksgiving dinner and to catch up on all the work I’ve missed.

Good morning and happy Monday, girls! Are you ready to play? Just copy the list, pop in your answers, and stick them in the comments. I can’t wait to hear how you’re doing today.

Le List

Mood:
Eye makeup colors:
Today:
I’m lovin’ (beauty related):
I’m lovin’ (non-beauty related):
Breakfast:
Outfit:
Quote of the day:
Just another manic Monday?:
Goals this week:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays without Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Nov. 23

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Before leaving for Florida, we got Tabs a suite at Cat’s Cradle, a kitty hotel/pet boarding facility, because we didn’t want to worry about him while we were away.

Most kennel/boarding facilities (I found Cat’s Cradle on Yelp) charge between $8-$17/day and usually include meals. You get the peace of mind of knowing that someone is looking after your pet, which means not having to worry about flaky cousin Fred forgetting to refill the water bowl.

Well… at least that’s the idea. I just got a call from Cat’s Cradle. Tabs escaped! He was last seen at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Can you help me find him in this picture (click for a larger version)?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Jen’s wedding and reception went off without a hitch. There were no serious injuries on the dance floor, although I think a middle-aged groomsman might have pulled a muscle doing the worm, LOL! Here are some pics…
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Bienvenidos a Florida!

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Hola, ladies! I just got into town (Boca Raton, to be exact) and wanted to say a quick hello. Surprisingly, I am still functional enough to type (LOL!) because travel always wears me out.

Guess who almost missed her flight this morning. I’ll give you one guess… 🙂

Note to file: running through airport terminals to catch a flight is SO NOT COOL!

But we’re here now, at the hotel in Boca. Jen’s wedding is the day after tomorrow.

Don’t let the view from the hotel room balcony deceive you; it’s friggin’ freezing up in here, Mr. Bigglesworth! Well, not exactly freezing, but it sho’ ain’t 85 and balmy.

For the record, hotel bathroom lighting isn’t conducive to good photography or to the proper application of concealer.

My first order of business is to find a place to get my nails done for the wedding. Hmm…

I’m bringing my bottle of NARS Bohemia Nail Polish (a shimmery pink with green pearl) with me.

I want to thank you guys for being so nice and supportive about my mother in law’s illness. She goes in for her second surgery tomorrow (to have another mastectomy, the other side).

El Hub ended up coming out here to Florida with me, although I know he really wanted to be in Hawaii to help. He’d only been back from Hawaii for three days when we learned that Mom had to go in for another operation.

We spoke with her today on the phone, though, and it was good to hear her voice. It’s hard going to something fun like a wedding knowing what she’s going through, but our hearts and minds are with her.

Anywho, I don’t mean to dampen your day or to bum you out. Just wanted to say thanks. Here’s to hoping you’re having a great Thursday! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The $300 Vera Wang LOOK Perfume Giveaway!

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UPDATE: Contest is closed. Congrats, Josephine!

Can I just say that Vera Wang rocks? She does. And with her newest scent, Vera Wang LOOK ($70 for a 1.7-oz bottle of eau de parfum), she gives us a much-appreciated break from all the fruity florals that dominated fragrance counters this summer and fall (*ahem,* Harajuku Lovers), huzzah!

Let me just come out and say it: I love Vera Wang LOOK.

First, I’ll start by saying what it’s not. LOOK is not the kind of celebrity, sugary-food-fruit-combo fragrance you might find on teenage girls at the mall. It smells all grown up — sexy and mature — but isn’t stuffy or matronly at all. It’s a light scent with a sparkling mix of citrus and freesia, and wearing it makes me feel like a young, sharp woman who finally has her sh*t together.

I can’t stop sniffing my wrists! On my skin, LOOK opens with a burst of mandarin orange and green, grassy notes. As the day wears on, strong freesia (with just a touch of jasmine) emerges. When LOOK finally winds down at the end of the day, it becomes a soft mix of musky vanilla.

Picture yourself making your entrance at a formal cocktail party. All eyes turn to you, the elegant woman wearing Vera Wang LOOK. You’re dressed to the nines in black with some killer Louboutin heels, but you’re also friendly, welcoming and intriguing to talk to!

Now’s Your Chance to Win Vera Wang LOOK

I’m giving away one $300 bottle (yup, this stuff is pricey). Enter by signing up to receive Makeup and Beauty Blog daily e-mail updates if you haven’t already.

If you have already signed up for the updates, you don’t have to do anything to be entered to win — you’re already entered — but you can double your odds of winning by also leaving a comment on this post (a comment about anything at all).

The Prize

The winner receives a 1 oz bottle of Vera Wang LOOK parfum elixir, personally signed by Vera Wang. Unlike a watered-down eau de toilette, a parfum elixir is highly concentrated, expensive and coveted for its purity of scent. Straight up: for a premier fragrance, you want the elixir. ‘Nuff said.

It’s limited edition and comes in an elegant flacon bottle with a cut crystal stopper.

How to Enter

There are two ways to enter the Vera Wang LOOK Perfume Giveaway, and you can do both to double your chances of winning.

  1. If you haven’t already signed up to receive Makeup and Beauty Blog daily e-mail updates, then enter your e-mail in the pink box below (or click this link).


  2. If you have already subscribed to the e-mail 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 e-mail address).

Enter your email address:

I’ll choose the winners at random from among the people who enter by 11 PM PST on Saturday, November 22. GOOD LUCK!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Would You Ever Get Permanent Makeup?

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When I was a kid, one of our neighbors had her eyebrows and eyeliner tattooed. I remember her coming out into her yard in the mornings to get the paper and thinking she always looked a bit off, like her makeup was too blue or something.

Today, permanent makeup (permanent pigmentation of the dermis) is more popular than ever. Some women do it for convenience (I admit — filling in my brows every day sure gets old), but others do it after illness, chemotherapy or injury to recreate eyebrows, disguise scars and white spots or to restore pigmentation to damaged skin.

Would you ever get permanent makeup?

Would you ever get permanent makeup?

View Results

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Retro Roundup: One Year Ago on Makeup and Beauty Blog

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43 Things I’m Thankful For: The Non-Makeup Edition

“As much as I can go on and on about eye liner, there are other things in life that I also cherish. Here’s the non-makeup edition of my list.”

43 Things I’m Thankful For: The Makeup Edition

“Have you heard of 43 Things? It’s a website where people make lists of 43 goals they want to achieve — learning French, building a better mouse trap, reading War and Peace, etc. It’s pretty fun to read the different hopes and dreams that people have… Here’s my list of 43 makeup and beauty things I’m thankful for.”

The LeSportsac Tokidoki Campeggio Bag: A Perfect Holiday Gift for Ladies on the Go!

“But the LeSportsac Tokidoki Campeggio Bag has been a lifesaver. I swear, the day this bag came into my life the clouds parted and birds started singing. This bag is roomy, light, comfortable and holds everything AND the kitchen sink while still having a sleek silhouette.”

Chanel Glossimer Lip Gloss, A Makeup Addiction in the Making

“The sparkle factor is high on these glosses. It’s very grown-up glitter though! I love looking at the color and seeing the different flecks of gold, silver, pink and green.”

5 Makeup and Beauty Tips from Paris Hilton

“Paris is known for her dewy, glowy skin. She said her secret is a weekly facial at Kate Somerville, a spa located down the street from her house. She and Kate are homies, and Paris gets treatments with extractions at the spa when she isn’t too busy with work.”

Holiday Gift Ideas for $5.00 or Less: DHC Aroma Oils

“I love giving unusual, hard-to-find gifts as stocking stuffers. I especially love finding cool stuff for a good price. DHC’s Aroma Oils smell yummy, moisturize well and cost a mere $3.50! You’ll be able to stuff all of those stockings and still have a few rupees left over to snag a bottle for yourself.”

Clinique Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift, a Dreamy Anti-Aging Skin Cream

“One neck cream that I’ve been using lately is Clinique’s Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift ($52.50). It’s an anti-aging moisturizer with retinol. There are three versions: oily/combination skin, dry/combination skin and very dry skin.”

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Nov. 17

by 72 Comments

  1. Mood:

    2. Almost awake

  2. Mascara:

    3. MAC Dazzle Lash in Black Dazzle

  3. Last movie I watched:

    4. Baby Mama

  4. Lipgloss or Lipstick:

    5. Nothing yet, but I’m thinking about Nars Canaille for later

  5. Outfit:

    6. Pink plaid shorts, navy blue tank top, grey sweatshirt — yep, I’m still in my jammies. 🙂

  6. Shoes:

    7. Pink fuzzy slippers

  7. Blush:

    8. MAC Sunbasque, a shimmery peach powder blush

  8. Eyeliner:

    9. Pop Beauty Cat Eyes in Black Onyx

  9. Breakfast beverage:

    10. Coffee with Coffee-Mate (I ran out of milk this morning)

  10. Goals for the week:

    11. Research things to do in Key West, decide what makeup to wear with my bridesmaids dress, do cardio every day

Hey, hey, you know you wanna play! Just copy the empty list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le list

Mood:
Mascara:
Last movie I watched:
Lipgloss or lipstick:
Outfit:
Shoes:
Blush:
Eyeliner:
Breakfast beverage:
Goals for the week:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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