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Just For Fun

YOU MUST CHOOSE: Lipstick or Gloss?

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1. Would you rather have a monobrow tattoo and no eyelashes at all, or no eyebrows and really thick, long lashes?
YOU MUST CHOOSE!

2. If you were forced to tattoo a quote on your body, what quote would it be (and where would you get it)?
YOU MUST CHOOSE!

3. You get to spend 24 hours partying with one of the US Olympic teams (or teams from your home country). Which team would it be?
YOU MUST CHOOSE!

4. You’re on a new diet guaranteed to get you to your target weight and keep you there forever. The rules are simple: for one entire week, you must eat nothing but stinky cheese OR pureed, over-ripe banana mush?
YOU MUST CHOOSE!

5. Would you rather have to go to work dressed like a Hooter’s Girl or wearing Madonna’s cone bra outfit from the Blonde Ambition tour?
YOU MUST CHOOSE!

6. Due to international law and weight restrictions on the 18-day, all expenses paid Mediterranean cruise you won in a radio contest, you can only bring with you a single lipstick or gloss. Which one will it be?
YOU MUST CHOOSE!

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

  1. Monobrow and no lashes, or no eyebrows and lush lashes?
  2. Tattooed quote?
  3. Which US Team (or team from your home country)?
  4. Stinky cheese or banana mush?
  5. Hooter’s Girl or Madonna’s cone bra?
  6. Which lipstick or gloss for the cruise?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

9 Things I Wish I Could Do

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1. Master using the MAC 224 windshield wiper brush.

2. Teleport to Hawaii, catch some early morning waves on Oahu and then have macadamia nut pancakes from Boots & Kimo’s for breakfast.

3. Interview C. Bale for the blog. *gushes*

4. Perfect the art of the blended, grey smokey eye (I have a hard time with this one!).

5. Keep Tabs safe indoors without feeling guilty about stealing his outdoor cat freedom.

6. Be able to ride a bike without having to hold on to the handle bars.

7. Get my parents to understand what a blog is.

8. Have coffee with El Hub at a Paris cafe and spend the afternoon at the Musee d’Orsay.

9. Sleep in.

What are some things you wish you could do? Share them with me in the comments. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Fall in Love with Fall Makeup

by 25 Comments

What a glorious fall Wednesday, ladies! Wait — fall? Did she say fall? Yep, it’s already fall in makeup-land, so grab your tweed coat, knee-high boots and your favorite scarf, and let’s take a moment to peep some of this fall’s current and upcoming makeup collections.

  • Bobbi Brown — Now You Can Go Goth with Bobbi Brown Mauve Collection Lipsticks and Glosses
    “Bobbi threw me a curve ball with the lip colors in the Mauve Collection, her new fall makeup line. I’d been searching high and low for edgy yet wearable lipsticks and glosses in shades of purple, and these colors are, dare I say, edgy yet wearable. They’re eye-catching without going over the top, and within the colors there’s enough variety to allow you to create lots of different looks. Go on with your bad self, Ms. Brown!”


  • Bobbi Brown — Bobbi Brown Pretty Pink Metallic Lip Color: Yeah, It’s Good
    “When it comes to pink lipsticks, I am a one-woman army. I’ve been hoarding them since high school. My arsenal is such that if hostile aliens landed and the fate of the world hinged on our ability to scare them away with tubes of pink lipstick, the Earth would prevail! I’d whip out one of my new favorite pink shades for fall, Bobbi Brown’s Pretty Pink Metallic Lip Color ($22), and wave it above my head like a light saber.”


  • Bobbi Brown — Simulate Sleep with Bobbi Brown Metallic Eye Shadows
    “The three pastel colors from Bobbi’s Metallic Collection make it easy to fake a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed look. All three colors are highly pigmented with excellent color payoff. They’re also easy to blend and apply, lasting all day long with nary a crease.”


  • Chanel — Gaga for Gold with Chanel Fall 2008
    “Fall may be months away, but the collection just arrived at Chanel counters nationwide. I fell in love with five of the products in this release — two of the Glossimers (Delight and Gold Light), Facettes D’Or Highlighter in Gold Fever and two of the lipsticks (Pepeete and Formentera).”


  • Chanel — Lip Look: Today with Chanel Formentera Lipstick
    “Part of the Chanel Fall 2008 makeup collection, Formentera shines like mad yet feels whisper light on my lips. It’s a pretty option when you want the staying power of a lipstick with the shine of a gloss.”


  • Clarins — Clarins Jazzy Colours Fall Collection: Cooler than Jazz Hands
    “Take a break from all the berry and chocolate dominating this fall’s makeup collections, and take a look at Clarins. Their Jazzy Colours collection evokes the carefree elegance of the Roaring Twenties, and its grey, blue and rose shades make me want to dance the Charleston in a fringe dress, ha! All I need now is a bob haircut.”


  • Clinique — Clinique Fall 2008: Game, Set, Matte
    “If you don’t have much experience with matte eye shadows, the Stay Matte shades may be worth a try because the colors are less intense than those in the MAC Matte2 line. I think that makes them a little easier to use.”

Bobbi Brown Black Pearl Shimmer Lip GlossChanel Aqualumiere Formentera

  • Dior — Dior Fall 2008: Impression Cuir Fall Pics and Full Product List
    “…let’s take a moment to wax philosophic about an upcoming fall collection slated for a summertime release: Dior’s Fall 2008 Impression Cuir makeup collection. No matter what Dior calls it, this collection looks hot. Put on your water wings, grab some sweet tea (or gin and juice, haay!) and take a look.”


  • Dior — Sneak Peek: Upcoming Dior Impression Cuir Fall 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palettes
    “Dior is at it again, girls. I love Dior in general, but their eyeshadow quints are what I look forward to most of all. This August, they’re giving us *two* new palettes for fall. Oh, be still my broken knee.”


  • Essie — Essie Fall 2008 Nail Polish Collection Keeps in Character for Fall
    “Check out Essie’s fall polish line ($8 each). Keeping in character for fall, the collection features deep plum, berry and cherry shades that look good enough to eat (I’m always hungry, LOL!). Sometimes I shy away from uber-dark shades because of how obvious it can be when they chip, so I’m glad Essie decided not to go too vampire dark with these colors.”


  • Estee Lauder — Estee Lauder Chocolate Decadence: All the Chocolate, None of the Guilt
    “With lots of eyeshadows, lipsticks and glosses in colors inspired by berries, caramels and chocolate, this collection could have been by Willy Wonka. Aren’t the swirl patterns tasty?”


  • Lippmann — Play to Win with Lippmann Collection Fall Nail Colors
    “Seeing these Lippmann Collection fall nail polish colors ($15 each) for the first time, I thought one thing: VEGAS, BABY! The red, black, white and black-purple colors remind me of playing cards.”


  • MAC — MAC Cult of Cherry: T-Minus Two Weeks and Counting
    “What makes Cult of Cherry noteworthy? For me it’s the rich reds, dark plums and chocolate browns. The collection includes nine lipsticks (four Mattenes), two blushes, five Lipglasses, three eye shadow quads, two nail polishes and Zoom Lash mascara (also part of MAC’s permanent collection).”


  • MAC — MAC Cult of Cherry: A Look at Some Lipsticks
    “G’morning, girls! 🙂 I had makeup dreams last night. I dreamt I was sitting on my bed, gloriously happy and surrounded by makeup. I was playing with MAC’s upcoming Cult of Cherry collection, probably because I thought about it so much yesterday.”


  • Sally Hansen — Autumn in the City: Sally Hansen Fall Nail Lacquer Colors by Tracy Reese
    “I suppose my love for the city in fall explains why I’ve fallen for Sally Hansen’s new nail collection, inspired by 10 fall colors created in collaboration with clothing designer Tracy Reese. The industrial grey, black and blue shades contrast well with maroons and neutrals, as do the streets of my favorite city in the fall.”

What has been your favorite fall collection so far?

I think mine is MAC’s Cult of Cherry, but the season’s still young, ha!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, August 11

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  1. Mood:

    2. Cranky

  2. Eye liner:

    3. MAC Fluidline in Sweet Sage

  3. Fragrance:

    4. Philosophy’s Amazing Grace Perfumed Body Spritz

  4. Nail Polish:

    5. Essie Bermuda Shorts on my toes and Essie Hot Pants on my fingers

  5. Looking forward to:

    6. That third cup of coffee and (hopefully) a kind word from a friend

  6. Outfit:

    7. Brown Local Motion t-shirt with yellow hibiscus design, jeans, flip-flops

  7. What I’m doing right now:

    8. Wallowing on the couch, watching The Golden Girls on Lifetime (“Television for Women!”) and debating whether I *really* need to Tivo Coed Call Girl starring Tori Spelling

  8. Lunch today:

    9. A mozzarella, prosciutto and basil sandwich

  9. Blush:

    10. MAC Dollymix

  10. Goal for the day:

    11. Since I feel like crap, to stay home from work, lie on the couch, watch a lot of bad TV and get out of my rotten funk; to try to relax and keep everything in perspective

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

Le list

Mood:
Eye liner:
Fragrance:
Nail Polish:
Looking forward to:
Outfit:
What I’m doing right now:
Lunch today:
Blush:
Goals for the day:

I hope you’re in a better mood than I am. If not, I hope we both cheer up soon! I have the Monday blahs.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

6 Ways to Take Your Nails to the Next Level

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Sometimes, the easiest, least expensive way to switch up my look is with a polish change. One of my weekend mental health rituals has long been to set aside a few *me* minutes to paint my nails in front of the TV. A new nail color and a mani/pedi at home recharges my batteries and helps me start the coming week with a positive attitude.

Here are 6 ways to take your nails to the next level.

  • Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
    “When a sales person at Pure Beauty introduced me to this product in 2003, I was initially turned off by the price. Ten bucks for a bottle of clear polish seemed ridiculous! She insisted that I wouldn’t regret it and oh-so-helpfully reminded me of their full-refund policy, so I happily handed her some cash and skipped off into the sunset.”


  • Save a Few Bucks at the Nail Salon by Getting a Polish Change
    “What’s the difference between a polish change and a manicure? It depends on the salon, but usually during a polish change the nail technician won’t file your nails down, won’t cut your cuticles (you’re never supposed to cut your cuticles at the salon, anyway), and they may skip the soaking part.”


  • Splurge or Steal: Essie Neon Delivers Chanel Nail Colors for Less
    “All of the colors, with the exception of Mini Shorts, have that thick, high shine, classic finish Essie is known for. Mini Shorts doesn’t seem to be quite as shiny as the other shades are, and I’m not sure why that is, but a high shine top coat like Seche Vite should bring the shine up to par.”


  • The Lippmann Collection Nail Studio: A Manicure and Pedicure in Paradise
    “A Lippmann manicure is less painful than a typical mani/pedi treatment. Cuticles aren’t cut, hands and toes are soaked in large bowls of warm water rather than spa tubs with jets, and the nails are only filed in one direction to prevent breakage. It’s more of a holistic approach to nail care.”


  • Play to Win with Lippmann Collection Fall Nail Colors
    “Lippmann Collection polishes have a reputation in the beauty world. They’re known for their durability, and that’s not hype, either; early last month I got a mani/pedi at the Lippmann nail bar in Hawaii, and the coral color on my toes is STILL fresh and intact. I’ve been reapplying top coat every five days, but even that, with most other brands of polish, would not have been enough to make the color last as long as it has so far.”


  • China Glaze Ink Nail Polish: Wow, That’s Bright
    “I was pretty stoked to give the colors a try when I spotted the kit because I’ve been going through a bright nail polish phase. I couldn’t wait to try these colors on.”

OOH! I got some good makeup tips (and a fun smokey eye technique) in the MAC Studio Talk at Bloomingdale’s this afternoon. I’ll blog ’em tomorrow, but right now I’m about to make some tea and get ready for bed.

Did you have a good day? What was the prettiest thing you saw today? Mine was a display of Annick Goutal skincare products. I thought the packaging was gorgeous.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beauty Snacks: Sites of the Day, August 8

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BBC – Thread
In true BBC fashion (i.e. quality), BBC – Thread is a monthly online fashion magazine dedicated to eco-fabulous style. It has to be experienced to be fully appreciated, and I can’t do it justice in print. The interface sort of grows organically under your mouse pointer as you explore each month’s different feature articles, images and videos. Very cool.

BeThree
BeThree hopes to stand out in the growing crowd of online-only women’s social communities/magazines. With sections on beauty, lifestyle & trends, nutrition, travel, life coaching and more, at first glance it looks like its competitors. So, what sets it apart? Spend two minutes on the site, and I think you’ll agree: there’s much to be said for a basic blog layout — clean, simple, not overstimulating. Sometimes less IS more.

Benefit Cosmetics
Ever since the trip to the Benefit counter last week, I’ve been enamored with the line. They have so many fun and quirky makeup products with the *cutest* packaging. Did you know they’re based in SF? Bay Area represent!

Amazon.com – Women’s Interest Magazines
Huge savings on magazine subscriptions. I forgot that Amazon.com sold magazine subscriptions, too. They sell everything else, LOL! Self for $12/year ($1/issue), InStyle for $23.88/year ($1.84/issue), Vanity Fair for $15/year ($1.25/issue) — some of the best deals in magazine subscriptions I’ve ever seen, some as much as 80% off the cover price.

[Continue reading…]

Last Month’s Top Posts

by 4 Comments

  • Now You Can Go Goth with Bobbi Brown Mauve Collection Lipsticks and Glosses
    “…these colors are, dare I say, edgy yet wearable. They’re eye-catching without going over the top, and within the colors there’s enough variety to allow you to create lots of different looks. Go on with your bad self, Ms. Brown!”


  • Gaga for Gold with Chanel Fall 2008
    “My local Chanel counter sales rep told me the Facettes D’Or Highlighter is goin’ fast, and there were only six of them left after barely a week on sale! That one has bestseller written all over it.”


  • 6 Minutes with Sarah Jessica Parker
    “Sarah said Covet Pure Bloom reminds her of summer and the islands. Even though it has a seasonal feel to it, she hopes the fragrance transports people to the source of that pikake fragrance in Hawaii even if they’ve never been to the islands before.”


  • Makeup Tutorial: A Peach, Brown and Green Eye for Summer
    “Lancome knocked it out of the park with Couture Warms, ladies. It’s an amazing palette, but you can always duplicate this look using similar products from other lines.”


  • The #1 Best-Selling Chanel Lip Liner
    “On my lips, Nude is a light reddish-brown with just a flash of golden shimmer. It’s hawt, like Angelina Jolie-luscious-lips HOT, LOL! I finally understand why all the Chanel peeps bow down to this liner.”


  • Nars Mediteranee Face of the Day: Orange, Anyone?
    “Before heading to work, I did the following look with the Mediteranee shadows and incorporated products from MAC Cosmetics, Shu Uemura, Laura Mercier and Chanel.”


  • Autumn in the City: Sally Hansen Fall Nail Lacquer Colors by Tracy Reese
    “I suppose my love for the city in fall explains why I’ve fallen for Sally Hansen’s new nail collection, inspired by 10 fall colors created in collaboration with clothing designer Tracy Reese. The industrial grey, black and blue shades contrast well with maroons and neutrals, as do the streets of my favorite city in the fall.”


Nars Mediteranee Eyeshadow DuoSally Hansen Cruel Heart

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, August 4

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  1. Mood: Hopeful

  2. Mascara: Exceptionnel de Chanel (I’m finally getting the hang of the brush)

  3. Fragrance: Estee Lauder’s Sensuous

  4. Morning beverage: Starbuck’s Breakfast Blend with lots of milk and a teaspoon of sugar

  5. First song I heard today:

    “I still go to Taco Bell
    Drive-through, raw as Hell”

  6. Food craving: Chocolate croissant

  7. Outfit: Blue, plaid Old Navy pajamas 🙂

  8. Lovin’:

    9. Glasses, zip-up hoodies, lists

  9. Favorite makeup brush and why: MAC 266 Small Angle Brush because it makes filling in my brows easy!

  10. My goals for this week: Get better about using my calendar, take Tabs to the vet (again), get all my dates and details sorted out for the weddings I’m going to in the fall, plan a weekend trip to Tahoe

Now it’s your turn. Just copy and paste this list, insert your answers and leave ’em for me in the comments. 🙂

Le list

Mood:
Mascara:
Fragrance:
Morning beverage:
First song I heard today:
Food craving:
Outfit:
Lovin’:
Favorite makeup brush and why:
Goals for the week:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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