Sponsored Post

Treat Yourself and Your Skin to Much-Needed Meow Time With CVS/pharmacy Beauty 360 Facial Masks #Beauty360atCVS [SPONSORED]

December 28th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

In partnering with Beauty 360 and the CVS Beauty Club, I’ve received product samples and/or compensation for my time and effort in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #sponsored #Beauty360atCVS

You should really ask me about my facial mask addiction. 🙂 Or maybe you shouldn’t. Because when I tell you that I stockpile masks like cat ladies stockpile all teh cute kittehs, you might think I’m a little crazy.

I just love masks! I think they’re great. Among my favorite skincare products, they’re probably second only to moisturizers, because of the skin benefits, but also because they’re a fun way to take a break from life.

Ya just put on your mask and chill for 15 minutes, and while I’m sitting there “in mask,” I totally forget about my chores and responsibilities. I don’t think about the dishes in the sink or vacuuming the stairs or doing the laundry. I’m totally preoccupied by the fact that I’m wearing a mask.

They’re a good way to tune out and focus on me. Plus, they’re an easy way to treat my skin.

I have masks from here to eternity, but I’m always looking for more (MOAR MASKS!). Up until recently, I had no idea there were so many different masks in the Beauty 360 line at CVS/pharmacy, and most of them are less than $8 (on sale the sheet masks are usually less than $4).

They’ve got sheet masks (sometimes called tissue masks), sleep masks, masks in tubes, masks in jars, soothing masks, smoothing masks, deep moisture masks, detoxifying masks, brightening masks, anti-wrinkle firming masks and masks just for your eyes, and they’re loaded with interesting ingredients like coffee and tomato extract, charcoal and green caviar.

[Continue reading…]

Purple Smoky Holiday Makeup Tutorial With Boots No7 [SPONSORED] #MyBestSkin

November 30th, 2015 by Karen 37 Comments

There should be a video in this post, but if you can’t see it, you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

We’re basically on the cusp of December, so from here on out it’s all holidays, all the time, and that definitely means more holiday makeup.

This purple smoky eye might look more complicated than it really is, but you can totally handle it. If you can blend even just a wee bit, you can follow along with this tutorial, which shows how to do the eyes, complexion makeup and cheeks. And there are also four different ideas for lip combos.

[Continue reading…]

Comment to Win a Boots No7 Skin Care Anti-Aging Serum [SPONSORED] #MyBestSkin

November 30th, 2015 by Karen 100 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **
This giveaway is closed, and the winners have been contacted (congratulations, E. Jones, Ashleigh, Darbie and Maria!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

In partnering with Boots Beauty USA on this giveaway for the No7 Skincare #MyBestSkin Campaign, I’ve received product samples and/or compensation for my time and effort in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #sponsored @bootsbeautyusa #MyBestSkin #BootsNo7

It was a whirlwind backpack adventure across the continent of Europe (complete with hidden diamonds and sleeper train car rides), and the year was 2005…

That’s when I first discovered the Boots No7 beauty line.

El Hub was El Boyfriend at the time, and neither one of us had ever been to Europe before, so we crammed as many countries into our 16-day trip as possible, and one of them was England.

This was also the trip when El Hub asked me to marry him (he sneaked the ring over on the plane hidden in his contact lens case), and if I learned anything on that trip, it was this: if a man willingly allows you to drag him into every pharmacy and drugstore you pass on your vacation just so you can look at beauty products…you better put a ring on that! LOL!

When we arrived in London toward the end of our trip, I discovered Boots No7, and they were EVERYWHERE, but I’d never seen or heard of them before in the U.S., so they were très exotic and interesting to me. Intrigued, I brought home — I kid you not — five full-size bottles of Boots No7 lotion, and I was crushed when I finally finished the last one back at home months later. *tear* 🙁

Fast forward to now, and Boots No7 is also here in the U.S. (and has been for a while). Target carries an extensive selection from the brand, which has a huge range of affordable hypoallergenic products, including makeup, skincare and body care products.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with the brand, but if you’ve been wanting to give them a try, maybe I can help. I’ve partnered with Boots Beauty USA on this here giveaway for their No7 Skincare #MyBestSkin Campaign, and I’m also putting the finishing touches on a Boots No7 purple holiday-ready smoky eye tutorial (here’s a link to the tutorial!).

In the meantime…

I’ve noticed a lot of interesting ingredients in their products, especially in their skincare, and the brand is well known for their anti-aging serums, all of which have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal here in the U.S.

They have four main anti-aging categories, each one with a different serum, and I’m giving away one of each.
[Continue reading…]

How to Make the No-Poo Movement Work for Your Hair Type #sponsored

November 30th, 2015 by Karen 23 Comments

Advertorials like this one are brought to you by my sponsors. They’re carefully chosen based on what I think you might like; however, this post was entirely written by the sponsor.

You’ve probably heard of “co-washing” or the “no-poo movement” by now, where women everywhere are opting to skip the shampoo and just use conditioner instead. But while this method has its benefits, eventually it will result in greasy, lifeless locks. However, what if we told you it didn’t have to be this way? The right no-shampoo formula can provide a total transformation in just one step. It’s simple: Conditioning agents nourish and protect hair, and then the formula morphs into a soap-free cleanser, washing dirt away without stripping hair. The result? Smoother, softer, and more manageable locks.

As you probably know, your hair’s texture and porosity can play a big part in finding the products that work for you. With that said, knowing a little more about your locks will help you choose a regimen that’ll enhance your hair’s natural beauty. Lucky for you, there is a great line of products by Matrix Biolage that work wonders for any hair type, whether it’s fine, medium, coarse or curly. We’ll tell you how this trend can make your hair your crowning glory, no matter what kind of hair you have.

FINE
Fine hair tends to be fragile than other hair types. It can be easily damaged and hard to style because it often falls flat. It has a tendency to look thin, and is often weighed down with heavier products, so it’s important not to over moisturize! Interestingly, people with fine hair actually have more hair in total than people with other textures. Take the no-poo route with a low-lather, fast-rinsing, soap-free cleansing conditioner designed to enhance shine, suppleness, and anti-static control. Our go-to formula contains non-stripping ingredients to cleanse and condition for optimal manageability … in other words, it won’t weigh hair down.

MEDIUM
Medium hair holds style and responds well to chemical processes. For optimal results, opt for a no-poo formula for medium hair with natural ingredients such as acai to cleanse and condition to restore suppleness, shine, bounce, and anti-frizz control.

COARSE
Coarse hair is stronger than other hair types. It tolerates heat well and resists breakage better than fine or medium hair along with being resistant to many types of chemical treatments such as coloring. Use a formula that’s jam-packed with moisturizing ingredients like avocado — it’ll cleanse and deep condition for smooth, shiny and supple results.

CURLY
Whether they’re tightly coiled or loose; curly strands can be particularly complex because each individual stand can define its own curl pattern. Challenges include frizz, lack of definition and separation, length shrinkage and dryness. Use a lightweight no-poo shampoo that’ll enhance your natural curl definition and bounce — and be sure it’s not made with parabens, heavy silicones or harsh salts.

Ready to experience a new movement in hair care? We thought so. Click here to learn more about this innovative one-step transformation.

Try 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE® Brand Contact Lenses for Fun, Subtle Eye Enhancement #SPONSORED

November 11th, 2015 by Karen 27 Comments

Wearing 1-Day Acuvue Define Contacts in Natrual Shine≈ — Wearing 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE® in NATURAL SHINE®

I’ve received product samples and compensation for my time and effort in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #sponsored @ACUVUE

I’ve always been pretty adventurous when it comes to experimenting with hair, clothes and makeup (and food!). I’ll jump in feet first! A bright green gloss, you say?? Temporary magenta streaks in my hair? SURE, why not!?

But when it came to cosmetic content lenses? Different story.

They just never really appealed to me. I couldn’t picture my brown eyes (dark chocolate brown with a navy blue ring to be exact! — they’re my dad’s eyes) as a completely different color. I dunno… Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

It wasn’t just that they look unnatural sometimes, especially when you know someone very well and you totally know what their eyes naturally look like. I can get behind most dramatic cosmetic changes like hair (seriously, what’s natural about pink streaks?!), but when it comes to my eyes? I just can’t picture looking at myself in the mirror and seeing bright green eyes. It freaks me out!

But that was also one of the reasons I wanted to try the new 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE® prescription contact lenses. They’re subtle — not at all like full-on colorful contacts — and they don’t change the color of your eyes.

They’re not just subtle. They’re SUPER subtle, but the beauty benefit was very clear once I tried them on.

What they actually do is a little hard to explain, but it’s easier to see in pics…

1-Day Acuvue Define contact lens in Natural Shine — 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE® in NATURAL SHINE®, one of the three available effects

See how my eye on the right looks a little bigger?

Once you notice it, I think the difference stands out more. My iris looks larger, and there are amber flecks around the edges.

It’s more obvious when I open my eyes REALLY wide and effectively look like a crazy person, LOL! So please excuse the crazy eyes below. They’re strictly for demonstration purposes, although I am thinking about walking around town like this just to see what kind of friends I’d make. 🙂

[Continue reading…]

4 Steps to Clearer Skin With the Neutrogena #LetsSolveIt Campaign

August 28th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

Somewhere between trying to squeeze in as much outdoorsy time as possible in the second half of summer, a bunch of stressful side projects, a particularly bad bout of insomnia (I keep waking up around the Witching Hour and then can’t fall back asleep) and the steady stream of ice cream I’ve been eating after dinner (even though I know what happens when I have too much dairy), I’ve started breaking out.

It’s nothing too bad…yet (knocks on wood), definitely not as bad as the huge humdingers I get sometimes along my jawline. These are just little whiteheads on my chin and around the edge of my forehead, and a couple of body breakouts on my chest and booty.

Yes, girl, booty — specifically, my left butt cheek, if you must know.

Is that TMI? Probably, but it’s not like I’m the first person (or the last) to get a painful pimple on their bum.

Anyway! When Neutrogena and Walgreens asked if I was down to switch up my acne-fighting game with their #LetsSolveIt campaign and take the quiz at SolveMyAcne.com, I thought, “Good timing!”

I’ve had great luck with Neutrogena skin care over the years, and I dig Walgreens (I used to go there on my breaks every day when I worked in SF), so I said “sure!”

Getting back into the swing of things at school after summer break is stressful enough. Who needs the ADDED stress of a bad breakout? Get expert skin care recs with the Neutrogena #LetsSolveIt campaign by taking the Acne-Fighting Quiz at SolveMyAcne.com, and feel fabulously confident in clearer skin.

First step: the quiz. And it’s not one of those quizzes that they say is only going to take two minutes but ends up taking 20. It really is just a handful of easy questions.

Like so…

Based on my answers, here are the four products the quiz recommended for me and my combo dry/oily skin:
[Continue reading…]

#LiveInColor With Féria (SPONSORED)

August 17th, 2015 by Karen 8 Comments

Advertorials like this one are brought to you by my sponsors. They’re carefully chosen based on what I think you might like; however, this post was entirely written by the sponsor.

For the bold, the colorful and the risk-takers, dare to #LiveInColor with Féria. This is multi-faceted, shimmering hair color. From Extreme Platinum to Power Violet, show your confidence with Féria’s head-turning looks.

Watch as trendsetting designer Helen Castillo, singer-songwriter Elliphant, and Zoe of electro duo ASTR bring out their fearless side through their Féria hair color.

Which Féria are you? Color your world with over 30 shimmering shades at www.LiveinColor.com.

Dreaming of Big Plush Hair? Full & Plush Hair Is Within Arms’ Reach (SPONSORED)

July 22nd, 2015 by Karen 8 Comments

Advertorials like this one are brought to you by my sponsors. They’re carefully chosen based on what I think you might like; however, this post was entirely written by the sponsor.

Do you dream of beautiful thick hair that feels full and looks even fuller? Thanks to Garnier Fructis, you can now have big, bigger hair with the new Full & Plush system!

Full & Plush is the first-ever haircare range with fibra-cylane, pomegranate and active fruit concentrates that penetrates and plumps hair for a full, voluptuous look. To learn more visit garnierusa.com.