Just more reminiscing about the blog over all these years…
Again with the skinny brows and frosty brow bone highlight?? Please note it was 2008 when I took this picture with Jean Ford of Benefit, and it was *the thing* to do back then.
Back in the day, the official faces of Benefit were sisters Jean and Jane Ford, the original founders, and this pic was taken at a Benefit event in their Chestnut Street store in San Francisco.
During the interview, Jean took a jar of loose glitter and dabbed some on my lids with her fingers. Then when the interview was done, she gave me the jar of glitter to take home, and I stuck it in the pocket of the white coat I was wearing.
Side note: why did I own a white coat when I’m incapable of wearing white without getting it dirty??
Anyway, I put the jar in a pocket but then forgot about it…
It remained in that coat for years!
Actually, I think it’s still there.
Years later, after Maggie and Annie Ford Danielson (Jean and Jane’s daughter and niece) took over as the faces of Benefit, I interviewed Annie during their launch of Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation, and she was one of the nicest people I’ve interviewed over the years.
As was Jerrod Blandino of Too Faced Cosmetics.
Such a character!
The second time we talked in 2013, I laughed so hard that I may or may not have snorted. We had some great advice about accessorizing and said something that still makes me chuckle. He said, “I always wear cardigans. That’s my signature. And I like diamonds! Listen, if I’m going to wear something, it’s going to be big, and it’s going to offend people.”
LOL!
Carisa Janes of Hourglass Cosmetics was also very insightful (I fell head-over-heels in love with her office at Hourglass headquarters). And Wende Zomnir of Urban Decay, Bobbi Brown and Sonia Kashuk were some of the most fascinating people I’ve met in the beauty realm.
GIRL…I also loved talking to Sonia Kashuk. She was open, chatty and didn’t hold anything back. Just totally unguarded, which is rare. I would love to cross paths with her again because she seems like a really cool person to hang out with in real life.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Wow! Congrats on 10 years, Karen! And I have celebrated 8 years of Makeup4all yesterday, can’t believe it.
Hi Marina,
The time goes by fast, doesn’t it? Happy eight years to you!
Thank you, Karen! <3 And, yes, it does .
Congratulations Karen! You looked so beautiful in all of these pictures. I truly do admire someone as you, who went on, to follow a dream. It takes so much work, dedication, time and desire. Your blog is much loved and appreciated. Happy Anniversary and I wish you many more happy years!
Thank you, Maria. This means a lot to me. I woke up this morning feeling unsettled and lonely from a bad dream, and this makes me feel a lot better. 🙂
I hope you’re having a nice day so far. What take-out did you guys get for Valentine’s? We got Puerto Rican food from one of my fave spots in San Rafael, which is the town next to where I live. My low-carbing went right out the window, LOL! Can’t say no to fried plantains…
Oh,I meant what I said. I am happy that I was able to make you feel better. I know that feeling of waking up from a bad dream, we can’t control what goes on in our minds at night. I do hope that you are feeling better.
We got sushi, I have been craving it for a while now. Luckily our neighborhood sushi place is very good, so it was a nice walk we took after work. I do have a weakness for Puerto Rican food. You are lucky you had some yesterday. My favorite is a plate of rice with gandules, plantains and pork. It is not the healthiest of options, but yesterday was a special day, so it was ok that we indulged in what we like. Overall we have to treat ourselves here and there 🙂 Have a nice day 🙂
So so cool! Watched an interview of Wende Zomnir the other day, and she is one lady with a great vision too. Do you have some tips as to not get nervous about interviewing them?
Hi Astrid,
What most makes me feel at ease is being prepared. I get my interview questions squared away and memorize them if I can. Always assume you’ll have your time cut short, because even though you’ll be blocked out for, say, 10 minutes, you’ll probably only get 4. I also make sure all my tech is working. For important interviews, I bring a back up voice recorder in case something happens to main one. And I make a checklist of everything I need for camera gear: backup batteries, lenses, an extra point-and-shoot, etc.
Thank you for the tips! *noteseverything*
Especially on the less than allocated time part :).
That is so amazing that you got to meet all these people behind the brands! What great experiences!
Hi Tanya,
I’ve been very lucky with MBB. It’s opened up many doors and I’m so grateful.
How long have you been blogging? What do you enjoy most about it?
Happy Bloggy Birthday!!
Wow, 10 years!! Congrats! So cool that you got to meet some of the faces behind the brands.
Wow! That’s so impressive. Love it how you went for it Karen and met all these interesting people following your dreams. Happy 10th anniversary!
Wow, I didn’t know you met so many cool people! I would love to meet Sonia Kashuk. I love her approach to makeup.
A belated congratulations on a decade in beauty blogging/reporting! That’s really quite an accomplishment. You’ve built such a beautiful, fun, yet informative site. There aren’t many people who have done anything close to what you’ve managed.
Thanks for sharing the photos. It’s so fun to see you grow a bit more sophisticated as time marches on in each one.
Side note, I know there are a lot of bloggers who are devoted to MBB. I think a post about how you’ve managed to grow the site and keep it fresh over ten years would be a good read.
XO,
JO
You met so many fascinating people, wow. It must be great to have a face to go with the brand.
Agh! So awesome…thanks for sharing Karen. You’ve been so generous with your time and experiences….<3
Fun! Looks like you got to meet some really great people!Jerrod is my favorite! He is always so positive (on instagram anyway!)
Have a great day!
Hi Sakura,
He’s really funny and very charismatic in person!
Hi Karen,
Love your blog and have been reading it for quite a long time. It is so great that you have been able to talk to some of the great movers and shakers in the beauty world!
I am wondering what will Bobbi and Sonia be doing as they have moved on from their eponymous brand.
One of these days, I hope give YouTube a try again, as it seems like there is lots of opportunity’s. You have an amazing writer’s voice and I think that will definitely transfer to videos as well!
Happy Anniversary!
Congrats!! Keep it up!