
Super new from Illamasqua! Powder Blusher Duo in Hussy and Lover, new for holiday 2012.

by Karen 19 Comments

Super new from Illamasqua! Powder Blusher Duo in Hussy and Lover, new for holiday 2012.

by Karen 8 Comments



Nix that. I need an entire crate!
by Karen 31 Comments

Here’s the face I made multiple times while watching last night’s episode of The Walking Dead…

And here’s the face I made today a few hours after applying Tom Ford Plum Absolute For Eyes ($35)…

Notice the similarities. They aren’t identical, but in both pics I appear fussy and discombobulated.
When my mood turned sour this afternoon, it was due to Tom’s annoyingly expensive, limited edition gel liner (new for holiday 2012) completely vanishing from my upper lash lines about five hours after I applied it.
Super. Cranky.

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by Karen 34 Comments

Yes, grasshopper. You are ready…
Ready to take the leap! ![]()
You have trained well in the pursuit of flushed cheek perfection, swirling and bouncing your blush brush, and now it is time to take your level of blush love from hobbyist to full-blown enthusiast.
You can — no, you must lead your team of four Tarte powder blushes to new heights of flushed-faced fabulosity! I have complete faith in you.
True, the four new, limited edition shades in the $35 Fantastic Foursome holiday kit are all acolytes, yet each has demonstrated great fortitude and skill.
All of them hail from an elite fighting force, the League of Amazonian Clay Blushes, arguably among the best products in the entire Tarte tribe. Their soft formula, take-no-prisoners pigment and fearsome 10-hour wear time (although Tarte advertises 12) make for some seriously long-lasting blushing.
Meet the new members of the team…
A cool-toned matte fuchsia, Fantastic excels at not only face-to-face flirting, but also at quickly administering a bright, just-pinched flush to the apples of unassuming cheeks. Pair it with any number of pink, purple and/or plum lipsticks or glosses currently residing in your makeup bag.
You have to believe this shade is maaaaagic! Nothing can stand in its waaaaay!
Sorry…random Xanadu moment. 🙂
This neutral pinkish coral has been trained to treat cheeks lightly kissed by the sun, which is to say that I love the way it looks with a bit of a tan.
The team’s triple threat! Wear this peachy brown, with its flecks of silver glitter, as a blush, as a contour shade along your cheekbones, in the crease of your eyes, or as a bronzer all over your face.
This shimmery neutral gold specializes in rapid highlighting of upper cheekbones, down the bridges of noses and along brow bones and cupid’s bows.




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by Karen 97 Comments

You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”
Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
And? And what, Mom? How did you meet? Where did you meet? What was your first date like?
Of course, since I can never get a straight answer out of her, my overactive imagination concocts something soapy and scandalous.
Hmm… On second thought, maybe I don’t want to know, LOL!
And I’d leave out the Smarties (blech!), Swedish Fish, licorice and Tootsie Rolls. Thank you! 🙂
Plus, where do you park a pegasus? It’s not like they have special pegasus parking at Trader Joe’s, and do you have to land and take off from an airport?
I guess I’d probably go with the unicorn… They are able to teleport once a day, and that’s pretty handy.
The longest I’ve ever had it was in high school, and it hung all the way down to my bum.
Hey, sweet friend. How YOU doing?! Did you have a good weekend?
Mine was pretty good.. Actually, really good. I got in some hard-core relaxing (I know that sounds funny…), and like I mentioned a minute ago, made some progress on a home project, meaning that I actually got out and looked at dining room tables.
I think I’m this close to finally pulling the trigger on a honey-colored mango wood one from Crate and Barrel. It’s just a basic rectangular table. No flourish at all, which is what I want.
I also stopped by Home Depot to get some paint swatches because I’m thinking about painting the dining room. It’s sort of an eggshell white right now, as are all the walls, but I’m thinking about different shades of light blue.
If you happen to have a good eye for interior design, I have a question for you. Does the size of the room have any bearing on the size of table you should get? How much space should you leave around the table, between the table and the walls?
I can’t figure out if I should get a smaller or a larger table. I’m drawn to a larger one because I could use it as a work space for projects, but it would take up most of the room…
Hmm… While I continue pondering this question of profound global importance (not), do you have a minute to fill out this week’s Monday poll? I hope so. I’d love to hear from you. 🙂
To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.
Le List
1. Mood:
2. How many sequins is too many? Would you wear ’em from head to toe?
3. Are there any stories or details you wish you knew about your parents or guardians?
4. Who’s the last person you spoke with on the phone?
5. What are your most and least favorite Halloween sweets?
6. If you could be on the cover of any magazine, which would it be?
7. Unicorn or pegasus?
8. What’s the shortest/longest you’ve ever had your hair?
9. What do you do to relax after a stressful day?
10. Weekly goals:
Have a great week, okay? And I’ll try to do the same. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
by Karen 9 Comments




Earrings by Cam & Zooey (via Haute Look). I love the combo of teal and gold…both in makeup and jewelry.

by Karen 20 Comments

Ooh! I watched the season premiere of The Walking Dead tonight with Tabs, and it was…interesting.
Tabs and I shared a big tub of microwave popcorn, and I took notes during the show while he barked out orders like, “Mrrow.” [Look into getting us a dirt bike for quick escapes, and get straps to attach a cat carrier.]
Tabs actually loves zombie movies, shows and literature. He’s read more than 100 zombie books, something he refers to as “research,” and he takes his zombie apocalypse preparations very seriously. For instance, he has stockpiles of gravy that even I don’t know about, and he’s drafted elaborate emergency plans.
In the event of a zombie outbreak, I am to report to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Makeup and Beauty Blog headquarters, where I will be responsible for opening the cans of gravy, thanks to my time-tested opposable thumbs.
Tabs says that in the zombie books he’s read, cats rarely play a major role, but he attributes this to feline self-sufficiency. See, cats don’t stick around when the sh*t hits the fan. No way. They turn tail and run!
Still, he hopes the day never comes, though, because it would result in a serious drop in worldwide gravy production. 🙂
In other news, this was a pretty busy week for Tabs, irrespective of zombies. He had kitty modeling jobs for a number of big beauty brands. I don’t know if you’re into that kind of thing (kitty supermodeling), but if you are, here are the highlights from this week’s campaigns…

by Karen 23 Comments






A relaxing Sunday afternoon. Hope you’re having a good one!



