
The Too Faced Cosmetics Natural Face Natural Radiance Face Palette, $39.


by Karen 12 Comments
by Karen 4 Comments



A closeup of the eyeshadows in the new Too Faced Cosmetics Sweet Indulgences kit ($52).
by Karen 17 Comments

It’s all about the cats and makeup (the C&M).
Tabs actually wanted to tackle the pics for this afternoon’s post, and who am I to argue with Tabs? He’s a world-renowned plus-size kitty supermodel, actor and entrepreneur, and I’m just a makeup-obsessed girl with a cat…
…and strong cat lady tendencies.
And a deep abiding love for beauty bargains and cat eyes, like the kind you can do with the new $3 NYC New York Color Metallic Eyeliners in Leopard Print and Serpentine Purple.

by Karen 27 Comments

Why is it that whenever I need one of those black rubber hair elastics I can never, ever find one, but when I don’t need one they’re all over the place? — on the carpet, in my pockets, around my wrist, on my desk.
It’s like one of those unstated laws of the universe…
Happened to me yesterday as I was taking pics. My hair, which was down, started working my nerves; it’s at that stage where it’s a little too long and shaggy to just wash and wear down.
I only had minutes of good light left as the sun went down but couldn’t find an elastic to put my hair up in a ponytail, so I twisted it up in a bun and grabbed the closest long, pointy thing I could find, which happened to be a Shu Uemura Fan Brush.
Lo and behold, instant improv hair! 🙂

by Karen 4 Comments




The sparkly, jewel-toned nails in the new Pixi Fall 2012 Nail Colour collection, YUM!

by Karen 10 Comments



Your nephew making a funny face. 🙂
by Karen 18 Comments

I think I’ve finally found THE gloss to wear on the off chance that I decide to make the jump from curmudgeonly pet assistant to sultry siren: Tom Ford’s new Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Naivete ($45).
I’ve been deeply committed to dependable my-lips-but-better glosses like MAC Ample Pink, Big Baby and Fulfilled for the past few months because, like flats with low heels, they may not be flashy, but they get the job done.
Tom, however, has me seriously rethinking that. Like a master chef, he seasoned this shiny, striking plum perfectly with a sprinkle of golden glitter and heaping spoonfuls of pigment.
POW!
I’m seduced… Naivete makes me want to play the role of tantalizing temptress. On my pout, it looks almost like patent leather, and when I see it, I want to purr (I can’t, but I want to).

by Karen 21 Comments

Your favorite bakery. A bell dangling over the door jingles as you enter into a world of candy sprinkles and fresh baked bread. Like a character in a cartoon, your eyes practically double in size when they see the row upon row of full-size and miniature cupcakes, all of them decorated and carefully arranged, behind a glass display case.
An unintelligible noise escapes your lips as you drift into a trance. Nnngggh… Driven by the sights and smells around you, you lumber up to the counter, dragging your feet along the polished tile floor. You order a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting, and gobble the whole thing down, right then and there, before the salesperson can even hand you your change (um, yes, I have done this before).
“Oh,” she says, a little embarrassed for you.
Tom Ford Beauty’s new Lip Color in Aphrodisiac ($48) is kinda like the makeup equivalent of that.
There’s something about this intense fuchsia, with its creamy texture and satiny finish, that makes me think of an all-you-can-eat cupcake buffet, where I get to devour dozens of rich, indulgent cupcakes without upsetting my muffin top. 🙂
Vivid fuchsia lippies like this one always light my fire because they make bright, polished looks so incredibly easy. A little liner, some mascara, a bright blush (Tom Ford’s Narcissist, perhaps?) and one layer of lipstick, and I’m ready for almost —
HOLY MOTHER OF TABS! $48?! Are you kidding me?!
Yes, ma’am, in this case, that ease of use also costs an arm and a leg (seriously, Tom, have you ever heard of a sale?).
To its credit, though, Aphrodisiac does seem pretty special for a fuchsia lip product; it’s probably one of the smoothest, most pigmented lippies I’ve ever worn.
Somehow, even when my lips are dry, gnarly and totally ewww, Aphrodisiac still manages to look and feel smooth…
Smooth like Jeremy Renner pouring you a glass of red wine after a candlelit dinner at home and firing up his Jodeci mid-’90s slow jams playlist.
(Gurl, you know that would be pretty damn smooth.)



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