Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

Using the New MBB Galleries, Categories and Brands to Find Posts in the Archives

September 25th, 2012 by Karen 25 Comments

It’s been about two weeks since the blog brought home its new outfit, and things behind the scenes are moving right along (iPhone and Android users, the mobile version should now be working).

Here’s a quick screencast showing some of the new features. I hope you like how things turned out. 🙂 Thanks for all of your great feedback so far.

Slowly but surely, I’m filling out the Brands dropdown menu with posts from the archives. Because it was something we never had before, Tabs and I (haha, okay just me) have been editing each of the 7,200 posts and clicking little checkboxes next to the brands they correspond to. That way, the posts appear when we click the corresponding brand names in the new dropdown menu.

As for the new Galleries (my favorite new feature), it’s thumbnails, thumbnails everywhere! I think the new galleries are fun, look pretty cool, and they’re a good way to discover posts you may have missed back when they were originally published (the MAC gallery goes aaaaaaall the way back to 2007). They’re also a great way to get to know me and Makeup and Beauty Blog if you’re a new visitor.

Thank you as always for visiting. Have fun, click around, make yourself at home, and I’ll see you soon in the comments. 🙂

Finding your way around Makeup and Beauty Blog…

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OMG, YES!

September 25th, 2012 by Karen 11 Comments

Tom Ford Cheek Color in Narcissist.

All I have to say is yes, yes and YES!

The prospect of wearing this shade = thrilling! 🙂

And a Good Time Was Had By All

September 25th, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

toll-house — Mmm… Warm and chewy chocolate chip cookies…

Things I ate (and stuff that caught my eye) last weekend…

veg-burger-on-pretzel-bun — A veggie burger on a pretzel bun from The Counter in Corte Madera

special-recipe-shower-gel — Cute lil’ bunny

get-real-body-splash — Bare naked bears!

Like Fairies, Nixies, Pixies and Sprites, the New Chanel Holiday 2012 Collection Is a Spellbinding Creature

September 24th, 2012 by Karen 30 Comments

chanel eclats du soir de chanel holiday 2012 makeup collection — The new Chanel Eclats du Soir de Chanel Holiday 2012 Makeup Collection

What gilded sorcery is this that seduces my senses with quilted eyeshadows in gold, bronze, violet and pink? — that piques my interest and enchants my cheeks, face, lips and nails with deep reds, pinks and beige?

It is Chanel, you say? A conjurer named Coco? And her spell is called Eclats du Soir?

This spell you speak of and its 10 pieces of prettifying power, they hath possessed me! I am now at the mercy of the new Chanel Eclats du Soir de Chanel Collection for Holiday 2012!

BEWARE! For soon, when the spell spreads to Chanel counters and chanel.com next month, you might be, too… 🙂

Here’s a look at six of the 10 upcoming pieces from the release (reviews coming soon)

the chanel eclats du soir de chanel holiday 2012 makeup collection — Clockwise from the gloss at the lower left: Glossimer in Mystery, Quadra Eye Shadow in Harmonie du Soir, Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Apparence, Rouge Allure Velvet in L’Impatiente, Le Vernis Nail Colour in Malice and Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Star Dust

chanel harmonie du soir quad — Harmonie du Soir Quadra Eye Shadow ($65)

chanel harmonie du soir quad closeup — Harmonie Du Soir eyeshadows in Violet-Plum and Pink

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MAC Unsung Heroes: Harmony Blush

September 24th, 2012 by Karen 30 Comments

Cheeks and MAC Harmony Blush go together like lemonade and chocolate chip cookies…

Okay, wait — that might not have come out right.

Seriously, though, have you ever had lemonade and chocolate chip cookies before? I mean together? 🙂 I know it sounds like a weird combination, but I swear it’s better than it probably sounds.

The two make harmonious music together, forming an unlikely alliance of sweet and sour that could almost be a metaphor for my life.

Case in point: last Saturday morning I crawled out of bed feeling anxious and overwhelmed. I had a bunch of chores to do around the house (and when the house is a mess, it makes everything worse), but I didn’t want to do any of it. I wanted to unwind more than anything else, and I knew that I wasn’t going to get anything productive done until I improved my outlook.

Two words: window shopping. I threw on some clothes and minimal makeup and decided to hit the mall.

I drove down to The Village at Corte Madera, which is about 20 minutes away, because they have a Nordstrom there with a great MAC counter, an Anthropologie store, Apple store, Bare Escentuals, Blue Mercury, Kate Spade and some other good stuff. Out of nowhere, I got a weird craving for a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of lemonade, so I walked over to this place called Boudin’s, a cafÃ©/bakery chain here in the Bay Area (they make a mean loaf of sourdough). As usual, of course, the universe had other plans…

Gal at the register (who was clearly not having her best customer service day): Hi.

Me: Hi! Everything always smells so good in here; it’s hard to decide. Okay, I think I’d like a chocolate chip cookie…but can you tell me first if they’re chewy or crunchy?

Gal at the register: They’re chewy and crunchy. If you buy one you can find out.

Me: Uh-huh… The thing is, I don’t really like cookies that are too crunchy, sooo I only want to buy one if it’s more chewy than crunchy. [SIGH] Okay, um, do you have lemonade?

Gal at the register: We have water and sliced lemons. But no lemonade. You can squeeze the lemons into your water and make your own lemonade.

Me: (My left eyelid started twitching) Hmm… On second thought, ya know, I think I’m gonna pass. Thank you anyway.

Then, wouldn’t you know it, as I left the restaurant empty handed and rounded the corner outside, I saw a soda machine in front of me with what? — lemonade! And me without a cookie.

Mom always says not to sweat the small stuff, but when I’m cranky and craving sweets, that’s easier said than done…

Still, I tried. I went back to walking around the mall and tried to ignore my rumbling tummy. I came upon a woman with her little girl, who looked to be about three years old, playing in the middle of the mall’s courtyard.

The girl was smiling and holding a green balloon. Suddenly, it slipped out of her hands!

Instead of screaming or bursting into tears (something I might have done had it happened to me at that moment), the girl chased after the balloon, laughing and jumping as she watched it float higher and higher into the sky.

As I watched the girl, who never stopped smiling, I felt something inside of me click. It was my reset button, turning me away from my crazy place and bringing me back to inner peace and harmony.

Which reminds me about a blush… 🙂

How do I love thee, MAC Harmony Blush? Let me count the ways…

This muted rosy beige could almost pass for a brown.
Considering its versatility, $20 is a bargain for this blush. You can use it as a contouring face bronzer, a warming blush or an eye crease color to give depth to different looks.
If you’ve ever had trouble with bronzers having orange undertones before, take a look at Harmony. It adds warmth without the orange undertones. Fantastic for skin tones from pale to medium!
I wear it when I want a natural-looking cheek color with a little warmth that won’t interfere with the rest of my makeup, like when I wear a strong eye and lip combo.
On my NC42 skin, I usually wear 2-3 layers to reach a level of color I like.
I wear Harmony a lot when I’m in a hurry. I’ll do a couple quick layers on the apples of my cheeks, and give some definition to my eyes with a small amount swiped into my creases with a 217.
Sometimes, when I want more color than I get from Harmony alone, I’ll add a brighter pink like Dollymix on top.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 238

September 24th, 2012 by Karen 74 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.

Mood:
Awake! — now that I’ve got two cups of coffee in me, and better now that I’ve done some free writing. I have this exercise where I write about whatever I want, as fast as I can, for 10 minutes. Most of the time it’s complete nonsense or babbling about tiny pumpkins or road rage, but it gets the job done.

I was feeling really anxious and overwhelmed first thing this morning, but I feel about a billion times better now that I’m done. There’s just something therapeutic about getting the crazy thoughts in my head on the monitor/paper.

But some mornings, when even that’s too hard, I’ll just list out all of the things I’m grateful for, and after that I usually feel better.

I set a pretty ambitious schedule for myself today…but the Chanel holiday collection promises to calm my nerves. 🙂

What’s your lazy day/weekend beauty routine?
Depends on how lazy I feel, but normally it’s brows, tinted moisturizer, concealer to cover my dark circles, mascara and a dash of gloss. It only takes about five minutes or so, and I always feel so much better when I’m done.

What’s one thing life has taught you?
That I’m responsible for moving my life forward. If I just kick back and wait for things to happen, chances are, they won’t.

What are your glam go-to’s (beauty or otherwise?)
A bright lipstick like MAC Impassioned, a pretty pair of Michael Kors Braided Chain Platform heels and a couple spritzes of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume… Coco Mademoiselle works miracles, I tell ya! I spritzed some on the other night after my shower, and even though I was wearing my plaid pajamas, I felt like the belle of the ball, LOL!

Ramen: love it or leave it?
I hate to say this because I know that it’s saltier than salt and filled with preservatives…but I love the stuff. LOVE IT! Especially with sliced fish cake and bok choy, NOM!

It’s okay to (FILL IN THE BLANK).
Eat cookies/cake for breakfast, admit that you’re wrong, forgive yourself, and forgive others, (even when they’ve really, really hurt you).

What’s the most isolated place you’ve ever lived?
Um…probably Davis, where I went to school. It’s a small college town about two hours north of the Bay Area out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by farm land.

The last time you sat next to a stranger on a plane, did you chat with them?
I did. I usually try to chat a bit with the people seated next to me on airplanes because I figure, if you’re going to be sharing such cramped quarters with someone for such a long time, might as well try to make it as pleasant as possible. Plus, you never know who’s going to have a good story to tell!

What kind of emails annoy you?
The one-word emails that just say “Thanks” and get cc’d to a big group of people. Really? Was that really necessary to send to EVERYONE?
Weekly goals:
“Never give up! Never surrender!” – Galaxy Quest, 1999

Howdy, sweets! 🙂 I hope you have a little time to stop by and say hello.

To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le List

1. Mood:
2. What’s your lazy day/weekend beauty routine?
3. Whats one thing life has taught you?
4. What are your glam go-to’s (beauty or otherwise?)
5. Ramen: love it or leave it?
6. It’s okay to (FILL IN THE BLANK).
7. What’s the most isolated place you’ve ever lived?
8. The last time you sat next to a stranger on a plane, did you chat with them?
9. What kind of emails annoy you?
10. Weekly goals:

Gimme a big smile, will ya? 🙂 That’s step one toward us having a great day.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 210

September 23rd, 2012 by Karen 18 Comments

Had a pretty great afternoon today, even though I had to work. But it wasn’t really work, per se. Tabs took me to lunch — his excuse to talk about Halloween costume ideas — but at least I got a free meal out of it. We went to this gourmet burger joint called The Counter, and I finally got the veggie burger and fries I’d been wanting all week.

The restaurant had a TV behind the bar, and I glanced up to see the Steelers playing the Raiders. I know that Tabs is a huge football fan, so I took the opportunity to pick his brain. I asked him what it was like playing professional football for the Mill Valley Wildcats before he got into kitty modeling.

He looked off into space for a minute, just sort of stared and smiled… “Meow,” he finally said. [It was one of the toughest jobs I ever had, but I loved every minute.] He went on to describe the camaraderie, the adrenalin rush, the nervousness he felt before every game.

He told me all about some of the technical aspects of the game, like how there are 11 cats on offense, defense and 11 more on special teams. He played on offense, tight end, because he was a little too husky to play wide receiver but not fast enough to be a running back.

After retiring from the game, he briefly considered going into coaching. He’s always liked molding new talent, but he wanted something more stable. As a coach, you lose one big game and you’re out. At least with kitty modeling, when you’re as good looking as Tabs, you can count on a few good years. I have to say, though, he’s a great teacher, and very inspiring. I bet he would have made an excellent coach.

I guess it’s not too late. He could always coach up-and-coming kitty models. 🙂

This was a decent week for his career. He had modeling jobs for a few big beauty brands, and here are some of the pics…

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Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

September 22nd, 2012 by Karen 458 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Jamie! Congratulations, Jamie! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Tabs and I are watching Project Runway right now, and Tim Gunn seems like such a cool guy. I envy Tabs for being able to work so closely with him. What a tremendous opportunity — having Tim Gunn as your mentor. His insights into feline and human fashion are so simple yet eloquently stated, and he just seems like such a nice person on top of everything else (loved his book).

Tabs gets so many great opportunities like that… I wonder if he fully appreciates how lucky he is. I asked him about it once, how lucky he felt, and he said, “Mrrrow.” [The harder I work, the luckier I get.]

Thanks for stopping by this morning. It’s always nice to see you. 🙂

Have you entered this weekend’s giveaway yet? Just takes a comment, and there’s a Sephora eGift card waiting for a good home.

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, have you ever designed a piece of clothing? Who’s your favorite Project Runway designer? When was the last time you had a meal outside? What’s the coldest it gets where you live? Have you ever been to New York? What’s your favorite black eyeliner? — you get the idea.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/R7ttUF

The deadline to enter is Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Jamie! Congratulations, Jamie! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂