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

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

A Makeup and Beauty Blog giveaway
A Makeup and Beauty Blog giveaway

My heavens, it’s such a nice day out here. I woke up feeling a little run down today, like I didn’t sleep well for some reason, but then El Hub opened the drapes and a wave of warm sunshine flooded over me. Suddenly I felt a whole lot better. 🙂

Rise and shine, morning glory! Welcome to the weekend.

Not much on my plate today, other than catching up on some emails and doing a little product testing. I would like to go get Mexican food for lunch and maybe go for a hike to soak up some of this sunshine. That sounds like a nice way to spend a Cinco de Mayo.

I think I’m gonna go make myself a second cup of Kauai coffee now. Why don’t you enter today’s Sephora eGift card giveaway while I’m gone?

Be right back.

What folks are saying…

“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. 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

“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

Win a $50 gift card from Sephora

  • 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 been to Mexico? Are you currently happy with your hair? What are you wearing on your nails? Describe your skincare regimen. Are you reading anything good? How do you feel about audio books? — you get the idea.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/JTNDeV

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 6, 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 Jane! Congratulations, Jane! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

An Island Holiday Would Be a Delight: The Summertime de Chanel Le Vernis Nail Polishes

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summertime de chanel les vernis nail colour

High up on my list of things to do this weekend: 1) pluck my brows and 2) paint my nails.

This morning I found one of those scary long stray hairs sprouting out of my left eyebrow that just sort of showed up today like a mushroom, BAM! If it gets any longer, I’ll be able to wrap it ’round my finger.

Oh, but look at that — my nails, they’re not much better. We’re talkin’ chip city.

I plucked and painted early last week, but somewhere between here and Kauai, all hell broke loose.

Needless to say, I’ve got some beauty catching up to do, and I’m starting this weekend with the three Le Vernis Nail Polishes from the new Summer de Chanel ($26 each; available now at Chanel counters and chanel.com).

Have you peeped this launch in person yet? It’s pretty hot. 🙂 Every year, I look forward to Chanel’s (almost always) fabulous summery shades. Thirteen toasty bronzes, pinks, corals, peaches and golds for eyes, lips, cheeks, faces and nails, all inspired by our very own celestial sol-mate, our great giver of warmth in the sky, the sun!

After these swatches, I’m still undecided as to which colors to wear on my fingers and toes, but I know this much: barely three days back from Hawaii, and I’m already itching for another seaside vacation.

Something about these colors is speaking to me, and I think it’s saying, “Amalfi…”


Italy’s Amalfi Coast

I can see it now… I’m walking down a cobblestone street in a crisp white linen dress, peer down at my toes and see Holiday, a creamy reddish orange, peeking out from my gold, t-strap flats. I stop and buy a fresh lemonade from a street vendor, wrap my fingers around the paper cup and see Delight, a shimmery bronze, shining on my fingertips.

I guess that’s it for my weekend mani/pedi then. Delight on my fingers and Holiday on my toes. 🙂

chanel holiday

chanel delight
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3 Lessons Learned About Travel: Perfecting the Art of Packing

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3 packing lessons learned from kauai trip

Traveling is not one of my favorite things about traveling. I mean, the actual traveling part — the getting there — is not my idea of fun.

The rushing, the waiting, the feeling that I’m always forgetting something, the lugging around of luggage, and that strap from my carry-on bag that digs into my shoulder, the airport security checkpoint, the man who keeps sneezing next to me without covering his mouth (come on, sir!), and oh, they don’t serve food on this flight? No problem, I’ll just eat the kid behind me on the plane who KEEPS KICKING MY CHAIR, GAH!

At least it’s only a five-hour flight…

But one thing I do like about traveling is picking up new travel tricks to make future trips easier.

Over the past few years, I think I’ve gotten pretty good at a few aspects of air travel, like remembering where I parked my car after the return flight (TIP: snap a picture of your parking space with a camera phone) and zipping through the security checkpoint (TIP: wear shoes without buckles or laces that you can easily slip on and off), but packing? — packing is still not one of my strong points.

I over-pack. That’s all there is to it. I’m the girl who brings 15 pairs of underwear for a five-day getaway because you just never know if you’ll need the extra drawers. Like, what if I work out, and I want to change my underwear after? Right? I’d rather have more pairs than less.

But I am getting better at streamlining. I think. And I even learned a few new packing lessons on my recent trip to Kauai…

1. Pack in twos

It seemed counter-intuitive to me at first, but by doubling up on certain pieces of clothing, I had enough to cover my needs.

For example, on this trip I planned/hoped to exercise every day, but instead of packing five sports bras — which was my inclination — I only brought two. I’d work out in the first one, wash it in the hotel room sink, and hang it up on the balcony to dry.

If it was still damp the next day, I’d wear my second bra, and alternate between the two of them like that.

Saved a lot of room in my suitcase.

2. Work those workout clothes

Even if you don’t plan to hit the gym on your trip, bring that workout wear anyway. It’s usually lightweight, comfortable, easy to clean (even in the sink or bath), quick drying, suitable for spontaneous outdoor activities (like hiking, sightseeing, etc.), and wrinkle resistant. Plus, it doesn’t take up much room in your luggage or add a lot of bulk to your bag.


Gray tank top by Zella

I brought a few pieces from Zella on this trip, the in-house Nordstrom brand that’s basically like Lululemon but a little cheaper. I think their stuff is pretty stylish and definitely comfy. Perfect to wear on hikes.
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Face the Day the Kate Somerville Way With Epically Hydrating KateCeuticals Moisture Milk Cleanser

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Things that cross my mind 30,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean…

  1. If the zombie apocalypse went down and all air travel ceased, the only way I’d be able to visit Hawaii would be by boat … and that would pretty much suck.
  2. Man, my skin is sooo dry.
  3. Did I really just pay $7 for a fruit-and-cheese plate filled with tired apple slices, cracked crackers and sketchy cheese?
  4. Man, my skin is sooo dry.
  5. I have to “drop the kids off at school,” but the captain just said we’re in for some turbulence… I think I should wait.
  6. Man, my skin is sooo dry.

The climate control on airplanes sucks! Literally. Whenever I’m on a plane, I can practically hear the moisture being vacuumed out of my face. Mfsuuuuuuuup! By the end of the five-hour flight back from Kauai, my combo dry/oily skin felt like an old leather wallet.

First thing I did when I got home — well, the second thing, after biscuits with Tabs, of course — was wash my face with Kate Somerville’s KateCeuticals Moisture Milk Cleanser ($58), and I swear I heard my cheeks sighing with relief.

“Ever wanted to meet a superstar? Well, you can—with this superstar cleanser! This rich, creamy blend of antioxidants and fruit extracts is designed to clean, hydrate, and brighten the look of the complexion. KateCeuticalsâ„¢ Moisture Milk Cleanser delivers comfort to skin with a soothing blend of powerful Vitamins, Orange Blossom, and Orange Peel Extracts that leave skin feeling moisturized and fresh. This sulfate-free cleanser is so gentle that it can be rinsed or simply tissued off.”

— katesomerville.com

Designed to cleanse, quench, brighten and firm dry skin, Moisture Milk is loaded with kukui nut, macadamia and coconut oils to satiate even the thirstiest faces, and after rinsing, I can feel a moisturizing layer of product protecting my skin.

Now, a lot of cream cleansers will do that, but I think Kate’s goes above and beyond. The layer it leaves behind feels thicker and much more hydrating than other cream cleansers I’ve tried. It really seems to lock in moisture and keep the flakes at bay much longer than most.

kate somerville moisture milk cleanser

kate somerville moisture milk cleanser
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