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I’d Like to Kiss The Inventor of These MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencils

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mac kiss me quick
Wearing MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Kiss Me Quick

In the summer before my freshman year of high school, my friend Nancy taught me how to kiss.

I hadn’t had a boyfriend yet but figured I should probably prepare myself before school started, just in case. Nancy, having dated a boy earlier that year, was my closest friend with the appropriate experience, so on our breaks during the algebra class we took together that summer, Nancy dispensed various pearls of kissing wisdom like…

  1. Eat grape lollipops before kissing to freshen the breath (according to Nancy, they worked better than breath mints)
  2. Observe proper gum etiquette (gum should not change owners during a make-out session)
  3. Practice makes perfect

Forget pillows. Nancy recommended making out with your knee or the back of your hand to more accurately assess spit production and refine your technique (Nancy was all about the scientific method; she wanted to be an engineer). I have to admit — the girl was sharp. 🙂

I hadn’t thought about those old kissing lessons for years until today, when I decided to put the new MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencils ($18 each, part of the upcoming MAC Styledriven collection) to the test.

mac style driven pro longwear lip pencils
Pro Longwear Lip Pencils, $18 U.S./$21.50 CDN
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Vera Farmiga: Her Best Hair?

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I am not a morning person. I usually take about two hours to “power up” after waking, and until I’m sufficiently charged, my linguistic capabilities are limited to a couple of halfhearted grunts, and perhaps a “hrmph!” or two.

But there are two things that do accelerate the power-up process: TV and coffee/tea. If I can spend about 10 minutes in the morning with a cup of tea while watching how other humans communicate, I’m usually good.

This morning I watched a few minutes of a movie called Joshua on SyFy (it’s been years since they changed the spelling from “SciFi,” but I still always want to say “See Fee” whenever I see the little logo in the corner of the screen), starring Sam Rockwell and the lovely Vera Farmiga.

It’s about a couple, their newborn baby girl, and their young son Joshua, who becomes jealous of the new addition to the family. Creepy things start to happen around the house, and by the time the couple realizes that their son Joshua is to blame, it’s too late for the family.

Jackpot! Can’t go wrong with zombie and vampire flicks, possession movies and films about precocious children who hatch evil plans. Instant win.

Watching the movie I realized that I didn’t know much about Vera Farmiga, its leading lady, although I have enjoyed many of her recent movies, like Source Code, The Departed and Up in the Air (for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination).

New Jersey’s own Vera Ann Farmiga, born August 6, 1973 and raised in a strict Ukrainian Catholic household, originally wanted to be an optometrist when she grew up, but she changed her mind and decided instead to study acting at the Syracuse University School of Visual and Performing Arts.

She made her Broadway debut in 1996 as an understudy in the play Taking Sides, and after several stage roles, started getting cast in movies.

Now, when she isn’t lighting up the screen, she’s raising her two kids and pet angora goats. 🙂

I like how she’s willing to take chances with her hair, especially the color. She’s spent time as a blonde, a brunette and a redhead, too.

Which of Vera's hairstyles do you like best?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Chanel Les Jeans de Chanel: At Least These Jeans Always Fit

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chanel les jeans de chanel

At least…

At least there aren’t any crumbs in my bra.

At least I have my two front teeth.

At least when my husky tabby sits on my bladder at 3 in the morning he only weighs 18 pounds and not 28.

At least I still have my sanity.

At least I can still do the Running Man.

At least I’m not infected with an as-yet unidentified pig/bat hybrid super virus (still freaked out after watching Contagion!).

At least I’m getting four hours of sleep; that’s better than not getting any sleep at all.

At least my muffin top would sustain me for a while if I ever found myself stranded on a desert island without food.

At least I’m not wearing stretchy pants 24/7 (at least, not yet).

At least I don’t have a Comic Sans tattoo.

At least I’ve never been in a hot tub on a reality TV show.

At least I have super agile toes (great for pinching people and for picking up pencils off the floor).

At least I’ve seen a sunset in Spain.

At least I have an inside voice, unlike Fat Man Scoop.

At least I can still drop it like it’s tepid (and sometimes lukewarm).

At least I no longer live with a roommate who absolutely refuses to change the toilet paper.

At least the new limited edition Les Jeans de Chanel Nail Colours ($29 each, available now), unlike the Joe’s Jeans I bought in 2004, will always fit.

chanel les jeans de chanel

chanel blue rebel
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Looking for a Dreamy, Creamy Lipstick that Lasts? Try the New MAC Pro Longwear Lipcremes

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MAC Dashing Pro Longwear Lipcreme
MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Positively Dashing

Lovahs of long-wearing lipstick, prepare to park your pout in front of the new MAC Pro Longwear Lipcremes for a prolonged play session when the MAC Styledriven collection cruises onto counters in t-minus 10 days.

Available in 12 shades of long-wearing pink, plum, orange, red and purple, these pigmented pretties may cost a bit more than MAC’s regular lipsticks ($17 U.S./$20 CDN versus $14.50 U.S./$17.50 CDN), but if you like creamy, pigmented lipsticks that latch onto lips and won’t let go, they deliver that much and a whole lot more.

mac style driven pro longwear lipcreme
Four of the 12 shades, from left to right: Dress It Up, Positively Dashing, So Very Good and Soft Sell

From the four shades I’ve been getting acquainted with, I’m beginning to think of these Lipcremes as upgraded versions of the MAC Amplified lipsticks (one of my favorite lipstick finishes from MAC), with similarly rich, intense pigments in a softer, creamier, more moisturizing formula.

More to like…

  • A forgiving finish — You know how some pigmented lipsticks can put a spotlight on any imperfections (like cracks/flakes) on your lips? That’s something these Lipcremes, despite their punchy pigments, don’t seem to do.
  • Wonderful wear time — So far today a single layer of Lipcreme has lasted me through three cups of tea and a bowl of Annie Chun’s Teriyaki Noodles for lunch. Lesser lipsticks would have given up the ghost by now.
  • A smooth operator — Despite how pigmented they are, I don’t feel like I have to use a lip brush with these to get a smooth, even application. I can apply them straight from the tube (with a caveat I’ll mention in a moment), which is great.
  • They make good scents — My super sensitive nose and taste buds both fancy the delicate vanilla flavor and scent.


Swatches from left to right: Dress It Up, Positively Dashing, So Very Good and Soft Sell
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Sept. 12

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll
Even Tabs stops to smell the flowers…

  • 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 three years, which I guess makes this somewhere around Vol. 185. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
  1. Mood:

    2. A little frazzled. I got a late start this morning, but I’m trying to make the most of having to play catch-up on a Monday morning. It’s all we can do, ya know?

  2. How do you feel about polka dots?

    3. It depends. I’m down with dots if they’re tiny, and the color palette’s neutral, like black and white, navy and white, or tan and white.

  3. If you could live a life of luxury in any city in the world, which city would it be?

    4. Honolulu! Perfect weather year round, great food and surfing without a wetsuit. Heaven.

  4. Your childhood nickname(s)?

    5. My folks (still) call me anak ko (ah-nock-ko), which means “my child” in Tagalog, or sometimes Kate or Katie. My brother calls me ate (pronounced ah-tee), which means “older sister” in Tagalog.

  5. What are the makeup/beauty products you use most often?

    6. Hmm… Probably my Shu Uemura Lash Curler or the MAC 226 Angled Brush (for filling in my brows).

  6. Your makeup motto?

    7. I have a few (have fun no matter what, makeup isn’t permanent, etc.), but my favorite is probably “go drag or go home!” I think it sums up how I feel about mascara. I love big, bold in-your-face lash looks.

  7. Describe your personal makeup aesthetic:

    8. I love classic, elegant makeup with a twist — something like a strong cat eye or a bold lip.

  8. Do you wear mascara on your lower lashes?

    9. Sometimes. It depends on how much time I have to get ready. When I’m running behind, I’ll skip it.

  9. Do you have a secret weapon?

    10. Actually, I have 10 of them. My toes! I have pretty great toe-eye coordination and can use them for good — things like picking up pennies and pencils from the floor — or for evil, like pinching people.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Gotta keep it simple this week, so I’m sticking to healthful daily goals like eating salads for lunch and exercising for at least 60 minutes every day.

Happy Monday, holmes! I hope your day got off to a good start.

If you have a moment, drop in and let me know how you’re doing. Have you ever done the Monday Poll?

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



1. Mood:
2. How do you feel about polka dots?
3. If you could live a life of luxury in any city in the world, which city would it be?
4. Your childhood nickname(s)?
5. What are the makeup/beauty products you use most often?
6. Your makeup motto?
7. Your personal makeup aesthetic?
8. Do you wear mascara on your lower lashes?
9. Do you have a secret weapon?
10. Weekly goals:

Are you looking for adventure this week, or would you rather play it safe? I’m sort of on the fence. I wouldn’t mind a little adventure as long as it ends by about 7 at night, haha! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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