Milani Baked Blush in Rose D’oro ($8), one of nine shades in the Milani Baked Blush line available now at drugstores and online.
Milani Baked Blush in Rose D’oro
Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, March 28
- 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. 163. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
- Mood:
- One of your strengths?
- Are you an optimist?
- Best piece of advice you ever received?
- Makeup you never leave home without?
- A fragrance you’re crushing on?
- What are some common fears you aren’t afraid of?
- What’s one of your favorite beauty rituals?
- Eyes/lips/cheeks:
- Weekly goals:
I feel great! I slept well last night and woke up this morning to sunshine streaming through the windows (after a week of heavy rains). I have a feeling today’s gonna be fantastic.
Perseverance, almost to a fault.
I think so, but like most folks I have my glass-half-empty moments.
You may never feel 100% ready for the things life throws at you.
A MAC Blot Pressed Powder Compact and at least one tube of lipgloss (usually MAC Nymphette).
Lately, Dolce & Gabbana L’eau The One.
Spiders, hard work, and heights. But if I’m working up high on a ladder and see a spider on my arm, all bets are off! 🙂
I really enjoy getting my hair done and being able to sit and read in the chair for a while.
I’m wearing stuff from the Jouer Train Case Kit today with a bit of Benefit and NYX thrown in for good measure — Jouer Powder Eyeshadow in Caramel, Jouer Eye Definer in Chocolat, Benefit Instant Brow and NYX Doll Eyes Mascara/Jouer Lip Definer in Rose Pale, Jouer Lipstick in Kiki and Jouer Lipgloss in Glisten/Jouer Powder Blush in Rose and Jouer Highlighter in Champage.
Run at least three times before Saturday, have a salad every day for either lunch or dinner, and remember to reward myself along the way for checking things off my to-do list.
G’morning and happy Monday, buddy. I hope you’re getting a taste of spring wherever you are. If you have a sec, let me know how you’re doing today in 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. One of your strengths?
3. Are you an optimist?
4. Best piece of advice you ever received?
5. Makeup you never leave home without?
6. A fragrance you’re crushing on?
7. What are some common fears you aren’t afraid of?
8. What’s one of your favorite beauty rituals?
9. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
10. Weekly goals:
You have a great week, okay? 
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Sundays with Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 132
Dear Diary,
Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about my next career moves. Being an international runway/print model’s been a great gig, but let’s be real — looks have a limited shelf life.
I suppose if I get really desperate I could always launch a celebrity fragrance, but seriously, that’s so played out. And, truth be told, I’d miss being in front of a live audience.
So, in an effort to prepare myself for the inevitable, I’ve been developing one of my hidden talents — singing.
I’ve been secretly taking voice lessons from Celine and Mariah, and last month I even did a 12-city tour of small clubs across the country. Nothing elaborate, just some jazz standards and a live three-piece cat band, but the performances were met with a lot of positive response.
Next month I’m heading into the studio to lay down some tracks. We’ll see where it goes. Shoot, if Gwyneth can do it…
I remain cautiously optimistic.
In other news, since it’s officially spring, I’ve decided to update my wardrobe.
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What Was the Last Face or Body Beauty Product You Finished?
I’m talking “down to the last drops, squeezing the life out of the tube, banging the bottle against the side of the sink” finished. Mine was this now unfortunate tube of Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blossom Body Butter. Yes, I cut it in half 
to extract every last drop (my precious!).
How about you? What was the last face or body beauty product you finished?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Jemma Kidd In Vogue Perfect Blush
Jemma Kidd In Vogue Perfect Blush
Jemma Kidd In Vogue Perfect Blush in Rodeo Drive ($18), one of three new blushes for spring 2011 available now at Target and online.
Would you rock this?
The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed
Rise and shine — yikes! It’s quarter to ten already? How’d that happen?
Well, good late morning anyway. 🙂 I started snapping pictures of Tabs after breakfast, and it appears that time has gotten away from me.
How’s your weekend been so far? I can’t recall having done anything spectacular with mine yet, but I did swing by a Barnes & Noble last night after dinner to read some magazines. That’s always fun. And I almost bought copies of the new French and Japanese versions of Vogue, but they were about $15 each (!) and shrink-wrapped, so I passed.
I know this isn’t beauty related, but I’m heartbroken about the Borders bankruptcy and bookstore closings announced here in the U.S. I found out this week that our store here in Marin is one of the ones on the chopping block. Dang, whenever a bookstore closes, I think a piece of the community it was in dies a little bit.
Of course, I’m guilty of contributing to its demise because I would often browse the store, only to leave and buy the books I found interesting from Amazon.com for less. But what can you do, right? Amazon was often 30-40% less expensive. That’s too significant a difference for me to overlook, even in support of something I really like.
Oh, well. C’est la vie…
The Weekly Roundup: Posts You Might Have Missed
THE SONIA KASHUK BEAUTIFUL BERRIES LIP QUAD
IS A DRUGSTORE MYRRH-ACLE
If you’re in the mood for a weekend drugstore splurge/reward, what do ya think of Sonia Kashuk’s new Beautiful Berries Lip Quad ($12.99)?
It’s one of three in SK’s new spring collection, and it looks like a perfect pick-me-up to me.
The pigmented colors and sleek packaging first caught my eye — so cute, right? — but the interesting ingredients sealed the deal. Sonia added myrrh resin extract to supposedly reduce the signs of aging and the depth of wrinkles, and antioxidant-rich pomegranate fruit sterols to moisturize and protect against environmental damage (the juice has been shown to be good for the heart, so there may actually be some real benefits to its use here). Read more…
SUAVE SAYS THEIR $3 DRY SHAMPOO
WORKS AS WELL AS $24 RENE FURTERER
I’ve been wearing my normally wavy hair straight lately and waiting a few days between washes to extend the life of my blowouts. To prevent my scalp from getting too funky with excess oil, I’ve been reaching for Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo, my fave dry shampoo, which also gives my roots a nice lift.
The problem: Naturia costs $24.
Ouch! Time to find a less expensive alternative…
And maybe I have. Suave Professional Dry Shampoo refreshes hair “as well as Rene Furterer” — at least that’s what it says on the side of the bottle. 🙂
Not even considering the fact that it only costs $3 (compared to $24?), the stuff is pretty good. Then when you DO consider the price, it’s downright amazing! First, there’s how fast it works. Read more…
THE SMASHBOX SULTRY/SWEET GLAMBOX TAKES
THE GUESSWORK OUT OF LOOKING GOOD
By the time I finished folding my laundry last weekend, there was a stack of 10 surf tees sitting on the bed. I don’t know when or how it happened, but it’s official — I have the wardrobe of a tween surfer boy.
It’s not that I wouldn’t like to wear other things. I just don’t like to spend the time and energy (read: I’m too lazy) it takes to put together comprehensive, fashion-forward looks. What I need is a wardrobe correction kit, a single set of pieces designed to create comprehensive looks, like a wardrobe version of the Smashbox Sultry/Sweet Glambox ($68). Read more…
LIKE SNICKERS, BITE BEAUTY DEFINE & REFINE
LIP SET REALLY SATISFIES
Sometimes you just need a quick snack to quiet the rumbling in your tummy, ya know? Not a full-on meal. Just a quick snack, like when Vampire Bill takes a sip from Sookie (Ha! I almost typed “Snookie”) while they’re “having relations.”
In a way, Bite Beauty’s new Define & Refine Lip Set ($36) is like a quick snack. You get to taste three full-size Bite lip products without having to pay full price. Purchased separately, they’d cost $68, or almost twice the price of the set.
I think Bite did a pretty good job picking the colors for this set. These are shades that should work well on a wide range of skin tones, and the overall quality, pigment and price make it a pretty great deal. If I could only recommend one thing from the Bite line so far, without a doubt, this would be it. Read more…
YOU’LL MARBLE AT MILANI’S
BAKED EYESHADOW COLLECTION
Remember when the first baked eyeshadows emerged hot and fresh out the beauty ovens way, way back in 2008? The big department store lines were popping them out faster than you can say, “I’ll take two red velvet cupcakes with extra frosting on the side.”
Three years later, the trend lives on! Budget versions of these sturdy baked beauties, which tend to resist water a little better than traditional shadows, have now made their way into drugstore makeup aisles.
And some of them work just as well as their pricier department store cousins. Take Milani’s Marbleized Baked Eyeshadows ($7.49 each), for instance. Read more…
MAC QUITE CUTE IS…
OH, THAT’S TOO OBVIOUS.
I wish I could hop into a time-traveling Delorean with the upcoming MAC Quite Cute collection and zoom back to 1984 (to when I was in 4th grade). Even though I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup back then, I would have done flips for these pastel treats for cheeks, nails, lips and eyes.
When I was a kid, I was crazy for anything and everything pastel. My favorite colors were mint green, lavender, peach and/or baby pink (not necessarily in that order). The colors of the MAC Quite Cute collection would have driven my 9-year-old self into fits! I probably would have locked myself in my room with it, loaded Duran Duran’s Notorious tape into my mint green Casio portable radio and danced around my purple painted room like an ’80s fairy princess.
Now in my thirties, I still have a deep and abiding love for pastels, and I felt the same familiar flutter in my tummy today when I saw Quite Cute up close for the very first time. Read more…
THE GLITTER IN MAKE UP FOR EVER’S NEW HIGHLIGHTERS
MAKES ME WANT TO STAY UPLIGHT
Rarely does my bizarre memory for cheesy pop music lyrics come in as handy as it did today. While marveling at the explosion of pigment and glitter on my cheeks from two of the eight new Make Up For Ever Uplight ($28) highlighters, I sang along to a MUFE version of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl.
“Uplight girl! She’s been living in her uplight world!”
Okay, so I’m way too easily amused. But I do think these multitasking, oil-free illuminators are well worth singing about. Maybe because they’re mostly water (70%), these gel highlighters feel almost weightless, and it’s like they melt right into my skin.
NARS released a similar product earlier this spring called the Illuminators. While I think both those and these are great, MUFE gave the Uplights a fluffier, airier texture that I find easier to blend. And from the colors I’ve seen so far, the Uplights also appear to pack much more pigment. For a subtle tint, I might opt for a NARS Illuminator, but I’d reach for an Uplight if I wanted bolder colors with intense glitter and shine. Read more…
SPRING’S AWAKENING WITH SONIA KASHUK’S
LATEST LIMITED EDITION MAKEUP PALETTE
Now that it’s spring here in the northern hemisphere, Tabs has been getting up early to perch up high on his cat tower by the windows and watch the birds outside.
On our walk around the neighborhood today, we saw that the branches of one of our favorite trees, which sits at the bottom of our hill, are now dressed in coat of beautiful pink blooms.
My spring allergies are already kicking in (thank goodness for Zyrtec!), but I wouldn’t trade this time of year for anything. Early spring is like getting a post card from a friend who’s coming to visit. You know there’s something fun right around the corner, but you’re not quite there yet. You know that if if you can be patient a little longer, the fun will start soon enough. Read more…
MAC BRONZE EVERYDAY COLLECTION
THE SUN NEVER SETS WHEN IT’S MAC BRONZE EVERYDAY
Well look who’s just in time for sundresses. 🙂 Hey there, MAC. Wait — let me bare my shoulders before we go outside…
Come April 7, babes, the bronze will be on — North American MAC counters, that is (internationally some time in April). That’s when the new MAC Bronze Everyday collection beams down.
The release features a mix of old and new MAC bronzing items for face and body. Expect to see repromoted favorites like the Skinsheen Leg Sprays and Lustre Drops alongside new products like Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and the Mineralize Skinfinish Bronzing Powders.
If you miss the release, don’t despair. MAC plans to add everything here to their permanent line. Read more…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Sonia Kashuk Super Shimmering Highlighter: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
So maybe you’re craving one of the new liquid highlighters from NARS or Make Up For Ever but aren’t feeling the $28-30 price. If you’re in bargain beauty mode and want a similar look for less, check out the new $9.99 Sonia Kashuk Super Sheer Shimmering Highlighter on your next trip to 
Target.
Available in a single warm peachy gold, it’s a shimmery liquid highlighter designed to be worn either alone or mixed with foundation or lotion to give your skin a subtle twinkle like sunset light on sand. I’d characterize the level of pigment as half way between the super sheer NARS Illuminators and the crazy pigmented Make Up For Ever Uplights.
And oh, the glitter! The flecks are so deliriously fine and tiny that even though it’s been cold and rainy here, I’ve been mixing a few pumps into my body lotion and applying it to my arms. When the light hits my skin just right, I look like a little brown angel. 🙂
Get the Most from Your Hair Color
Are you ready to turn that bottle blonde to a defiant brown? Or does that daring platinum call your name? When you and your hair are ready for a new shade, you’ll want your choice to last.
After a color change, it’s easy to get frustrated when once vibrant, glowing tones turn dull and fade, but with a few simple steps and perhaps changes to your routine, you can put off your next visit to your stylist for three weeks or more.
Watch out for these hair bears that can take your locks from VA-VA-VOOM! to boring in no time flat.
It’s repeated ad nauseum, but that’s because it’s true: the wrong shampoo and conditioner can wreak havoc on hair. Just like you wouldn’t give a moisturizer with mineral oil to someone with oily skin, you shouldn’t use sulfate-rich shampoos and conditioners on color-treated hair.
Sulphates are rather harsh surfactants (they’re one of the things that make shampoos lather) which strip product and oil from hair. And they can also do the same to color. Shampoos and conditioners formulated for color-treated hair have much lower levels of gentler sulphates (while many also contain natural cleansers to supplement this) that are better for daily use.
If you prefer not to use any heavy products on your hair at all, look for sulphate-free shampoos; they’ll preserve color even longer, but they may not be able to tackle product buildup (and don’t expect a foaming lather).
Styling products work by coating each strand of hair, and as many contain chemicals and oils, merely rinsing in water might not remove them. Products built up over time can leave your locks dull and limp. That’s where a clarifying shampoo comes in.
Normal clarifying shampoos are basically like dish soap. They contain extreme levels of sulphates and harsh stripping agents that can literally make color-treated hair ashen. Higher end companies and beauty supply stores, however, stock clarifying shampoos and treatments for more delicate hair. They rely on strong, natural extracts and oils (grapefruit being the most common) to gently dissolve buildup while nourishing the hair and smoothing the cuticle.
If you use shine products, keep in mind that silicones, while temporarily good for giving hair a mirror-like reflection and for smoothing frizz, can build up quickly over time, coating the cuticle, and making hair heavy, flat, and lusterless.
The sun is a fickle mistress, huh? It can burn our skin, yellow our nails, and now it can dull our hair, too? Well, yup. UV rays are extremely damaging to colored hair (especially to darker shades), leaching the life out of locks and making strands brittle and dry. But it’s easy to remedy with a leave-in treatment or spray containing UV-protection (basically, sunblock for your hair!). Many companies are now formulating UV-protecting shampoos and conditioners; however, if you spend much time outside, they shouldn’t be your hair’s only defense.
Heat styling and volumizing products both do some of the same things. They open the cuticle and make hair porous. Heat does it by making the hair cuticle expand; volumizing products do it by forcing open the cuticle and making strands appear thicker. Both of them allow color to escape.
Look for volumizing products manufactured for color-treated hair, which work by lightly coating the strands instead of expanding them.
Just by washing your hair in hot water, the cuticle can open enough for even mild sulphates in color-protecting shampoos to reach and strip away the molecules of color within the hair shaft. To stop it, rinse your hair in the coldest water you can tolerate (step out of the water stream and just dunk your hair under). Doing this with icy water will leave an incredible natural shine on hair as it seals in moisture and smooths the cuticle completely (and it tames frizz at the same time!).
Then, when blow-drying, aim the nozzle down the shaft to avoid damaging the cuticle, and blast hair with the cold setting once it’s bone-dry.
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