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A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

Rachel McAdams: Her Best Hair?

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rachel-mcadams-hair-poll

I think Rachel McAdams (born Rachel Anne McAdams on November 17, 1978 in Ontario, Canada) pretty much rocks.

I mean, c’mon — what’s not to like? She gets points from me for having the guts to wear pink hair (you go, girl!). That, and she starred in The Notebook, one of my all-time favorite flicks. 🙂

Rachel’s been acting since 12 but didn’t get her big break until comedian Rob Schneider’s The Hot Chick. Then came Mean Girls (remember her in that?).

Her career’s been on an upswing lately, and Forbes magazine recently named her the third most Bankable Actress in Hollywood.

As for her hair, Rachel’s locks are as varied as the characters she plays, with styles in bunches of different colors and lengths.

Which of Rachel's hairstyles do you like best?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I’m here at the airport in San Francisco waiting for my flight… If I don’t check back in for a few hours, have a great day. 🙂

What’s Your Rainy Day Makeup Routine?

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rainy-day-makeup-routine

Hi, ladies. 🙂 Here’s mine:

  • Concealer mixed with Origins GinZing Eye Cream
  • Waterproof Mascara
  • Tinted moisturizer and powder
  • Blush
  • Lipstick (because wind + sticky lipgloss + hair flying all over the place = yuck)

I figure that if rain is coming down sideways and splattering all over my face, I should keep my makeup easy and low-maintenance — something that won’t require too much effort to touch up.

How ’bout you?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Six hours from now I leave the house bound for Blog World in Las Vegas. It’s a conference of bloggers from around the world with sessions on different things like video podcasting, technical topics like how to host a website, social networking (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), monetization (advertising and whatnot) and various other blog-related stuff.

Consequently, I might be covering different things over the next few days (the conference runs through Saturday)… I’ll probably mix blogging tips and advice in with makeup/beauty — things I learn at the conference. But, as usual, I’ll also be on the prowl for beauty booty to share. 🙂

The Urban Decay Smoke Out Palette: How Would You Wear Sweet Lucy?

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urban decay smoke out sweet lucy swatches

Before bed I like to surf for celebrity makeup inspiration online.

I’ll bookmark the looks I think I might like to copy and save them in a folder ironically titled, “Celebrity Makeup Inspiration.” 🙂

Last night I bookmarked this pic of Jennifer Hudson at the 2009 Grammy Awards.

Hello, hawtness! I love the black, gray and white eye she’s wearing. Soo sultry…

This morning I rifled through my makeup stash to see if I had dupes for a similar look when I remembered Urban Decay’s Smoke Out Kit in Sweet Lucy ($34).

It’s one of three Smoke Out Kits UD released for the holidays. This one’s all about the smokey eyes.

Each Smoke Out Kit comes with four powder shadows in coordinating shades, a mini 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (a deep black), a mini tube of Skyscraper Mascara (black) and a tiny eye brush.

  • Sweet Lucy: Blacks and grays for smokey looks
  • Ju-Ju: Browns for neutral looks
  • Yerba: Deep greens for colorful looks

urban decay smoke out sweet lucy swatches 2
Eyeshadows from left to right: a neutral tan matte and a cool white matte
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Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Lip and Eye Palette Swatches, Part 2

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Bobbi Brown Holiday 2009 Earth Metal Lip and Eye Palette

Ladies, here’s a closer look at the lippies from the Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Lip and Eye Palette ($60).

BAM! Giant lip swatches comin’ atcha. 🙂

Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Palette Swatches Rose Bud Creamy Lip Color 3
Rose Bud: a creamy warm brown cream

These join six shimmer eyeshadows in the Earth Metal palette.

I think Rose Bud’s (shown above) my favorite…

What’s yours?
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Bloggerati Spotlight

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The Beauty Bloggerati

Rise and shine, morning glories! It’s a waterlogged, wind-battered Tuesday over here in Northern California. They’re predicting 4 inches of rain by tomorrow. At this very moment, the sky here is this color.

I hope the weather is fairer where you are. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Lip and Eye Palette Swatches, Part 1

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Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Palette Swatches pan-2
Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Lip and Eye Palette Shadows from left to right: Black Spruce, Sunset Gold and Antique Gold

Hi, gals. A few of you asked about the Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Lip and Eye Palette ($60, part of the Holiday collection) and demanded some swatches. 🙂

Here are the six eyeshadows; the lippies will be coming soon.

Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Palette Swatches pan-1
Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Lip and Eye Palette Shadows from left to right: Golden Leaf Shimmer, Earth Metal Metallic and Zinc Metal

Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Palette Swatches-2
Swatches from left to right: Black Spruce, Sunset Gold and Antique Gold

Bobbi Brown Earth Metal Palette Swatches shadows-swatches-1
Swatches from left to right: Golden Leaf Shimmer, Earth Metal Metallic and Zinc Metal
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Splurge or Steal: MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator Versus Aveeno Positively Ageless Warming Scrub

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aveeno-positively-ageless-warming-scrub-and-mac-volcanic-ash-1

My skin adores MAC’s gentle Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. It makes my face and neck feel softer than a feather boa and smells yummy, too (like brown sugar and honey).

But the stuff ain’t cheap, that’s for sure… The tubes cost $20 a pop!

To put the price in perspective, that’s enough to get 13 Wet ‘n’ Wild 666 Brandywine lip pencils, yo!

Why exfoliate?

It removes dead cells dulling the surface of the skin while smoothing and brightening, and if you’re prone to pimples it can also reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts.

A drugstore option?

I love MAC’s Volcanic Ash but also want a cheaper alternative, so I’ve been haunting/hunting drugstore aisles up in my neck of the woods.

I think I may have found one — Aveeno’s $8 Positively Ageless Warming Scrub.

How it stacks up against MAC Volcanic Ash

It’s a fairly new exfoliating scrub for the face and neck that contains Shitake mushroom complex instead of volcanic ash. The company claims it promotes younger-looking skin.

NOTE: Positively Ageless Scrub’s packaging isn’t very specific about what “younger-looking” skin means. Typically, the phrasing refers to products designed to reduce the appearance of age spots, fine lines and wrinkles.

After using it for two weeks, I haven’t seen a notable change in my spots or fine lines — maybe after I’ve used it longer — but I still really like the product as a skin exfoliator.

Like the name implies, Positively Ageless gently warms when I rub it against my skin.

Performance?

It’s mostly a tossup. I consider my combo-oily/dry skin to be sensitive and have to be careful about abrasive scratching.

Like MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator, Positively Ageless Scrub’s exfoliating grains are finer than sand, and both leave my face and neck feeling soft and hydrated, versus dry or taut.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Oct. 12

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Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. II

  1. Mood:

    2. Whee! The coffee’s kicking in… I feel pretty good, but my to-do list is staring at me with those scary Geico eyes. I have lots to do before heading to Vegas for a conference (Blog World Expo) on Wednesday.

  2. Do you read or study with the TV or music playing in the background?

    3. I wish I could, but I need the sound of silence. I love music, but if I’m listening while reading I can’t concentrate worth squat.

  3. Do you wear glasses?

    4. Yup! I used to only wear them for distance, but the interwebz and computer screens have ruined my vision. Pretty soon I’ll need spectacles in my sleep!

  4. Outfit:

    5. Stretchaaaay clothes are my BFF. Black cropped yoga pants, a gray sweatshirt and a long-sleeve pink/white striped top.

  5. Cold weather — love it or hate it?

    6. Bluh, hate it!

  6. Eyes/Lips/Cheeks:

    7. Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. II/MAC Suntint SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balm in Lilt of Lily/NARS Orgasm/Laguna Duo

  7. What was the last nice thing to happen to you?

    8. Tabs just jumped up on my desk, plopped his kitty bum directly in front of me on the keyboard and gently set his paws on my shoulder.

  8. Something you’d like to remind yourself of today:

    9. Even if you never win a race, always run with style and dignity.

  9. Guys who carry man purses — yes or no?

    10. YES, PLEASE. My purse is not built to carry your cameras, comic books, Powerbars, your 10 pounds of loose change, your Swiss Army Knife or your Swingers DVD, etc. etc. 🙂

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Go for a walk after work to scope out the new neighborhood, figure out what to do with the curtains (it’s official, I’m useless in all matters of home decor) and get to bed early on Tuesday night (gotta get up at 3 a.m. Wed morning to catch a flight).

Happy Monday, tabby cats.

Two more things I wish I could do: 1) I wish I could eat mountains of cheese without worrying about the calories going directly to my butt, and 2) I wish I could figure out how to extend the weekends and delay the inevitable start of the workweek.

Before you dive into your to-do list, take a second to check in? It’s quick and painless — less so than waxing a ‘stash. 🙂

To play, just copy the list below and stick it in the comments with your answers.

Le list

1. Mood:
2. Do you read or study with the TV or music playing in the background?
3. Do you wear glasses?
4. Outfit:
5. Cold weather — love it or hate it?
6. Eyes/Lips/Cheeks:
7. What was the last nice thing to happen to you?
8. Something you’d like to remind yourself of today:
9. Guys who carry man purses — yes or no?
10. Weekly goals:

Have a good one today!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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