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

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

Just Browsing: The Best Brow Kits for the “Eyebrow Challenged”

by 42 Comments

benefit-brows-a-gogo-and-clarins-eyebrow-kit

What a difference 12 hairs makes

Ladies, I’m writing to you from a new and exotic place that I never thought I’d visit.

No, it’s not Costa Rica or Turks and Caicos — it’s the land of oh-my-gawd-my-left-eyebrow-has-effin’-disappeared!

This morning I had a very unfortunate incident with some at-home wax. I’m kind of Hairy and the Hendersons, so my weekly facial hair removal sesh is a *must*.

Normally I pluck my brows and wax my ‘stash, but this morning I felt too tired and lazy to bust out ye olde Tweezerman.

After successfully de-fuzzing the caterpillar from my top lip, the mad genius in me (who only got four hours of sleep, mind you) decided that trying to wax my brows for the very first time made perfect sense.

Let the official transcript of this blog read: trying a new at-home beauty procedure after very little sleep is a BAD CALL.

Long story short, now a big chunk of my left brow is missing. Thank goodness only 12 hairs went MIA (yes, I counted them), but apparently they were very important ones. Now the left side of my face looks permanently frozen in surprise, a la the Joker.

To temporarily dull the emotional pain, I flat ironed my bangs to strategically cover up the evil bald spot, whom I’ve named Raul.

Then, I went rifling through my stash of fall beauty goods for some bald brow solutions.

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go, $38

benefit-brows-a-go-go

This eight-piece kit comes with *almost* everything needed to whip MIA brows back into shape, including brow wax, brow powder, tweezers and a teeny, tiny dual-ended brush for application.

Raul vamoosed after I followed Brows A-Go-Go‘s clear step-by-step directions. Apparently, applying brow wax first and powder second is totally key — who knew?

With the bald patch gone, my left brow looked strong, defined and very early ’80s Brook Shields.

I love this kit to pieces, but it’s missing one major thing — Benefit really should’ve included a brow comb.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Despite the lack of a comb, Brows A-Go-Go is an excellent kit that kicks bald brows to the curb. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Their brow powder applies very, VERY pigmented, and if too much gets accidentally packed on, brows can look severe. I ended up using my own brow comb to mellow out the overly dark parts, but including one with the kit would really come in handy for on-the-go touchups.

Clarins Eyebrow Kit Pro Palette, $35

clarins-eyebrow-kit-pro-palette

Raul was no match for this sleek palette, which comes with three brow powders, wax, a peachy pink shadow and three mini-tools — tweezers, a dual-ended brush and a brow comb (YES!).
[Continue reading…]

Men Who Own More Beauty Products than You Do — Yay or Nay?

by 36 Comments

medicine-cabinet

Back in my dating days, one thing I’d do without fail when I first started seeing a guy was snoop around his bathroom and medicine cabinet… on the down low.

Like Marc Anthony, I felt I *needed to know* about hidden dentures or preserved body parts in jars.

To my eternal relief, I never found anything scary, just mostly run-of-the-mill, boring dude stuff like deodorant, razors and whatnot.

I’ve been out of the loop for a while now, but with more men paying attention to skin and hair care than ever before, dating women face a new breed of conundrum.

Legions of single ladies are out there snooping medicine cabinets across this great land, and many of them are finding shelves filled with beauty products previously reserved for us, like toners, eye creams and leave-in conditioner.

I’m all in favor of well-groomed guys, but how would you feel about dating a man who owns more beauty products than you do?

Would you date a guy who owns more beauty products than you do?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Philosophy Field of Flowers: Field of (Freesia) Dreams

by 12 Comments

philosophy-field-of-flowers
A wee random sampling of goals from my bucket list:

  • Have a massive balloon drop from the ceiling, like at the end of David Bowie’s Modern Love video
  • Achieve total and complete self-awareness (not likely, but a girl can dream)
  • Twirl through a field of blooming freesia (assuming my allergy meds are working, of course).

Thanks to Philosophy Field of Flowers Perfumed Shower Gel ($16) and Ultra-Rich Body Lotion ($24), I can *almost* cross that third one off my list.

Why freesia? It’s one of my favorite flowers — so hopeful, innocent and optimistic.

Both the frothy shower gel and the rich body lotion leave a lovely scent that lingers on my skin for hours. They smell exactly (aren’t the bottles adorable?) the way I imagine that field would smell, like a mix of springtime dew and sunshine as far as the eye can see. 🙂

Unfortunately, both products are a little more expensive than I’d like, but the scent — oh, the scent. It’s intoxicating! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Too Faced Natural Eye Kit: Practically Awesome

by 19 Comments

too faced natural eye kit swatches-2

As much as I love to marvel at complicated eye looks with crazy colors and lots o’ blending, I get more practical use out of looks that are simple and easy.

I adore all-in-one palettes like the Too Faced Natural Eye Kit ($34, part of the new Naturally Naughty fall collection) for everyday use.

too faced natural eye kit swatches-1

The colors it comes with are of the highly wearable variety, which means they’re on the conservative end of the spectrum, but that also makes the kit a good overall value.

The double-sided brush/sponge applicator may not rise to the level of most MAC eyeshadow brushes, but it gets the job done and qualifies the kit for unexpected travel. Toss it into a purse with peace of mind, secure in the knowledge that the nine neutral matte and shimmer shadows it comes with sweep effortlessly over lids. They range from cool to warm shades and build and blend with ease.

too faced natural eye kit swatches-5
Swatches from left to right: Heaven, Velvet Revolver, Sexpresso

too faced natural eye kit swatches-6
Silk Teddy, Push-Up, Erotica

too faced natural eye kit swatches-7
Nude Beach, Honey Pot, Cocoa Puff

Too Faced even threw in three cheat sheets/cards, each describing how to do a different look.

They totes make getting dolled-up more of a cinch. 🙂

too faced natural eye kit swatches-4

They’re small things, literally and figuratively, but lean one up against a bathroom mirror and you’re armed with enough knowledge to properly place shadows for three common kinds of eye looks: classic, daytime and fashion.

If you’ve got school this fall or want a few new looks for work, take a closer look at the Too Faced Natural Eye Kit. Too bad Too Faced couldn’t make room for eyeliner and mascara! 🙂 Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Aug. 24

by 52 Comments

082409-monday-poll

  1. Mood:

    2. Wow, I think I may have actually gotten enough sleep. It’s a whole new world!

  2. What was your last purchase?

    3. I treated El Hub to an Orange Dream Machine Jamba Juice yesterday and got myself a Blackberry Bliss — have you tried? They’re pretty new and sooo good!

  3. Your favorite loose or pressed powder?

    4. Right now it’s MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. I love that it doesn’t look heavy or obvious on my skin.

  4. Emo guys — hawt or not?

    5. Not really my cup of tea but it depends. It would take a hellavu great personality to make up for uncomfortably tight boy jeans, product-laden hair and guy liner.

  5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:

    6. Nothing yet, but I’m thinking Too Faced Natural Eye Kit on my eyes; not sure about my cheeks or lips yet.

  6. Biggest pet peeve?

    7. When people (ahem, El Hub!) use the last of the toilet paper without replacing it with a fresh roll! Drives me BONKERS.

  7. What was your last text message?

    8. “Send my love; we’re at some random water park.”

  8. Your next trip?

    9. Vegas, baby, in October!

  9. Outfit:

    10. I’m still in my jammies — a pair of white shorts and a Makeup and Beauty Blog t-shirt.

  10. Weekly goals:

    11. Remember to focus on the positive, exercise at LEAST twice, lay off the cookies (so hard!), and remember to have a little fun every single day.

Good mornin’, sunshine. 🙂

I hope your week got off to a good start. Mine has, but I still feel a little distracted by something…

I’ve kinda been feeling like hamster in a wheel, like I’ve been going through the motions, doing the same things over and over again. Do ever feel that way, like you’re stuck in a rut?

Anyway, if you can think of anything that might help me change my perspective, let me know. 🙂

Before you zip away, take a second to check in.

Talk to you soon!

Le list

1. Mood:
2. Your last purchase:
3. Favorite loose or pressed powder:
4. Emo guys — hawt or not?
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks:
6. Biggest pet peeve:
7. Your last text message:
8. Your next trip:
9. Outfit:
10. Weekly goals:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays with Tabs the Cat: Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Aug. 23

by 16 Comments


(feed readers, click here to see the video)

Miss Piggy walked out on the project…

She and Tabs were supposed to film a video together for their duet, a cover of (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life, with Debbie Allen doing the choreography from Dirty Dancing, but my little angel couldn’t bring himself to share the spotlight with a Muppet. No, by the end of the first 15 minutes of shooting, Tabs had driven Miss Piggy off the set.

She claimed humiliation, saying Tabs called her a Sesame Street has been. Witnesses said both entertainers were at fault, with Piggy demanding a larger dressing room and Tabs refusing to do any of the lifts.

In the end, the producers scrapped the project, citing big egos as the cause, and put together this photo montage instead. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I hope you had a good day today. Tabs says hi. He’s looking forward to True Blood.

Two Ways to Win MAC Plush Lash Mascara in Plushblack

by 263 Comments

mac cosmetics plush lash giveaway

I wanted to say hi before dashing out the door for an early dance class to shake my groove thing, shake my groove thing (yeah, yeah). How’s your weekend coming along? Mine hasn’t been bad so far — just a lot of paperwork (more condo stuff, trying for an FHA loan), a little beauty reading (In Style!) and a few Sex and the City DVDs.

Before I roll, how about a Sunday giveaway? 🙂

The prize

One lucky lady will take home one tube of MAC Plush Lash Mascara in Plushblack (a $13 value).

Plush Lash is all about fatty-bo-batty drama. It thickens, lengthens, hella holds a curl and stays put on me all day long without smudging.

I first heard about it back in 2007 and have loved it to this day.

How to enter…

Entering is easy. There are two different ways, 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 mascaras or anything at all. 🙂

I have wimpy, straight lashes, so I like mascaras that add dramatic volume and length — the more drag queeny the better!

Follow me
Second, enter by following me on Twitter and retweeting (RT) the following message:

RT @karenmbb: RT to Win MAC Plush Lash Mascara in Plushblack http://bit.ly/1Ty6RE

Recap…

  1. Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, and don’t forget to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.
  2. Follow me on Twitter and retweet the following message:

    RT @karenmbb: RT to Win MAC Plush Lash Mascara in Plushblack http://bit.ly/1Ty6RE

I’ll pick the winner at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 PM PST on Monday, August 24.

Shubhakaamana!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Miss Piggy: Her Best Hair?

by 19 Comments

miss-piggy-hair-poll1

Mention the word diva, and most people think of Mimi, Madge or Beautiful B…

But when I think divas, there’s only one: Miss Piggy (also known as Piggy, born October 13, 1974).

The heels, the jewels, the opera-length gloves in the middle of the day (!) — homegirl takes her glam SERIOUSLY.

The divalicious Muppet dropped by New York last week to visit with fashion mogul Marc Jacobs at his SoHo studio. Piggy will be wearing one of Marc’s latest designs to NY Fashion Week next month.

When it comes to her hair, Miss Piggy loves the curls, but she has been known to work a red carpet in flat-ironed locks.

Which of Miss Piggy's hairstyles do you like best?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.