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

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 574

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Tabs’s relationship with birds was complicated. On one hand, he deeply believed, to the core of his being, that he was a birder.

Not a mouser, but a birder 100%.

This, of course, was all fine and good till he actually had to work with birds. I can’t imagine how challenging it must have been to pose alongside a coworker, while also wanting to gobble them up.

But Tabs was a consummate professional. He never actually ate a bird on set…that we know of.

I’ve been thinking about him a little more than usual today because we have a woodpecker issue. The exterior walls of our condo are being pecked into Swiss cheese by a gang of angry woodpeckers!

OK…I don’t actually know if they’re angry, but I think they are.

I don’t think Tabs would have viewed them as his enemy though. During his golden years, he was kind of like the cat equivalent of the Dalai Lama, and he was all about zen and living peacefully with other creatures, including ones you want to eat.

Oh, how I wish I could evolve to that state of enlightenment with these woodpeckers…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Saturday Surfing, October 5, 2019

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Market Street, San Francisco, California

Hello and happy Caturday, my friend!

Just a quick hi before we head to the city to meet a couple of friends visiting from out of town.

Wow… This was a challenging week. I know I haven’t been around as much as usual, but we’re only just now getting back into the swing of thing around heres. Connor was fighting a virus and missed a few days of school, but she’s back to her charming, sassy self. I hope you had a good week, and I hope you’re doing something fun this weekend.

Whatever you’re up to, I hope it involves coffee, because I’m all about my coffee this morning. It’s giving me life!


Music to get your chill fall weekend started!


Makeup on older skin by one of my fave artists


One of my favorite “cat ladies” shares his beauty travel routine

Have a good one today. Talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

What It’s Like to Experience a Beauty Heroes Subscription Box?

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beauty heroes 5 for 5
Spa moment in three, two, one…

Clean luxury skincare finds — officially, that’s what you’ll get in a Beauty Heroes subscription box. Unofficially, you’ll get a very welcome mini spa session! At least, that’s been my experience with the products from their September 2019 box, all of which I’ve been slathering, patting and smoothing on my face every evening for the last two weeks while watching reruns of The Great British Baking Show on my couch… And, man! — my skin is glowing. Also (knock on wood), pimple-free, at the moment.

Dare I say it, with the exception of the past few days, because Connor hasn’t been sleeping well because she’s been fighting something, I’ve might even be a little more relaxed than usual?!

It must have something to do with these products. I swear, the September box was grand!
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Funky Fresh Finds Vol. 1: Holiday Stocking Stuffers

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funky fresh finds vol 1
Let the holiday shopping season commence!

Christmas is 12 weeks away.

That’s approximately 87 sleeps!

This year, I’ve decided that I’m going to the annoying mom/auntie/sister-from-another-mister you never wanted, because I’m officially going to start bugging you to start your gift shopping MEOW. Don’t wait till the last minute, babe. It’s so much less stressful for you (and me) this way!

Anyway, I’ve been doing some initial canvassing for stocking stuffers lately, and here’s a couple of cool things I’ve found…

Tattly Temporary Tattoos

tattly tattoos
So fun and cool!

I happened upon these temporary tattoos (made by real artists!) from Tattly a few weeks ago, and even though I’m not a big tattoo person, I fell in love with the designs and colors.

If you’re in Marin, you can find them at Rileystreet Art Supply in San Rafael, and if you aren’t in my neck of the woods, there’s also an online shop.

connor shopping art store
The Rileystreet store in San Rafael

My favorite, of course, is the cat in the heart sunglasses, which is $5 for a set of two tattoos in the same design!

tattly tattoos
Cat lady says, “Meow.”

Side note: someone please inform Santa that I’d like the Punk Cat and Tabby Cat tattoos to be deposited into my stocking, thank you very much.

tattly tattoos

tattly tattoos

tattly tattoos

tattly tattoos

tattly tattoos

Blue Q Bags

Every single one of these cheeky bags made me laugh! They’re made from 95% recycled materials, and like the Tattly Tattoos, you can find them at Rileystreet if you’re local.

blue q-bags
Well, hello there!

They’re also sold online, and their store has many more options beyond coin purses.

I’d like to suggest this bag to my fellow cat ladies…

youre basically broke
Me, whenever I try to talk myself into another pair of shoes…
spending arm and leg on feet
Speaking of shoes…
ill buy the shit out of that shit
Hello, this is what it’s like to be in my mind.
eat feelings
It. Me.

people i want to meet dogs

im complicated thank you

It never hurts to start, and finish, your shopping early, babe!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

13 Unexpected Side Effects of Motherhood

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Ch-ch-ch-changes
  1. You sometimes (translated = ALL THE TIME) find yourself going to the bathroom with the door open, and you have absolutely no qualms about relieving yourself in front of anyone anymore.
  2. You can carry on three simultaneous conversations while washing dishes, making dinner and planning out the next few steps on your conquest/world domination plan.
  3. You sneak in a cat nap during every single movie you go to, even the ones with your kid (or kids). It doesn’t even matter if it’s the most stressful, intense movie that’s ever been made, either. If you’re in a dark room in the middle of the day, YOU WILL FALL ASLEEP.
  4. You learn to accept that, on any given day and at any given time, you’re guaranteed to have some combination of dried crust on your clothes comprised of bits of snot, food or other bodily functions.
  5. Speaking of bodily functions, you’re no longer grossed out by them. And yes, I’m talking about NUMBER TWO. ? One ceases to be disgusted by it after a baby goes through the “poop is so much fun to play with!” phase, or after the umpteenth time you’re forced to rescue a toy that has been gleefully dropped into a turd-filled toilet (and it’s ALWAYS filled with turds when this happens).
  6. You start separating all of your black leggings (because at some point they became surgically attached to your lower half) into categories for “public leggings” and “private leggings.”
  7. You realize that on some days, combing your hair and (maybe) putting on a bra are the best you’re gonna do, and you know what? You’re totally fine with that.
  8. You 100% understand the haunted looks you see on the faces of parents with newborns when you see them moving slowly, zombie-like, as they push their carts around Target.
  9. Speaking of Target, one day you find yourself wistfully strolling down the diaper section, trying to remember the last time you bought a box of diapers, and wondering if you knew then that it would be the last time.
  10. You seriously consider contributing to the Kickstarter where someone is trying to invent a time machine, just so you can go back in time to hold your little one’s tiny baby body one more time.
  11. You automatically respond with either “Yes” or “Ask daddy” whenever you hear a child say, “Mama” or “Mom,” and seriously, half the time it’s not even your kid.
  12. You come to expect that every ice cream cone or piece of chocolate or cookie will have to be shared, so sometimes (again, ALL THE TIME), you hide in rooms when you want a sweet treat all to yourself.
  13. You consider it a personal victory when everyone (including yourself) is bathed and in their pajamas by 7 p.m.

    OK, 6:30. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Do “The Double Purple”

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double purple top pic

I’m 100% on board for coffee and gunmetal eyeliners (they’re workhorses, for sure), but sometimes you want — no, you NEED! — to wear something besides the usual, and that’s when something I like to call “The Double Purple” comes into play.

By adding a gorgeous violet gradient to your lower lash lines, you can incorporate a colorful complexity in your eye makeup while exerting minimal effort.

double purple eye closeup

This tip is great for smaller lids and hooded eye shapes, as the focus is on the lower lash lines.

Here’s what you’ll need

Grab two of your favorite purple pencil liners — one lighter, one darker.

They should be close enough in color that when you see them side by side on your skin, you like how they look. That is to say, they should be harmonious to you.

The darker shade should be one you can wear on your waterline without it smearing off, but it should also be creamy enough to blend. The lighter shade should also be creamy enough to smudge.

Here’s what you do

  1. Start by lining your lower waterline with the darker color, but —-> it doesn’t have to be super neat. You’re totally fine if you end up with a little smudge here and there between your lashes or along your lower lash line.
  2. After your waterline is drawn in, dot a few circles between your lashes with same dark pencil. Then, smudge with your finger, a makeup sponge, the edge of a flat eyeshadow brush or the tip of a pencil brush.
  3. Next, grab your lighter purple, and place a few dots on top of the darker smudged liner. Blend until the two colors on the lower lash line look seamless.
  4. I like to keep liners nice and tight up against my lashes/lower lash line. Basically, I don’t want them to stray too far down because the lower I take that color, the crazier I think the eye makeup looks. By all means, though, if you’re going for edgy, feel free to draw it down as much as you want!
  5. When you’re done, you’ll have a subtle gradient that transitions from dark (on the water line) to light (on your lower lash line).

double purple eye closeup

A few tips

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3 Tips to Keep Your Manicure Chip-Free and Fabulous

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essie blue nail polish
Just say no to chips.

Back in 2008, The New York Times tried to make chipped nails a thing.

Yeah…I’m not about that life. I’m all for purposefully messy hair (fun buns 4 life!), but a messy mani gets a HARD PASS. I’ll take my manicures neat and tidy, thank you very much, with a side of “no chips on tips, please.”

There are a couple things that make it easier to live a chip-free nail life, like 1) finding a base and top coat that can withstand everyday life (for me, those are currently the Smith & Cult Base Coat and Essie Gel Couture Topcoat) and 2) taking a few preventative measures to lessen the likelihood of chips at the tips of my nails, which is where I always get them first.

Here are three things that help keep my nails looking freshly painted all week long:

1. Don’t forget to tip

First, before you paint a layer of polish, paint underneath the tips of your nails, and then run the brush along the tip (holding your nail horizontally, brush the polish on the vertical part of the tip).

Wait about 30 seconds before applying your first legit coat.

Why do this, you might ask? Well, because doing it this way covers your tips in an extra protective layer, so as your nails bang about throughout the week, your tips have an extra layer of armor on them.

Taking this tiny extra step makes all the difference in the world for me. I see fewer chips when I paint my nails.

2. Do a three-day refresh

“Siri, remind me to do another layer of topcoat in three days.”

I usually keep the same polish on my nails for a week, and three days is usually the perfect time to freshen up my manis with another topcoat layer.

I mean, you could do one daily, or every other day (I have friends who do that), but if I do too many topcoat layers, it becomes counterproductive because my polish starts to get thick, and then I’m tempted to peel it off when I get out of the shower.

Note: using a good quick-drying topcoat makes you more likely to actually sit down and do this! Sally Hansen has one called the Insta-Dri Top Coat that’s only five bucks and sets in a minute, but right now I’m really into Essie Gel Couture Top Coat overall. It’s super shiny, and it takes about 10 minutes to dry.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 594

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you are important and you matter
Please remember this all week long, and always.

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start.

    1. How well do you pull off slang?

    Oh, boy. Ha ha ha! I can’t help but laugh at this question, because at one point in time I felt like I was “hip” (she says awkwardly!) to the slang here in the Bay Area, but now I just… I don’t think I can do it anymore. I just feel awkward when I try it, and sometimes, I swear, I don’t know what people are saying! You know it’s probably time to retire your slang habit when you do things like google, “Why do kids say Gucci.”

    I mean, I will occasionally still throw a “hella” here and there, just because it’s part of my vocabulary DNA (Hey, man, what can I say? I grew up in the East Bay.), but I generally don’t use as much slang as I used to.

    2. What’s your favorite red lipstick?

    Most of the time, anything with a coral undertone and a matte finish.

    Mmm… I love me some bright coral-reds. MAC has this one called Relentlessly Red, and it is perfection in a tube. ?

    3. Do you think you could successfully handle being a member of a royal family?

    HELL, NO, GIRL. I would be the one sister who’s the black sheep of the family because she’s always doing stuff she’s not supposed to and chillin’ with inappropriate company because I don’t like being told what to do.

    And from my understanding based on the Disney princess movies and every single show I’ve seen about the British Royal Family, every public move is choreographed, and I would have a difficult time with that. I mean, maybe there’s a slight chance I’d get in line eventually… Slight chance.

    4. What do you think of hair vitamins?

    Hmm… I know they’re a thing now, but I’ve never tried them myself.

    I will say this though: my hairstylist friend Alis says that she’s seen a huge difference in her clients who take the Viviscal hair vitamins. Also, from my personal experience, when I was taking prenatals consistently, my hair was thick and luscious and strong.

    Note to self: start taking prenatals again.

    5. Something you do when you need to be brave?

    This is gonna sound silly, but it works for me. When I’m really scared but have to put a brave face on, I’ll sit in a quiet place (sometimes it’s my car), and I’ll say out loud to myself over and over again, things like, “You can totally do this. You’ve got this. You are so strong and brave.”

    I’ll just repeat those mantras to myself over and over again, and I’m not talking one minute or two. I’m talking like 30 minutes. I’ll do this for a really, really, really long time, just repeat the same things over and over again.

    And I’m also a firm believer in “fake it ’til you make it” in these situations. Like, if you need to be strong, act like you are strong, even if you don’t feel like it, and I swear, you’ll start to feel legitimately stronger after a while.

This dog is my spirit animal

dog lipstick
When the watercolor lipstick trend hits the canine world…

This magnet makes me laugh (I saw it at Copperfield’s bookstore in Petaluma)! This color is totally a his-or-her color. It reminds me of the time I was making dinner, and it got suspiciously quiet in the living room where Connor was playing… When I looked over at her, she had red marker all over her lips, and when I asked her what she was doing, she said, very matter-of-factly, “I’m putting on red lipstick.” ?

Hey, wanna make a pact with me to wear red lips one day this week? Who’s in?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Question time! Here they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon!

1. How well do you pull off slang?
2. What’s your favorite red lipstick?
3. Do you think you could successfully handle being a member of a royal family?
4. What do you think of hair vitamins?
5. Something you do when you need to be brave?

P.P.S. Give yourself a big hug for me, will ya? ?

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