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If You Had Two Extra Hours Today (and You Weren’t Already Completely Exhausted), What Would You Do With Them?

September 11th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

I have a feeling someone would nap…

What would you do with your 26-hour Tuesday? Because I’m a glutton for punishment…I’d probably be tempted to do something productive. There are so many things I want to do around the house, but I’d also love to coordinate a block of time with El Hub so he could take Connor on a daddy/daughter date. And then maybe I’d just rest and recharge on the couch with a book or Netflix.

Or, I’d take a nap. ?

I know, such lofty goals. ?

Or maybe I’d go to the movies and get a big tub of popcorn (kettle corn sandwich-4-life!). I still want to see Crazy Rich Asians.

Of course, I’d probably fall asleep at the movies, too, because I’m *that* person now, ha ha ha!

Your turn. You have a 26-hour Tuesday today. What do you do? GO!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Desperately Seeking Persistent Polish: 7 Days With OPI Chills Are Multiplying!

September 10th, 2018 by Karen 18 Comments

opi chills are multiplying
OPI Chills Are Multiplying ($10.50) — the before and after

Desperately Seeking Persistent Polish is a series where I wear a nail polish for seven days and take before and after pics to document the condition of my paws over the course of the week!

Life lesson learned last week: the greatest threat to your manicure isn’t washing dishes, or lifting heavy weights at the gym, or pounding at the keyboard like you’ve just inhaled 12 cups of coffee. The greatest threat to your manicure — the threat that spells almost certain doom — is being distracted while waxing your upper lip at home.

From this, there is almost no going back.

A minor moment of shock

Because, friend, as I smoothed some Bliss blue wax onto the forest that is my upper lip, then stared at myself in the mirror in shock and thought, “Holy sh*t, I look exactly like my brother with a blue mustache,” I momentarily misplaced that little plastic waxing wand thingamabob you use to spread the wax on your skin and accidentally sprinkled big, hot blobs of wax onto the nails on my left hand.

WHOOPS!

Just a few chunks…

But not all was lost. After recovering from the initial shock (I’ve been waxing for years and never had this happen before. Distracted waxing is dangerous, people!), I waited for the wax to dry, massaged some of the oil that comes with the kit on my nails to loosen the wax up, and carefully peeled it off.

Unfortunately, a few chunks of my polish peeled off, too…

Frankly, I’m surprised any of the polish remained because that wax removes *everything*.

Du-ra-ble!

To make a long story even longer, all of this happened on day five of this dark blue OPI manicure. Through then, it was chugging along remarkably well. Better than average, for sure! A lot of people say that OPI lasts a really long time. Well, they aren’t joking.

Like I’ve done in my last couple of “7 Days” nail polish experiments, I used Smith & Cult’s base coat and top coat, along with two layers of polish, in this case OPI Chills Are Multiplying ($10.50).

[Continue reading…]

There are 18 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Nails, OPI, Product Reviews Keywords: chills are multiplying nail polish, chills are multiplying swatch, desperately seeking persistent polish, nails, opi, opi chills are multiplying, opi chills are multiplying review, opi chills are multiplying swatch, opi nail polish review

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 541

September 10th, 2018 by Karen 56 Comments

monday poll sept 10
Pointy but not *too* pointy, ya know what I mean?

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Good question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll. 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 gazillion years (more than 10!). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a great start. ?

1. Last thing you bought for yourself?

After all the talk about private versus public leggings last week, I finally took the plunge and bought some leggings that I can actually — GASP! — wear outside the house. Like, in front of real live breathing people. HA HA HA! Oh, Karen. You’re a mess. Anyway, they’re these cute black leggings with mesh paneling and a mesh side pocket. They’re called the Holly Pants by Senita.

2. Your top 5 movies of all time?

  1. Godfather
  2. Godfather II
  3. The Sound of Music
  4. Casablanca
  5. Apocalypse Now <—- although sometimes this gets switched out for other movies because it's so heavy and I can only watch it once every five or so years. Sometimes I replace with Amy Heckerling's Clueless, which sounds kinda silly, I know…but it always makes me laugh, and I can watch it over and over again. Again, it’s a dialogue thing for me. I love the use of slang and how it doesn’t feel forced or fake. It’s just fun!

    And when it’s neither of those two, it’s Dirty Dancing…because nobody puts baby in the corner.

3. Speaking of movies, how do you feel about movies with ambiguous endings?

SERIOUSLY. I. CANNOT.

There was a time when I was cool with endings that didn’t tie stories up in a neat bow, but nowadays I am unabashedly Team Happy ? Ending. I want resolution, I want the characters to get what they want, and I want to feel satisfied that the last 90 minutes weren’t for naught. I 100% know that this has to do with real life and how challenging “adulting” has been the past few years. I want — no, I need — to have that sense of escape, and to know that, on screen at least, everything is going to be alright.

4. Pointy or round-toe shoes?

Depends. If the shoes are flats (which I’m all about these days), then pointy toes, as long as they aren’t long or overly pointy. I like a bit of a point because that extra length makes me look taller, but when it’s too pointy, 1) I feel very witch-y, and 2) I tend to trip over my shoes… Funnily enough, the tripping never happens when I’m alone. It’s always when I’m in a crowded place surrounded by people.

If there’s a heel, on the other hand/foot, I can go either way, but again, if the toe is pointy, I don’t want it to be witch-y pointy.

5. Eyeliner?

Oh, heck yeah! Gotta tightline that mo-fo, homie. I’m still having a moment with Chanel Mat Taupe;. It’s been my go-to for months.

“Shoe fog” is a thing

Apparently, I’ve been floating around in a thick shoe fog because I looked into my closet today and found these black patent-leather BCBG flats, which I’ve had for years but totally forgot about.

Living in the same pair of cushion-y running shoes has taught me one thing — dressy flats aren’t all that comfortable. Or, at least, I haven’t found a pair yet (that last) that are comfy. I had a pair of leopard-print Dr. Scholl’s (Don’t hate! They were super cute.) a few years ago, but they fell apart after a year.

So anyway, I’m on a mission to find a cute pair of tan flats for fall. If you’ve got any suggestions, holla at a cat lady.

In other news, Monday. How’s your’s going? ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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

1. Last thing you bought for yourself?
2. Your top 5 movies of all time?
3. Speaking of movies, how do you feel about movies with ambiguous endings?
4. Pointy or round-toe shoes?
5. Eyeliner?

There are 56 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 518

September 9th, 2018 by Karen 3 Comments

Tabs was feeling spunky on patrol this morning. He walked me further than usual, almost to the end of the circle, and we thoroughly investigated the common area for the first time in weeks.

I think Tabs wanted to make sure Harris wasn’t hiding in any of the spots we didn’t check last week, just to make sure…

And he wasn’t. There were no intruder sightings at all this morning, which was both a relief and a disappointment. A disappointment because Tabs felt particularly fetching in his purple and white sparkly cat collar, but there were no paparazzi around to capture the moment.

In case you’re wondering…the leash is actually more for me than for Tabs. Tabs likes to keep me within 12 feet at all times in case he needs my assistance with something, like drying his paws if he accidentally steps in a puddle.

He used to also make me wear a bell, but I negotiated that out of my contract after my last employee review…

[Continue reading…]

There are 3 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Tabs

Saturday Surfing, September 8th, 2018

September 8th, 2018 by Karen 17 Comments

cocos first ballet class
Feeling the music

This is what happens when you’re a toddler who watches Leap!, an animated movie on Netflix about a French orphan who dreams of becoming a ballerina, over and over and over again for a month… You go to Tiny Toes Ballet for the first time and stomp-walk into the center of the room like you’re auditioning for a principal role in The Nutcracker.

Oh, and if you’re wondering what it’s like to attend a toddler ballet class, it’s similar to watching a very cheerful but somewhat desperate person try to herd cats for 40 minutes.

The instructors do their best to encourage the children to follow them, and even try to bribe them with stickers and coloring pages, but ultimately the little dancers do what they want, when they want, and go where they want, and that includes posing and twirling with very serious ballet faces, ha ha ha!

Now, for this week’s reading list…

  • A few years ago, when I was only washing my hair two or three times a week, I relied heavily on dry shampoo on the days in between to get me through life. Now that I’ve fallen back into the habit of washing my hair with shampoo and conditioner, or just doing a conditioner co-wash, every day, I only use dry shampoo maybe once a week.

    Why am I telling you this?

    Well, I’m kind of relieved I broke my dry shampoo addiction because according to some people in the hair industry, too much (I’m not sure how much is too much, though) dry shampoo can be bad and can lead to thinning hair or even permanent hair loss.

  • Seriously, this is a thing: chicken wings dipped in gold.

    Would you eat them? GIRL. I would order the wings, scrape off the gold, take it home in a Tupperware (covertly, of course), and have someone make me a charm for my favorite necklace!

    Kidding!

    (Kind of.)

  • Speaking of noms, what makes chocolate-chip cookies ? so addictive? According to some researchers, they’re as addictive as cocaine, holy crap!
  • ***FANCY LADY THINGS ALERT*** Christian Louboutin is launching a cream eyeshadow, and it’s $50 per shade.
  • Every town in America has a hair salon, a nail salon… Could a makeup salon be the next big thing? Own Your Wonder, located in Washington, D.C., is a beauty bar where clients can walk in and get à la carte makeup services. They do makeup for special occasions, big events, and they also do everyday makeup for peeps who want a touch-up for a big meeting or a date.

    Prices start at just $15!

    I would totally go if there was one in my town.

  • How to wear blush if you have rosacea
  • Remember when “Glow” wasn’t only a Netflix show about ’80s lady wrestlers? Back in the day (like, 2002), Glow was also a celebrity fragrance by Jennifer Lopez, and according to this story it’s the best celebrity perfume of all time.

    Fun fact: The nose who formulated Glow was veteran perfumer Louise Turner. She went on to create Love by Chloé and Margiela’s Lazy Sunday Morning.

  • Oh, the horror! Cats — mysterious creatures they are — are now losing their privacy because of technology. Yes, the same gizmos used to track prisoners on parole are now being used to monitor cats…
  • This, of course, leads us to the eternal question pondered by cat ladies across the millennia: Does your cat actually hate you?
  • This new service in New York is like Rent the Runway, but for workout clothes. (Yes, you read that right.) Now you, too, can sweat in previously worn leggings and sports bras!

    Um…fun?


Here, kitty, kitty, kitty…


Here’s what nail polish is made from…


I can’t handle the cuteness.


What it’s like to walk your dog in Switzerland

How beautiful is that video of Switzerland?? Makes me wish we were there right now twirling around in a field like in the beginning of The Sound of Music.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 17 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

Lipglossing Like It’s 1999

September 7th, 2018 by Karen 4 Comments

mac ruby princess
Ruby Princess

It’s funny to me when all ’90s makeup gets lumped together into a single category. Like, for lips it’s the ’90s matte lip look, and trust your homegirl when she says that everyone did not wear matte lips throughout the entire decade of the ’90s.

(Well, a lot of people did, but not everyone.)

You also had different sub-eras, like the late ’90s — circa 1997-1998 — when everybody (at least everybody I knew who wore makeup) wore dark, unblended lip liner, frosty silver lipstick and clear lipgloss.

Then you had 1999, 2000 and 2001, when it was all about glossy, frosty lips, which reminds me…remember when everyone and their mother was carrying a tube MAC Oystergirl?

Yeah, you know what’s up. 😉

mac grand illusion glossy

I’m getting that ’99 vibe so hard from these non-sticky MAC Grand Illusion Glossy Liquid Lip Colour lipglosses, which are $21 each and hella pigmented.

mac goldieloxxed
Goldieloxxed (this shade reminds me an amped up MAC Nymphette)
mac its just candy
It’s Just Candy!
mac spoil yourself
Spoil Yourself
mac dance all night
Dance All Night

Ah, they’re taking me back…especially It’s Just Candy! It reminds me of my early 20s when I rocked MAC Lychee Luxe to da club.

Da club… Oh, my gosh, I feel so ridiculous saying that. Like, when do you get to that point where you just sound silly using slang? It doesn’t happen overnight… It’s a slow burn kinda thing, ha ha ha.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 4 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: mac, mac cosmetics, mac dance all night, mac goldieloxxed, mac grand illusion, mac grand illusion glossy liquid lipcolour, mac its just candy, mac ruby princess, mac spoil yourself

Weird Things I Like to Do

September 7th, 2018 by Karen 21 Comments

I mean…there are so just many things, and most of them are silly like…

1. Using two mugs to drink coffee

When the automatic warmer in my coffee maker shuts off and the coffee isn’t as hot as I’d like it to be, I grab two mugs — one mug that I use in the microwave to warm up the coffee, and a second “fancy mug,” which I pour the hot coffee into and drink from.

Now, I could save a step and just drink directly from the first mug…but it’s too hot to hold when it comes out of the microwave, LOL!

2. Pretending I’m the cat paw-parazzi

Why do I derive so much joy out of taking covert pictures of Tabs?? I like to hide behind the couch or peek around corners to catch him in the act of…doing something. These days, it’s usually just him napping (because he’s old), but it’s still weirdly fun.

3. Posting weirdo face pics that have absolutely no context

Me: Stop posting weird pictures of yourself on the Interwebz without any context!

Also me:

[Continue reading…]

There are 21 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Top Posts

Unsung Makeup Heroes: NARS Dolce Vita Blush

September 6th, 2018 by Karen 13 Comments

nars dolce vita blush
The blush BFF to all your dark, vampy fall lipsticks ($30 NARS Dolce Vita Blush)

What’s an unsung makeup hero? For me, it’s an oftentimes underrated makeup morsel, a permanent collection product that scoots under the radar screen of many makeup lovers but regularly rocks my world. The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorites.

Anyone who’s ever rocked a fall berry or red lip *and meant it* should own NARS Dolce Vita Blush. I started wearing it years ago to go with Dolce Vita Lipstick (that classic NARS reddish brown pink), but along the way I found out that it also ROCKS the heck out of other opaque, intense fall lipsticks, especially berries and brownish reds (but also chocolate browns and plums, too).

nars dolce vita blush
Wearing Civilized Cosmetics Liquid Lip Suede in Blackberry with Dolce Vita on my cheeks

One swipe — literally, just one! — across the pan, and then buffed gently on my cheeks, and I look MUCH more awake. It also perfectly balances with whatever matte or satiny fall color I have on my lips without competing with whatever I have on the rest of my face (yup, even smoky eyes).

nars dolce vita blush
That’s Dolce Vita Blush with Kosas Cosmetics Lipstick in Dark Room and MAC Lip Pencil in Auburn.

Plus, you can skip highlighter with it if you want, since Dolce Vita has a touch of sheen. Just a touch, though, so tell your pores to chill. They’ll be alright. 😉

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, Makeup, NARS, Product Reviews, Unsung Heroes Keywords: nars, nars blush, nars blush review, nars cosmetics, nars dolce vita blush, nars dolce vita blush review

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

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