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

Live Every Day Like It’s Candle Day

December 5th, 2016 by Karen 17 Comments

bath body works candle day — Marshmallow Fireside from Bath & Body Works aka my current candle jam

Candle Day at Bath & Body Works, the once-a-year event where their $22 3-wick candles go on sale for $8.50, is like Christmas…except there’s no Santa Claus, no reindeer games, no tree, no presents, no going to Midnight mass and freezing your butt off because you got there late, and so you’re stuck sitting in the pews closest to the doors…

So, basically, the only thing it shares in common with Christmas is that it comes but once a year.

Hmm… Maybe that wasn’t the world’s best simile, but whatevs. ?

Candle Day was last Saturday, and I came, I saw, I got my 3-wick candle fix on.

Did you go?! I heard from some gals on Instagram that it was controlled chaos at some stores, with hour-long lines.

bath body works sweater weather — I’m always in the mood for Sweater Weather

I waited until late afternoon to go because I thought the crowds would be less crazy, and even though the shelves had been pretty well picked over by then, I got in and out in less than 15 minutes with a few snazzy goodies.

But, any time you go to one of these sales, if you go late in the day after the first few waves of shoppers, it really does help to set your expectations kind of low. You might find a scent you like, but it might not be available anymore in the design you want, so you have to be cool with that.

I suggest employing a strategy similar to how one might scavenge supplies during the zombie apocalypse. Basically, there’s still good stuff out there, but it’ll be hidden.

bath body works spiced apple toddy — Spiced Apple Toddy — the perfect kitchen candle. Not too sweet, not too spicy.

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 452

December 5th, 2016 by Karen 29 Comments

So..what is the Monday Poll?

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past NINE (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine. 🙂

1. You’re given the opportunity to walk the Victoria’s Secret Runway Show. Is this a dream or a nightmare scenario?

Umm…a little bit of both?

The world doesn’t need to be staring at my butt as I strut down a runway in a bejeweled thong…but you only live once! 🙂 So why the hell not? Plus, can you imagine the swag? I’d be all, “Please, is there any way I can exchange this diamond-encrusted corset for a pair of plaid flannel pajamas? No, seriously.”

2. Candy canes or gingerbread cookies?

It’s a little weird for someone who goes to great lengths to avoid ginger at any cost to say, “I’ll take gingerbread cookies for $500, Alex,” but eh, it is what it is. I despise ginger in its savory form, but add sugar and icing to the mix, and I’m SO down.

3. How many cats is too many cats?

As a bonafide, certified cat lady, my official answer is, “There’s no such thing as too many cats.” Off the record, though, the maximum number I think I’d be able to handle is two (based mostly on daily litter box maintenance).

OK, three.

4. Your favorite winter sweater?

I have a black and white cardigan that I call my “Muppet sweater” because it has long bits of yarn for texture that make it look like a long-haired puppet.

It’s black and white, so it goes with almost everything in my closet. Plus, it’s warm and, most importantly, it’s a little ridiculous. My favorite articles of clothing have some whimsy to them, and this piece does.

5. What nail polish colors do you wear the most?

I wear a lot of colors in the YGVB end of the ROYGVB spectrum.

The holiday spirit

FYI, in case you were wondering if it’s ever a good idea to go shopping for Christmas decor late on a Sunday afternoon during the first weekend of December, it’s not. Go get a gingerbread latte instead.

Twenty days ’till Christmas! Are you in holiday mode yet? We got our tree this weekend, so I’m getting there… At the place where we get our tree, Cousins’ Christmas Trees in Novato, it’s an event.

There’s hot cocoa and cookies, a Santa’s Workshop area for kids to play and draw on a big chalkboard, and a mini-petting zoo with two goats (my favorite part, of course).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy and paste…

1. You’re given the opportunity to walk the Victoria’s Secret Runway Show. Is this a dream or a nightmare scenario?
2. Candy canes or gingerbread cookies?
3. How many cats is too many cats?
4. Your favorite winter sweater?
5. What nail polish colors do you wear the most?

P.P.S. Have a great week, my friend! 🙂

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 426

December 4th, 2016 by Karen 13 Comments

Yay! We got our tree! ?

Of course, Tabs has to thoroughly inspect it before any decorating can take place.

He has to make sure there are no chipmunks hiding in the branches, because you know chipmunks… You can’t trust them.

This year we set up the tree next to the windowsill where Tabs liks to look outside and survey the hill, and he really seems to like it. Sometimes he hides on the floor behind the tree under the branches, or sometimes he hangs out on his little platform perch.

Thankfully, he hasn’t tried to climb the thing.

Yet.

But it’s bound to happen…

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An Ode to MAC Hush | MAC Cream Colour Base

December 3rd, 2016 by Karen 10 Comments

Rise and shine, morning glory! Happy Caturday!! Here’s a quick video about one of my favorite MAC products, MAC Hush.

I’m actually about to put it on right now because I have to hop on a Skype call. And yes, I’m in my pajamas.

I hope you’re having a great weekend so far. I’m excited because I think we’re gonna get our tree this afternoon, yaaay! 🙂

Talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Simple Glam: A Smoky Taupe and Pink Daytime Look With the Laura Geller Holiday Train Case Collection

December 2nd, 2016 by Karen 11 Comments

Friday is always a good day for glam, even if it’s just low-key glam, because why not, right? You made it through the rest of the week, and you never know what can happen on a Friday night.

If I were actually going to go somewhere and do something exciting tonight, I’d hope it would be someplace fun with a casual dress code that allows dried baby food stains, LOL!

You guys, I don’t know how this became the new normal for me, but I swear, I find at least one spot of baby food on my clothes every single day, and sometimes I have NO IDEA how it got there. Sometimes it’s food that I don’t even remember Connor eating! — but I’m at the point now where I don’t even care anymore. It’s just what I do now. I wear clothing with dried baby food on it.

*sigh* I’m sure I’ll miss these days when Connor is a teenager and mumbles two words to me under her breath when she comes home from school, then goes up to her room and slams the door…

Anyway, I used the $99 Laura Geller Holiday Train Case Collection from QVC.com for this smoky taupe look. It’s a pretty cool set, especially if you’re all about that glow.

laura geller holiday train case collection 3 — The Laura Geller Holiday Train Case Collection

It comes with a brown and taupe shimmery eyeshadow duo, a golden peach highlighter, a pink blush, a pale face powder (the shade, Porcelain, is way too light for me, so I didn’t use it for this look), a champagne pearl liquid face primer, a creamy pink lipstick, a black thickening mascara and two double-sided brushes for $99 at QVC.

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Who Makes the Best Jeans?

December 2nd, 2016 by Karen 41 Comments

I’m asking you this for selfish reasons, clearly, because I need to buy some new jeans.

I have a couple pairs that I really like now, but they’re starting to fall apart, so I’m looking for at least one replacement.

I LOVE my jeans from Loft. I like that they have them in different lengths, so you can get them in regular, petite and sometimes longer sizes, and they have a good amount of stretch, which is nice, so you know that if you have a little extra popcorn at the movies that day, you can STILL breathe.

They don’t stretch out so much, though, that the butt area is sagging by the end of the day.

And they aren’t too expensive (around $69 a pair), especially if you can get them on sale (they’re 40% off right meow!). They also have all kinds of different washes and styles, and the styles they usually have are, like, a little bit trendy, but not so super duper trendy that they’ll be out of style in a year or two.

So I like my Loft jeans, but I’m open to suggestions! If you happen to have a great pair of jeans, please let me know. My closet and I need the help.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!

The NARS Unfiltered I and Unfiltered II Cheek Palettes

December 1st, 2016 by Karen 13 Comments

Surprise! No Orgasm.

[awkward pause]

Um…why is it that everything I say lately sounds unintentionally dirty? I don’t know. 🙂

These two new NARS Unfiltered Cheek Palettes are coming soon to the Sephora website on December 6th and then to narscosmetics.com and Sephora stores on December 15th, and they. Are. Gorgeous!

nars unfiltered i unfiltered ii — The NARS Unfiltered I Cheek Palette on the left and the Unfiltered II Cheek Palette on the right ($59 each)

Each one has five new limited edition blush colors and one repromote.

That bright red, though!!? You might recognize it. That’s Exhibit A in the Unfiltered I palette, and the other repromote is Hot Sand in Unfiltered II.

I’m so impressed with these palettes! The blushes are NARS soft, NARS smooth and NARS pigmented. This right here, girlfriend? This is the brand at its best.

And, yeah, no Orgasm.

Unfiltered I (new LE shades marked with an *)