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

Did You Know? | Sephora Beauty Classes

September 22nd, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

Yes, ma’am, you’ll find me in the front row at a Sephora beauty class, taking notes like the nerd I am. 🙂 I’ll be the girl with the glittery purple notebook and the noisy four-color click pen, click-click-click-click!

I’ve mentioned these classes a few times on the blog since I started going to them this summer, and I’ve gotten quite a few questions. Long story short, they’re free, fun and highly recommended.

Picture a college classroom, except instead of learning about chair versus boat conformations of cyclohexane (which is about the only thing I remember from O-Chem), you learn about skin care and makeup. There’s a long list of different classes available, too (now in all U.S. stores). So far I’ve taken the Correcting and Concealing, Perfectly Paired Lips and Cheeks, and Daytime Smoky Eyes classes, and I learned some good stuff in each one.

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Quick Blush Tip: When You Apply Blush, Angle Your Head to the Side, Instead of Looking Straight Into the Mirror

September 22nd, 2015 by Karen 19 Comments

As the world turns…so turns my head! Now. When I apply blush.

I had a “forehead, meet desk!” moment when this occurred to me, as obvious as it sounds, but up until it did, I was usually looking straight ahead into a mirror when I applied my blush, starting with the brush at the apples of my cheeks and pulling back toward my temples.

For me, this made sense — looking straight ahead into a mirror — because it’s also how I apply my foundation, eye makeup and lip products.

So why wouldn’t it be any different for blush?

Well…when you think about it, how often does someone look at you from directly straight ahead like that? Sometimes, but not always, right? Chances are still good that when Nick Jonas sees you from across that crowded room, he’ll be admiring your blush blending skills from many different angles, and not just the front. He’ll be seeing you from the sides, too. (P.S. I expect an invite to your wedding.)
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Bra Extenders, or “The Best Things Since Pre-Made Cookie Dough”

September 22nd, 2015 by Karen 31 Comments

This triple-pack of Bra Strap Extenders by Hollywood Fashion Secrets comes with one black, one white and one beige extender. The beige one is currently missing from this pic because I’m wearing it, and if I wasn’t, I’d probably either be furiously biting my fist, or yelling at the trees outside my window, because none — and I’m talking NONE! — of my bras fit at the moment. Without these bra-boosting doohickeys, I’d be very, very uncomfortable.

Basically, they’re the best things since pre-made cookie dough. Possibly even even better.

You just fasten one of them in the back with the little hooks to your too-tight bra, and that extra few inches of stretchy nylon makes all the difference in the world. These little guys will give you extra breathing room if you’ve put on a little weight lately and feel like you’re hauling around ginormous boulders instead of boobs.

Before these I thought I’d have to spring for a whole new batch of bras, which I really didn’t want to do. I know that I’ll still have to get some new bras eventually as Baby Girl gets bigger, but for now, these work.

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Your Nephew Says Meow

September 22nd, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

He spent the better part of the day yesterday relaxing at the spa (also known as the bathroom sink), and if it weren’t for the irresistible allure of the Feline Greenies bag shaking, he probably would have stayed there all day.

He goes batsh*t cray for those things! If he had his way, he’d eat the whole Value-Size bag in one sitting.

Tabs must have had a case of the kitty Mondays yesterday, because he didn’t do a lot of kitty modeling, but he did find time to strike a pose or two…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Saw a video yesterday and thought you might like it. It stars Tresor, one of the six MAC MACnificent Me collection winners.

One of the things that touched me was when he said, “Don’t let go of your hope because it really is the most powerful thing you have.”

What a wonderful lesson. 🙂 I hope that’s something I can teach Baby Girl someday.

Speaking of MAC and magnificence, the MAC MACnificent Me collection is available now online if you’re interested (here’s my review from a few days ago). Have you tried to chase anything down?

The New Refillable NARS PRO Palettes

September 21st, 2015 by Karen 19 Comments

Whatever you do, if you are prone to procrastination, or if you have a deadline you can’t move or somewhere you have to be at a specific time, under absolutely NO circumstances are you to start playing with the NARS Pro Palette builder tool on narscosmetics.com.

I repeat, DON’T EVEN GO THERE! — because if you do, you will fall down a rabbit hole of endlessly arranging and rearranging your dream palette of eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers and powders, and before you know it, two hours will have passed, and your cat will be giving you the death stare because you haven’t taken him out for his walk yet.

Sure is fun though! 🙂

Earlier this month NARS did something very cool. They introduced two NARS branded empty palettes (a large one and a small one) that are fillable with whatever your makeup-loving heart desires.

Now, the idea of the empty palettes isn’t new. Other ones exist, like the Z palette, which you can get at Ulta for $20 (versus $14 and $18 for these two), but these have the NARS logo, and they’re also joined by a new line of NARS refill pans.

nars pro palettes in hand — The small and large NARS PRO Palettes in my paw…

nars large pro palette — The large NARS PRO Palette with an iPhone 6 Plus for scale

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Quick Makeup Tip: Before You Put on Makeup, Starting With Completely Naked Skin, Spray a Hydrating Mist

September 21st, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

The hilarity that ensues when you're dousing yourself on camera with MAC Fix+... — The hilarity that ensues when you’re dousing yourself on camera with a gallon of MAC Fix+

Right at the very start of your makeup process, before you’ve put anything on, and starting with completely naked skin, try spraying a hydrating mist like MAC Fix+ or Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Rosewater all over your face to open up your pores, because it’ll help your skin absorb any other skin care products, like moisturizers and serums, that you layer on top.

Oh! — and if you already have your hair done and don’t want to get it wet (’cause nothing is about to mess up my blowout!), you can block the spritzes with a bath towel (magazines work great, too). I know it’s kind of MacGyver-ish, but it works! I’ll fold the towel into a square and hold that up next to my face to block the hair behind it, and then I’ll mist with the spray.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 341

September 21st, 2015 by Karen 30 Comments

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

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 seven 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.

Have you ever taken candy from a stranger?
Does gum on an airplane count?? Because those are the only times I can remember — having someone on an airplane offer me a stick of gum, and I took it partly to be polite, because I figured, if I’m gonna be stuck next to the same person for five hours, I want to be cool with them, you know? Plus — and I realize that this is very doomsday of me — if the sh*t ever hits the fan on a plane, you better believe I want an ally.

So, long story short — yes, I have taken candy from strangers.

Sorry, mom! I know you told me never to do that…

Does lining your water line freak you out?
Nah, not really…but I think that’s because I wear contacts, so I’m used to having objects all up in my eyeball grill.

If I didn’t wear contacts though…

An urban legend that scared you as a kid?
Oh, gosh — Bloody Mary scared the crap out of me!

Remember that one, where if you looked into a mirror in a dark room and said “Bloody Mary” three times, the ghost of a woman was supposed to appear next to you in the mirror?

It was all the rage at slumber parties for some reason…but I was always too terrified to try it! And when another girl would do it, I’d run away to a different room in the house and start reciting The Lord’s Prayer over and over, LOL!

Yes, I was that child…

Even after all these years, I still get shivers from this story!
Have you been doing much cooking lately?
Not so much lately because of Baby Girl. I didn’t really feel like it for the first couple months of pregnancy. I pretty much hated all food stuffs except for select breakfast items…but I’m over it and starting to eat more normally again, which means that I’m getting back into cooking (also, one can only eat so many frozen waffles before they hit their limit).

Thank goodness for El Hub. He did his best to keep us both fed while I refused to go anywhere near the kitchen.

Something you realized you had to get over?
I realized that I had to get over perfectionism. It’s usually referred to as if it’s a good thing, but it’s usually not. It has gotten in my way so many times throughout my life and held me back in more ways than I care to admit.

I’ve realized that it’s usually better to just go ahead and finish things on a schedule, by a deadline, even if the work isn’t picture-perfect in your head.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. Have you ever taken candy from a stranger?
2. Does lining your water line freak you out?
3. An urban legend that scared you as a kid?
4. Have you been doing much cooking lately?
5. Something you realized you had to get over?

Good morning, sweet girl! Hello from the sun-shiny Northern California side of the keyboard. I’ve got a warm cup of green tea (decaf, of course) here and a tabby supervising me from across the room, so it’s been a great morning so far.

I feel amped up, and I think it might have to do with the green smoothie I had a little while ago. It was my first one in months (veggies and I have been mortal enemies since mid-June). Amazing what a little liquified greens can do…

I hope your Monday is going well. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 364

September 20th, 2015 by Karen 6 Comments

Cat purr-sues literacy

DEAR TABBY: I really enjoy it when my assistant reads to me. I find it very soothing, and I would love to be able to read to her and, in the future, to other cats. My assistant has been kind enough to tutor me, but I’m having a hard time picking it up. I used to think that I was a quick study because I’ve learned how to open the cupboards at the office, and I also understand doors, but this whole reading thing is going over my head.

I was wondering if you happened to know of any good reading programs for cats (free or paid), or if you have any tips. — EAGER READER IN REDDING

P.S. My friend Earl helped me write this letter because I couldn’t do it myself. 🙁

DEAR EAGER READER: I admire your stick-to-itiveness. Please know that you’re not the only cat out there who struggles with reading. It’s actually a very common issue — so common that I started an organization to help called Cats for Literacy. We have after-school programs for young kittens and evening programs for adult cats who want to improve their reading skills. Visit the website at catsforliteracy.org to find a program near you.

Once you’re more comfortable with the fundamentals, practice by reading things you enjoy. I highly recommend Cat Fancy for its stunning photography and engaging profiles. And, of course, my column here.

I know that with dedicated study, you’ll be able to read Dear Tabby entirely on your own.

Cat deals with heavy petting

DEAR TABBY: My kitty modeling agency is small compared to yours, but even at my level, I’ve learned that good help is hard to find. My one and only assistant is great in many ways. She’s punctual, energetic when it comes to keeping me entertained with feather toys, and she’s a fantastic cook and gravy preparer, but she’s also the worst masseuse I have ever known. She has absolutely THE WORST petting technique.

She taps my head like I’m a dog and even — I kid you not — literally rubs me the wrong way.

I understand that every assistant has their strengths and weaknesses, and nobody is perfect. I definitely don’t expect perfection, but even if we could just slightly improve her petting abilities, it would be a big improvement.

I hope that my assistant doesn’t read this because I don’t want to hurt her feelings. Overall, I think she’s doing a wonderful job.

Tabby, what do you think I should do? Have you ever had an assistant that was great in so many ways but lacking in one particular area? And have you had much success sending employees to get outside training? — TOO MUCH TAPPING IN TOPEKA

DEAR TOO MUCH TAPPING: Of course I’d never admit this to my assistants because I like to keep them on their toes, but both of them are primo, top-notch at petting. I have, however, experienced a similar issue with one of my employee’s family members. My female employee’s mother does the same exact thing, and it drives me batty.

Here’s what I do: I let her get one or two pets in, but then after the third one I gently nip her on her hand — not to draw blood, but just as a reminder of who’s boss.

She’ll come at me again, of course — they always do — so I’ll repeat the process until she gets the technique right.

If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to escalate the situation, and I recommend dropping gentle hints. Print out a guide to successfully petting your cat. Google it. There are tons of them online. And place that on her desk first thing in the morning with a sticky that says, “FYI.”
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