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

Tabs the Cat: Ranger, Globetrotter, Salad Enthusiast

August 14th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

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PATROL REPORT BY: Private First Class Karen

I. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

Purr the daily mandate as issued by senior leadership, Lieutenant Tabs and I conducted a patrol of the Novato sector this morning at 0600 hours.

We observed minor intruder activity at approximately 0615 hours when a human male was spotted on patrol with some type of miniature canine. Lieutenant Tabs ordered us to fall back to base, at which point we proceeded to investigate reports of a feline trespasser at the rear perimeter, but no trespasser was observed.

After completing our patrol, Lieutenant Tabs engaged in behavior that can only be described as “strange” when he proceeded to roll around in a pile of dry leaves.

Shortly after this, we had a green salad for lunch and returned to HQ.

No other anomalies were observed.

/END

/TGIF 🙂

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The Fab 5, Vol. 8: Chanel

August 13th, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

Those double Cs, man! They get me every time.

I’ve drooled over and chased after Chanel for… I don’t even know how long! Years and years. It’s one of my favorite beauty brands (and fashion and accessories, etc.) of all time.

Makeup-wise, their permanent collection is huge and daunting. At their counters, there’s a LOT of great stuff to play with and look at, and between the lipsticks, glosses, eyeshadows, blushes and more it can be overwhelming.

So where do you start? Hopefully this episode of The Fab Five gives you some ideas. It might even spark a lifelong love affair with Chanel, oui, oui! 🙂

I wear these five pieces almost daily. They’re the products I find myself grabbing over and over again.

The Fab 5, Vol. 8: Chanel (probably part one of two, haha)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Bring Your Foundation Up Into Your Hairline So It Doesn’t Look Super Obvs

August 13th, 2015 by Karen 9 Comments

Are you wearing foundation, or is that a kabuki mask?

Or, who’s that guy who wore the scary white hockey mask in those slasher movies? Was it Jason Voorhees??

Ah, the dreaded line of makeup demarcation…

Well, this is one of those things you may not think of straight off the bat (I sure didn’t), but when you realize that you’re not doing it, you’re like, “Oh! How did I not think of that?”

I don’t know how it is for you, but when I first started applying foundation, I would stop right before my hairline because, I figured, well, that’s the edge of my skin…so that’s fine, but then when I saw myself in pictures, there would be a distinct line of demarcation between where my foundation stopped, and my hairline began, and it looked like I was wearing a mask.

Luckily, there’s an easy fix. All you have to do is gently drag product up into your hairline with your foundation brush or BeautyBlender sponge.
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MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner: Have You Felt the Pearlglide Power?

August 13th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Metaphorically speaking, the MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liners, which are members of the MAC permanent line and available now in seven $16.50 shades, have pure pearlglide power. They’re pigmented eye pencils with a smooth, creamy formula that contains a touch of glittery sparkle, and because of that, I don’t wear them on my water lines (because of the glitter), but I do love ’em on my lash lines.

Have you played with these before?

The smooth, smudgy formula glides across the skin like a gel liner, then sets in about three minutes, after which time it doesn’t budge for up to 12 hours.

I use these all the time as part of my layering stack for winged liner, where I start by applying a layer of one of the Pearglides first, then add a coordinating powder eyeshadow on top, then a gel or liquid liner on top of that. Even from the bottom of the stack, a little of the glitter still shows through, so you get a subtle sparkling effect!

(They also look incredible smudged out along the lower lash lines.)

mac pearlglide — And from the left in Black Swan, Lord It Up, Petrol Blue and Designer Purple

Check ’em out one of these days if you haven’t before. They’re permanent, so they’re always available online and at MAC stores and counters.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Clinique Travel Boxes: Fall 2015

August 12th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris!

Yes, please. 🙂 I can be ready to go by tomorrow, whee!

Each of these four Clinique travel sets, which are available now at select airports worldwide (prices vary and depend on location, but they’re usually around $45-60 in the U.S.), has a different color theme with coordinating makeup for eyes, cheeks and lips.

All of the individual products are full sized, so you get a lot in each box. They’re also re-promotes from the current line, so the main advantage of these boxes and other travel exclusive sets is that you should get a bit of a price break. They should be slightly cheaper than regular price. And also, if you don’t have a knack for putting colors together, you get everything you need to do each themed look all encapsulated in each box.

I like the New York one the best because, well, there’s a lot of neutrals in it…

Obviously, that’s the one I’d like.

It has a blush called Ginger Pop, which is one of my favorite Clinique blushes of all time. It’s from the Cheek Pop Blush family, and I think they’re among the best things Clinique makes. Just very natural and easy to use. In Ginger Pop’s case, the color lays down easily and doesn’t catch onto any dry/flaky bits.

Its edges are also easy to sheer out, so it doesn’t look like you have two little circles of dolly bright blush on your cheeks.

Oh! — my purple eyes in this video are from the graphic cat eye I did last week with the Buxom Eyeshadow Bar.

clinique travel boxes new york — Clinique Travel Box New York

clinique travel boxes london — Clinique Travel Box London

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Go With the Grain When You Apply Powder (and Foundation)

August 12th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

Facial hair.

Unless you don’t mind sitting in front of the computer for the next four hours, let’s not even go there…

OK, let’s go there anyway. 🙂

In my years on the road to Mrs. Chewbacca-ville (it’s been a good ride!), I’ve made a few fur-related observations, like that it helps to go with the grain when applying face powder or foundation.

Whenever I apply powder or foundation with a brush, I always apply in the same direction that the hair on my face naturally grows, as opposed to brushing against the grain and literally lifting the hairs up to make them stand at attention.

Sure, sweeping a big ol’ powder brush willy-nilly all over my face feels great, and it’s fun, especially when I sweep in huge circles (SO FUN!), but it also exacerbates the facial fur situation — i.e., it makes the hairs look more obvious.

For the hirsute ladies and gents among us, go with the grain next time you apply powder or foundation! You’ll see a difference.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Would You Ever Let Your Significant Other Paint Your Toenails?

August 12th, 2015 by Karen 30 Comments

BTW, those are the Franco Sarto Meggie Sandal in black ($69.95) — The shoes are the Franco Sarto Meggie Sandals in black ($69.95 at DSW)

No.

No way.

There is absolutely no way that’s ever gonna happen.

I’ve seen this scene play out in movies before, where the dude paints his lady’s toenails, usually on a messy bed in a sun-dappled bedroom, and I guess it’s supposed to be all romantic and sh*t?

But I don’t see it going down like that with El Hub.

Don’t get me wrong — he’d try his hardest, bless his heart, but then he’d spill the nail polish all over the bed, or he’d turn the whole thing into a joke, and we’d be laughing the entire time, and I’d end up with toenails that look like they were painted by a five-year-old.

In other words, HELL NO.

How about you? Would you ever let your significant other paint your toenails?

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day! 🙂

Restocking Old MAC Faves

August 12th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Doesn’t it seem like the MAC Paint Pots dry out in bunches?

Or does it just seem that way to me? There I’ll be, doopdadoo, going about my business, when I’ll open one of ’em to find it dried out, and then it’s like all of a sudden the rest of them are dried out too!

I dunno. It’s weird…

On the subject of MAC Paint Pots, here are some of my old-school faves I’ve recently restocked…

MAC Paint Pot in Layin’ Low (remember this from Fafi?)
MAC Paint Pot in Camel Coat
MAC Paint Pot in Perky (another Fafi shout-out!)
MAC Paint Pot in Constructivist (looks amaze with MAC Costa Riche or Teddy liner)
MAC Eye Shadow in Trax

Mostly, I use the Paint Pots as eyeshadow bases, but some of the shades, like Constructivist and Camel Coat, I love, love, LOVE as single washes of color on the lids and lower lash lines. Then just line your eyes with black liner, add mascara and boom! — you’re ready to party with your cat.

Or do whatever else you need to do. 🙂

Oh, and Trax? So old school, man. It was one of the very first MAC eyeshadows I ever bought (so this was about a quadrillion years ago). It’s a golden bronzy purple that — I swear! — looks amaze with Powersurge liner.

Swatches from the left of the MAC Paint Pots in Layin Low, Camel Coat, Perky and Constructivist; Eye Shadow in Trax — Swatches from the left: Paint Pots in Layin’ Low, Camel Coat, Perky and Constructivist; MAC Eye Shadow in Trax

Have you restocked any of your makeup faves lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen