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

Peek-a-Boo! I See Yu Wearing the New NARS True NARS Lip Pencil Set This Summer

July 20th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Oh, Yu!

Yu! You know I’ve got nothing but mad love for Yu. I’m so happy to see Yu again! 🙂

Yaaaas, queen, Yu is one of my favorite NARS Satin Lip Pencils of all freakin’ time, and it just so happens to be one of the three full-size pencils in the new $49 NARS True NARS summer gift set.

This year there are three limited edition NARS summer gift sets — two lip sets and one blush palette — and True NARS is the boldest of the two summer lip sets.

Do you feel like the world is a kinder, gentler place when you’re wearing bronzer? Or is the pursuit of toasty, tanned skin one of your ongoing life goals? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then True NARS is the lip set for you, because its vivid pink Satin Lip Pencil in Yu, vivid watermelon Satin Lip Pencil in Luxembourg and matte berry red Velvet Matte Li pencil in Provocative Red were picked and put together for the way they pop when worn with bronzed skin. Wear any of them separately like I’m doing in the swatches here, or combine them to create your own custom splash of spectacular sorry-not-sorry color.

[Continue reading…]

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 382

July 20th, 2015 by Karen 54 Comments

karen and ernie the cat — Happy Monday from me and Ernie the three-legged cat!

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.

Your latest and greatest discovery?
These Organic Corn Chip Dippers from Trader Joe’s. You can get them in the chip/snack section! They’re like the TJ’s version of Fritos, and for some reason, they exceed all normal realms of heavenly awesomeness when you have them with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Also, this Kate Spade Cobble Hill Small Ella Cross Body Purse, which just might be the most perfect purse on the planet (it’s cute, super soft, and can be worn cross-body or hand-held).

Would you ever dye your entire head of hair green?
Uh…probably not.

Nothing against green, because I like the color, and I’m usually adventurous when it comes to my hair and hair color…but I’m having a hard time seeing myself as a green-haired girl.

What’s your standby/fallback snack?
A bowl of sliced fruit drizzled with a little honey, and the fruit depends on the season. Right now I’m all about strawberries and blueberries.

What makes someone beautiful?
Nothing having to do with society. Being comfortable in your own skin and understanding who you are and loving every single part of your personality (even the messy parts) makes someone truly beautiful.

Road trip! You and some friends decide to drive hundreds of miles to a vacation destination. Do you take the direct route (which gets you there faster) or the scenic route?
The direct route on the way there and the scenic route on the way back. That way we get to the fun stuff quicker but have more time to take in the view (and take more pics) on the way back.

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

1. Your latest and greatest discovery?
2. Would you ever dye your entire head of hair green?
3. What’s your standby/fallback snack?
4. What makes someone beautiful?
5. Road trip! Do you take the direct route or the scenic route?

Gooood morning!

*Big yawn and stretch*

Guess who’s really happy about the fact that she went to bed at 9 last night?

Yes, I’m THAT person.

Whatevs, I got nine hours of sleep, and it was glorious. Right now I feel like I could almost conquer the world! Amazing what a little extra sleep can do.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. What was the highlight? Mine was meeting a three-legged cat named Ernie yesterday at the mall. His assistants (cat people, obviously) brought him along with them to do some shopping, and Ernie was totally cool with it! He was super mellow and even let me hold him.

Ernie, unlike Tabs, enjoys leisurely window shopping. Tabs, on the other paw, always insists that I book him appointments ahead of time at Chanel, Dior, etc. so the stores can pull together outfits for him beforehand.

You know, typical diva behavior.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 355

July 19th, 2015 by Karen 8 Comments

Dear Diary,

Ah, summer… This is my favorite time of year.

Oh! Right as I typed that I realized that I’d forgotten about spring, which I also love because of the great salad, but this is definitely my second favorite time of year.

I’ve been spending a lot of time outside. Between my gardening and trying to secure the perimeter, there’s so much to do. It seems like some cat or another is always trying to infiltrate the property. The cats around here have no respect for boundaries, I tell ya, and I really don’t like it when cats come over uninvited.

The gardens are doing very well. The hibiscus are blooming, and they smell divine. And the tomatoes? They’re going off! I don’t care much about the fleshy fruit, but the leaves taste outstanding. You should try them sometime. They’re fantastic in a salad with a side of sunflower leaves and grass.

You know, I sure do love gardening, and I think I have a green paw for it because everything about it comes naturally.

Except for the watering, of course. I don’t do the watering. I leave that to my landscaper/assistant.

[Continue reading…]

Comment to Win a $50 eGift Card From MAC! (Ends Monday)

July 18th, 2015 by Karen 441 Comments

** THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED **
This giveaway is closed, and the winner has been contacted (CONGRATULATIONS, ANNA!!!), but check back next Saturday for another giveaway.

Good morning, glory! Happy Caturday to ya. 🙂

Do you know where your kitty nephew is?

No, I’m serious, do you know where he is? Because I haven’t seen him in a while, which means he’s probably somewhere up to no good…

How’s it going this morning? Did you do anything fun last night? We just stayed in, had grilled cheese sammies and watched Fear (the SCARY one from the 1996 with Marky Mark and Reese Witherspoon).

Dang, that is a SCARY movie! I hadn’t seen in it years, and I totally forgot about M. Wahlberg’s scary psycho whisper voice…

In other news, this weekend, I don’t know what we’re up to yet. I’d like to start by getting a Meyer lemon croissant and a warm beverage for breakfast. Then I’ll consider my options. 🙂

I hope whatever you’re doing involves fun. Talk to you soon, my friend. Good luck in the giveaway.

One (1) MAC eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter by leaving a comment below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- What was your favorite piece of makeup this time last year?
- Who makes the best bronzers?
- Your favorite (non-makeup) artist?
- What was the name of your elementary school?
- Have you ever helped with a harvest? What was the crop?
- Can you do any impressions?
One entry per person.
You must use a valid email address to win.
The giveaway ends on Monday, July 20, 2015 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Say “Bye, Felicia!” to Fine Lines, and “Hello, Gorgeous!” to Naturally Pretty Lids With the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Eyeshadow Trios

July 17th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

it cosmetics eyeshadow trio — Three of the six It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Eyeshadow Trios ($24 each)

I like to keep the proverbial door open when it comes to certain aspects of my life — making new friends, learning new things, trying new foods, doing new wackadoo things with makeup, befriending new cats…

But I will happily slam that door shut on the fine lines that keep showing up on my lids. 🙂

I realize that aging is one of those freight trains that can’t really be stopped (or bargained with), so I might as well be cool with it (which I am, mostly). In a way, it’s an opportunity of sorts to track down the best, most forgiving eyeshadows for fine lines, and here’s one possible contender: the $24 Naturally Pretty Eyeshadow Trios by It Cosmetics.

it cosmetics eyeshadow trio 1 — Three of the six It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Eyeshadow Trios ($24 each)

[Continue reading…]

Neat and New to Me: For the Love of Ginger! MAC Sheertone Blush in Gingerly

July 17th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

Neat and New to Me

Unlike my Unsung Heroes series, which features permanent collection products I’ve known and loved a long time, the Neat and New to Me series showcases permanent collection products that slipped under my radar for a while, but then I discovered them! — and now I think they’re neat and new to me.

Ginger!

I am surrounded by ginger…

I’ve been drinking a lot of ginger ale this week because my tummy’s been obnoxiously gurgly, and I’ve also been, at times, simultaneously wearing MAC Gingerly Blush ($22).

Maybe this is more than a coincidence…or maybe it isn’t, and I just have a need to find deep connections between totally unrelated things (story of my life).

My fridge has an entire shelf dedicated to ginger ale. THANKS TUMMY TROUBLES. — My fridge has an entire shelf dedicated to ginger ale…

[Continue reading…]

Trendsetting Made Easy (SPONSORED)

July 17th, 2015 by Karen 6 Comments

Brought to you by L’Oreal Professionnel.

Advertorials like this one are brought to you by my sponsors. They’re carefully chosen based on what I think you might like; however, this post was entirely written by the sponsor.

Create the latest hairstyles and get the ultimate “fashion week” look with L’Oreal Professionnel Tecni.Art products. Take your styling skills to the next level and learn how to recreate the latest trends with L’Oreal’s How To Styling videos featuring products from the line. Inspired and loved by hairdressers, this ultimate backstage collection features a variation of styling items for different hair types.

The Tecni.Art collection helps you master voluminous curls and provides your hair with the perfect amount of density. Get the desired hairstyle you’ve always wanted and learn tricks from professionals for the perfect look using key products, such as Volume Envy Extra and Densite.

For more information and tips to creating flawless hair, visit lorealprofessional.com.

Fri-Yay Makeup Fun: Repurpose Your Daytime Makeup With a Quick, Colorful Pop

July 17th, 2015 by Karen 37 Comments

Sometimes — OK, all the time — when I’m doing my makeup and getting ready to go out, especially after a long week, I don’t like to start from scratch, so to make it a little easier on myself, I’ll repurpose whatever I’m wearing that day, and just freshen it up and add a slight twist, like this colorful green lower lash line.

It takes two things: 1) a colorful eyeliner and 2) a complementary eyeshadow. For this look here, I chose two shimmery green shades — MAC Eye Shadow in Steamy and MAC Eye Kohl in Minted.

I lined my lower lash line with the liner, then smudged out the edges with a pencil brush. Then, I patted the eyeshadow directly on top of the liner to intensify the color and shimmer.

After an additional coat of mascara and some gloss, it’s done and Fri-yay ready! 🙂

(Note: also approved for evenings at home spent chilling on the couch with Tabs.)

mac steamy minted — MAC Eye Shadow in Steamy and MAC Eye Kohl in Minted

[Continue reading…]