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

10 Things I Love About MAC

December 22nd, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

1. Their classic neutral brown and beige shades

Before the Urban Decay Naked palette took the makeup world by storm, there were old-school MAC brown and beige neutrals like Brule, Mylar, Ricepaper, Shroom, Soba, Samoa Silk, Kid, Bamboo, Omega, Cork, Wedge, Brun, Soft Brown and Saddle, among other shades. I could write sonnets and dissertations on their awesome sauce.

MAC has a well-deserved rep for crazy colorful shades and brights, but that’s just part of what they do. Some of my friends who are less enthusiastic about makeup than I am say things like, “They’re the ones that do the crazy bright green drag show eyeshadow, right?” and I’m like, um…yeah, they do some of that, but there are also so many great neutrals in the line.

Some of their permanent collection neutrals are timeless classics that women (and men) of all ages can wear.

Shoot, I hope I’m still rocking Soba when I’m 80. That’s the plan. 🙂

Maybelline Blackest Black Lasting Drama Eyestudio — Wearing MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot, Mylar Eye Shadow, Cork Eye Shadow and Brun Eye Shadow on my lids

2. The MAC Rick Baker Monsters Bride Palette

I never expected to like this LE palette as much as I do, but it quickly became one of my most trusted companions this year. It always goes with me on trips, where it gets a coveted spot in my everyday essentials makeup bag.

There is one eyeshadow in it called Bitter, a crazy green, that I never use, but all of the other shades are ones I use and love, like Brun, Mylar, Omega, Club and Carbon.

My default neutral look with this palette is something soft and defined that I do all the time with Mylar all over the lid from lash line to brow bone, Omega in the crease, Brun in the outer corner and Carbon smudged along my upper lash line…

Then, if I’m feeling sassy, I’ll add Club on my lid on top of Mylar.

3. Woodwinked Eye Shadow

Woodwinked is one of all-time greatest two-for-one shadows. Pat it on with a flat 239 Eye Shader Brush for a warm and shimmery golden brown, or buff it out with a 217 for a warm orangey brown with a satin finish. Either way: beautiful!

4. The 217 blending brush

I use the 217 every. Single. Day. It’s not just a brush for me; it’s an investment.

I have multiple 217s. That’s how serious I am about it, and I use them for so many things, like for applying and blending eyeshadow and under-eye concealer, applying highlighter and spot application of face powders. Those are just a few of the things I use the awesome 217 for.

5. Fix+

Another MAC ride-or-die product I never knowingly leave the house without (I always bring a tiny bottle with me when I travel). I use it for many different things, but mostly for blending out full-coverage foundations and under-eye concealers to make them look more natural.
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 352

December 22nd, 2014 by Karen 46 Comments

The Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll for Monday, Dec. 22, 2014

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.

My signature makeup look?
A smokey something-or-other with a cat eye of some sort — some version of a smokey cat eye combination, usually with nude lips because they’re easy. Or, plain lids, big lashes and bright lips.

One of my etiquette pet peeves…
I cannot stand it when the person who uses the bathroom before me doesn’t change the toilet paper, when there’s clearly not enough toilet paper for the next person. They’ll leave one square or an empty roll. Really? You have to — the toilet paper’s gotta get changed! You’re already sitting on the pot, so you might as well change it. It takes like 2 seconds! 🙂

My secret beauty weapons are…
Getting as much sleep as possible (if I could, I’d sleep nine hours per night) and drinking obscene amounts of water.

One or two things that are always in my fridge:
Some kind of stinky cheese (the stinkier the better) and half-eaten cans of cat food.

I will never care about…
Lamb chops.

I just really don’t like the sound of those two words together.

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

1. My signature makeup look?
2. One of my etiquette pet peeves…
3. My secret beauty weapons are…
4. One or two things that are always in my fridge:
5. I will never care about…

I sure hope it doesn’t rain on Christmas, but it looks like it might.

That reminds me — when I was young, I was terrified of it raining on Christmas because my grandma once told me that when it rains on Christmas…Jesus is crying, and when you’re in the third grade, and you hear that, and it’s pouring outside, you’re like, “What did I do to make Jesus cry!?”

Yup.

My friend Cindy’s birthday party yesterday was a lot of fun. I feel like we were just celebrating her thirtieth, but this was her fortieth, and it was carb city! We had spaghetti and meatballs and yummy grilled potatoes, some grilled cheeses. It was awesome.

The Hillside Supper Club in San Francisco

And we all gave her gifts that fit our personalities, like her friend Bernadette, who loves to cook, gave her a fancy imported French pâté, and then I, of course, gave her something beauty-related, a Bvlgari perfume. Her other friend, Grace, who’s kind of a jokester, got her a Hot Guys & Baby Animals calendar, also known as “the gift that keeps on giving.” 🙂

This week, per my feline employer’s demands, we have to leave the premises so that he can hang out with his favorite petsitter, so we’re heading to my parents’ house in the East Bay, and then up to see my in-laws in Redding.

Are you ready for Christmas? Are all the presents wrapped?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 326

December 21st, 2014 by Karen 8 Comments

Festive greetings, fellow felines and human friends! I’ve been hard at work not hardly working, as my assistant would say.

Eh, but what does she know? It’s hard to take somebody seriously who wears stretchy pants as often as she does.

This week I finally got my new iPhone. Merry Christmas to me! It’s one of those giant ones — I think they call it a phablet? I needed a new phone to take more selfies for work and to follow my favorite felines and feline accounts on Instagram.

Here are 10 of my faves. I think you’ll like these a lot.

Purrs and kisses,

Tabs

fidel_cat (9.3k followers)

A photo posted by Fidel Catstro (@fidel_cat) on May 5, 2014 at 12:00pm PDT

professor_pouncey (44.1k followers)

Hooray it's #Caturday!

A photo posted by Pouncey Pants Ph.D (@professor_pouncey) on Dec 12, 2014 at 6:42am PST

oskar_the_blind_cat (75.6k followers)

A video posted by Oskar the Blind Cat (@oskar_the_blind_cat) on Dec 12, 2014 at 3:37pm PST

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7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

December 20th, 2014 by Karen 272 Comments

It’s basically Christmas week, yo. It’s here! Christmas is on Thursday!

Aaaaand I do still have a little shopping to do, but I don’t mind the crowds. Not really. It reminds me of the days when I used to work at the mall during the holidays and how busy it would be, with everyone so happy, and the children waiting to see Santa. And how clueless most of the dudes were. If I had a dollar for every little black purse I sold to a clueless dude shopping at The Limited…

We don’t really get snow out here at sea level (this year, just massive amounts of cold rain), but I always like the idea of it snowing on Christmas. What about where you live? Do you think you’ll have a white Christmas?

A little later today, after a quick run on the treadmill, I’m heading to my friend Cindy’s birthday lunch in the city, so that should be fun. I haven’t seen Cindy in a while.

Whatever you’re up to, I hope you have a nice holiday weekend, my friend. 🙂

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

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget 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 did you wear to work/school the day before yesterday? Can you remember?
- How often do you shampoo your hair?
- What’s the next big project you’re working on?
- What are you doing on Christmas Eve?
- Which are you — right or left-handed (or both)?
- Where’s your favorite makeup counter?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, December 22, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

10 Reasons to Rock Smokey Purple Eyes (and Pics of the New Purple MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow in Leap From the MAC Lightness of Being Collection)

December 19th, 2014 by Karen 24 Comments

10 reasons to rock smokey purple eyes…

Because you’re on day three of “third day hair,” and your roots feel hella janky, and you really need to feel glamorous despite this.
Any excuse to bust out MAC Sketch. Any. Excuse.
Because purple smokey eyes are a temporary distraction from the chaos that is happening around your eyebrows. Note to self: schedule time for some TLC with those fussy, fuzzy little caterpillars.
Purple is the color of royalty, and what better way to stake your claim as Queen of the Crazy Cat Ladies?
Because, hello! — rainy days and Prince songs. *Cues Purple Rain*
Because it’s long past time to pay homage to one of the greatest MAC trifectas of purple power — Bamboo, Saddle and Shroom.
Because it’s been a minute since you’ve done black cat liner, which is a perishable skill. Use it or lose it, yo!
Because scientific studies prove that the best eye makeup to wear while gorging on Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Stars is smokey purple eyes… OK, not really, but in my mind this is true.
Because heaven forbid you go to HomeGoods for the fourth time this week without at least a little makeup on.
Because you never know when the urge to go dancing will hit! Preparedness is key! 🙂

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A Friday Face of the Day With the MAC Lightness of Being Collection: Brown Eyes, Peach Cheeks and Peach Lips

December 19th, 2014 by Karen 11 Comments

A million thank yous, MAC Lightness of Being, for lightening my metaphorical makeup load and reminding me that I don’t actually need six separate pans of eyeshadow up in the mix to have fun.

Look for the 29-piece MAC Lightness of Being collection online at maccosmetics.com starting Dec. 23, 2014, and in stores Dec. 26, 2014, through Feb. 6, 2015.

GIRL, you know how it goes. Sometimes I just get so caught up in the process (Why, yes! That third transition shade in the crease is a perfectly sane idea!) that I forget that uncomplicated makeup can be just as much fun.

The more I play with this collection (also got some swatches here), the more I see the point of these pastel shades.

Since the values don’t vary that much from each other, I find that I’m not having to spend forever and a day blending them together.

And to quote the great Tony the Tiger, that’s grrrrrreat!

The shimmery finishes have also been pretty agreeable. The frosts and pearls haven’t needed as much blending and babying as mattes often do.

For this look here, I’m only using two shadows, one of them, shimmery brown Mineralize Eye Shadow in Force of Nature, from the collection, and the other a permanent collection fave.

MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow in Force of Nature — Mineralize Eye Shadow in Force of Nature, a shimmery brown with a half pearl/half frost finish ($22)

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How Was Your Last Haircut?

December 19th, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

Delicious!

I mean it went really well. My friend Alis who cuts my hair took off about four inches and gave me choppy layers.

When she was done I felt like I’d lost 15 pounds, LOL!

Sigh… If it were only that easy (she said, reaching across her desk for another dark chocolate star cookie from Trader Joe’s…).

So my hair hasn’t been this short in three or four years. I’m happy with it for now, but you know how it goes… I’m already thinking about growing it out again to give myself something to do.

Hair goals.

Now that I think about it, I haven’t had a terrible haircut experience in a while (knocks on wood), thanks to Alis at Fox + Stone Salon. I used to bounce around between stylists all the time, because it was tough finding someone who knew how to discipline and control my wavy hair. Every time I went to a new stylist I’d get stressed out. I never knew if I’d leave the place with something passably decent or full-on wonktacular.

It only took, oh, 30 or so years to find someone who really understood my hair, and now we’re at the point where I know I can just sit in the chair and trust Alis to do whatever she wants, and I’ll be good to go.
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A Face of the Day With MAC Lightness of Being

December 18th, 2014 by Karen 36 Comments

Knit, purl, knit, purl, knit, purl…

Once upon a time, I was a mediocre knitter. Then I knitted and knitted and knitted until I’d created a scarf! — and after all that knitting, and all that yarn…I was still a mediocre knitter. 🙂

I haven’t quite figured out what the knitted pattern on the new Mineralize Eye Shadows and Skinfinishes in the MAC Lightness of Being collection has to do with the overall theme of the release, but I dig it.

The names of some of the pieces have a dance motif, like Beautiful Moves, and Leap and Modern Movement, but then there’s that knitted pattern on the pans… And all the pastels? I haven’t figured out what they’re doing here either.

Perhaps the collection was designed for a troupe of dancing knitters, or maybe it was inspired by the pastel pink leg warmers I so desperately wanted back in second grade.

Or maybe I’m just reading entirely too much into it, which is probably the case.

The new MAC Lightness of Being collection metaphysically materializes on the MAC website Dec. 23, and then arrives on MAC counters a few days later on Dec. 26, the day after Christmas.

With shimmery lemon, peach, blue, gray, lavender, mint and brown colors, it’s a fresh break from more serious and weighty winter mattes.

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